Rabu, 14 September 2011

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News


Right only until proven wrong

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 09:03 PM PDT

Right and wrong depends on at what point of time you are looking at the event. And right is only right if no one is bothered to prove it wrong. Until someone can prove it wrong, then it will remain right. So, what is right today can be wrong tomorrow. You just thought you were right because no one came along to prove you wrong. But that does not mean you are right.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Zahrain Mohamed Hashim, Zulkifli Noordin, Ezam Mohd Nor, Ibrahim Ali, and many of those ilk, are foaming at the mouth and screaming their heads off in the defense of Islam.

Basically, you will notice two things.

First, they are all ex-opposition people who said some very nasty things about Umno-BN when they were in the opposition and now scream the loudest because they are trying to score points with their new masters.

Second, they are Malay-Muslims who want to show that they are holier-than-thou and are more Muslim than even Prophet Muhammad himself. They are of the opinion that they are right, and only they are right, and everyone else is wrong.

That reminds me of the man with two Muhammads in his name who screwed the late Sultan's daughter and then swore in the name of Allah he never touched her with a six-inch pole -- and then got caught smuggling money out of Australia, but got acquitted because he no speekee ingeris.

Anyway, what these defenders of Islam who are declaring a jihad on DAP in the defense of Islam do not realise is: right and wrong is a matter of opinion. There is no such thing as absolute right or absolute wrong. And just because you THINK you are right does not make you right and everyone else wrong. And just because you THINK you are right does not give you right to call for someone's blood to be spilled.

I am sure the butcher who slaughters the cow is of the opinion that he is right in doing so. However, try asking the cow and see if the cow shares this same opinion. What is right to the butcher may not be so to the cow.

In that sense, both the cow and the butcher are right. There is no wrong. It is merely two different ways of looking at the same event.

Muslims (meaning Malays, of course) are of the opinion that it is right to propagate Islam to the non-Muslims and to try to get them to convert to Islam. In fact, if they can get VVIPs (such as President Obama), superstars (such as Michael Jackson), Christian leaders (such as the Bishop of Canterbury), to convert to Islam, these people will be so proud they will shout from the highest mountain regarding their 'victory'.

To the Muslims, this is absolutely right.

Of course, the Christians will not share this view. The Christians too would like to see VVIPs, superstars and Muslim leaders convert to Christianity and they too will be so proud they will shout from the highest mountain regarding their 'victory'.

To the Christians, this is absolutely right. But the Muslims would be outraged at such a thing.

So, who is right and who is wrong? If both are right then certainly there can't be any wrong. And since both sides say they are right and the other side is wrong, how do we resolve this and stop these people from foaming at the mouth and screaming their heads off?

That is just it. We can't. When both sides think they are right and the other side is wrong, there is no way to resolve this matter. Thousands of years of history has proven this.

Right and wrong depends on at what point of time you are looking at the event. And right is only right if no one is bothered to prove it wrong. Until someone can prove it wrong, then it will remain right. So, what is right today can be wrong tomorrow. You just thought you were right because no one came along to prove you wrong. But that does not mean you are right.

This is what those holier-than-thou, self-righteous people do not realise. They think they are right so they foam at the mouth and scream their heads off. And since they think they are right they feel they have the right to demand the blood of those they think are wrong.

In the old days, they thought that the plague was caused by witches. So, when the plague hit any community, they rounded up all the women and burned them alive at the stake.

All the women got killed until the plague ended. More than one-third the community got wiped out. Eventually, the plague ran its full course and ended by itself. Probably two-thirds of the community somehow had immunity to the plague so they did not die.

But this 'proved' that by killing all the women suspected of being witches (which sometimes meant every woman in that community) the plague could be stopped. This was certainly the 'right' thing to do in fighting the plague. And the church agreed with this course of action. In fact, the church was the one burning all these 'witches'.

Over time, doctors discovered that the plague was actually spread by rat fleas. So, you fought the plague by burning the rats, not by burning the women. However, in the meantime, thousands of women were burned alive in the mistaken belief that witches and not rat fleas caused the plague.

So, yes, hundreds of years ago, that was the 'right' thing to do -- to burn women alive at the stake. No one, not even the church, thought that this was wrong. Today, we know that that was wrong.

So, who are these people like Zahrain Mohamed Hashim, Zulkifli Noordin, Ezam Mohd Nor, Ibrahim Ali, and many of those ilk, who are foaming at the mouth and screaming their heads off, to tell us what is right and what is wrong? They think they are right, just like those who burned women alive to fight the plague. But, in time, they will be proven wrong, just like those who burned women alive to fight the plague.

Why must everything be about Islam? And why must everything you do not agree with be classified as an insult to Islam? The minute someone disagrees with you, you label that person as an enemy of Islam. And since they are enemies of Islam, then violence is justified. That makes it right.

Well, so was burning women alive at the stake hundreds of years ago. That too was the right -- but right only in the minds of small-minded people.

 

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Fighting in the cause of Islam

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 05:13 PM PDT

Zul Noordin is foaming at the mouth again. He is concerned that there are some people who are insulting Islam. Luckily we have JAKIM and people like Senator Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom to manage JAKIM and to help rehabilitate Muslims who have strayed from the right path and to make sure they all go to heaven and not to hell.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

'Kaum biaDAP may ruin Malays'

Independent MP Zulkifli Noordin warns that should DAP come into power, the Malays' faith in Islam and their moral values may erode.

(Free Malaysia Today) - The faith and moral values of the Malays here will erode if the "kaum biaDAP" comes into power, said Barisan Nasional-friendly independent MP Zulkifli Noordin.

The Kulim Bandar Baharu MP, in his blog, made scathing remarks against a man whom he claimed had insulted Islam.

The individual, whom Zulkifli described as "cursed" (laknatullah), was allegedly a Malay male from Singapore who posted comments insulting Prophet Muhammad on his Facebook page.

"There are no more boundaries to the accursed people… according to the records, the barua (bastard) who wrote those things lives in Singapore… maybe this is the work and teaching of (former Singapore prime minister) Caliph Lee Kuan Yew," said the ex-PKR MP.

Linking the Singaporean Chinese leader's influence to the Chinese-majority opposition party DAP, Zulkifli said:

"Probably, this is what will happen to our Malay children if the biaDAP (rude) party of (Penang chief minister and DAP secretary-general Lim) Guan Eng who is worshiped by the Anwarinas (Anwar Ibrahim's supporters) was to rule this country."

Senator Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in direct charge of Jakim.

Wow !! Mahligai mewah Menteri Hal Ehwal Agama?

Timbalan Ketua Angkatan Muda KEADILAN, (AMK) Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainuddin menggesa Menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri yang bertanggungjawab terhadap hal ehwal Agama Islam, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir menjelaskan rumah mewahnya yang dianggar menelan jutaan ringgit.

Keraguan timbul apabila menteri yang baru dilantik 3 tahun oleh Perdana Menteri dan hanya memiliki gaji tidak menjangkau RM15,000 itu, mampu memiliki kediaman mewah dalam masa yang singkat.

"Kalau dia (Jamil Khir) rasa seorang yang berpegang teguh terhadap agama dan ada kebertanggungjawaban terhadap negara, dia perlu jujur menjelaskan kekayaan sebelum dan selepas (menjadi menteri)," katanya mengulas isu yang didedah oleh akhbar Suara Keadilan semalam.

Khairul berkata ia bukan perkara memeranjatkan kerana menjadi kebiasaan menteri yang ditadbir Kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) hidup mewah.

Beliau merujuk kes bekas Menteri Selangor Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo yang mencetus kontroversi kerana kos kediamannya dikatakan melebihi kemampuan sebagai menteri besar yang berkhidmat selama lapan tahun.

"Rakyat pun tidak terperanjat dengan isu yang sudah dianggap biasa ini. Oleh itu, jika beliau (Jamil) ada sedikit rasa tanggungjawab dengan imej dan kedudukannya, beliau perlu tampil memberi penjelasan.

"Walaupun (dia) Jamil Khir merupakan Menteri Agama namun ia bukanlah jaminan beliau berperangai seperti Menteri-menteri lain" katanya kepada Keadilandaily.

Sebelum ini KEADILAN pernah mempersoalkan kehilangan RM32,000 wang zakat Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (MAIWP) didakwa membiayai yuran guaman Jamil Khir dan Pengarah Jabatan Islam (JAWI), Datuk Che Mat Ali.

Ia terbongkar melalui kenyataan media Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Menteri, Datuk Mashitah Ibrahim, beberapa bulan lalu.

Wang zakat tersebut didakwa digunakan bagi menghalang permohonan qazaf Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim terhadap Saiful Bukhari Azlan, sedangkan Jamil dan Che Mat tidak tergolong dalam kategori yang layak menerima zakat.

http://idhamlim.blogspot.com/2011/09/wow-mahligai-mewah-menteri-hal-ehwal.html

 

Not cheating, just bending the rules

Posted: 11 Sep 2011 07:40 PM PDT

The truth is, Rosli was targeted simply because he knew too much about Umno's plundering of MAS. So, last month, the de facto Minister for Law, Nazri Aziz, asked MAS to sack Rosli as the company's lawyer because Rosli had refused to withdraw the cases against Tajuddin. MAS has now appointed Dato' Hafarizam Harun, Umno's lawyer, who will facilitate the Global Settlement with Tajudin.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Datuk Dr Wan Ismail, Dr Wan Azizah's father, who used to work for ex-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to manage his psy-war (which was when I got to know him and when I received my 'training') once told me this:

Dr Mahathir is a doctor and a doctor knows that when a patient feels pain in one part of his/her body and you can't seem to cure it, you just create a bigger pain in another part of his/her body. Then the patient will focus on the bigger pain and will forget about what originally ailed him/her.

We both had a good laugh and I responded: that means if you see a doctor about a stomach ache, he/she just takes a hammer and whacks you on the head and the bigger pain on your head will make you forget about your stomach ache.

Of course, in the medical world this will not quite work. But in psy-war it can.

For example, if the country is going down the drain and people start feeling the pain of the high cost of living, all you need to do is to raise issues like: the Christians are trying to convert Muslims to Christianity, the Chinese are trying to take over the country and reduce the Malays to second-class citizens, Malaysia was never colonised by Britain, PAS supports Communism, Anwar Ibrahim can't keep his dick in his pants, etc.

Then people will forget about their economic pain and will start debating all these 'hot issues', which is not going to help put more money in their pockets. The fact that it is more affordable to live in England than in Malaysia will be totally forgotten.

Yes, while we debate all these unproductive issues, many things can be quietly done in the background. They can quietly jack up the cost of the Penang Bridge from the original budget of RM1 billion to RM4.8 billion. They can quietly award the multi-billion Ringgit contract for the double track railway to Singapore to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's golf buddy, Tan Kay Hock. They can quietly, yet again, put their fingers in the Malaysian Airlines (MAS) pie and take a second bite of the cherry.

Yes, even the Umno Bloggers are angry about the latest scam involving MAS. They already scammed it once, which cost the taxpayers RM9 billion. Now they are doing it again. And while they do that, we argue about whether the British were our colonial masters or only our protectors.

By the way, while on the subject of MAS, do you recall lawyer Rosli Dahlan who acted for MAS in suing Tajuddin Ramli? He also acted for Dato Johari Baharom, the then Deputy Minister of Home Security, Dato Ramli Yusuff, the Director of the Commercial Crimes Investigations Dept (CCID) PDRM, plus a few other CCID officers in the loan-sharking syndicate case involving Goh Cheng Poh @ Tengku Goh.

For some strange reason known only to him, AG Gani Patail refused to help the CCID to prepare their affidavits. So the task was given to Rosli who acted on behalf of the CCID.

This made the AG mad as hell. Tengku Goh was the IGP's underworld business partner in the loan-sharking, prostitution, gambling and drugs syndicate. And the AG and IGP have an arrangement -- you cover my backside and I cover your backside. And Rosli was messing things up by acting for the CCID.

That was when the MACC went to Rosli's office, assaulted him, dragged him from his office in handcuffs, and detained him overnight in the MACC underground cell in MACC's HQ in Putrajaya.

The following day, on the eve of Hari Raya of 2007, they paraded him in handcuffs along the Jalan Duta Court corridors to be charged.

Rosli has since sued Utusan Malaysia, the MACC, and its rogue officers for RM50 million, accusing them of a conspiracy to fix him up. That will be an interesting case to follow when it finally comes to court.

Only in Malaysia do the crooks get away scot-free while the whistle blower gets charged. And even when the courts acquit you, the ordeal will not end there. That is, if you are not AG Gani Patail's friend, of course. 

That was what happened on 20 December 2010 when Rosli was acquitted by the court and AG Gan Patail directed the MACC to swiftly appeal on the very same day (see the Notice of Appeal below).

After filing that Notice of Appeal, the DPPs in the AG's Chambers assigned to handle the appeal suddenly realised that there is no basis for an appeal. So they decided to sleep on it -- hoping that, in time, AG Gani Patail would forget about it or that AG Gani would retire early.

It seems Malaysia Today's recent revelations about AG Gani Patail's corrupt exploits with Dato' Vincent Lye of Ho Hup Berhad has had a backlash on Rosli. AG Gani Patail's anger has reached an extent of paranoia that he starts seeing shadows in every corner.

Like the Malay saying, "anjing takut dengan bayang bayang sendiri", Gani starts suspecting everyone whom he has fixed up before as having a hand in the problems he is facing on the Ho Hup corruption allegations. Already, Robert Phang is accused of being in RPK's 'teammate' for publicly asking Gani Patail to step down.

Malaysia Today's Deep Throat in the AG Chambers and the courts told of how AG Gani went ballistic when he discovered that the appeal against Rosli is now out of time. Not about to be outdone, AG Gani has now directed the MACC to resurrect the case against Rosli by asking the court to grant MACC an extension of time to revive the appeal (see the Motion to revive the Appeal below).

If you still cannot see the double standards in the criminal justice system in Malaysia, then consider this -- when Razak Baginda was acquitted of murdering Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, AG Gani Patail did not see the urgency to immediately appeal against that acquittal. Instead, AG Gani Patail took pains to explain that he respected the court's finding of fact and would not appeal. So, Razak took the first flight out to London and he has remained a free man until now.

But not so for Rosli.

And what was Rosli's crime? Did he commit murder, rape, robbery, and embezzlement of billions of ringgit of company's money -- like what Tajudin did to MAS? Did he receive bribes in the form of house renovations and lightings -- like what AG Gani received from Vincent Lye of Ho Hup?

What has Rosli done that AG Gani is determined to revive an already dead appeal against him?

The truth is, Rosli was targeted simply because he knew too much about Umno's plundering of MAS. So, last month, the de facto Minister for Law, Nazri Aziz, asked MAS to sack Rosli as the company's lawyer because Rosli had refused to withdraw the cases against Tajuddin. MAS has now appointed Dato' Hafarizam Harun, Umno's lawyer, who will facilitate the Global Settlement with Tajudin.

You see, Umno needs to bury this case before GE 13 is announced, which may be very soon. And one way of doing that is to sack Rosli from acting for MAS and any of the other GLCs. The MACC has done good job in making him lose that clientele.

And, as punishment for his stubbornness in acting for Dato' Ramli, who had to be eliminated from PDRM, AG Gani will just keep Rosli busy with his own criminal case and will just keep on appealing, as that will hurt Rosli financially. A very simple but effective game plan because the government does not pay cost for criminal prosecution, regardless that it is a fixed-up case.

So you see, while we debate whether the Christians are trying to convert Muslims to Christianity, whether the Chinese are trying to take over the country and reduce the Malays to second-class citizens, whether Malaysia was ever colonised by Britain, whether PAS supports Communism, whether Anwar Ibrahim can't keep his dick in his pants, etc., those who walk in the corridors of power are quietly pulling off their scams.

As I said, they create a bigger pain to take your mind of another pain. And Malaysia Today's job is to keep repeating it and keep reminding you -- how tiring it may be to keep repeating the same thing -- so that you will not, as Dr Mahathir said: Melayu mudah lupa.

 

 

Britain is distorting history

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 09:06 PM PDT

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said Malaysian history as currently taught in schools was inaccurate. National Professors' Council (MPN) has taken the debate further by claiming that Malaya, the precursor to Malaysia, was never colonised by the British Empire and had merely been a protectorate. Last week, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin said the current History syllabus in schools was in need of review.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Dr M: History turning into fantasy

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said Malaysian history as currently taught in schools was inaccurate, claiming that it failed to provide proper context of the country's fight for independence.

"Many from the younger generation do not understand history and the origin of the nation, as there were attempts to alter historical facts into fantasy," the former prime minister was quoted as saying in a Bernama Online report today.

The subject of local history became a hot topic after Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia alleged that PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu had said on August 27 that the communists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station during the pre-Merdeka insurgency were heroes.

National Professors' Council (MPN) has taken the debate further by claiming that Malaya, the precursor to Malaysia, was never colonised by the British Empire and had merely been a protectorate.

Today, Dr Mahathir urged the government ensure that historical accuracy be given priority over political expedience.

"The government needs to focus on what really transpired so that writings on the country's history would not be influenced by current political interests... History is all about what had happened, and we cannot change that... whatever happened in the past, had happened," said Dr Mahathir.

Last week, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Khaled Nordin said the current History syllabus in schools was in need of review.

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

Malaysia's First Lady, Rosmah Mansor, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, are currently in London where it is believed they met the British government to discuss amendments to the British distortion of history.

The documents in the National Archives in London talk about the British Colonial government of Malaya and refer to the Colonial Office. This gives the wrong impression that Malaya was a colony of Britain whereas this was not so, says Malaysia. Malaya was never colonised by Britain, argues Malaysia.

Britain responded by pointing to the fact that 31st August every year since 1957 is celebrated as Merdeka Day. This proves that Malaya was never Merdeka or independent before 31st August 1957, which means it was a colony of Britain.

If Malaysia will abolish the 31st August Merdeka Day celebration, then Britain will consider amending all the documents in the National Archives in London and will delete all references to the Colonial Office in these documents.

Furthermore, the First Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, is called Bapa Merdeka. If Malaya was never a colony of Britain then it could not have been granted Merdeka, which means Tunku Abdul Rahman can no longer be called Bapa Merdeka, Britain pointed out.

A further problem that will be raised, Britain pointed out, would be whether the Malaysian Constitution would still be valid since it was a Merdeka Constitution. This would also affect the status of the Rulers who have all been reduced to the status of Constitutional Monarchies. Power would have to be given back to the Rulers who would rule as Absolute Monarchies.

The First Lady and the Deputy Prime Minister told the media during a press conference that the matter will require further discussion and it may be in the long-term interest of the nation that Malaysia acknowledges that prior to 31st August 1957 it was a British colony after all.

The Cabinet will receive the report on Wednesday and it is expected to issue a statement asking Malaysian historians to stop arguing that Malaysia was never colonised by Britain since this raised too many questions involving other issues.

 

And the facts are...

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 07:26 PM PDT

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak says that we must not change historical facts. And one 'historical fact' is that UMNO fought for Merdeka. Well, let us go through this very brief history lesson about the fight for Merdeka and see what happened in the early years and how Merdeka for Malaya was eventually granted.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

PM: Don't change historical facts

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has reminded the people not to change historical facts or to glorify the communist terrorists.

He said the communist terrorists in the past era were certainly cruel and the people were in their grips as their ideology did not favour the people. They were anti-religion and despotic, he said.

"That was why we opposed the communists at that time because they were behaving cruelly in this country," he said at the Malaysia Aidilfitri-Merdeka 2011 open house on Sunday.

Najib said the communists at that time were different from the present communism because in the past, the communists did not give the people the right to be wealthy.

"The present communism is different from the past. Previously, they wanted to control the country and spread the ideology which did not give the people their rights.

"We are friendly with communist countries now because they have discarded their old ideology," he said.

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

In 1915, Tan Cheng Lock launched the Straits Chinese British Association (SCBA) and became its first President. In 1923, he was appointed a member of the Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements. In 1926, Cheng Lock made history by delivering a speech to the Council about the ideals of a territorially and politically united Malaya. 

Cheng Lock spent the war years in exile in India during WWII. In 1949, together with Tun Leong Yew Koh and Colonel H. S. Lee, he launched the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA).

Under Cheng Lock's leadership, MCA engaged with senior Malay leaders from UMNO (which was formed earlier in 1946) such as Datuk Onn Jaafar and Tunku Abdul Rahman. Cheng Lock also joined the All-Malaya Council of Joint Action (AMCJA) and became its Chairman.

Many informal meetings were held between Onn Jaafar, Cheng Lock, and E.E.C. Thuraisingham (who represented the Indians), which resulted in the formation of the Communities Liaison Committee (CLC).

The CLC became the platform for hammering out proposals and compromises on a number of issues that included citizenship, education, democracy, and in resolving the deadlock on Ketuanan Melayu.

It was eventually decided that an 'agreement' would be forged between the Malays and non-Malays. In return for giving up Ketuanan Melayu (the Malays' special position), the Malays would receive assistance from the non-Malays in closing the economic gap between the impoverished and overwhelmingly rural Malays with the substantially better off and urban non-Malays.

Thuraisingham later said, "It is true. I and others believed that the backward Malays should be given a better deal. Malays should be assisted to attain parity with non-Malays to forge a united Malayan Nation of equals."

In 1946, the British tried to implement the Malayan Union. That was when and the reason why UMNO was formed, to oppose the Malayan Union.

That same year, the Malayan Democratic Union (MDU) sponsored a meeting in Singapore to "provide the machinery for the various communities, through their organisations and associations, to reach agreement on all points connected with the future constitution of Malaya, thus avoiding the dangers of separated and self-interested representation."

Ahmad Boestamam and Musa Ahmad of the Malay Nationalist Party led the formation of Pusat Tenaga Ra'ayat (PUTERA), which later included the non-Malays to become the PUTERA-AMCJA.

PUTERA-AMCJA was the first platform for the fight for Merdeka. In 1947, the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce (ACCC) together with PUTERA-AMCJA supported a nation-wide strike called the All Malaya Hartal with an aim to pressure the British into discussing Merdeka.

The Hartal, modelled after the one organised by Gandhi in India, was very successful. UMNO, however, opposed the Hartal and organised counter demonstrations in many parts of Malaya. UMNO was basically pro-British.

In 1948, the plan for the Malayan Union was replaced with the Federation of Malaya. The Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), who opposed the Federation and wanted self-rule or Merdeka, decided to launch an armed rebellion. With that ended the PUTERA-AMCJA and the Emergency was declared.

The British realised that Merdeka was inevitable. But they refused to talk to the CPM, Malay Nationalist Party, Malayan Democratic Union or PUTERA-AMCJA. The British felt that British interests in Malaya (which contributed to about a third of Britain's economy) would be better protected with an UMNO-led government heading an independent Malaya.

One important point to note is that the CPM insurrection was very costly for the British who were almost bankrupted by the war. This made it necessary for them to quickly resolve the issue of Merdeka. In that sense, the CPM helped accelerate Merdeka and it assisted UMNO in its negotiations with the British.

Those who opposed UMNO were rounded up and detained by the British. Those, like Mustapha Hussein, who joined UMNO, were spared arrest. Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Razak Hussein, however, were not only not arrested but were allowed to tour the length and breadth of Malaya to speak at ceramahs in their fight for Merdeka.

It was clear that the British were assisting UMNO in its fight for Merdeka.

Datuk Andika, who died in Kuala Terengganu at the age of 100 a few years ago, was the Assistant District Officer of Dungun around that era. He formed UMNO in Terengganu soon after meeting Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Razak in Kuantan.

Datuk Andika told me he was encouraged by the British to join UMNO and his boss, the District Officer, not only gave him leave to campaign for UMNO but he was also given financial support by the British.

 

The issue is: Chin Peng is Chinese and not Malay (UPDATED)

Posted: 09 Sep 2011 07:05 PM PDT

What's all this brouhaha about? It's about the fact that Chin Peng is Chinese and not Malay. If he is Malay like Datuk Maharajalela, Mat Kilau, Datuk Bahaman, Tok Janggut, etc., then he would be a national hero, not only if he opposed the government or police but even if he opposed the Sultan. Invariably, its all about race and yet the Cina bodoh in BN can't see this.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Perkasa Asks Mat Sabu to Retract Statement

(Bernama) - The Malay right-wing group Perkasa has asked PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu to retract his alleged statement glorifying communist terrorists and running down the security forces.

Its president, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, said the speech delivered by Mohamad Sabu, popularly known as Mat Sabu, in Tasek Gelugor, Penang, on Aug 21 was confusing and seen as an attempt to change the country's history.

"Mohamad Sabu need not be afraid or feel ashamed to retract his speech as that would not jeopardise his image as a leader," he said after the opening of the annual general meeting of Perkasa Terengganu, here today.

Mohamad Sabu had allegedly praised the communist terrorists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950 and killed the 25 policemen and their families.

He had also allegedly belittled the struggles of freedom fighters Datuk Onn Jaafar and Tunku Abdul Rahman.


Chin Peng after WWII receiving the Burma Star award for supporting the British against the Japanese

The CPM marched in the Victory Parade in London in 1946

The late Raja Aziz Addruse, one-time Malaysian Bar Council President, meets Chin Peng in Thailand

 

The all-Malay UTM visits Communist China, the country that backed Chin Peng and the CPM

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak visits Communist China, the country that backed Chin Peng and the CPM

The Second Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Razak Hussein, visits Communist China in 1974, the country that backed Chin Peng and the CPM (the Peace Treaty between the CPM and the Malaysian Government was not signed until December 1989)

 

4,700 in 43 years versus 100,000 in 3 years

Posted: 08 Sep 2011 07:57 PM PDT

4,700 people, Malaysians as well as foreigners, died in 43 years of The Malayan Emergency. What the government calls the CTs (Communist Terrorists) who started the war would of course be considered evil although the CPM (Communist Part of Malaya) would argue that it was not a war of aggression but a war of independence from Britain.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

IGP: many died at the hands of Communist Terrorists

A total of 1,437 police personnel died while another 1,883 were injured during the 43 years the communists terrorised the country, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar.

In addition, 639 soldiers died and another 1,697 were injured while 2,558 members of the public were killed and 1,490 others were injured, raising the total number of those killed to 4,688 and while those injured were 5,070. 

"They had died while defending the sovereignty of the country from communist threat during that time," he told reporters at Bukit Aman, here today.

He said this when criticising the statement by PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu who claimed that the communist terrorists who attacked and killed police personnel during the Bukit Kepong tragedy were the real heroes in the struggle for the country's independence.

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

It is good that we remember those who died for their country. Many, in fact, are dying for their country in Iraq and Afghanistan even as you read this. And many of those dying are innocent non-combatants like women, children and old folks.

To the 'Allied Forces', of course, these are traitors and terrorists and their family members who also died are, unfortunately, 'collateral damage' -- but 'necessary' deaths in wars such as these. However, to those who died and their family members who now need to mourn their deaths, they are patriots who were martyred in the defense of their homeland.

Nevertheless, whether the US is the defender of freedom or the invader of a sovereign nation is a matter of interpretation. The butcher and the slaughtered cow would never come to an agreement on the matter either. So how can we expect the slaughtered citizens and the slaughterer of the citizens to also agree?

Ultimately, the winner decides what to call it. And the now united Vietnam of what was once North and South Vietnam would write their history books accordingly. And you can bet that the American and Vietnamese versions of history would not agree on what to call the Vietnam War -- a war of aggression or a war of independence.

4,700 people, Malaysians as well as foreigners, died in 43 years of The Malayan Emergency. What the government calls the CTs (Communist Terrorists) who started the war would of course be considered evil although the CPM (Communist Part of Malaya) would argue that it was not a war of aggression but a war of independence from Britain.

But that is for historians to decide and since the CPM lost then the victors would decide what to call it. If the CPM had won, it would have been called something else altogether, of course.

While we remember and mourn the 4,700 who died over 43 years during The Malayan Emergency, what do we want to do about the 100,000 who died over three years during the Japanese Occupation of Malaya?

Japan too, just like the CPM, claims that they did not embark on a war of aggression but were trying to free Malaya from British colonial rule. But Japan, just like the CPM, also lost the war. And they killed many more people in three years compared to the Communists in 43 years.

It is good we condemn the CPM and the militant arm of the CPM, the CTs. After all, 4,700 died because of them over a period of 43 years. But why do we not also condemn the Japanese when because of them 100,000 people died in just three years?

Japan is now our friend. Why? Is it because they surrendered and signed a peace treaty so the 100,000 deaths can now be forgiven? The CPM also surrendered and signed a peace treaty. But they are not forgiven.

The British too killed many people when they colonised Malaya for almost 200 years. Many of these people killed were freedom fighters who opposed British colonial rule. And many were innocent non-combatants like women, children, old folks and villagers.

Somehow, the British and Japanese have been forgiven even though they killed more people than the CTs did. But the CPM is not forgiven. We have buried the hatchet when it comes to Britain and Japan. We refuse to do the same when to comes to the CPM.

This is what I fail to comprehend. And why is the US and their allies still our friend when they invade sovereign nations and kill its citizens in numbers that far exceeds what the CPM did? This, I also can't seem to understand.

 

A history lesson in the year 3000

Posted: 07 Sep 2011 07:02 PM PDT

Nevertheless, since Malaysia no longer exists and is now a small province of a bigger country called Indonesia, the Indonesian Government has classified Mat Indera as a national hero who was unjustly executed by the evil British Colonial Government for opposing Colonialism, in particular the British who illegally occupied North Borneo and gave the two states of Sabah and Sarawak to Malaysia instead of giving them back to Indonesia like they should have and as argued by Indonesia's Father of Independence, President Sukarno.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Once upon a time, 1,000 years ago, in a country that used to be called Malaysia but no longer exists and is now a province of a bigger country called Indonesia, there raged a hot debate.

Malaysia, 1,000 years ago, was suffering from a serious problem of an influx of immigrants from its neighbouring countries that threatened to swamp the local population. If they allowed this indiscriminate and uncontrolled immigration policy to go on, the local population would soon be outnumbered and the foreign population, which was being given citizenship and was being issued with identity cards so that they could vote in the elections, would soon enough take over the country.

The British Colonial Government, 100 years before that, had already realised the dangers of an indiscriminate and uncontrolled immigration policy and the migration of foreign workers that started in 1850 was ended in 1920. A hundred years later, the independent Government of Malaysia re-launched the immigration policy that the British had earlier ended.

Nevertheless, the hot debate that was raging throughout the country was not about this in spite of the fact that the East Malaysian state of Sabah was already showing signs of a serious social problem of an increase in crime, drug addiction, homeless children, prostitution and whatnot because of this indiscriminate and uncontrolled immigration policy where the foreign population was given citizenship and issued with identity cards to enable them to vote in the elections.

But this was not what the hot debate was all about.

Once upon a time, 1,000 years ago, in a country that used to be called Malaysia but no longer exists and is now a province of a bigger country called Indonesia, there raged a hot debate.

Malaysia, 1,000 years ago, was suffering from a serious problem of corruption and abuse of the power and the country was being run into the ground, which would in no time at all reduce the country to the status of a failed state.

Those who fought against corruption and abuse of power were arrested and jailed while those who propagated corruption and abuse of power were revered and appointed as leaders of the country.

Those who threatened the establishment were murdered and all these murders went unsolved and the deaths were classified as 'sudden death' or death due to the stopping of breathing.

The country's resources were being plundered by all and sundry who walked in the corridors of power and these people were not shunned or treated as the pariahs of society but instead were honoured with titles such as Yang Berhormat, Yang Berbahagia, Datuk, Tan Sri, Tun, etc., and who would carry these titles in their names: for example, 'Yang Mulia Tun Tan Sri Datuk Seri Datuk Raja Petra al Haj Bin Raja Kamarudin al Haj Almarhum', which for short would be 'Pete'.

But this was not what the hot debate was all about.

Once upon a time, 1,000 years ago, in a country that used to be called Malaysia but no longer exists and is now a province of a bigger country called Indonesia, there raged a hot debate.

Malaysia, 1,000 years ago, was suffering from a serious problem of racism and of religion being used for political purposes. It came to a stage where Nazi Germany of WWII or England of the time of Henry VIII began to look tame by comparison and the official religion of that country, Islam, started to appear like a joke when Muslims did and said things allegedly in the name of Islam that gave an impression that these people were utterly brainless.

The racism and ridiculous deeds and statements in the name of religion frightened and disgusted many Malaysians and those with a good education and strong finances left the country to seek citizenship in other countries that were not so silly.

Malaysia eventually suffered from this brain drain and capital flight and every Malaysian with brains and/or money who left the country was replaced with foreigners who had no education and/or no money and this further sapped the resources of the country until it soon got reduced to a country with a population that had very little education and almost no money.

But this was not what the hot debate was all about.

The hot debate that tore the country into two was about a man named Mat Indera who died in 1950 and the two sides that debated this person who had died more than 60 years before that argued about whether he was a Communist or Islamist, whether he was a traitor or patriot, whether he was a terrorist or freedom fighter, whether he fought against the government or fought to free the country, whether he was a bad man or a good man.

And while the hot debate about a man whom 99% of Malaysians had never heard of before that, did not know about till then, and did not care about anyway, the country was brought to a standstill.

No one bothered any longer about the future of the country and where the country was heading for and where it would be 60 years hence. They only cared about what happened 60 years before that and about a man who had died 60 years earlier and who was of no significance to the future of the country anyway.

That was what the hot debate was all about and which tore the country into two. And because of that the country once known as Malaysia no longer exists and is now a small province of a country called Indonesia when all Malaysians with brains and money left the country and the immigrants with no education and no money were given citizenship and after some time outnumbered the local population and voted in favour of that country being given back to its true owners, Indonesia, like what the Japanese proposed back in WWII when they kicked out the British and took over the administration of that country.

Nevertheless, since Malaysia no longer exists and is now a small province of a bigger country called Indonesia, the Indonesian Government has classified Mat Indera as a national hero who was unjustly executed by the evil British Colonial Government for opposing Colonialism, in particular the British who illegally occupied North Borneo and gave the two states of Sabah and Sarawak to Malaysia instead of giving them back to Indonesia like they should have and as argued by Indonesia's Father of Independence, President Sukarno.

 

Are we still on track?

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 05:00 PM PDT

The leader of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) also initially called for ISA to be abolished, and on December 1 said PPP would withdraw from BN unless if the ISA were not amended before the next election.  In response, Prime Minister Abdullah called PPP's bluff and said the small party, which holds no seats in Parliament, could leave BN if it wished. -- US Embassy, KL

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Ali Rustam: PPP can leave BN - now

(Malaysiakini, 20 Oct 2007) -- People's Progressive Party (PPP) members are left reeling after receiving a political blow from Umno's third most powerful leader during the Malacca PPP annual general assembly early this week.

At the assembly on Monday, Umno vice-president Mohd Ali Rustam delivered a scathing speech which chided the PPP for "threatening" Barisan Nasional for more seats to contest in the coming general election

He also repeatedly stressed that PPP could leave the BN fold if it was unhappy.

This left many party members in a daze at how Mohd Ali - who was the guest of honour as Malacca chief minister - could utter such remarks.

"He came to our house, seemingly with the intention to humiliate us," said a PPP source who attended the event.

Eyewitnesses said a handful of party members stormed out of the venue in protest, but that did not deter Mohd Ali.

"PPP can leave BN," said Mohd Ali.

He then pointed at the stunned delegates and added: "All of you can leave. Either today or tomorrow. Why wait until the general election? What's there to wait for?"

Show of hands

Mohd Ali also claimed that the Umno supreme council was unhappy with PPP for accepting former Umno members as their members.

He even asked if any of the delegates formerly with Umno, MCA, Gerakan and MIC to put up their hands.

Mohd Ali also took a dig at Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob for suggesting that PPP should ask every state for a seat to contest in.

"That's his business. As far as I am concerned - no seat in Malacca (for PPP)," he added.

When Mohd Ali wrapped up his tirade and declared the assembly open, PPP delegates refused to applaud.

Eyewitnesses reported that PPP president M Kayveas maintained his composure throughout the hour-long speech and was seen vigorously taking down notes.

Funeral-like atmosphere

When contacted, Kayveas said delegates were "disappointed and dejected" by the "unwarranted and undiplomatic" remarks uttered by Mohd Ali.

Kayveas said delegates were expecting inspiring speeches from Mohd Ali in order to prepare the party for the upcoming general election.

"(Instead) the chief minister's speech made the entire assembly feel like a funeral. As the third highest ranking in Umno, the consequences of his speech worries me," he said.

He added that some remarks which Mohd Ali made regarding other BN component parties and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi were also uncalled for.

According to media sources, Mohd Ali had asked journalists to exclude the hard-hitting part of his speech in their reports. He claimed these were only meant for the delegates.

It is uncertain if Mohd Ali's speech would lead to souring ties between PPP and Umno.

However, there is already talks within PPP rank-and-file that the party may silently boycott Umno programmes and functions.

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

PPP says it will leave BN if ISA is not amended

(The Malaysian Insider, 1 Dec 2008) -- The PPP, a minor party in the Barisan Nasional (BN), has threatened to pull out of the ruling coalition if the Internal Security Act (ISA) is not amended before the next general election.

It is the latest party to join the bandwagon calling for reforms to prevent the abuse of the legislature which allows detention without trial.

Party president Datuk M Kayveas said today: "I ask for amendments to the law so that it does not become a draconian law imposed on innocent citizens."

While Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties PKR, DAP and Pas have always adopted an anti-ISA position, BN parties have always staunchly defended the law as necessary until recently.

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim resigned from the Cabinet recently in protest against the use of the ISA on a journalist, blogger and a senior Selangor PR government official.

There has even been growing calls from the MCA, the second biggest party in BN after Umno, urging for either reform or repeal of the ISA.

Speaking at his party's youth and women's wing congress today, Kayveas said BN should amend the ISA if it was serious about rebranding itself.

"BN has to make changes before the next general elections. It is suicidal if we do not plan.

"The problem with BN is its success. Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they cannot lose," he said.

Kayveas added the March election results have shown that multi-racialism and good governance is what the voters are looking for.

"The solution has always been multi-racialism but we are caught in our own political racial configuration," he said.

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

PM to PPP: Go if you want to

(The Star, 10 Dec 2008) -- PPP is free to quit the Barisan Nasional coalition if it wants to, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

The government has no plans to amend the Internal Security Act (ISA), said Abdullah, also the coalition chairman, after a Barisan supreme council meeting here on Tuesday.

Recently, party president Datuk M. Kayveas said the PPP would pull out of Barisan Nasional if the ISA was not amended before the next general election.

He said PPP's Youth and Wanita divisions wanted the ISA abolished, and he had to follow their proposals.

He also said Barisan had to make changes before the next general election, adding that "it would be suicidal if we did not."

When asked whether this meant that PPP was free to leave the Barisan, Abdullah said: "If that is their choice, what can we do?"

Kayveas' statement was slammed by many Barisan leaders, largely members of the largest component party Umno, who said it reflected badly on the coalition's unity.

However, MCA central committee member Wong Nai Chee said his party supported PPP's call to amend the ISA.

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

Don't push us, Gerakan Youth tells BN leaders

(Malaysiakini, 7 Sep 2011) -- Telling BN leaders not to "push Gerakan to the edge", Ang said the party "will fight back with dignity".

"We will not be a punching bag of Umno and we will no longer keep quiet when you shout. Gerakan is now 43 years old and we are old enough and experienced enough to decide our own destiny and direction that we do not need Umno or any other party to tell us where we should contest.

"We will decide where we should contest and we will let them know when (the) time is right," said Ang in his tersely-worded statement.

Ang was responding to remarks by Umno supreme council member Mohd Ali Rustam that the state BN would field a "winnable candidate" from either Umno or MCA - instead of Gerakan - for the Bachang state constituency in the next general election.

 

The Malay cock syndrome

Posted: 04 Sep 2011 08:55 PM PDT

The trouble is these Malays measure the size of your balls according to the size of the cock's balls. And to qualify as a man you must have balls the size of a cock's balls. They are not concerned whether you have brains bigger than a cock's brains.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

You may have noticed that the 'hot' news these past few weeks is all about so-and-so challenging so-and-so to do this, that or the other. Mat Sabu challenges so-and-so, Khairy Jamaluddin challenges so-and-so, so-and-so challenges Anwar Ibrahim, so-and-so challenges Najib Tun Razak, and whatnot.

And these challenges are followed by allegations of takde telur, takde batu, takde pelir (which all means no balls or, as the Chinese would say, boh chuntoi), pondan (transvestite), eunuch, and so on.



This is very revealing of the Malay cock syndrome. And this is also revealing of the Malay penchant for cock fighting, which is still a favourite pastime in the Malay heartland such as the East Coast -- where many macho Malay males love their cocks more than their wives.

Woe to any wife who cuts off the head of her husband's cock and serves it for dinner. Wives have suffered divorce for less than that. A man's cock is a sacred cow, and just like any sacred cow, one does not slaughter it and serve it for dinner.

A fierce cock that has never lost a fight is a man's prized possession. He would proudly parade his champion cock all over the kampong for all and sundry to admire. A champion cock would be worth its weight in gold. It would be worth more than four wives combined in terms of commercial value. You could marry four wives for less than the cost of a champion cock.



A fierce fighting cock is a cock with balls. Although I have never yet seen where the balls are, I assume they must be hidden there somewhere. If not they would not be such fierce fighters.

To these Malays, a man is judged by how close he resembles a fighting cock. And a man who does not rise to the challenge is a man who takde telur, takde batu, takde pelir, boh chuntoi, or is a pondan, eunuch, and so on.

It is that simple. I challenge you, you accept. You don't accept, then you takde telur, takde batu, takde pelir, boh chuntoi, or are a pondan, eunuch, and so on.

That is why Malays love Hindi movies. Hindi movies always start with the baddie terrorising the entire village. Then along comes the hero who gets beaten up to the point of death as he stands up for the democratic rights and civil liberties of the entire community. He then recovers from his injuries and singlehandedly defeats the baddie and his army of 65 toughies, plus in the end he gets to marry the most beautiful girl in the village. These are movies made for the Malay mind.

I too have received my share of challenges and my share of allegations of takde telur, takde batu, takde pelir, boh chuntoi, pondan, eunuch, and so on. To these Malays, a real man would subject himself to a sham trial based on mala fide charges and fabricated evidence. And if you do not dare face this travesty of justice and manipulation of the judicial process, then you takde telur, takde batu, takde pelir, boh chuntoi, or are a pondan, eunuch, and so on

The trouble is these Malays measure the size of your balls according to the size of the cock's balls. And to qualify as a man you must have balls the size of a cock's balls. They are not concerned whether you have brains bigger than a cock's brains.

I really don't know how big the cock's balls are. But I am more concerned with saving my balls, whatever size they may be. So I use my brains, which are bigger than a cock's brains, and not my balls to make my decisions.

I am not sure what decision I would make if I use my balls to make these decisions. But by using my brains to make decisions I think I am able to make better decisions and in that same process save my balls as well.

I suppose this is because I have a better brain than these types of Malays who may have gone to university but yet still use their balls rather than their brains to make decisions. And since they use their balls rather than their brains to make decisions they do not always make the cleverest of decisions.

This is the problem with Malays who suffer from the cock syndrome. They think like cocks and use their balls in deciding things. I refuse to think like a cock so I use my brains. And that is why these types of Malays can never match me. They can't come even close.

They may have gone to university at the expense of the taxpayers -- 90% of whom are Chinese, according to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. But they still refuse to use their brains in making decisions in spite of their education. They still use the cock as the basis of whatever they do.

Sigh…you can take the Malay out of the kampong, but how do we take the cock out of the Malay? They still think like cocks and use their balls rather than their brains in making decisions.

This is what caused Dr Mahathir to cry during the Umno General Assembly. And during the interview he gave soon after he retired in 2003, he lamented about how he had failed to change the Malays.

Basically, Dr Mahathir realised that the Malays still use their balls instead of their brains and they go through life like prized cocks and because of this the Malays are going to be a lost race in time to come.

 

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WIKILEAKS: PM ABDULLAH'S AIDE ON ANWAR, ELECTIONS AND NAJIB

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Wan Farid told us in January (ref A) that Abdullah had decided not to welcome Anwar back into UMNO, and there was certainly no hint in our May 15 meeting that UMNO views of Anwar had softened following the heated Ijok by-election. On the contrary, UMNO Secretary General Radzi Sheikh Ahmad on April 31 told reporters, "He (Anwar) will not be taken back. Period."

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Summary

1.  (S) Wan Farid (protect throughout), a political aide to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, argued in a May 15 meeting with polchief that opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim's strategy of addressing national issues in the recent Ijok by-election backfired as voters demonstrated that they care most about local rice bowl matters that only the ruling National Coalition (BN) can address. 

Lacking his own party machinery, Anwar remains very dependent on the Islamic Party of Malayia (PAS) for grassroots organization.  Two recent by-elections signaled a weakening of ethnic Chinese support for the BN, though in the end Chinese voters would have little alternative but to endorse the ruling Coalition. 

Wan Farid and other advisors have recommended PM Abdullah curtail international travel after June and concentrate instead on touring Malaysian states in preparation for the next election.  International affairs would not play an important role with voters on election day. 

Prime Minister Abdullah concluded that Deputy Prime Minister Najib had no connection to the sensationalistic murder of a Mongolian woman, and the PM continues to support Najib's party position.  There remains concern, however, over information the defense counsel could raise in the June murder trial of Najib's former advisor and two policemen.  End Summary.

Anwar Miscalculates in Ijok

2.  (C) Opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim miscalculated in the April 28 Ijok by-election by focusing on national issues, Wan Farid told polchief May 15, echoing commentary in many Malaysian political circles. 

(Comment:  The Ijok by-election was seen as the final litmus test of political party support before the next national election; BN defeated Anwar's candidate by 59 to 40 percent.  End Comment.) 

For example, Anwar tried to attack DPM Najib and BN using the Mongolian murder case (ref B), but most voters remained ignorant of the issue and, Wan Farid joked, thought that Altantuya (the murder victim) was the latest Indonesian pop singer. 

In addition, Anwar's People's Justice Party (PKR) had almost no grassroots presence, Wan Farid noted, and had to rely very heavily on the opposition Islamist party, PAS.  In the end, PAS members would not go all out to support Anwar and PKR.

Wan Farid noted with satisfaction that television cameras caught Anwar Ibrahim dancing a jig at an Ijok campaign rally and that such "un-Islamic" behavior would not go down well with PAS members. 

(Comment: Government-controlled television media gave widespread coverage to Anwar's modest dance along with commentary that such movements were inappropriate for an Islamic leader.  End Comment.)

UMNO Machine Dominates

3.  (C) BN and the leading United Malays National Organization (UMNO), in contrast to Anwar, knew that voters focused on local rice bowl issues, Wan Farid affirmed. Malaysian voters responded to immediate projects in their neighborhoods, not to abstract national concerns.  BN has the resources to deliver the communities' needs and UMNO has the extensive party machinery that can allocate one party worker for every five voters.  No other party comes close to UMNO in this regard.

Chinese Support Wanes, but Has No Alternative

4.  (C) Wan Farid admitted that ethnic Chinese support for BN had waned based on results in the past two by-elections, Machap and Ijok.  A decrease in Chinese support "supposedly" is a result of the heated Malay racial rhetoric and "kris-waving" during UMNO's party conference in November 2006, at least that was the rationale of Chinese leaders within BN. 

However, the Chinese were practical people and in the end they would endorse BN as their only realistic alternative, Wan Farid concluded. 

(Comment: DPM Najib's political secretary Fatmi Salleh (protect) expressed similar concerns over BN's loss of Chinese voters during an April 16 meeting with polchief.  Fatmi's comments followed the previous by-election in Machap, which witnessed a BN win, but also a significant decrease in BN votes in several Chinese sub-districts.  End Comment.)

PM Advised to Curtail Foreign Travel, Focus on Pre-Campaign

5.  (C) Wan Farid said that he and other advisors had asked PM Abdullah to curtail his overseas travel after planned trips in June to Afghanistan, the Middle East and Russia. Instead, beginning in July the Prime Minister should begin touring all Malaysian states in preparation for the national election (the date for which has yet to be set). 

The Prime Minister still might travel abroad for "must do" events, such as the UN General Assembly.  Otherwise, Abdullah should spend his time within Malaysia.  In response to our question, Wan Farid said international affairs would play little or no role with voters come election day. 

Although advisors wanted the PM to begin pre-campaign activities in July, they also were weighing the "feel good" factor among voters.  This would depend somewhat on money from government contracts under the Ninth Malaysia Plan reaching medium-scale businesses, a consideration that would support holding elections in a year's time, Wan Farid noted.

Najib Retains Abdullah's Confidence

6.  (S) Wan Farid said Prime Minister Abdullah had concluded his deputy Najib Tun Razak was not involved in the 2006 murder of a Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu (ref B).

(Comment:  In late 2006, Wan Farid reportedly carried out an inquiry at Abdullah's behest that supported this conclusion, ref A.) 

Najib's former advisor Razak Baginda and two police officers from Najib's security detail will stand trial in June for the murder of the Mongolian national.  Wan Farid said Razak Baginda initially had asked for Najib's intervention. 

Najib might have agreed, Wan Farid said, if this had been "only a case of corruption," but Najib did not wish to get involved in a murder cover-up.  As a result of Abdullah's continued support, Najib's government and party positions were not in jeopardy.

7.  (C) Wan Farid was certain that government prosecutors would limit their trial activities to the murder itself and the three defendants; prosecutors would not follow up on allegations of related corruption or other suspects.  Wan Farid admitted, however, that there remains concern that the defense counsel would bring up extraneous information that could embarrass Najib or the government:  "You can't predict or control what the defense will say in open court."

Future Foreign Minister?

8.  (C) Wan Farid stated that Foreign Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Ahmad Shabery Cheek was UMNO's choice to succeed Syed Hamid Albar as Foreign Minister at some point in the future.  Ahmad Shabery Cheek "is being groomed for the role," Wan Farid claimed, while noting Shabery's qualities as an effective UMNO politician. 

(Comment:  We do not have other indications that the relatively young Shabery, who is not known as an UMNO heavyweight, will be the next Foreign Minister.  End Comment.)

Comment

9.  (C) Wan Farid speaks as an insider and loyalist to PM Abdullah.  Although he argued that Anwar Ibrahim posed no real political challenge, Wan Farid nevertheless focused much of our discussion and his criticism on the former Deputy Prime Minister and far less on the leading opposition party PAS. 

Wan Farid told us in January (ref A) that Abdullah had decided not to welcome Anwar back into UMNO, and there was certainly no hint in our May 15 meeting that UMNO views of Anwar had softened following the heated Ijok by-election.  On the contrary, UMNO Secretary General Radzi Sheikh Ahmad on April 31 told reporters, "He (Anwar) will not be taken back. Period."

10.  (C) Guessing the timing of the next national election remains a popular pastime for Malaysian elites and Kuala Lumpur's diplomats.  Despite reference to the time needed for public funds to trickle down, Wan Farid left us with a clear impression he expected the elections to take place this year.

Election Commission officials quietly have begun training public school administrators on managing polling stations, one sign that the election might take place in the near term.

An unsubstantiated rumor among school officials pegs the election in the August/September 2007 timeframe.  Malaysia has never held a national election during the Muslim fasting month, which this year falls mid-September to mid-October.

If Abdullah is looking to capitalize on a "feel good" factor, scheduling elections in proximity to the 50th Independence Day celebrations on August 31 might provide an opportunity.

LAFLEUR (MAY 2007)

 

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M’sia Day marred by whiff of graft, clamour for secession

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 05:00 AM PDT

HORNBILL UNLEASHED

Keruah Usit

Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has been shaken by the recent announcement of a probe by the German government into his financial deals with Deutsche Bank, Germany's largest bank.

Three European environmentalist and human rights NGOs had triggered the investigation by writing to Chancellor Angela Merkel, urging her to freeze the Taib family's assets in Germany.

The NGOs – the Bruno Manser Fund, Society for Threatened Peoples and Rainforest Rescue – alleged Deutsche Bank provides a respectable front for company assets owned by Taib and his family in North America.

"Deutsche Bank International's Jersey and Cayman branches are administering the Jersey-based Sogo Holdings Ltd, through which several illicit Taib family assets in the US are held," the NGOs claimed in a joint statement. "In Malaysia, Deutsche Bank is running joint ventures with Cahya Mata Sarawak (CMS), the Taib family's business flagship, under the names of K&N Kenanga Holdings and Kenanga Deutsche Futures."

Deutsche Bank has offices in Kuala Lumpur and Labuan. The bank has been seeking to expand its private banking network to rope in ever wealthier multimillionaires such as Taib. This is despite the bank struggling with a US government lawsuit accusing it of having misled investors, and with a British Serious Fraud Office investigation into its alleged misrepresentation of asset-backed securities.

azlanTaib, Premier Najib Razak and Deutsche Bank have not commented on the German government's investigation into alleged money-laundering: it appearsTaib and Najib continue to hope that the German and Swiss financial regulators' attentions will simply blow over.

Taib postpones Baram dam

At home, Taib has also been stirred by local protests into suspending plans to build the ambitious Baram dam. Kayan, Kenyah and Penan locals angrily opposed his plans for forced resettlement of some 20,000 natives for the construction of the dam.

NONETaib's spokesperson, and second minister at Taib's omnipotent natural resources and planning ministry, Awang Tengah Hassan (right), announced last Friday that the government would first build the Baleh hydroelectric power (HEP) dam, upstream from the notorious Bakun dam in central Sarawak, before taking on the Baram dam.

"The beauty (sic) of the Baleh HEP is that it would not affect the livelihood of many people, making it easier to implement as very little resettlement would be involved," he gushed, according to a local daily.

Awang Tengah conceded that building the Baram dam would require extra social studies, in apparent reference to the lack of any meaningful social impact assessment (SIA) or environmental impact assessment (EIA) on the Baram dam.

The EIA and SIA, required by law for each of the twelve mammoth HEP dams planned by Taib's administration, are all jealously guarded secrets. Local environmentalists say these studies were conducted over two decades ago, and were simply airbrushed to provide impetus to these 'mega projects'.

baram residents demoThe Baram dam was destined to be another windfall for loggers granted access to the vacated native lands, and construction companies awarded contracts for the dam. CMS, and other companies owned by members of Taib's family, have already prospered from past dam contracts.

But Taib must have been unnerved by an open revolt, including scathing condemnation by grassroots NGOs such as the Orang Ulu National Association, Borneo Resources Institute Malaysia, Baram People's Protection Committee, Sahabat Alam Malaysia, Sarawak Indigenous Lawyers' Alliance, Sarawak Native Customary Land Rights Network (TAHABAS) and the pan-Malaysian Natives' Network (Jaringan Orang AsalSeMalaysia).

The natives' protests were even covered in the supine local press.

READ MORE HERE

 

WIKILEAKS: PM ABDULLAH'S AIDE ON ANWAR, ELECTIONS AND NAJIB

Posted: 14 Sep 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Wan Farid told us in January (ref A) that Abdullah had decided not to welcome Anwar back into UMNO, and there was certainly no hint in our May 15 meeting that UMNO views of Anwar had softened following the heated Ijok by-election. On the contrary, UMNO Secretary General Radzi Sheikh Ahmad on April 31 told reporters, "He (Anwar) will not be taken back. Period."

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Summary

1.  (S) Wan Farid (protect throughout), a political aide to Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, argued in a May 15 meeting with polchief that opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim's strategy of addressing national issues in the recent Ijok by-election backfired as voters demonstrated that they care most about local rice bowl matters that only the ruling National Coalition (BN) can address. 

Lacking his own party machinery, Anwar remains very dependent on the Islamic Party of Malayia (PAS) for grassroots organization.  Two recent by-elections signaled a weakening of ethnic Chinese support for the BN, though in the end Chinese voters would have little alternative but to endorse the ruling Coalition. 

Wan Farid and other advisors have recommended PM Abdullah curtail international travel after June and concentrate instead on touring Malaysian states in preparation for the next election.  International affairs would not play an important role with voters on election day. 

Prime Minister Abdullah concluded that Deputy Prime Minister Najib had no connection to the sensationalistic murder of a Mongolian woman, and the PM continues to support Najib's party position.  There remains concern, however, over information the defense counsel could raise in the June murder trial of Najib's former advisor and two policemen.  End Summary.

Anwar Miscalculates in Ijok

2.  (C) Opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim miscalculated in the April 28 Ijok by-election by focusing on national issues, Wan Farid told polchief May 15, echoing commentary in many Malaysian political circles. 

(Comment:  The Ijok by-election was seen as the final litmus test of political party support before the next national election; BN defeated Anwar's candidate by 59 to 40 percent.  End Comment.) 

For example, Anwar tried to attack DPM Najib and BN using the Mongolian murder case (ref B), but most voters remained ignorant of the issue and, Wan Farid joked, thought that Altantuya (the murder victim) was the latest Indonesian pop singer. 

In addition, Anwar's People's Justice Party (PKR) had almost no grassroots presence, Wan Farid noted, and had to rely very heavily on the opposition Islamist party, PAS.  In the end, PAS members would not go all out to support Anwar and PKR.

Wan Farid noted with satisfaction that television cameras caught Anwar Ibrahim dancing a jig at an Ijok campaign rally and that such "un-Islamic" behavior would not go down well with PAS members. 

(Comment: Government-controlled television media gave widespread coverage to Anwar's modest dance along with commentary that such movements were inappropriate for an Islamic leader.  End Comment.)

UMNO Machine Dominates

3.  (C) BN and the leading United Malays National Organization (UMNO), in contrast to Anwar, knew that voters focused on local rice bowl issues, Wan Farid affirmed. Malaysian voters responded to immediate projects in their neighborhoods, not to abstract national concerns.  BN has the resources to deliver the communities' needs and UMNO has the extensive party machinery that can allocate one party worker for every five voters.  No other party comes close to UMNO in this regard.

Chinese Support Wanes, but Has No Alternative

4.  (C) Wan Farid admitted that ethnic Chinese support for BN had waned based on results in the past two by-elections, Machap and Ijok.  A decrease in Chinese support "supposedly" is a result of the heated Malay racial rhetoric and "kris-waving" during UMNO's party conference in November 2006, at least that was the rationale of Chinese leaders within BN. 

However, the Chinese were practical people and in the end they would endorse BN as their only realistic alternative, Wan Farid concluded. 

(Comment: DPM Najib's political secretary Fatmi Salleh (protect) expressed similar concerns over BN's loss of Chinese voters during an April 16 meeting with polchief.  Fatmi's comments followed the previous by-election in Machap, which witnessed a BN win, but also a significant decrease in BN votes in several Chinese sub-districts.  End Comment.)

PM Advised to Curtail Foreign Travel, Focus on Pre-Campaign

5.  (C) Wan Farid said that he and other advisors had asked PM Abdullah to curtail his overseas travel after planned trips in June to Afghanistan, the Middle East and Russia. Instead, beginning in July the Prime Minister should begin touring all Malaysian states in preparation for the national election (the date for which has yet to be set). 

The Prime Minister still might travel abroad for "must do" events, such as the UN General Assembly.  Otherwise, Abdullah should spend his time within Malaysia.  In response to our question, Wan Farid said international affairs would play little or no role with voters come election day. 

Although advisors wanted the PM to begin pre-campaign activities in July, they also were weighing the "feel good" factor among voters.  This would depend somewhat on money from government contracts under the Ninth Malaysia Plan reaching medium-scale businesses, a consideration that would support holding elections in a year's time, Wan Farid noted.

Najib Retains Abdullah's Confidence

6.  (S) Wan Farid said Prime Minister Abdullah had concluded his deputy Najib Tun Razak was not involved in the 2006 murder of a Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu (ref B).

(Comment:  In late 2006, Wan Farid reportedly carried out an inquiry at Abdullah's behest that supported this conclusion, ref A.) 

Najib's former advisor Razak Baginda and two police officers from Najib's security detail will stand trial in June for the murder of the Mongolian national.  Wan Farid said Razak Baginda initially had asked for Najib's intervention. 

Najib might have agreed, Wan Farid said, if this had been "only a case of corruption," but Najib did not wish to get involved in a murder cover-up.  As a result of Abdullah's continued support, Najib's government and party positions were not in jeopardy.

7.  (C) Wan Farid was certain that government prosecutors would limit their trial activities to the murder itself and the three defendants; prosecutors would not follow up on allegations of related corruption or other suspects.  Wan Farid admitted, however, that there remains concern that the defense counsel would bring up extraneous information that could embarrass Najib or the government:  "You can't predict or control what the defense will say in open court."

Future Foreign Minister?

8.  (C) Wan Farid stated that Foreign Ministry Parliamentary Secretary Ahmad Shabery Cheek was UMNO's choice to succeed Syed Hamid Albar as Foreign Minister at some point in the future.  Ahmad Shabery Cheek "is being groomed for the role," Wan Farid claimed, while noting Shabery's qualities as an effective UMNO politician. 

(Comment:  We do not have other indications that the relatively young Shabery, who is not known as an UMNO heavyweight, will be the next Foreign Minister.  End Comment.)

Comment

9.  (C) Wan Farid speaks as an insider and loyalist to PM Abdullah.  Although he argued that Anwar Ibrahim posed no real political challenge, Wan Farid nevertheless focused much of our discussion and his criticism on the former Deputy Prime Minister and far less on the leading opposition party PAS. 

Wan Farid told us in January (ref A) that Abdullah had decided not to welcome Anwar back into UMNO, and there was certainly no hint in our May 15 meeting that UMNO views of Anwar had softened following the heated Ijok by-election.  On the contrary, UMNO Secretary General Radzi Sheikh Ahmad on April 31 told reporters, "He (Anwar) will not be taken back. Period."

10.  (C) Guessing the timing of the next national election remains a popular pastime for Malaysian elites and Kuala Lumpur's diplomats.  Despite reference to the time needed for public funds to trickle down, Wan Farid left us with a clear impression he expected the elections to take place this year.

Election Commission officials quietly have begun training public school administrators on managing polling stations, one sign that the election might take place in the near term.

An unsubstantiated rumor among school officials pegs the election in the August/September 2007 timeframe.  Malaysia has never held a national election during the Muslim fasting month, which this year falls mid-September to mid-October.

If Abdullah is looking to capitalize on a "feel good" factor, scheduling elections in proximity to the 50th Independence Day celebrations on August 31 might provide an opportunity.

LAFLEUR (MAY 2007)

 

Ah Q conception of history

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 10:48 PM PDT

Denying that we were ever colonized by the British is certainly a novel interpretation but intensely "Ah Q" if you ask me. I do believe our learned professors have got their intellectual knickers in a knot simply because they wanted to show that our gallant men at Bukit Kepong were not defending British colonialism and thus, chastise Mat Sabu in the process.

By Kua Kia Soong (Director of Suaram)

The Professors' Council's recent pronouncement that Malaya was never colonized by the British reminds me of the "Ah Q conception of history". Ah Q was of course China's most famous modern writer Lu Xun's euphemism for a people's self-deception. In Lu Xun's fable about the Chinese national character of his time, the feckless Ah Q would put on a ludicrous front of self-deception even in the face of extreme defeat and humiliation; he was a bully to the underdog but sickeningly deferential to the powerful mandarins.

Denying that we were ever colonized by the British is certainly a novel interpretation but intensely "Ah Q" if you ask me. I do believe our learned professors have got their intellectual knickers in a knot simply because they wanted to show that our gallant men at Bukit Kepong were not defending British colonialism and thus, chastise Mat Sabu in the process.

To think that all these 54 years of celebrating Merdeka was all an elaborate farce is as much a smack in the face for the Alliance and BN leaders who have ruled this country since 1957. Maybe that is why UMNO and the BN leaders have not picked up the cue from our learned professors.

If the learned professors had bothered to scrutinize the enabling document, in this case the Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957, they would instantly read in its preamble:

"…establishment of the Federation as an independent sovereign country…for the termination of Her Majesty's sovereignty and jurisdiction in respect of the said settlements, and of all other Her power and jurisdiction in and in respect of the Malay states or the Federation as a whole…"

Certainly any historian who obfuscates the fact that British colonization of Malaya was for exploitation of our natural resources and cheap labour would be suffering a serious case of intellectual jaundice. British historians Christopher Bayly and Tim Harper in their recent book "Forgotten Wars: The End of Britain's Asian Empire" have written:

"(Southeast Asia) exported two-thirds of the world's tin, and British Malaya alone provided half the world's production of rubber…These industrial colonies were a major buttress of the sterling area…Japan's blitzkrieg to the south in 1941 had as its principal target the oilfields of British Borneo and Sumatra, and the iron and bauxite mines of Malaya…The economic resources of Southeast Asia were seen by Britain as so vital to its domestic recovery that it was willing to expend an unprecedented amount of blood and treasure in its reconquest." (Penguin, 2007: 11)

The history and analysis of the Malayan Emergency is necessarily a class analysis of this colonial exploitation and the classes which collaborated with the British colonial government. At the same time, the anti-colonial struggle must acknowledge the contributions of the patriotic class forces in all the ethnic communities to Independence and nation building.

Divide-and-rule strategy was the corner stone of the British colonial power and the communal politics from the Malayan Union (1946) through the Federation of Malaya Agreement (1948) to the final Merdeka Agreement must be understood for us to realize the status quo at Independence and the communalist politics since then. The "Alliance Formula" was rife with contradictions from the start and we are still trying to pick up the pieces today. The repression during the 'Emergency' also enabled the colonial power to exploit sectional interests and thereby isolate the working class from the peasantry.

 

The Neo-colonial Solution

From the Colonial Office and Foreign Office documents of the period uncovered from the Public Records Office in London (published in my latest book "Patriots & Pretenders: The Malayan Peoples' Independence Struggle", Suaram 2011), it has been possible to provide evidence of the thinking and calculation of Western (not only British) imperialism with regard to South-East Asia, but especially the importance laid on securing Malaya for economic, political and military-strategic interests. They show the priority accorded during the Emergency to defeating the anti-colonial forces spearheaded by the workers. The post-war period was also one of re-dividing the world by Western imperialism, 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 aristocracy. This was in keeping with the communalist strategy of British rule throughout their colonization 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 colonial exploitation of the Malayan economy. The vacillating politics of this class, reflecting its narrow and limited material interests, was harnessed by the colonial state. So much so that when the Tunku and the other Alliance representatives went to London to demand independence, their proposals were accepted "on a platter" by the British government.

The documents from the British archives also reveal that the 'Alliance Formula' with all its contradictions was devised during the Emergency. The reform measures conceded by the colonial power and grudgingly agreed to by the Malay aristocracy were in many ways necessitated by the ferocity of the revolt.

Certainly, 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. Thus the so-called "Social Contract" would have looked very different if the "Peoples' Constitution" of the AMCJA-PUTERA coalition had won the day.

The so-called 'Social Contract' that has been bandied about by UMNO politicians in recent years claims that there was a "trade-off" at Independence between granting citizenship to the Non-Malays while giving special privileges to the Malays. In fact, this so-called 'Social Contract' has undergone three transformations, so much so that "Malay special privileges" in Malaysia today are a far cry from the status quo ante from 1957 to 1971. The Constitution was amended in 1971 after the 1969 May 13 pogrom while the country was still in a state of emergency and the ascendant Malay capitalist class was in total control of the Malaysian state.

Thus, I would urge our learned professors to keep their "interesting" views on "never colonised Malaya" to themselves and not to flaunt them in any respectable academic journals.

GERPAR!! RM80,000 Sebulan Untuk Parpukari Bagi Kerja-Kerja Fitnah?

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 10:44 PM PDT

By Edyesdotcom

Pernahkah anda dengar ayat ini dari Parpukari - "DEMI ALLAH SAYA TAK MAKAN DUIT"? Percayakah jika saya katakan pendapatan parpukari adalah 80ribu sebulan?

Tidak menuduh, tetapi menjadi persoalan bagaimana seorang blogger Umno memperolehi sebanyak RM80,000 sebulan ? Apa pekerjaan Parpukari atau nama sebenarnya Mohamad Salim bin Iskandar selain dari blogging?

Sahabat saya MiloSuam yang blognya berada di kedudukkan ranking paling atas pun amat jauh sekali untuk mencecah pendapatan RM80ribu sebulan. Blog Parpukari adalah jauh lebih tertinggal daripada blog MiloSuam. Persoalan ini bukan hanya perlu dijawab tetapi perlu disiasat oleh SPRM.

Sila lihat slip di bawah yang tertera nama dan nombor IC sekali;

Invitation to the MCLM forums on Rakyat Reform Agenda (RARA)

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 09:52 PM PDT

The Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement will be officially launching a series of forums nationwide on the 'Rakyat Reform Agenda' beginning from Monday 19th September 2011 in Kuala Lumpur at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) from 7pm - 11pm.

It is MCLM's fervent hope that in order for Malaysia to be the great inclusive nation envisioned by our founding fathers, we must return to basic principles.

How will we achieve this? The answer - Through the Rakyat Reform Agenda (RARA), which is a four-point plan to:

1. Honour the agreements made in 1963 between the Federation of Malaya and Sabah and Sarawak prior to the formation of the Federation of Malaysia

2. Restore the national institutions to the Rakyat – the judiciary, Election Commission, police force, Attorney-General, etc.

3. Restore the liberties guaranteed to the Rakyat under the Federal Constitution by repealing the ISA, OSA, PPPA, UUCA and Sedition Act

4. Adopt the Social Inclusion Agenda, designed to raise the living standards of all marginalised persons in Malaysia.

Apart from Kuala Lumpur, the MCLM RARA forums will also be held in Kota Kinabalu (27th Sep), Sandakan (29th Sep), Kuching (1st Oct), Penang (24th Oct), Ipoh (25th Oct) culminating in Johor Baru (27th Oct). Details on the time and exact venues at these locations will be provided in due course.

We would appreciate if you can send your journalist to cover the KL event.

MCLM Secretariat

 

For further information, please contact the MCLM Secretariat at Tel: 03-79827101/79712244 or Fax: 03-79829097 or Email: admin@mclm.org.uk

 

Pembangkang tidak perlu berunding dengan BN untuk tentukan tarikh PRU

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 09:31 PM PDT

ASPAN ALIAS

Saranan pihak pembangkang untuk kerajaan berunding dengan mereka (pembangkang) untuk menentukan tarikh pilihanraya mendapat tentangan dari Dr Mahathir Mohammad, bekas Perdana Menteri negara. Dr Mahathir menyarankan yang pihak pembangkang menubuhkan dahulu kerajaan dan mereka (pembangkang) boleh menentukan tarikh pilihanraya negara.

Selalunya di mana-mana juga di dunia ini kerajaanlah yang menentukan tarikh pilihanraya, bukannya pembangkang. Tetapi Mahathir lupa yang AS tetap mengadakan pilihanraya setelah tamat 4 tahun penggal sesuatu kerajaan yang di pilih itu mentadbir negara itu. Tetapi Mahathir juga betul jika beliau membandingkan negara-negara mundur seperti negara 'favorite' beliau Zimbabwe di Afrika dan banyak negara lain di dunia ini.

Tetapi kalau kita bercita-cita hendak menjadi negara maju tentulah cara AS dan Britain menentukan pilihanraya mereka menjadi contoh kepada kita. Tetapi isu ini tidak sepatutnya menjadi polimik kita kerana cara itu sudah menjadi cara kita. Kerajaan yang memerintah khususnya Perdana Menterilah yang akan menentukan tarikh pilihanraya negara.

Malahan Dr Mahathir telah menubuhkan kerajaan dulu sebelum beliau menubuhkan UMNO yang ada pada hari ini pada Februari 1988 dahulu. Kerajaan wujud dahulu baru UMNO ditubuhkan, dan pada tahun berikutnya (1990) baru di adakan pilihanraya umum.

Kita mesti faham bahawa kita masih membudayakan politik dunia ketiga walaupun pemimpin-pemimpin kita begegar-gegar bercakap hendak jadikan negara ini sebagai negara berdaya maju dan mempunyai mentaliti rakyat negara maju.

Saya cadangkan kepada pembangkang tidak usahlah hendak membawa isu ini ketengah kerana mereka yang memimpin tidak akan berganjak dari cara lama itu. Lagi pun pembangkang tidak payah lagi bersusah payah kerana apa sahaja yang dilakukan oleh UMNO dan BN sekarang ini semua 'self defeating' dan mereka akan menghadapi masalah di atas tindakan mereka sendiri.

Mereka (UMNO) dan pemimpin mereka tidak konsisten dalam tindakan mereka. Pemimpin UMNO bukannya sayang sangat kepada UMNO itu sebabnya mereka melakukan perkara-perkara pelik yang menjahanamkan parti mereka sendiri. Semuanya kerana kehendak peribadi.

Dr Mahathir sendiri pernah keluar dari UMNO yang beliau tubuhkan itu, semata-mata kerana hendak menyungkurkan Pak Lah. Jika keutuhan UMNO itu benar-benar menjadi perjuangan beliau, Mahathir tidak sepatutnya keluar dari parti semata-mata kerana marahkan Pak Lah. Saya bukan menyokong Pak Lah tetapi tindakan Dr Mahathir keluar parti itu merupakan tindakan yang menunjukan beliau berpolitik semata-mata kerana peribadi. Asalkan Pak Lah jatuh partinya jatuh pun tidak mengapa bagi beliau. Peribadinya mesti di dahulukan.

Itu sebabnya yang menjatuhkan UMNO bukan pembangkang tetapi parti itu dijatuhkan oleh pemimpin-pemimpin dan ahli-ahlinya sendiri. Itu sebabnya UMNO sekarang sedang menghadapi penyakit 'terminal' dan amat payah untuk diperbaiki. Jika parti jatuh kita akan di persalahkan. Mereka tidak juga bersalah.

Dalam keadaan yang tenat sekarang ini pun ada pihak di kalangan pemimpin yang berpengaruh di dalam UMNO sedang berusaha untuk menjatuhkan Najib. Tetapi di nafikan oleh mereka. Tetapi dalam UMNO yang mereka cakap itu tidak selalunya betul, tetapi yang di katakan berita angin jahat itu lah yang selalunya menjadi benar.

READ MORE HERE

 

Right only until proven wrong

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 09:03 PM PDT

Right and wrong depends on at what point of time you are looking at the event. And right is only right if no one is bothered to prove it wrong. Until someone can prove it wrong, then it will remain right. So, what is right today can be wrong tomorrow. You just thought you were right because no one came along to prove you wrong. But that does not mean you are right.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Zahrain Mohamed Hashim, Zulkifli Noordin, Ezam Mohd Nor, Ibrahim Ali, and many of those ilk, are foaming at the mouth and screaming their heads off in the defense of Islam.

Basically, you will notice two things.

First, they are all ex-opposition people who said some very nasty things about Umno-BN when they were in the opposition and now scream the loudest because they are trying to score points with their new masters.

Second, they are Malay-Muslims who want to show that they are holier-than-thou and are more Muslim than even Prophet Muhammad himself. They are of the opinion that they are right, and only they are right, and everyone else is wrong.

That reminds me of the man with two Muhammads in his name who screwed the late Sultan's daughter and then swore in the name of Allah he never touched her with a six-inch pole -- and then got caught smuggling money out of Australia, but got acquitted because he no speekee ingeris.

Anyway, what these defenders of Islam who are declaring a jihad on DAP in the defense of Islam do not realise is: right and wrong is a matter of opinion. There is no such thing as absolute right or absolute wrong. And just because you THINK you are right does not make you right and everyone else wrong. And just because you THINK you are right does not give you right to call for someone's blood to be spilled.

I am sure the butcher who slaughters the cow is of the opinion that he is right in doing so. However, try asking the cow and see if the cow shares this same opinion. What is right to the butcher may not be so to the cow.

In that sense, both the cow and the butcher are right. There is no wrong. It is merely two different ways of looking at the same event.

Muslims (meaning Malays, of course) are of the opinion that it is right to propagate Islam to the non-Muslims and to try to get them to convert to Islam. In fact, if they can get VVIPs (such as President Obama), superstars (such as Michael Jackson), Christian leaders (such as the Bishop of Canterbury), to convert to Islam, these people will be so proud they will shout from the highest mountain regarding their 'victory'.

To the Muslims, this is absolutely right.

Of course, the Christians will not share this view. The Christians too would like to see VVIPs, superstars and Muslim leaders convert to Christianity and they too will be so proud they will shout from the highest mountain regarding their 'victory'.

To the Christians, this is absolutely right. But the Muslims would be outraged at such a thing.

So, who is right and who is wrong? If both are right then certainly there can't be any wrong. And since both sides say they are right and the other side is wrong, how do we resolve this and stop these people from foaming at the mouth and screaming their heads off?

That is just it. We can't. When both sides think they are right and the other side is wrong, there is no way to resolve this matter. Thousands of years of history has proven this.

Right and wrong depends on at what point of time you are looking at the event. And right is only right if no one is bothered to prove it wrong. Until someone can prove it wrong, then it will remain right. So, what is right today can be wrong tomorrow. You just thought you were right because no one came along to prove you wrong. But that does not mean you are right.

This is what those holier-than-thou, self-righteous people do not realise. They think they are right so they foam at the mouth and scream their heads off. And since they think they are right they feel they have the right to demand the blood of those they think are wrong.

In the old days, they thought that the plague was caused by witches. So, when the plague hit any community, they rounded up all the women and burned them alive at the stake.

All the women got killed until the plague ended. More than one-third the community got wiped out. Eventually, the plague ran its full course and ended by itself. Probably two-thirds of the community somehow had immunity to the plague so they did not die.

But this 'proved' that by killing all the women suspected of being witches (which sometimes meant every woman in that community) the plague could be stopped. This was certainly the 'right' thing to do in fighting the plague. And the church agreed with this course of action. In fact, the church was the one burning all these 'witches'.

Over time, doctors discovered that the plague was actually spread by rat fleas. So, you fought the plague by burning the rats, not by burning the women. However, in the meantime, thousands of women were burned alive in the mistaken belief that witches and not rat fleas caused the plague.

So, yes, hundreds of years ago, that was the 'right' thing to do -- to burn women alive at the stake. No one, not even the church, thought that this was wrong. Today, we know that that was wrong.

So, who are these people like Zahrain Mohamed Hashim, Zulkifli Noordin, Ezam Mohd Nor, Ibrahim Ali, and many of those ilk, who are foaming at the mouth and screaming their heads off, to tell us what is right and what is wrong? They think they are right, just like those who burned women alive to fight the plague. But, in time, they will be proven wrong, just like those who burned women alive to fight the plague.

Why must everything be about Islam? And why must everything you do not agree with be classified as an insult to Islam? The minute someone disagrees with you, you label that person as an enemy of Islam. And since they are enemies of Islam, then violence is justified. That makes it right.

Well, so was burning women alive at the stake hundreds of years ago. That too was the right -- but right only in the minds of small-minded people.

 

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Opposition pact’s seat negotiations hit snag in 5 states

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 07:59 PM PDT

(Bernama) - The opposition pact's seat negotiations still hit a snag in at least five states as their respective state leaders scramble to resolve the differences.

The opposition pact partners, PKR, DAP and PAS, are still unable to finalise the seat negotiations for Johor, Pahang, Sarawak, Perak and Kedah where the leaders have asked for more time to resolve the differences, mostly over  overlapping claims.

"The August deadline was just a guideline. A few states have asked for  extension to resolve the matter. It only involves a few seats, not many," said PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution when contacted yesterday.

The opposition leaders were supposed to wrap up negotiations over the allocation of state and parliamentary seats for the next general election as soon as possible to avoid any conflict among the three parties.

PAS and DAP are said to be eyeing some parliamentary seats won by PKR in the 2008 general election, but
which it lost due to defections.

In the 2008 general election, the opposition pact secured 82 parliamentary seats, with PKR emerging as the largest opposition party in Parliament with 31 seats, DAP having 28 and PAS 23.

The opposition pact managed to wrest control of four states — Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah — and retained
Kelantan.

However, seven PKR members of parliament quit the party after the elections and became independents, and BN took back Perak after three state assemblymen (two from PKR and one from DAP) quit their parties and became independent elected representatives.

In the recently concluded Sarawak state election, PKR and DAP locked horns over several key seats, which resulted in the much-publicised row between the leaders of the two parties.

 

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Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:56 PM PDT


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HRP demands 23 seats from Pakatan

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:30 PM PDT

The Human Rights Party is threatening a 10,000 people protest if Pakatan does not give it seven parliamentary and 16 state seats.

(Free Malaysia Today) - The Human Rights Party (HRP) is demanding that Pakatan Rakyat give up seven parliamentary and 16 state assembly seats to HRP to contest in the general election.

Failing which, the party's protem secretary P Uthayakumar has threatened that at least 10,000 Indians will protest outside the PKR headquarters.

And that, too, on the first Sunday after Parliament has been dissolved.

Uthayakumar said the party came to this decision after Pakatan refused to have any dealing with HRP.

Speaking at a forum and fund-raising dinner at Sitiawan on Sunday, he said HRP would be contesting in seven parliamentary and 16 state seats in Indian-based constituencies.

The seven parliamentary seats are Padang Serai (Kedah), Batu Kawan (Penang), Ipoh Barat (Perak), Kota Raja (Selangor), Teluk Kemang (Negri Sembilan), Cameron Highlands (Pahang) and Tebrau (Johor).

The 16 state seats are Bukit Selambau and Lunas (Kedah), Prai and Bagan Dalam (Penang), Buntong and Hutan Melintang (Perak), Port Dickson and Jeram Padang (Negri Sembilan), Tanah Rata and Ketari (Pahang), Puteri Wangsa and Tiram (Johor) and Sri Andalas, Ijok, Seri Setia and Bukit Melawati (Selangor).

Uthayakumar said HRP is eyeing four state seats in Selangor because one-third of the Indian population in Malaysia live in Selangor.

"In the last general election, we gave Pakatan a chance where for the first time BN lost its two-third parliament majority and lost control of five states."

But, he said Pakatan failed to address the problems faced by the Indian community.

"So, this time Hindraf would not give a 'blank check' and make the same mistakes. Our demand is very simple. Let's work together and vote Umno out," he added.

READ MORE HERE

 

‘Najib must ban Merdeka fests, history books’

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:26 PM PDT

Two NGOs have asked the government to ban Merdeka celebrations and history books until an accurate account of the nation's past is compiled.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak must ban Merdeka celebrations and history textbooks until an accurate account of the nation's past is compiled.

In making the call, two Indian NGOs urged the government to set up an independent team of experts to research the historical facts.

Malaysian Indian Progressive Association (MIPAS) president A Rajeretnam said the government must do this since former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed that the information contained in textbooks was inaccurate.

Furthermore, he said the Majlis Professor Negara (MPN) also claimed that the country was never colonised by the British.

"The public are confused by these statements," he told a press conference here.

As for the proposed independent team, Rajaretnam said it should comprise representatives from the opposition as well as NGOs.

"The major issues which should be looked into is why we celebrate independence day and why (first prime minister) Tunku Abdul Rahman is considered the 'Father of Independence' if we have never been colonised by the British," he added.

He said the government must also clear the air over Malayan Communist Party member Mat Indera (Muhamad Indera) who fought against the British colonial masters.

"Datuk Naning, Tok Gajah, Mat Kilau, Maharaja Lela and others have been declared as national heroes. They did the same thing as Mat Indera, which is to fight against the British," he added.

He urged Umno not to destroy the real history of Malaysia because of political interest.

READ MORE HERE

 

PAS chief calls Umno/BN a ‘disease’

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:17 PM PDT

(The Malaysian Insider) - PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang urged voters today to throw out the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government in the next general election because he said the Umno-led coalition was a "disease" that future generations should not be forced to endure.

In a strongly-worded Malaysia Day message, Hadi blamed Umno and BN for the decline in the country's competitiveness, rising cost of living and election fraud.

"Do not let Malaysia become weaker under the Umno-BN government, because it is our children and grandchildren's generation who will suffer," he said.

Hadi's comments come amid the backdrop of an intense row between PAS and Umno over allegations that Mohamad Sabu, his deputy in the party, had labelled a Communist as an independence fighter.

Utusan Malaysia had carried a front-page report on August 27 alleging that Mohamad had said that the communists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station during the communist insurgency were heroes.

The Umno-owned daily reported that Mohamad made the remarks at a political ceramah in Tasek Gelugor, Penang on August 21.

Mohamad had repeatedly said that Utusan's coverage of his speech at the time was filled with falsehood, and that immediate legal action was required as the "lies" could affect him and his family.

"PAS would like to emphasise that we are against all colonists, whether communist or non-communist, from the east or the west," Hadi said today.

"It is the instinct of all human beings regardless of background, race, religion and language to live as free and independent people, with a body and mind independent from all forms of slavery. There will be no sane person who wants to live under the shackles of any occupation, let alone have their minds and actions controlled."

READ MORE HERE

 

After ousting Pak Lah, Mahathir now turns to Najib?

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:16 PM PDT

(Harakah Daily) - Prime Minister Najib Razak is increasingly feeling the pressure once heaped on his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, following a spate of statements coming from former strongman Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

WHO'S THE STRONGEST OF THEM ALL? ... After pressuring Abdullah (middle) to resign, Mahathir is said to be planning Najib's retirement

This is the observation made by PAS vice president Mahfuz Omar, who said such a reality could be seen following Mahathir's recent statement telling Najib not to hold general election earlier.

Mahathir had claimed that an early election would not be beneficial to Barisan Nasional as more time was needed to finalise BN's candidates based on the new "winnable candidates" criterion.

The former prime minister, who played an influential role in the resignation of Abdullah before and after the March 2008 general election, warned Najib that some leaders would sabotage the candidates whom they thought were not qualified.

"It has been common practice for someone who does not get selected as a candidate to go out of their way to prove the other person who is selected is not qualified.

"This problem is hard to overcome. There is still a problem," Mahathir was quoted as saying.

For Mahfuz, the comments laid bare internal problems within UMNO and BN.

"I don't deny that he is again trying to replay his role to give pressure to the current prime minister, which happened during Pak Lah's time. Mahathir's advice for BN to delay (the election) so that it could go through the candidates list to ensure a BN victory highlights his focus on Najib's position as the BN chief," said the Mahfuz.

Mahfuz (left) said Mahathir was being widely seen as the mastermind behind a plan to oust Najib before the general election.

"In fact, it is not impossible that some of them will follow Mahathir's orders. Mahathir will just give pressure and ensure Najib goes out before the election, and he is seen as the mastermind in this effort.

"I am sure that what he has voiced out will have takers from among UMNO and BN," he added.

According to Mahfuz, Mahathir was suggesting that in order to ensure a victory for BN, its chairman (Najib) must be replaced by someone who members could regard as a leader.

 

MINTA MAAF - SATU KESILAPAN BESAR

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 06:00 PM PDT

TUKAR TIUB

Kita baru sahaja berhari raya. Masa saya kecik-kecik dulu raya – kami kanak-kanak menganggp hari raya ini satu bulan. Dari lojik kanak-kanak kalau kita berpuasa sebulan maka berhari raya pun wajib satu bulan juga. Jadi, minggu ini saya harapkan kita semua masih lagi berhari raya. Lalu, dihari baik bulan baik ini biarlah saya meminta maaf dari para pembaca sekelian.

Saya meminta maaf ini bukan kerana saya buang tabiat. Atau saya dapat seru untuk memulakan perjalanan ke Mekah. Juga bukan kerana saya ternampak Hantu Kopek ketika main mercun pada malam raya dahulu. Saya minta maaf ini kerana saya telah membuat satu kesilapan yang amat besar. Memang besar kesilapan saya ini.

Ceritanya bagini : selama satu bulan – dibulan puasa – saya selalu mengidam hendak berbuka puasa dengan Rosmah berendam ...oopsss maaf dengan badak berendam sambil minum air tuak. Idaman saya ini gagal. Kerana kegagalan ini maka munculah kesedaran kepada saya bahawa selama ini saya telah silap kerana sebenarnya badak berendam...opps maaf ... sebenarnya Cik Siti Puan Rosmah Mansor bukan musuh. Kesilapan besar saya ialah menganggap Rosmah sebagai musuh. Ini silap yang betul betul silap.

Saya sedar - habis sahaja para pembaca membaca ayat diatas maka pastilah ramai yang akan menuduh bahawa saya telah belot. Atau saya telah dibeli. Atau saya telah bertaubat. Wahai pembaca yang budiman. Sabar dahulu biar saya terangkan kenapa saya tidak lagi menganggap Rosmah Mansor sebagai musuh.

Kesahnya bermula sebelum bulan puasa lagi. Saya mula mendengar cerita dari Haji Desas bin Lebai Desus. Dari hari ke minggu dari minggu ke bulan - cerita ini semakin kuat saya dengar. Mula-mulanya saya hanya terbaca dari laman dan blog yang terkenal sebagai laman fitnah dan tohmah. Tetapi bila saya lakukan kaji selidik maka saya dapati cerita dari Haji Desus ini bukan lagi desas desus tetapi telah menjadi fakta.

Mula-mula dahulu saya mendengar bahawa Munyiddin Yassin amat marah kepada Cik Siti Puan Rosmah kerana beberapa kali Rosmah Mansor telah mengambil tempat dan kedudukan resmi Muhyiddin dalam hal pembelajaran. Rosmah seakan-akan telah menjadi Menteri Pelajaran. Telinga saya sendiri telah mendengar dari tim Muhyiddin tentang bagaimana Muhyiddin menyinga marah terhadap Cik Siti Puan Rosmah.

Kemudian muncul pula berita tentang Cik Siti Pun Rosmah kita ini pergi ke Kazakhtan untuk meminang. Memang pelik - bak kata orang Melayu ini macam perigi mencari timba. Atau lebih tepat lagi macam lesong mencari antan. Ini bukan kerana anak perempuan Rosmah ini memiliki mulut seluas lubang lesong atau bakal menantu Rosmah ini memiliki anu sebesar antan. Ini tanda kehebatan pepatah Melayu – tepat lagi erotik

Semua kesah-kesah ini cuba memburukkan Rosmah Mansor. Tak cukup dengan kesah lubang mencari antan tetiba timbul pula kesah besan Rosmah ini rupa-rupanya ada kaitan dengan Marlon Brando oopps...salah... bukan dengan Godfather Itali tetapi dengan mafia Russia. Tidak diketahui bagaimana berita ini terbocor dalam akhbar Kompas – harian terbesar di Indonesia. Nampaknya kempen membenci Cik Siti Puan Rosmah ini telah menular ke seberang.

Kesah ini rupa-rupa tidak berhenti disini sahaja. Tup tup terbarai pula berita Cik Siti kita ini telah membeli sebentuk cincin berlian dari New York. Untuk saya berita cincin ini tak masuk akal. Cuba para pembaca renung dan fikirkan - munusabah kah Cik Puan kita yang berat badannya 143 kilo 75 gram ini mahu menambah setengah kilo lagi berat cincin ditangan? Mustahil.

READ MORE HERE

 

Fighting in the cause of Islam

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 05:13 PM PDT

Zul Noordin is foaming at the mouth again. He is concerned that there are some people who are insulting Islam. Luckily we have JAKIM and people like Senator Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom to manage JAKIM and to help rehabilitate Muslims who have strayed from the right path and to make sure they all go to heaven and not to hell.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

'Kaum biaDAP may ruin Malays'

Independent MP Zulkifli Noordin warns that should DAP come into power, the Malays' faith in Islam and their moral values may erode.

(Free Malaysia Today) - The faith and moral values of the Malays here will erode if the "kaum biaDAP" comes into power, said Barisan Nasional-friendly independent MP Zulkifli Noordin.

The Kulim Bandar Baharu MP, in his blog, made scathing remarks against a man whom he claimed had insulted Islam.

The individual, whom Zulkifli described as "cursed" (laknatullah), was allegedly a Malay male from Singapore who posted comments insulting Prophet Muhammad on his Facebook page.

"There are no more boundaries to the accursed people… according to the records, the barua (bastard) who wrote those things lives in Singapore… maybe this is the work and teaching of (former Singapore prime minister) Caliph Lee Kuan Yew," said the ex-PKR MP.

Linking the Singaporean Chinese leader's influence to the Chinese-majority opposition party DAP, Zulkifli said:

"Probably, this is what will happen to our Malay children if the biaDAP (rude) party of (Penang chief minister and DAP secretary-general Lim) Guan Eng who is worshiped by the Anwarinas (Anwar Ibrahim's supporters) was to rule this country."

Senator Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in direct charge of Jakim.

Wow !! Mahligai mewah Menteri Hal Ehwal Agama?

Timbalan Ketua Angkatan Muda KEADILAN, (AMK) Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainuddin menggesa Menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri yang bertanggungjawab terhadap hal ehwal Agama Islam, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir menjelaskan rumah mewahnya yang dianggar menelan jutaan ringgit.

Keraguan timbul apabila menteri yang baru dilantik 3 tahun oleh Perdana Menteri dan hanya memiliki gaji tidak menjangkau RM15,000 itu, mampu memiliki kediaman mewah dalam masa yang singkat.

"Kalau dia (Jamil Khir) rasa seorang yang berpegang teguh terhadap agama dan ada kebertanggungjawaban terhadap negara, dia perlu jujur menjelaskan kekayaan sebelum dan selepas (menjadi menteri)," katanya mengulas isu yang didedah oleh akhbar Suara Keadilan semalam.

Khairul berkata ia bukan perkara memeranjatkan kerana menjadi kebiasaan menteri yang ditadbir Kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) hidup mewah.

Beliau merujuk kes bekas Menteri Selangor Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo yang mencetus kontroversi kerana kos kediamannya dikatakan melebihi kemampuan sebagai menteri besar yang berkhidmat selama lapan tahun.

"Rakyat pun tidak terperanjat dengan isu yang sudah dianggap biasa ini. Oleh itu, jika beliau (Jamil) ada sedikit rasa tanggungjawab dengan imej dan kedudukannya, beliau perlu tampil memberi penjelasan.

"Walaupun (dia) Jamil Khir merupakan Menteri Agama namun ia bukanlah jaminan beliau berperangai seperti Menteri-menteri lain" katanya kepada Keadilandaily.

Sebelum ini KEADILAN pernah mempersoalkan kehilangan RM32,000 wang zakat Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (MAIWP) didakwa membiayai yuran guaman Jamil Khir dan Pengarah Jabatan Islam (JAWI), Datuk Che Mat Ali.

Ia terbongkar melalui kenyataan media Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Menteri, Datuk Mashitah Ibrahim, beberapa bulan lalu.

Wang zakat tersebut didakwa digunakan bagi menghalang permohonan qazaf Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim terhadap Saiful Bukhari Azlan, sedangkan Jamil dan Che Mat tidak tergolong dalam kategori yang layak menerima zakat.

http://idhamlim.blogspot.com/2011/09/wow-mahligai-mewah-menteri-hal-ehwal.html

 

Formidable hurdles in KL's education reform

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 04:20 PM PDT

By Salim Osman, The Straits Times

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced last month that a committee had been set up to study the country's education system.

Its objective is to recommend ways to overhaul the 50-year-old system. Tan Sri Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, was candid when he explained the reason for the revamp: "Our education policy is not on a par with others."

That initial announcement was met with much enthusiasm in Malaysia, especially from parents. Even those critical of the system have thrown their support behind the government initiative.

This is a good start, showing support for reform. That the government-led initiative can garner support from different sectors of society suggests that on this issue, at least, people take the government's plan seriously and have high hopes for its success.

The committee will have to work hard not to dissipate that goodwill, but to harness it to seek solutions.

The reforms are also well-timed, as they seek to align education policy with the economic agenda of Prime Minister Najib Razak to bring the country to the next level of development, with high growth and high income by 2020.

Malaysia's education system needs to produce workers who are competitive and skilled technically, and who are proficient in English. Without this essential human capital, no true economic transformation can take place.

The government committee will present a report later this year. It faces a daunting challenge.

The current education system has been shaped by the Razak Report of 1956. Malay is the medium of instruction in all public schools at primary and secondary levels and at higher institutions of learning. At university level, English is widely used, even though in theory Malay, as the national language, is the only medium of instruction for all subjects.

As a political concession to non-Malays, the government allows vernacular schools to exist at primary level, where Chinese or Tamil are the languages for instruction. Secondary-level education in Chinese is only available at independent Chinese schools.

There are no English-medium schools as all of them were converted to the Malay stream from 1970, in line with the language and education policy.

As part of the affirmative actions under the New Economic Policy of 1971, a number of Malay-only programmes and institutions have been created, such as Mara Junior Science colleges, to raise the number of Malay students studying science. There is also an ethnic quota for admission into local tertiary institutions.

Critics say that pro-Malay programmes and policies have deprived Chinese students of an equal opportunity to study in public tertiary institutions, forcing them to enrol in large numbers in private colleges and universities.

Ironically, these pro-Malay programmes have forced Chinese students to become trilingual in Chinese, Malay and English, giving them an edge over Malay students who tend to be monolingual.

Years of emphasis on Malay as the medium of instruction have taken a toll on English proficiency. Employers have grumbled that graduates of public universities - mostly Malays - have such a poor command of the language that they are not employable for many jobs.

The government re-introduced English as the medium for science and mathematics in 2003, but faced strong opposition from Malay nationalists and Chinese educationists. While Malays argued the move would dilute the national language, Chinese educationists felt it would undermine Chinese as a medium of instruction in Chinese schools.

In 2009, the government announced that the scheme would be scrapped and that the subjects would be taught in Malay once again from next year. The main reason given by the government was that over 67 per cent of the teachers were not competent enough to teach in English, and that more than 73 per cent of the students were not able to cope with the subjects taught in English.

But this has not stopped Malay-led groups like Parent Action Group for Education (Page) to continue pressing for the return of English in the teaching of science and mathematics. Others, keenly aware of the benefits of an English education, are calling for the revival of English-medium schools to exist side by side with national and vernacular schools.

Getting the language policy in schools right is crucial for Malaysia's future.

Another big issue is whether the education system facilitates ethnic integration. Critics say that instead of integrating students of all races, the school system has polarised the population.

Ethnic integration is difficult to forge in schools as Malay children attend the Malay-medium national primary schools, staffed almost entirely by Malay teachers. Chinese and Indian parents tend to enrol their children in Chinese and Tamil schools respectively, considering these to be of better quality than Malay-language government schools. Attempts at integrating students of all races through "integrated schools", "vision schools" and "cluster schools" have failed.

At the tertiary level, Malays dominate public universities because of the ethnic quota policy that gives 55 per cent of places to Malays, 30 per cent to Chinese and 10 per cent to Indians. Many non-Malays who do well enough to pursue a tertiary education end up in private universities.

A rising tide of Islamic fervour has also resulted in government schools becoming more "Islamic" to compete with Islamic schools for Malay students. This, however, has resulted in non-Malay children shunning government schools for vernacular ones.

It will not be easy for the government to institute reforms. Education in Malaysia concerns not only the economy and the future of a generation. It is also inextricably bound up with race, and ultimately with politics.

The committee may recommend reforms to the existing system. But it will require tremendous political will and difficult negotiation and consultation with relevant stakeholders to carry it out. This will be extremely difficult. And yet it will be necessary, for Malaysia's future.

Ringgit Slides as Europe Crisis Damps Risk Taking; Bonds Drop

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 03:59 PM PDT

Edited by Ven Ram, Sandy Hendry, San Francisco Chronicle

Sept. 13 (Bloomberg) - Malaysia's ringgit fell to a two- month low on speculation Europe's debt-market turmoil will sap the global economic recovery and prompt policy makers to halt monetary policy tightening.

The currency slid 2.9 percent in seven straight days on concern a default by Greece will temper demand for emerging- market assets. The one-year interest-rate swap declined yesterday to the lowest level in 2011 after Bank Negara Malaysia kept its policy rate on hold last week, citing the possible fallout from the slowdown in the world economy. Bonds dropped.

"The Europe situation remains unresolved and people are avoiding risk because of the potential domino effect," said Nik M. Khairul, a treasury dealer at Asian Finance Bank Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur. "There's little room for central banks to tighten for the rest of this year given the slowdown signs."

The ringgit fell 0.6 percent to 3.0555 per dollar as of 4:20 p.m. in Kuala Lumpur, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The currency has lost 4.2 percent since hitting a 14- year high of 2.9335 on July 27, trimming its advance this year to 0.3 percent.

The one-year onshore swap rate, the fixed cost needed to receive a floating payment, fell to 3.14 percent yesterday after Bank Negara kept its overnight policy rate unchanged at 3 percent on Sept. 8. Swaps have dropped 36 basis points, or 0.36 percentage point, this quarter. The central bank holds its final scheduled meeting of this year on Nov. 11.

Malaysia's five-year government bonds fell, lifting yields from a 10-month low. The rate on the 4.262 percent notes due September 2016 increased four basis points to 3.25 percent, according to Bursa Malaysia.

The treasury will sell 4 billion ringgit ($1.3 billion) of Shariah-compliant notes maturing in November 2016 tomorrow in the first of two debt sales scheduled for this month.

Chief Jester’s Circus and Charade Comes to a Close

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 03:47 PM PDT

On the pages of history will be penned the public perception of a Umno lawyer picked by the Government from the Bar, parked in the Court of Appeal for a while, and placed at the pinnacle of the judiciary at an opportune time so that he and his cohorts could pander to their wishes and be paid a handsome price for bring prized lap-dogs!

By Martin Jalleh

Tun Zaki Tun Azmi has retired as the Chief Justice (CJ) of Bolehland. Weeks before the final curtain, he held himself in high regard in press interviews by giving rave reviews of his own tenure. He felt "very satisfied with the judiciary's achievements in less than three years" (Bernama).

For a long time the mainstream press had portrayed  Zaki as a "reluctant" CJ. But as his retirement date drew nearer, the Malay Mail (MM) revved up the farewell accolades by revering him as the "Judiciary's Renaissance man" (25.08.11).

According to MM's executive editor Terence Fernandez the feedback he received from Zaki's contemporaries in the Federal Court including Arifin Zakaria, Raus Sharif, James Foong, Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin and Abdull Hamid Embong was that Zaki "has revolutionised the judiciary".

Praise for Zaki's tenure also came from the Bar Council. Its chairperson Lim Chee Wee lauded him as one who has "surpassed the Bar's expectations as he has implemented many positive changes". Lim listed 11 of the changes (Malaysiakini, 06.09.11).

Zaki's changes may have been impressive but the reputation of the judiciary was sullied irreparably during his term of office. In the eyes of the public the judiciary sunk so low as to allow itself to be intimidated, its independence and impartiality interfered with, and its integrity reduced to ignominy.

He may have "performed very well" (according to Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee)  but Zaki's judiciary continued to be a convenient playground for the ruling elite to stay in power, persecute their opponents,  punish dissenters and promote their political agenda, through the perversion of the rule of law. Further, it became so predictable!

Zaki took great pride in reiterating that he has never presided over any Umno-related cases during his tenure. He did not need to. His cohorts especially in the appellate courts would run the judicial circus on his behalf and even readily run riot with their ridiculous judgments, reducing the country into a judicial backwater!

Little wonder the 'Perak cases' for example were made the exclusive domain of the few judges who were already looked upon with increasing dismay by the public for their perceived political partisanship. It was not difficult to guess why the well-regarded judges in the Federal Court were kept out.

The latest indictment on Zaki's judiciary was in the form of an unsworn statement from the dock by Anwar Ibrahim in his sodomy trial. He explained that he was opting to testify from the dock, because he had no confidence he would be tried fairly and he showed in detail the court's undeniable bias against him thus far.

He called the entire court process "nothing but a conspiracy by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to send me into political oblivion by attempting once again to put me behind bars… this is not a criminal trial. It is a charade staged by the powers that be to put me out of action in order that they remain in power." He was putting the judiciary on trial!

It is very evident that the "Judiciary's Renaissance man" left behind a legacy of a judiciary scandalously compromised, shamelessly cowed and a slew of shocking contradictory and convoluted judgments. He failed to put his house into order so he shifted his furniture around to impress some of the people, like those in the Bar Council!

Zaki's supposed judicial reform  was shredded into smithereens and his judicial show and sham laid bare by Justice N H Chan who was furious at how the judiciary which he had served so faithfully has been reduced to a farce run by those who are "intellectual frauds".

The respected, renowned and retired accused Zaki's judges of "putting themselves beyond the pale…just like pariahs". He showed why he considered some of the judges, especially those in the appellate courts - "ignorant", "incompetent", "inconsistent", "imposters" and even "idiots"!

The then Chief Justice remained silent! His conspicuous and continued silence gave credence to the court of public opinion that it is one of "quiet subservience". Evidently, it would be safer to maintain the status quo and to say that he was "very satisfied with the judiciary's achievements in less than three years".

There were those who interpreted Zaki's silence as him allowing, approving, aiding and abetting with members of the judiciary who had left behind a dead constitution, "bad" and "perverse" decisions, dubious declaratory orders, judgments devoid of reasoned grounds, and disgraceful double standards.

The Government must have been very pleased with the fine performance of their reliable Renaissance Man. It even made a  recent revision of a remuneration law in Parliament so that Zaki can ride into the sunset with a full pension after serving only for less than three years! Zaki was so touched, he invited the PM for a cup of tea but it created quite a storm!

"Creatures of the Government"

In Dec. 2009, Abdul Aziz Bari, a constitutional law expert, declared that  the judiciary has been reduced to one that "takes its cue from the government".) But it has been the then CJ's belief that since the 1988 judicial crisis "the confidence in the judiciary has improved a great deal" (The Nut Graph, 26.03.10)!

Zaki called those who criticized the judiciary for its lack of independence "a small group of vociferous people out there, who go onto the internet and blogs and Facebook and all that and make comments without knowing the proper background. Many are not even lawyers."

A few months later lawyer Edmund Bon, who was then the chairman of the constitutional law committee of the Bar Council revealed that "the perception that the judiciary is executive-compliant still remains till today" (Free Malaysia Today, 17.08.10)!

According to former Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram: "… the judiciary has become so 'executive-minded' and that "the judges have become creatures of the government" (Malaysiakini, 16.09.10).

The NST quoted Zaki on 12 May this year that feedback from lawyers showed that they were happy with the integrity of the judiciary and had not heard anything negative since 2008. He added: "I am sure many, if not all, agree that the Malaysian judiciary is now free from any criticism or accusation of bias or partiality."

Very apparently he had not listened to N H Chan who had often pointed out that the "Perak crisis has brought out a host of cases that showed that the judges gave the impression that they were one-sided. The perception of the people is that they sided with the BN government."

Zaki Azmi, the "Judiciary's Renaissance man" has left behind a legacy of a judiciary scandalously compromised, shamelessly cowed and a slew of shocking contradictory and convoluted judgments. Below are some examples.

Cowardice & Cold Feet in the Courts

The less-than-three-year tenure of Zaki Azmi saw the Federal Court shirking its responsibility to execute justice by declining to answer burning constitutional questions especially those related to conversion issues.

There were instances when it chose not to make a ruling but preferred to dismiss the case on technicalities instead. There is no better example of this that the Shamala Sathiyaseelan appeal.   The glaring truth is that the court of last resort in this country is not the Federal Court, but political expediency.

Commenting on the issue, the Bar Council said that "the Federal Court failed to be decisive and abdicated its role as the ultimate arbiter in disputes involving constitutional questions and jurisdictional conflict."

Respected lawyer Art Harun concurred: "I have lost count of the number of cases which involve inter-faith conflicts arising from conversion and re-conversion of a person from one faith to another — often from one faith to Islam and back to the original faith — where the Federal Court had chosen not to make a ruling, preferring to dismiss the case on technicalities instead."

On 28 July 2010 Zaki shied away from explaining why the Court of Appeal has yet to set a hearing date for the controversial "Allah" court case more than a year after it was filed. (The Catholic Church, which had initially agreed to stay publishing the word after a series of attacks broke out nationwide following the ruling on 31 Dec. 2009, has grown anxious at the extraordinary delay.)

On 8 Sept. this year, a three-member panel of the Federal Court led by Zaki, an unanimous decision, dismissed a crucial appeal by five Sarawak native customary rights landowners, a decision which will adversely affect more than 100 similar cases (Malaysiakini).

Both Zaki and another member of the panel, refused to interpret the constitutional question affecting native customary right land in Sarawak with the excuse that the issue of unconstitutionality was not raised or properly canvassed before the Court.

Baru Bian, one of the lawyers for the natives pointed out that there were in fact oral and written submissions on the matter.  The judges "were evading the practical problem on the ground". Law professor Abdul Aziz Bari opined that by refusing to deal with the constitutionality issue, the Federal court has abdicated its duty.

Contradictions

Zaki's cowed judiciary took its cue from the government and this resulted in the courts being riddled with self-contradictions or courts contradicting one another, at times to a ridiculous extent! Below are some examples.

On 9 Feb. the Federal Court in the case of whether PR's Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin or BNs Zambry Abd Kadir is the rightful Menteri Besar of Perak ignored (and contradicted) the established precedents.

On 25 Feb. 2010 the Federal Court unanimously decided not to review its 29 Jan. decision barring Anwar Ibrahim from access to the documents "which would be tendered as part of the evidence for the prosecution" and "a written statement of facts favourable to the defence" which he is entitled to.

There had been 10 previous decisions since 2001, presided by four previous chief justices where the Federal Court allowed a review of its own decision. Further, a month earlier (21.01.10) the Federal Court, acting on an application by the CJ reviewed and revised its absurd and perverse decision made a decade ago. One of the judges on the panel was Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin. He was also on the panel of the 25 Feb. hearing! In other words he contradicted himself about a month later!

On 5 Aug. the election court threw out Zaid Ibrahim's petition to declare the election of P Kamalanathan as MP of Hulu Selangor on April 25 void, for Zaid failed to furnish details to back up his claims that the poll results were influenced by bribery and corruption.

In the Sodomy II case the court held that the details – police reports, list of witnesses, medical reports – of the prosecution's ongoing case against Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy, details that are as a norm furnished to the defence at the start of a trial "have not been fatal to the prosecution's case".

In April, in a case between ousted Perak Speaker V Sivakumar and BN assemblymen in Perak, the Federal Court ruled that it was allowed to inquire into legislative proceedings. It departed from the precedent which gives respect to the doctrine of separation of powers.

On 22 Oct 2010 (in a case brought about by Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo) the High Court ruled that legislative proceedings cannot be challenged in court. The constitution was supreme and that it cannot question proceedings of the Dewan Rakyat.

Other than introducing measures to speed up cases and ensure judgments are issued on time, Zaki has also been dogged by controversy during his time as CJ, the latest over amendments that allow him to get a full pension despite serving just a few years in the judiciary.

On the pages of history will be penned the public perception of a Umno lawyer picked by the Government from the Bar, parked in the Court of Appeal for a while, and placed at the pinnacle of the judiciary at an opportune time so that he and his cohorts could pander to their wishes and be paid a handsome price for bring prized lap-dogs!

 

Stop squabbling for seats, DAP tells Pakatan allies

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 03:45 PM PDT

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — The DAP has demanded Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties stop publicly airing disagreements regarding seat negotiations, citing concerns that such incidents could affect the relationship among the coalition parties.

DAP national vice chairman Tan Kok Wai said the advice also applied to his own party members, and that PR leaders should abide by rules and guidelines set out by the pact's national leadership regarding the matter.

According to Tan, the PR leadership had drawn up specific guidelines during a recent coalition retreat. PR leaders and members have been ordered to negotiate seat allocations internally and to avoid openly discussing or criticising any coalition partner.

Tan stressed that it was "imperative" that the guidelines be observed, and that all PR parties should be seen as trusting and co-operative at all times.

But the DAP leader also admitted that discussions on seat allocations in various states are still ongoing and have "yet to be concluded."

"However, positive strides are being made in finalising the seat arrangements amongst PR coalition members for the coming general elections.

 "The PR leadership will be making the necessary announcement at the appropriate time once the seat negotiation process has been finalised," he said in a statement today.

Tan reminded his own party colleagues against making any statements that may be "misconstrued" as a sign that PR parties were involved in seat tussles.

The Malaysian Insider reported on July 20 that PR leaders were confident that negotiations over state and parliamentary seat allocations among PKR, PAS and DAP could be finalised by the end of July, ahead of an anticipated early general election.

READ MORE HERE

 

PAS claims Dr M out to oust Najib

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 03:39 PM PDT

By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — PAS today accused former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad of exploiting his influence in Umno to mastermind a plot to unseat Datuk Seri Najib Razak ahead of the next general election.

PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar named the influential Dr Mahathir as the hidden hand behind an uprising within Umno's ranks against Najib and his men, pointing out that the country's longest serving prime minister had done the same to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during the tail-end of his career.

"Dr Mahathir has returned to become the mastermind in Umno's chess game... the internal politicking and the chaos in Umno... much like what happened during the movement to topple Pak Lah (Abdullah)," the Pokok Sena MP told a press conference here.

Mahfuz attributed his suspicion to a statement by Dr Mahathir during an RTM television interview on Monday when the latter urged Najib against calling for early snap polls and use the time instead to work on searching for winnable candidates for Barisan Nasional (BN).

 "I think that if it's held a little later, it's OK; there should be time for Najib to make an assessment on who should be chosen as a candidate," Dr Mahathir had said.

Mahfuz said Dr Mahathir's was subtly hinting to Najib his view that the prime minister himself was incapable of leading BN to victory in the coming polls, seen as the ruling pact's most crucial to date after a poor showing during Election 2008.

The PAS man alleged that Umno leaders themselves now consider Najib a liability to the party and are conspiring to replace him before the polls.

"That is why Dr Mahathir is asking Najib to delay the polls because they are now admitting to internal pressure within Umno, they do not want the elections to be called in a situation where Najib is still the leader," he said.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali made a similar allegation recently of a purportedly huge uprising within Umno to oust Najib amid fears that the prime minister and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor would cost BN its hold on Putrajaya in the coming polls.

But the Islamist party claimed that Najib was fully aware of this movement and has refused to step down as he is determined to lead BN into the polls, expected to be held in coming months.

READ MORE HERE

 

Malacca was a roadside toilet-stop

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:40 PM PDT

By John Doe
 
If one were to drive from KL to Singapore, would one stop in Malacca? Unless you needed to piss or shit really badly, you would just drive through, am I right? Similarly, if one were to drive from Singapore to Penang, would you stop at Malacca? Look at the Malacca River. It is far too small to be useful.
In comparison, look at the Muar River, the Lembah Bujang River, and the Singapore River. According to Sejarah Melayu, the Singapore Port was already famous during Raja Secander Shah's grandfather's time. It was wide, and the waters are deep.
 
Now contrast this to the Malacca River. It is extremely narrow, and does not permit ships to go up or down. Some have argued that the ships could have parked outside. GREAT !! Why call yourself a car-park, when you have to park outside? Why buy submarines which cannot go underwater? Why not open a "Self-service Massage Center" and claim fame? Korek Korek Korek !!! 
 
*Hint: Use Google Maps to compare the river sizes, and tell me that the Malacca River does not look like a Longkang !

And while on the topic, do also look at how all the other Empires built their Kingdoms far away from the sea. See how far inland Angkor, Ayudthaya, Lopburi, Sukkhothai, Pegu, Bagan, Borrobudor and so on were. These real Kingdoms had real brains.
 
By building the Capital so far inland, they reduced the risk of a Naval attack. Instead, Malacca had the IQ of a door-nail. "Let's build it right next to the sea, so that 30 pitiful ships can beat our 100,000 fighting men".

Malacca was massively losing money for the Dutch. In fact, it contributed to making the VOC go bankrupt ! Go read up on how the Malacca River had to be chained up every night, so that the Bugis Pirates would not loot the place. And how the sailors had to sleep on their ships for fear of the same reason. This sounds so much like how the Malaysian Police had to move their Station away from Chow Kit area, because it was too dangerous for the Police. GREAT !!
 
Also read up on how the Sultan of Malacca went bankrupt, and how Nina Chatu had to loan him money all the time. And when the Sultan refused to repay him, Nina Chatu went to the Portuguese for help. Fortunately, the greedy Sultan decided to attack the Portuguese ship for not paying "toll" (aka extortion money) on the way to Hoi An (in Vietnam). The Portuguese went after the goods on their own, and decided to bypass the "Ketuanan Malacca".
 
To cut a long story short, the Portuguese sent 30 ships to COLONIZE Malacca. They then wrote wonderful things about Malacca as a Strategic Defense Center, so that they could get more Military funding. Don't forget that the Napoleonic Wars were just around the corner. It helps if Malaysians had maps which extend a little more than Singapore and Hadyai. It also helps if Malaysians started learning a little more about other countries. 
 
Try this simple Trivia-Challenge: 
 
Name 10 countries which have NEVER played in any World Cup before (without looking their names up anywhere)

Back to the stupid Dutch, who thought what they Portuguese wrote about Malacca was true, and decided to conquer Malacca themselves. The Dutch realized very quickly, that Malacca was not worth it, and set up heir HQ in Jakarta instead. Google all you want, and you will notice how the Dutch were simply not interested in Malacca.
 
Anyway, when the VOC went bankrupt, they begged the British to take over Malacca. The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, also known as the Treaty of London, was a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in London on 17 March 1824.

If UMNO is too dumb to read, then can someone please print a copy of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty for them. Knowing UMNO, they would probably claim that the Dutch never colonized Malacca either.... They Dutch traded Malacca for Bencoolen. (remember Bencoolen Street anyone?)
 
Just remember that the Brits never fired a shot to take over Malacca. They were handed it, on a platter. The Brits wanted Penang and Singapore actually, but since this was the land in-between their prized possessions, they decided "Oh, what the heck". So, UMNO is now saying that the handing over the Colony of Malacca to the British did not happen?
 
In addition, You can also read up on how all the "Perang Saudara's" were going on, and because of that, it was simply easy for the Colonizers to waltz in and take over any land they wished.  And it is true. Malaysia has NEVER been Colonized. Since 1957, no one colonized Malaysia. (Well,..... unless you consider that UMNO did colonize it)

In closing, do read up on the bankruptcy of the VOC here:
http://gutenberg.net.au/VOC.html

If Malacca was so bloody important, why was it not even mentioned ONCE? 
 
Anyone still remember how Parameswara is NOT mentioned in Sejarah Melayu?
 
N.B. To date, no one has submitted any evidence, nor refutted what John Doe has written about Malacca

The Role of the Left in the Struggle for Independence

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:31 PM PDT

By Dr. Toh Kin Woon

The LLG Cultural Development Centre urges the Federal Government to take cognizance of an important message to have come out of the recent debate on Mohamad Indera's role as a patriotic fighter for our country's freedom, which is that the left and progressive forces have contributed immensely to the struggle for Malaysia's independence.

In this regard, we also urge the Federal Government to review the contents of our schools' history texts, with a view to accurately and objectively reflect the sacrifices and contributions of all who were genuinely involved in the anti-colonial struggles.

These of course include those of UMNO and its partners in the Alliance. In addition, however, our history texts should also describe and analyze in detail the roles and struggles of Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM), Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya (PKMM), the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army, the All Malaya Council of Joint Action-Pusat Tenaga Rakyat (AMCJA-Putera), the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), the Labour Party and Parti Rakyat for freedom and independence from both Japanese and British imperial rule.

These important episodes have, however, been blatantly marginalized, even left out of our country's historical narratives, as have been the struggles of the anti-Japanese forces during the period of the Japanese occupation; the Peoples' Constitution, with its stress on democracy and equality, as drafted by the AMCJA-PUTERA Alliance; the 1947 hartal; the struggles of the labour movement in both Malaya and Singapore, before and after independence; the struggle of vernacular education movements; the role of the MCP in helping to shorten the transition to independence; the struggle of the Labour Party and Parti Rakyat for a socialist democratic Malaysia; the use of the Internal Security Act by the Alliance Government to cripple the left movement; the May 13 inter-ethnic conflict which was the result of the political machinations of certain political leaders and the students movement of the seventies and their struggles for a more socially just Malaysia.

As a result, official history texts, as they are presently structured, are unable to narrate accurately the trials and tribulations of Malaysian peoples' heroic and courageous struggles, especially those of the progressive, patriotic and nationalist forces for independence, democracy, human rights, equality and social justice. Indeed, these have been by design either obliterated, or demonized.

Given this deliberate distortion and creation of voids, the need to review our history texts with a view to correcting these distortions and filling the voids becomes all the more imperative and urgent.

Finally, the LLG Cultural Development Centre would like to appeal to the Federal Government and certain non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to respect the right to free speech of Mat Sabu, the Deputy President of Pas.

Everyone and anyone should have the right to interpret history based on his or her values and the facts he or she has at hand. Up till now, many NGOs have made police reports. This is construed as intimidation. To us, theses actions are tantamount to restricting Mat Sabu's right to free speech and freedom of expression.

We are, however, relieved to hear the rational decision made by Hishamuddin Hussein that the Federal Government will not resort to the use of the ISA to detain without trial Mat Sabu. We also hope that both the police and the Attorney General will likewise respect the right of Mat Sabu to his interpretation of history and that they will not take any action against the latter.

 

DR TOH KIN WOON is Chairman of LLG Cultural Development Centre

Malaysian rapper skewers racial ties in new film

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:25 PM PDT

By MSN Philippines News

An ethnic Chinese rapper accused of stirring Malaysian racial tensions has brought his social commentary to cinemas with a food-themed comedy celebrating the country's mixed cultural recipe.

 

But Wee Meng Chee -- better known by the alias Namewee -- characteristically pulls few punches in "Nasi Lemak 2.0," an unusually daring exploration of a tide of racial distrust that has stoked concern in multi-ethnic Malaysia.

The comedy, named after the national rice dish and which opened last week, takes an unflinching but ultimately fond look at many of the racial stereotypes that Muslim-majority Malaysia's various ethnic groups aim at each other.

The main character, an arrogant chef played by Wee, expresses revulsion at Islamic practices such as circumcision.

In another scene, an ethnic Chinese student complains of difficulty getting into college, a reference to quota policies and other privileges favoring the dominant Malay ethnic group.

"My message is that the system in Malaysia is unequal... But when we live together, we eat together, there is no racism," said Wee, sitting for an interview with AFP wearing his trademark beanie pulled down to his eyes.

More than half of Malaysia's near 28 million population are Malay Muslims, who live alongside sizeable Chinese, Indian and indigenous minorities.

Overt racial and religious antagonism has been largely avoided since deadly race riots in 1969.

But tensions have increased recently amid rising resentment over the Malay preferential policies, a trend toward what many say is increasing Islamisation of society, and other recent disputes.

Wee first stirred the hornet's nest in 2007, shooting to celebrity with a song mocking the national anthem.

In 2009, authorities threatened sedition charges over another song, "Nah" -- based on a real incident -- which lashes out a Malay school headmistress who makes racist slurs against her ethnic Chinese and Indian students.

Wee insists he is a patriotic Malaysian and that his art is meant to provoke a positive discussion leading to fairness and social harmony.

With potentially divisive snap elections expected to be called soon, Prime Minister Najib Razak has pushed his "1Malaysia" campaign promoting ethnic unity, and Wee said the film was meant to support that.

However, he adds: "I want to show the real Malaysia, how we live together. For 1Malaysia to work we have to be treated equally."

"I just want to share my music, my creativity with my true feelings without hiding anything."

The film's plot is anchored in Malaysia's undisputed common cultural touchstone: love of the country's diverse and spicy cuisine.

Wee plays Chef Huang, who studied Chinese cooking in China and ridicules Malay food.

Roped into a cooking competition, he finds however that he needs the help of people from all races -- including a Malay with four wives and Indians who dance Bollywood-style -- to create a delicious new version of nasi lemak.

Co-producer Fred Chong told AFP the movie -- which mixes several of the nation's languages and dialects -- made more than 1.5 million ringgit ($500,000) in its first four days in cinemas, closing in on a previous high of 1.6 million ringgit for a movie by an ethnic Chinese producer.

Malaysia's film market is dominated by Malay and, above all, Hollywood films.

"Nasi Lemak 2.0" was made on less than 1 million ringgit after private investors pulled out last year, spooked by the threat of sedition charges against Wee. None were ever filed.

Despite the film's positive message, Wee remains outspoken.

He said "Nasi Lemak 2.0" was aimed at Internet-savvy Malaysian youngsters fed up with official calls for unity by the Malay-dominated government that has been in power for decades.

"Our government always treats the people who are against them or disagree with them as criminals," he added, referring to the threatened sedition charges.

With its cast of local stars, song-and-dance numbers, martial arts routines, and numerous jokes drawing on current events, the movie has proven a hit with some, and Wee's Facebook page has been bombarded with supportive postings.

"Nasi Lemak 2.0 may not be perfect, but it has its moments," leading English daily The Star said in a review.

"It's a Malaysian movie, yes, but it is out to make us take a good hard look at ourselves... and laugh."


 

Malaysia PM: Expect To Touch 5% Economic Growth In 2011

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:19 PM PDT

By Ankur Relia

KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones)--Malaysia's export-driven economy is likely to expand 5% this year, but a serious downturn in the global economy will hurt its prospects for further growth, Prime Minister Najib Razak said Tuesday.

"To get beyond 5% growth we need strong external demand," Najib told participants in Forbes Global CEO Conference in Kuala Lumpur.

Sagging exports in recent months, caused by weaker demand from developed countries, have slowed Malaysia's economy. It expanded 4.0% on year in the second quarter of 2011, compared with 4.9% in the first quarter.

To maintain its growth rate, the Southeast Asian nation must stimulate domestic investment and demand, Najib said.

Najib, who is also the finance minister, also said the government remains committed to gradually reducing subsidies for commodities like gasoline, diesel, sugar, flour, and for electricity.

The Malaysian government's subsidy burden was MYR24.93 billion in 2010, or 16.4% of the gross domestic product, the finance ministry says.

Najib added that the government aims to cut is fiscal deficit to 3.0% in the next few years, with the target for this year 5.4%, compared with 5.6% in 2010.

Apart from reducing subsidies, the government intends to introduce goods and services tax to achieve its deficit reduction goals.

"The question is the timing," he said.

The tax will probably be introduced after the next national elections, he said

The government has until March 2013 to call for general elections. "It is bit of a guessing game...It is one of those thing where you must get the timing right," he said.

Malaysia, already a major market for Islamic finance, is setting up a large Islamic bank, with a paid-up capital of at least $1 billion.

"I just got confirmation of a major commitment from one of the Middle Eastern countries. So we are putting together this because we believe that Islamic finance has a bright future and Malaysia is in the forefront," he said.

MAS sponsorship for Queen Park Rangers jersey to cost RM18mil

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 01:00 PM PDT

This is how the new queens park rangers home jersey will look like now that Malaysia Airlines are the new sponsors.

(The Star) - PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) recently-announced sponsorship for the Queen Park Rangers (QPR) home jersey in the Barclays Premier League will cost the national carrier some RM18mil or 3.7mil, according to a source.

The total sponsorship fee for both MAS and AirAsia for the English professional football club, which involves a term of two years, would cost some RM30mil (6.2mil), the source added.

"MAS will take up a bulk or almost 60% of the total fees while the remaining will be forked out by AirAsia Bhd and its related companies which could also involve AirAsia X.

"Typically, the home jersey sponsorship is more expensive than the away jersey," the source said.

On Monday, MAS and AirAsia signed a jersey deal for QPR which will see the MAS logo adorn the jersey at home while the AirAsia logo will be used on the team's away games.

"This sponsorship is the first major initiative of our new brand and marketing strategy that would see important advertising money spent on boosting our top line. This is a key component in our drive to regain global market share, profitability," said MAS executive director Mohammed Rashdan Yusof.

Even so, most analysts are not thrilled. Their main grouse is that MAS should instead be focusing on strengthening its flagging financial status and showing some concrete moves towards this end.

Moreover, the crucial post of a chief executive officer for MAS has still yet to be filled.

The sponsorship deal by the two airlines closely follows a landmark share-swap deal involving the major shareholders of the respective airlines in early August which had turned the rivals into allies.

AirAsia's chief steward and major shareholder Tan Sri Tony Fernandesand his partner, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, collectively own a 75% stake in Tune QPR Sdn Bhd, which in turn owns 66% of QPR Holdings Ltd. Fernandes, who only recently acquired the stake in the football club, is currently chairman of QPR.

In an earlier announcement to Bursa Malaysia, AirAsia said it would cough up some RM2.4mil or 500,000 as sponsorship fees for the duration of the two-year term.

Only in June this year, Genting UK, the largest casino operator in Britain, sealed a pact to be the main jersey sponsor for Aston Villa for two years. Although the amount was not disclosed, a source said the total sponsorship fees for the two years collectively involved some RM17mil or 3.5mil.

 

Najib: NEP to stay, but with modifications

Posted: 13 Sep 2011 12:42 PM PDT

(The Malaysian Insider) - The prime minister reassured Malaysians that affirmative action policies introduced in the New Economic Policy (NEP), however they would evolve to become more market friendly and merit based.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the government was setting out to create more opportunities for Bumiputeras rather than just imposing quotas in economic activities, Bernama Online reported.

Najib, who is also the finance minister, said that there is realisation the NEP is not popular with the market, and also not really helping Bumiputeras.

READ MORE HERE

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net
 

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