Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- What’s up, doc?
- Opposition cause of poor racial ties, says Chua
- Bersih: Assembly law changes another Najib ‘flip-flop’
- Najib tells Umno to close ranks, prepare for ‘war’
- Malaysia to amend contested protest law
- Najib: Ahli Umno kena terbuka terima calon boleh menang
- Bar Council plumbs for Parliament panel to review peaceful assembly bill
- PKR vows to field ‘principled’ candidates
- Johor an uphill task, says PKR chief
- Anwar: ‘Umno jangan mimpi nak tawan negeri dipimpin Pakatan’
- PKR insists can trounce BN in Johor
- What now Anwar?
- Perhimpunan Aman: Kaji balik peruntukan tak praktikal, kata Chandra
- All eyes will be on Shahrizat
- Politics - play safe, play the race
- Dissolution of Parliament in March
- Is M’sia ready to legalise drugs?
- Najib gives M’sians more freedom
- Dr M’s selfish plea for the Umno upper class
- Peaceful Assembly Bill may affect ceramahs
- Entri’s sacking: S’wak BN leaders concerned
- Untuk mengelak Bill Perhimpunan Aman terus dilaksanakan - jangan beri lagi mandat kepada UMNO
- Umno not a racist party - Muhyiddin
- Trishakthi and Malaysian Politics (WITH MALAY TRANSLATION)
- 4 years after the Hindraf rally – we are still looking
- Distorting the past endangers the present
- Malaysia Bill on Demonstrations Draws Protests
- 'With end of Emergency, BN can now pay oil royalty to Kelantan'
- PKR Youth warns of street protests if polls are unfair
- Walk For Freedom 2011: Peaceful Assembly Bill Cannot And Must Not Become Law!
- Contact your MP now!
- Bersih 3.0: Count us in, says PAS
- BREAKING NEWS: Two Black Eyes for AG and MACC!
- Is Umno that patriotic?
- The helicopter view approach
- WIKILEAKS: How in 2008 BN paid for its 2006 sins
- Ambiga says Myanmar freer than Malaysia
- Going Shopping: Lawyers on the march
- Government Screwing Up Durians As Well
- Bersih: Let Malaysians abroad vote
- Sabah should get a higher oil royalty
- PKR Youth dares Umno to change laws for Malay PM
- High Court upholds former CCID director's acquittal
- Azmin: We’ll free Anwar and make him PM free
- ‘What happened to Malaysia?’
- PKR still Pakatan’s ‘weakest link’
- Broken Promise: PM Has Not Lived Up To Malaysia Day 2011 Pledge
- Musa ‘reluctant’ to fight for Sabahans
- Assembly law allows persecution of Pakatan MPs, claims Anwar
- In Johor, Pakatan partners see pitfalls of PKR swagger
| Posted: 26 Nov 2011 10:16 AM PST It's bad enough that there are already so many Tan Sris and Datuks, now we have more Tan Sri Dr and Datuk Dr. And most of them may not have earned their titles academically. If one has all the credentials from the University of Hard Knocks, even without a tertiary education, society would respect that person more. Many people, especially older businessmen, may not have university degrees due to economic circumstances and also because there were fewer universities in Malaysia in the past. Many were eager to venture into business after leaving school and did not want to be salaried workers. Wong Chun Wai, The Star MANY of us must have noticed. There seems to be more and more Malaysians, mostly businessmen, using honorary doctorate titles as designations on their names. It's bad enough that there are already so many Tan Sris and Datuks, now we have more Tan Sri Dr and Datuk Dr. The snag is that most may not have earned their titles academically. While a number may have had theirs conferred by universities for contributions in various fields, there is suspicion that others could have paid for such titles. Even if these honorary degrees were properly awarded, the protocol requirement is that the abbreviation must be in bracket, for example, Datuk (Dr) ABC and not Datuk Dr ABC as in the case of medical practitioners or those with a PhD. Seriously, if one is a successful businessman with a good reputation and track record, there is really no need for an honorary degree to be displayed on one's call card. Accept these honorary degrees by all means but don't pay for them, especially if they are from some obscure universities that are aggressively marketed online. If one has all the credentials from the University of Hard Knocks, even without a tertiary education, society would respect that person more. Many people, especially older businessmen, may not have university degrees due to economic circumstances and also because there were fewer universities in Malaysia in the past. Many were eager to venture into business after leaving school and did not want to be salaried workers. Whatever the reasons, tycoons like Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary never went to universities. And they certainly do not need a "Dr" prefix to go with their names. Both are so confident of themselves that they enjoy telling their listeners about their humble background – how they became successful by starting from the bottom. The legendary Steve Jobs, who co-founded Apple and changed our lives with his inventions, dropped out of university but created an empire. I am not saying that a tertiary education isn't important but doctorates, the highest level in the academic apex, must be earned. In short, respect cannot be purchased. It is nauseating when feng shui practitioners and astrologers unashamedly call themselves "Reverend Professor" when they do not even have formal religious nor academic qualifications. Many Malaysians believe that being titled in this country helps. In many ways, it is true, especially in dealings with government officials. Feudalistic as it may sound, these titles are often taken into account in seating arrangements at official functions. Most Malaysians, however, now feel that such titles are in danger of losing their prestige. Some would even say the shine has long gone. In 2009, it was reported that a Datuk Koay Khay Chye and five others were charged in Penang with trafficking 300kg of Erimin pills worth RM20mil. He had five previous convictions for theft, firearms offences and corruption but retained his Datukship. The public is left wondering where he received his Datukship. Didn't the state which conferred him the title carry out any vetting with the police and Bank Negara? In the case of Selangor, the palace carries out strict checks before titles are conferred and a website has even been set up for the public to check. In another case, a personality who called himself a Datuk Setia became high profile following a trade organisation leadership fight. He told members that he was a Datuk from Selangor. Checks made with the palace secretariat, however, revealed he had never received any state awards, not even a PJK. There must be ways to prevent dubious characters from making such claims. I believe it is a crime. The Conference of Rulers should make a decision to set up websites, similar to the one set up by Selangor, where the public can scrutinise the list of awards recipients. All states should stipulate in their state constitution the maximum number of Datukships and other awards that would be given out each year. There must even be an age requirement. The situation has become so bad that there are perceptions, even allegations, that such awards can be purchased in one or two states. It does not make sense that over a hundred people get Datukship from one particular state every year. More often than not, these recipients do not have strong credentials, besides being just businessmen. Yes, I know businessmen create jobs and help increase the country's revenue, and the congratulatory advertisements help newspapers earn money. But contributions to the state and country must go beyond that. |
| Opposition cause of poor racial ties, says Chua Posted: 26 Nov 2011 10:12 AM PST (The Star) - KLANG: Racial harmony in the country has gone downhill since the 2008 general election, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. Blaming Pakatan Rakyat politicians for the cause of the declining goodwill among the people, he said the Opposition continued to politicise issues regarding race and religion even after gaining control of several states. "What we have seen since the last general election is non-stop politicking from the Opposition. "They use every opportunity to turn everything into racial and religious issues. "There's no denying the relationship among Malaysians of different backgrounds since March 8, 2008 is not as good as before. "There's a lot of suspicion towards each other. This is unhealthy and uncalled for," Dr Chua told a crowd of devotees at the Kuan Tian Kheng temple anniversary celebration in Pandamaran, near here, last night. Singling out PAS, he said the party tended to politicise religious issues. He also said the Pakatan parties were not being truthful when they said hudud law would not affect non-Muslims. "A PAS leader has said they would shut down the Genting Highlands resort because of its gambling outlet. "If that happens, thousands – including non-Muslims – will lose their jobs. "Who said it won't affect them?" Dr Chua asked, adding that DAP had kept silent on this matter. He said religious freedom was a fragile thing and every section of society must do their part to protect it. "The government of the day must practise moderation and the rakyat must practise tolerance and acceptance," he said. |
| Bersih: Assembly law changes another Najib ‘flip-flop’ Posted: 25 Nov 2011 10:20 PM PST By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 — Bersih leaders have criticised the Najib administration for not putting enough thought into the Peaceful Assembly Bill after the government said it will amend several sections in the proposed law following opposition from civil rights groups. Calling it yet another "flip-flop" by the prime minister, Bersih deputy chairman Maria Chin Abdullah said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should not have disregarded the wishes of the people before tabling the Bill earlier this week. "He does this all the time. First, he says yes, yes, yes, and then after that (no, no, no)," she told The Malaysian Insider. Maria lamented that that Najib had fallen short of his Malaysia Day pledge to allow greater freedoms, pointing out that the prime minister had similarly reneged on his promise to stop using the Internal Security Act (ISA). "We are actually in the process of seeing the ISA taken out... and then suddenly, they arrest 11 persons under ISA. "What on earth is going on? I think if he continues in the manner... there will be some strong reaction (from the people)," she said. Bersih steering committee member Wong Chin Huat said the government should scrap the "fundamentally flawed" Bill altogether rather than try to amend portions of it. He likened the Peaceful Assembly Bill to milk powder lace with heavy metals and said it was unacceptable for Putrajaya to merely attempt to reduce the level of contamination. "No, that won't work. You have to throw it away... It's so shameful that Najib should rethink the whole thing," he said. The government need only amend the Police Act to allow freedom of assembly, Wong said, adding that if the authorities wished to implement other changes, the consultation process would have to start anew. Putrajaya has agreed to amend seven sections in the Peaceful Assembly Bill following nationwide protests criticising it as more repressive than current laws.
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| Najib tells Umno to close ranks, prepare for ‘war’ Posted: 25 Nov 2011 10:19 PM PST By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak has called on his party to close ranks and prepare to go to polls ahead of next week's Umno general assembly, widely expected to be the last before the next general election. In an interview with Bernama today, Najib, who is also prime minister, said Umno must focus all its efforts on improving training, knowledge, logistics and the mindset of members to strengthen the party and ensure electoral victory. "We should be prepared in a holistic and comprehensive manner, either in terms of training, knowledge, logistics or in terms of our mindset, our frame of mind, to focus on efforts which could strengthen our party, and to avoid engaging in acts that could weaken the party. "So it is incumbent that our approach must be able to create a strong front, we must close our ranks and we must show the kind of strength that will strike fear among our opponents," he said, according to the full transcript of the interview on Bernama Online. Likening the election to war, Najib said Umno must bolster its strategy, logistics and equipment well before even the first shot is fired. He added that "fundamental values" like loyalty and allegiance, discipline, commitment and teamwork are also qualities that are needed to be fostered in the party ahead of elections. "All these are fundamental values which we must internalise and which we must not compromise. Otherwise, our party will stand to lose in certain areas," he said. Umno needs to have mental strength and fortitude if it wishes to endure the psychological and emotional stress when competing in enemy territory, Najib also said. "If we are mentally resilient and our spirit is strong, we shall overcome... even if the playing field is not level, like in Jakarta," he said, drawing an analogy with the Malaysian football team's SEA Games success in Indonesia. Najib desperately needs to win a two-thirds parliamentary majority in the next election to secure his mandate. His government has moved aggressively into the opposition's Middle Malaysia fortress in recent months, armed with promises of greater freedoms and civil liberties. To date, the prime minister has repealed three Emergency declarations, pledged to abolish the Internal Security Act (ISA), tabled the Peaceful Assembly Bill, set up the parliamentary select committee on electoral reform and given more leeway to university students to participate in politics.
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| Malaysia to amend contested protest law Posted: 25 Nov 2011 08:35 PM PST (AFP) - Malaysia will amend a new law banning street demonstrations, a report said, amid further protests on Saturday by critics who say the bill clamps down on their right to peaceful assembly. Prime Minister Najib Razak has announced a slew of reforms aimed at expanding civil liberties to shore up support ahead of snap elections widely expected to be called next year. But one of his initiatives, the Peaceful Assembly Bill, has come under intense fire for what critics say restricts the right to peaceful protest rather than safeguards it. The Star daily quoted de facto law minister Nazri Aziz on Saturday as saying the Cabinet had agreed to amend several sections of the bill despite Mr Najib defending the law after tabling it in parliament this week.
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| Najib: Ahli Umno kena terbuka terima calon boleh menang Posted: 25 Nov 2011 08:30 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Najib Razak berkata calon boleh menang mestilah seseorang yang boleh diterima majoriti pengundi dalam masyarakat tempatan serta jentera parti. Perdana Menteri berkata sekiranya jentera parti menolak, seseorang yang ada kebolehan atau mempunyai rekod kerja yang baik pun pada akhirnya tidak akan berjaya, seterusnya parti akan kalah dan kehilangan kuasa. "Kalau kita sebagai anggota parti tidak ada sikap yang terbuka dan kita tekankan orang tu (calon itu) mesti merupakan calon yang ikut hierarki (parti) tapi calon kita itu tak mungkin berjaya, calon kita akan gagal," katanya kepada Bernama semasa wawancara khas menjelang Perhimpunan Agung Umno 2011, hari ini. Dipetik Bernama Online, Presiden Umno itu menegaskan pentingnya semua pihak dalam parti memahami maksud calon boleh menang yang mahu ditonjolkan semasa pilihan raya. "Kalau tidak, sukar nak mencapai kejayaan. Kalau calon boleh menang tu ditampilkan dalam kelompok dalam bahagian tanpa mengambil kira kehendak pengundi teramai, calon itu pun tak akan berjaya," kata Najib. Beliau mengakui adalah sukar untuk memuaskan hati semua pihak, terutama di peringkat bahagian Umno. Tetapi menurutnya, "rumusan calon boleh menang itu adalah supaya setiap kerusi yang ditandingi mempunyai peluang terbaik untuk menang." Bagaimanapun katanya, proses pemilihan calon belum muktamad dan penilaian akan dibuat bukan sahaja secara subjektif tetapi juga objektif. "Ini yang paling penting sekali, bukanlah orang yang kita sukai secara peribadi tetapi orang yang boleh diterima sebahagian besar pengundi dalam kawasan berkenaan. Itulah yang mesti kita lakukan," katanya. Katanya soal menentukan calon ini adalah satu perkara yang sangat mencabar dan sukar dilakukan dan mustahil parti dapat memuaskan semua orang. "Mengikut pengalaman saya 35 tahun dalam politik, tak pernah berlaku dalam pilihan raya (calon yang dipilih memuaskan hati semua orang). "Tapi apapun yang dibuat parti, keputusan parti, pada kesudahannya kita kena terimalah, sebagai orang parti keputusan parti walaupun keputusan itu tidak mengikut selera atau kehendak kita," katanya. Najib berkata, banyak juga peristiwa di mana beliau melihat orang yang setia kepada parti, walaupun keputusan parti tidak disenanginya tetapi menerimanya dan akhirnya calon akan menang. "Sebaliknya kalau dia terus menentang, dia nak kata apa nak jadi-jadilah, aku nak menentang. Jadi maknanya dia tak setia pada parti dan calon itu kalah dan maknanya parti akan kalah. Dia patut sedar bila parti kalah makna kita akan kehilangan kuasa," katanya. Najib juga mengakui bahawa di peringkat bahagian pun, anggota parti tidak sependapat mengenai calon terbaik di kalangan mereka dan apa yang harus ada ialah disiplin parti.
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| Bar Council plumbs for Parliament panel to review peaceful assembly bill Posted: 25 Nov 2011 08:28 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Bar Council chief Lim Chee Wee is pushing Putrajaya to refer the controversial Peaceful Assembly Bill to a parliamentary select committee (PSC) for review instead of making a further mess of the proposed law. In an email statement to The Malaysian Insider today, Lim noted the government's decision to amend seven provisions in the proposed law was "mildly positive" but stressed it was not responding to the real problem. "It is being rushed with unholy haste into law without adequate public consultation," the lawyer said. He noted that much of the government's amendments to the proposed law remained unknown, except for the plan to shorten the advanced notice to the police for a "static assembly" to be held, from 30 days to 10. Lim pointed out there were many other "objectionable" provisions in the proposed law that also bans street demonstrations, or as he called it "assemblies in motion". In comparison, he said in the UK, no notice is required for static assemblies, while "assemblies in motion" only needed a six-day advanced notice. In Finland, organisers only needed to give notice six hours ahead of the planned assembly. "This is outrageous," Lim said, and cited a famous English judge, Lord Alfred Denning, who had said that "freedom of assembly is a hard-earned freedom not to be taken for granted". He added that history is full of warnings against suppression of such rights and reminded the Barisan Nasional government of Umno's 15,000-strong march against the colonialist government's Malayan Union idea, which disregarded the Malay interest.
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| PKR vows to field ‘principled’ candidates Posted: 25 Nov 2011 05:23 PM PST Party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail promises that candidates for the coming polls will be committed to PKR's struggle and not be lured by money. (Free Malaysia Today) - PKR, which witnessed several of its elected representatives abandoning ship in the aftermath of the 2008 general election, vowed not to repeat the mistake. Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, party president and wife of opposition supremo Anwar Ibrahim, said PKR would not pick "suspicious" candidates for the coming polls. "We (PKR's top leadership) guarantee that we will consult the divisions and grassroots in choosing the candidates. "The candidates should be those who are qualified, hold true to the principles of the struggle and will not be tempted by the millions of ringgit from the enemy (to defect)," she added. Speaking to more than 2,000 people while opening PKR's eighth national congress in Johor, Wan Azizah stressed that the party would not compromise with the enemies within. She said the party leadership received feedback on some of its elected representatives who were ill qualified and performed poorly either in Parliament or state assemblies. Those who neglected the plight of the "rakyat" would also face the stick, she said. Blessing in disguise She however said it was a blessing in disguise that the party had discovered traitors (PKR elected representatives who had left the party to become independents) early. "They have now become the tools of corruption," she said.
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| Johor an uphill task, says PKR chief Posted: 25 Nov 2011 05:11 PM PST (The Star) - PKR has acknowledged that it will be an uphill task to capture Johor, the birth place of Umno. PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail said the party had to be realistic about its chances. Speaking at the party's national congress here, she said, however, the party was not short of candidates to field in the general election and gave the assurance that only those committed to the party would be fielded. PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said he was optimistic that the party has more support from the people than five years ago.
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| Anwar: ‘Umno jangan mimpi nak tawan negeri dipimpin Pakatan’ Posted: 25 Nov 2011 05:09 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengingatkan kerajaan Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) agar melupakan hasrat dan cita-cita untuk menawan negeri-negeri pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat (PR) termasuk Selangor. Kenyataan itu dikeluarkan Anwar pada Ceramah Perdana PKR di pejabat Angkatan Muda Keadilan cabang Gelang Patah malam tadi sempena kongres tahunannya di sini. "Umno jangan mimpi nak tawan negeri-negeri Pakatan Rakyat, mustahil, ... Umno tidak akan berjaya untuk menawan kembali Selangor," tegasnya di hadapan 300 penyokong parti itu. "Negeri-negeri PR sudah membuktikan kami mampu mentadbir dengan berhemah dan cekap, buktinya di Selangor, hasil pentadbiran yang cekap, kami mampu untuk memberikan air percuma kepada rakyat Selangor," katanya lagi. Tambah Ketua Umum PKR ini, Johor juga tidak akan mampu menahan arus perubahan yang sedang melanda politik negara dewasa ini. "Sekiranya pimpinan Umno-BN masih lagi mengamalkan corak pentadbiran sedia ada, mengabaikan hak dan kepentingan Melayu, tidak mustahil kami akan menawan negeri ini, walaupun ia kubu kuat Umno, ini sudah dibuktikan di Ijok. "Dahulunya Ijok juga merupakan kubu kuat Umno, tapi kita lihat apa yang jadi? Bila rakyat bangkit menolak pemimpin yang korup, PR mampu menawan Ijok," katanya. Namun begitu, Anwar juga memberikan teguran kepada pimpinan PR supaya tidak mengikuti sikap pemimpin Umno-BN yang menurutnya takbur, dan lupa diri. "Ingat, pimpinan PR jangan jadi seperti pemimpin Umno-BN, jangan takbur riak, dan lupa diri apabila sudah memerintah, utamakan hak rakyat dan bukannya pentingkan diri sendiri," katanya memberi peringatan kepada pemimpin parti berkenaan. Penasihat Ekonomi Selangor ini juga berjanji sekiranya parti pimpinannya berjaya menawan Putrajaya, tarif elektrik negara dan harga minyak akan diturunkan dalam masa seminggu pemerintahannya. "Ini janji saya, sekiranya PR berjaya menawan Putrajaya, harga tarif elektrik dan minyak akan saya turunkan. "Umno-BN akan cakap saya hanya buat janji kosong, tidak berasas, negara boleh bankrup sekiranya saya laksanakan perkara ini, tapi mereka lupa, lapan tahun saya pegang jawatan Menteri Kewangan, bodohkah saya?" katanya mempersoalkan tuduhan kerajaan terhadapnya.
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| PKR insists can trounce BN in Johor Posted: 25 Nov 2011 05:05 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - PKR reaffirmed its confidence today in toppling Barisan Nasional (BN) in its Johor bastion, claiming the current sentiment on the ground is similar to Perak and Selangor prior to Election 2008.  Saifuddin is confident PKR can take Johor in the next polls. "The signal we get is the same as in Perak and Selangor before. We have planned 20 ceramahs each night and the reception... we never got this five years ago," the Machang MP told a press conference later. He told delegates at what is likely to be the party's last national meet before polls expected early next year that PKR has also previously held its national meet in Kedah, Penang, Selangor and Perak before Election 2008. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) grabbed all four states as well as Kelantan in the March 2008 polls and also denied BN its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament. The Malaysian Insider reported that Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman summoned district officers on Thursday morning to brief them on "limiting the impact" of PKR's ceramahs. "MB is taking PKR's presence this weekend seriously," a source said, noting that this was on top of Abdul Ghani's already hectic pre-election schedule that sees him pounding the pavement at least four days a week in "hot seats" across the state. Despite this, the party has refused to be drawn into talk of a mentri besar candidate. Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also told reporters today that PR "won't talk about MB candidate" but would work together to capture the state first. Johor was mostly unaffected from the March 2008 "tsunami" that swept 82 PR lawmakers into Parliament. PR won just one federal and six state seats out of 26 and 56 respectively on offer in Johor in 2008 and none of the winners were from PKR.
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| Posted: 25 Nov 2011 04:16 PM PST STEADAKU74 The first tier leaders within PKR are now readying themselves for a 'THEM' vs 'US' day of reckoning. There is a 'If you are not with us then you are against us' mentality that permeates all aspects of PKR politics. There is no room for dissent or arguments. And they are all bunkering down into a siege mentality - the mentality that will close PKR to all but the faithful. The faithful within PKR whose loyalty to the party is unconditional. A mind set that inhibits alternative points of view. This is the flaw within PKR that will make it stumble even as it begins to walk. No it is not me going PKR bashing again! Be rest assured that my bashing of UMNO and Barisan Nasional is more relentless and sustained. What I do not want PKR to be are the debris of history - leaving nothing tangible that could help our people and our nation to survive UMNO and Barisan Nasional. This is what I wrote of Anwar on the 22nd of February in 2009 – almost three years ago. Nothing much has change – not Anwar and certainly not my opinion of him! But what will haunt Anwar will be this: Too many friends and allies have now become his nemesis. Anwar listens but does not hear. He looks but does not see. What now Anwar?
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| Perhimpunan Aman: Kaji balik peruntukan tak praktikal, kata Chandra Posted: 25 Nov 2011 02:53 PM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - Presiden Pergerakan Keadilan Sedunia (JUST) Dr Chandra Muzaffar mahu kerajaan mengkaji semula peruntukan Rang Undang-undang Perhimpunan Aman 2011 termasuk keperluan tempoh notis wajib 30 hari atas alasan ia tidak praktikal dengan semangat akta baru itu. Rang undang-undang itu telah dibentangkan untuk bacaan kali kedua kelmarin dan akan dibahaskan minggu depan. Chandra (gambar) berkata peruntukan mewajibkan penganjur perlu memaklumkan pihak polis 30 hari sebelum perhimpunan tidak masuk akal. "Oleh itu, kerajaan perlu mengkaji semula rang undang-undang ini," kata beliau selepas membentangkan kertas kerjanya pada Seminar Kebangsaan Pemahaman Wasatiyyah & 1 Malaysia anjuran Biro Penerangan Umno hari ini. Katanya, beliau bersetuju dengan penggubalan rang undang-undang itu tetapi ia perlu diteliti semula kerana memberi kuasa yang lebih kepada pihak polis. Katanya lagi, malah ada peruntukan dalam rang undang-undang itu sudah ada dalam akta lain, jadi ia perlu dikaji semula. "Ada yang baik tentang rang undang-undang ini supaya tidak perlu memohon permit polis serta tidak perlu mengheret kanak-kanak, tetapi kerajaan perlu meneliti beberapa frasa lain yang mengkongkong kebebasan rakyat," katanya. Terdahulu ketika membentangkan kertas kerjanya dalam seminar tersebut, kata beliau Malaysia merupakan contoh terbaik telah mengamalkan wassatiyah atau kesederhanaan. "Pada keseluruhannya rakyat dan kerajaan Malaysia mendukung dan mengamalkan prinsip wasatiyyah yang telah termaktub dalam gagasan 1 Malaysia," katanya. Katanya lagi, itu adalah kunci kejayaan negara kita dan inilah rahsia keamanan dan keharmonian kaum serta kestabilan masyarakat negara ini.
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| Posted: 25 Nov 2011 02:32 PM PST The Wanita Umno ladies have committed to stand by Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who has been badly hit by the cows and condos issue. But will the men be as kind to her at the Umno general assembly next week? No one may ask Shahrizat to step down as Wanita Umno chief or from her Cabinet post. But as many have pointed out, she is no longer viewed as a winning candidate in the general election and that is something which she has to think about in the months ahead. Joceline Tan, The Star THE last few weeks have been awful for Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. The cows and condos controversy has really rocked her and her family. She returned from performing the umrah on Thursday night a little calmer, but the pressure is building up again as she prepares to face the Umno general assembly next week. Were it not for this issue, Shahrizat would be riding high into the Umno assembly. She has done an excellent job as the Wanita leader and her Ministry of Women, Family and Community development has lived up to its name. The senior ladies in Umno speak glowingly of her. She has brought women's issues back to the centre stage and fought for a bigger role for women in the party, government and the corporate sector. She may look like one of those society ladies who attend lunches and little else but she has been like a tigress on issues affecting women and the family. Shahrizat had to battle Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz for the post but she has since shown that she deserves to be there. She has also worked well with the men in the party. They like the direction in which she has led the wing and also the way she carries herself. Under her, the 1.3 million-strong wing has remained the party's most loyal and steadfast group and is poised to play the role of the backbone of Umno in the general election. "We are with her. She has brought change to Wanita Umno, allowed new faces to come to the forefront," said Cheras Wanita Umno deputy head Zurainah Musa. The Wanita Umno wing is standing by her. But outside of Wanita Umno, the mood is less unanimous. For instance, while Zurainah is committed to supporting Shahrizat, her boss, Cheras Umno chief Datuk Syed Ali Alhabshi is finding it hard to defend the issue. Cheras is an urban constituency and Syed Ali is dealing with a critical and informed Malay base. "People have been calling me to ask about this issue and they don't like it. I don't want to whack her, I like her as a leader, but we want to win the election. I hope everybody understands that," said the outspoken Syed Ali. This Umno assembly is focused on the general election and, as several Umno leaders have pointed out, the scandal has hurt the party and the Barisan Nasional. Shahrizat's husband and National Feedlot Corporation executive chairman Datuk Dr Mohamed Salleh Ismail has gone to great lengths to explain the multi-million ringgit cattle project but public reception has not been good. The fact that the project went to her family makes it hard for party members to defend her, and buying those upmarket condominiums took the cake. Syed Ali spoke for many in Umno when he said that Shahrizat cannot disassociate herself from her family on this project. He is also unhappy that instead of defending herself, she is relying on the other leaders to defend her. "What I am saying is that she has to accept responsibility. If she loves the party, she must make the right decision," Syed Ali said. Even Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in an interview with The Star, said Shahrizat has to "take the blame". The question on everyone's lips is whether Shahrizat will face the heat at the Umno assembly. The feedback is that she will sail through her Wanita Umno assembly on Wednesday. Her ladies will not criticise or attack her. They may not even touch on the issue at all. But will the men at the main assembly let her off? Many are comparing the controversy to the AP (Approved Permit) issue that almost derailed Rafidah's career in 2005. On the evening of the Wanita Umno assembly, Rafidah had cried and declared her innocence before the Holy Quran. The next day, the women showed their loyalty to her and there was not a single mention of the AP issue during the debate. But on the final day of the main assembly, as Rafidah stood onstage to defend herself, some men in the audience booed and jeered her. It was not a pretty scene. Shahrizat may not get the same horrible treatment because she has a good rapport with the men and has not alienated them the way her predecessor had. Although Shahrizat has not said much publicly, she has personally addressed her Wanita exco members and explained the issue to the wing's division chiefs and information heads. She has appealed to them to go home and explain what they have heard to the Wanita grassroots. Syed Ali will be one of the speakers debating the motion of thanks on the president's speech but he has decided to not bring up the NFC issue. "I am reluctant to further damage the party. I have conveyed my views to the leadership and they know where I stand." No one may ask Shahrizat to step down as Wanita Umno chief or from her Cabinet post. But as many have pointed out, she is no longer viewed as a winning candidate in the general election and that is something which she has to think about in the months ahead. READ ALSO: The helicopter view approach
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| Politics - play safe, play the race Posted: 25 Nov 2011 02:12 PM PST KTEMOC KONSIDERS Much as I may wish, I personally doubt Pakatan will form the next government, EVEN if it wins the majority of the seats in the next general election. For a start, I am troubled by many factors – UMNO's advantage of incumbency, our remarkable EC and other state apparatus (which performance had been amply demonstrated in Perak, Selangor and during the earlier days of the Pakatan-governed Penang), increasingly royal political activitism, the judiciary, etc.
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| Dissolution of Parliament in March Posted: 25 Nov 2011 02:08 PM PST By Toffee Expecting the worst Najib has set March for the dissolution of Parliament, it will be after the passing the bill to remove the Internal Security act. The bill will have the full support of Parliament, this time around the BN, and in particular Najib, Mahathir Mohammed, and some of their cronies will want it more than anyone else, even more than those who are currently being held by this draconian piece of legislation. There will be a motion to repeal the ISA in March and depending on the outcome of the elections the new government if it is led by the BN will reinstate the ISA if they win with a clear majority, or the bill may be held in ambiance as it will then be awaiting Royal consent and accordingly it will either receive or not receive Royal consent. This is the game being played and a plan of this government, fearing that they might be ousted in the next General Elections they are taking all measures to protect themselves. They fear that the armed forces and the police may break ranks and follow the orders of the government of the day, and so in order to ensure that they can use whatever means within their power they may try and retake Parliament by foul means, and if they fail take flight from the country, to do this safely they'll have to revoke the ISA lest they become victims of their own folly. An UMNO source says this was the brain child of the Attorney General who himself is afraid of being held accountable should the Barisan lose the next General Elections. It has received the tacit approval of Mahathir and Najib and the possibility of the formation of another National Operations Council (NOC) is very real, the irony is it is being put in place by Najib Tun Razak – like father like son. The NOC idea is to be the first option should they lose the General Elections. Huge sums of money are being transferred out of Malaysia on a daily basis, it is worst than the Indian Black market, and the only person capable of making such transactions is none other than an Indian who masquerades as a Malay, he has a an entire brigade of money changers working for him, he does not need sophisticated banking systems to take that money out. The situation is rife the man who said what is happening in Syria, and Egypt cannot happen in Malaysia is now rather quiet, he sees the possibility that it will happen here, the people are fed up, and they want their dignity back. The people of Malaysia want their country back and in that process there will be assemblies, peaceful or otherwise, no Malaysian rally has been violent, it only became violent because the government made it violent by use of brutal police force, and the people who participated in those rallies were victims of violence. It has been proven in the Tung Shin Hospital incident. It happened time and time again in Malaysia. Malaysian football crowds were never violent, they shouted they jeered, they cheered but they were never violent, violence is not our way of life and many a foreigner will attest to that. But his government in pursuit of its own agenda are and have proven to be capable of turning rallies violent if it suits them, safety and human life seems to take a back seat when their own interests are involved. Elections are due after the March sitting of Parliament, a lot of issues need to be ironed out and as Mahathir put it, Najib has done nothing since he came to office, he has been more preoccupied with his foreign travel, his shopping trips for Rosmah, his promotion of Rosmah to first lady and the immense importance he has given her in Malaysian politics that she is sometimes made to look as the defacto minister of foreign affairs. Whilst Rosmah basks in her popularity, and her ability to appear daily in the press, more often than the Deputy PM and even the PM, in fact more often than any minister and members of Parliament, the Malaysian community and more particularly the Malays are angry at her arrogance, and her lavishness and though many may not be familiar with the famed Maria Antoinette, they are with Imelda Marcos and have drawn a parallel between the two. |
| Is M’sia ready to legalise drugs? Posted: 25 Nov 2011 01:48 PM PST Addiction experts say incarcerating drug addicts is not having the desired effect and countries embracing harm reduction approaches are seeing better results. The Portugal case has been repeatedly referred to and touted as a resounding success, with impressive results. It has reduced addiction, HIV infections, drug-related crimes and drug-related deaths; and more addicts are seeking treatment. It has also freed Portugal police to concentrate on big-time dealers. Teoh El Sen, Free Malaysia Today Malaysia has been urged to consider the decriminalisation of drugs as a new policy to better deal with the country's perennial drug problem. Several experts voiced support for this radical view and said more countries around the world are beginning to accept that drug addiction is a disease which can be treated. Many countries have found that treating drug addiction as a criminal issue has failed, and are considering addressing problem as a health and social issue. "Decriminalising" means that a person possessing small amounts of drugs for personal use does not constitute a crime. Drug trafficking is still considered a serious crime. Internationally, policymakers and experts have taken note of Portugal, which in 2001 decriminalised all drugs including cocaine and heroine. Those found with 10 days worth of drugs would not be arrested, but sent to a Dissuasion Commission which assesses the person's needs and tailors an optional programme for them. The Portugal case has been repeatedly referred to and touted as a resounding success, with impressive results. It has reduced addiction, HIV infections, drug-related crimes and drug-related deaths; and more addicts are seeking treatment. It has also freed Portugal police to concentrate on big-time dealers. Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) president Zaman Khan said he fully supports the decriminalisation of drugs for personal use in this country too. "Possession of drugs in small amounts should not be treated as a crime. Rather, the addict should be regarded as a patient needing rehabilitation," said Zaman, a former federal CID director and Prisons Department director-general. "I'm not supporting the taking drugs for fun, and I'm not saying go ahead and smoke your drugs," he added. Change in perception However, public acceptance was important, and a crucial a paradigm shift in perception must occur for the anything to work, said Zaman. "I think we are ready. But our people are not making a cry for it yet. You can't expect politicians to go for this without the support of the community. "I believe the government is already looking into this possibility, and are just waiting for us to voice up," said Zaman, who said discussions and debates on this topic were needed. Zaman said top leaders in the country, including Bukit Aman narcotics director Noor Rashid Ibrahim, are beginning to see that criminalising drug addiction was erroneous. Years of experience in the police force and prisons taught Zaman that the old ways of arresting addicts and forcing them to kick the habit have not been successful. "Caning is no solution either. It just drives them deeper underground. And if police are free from catching small-time addicts, you can pay attention to the big-time traffickers,' he said. Prisons are no help as there is access to drugs there and Zaman was quick to admit that. "I would be the last person to deny that drugs never came into prisons. Prison walls are pervious and the drugs somehow came in despite all my efforts to change things." For years, medical professionals and addiction therapists have been advocating the use of drug substitution therapy or medical assisted therapy, which Zaman said has proven to effective worldwide. Zaman said that needle exchange programmes, which was introduced in 2006, was vital in bringing down HIV/AIDS cases in Malaysia. Zaman found it puzzling that on one hand, the government supports medical assisted therapy and needle exchange; but on the other, still regard drug addiction as an offence. "That's a problem. Because addicts who want to get better would not come forward when the an arrest is just waiting outside these clinics and centres," he said.
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| Najib gives M’sians more freedom Posted: 25 Nov 2011 01:43 PM PST The reforms help distract and reduce the rakyat's worries about electoral fraud and the National Feedlot Corporation's alleged misuse of RM250 million of taxpayers' money. In contrast, a pro-government party member believed that the new laws should make it easier for the authorities to stifle political dissenters. "The ISA was a burden. They (the authorities) had to plant Che Guevara T-shirts or Mao propaganda leaflets in bags of people who were potential trouble-makers. Arrests are only possible when national security is threatened." Mariam Mokhtar, Free Malaysia Today With dizzying speed, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak tabled several new laws to fulfill an earlier pledge to give Malaysians the "best democracy in the world". Meanwhile, political pundits criticise Najib's "rash of reforms" saying that they were an over-reaction to public sentiment in the run-up to GE-13. Their skepticism stems from the action of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who promised envoys from the UN Security Council, that he was "committed to the reform process." The Syrian uprising has left 3,500 dead, scores injured and thousands detained. Other cynics said, "Najib is not capable of a rash reform. The only rash he knows is when he was hospitalised with (chicken) pox last year." Perhaps "better late than never" could be another Barisan Nasional slogan. BN has taken four decades to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA) 1960 and should be praised for being receptive to the mood of the nation. Nevertheless, reforms help distract and reduce the rakyat's worries about electoral fraud and the National Feedlot Corporation's alleged misuse of RM250 million of taxpayers' money. At the weekend, BN confirmed that they were wooing young voters. Foreign PR consultants, which cost the Malaysian taxpayer millions, are finally proving they are value for money. They gave BN leaders some useful advice. They confirmed our long-held belief that our youth is well versed in the use of digital media. As a result, Najib and his home minister have their own version of the mobile phone and music shop sales pitch: "Trade in your old law for two new ones". Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, earlier announced two new laws to replace the ISA. The students were promised an amendment to the Universities and University Colleges Act 1974 (UUCA) so that they could join political parties at 21. The PM said he valued "the maturity and wisdom of undergraduates". Like any other wise parent, Najib exercises caution by ensuring that our youth is not troubled by too many liberties. He barred them from bringing partisan politics onto campuses. He cherishes the old-fashioned view that students cannot make sound judgements without consulting their parents, the university's governing body or the authorities. Maybe he is worried that studies would be disrupted. He probably read about UK students wreaking havoc in the centre of London, whilst increasing public awareness about cuts in education. It is probable he didn't want copy-cat acts similar to the Tunisian street vendor, an allegedly unemployed student, who immolated himself, when he was harassed by the police. As expected, the home minister reiterated that the two new laws to replace the ISA would still include detention without trial. Najib's giant step But many political observers were surprised when Hishammuddin stressed that the process of replacing the ISA had begun two years ago. Someone who had been arrested during the ISA protest at Amcorp Mall in August 2010 said, "I suppose we were so busy protesting, that we failed to notice that the government had started dismantling the ISA." A "Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA" protester based in England, known to religiously attend every Saturday afternoon protest outside the Malaysian Tourist Office in Trafalgar Square said: "Perhaps it's for the best. Protesting in summer is like a day out. What could be better than downing ale whilst watching pretty girls walk past? But winter is depressing. When it's wet and cold, I can easily imagine what it feels like to be in a damp cell in Kamunting." Hishammuddin's justification for Malaysia's detention without trial is centred on the United States Patriot Act and the Anti-Terrorism Acts in the United Kingdom and Australia. BN supporters are afraid that in trying to be like the UK and US, Malaysia might also have to curb its human rights abuses. They disagree with the western emphasis on human rights: "See what happens when you are soft on people. They riot. Then they rob you. We should be thankful that BN does not riot." In contrast, a pro-government party member believed that the new laws should make it easier for the authorities to stifle political dissenters. "The ISA was a burden. They (the authorities) had to plant Che Guevara T-shirts or Mao propaganda leaflets in bags of people who were potential trouble-makers. Arrests are only possible when national security is threatened." Last week, Najib announced the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011, which he termed a "revolutionary" law and a "giant step" towards improving individual freedom. He denied claims that the Act choked the freedom to assemble. He assured protesters of a fine and spared them time behind bars. A political observer said, "BN is desperate for money. They need to buy votes in GE-13 and the coffers are empty. Taxpayers' money has been directed into emergency funds overseas, in case the BN leaders need to escape." Najib said that gatherings were only prohibited in, or near, selected sites. He rambled on whilst reading his short list which included hospitals, schools, petrol stations, fire stations, airports, railways, land public transport terminals, ports, canals, docks, bridges, places of worship, kindergartens, schools, dams, reservoirs and streets. He rubbished claims that assemblies were banned "anywhere and everywhere".
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| Dr M’s selfish plea for the Umno upper class Posted: 25 Nov 2011 01:38 PM PST By Joe Fernandez, FMT Former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, 86, appeared on national television Wednesday night on a TV3 programme to flog the age-old line that has so far benefited only a mere handful of "Malays" at the expense of the community itself and the nation. Oblivious to continuing criticism of his "Malay Dilemma" approach, Mahathir reiterated that "the Malay struggle" – whatever it means – was still not over. He argued that the community still needed to be protected by the government until they "duduk sama rendah, berdiri sama tinggi dengan kaum kaum lain". He made no mention, during his selfish plea, of the large numbers of natives of Sabah and Sarawak and the Orang Asli who lie at the bottom of the heap. This kind of skewered political thinking fails to take into account the stark reality that it was the distortions and deviations in the implementation of key legislation and government policy that did and continues to do the Malays in. Besides, it has created a situation where as many Malays as non-Malays continue to flee the country in record numbers to escape the mediocrity culture that has gripped the country. Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, and by extension the New Economic Policy (1979-1990), lie at the heart of the so-called Malay Dilemma. The Federal Constitution, it must be stressed, does not state that the Malays are the natives or original people of Peninsular Malaysia. Nevertheless, Article 153 promises a special position – not special privileges as often claimed by Umno – for the Malays, along with the natives of Sabah and Sarawak and the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia. The special position reserves, for the aforesaid communities, a reasonable proportion of opportunities in four areas viz. intake into the civil service; intake into government-owned institutions of learning and training privileges; government scholarships; and opportunities from the government to do business. Article 153 is not a "sapu bersih" (clean sweep) provision in the Federal Constitution. It recognizes, at the same time, the legitimate aspirations of the non-Malay communities i.e. meaning those other than Orang Asli and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak. The bottomline line is that except for a handful of Malays from the ruling elite, the vast majority of Malays like other Malaysians are being denied the fruits of Article 153. Ali Baba syndrome Likewise, the NEP which is an extension of the fourth special position in Article 153, has been an abysmal failure in the wake of the Ali Baba syndrome and successive kleptocratic chief executives heading the federal and state governments. Any business with and from the government – be it contracts, tenders, procurements and the like – cost the tax payer, in the ultimate analysis, anything from twice to ten times the actual figure. The difference is pocketed by the many on the gravy train created by the politics of patronage. This is akin to stealing from the public treasury. One result has been that the Umno government has failed to ensure that the Orang Asli, natives and Malays will own, manage and control 30 per cent of the nation's corporate wealth – i.e. the publicly listed companies – by 1990. Twenty years after the NEP was to have officially ended, the state and federal GLCs are being passed off as the 30 per cent. State-owned assets cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be considered as being owned by just one community in Malaysia, and to the exclusion of other citizens. |
| Peaceful Assembly Bill may affect ceramahs Posted: 25 Nov 2011 01:35 PM PST By Tarani Palani, FMT PETALING JAYA: With the Peaceful Assembly Bill it looks like the police will have the final say on political ceramahs. Now, a police permit is no longer required to hold an assembly. But the orgnanisers must inform the police 30-days in advance before organising such gatherings or assemblies. The Pakatan Rakyat MPs fear that this new ruling will hamper their election campaigns. During a debate over the matter, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim had raised that the fact that the bill further complicates the opposition front's capacity to hold ceramahs and to reach out to the people. DAP MP for Rasah Anthony Loke said political ceramahs was a major way to reach-out to the voters. Under the current law, he said opposition political ceramah activities are already at the mercy of the OCPD. However, with the new law in place, it is more difficult to reach out to the public through these talks. "Usually the crowd, especially the Malay crowd depends heavily on political ceramah. With the current Police Act, we are already heavily depended on the discretion of the OCPD. "If you get a reasonable OCPD, its easier (to attain a permit). If you get an unreasonable OCPD it gets harder," he said. Loke also took issue with the lengthy notification period. "Political activities don't work this way. Within 30 days, the issues would have already died down, "Within two, three days when an issue come to the fore, you need to have forums or briefing sessions to inform the public. Thirty days is unreasonable when we live in an age where information flows within seconds," he added. Huge fines Fellow MP and DAP publicity chief, Tony Pua agreed that ceramahs were an important means to reach out to the public. "We have no control over print and broadcasts media. Our opinions only get published in (the) online media which have limited reach. "We rely on direct communications on the ground to get our message across," said the Petaling Jaya Utara MP. Another issue, which may land MPs in a sticky situation is the of fines imposed on wrong-doers which can disqualify MPs as parliamentarians. As it stands now, MPs could lose their seat if they are fined an excess of RM2,000 or a jail sentence of one year is imposed on them. If a MP is found guilty, under the new bill, he could face a maximum of RM10,000 and RM20,000 for some offences. Loke brushed aside arguments made by Barisan National MPs that it is up to the judge's discretion to issue the fines which may not reach the maximum amount stipulated by the Bill.
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| Entri’s sacking: S’wak BN leaders concerned Posted: 25 Nov 2011 01:34 PM PST By Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Sarawak Barisan Nasional leaders have expressed concern over the effects of the sacking of Sylvester Entri, the Marudi assemblyman from SPDP. The SPDP vice-president and assistant minister of public utilities was sacked last Friday after he was found guilty of leading a group of eight leaders to rebel against the party leadership in January last year. Among the first to react to the sacking was Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud who said that he would discuss the matter with SPDP leaders. "Let things cool down first. I will meet the party leaders," added the state BN chairman, who had earlier described the issue as a "family problem" and not a crisis. State BN secretary-general Stephen Rundi said Entri was still a member of BN. "Entri is not partyless. Whatever it is, we all are still BN men. We will solve the problem," he said. Commenting on the same issue, PRS president James Masing wanted Entri and the other four elected representatives to remain with BN at all costs to prevent them from joining the opposition. BN leaders held an emergency meeting on Friday night at the residence of the chief minister after news of the sacking broke. Entri is no ordinary assemblyman; he was not only hand-picked by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) leaders to contest in Marudi in the 1996 state election donning the SPDP shirt but he was now a Muslim after marrying a woman related to Taib. 'Saddest day of my political career' In announcing the sacking, SPDP president William Mawan said: "Today is the saddest day of my political career. After due process and consultation with the supreme council, with regret I announce that YB Sylvester Entri is no longer a member of SPDP with immediate effect. But the seat of Marudi which Entri is representing remains with the party." Mawan recalled the incident in January last year when Entri staged a walkout, followed by Peter Nansian, senior vice-president and Tasik Biru assemblyman, Dr Tiki Lafe, vice-president and MP for Mas Gading, Rosey Yunus, vice-president and Bekenu assemblywoman, Paulus Gumbang, information chief and Batu Danau assemblyman, supreme council members Peter Gani, George Garai and Cr Eda Egar. "I have consistently maintained that SPDP's door was always open for them. Instead, Entri and his group continuously distanced themselves from the party by not attending supreme council meetings and made sustained attacks on me, challenging and ridiculing my leadership through one press statement after another. "These acts created unnecessary tension and anxiety amongst our party members and can even threaten the existence of our party," he said.
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| Untuk mengelak Bill Perhimpunan Aman terus dilaksanakan - jangan beri lagi mandat kepada UMNO Posted: 25 Nov 2011 06:59 AM PST ASPAN ALIAS Bill Perhimpunan Aman yang akan dibentang oleh BN di Parlimen merupakan satu insiden hitam bagi sebuah negara demokrasi. BN mengambil sistem demokrasi untuk negara tetapi takut dengan sistem itu sendiri. Apa yang akan dibentangkan dan diluluskan oleh parlimen ini merupakan satu tindakan yang mengekang perhimpunan secara aman dan nampaknya kerajaan yang memerintah amat gerun dengan kebangkitan rakyat untuk menyuarakan suara dan manifestasi mereka secara terbuka. Cadangan ini adalah bercanggah dengan kehendak perlembagaan yang membenarkan rakyat menyuarakan pandangan dan pendapat mereka melalui perhimpunan secara aman. Demokrasi hanyalah dalam bentuk packagingnya sahaja tetapi sebenarnya di alam packaging itu penuh dengan elemen dictatorship dan jika BN mengambil kesempatan untuk mendapatkan kelulusan dengan sokongan 'simple majority' di parlimen ia tidak lain dari tindakan menekan terhadap gerakan fikiran rakyat untuk melakukan perubahan.
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| Umno not a racist party - Muhyiddin Posted: 25 Nov 2011 06:50 AM PST (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Malays and non-Malays can still depend on Umno as the party that was the backbone of the government and country. Muhyiddin, who is also Umno deputy president, said allegations that he and Umno were becoming racists had no basis whatsoever.
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| Trishakthi and Malaysian Politics (WITH MALAY TRANSLATION) Posted: 25 Nov 2011 06:41 AM PST In Malaysia, both waves have failed; as consequence of failed policies of modernization taken over by privatization, Look East, and Malaysian Inc. as policies. Vision 2020 is a meaningless slogan created by the ideology of Mahathirism. Capitalism developed without ethics fueled by greed and convenienced by race-based politics. A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman Come General Election # 13 in Malaysia, who's going to lead the cybernetic revolution of the Third Force, Third Wave, guided by the Third Eye? The Messiah we need to get us out of the Matrix ... ************************************* Trishakthi dan Politik Malaysia oleh Azly Rahman terjemaan: Zulqurnain Othman Tibanya PRU13 betapa persoalannya siapakah yang akan mengetuai Revolusi Cybernatik atau Revolusi Cyber dan berlebih lagi dari kerangka Kuasa Ketiga atau Gelombang Ketiga dan berpimpinan dari Mata Ketiga yang mungkin juga boleh di ertikan selaku jurusan mata hati atau mata kalbu. Lantas kemungkinan juga perlunya kita berpaksi kepada Tokoh Penyelamat laksana Al Mahdi yang bisa membawa kita keluar dari kejumudan kewujudan kita masa kini. Kuasa Ketiga juga gelombang ketiga dan dari itu mata ketiga=Tri Shakthi jikalau di ertikan dari bahasa sanskrit asalnya. Kuasa ketiga ini yang boleh membentuk aliran politik baru yang sewajibnya berjauhan dari ideologi-ideologi jalan buntu sekarang ini. Blogger-blogger juga tukang-tukang komen/ulas media sosial mesti bersatu mencetus dan menyalakan api revolusi intellectual baru demi menyerlahkan bahasa minda masyarakat majmuk. TRISHAKTHI ... kuasa ketiga, gelombang ketiga mata ketiga... Satu kuasa yang keseluruhannya mewarnai poltik Malaysia hingga terus menjadi buta dari elemen-elemen rasis dan perkauman jumudnya. Kuasa yang pastinya menjadi laksana seorang vigilante atau sang skodeng yang bisa menjerit lantang sekiranya ada sang penguasa2 menyalah guna tampuk kuasa. Tiada siapa yang boleh menghalang TRISHAKTHI. Dunia Internet sememangnya berbentuk anarki atau caca marba -- kita gunakan sepenuhnya. Revolusi Kuhnian di dalam wadah sains melamarkan apabila dan tatkala adanya terlalu banyak persoalan yang tidak terjawab hasil dari berakhirnya ketamadunan sejarah atau "the end of history" dan di ertikan dari pandang dunia sedia ada atau prevailing worldview, paradigma ketika itu seperlunya berhadapan tanpa selindung keadaan hampir langsung roboh - near collapse pandang dunia atau world view itu. Kenyataan ini termaktub di dalam Teori Klasik Pendita Kuhn - The structures of Scientific Revolution ( Struktur-Struktur Revolusi Sains) Thomas Kuhn ialah seorang pakar sejarah sains dari Universiti Harvard. Malaysia sememang nya berhadapan dengan krisis sebegitu rupa - keadaan hampir roboh langsung - "near collapse" Gabungan Barisan Nasional atau lebih tepatnya Paradigma BN itu. Terlalu banyak persoalan yang tidak terjawab dan terlalu banyak struktur-struktur yang telah reput - kehakiman, pelajaran, kuatkuasa undang2, ekonomi, budaya, dlll. Kuasa Ketiga telah ada sekarang ini - pasca modern atau postmodernity. Gelombang Pertama, masyarakat tradisional memberi ruang kepada modernisasi. Di Malaysia, kedua dua gelombang - masyarakat tradisi dan modernisasi berakhir dengan kegagalan;hasil dari polisi polisi modernisasi di ambil alih oleh privitasi(privatization), Pandang Timur(Look East) dan Perbadanan Malaysia(Malaysia Inc.) sebagai polisi polisi gantian. Wawasan 2020 adalah satu slogan tanpa makna yang di bina dari ideologi Mahathirsme atau Mahathirism. Capitalism atau sistem kapitalis tanpa peradaban(ethics) di sogok lagi dengan naluri tamak tanpa had dan di permudahkan dan di selaraskan bersama 'kejituan' politik perkauman . Gelombang Ketiga sebenarnya sudah sampai. Tsunami 03/08 adalah amaran ketibaannya. Tidak dapat tidak. Akan tetapi gelombang ketiga memerlukan kuasa ketiga juga mata ketiga. Justeru kuasa ketiga tak dapat di tahan dan mata ketiga tak dapat di rabunkan malah di butakan sama sekali. TRISHAKTHI telah sedia hadir dan kita perlukan ketua --ketua berintellek. Ketua ketua yang ada tiada faham akan kuasa ketiga ini. Arakian mereka telah berada di dalam nya tetapi lemas di dalam nya, mungkin juga di ibarat ikan di dalam air bahkan tiada sedar ia sebenarnya beralamkan fitrah nya tetapi masih sesak lantas tenggelam setenggelamnya. Mari kita ketengahkan idea gelombang ketiga ini and melihat nya menari nari ria di dalam alam cyber Malaysia tercinta. Juga meneropong ketika ia di bentuk menjadi aturcara aturcara gerak kerja ataupun praxis. Maka Trishakti bermukim di Gua ahli filasuf Plato! terjemahan: Zulqurnain Othman from: Trishakthi and Malaysian Politics by Azly Rahman. DR AZLY RAHMAN, who was born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York) doctorate in International Education Development and Master's degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 300 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience spans Malaysia and the United States, over a wide range of subjects from elementary to graduate education. He currently resides in the United States. https://www.facebook.com/#!/azly.rahman http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/
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| 4 years after the Hindraf rally – we are still looking Posted: 24 Nov 2011 11:40 PM PST It does not matter if the politicians are Right Wing Extremists or Centre Right or Centre Left, Moderates, or Socialists or Communists. They all cannot be trusted with power. They all begin to run riot after they are elected. By N.Ganesan, National Advisor to Hindraf Today the 25th of November 2011 marks the 4th anniversary of the Hindraf Rally that shook the Malaysian polity. It sounded the death knell for the old and heralded the beginning of the new. Much is happening around in the world today that mirrors what took place on that fateful day, 4 years ago. It behooves us now, to take stock.One very clear change that has occurred in our country is the heightening of political contention among the various political forces in the country. The fact that BN had lost its long held ground and that the opposition in the country had gained ground now makes BN try harder to regain the lost ground and Pakatan to hold on to and increase the ground gained. A lot of the politics you experience today is all about that. BN is still essentially UMNO with a multiracial mask and Pakatan claims to be multiracial but has very little to show for that, at best is biracial. The basic policies of the two coalitions are not fundamentally different. Nothing earth shattering has changed for most of us, beyond the illusions. Their policies are essentially the same, only they pander to different factions of the elite both in the country and internationally. Anyone who disputes this either does not understand political economy or just want to conceal this fact as it is obviously detrimental to their cause. The much touted two party system is nothing more than an illusion of a better democracy. Just having two parties and going through the rigmarole of choosing one over the other does not make for democracy as many in the elite will have us believe. What is happening around the world today is revealing – very revealing of this political process we call democracy, where we go to the polls once in every so many years to choose one over the other. Look at what is happening in the Middle East, in Egypt, in Syria, in Bahrain, in Yemen – specifically in Egypt. Look at Portugal, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Ireland in Europe. Look at the Occupy movement across the United States. Some countries which have not even seen election based democracy, as in the Middle East, are already sensing the lie in that. And they are attempting to go beyond that. The people in the European countries and in the US who have had this brand of democracy for almost forever, are fast losing hope in what it can bring them. Mass based organizations are springing up all over the world questioning the worth of this brand of Anglo Saxon democracy. The people are all fed up. Fed up of the nonsense the politicians spew – politicians of all shades. The democracy as we know it now is in shambles. Even as parliamentary polls are scheduled for the 28th of Nov 2011 in Egypt, the people are rallying in Tahrir square as I write this, and asking the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces who are calling the polls, to step aside and go back to their barracks. The people have whizzed past the politicians with an understanding of how the system really works, way beyond the understanding any politicians of the country. They understand that the sacking of Husni Mubarak is not the end of their revolution, but rather the beginning. Until they get the iceberg underneath of the ruling class out, they have not achieved anything from their revolution. It is the people of Egypt who should be ruling Egypt and the army should, like all the other departments of government be in their barracks. The elite - there is no more elite. This is the understanding the people of Egypt have mustered in their short foray into public policy. The Egyptian politicians have not gone as far as the people. Not that they do not know of such possibilities, they just probably do not seek it themselves. They have not sought out true change. They just seek to give the current politics, new faces. That fits their real purpose. Of course if you asked them, they will reject such a scheme and say that they are really making the revolution happen. The Egyptian people have called their bluff. It does not matter if the politicians are Right Wing Extremists or Centre Right or Centre Left, Moderates, or Socialists or Communists. They all cannot be trusted with power. They all begin to run riot after they are elected. Yet the politicians will tell us we need a vanguard group or party, to work out what is in the best interest of the people, because the people are ignorant, they do not know. But yet look at Egypt, the people are showing wisdom way beyond anything the politicians and the elite are capable of. The people are showing that they can well decide what is right for them. They are turning that conventional wisdom that the people do not know or cannot understand and must be led by a vanguard – upside down. This brings me to the point about all of this on the 4th Anniversay of the Hindraf Rally. What we need in Malaysia is not a democratic revolution or democratic reform, that leads to nothing more than a two party system – what we need in Malaysia is a neo–Democratic revolution. A revolution that brings into place people oriented supervision of the elected representatives so they do not run away with the loot, after they are elected, as experience time and again shows. The elected representatives have to be continuously supervised and held accountable by the people. This is the role we in Hindraf have tried to play in the last 4 years for the marginalized and the poorest in our society. For 51 long years the BN created, unfettered, the marginalized sections of our society. Then Pakatan in the 3 odd years after they took over in 5 States have just kept the marginalized where they had always been and nothing of any substance was changed in their lives inspite of all the "Makkal Sakthi" rallying calls by these same politicians. Just promises, promises and failed promises. Or some lame excuses for their inability. The Hindraf that rose 4 years ago, will continue to hold all our politicians accountable - politicians of all shades. The lesson we are learning from what is happening around in the world now, only reinforces what we instinctively have picked up. We will continue on this path of the neo-Democratic Revolution till others begin to see the wisdom that is so required, to bring about true change to our country and join us to ensure the politicians do what they really should be doing and do not run off every time.
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| Distorting the past endangers the present Posted: 24 Nov 2011 08:56 PM PST By Farish Noor, NST Those who look up to Ibrahim Libya, who died in the Memali violence, exhibit a lack of knowledge. LAST week, a curious news item caught my attention. It was reported that some activists wanted to organise a convoy to the village of Memali in Kedah, presumably to visit the site where the fiery orator, Ibrahim Libya, was killed in November 1985. Though I am not certain of whether this convoy was a success, I was, nonetheless, amazed that more than two decades later, there are still some who regard the man as a hero of sorts. Perhaps the reason for this lies partly in their lack of knowledge of who the man was, and what he was fighting for then. |
| Malaysia Bill on Demonstrations Draws Protests Posted: 24 Nov 2011 08:54 PM PST By James Hookway, Wall Street Journal The scope of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's vaunted political overhaul is disappointing opposition and legal activists in the badly fragmented nation, who argue that new laws drafted to protect political protests might actually limit dissent. Mr. Najib formally introduced to Malaysia's Parliament on Thursday one piece of legislation to end a ban on students' joining political parties and another to lift emergency rules that enable police in some cases to detain people without trial. Political activists, though, say they are concerned about a third proposed law, introduced by the government Tuesday. Under the Peaceful Assembly Bill, police officials would no longer have the power to ban a political demonstration—but protesters would still be prevented from demonstrating wherever they like, notably on the country's streets, and would have to provide police 30 days' notice. Malaysia has a long history of repressing political demonstrations. Police broke up a rally for political reforms in July, for instance, with water cannon and tear gas, triggering widespread criticism both in Malaysia and internationally—and prompting Mr. Najib to rethink the country's security laws. Mr. Najib on Thursday said the new legislation shows his government is "taking a brave moral stand" and listening to the people of Malaysia. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said opposition parties would argue against the Peaceful Assembly Bill in Parliament, but political analysts said it is unlikely he could stop its passage. A prominent protest organizer, Ambiga Sreenivasan, said the proposed law would only set back legitimate dissent. Legal activists also were unimpressed. Bar council president Lim Chee Wee described the new assembly law as "restrictive" and expressed his surprise that street protests would be outlawed. The bill would also prohibit gatherings within 50 meters of schools, hospitals and places of worship. The government describes the legislative package as a dramatic liberalization of security laws, designed to promote democratic debate. Other planned measures would abolish the Internal Security Act (another law allowing for detention without trial) and end the requirement that news media have their permits renewed annually. Many of the country's security laws were introduced after deadly race riots in 1969, and racial issues still permeate the country. They've hindered previous efforts to repeal laws such as the Internal Security Act. Mr. Najib, though, is slowly working to level the racial playing field, rolling back some affirmative-action policies designed to benefit the country's majority ethnic-Malay population. Analysts say these changes and the proposed overhaul of the country's security laws are a bid to claw back some of the center ground in Malaysian politics that the ruling coalition has lost to Mr. Anwar's multiethnic opposition alliance. Mr. Najib has to call fresh elections within the next 18 months. |
| 'With end of Emergency, BN can now pay oil royalty to Kelantan' Posted: 24 Nov 2011 08:42 PM PST (Harakah Daily) - Nov 25: Based on the argument by minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Aziz that oil royalty for Kelantan was held back due to the Emergency Ordinance on the state, the lifting of all Emergency proclamations yesterday means royalty should now be paid. PAS vice president and Kubang Kerian member of parliament Salahuddin Ayub said Nazri had cited the Emergency laws as reason for denying oil royalty to the state. "This is the argument used by Nazri when concluding the discussion on oil royalty declaring Kelantan was not entitled for it. "Now, with the cancellation of the emergency ordinance, the prime minister must declare that Kelantan deserves its oil royalty," said Salahuddin Ayub at the parliament lobby yesterday. In 2009, Nazri stated in parliament that Kelantan was only entitled to oil found within three nautical miles from its shores as it was restricted by the emergency declaration under 1969 Emergency Ordinance imposed on the state in 1977. Salahuddin also echoed Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim saying it would be useless to lift the emergency proclamations if laws related to them were still enforced. Yesterday, Najib tabled the abolishment of three emergency proclamations. They include the 1966 Sarawak and 1977 Kelantan emergency declarations to contain political crises there, and the May 13 emergency laws in the wake of the racial riots of 1969. |
| PKR Youth warns of street protests if polls are unfair Posted: 24 Nov 2011 08:38 PM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider JOHOR BARU, Nov 25 — PKR Youth warned Barisan Nasional (BN) that it will take to the streets and force the ruling coalition out of Putrajaya if the next general election is unfairly run. Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Amin told delegates today that any move to restrict Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will be met with street demonstrations despite such gatherings set to be outlawed by a Peaceful Assembly Bill that was tabled in Parliament this week. "They know Bersih 3.0 will happen, that is why they want to have this law," he said, referring to the marches for free and fair election that drew tens of thousands to the streets of Kuala Lumpur in 2007 and July 9 this year. "If they restrict us, if there is even one instance of cheating, we will use the streets. Lupakan pilihanraya, kita guna jalanraya (forget elections, we use the streets)," he said to unanimous cheers. Shamsul also warned that "if they jail Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim before Bersih 3.0, we will gather and topple them," he said when winding up debates in today's PKR Youth national congress. PKR deputy president Azmin Ali had also pledged earlier that "whatever conspiracy to jail Anwar Ibrahim, we the Youth and women pledge to rise up and break the cruel prison walls to free him." Both Azmin and Shamsul had today cited the Arab Spring in their speeches, referring to the series of street protests in the Middle East earlier this year that toppled governments in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.
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| Walk For Freedom 2011: Peaceful Assembly Bill Cannot And Must Not Become Law! Posted: 24 Nov 2011 08:34 PM PST By Lim Chee Wee, Malaysian Bar Council President Martin Luther King Jr once said that "the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." This Peaceful Assembly Bill ("Bill") is far more restrictive than the current law. It is not a piece of legislation which we, as lawyers, can watch enter our statute books without standing up against it. It is not a piece of legislation which we want future generations to inherit, without us walking, and spending every ounce of our energy to oppose. If this piece of legislation makes it to the statute books, future generations would inherit a nation that is far from modern and progressive. Members of the Bar are now called upon to march to object to this Bill. The walk will take place next Tuesday, 29 Nov 2011, from the entrance of the Royal Lake Club to Parliament House, to deliver the Bar's Proposed Amendments to the Peaceful Assembly Bill to YB Datuk Liew Vui Keong, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. Members are advised to gather in their court attire at 11:30 am outside the Royal Lake Club entrance. The Prime Minister, in his eve of Malaysia Day 2011 speech, had promised that:
This Bill is not in line with international norms because of, amongst others: (1) Prohibition of street protests (defined widely as "open air assembly which begins with a meeting at a specified place and consists of walking in a mass march or rally for the purpose of objecting to or advancing a particular cause or causes"); (2) Prohibition of organisation of assemblies by persons below the age of twenty one years; (3) Prohibition of participation in peaceful assemblies of children below the age of fifteen years; (4) Unduly onerous responsibilities and restrictions on organisers and assemblies; and (5) Excessive fines for non-compliance of the Bill. Therefore this Bill is not "in accordance with the supremacy of the Constitution, rule of law and respect for basic human rights and individual rights", which the Prime Minister promised it would be. The Bill is in its second reading in the Dewan Rakyat, and in all likelihood it will be passed after the third reading. We must remain hopeful that we can make a difference, through our Walk for Freedom. We must urge the Prime Minister to amend the Bill by way of public consultation to ensure that Malaysia will have a legislation in the public interest, which truly upholds, protects and promotes our constitutional right to freedom of assembly. We feel let down by how far short this Bill falls in relation to what the Malaysian people were promised in the Prime Minister's Malaysia Day 2011 message. In short, the Prime Minister must walk his own talk. Please click on the links below to view the:
Please contact Gayathiri Paneerselvam, Officer, by telephone at 03-2050 2089 or by email at gayathiri.p@malaysianbar.org.my, should you have any queries. I call on all Members to support us in this crucial initiative. See you on Tuesday, let's walk! Lim Chee Wee President Malaysian Bar |
| Posted: 24 Nov 2011 07:10 PM PST The Peaceful Assembly Bill announced earlier this week has many restrictions which would severely affect the freedom of assembly that all Malaysians are promised under the Federal Constitution. This Bill is scheduled to for its second reading and debates in Parliament this coming Tuesday (29 Nov) and it only requires a simple majority of votes from the MPs who are present, before it is passed. Out of the 222 MPs in the Dewan, there are 137 from BN, 75 from PR and 10 others.
2) Visit the Parlimen website to get your MP's name and contact details.
3) Now you know who your MP is! You can: a. Email (cc us: hellomp.2011[at]gmail.com) or Fax the following text:
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| Bersih 3.0: Count us in, says PAS Posted: 24 Nov 2011 07:01 PM PST (Harakah Daily) - PAS, whose strong backing played a crucial part in ensuring the huge turnout of the electoral reforms rally last July, has declared support for the next phase of the campaign. Bersih 3.0 is increasingly being called following speculation that a third such rally may be in the line after earlier campaigns fell on deaf ears.
"Malaysia seems to be overtaking Myanmar in denying people's rights. The prime minister is lying by saying he wants to bring Malaysia towards better democracy. Myanmar with such poor record only requests five days' notice for an assembly, but Malaysia wants 30 days.
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| BREAKING NEWS: Two Black Eyes for AG and MACC! Posted: 24 Nov 2011 06:50 PM PST by Din Merican Today is a big day for Dato' Ramli Yusuff, the former Director of CCID PDRM, who was suspended and made to face several fixed-up charges in 2007 (see previous postings) At that time, Dato Ramli was about to expose the connection of then IGP Musa Hassan with the loan shark Along syndicates in the case of Goh Cheng Poh @ Tengku Goh whom Dato Ramli had arrested when the country was facing the Along menace. Goh had specifically named Musa Hassan in his affidavits. To cover up for Musa Hassan, AG Gani Patail refused to prepare affidavits for the Police. In the end, the CCID asked for help from lawyer Rosli Dahlan. That landed the poor lawyer into trouble.  Goh had specifically named Musa Hassan in his affidavits At the same time, Dato Ramli had also recommended to then Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi that Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli should be charged for various offences in regard to the MAS Scandal. The MAS Scandal came to the surface recently when Minister Dato Seri Nazri Aziz tried to force several GLCs to accept a Global Settlement that would allow Tajudin to be freee from all civil liabilities and indebtedness. Nazri has since said that was just an advice to settle.  Dato Ramli had also recommended to then Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi that Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli should be charged for various offences in regard to the MAS Scandal. In the end, Goh Cheng Poh was released and Tajudin remained a free rich man, but Dato Ramli Yusuff and Lawyer Rosli Dahlan were charged for doing their jobs in preventing abuses, corruption and crimes amongst the highest echelons of the country. The Courts have since acquitted both of them from all the charges. But AG Gani Patail was not satisfied and directed the MACC to appeal against all these acquittals. So, this morning two of the AG/MACC appeals came up before two different High Courts. AG Gani Patail's oppresiveness can be seen in the manner that both the cases are being called at the same time. This was what AG Gani Patail did when he charged Dato Ramli in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu both at the same. How did he expect Dato Ramli to be in two different courts more than 1623 km apart separated by the South China Sea?!  AG Gani Patail's oppresiveness can be seen in the manner that both the cases are being called at the same time. This was what AG Gani Patail did when he charged Dato Ramli in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu both at the same. How did he expect Dato Ramli to be in two different courts more than 1623 km apart separated by the South China Sea?! That was what AG Gani Patail did to Dato Ramli Yusuff. That was how cruel he behaved. Rosli Dahlan was not spared and was given an even more as cruel treatment. He was assaulted, dragged from his office and paraded in the courts' corridors [see previous posting] At 10 am this morning, the first case was that called . This was the MACC'S appeal aganst the acquittal by Sessions Judge M Komathy. High Court Judge Dato Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah was very clear when he said that there was no basis to charge Dato Ramli and to then appeal against the acquittal granted by Judge M Komathy. He chided DPP Ahmad Bache for the appeal.
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| Posted: 24 Nov 2011 06:42 PM PST How patriotic are those leaders who go overseas to purchase expensive handbags, multimillion-dollar rings, or makes purchases of submarines, military helicopters and whatnot, and try to get hundreds of millions in kickbacks? How patriotic is Umno Sabah for taking all the top posts of the Sabah BN Committee, for ignoring the people's endless calls for an RCI on the illegal immigrants? Daniel John Jambun Oh boy, here we go again with misguided concepts about patriotism! Datuk Yahya Hussein this week accused the opposition of being unpatriotic following criticism of the state budget by DAP's Jimmy Wong, Sri Tanjung's opposition Assemblyman. Yahya took the opportunity to blurt out such extreme comments against him as, "To the opposition like … Jimmy Wong, the budget today is meaningless … no matter how much the budget is it is incorrect… it is opposed in a way that is membabi buta (blindly)… when the opposition talks about Sabah, everything about it is bad but when they talk about other states such as Penang and Selangor, it is all good." "People like these are unpatriotic. I hope the people would be aware of the opposition's habit and objectives because they only aim to rule but do not know what to do if they achieve it. They should not be given any chance to rule the State because it would be like releasing a dog from captivity." My first impression of this outburst is that one state BN leader has lost his cool in dealing with the opposition in the august house. Yahya lost his own dignity as a senior leader by making such childish remarks. He clearly believes that the opposition leaders are a bunch of idiots who are talking blindly (like pigs?), and totally unfit to rule the state, i.e., they wouldn't know how to rule and they will behave like ungrateful dogs! Two derogatory references to dirty animals (pigs and dogs) are mentioned by Yahya which was a strong hint at equating them to poor Jimmy. But never mind that because people call each other by animal names all the time, e.g., pig, dog, monkey, snake, serpent, fox, flying fox, chicken, buffalo, and so on. But what irks me most is that the BN leaders have gone into the bad habit of calling leaders of the opposition as being unpatriotic. Those who criticize the BN government abroad are branded as smearing the name of the country, even trying to destroy the country. As I remember, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah was the first to be accused of doing this when he revealed the corruption of the BN under Umno, who as Ku Li put it, "awarded projects to themselves." It didn't matter that what he said was true; he was highly demonised as unpatriotic and anti-national. Thereafter if was Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Nurul Izzah, Raja Petra Kamarudin and others. One minister recently accused the Indians and Chinese unpatriotic for not being interested in joining the security forces. It later turned out to be a terrible blunder for which the minister had to publicly apologise. Now it is Jimmy Wong who is an unpatriotic political animal for criticizing the state budget! But I would like to confront Yahya and ask him point blank: How patriotic do you think the BN/Umno leaders are towards Sabah? I think it is the 14th year that we have been having a deficit budget. How come we never know how much of the budget allocation had been spent every year? How much of the new budget is carry-forward amounts for delayed projects? How patriotic are those leaders who go overseas to purchase expensive handbags, multimillion-dollar rings, or makes purchases of submarines, military helicopters and whatnot, and try to get hundreds of millions in kickbacks? How patriotic is Umno Sabah for taking all the top posts of the Sabah BN Committee, for ignoring the people's endless calls for an RCI on the illegal immigrants? Where was the patriotism of Umno when it set into motion a secret program to legalise illegal immigrants by giving the MyKads overnight in what is now famously called "Projek IC"? How patriotic is Umno Sabah for supporting the sabotage policy, which for years have been causing the high inflation in Sabah, hence killing the consumers in the state, while it continues to pretend not to hear all the many years of protests against it? What about the unending grabs of NCR lands against natives by big companies and with no intervention from Umno leaders? And what wonderful patriotism Umno Sabah can talk about when it ignores the call for a White Paper on the huge, huge, unconscionable Saham Amanah (SAS) scandal? And if Umno is such a great planner in reviving the economy of the state, why did Sabah become the poorest state beginning with Umno's the takeover of the state in 1994? Why has one company connected to a senior BN leader taken most of the road building projects in Sabah? And why are the people complaining about construction projects being usually overpriced by up to 100% their actual costs? Hey, I can go on a whole day with these questions…. I have said it before that the opposition leaders are not idiots who simply fire at the BN membabi buta, but we watch whatever the BN is doing with the sharp eyes of the hawk. We are the sober ones because we are not the ones drunk with power and corruption! We are fighting the abuses power by the BN because we love our state and because we want to defend the people of Sabah from the clever political manipulations to reverse the negative trends, which are slowly killing the state. As for Penang and Selangor, they have made tremendous progress in improving the governance of these states. Even the Auditor General made a glowing commentary on the transparent and effective leadership of Penang by Lim Guan Eng who, by the way, doesn't have a mansion and travels on planes by economy class on! Here it's proven that the opposition leaders and governments are very, very patriotic indeed, unlike some leaders who are behaving like robbers who bring down their own states with their misdeeds.
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| Posted: 24 Nov 2011 05:37 PM PST Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali whacked me to kingdom come and made all sorts of snide remarks against me during PKR's annual general assembly in Penang. Azmin had venom is his tone when, during his speech, he looked at me and said that all those who collaborate with Dr Mahathir can take a hike. I detected the smirk on Anwar's face when Azmin took that swipe at me. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin
All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved. All warfare is based on deception. Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate. He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious. It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you. Give them instructions and care for them. Thus doubled agents are recruited and used. Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy. The above are just some of Sun Tzu's quotes. Nevertheless, these few are enough to give us an idea of what both Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim are doing right, and wrong. Incidentally, my wife sent me a book on Sun Tzu's quotes back in September 2008 when I was under detention in Kamunting and it took me only a day to read it from cover to cover. I must admit I found it most enlightening. It was the only book I ever re-read three days in a row. I too have my own panduan peperangan (guide to warfare), which I once wrote about, probably ten years or so ago, long before I had read Sun Tzu. These go as follows: Those who fight and run away live to fight another day. Never fight your enemy in his terrain, which he knows best. Draw him into your terrain, which he is unfamiliar with. The best form of defence is to attack. When an enemy chases you, run away. When he is resting, launch a sneak counterattack. A dead hero is of no use to his country other than for declaring national holidays. Never face a more powerful enemy head-on. Ambushes always work better. Your task is not to die for your country. Your task is to make your enemy die for his country. When faced with defeat, surrender and sue for peace. Once you have gained the advantage, wipe out your enemy through treachery. Take a smaller enemy of your larger enemy as your friend. Once you have defeated your larger enemy then you can turn on your smaller enemy. Never allow principles to stand in the way of your strategy. Victory is still victory even if gained in unethical ways. Okay, I admit, not all my quotes are originals. Some are stolen but they still make good sense. The objective of war is to win and it is not how you play the game that counts. I know, you would probably surmise that, judging by my quotes, I would clearly not hesitate to do a Datuk Maharaja Lela on JWW Birch, the British Resident of Perak who was stabbed in the back while taking a shit in the Perak River. But who the hell ever said that war is about playing fair? War is about winning, at whatever cost, even at the cost of collateral damage, if it has to come to that. Let me give you one example. The opposition is hell-bent on bringing down Shahrizat Jalil regarding the cowgate fiasco. No doubt RM250 million of the taxpayers' money has gone bust so she should be made to pay for it. Or should she? Now, there is currently a tussle over the Lembah Pantai parliament seat, currently held by Nurul Izzah Anwar who wrested it from Shahrizat in March 2008. Shahrizat wants to contest that seat again, as does Raja Nong Chik. If Shahrizat were to contest that seat then there is a strong possibility that Nurul Izzah would, again, win. However, if Shahrizat is brought down, and chances are she might since the cowgate fiasco is hurting the government bad, then Raja Nong Chik would most likely get that seat. And if it were Raja Nong Chik versus Nurul Izzah, then Nurul's chances of winning would be reduced. It would have been better to spare Shahrizat so that she is chosen as Barisan Nasional's candidate for Lembah Pantai. Then, once the nomination papers are filed, you can go to town and bring her down by using the cowgate issue. Raja Nong Chik is a stronger candidate than Nurul Izzah and allowing him to contest the Lembah Pantai seat is not a wise move. But with Shahrizat out of the picture, that can now most likely happen. Raja Nong Chik is certainly a smart cookie. His people leaked the information on Shahrizat's cowgate fiasco and the opposition gleefully grabbed at it. They are now doing Raja Nong Chik a favour by bringing down Shahrizat. And because of that Nurul Izzah may be brought down as well. Anyway, that is one example and there are many more. Another can be: why attack Najib too much? I would be 'gentle' with Najib, which actually I am (although this has attracted allegations that Najib has bought me off). If you want me to attack Najib I can do that as well. But why the hell do I want to bring down Najib just so that the opposition supporters would stop alleging that I have been bought off? I do not need the opposition supporters to sing my praises. They can condemn if that makes them happy. After all, small things please small minds. If Najib is brought down and Muhyiddin Yassin takes over as Prime Minister, the chances of the opposition forming the next federal government is slim. With Najib leading the charge in the next general election, the disgust most people have with First Lady Rosmah Mansor is going to cost Barisan Nasional a lot of votes. Rosmah is to Najib what Khairy Jamaluddin was to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, an albatross around his neck. I would rather have Najib as Prime Minister when we face the next general election than Muhyiddin. Najib has a lot of internal enemies within Umno, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad included. And I would rather have Dr Mahathir on our side, like in the 2008 general election. What, you do not think that Dr Mahathir is still relevant and a factor? Hey, if not for Dr Mahathir, do you think Pakatan Rakyat could have done so well in the March 2008 general election? Why do you think I supported Dr Mahathir back in 2006 and 2007? Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali whacked me to kingdom come and made all sorts of snide remarks against me during PKR's annual general assembly in Penang. Azmin had venom is his tone when, during his speech, he looked at me and said that all those who collaborate with Dr Mahathir can take a hike. I detected the smirk on Anwar's face when Azmin took that swipe at me. I know what I was doing. Sure, that attracted a lot of snide remarks about how Dr Mahathir had bought me off and was financing Malaysia Today and whatnot. But then these are remarks from people devoid of a brain that can think clearly. They are guided by emotions and not by logic. And the way they are trying to bring down Najib and Shahrizat is evidence of this. Anyway, enough said. You play the game according to your strategy and I will do so according to mine. At the end of the day the test of the pudding is in the eating, as President Bush said. READ ALSO: All eyes will be on Shahrizat
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| WIKILEAKS: How in 2008 BN paid for its 2006 sins Posted: 24 Nov 2011 04:04 PM PST
When tension rises, the blood of Malay warriors will run in our veins. UMNO is willing to risk lives and bathe in blood in defense of race and religion. Don't play with fire. If they (non-Malays) mess with our rights, we will mess with theirs. Since the tragic racial riots in 1969, UMNO and the Malays have been too patient and tolerant. The special rights of the Malays and the position of Islam as the official religion are enshrined in the Federal Constitution. UMNO should stand firm on these issues and not back down for the sake of the Malay race. We should defend it to the last drop of our blood. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b, d). Summary 1. (C) The defense of Malay rights, heated racial rhetoric, and Islamic themes dominated the 2006 UMNO General Assembly, with the often jolting Malay speak reaching Malaysians directly for the first time through unfiltered, live television coverage. Deputy Prime Minister Najib opened the 2006 UMNO General Assembly with the declaration that there was no time limit for the "Malay Agenda" and its plethora of race-based affirmative action plans aimed at raising the status of ethic Malays. Prime Minister Abdullah reaffirmed the need for the New Economic Policy and pledged to continue the focus of reducing the income gap between races. Abdullah's key-note address focused on the goals he set three years ago when he took office. Abdullah celebrated a more open society, but urged restraint in dealing with "sensitive issues" of race and religion. He criticized Islamic extremists in Malaysia and questioned Malaysia's intolerance. Other speakers focused heavily on race-based issues, and heaved blame and criticism on Chinese and Indian coalition parties. Coalition partners received a warning: don't question the status of Malays and Islam in Malaysia. Recognizing the effects of such rhetoric, Abdullah and Najib issued statements to mend fences with coalition partners. UMNO has had second thoughts on live telecasts of future general assemblies. This is the second in a series of reports covering the 57th United Malays National Organization's (UMNO) General Assembly which was held in Kuala Lumpur, November 13 - 17. End Summary. The Malay Agenda: UMNO's main task 2. (U) In his November 13 speech opening the General Assembly for UMNO's Wanita (Women), Puteri (Young Women) and Pemuda (Youth) wings, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak began a discussion on the Malay Agenda that would reverberate throughout the week in nearly every speech from every delegate. Najib began, "The Malay Agenda is UMNO's main task in uplifting the status of the Malays. In the course of history, from 1511 to 1957, we were under the rule of foreigners. After those 446 years of oppression, it is impossible that what is owed to the Malays can be repaid in a mere 20 or 30 years. In this struggle for the Malays, it must be firmly said that there is no time limit. . . " Najib's statement echoed Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's remarks to Parliament issued the same day. Abdullah had declared that Malaysia will always need a policy and agenda on wealth distribution so long as economic disparity among the races exists. "The effort to correct the economic disparity involves several steps or affirmative actions to raise the economic and education achievement among the races, particularly the bumiputras, so that they are comparable with non-bumiputras," declared Abdullah. "This includes," Abdullah continued, "reviving the New Economic Policy (NEP). . ." 3. (U) In his presidential address to the UMNO assembly, Abdullah expounded on the same topic: "the twenty years allocated to achieve the objectives of the NEP (1970-90) was too short a period; an unrealistic time frame to successfully restructure society and eradicate poverty. . .The objectives of the NEP . . . are larger than equity targets. The government will focus on reducing the income gap between races. True balance is a prerequisite for sustainable development." Strong words, sleepy presentation 4. (C) Cast with the fanfare of an American president's State of the Union Address, Abdullah's key-note address should have been the highlight of the party. Instead, it was a rather monotonous monologue with very little enthusiasm either from Abdullah or from the audience. One journalist told emboff, "In Mahathir's time, we (the journalists) would sit with baited breath waiting to see what he would say next. With Abdullah, no one wanted to sit through it all. We could hardly stay awake. No one wanted to be in there." Unlike the charismatic Mahathir who delivered his speeches using teleprompters so that he could always look at the audience, Abdullah read his 90 minute speech from a printed copy. Head down, reading from the text, observers faulted Abdullah for reading on when he should have paused for applause, and pausing at awkward moments when there was no cause for cheer. 5. (C) Publicly, only the Mahathir family dared comment that the speech was "nothing new" (ref. A) or that the assembly lacked the "rah, rah" of previous UMNO assemblies. But privately many people commented that the presidential address was little more than a rehash of previous speeches promoting the twelve pillars Abdullah addressed when inaugurated three years ago, renewed somewhat with the 9th Malaysia Plan. Perhaps an UMNO-linked newspaper (New Straits Times) editorial phrased it most politely: "His delivery was typically Abdullah-ish -- no shouting, no threats, no playing to the gallery. . . (but) when he finished. . .no one had any doubts about the message." As dull as some accused it of being, there was no doubt that Abdullah had a message to deliver concerning his vision for Malaysia. Hidden in the pages and pages of text were some strong words from a soft spoken leader. He championed education, rural economic development, the rule of law, anti-corruption efforts, openness and democracy, freedom of the press and religious tolerance. Freedom of the Press - Malaysian style 6. (SBU) With a country awash in recent controversy ranging from Mahathir to economics to religious expression, Abdullah did not shy away from his desire for a more open press. Abdullah applauded constructive criticism and reminded politicians that they would not be immune from the scrutiny of a more open press. "The truth is that I would rather see heated exchanges in the pages of the press than to see raging riots on the streets," said Abdullah. If Malaysia was to become a truly advanced society, openness was a prerequisite. "It is meaningless," he said, "to develop infrastructure for information technology if the leadership flinches from a culture that is more open to and accepting of the media." In typical style, Abdullah then threatened the press regarding his "sensitive issues." "Freedom has its limits," he warned. "We cannot and will not compromise when it comes to the unity and harmony of our multi-racial and multi-cultural society. We will continue to be vigilant when it comes to national security and public safety. I would like to warn those who abuse this freedom that I will not for a moment hesitate to use the law against them." "Democracy does not mean absolute freedom to raise sensitive issues relating to religion, race, culture and language," Abdullah reminded. Islam Hadhari versus the ultra-conservatives 7. (SBU) Like many of the issues debated throughout the assembly, Abdullah's address focused heavily on religious issues. Returning to his religious philosophy launched three years ago, Abdullah declared: "Islam Hadhari. . .is a philosophy that reminds Muslims that our faith unequivocally requires us to succeed in the world. We perpetuate a great disservice to Islam if we reject development, if we are obsessed with conflict and if we live in ignorance." Abdullah lamented that some people had misinterpreted Islam Hadhari as an excuse to become more conservative and radical. Lamenting that some clerics had condemned Muslims for wishing their neighbors a Merry Christmas or Happy Deepavali, Abdullah asked, "How can we have reached such a level of intolerance? . . .When did we become ultra-conservative? This is not Islam Hadhari." 8. (SBU) "It is these same groups who make such proclamations (condemning other religious celebrations)," continued Abdullah, "that are conjuring imaginary threats aimed at inciting Muslims, hoping that they (Muslims) will become more intolerant of others. Their agenda is to see Malaysia torn apart, for us to fail as a multi-racial, multi-religious nation. This is not Islam. . .Let me be clear-- Islam Hadhari is not a blank cheque to bring about conservative revivalism in this country. . .While I will protect Islam's position and the role of the Shariah courts from being undermined, I will also ensure that no one tries to hijack Islam in Malaysia in order to breed intolerance and hatred." UMNO Youth lash out at other BN parties 9. (SBU) In the midst of all the rhetoric championing Islam and the rights of Malays, UMNO Youth chief Hishamuddin Tun Hussein delivered his speech to the UMNO Youth and without a thought to hypocrisy in his words, threatened politicians of other races: "We must remember that creating a Malaysian nation will not be possible on narrow thinking and chauvinism. Don't gamble the future by championing race politics. We know them, we know who they are and we know what they are saying. We are not afraid to face the opportunist leaders and we will not compromise with them." Hishamuddin also declared, "Do not make fun, question and challenge the position of Malays and Islam in the country. Any movement in the name of freedom of religion, freedom of speech or freedom of the media will not be allowed to challenge our rights. If such negative efforts are not curbed, they will have a huge implication on our harmony." 10. (SBU) Taking a cue from their leader, members of UMNO Youth lashed out at other race based parties, including their Barisan Nasional coalition partners. "When we, the Malays, are weak, the Chinese will take advantage. If it is the DAP (opposition Democratic Action Party), it is ok. But when our 'roommates' are doing this to us, we can't accept it," cried a Selangor delegate, later unleashing his tirade on leaders of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), Malaysia Chinese Association (MCA) and the Peoples Movement Party (Gerakan). "The special rights of the Malays and the position of Islam as the official religion are enshrined in the Federal Constitution. UMNO should stand firm on these issues and not back down for the sake of the Malay race. We should defend it to the last drop of our blood," said the Youth chief from Ledang. As one editorial stated, there was no denying the message to BN component parties: Don't question the position of Malays and Islam. 11. (SBU) UMNO Youth information chief, Azimi Daim, continued the rhetoric claiming he could not understand why BN component parties were becoming braver and braver in questioning sensitive issues (meaning religions preferences for Islam and bumiputra economic preferences). "When tension rises, the blood of Malay warriors will run in our veins," he warned. 12. (SBU) Racist rhetoric, however, was not restricted to the Youth wings. A delegate from Malacca bluntly stated, "UMNO is willing to risk lives and bathe in blood in defense of race and religion. Don't play with fire. If they (non-Malays) mess with our rights, we will mess with theirs," he declared. "Since the tragic racial riots in 1969, UMNO and the Malays have been too patient and tolerant," he said. "UMNO faces challenges from DAP who are Chinese chauvinists, the ignorant PAS (opposition conservative Islamic party) and threats from overseas. Friends in Barisan Nasional, too, have questioned us." Even old party veterans joined the assault on other racial groups. As one former BN Secretary General remarked, "Please don't test the Malays; they know 'amok'. We don't want to reach that level. . .but efforts to enhance the Malays' economy need to be intensified." The Malays's sacrifices, he said, must be paid back with sacrifices of the same magnitude by the non-Malays, particularly in questions involving the economy. Abdullah tries to soften the blow 13. (SBU) The deleterious effects of the harsh rhetoric and racism was not lost on UMNO leadership. This was the first year the UMNO general assembly had been televised in its entirety, and though the rhetoric was perhaps no worse than usual, public exposure seemed to certainly raise awareness. After a week of race-based politics, it was evident that many of UMNO's coalition partners were stinging from the blows they had taken. In his closing speech to the assembly on Friday evening, Abdullah focused on mending UMNO's ties to the other BN parties. He tried to soften the effect of the assembly by explaining, "Don't be frightened by the speeches made. We do things openly. When others get hit, there will be some reaction, but the situation remains under control. The heat does not burn, the anger does not lead to quarrels. We are rational, fair and want the interest of all races taken care of." 14. (C) Gerakan Vice President Vijayaretnam admitted to poloffs that there were concerns at the Gerakan grassroots over the speeches made at the assembly. However, party leaders have urged the members to look "at the bigger picture." Vijayaretnam jokingly added that people in general and Gerakan members in particular were jolted by the speeches "because of the live telecast of the conference. In normal circumstances, no one would have bothered about the assembly." 15. (SBU) Just days after the assembly concluded Deputy Prime Minister Najib announced that UMNO was considering whether to continue having live telecasts of future assemblies. Najib said it could not be denied that some of the speeches "had gone overboard." Forgetting that some of the harshest rhetoric came from senior UMNO officials, Najib conceded that "sometimes inexperienced speakers tend to get carried away by the occasion. They were playing to the gallery, but they should realize that when they speak, the others outside the party are also listening. Abdullah's son-in-law and UMNO Youth Deputy, Khairy Jamaluddin, also commented that the events at this year's assembly were not necessarily out of the ordinary, but that "those who have never seen the assembly before (were) shocked by the no holds barred debates when delegates spoke on religion and race." "While the debates were hot," he said, "the spirit of consensus in the BN will not be affected, as we are committed to it. MCA, MIC and others understand this." Comment 16. (C) The single greatest effect of this year's assembly may not be felt for over a year when Malaysians go to the polls. The racist nature of politics is nothing new to Malaysia, but unfiltered, live television brought public awareness of UMNO's internal chauvinistic rhetoric to a new height. Some ten days after UMNO's assembly, the national media continues to carry Malaysian politicians weighing in on the racial politics raised during the UMNO assembly. Even before the assembly, Chinese component parties of the Barisan Nasional coalition feared a public backlash (ref C) at the election booth. These same parties now must face their constituents and explain to a more skeptical electorate that aligning with Malay racism and a patent anti-Chinese domestic policy remains their best option. 17. (C) Despite his lack of charisma as a leader, Abdullah offered a breath of reason and moderation throughout the assembly. He reiterated the importance of tolerance and racial harmony, themes missing from so many other speeches. Softly but clearly, he criticized the Islamic ultraconservatives and warned them that their brand of Islam was out of step with his vision of Islam Hadari and incongruous with a successful multi-religious Malaysia. Although the assembly reiterated UMNO's rejection of inter-faith councils and its support for ever-expanding shariah courts, Abdullah attempted to reassure his fellow Malaysians that the country would stay on a path of moderation and harmony with its non-Muslim citizens. LAFLEUR (November 2006)
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| Ambiga says Myanmar freer than Malaysia Posted: 24 Nov 2011 03:40 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Bersih 2.0 chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said today that Malaysians will have less freedom under the government's proposed new law governing public demonstrations compared to Myanmar, a country which has one of the world's worse human rights record. She pointed out that Myanmar recently passed new legislation that allowed street protests, and provided for less stringent conditions than the Najib administration's proposed Peaceful Assembly Act that was tabled in Parliament this week. "It is shameful that Burma (Myanmar) can propose a far more democratic law than us. "It is a terrible insult to Malaysians because we were promised more democracy, but now it is the opposite," said Ambiga (picture). Myanmar's military-dominated Parliament passed a law this week allowing citizens to protest peacefully but which requires demonstrators to "inform the authorities five days in advance." Under Malaysia's Peaceful Assembly Act, demonstrators are required to give 30 days' notice to the police, while a host of restrictions effectively prevents any street protests. The Myanmar law states that demonstrators must avoid government buildings, schools, hospitals and embassies. The Malaysian version has similar restrictions but includes a buffer from houses of worship and petrol stations. Ambiga had earlier this week urged the government to immediately withdraw the proposed law if it was sincere to prove correct Datuk Seri Najib Razak's reformist stand on making Malaysia the "best democracy".
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| Going Shopping: Lawyers on the march Posted: 24 Nov 2011 03:32 PM PST UPPERCAISE Four years after lawyers went on a Walk For Justice from judicial complex to the PM's Office in Putrajaya, they are again undertaking one of the duties required of them under the Legal Profession Act. Shopping promotion
In order to meet the statutory requirement — to uphold the cause of justice without fear or favour — lawyers have decided a peaceful assembly to challenge the Peaceful Assembly Bill brought before Parliament this week, which is scheduled for speedy passage through the house. Malaysia's lawyers will thus "Go Shopping", an activity first popularised by journalist and wildlife activist Sabry Zain in the late 1990s, when enthusiastic crowds thronged Batu Road, the old shopping district of Kuala Lumpur, in a spontaneous procession filling up the streets for hundreds of metres, playing hide-and-seek with happy blue-uniformed government supporters earning double time with batons, truncheons and tear gas. Go Shopping with Aunty at KLCCOther civil society organisations are also rallying support for the right of the people to "Go Shopping". Auntie Bersih (Annie Ooi), a recognised expert in the art of taking long walks through the city centre in a yellow T-shirt, has promised to turn up at Kuala Lumpur City Centre on Saturday for a public protest organised by academic activist Wong Chin Huat. Chin Huat, a political scientist, is one of many people dissatisfied with amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act under the federal government's reform programme, in which simple-minded university students unable to think for themselves will be protected from thinking about politics and encouraged to concentrate on studies that do not require any thinking. Freedom Not To Think BillFederal government officials, compliant university academics and the mass media are united in seeing the virtues of reforms that do not require thinking on the part of university administrations or their students. Academics such as Wong Chin Huat, however, firmly believe that students who practise some thinking by doing so may protect federal government officials from thinking about sex and other acts. Freedom From Your Politics on Campus BillThe Universities and University Colleges Act (often shortened to UUCA) may now be cited as the Freedom From Your Kind of Politics in Campus Act. It may also be shortened to the U Just Don't C Act. Freedom of Shopping (Tourism) (Non-Traffic Jams) BillThe draft legislation on peaceful non-public non-protests may now also be cited as the Freedom To Keep Shops Open Bill, or alternatively the Freedom Of Foreign Tourists Frightened By Coloured People Bill, and also as the Freedom Of Retired Army Generals Not To Get Stuck In Traffic Jams After Golf Bill. The federal government's frantic race to reform, however, suffered a minor setback in public relations when Malaysia was beaten to it by Burma, the military-run leper state of Asean which has not had a Parliament in 50 years let alone the right to protest.
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| Government Screwing Up Durians As Well Posted: 24 Nov 2011 03:18 PM PST Durian people say that today an "important" meeting is taking place between the Government and the durian growers and durian processors. People can even be liwatted over durians. This is another case of "orang yang tak tahu apa benda pun pasal niaga" getting involved in messing things up again (or getting fed with Musang King for life). First of all, a little recap. As we all know, many stage bus operators in the smaller towns have stopped their services or are stoppinmg their services. They have been running at losses and they cannot survive anymore. Is that so? Is that really the case? What happened to Sri Jaya Bus, Uttam Singh Bus, Yellow Bus, Patt Hup Bus, Len Seng Bus, Foh Hup Bus, Selangor Omnibus, and so on? These are well known stage bus operators who operated stage buses in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, Tampin, Selangor and other places. But most importantly, for decades, they had been providing fairly good services to the rural people. People could go from A to B. What happened to all these bus operators? Many of them are coming to a stop. The bottom line is, you can think you are being very clever, but if you mess with the market, this is what will happen - the bus services come to a stop. You think you are being clever, you mess with the fish wholesalers and what happens? You make their operating costs too high. They make losses. So they will not sell fish anymore. Fish prices skyrocket, siapa jadi miskin dulu? Takkan kita nak makan babi? So the Government flip flopped. The fish wholesalers went back to work. Dont impose ridiculous rules on the fish wholesalers. You mess with the Hire Purchase Act (HPA), the used car dealers' cost of doing business went up. The risk borne by the used car dealers also went up. Then what happened? The used car dealers stopped buying used cars. If people cannot sell their old cars to the used car dealers, the people will not buy a new car. So new car sales died. This happened just a few months ago. Dah lupa ke. Then the Government flip flopped, amended or did not implement the HPA amendments - and things have returned back to normal. And it goes on and on. Yes 30 year old school buses must get off the road. But give them enough licenses, give them cheaper buses (without AP). Only then you can put a gun to their head and say 'Change your buses'. But when nothing much has been done to improve their cost structure, and you still put a gun to their head and say 'change your buses' the guy simply will not run his school bus anymore. He does not have money to change his bus according to your timetable. So he has to pull his bus off the road. Bottom line : no school buses. The school children and their parents suffer. Parents have to become chaueffeurs. Menyusahkan orang saja. So the Government flip flopped. The Government postponed the requirement to change the 30 year buses. It will not make any difference. There are reasons (in this country many of them are artificial) that determine the cost of running any bus. As long as these costs are artificially high, the bus operators will operate at very thin margins. Putting more pressure on their margins will result in buses being pulled off the road. Bas tak ada. Siapa jadi miskin dulu? SPAD has become quite a spud over the stage buses. They dont know what to do. (Read on - the solution is simple). SPAD is gearing itself up to oversee the RM26.0 billion MRT project instead. Not drive down to some local bus station in Tampin or Alor Gajah and sort out the problems being faced by the stage bus operators. Someone came up with an idea that teachers should work 9 am - 5am. Why? Sakit hati ke tengok cikgu sekolah balik rumah pukul 1 tengah hari? I guess the cikgu threatened to vote for the Opposition. This idea too was dropped. Another flip flop. To solve the stage bus operators' problem first of all it is important to just understand this part - Bas dah tak jalan dah. Boleh faham ke?
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| Bersih: Let Malaysians abroad vote Posted: 24 Nov 2011 03:10 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Bersih 2.0 today called on the government to give Malaysians living abroad the right to vote in the upcoming general election. "The government, instead of arguing why it cannot be done, has a duty to ensure that it is done," Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan told reporters today at a press conference on overseas voting rights here. "It is their duty to enfranchise Malaysians, not to stop them from voting but to make sure that they can vote," she added. The former president of the Bar Council also announced "Global Bersih", a global movement of Malaysians abroad gathering in solidarity tomorrow "to demand their right to vote as overseas voters". "This is one of the eight demands of Bersih 2.0 in relation to postal voters," Ambiga said, adding that 10 cities around the world have confirmed their participation. Speaking via Skype, London-based group MyOverseasVote said "it is a day of reflection rather than direct action. It is a day for us to think about the importance of our vote and the importance of getting people around the world interested again in charting the future of our country."
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| Sabah should get a higher oil royalty Posted: 24 Nov 2011 02:58 PM PST (WkikSabah) - The State government should continue to demand for a higher petroleum royalty from the Federal government, said Luyang State Assemblywoman, Melanie Chia. Speaking at the State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday while debating on the State Budget 2012, Chia fervently asserted that this was only appropriate and fair to the people of Sabah, in view of Sabah's significant contribution to the nation's coffer. She further noted that the discovery of many more new fields of oil and gas in Sabah especially this year, including significant discovery of petroleum near Kota Kinabalu, have been significant to Malaysia and PETRONAS.
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| PKR Youth dares Umno to change laws for Malay PM Posted: 24 Nov 2011 02:55 PM PST (The Star) - PKR Youth has dared Umno to amend the Constitution to clearly specify that the prime minister must only be Malay. "To ensure that the last Malay stronghold, that is political power, is not traded away by Umno, we challenge Umno to amend the federal constitution to insert conditions and guarantees that the prime minister must be Malay," its chief Shamsul Iskandar Amin told delegates at the wing's congress here. "The excuse that the post is held by a Malay because Umno is in power cannot be accepted." he added.
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| High Court upholds former CCID director's acquittal Posted: 24 Nov 2011 02:43 PM PST (The Star) - The High Court has upheld the acquittal of former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department director Datuk Ramli Yusuff of a charge of being involved in business while he was a civil servant. High Court judge Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah said he did not find any reason to disturb the detailed findings of a Sessions Court over the acquittal. Ramli was accused of being involved in business by being the director of an agriculture-based company Kinsajaya Sdn Bhd while he was still a police commissioner and CCID director at Bukit Aman, on May 2, 2006. Sessions judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah acquitted Ramli of the charge in August last year. In another High Court on Friday, Justice Ghazali Cha upheld Ramli's acquittal on three charges of not disclosing information about his assets and shares.
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| Azmin: We’ll free Anwar and make him PM free Posted: 24 Nov 2011 02:42 PM PST PKR will break through prison walls to make Anwar Ibrahim the next prime minister and challenges Umno to guarantee that a Malay will always hold that premier post. (The Star) - PKR will do anything, even break down the prison walls, to ensure that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim be the next prime minister, said PKR deputy president Azmin Ali. "This is a strong reminder to Umno that we, the Youth and Wanita, pledge to rise and break down the prison walls to free him. "Pakatan (Rakyat) leaders are together that Anwar should be the next prime minister," Azmin said when opening the PKR Wanita and Youth congress here. "We will bring down any conspirancy to put him behind bars," he said. Azmin said PKR hoped to make inroads into Johor to ensure that the state was no longer Umno's 'fixed deposit'. To achieve this, he said, PKR would avoid three-cornered fights involving its Pakatan Rakyat partners.
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| Posted: 24 Nov 2011 02:17 PM PST How is it that the cost of so many basic food items and day to day consumable items end up being so much more expensive in Malaysia compared to Singapore? How is it that the cost of so many basic foods and day to day consumable items end up being so much more expensive in Malaysia? "A Malaysian earning peanuts in Malaysia can't even afford to smell any peanut butter…SGD10 in Singapore goes a lot further than RM10 in Malaysia!" says my niece. By Mimi Chih, Free Malaysia Today How does one measure the success of a country? To the people, it is reflected in their overall standard of living. Not every country is lucky enough to have a team of intelligent people whose passionate objectives drive them to make their country a better place to live – for everyone. Singapore is one such country. Today this island republic has one of the highest standard of living in Southeast Asia. When Tunku Abdul Rahman decided to expel Singapore from the Federation of Malaya leading to its independence on Aug 9, 1965, the world did not expect this tiny island republic with a population of 1.8 million then to stand tall as one of the original Four Asian Tigers, along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan 46 years later. Which Malaysian could have imagined that some 46 years after the split, Singapore's exchange rate to the ringgit would hit a dizzying rate of RM2.41 (as at Nov 11, 2011)? The last time the Singapore dollar (SGD) was almost on part with the ringgit (RM) was in August 1972 when SGD 100 was equivalent to RM100.10. For an average wage earner in Singapore, making SGD2,500 a month, going for a 10 days holiday to the US or Australia or Europe once a year is a relatively small matter. Annoying issues So what happened to Malaysia? In 1965 when Singapore was expelled, Malaysia had everything that the island republic glaringly lacked – ample land, a plethora of natural resources, an operating government, and 9.3 million people. Unfortunately, in the 46 years that has come to past, Malaysia has been bogged down by a number of issues which are clearly distracting the government from doing what it is supposed to be doing. The ruling government (Umno-Barisan Nasional) in Malaysia is debating whether education in English would be significantly beneficial to the rakyat. The opposition PAS is vehement in wanting to forcibly implement the hudud laws and banning Elton John from performing in Malaysia because of his sexual orientation and the Obedient Wives Club's proposition that Muslim women should be obedient and strive to approach sex with their hubbies not just on a physical level but on the higher spiritual realm. Then there are also questions posed to DAP's national chairman Karpal Singh by MCA's leader Dr Chua Soi Lek. Chua wants to know whether a non-Muslim should first convert to Islam if they wanted to be deputy prime minister should Pakatan become the ruling government. These are just a handful of endless annoying issues which Umno has had to deal with on a daily basis. RM pales to SGD In 2011 Singapore's population stands at 5.18 million (63% are Singaporean citizens while 37% are permanent residents). Malaysia's population as at July 2011 is 28.73 million. Without getting into advanced mathematical calculations, one would deduce that economies of scale would be more achievable in the country that has 28.73 million people versus 5.18 million. But this is not the case. The cost of living is relative to the ability to earn. Lets establish the value of currency in terms of the wage rate (Malaysia does not have a minimum wage rate yet). In Singapore the average general worker such as a merchandiser in a supermarket or department store or the cashier serving you at Mc Donald's earns SGD5.50 – 6.00 per hour. In Malaysia similar positions start at RM4 – 6 per hour. But take a look at how much things cost in Malaysia. A kopi si peng (iced coffee) costs between SGD0.90 to SGD1.20 in clean coffee shops or food courts in Singapore. In Malaysia the same kopi si peng in coffee shops or food courts costs RM1.80 to RM2.00. A Chinese roasted duck costs SGD18-25 each . In Malaysia, at the market rate of RM48 per bird, eating roasted duck is a luxury.
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| PKR still Pakatan’s ‘weakest link’ Posted: 24 Nov 2011 02:12 PM PST The party must make serious efforts to change or improve its image to face the coming general election, say analysts. He said the party was still being hampered by issues, such as the party leadership in Selangor, the internal tussle between deputy president Azmin Ali and Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, the unresolved state party leadership issue in Sabah, and the role of current president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. BERNAMA As more than 2,000 delegates and observers of PKR gather in Johor for the party's eighth national congress this weekend, the perception of it being the weakest link in the opposition PKR-DAP-Pas pact remains, at least for now. Although the issue of defections and resignations from the party by several of its elected representatives and the much-publicised party election fiasco last year have somehow simmered down, political analysts opine that the party is still seen as the weakest link in the opposition pact. Thus, it is felt that serious efforts are needed for the party to change or at least improve its image. "The biggest obstacle is the leadership issue and the perception that it is focusing extensively on Malay issues, despite the party being multi-racial," said political analyst Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia. He said the party was still being hampered by issues, such as the party leadership in Selangor, the internal tussle between deputy president Azmin Ali and Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, the unresolved state party leadership issue in Sabah, and the role of current president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. "The main players in the 2008 general election seem to have had a melt-down. Forty-three months after the last general election, the perception about PKR has changed from better to worse. It was totally different then compared to now," he noted. Therefore, he believes the PKR top leadership will use this congress to show that the party and its leaders are united, as the party gears up for the next general election. However, the weakest link perception will continue to put the party in a less favourable position when it is negotiating with the other partners in the pact for more seats. Leadership plan "There is another more important issue, that is, what is next for PKR after Anwar Ibrahim? Should Anwar be found guilty of the current charges he is facing, who will take over the leadership? Unless they can come out with a leadership plan, the party will continue to be perceived as weak," said Sivamurugan. PKR being seen as the weakest link in the pact is not something new, as the leadership has acknowledged the problem for some time. At the party congress in Petaling Jaya last year, the then deputy president, Senator Syed Husin Ali, warned party members that the party was the weakest link in the pact, since it was the youngest member, compared to the DAP and PAS. He explained that three elements were plaguing the party – PKR is a rainbow party consisting of former members of other political parties who have brought their ideologies to the new party, which now has created friction among members. PKR, which touts itself as a multi-racial party, has problems with racist members; and the wealthier members, although small in number, are gaining more power in the party. In fact, Syed Husin also hit out at PKR parliamentarians and assemblymen for their weak performance. Another political analyst, Ong Kian Ming from UCSI University, observes that PKR has been unable to remove the perception of it being the weakest link in the pact even though there has been no additional defections from the party. "The image that the party remains too dependent on Anwar still exists", he added. Lacking good candidates After the party elections, even some leaders, such as Rafizi Ramli (director of strategy for PKR), have come out on their own, focusing on some national issues, but this is still not enough. "The party is also facing the lack of good candidates for the next general election, while the emergence of Kita is a direct challenge to PKR. Even if Kita is to contest in the next general election and loses badly, the perception about PKR will still stick," he said. Political analyst James Chin from Sunway Monash University also believes that PKR is still the weakest link due to the fact that its grassroots organisation is not as strong as that in DAP or PAS. "PKR is only strong in some urban areas. It is still having problems in establishing itself. However, people will still vote for the party, just because it is part of the opposition pact," he said. He pointed out that the biggest problem in PKR, however, was still the uncertainty about the party leadership if its de facto leader, Anwar, is sent to jail. "How are they to select a new leader? Who can hold Pakatan Rakyat together? And as for the general election, PKR will have problems negotiating for seats with PAS and DAP, and PKR is most likely to contest in mixed seats, some of which are also vied by DAP and PAS," he said. Despite this, PKR leaders are still trying hard to reassure their members and supporters, as well as the voters, that they have a succession plan in place but not everyone is convinced, though.
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| Broken Promise: PM Has Not Lived Up To Malaysia Day 2011 Pledge Posted: 24 Nov 2011 10:08 AM PST By Lim Chee Wee, President, Malaysian Bar via Malaysian Mirror The Peaceful Assembly Bill ("Bill") was tabled in Parliament for its first reading on 22 November 2011, which we believe was the same day that Members of Parliament first received copies of the Bill. It must be noted that advance notice was not given, save for speculation in the media that the Bill would be tabled on 24 November 2011. In addition, the second reading of the Bill began in Parliament today, merely two days after the first reading. There appears to be unseemly haste in introducing this far-reaching and crucial legislation, without sufficient time for Members of Parliament themselves to review the Bill fully, and without adequate public consultation. The Bill, in replacing the present legislative provision in section 27 of the Police Act 1967, introduced several controversial and objectionable provisions. For instance: (1) Prohibition of street protests (defined widely as "open air assembly which begins with a meeting at a specified place and consists of walking in a mass march or rally for the purpose of objecting to or advancing a particular cause or causes"); (2) Prohibition of organisation of assemblies by persons below the age of twenty one years; (3) Prohibition of participation in peaceful assemblies of children below the age of fifteen years; (4) Unduly onerous responsibilities and restrictions on organisers and assemblies; and (5) Excessive fines for non-compliance of the Bill. These restrictive provisions in the Bill effectively render meaningless our constitutional guarantee, by constraining assembly to very limited circumstances. This stands in stark contrast to the words of the Prime Minister in his speech on the eve of Malaysia Day 2011. That speech was widely applauded by the Malaysian Bar, and by Malaysians in general, in their honest belief that there would be real and genuine reforms. The Prime Minister had stated: I often opine that long gone is the era in which the government knows everything and claims monopoly over wisdom. . . . The Government will also review section 27 of the Police Act 1967, taking into consideration Article 10 of the Federal Constitution regarding freedom of assembly and so as to be in line with international norms on the same matter. . . . (emphasis added) Be confident that it is a strength and not a weakness for us to place our trust in the Malaysian people's intelligence to make decisions that will shape the path of their own future. . . . It is absolutely clear that the steps I just announced are none other than early initiatives of an organised and graceful political transformation. It stands as a crucial and much needed complement to the initiatives of economic transformation and public presentation which the government has outlined and implemented for over two years in the effort to pioneer a modern and progressive nation. . . . In closing, I wish to emphasise that free of any suspicion and doubt, the Malaysia that we all dream of and are in the process of creating is a Malaysia that practices [sic] a functional and inclusive democracy where public peace and prosperity is preserved in accordance with the supremacy of the Constitution, rule of law and respect for basic human rights and individual rights. The Malaysian Bar recommends that the Bill be referred to a Parliamentary Select Committee, which would engage in a public consultation process consistent with the Prime Minister's promise of "a Malaysia that practices [sic] a functional and inclusive democracy". Further, the Malaysian Bar is now wary as to the form and substance of the two proposed pieces of legislation that will replace the Internal Security Act 1960, given this disappointing experience. We urge the Prime Minister to hold steadfast – with courage and determination – to his laudable Malaysia Day pledges, and fulfil the rakyat's expectations.
LIM CHEE WEE is President of Malaysian Bar |
| Musa ‘reluctant’ to fight for Sabahans Posted: 24 Nov 2011 09:49 AM PST By Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: A well-known consumer activist has criticised the Sabah government for lacking the courage to strike a deal with the federal government to bring down the prices of goods, especially food items, in the state. "Yesterday, during the State Legislative Assembly sitting, the Sabah government told the house that it was still awaiting the report from Federal Maritime Institute on how to deal with the cabotage policy in reducing the costs of goods in Sabah," he said.
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| Assembly law allows persecution of Pakatan MPs, claims Anwar Posted: 24 Nov 2011 09:45 AM PST By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider The Peaceful Assembly Bill legitimises persecution of Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers and prevents them from conducting ceramahs and gatherings, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has charged. The PR de facto leader told Parliament today the new law regulating public assembly made it more difficult for the federal opposition to hold ceramahs and dialogue sessions. Citing the 30 days' advance notice provision within the new law, Anwar (picture) said the procedures would be a problem for PR. "The Peaceful Assembly Bill prohibits, prevents Pakatan Rakyat from explaining to the rakyat about current issues on abuse of power, corruption, discrepancies by the ruling government," he said. The Permatang Pauh MP alleged Section 21 (3) of the new law, which allows protesters arrested by police to be fined up to RM20,000 would be used against opposition lawmakers. "The stipulation which sets a fine up to RM20,000 if found guilty allows the government to drag Pakatan Rakyat MPs to court if they conduct ceramahs, explanations and gatherings which is one of our ways to explain daily issues to the rakyat," he said. The government had earlier this week tabled the Peaceful Assembly Bill, two months after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak first pledged reforms to laws on security and public assembly. Shortly after it was unveiled, Pakatan Rakyat leaders said the new bill was "worse" than previous laws on public assembly, and that it simply meant "people could not gather anywhere in Malaysia." PR described the Peaceful Assembly Bill as repressive and restrictive of civil freedom, claiming it accords the police even more power to arrest individuals. Najib today declared it a "revolutionary" law and a "giant leap" towards improving individual freedom. The prime minister pointed out to opposition lawmakers in Parliament that, under the new legislation, the powers of the police would be capped and punitive action against protestors reduced to only fines instead of jail sentences. Section 27 of the bill states that public gatherings cannot be held in the following areas: petrol stations, hospitals, fire stations, airports, railways, land public transport terminals, ports, canals, docks, bridges, places of worship, kindergartens and schools as well as dams and reservoirs. It states that no street protests are allowed, and bars any assembly in or within a 50 metre buffer zone around the listed prohibited areas. Section 9 (5) of the bill allows the police to fine organisers up to RM10,000 if no advance notice of a planned assembly is given to the authorities. Section 20 (1) (c) allows for police to arrest anyone who brings or recruits children in an assembly. The new law says that there also must be 30 days' advance notice for assemblies except for designated areas defined by the home minister. The assemblies can then proceed unless there is objection by the police.
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| In Johor, Pakatan partners see pitfalls of PKR swagger Posted: 24 Nov 2011 09:39 AM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider PKR begins a weekend assault on the Umno bastion of Johor today intent on taking over the state but its coalition partners fear that the move will fuel concern among voters, especially the Malays, that the state Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lacks top-calibre leaders from the dominant community. De facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will outline the party's plans to win the state in a general election expected soon when addressing the main wing tomorrow during its national congress in the luxurious Pulai Springs Resort here.
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PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu announced a series of nationwide discussion and mobilisation programmes towards that goal.
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