| ‘Send an army of angels to stop Umno’ Posted: 14 Nov 2011 01:44 PM PST (FMT) - PETALING JAYA: As the polling date nears, a blogger aligned to the Islamic-based PAS is seeking divine intervention, calling on God to dispatch an army of angels to ensure that the 13th general election is not rigged. Known by the monicker Tulang Besi, the blogger posted a prayer on his Malaysia Waves blog alongside an entry claiming that Umno is confident of recapturing Selangor since it has registered 200,000 Indonesians as voters. The blogger, who received the information from a source, said those in the top echelons of Umno are pleased. "Their plan to capture Selangor is running smoothly. They have given more than 200,000 identity cards to foreigners and the latter are already in the state's electoral roll. "So be prepared to witness the fall of Selangor in the coming general election," he stated. In his prayer posting entitled "Doa Semoga Allah gagalkan penipuan Umno dalam PRU-13", Tulang Besi also called on God to punish those involved, be it the National Registration Department, Defence Ministry, Home Ministry, Immigration Department and the Election Commission. Below is the prayer in full: "Ya Allah, Tuhan Semesta Alam. Yang menjadikan langit dan bumi serta menggerakkan awan. Kami hamba Mu yang lemah dan daeef sujud memohon kepada Mu. Sesungguhnya Umno dan Barisan Nasional akan menipu dan berbohong dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke 13 kelak. Ya Allah Ya tuhan kami, pohon kami semoga Kau menurunkan Bala Tentera Malaikat Mu dan mengagalkan segenap penipuan mereka ini, Ya Allah. Pastikan setiap penipuan mereka itu memakan diri mereka sendiri. Ya Allah, ko turunkan Bala Mu pada setiap yang bertanggungjawab di atas penipuan2 ini samada mereka duduk di dalam Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara, Kementrian Pertahanan, Kementrian Dalam Negeri, Imigresen, SPR dan mana-mana lagi. Turunkan bala ke atas mereka sekiranya mereka terus menerus mahu menipu, Ya Allah." Rosmah targetted as well READ MORE HERE. |
| Pakatan ahead in Perak, Selangor, KL, internal poll shows Posted: 14 Nov 2011 01:34 PM PST By Yow Hong Chieh,The Malaysian Insider Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is expected to secure a majority of the federal votes in Perak, Selangor as well as Kuala Lumpur, an internal PKR poll shows. Fifty-one per cent of respondents from Perak said they would vote for the federal opposition, along with 57 per cent in Selangor and 61 per cent in Kuala Lumpur, where PR holds 10 of the 11 parliamentary seats.
File photo of Pakatan Rakyat leaders at their convention in Shah Alam in December 2009. A recent poll shows the coalition will do well in the next general election in several states.
PR is also expected to win 40 per cent of the votes in Johor, traditionally a Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold, according to the survey obtained by The Malaysian Insider.
This is despite Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim scoring net negative approval ratings in all but one of the four states.
The de facto PKR leader only achieved a net positive two points in Selangor with an approval rating of 44 per cent, while support was lukewarm in Kuala Lumpur (net negative one point) and weaker in Perak (net negative 16 points) and Johor (net negative 17 points).
In comparison, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak scored net positives of two, six, 10 and 34 points for Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Perak and Johor respectively.
The survey also found that support for current Perak and Johor mentris besar Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir and Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman respectively were split along racial lines.
Abdul Ghani was very well-regarded by Malay voters (net positive 44 points) but failed to strike a chord with Chinese ones (net negative 23 per cent).
Likewise, Zambry, seen positively by the Malays (net positive 27 per cent), was shunned by the Chinese (net negative 34 per cent). READ MORE HERE. |
| Top 10 International political scandals Posted: 14 Nov 2011 06:31 AM PST 4. Anwar Ibrahim Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has been battling allegations of sodomy since a Malaysian court first sentenced him to prison in 2000, according to BBC. Ibrahim became a strong critic of Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad after close ties with the leader early on in Ibrahim's political career. Ibrahim was arrested and sentenced to six years in prison in 1999 for corruption, and the following year he was sentenced to nine years for sodomy. Though the second conviction was overturned in 2004 and Ibrahim was released from prison, he was arrested again in 2008 in connection to the sodomy of a 25-year-old male aide, the Guardian reported. Sodomy, even among consenting adults, is illegal in Malaysia. READ MORE HERE |
| The Mistakes of Najib: The Omen and the Opportunity Posted: 14 Nov 2011 05:34 AM PST Maclean Patrick, Hornbill Unleashed
In May 1998, an ominous book entitled 50 Dalil Mengapa Anwar Tidak Boleh Jadi PM written by one Khalid Jafri made its rounds during the UMNO General Assembly. At that time, Anwar Ibrahim and Mahathir Mohamad were locked in a bitter battle that would permanently divide Malaysia along political lines. It was a calculated move to smear Anwar's reputation and to introduce into the minds of the UMNO populace the reasons behind Anwar's eventual sacking as the country's Deputy Prime Minister. Also, to provide arguments as to why Anwar should never be prime minister. Fast forward to 2011 and a similar book has appeared but unlike the Anwar smear campaign book, this one is released whilst the target is already prime minister of Malaysia. The newly published book 'Kesilapan-kesilapan Najib' ( 'The mistakes of Najib' ) by a former UMNO division leader Shahbudin Husin lists out Prime Minister Najib Razak's numerous failures, and calls for his withdrawal from the party presidency and Prime Minister's post before the 13th general election. As with the 1998 book, few doubted that the ultimate inspiration for the book was Mahathir, who was then the prime minister albeit fast losing his popularity to Anwar. Now, in 2011, there is the same expectation that the ultimate inspiration for the anti-Najib book may be his ambitious deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin. Indeed Shahbudin's book could well be the start of a tsunami of internal attacks, carefully coordinated to coincide with the coming UMNO General Assembly slated for December 3rd for the purpose of diminishing Najib's standing among the party grass-roots. No doubt, to an observer it clearly shows a fragmented UMNO, and this could in turn contribute greatly towards what many see as greater losses for the BN come GE 13. The emergence of this book would clearly add ammunition for Najib's enemies who seek to paint a picture of a leader who has not been able to hold the reins within his own party. Cracks within the Najib administration are showing following the tabling of the Auditor General's Report. From the massive mismanagement of public funded projects to the over-bloated 2012 Budget, things just aren't going Najib's way. No wonder, it seems like Malaysia is in turmoil. He and his Umno groups have begun the campaigning for GE-13 and already, a host of issues are being played to pit the Malays against the non-Malays and to turn them off from the Pakatan Rakyat's reform agenda. The sudden rush to divert the public's attention by demonizing homosexuals, lesbians and transgenders have not return the desired result. The attention given to the Sexualiti Merdeka movement has instead raise the bigger question, is Malaysia truly a moderate Muslim country as claimed by Najib when visiting the Vatican several months back? READ MORE HERE |
| BN will never win GE-13 if Muhyiddin becomes PM Posted: 14 Nov 2011 05:31 AM PST Malaysian Diablo, Hornbill Unleashed
With all this fighting going on in UMNO, I think it is time the Umno-putera need to take a step back and have a broader consideration for the greater loss they are going to have to face! Simply put the Non Malays do not trust or like their Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), and the Malay votes are divided. Therefore just by calculating half the Malay voters(non Umno supporter) and the 70% of the non Malay votes, jointly this group of disgruntled voters will cause a substantial change in Parliament. Even the vote rigging, the sudden jump in postal votes in opposition seats together with the recent registration of immigrants as Malaysians will not be enough if the non Malays, join forces to vote out UMNO. Our DPM has for too long portrayed himself as an ultra Muslim, in order to win support from right wing factions in Unmo and the rural Muslim. His claim that the Malays outnumber the non-Malays has been his prime justification for this ultra policy. 30 years of brainwashing , that only UMNO can save the Malays from the claws of the opposition who are waiting to destroy the Malay race, and that only UMNO can save them form becoming second class citizen in their own land, has today become an antiquated story line. Race championing that spawned racism Muhyiddin, who saw the effects of May 13, and whose early years were fashioned around this belief, has been prompting this view for the last 20 over years, to help build his career in UNMO. This fear-mongering mentality, which worked so well for Tun Razak and Tun Dr Mahathir, was assisted by the fact that the indigenous parties in Borneo together with Indian and Chinese component parties within the Barisan National government, were too preoccupied or scared to give up their comfort zone within the coalition to do anything to protect the majority that they represent. And this in turn created a false belief that has hardened this ultra Malay leader into actually thinking that he is of a superior race. In his rise to power as the DPM, it does seem that he has again failed to realize that in 2008, it was the indigenous parties who had kept the Barisan National and its Umno leaders in power especially when its traditional allies, the Indian and Chinese parties were wiped out. The general non-Malay public are certainly very uncomfortable with the possibility that the most racist UMNO leader to-date is being groomed to be the prime minister in waiting. Compared with other DPMs Previous prime ministers like Mahathir built his early career on being an ultra Malay youth leader, his nemesis, Anwar Ibrahim, also followed similar steps. Both Mahathir and Anwar were initially seen as racist but when both became DPMs, they both quickly altered this ultra-image in order to garner the non Malay support Muhyiddin, on the other hand, has decided to become even more of an ultra Malay, after taking over the DPM's role, and has therefore smacked the hypothesis that our BN leaders are not racist but pretend to be only to climb up the political ladder. Also in the past, the opposition was weak and the Barisan National was seen as an elder brother who had built this country. Thus an ultra-Malay leader, before would have been acceptable, but today this is no longer the case! Our present DPM continues to maintain his racist outlook to keep his grassroots supporters happy at the expense of losing all support and credibility from the non-Malays. Insult to the Indians Every Indian Malaysian certainly know that the Muhyiddin did not support any Indian sportsperson or student with government scholarships, when he was Mentri Besar in the state of Johor, nor has he as the DPM and the Education minister ever supported an increase of scholarships for Indians or non Bumiputeras. The high-handed manner in which he forced the Interlok book back into the schools without keeping his promise to amend the offending passages in the book, has angered the Indians. His single-handed dismissal of the learned panel of educationists, who recommended changes in the book, has further proven to the Indians that he cannot be trusted, nor that he is willing to listen to their views. His actions seems to indicate that he may not considered them on the same level as the Malay race and himself. His arrogance in not dealing with the Interlok book because it puts the Chinese and Indians in bad light in the school syllabus, is a clear indication of his ultra-Malay mind set. Today, every Malaysian knows that when you meet the DPM 'Interlok' is a haram word like 'Bersih' His flag bearing boy – P Kamalanathan the Hulu Selangor MP – has done very little to help the Indians despite his impressive promises in the by-election. The people have realized that Muhyiddin is no better that the other UMNO leaders with their empty promises. At the next GE, Kamalanathan cannot stand again at the same Selangor seat, because he has not kept any of the BN promises in the by election. Those who voted him the first time will almost certainly reject him! READ MORE HERE |
| Did Najib Miscalculate When To Hold the Next GE? Posted: 14 Nov 2011 01:10 AM PST By Masterwordsmith If Najib had called for the GE to be held next month, Pakatan would have been caught with their pants down!!! With this delay, BN has given Pakatan a new breath of life and a reprieve to resolve all their issues.
But that is looking at things internally. You can solve your internal problems. More worrying is the alarming fact that there are external factors in this situation which are beyond your control. And this is what Najib may be faced with at the moment. For the past six months or so, most of us had been bracing ourselves for the announcement of the 13th General Elections which many expected on 11th November (11.11.11). In fact, some speculated that the Parliament would be dissolved on 11th November (after the PM's return from the haj) and then for the GE to be held some time in December, speculated to be 10th Dec.
That, however, did not happen, and it appears that the GE may be held around March or April next year instead.
I am of the opinion that this could be a serious miscalculation.
Firstly, it is common knowledge that Najib is going to face a lot of resistance from within Umno. Clearly, if he holds the GE now he can 'clean up' Umno and get rid of his 'threats'. With the delay in holding the next GE, he is now giving them more time to consolidate and to strengthen their moves against him.
Secondly, most PM's in the past including Dr Mahathir and Pak Lah held the GE within six months of taking office to legitimise their position. Contrastingly, Najib has not been elected into office.He is merely a 'caretaker' PM in a sense. On that count, is he a legitimate PM?
Seriously, 2012 is going to see more turmoil then even WWII. 2012 is going to be the beginning of the end of the world as we know it, economically and socially speaking. The two greatest Pre-Christian empires of 2,000 years ago, Italy and Greece, have fallen.
Moving northwards, we can see how the British Empire where the sun never sets has seen the sun setting long ago.
Currently, the US Dollar is not even worth the paper it is printed on. It is only of value as long as you need to buy oil because the USD is the currency accepted for deals. If not, no one would want the US Dollar.
Thus, it can be seen that the US is as good as dead. The only difference is that it is not pronounced dead, not until the USD becomes demonitised, so to speak.
One reason Libya was attacked and occupied is because Gaddafi wanted to 'unpeg' the sale of oil from the USD. In reality, if he had succeeded, the US would be history. By a twist of fate, now Gaddafi is history and the USD is still in demand.
With all that is happening, it appears that Europe is possibly facing WW3. Unlike the previous world wars, WW3 is not a military war but an economic war. The question at the tip of our tongues is whether Europe will survive this war. Maybe yes and maybe no. And the chance of no is bigger than the chance of yes.
Asia is but a small cog in the entire machinery. If Europe sneezes, countries like Malaysia will catch a cold.
And we are already showing some symptoms.
Can Malaysia survive if Europe crashes?
READ MORE HERE. |
| First Lady Michelle Obama and First Lady Rosmah Mansor Posted: 14 Nov 2011 12:01 AM PST 
First lady Michelle Obama greets Datin Sri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the Prime Minister of Malaysia before the APEC Spousal Luncheon at Kualoa Ranch in Ka'a'awa, Hawaii. 
http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/2108374 |
| Recent tax amendment or harrassment? Posted: 13 Nov 2011 10:27 PM PST What this mean is that IRB staff will not be encouraged to be efficient. If a cat wants to eat a mouse, it has to chase the mouse down, catch it before she can eat it. This piece of law will remove incentive or reason for IRB staff to be efficient. IRB can just direct tax payer to pay whatever amount IRB fancy. By Lee Wee Tak In my pre-uni studies, my economics teacher taught me that tax is a way for government to take money from the rich to aid the poor, and help to make our lives better by providing things like street lights, education and health care at affordable cost since these are good for public and not for private profits.
However, after the routinely infuriating and forgetten-after-a-while Auditor General reports, and skyrocking national debts, I wonder if the recent tax amendments is really good for the public, or "maximise tax base" (in layman's word gasak as much as possible) to cover the endless wastage, leakage and every-can-see-except-MACC corrupt practices.
Budget 2012 has introduced some eyebrow raising proposals. Although we have the customary high praise to heavens from the usual BN suspects, even some MCA fellows expressed their reservation over some proposals, most probably they have received protests from business community they are closed to or belong to. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MCA objects to proposed changes in Income Tax Act
2011-10-26 13:43 KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 (Bernama) -- MCA objected to the proposed changes in the Income Tax Act which would give the director-general of Inland Revenue Board sole discretion over late or incorrect submissions, said its president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. "If the amendments are passed, the new Section 107D will enable the director-general to direct taxpayers to make advance payments if he has reasons to believe that taxpayers have not submitted their returns correctly, even if no assessments were issued. "Meanwhile, the proposed changes to Section 81 would eventually lead to the absolute power of the director-general to disregard any information, beyond the expiry of the specified time," he said when contacted. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let's examine the above 2 proposals in greater details, and some others as well. Advance payment of tax by installments (Section 107D) Before: No law to empower IRB to direct a tax payer to start paying tax installments before an assessment or composite assessment is made. (Assessment = calculation of the amount of tax you owe)  Now: It is proposed that IRB be empowered to direct a tax payer to pay by installments and in advance (isn't this a hidden national debt?) before any assessment or composite assessments are made. What this mean is that IRB staff will not be encouraged to be efficient. If a cat wants to eat a mouse, it has to chase the mouse down, catch it before she can eat it. This piece of law will remove incentive or reason for IRB staff to be efficient. IRB can just direct tax payer to pay whatever amount IRB fancy. Collection target issue resolved. The amount directed maybe more than necessary but IRB staff can take their own sweet time to calculate and find out while businesses bearing risk and general economic environment will struggle with their cashflow. Rakyat diutamakan, civil servants deserve bonus across the board and cannot be removed easily. |
| Jet peribadi Menteri Pertahanan Posted: 13 Nov 2011 10:23 PM PST Saya mendapat tahu baru-baru ini bahawa Dato Sri Zahid Hamidi, Menteri Pertahanan Malaysia pergi menunaikan haji dengan menaiki jet peribadi. Isteri beliau datang dahulu ke Madinah dan beliau menjemput dengan jet peribadi dan kemudian terus ke Jeddah untuk ke Mekah. Siapa empunya jet peribadi ini, jika sahabat beliau; dengan tujuan apa di beri untuk menggunakan jet peribadi ini. Adakah sahabat beliau yang mempunyai kepentingan didalam Kementerian Pertahanan? Jika beliau menggunakan wang sendiri untuk menyewa jet berkenaan; dari mana beliau dapat wang sebegitu banyak? Untuk pengetahuan semua, tiap kali beliau ke Arab Saudi bersama keluarga dan sahabat beliau, kereta dari Tabung Haji di gunakan untuk kenderaan beliau semasa di sana, walhal beliau bukan lagi Menteri Haji!! Kadangkala beberapa kereta di gunakan untuk mengangkut barang dan pengangkutan bersama sahabat karib beliau semasa di sana. Kenderaan yang digunakan adalah dari Tabung Haji yang mana mereka di gunakan untuk urusan peribadi. Kenderaan berkenaan adalah di beli dengan wang pendeposit Tabung Haji dan mereka menyalahkannya. Beliau sering ke Arab Saudi pada tiap tahun terutama setiap bulan Ramadhan dengan rakan kongsi yang sama beliau iaitu Tuan Sheikh Rozi. Adakah lawatan atau Umrah beliau di tanggung oleh rakan kongsi ini? Kalau beliau tidak mengaku Sheikh Rozi rakan beliau, kenapa semasa majlis penganugerahan darjah Datuk kepada Sheikh Rozi oleh Tuanku Sultan Kelantan baru-baru ni, Dato Zahid berada sama di dalam Istana Kelantan? Tahun ini juga beliau datang Umrah bulan Ramadhan dengan pesawat peribadi yang di punyai oleh peniaga dari Sarawak (seorang Tan Sri) bersama Tuan Sheikh Rozi juga. Rakyat berharap supaya sesiapa di dalam kerajaan yang menyalah gunakan kuasa dan kepentingan untuk urusan peribadi supaya berhenti berbuat demikian.
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| Taib under investigation in the UK Posted: 13 Nov 2011 10:20 PM PST British government to monitor Malaysia's anti-corruption agency By Bruno Manser Fund Foreign and Commonwealth Office alerted over alleged money-laundering by Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud ("Taib") in the United Kingdom
(LONDON, UK). The British government will be monitoring the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission's (MACC) investigation into Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud ("Taib") and will use its findings "to support a UK investigation". This has been confirmed in a letter to the Bruno Manser Fund from British Minister of State, Jeremy Browne, the Minister who holds responsibility for Britain's relations with Malaysia. Browne confirms that the UK government has started looking into alleged Taib family money-laundering in the UK and British offshore financial centres. According to the Minister, a complaint by the Bruno Manser Fund has been "forwarded to the relevant UK authorities". "We are also aware, as your letter states, that the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) has announced the opening of its own investigation into Taib earlier this year."
"The UK attaches considerable importance to the integrity and supervision of its financial services industry and property sector, so concrete allegations of money laundering are taken very seriously." The Minister also stated that the British and Malaysian Governments had signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Transnational Crime, "which foresees close cooperation on money laundering and other illegal activities." The Bruno Manser Fund had alerted British Prime Minister David Cameron about suspected money-laundering by the Taib family and called on the British government to freeze illicit Taib assets in the UK. The Taibs' business flagship in the UK is Ridgeford Properties, a property company controlled by Taib's daughter Jamilah Taib Murray and his Canadian son-in-law, Sean Murray. Ridgeford Properties holds luxury properties in Central London estimated to be worth several hundred million pounds. Prior to the British government, the Swiss and German bank regulators had announced that they would look into potential Taib-related dealings in their countries. Australia's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Canada's Finance Minister James Flaherty had also assured the Bruno Manser Fund that their governments were taking money-laundering allegations against the Taib family very seriously and would look into the matter. |
| Penjawat awam terlalu ramai? Posted: 13 Nov 2011 10:16 PM PST Nisbah antara jumlah kakitangan awam dan jumlah keseluruhan rakyat Malaysia membawa kepada 1:20, satu angka yang agak besar bagi sebuah negara yang kecil seperti Malaysia. By Gabungan Mahasiswa UKM Kecoh seketika apabila isu jumlah kakitangan kerajaan sama ada di persekutuan dan pentadbiran negeri dikatakan terlalu ramai sehinggakan terdapat usul untuk mengurangkannya oleh seorang Ahli Parlimen baru-baru ini. Permis pertama, bilangan penduduk negara kini mencecah hampir 28 juta orang dan daripada maklumat sumber JPA, kakitangan awam kini mencecah 1.4 juta orang; Itu adalah fakta. Bukan menjadi pertikaian lagi. Premis kedua. Saban tahun kakitangan awam ditambah, dan saban tahun akan berlaku kenaikan gaji dan imbuhan bonus kepada mereka; kos yang amat tinggi yang perlu ditanggung oleh kerajaan. Terbaru dalam Bajet 2012, pihak kerajaan mengumumkan akan wujud lebih banyak mata gaji. Ini bermakna, penjawat awam akan mendapat gaji maksimum lebih tinggi, sehingga kepada 37.7 peratus. Malah usia wajib bersara juga bakal dinaikkan daripada 58 kepada 60 tahun. Kewajipan Pihak Kerajaan Tapi itu bukan isunya. Memang menjadi kewajipan sesebuah kerajaan perlu malah wajib menjaga dan membela kebajikan kakitangan mereka.
Isunya di sini nisbah antara jumlah kakitangan awam dan jumlah keseluruhan rakyat Malaysia membawa kepada 1:20, satu angka yang agak besar bagi sebuah negara yang kecil seperti Malaysia. Isunya juga di sini, bagaimana pihak kerajaan mahu memastikan rakyat Malaysia yang di luar penjawat awam turut terbela?
Guru 400 ribu, polis-tentera 200 ribu Di negara kita, bilangan guru-guru sahaja sudah menjangkau 400 ribu orang, ditambah pula dengan bilangan polis seramai 100 ribu orang, ditambah lagi dengan pasukan tentera seramai 100 ribu orang, bilangan ini telah menduduki separuh daripada bilangan kakitangan awam yang lain.
Harus difahami isu di sini, 1.4 juta orang kakitangan awam adalah meliputi kakitangan awam yang berada di peringkat kerajaan negeri serta kerajaan tempatan. Faktanya, adalah memang benar kakitangan awam kita ramai, sebuah organisasi yang menggelembung besar (big fat in small bottle).
Antara salah satu faktor berlaku limpahan 'gelembung besar' itu kerana banyak jawatan dan fungsi yang bertindan berlaku antara kerajaan pusat dengan kerajaan negeri mahupun kerajaan tempatan. Berlaku masalah bertindan dari segi struktur dan fungsinya ataupun tugas yang berulang.
Contohnya jabatan-jabatan di bawah Kementerian Pertanian & Asas Tani, banyak bertindan dengan fungsi jabatan-jabatan pertanian di bawah pentadbiran negeri yang menjadikan asas tani sebagai komoditi seperti negeri Kedah, Kelantan dan Perlis. (MADA, KEDA, KESEDAR)
Apa yang dikemukakan Pakatan Rakyat mahu kurangkan jumlah kakitangan awam itu, mungkin dialu-alukan oleh rakyat marhaen, sebaliknya kakitangan awam pula yang merasa tidak senang dengan cadangan tersebut. Justeru atas sebab itu Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Muhyiddin Yassin dengan mudah membidas kembali cadangan tersebut sehari selepas cadangan tersebut dikemukakan. |
| Can I know your stand? Posted: 13 Nov 2011 08:58 PM PST 
The 10th of December 2011 will be Human Rights Day (SEE HERE). That day will mark the 63rd Anniversary of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (SEE HERE) that was signed back in 10th December 1948. Today, I would like to talk about this issue. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin 
Do you know, out of these nine United Nations' treaties (above), Malaysia has signed only two of them: (5) The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw) and (7) The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Malaysia has to date not signed the other seven, which are also very crucial if we want to see our civil liberties protected. It is apparent that the current government does not want to sign the other seven treaties. And one more thing that the Malaysian Government does not seem to honour is The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (SEE HERE) No doubt, while the nine treaties are legally enforceable (which is why Malaysia does not want to sign them), The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not legally binding but nevertheless is considered a moral obligation. The matter is explained in this article, Human rights: what's stopping Malaysia? (READ MORE HERE) I suppose it is pointless to talk to Barisan Nasional about this issue. After all, Barisan Nasional (and the Alliance Party before that) has been in power for more than 54 years and if they had wanted to do it then they would have already done it by now. What I would like to do instead is to ask Pakatan Rakyat about its stand on this issue. What is Pakatan Rakyat's stand? Will it sign the balance seven of these treaties if it were to come into power? Another question would be regarding The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Will Pakatan Rakyat honour this Declaration as well? Now, we need to know before the next general election and BEFORE we decide who to vote for, is Pakatan Rakyat going to sign the balance of these seven treaties and is it also going to honour The Universal Declaration of Human Rights? If not, then why should we vote for Pakatan Rakyat? What difference would Pakatan Rakyat be from Barisan Nasional? We need to get this assurance from Anwar Ibrahim -- the Opposition Leader in Parliament and who Pakatan Rakyat has said will be the Prime Minister if Pakatan Rakyat gets to form the next federal government. We do not want to hear Anwar Ibrahim's personal opinion, like what he said about the Hudud matter. His personal opinion carries no weight in the scheme of things. We want to hear from him as the Opposition Leader and the Prime Minister-in-waiting for Pakatan Rakyat. This is very crucial. And we should not give Pakatan Rakyat our vote if they can't give us a guarantee that they will sign all nine of these treaties as well as honour The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And if they are not prepared to give us this guarantee, we want to know why. And we want to know why, now, before we go to the polls to vote the next government into power. If you were to read the 30 Articles in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (SEE HERE) you will know why I am asking this and why I say this matter is very crucial. And if I need to go through each Article one-by-one to explain to you in detail, then maybe, as MCA said, you do not deserve to vote. |
| Anwar as PM: DAP is backpedalling, says MCA Posted: 13 Nov 2011 07:41 PM PST Wee Ka Siong recalls Karpal Singh's criticism of Anwar's Sept 16 plan. (Free Malaysia Today) - MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong today accused DAP of backpedalling on the issue of Anwar Ibrahim becoming Prime Minister should Pakatan Rakyat wrest control of Putrajaya. He said DAP chairman Karpal Singh went against his own stand when he recently supported the idea of giving Anwar the prime minister's job. He recalled that Karpal was against Anwar's plan to take over the government through defections and in fact called for his resignation as Opposition Leader when his Sept 16 (2008) takeover plan failed. "The recent statement released by Karpal pledging support for PKR de facto leader Anwar to be appointed as Pakatan Rakyat's Prime Minister contradicts his own stand," Wee said. MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek made the same observation recently. In response, Karpal said he criticised Anwar for encouraging party hopping from BN and that this did not mean that Anwar did not deserve the prime minister's post if Pakatan were to take over the government through legitimate means. Wee also belittled Karpal's opposition to PAS's intention to institute hudud, saying it was just a ruse to retain votes. "If hudud does not pose any impediment against Pakatan clinching the federal government, would Karpal Singh then follow the rest of DAP in its somewhat muted response against the enforcement of hudud?" He said PAS had always ignored Karpal's objections against hudud. Meanwhile, MCA national organising secretary Tee Siew Kiong said DAP and PAS had opposing stands on Anwar becoming the next prime minister. He alleged that PAS considered its president, Hadi Awang, as more qualified than Anwar to occupy the prime minister's post. READ MORE HERE |
| WIKILEAKS: UMNO AND ITS COALITION IN DISARRAY AHEAD OF ANWAR'S SEPTEMBER 16 DEADLINE Posted: 13 Nov 2011 07:15 PM PST 
On September 7, word leaked out that BN suddenly had organized a "compulsory" overseas study tour for all 81 parliamentary backbenchers (those who do not serve as ministers or deputy ministers) that would corral the MPs overseas from September 8 until September 17, a day after Anwar's deadline. (As of September 9, 41 MPs had departed; some MPs have refused to go citing fasting month activities with constituents.) UMNO leaders' explanations that the trip was essential for the MPs to learn about the latest agricultural techniques in Taiwan failed to convince; instead, this has appeared to most observers as a measure of desperation by a government unsure of its support. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 
Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark, reason 1.4 (b and d) Summary 1. (C) Prime Minister Abdullah and top leaders of his United Malays National Organization (UMNO) appear unnerved as they approach the September 16 deadline set by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for toppling Abdullah's National Front (BN) government. UMNO's disarray and the weakness of the BN coalition have been exposed in the run-up to the 16th. The strongest indications that Anwar could make good on his promise emanate from UMNO itself, including the party's public preoccupation with the question of crossovers and the seemingly desperate decision to corral BN MP's abroad so that they would be out of the country for Anwar's deadline. UMNO's lack of self-confidence reflects the party's ongoing leadership crisis and lack of faith in Abdullah, absence of a viable new vision for the party, and the further erosion of support, particularly among non-Malays, for the ruling coalition since the March election set-back. BN has frayed further along racial lines following caustic remarks about Malaysian Chinese by an UMNO division leader, who has refused Abdullah's instructions to apologize, a situation prompting an unusual warning from the Armed Force chief. The government has not stopped Anwar with charges of sodomy, while Anwar received a strong boost through his successful election to parliament last month, bringing him one step closer to his goal of becoming the next Prime Minister. 2. (C) UMNO's disarray and the exposed weakness of the BN multi-racial coalition, rather than the unlikely prospect of 30-plus crossovers by September 16, appear to be the most important story at this juncture. Along with this come renewed doubts about Prime Minister Abdullah's longevity in office and his ability to see himself through December and the UMNO elections. End Summary. Uncertain Prospects for September 16 Crossovers 3. (C) Prime Minister Abdullah and top leaders of his ruling UMNO party appear unnerved as they approach the September 16 deadline set by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for toppling Abdullah's National Front (BN) government. With only one week to go before the 16th (which marks the formation of modern Malaysia through the incorporation of Sabah and Sarawak, appealing to would-be defectors in those states), no MPs have confirmed publicly their intentions to switch sides, nor do we or our close partner embassies have private confirmation of defections. Anwar, who also leads the People's Justice Party (PKR), continues to intimate that crossovers will happen by September 16, or thereabouts, but his lieutenants and the leaders of his coalition parties, PAS and DAP, have hedged their comments to us and to the media. UMNO Jittery, Corrals MPs Abroad 4. (C) In the absence of concrete evidence of imminent crossovers, the strongest indications that Anwar could make good on his promise emanate from UMNO itself which seems gripped by doubt bordering on panic. PM Abdullah, Deputy PM Najib, and other top UMNO leaders have issued repeated public denials that the government would lose its parliamentary majority, or that Anwar was a verge of presenting the King (who plays a crucial constitutional role in change-of-government scenarios) with a list of cross-over supporters. On September 7, word leaked out that BN suddenly had organized a "compulsory" overseas study tour for all 81 parliamentary backbenchers (those who do not serve as ministers or deputy ministers) that would corral the MPs overseas from September 8 until September 17, a day after Anwar's deadline. (As of September 9, 41 MPs had departed; some MPs have refused to go citing fasting month activities with constituents.) UMNO leaders' explanations that the trip was essential for the MPs to learn about the latest agricultural techniques in Taiwan failed to convince; instead, this has appeared to most observers as a measure of desperation by a government unsure of its support. 5. (C) We have had private indications as well of UMNO's lack of self confidence. The British High Commissioner (protect) informed the Ambassador that he recently received a telephone call from a cabinet minister. The minister asked the British envoy whether Anwar really had sufficient numbers of MPs prepared to cross-over and bring down the government. A senior leader within the UMNO Youth division contacted us to ask what the U.S. position would be when Anwar takes over the government through "undemocratic" means. UMNO Youth subsequently called on the Bar Council and NGOs, organizations UMNO has derided in the past, to speak out against Anwar's plans. Lack of Confidence; UMNO Leadership Unresolved 6. (C) UMNO's lack of self-confidence in the face of Anwar's threats reflects the party's lack of consolidation since the March election debacle and unresolved, fundamental challenges to the party's future. First, UMNO had not yet emerged from its leadership crisis. Abdullah Badawi has remained Prime Minister and party president, not because he has rallied the confidence of UMNO leaders and the public -- he has not. By and large, UMNO members continue to view Abdullah as inadequate and weak-willed, and have provided only tepid support for Abdullah's plan to hand over power to DPM Najib in mid-2010. Abdullah essentially has remained in place because Najib, his main potential challenger, has so far been too politically vulnerable to make a move. Top-down party control mechanisms allow Abdullah to smother or shut off other challengers, and circumstances have not yet forced UMNO elites to take drastic action to force Abdullah's resignation. UMNO anxiety over Abdullah's weak leadership remains, however, and is in a large part a function of the threat to UMNO posed by Anwar, as witnessed during the immediate aftershock of the March electoral setback. The greater Anwar's threat, the more UMNO leaders are willing to consider replacing Abdullah with a stronger, more competent defender of the party. UMNO public rhetoric in early September, such as UMNO Selangor warlord Khir Toyo's public suggestion Abdullah could be eased out like Malaysia's first Prime Minister Abdul Rahman in the midst of race riots in 1969, has begun to take on the ominous tones we heard in the weeks following the March 8 election. UMNO Yet to Find Viable Model for Renewal 7. (C) UMNO's lack of confidence also grows out of its failure to reform or arrive at a viable vision for its political future. Some UMNO leaders flirted with democratic reform and good governance concepts to revive the party's image and appeal to the public, skirting closer to the Opposition platform. Such internal party consideration died out by early May, as UMNO saw that it could operate the levers of power even with a robust number of opposition seats in Parliament. PM Abdullah's announcement of a populist budget in late August also failed to give UMNO a boost or make up for politically unpopular fuel price hikes earlier in the year. To the extent that UMNO leaders have embraced a model for consolidating and energizing the party, they have fallen back on the old model of Malay chauvinism, utilizing the UMNO controlled Malay language media to warn of the Opposition's threats to the primacy of Islam and Malay privileges. Absent gross missteps by Anwar's non-Malay allies, such calls so far have had limited resonance among today's better-educated, less rural Malay population. Appeals for Malay Muslim solidarity to date also have failed to woo support from conservative PAS voters, who broadly rejected UMNO's behind the scenes overtures to select PAS leaders when these talks came to light. Increased Stress on BN's Multi-Racial Coalition 8. (C) UMNO's unresolved leadership crisis, lack of reform and resort to Malay chauvinism have had a clear negative impact on UMNO's non-Malay partners in the National Front coalition, already weakened by the exodus of non-Malay voters in the March polls. Chinese and Indian support for BN has eroded further since March, as indicated by limited polling and escalating flare-ups between UMNO hardliners and Chinese leaders in the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Gerakan party. The recent remarks by Penang UMNO division leader Ahmad Ismail, referring to Chinese citizens as "squatters", has touched off the most serious inter-racial feuding within BN, with MCA and Gerakan raising questions about their future within UMNO. Abdullah Struggles to Contain Inter-Racial Feud 9. (C) Abdullah thus far has not succeeded in controlling the Ahmad Ismail situation; Abdullah delegated an apology via DPM Najib, but Ahmad Ismail refused the party president's instructions to back down, providing a rebuke to Abdullah's leadership. MCA and Gerakan announced on September 8 they had broken relations with UMNO within Penang state. Abdullah reportedly will use the BN's September 9 leadership to try to end BN's current inter-racial feud and repair relations with MCA in particular. Prior to the meeting, Armed Force Chief Abdul Aziz remarked to an UMNO gathering that the government must act sternly against those who could provoke racial conflict, an unusual statement from the military that normally refrains from such comments and which in the local context may be taken as a warning to non-Malays. While UMNO could succeed in patching up this immediate issue, UMNO's continued emphasis on ultra-Malay rhetoric guarantees growing strains with MCA and other BN partners, including those in East Malaysia. Anwar Buoyed by Election 10. (C) While UMNO and BN struggle internally, Anwar Ibrahim received a major boost with his late August election to Parliament which made him Opposition leader in Parliament and brought him one necessary step closer to becoming the next Prime Minister (only MPs may become Prime Minister). Anwar's victory in the Penang by-election in his home district was never in serious doubt, but the huge margin of his victory, exceeding that of his wife in March, was grim news to Abdullah and UMNO, setting off renewed calls within UMNO for Abdullah to step down quickly. Since then, Anwar and his PKR lieutenants have tried to press their advantage by reaffirming that they have over 30 MPs ready to cross over, even while some have downplayed the significance of the September 16 deadline. Anwar countered Abdullah's populist budget with his own economic vision. As BN's racial problems deepened, he Opposition alliance (Pakatan) on September 8 sought political advantage by issuing a statement condemning UMNO's Ahmad Ismail and other UMNO leaders for racially charged rhetoric while affirming Pakatan's adherence to the Constitution's provisions for Islam and Malay prerogatives. Sodomy Trial Pending; the Temptation to Deny Bail 11. (C) The government's pursuit of sodomy charges against Anwar has not derailed the Opposition leader, but conversely has generated some sympathy for Anwar as a victim of persecution among the majority of the population who view the charges as politically motivated. Anwar's continued bail and freedom of movement, pending the outcome of the trial which may consume many months, is a critical matter for the Opposition; Anwar in jail could not hope to negotiate crossovers and the formation of a new government, a role that only he can play at this juncture. Although the government so far has not pressed for Anwar's detention during the trial, and has made arguments for revocation of bail less credible by granting police bail in July and not challenging bail when Anwar was charged with the crime in August, UMNO leaders could be sorely tempted to revisit the question. Detaining Anwar would be one way to try to put an end the cross-over threat, though such a move would entail costs including in the realm of public opinion. (Note: Anwar will appear in court tomorrow, September 10; PKR supporters currently are speaking about the possible denial of bail, while the authorities are warning against disruptions at the court venue. End Note.) Comment 12. (C) We believe the odds are against Anwar getting the necessary 30 or more crossovers to bring down the government in one week's time, despite UMNO's evident insecurity. Many MPs will want to be assured they are joining the winning side and not exposing themselves to excessive risk; the crossing over of parties, rather than individuals, would provide more security in this regard. Parties also bring with them more bargaining power to a new coalition. Aside from a few micro-parties, like SAPP in Sabah, there is little indication Anwar has sealed such party deals. The Opposition also recognizes a risk if too many non-Malays join their ranks without a number of Malays in the mix, as this would feed immediately into UMNO's claims that the Opposition threatens Malay interests and Islam. 13. (C) It is plausible that Anwar arranges for some MPs to crossover on or by September 16, preserving the credibility of his threat and giving him a basis for arguing that it is only a matter of time. If no one jumps by September 16, Anwar's arguments will be harder to make, and he may lose the momentum he currently enjoys from his recent election to Parliament. Nevertheless, Anwar has committed himself to the project of bringing down the UMNO/BN government through crossovers, rather than waiting for another national election in three or four years time. September 16 will not be the end of Anwar's push. 14. (C) UMNO's disarray and the exposed weakness of the BN multi-racial coalition, rather than the prospect of September 16 crossovers, appears to be the most important story at this specific juncture. Crossover panic represents a symptom of UMNO's predicament more so than a reflection of Anwar's strength. Along with this come renewed doubts about Prime Minister Abdullah's longevity in office and his ability to see himself through December and the UMNO elections. As collateral damage from UMNO's leadership struggle and preoccupation with warding off Anwar, we can expect government policy-making to continue at best in an ad hoc fashion when it is not paralyzed altogether. Attention to foreign policy will take a distant back seat unless it is linked to political survival at home. KEITH (September 2008) |
| Umno MPs call Azman Mokhtar, Tony Fernandes cheats in MAS-AirAsia share swap Posted: 13 Nov 2011 06:10 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Umno lawmakers accused Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar and Tan Sri Tony Fernandes today of cheating the public in the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and AirAsia share swap. Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin called on Khazanah chief executive Azman to be investigated by graftbusters after the state investment agency exchanged 20.5 per cent of the national carrier for a 10 per cent stake in Asia's top-performing budget airline. "The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) must call Tan Sri Azman ... all of them ... if there is any misappropriation, stuff them into jail," the Barisan Nasional (BN) backbenchers deputy chief told Parliament.  Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar and Tan Sri Tony Fernandes at the MAS-AirAsia signing ceremony in August. — file pic "How can Khazanah be fooled? Azman Mokhtar, how can he be so stupid, to be 'tuned' by Tony Fernandes. If I was in such a position, I would resign rather than troubling others. "Maybe they are not stupid. Maybe they get huge profits by squeezing and grabbing money from the public," he said, referring to the AirAsia CEO's company Tune Air which now owns a fifth of MAS. Sri Gading MP Mohamad Aziz also accused AirAsia of "clearly cheating the public and now trying to cheat MAS." "If this kind of man (Fernandes) can control us, God forgive us," he said while debating Budget 2012. Bung Mokhtar also said the government should "not be scared of Fernandes." "Whatever he wants, we give. He wants to overcharge for excess baggage and suck the blood of poor villagers. "Now I hear he has a plan in the future to take over all domestic flights and MAS will only have international flights. If we give this to him, the country will be in ruins. It will be the end of the world for us," he said. Bung said if the government could not provide a satisfactory answer, it meant that "government officials colluded with AirAsia and has vested interests." The MAS-AirAsia swap has come under fire from both sides of the political divide as well as employees of MAS who believe the deal will affect their careers. The finance ministry said earlier this month that the deal is being investigated by Bursa Malaysia and the Securities Commission for insider trading despite the swap being agreed on three months ago. READ MORE HERE |
| Who is the boss anyway? Posted: 13 Nov 2011 05:51 PM PST There is also a peppering of nonsensical statements such as the rights of the majority outweighing those of the minority. Aren't rights supposed to apply to all? Does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) only apply to selected races or religions? Of course not, it is U-N-I-V-E-R-S-A-L. It applies to everyone human being on the planet. Datuk Jema Khan, The Malaysian Insider In Malaysia we seem to be often caught up in a contest of dominance. The question of which race rules or which religion is paramount is the lifeblood of our political debate. This is further spiced up with issues of loyalty to the royals and nation as well as other more mundane family matters such as how many wives we should have and how they should be treated. There is also a peppering of nonsensical statements such as the rights of the majority outweighing those of the minority. Aren't rights supposed to apply to all? Does the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) only apply to selected races or religions? Of course not, it is U-N-I-V-E-R-S-A-L. It applies to everyone human being on the planet. For those in politics who wish to dominate and thus rule, they should look at what is happening to the descendants of the great conquerors of the world, Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. The Greek and Roman empires were around more than 2,000 years ago and predate Christ and Muhammad (SAW). They were the cradle of Western civilisation and dominated much of the known world at the time. If we were to look at "ketuanan Melayu" or Malay dominance within this historical context, our philosophy would be nothing short of laughable. In any event, let us look at what has happened to the descendants of the great conquerors of the past in what is today, Greece and Italy. The Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou was forced out of office just a few days ago because of Greece's debt problems. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has also just resigned as a result of Italy's own debt problems. These were two national leaders who won their positions democratically but had to resign to make way for technocrats to take over. The supranational European Union (EU) has exerted its muscle to deny the Greeks and Italians their right to be ruled by a democratically-elected government of their choice. How far the mighty have fallen! The flip side of the argument is that the Greeks and the Italians today have only themselves to blame since they were the one who elected governments which landed them in their current predicament anyway. They should not have voted for all those debt building, populist policies of the past. I really hope that I don't have to say the same of Malaysia and its voters in the next five to 10 years. The fall of the Greek and Italian economies will undoubtedly generate a few books. If the same thing happens to Malaysia in the future, at least we Malays don't have far to fall. If we are lucky, we might not even make a footnote in history. If things go wrong we may well blame some politicians or political parties but it is unlikely we will blame ourselves. We will say we didn't have the power to do anything at the time. Well, my fellow Malaysians and especially my fellow Malays: that is not true today. We have a chance to make things better. The time is now. READ MORE HERE |
| New Italian, Greek governments race to limit damage Posted: 13 Nov 2011 05:07 PM PST "This has become a crisis for our common currency, the euro, which does not have the support that every currency should have," he said in a video message. REUTERS Technocrat leaders in Italy and Greece were rushing to form governments as they sought to limit the damage from the euro zone debt crisis today, with stocks and the euro rising when markets opened in Asia. Italy's president asked former European Commissioner Mario Monti yesterday to form a government to restore market confidence in an economy whose debt burden is too big for the euro bloc to bail out. Investors will pass initial judgment on his leadership when Italy's Treasury asks investors today to bid for up to €3 billion (RM12.9 billion) in five-year government bonds. At an auction last week, the government's borrowing costs surged above six per cent and kept rising to levels well beyond what the country could afford to pay over the longer term. In Asia, stocks and the euro rose on hopes that Monti and Greece's new prime minister, Lucas Papademos, would take decisive action. "Symbolically perhaps it's (Berlusconi's exit) a positive — it sends the message that it's putting a certain chapter behind them but the fact remains is that this is difficult medicine to administer and it doesn't really matter who gives the order, it's going to be a difficult pill to swallow," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Trust in Chicago, which oversees US$50 billion. Onus on governments Outgoing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi made a parting call yesterday for the European Central Bank to become a lender of last resort to prop up the euro. "This has become a crisis for our common currency, the euro, which does not have the support that every currency should have," he said in a video message. But ECB policymakers have made plain they want to keep the onus on governments to bring their debt burdens under control and have rebuffed world leaders who want the bank to ramp up its intervention on bond markets to defend Italy and other vulnerable debtors. "Monetary financing (of government debt) will set the wrong incentives, neglect the root causes of the problem, violate the legal foundations on which we work, and destroy the credibility and trust in institutions," ECB governing council member Jens Weidmann told the Financial Times, adding he was confident "Italy will be able to deliver".  Polls published in Greek newspapers show new leader Papademos has the support of three in four Greeks. — Reuters pic While Italy's problems and the long-drawn-out departure of the flamboyant Berlusconi have pushed the collapse of the much smaller Greek economy backstage, the IMF and European leaders will keep Papademos, under pressure to implement radical reform aimed at staving off bankruptcy. Papademos succeeds George Papandreou, whose proposal to hold a referendum on the country's bailout terms prompted EU leaders to raise the threat of a Greek exit from the currency bloc. The new Greek leader, a former central banker who oversaw his country's entry to the euro zone in 2002, must win a Wednesday confidence vote in his cabinet before meeting euro zone finance ministers in Brussels on Thursday, state television reported, where he will be expected to outline next year's draft budget before putting it to parliament. Polls published in yesterday's newspapers show Papademos has the support of three in four Greeks. But he will face his first protest in front of parliament this afternoon from left-wing demonstrators who accuse the new government of working in the interests of bankers. Meanwhile inspectors from the "troika", the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Union, are due to start arriving in Athens on Monday, piling the pressure on Greece to qualify for a second bailout worth €130 billion and an €8 billion tranche from the earlier bailout, needed to finance bond payments due at the end of the year, according to Reuters data. "It's unfortunately turning into a vicious cycle," said Harris Trust's Ablin. It's a banking crisits that turned into a sovereign crisis and now that's boomeranging back into a banking crisis."  Italy's president asked former European Commissioner Mario Monti yesterday to form a government to restore market confidence in Italy's economy. — Reuters pic EU monetary affairs chief Olli Rehn has said the EU and IMF will not release the tranche without written assurances from all Greek parties that they will back the measures, but New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras, who has given only tepid backing to the unity government, has said he will sign no pledge under external pressure. In Rome, people sang, danced and opened bottles of champagne, and an impromptu orchestra near the palace played the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah when news spread on Saturday that the scandal-plagued Berlusconi, one of Italy's richest men, had resigned. German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed signs of an end to the weeks of uncertainty in Italy, saying the approval of a reform package in parliament on Saturday was "heartening". She also urged euro zone states yesterday to give more powers to Brussels and push towards closer fiscal union. She told Germany's ZDF television: "We want to keep the euro, along with all the other states that have it. But that requires a fundamental change of our policy and 'more Europe'." |
| Azmin and Tian Chua : Axis of Evil within PKR? Posted: 13 Nov 2011 04:56 PM PST STEADYAKU47 "Azmin and Tian Chua must never be allowed to take over from Anwar" That was the first line of DA's email to me this morning. I read that at around 4am Monday morning and what it said exactly conceptualized the thoughts I have had these last week or so. So I am not the only one thinking these thoughts! There is DA and who else amongst you hold the same thoughts? Twice I have sat down to write on this but stopped myself unsure of where to go with my thoughts. Our common goals and shared dreams is of a vibrant PKR unshackled from the corruption of its leaders while they were with UMNO. We wanted a PKR able to build on its massive victory at the 2008 General Election and a PKR honest in its avowed commitment to social justice and anti corruption. What we have instead is a PKR mired with overt wheeling and dealings as the time for DSAI's sentencing nears. And as with Zaid Ibrahim this time again Azmin and Tian Chua are in the thick of it all. This time there is no Zaid Ibrahim to stand with courage and conviction against their insistence on having their way with PKR. This time there is only a first term MP –married and with child. Obedient to her parents wishes and still unsure of her place within PKR first tier leadership level despite being elected one of its Vice President in 2010. But what pedigree for a first term MP! Her father is Anwar Ibrahim and her mother Wan Azizah. In the 2008 general election, the first that she had ever contested, and at age 28, she defeated a three-term incumbent Sharizat who was also a Minister! So what will Azmin and Tian Chua do with her now? Or to be more exact, what will Nurul do when her father is again incarcerated for sodomy two? What I want Azmin and Tian Chua to know is this. Before you move to do to Nurrul what you did to Zaid Ibrahim do not forget that she is her father's daughter! When push comes to shove I think Anwar will blink! Do not forget that unlike you and Tian Chua, Nurrul has a deep reserve of goodwill and affection from within PKR, from within the young and from females. Doubt this at your own peril. What she lacks in experience and political expedience she more than makes up through her commitment to do good and what is right for our country and its people – even, I suspect, if that means defying Anwar and Azizah to do what she thinks is right for PKR and for the people she serves. READ MORE HERE |
| "Noh Omar's statement is inacurate and contradicting" Posted: 13 Nov 2011 04:49 PM PST (Malaysian Digest) - Wanita Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) chief Zuraida Kamaruddin claimed that the statement made by the Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Datuk Seri Noh Omar which was published in Sinar Harian newspaper on November 12 is not only inaccurate, but also contradicts his previous statement. In a press conference held in Parliament today, Zuraida refuted Noh's statement that says the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) is a private company that has nothing to do with the government. She said, the government through the Ministry of Finance has a special share (golden share) in the NFC as confirmed by the search company in the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM). "This is the same situation as the other government-linked companies (GLCs) with different shareholding structure, but results are still subjected to government through its golden share," said Zuraida. "The statement made by the minister was an attempt to cover up various abuses that occurred in the NFC and it shows the failure of the minister to oversee and ensuring that the people's money is used wisely," she added. Zuraida who is also the member of parliament for Ampang, said Noh's second statement that says funds will only be transmitted to the NFC from the special loan account raises more questions. She said, if RM181 million has been paid to the NFC from the total loans of RM250 million as alleged by the minister, then the claim for the payment of RM9.8 million for the condominium is certainly included in the list of claims approved by the government. "There are two possibilities here that is whether NFC falsifying the expense claims list or there is no control system and the payment of permission as mentioned by the minister," she said. "We (PKR) will continue demanding an explanation for these things before we expose other misappropriation," she added. The National Feedlot Centre (NFC) issue which became a hot topic for the Opposition since two weeks ago as they claimed that the program was a failure and had elements of cronysim. The cattle-breeding project was awarded to a company owned by the family of Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. The issue became controversial after the Auditor-General's Report, which said that NFC was in a mess and its production last year had not reached its target. |
| MACC passes buck on cattle condo to cops Posted: 13 Nov 2011 04:08 PM PST By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has refused to probe the controversial RM10 million purchase of a condominium by a federally-funded cattle project, claiming today the issue is a police matter. In a statement here, the graft-busting agency said the matter has been classified as an offence under the Penal Code, which does not come under its jurisdiction. "MACC confirms receiving a public complaint on the RM9.8 million purchase, said to be made using the National Feedlot Centre's (NFC) funds. "This complaint was referred to the legal and prosecution division. "Upon studying the complaint, the division classified it as an offence under the Penal Code and not under the MACC's powers as enshrined under the MACC Act 2009," the agency said in a statement made available on its website. The agency said it has referred the case to the police, adding that this was in line with advice from the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board to only investigate offences under the MACC Act. "In referring the case to the police, due action has been taken. The complainant has also been informed and has agreed with MACC's decision," the agency added. PKR was first to claim of corruption in the purchase of the multi-million ringgit condominium belonging to the National Meat and Livestocks Corporation (NMLC), a company wholly-owned by Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil's family. Its secretary-general, Saifuddin Nasution, said the luxury apartment at One Menerung, Bangsar, was recorded by NFC, a cattle-farming project managed by the minister's family, as part of a RM83 million "loan" to NMLC. But Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin savaged the party for the allegations, claiming the condo was bought as an investment when the NMLC found itself with excess funds when the government ran out of funds to develop satellite cattle farms. It then decided on real estate investment as a means to put the excess liquidity to work. Khairy also claimed the condo had appreciated in value since it was purchased. He did not, however, specify the rental yield. READ MORE HERE. |
| The persecution of Malaysian Christians Posted: 13 Nov 2011 04:00 PM PST Another prominent ustaz, who happens to be a lecturer in a local university, is also fond of taking potshots at Christians in the country with unsubstantiated allegations. Despite his repeated misdemeanour, the authorities chose not to chare him for his seditious comments. David Martin, The Malaysian Insider I was moved to share the trials and tribulations as a Malaysian Catholic having read an article in a local daily today over how Middle East Christians are driven out of their countries due to discrimination. A little background. Both my paternal and maternal grandparents were Catholic converts. As such, I was baptised as an infant by Fr James Meehan, a Mill Hill missionary in Kuching, Sarawak. I was enrolled in St Joseph's primary school where Cathecism classes are a part of the curriculum for Catholic students. That said, the rights of others were not impinged upon as Muslims were sent to Agama Islam classes while the rest had Moral Education. Spending 11 years at St Joseph's, I could recall the numerous crucifixes as well as holy pictures all over the school. Even the classes which hosted Agama Islam lessons had them. No one accused the school of covert attempts to convert any impressionable young Muslims then. In secondary school, we'd head down to St Joseph's Cathedral across the road for services on church feast days such as All Saints and Ascension Day. Nary a complain was received from parents of non-Catholic students whose classes are disrupted by the absence of some students and even teachers who attended Mass. The school's first non-ordained religious principal, Gerald Stephen Lee, pioneered a Day of Prayer in the '90s. This was a day where activities were planned for the believers of different faiths in the school. Atheists were given the freedom to join in with their friends or to spend their time in the library. By being brought up in an environment where respect and acceptance of our diverse faith was propogated by educators, harmony was aplenty. I'll stick out my neck by saying that mission schools in Malaysia are the breeding grounds for a society that accepts, nay embraces its differences and revels in them even. Alas, having left the safe coccoon of Kuching, I've since had my idealistic views on religious freedom in Malaysia smashed to smithereens. Coming to the big city, I've had to adapt to a society that frowns upon those who do not profess the religion of the Federation. For many generations, Christians in Malaysia dating as far back as before the country even existed would worship in their mother tongue. For some, it would be Malay where the Almighty is referred to as Allah. Of course, the fact that the term had been used for aeons meant nothing to certain quarters in the country. Their sense of outrage was only given an awakening when a former home minister decided to apply the law restricting the usage of the word somewhat belatedly. It saw a rise in sentiments where Christians were considered to have challenge the sanctity of Islam. That could not be further from the truth. Threats were issued thus, subjecting Christians to duress and fear. We all knew what happened after Justice Lau Bee Lan ruled that Christians were free to use the word Allah. Churches and anything remotely connected to Christians were targeted in a series of arson attack. Outraged Malaysians voiced their displeasure over these attacks. I'd like to think that there are more fair-minded Malaysians than senseless bigots. It was thus disappointing when a prominent member of the ruling coalition questioned the PM's action in giving aid to a church whose premises were destroyed. Almost two years on, the case remains unresolved as it sits gathering dust in our much vaunted Palace of Justice. I suppose that our purveyors of justice may have a case of amnesia over the oft-repeated adage "Justice delayed is justice denied." What about the copies of the Alkitab that were seized previously by the authorities? Left to literally rot in the hot and humid atmosphere in a warehouse, the Holy Scriptures were then defiled by being stamped with a serial number purportedly to monitor its distribution. Of course, anyone with reasonable intelligence will tell you that the pitiful excuses given by the authorities to justify their blatant disrespect for Christians as mind bogglingly stupid. Now if you're outraged with the discrimination I've highlighted so far, your top is about to be blown. The April 2009 issue of Al Islam magazine featured a piece on how two undercover journalist infiltrated St Anthony's Church in Pudu, Kuala Lumpur to investigate claims of conversion. Not only were the allegations proven untrue, the journalists concerned desecrated the Holy Communion and had the temerity to mock our beliefs in their article. Despite the uproar, the journalists got away scot free as the Attorney-General decided against charging them for any offence. To rub salt to the wound, an apology was grudgingly made only when demanded upon by the Catholic Archbishop of KL. So much for insincere apologies. Let's move on. Earlier this year a renowned ustazah equated Valentine's Day with a day which encourages "free sex". Of course, those two magic words are currently in vogue judging by how liberally they are used to describe even awareness programmes on discrimination faced by the LGBTs in our society. READ MORE HERE |
| The Judiciary: Justice in Jeopardy Posted: 13 Nov 2011 03:58 PM PST 
Chapter 10: Freedom, Justice, and the Law The Judiciary: Justice in Jeopardy Not only must there be respect for the rule of law, but the laws themselves must be just. Those administering the law too must be just and be seen to be just. By M Bakri Musa The Malaysian judiciary began on a very high note with judges held in the highest esteem. Tun Suffian set the tone not only with his exemplary personal example but also the depth of his legal judgment and scholarly analysis. The low point of the Malaysian judiciary occurred when the King, acting on the advice of the prime minister, suspended the chief justice and a few of his associates. Sadly from there the judiciary seemed to breach new lows every so often. A retiring senior appellate judge recently publicly confessed his shame for having been a member of that august body. He bluntly blurted about Malaysian litigants being confident of winning even "hopeless cases" as long as they were filed in "certain courts." A more damaging indictment would be hard to find This sorry state of affairs received widespread international attention with the released of a scathing report jointly issued by, among others, the International Bar Association and the International Commission of Jurists. Justice in Jeopardy: Malaysia 2000, asserts, "…well-founded grounds for concern as to the proper administration of justice…in cases which are of particular interest, for whatever reason, to the government." The commission in particular was concerned of the manner judges were selected for high profile cases, especially those with political undertones. Many of the issues raised by those distinguished jurists are familiar not only to lawyers but also ordinary citizens. For example, the commission is critical of the merging of the legal and judicial services that resulted in the rotating door policy between judges and prosecutors. As these officers are answerable to the same superior, it does not encourage the development of distinct and independent services. The commission resurrects many of the same issues I raised in my earlier book, among them, the insularity and limited experience of Malaysian jurists. As the commission also noted, nearly three quarters of them are promoted from within; there is little or no infusion of fresh talent from the outside. Few of the judges have experience outside of government. Part of the reason is that the pay is not competitive to attract talented private practitioners. Further, new recruits of esteemed lawyers are treated as if they are junior appointees. They are placed on probation for a year or two, and often start as lowly magistrates. That is certainly no way to attract legal luminaries from the outside. In contrast, American judges count among their peer brilliant legal scholars, successful private practitioners, and accomplished statesmen. Malaysia should do likewise and have an infusion of top talent directly into the upper levels of the judiciary. The way Malaysia selects its senior judges stands in stark contrast with that of Singapore. As related in his memoir, when Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was looking for his new chief justice, he instituted a thorough and exhausting winnowing process. He polled successful private practitioners, respected academics, and senior judges for their recommendations. After short-listing the candidates he interviewed each one of them. It is no surprise then that Singapore's present Chief Justice, Yong Pung How, commands such great respect not only at home but also abroad. No lawyer would dare make flippant or flamboyant remarks about his performance or person. His resume is formidable: the product of the world's best law schools (Cambridge and Harvard), extensive business experience (chief executive of a major bank), and successful private practice. No Malaysian judge comes even close to this man in terms of the breadth of experience or sterling academic qualifications. Malaysia does not lack for talent, but the system does not allow them to emerge. Malaysian leaders do not consider senior judicial or other public appointments merit such careful scrutiny. A telling indicator of the caliber of Malaysia's top public officials is demonstrated by the silly squabble between Law Minister Rais Yatim and the then Chief Justice Eusoff Chin that took part in mid 2000. The controversy erupted over the judge's choice of an overseas holiday companion, a certain lawyer who had appeared before him on a high profile case. When the news first broke out, the judge vehemently denied any impropriety, claiming that he had merely "accidentally" bumped into the lawyer on his trip. But when investigative reporting by Malaysiakini revealed that they had shared the same flight and were together for an extended period during their vacation, the minister felt compelled to publicly chastise the judge. That a junior minister (and a rookie one at that) could openly humiliate the Chief Justice (a man considerably higher in the government scheme of things) leads me to a disturbing thought: Would a more powerful minister hesitate in letting a less senior judge know of his (minister's) displeasure? Rais Yatim, in his previous incarnation as deputy leader of the opposition Semangat Party (it later merged into UMNO, which was how he ended up in the cabinet) was highly critical of the unchecked powers of the executive. Such overzealous dominance, he noted in his doctoral dissertation, threatens the independence and integrity of the judiciary. Wise observation! Alas, that was then. Once in the cabinet he sings a decidedly different tune, one more pleasing to his master's ears. I would have more respect for Rais had he, before accepting his cabinet position, tried to convince Mahathir of his views. A belief so readily discarded is no conviction at all. While these pathetic senior public figures spat in public, the more damning criticism leveled in Justice in Jeopardy was conveniently ignored. Indeed both the law minister and chief justice confessed in not having read it as they had not as yet received an official copy, even though the entire document was readily available on the Web. I publicly suggested that the minister should pay attention to the report instead of the judge's poor choice of holiday companion. That would not have generated as much publicity for Rais, but it would do him and the nation immense good. In the end what made the government act were the concerns of foreign investors. They were getting increasingly uneasy with the way justice was dispensed, especially in regards to "mega awards" and lawyers "shopping around" for sympathetic judges. Such practices clearly undermine the integrity of the entire system. The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) ranked the Malaysian judiciary behind that of South Korea and the Philippines. Increasingly, investors (foreign and local) factor in their faith in the country's justice system as a major consideration in deciding where to invest their money. In February 2002, the giant California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) stunned many by declaring its withdrawal from many emerging markets including Malaysia. Although Malaysian officials tried to dismiss or minimize the significance of the decision, there was no question that it was a tremendous blow to Malaysia. CalPERS's had suffered tremendous loss in those markets. For the past five years, its average annual returns for Malaysia was a horrifying – 18.3 percent. CalPERS concluded that it is not enough to analyze the performances of companies and markets; it must also look at the supporting political and governmental structures. In essence, it concluded that you could not have a "good" company in a "bad" country. Malaysia scored poorly in such areas as political stability, financial transparency, free press, and most importantly in the context of the present discussion, an independent judiciary. Apart from being the biggest fund manager, CalPERS is also widely regarded as a trendsetter. Malaysia ignores CalPERS observations at its own peril. In response to Justice in Jeopardy, the government set up a Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), chaired by a former deputy prime minister, Musa Hitam. Thus far Suhakam has reviewed cases of alleged police brutality as well as actively championing citizens' rights. To me its pronouncements are bland and mild (for example, Malaysians have a right to peaceful assembly). Nonetheless it is a sad reflection of how low human rights and civil liberties have been degraded in Malaysia that such obvious statements were widely lauded and welcomed. The year 2001 saw the appointment of a new chief justice, Dzaiddin Abdullah. His first order of business was to immediately admit the rotten state of the judiciary, a rare public admission by a senior official, and he then went about to clean up the mess. Thus far his moves have been widely applauded by both the public and members of the Bar. Even Rais Yatim saw fit to claim credit for the judge's appointment. Dzainuddin's elevation was like a refreshing breeze that many would hope will remove the stench from the judiciary. Through globalization, Malaysians are now very much aware of events occurring elsewhere. Just as Malaysians demand a world standard of education and medical care, so too they now want the same liberties enjoyed by other civilized citizens. Malaysians are not comforted by the fact that they have more freedom than the Indonesians or Iraqis. Having seen the best they rightly demand the same. The Malaysian system of justice must therefore accept the prevailing international norms. There is no longer a "local" standard. Police brutality and other infringements on basic human liberties are as unacceptable in Malaysia as it is in America. The negative consequences of the 9/11 tragedies are, among others, intrusive legislations introduced in America to meet this new national challenge. The Patriot Act of 2001 for example, provides for detention of non-citizens without trial. Such moves by the Americans emboldened Mahathir to wield the ISA and other restrictive laws even more brazenly, all the while smugly asserting that the Americans are finally wising up to Malaysian ways. Nothing could be further from the truth. In their conceit Malaysian leaders are ignoring some essential differences. For one, the new restrictive law had a very rough grilling in Congress. It was also widely debated by the populace. Further, such rules apply only to non-citizens and have sunset provisions, meaning they will be intensively reviewed and will expire in three years unless specifically renewed. These are significant differences that Malaysian leaders do not apparently appreciate or choose to ignore. If the system of justice in Malaysia were to meet the prevailing world's norms, it would surely earn the respect of the citizens and the international community. It would also be good for business. Surely that is a worthy goal. Malaysia spares no effort in trying to attract foreign investors and businesses. Fixing the badly tarnished justice system would go along way to assure these foreigners. In the next chapter I will go into greater detail on how Malaysia could make herself more attractive to investors, local and foreign, by enthusiastically embracing free enterprise. Next: Chapter 11: Embracing Free Enterprise |
| Video seks: AG sudah diserah kertas siasatan libatkan Anwar Posted: 13 Nov 2011 03:57 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein berkata kertas siasatan ke atas Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berhubung dakwaan memberi maklumat palsu ketika disoal siasat berkenaan video seks, yang dipertontonkan oleh "Datuk T" Mac lalu, telah diserahkan kepada Peguam Negara. Bagaimanapun Hishammuddin berkata, beliau tidak mengetahui kes itu secara terperinci termasuk beberapa kes lain yang melibatkan Anwar dengan pihak polis. Beliau menambah, polis hanya menjalankan tugas dalam konteks siasatan dan Peguam Negara akan memutuskan sama ada mahu membuat pendakwaan atau tidak. "Sama ada ia dibawa ke mahkamah atau tidak akan ditentukan oleh Peguam Negara, saya tidak boleh mengulas lanjut, namun apa yang dimaklumkan oleh Tan Sri Ismail Omar (Ketua Polis Negara) kepada saya bahawa kertas siasatan itu telah dipanjangkan kepada Peguam Negara," katanya pada sidang media selepas merasmikan Persidangan PJP/KP, Komander dan Komandan di Maktab Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) di sini. Siasatan terbaru itu dibuka selepas pegawai penyiasat kes video DSP Shanmugan Moorthy membuat laporan polis mendakwa Anwar dengan sengaja memberi maklumat palsu, yang diklasifikasikan sebagai satu kesalahan di bawah Seksyen 182 Kanun Keseksaan. Siasatan itu dijangka akan memberi tekanan ke atas Anwar, yang sebelum ini telah menafikan bahawa pelaku dalam video seks dengan seorang pelacur itu adalah dirinya. Video itu dipertontonkan kepad media pada April oleh ahli perniagaan Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, bekas bendahari agung Perkasa Datuk Shuib Lazim dan bekas ketua menteri Melaka Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik. READ MORE HERE |
| MCA out of touch, says Aussie-based group Posted: 13 Nov 2011 03:55 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - An Australia-based citizen group today slammed MCA for discriminating against Malaysians abroad who qualified as voters, saying the ruling party proved it was "totally out-of-touch" in today's world. The Australian chapter of a grassroots group that calls itself Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABMoz) was responding to the Barisan Nasional coalition's Chinese party's opposition to allowing qualified Malaysians living overseas exercise their constitutional right to vote. "Whatever MCA's rationale for this discriminative [sic] proposal, the party is showing that it is totally out of touch, not just with community sentiment, but the modern world," SABMoz president, David Teoh said in a media statement. "If MCA openly advocates limiting this right to vote to people living in Malaysia, it might as well say it does not stand for full democracy in Malaysia," he said. He pointed out that the existing electoral laws bar Malaysians living abroad from registering as voters unless they are "serving in the armed forces or working for the Malaysian government in high commissions and consulates". He said giving every citizen their constitutional right to vote is a basic rule of democracy. "Any government that is against a free, fair and inclusive vote is afraid of the outcome," he added. Teoh is also the Australian co-ordinator for Bersih 2.0, the 80-member civil rights movement that is lobbying for electoral reform. He said if Malaysians were to adopt MCA's attitude instead of pushing for change, the country would not grow. SABMoz describes itself as a registered association in Melbourne focused on advancing good governance practices in Malaysia, especially the promotion of stewardship, integrity, accountability and transparency. The group has been at the forefront in pushing Bersih 2.0's eight electoral reform demands and voting rights for overseas Malaysians for the past year. It held its first annual general meeting two days ago. |
| 'Harris contradicting own book' Posted: 13 Nov 2011 03:39 PM PST (Daily Express) - Former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh must have been mistaken when he stated that Datuk Yong Teck Lee was responsible for taking away the Sabah Foundation shares during his tenure as the Sabah Barisan Chief Minister. Yong, who is Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President, said Harris' statement in the Daily Express on Saturday was inaccurate as the Sabah Foundation shares were, in fact, withdrawn by Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) administration in 1990 just prior to the State elections that year. The Sabah Foundation shares were replaced by the Amanah Rakyat Negeri Sabah (ARNS). "I now produce the book published by Harris in 1996 whereby Harris wrote that it was the PBS government who withdrew the (YS) share certificates. "This fact was stated three times in the same book. So, Harris cannot claim that he is not aware that it was not me, as Chief Minster from 28th May 1996 to 27th May, 1998, but it was PBS, in 1990, who withdrew the YS shares. "At the time, before the State elections of 1990, I was an Assistant Minister, not even a full Cabinet Minister," he told reporters here Saturday. The ARNS, he said was a new Fund set up under the Amanah Rakyat Negeri Sabah Enactment 1990, passed by the Legislative Assembly on March 15, 1990 and assented to by the Head of State on March 31, 1990. "It was this ARNS that disbursed the RM200 to each Sabah Foundation beneficiary using the Yayasan Sabah management and network. "For the information of the public, the accounts of the ARNS distribution of RM200 per head, the accounts could not be audited. "As far as I can recall, the Cabinet in about 1997 (when I was CM) was informed that there were audit queries over missing monies and possible fraudulent payments to unqualified or non-existent persons," he said. "I had asked Yayasan Sabah (Sabah Foundation) management to lodge police reports. Whatever is the status of the ARNS and YS share certificates today, I trust that the current administration can satisfy public curiosity. I can only answer for things done by me as Chief Minister," he said. Yong said in the past, he did not bother about political lies being spread about him such as the Saham Amanah Sabah (SAS) issue, the approvals of the 65,000 acres Begaraya land in Pitas and the Tanjung Aru government quarters land to private companies. "In the Internet and coffee shops, lies were spread against me for so long that the lies were taken as complete truths. But as wisdom goes, real gold is not afraid of fire and paper cannot cover fire. "So, now, finally we are beginning to see the end of the falsehood about SAS against me even though the BN government and their PBS cohorts refuse to reveal the truths to the people. "The people who know the truths about SAS are still in the Sabah Cabinet. For instance, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai. "I have said this several times and Dr Yee never denied his guilt. If he does deny, then he should sue me for calling him a big liar," he said. "The high profile contests by villagers over the Begaraya land have led to the government revealing that the approval for the Begaraya land was given on March 19, 1996; two months before I became Chief Minister under the rotation system at the time. "Then, recently, a court case has allowed the exposure that the Tanjong Aru land approval to a private company was given on May 25, 1996, two days before I became Chief Minister on May 28, 1996. "I do not wish to speculate on the timing and urgency of the approvals by my precedessor, before the power of approval was transferred to the Cabinet on June 17, 1996," he said. |
| Shafie ‘caught’ with overpriced’ projects Posted: 13 Nov 2011 03:24 PM PST Projects awarded in Sabah by Umno vice-president and federal minister Shafie Apdal cost '15 times higher' than their actual quote. (Free Malaysia Today) - The opposition in Sabah armed with "evidence" is gunning for Rural and Regional Development Minister Shafie Apdal following shocking disclosures of irregularities in rural development projects awarded through his ministry in Sabah. Some 209 development projects have been identified for Sabah between 2011 and 2012 and the bulk of these projects involved the rural water and power supply projects covering various parts of Sabah, from Pulau Banggi to Sipitang. Of the 209 rural development projects awarded, only 129 projects had been announced and of this, 49 totalling RM1,276.60 million were "ridiculously overpriced". Revealing the massive overpriced payouts, Kota Kinabalu MP Dr Hiew King Cheu said some projects were awarded at 15 times or 1,500% higher than the normal price. He demanded that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) step in immediately and investigate these claims. He said most of these projects are either invited tenders, negotiated tenders, or directly awarded. "None of these projects was properly done through the Tender Board. "Most of the companies awarded the projects are RM2 companies and some of the contractors involved are found to be closely linked to certain senior BN-Umno politicians from Sabah," Hiew told a news conference here yesterday.
Evidence in hand Hiew said that a careful study of the detailed tender documents provided by an insider had indicated that the lowest tender bid did not get the job. In most cases, someone with a higher tender price of almost 1,500% than the lowest bidder gets the job. He cited the "rural power supply project for the connection of power grid No.1" (for 2011–2012) which was awarded at a price of RM41,736,809.77. The lowest tender price, he added, was only RM7,775,000.00 – a difference of RM33,961,809.77. He also cited the case of the "hybrid solar power system" for the Semporna islands. He said the project was awarded at a tender price of RM95,282,322.00, which many deemed to be too high. "With that amount of money, I can always get someone to build a power station," Hiew said. He added that a similar project was also awarded to another company for a whopping sum of RM81,475,281.42 to supply power to Pulau Banggi, off Kudat. Hiew also drew attention to the infamous Pualau Gaya, which he said was in dire need of clean water supply. "They need clean water more than electricity. In fact, they already have a power station there. "But they've awarded a contract for the installation of a 4-km-long undersea power cable to generate power supply for Pulau Gaya at the cost of RM42 million. "A random survey conducted with several qualified local contractors revealed that this can be done at just RM5 million," he said, adding that the government would need another RM100 milion if a water supply project was to be implemented. READ MORE HERE |
| Students speak out on the issue of the UUCA Posted: 13 Nov 2011 03:07 PM PST By Zakiah Koya, The Sun IN A landmark decision, the Court of Appeal declared on Oct 31 that a provision in the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) 1971 which restricts students from expressing in support of, or opposing, any political party, is unconstitutional. The three-man panel held that Section 15(5)(A)of the UUCA was unreasonable and violated freedom of speech. Replying to the chorus of calls for repeal or amendment of the act, Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin last Friday was reported to have questioned the readiness of our students to be able to juggle their studies and student activism. He had asked, "Let me pose a question... are you ready? If so, why not. Maybe the government no longer needs the Act (UUCA) or we could amend it to provide space so that students could make decisions without being hoodwinked by any legislative power." Muhyiddin had also questioned whether the students were ready and mature enough to make wise decisions without being influenced by others. He surmised that as they said they do not need anyone to safeguard them, they might do something unbeneficial to them. "This is a cause for concern as the campus will eventually be turned into a political arena that will be detrimental to efforts to produce knowledgeable human," he said. The Malaysian student movement, once vocal and visible in the 1960s, was effectively curbed after the enactment of the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) in 1971. Despite that, student activism has regained traction among undergraduates participating at the risk of expulsion, especially if they are assumed to favour non-ruling political parties. "The need for an amendment is evident. Muhyiddin should tackle the issue of UUCA with more honesty, in tandem with the aspirations of reform mooted by his superior," said Muhammad Muhammad Hilman Idham, one of the four Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) political science students who were apprehended by police on April 25, 2010, during the Hulu Selangor by-election. He pointed out that even the dissenting judge Datuk Wira Low Hop Bing in obiter dicta suggested that the act be amended. Muhammad Hilman is also Kumpulan Aktivis Mahasiswa Independen founder, president of the Political Science Undergraduate Association and a council member of the Malaysian Undergraduate Solidarity Front. His counterpart Haziq Abdul Aziz of the University of Malaya said students have always been ready and the government should be more positive when it questions the students' readiness to be active participants of politics in the country. "As a matter of fact, students involved in politics are applying what they have learnt in in the classroom. Involvement in politics helps in the maturity of students. It also produces fresh ideas from students themselves," said Haziq, a first-year law student. He pointed out many of the top Malaysian leaders of yesteryear and today, be they from the ruling parties or opposition front, started being active in politics during their college and university days. One second-year undergraduate from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) named former prime ministers such as Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Mahathir Mohamed who were vocal during their college and university days. "Till today, they remain models for us to emulate and Umno still holds on to the ideas of these two," said the student, who declined to be named. Muhammad Hilman further said that Section 15(5)(A) which referred to expressing support or opposition or sympathising with political parties is vague. "How do we interpret 'menyatakan sokongan atau bangkangan atau menyatakan simpati kepada parti politik?' (state support or objection or to state sympathy to political parties) Is it by wearing the party logos? Is it by sitting as a panellist with a member of a political party? Is it by criticising government policies? "This is why UUCA does not only limit our right to participate in political parties but also our right to voice opinions, to be vocal, to hold associations, to discuss academic issues and such," he said. The students also questioned the double standard practised as local students attending foreign varsities are allowed to form mini political parties supporting the ruling party. Referring to the Umno clubs overseas such as the London Umno club, the students ask why students overseas are considered able to juggle their studies and participation in politics. Umno Clubs overseas have defended themselves on their website by saying they are "apolitical in management and organisation despite the name being derived from the political party in Malaysia". The local students, however, are not convinced. "Are they cleverer than us here? This questioning of our readiness is indirectly telling us that," said Haziq. Muhammad Hilman said students should be allowed to express support, opposition or sympathise with political parties, be they local or overseas. He said the leaders who insist on "shackling" undergraduates should stop thinking of their own backs and worry that the vocal voices of the undergraduates would drown them. "As true leaders who are responsible for the future of the country, the government should think of moulding and upgrading the quality of the future leaders of the country. Let the political process and the principles of democracy be ingrained in our younger generation from primary school level," said the anonymous student. Haziq said the UUCA would not stop the voices of the students. "Student activism has become more alive despite the barriers and this shows that the student force wanting to participate actively in the nation's political process is stronger than ever." He contends that the UUCA remains the only line holding back students. "Yes, the UUCA is definitely counting its days. Lets do away with it," said Muhammad Hilman. |
| Sex, Politics & Seksualiti Merdeka Posted: 13 Nov 2011 03:06 PM PST By Mong Palatino, The Diplomat First organized in 2008, the Seksualiti Merdeka festival has been an annual celebration of sexual diversity and gender rights in Malaysia. It promotes the human rights and acceptance of the LGBT community through films, art workshops, stage plays, and seminars. Themed 'Queer Without Fear,' this year's vision is for everyone "to be free from discrimination, harassment and violence for their sexual orientations and their gender identities." According to organizers, festival attendance grew from 500 people in 2008, to 1,500 last year. A bigger number was expected this year, but unfortunately, the police decided to be a party pooper by banning the festival activities. They even threatened to arrest any individual who defies the ban; the organizers were also summoned for questioning. Police justified the ban by arguing that the festival "could create disharmony, enmity and disturb public order." The police could, truth be told, be referring to the tiny but loud protests of conservative groups that denounced the festival for promoting "free sex" and the gay lifestyle. They are the same groups that expressed opposition to the upcoming Elton John concert in Malaysia. The festival organizers, which represent a coalition of groups that includes the Malaysian Bar Council and Amnesty International, reminded the government about their right to conduct peaceful forums, workshops and performances. They added that the "intimidating displays of hatred and ignorance towards us, and calls for us to be shut down, demonstrate why we absolutely need a safe space and event like Seksualiti Merdeka." They should also note the fact that Malaysia was a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948 before becoming a member of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, "vowing to respect sexual rights as universal rights based on the inherent freedom, equality and dignity of all human beings." According to MP Charles Santiago of Klang, the government and police have exposed themselves to the world as "callous, intolerant and homophobic" when they banned Seksualiti Merdeka. But he also believes there's a more sinister reason why the festival was banned: "Driven by the need to stay in power, the government has fashioned the controversy surrounding the festival for its own political mileage. Clearly the ban demonstrates the ongoing persecution against Ambiga." Aside from being a supporter of Seksualiti Merdeka, Ambiga is a Malaysian lawyer who spearheaded Bersih 2.0, a popular movement for electoral reforms that damaged the credibility of the ruling political coalition. The ban generated an international outcry from human rights groups and LGBT networks, which sent protest letters to the Malaysian government. They demanded the lifting of the ban against Seksualiti Merdeka, they asked police not to arrest or intimidate the festival organizers, and they called for the protection of the organizers from private actor violence. The groups added that the ban also proved that it's necessary to "conduct a public awareness campaign about equality before the law and non-discrimination, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity." They asked authorities to train police officials with regard to LGBT rights "to end arbitrary harassment of LGBT individuals, their speech and assembly." But organizers of the Seksualiti Merdeka festival perhaps should also thank the government and the police for banning their event since it made a lot of noise in the news and the public actually came to know more about LGBT rights, gender equality and sexual tolerance (or the lack of it) in society. Unlike in previous years, the festival's objectives became popular this year because of the ban. The opposition should also use this opportunity to remind the people that as the prime minister talks about his 1Malaysia national unity slogan, his actions and policies are actually creating more divisions in the country. |
| The right to vote Posted: 13 Nov 2011 03:02 PM PST By Tay Tian Yan, MySinChew It was interesting when a MCA central committee member told the parliamentary select committee on electoral reform that Malaysians living abroad are not qualified to vote as they are "out of touch" with the current state of affairs in the country. He was then greatly criticised and even MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said that he was not selected but volunteered to attend the first public hearing by the PSC on electoral reforms. I have a little sympathy for him. There was nothing wrong to express his view but unfortunately, he lacked the understanding of democracy. The principle of democracy is equal civil rights, meaning that everyone has the right to vote. You can vote no matter whether you stay in Kuala Lumpur, London or the Seychelles, as long as there is a voting channel. Regardless whether you drive a Mercedes or ride a bicycle, you have the right to vote. Regardless whether your IQ is 180, 8 or 0, you have the right to vote. Regardless whether you are a man, woman or an intersex person, you have the right to vote. Regardless whether you want to make a "correct" or a "wrong" choice, you still have the right to vote. No profound knowledge is involved here. It is just because you are a citizen, you enjoy the same right of other citizens. However, it is not the first time people try to classify citizens and limit their suffrage. A century ago, the United Kingdom did not allow women to vote, arguing that women did not understand politics and they would turn the parliament into a kitchen. Similarly, 200 years ago, the Americans debated whether the Blacks should be allowed to vote. The Blacks were regarded as slaves at that time and how could they be allowed to vote? Even earlier, the Greeks argued a thousand years ago that politics was not created for the fools. Therefore, uneducated people should be forbidden from participating in politics as it was only for wise men. British women won the right to vote only after they had fought for half of a century. A woman named Emmeline Pankhurst founded the Women's Franchise League to fight for the women's suffrage. A a result, she was arrested almost every month. Some women were allowed to vote after the World War I and women started to enjoy the same right to vote as men only in 1982. African Americans started to enjoy the suffrage when Thomas Jefferson and John Adams ran for president and the US Congress relaxed the restrictions and allowed African Americans to vote. However, every five African Americans were allowed to cast only three votes as the Congress believed that the Blacks' contributions and responsibilities to the country were less than the Whites and thus, they should not enjoy the same voting right as the Whites. Even so, not many African Americans could truly enjoy the right since many states still set up a variety of thresholds and limitations. The situation was improved only after the black slaves were liberalised by Abraham Lincoln. As for the Greek plebiscite, only "freemen" with honourable social status, like the nobles and philosophers, could vote. The universal suffrage and the concept of equal civil rights was widely implemented only in the 20th century. The concept of one man, one vote is of course more equal and fair, but it is not perfect. For example, if there are 99 fools and only one wise man in a constituency, most probably the person elected would also be a fool. This is also why many democratic countries in the world are at the same time, nations of fools. Democracy can be wise only when the civil standard is on the track.
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| Mahathir The Uniting Factor Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:59 PM PST Has Mahathir finally realised that his policies of preferential rewards for the Malays have made them more backward than ever? Did he suddenly realise that Malays are less motivated because they know the government will bail them out? And has he been notified that the treasury is not a bottomless pit and cannot keep handing out money, scholarships, tenders and civil service jobs to the Malays? By Mariam Mokhtar via Malaysian Mirror We have been mistaken into believing that former Prime minister Mahathir Mohamad exploited the politics of division, using race and religion, to divide and rule us. On the contrary, every right minded, decent Malaysian who believes in the rule of law, of equality and justice, is united in their loathing of a man who despite being retired, appears to keep a tight grip on this government, from behind the scenes. Throughout his 22-year rule, Mahathir sought to divide and conquer. Perhaps, now as he nears death, he is displaying pangs of guilt, because he realises that he accomplished very little and did not unite the country. Last month, Mahathir told us that in the next 10 years, the Malays would lose their power in the country unless they became united now. He described the Malay community as being split into different factions thus making them lose their advantage as the majority group. Then, using religion as the mainstay for his argument warned the Malays: "The minority cannot rule the country in a democratic framework, under which the majority rules". Mahathir made the remarks at the launching of the Ummah Unity and Economy Seminar organised by the Malaysia Islamic Welfare Organisation (Perkim) and Malay Chamber of Commerce. The former PM who is also the Perkim president, warned that Muslims in Malaysia had not been taught the importance of "uniting when they were young". He urged Malays to work hard and reap rewards instead of looking forward to receiving "free things". He explained that some of the poorest communities in the nation were made up of Muslims and he urged them to work hard to be financially stable. When Mahathir said that the Malays would lose power, he was partly right. But he left out one important detail. He omitted to say that it would be the Malays at the top of Umno who would lose power if Umno/BN were to lose GE-13. Who would have the most to lose if BN were to be defeated in GE-13? It would be Mahathir and all those whom he has groomed to do his bidding when he officially left office. It would also be his cronies who gobbled up the contracts and tenders for multi-billion ringgit business deals. At the moment, all those who received his selective patronage are indebted to him and fear him because he could reveal sordid details about their illegal activities. Hence, if the opposition were to gain control of Putrajaya, Mahathir and all his cronies would be investigated. Age is no barrier as ex-President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt found to his cost. Money in exchange for freedom means nothing to the man in the street who has lived on very little or nothing. This is what Libya's Gaddafi discovered when he tried to trade his life for money. If anyone doubts the fear and insecurity that the current BN regime has about losing GE-13, then they are blind or in denial. Recent allegations of vote rigging, of tampering at the polls and of sneaking in millions of voters through the back-door are alarming enough. Instead of resolving these issues, Umno/BN orchestrated a serious of time-wasting measures to distract the rakyat from the true extent of the cheating that it is prepared to undertake. These involved prolonging the Sodomy II trial of the opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim in a malicious effort to persuade the rakyat that the leader of the opposition is a tainted man. More sex videos of Anwar have since appeared, and for a while, those who were plotting against Anwar could not decide to make him a homosexual or a serial philanderer. Now, it seems that some fresh charges have been trumped-up against Anwar. Other distractions include the perfectly timed appearance of Ummi Hafilda and accusations that members of the opposition were communist sympathisers. Under the guise of Islam as a uniting force, Mahathir thought nothing of using the religion to foment the Malay hatred of those who were non-Malay and non-Muslim. It was after all Mahathir who engineered the Sodomy I trial choosing the sodomy act, which he knew would make the rural Malays despise Anwar. It was Mahathir who Islamicised the country when he felt that PAS was gaining more support than Umno. And it was also Mahathir who curbed the powers of the sultans, the so-called defenders of the faith, in an effort to control them. Has Mahathir finally realised that his policies of preferential rewards for the Malays have made them more backward than ever? Did he suddenly realise that Malays are less motivated because they know the government will bail them out? And has he been notified that the treasury is not a bottomless pit and cannot keep handing out money, scholarships, tenders and civil service jobs to the Malays? Mahathir has united us in more ways than one. Parents, who are demanding that their children be taught in English, will recall that Mahathir and his children were once a product of an education that had its roots steeped in English. They denounce Mahathir for dismantling Malaysia's sound education because he wanted to cater only to Malay nationalism. Now the hypocrite Mahathir seems to support those parents because the country is lagging behind the region and cannot achieve developed nation status by 2020. Those who desire further evidence of being alienated need only ask the Sabahans what it feels like to be a minority in their own country. The danger is that with Umno/BN intent on winning the polls by whatever means, more foreigners will be brought in. So when Mahathir told the Malays that they would lose power in the next 10 years, was he warning us that certain components in BN were trading citizenships for votes from the migrant communities of Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Philippines and Indonesia? Mahathir's analysis is correct. The Malays, who are currently perceived to be the majority race, will soon become a minority. But then he has only his party, Umno/BN to blame. At the rate we are going, we might be a province of Indonesia by 2020. Mahathir's legacy is one of division, destruction and disappointment. |
| PAS: We will not waver from pursuing polls reforms Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:57 PM PST (Harakah Daily) - PAS leaders have reiterated that the party would continue to put pressure on the government to implement all the eight demands for electoral reforms as listed by Bersih 2.0 before the 13th general election.
"To date, none of them has been fulfilled," said PAS president Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang.
Among Bersih's demands include a total reform of the controversial postal votes, the use of indelible ink and a minimum campaign period of 21 days. It also wants a more inclusive mainstream and broadcast media, reform of public institutions including the police and Attorney General's Chambers, eradication of corruption and vote buying practices, and a stop to "gutter politics".
Hadi warned Barisan Nasional not to take the easy way out by carrying out undemocratic practices to win the polls.
"The wave of change cannot be stopped," he added.
PAS Youth head Nasrudin Hasan Tantawi (left) meanwhile said BN should brace itself for the third phase of Bersih rally if it held elections before fulfilling the eight demands.
"As long as the government fails to fulfill the eight demands by Bersih 2.0, we will not hesitate to mobilise Bersih 3.0 with other NGOs," Nasrudin told The Malaysian Insider.
He said BN's refusal to give an undertaking that elections would only be held after the parliamentary select committee (PSC) had completed its work, only showed the ruling coalition's insecurity over fair polls.
The PSC comprising of both sides of the political divide is currently in its public hearing roadshow to gather opinions from Malaysians, lawmakers and experts on the electoral system. |
| National protest if Shahrizat does not resign over NFC funds mismanagement Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:51 PM PST By Karen Arukesamy, The Sun The Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) women's wing has threatened to hold a nationwide protest if Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil does not take accountability and resign over the alleged mismanagement of funds in the National Feedlot Corp (NFC). PKR Wanita chief Zuraidah Kamarudin said the party was giving Shahrizat one-week to own up and take accountability on the matter as the company is wholly-owned by her family. Zuraidah said PKR will be lodging a police report and is not discounting another report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) if Shahrizat, who is Umno Wanita chief, does not respond. "Shahrizat should be accountable for the (alleged) mismanagement of funds in NFC and set the example by being the first to resign," Zuraidah, who is Ampang MP, said at the parliament lobby. Urging for Shahrizat to step up and not "tarnish the image" of Malaysian women in general, she said the PKR women's wing would hold a nationwide protest to pressure Shahrizat and the government to swiftly act on this. More to follow here.
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| Is sustainable development possible? Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:47 PM PST By Ampersand and KW Mak, The Nut Graph  WHEN residents talk about development in an urban environment, the discussion primarily focuses on ensuing traffic problems for the existing neighbourhood. Developers would, in turn, talk about how they are bringing in much needed economic activity into the area to justify the project. Any discussion without a base framework to start from would invariably lead to disagreements, as I have often enough witnessed in objection hearings for development projects. To provide that base framework, I shall present today's topic – sustainable development. Defining "sustainable development" The Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) has a provision for each state government to prepare a development policy document called a state structure plan. This plan governs how land is used and how development would take place within each state. In providing the specifics on how to prepare the state structure plan, Section 8(3) of the TCPA states: "The draft structure plan shall be a written statement – for the improvement of the physical living environment, the improvement of communications, the management of traffic, the improvement of socioeconomic well-being and the promotion of economic growth, and the facilitating of sustainable development" (my emphasis). Following this instruction, the Selangor Town and Country Planning Department came up with the Selangor State Structure Plan (SSP) in 2002 and gazetted the document in 2007. Its role in governing development is clear, as the document states that developers must refer to and comply with the policies within when preparing development proposal reports. In describing what constitutes sustainable development, the SSP states: "Sustainable development will enable the current generation to satisfy their needs without compromising the needs of future generations." To achieve this, the SSP prescribes numerous policies for development (economic, social, physical and environmental), a land use strategic plan, and specific instructions on how all these policies shall be implemented. These policies cannot be ignored either. Section 22(4) of the TCPA clearly states that any application for planning permission shall be rejected if it is found to not comply with any development plan – which is what a state structure plan is. Thus, the SSP is an expansive document that defines sustainable development and is also legally binding on the government and developers. This makes it a good reference point for any disputes and arguments residents and developers may have over a particular development proposal. Development policies The SSP policies are categorised according to issues and how to solve them. Examples of problems for development in an urban area include traffic congestion, waste disposal and open spaces. Let's focus on the traffic congestion bit since this is a popular and valid issue. The SSP mentions the uncontrolled urban development along main roads as a problem. Such developments contribute towards traffic congestion and the degradation of environment quality. Several policies were formulated to help mitigate this issue, among which are as follows: READ MORE HERE |
| Untangling PPSMI Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:43 PM PST By Hwa Yue-Yi, The Nut Graph DURING the first weekend of November 2011, the PPSMI (the Teaching and Learning of Science and Mathematics in English) policy trended on Twitter. This evidence of PPSMI's importance to large numbers of tech-savvy Malaysians came shortly after Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's back-to-back statements on the policy. Muhyiddin first reiterated that PPSMI would be phased out according to the schedule proposed two years ago. The next day he backpedalled to announce a Cabinet decision that current Year 1 students may have the option of continuing under PPSMI until they complete Form 5. The volume of discussion about PPSMI is a heartening sign of our growth towards becoming a democratic populace. Nevertheless, much of the conversation surrounding this controversial education policy remains mired in partisan and unsubstantiated debate. If we are to be a genuinely democratic and savvy nation, the polemics around PPSMI must not prevent us from looking at it in simultaneously inclusive and critical ways. Perhaps we can start by unpacking some of the debate's crucial themes. 1. PPSMI is not the only possible cure for Malaysia's educational deficiencies.
Arguably, the design of PPSMI was somewhat ad hoc. It was born out of then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's longstanding emphases on English and technology, and shaped by the urgency of implementing the policy before his retirement. PPSMI was rolled out barely half a year after it was first proposed in 2002, straining curriculum planners, textbook publishers and teachers nationwide, many of whom did a commendable albeit flawed job under the circumstances. Apart from the flawed implementation, questions remain about PPSMI's premise: that teaching pupils science and mathematics in an academically dominant language is the most effective way of equipping them for technological research and linguistic versatility. Countries ranging from Vanuatu to South Africa similarly struggle with and, in some cases, construct nuanced solutions for language-medium policy in contexts that are ethnically diverse, post-colonial and globalised. Thus, in the Malaysian context, the debate need not be locked into a PPSMI-or-not binary, but rather could find a consensus within the broader spectrum of possible policies. 2. PPSMI should not be an electoral issue.
In her 2008 PhD thesis on PPSMI, former Director-General of Education Datuk Dr Asiah Abu Samah wondered if "the policymakers in the Ministry and the public at large have the patience to wait 10-12 years to see clear results". Unfortunately, Asiah's caution was prescient: PPSMI's gradual termination was announced in July 2009, a few days before the Manek Urai by-election. Recent publicly expressed comments about PPSMI have also entered the precarious territory of electoral ultimatums. Deciding how to vote based on a single education policy is problematic because education interacts with many other policy processes. For example, even if a graduate has impeccable training in innovation and English, his or her career trajectory can be strongly impacted by government decisions about the structure of the economy. READ MORE HERE. |
| Penang govt proposes tunnel as third link Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:34 PM PST By Joseph Kaos Jr, The Star KUALA LUMPUR: The Penang government has proposed the construction of a third link - a 6.5km underground tunnel from George Town to Butterworth. The tunnel is one of four projects announced by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng here to resolve the island's severe traffic problems. "We estimate that the project will cost RM5bil to RM8bil depending on the bids from prospective contractors," he told a press conference Monday. Lim said the state government will pay the contractors via a land swap deal. The land is located in the Gurney Drive tourist belt. "It will be a win-win situation. The government does not have to pay money and the contractor gets prime land that will triple in value," he said. The tender process is expected to start on Nov 15. Lim explained that the project would undergo a lengthy feasibility study and expects construction to commence in 2015. "We target the completion to be in 2020, although it can be completed earlier," said the first term Chief Minister. |
| Court allows application of six M'sians to be registered as absent voters Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:32 PM PST (The Star) - KUALA LUMPUR: Six Malaysians in Britain have been granted leave to compel the Election Commission (EC) to register them as absent voters in the next general election. High Court (Appellate and Special Powers) judge Justice Rohana Yusuf set Dec 13 for case management and Jan 3 for the hearing. The six are Dr Teo Hoon Seong, electrical engineer V. Vinesh, entrepreneur Paramjeet Singh, Dr Yolanda Sydney Augustin, translator Sim Tze Wei and software architect Leong See See. The applicants want a declaration that as Malaysians staying abroad, they are entitled to be registered as absent voters and directed the EC, named as the sole respondent, to register them. They also want to quash a decision made by the EC, which notified them in a letter dated Sept 9, that it will not register them as absent voters. Alternatively, they are asking for a court order directing the EC to make regulations and take appropriate actions within 14 days from the court ruling to allow them to be registered as absent voters and/or postal voters in order for them to vote in the general election. |
| Ambiga now Umno’s troubled nightmare Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:30 PM PST By Jeswan Kaur, FMT Ambiga Sreenevasan, former Bar Council president and recipient of the US Secretary of State's 2009 International Women of Courage Award and France's topmost honour, the Chevalier de Legion d'Honneur(Knight of the Legion of Honour) award, has become Umno's most troubled nightmare. The Malay party has post-July 9 left no stone unturned in making life difficult for this former Convent Bukit Nanas student, who has been honoured with the two awards for her dedication to human rights and rule of law. When Ambiga, who is also election watchdog Bersih 2.0 chairperson, spearheaded the "Walk for Democracy" rally on July 9 and did so successfully, it was the beginning of a nightmare that has since refused to end for Umno. Some 50,000 people turned up in support of the rally, a bitter reality which Umno refuses to digest. The July 9 rally's aim was noble – to fight for electoral reforms and put an end to the corruption and dirty tactics employed by the Barisan Nasional at the polls. And the people backed Bersih 2.0 all the way, a move which shell-shocked both the BN and Umno. While all ways and means are being employed by BN president and prime minister Najib Tun Razak to win the people's trust, Umno has however turned vindictive against Ambiga, whom it regards as its biggest threat post-July 9. Ambiga, however, remains unflappable, objective and wise. With all sense of decorum, she had prior to the July 9 rally approached the police and asked that they chart out the rally routes to avoid any untoward incident. But the police, obviously under great pressure from the "powers that be", refused to cooperate. Not only that, extremist politicians in a cowardly fashion joined in and demanded that Ambiga be dealt with severely. The likes of Ibrahim Ali, the Pasir Mas MP, and other Umno honchos, went after Ambiga's blood, so to speak. She was character-assassinated all because this gutsy lawyer dare speak out against injustice. So threatened had Umno become that Ibrahim and even Malacca Chief Minister Ali Rustam screamed for Ambiga's citizenship to be revoked. Ali Rustam had remarked that it was "better to just lose one person than to lose a lot of lives". Now, it is the Malay Education Movement (Gagasan) which is demanding Ambiga's citizenship be revoked, alleging her "wild" actions could cause chaos in the country, referring to her support for the Seksualiti Merdeka 2011 festival. Gagasan secretary-general Syed Anuar Syed Mohamad in an Utusan Malaysia report on Nov 6 said Ambiga should no longer be called a human as she had gone against "human norms" by raising issues deemed sensitive in a Muslim-majority country. "She should be punished accordingly, like banishment or any other severe sentence, to make her realise her mistake," he told Mingguan Malaysia, the paper's Sunday edition. He added that the Conference of Rulers could punish Ambiga as she had touched on Islam when she "spread morality issues" banned by the religion. "Although Malaysia is a democratic country, it does not mean Ambiga is given the freedom to do whatever she likes with her perverse ideology," he said. The Ambiga factor READ MORE HERE |
| Khairy and the NFC hole Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:29 PM PST By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider They say you should never try to dig your way out of a hole — you'll only make it deeper, bigger. Someone should tell Khairy Jamaluddin this. The Umno Youth chief has defended the purchase of a RM10 million condominium by the National Meat & Livestocks Corporation (NMLC) — an associated company of the publicly-funded National Feedlot Centre (NFC) — as an investment. He said the NMLC was left with surplus funds when the government ran out of money to develop satellite cattle farms that are crucial to supplying the NFC with feeder cows. "Should they have left the money in the current account, which does not have a high yield, while waiting for the satellite farms or should they have invested the money while waiting," he said last week. This was only days after Khairy stressed that the RM250 million soft loan given to NFC by Putrajaya was kept in a "escrow-like" account where drawdowns have to be green-lighted by the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS). The Rembau MP had also said that NFC boss and owner of NMLC Datuk Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail — husband to Women, Family and Community Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil — was eminently qualified to spearhead the feedlot scheme as he was formerly the food science head at Universiti Pertanian Malaysia. But Khairy's ardent defence throws up more questions than it answers. If the conditions for drawdown are that strict, as Khairy has repeated on several occasions, how is it the DVS approved RM10 million for a condominium? Does the department have a high-end property arm we don't know about that valued the condominium and calculated projected returns from rental? Did the NMLC submit a study on the same? Or did the DVS not know what Mohamad Salleh planned to do with the money? For that matter, what makes Mohamad Salleh qualified to invest in property? I don't dispute he may be qualified to run the feedlot but I don't see what business he has using taxpayers' money to buy a condominium in Bangsar. Now I wonder if all federal ministries and agencies are this lax when it comes to spending our hard-earned tax ringgit. READ MORE HERE |
| Pakatan says Kedai Rakyat taking advantage of poor Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:27 PM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider The federal opposition accused the government today of taking advantage of the poor by selling "illegal and substandard products" in its Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia (KR1M). Pakatan Rakyat (PR) had claimed last week that the thrift shops sold 1 Malaysia-branded fresh milk containing E. coli bacteria while nine other products fell short of standards set by the Food and Regulations Acts. "The poor deserve better than illegal and substandard products. This is taking advantage of the poor," said DAP publicity chief Tony Pua of the shops being operated by hypermarket giant Mydin. Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad also told a press conference that it was not true that PR did not want the poor to gain access to cheaper goods. "We support the initiative to provide cheaper good 100 per cent. But not at the expense of health and safety. This is high irresponsible," the PAS research chief said of the KR1M shops that were launched by Datuk Seri Najib Razak in June. The prime minister launched the first of three shops now operating in the Klang Valley in response to rising inflation, which hit a two-year high of 3.5 per cent that same month. KR1M offers 250 generic products like rice, oil, flour, bread, eggs, milk powder and diapers at prices 30 to 40 per cent lower than market rates, as well as branded goods. Najib said more Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia will be set up in other locations similar to the 1 Malaysia clinics his administration has established in states like Sabah and Sarawak. Petaling Jaya Utara MP Pua said last week that a test of the products from two certified labs detected the presence of E. coli and a higher than permitted amount of coliform in the 1 Malaysia-branded fresh milk. Pua also revealed another test found the outlet's bottled oyster sauce to contain only flavouring and no natural oyster extract. It also fell short of the required 1.8 per cent protein content for oyster-flavoured-sauce. |
| Cabinet gave retrospective nod for PKFZ cost increase, Liong Sik graft trial told Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:20 PM PST By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider The Cabinet gave retrospective approval for the development cost of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project to balloon from RM1.088 billion to RM4.6 billion in 2007, the High Court was told today. Defence lawyer Wong Kian Kheong cited the approval of the cost increase to RM4,632,732,000 from the Cabinet meeting minutes dated June 24, 2007. In 2002, the Cabinet was told that RM1.088 billion was the total cost of the project on the 999.5-acre land in Pulau Indah that comprised the land value, infrastructure cost and a six per cent interest rate. Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, a former transport minister, is charged with deceiving the government by concealing the fact that the interest rate of 7.5 per cent per annum was surplus to the purchase of Lot 67894 at RM25 psf — amounting to a total of RM1,088,456,000 — despite knowing that the government's Valuation and Property Service Department's (JPPH) had already taken that interest into account when it valued the land at RM25 psf. Minister in the Prime Minister Department in charge of law and parliamentary affairs Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told the court today that he did not lodge a police report or demanded an explanation from the Transport Ministry regarding the cost increase. He was the entrepreneur development minister from 1999 to March 2004. He said his first and only statement recorded by the police was about two months ago. The prosecution has argued that the additional interest of 7.5 per cent per annum, amounting to some RM720 million, had pushed the Port Klang Authority's (PKA) land purchase cost from RM1.09 billion to RM1.88 billion for the port project. Dr Ling faces up to seven years' jail and a fine if convicted of the principal charge under section 418 of the Penal Code. MORE TO COME HERE.
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| Guessing Game On Tsu Koon's 'Sacrifice' To End Soon? Posted: 12 Nov 2011 10:30 PM PST (Bernama) - The guessing game on what sort of sacrifice Gerakan president Dr Koh Tsu Koon will make to move his party forward may end later this week. Party insiders say that the leaders are in the final phase of sorting out the details for an announcement. During Gerakan's national delegates conference (NDC) last month, Koh said he was willing to sacrifice himself, a statement that remained ambiguous and required between-the-lines reading. Some took it to mean that he would no longer contest in the next general election, but others read it as the party chief would still contest but in the toughest seat available. Whatever the choice, intense internal lobbying and wrangling may defer Koh's announcement because it hinges on getting some party leaders to make way for others to take charge of Gerakan's onslaught in the next general election, especially in Penang. Those close to Koh said the Minister in the Prime Minister Department had made up his mind as he had already briefed the top Barisan Nasional leadership on his impending decision. "Just wait for few more days. All will be clearer," said a grassroots leader, who did not want to be identified, adding that the announcement would be made before Gerakan's central committee (CC) meeting in Penang on Saturday (Nov 19). Party leaders are also scheduled to attend an event at the Gerakan-backed Wawasan Open University (WOU), where former party president Dr Lim Keng Yaik will be appointed as the chancellor of WOU. On Thursday, Koh dropped another hint about sacrificing, saying that he had always been ready to give up the chairmanship of the BN in Penang to a person acceptable by other BN components. Talk is rife that Koh's acquiescence in giving up the chairman's post is part of Gerakan's transformation efforts that will see him opting out of the election all together with Penang state party chief Dr Teng Hock Nan and Gerakan vice-president Chia Kwang Chye. Koh, together with Hock Nan and Chia, once formed a formidable team in the party to the extent that they were dubbed as the "Iron Triangle", with some party members even likening their strong bonds to the party's emblem, which is triangular in shape. Whether those bonds are still as strong is difficult to answer, especially after Gerakan's thrashing in the 2008 general election. The new game plan calls for a new set of leaders consisting of party secretary-general Teng Chang Yeow and Penang Gerakan vice-president and party CC member Ong Thean Lye leading the party's challenge in the next general election, particularly in Penang. However, difficulties still persist. Party insiders say Chia still wants to take a shot in the next polls but add that Hock Nan does not think that he (Chia) should, and that he (Hock Nan) would only agree to step down if Chia stays out. In a recent interview with Sin Chew Daily, Chia said he did not believe that party leaders would be so "childish" and "blur" to insist on such pre-conditions for the party to move forward. For Penang-based political analyst Cheah See Kian, Koh may able to get Hock Nan to compromise and allow Chang Yeow to take over the state BN's leadership but the problem is that Hock Nan was elected to his post as Penang Gerakan chairman. "Chang Yeow can only be state BN chairman if there is a plan for him to take over Penang Gerakan chairman's position. Unless there is some sort of transition plan being worked out, how can you have Chang Yeow as the state BN chairman when he is not even a state party chairman?" he remarked. Cheah felt that it may not be a problem for Koh to let go of the Penang BN chairman's position as he would still continue as Gerakan president but not for Hock Nan, as he was only a party vice-president. "There must be a special arrangment for these issues to be resolved, this involves a compromise and timetable for transition," he added. The wrangling is taking a toll on Chang Yeow, who openly expressed his unhappiness over the situation in a recent Facebook posting stating that he did wish to be drawn into an unnecessary "battle field" where indecisiveness dominated. His comment come just after he told a news portal that he was ready to take over as Penang BN chairman and that Koh had spoken to him twice on the matter. Deputy President Chang Ko Youn, when asked to comment, said party leaders were still working out the details and an announcement may be made after the party's central working committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. So will Koh make an announcement on Thursday, exactly a month after the party's national delegates conference? Nobody knows for sure. But many do know that indecisiveness cost Gerakan dearly in March 2008, especially when it came to who should take charge in Penang. |
| Najib: Malaysia does not stifle dissent Posted: 12 Nov 2011 09:48 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Malaysia is now a fully mature democracy as the ruling government allows dissent, the national news agency reported today. According to Bernama Online, the prime minister said this after his speech on the "Global Movement of the Moderates" in Hawaii where he is attending the Asia Pacific Economic Caucus (Apec) Summit. He dismissed the idea the voices of dissent back home signaled widespread public unhappiness with his government similar to that which caused the "Arab Spring" earlier this year. The Najib administration came under heavy global criticism for clamping down on dissent last July 9 following the Bersih 2.0 street march in its capital city where police shot chemical-laced water and tear gas among thousands of civilians demanding cleaner elections. Despite banning the civil society movement, Najib gave in to public pressure and established a bipartisan parliamentary team to review its electoral system. The inquiry kicked off last Friday and is ongoing. READ MORE HERE. |
| PM warns of recession if belts tightened too soon Posted: 12 Nov 2011 09:42 PM PST By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider Datuk Seri Najib Razak has pledged to trim Putrajaya's spending next year but said the country could face a recession if the government cuts down on debts too fast. "My Budget also involves some fiscal tightening, using economic growth to lower the overall level of borrowing," the sixth prime minister posted on his official 1 Malaysia blog yesterday. "But I am also certain we must not cut borrowing too far and too fast because if we do we risk plunging our economy into stagnation or recession and that would mean the poor paying the highest cost of all," he added. Najib is currently attending the Asia Pacific Economic Caucus (APEC) Leaders Summit in Hawaii. In his blog post, the trained economist move to calm fears that Malaysia would be dragged down by the ongoing euro zone debt crisis. He assured Malaysians the country's economy was still strong and would remain so through the strengthening of the private sector to draw more foreign investment and by giving entrepreneurs more opportunities to venture into business, especially in the rural areas. "While I cannot promise to solve the crisis the euro zone any more than I can stop flooding in Thailand, I can promise that whatever I do, it will be conscientiously done to avoid risking our economic stability," he vowed. Najib, who will be seeking his first mandate in the polls widely expected to be called in the next six months, has been pushing to carry out administrative and economic reforms. He said liberalising service sectors such as engineering, legal services and telecoms to foreign investment will make Malaysian entrepreneurs more globally competitive. "Foreign investment pays for modernisation and growth and helps integrate Malaysia's economy ever more closely with the developed world. "It increases competition and so helps keep prices low. It drives innovation and so increases skill levels in Malaysia and makes Malaysian jobs in export-facing sectors more secure," he said. Najib also cited a World Bank study on the ease of doing business for 2012, which showed Malaysia strengthening its position and entering the top 20, as "food for thought for those who are constantly knocking our performance". Domestically, the PM said there is a need to develop and implement best practices that will ensure long-term growth, through "innovation, creative thinking and increased productivity". "We must embrace out-of-the-box thinking and explore non-conventional solutions to problems. "We must seek sustainable ways to increase output, maximise resources, and reduce wastage, and we must do so creatively. Innovation and creativity fuel the growth of industry leaders and strong economies; we must follow suit," he said. READ MORE HERE. |
| Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy Posted: 12 Nov 2011 09:12 PM PST By May Chee I will have to run away from home soon. Born and bred in one of the two states that now want to criminalize homosexual activities (whatever that may mean), I fear soon some people will come knocking on my door, wanting to turn out my closets! Or should it be a case of "Leadership by Example" whereby these people should do some spring-cleaning in their own homes first? What if they find some members of their families hiding in these closets? Are they going to turn them in? I hope not because even vipers know how to love their own! 'm of the opinion that only those who have got nothing better to do with their lives have the time to find issues with others. Everything is an issue these days! If these people are so intolerant, how do they get past their own reflections that stare back at them
from their mirrors each morning? How is it that they can see the splinter in the eye of another without first removing the log from their own? There should be no frontier for love. There is a place for everyone under the sun and we do have plenty of sun here, in Malaysia, so what's stopping us? To be seen as a people of faith? A holy people? Can we be a holy people when we persecute others wantonly? Can we be seen as the faithful if we deny others the right to live their lives with dignity? Are these "holier than thou" people trying to purge society of "evil" or are they trying to be one up against another? Who are the "evil" ones here? I would say only those who are pure of heart and intentions are not! Though all societies feel the need to separate good from evil, they have done so according to human standards. The good book tells us that true purity is that of the heart. We should be an enlightened people by modeling our lives on "love of our neighbour", including the orphans, widows and strangers. An act is deemed unworthy if done just to obtain human approval. What about justice towards one's neighbour? Is it justified to criminalize another's behaviour just because he takes a different road? Are we not a "free" people? Did someone not say just very recently that we have the best democracy in the world? A case of "Malaysia Boleh", perhaps? How can our LGBTIQ brothers and sisters live truly and freely if we dictate to them how they should live their lives? Is it democratic to dictate to another how he should eat, breathe and love? What does unity in diversity mean? Seems like those who were espousing this adage not too long ago are now guilty of encouraging division, untruth and violence under the pretense of serving a just cause. A scandal is not something that makes a noise or causes a stir in society but one which leads consciences astray and causes those who seemed honest to fall. I would say that those who condone and practise blatant corruption as an example of being scandalous. Vote-buying doesn't sit well with me, too, and the list goes on. Go-lah, those of you who see yourselves as moral-guardians of society – round up those who are truly corrupted, not criminalize those who are just asking for their right to be seen, heard and treated as an equal, something long overdue in our first-class democratic society! The world is challenging enough for some, almost a trial on a daily basis. This is the 21st century. We can no longer sit back and let others lord over us. We have as much a right to be here as anyone. We need to work towards a just society and we cannot achieve it through accusations and hatred. Forgiveness must replace the thirst for revenge. Moreover revenge is not ours to take. So, too, the propensity to judge another. Don't get me wrong. I'm no saint and I'm not beneath judging another. However, I hate myself for doing this, that is judging another. In judging, we mere humans tend to condemn. I try to live my life this way – to do my best and live the rest to God, including judging another. I believe in judging, He tempers it with great mercy. Mercy is compassion and forebearance shown by one to another who is in his power and has no claim to kindness. The good book says that God is compassionate, sharing a deeper mercy where misery is deeper, offering hope and total liberation where hope is dimmest. God respects people. Respect is an attitude proper to a free person. God is patient, so much so that the reconciliation of so many contradictory groups, forces and cultural currents active in the world today will only be attained at the end of time. In the meantime, we have no business labeling any of them as "the good ones" or "the bad ones". So, I implore you, my fellow Malaysians, be merciful for "Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy". You never know when you might just end up at the shorter end of the stick! To my LGBTIQ brothers and sisters, I hope you can find comfort in this phrase: "I will not relieve you of your load but by placing my yoke on you, I give you means of carrying the load." Have faith and God bless.
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| Khairy Jamaludin - Jangan pertahankan isu NFC. Ianya amat memalukan Posted: 12 Nov 2011 04:39 PM PST ASPAN ALIAS Lepas satu isu timbul satu isu yang melibatkan pemerahan wang rakyat yang di lakukan oleh pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO dan keluarganya dalam jumlah yang besar dan tidak terfikir oleh sesiapa yang mempunyai sedikit daya pemikiran yang baik. Isu yang terakhir yang kita dengar setakat ini ialah isu NFC (national feedlot centre) yang melibatkan keseluruhan keluarga Ketua Wanita UMNO dan seorang Menteri yang masuk ke dalam Jemaah Menteri negara melalui pintu belakang itu.
Dengan terbongkarnya tindakan mencuri ini maka ramailah pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO yang membuat kenyataan sambil berbohong di Parlimen dengan menyatakan yang projek lembu itu adalah projek yang berjaya.
Muhyiddin Yassin yang bertanggung jawab untuk menjadikan projek ini menjadi realiti telah meminta Noh Omar untuk menjawab dan mempertahankan Sharizat di dalam parlimen tetapi beliau menyepi dan tidak berkata apa-apa. Tindakan Muhyiddin untuk meminta Noh Omar untuk menjawab itu memang tindakan yang bijak kerana jawapan yang sebodoh itu hanya boleh diberikan oleh orang seperti Noh Omar itu.
Yang mengejutkan saya ialah penglibatan Khairy Jamaludin membantu Noh Omar mempertahankan tindakan keluarga seorang ahli jemaah kabinet negara dengan mengatakan yang projek itu adalah projek yang berjaya. Khairy menambah lagi kekalutan dengan memberi tahu rakyat yang pembelian kondominium berharga RM10 juta itu adalah tindakan yang betul kerana untuk mengelakan wang lebihan syarikat itu dari 'idle' di dalam akaun syarikat.
Khairy yang baru mula hidup ini sedaya upaya untuk memperbodohkan orang ramai. Khairy yang selama ini saya anggap pemimpin berpotensi dalam UMNO dan negara sekarang sudah menampakan dirinya sudah terpengaruh dengan budaya mempersendakan rakyat. Mungkin Khairy terpaksa bersama-sama Noh Omar menganggap rakyat ramai ini bodoh dan boleh diperlakukan apa sahaja terhadap mereka (rakyat).
Dengan tindakan Khairy memberikan alasan yang jembel untuk mempertahankan Sharizat dan keluarganya saya telah dapat membuktikan teori yang saya selalu sebut; sehebat mana pun dan sehandal mana pun pemikiran dan kepimpinan seseorang itu, apabila terlibat di peringkat kepimpinan UMNO seseorang itu akan menjadi lemah pemikiran dan akan selalu bertindak bodoh mempertahan perkara yang tidak boleh dipertahankan lagi.
Pendeknya UMNO hanya mampu untuk merosakan pemikiran orang ramai dengan menyakinkan perkara yang bathil itu di terima sebagai perkara yang hak. Apa sahaja yang buruk yang di lakukan oleh mana-mana pemimpin tertinggi UMNO itu mereka (pemimpin UMNO) akan berpusu-pusu mempertahankan kesalahan sesama mereka.
Dalam isu NFC ini amat jelas kerajaan sedang cuba untuk memperlembukan orang ramai dengan projek lembu ini. Mereka menggunakan lembu untuk melembukan kita semua. Mereka seolah-olah meminta kita semua bertepuk tangan kerana kegagalan projek ini dan menganggapkan yang projek ini adalah projek berjaya.
Noh Omar dan Khairy seolah-olah menganggap yang kita di bawah ini semuanya lembu yang tidak tahu mengira dan membaca. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘It’s not your father’s money’ Posted: 12 Nov 2011 04:34 PM PST The Auditor-General's Report 2010 is not about politics or the opposition, it is simply about the 'mismanagement of our money'. The Malaysian Marine Parks Department spent a whopping RM56,350 for a pair of night vision Marine binoculars. They paid 29 times more than the binocular's market value of RM1,940 a pair. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today The 2010 Auditor General's Report is a voluminous document with horrifying mentions of repeated trangresions by the authorities. It offered more or less the same findings contained in reports of preceding years , which is bizzarre overpricing, negligence, incompetency and officious arrogance. If you are perplexed as to why the opposition should bicker about the report then we shall have to explain to you in as simple terms as possible. This is not about politics or the opposition. This is beyond the opposition. This is about the mismanagement of our money. And mismanagement of our money deserves to be treated as a cause of concern. We are talking about possible fraud and deception. The short answer to the question then as to why the opposition are irked by the AG's Report as are all right thinking Malaysians is that the money being treated isn't the property of the transgressors. BN government's deception That being so, the administration of the money and the application of the funds thereof, must be done with utmost care. It's not your father's money. That is the short answer. The long answer is, Malaysians are fed up with the deception and misappropriation of funds. For the year 2010, the government approved a budget of RM149 billion for operating expenditure (opex). This wasn't enough and the government had to increase the opex to RM151 billion. The report noted that nine ministries had overspent. Here is where all of us should be concerned. This is taxpayers money being spent on opex. The two billion could have been spent on capital expenditure (capex) which builds capacity to create more wealth. Now, Malaysians are equally outraged by the revelations of the 2010 Auditor-General Reports on the continuing financial scandals, hanky-panky and gross financial negligence in government. Bizzarre overpricing We are horrified to learn for example that the National Sports Institute acquired 23 horses totalling RM5.66 million without a Financial Ministry go-ahead. None of these horses competed in two recommended international championships. Then we have the case of the RM142 million RazakSAT satellite malfunctioning barely a year after being commissioned. Wait, we have more disclosures in the AG Report 2010. The Malaysian Marine Parks Department spent a whopping RM56,350 for a pair of night vision Marine binoculars. They paid 29 times more than the binocular's market value of RM1,940 a pair. They also paid the same amount for another pair of night vision Bushnell binoculars, or 1,893% more than its actual price of RM2,827. We are once again appalled at the incompetence of front line workers incapable of appreciating the importance of proper placement of decimal points and making accounting mistakes that have resulted in wasteful overspending. These should not have happened if there are efficient and proper internal audit systems. As the result of a laid back attitude, we are told of stories where a pensioner received RM21,433 a month instead of RM214.33 for 16 months! The mistake was detected after more than a year. The officer who finally detected the mistake should be a given a merit order. We are also dismayed of hearing Giatmara Centre mistakenly paying RM170 per kg instead of RM1.70 per kg for sugar for a poverty eradication programme or RM25, 500 for 150 kg of sugar! This must be a special kind of sugar. READ MORE HERE |
| PKR eyes mixed seats in the south Posted: 12 Nov 2011 04:19 PM PST PKR's national congress in Johor at the end of the month will signal its intention to make the Umno fortress a frontline state. While DAP has declared that he is Pakatan's candidate for Prime Minister, PAS has been silent, and that speaks volumes. The thing is that not many people are prepared to vote for a party whose leader has all these personal problems and who may be facing jail. Joceline Tan, The Star DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim has had a terrible year. The sodomy trial continues to take up his time, his party is struggling to stay relevant and there was the sex video controversy that whipped up such a storm earlier this year. But anyone watching the latest video of him in the PKR election website would never suspect that he has had such a big load on his shoulders. The centrepiece of the website, still a work in progress, is a video depicting Anwar as a man of the people in line with the party's election theme of Demi Rakyat (for the people). It is quite different from the usual propaganda associated with political parties; this one has a contemporary and unfussy feel to it. Even the message comes across in a simple way, that PKR is a party that exists for the people.  Man to watch: Azmin is said to have secured the backing of his party's de facto leader to be Mentri Besar of Selangor if Pakatan holds on to the state. The PKR deputy president is seen here at a Selangor event with his rival Khalid (right) and Selangor Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim. A huge part of the video shows Anwar riding the LRT train and strolling along the platform area wearing sunglasses. He is also depicted drinking teh-O in a mamak shop, leading the prayers in a surau as well as conducting a meeting. He looks good in the aviator-style sunglasses but they also give him the figure of a visually impaired man who is wondering which train to take. When he gets on the train, he makes his way down the aisle wearing a broad smile and shakes hands with the passengers. But from their reaction, it is clear that many of them are unsure who he is. But the man is a natural actor. He could have been a big star in the Malay movie scene if he was not such a political animal. Anwar has been critical of almost everything about his arch rival Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, but he seems to be taking a leaf from the Prime Minister's going-down-to-the-people approach. And why not? A PKR survey has indicated that Malaysians view Najib in a better light than Anwar.  Rafizi: Beating the war drums at the AGM. Anwar is talking about a Malaysian Spring, claiming that Pakatan Rakyat is going to form the federal government after the upcoming general election. This despite the fact that he has declared the sodomy trial as a "foregone conclusion", meaning that he expects to be convicted and jailed. "Anwar is trying to push the party into election mode, to build up the momentum," said political insider and UCSI don Dr Ong Kian Ming. The PKR de facto leader is rallying the troops in preparation for the party's national congress at the end of the month and, more important, in the run-up to the general election. The congress will be in Johor this year. It is a signal that PKR intends to make Johor its frontline state. "The mood is about going into the election – election preparation, policies, young voters. We will be beating the war drums," said strategy chief Rafizi Ramli, the brain behind many of the ideas popping up in the party. They know that Johor is Umno's fortress and that the Malay majority seats, especially those with Felda content, are no-go areas. Surveys in Johor have shown that Barisan Nasional enjoys 85% support in the Felda areas, 75% among Malays and 60% among Indians. Pakatan leaders are aware they have gone as far as they can in states like Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor and Kelantan.  Saifuddin: PKR is training its guns on Johor. Strategically speaking, said Rafizi, PKR have to slug it out elsewhere if they want to add on to their parliamentary count. Besides, the non-Malay-majority parliamentary seats in Johor are quite similar to that in the Klang Valley in terms of demography and economics. They are also easily accessible, unlike those in Sabah and Sarawak. "Johor will be the battle ground. The focus will be on the mixed seats," he said. The perception is that PKR is going to be the big loser among the Pakatan parties in this election but PKR aims to rattle the ruling party in Johor when they convene at the Pulai Springs Resort where the congress will be held. The last congress in Petaling Jaya had capped a nightmarish party polls that saw dirty laundry being aired and which deeply embarrassed the party. All that is behind them now and, according to secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, speakers will focus on issues relating to the young, cost of living, scandals and corruption, and plight of the working class. "We have told speakers not to spend time praising party leaders. There will be a report card on the preparation for the election and seat negotiation. We will set targets on seats to win and analyse what lies ahead," said Saifuddin. The man to watch in the party is deputy president Azmin Ali. He was the big winner in the stormy party election last year. He showed everyone that he is there not only because of Anwar but also due to grassroots support. There were allegations of fraud and vote rigging on his part but party leaders seem to have reconciled with the fact that he is here to stay. Air of disappointment  Faekah: "Most powerful lady" in Selangor. Azmin is known for his planning and organising skills. However, some are disappointed that he has clung to his style of speaking softly and carrying a big stick. They had expected him to take political positions, comment on issues and take on the other side. After all, his blog graphics show him waving like a champion with a picture of the Prime Minister's office behind him. He has not done much to show what he is about. There have been no major projects nor has he articulated big issues. He has not really raised the game. He was a much-watched debater in Parliament until Anwar returned as Permatang Pauh MP. After that, it seemed like the lieutenant did not want to steal the limelight from the boss. Some call it apple polishing, others think he is merely giving Anwar "face". But, said a close aide: "Azmin is a careful man, he does not make rash decisions. He knows it's a marathon and he wants to bide his time, unlike Mat Sabu (PAS deputy president) who was everywhere after winning and got badly burnt." Many have noted that Anwar is starting to treat him as an equal. He listens to Azmin rather than just instruct him to do this and that. Azmin's priority is the general election. Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is the PKR president but Azmin and Anwar will likely have the main say over candidates and seats. "Everybody will be kissing his hand soon," said a cynical observer. The fight is on between Azmin, who is the party's Selangor chief, and Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. Azmin wants the MB's post and, according to sources, Anwar has finally given the nod. Khalid, some suggest, may only contest a parliamentary seat. Anwar and Khalid are still cordial and they talk but, as some joke, they are talking different languages. Some think the on-going criticism of Khalid's political secretary Faekah Husin is part of the campaign to undermine Khalid. They blame her for keeping a distance between the party and the MB. Faekah, a lawyer, is only about 1.5m (5 feet) tall but she is dubbed the "most powerful lady" in Selangor because she has the ears of the MB and Dr Wan Azizah who was her former boss. Recently, a senior party leader was so upset that Faekah spoke about Selangor's minimum wage policy before the MB announced it that he sent out a message via Twitter to Khalid asking him to control his aide. Unfortunately, something went wrong and it went out as a tweet and became public knowledge. But Faekah has brushed off the allegations of being powerful. She insisted that if even Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had problems controlling Khalid, no one can tell the MB what to do. "He works very hard and he makes us work even harder. I never had pimples on my face until I joined his office," she said. The tussle over the MB's post is a sideshow compared to bigger issues facing the party. "PKR is actually on the defensive this time. It is the weak link in Pakatan," said Dr Ong. The party, he said, is struggling to find good quality Malay candidates. Malay seats, especially the rural ones, are more difficult to fill than non-Malay seats. Apart from the usual qualifications, rural Malays want a candidate who is an anak kampung and religious credentials are important. At a luncheon talk in Singapore earlier this year, Anwar declared that the difference between PKR and other political parties was that it gave opportunities for young people to be candidates. Many of the party's main events have been organised by its younger leaders. But not everyone is sure whether Anwar will be willing to put his foot down on candidates and go with young, qualified faces or stick with the traditional but older loyalists. The party had gone from zero to hero in the last election. But its image has sunk somewhat because of its reputation for "frogs" leaving the party and also because of Anwar's personal problems. His flip-flop on the hudud issue also damaged the party. Anwar is a bit of an oxymoron in PKR. He is the X-factor in the party; at the same time, he is also the one dragging it down. The threat of a new sex video filmed in Bangkok hangs over the party like another sword of Damocles. While DAP has declared that he is Pakatan's candidate for Prime Minister, PAS has been silent, and that speaks volumes. The thing is that not many people are prepared to vote for a party whose leader has all these personal problems and who may be facing jail. At a dinner talk attended by Chinese community figures in Subang last week, a businessman asked Anwar: "You managed to put PAS and DAP together but you can only do that if you are here. What if you are not around?" Despite the emergence of young, energetic leaders, PKR is still very much Anwar-centric. And despite the issues surrounding him, the party has never discussed a scenario without Anwar. "If Anwar has to go to jail, Azmin will be the one leading," said a PKR assemblyman. Given that, Azmin is the one to watch in more ways than one. The trouble is that not everyone in the party thinks he is quite ready for the role. The coming general election will test the party and the leadership of Azmin. |
| Another three-way fight in Jelapang likely Posted: 12 Nov 2011 04:07 PM PST (The Star) - The Jelapang state seat may see a three-cornered fight in the coming general election. In the 2008 election, the seat was contested by Barisan Nasional, and Pakatan Rakyat's DAP and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM). The winner was DAP's Datuk Hee Yit Foong, who has since become a Barisan-friendly independent. PSM deputy chairman M. Saraswathy said the party would maintain its quota of one parliamentary and three state seats for the coming general election. "Negotia-tions with Pakatan on seat allocations are going well," she said. On the party's claim on Jelapang, Saraswathy said the party had been servicing the people there tirelessly since the last election. "Even after Hee became an Independent in 2009, I continued with my service to the people," she said. "There was also a short interim period where there was no service centre by DAP as Hee had closed hers," she added. During the 2008 election, last minute negotiations between the DAP and PSM to avoid a three-cornered fight broke down, resulting in a free-for-all. |
| China unlikely to budge on thorny South China Sea dispute Posted: 12 Nov 2011 03:55 PM PST "ASEAN does not even have a common stand on the South China Sea dispute and has a poor track record in settling issues like this," said Rommel Banlaoi, executive director of Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research. Reuters Pressured at home and increasingly sensing a concerted regional effort to contain its territorial claims, China will be in no mood to make concessions on vast areas of the disputed South China Sea at two key east Asian summits in Indonesia this week. China has the most extensive historic sovereignty claims in the potentially oil and gas rich South China Sea, including uninhabited atolls near the equatorial northern coast of Borneo. Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are the other claimants to parts of the sea, and along with the United States and Japan, are pressuring Beijing to try and seek some way forward on the knotty issue of sovereignty, which has flared up again this year with often tense maritime stand-offs. But China, growing in confidence and military power, will see no reason to back down, a foreign policy analyst said. "It's pretty prominent and pretty powerful now, so why back down now?" Kerry Brown, head of the Asia Programme at Chatham House, a London foreign policy institute. "It would be odd for it to do so when you consider how big its strategic needs are, its energy needs, and the potential that these disputed territories have to fulfil those," he added. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is attending first a summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), followed straight after by the East Asia Summit on November 19, both on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. The East Asia Summit has been held every year since 2005. It gathers senior officials or leaders from Southeast Asia, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand. US President Barack Obama is also due to attend this year. Diplomats say the South China Sea will most likely be raised during the two meetings. Claimants to the sea have been trying to cool tension after a series of disputes this year, including when Chinese patrol boats threatened to ram a Philippine-contracted survey ship in the Reed Bank in March. China and Vietnam last month signed an agreement seeking to contain the dispute, but the wording was vague and contained little new that the two sides had not agreed on previously. "It's really only a question of time before we see another incident of the kind we saw earlier this year," said Ian Storey, a fellow at Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. "China opposes any discussion of the issue at these kinds of forums," he added. "It opposes the 'internationalisation' of the problem. That's a limiting factor because China is obviously the key player in all of this and if it doesn't want to talk you're not going to make much headway." China insists the dispute can only be resolved by bilateral talks between the parties directly concerned and has reacted angrily to attempts by the United States or old enemy Japan to get involved. India too has entered the frame via an oil exploration agreement with Vietnam. With US bases to the east in Japan and South Korea, China fears its southern flank could be threatened if the United States stepped up its naval presence in the South China Sea, even if, as Washington says, it only wants to protect freedom of navigation. Expecting ASEAN to play a role could also be wishful thinking. "ASEAN does not even have a common stand on the South China Sea dispute and has a poor track record in settling issues like this," said Rommel Banlaoi, executive director of Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research. China's state-run press has given wide coverage to the dispute. Last week, the overseas edition of the People's Daily warned East Asian countries against letting the United States poke its nose in prickly questions like the South China Sea. "Everything shows that the United States will provoke the contradictions which exist between countries in this region for its own benefit," it said in a commentary. As well, more than 80 per cent of respondents to an on-line survey the Global Times' website said force should be used to resolve the issue, putting a degree of public pressure on the government not to surrender or weaken its claims. "Whatever happens, I hope the country does not let its people lose face over this," wrote one on-line reader of the popular tabloid, run by Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily. A former Chinese naval officer and academic at China's National Defence University warned in the Global Times on Friday that China risked "leaving fallow one's own land" if it were not more active in the South China Sea. "Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines have all established a presence. We should be more proactive in strengthening our presence and control," Fan Jinfa wrote. |
| Should we settle for this nonsense? Posted: 12 Nov 2011 03:50 PM PST According to Khairy, who — to an outsider like me — seems mighty ready to prove that he is a reliable Umno man, said that the company did not want excess funds to lie idle. This guy thinks that we are dumb as the Umno people he mixes around with. Ali Kadir, The Malaysia Insider It is left to us, ordinary Malaysians, to show outrage at the thievery, corruption, mismanagement and subterfuge that is happening in our country. Let us just ponder at what has happened since the Auditor-General noted that the National Feedlot project was a failure or on the verge of being a failure. First, you have the deputy prime minister downwards trying to convince Malaysians that the project was a success, with arguments that defy logic. Then you had Noh Omar and Khairy Jamaluddin speaking up and defending the track record of the project and the main beneficiaries of the RM250 million soft loan: Shahrizat Jalil's family. Their defence of the incredible — the squandering of public funds — indicated that the old and new of Umno are joined at the hip by ignorance, stupidity and a seemingly endless acceptance of bad practices. Then came the revelation that the holding company behind the NFC project diverted nearly RM10 million in federal funds to buy a condominium in Bangsar. A company with a mandate to develop cattle project dabbling in property speculation, or was it a case of some people siphoning out public funds to build up their property portfolio? According to Khairy, who — to an outsider like me — seems mighty ready to prove that he is a reliable Umno man, said that the company did not want excess funds to lie idle. This guy thinks that we are dumb as the Umno people he mixes around with. When government funds or a soft loan is issued for a specific purpose, it cannot be used for other purposes. Otherwise, can you imagine the rampant abuses that would be taking place? Here is the thing that has been disturbing me: Instead of shining a light on wrong practices and even owning up to mistakes, Umno and this government are prepared to lie and defend the indefensible. In this NFC case, it is because a minister's family is caught in this mess that politicians and the media are all colluding to defend the abuse of taxpayers' funds. Is Shahrizat's family the only one who obtained a sweet deal from the government? I believe this is not the case. Our ministers and politicians want leadership positions so that they can suck out the marrow from our country. READ MORE HERE |
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