| Malays will lose everything in ‘hung parliament’, says Umno leader Posted: 28 Nov 2011 12:27 PM PST By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider Malays will lose their rights and power should Pakatan Rakyat (PR) win more federal seats in the next general election, an Umno leader said today. Datuk Ahmad Maslan, who is Umno information chief, said that the worst-case scenario in the future for Malays would be a "hung parliament" situation like in Australia, where Barisan Nasional would be unable to carry out policy agendas due to the lack of a simple majority. "If there is a hung parliament scenario like Australia, let's say 112 government seats to 110 opposition seats, it is the worst thing that could happen. "The Malay language will be lost, say goodbye to the Malay Sultans, the opposition DAP do not even respect the royal institution ... they have never accepted royal titles even though they have been offered them," he said here. Speaking at a forum titled "Agenda Melayu pasca pilihan raya", the deputy minister trained his sights on the DAP, accusing the opposition party of disrespecting the royal institution, as well as the national language. "Say goodbye to Islam, because they (DAP) are agents of Christianisation ... in talking about the Malay agenda we cannot run away from this," said Ahmad. "I am perturbed as to why PAS can consort with DAP, as opposed to forging ties with Umno. Won't it be better if PAS joins BN, added together we would have about 160 federal seats?" he added. The Pontian MP said that Umno has always "extended its hand" to PAS, but the Islamist party has always rejected their overtures. Stressing that the threat of "Malays losing power" was very real, Ahmad claimed that the Chinese community was slowly gaining control of the country's politics and economy. This, he said was because the Chinese were currently leading in voter registration. "Chinese youths above the age of 21 are already registered voters. What about Malays? Some are 31 and they have yet to register. "We no longer hold power. Look at Selangor, who are the state excos? Ronnie Liu, Xavier, Elizabeth, Teresa Kok, this is the DAP agenda, Christianisation," he said. READ MORE HERE. |
| Assembly bill changes cut appeal period to 48 hours Posted: 28 Nov 2011 12:22 PM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider Amendments to the Peaceful Assembly Bill will give organisers just 48 hours instead of four days to appeal against restrictions set by police. A notice of six changes to four clauses laid on MPs' tables this morning said that this was a consequence of a change to "shorten the period required for the organiser to submit the notification of assembly to the Officer in Charge of the Police District." Clause 15 of the Bill allows police to impose restrictions on various aspects of an assembly including time and venue "for the purpose of security or public order, including the protection of the rights and freedoms of other persons." Clause 16 previously stated that "any organiser aggrieved by the imposition of restrictions and conditions ... may within four days ... appeal to the Minister." The changes to the Bill will also compel the minister in charge to respond to the appeal within 48 hours instead of six days. The amendments to the Bill came after widespread condemnation of clause 9(1) which requires that "an organiser shall, within 30 days before the date of an assembly, notify the Officer in Charge of the Police District in which the assembly is to be held." The Bill will now see the period of "within 30 days" shortened to 10 days. READ MORE HERE. |
| ‘Bring back the fighting spirit’ Posted: 28 Nov 2011 10:20 AM PST (The Star) - PETALING JAYA: Umno must recover its old fighting spirit that had brought it many successes since independence. Its leaders have also been asked to shed the "cermin gelap, kereta gelap, baju linen" (dark glasses, dark cars with tinted windscreen and linen clothing) image as people are no longer moved by it. Council of Former Elected Representatives (Mubarak) president Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Rahman said the spirit which always put the party's interest over that of any other consideration must be instilled in all party members. "The jostling for positions must stop. "Don't be greedy and don't sabotage your own candidates if you are not picked. The next general election is pivotal to Umno's survival," he said. He said all members, especially delegates attending the party's general assembly, must embrace change as any party position would be meaningless if Umno through Barisan Nasional lost in the election. "The party's survival hinges on how it performs in the next election. Thus, Umno members must engage people from all backgrounds, regardless of their political leanings," he said yesterday. Abdul Aziz called on members of the party's Youth and Puteri wings to use new media such as blogs and social networking websites to counter the lies spread by the Opposition. "But they must be more aggressive in questioning the failed policies implemented by the Opposition in the four Pakatan Rakyat-held states. "It is time for the young to go on the offensive and take the fight to the Opposition in the cyber world," he added. Mubarak secretary-general Datuk Paduka Abdul Rahman Ibrahim reminded members that the coming general election might determine the fate of Malay politics. "The next election will decide whether Malay politics will continue or become history. "Mistakes, whether big or small, can lead to dire consequences," he said, adding that the leadership needed to ensure that candidates chosen must be accepted by the majority of voters. He said being an Umno leader was no longer a ticket to becoming a Yang Berhormat. "Yet, there are still those who have lost numerous times (in an election) and still expect to be picked as candidates. "These are the people who must make way for better and winnable candidates," he added. Abdul Rahman also reminded members not to forsake party veterans and past leaders. "This group still holds a degree of influence in respective areas. I call on members to close ranks and engage everyone, be they members or non-members," he said. |
| Public assembly law follows international rules Posted: 28 Nov 2011 10:15 AM PST (The Star) - The Peaceful Assembly Bill was drafted in accordance with international norms after the Government studied 12 Acts practised by other countries. Thus, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said claims by some that it was more draconian than a similar law in Myanmar was baseless. He clarified that those who wanted to assemble at designated areas could do so by just notifying the police within 24 hours before the event was held. Only those who planned to do so at undesignated places were required to notify the police within 10 days before the event, he said. "The 10 days' notification is for the police to facilitate the peaceful gathering and to enable the authority to get the views of the surrounding community which will be affected by the assembly. "For assemblies to be held at designated areas, the public has the right to assemble any time, even at short notice. "The police cannot stop those who want to gather at designated areas," he told a press conference yesterday after opening an international forum held in conjunction with the Umno general assembly. Najib said designated areas where the public was free to assemble would be stipulated in the Act and would not impede public interest. The Cabinet decided on Friday that several changes should be made to the Bill, including reducing the advance notice to be given to the police by anyone organising a public assembly to 10 days instead of the proposed 30 days. Najib said the wordings in the Bill stipulated that notification must be made within 30 days but it could be any time shorter. "This, however, has led to confusion. So we made it more specific by putting it at 10 days so there will be no more doubts and misinterpretation," he said. Najib, however, stressed the provision was not applicable to those who wanted to organise street demonstrations, adding the Government wanted to put the Act in place to allow the people voice their views in a peaceful manner. |
| Najib: Barisan is needed to unite the people and reach our goals Posted: 28 Nov 2011 10:12 AM PST (The Star) - KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has reached an exciting crossroads and policies to transform the country must be maintained so it can become a developed and united nation.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that after going through many eras from fighting for independence to the communist insurgency and bringing development and industrialisation the nation was now heading towards its latest phase to unite Malaysians.
"It is crucial for the coalition to get the people's support and mandate. It is important for Barisan to be re-elected to carry through the plans," he said in his keynote address at an international forum, Politics of Economics and Social Transformation in the Era of Global Crisis, organised by Umno.
Najib, who is Barisan chairman and Umno president, said the coalition's policy of consensus and power-sharing had enabled it to ensure long-term stability and undertake meaningful progress.
A Malaysia for all: Puteri Umno members taking a closer looking at a poster titled 'Kami Anak Malaysia' outside Menara Tun Hussein Onn in conjunction with the general assembly which begins today. – AZHAR MAHFOF / The Star.
"This has also helped us avoid the inter-ethnic conflicts experienced by other countries," he added.
Najib said it helped when parties in Barisan settled issues "within four walls" through discussions and consensus because if matters were discussed openly, they could lead to internal conflict and even violence.
He stressed that Umno would be at the forefront to lead the changes and spearhead the transformation.
"Together with our Barisan friends, we are committed to bringing all races together to march towards achieving the 2020 goal. This is what we stand for," he said.
While former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had outlined the "what" part of the Vision 2020 plan, his (Najib's) task was to lay down the "how" to achieve the goal.
This, he said, was through ensuring that economic growth remained at 6% per annum, creating 1.2 million jobs, investing RM1.4 trillion in the next 10 years and raising the per capita income from about US$7,000 to US$15,000.
"That is what we have to do raise investment, bring about innovation, make changes in the Government and make ourselves more competitive. We have a crystal clear roadmap to get us to Vision 2020, to accomplish the goal of being a fully developed, high-income nation."
On the 1Malaysia "People First, Performance Now" concept, Najib said it encapsulated Malaysians of all races working and living together based on mutual respect and acceptance rather than tolerance.
He acknowledged that there were still some problems that must be resolved.
"We promise things will be better and that is what we have been doing by making political and other changes, including allowing students to join political parties and peaceful assemblies," he said.
Despite the Opposition's claim of an unfair election, Najib pointed out that it had won four states and its representatives were also allowed to be at polling stations to monitor the counting of ballot papers.
On Umno, Najib said the greatest hurdles facing the party was how to transform and remain relevant and dynamic after being in power for a long and uninterrupted period.
"You have the sense that you have political invincibility. You feel, no matter what (happens), you will be in power," he said.
"But the political landscape has changed and the party can no longer bank on its previous successes, no matter how monumental.
"People want to know their future and parties which rest on their laurels will be in danger. There is a need to reform before people demand that you reform or be changed.
"We are proud that Umno is re-inventing itself and is ahead of the curve," he said. |
| Bar Council offers alternative assembly bill, to lead protest march Posted: 28 Nov 2011 10:07 AM PST By Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider Hours before the Dewan Rakyat is to debate the controversial Peaceful Assembly Bill that Datuk Seri Najib Razak claims has been twisted by the opposition, the Bar Council completed its draft of the proposed law it said it will submit for consideration today. Malaysian Bar president Lim Chee Wee will also be leading a protest march to Parliament from the Lake Gardens down the road at 11.30am today to hand over a copy of the alternative proposal.
Malaysian Bar president Lim Chee Wee will be leading a protest march to Parliament from the Lake Gardens today to hand over its alternative draft of the proposed law. — file pic
In an open letter yesterday, the lawyer urged lawmakers on both sides of the political divide to reject the prime minister's proposed law which Lim has described as an "unjust law made in haste ... which will impose unreasonable and disproportionate fetters on freedom of assembly".
In an explanatory statement attached to the alternative bill, the Bar Council said the government approached the right of peaceful assembly from a very limited and restrictive point that is not in line with international norms, nor current developments around the world on basic rights to which Malaysians aspired.
"The Bar Council's draft Bill is intended to promote and facilitate the freedom of the right of peaceful assembly," it said, noting that the government's proposed law, though it was a small improvement in certain limited aspects, "continues to constrict the space for freedom of peaceful assembly that the Malaysian people ought to have."
It noted the government's proposed law banned street protests, or as he termed it assemblies in motion, "which no other progressive jurisdiction does".
The Bar Council noted that the government's proposed law puts "excessive powers and control" in the hands of the police while imposing heavy duties on the part of the organiser and assembly participants.
It said such a provision was "unacceptable" because it allowed the police "to be its own judge and jury on matters relating to freedom of assembly."
One of the major initiatives the Bar Council introduced in its alternative five-part proposal is the creation of an independent 25-member Peaceful Assembly Board and an appeal panel.
Among the key issues addressed in the Bar Council's draft is a more detailed, alternative explanation of what constitutes a "public assembly".
It explained that a "public assembly" means "an assembly or gathering of more than 50 persons, held in a public place, whether or not the assembly is at a particular place or moving, and includes an election campaign".
It also defined public places as including a road and other non-privately owned locations so that a "public assembly" would include street demonstrations. READ MORE HERE. |
| Gloomier economy poses poll risk to BN Posted: 28 Nov 2011 10:03 AM PST By Lee Wei Lian, The Malaysian Insider The prime minister could be pressured into calling an election by early next year to minimise damage to the government's political standing due to a deteriorating economic outlook, says Nomura in its Malaysia outlook report for 2012. The research arm of Japan's leading brokerage and financial services group also said that a surge in new voters since the last general election will mean stiffer competition at the polling booth.
"The clock is ticking faster. Speculation is rife that the next general election could be held within months," said the report.
Nomura's outlook report for 2012 said Malaysia is vulnerable to a potential slowdown in China. — Reuters pic
It also said that as Asia's third most export-oriented economy after Hong Kong and Singapore, Malaysia is vulnerable to a potential slowdown in China.
"In such a scenario, Malaysia would end up in a vulnerable position. Its three key growth engines — the public/private sector economy, manufacturing exports and commodity resources — would likely be in much weaker positions, in our view," said Nomura.
The government, however, has maintained that the economy will remain resilient despite fiscal turmoil in advanced countries in Europe and increasingly strident reporting on concerns about China's real estate bubble.
Officials cited high commodity prices that are expected to boost rural spending and intensification of projects linked to the Economic Transformation Programme that will help bolster domestic demand as reasons for GDP growth forecasts consistently above those from independent economists.
Nomura also said in its report that the pool of eligible voters had grown by 1.9 million to 16.3 million at the end of the first quarter of this year and the increase in eligible voters could hit 3.2 million by the first quarter of 2013.
"Taking into account the 2.58 million registered voters who did not turn out in the 2008 elections, we estimate the increase in the number of people who actually vote could reach 9.43 million, a highly significant number, which we believe would likely intensify competition given that the ruling coalition only won by a mere 384,688-vote majority in 2008," said the report.
Nomura noted, however, that not all eligible new voters are likely to be registered by the next general election and put a conservative estimate at 1.69 million new votes, or 17 per cent of the total turnout.
As at July last year, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) was leading in the voter registration drive, signing up twice as many voters as Barisan Nasional (BN) in the first six months of 2010.
The DAP was also leading in signing up more voters compared with other political parties, registering 32.5 per cent of the new 169,838 voters registered between January and June last year.
Umno followed, registering 32.3 per cent of the new voters, with PAS at 22.7 per cent.
But even if PR were to win the popular vote count with the new voters, it does not follow that it would win government. READ MORE HERE. |
| Foreigners, shut up: Assembly bill outlaws protests by exiles, dissidents and migrant workers Posted: 27 Nov 2011 09:17 PM PST By uppercaise Political exiles and dissidents: don't get angry in Malaysia The Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 doesn't give Malaysians much space or time for getting angry. It's worse for foreigners. They are banned altogether. Protests and demonstrations are only for Malaysians.  For make benefit glorious nationSo if you're a political exile or dissident from another country (Burma, Mongolia, Tibet, Falun Gong, Timor, Papua, Mindanao, etc), this Bill is for your repressive government and Malaysian politicians' noted friendliness with tyrants and dictators. (Kazakhstan, anyone?). Cultural Learnings of Malaysia For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of… fill in the blanks.  Mahathir's good friend. Oh shut upThis bill should be also known as the Freedom of Foreign Dictators (Tell Malaysia To Shut Up) Bill. Or maybe we should name it the Peaceful Assembly (Keep Robert Mugabe Free) Bill. So, get the message, political exiles and dissidents from Iran, Burma, Tibet, China, Timor, Papua, Zimbabwe… this Bill is keep your horrible governments in power. - Foreigners are not allowed to protest or carry out demonstrations.
- "The right to organise or participate in a peaceful assembly shall not extend to non-citizens". Section 4.1.a
- That means:
- No to political exiles and dissidents from elsewhere.
Burmese exiles, Iranian exiles, angry Mongolian parents, Arab dissidents, Timorese exiles, Papuan exiles, China dissidents, Falun Gong, Tibetan dissidents, even Singaporean dissidents if any — find some other country. - No to foreign factory workers or coffeeshop workers.
Don't protest or demonstrate about being cheated by bosses, don't protest or demonstrate about dirty labour agents, or Rela goons or crooked police or immigration officers. The Malaysian government will protect Malaysian crooks in government and business. - Angry foreign students, go home
Or protest somewhere else (like Tahrir Square perhaps). Don't get angry in Malaysia. You'll be an illegal student in no time. If your college has cheated you, don't demonstrate or protest. If a crooked college agent cheated you don't demonstrate or protest. The Malaysian government protects crooked colleges.
Foreigners shut up. Just give us your moneyRead more at: https://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/foreigners-shut-up-malaysia-says-keep-your-arab-spring-at-home/ |
| MOVE in Defense of Aziz Bari Posted: 27 Nov 2011 09:12 PM PST The Malaysian Academic Movement (MOVE) once again reiterates our concern with respect to the continuing persecution and possible prosecution of Professor Abdul Aziz Bari of the International Islamic University Malaysia by the powers that be. We urge the parties concerned to stop and revoke all investigations and disciplinary proceedings that aim to intimidate students and academics from addressing their immediate concerns. Professor Abdul Aziz is a highly regarded scholar of Malaysian constitutional law and society. While he has written many scholarly books over the years on Malaysian Constitution, he continues to be persecuted by the police, politicians and his own university (IIUM) for his scholarship. Advocates of public debates and nonviolent approaches like Professor Abdul Aziz are silenced by state power and its apparatus. Professor Abdul Aziz is becoming the symbol against a long history of academic repression and harsh censorship in Malaysia. Unfortunately, the problem of intellectual freedom and free speech in Malaysia has had a poor record. In 2011, the World Press Freedom Index placed Malaysia in 143th place in a list of 196 countries, whereas Malaysia was in 124th position when the current leadership came to power in 2008. Moreover, constitutional guarantees of freedom of the press, expression and assembly are undermined by other provisions, and in practice they are only partially upheld. Professor Abdul Aziz Bari's prosecution for exercising his right to freedom of expression conflicts with Malaysia's obligations to recognize the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; the right to freedom of expression; and the right to freedom of assembly and freedom of association as delineated by the Constitution of Malaysia. Thus, threatening and intimidating students and professors for exercising their right to free expression and assembly violates international and Malaysian law. Punishing dissenting comments and ideas undermines academic freedom, which is all about the right to free expression and freedom of opinion. The International Islamic University Malaysia should rescind all investigation and disciplinary proceedings against Professor Abdul Aziz Bari. We believe that institutions of higher learning must resolutely uphold and defend the principles of academic freedom, and must also be sanctuaries for the free expression of ideas and opinions. This means that universities must also be a haven for controversial speech. We commend our national and international colleagues for your clear and vigorous defense of academic freedom and free speech in this case, and we continue to stand firm in defense of Professor Aziz Bari.
On behalf of MOVE,
Prof Wan Abdul Manan Wan Muda
Chariperson
Malaysian Academic Movement (MOVE) |
| OECD Predicts Britain's 'Return To Recession' Posted: 27 Nov 2011 09:08 PM PST (Sky News) - Britain is facing a double-dip recession in the first half of next year, and will need to print more money, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has said. In its semi-annual report on the outlook in its 34 member states, the international economic research group (OECD) said weak international demand and fiscal consolidation has halted the recovery in the UK. The OECD expects the downturn to be "modest", with 0.03% decline in output for the current quarter of this year and 0.15% contraction in the first quarter of 2012. Technically six months, or two consecutive quarters, of negative economic growth indicate a recession. The organisation also said the Bank of England should expand its quantitative easing programme to £400bn - effectively pumping a further £125bn into the economy by buying government bonds - to support growth. It warned that unemployment could reach 9% by 2013, but that inflation would fall below the 2% target. The Paris-based group said the overall global outlook has worsened since its last report and that the euro area, which is one of the UK's major trading partners, is also facing a mild recession. It said a split in the single-currency area would result in massive wealth destruction, bankruptcies and a collapse in confidence in the region, as well as a deep depression in the world economy. The economic report comes on the eve of George Osborne's Autumn Statement, in which he is expected to reveal raft of measures including a £30bn infrastructure plan . The Chancellor told Sky News that it was clear from the OECD report that "these are very difficult times for many countries in the western world" and that the deep downturn in Europe would be a challenge for Britain. "We've got to weather the current economic storm but we've got to lay the foundation for a stronger economic future, " he added. The OECD forecast for Britain goes a step further than the growth downgrade from the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC). In its latest quarterly economic report, the business lobby group has slashed its prediction for UK output growth for the rest of this year, as well as 2012 and 2013. It expects growth to be "very weak" until mid-2012 due to the impact from the eurozone debt crisis, and has revised its prediction of gross domestic product (GDP) rise next year to 0.8%, less than half the 2.1% it had expected previously. Although it expects unemployment to increase by 150,000 over the next 12 months, the group has warned against "unjustified gloom about the UK's economic prospects", adding that conditions will gradually improve over time. The BCC's chief economist David Kern told Sky News: "What we are saying is that in spite of this economic situation we are in, the deficit cutting programme was the right thing to do. "The Chancellor and the Government have gained a lot of credibility in the financial markets and I think tomorrow the Chancellor will be able to cash in on that credibility." The BCC also expects the Bank of England to keep the base interest rate at 0.5% until the final quarter of 2012, but pump a further £50bn into the economy through quantitative easing. It added consumer spending would decline by 1.2% in 2011 but begin to grow from 2012. The services sector, which includes businesses ranging from hairdressers to accountants, has already seen its fastest fall in activity for two and a half years as consumers rein in spending, according to the Confederation for British Industry. |
| Malaysia urged to reject bill clamping down on peaceful protest Posted: 27 Nov 2011 08:58 PM PST AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE
The Malaysian government has introduced a law which would further tighten the country's excessive restrictions on peaceful protest ahead of next year's expected general elections, Amnesty International said today. If enacted, the Peaceful Assembly Bill would effectively prohibit street protests and fine demonstrators who fail to comply up to 20,000 Malaysian ringgit (US$6,000). The Malaysian Parliament is to consider the bill on Tuesday.
"This bill is a legislative attack on Malaysians' right to peaceful protest," said Sam Zarifi, Asia-Pacific director at Amnesty International. "The Malaysian parliament should firmly reject this legislation."
Last July, the authorities launched a brutal crackdown on freedom of peaceful assembly when the Coalition for Clean Elections, known as Bersih, held a march for electoral reforms in Kuala Lumpur. Police beat peaceful protesters, fired tear gas canisters into the crowd, and arrested at least 1,667 demonstrators.
In the bill street protest is broadly defined 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."
This goes against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which endorses the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association (article 20).
The bill restricts demonstrations to enclosed locations, such as stadiums, and requires protest organizers to obtain police permission in advance. Under public pressure, the Cabinet on Friday reduced from 30 days to 10 days the advance requirement for organizers of a public assembly to notify the police.
Nonetheless, police are given wide discretionary powers to impose restrictions on public assembly. Organizers of the July march known as Bersih 2.0 were denied permits for assembly, both in the street and at a stadium.
This bill would put Malaysia in violation of many of its international treaty obligations. For example, it restricts children below the age of 15 from participating in peaceful public assembly. Under the Convention of the Rights of the Child, to which Malaysia is a party, children have "the freedom to have their say, and the right to form associations and assemble peacefully" (article 15).
"If the Malaysian government is serious about holding free and fair elections, it needs to end this assault on the right to peaceful protest," said Sam Zarifi. |
| Marry for love, not hate Posted: 27 Nov 2011 08:12 PM PST 
Let us take a hypothetical situation. Let's, say, Najib Tun Razak resigns as Prime Minister and, say, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah takes over. Also, say, many ministers, politicians, police officers, senior government officials, etc., are arrested and charged for corruption. Also, say, the new Prime Minister, Ku Li, reforms the police, judiciary, election commission, etc. Do you think all those who voted Pakatan Rakyat in 2008 would still do so now? NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin Anwar takes some of the blame for defections in PKR after 2008 polls
(The Star) - Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has accepted some of the blame for the defections that have plagued the party after the 2008 election.
"I admit that I am partly to be blamed because I endorsed their candidacies," he said.
"But, at that time we lacked candidates and some even declined to become one.
"Those who aspire to be our candidates, but have only the intention of becoming rich can forget about receiving the authorisation letters from the president," he said at the closing of PKR's Eighth National Congress here yesterday.
Anwar predicted that the coming general election would be a "defining battle" for the country's political landscape.
"We are better organised now compared with the last time," he said.
"Traitors have left and the cooperation with the DAP and PAS is improving, which is a good sign for us in our effort to capture Putrajaya."
Anwar claimed that he had been handed a booklet purportedly issued by Umno, containing instruction to spread lies and slanders about him and the PKR.
He said this only confirmed his suspicions that Umno was fearful of him and was using everything it had to destroy the PKR. **********************************************
PKR party leader Anwar Ibrahim and party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail have promised us quality candidates in the coming general election.
By the way, my party, the Liberal Democrats of UK, also have the same structure. Nick Clegg is the party leader (and Deputy Prime Minister) while Tim Farron is party president (and MP). The only thing is both positions need to be contested, unlike PKR where Anwar does not need to contest his post.
Not a very good reflection of democracy at work. Anyway, even if there is a contest, I suppose no one would dare go against Anwar (or even Wan Azizah) lest they suffer the fate of Zaid Ibrahim.
But I am digressing (as usual). Let us get back to the issue of quality candidates.
A year ago, we launched the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) in London and one of our objectives (in response to Anwar's statement regarding his dilemma in finding quality candidates) was to help find quality candidates and offer them to Pakatan Rakyat. PKR, DAP and PAS can, of course, choose not to accept these candidates and, if they do, they can decide where they would like to field them.
In the 1999, 2004 and 2008 general elections, the opposition did field independent or non-party candidates. So there is a history of the opposition being receptive to this practice. PAS, in fact, even fielded one non-Muslim/non-Malay female candidate in Johor (the first for the Islamic party).
This time around, however, which caught us quite by surprise, the opposition demonstrated hostility towards the idea. There were even allegations that we are agents of Barisan Nasional and that our agenda is to trigger three-corner fights to ensure that the opposition fails to form the next federal government.
In previous general elections there were quite a number of three-corner fights when PKR, DAP and PAS could not come to an agreement in some constituencies. So three-corner fights is quite normal. It even happened in the recent Sarawak state election and we can certainly expect it in the coming general election as well.
Anyway, because of the controversy that we attracted, I told Haris Ibrahim to drop the whole idea and let's just sit back and let Pakatan Rakyat sort out the seat distribution and candidates issues on their own. If our gesture is not welcome it is no use pushing the issue.
What is important is that the message has sunk in. And the message is: we are not happy with the choice of candidates in the previous general election. And our unhappiness is not just regarding the crossovers but regarding the performance of some of these candidates as well. It appears that either they are not interested in serving the rakyat or they have no idea what the role and function of a wakil rakyat is.
Granted, some want to become a wakil rakyat just for the glamour of being called Yang Berhormat. I suppose this is why some people pay RM250,000 just to get titles and awards. They get an orgasm when the rakyat address them as Yang Berbahagia. I suppose they are very bahagia with all these titles and awards. Nowadays, you can get titles and awards from the back of a cornflakes box. That's how cheap they have become.
Another thing we told Anwar, which he agreed, was that, in 2008, most people who voted Barisan Nasional in earlier elections and who for the first time voted opposition, did so because they were angry, disgusted, etc., with Barisan Nasional. These were mainly protest votes and they wanted to send Barisan Nasional a message that they were unhappy. So they were prepared to vote even for monkeys or donkeys as long as they are not Barisan Nasional candidates.
This time around, these same people are not going to vote opposition for that same reason. They are going to gauge the quality of the opposition candidates compared to Barisan Nasional candidates and only if the opposition candidates prove better would they vote opposition.
I have been saying this for more than ten years since 1999. The opposition can't build a relationship with the voters based on hate -- hate for Barisan Nasional. It has to be built on a relationship of love -- love for the opposition.
In 1999, the opposition did quite well. Many people hated Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. So they voted opposition. Then, when Dr Mahathir handed over power to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the voters went back to Barisan Nasional. And that is why Barisan Nasional did so well in 2004, the best in the history of Malaysian elections.
An enemy of my enemy is my (temporary) friend is not a lasting relationship.
The analogy I used in my argument was the Afghan Mujahideens. For generations they had been fighting each other. Then, when the Russians came, they united. And because they were united they managed to defeat the Russians (with some US help of course). However, once the Russians went home to Moscow, the Afghans turned on each other again.
A marriage of convenience is not always the best type of relationship. Even marriages founded on love face the risk of break-ups and divorce. What more marriages of convenience.
And we face two problems here. One is regarding the Pakatan Rakyat parties themselves, which the Malays would say: tidur satu bantal, mimpi lain-lain (share one pillow but have different dreams: READ MORE HERE). And the other is between Pakatan Rakyat and the voters (united by their hate for Barisan Nasional but not really in love with each other -- at least as far as the voters are concerned: who do not really like Pakatan Rakyat but hate Barisan Nasional even more).
So, Pakatan Rakyat still has a lot of work to do.
Let us take a hypothetical situation. Let's, say, Najib Tun Razak resigns as Prime Minister and, say, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah takes over. Also, say, many ministers, politicians, police officers, senior government officials, etc., are arrested and charged for corruption. Also, say, the new Prime Minister, Ku Li, reforms the police, judiciary, election commission, etc.
Do you think all those who voted Pakatan Rakyat in 2008 would still do so now?
Okay, before you fly off the handle, I said 'hypothetically-speaking'. You can argue that this can never happen. In theory it can, although we can argue that in reality it may not happen. It is extremely difficult to happen, of course, but not impossible. And since it is not impossible then in theory it can happen.
Let me argue it another way. It is extremely difficult for a plane to crash and only one passenger survives the crash while everyone else dies. But this has happened before, although very rare. And the fact that it did happen means it can happen. So, the possibility of a change of leadership in Barisan Nasional, which in turn triggers reforms, is not really a pipedream.
The question would be: would everyone who voted Pakatan Rakyat in 2008 still do so or would they go back to Barisan Nasional if this hypothetical situation arises?
I think most of you know the answer to this question. We all hate Barisan Nasional for a reason and if this reason no longer exists then there is also no longer any reason to continue hating Barisan Nasional. Nevertheless, there would be no change for those of you who love Pakatan Rakyat. You will still support Pakatan Rakyat come hell or high water. But is this the majority or the minority?
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| WikiLeaks wins Australian journalism award Posted: 27 Nov 2011 06:50 PM PST 
(AFP) - SYDNEY: WikiLeaks has been recognised in Australia for its "outstanding contribution to journalism", with founder Julian Assange lashing out at "cowardly" Prime Minister Julia Gillard in an acceptance speech. The anti-secrecy website was lauded at the annual Walkley Awards, where winners are chosen by an independent panel of journalists and photographers, for its courageous reporting of secret US cables. "WikiLeaks applied new technology to penetrate the inner workings of government to reveal an avalanche of inconvenient truths in a global publishing coup," the Walkley trustees said in bestowing the award Sunday evening. "Its revelations, from the way the war on terror was being waged, to diplomatic bastardry, high-level horse-trading and the interference in the domestic affairs of nations, have had an undeniable impact." The whistleblowing website has published thousands of cables in which US diplomats give their often candid views on world leaders, to Washington's acute embarrassment. Assange, an Australian citizen who has previously blasted Canberra for not doing enough to protect him in the fallout from the leaks, was scathing of the government in accepting the accolade in a pre-recorded video message. "The Gillard government has shown its true colours in relation to how it's handled US pressure on WikiLeaks," he said in footage shown on SBS television which broadcast the awards. "Australian journalists are courageous, the Australian population is supportive, but Julia Gillard is a cowardly Australian prime minister. "As Australians we shall not despair, as long as we can speak out, as long as we can publish, and as long as the Internet remains free, we will continue to fight back, armed with the truth," he added. Assange has spent much of the last year under virtual house arrest in Britain since he was detained in December 2010 over claims of rape and sexual assault made by two women in Sweden. He has strongly denied the allegations against him, claiming they are politically motivated and linked to the activities of WikiLeaks. The former computer hacker is currently appealing a decision against his extradition to Sweden to face the charges. |
| Gearing up Umno for coming polls battle Posted: 27 Nov 2011 06:31 PM PST The 62th Umno general assembly may the last assembly before the country casts its votes. No matter when the announcement for the 13th general election will be made, the 62th Umno general assembly scheduled to begin tomorrow until Dec 3 at the Putra World Trade Centre here will become the platform to drive the party towards election preparedness. By Ahmad Shukran Shaharudin, Bernama Although the current parliamentary terms ends in March 2013, various quarters, ranging from the governing party to the opposition, as well as political analysts, had anticipated that the next general election would be held sooner. However, to get a straight answer about the actual date for the next general election from Prime Minister Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is also Umno president, is probably the most difficult task to do at the moment. When he was asked in a recent interview with Bernama on whether this year's Umno general assembly would be the last assembly before the 13th general election, the prime minister spontaneously said: "Who said so? Maybe not." Nevertheless, Najib had, of late, been advising party members to be prepared to face the next general election, and hence, giving some kind of a signal that he seriously wanted the party's election machinery to be fuelled up for the election. Umno Information chief Ahmad Maslan said it would be a "big loss" if the topic of general election were not raised at the assembly since many believed that the polls was just around the corner. "I hope the delegates will discuss the topic in detail, especially on how to win back those lost seats, strengthen our positions in existing seats and wrest back the lost states," he was reported as saying at a media conference last week. Umno party election, which was supposed to be held during this year's assembly, had been postponed for 18 months. It was reported that the decision was not made on purpose, but was aimed at strengthening the party, prevent sabotage, foster unity and resolve the party's internal issues before facing the biggest challenge – the general election. Malay agendas The first time Umno supreme council decided to postpone the party polls was in 1999 where it was postponed to May 2000 to enable to party to focus on the 1999 general election. Debaters for this year's assembly had also been reminded to avoid making statements that would touch the sensitivities of other races while discussing the Malay agendas. Even more than that, they were also reminded to raise important issues and not to simply criticise others without giving supporting facts and suggestions. Among those who had given the reminders was Ahmad, who was reported as saying that in the context of 1Malaysia, the Malay agendas could still be expanded properly without hurting the feelings of other races in the country. "However, it would be wrong if we talk about the 1Malaysia concept without touching about the Malay agendas," he said. A total of 5,447 delegates will attend the Umno general assembly this year comprising 2,627 delegates from 191 divisions nationwide, 944 from Wanita, 942 from Youth and 934 from Puteri.
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| WIKILEAKS: The PR parties clearly have different visions for Malaysia Posted: 27 Nov 2011 06:14 PM PST 
Reaching out to the two East Malaysian states is crucial to PR's bid to wrest federal power from the BN as the two states command about a quarter of the total number of parliamentary seats but have a tenuous relationship with UMNO which the opposition believes can potentially be exploited. In the meantime, PR leader Anwar faces a court trial and probable conviction on sodomy charges in early 2010. Still, the very existence of PR as a viable political force, coupled with the emergence of the uncensored and influential blogosphere that helped the opposition get its policy message to the public, has changed the political dynamics in Malaysia. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR BRIAN D. MCFEETERS, REASON 1.4 (B AND D)
Summary and Comment 1. (SBU) Summary. The three main Malaysian opposition parties held their first official joint convention on December 19, agreeing to a core platform of unified party positions and setting their sights on taking over the government during the next general elections. The opposition coalition known as the People's Alliance (PR) had previously been a well-organized but unofficial coalition consisting of the People's Justice Party (PKR), the Democratic Action Party (DAP), and the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS). This is the first time the three opposition parties cooperated on conducting a large-scale function that was open to the public, during which they approved a common policy framework which will be the cornerstone of the coalition's campaign to oust the ruling National Front (BN) when elections are held sometime before the end of June 2013. The PR coalition's agreed framework provides clear policies that it would implement should they gain power -- such as increasing oil revenue-sharing with oil-producing states from five to 20 percent -- while debunking the BN's claims that the PR is a collection of squabbling parties that fight more often than they agree.
2. (C) Comment. The importance of unity at the PR convention, including the much-photographed and widely disseminated image of the three opposition leaders holding their joined hands aloft, cannot be overstated. That picture serves to counter the campaign the government-influenced media has waged to undermine the coalition by highlighting the problems between the parties, treating their minor differences as major rifts, and exaggerating the inevitable infighting through selective use of quotes and false rumors. The parties clearly do have different visions for Malaysia, ranging from DAP's quest for race-blind liberal democracy to PAS's ultimate goal, placed on the back burner, of establishing an Islamic state. Even so, the leaders managed to convey that they were on the same page at the convention when they codified their areas of agreement in a lucid charter. For now, cohesion is winning, since the parties are united by their desire to unseat the BN -- whose United Malays National Organization (UMNO) has controlled the government since independence in 1957 -- and establish a more ethical government.
3. (C) Comment continued. The People's Alliance carried out a successful convention but faces an uphill battle. BN strategists have told us the ruling coalition is determined not only to win the next general election -- which Prime Minister Najib will likely not hold until he must in 2013 -- but is also determined to win back a two-thirds majority in Parliament, in part by offering popular reforms. In the meantime, PR leader Anwar faces a court trial and probable conviction on sodomy charges in early 2010. Still, the very existence of PR as a viable political force, coupled with the emergence of the uncensored and influential blogosphere that helped the opposition get its policy message to the public, has changed the political dynamics in Malaysia. Many of the values that the People's Alliance stresses -- such as accountable government and press freedom -- are in line with U.S. interests. While the opposition has a marked lack of clarity on many major foreign policy issues, it has a tendency toward protectionist rhetoric on trade, and would continue the current government's anti-Israel stance. End Summary and Comment.
Party Leaders Pledge to Work Under One Banner 4. (U) The opposition coalition, called the People's Alliance (Pakatan Rakyat or PR in Malaysian), comprising the People's Justice Party (PKR), the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) held its first convention on December 19 with the theme of "Guiding change to ensure victory." Polcouns, Poloffs, and diplomats from other embassies attended the convention held in Shah Alam, the capital of the PR-controlled state of Selangor. This is the first time the three parties have come together to formalize the coalition after announcing its formation on April 1, 2008, right after the March 2008 general election. The election, which has been described as a "political tsunami," saw the opposition capture five of thirteen state governments and 47 percent of the popular vote, with the opposition parties winning 82 out of the 222 parliament seats and thereby denying the ruling National Front (BN) coalition its customary two thirds majority in parliament. (Note: this is significant because it denies the BN the ability to amend the constitution, an option it frequently used in the past for political advantage. End Note.) Approximately 1,500 delegates from all three parties attended the convention. The three parties recently submitted their application to the Registrar of Societies to formally register as an official political alliance; they are currently awaiting a response from the registrar.
5. (U) After a raucous opening that featured Malay drummers and Chinese dragons, the convention started with speeches by three key leaders representing each of the three opposition parties. PKR Advisor and de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim represented PKR; Penang Chief Minister and DAP party Secretary General Lim Guan Eng represented DAP; and PAS party president Hadi Awang represented PAS. All three leaders pledged their party's commitment to the coalition. Anwar Ibrahim stated that the People's Alliance is not just a political party but "a political movement that will bring about genuine change in the country." He urged the PR component parties to emerge from the "cocoon of their narrow sectarianism" and "to be fair to all the people" if they are serious about defeating the BN in the next general election.
6. (U) DAP Secretary General Lim Guan Eng, to laughter and applause, described the ruling BN as "the dark side" that "oppresses, depresses and suppresses the people forever." Echoing Anwar's call, Guan Eng urged the people to support PR whereby its policies will focus on "justice, freedom, truth, welfare and devotion to God," a clear a message to win over Muslim support. He pointed out that the PR leaders' objective is to "defend the national interest" compared to the BN leaders who only defend "their own self interest." He concluded his speech by pointing out that PR is fighting for the future generation of the country.
7. (U) PAS President Hadi Awang reassured the coalition partners that his party is committed to the People's Alliance, and would never join the BN's dominant party, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO). (Comment: Since the March 2008 general election, several senior PAS leaders have been promoting the idea of a PAS-UMNO unity government for the sake of Malay and Muslim unity. These PAS leaders who have been advocating this unity government were at the convention, including Hadi himself, indicating that the party is firmly committed to align itself with the PR. End Comment.) In his speech, Hadi quoted extensively examples from the Koran that promoted a plural society based on justice. He stated that in Islam it is cruel to discriminate against minorities, and urged non-Muslims not to take seriously the brand of Islam as promoted by UMNO, which he described as "not holding on to the true teachings and principles" of the religion. The three leaders avoided lashing out at Prime Minister Najib or other BN leaders by name, but Hadi drew applause when he noted that Putra Jaya, the federal capital, was only a few kilometers away from Shah Alam.
Common Platform -- Accountability and Transparency Galore 8. (SBU) Pakatan leaders unveiled a 33-page common policy framework described by a journalist from the BN-influenced "Star" newspaper as "a masterpiece of compromise between three dissimilar political visions" that contained promises of sweeping reforms and equality. The common platform, unanimously adopted by the 1,500 delegates at the end of the convention, has four major points: a transparent and genuine democracy; a high-performance people-centric economy; social justice and human development; and a better federal-state relationship and foreign policy. All three political parties pledged in the common framework to defend the Constitution; to practice needs-based affirmative action (as opposed to the race-based policy practiced by the BN); abolish all laws that violate human rights including the Internal Security Act; and restore and respect the separation of powers between the three branches of government. Other pledges include introducing a minimum wage (Malaysia has none); providing more powers and funds to the states; making the Election Commission, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), National Oil Company Petronas and other major government institutions directly accountable to Parliament, and having Parliament approve the appointment of important government posts such as the inspector general of police, attorney-general, MACC commissioner and auditor-general.
9. (U) With regard to the contentious issue of religion, the coalition pledged to establish a "comprehensive mechanism" (including forming a royal commission) to resolve cases where there is an overlap of civil and Islamic Syariah laws. On foreign policy, the PR wants to strengthen Malaysia's role in the international arena by promoting a foreign policy that is based on "universal justice, (conflict) resolution through negotiations, and emphasis on inter-civilization dialogues for peace, security and prosperity." The Alliance also wants to strengthen diplomatic and trade relations with regional partners, especially with ASEAN member countries.
10. (SBU) The common platform also made special reference to the East Malaysian States of Sabah and Sarawak, where PR promised to increase the oil royalty from the current five percent to twenty percent (as promised for all other states with oil and gas revenue) and resolving long-standing problems faced by indigenous peoples. PR also promised to form a royal commission to resolve the outstanding issue of illegal immigrants, a major problem in Sabah which has been largely ignored by the federal government. PKR Vice President and prominent Sabah politician Jeffrey Kittingan, rumored to be at odds with PR leader Anwar, told Poloffs that, on the contrary, he was very happy the PR had given special attention to the two East Malaysian states. (Comment: Reaching out to the two East Malaysian states is crucial to PR's bid to wrest federal power from the BN as the two states command about a quarter of the total number of parliamentary seats but have a tenuous relationship with UMNO which the opposition believes can potentially be exploited. End Comment.)
Differences Still Exist 11. (SBU) Despite the euphoria over the unveiling of a common platform, differences exist among the parties. PAS leaders have told us that the party is not abandoning its objective of forming an Islamic state in Malaysia, while DAP leaders are continuing to promote the dismantling of race-based policies and secularization of the government. The parties also are squabbling over representation at the state level. For example, PAS-controlled Kedah does not have a DAP politician in the state cabinet, much to the chagrin of DAP. The reverse is true in the DAP-controlled state of Penang. In Selangor, PAS wants the state government to ban the sale of alcohol in Malay majority neighborhoods, but the PKR and DAP-dominated state government have balked at this suggestion.
12. (SBU) The most prominent spat de jour between the parties is the restoration of local elections. Local elections in Malaysia were suspended in 1969 following large-scale race riots and abolished in 1972. Under the status quo, local councilors are appointed by the respective political parties that control the state government. In the run up to the March 2008 general election, opposition parties pledged to restore local elections if elected. However PAS and some PKR leaders opposed the restoration of local elections as they were worried that some local governments would be dominated by non-Malays should elections be held openly. To overcome these differences in opinion, PR has decided to postpone and tone down the discussion on restoring local elections, stating that the coalition is committed to "strengthen local government democracy and democratically enhance the competency and effectiveness of the delivery system and guarantee transparency at all levels." KEITH (December 2009) |
| BERSIH 3.0: a warning to Najib Posted: 27 Nov 2011 05:48 PM PST Najib forewarned he is heading for another political disaster after July 9 Bersih 2.0 misjudgment if rejects proposal for a Parliamentary Select Committee and forces the Peaceful Assembly Bill through all readings in Dewan Rakyat tomorrow Lim Kit Siang The Police Royal Commission Report 2005 listed the complaints against bias, unreasonableness and discrimination in the exercise of police powers under Section 27 of the Police Act 1967 which vests police with the power to regulate assemblies, meetings and processions through the granting of a permit, including the following: There are complaints that the police do not seem to be neutral and impartial in the granting of permits, as would appear to be the case from their alleged numerous refusals of permits to opposition political parties and organisations perceived to be linked to them. There were also allegations that those attending the events were arrested and questioned as to why they did so and why they expressed opposition towards the government.
There is nothing to demonstrate that in the six years after the publication of the Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission Report and its 125 recommendations, the Malaysian Police has won public confidence as it has transformed itself into an independent, incorruptible and professional police force, discarding the outmoded colonial police concept of "regime protection" and replacing it with the modern principles and concept of "democratic policing". As a result, the rampant complaints against the lack of police independence and professionalism under Section 27 of the Police Act will continue to remain as major grievances under the Peaceful Assembly Bill unless there is a total change of police mentality and mindset that the police serve the people and the laws of the land and not the political masters of the day. To end all politicking and bias, and suspicion that the police are serving the agenda of their political masters, the role of the Home Minister as the final arbiter in the Peaceful Assembly Bill should be removed and replaced by the courts. The Australian Home Minister and the various Australian State Police Ministers have no role whatsoever in the decision-making process on freedom of assembly in Australia. Under the Queensland Peaceful Assembly Act, which is one of the models adopted by the Barisan Nasional government for the Peaceful Assembly Bill, only five days' notice to the relevant authorities is required for the holding of a public assembly and the courts are the final appellate authorities over any police decision to prohibit any assembly. Is the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak prepared to make amendment to Clause 16 of the Peaceful Assembly Bill which gives the Home Minister the powers as the final arbiter whether a peaceful assembly could be held and to vest these powers in the courts as in the Queensland Peaceful Assembly Act 1992 so as to eliminate all possibilities of political bias and politicking in the decision-making process? The Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein is very fond of telling other people not to "politicise" issues when he as Home Minister had been most guilty of such politicking – as in the notorious cow-head stamping sacrilege in Shah Alam in September 2009 and the seditious lie by Utusan Malaysia earlier this year that DAP wants to create a Christian Malaysia. The Home Minister's powers as final arbiter under the Peaceful Assembly Bill on whether assemblies could be held is only one of the objections to the Bill and this is why more time must be given not only to MPs but to the civil society, human rights groups and all concerned Malaysians to study the implications of the very badly drafted Peaceful Assembly Bill by referring it to a Parliamentary Select Committee. I call on Najib to reconsider the decision to force the Peaceful Assembly Bill through all three readings in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow as it will be proof that he has not learnt the lessons of his massive misjudgement and mishandling of the July 9 Bersih 2.0 peaceful rally for free,fair and clean elections in Malaysia. Najib should be forewarned that he is heading for another political disaster after his July 9 Bersih 2.0 misjudgement if he rejects the proposal for a Parliamentary Select Committee on the Peaceful Assembly Bill. |
| The Najib flip-flop Posted: 27 Nov 2011 04:57 PM PST Najib's "clarification" is proof that Peaceful Assembly Bill is the worst and most slipshod bill in 54-year parliamentary history raising questions about the Prime Minister's bona fides in political reforms Lim Kit Siang The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak's last-minute clarification today of the Peaceful Assembly Bill (PAB) is testimony that the PAB is the worst and most slipshod bill ever drafted in the 54-year history of Malaysian Parliament as well as raising questions about Najib's bona fides in political reforms and transformation. Najib blamed Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for "confusing" the public with regard to the 30-day notification requirement. He said: "Actually the wording is within 30 days, it can be within five or 10 days but that word led to so much confusion so we decided that 10 days to be specific, so that there will be no doubts." (The Malaysian Insider) Najib said the previous 30 days' notification did not mean a month's notice was needed. Najib's "clarification" is utterly ridiculous. In fact, Najib is presenting a sorry public spectacle of a Prime Minister who does not know what he is talking about, and even worse does not understand the content of the Bill he introduced in Parliament on Thursday though he described it as "revolutionary". It is a terrible reflection of the quality of leadership and governance in Malaysia that the Prime Minister can be so badly advised as to the Bill he presented in Parliament as to cause the Prime Minister to totally mislead Parliament and the country about its import and implications. I do not believe that Najib has deliberately told a lie about the PAB, but clearly he had been told a lie by his advisers causing him to spread a lie! I challenge Najib to explain how he could claim that under the PAB, before the proposed amendment tomorrow to reduce the 30-day notice requirement to 10 days, it would be possible to organise an assembly "within five or 10 days"? Let us take a hypothetical case. Say an organiser wants to hold an assembly on 30th December 2011. Clause 9 (1) of the PAB on "Notification of assembly" provides: "An organizer shall, within thirty days before the date of an assembly, notify the Officer in Charge of the Police District (OCPD) in which the assembly is to be held". Can Najib explain how the organiser could comply with the PAB if he gives notice to the police "within five or 10 days", i.e. from 20th December or 25th December? This is clearly impossible because Clause 12 requires the OCPD concerned to inform "persons who have interests" within 48 hours of the assembly notification and who have five days to communicate to the Police their "concerns or objections to the assembly". This would have taken up seven days - exceeding the five-day claim by Najib that a proposed assembly could be held. Under Clause 14, the OCPD has to respond to the notification of assembly within 12 days. Clause 16 provides four days for the right of appeal of the organiser to restrictions and conditions imposed by the police to the Home Minister, who has six days to give his decision. This means that the quickest an organiser will know about the outcome of his notification of an assembly on Dec. 30 is 12 days after submission of notification, provided the police does not impose restrictions and conditions. If there are police restrictions and conditions followed by appeal to the Home Minister, the quickest an organiser can clear the bureaucratic notification process is 22 days. This means that an organiser must give notification at least 22 days before the proposed assembly date or he may not be able to complete the maximum of 22-day bureaucratic notification process. The words "within thirty days before the date of an assembly" in Clause 9(1) is utterly misleading and meaningless and is no help to Najib to explain how an assembly under the PAB could be held "within five to 10 days". Najib should not blame the Pakatan Rakyat for the atrocious PAB drafting but the parliamentary draftsmen, the Attorney-General and his legal officers, as well as the entire Cabinet who have proven to be sleeping on their jobs. Najib said that under the PAB: "The Peaceful Assembly Act is divided into two categories, for designated areas, they only need to inform the police and there will be people to supervise even if it's on a short notice." "For non-designated areas, then it will require a 10-day period so the police can negotiate with the local community to get their views." (Malaysiakini) Here is further testimony of the atrocious drafting of the PAB. Where does the PAB say that the police must be informed for assemblies to be held in designated areas? The PAB is silent on the matter. Najib is offended at the comparison with Myanmar but can he explain why Myanmar can pass a law on freedom of assembly requiring only five days' notice but Malaysia needs 10 days' notice? In actual fact, if Article 10 of the Constitution guaranteeing freedom of assembly as one of the fundamental rights of Malaysians is to have real meaning, the government should not be designating permissible places of assembly, as all areas should be open to Malaysians to exercise their right to freedom of assembly – except for certain designated areas declared/gazetted "out of bounds" for security and other considerations. The "designated areas" should be places where freedom of assembly is not allowed rather than where freedom of assembly is permitted. Najib has only provided more grounds why there should be no indecent haste to force through the passage of PAB in Dewan Rakyat tomorrow and that it should be referred to a Parliamentary Select Committee for full, meaningful and mature consultation, consideration and consensus. |
| SapuraCrest-Kencana's management structure in place Posted: 27 Nov 2011 04:40 PM PST Both Sapura and Kencana have a common shareholder in the Employees Provident Fund with a 10.1 per cent stake and 7.8 per cent stake respectively in the companies. (Business Times) - SapuraCrest Petroleum Bhd executive vice-chairman and president Datuk Seri Shahril Shamsuddin will be group president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the new merged entity between the company and Kencana Petroleum Bhd. Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir, who is Kencana CEO, will be the enlarged group's executive vice-chairman, according to letters sent by the former and Shahril to their respective staff. The letters, obtained by Business Times yesterday, also noted that the Securities Commission (SC) had approved the merger proposal a few days ago. Datuk Hamzah Bakar, currently chairman of SapuraCrest, will be nominated group chairman, Shahril said in his letter. "It is critical that we put in place a strong and dynamic organisational structure that would ensure business continuity and realisation of the synergies we hope to derive as a merged entity. "I would like to assure each and everyone of you that you will continue to be an important part of the new organisation. "As founding members of this new organisation, it is incumbent upon all of us to ensure that the organisation continues to grow and chart new territories as a global oil and gas player," he said. Mokhzani said he and Shahril had come up with a "winning management" formula. "We have decided that we both can lean on each other to strengthen the prospects of two already successful companies. Neither will take a back seat to the other. We will both helm the company and chart its way forward. "With the approval from SC now obtained, the journey towards merging the two companies will really begin in earnest," Mokhzani added. The RM11.85 billion merger will create the largest oil and gas (O&G) service provider by asset in the country. Once completed, the SapuraCrest-Kencana group will be the world's fifth largest oil and gas service provider. Under their cash and share swap deal, special purpose vehicle Integral Key Sdn Bhd will buy all the assets and liabilities of SapuraCrest for RM5.87 billion and Kencana for RM5.98 billion. Following the SC approval, the next hurdle will be for both companies to secure 75 per cent of shareholders' approval each before the deal can go through. Shahril said SapuraCrest will call for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to vote on the deal on December 14. Kencana, meanwhile, has set December 15 for its EGM. Shahril, via Sapura Technology Bhd, owns a 40.1 per cent stake in SapuraCrest, while Mokhzani's investment firm, Khasera Baru Sdn Bhd, owns a 32.4 per cent stake in Kencana. Other key shareholders of Sapura is Norway-based Seadrill Ltd with a 23.6 per cent stake, while Kencana has Kumpulan Persaraan Wang with a 6.8 per cent stake in it. Both Sapura and Kencana have a common shareholder in the Employees Provident Fund with a 10.1 per cent stake and 7.8 per cent stake respectively in the companies. |
| Tan brothers look to 'conquer' Penang Posted: 27 Nov 2011 04:36 PM PST (Business Times) - For a while now, there has been speculation about who would partner Ivory Properties Bhd in its multi-billion ringgit Bayan Mutiara project in Penang. That was ended when it roped in Dijaya Corp Bhd. They now plan to build residential and commercial properties on the land, estimated to generate sales of some RM10 billion.
This is not their first tie-up. Within the Batu Ferringi tourism belt, Dijaya has a joint-venture project called "10 Island Resort" with Ivory.
In Bukit Mertajam, Dijaya has a mixed development project dubbed Aston Villa, in which Ivory is the turnkey developer.
But that partnership has overshadowed an interesting fact. Penang has now seen the entry of two highly successful businessmen and both happen to be brothers.
Dijaya is controlled by Tan Sri Danny Tan Chee Sing, the younger brother of Berjaya Corp Bhd founder and chairman Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun. Barely three months ago, the senior Tan made a comeback to Penang as a property developer after a hiatus of nearly two decades. The Berjaya Group - via Berjaya Land Development Sdn Bhd - signed a deal to buy 22.8ha of prime freehold land within the Penang Turf Club for RM459 million. At the signing ceremony in Penang, Vincent did not mince his words in expressing his displeasure with the previous state government. Vincent's approval of the current state administration is a strong signal to other developers that the island state has plenty of potential. And this probably explains Danny's continued interest. The latest alliance with Ivory is a very big undertaking and one which will ensure its presence in the state for many years to come. Danny, the man behind Petaling Jaya's Tropicana Golf and Country Resort, will have his hands full with the latest venture. As for Vincent, he did not discount the possibility of enlarging Berjaya Group's footprint in Penang. Together, the Tan brothers will be a force to be reckoned with in Penang.
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| Dr M: All civil freedom ‘must be limited’ Posted: 27 Nov 2011 04:33 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Too much freedom will destroy society, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has charged, saying that civil freedom should have its limits. "All freedoms must be limited, the problem is determining the limits," he said today during a luncheon talk with foreign officials attending the Umno general assembly here. Dr Mahathir said in Malaysia there were increasing calls for "freedom of sex", citing this as a kind of "abuse of freedom" which could destroy society. "Society becomes primitive, backwards if there is too much freedom. A good amount is good, but too much freedom no," the former prime minister said. The Najib administration recently pledged a slew of reforms to allow more space for civil liberties. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak tabled in Parliament last week a Bill regulating public assemblies. The proposed law has been criticised by opposition leaders as well as civil society groups as "haphazard" and they have demanded that it be withdrawn completely. Provisions of the Bill concerning the notification period for an assembly was amended after last Friday's Cabinet meeting. |
| Shahrizat says NFC issue ‘has nothing to do with me’ Posted: 27 Nov 2011 04:30 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Faced with increasing public pressure, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil said today she will address the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) controversy during Umno's general assembly this week, even though it has "nothing to do with me." "It is not a problem if the NFC issue is debated... I will answer during Wanita Umno's assembly," she told reporters here. "I will send a clear message to those people out there," said the federal minister, referring to Pakatan Rakyat (PR). Shahrizat refused to elaborate further, saying the NFC issue "had nothing to do with me." The NFC is managed by Shahrizat's husband and children. "I am being patient, as a woman I have to be calm... they (PR) are doing this because they are afraid of Wanita Umno's strength," Shahrizat said today. The NFC has been dogged by allegations of corruption and fund misappropriation after it made it into the pages of the Auditor-General's Report for 2010, which described the project "as a mess". Among others, PKR has alleged that the NFC funds were used for Shahrizat's personal expenses and that of her family, as well as to buy multimillion ringgit condominium units at the luxurious One Menerung in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. Shahrizat's husband and NFC boss Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail has defended the purchase of the condo as well as denied the alleged failure of the project. PKR scoffed at Mohamad Salleh's remarks, saying he had failed to deny a single allegation and had merely offered explanations for the many discrepancies involving the NFC. Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar has denied the NFC was ever discussed in Cabinet, claiming it was handled by the Cabinet Committee for High-Impact Projects, which was then chaired by Datuk Seri Najib Razak. PKR had alleged that the funds meant for the NFC were used to fund umrah packages and set up two Singapore-based companies, both owned by Shahrizat's family. READ MORE HERE |
| IDEAS chief says he accepted MCA hudud forum invite in ‘good faith’ Posted: 27 Nov 2011 04:27 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) chief executive Wan Saiful Wan Jan clarified today that his participation in the MCA forum on hudud does not mean he has anything to do with "any attempt to smear any political parties". "I accepted the invitation in good faith, based on the understanding that it will be an open discussion on the topic. "I did not expect the MCA president to suddenly turn the forum into a propaganda briefing," Wan Saiful said in a statement. MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said last week that the party will convene a forum for its members on December 4 to counter PAS's claims on hudud. "We will discuss PAS's insistence to implement hudud and also disprove DAP and PKR assertions that hudud will not affect non-Muslims," he was reported as saying. Among the speakers at the forum are human rights lawyer Edmond Bon, Wan Saiful and Islamic Renaissance Front research fellow Ahmad Fuad Rahmat. Dr Chua had cautioned that hudud would have a big impact on everybody if PAS managed to implement the policy. Wan Saiful said he was invited by the chairman of the MCA research body Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (INSAP), Tan Sri Dr Fong Chan Onn, to be the moderator of the forum. READ MORE HERE |
| Anwar takes some of the blame for defections in PKR after 2008 polls Posted: 27 Nov 2011 04:23 PM PST (The Star) - Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has accepted some of the blame for the defections that have plagued the party after the 2008 election. "I admit that I am partly to be blamed because I endorsed their candidacies," he said. "But, at that time we lacked candidates and some even declined to become one. "Those who aspire to be our candidates, but have only the intention of becoming rich can forget about receiving the authorisation letters from the president," he said at the closing of PKR's Eighth National Congress here yesterday. Anwar predicted that the coming general election would be a "defining battle" for the country's political landscape. "We are better organised now compared with the last time," he said. "Traitors have left and the cooperation with the DAP and PAS is improving, which is a good sign for us in our effort to capture Putrajaya." Anwar claimed that he had been handed a booklet purportedly issued by Umno, containing instruction to spread lies and slanders about him and the PKR. He said this only confirmed his suspicions that Umno was fearful of him and was using everything it had to destroy the PKR. Earlier, Johor PKR chief Datuk Chua Jui Meng claimed that floods in Johor were because of the state's poor forest management, saying that only 15% of the forests were intact. He praised Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim for increasing the state's cash reserve to RM1.2bil after the last general election against the RM400mil recorded during his predecessor Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo's tenure. Meanwhile, Khalid pointed out that the rakyat could judge on the government they wanted. They could decide whether to trust the government or not by looking at its delivery and performance. According to Khalid, about 70% of Malaysians earned less than RM4,000 a month while 15% earned more than RM30,000 a month. He said the country would be peaceful if the wide income gap was reduced. Khalid, who described this as a major issue, said it was caused by poor management, corruption and abuse of funds. |
| Anwar slammed over ‘cover-up’ Posted: 27 Nov 2011 04:21 PM PST (The Star) - MCA Youth took a swipe at PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for allegedly covering up the party youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Akin's recent gaffe at the PKR Youth Congress in Johor. Anwar's attempt to cover up for Shamsul by saying the remark did not reflect a PKR or Pakatan Rakyat agenda was pitiful, said the youth wing's secretary-general Datuk Chai Kim Sen. On Friday, Shamsul had in his speech challenged Umno to make changes to the Federal Constitution to stipulate that only Malays can be prime minister. He said Umno should do this to prove its claim of being a party that championed Malay rights. Chai said Anwar was using a "good cop, bad cop" tactic in trying to keep both the Malays and non-Malays happy. "Knowing that Shamsul's remarks will make non-Malay voters unhappy, he quickly tried to fix things up by saying that it is not a PKR or Pakatan agenda," he said. |
| Najib: How can you break down the prison? Posted: 27 Nov 2011 03:27 PM PST If we do not respect the law, there will be chaos in the country, says the prime minister.(Bernama) - Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak today reminded the people, including opposition party leaders, not to wantonly break the law as it will lead to chaos in the country. "We have laws. We must respect the law. If we do not respect the law, there will be chaos in the country. How can you break down the prison?" he told a news conference after opening an international forum at the Putra World Trade Centre, here. Najib was responding when asked to comment on the remark by PKR deputy president Azmin Ali last Friday that PKR would break down the prison walls to free PKR adviser Anwar Ibrahim if he is jailed. Asked whether Azmin's remark was a threat, the prime minister said it was only a political statement. Azmin, who is also Selangor PKR chief, said last Friday when opening the PKR Youth and Wanita congress in Johor Baru that PKR would even break down the prison walls to free Anwar. The High Court has set Dec 8 to hear the submissions at the end of the defence case in Anwar's sodomy trial. |
| Nazri: Peaceful Assembly Bill will be passed on Tuesday Posted: 27 Nov 2011 12:12 PM PST By Hemananthani Sivanandam, The Sun The controversial Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011, which the government has agreed to amend, will be debated at committee level before being voted on in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said there will be eight amendments to the bill and that MPs could bring their proposals for consideration. "The (tabling of the) second reading has been done (last Thursday by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak) so we will debate it at the committee level in Parliament on Tuesday and it will be voted upon. "All MPs are welcome to bring their suggestions and if it is okay, we will include it," Nazri told theSun when contacted. Asked to comment on plans by the Malaysia Bar Council which plans to organise a Walk for Freedom 2011: Peaceful Assembly Bill cannot and must not become law! on Tuesday, Nazri said the council is free to go ahead with it. "It's not my problem. They have to talk to the police but I can assure that it is not going to change in any way. "The bill has been tabled, will be debated and be passed on Tuesday," he stressed. Nazri, who is also Padang Renggas MP lambasted Bar Council President Lim Chee Wee and his former counterpart Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan for organising the walk. "We will accommodate any amendments (to the bill). That shows we listen to the people. I would suggest to Chee Wee to register the Bar Council as a political party and stand for elections. "It is easier if they register as a political party, rather than hide under the pretext of an NGO," he said, before quipping that either Ambiga or Lim should stand in his constituency. It was reported on Saturday that the government will carry out eight amendments to the bill, including amending the controversial Section 9(1) which makes it mandatory for an organiser to give a 30-day notification to the police prior to holding an assembly in an undesignated venue. Nazri said the 30-day notification is deemed to be too lengthy and the Cabinet decided to shorten it to 10 days. "The 10-day notification is required because the police will need to engage with the people involved in these undesignated areas. "For an example, if someone wants to have an assembly in front of (DAP stalwart) Lim Kit Siang's home, we certainly need to ask him because he's the house owner so that requires time. "Also, people cannot simply pick places where they want to demonstrate. What if there is a counter-demonstration? This requires (organisers) to inform the police to protect them because suddenly, if a fight breaks out and the police is not notified then the people will blame the police," said Nazri. He however said that people are free to demonstrate at any time at designated areas. "For example at Padang Merbok, it's a designated place, so people can go ahead…no problem," he added. Nazri said following the amendments to Section 9(1), other amendments will also be made to four other sections, which involved timeline of notification such as to parties with interests and appeal to the Home Minister. He added that the government also supported the proposed amendments to Sections 6(2)(b), 7(a)(iii) and 21(1)(c) which involves the removal of the word "discontent" from them. "The Cabinet feels that we need to drop that word, the fact that people assemble shows that they are unhappy about something so we have decided to drop that word," said Nazri. Meanwhile the Bar Council said it would continue with its Walk for Freedom on Tuesday. Bar Council President Lim told theSun whilst it is "mildly positive" that the government is considering the provisions to the bill, the reduction of the length of time for various notices required under the Bill and omission of the word 'discontent' reflects what is fundamentally wrong with the process of the bill "It is being rushed with unholy haste into law without adequate public consultation. There is no good reason why this Bill cannot go through the same process of a Parliamentary Select Committee as electoral reforms -- both are important constitutional rights," Lim said. He also said that according to media reports, the Cabinet is adamant about prohibiting assemblies in motion or processions, except for existing provision on funeral processions. "This is outrageous! From our research, we know not of any other jurisdictions, which prohibit processions. "The government cannot now rob us of this right of assemblies in motion which is presently not prohibited in the Police Act. "The present prohibition of procession robs us of a right which presently exists under section 27 of the Police Act which regulates "assemblies, meetings and processions," he said. Lim said in the United Kingdom, a distinction is drawn between static assemblies for which no notice is required and procession (assemblies in motion) for which notice of six clear days is to be given unless it is not reasonably practicable to give any advance notice. "In Finland, only 6 hours is required. Even Myanmar now has a Peaceful Assembly and Procession Bill which allows peaceful assembly and procession by holding flags with prior permission from the authorities five days in advance," he added. |
| Looking to streetwise tactics in polls run-up Posted: 27 Nov 2011 12:08 PM PST PKR wrapped up its national congress in Johor, screening videos of the Bersih protests and signalling that street protests will precede its bid to arrive in Putrajaya. The host and Johor party chief, Datuk Chua Jui Meng, boasted that when his friends asked why the party did not hold the congress in Putrajaya, he told them the next one would be in Putrajaya. By Joceline Tan, The Star PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail occupied the most central spot on stage at the PKR national congress looking her usual serene self. Her presidential address had not stirred up the PKR delegates the way the president's speech should with a general election around the corner. Some thought she was leaving the best for last but her winding-up yesterday turned into a passionate defence of her husband against allegations that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is the man in the sex video. She likened the video to the fake Rolexes that are sold in the night markets and condemned those who had re-labelled it as Wasiat Tok Guru Nik Aziz and distributed it in the vicinity of mosques. She is standing by her man, insisting that the nose on the man in the video does not resemble Anwar's nose. The man himself looked a little bashful and fiddled with his Blackberry as his wife spoke. It was not the sort of winding-up that one would have expected of the president but her family's reputation is on the line and she wants her party to do well in the general election. In fact, Kak Wan, as she is known in PKR, will be a central campaign issue for the party in the polls. Delegates who attended an election briefing on the sidelines of the congress were told that Cerita Kak Wan or Kak Wan's Stories would be turned into election pamphlets and even CDs for distribution during the general election. "We believe women will relate to her accounts as a mother, wife and politician," said PKR deputy information chief Sim Tze Tzin. The social media will be a major tool in reaching out to the urban population. Cost of living issues, corruption and scandals will also feature in their campaign. But the top issue at the congress was without a doubt the "cows and condos" issue. On Saturday, photostated leaflets on it were flying about. By yesterday, it had been upgraded to big, glossy and colourful leaflets. They know a hot issue when they see one. But as the congress drew to a close, it was clear that street protests would be an important part of the party's build-up to the general election. Videos of the last Bersih protests were screened during the winding-up sessions. The videos were the party's call to arms. Video footage of an aggressive Anwar at various ceramah, jabbing his finger in the air, his eyebrows arched high on his forehead and shouting accusations, added to the drama. It was hard to believe that the man in the video was the same Anwar who had sat so passively beside his wife throughout the congress. Street protests have served the party well after he was sacked from the ruling coalition and it looks that it will be employed again to build up the mood. What they may not be aware is that the threat of protests is beginning to paint Pakatan Rakyat as a coalition of protests rather than one which is mature enough and ready to take over Putrajaya. From the tone of the debate it looks like the next Bersih protest may take place in Selangor. Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is unlikely to be overly thrilled at the thought of a messy demonstration in his backyard. A demonstration is always better in somebody else's backyard. He was absent on the first day because of a tight schedule in Selangor but he was present on the final day, looking rather tired and out of place. Nevertheless, Selangor is being touted as a model of what Pakatan can do if it forms the Federal Government. Khalid is the biggest PKR gun in government but he is also the male version of Dr Wan Azizah in PKR – a non-politician in the thick of politics. And his timing is often so off because just as a speaker was heaping praise on his administration, he was on the way out of the hall, headed for the men's room. But his winding-up was both humble and down-to-earth and the delegates could sense it was heartfelt. He admitted his shortcomings, that he may have a corporate mind but the rakyat at heart. He was quite strategic and instead of singing about Selangor's achievements, he proclaimed his sincerity in whatever he did, confessed he was kedekut or stingy about spending public funds and talked about efforts to reform the state administration. He even proposed a forum to discuss why the New Economic Policy (NEP) is no longer needed. He was unusually coherent. There was none of his usual sing-song way of talking, with sentences hanging in the air. The delegates lapped it up and gave him a huge applause. Maybe Khalid is not such a poor politician after all. He must have made his rival and deputy president Azmin Ali sit up and take a second look at him. Everyone knows Azmin is eyeing the Mentri Besar post despite his denial. He has been much sought after at the congress. People rushed to shake his hand, to have their picture taken with him. Aspiring election candidates want him to notice them because they know he has Anwar's ears. The host and Johor party chief, Datuk Chua Jui Meng, boasted that when his friends asked why the party did not hold the congress in Putrajaya, he told them the next one would be in Putrajaya. The race for Putrajaya is on and so is the race to be candidates in the general election. |
| Reforms possible only if Umno wins GE, says Najib Posted: 27 Nov 2011 12:04 PM PST By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider The government's political and economic reform plans can only take place if Umno delivers a solid win in the upcoming national polls, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today. Calling it a small challenge for Barisan Nasional's (BN) biggest component party, the prime minister said Umno needed to work together with its partners to deliver results in order to be re-elected in the general election.
"We have to cross the bridge of the general election, it is very important to be re-elected for us to deliver real transformation, we need to get support from the people," he said in his speech at an international forum organised by Umno here.
Najib's moves towards liberalising the economy has been met with resistance from within Umno as well as Malay rights group Perkasa.
Najib (picture) said Umno as well as BN was the best choice for the country's future, saying that his party was constantly reinventing itself to remain relevant to today's generation of voters.
"The devil is in the details, but I just want to give you a glimpse... third quarter we achieved 5.8 per cent growth, and 3.2 per cent inflation, this is not bad, our macro figures are good," the Umno president said.
MORE TO COME HERE. |
| Anwar’s greatest legacy – Nurul Posted: 27 Nov 2011 12:02 PM PST After Reformasi and his Herculean task of putting together Pakatan, he must now make ready his daughter to take his place in PKR and hopefully within government. Just think of the critical mass PKR will have come its way when the young and females identify themselves with Nurul as she steps up to take responsibility for turning PKR around the corner towards Putrajaya. By CT Ali, Free Malaysia Today The momentum from Pakatan Rakyat's massive political inroads at the 12th general election reached its defining moment when Zaid Ibrahim submitted an application to the Registrar of Societies on Nov 4, 2009 for DAP, PKR and PAS to be registered as a legal entity under Pakatan Rakyat. PKR being PKR, predictably on the very next day, Nov 5, its MP for Batu, Tian Chua unnecessarily announced "…..the constitution, logo and leadership, will be decided when the registration is approved. Who holds what position will be decided at a much later stage." Presumably, this was to grandstand Anwar Ibrahim's role as leader of Pakatan and preempting Zaid's designs (if any!) to lead the coalition during the process of its formation. Tian wanted it to be known that Anwar, and not Zaid, was Pakatan's head. He, and not Zaid strategised Pakatan's registration as a legal entity. And since then, this one upmanship within PKR marred all things PKR and caused the Pakatan juggernaut against Barisan Nasional to stumble and at times stagnate! Overt conflicts and public spats amongst PKR leaders ultimately descended into the farce of rampant fraud and malpractice that was the PKR party election in November 2010. Neither Anwar, Azmin Ali or any of the PKR leaders were convicted of these fraud and malpractices during the party elections. When the dust settled, Anwar was leader and Azmin his number two. Zaid subsequently quit PKR, presumably to seek greener pastures – a hard thing to do in a paddock the size of Malaysia. It would seem that what happened in Umno does not stay in Umno. Not when the same Umno players are newborn again politicians in PKR. Since then PKR has been lurching from one unmitigated disaster to another – it's most public of humiliation was the defection of five MPs last year to the land of plenty! PKR however admitted that it had "an acute internal problem"…though I thought "terminal if not treated" would have been a more appropriate prognosis of its condition. So wither PKR now? What PKR needs to understand is this: When you have as the core principle of your party's ideology the promotion of social justice, economic justice, the elimination of political corruption and human rights within a non-ethnic framework, you better well deliver on that! If you do not then you have failed yourself and abused the trust placed upon you by the people. But we Malaysians are a forgiving lot. We want PKR to turn the corner towards Putrajaya with a pledge to honour its commitment to "a society that is just and a nation that is democratic, progressive and united." And this pledge is to be honoured and not just uttered. It must be confirmed in deeds and not just with superficial banalities that dazzle but does naught. And most crucial of all, the change within PKR is real. As PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said "we will be putting up younger, skilful candidates with no political baggage", this would be a good start. Younger, skilful candidates with no political baggage… and none exemplify this maxim then your vice-president, Nurrul Izzah. Carrying no political baggage when your father is de facto opposition leader and your mother is president of PKR is no mean feat! I was living in Bangsar Permai in Jalan Tandok during the 2008 election when Nurrul contested the seat of Lembah Pantai against an incumbent three-termed Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who for good measure, was also a minister. I remembered it as if it was yesterday. Bangsar was having a ball – a carnival of sorts ready to celebrate Shahrizat's victory with the mamak restaurants raking in the money as crowds milled around waiting for kingdom come for Nurul. Kingdom did come but for Shahrizat. And from that day on Nurrul has been that bright spark within PKR – always threatening to blaze its path to where Anwar has always wanted it to go: Putrajaya.
READ MORE HERE |
| Najib has taken the rakyat for a ride! Posted: 27 Nov 2011 11:56 AM PST By Aliran  Lawyers and activists marched for justice in 2007 - Photograph: loyarburok.com The much-heralded reforms promised by Najib to bring us into a new era of liberalism has exploded in the face of the rakyat as a sham, a shameful promise. We were promised that the ISA would be revoked – and the rakyat rejoiced prematurely. The joy was short-lived when it was revealed that two other laws would replace the ISA, retaining the obnoxious detention without trial. The same undemocratic features of the ISA will now come under a new name, gravely disappointing the rakyat. We were promised easier democratic freedom of assembly without the need for police permit. The rakyat applauded this sensible approach, which seemed to guarantee the right of assembly as enshrined in the Federal Constitution. With the presentation of the Peaceful Assembly Bill, now they realise that they have been deluded once again. The Barisan Nasional is not capable of respecting the peoples' human rights or honouring its solemn word. The BN is only used to restricting our rights, denying our freedom, controlling our space, destroying our faith in the electoral process, trampling upon our judiciary and completing ignoring what is fair and just. Old habits die hard and that is the reason it is unwilling to surrender those rights that are justly due to the rakyat. It may proclaim that it is prepared to revoke restrictive laws but in reality it is incapable of returning these rights to the people. It can only rule forcefully; it cannot govern according to the rule of law. We cannot and should not expect the BN to return our rights. It is not a realistic expectation. We have to take possession of our rights. We have to claim our democratic space; we have to defend our freedom. It is in this spirit that the lawyers have decided to march on Tuesday, 29 November 2011 from the Lake Gardens to the Parliament in protest against the sham Peaceful Assembly Bill, which has made a mockery of our right to assemble peacefully and spontaneously. This Bill imposes many unjust restrictions and conditions and subjects organisers and all participants to heavy penalties. It is clearly meant to discourage and stop peaceful protests from ever taking place. We cannot tolerate this. We cannot condone this undemocratic Bill. READ MORE HERE. |
| Pakatan now ready to form federal govt, says Anwar Posted: 27 Nov 2011 06:10 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today that Pakatan Rakyat was now ready to form the federal government after helming five states following the landmark 2008 election. He said that if the electoral pact had taken Putrajaya three years ago "we may have been careless" but governing the states it won three years ago provided a "training ground" for the fledgling coalition. "The party has struggled and suffered not one or two years, but over 10 years. If in 1999 we had won, we were not ready," the PKR de facto leader said of the election that followed immediately after his sacking as deputy prime minister. "In 2008, it was our first test to form state government. If we had formed federal government, we may have been careless. It is a training ground. "We cleaned out the defectors, the dirty things from the party," he added, referring to the six MPs and five assemblymen who have left PKR since the 12th General Elections. Two assemblymen who left PKR in February 2009 had caused the fall of PR's Perak administration. Anwar said that three years ago, the party had "no strength in Sarawak... Sabah was a mess." READ MORE HERE |
| Menyokong UMNO : ibarat menanam pohon yang condong Posted: 27 Nov 2011 06:03 AM PST ASPAN ALIAS Perdana Menteri tetap seorang Melayu, walau parti mana pun yang memerintah dan di beri mandat oleh rakyat. DAP telah menyatakan dengan terang dan jelas yang orang bangsa lain dari Melayu tidak pernah berbincang untuk mengambil alih orang Melayu untuk menjadi PM. Cerita momokan dari UMNO sahaja yang gila-gila menggunakan isu yang jika PR memerintah dan jika PR di domonasi oleh DAP maka ditakuti jawatan PM itu akan menjadi milik orang cina DAP. Momokan ini telah menjadi kempen orang-orang UMNO sekarang ini di bawah-bawah dengan tujuan menakut-nakutkan orang Melayu supaya tidak menyokong DAP.
MCA pun telah membuat kenyataan yang MCA tidak pernah terniat untuk meletakan wakilnya di Parlimen untuk menjadi PM negara ini. Kedua-dua MCA yang seratus peratus dari orang cina dan DAP sebuah parti berbilang kaum yang kini masih di dominasi oleh kaum cina telah menyatakan dengan jelas dan terang yang apa yang di cadangkan oleh setengah pihak supaya perlembagaan kita dipinda untuk memberi kepastian yang jawatan PM itu di pegang oleh orang Melayu itu di berikan kepastian mengikut perlembagaan.
Saya telah menulis tentang hal ini, tetapi tidak pernah mendapat ulasan yang baik selain dari membabikan dan menyumpah seranah saya dan sesiapa juga yang menulis tentang isu ini. Apa yang diperlukan oleh orang cina ialah untuk mempunyai sebuah kerajaan yang 'descent' dan kerajaan yang mengikut 'rule of law' serta tidak rasuah dan rasis serta melakukan penyalahan gunaan kuasa seperti yang dilakukan oleh BN terutamanya UMNO dan MCA.
Itulah sebabnya kita nampak jelas yang orang cina sudah mengambil keputusan untuk menarik balik sokongan terhadap MCA dan memberikan keyakinan kepada DAP sekarang ini.Oleh kerana kefahaman tentang isu ini sudah mulai ada di kalangan orang Melayu, maka sudah wujud kecenderungan orang Melayu memberikan sokongan terhadap DAP sebagai jalan keluar untuk memberitahu pimpinan UMNO yang UMNO sudah terlalu jauh tersasar dari perjuangan kebangsaannya.
Orang Melayu sudah hilang kesabaran melihatkan partinya UMNO itu telah menggunakan kesempatan di atas sokongan secara otomatik selama ini untuk menyalah gunaan wang rakyat dan telah membantutkan perjuangan parti itu sebagai parti untuk semua rakyat tanpa mengira kaum.
Akhir-akhir ini UMNO sudah jelas menunjukan yang parti itu sudah hilang 'magnanimitynya' kerana dalam keadaan terdesak penyokong-penyokongnya beserta dengan pemimpinnya telah meniupkan sentimen perkauman untuk mengekalkan sokongan orang Melayu. UMNO telah memainkan sentimen perkauman ini dengan menakut-nakutkan orang Melayu bahawa jika UMNO hilang kuasa, ianya bermakna orang Melayu akan tidak mempunyai harga diri dalam negaranya sendiri lagi.
Masih ada yang termakan dengan isu yang dimainkan oleh UMNO itu tetapi ianya terdiri dari penyokong-penyokong membuta tuli yang tidak berfikir secara serius dalam usaha membenteras kemungkaran politik dan ekonmi negara yang telah di lakukan oleh UMNO sejak 3 dekad yang lalu.
Orang UMNO di mana-mana berfikir yang sokongan mereka terhadap UMNO itu ibarat menanam pokok yang condong; pohonnya tumbuh di halaman sendiri tetapi buahnya jatuh di laman orang. Yang untung hanyalah kroni-kroni yang mengambil kesempatan di atas hubungan rapat dengan pemimpin-pemimpin yang didukong orang Melayu itu.
Orang Melayu telah memberikan sokongan secara total selama ini tetapi apabila rakyat sudah mulai celek mereka tetah membuat keputusan untuk berjuang bersama dengan secara aktif melakukan pembaharuan minda dan telah mula menolak UMNO secara beransur-ansur sejak tiga pilihan raya yang lalu (tidak termasuk pru 2004) dan mula memberikan tumpuan kepada parti-parti alternatif.
Apabila UMNO sudah mula terhakis sokongan orang Melayu maka secara direct ianya telah menjejaskan sokongan orang cina terhadap MCA yang juga mempunyai kelemahan yang sama seperti UMNO; iaitu menyalah gunakan kuasa sewenang-wenangnya. Kalau tidak takkanlah isu rasuah yang melibatkan RM12 billion PKFZ telah melibatkan Menteri-Menteri MCA dengan sokongan pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO di Selangor. READ MORE HERE |
| BERSIH 3.0 Posted: 27 Nov 2011 01:12 AM PST By the total control of all legal and political apparatus, a presiding government is capable of restructuring everything to suit its needs. By Hakim Joe Winning at general elections are never ever about obtaining a simple majority of votes as garnering slightly more than 50 percent of all votes do not consequently signify being able to form the next government, especially against an incumbent government. This is particularly accurate in a democratic country that possesses one single government administrating over it since independence and for more than half a century. Additionally the fact that the citizens of such a country have never experienced an alternative government
adds credence to this fact. A government in place always has a winning formula to improve the chances of retaining its position and it is mostly by racial means especially in a multiracial nation. Even in the United States where any of its American born citizens can become the President, the two American political parties do the same. Would you field a White candidate in a majority Blacks constituency? The racial game is however played differently here whereby previous PMs declare an outright brutal war whereupon a Non-Bumiputra winning a seat would spell fire and brimstones to the Bumiputras and that all their privileges will be revoked. The question is not such an event occurring but why these privileges are accorded in the first place but no one seem to be answering that question. A long-standing government in place enhances their probability of winning even more by manipulating the electoral structure and legal framework to befit its likelihood of victory in any general election and when the voters award not only a simple majority to them but more than two thirds of the allocated parliamentary seats, this allows the winning political party to rewrite any legislations they fancy and to appoint any individuals they deem suitable to positions of power in order to secure the outcome of the following general elections in advance. With a two-thirds majority in Parliament, any new bill will sail smoothly through regardless of whether the entire world's population opposes it or not and after being enacted as law, everything becomes legal. By the total control of all legal and political apparatus, a presiding government is capable of restructuring everything to suit its needs. In many a democratic country, politicians are forbidden by law to own or even to possess shares in any mass media companies. An individual seeking a political future would have to resign his position and to sell off all his shareholdings before being applicable to be nominated as a candidate in a general election. In Malaysia, the ruling political parties own the majority of the mass media and the fact remains that we, the voters, have permitted them to doing so by conferring to them the mandate to reshape any laws they desire. By controlling nearly all mass media forms, it allows them to propagandize to the people exactly what they want the people to know and withholding any news they do not want anybody to know. The power of the media lies however in the way they tell the news. A 100,000 and more strong BERSIH 2.0 rally was reported as a group of about 5,000 unruly protestors. Without a doubt the Internet has lessened the impact of these propaganda, the truth remains that many of the rural areas remain outside the (paying) broadband coverage and the inhabitants there are dependant on both the (free) radio and the television for their daily ration of the Malaysian news. Gerrymandering is yet another subtle but extremely effective form of legally tilting the playing field to be advantageous to particularly one political party only. Take for example the DAP "sure-win" constituency of Seputeh. In any parliamentary election for the past decade, this election results will be amongst the first to be confirmed as a landslide win for the Opposition, way before all the ballot boxes has been counted. To neutralize this phenomenon, all the EC needs to do is to redraw the boundaries and to form yet another parliamentary constituency inside Seputeh's boundaries. This does not automatically signify a win for the government as this new constituency might actually vote Opposition but with the government setting up an army camp inside it, the probability of a sure-win for
the government is almost certainly guaranteed. When this comes to pass, Teresa Kok's parliamentary seat is effectively neutralized. Postal votes are yet another form of voting that can be manipulated even though there is no evidence to point towards it as being compromised. However the fact that more than 90 percent of all postal votes are for the same political party in every general election since independence seem doubtful even to the most liberal onlooker. The number of postal votes might not seem noteworthy but the results of many significant seats have been decided purely on these postal votes. Inaccurate electoral rolls are a fact of life in any elections anywhere in the free world but appears consistently prevalent here. Are these the EC's unintentional mistakes due to short staffing and an insufficient budget, or otherwise? The fact that nothing has been done, or
seemed to have been done to it looks, feels and smells suspicious. Electoral reforms to ensure fairplay and to exhibit the true intentions of the voters must be called for immediately, and subsequently be established before the next general elections. That is what BERSIH represents but with the introduction of the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 into Parliament last week to seriously curb BERSIH, its organizers and participants, the government is sending a loud message that it will no longer tolerate such actions by the people who put them there and significant measures are now undertaken to punish those
involved, bar none. The urgent need for us all to become a single voice is mandated now unless we desire the same coalition of political parties to rule over us for yet another half a century. Will you be there on the streets when BERSIH 3.0 comes around? |
| Wi-fi Percuma di Selangor Mulai Tahun Depan Posted: 26 Nov 2011 06:56 PM PST 
(SelangorKini) - Langkah Kerajaan Selangor memperkenalkan Program Merakyatkan Ekonomi Selangor (MES) perlu diteruskan dalam bentuk menyemarakkan penyampaian informasi dengan memperkenalkan Agenda Masyarakat Berinformasi, Negara Demokratik. 
Pembahas Selangor yang juga Adun Rawang, Gan Pei Nei mencadangkan agar pimpinan negeri yang diketuai oleh Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdu Khalid Ibrahim merangka strategi informasi ini sebagai langkah penerangan kepada masyarakat yang lebih konprehensif. "Agenda ini membawa misi untuk mewujudkan masyarakat yang demokratik, bebas, dengan menyalurkan ilmu, berita dan informasi yang berdasarkan fakta dan kebenaran, bukannya politik fitnah yang telah menjadi budaya Umno-BN," katanya. Setakat ini, kerajaan negeri Selangor menyampaikan segala informasi mengenai program kepada rakyat melalui portal TV Selangor dan akhbar Selangor Kini serta Selangor Times. Selain itu, beliau berkata kerajaan Selangor akan menyediakan perkhidmatan Wi-fi dan Broadband di seluruh negeri pada tahun hadapan yang merangkumi kawasan bandar dan luar bandar secara percuma. Katanya tujuan penyediaan mekanisma perhubungan ini akan membukaan minda rakyat dengan informasi yang benar memberikan ruang kepada semua pihak mengemukakan idea baru dan tidak terkongkong dengan propaganda Umno- BN, ujar beliau lagi. "Kerajaan Selangor juga harus memberikan komputer percuma kepada golongan belia dan memberikan kursus dalam bidang ini untuk menguasai informasi dan teknologi terkini dalam dan luar negara," katanya. Di bawah cadangan ini, semua pihak termasuk pimpinan negeri dan masyarakat perlu membuat satu perbincangan dan dialog terbuka setiap minggu bermula tahun hadapan diseluruh 56 Dun Selangor agar maklum balas dan suara hati rakyat dapat di dengar dan dasar kerajaan dapat diperjelaskan. |
| Why Umno is now going cyber (UPDATED WITH CHINESE TRANSLATION) Posted: 26 Nov 2011 06:14 PM PST
That is the same in politics. The battle needs to be fought on many fronts. And the Internet is one front. Barisan Nasional, of course, wins the electronic media war (since they own the TV stations and TV coverage is 97-98%) while the opposition wins the ceramah/rally war (no one attends Umno or BN ceramahs). NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin First take a look at the statistics below: a) 44% of Internet users are in Asia and 56% the rest of the world.
b) The Internet penetration in Asia is 23.8% compared to 30.2% for the world average.
c) Malaysia ranks number 10 in Asia in terms of Internet users.
d) Malaysia's Internet penetration is 16,902,600 or 58.8% of the population from only 3,700,000 ten years ago.
If I know all this do you think Umno and Barisan Nasional do not? And do you think that Umno and Barisan Nasional do not know that the walloping they got in March 2008 was partly due to the Internet? And why do you think one of the considerations for deciding on candidates in the next general election will be how active that person is on the Internet (in particular those contesting urban seats) and whether they have Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc., accounts?
I know that some sceptics pooh-pooh the Internet and say that the Internet alone is not enough to decide the next general election. This is typical narrow-minded and one-track mind Malaysian thinking.
Who said the Internet alone is enough to decide the next general election? We are saying that the Internet is going to contribute to the next general election, and a significant contributor at that too. Of course the Internet alone is not enough. Newspapers alone are also not enough. Ceramahs and rallies alone are also not enough.
It has to be a combination of the Internet, newspapers, TV, ceramahs and rallies. This is because there are many 'markets', not just one 'market', and all have to play their role in covering the many 'markets'.
In the old days, wars were simple. Everyone just charges each other and the last man standing wins the battle. Then it began to get more sophisticated. They introduced bowmen (archers), horsemen (cavalry), seamen (navy) and on on.
And because England had the best archers (the longbow men), they dominated France and ruled quite bit of French territory. Later, England developed its navy and that allowed them to rule the world (even Spain got walloped when they 'singed, meaning burned, the King of Spain's beard').
Wars today are even more complicated. We need the army, navy, air force, etc., and it is divided into logistics, infantry, artillery, cavalry, reconnaissance, intelligence, and so on. No longer is it about one group of people charging another group of people.
That is the same in politics. The battle needs to be fought on many fronts. And the Internet is one front. Barisan Nasional, of course, wins the electronic media war (since they own the TV stations and TV coverage is 97-98%) while the opposition wins the ceramah/rally war (no one attends Umno or BN ceramahs).
So now it is left to the Internet to tip the scales. The Internet is going to give that last push and help decide the victor. In a way you can say that the Internet is going to be the kingmaker in a situation where it is a neck-to-neck between TV and ceramah.
We must not forget that the Internet triggered the 'Arab Spring' uprising and President Obama won because of the Internet. And the Internet too is going to impact Malaysian general elections.
Presidential Elections in the Internet Era http://articles.technology.findlaw.com/2008/Sep/02/11203.html
How Obama's Internet Campaign Changed Politics http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/07/how-obamas-internet-campaign-changed-politics/
Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008 http://www.people-press.org/2008/01/11/internets-broader-role-in-campaign-2008/
The Internet and the 2008 Election http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2008/The-Internet-and-the-2008-Election.aspx
The Role of the Internet in Presidential Campaigns http://www.jameswchesebro.com/2009/11/the-role-of-the-internet-in-presidential-campaigns/ The role of internet and social networking in the Arab spring http://www.syrianaaa.com/2011/05/role-of-internet-and-social-networking.html
Arab spring = Facebook revolution #1? http://www.nato.int/docu/review/2011/Social_Medias/Arab_Spring/EN/index.htm
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| Muhyiddin's uphill battle. the UMNO vice presidents say no Posted: 26 Nov 2011 04:41 PM PST Sakmongkol AK47 The other day, I watched the late night news on TV3. It ran an interview it had with DPM, Muhyidin Yassin. The DPM says it's an uphill battle for UMNO and BN. I say many UMNO leaders are contradicting each other. Two vice presidents say UMNO is ok. The deputy president says, not so ok. One of them must be lying. Or, if they are saying something that's opposite to what Muhyidin says, they mean UMNO is going downhill. I have written an earlier article giving out what I thought some warnings to UMNO and BN. This time I didn't write on how I think UMNO and BN can lose. I wrote instead the other way round - how Pakatan can win. As expected, it didn't go down well with UMNO people. That's of no importance to me. UMNO thinks it can corner the rural votes. Maybe they can and do, but every time Anwar Ibrahim who is bombarded with sexual allegations at every waking hour wants to hold a ceramah umum in rural areas, UMNO goes on super panic mode. It uses all the repressive instruments of the state- the police, army, Rela people to prevent Anwar speaking. Apa pasal? I say, let the damaged good do his thing. People are intelligent enough- they read newspapers and other media instruments to be able to make proper judgment. And you have all the UMNO cybertroopers around to make sure Anwar is crucified with new information about his sexual trysts and China doll and what not. And you have Quiet Despair to anchor a more cerebral and spirited rendition of Anwar's persecution. Don't worry; we will give him as much space as possible here. I think Muhyidin this time around speaks with a touch of realism. Maybe he refuses to be bamboozled with over optimistic JASA reports – I saw some of them especially on Pahang and I was laughing. Were they written while drinking kopi tiam or eating keropok lekor? Or were they written while sitting on the bed at home? Those suckers at HQ won't be able to tell the difference. Muhyidin must be thinking about his home state too. Ong Kah Ting is not going to contest. His seat may go. Hishamudin is retreating to Kota Tinggi. That means Syed Hamid Albar isn't contesting anymore as he is no longer winnable. Sembrong is gone. Bakri seat is another area that's losable. Subramaniam can say bye bye to Segamat. Pasir Gudang is another parliamentary seat that looks shaky. Johore will remain a bastion for UMNO still, but a few more parliamentary seats are gone. The labis seat, Pulai seat, Gelang Patah seat, are all at risks. If Shahrir does not stand in JB, that seat will migrate too. These may not all go to PKR but DAP is set to take over some of these seats. The opposition may increase their parliamentary presence from the current 1 to 7 seats. There's one commentator (Quiet Despair) who thinks PKR cannot win any parliamentary sets in Sarawak. The SUPP seats will all go to DAP. As to PKR, allow me to cite one observation passed to me by the Oracle of Syed Putera. He was commenting on the Sarawak state elections then. The victory of 100% by PBB candidates (its record is thus anytime better than UMNO's) wasn't unexpected. The Oracle wasn't interested to speak on what the mainstream newspapers were screaming haughtily regarding the victory. He was more concerned about the victory by PKR in the Sarawak state elections. Anwar Ibrahim with all the assassinations carried out on a daily basis, managed to assist Baru Bian get 3 seats! What do the wins represent? Unless UMNO people are sleeping or are busy shashaying in the lobby of Concorde Hotel and cockily holding fort in the coffee house, the wins tell us, the opposition can win. PKR made inroads in Dayak grounds. And Oracle must be mimicking Daim Zainudin. Then the news about the sacking of one ADUN from SPDP came. SPDP has 4 parliamentary seats. The sacking shows there are dissension with the SPDP and may result in election losses. With the SUPP gone, PBB is banking on SPDP and PRS which has 6 seats. The two have 10 seats between them; a number of these will fall to PKR. The Oracle was even saying, at this moment, Daim thinks, the Opposition has 16 seats in the bag from Sarawak. This thing about saying that someone is over the hill and past the time, is haunting the UMNO people. Yet they forget repeatedly to shut their mouth. Before 2008 Daim Zainudin was saying that BN will lose 5 states. Everyone was saying he's past his prime and over the hill and other unmentionables. This time he's more or less saying the same thing. That's why the Oracle says, the UMNO people are sleeping when they dismissed the few seats won by Baru Bian in the Sarawak state elections. That's just a precursor of worse things to come. That's how I see the GE13. Now, let's get back to what Rahim Tamby Chik said in an UMNO forum. Rahim Tamby Chik (RTC) has now achieved political significance that he couldn't achieved before- being mentioned in the same bandwidth as Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. Otherwise, as we know, hehe, Rahim is mentioned and associated more with less than regal extra-political pursuits. He is deep and down you know. We now come to the most interesting bit about Rahim's political imagination- Tengku Razaleigh being invited to become the PM. In order for that to take place, TRH must have standing. He has standing by the following manner; (1) He heads a political party. That party then can become the negotiating entity sought after by the people who want to form a government. He has none at the moment. AMANAH is an NGO which he heads is not a political party and so, he has no standing to be called in should there be a hung parliament. (2) He could have a standing on the other hand, if he heads a faction in UMNO with enough numbers to go along with him should he decide to part ways with mother ship UMNO. Right now, I don't see any number of MPs being with Tengku Razaleigh. Some may agree with his stand and ideas but are always mindful to stay on the side on which the bread is buttered. None are brave enough to be with him while serving as UMNO MPs. Just look as some of the erstwhile comrades who were with Razaleigh before- Shabery Chik for example- who served as TRH's personal assistant and speech writer sometimes is touching TRH with a 10 foot pole. The minister of Information who used to be the number 2 man in Semangat 46 and who burnt his bridges to cinders is working overtime to make sure everyone knows he has nothing to do with Tengku. So we can rule out the formation of another political party by Tengku Razaleigh or Tengku having the standing by heading a faction within UMNO. So why should Tengku Razaleigh be invited at all? In what capacity? The answer is the hard realities of Malaysian politics. Let us assume a hung parliament. It can take place when not one single party has the majority in parliament. Any one party can have the largest number of seats which if it less than 112, can never go on to form the government. Let's say UMNO comes out with the most seats- 70 from its current 79. It is the party with the largest number. What happens when the results of the elections come out? The first person or persons to see the Agong will be the chief secretary and possibly the AG because of the constitutional implications. He will look around and inform the Agong, the party that has the largest number is UMNO. The Agong then summons UMNO to inquire whether it can form the government. UMNO looks around; it sees its traditional partners decimated. It casts its eyes, and sees possibly PBB which probably retains 12 seats. But what if 16 seats are won by the opposition there? PBB has only 3 more seats friendly to offer. Taib Mahmud says, boss I can only offer 15 seats. The other 16 have gone to DAP and PKR and to those who don't want BN anymore. I can't gawai and ngajat anymore. It makes me dizzy. UMNO plus the Sarawak party now has 85 seats. If we are kind enough, let's say MCA managed to wriggle through with 3 seats- UMNO/BN has 88. MIC delivers 1 seat. Now it has 89. Out of the 25 seats in Sabah, after excluding UMNO, BN takes another 8. In total now, UMNO and BN have 97 seats. Still not enough ma…. READ MORE HERE |
| Name non-Malay PM, MCA Youth dares PKR Posted: 26 Nov 2011 04:35 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - MCA Youth today dared PKR to name a non-Malay candidate for prime minister, turning the tables on the opposition party's previous challenge for Umno to guarantee a Malay premier. "The fact that PKR and DAP constantly portray themselves as so-called multi-racial parties is a joke, as it is evident that both parties are still very much operating based on race," MCA Youth vice-chairman Yoo Wei How said in a statement today. "This is obvious when PKR said that Anwar (Ibrahim) would be the prime minister and Lim Kit Siang as the deputy prime minister." He said by making race a consideration when choosing holders of top positions, the two parties were being racist. PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin had dared Umno to amend the Federal Constitution to state that the prime minister must be Malay because "history shows Umno is willing to sell out everything." Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, however, moved to clarify yesterday that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) would not support any move by Umno to amend the Constitution to guarantee a Malay prime minister. The PKR de facto leader explained that his party youth wing's challenge Umno to do so was merely a part of PKR's "strategy" and was neither a "Keadilan nor Pakatan Rakyat stand." Today, Yoo pointed out that the PKR national leadership consists mostly of Malays, while DAP sported a mainly Chinese line-up. "If PKR and DAP are really indeed multi-racial political parties, why not announce PKR information chief Tian Chua as their candidate for prime minister with DAP national chairman Karpal Singh as the deputy prime minister?" Yoo asked. "Therefore, it is a lie that these two parties are multi-racial as claimed and they are in fact deceiving the people simply in order to gain the votes so that they can take over the federal government," he added. Umno has repeatedly accused Pakatan Rakyat (PR) of selling out the Malays to Chinese and foreign interests, insisting that the country's largest ethnic group can only be protected if Barisan Nasional (BN) remains in power. READ MORE HERE |
| Guan Eng says ‘political reality’ to have Malay PM Posted: 26 Nov 2011 04:34 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Lim Guan Eng rubbished talk today of amending the Constitution to guarantee a Malay prime minister, claiming Malaysians have accepted the "political reality" that the post "must" be given to the country's largest ethnic community. He said suggesting such amendments was "racist and superfluous" as it treated non-Malays as if they were second-class citizens. "No non-Malay political leader has even talked about wanting to be prime minister because Malaysians accept the political reality that the prime minister of Malaysia must come from the Malay community," he said in a statement here. On Friday, PKR Youth challenged Umno to amend the Constitution to guarantee a Malay prime minister but Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim later clarified that this was neither his party's stand nor that of Pakatan Rakyat (PR). 
Lim (picture) pointed out that the highest political posts now available to non-Malays were ministers and the Penang chief minister's position, which he now holds. But the DAP secretary-general said that although the Malays dominated top leadership posts, including positions in the civil service, police and army, his party and the Penang government had never threatened to usurp power from the community. "DAP has never carried out such a campaign because DAP considers all Malays as Malaysians who have an equal right as any other Malaysian to be in these sectors," he said. "This is evident in the open tender system where 70 per cent of Penang government contracts are won by Malays, proving the Malay contractors are competitive; only Umno crony contractors are useless," he said. Lim also recalled Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's controversial "Malay first and Malaysian second" declaration last year, saying it showed that "1 Malaysia" was an empty slogan designed to win votes. Lim claimed the slogan would be rapidly discarded after the next general elections. "What is surprising is that Muhyiddin does not consider illogical or inconsistent with pursuing a strictly racial Malay agenda with the agenda of other non-Malay Malaysians," Lim said, adding that the deputy prime minister "even pursues DAP leaders are Chinese chauvinists even though DAP has fought for all Malaysians". "DAP is no threat to Malays. Only Umno is a threat to Malays and Malaysians with its open acceptance and defence of repressive violation of basic human rights, corruption and abuse of power." READ MORE HERE |
| Dr M’s prescription for Umno Posted: 26 Nov 2011 04:23 PM PST Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been trying to shake things up a little in the run-up to the Umno general assembly which he hopes will set the agenda for a big win in the upcoming general election. Dr Mahathir, more than anyone else, knows that the next general election will determine the survival of Umno. He is shrewd, intelligent and strategic, traits that made him such a dangerous man to his opponents. Part of Dr Mahathir's longevity has been his talent for reading the ground and his reading is, to quote him, "not good". By JOCELINE TAN, The Star TUN Dr Mahathir Mohamad's office at Yayasan Albukhary is like one of those penthouse floors but in a minimalist and masculine kind of way. It is sparsely furnished, with lots of wood panelling and floor-to-ceiling glass windows on three sides and has a 3D view of the city. It is one of his three offices and the space is big enough for a ballroom dancing contest. But the former Premier was more preoccupied that particular afternoon about the mock trial against two famous "war criminals" namely Tony Blair and George W. Bush that had been going on the last few days on the second floor of the building. The verdict was due in about an hour's time and the interview was, well, to fill the time in between. Dr Mahathir had been so engrossed making notes on a notepad that he did not notice that a half-eaten piece of nut candy – he snacks on them when his sugar level dips – was being finished off by a line of ants. His handwriting is a graceful cursive and he must be the only man in the building still using a fountain pen.  Umno on his mind: Dr Mahathir wants Najib to win and to ensure the survival of Umno. The room was rather warm and stuffy but he seemed to prefer it that way and looked as cool as a cucumber in a business suit, striped shirt and grey tie. He looked remarkable for an 86-year-old. He moves a little slower these days but that has not stopped him from having a packed schedule. He was in Myanmar recently where he met the president Thein Sein and democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi who impressed him. It is rare to hear him say he likes someone, but he admitted: "I like her. She is nice and friendly." When teased about having a weakness for "iron ladies", he said, "You mean (Margaret) Thatcher?" Caught him there. Actually, I was thinking of Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz whom he had liked for her fighting spirit. But the lady in his life remains Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali. She came in towards the end of the interview, walking quietly towards the prayer room, as though trying not to be noticed. The two Tuns have this subtle comfort level between them and he said in a teasing voice, "don't interview her". When she looked up, he made a funny face and she sort of rolled her eyes, smiled and walked on. Dr Mahathir was due to fly off to India on the morning of the Umno general assembly but has delayed the trip so that he could be at the opening where he is assured of the best seat in the house with a Persian carpet laid out for his VVIP feet. He has been at every single opening and closing of the party assembly since Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak took over the party. He is flying home from India to make it for the winding-up by Najib on the last day. But Blair, Bush and war crimes aside, it is the state of Umno that is constantly at the back of Dr Mahathir's mind.  Dr Mahathir is reminding Najib that the bigger headache is Umno. If Umno is okay, the business of governing would be a lot easier. Najib has stopped the decline but turning it around is probably taking too long for Dr Mahathir. — DATUK AHIRUDIN ATTAN (ROCKY) Dr Mahathir is famous for saying it like it is but he is also an expert at throwing curve balls that have people wondering what he is aiming at. And he is a master of political timing. His remarks about Umno the last couple of weeks have been a talking point among the Umno circle. The remarks were made with an eye on next week's Umno general assembly. This assembly will set the agenda for the general election and what many in the party see as the mother of all battles. Dr Mahathir, more than anyone else, knows that the next general election will determine the survival of Umno. He is shrewd, intelligent and strategic, traits that made him such a dangerous man to his opponents. Part of Dr Mahathir's longevity has been his talent for reading the ground and his reading is, to quote him, "not good". Main issues There are several issues which he is extremely concerned about in the run-up to the election and which he thinks ought to be settled at the Umno assembly. One is the issue of winnable candidates. Although everyone in the party has been singing the winnable candidate tune, he knows there is resistance on the ground especially among many division warlords who think they are winnable even though they are not. He knows very few will make way willingly and that there will be sabotage. "It can be done provided you lay the ground. You have to meet them, explain why it has to be a certain candidate. So far, I don't see it (the groundwork)," he said. He is expecting the Umno leadership to identify the problematic warlords, call them in and personally tell them about what is needed to win well. It is in this context that he believes that if the general election is held now, the Barisan Nasional would not do well. "But if Umno goes to the ground to explain the danger of undermining candidates, the picture will change. Certain Umno leaders and incumbent MPs and assemblymen must accept that they should not contest. They should make it clear now," he said. He is urging Umno members not to be afraid to criticise and tell party leaders, especially at the division and branch levels, that they have to correct themselves. "When you don't criticise within the party and the party goes on doing the wrong thing, the party will fail. When supporters outside the party see that Umno is not making corrections, they will reject the party. They say it is painful for them to vote for the opposition but they do it, otherwise Umno will not realise it is on the wrong path," he said. He is telling Umno not to be complacent, given the feedback that the Malay vote has returned. As one Umno official pointed out, he is provoking Umno in his usual diabolical style to "prove to us that you have changed." There has been no real test to show that Umno has really changed. The warlords are still there, their attitudes are still the same. "You need internally generated criticism in the party. If you don't criticise from inside, people from outside will do it and those inside will go out to criticise. That's why you have Perkasa, formed mostly by those unhappy within the party and (who have) moved out to voice their views. Those who left with me have still not been re-admitted," said Dr Mahathir. This ties in with another of his concerns – Umno has moved too fast and too far to the middle ground. Umno's strength has always been a result of two groups. The first include the right-wingers and nationalists who hold fast to their belief in Malay rights. The hardcore among them feel disenfranchised and have drifted off into Perkasa. They feel that Najib has not done enough for the Malays and done too much for the non-Malays. The second group comprises those who understand that concessions have to be made and they are more about the party and less about being Malay. Dr Mahathir understands that in order for Umno to win convincingly, it has to get both groups back on the same page. It would strengthen Najib's position in Umno but his dilemma is how to absorb Perkasa without adopting the same ultra-Malay stance. His challenge is about striking the balance between the old and the new politics. "Dr Mahathir is trying to inject a sense of urgency in Umno. He is reminding Najib that the bigger headache is Umno. If Umno is okay, the business of governing would be a lot easier. Najib has stopped the decline but turning it around is probably taking too long for Dr Mahathir," said Datuk "Rocky" Ahirudin Attan, a former newspaper editor and political blogger. One thing that Dr Mahathir makes no bones about is his adversity towards Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He has yet to forgive his successor and holds him responsible for what he calls "the destruction" of Umno and the Barisan. The antagonism between them extends to the level of Abdullah's son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin and Dr Mahathir's son Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir who reportedly cannot stand the sight of each other. No one can see any closure to this unfortunate affair, and it does say a lot for Najib's diplomatic skills in maintaining ties with his two former bosses. The Pakatan Rakyat side has been going on about how Dr Mahathir wants to replace Najib with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. The story makes good copy but does not make sense. Most deputies Dr Mahathir, said one senior journalist, holds the record for having the most deputy prime ministers and also for having pushed out one prime minister or maybe two, if you count Tunku Abdul Rahman. "I don't think he wants to set a record for changing PMs," said the journalist. The elder statesman's prime concern is that Umno survives beyond the next election. Like everyone else in Umno, he wants the party to recover its lost ground and he is banking on Najib to lead the Barisan to victory. If Najib accomplishes that, he is going to be one of the most powerful presidents Umno has ever had. But if he fails, the move to topple him will begin. Until then, Umno is with Najib. Said Dr Mahathir: "I want Najib to win. He should win together with the party. As the PM, he has done fairly well, he has introduced new ideas but he must also see the whole picture. He thinks the Chinese are not going to give their support but he forgets that his constituents are the Malays. "I would say I support him. I don't expect leaders to be perfect, I was not perfect, that was why so many people challenged me. Yes, he is juggling too many balls; maybe he should concentrate on a few." Basically, Dr Mahathir sees Umno as a super bus with lots of people on board and he acknowledges that Najib is the best man to take the wheel. Dr Mahathir is just one of the passengers. He is not exactly a backseat driver as some people believe, but he is definitely a passenger with clear opinions about the journey ahead. His greatest wish is that the next general election should not be Umno's last ride in the driver's seat. |
| PKR looks further ahead Posted: 26 Nov 2011 04:03 PM PST The PKR congress this weekend served notice that it is banging on the door of Umno's Johor fortress. Azmin's reference to the boss had the Youth and Women's assembly cheering and applauding. They probably find the idea of Anwar being Prime Minister much more exciting than the notion of him as "God's gift". But it is probable that very few among the cheering delegates believe he is destined for that green-domed building in Putrajaya, not because of his sodomy trial but because they know the ground has shifted and that Chinese votes alone will not carry Pakatan Rakyat to Putrajaya. By JOCELINE TAN, The Star THE Pulai Springs Resort in Johor is associated more with golf than politics. But golf took a backseat this weekend as the PKR crowd swarmed to the resort to make a statement that Johor will be their frontline state in the general election. The party's national congress this year is what the party's Johor chief Datuk Chua Jui Meng called an isyarat merah, that is, a red light warning to the Umno bastion. It also served notice on another Umno bastion the Felda vote. The party made some glittering promises to Felda settlers and is backing settlers from several schemes to sue the Government over issues of payments over their labour. "We are banging on Umno's front door," claimed Chua. Party secretary Saifuddin Nasution, who is from Kedah, even turned up wearing a Johor style baju Melayu. Despite all the talk about breaking down Umno's stronghold, PKR and its partners in Pakatan Rakyat are basically eyeing the mixed seats among Johor's 26 parliamentary constituencies. Its leaders admit frankly that the Malay-majority seats will stay with Umno while the Felda areas in the state are still out of their reach. As such, the foray into Johor revolves mainly around 15 or so mixed seats and it is banking on the prevailing Chinese sentiment. PKR's problem in Johor is that it does not have the network or organisation whereas Chua is still trying to shake off his previous history as an MCA leader and minister. Chua speaks excellent Malay and is still quite charismatic but he may have problems on the Malay ground because everyone in Johor knows he has issues with the Johor palace. His Datukship was withdrawn after the new Sultan ascended the throne. Still, it would be folly for the Barisan Nasional to be complacent. Nothing can be taken for granted in the new political landscape and the ruling coalition will have to step up its game. "At the very least, we will keep Umno occupied here," said Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. Last year, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail described her husband and Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as "God's gift" to politics. This year, deputy president Azmin Ali referred to him as the "seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia". A delegate from Kedah said Anwar is an "institution that we have to defend". Azmin's reference to the boss had the Youth and Women's assembly cheering and applauding. They probably find the idea of Anwar being Prime Minister much more exciting than the notion of him as "God's gift". But it is probable that very few among the cheering delegates believe he is destined for that green-domed building in Putrajaya, not because of his sodomy trial but because they know the ground has shifted and that Chinese votes alone will not carry Pakatan Rakyat to Putrajaya. This party is still centred on Anwar. But, as the sodomy trial drags on and particularly after the sex video, there is a growing sense that the party should be able to survive without Anwar. He has the name recognition and international stature no one else in the party has. The fizzle and the oomph will be missing and the party may not do as well without his overpowering personality but it will be around because multi-racial politics has a future in Malaysia. For instance, this is the only party where the debaters come from all races and speak Bahasa Malaysia well. The party will become more real when this group moves up. Meanwhile, it has to discard its image as a party out to save Anwar from his personal problems and a party of too many family members. PKR has attracted its share of young faces who are there not because they think Anwar is God's gift or to save him from jail. This new cohort is not attracted to the race-based politics of Umno or the theocratic policies of PAS; neither are they drawn to DAP which has veered into Chinese chauvinism. The undisputed star among them is PKR strategist Rafizi Ramli, the man behind many of the new ideas in the party. A number of the newbies were showcased as speakers this year. Among them was Azrul Azwar, the chief economist of Bank Islam. They are clearly greenhorns but they are intelligent, idealistic and have impressive qualification. You can tell they are from another generation of politicians because their debate is peppered with quotes from civil rights activists from the West. They are the reasons why PKR is worth watching, rather than their bravado claim of breaking down the door of Umno's Johor fortress. |
| The right to vote for all Posted: 26 Nov 2011 04:00 PM PST However, the overseas voting process is not glitch-free and many countries are still reviewing their laws and processes. According to the World Bank, there are some one million Malaysians living overseas, and all have the right to vote. However, the sheer number is one logistical issue. As pointed out by Najib, there are more than 800 constituencies in the country and over 100 foreign missions in the world. This would make verification during the voting process difficult, and might even lead to vote tampering. By HARIATI AZIZAN, The Star ALTHOUGH he has been a registered voter in Malaysia for almost a decade, pharmacist G. Gan has never cast his ballot. "It's not that I don't want to but I have been in Britain all this while – first studying, and now working. But Malaysia is still home to me, and that is why I want to make a stand at the polls," he says. Gan, like many other Malaysians currently studying, working and residing overseas, was excited to hear in August that the Election Commission (EC) was reviewing the regulations to extend postal voting rights to Malaysians working overseas in the next election. Currently, only members of the armed forces, full-time students, civil servants and their partners are allowed to participate in postal voting. Their excitement grew when the Foreign Ministry said it had forwarded recommendations to the EC on allowing Malaysians to cast their votes at the respective Malaysian embassies worldwide. Their joy, however, was shortlived when the Government conceded that the logistical problems in implementing it might mean that they would have to miss the coming elections. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has stressed that the Government is not against overseas voting while highlighting the difficulties in implementing the mechanism. Indisputably, all Malaysians have the right to vote. This is enshrined in our Federal Constitution. According to the World Bank, there are some one million Malaysians living overseas, and all have the right to vote. However, the sheer number is one logistical issue. As pointed out by Najib, there are more than 800 constituencies in the country and over 100 foreign missions in the world. This would make verification during the voting process difficult, and might even lead to vote tampering. Moreover, according to Wisma Putra, they only have records of about 25,000 of Malaysians overseas. Many are not reachable, something that has caused various problems to the foreign missions abroad during disasters and emergencies. As a source from the Malaysian embassy in Japan shares, it was difficult to trace Malaysians when the earthquake and tsunami hit Japan early this year as many who were residing there at that time had not registered with the embassy. "If we want to allow overseas voting, we would need to conduct a mass registration of the Malaysian expatriates," he says. Another logistical issue is the manpower, he adds. "This is a full-time job, so we would need help from the HQ (Foreign Ministry) and the Election Commission." EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar says the commission is prepared to increase manpower, including appointing more assistant registrars at missions worldwide but this would incur a high cost, on top of the other implementation costs. It was reported that the cost of the general elections would be close to RM200mil. In 2008, it was RM170mil. MCA Young Professionals Bureau Chairman Datuk Chua Tee Yong, who is also Deputy Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister, agrees that the logistic and resource issues need to be resolved to ensure that a proper mechanism is established. One way is to consider how other countries are implementing overseas voting, he says. Foreign lessons Currently, some 115 countries around the world allow for some form of overseas voting for their citizens, National Institute for Democracy and Electoral Integrity (NIEI) points out. Like many of the election watchdogs in Malaysia, NIEI agrees that while there are issues to be resolved to allow Malaysians abroad to vote, they are not insurmountable. However, the historical, social, and cultural contexts need to be taken into account. Even in the countries implementing overseas voting, the process is not glitch-free and many are still reviewing their laws and processes as they go. Others are finding the high cost incurred is not matched by the actual voter turnout. In Indonesia, the government is mulling over the effectiveness of the facility due to poor turnout – as voting day often falls on a workday, most of its overseas citizens choose work over voting. This is also an issue for the Philippines and even the United States. In the 2006 election, over six million qualified overseas Americans requested for absentee ballot, but only one million registered. Out of the one million, only one-third actually cast their votes. "The issue definitely requires more in-depth study and discussion. To design the system for the Malaysian overseas to vote requires suitability with the current electoral system that we use," says NIEI board member Amin Iskandar. There are various mechanisms that can be implemented to prevent tampering of the ballot, adds Amin. "We can look at the best practices in other countries, especially the ones which use the same electoral system, such as Britain. In Britain, it is required that the overseas absentee voter be a registered voter there within the last 15 years prior to exercising their right to overseas absentee voting. This can be the mechanism to prevent the issue of phantom voters." Chua agrees that Malaysia should consider implementing a time bar for qualification of voters. "In Canada, if a Canadian citizen has been residing overseas for more than five years, he loses his qualification as a voter and is unable to vote. The same applies in Australia where if a citizen has been overseas for more than three years and his name is not listed in the electoral roll, he will be disqualified as a voter." South Korea, meanwhile, is going the hi-tech way to protect the integrity of its ballot papers, says Sim Hyun Whoa, the Overseas Election Officer on duty at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Malaysia. This includes equipping their foreign missions with state-of-the-art equipment to ensure that ballot papers cannot be forged or tampered with. The most important thing is to provide the right to vote for all Malaysian citizens. "We believe in the principle of every citizen of Malaysia having the right to elect their representatives in an election even though they are not residing in Malaysia," says Chua. Malaysians for Free and Fair election (Mafrel) chairman Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh concurs, pointing out that it is one of the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The issue of cost and logistics is irrelevant as it is the responsibility of the Government to facilitate voting for all Malaysian citizens, he says. "It is the Government's responsibility to facilitate the right and it is the responsibility of the voters overseas to make an effort to exercise their right to vote," he says. "We can study the spread of students and workers to see where the polling stations are needed. Traditionally, most Malaysian students and professionals in Europe are in London, so maybe we can start with that as the main voting point in Europe." Syed Ibrahim suggests cutting the cost incurred for security enforcement during the elections to reduce costs. "From our observation at the polls, there are too many police officers deployed at the polling stations, even for by-elections. Do we really need such tight security?" he poses. P.Y. Wong of Tindak Malaysia points out that overseas voting is provided by most of our neighbouring countries, including "tiny" Brunei. "It is pathetic that Malaysia does not accord this to our citizens. We have conducted elections for more than 50 years and they cannot sort out such a basic issue?" As for access to information, the election watchdogs agree that it is irrelevant. "It is nobody's business whether the overseas voter is well-informed or not. It is also a poor reflection of the Government's information machinery if such a situation happens. Have you seen how the Singapore Government issues regular newsletters to their overseas citizens and how they take care of their welfare and interests?" says Wong. It is up to the individual to keep informed, says Chua. "Even if you live in Malaysia, you will not be up to date with the local news if you don't make an effort to keep up." An academic in Hong Kong, Ang SW, agrees. "Even though I am in Hong Kong, I can make an informed decision at the polls. I read the news online these days, including Malaysian and world news. If politicians think that they can better represent their positions via speeches, then there is nothing to stop them from maintaining blogs to keep their constituents better informed. Moreover, I schedule regular trips back to Malaysia to visit family and friends." In many of our professions today, international work experience is not only attractive but also necessary for our training and development, says Ang. "Describing decisions to remain abroad for whatever period of time as a 'betrayal' is unbelievable and ridiculous in this day and age where the internationalisation of the economy puts everyone under new pressures even as it opens up new opportunities," laments the 33-year-old. For her and many of her fellow Malaysian expatriates, says Ang, the most important thing is their right to play a part in the future of the country they still call home. "I would like to vote because returning home to work and live continues to be a viable option in the near future. A Malaysia that has strong democratic institutions with fair and transparent practices will be a lovely place to live in and, unlike what some politicians assert, those of us who are currently abroad have not given up on the country," she says. |
| PKR Youth chief slammed over ‘only Malays for PM’ remarks Posted: 26 Nov 2011 03:59 PM PST (The Star) - The PKR Youth chief has been roundly criticised for his challenge to Umno to amend the Federal Constitution to ensure only Malays can be prime minister. MCA Youth secretary-general Datuk Chai Kim Sen said Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin's call would undermine national development and unity. "In a multi-cultural country like Malaysia, Shamsul's remarks will cause racial prejudice to spread,'' said Chai in a statement. Shamsul Iskandar had made the challenge at the PKR Youth Congress in Johor on Friday. He said Umno should do this to prove its claim of being a party that championed Malay rights. Shamsul claimed the challenge was not aimed at stirring racist sentiments but was about justice. Asked if PKR would amend the constitution, Shamsul said it was only a challenge to Umno and PKR was comfortable with the current constitution. Chai said both the ruling and opposition coalitions should be responsible in ensuring racial harmony and social stability. "Although they are not yet in charge of the Federal Government, they are already making racial statements. "I feel Shamsul just wants to grab this opportunity to appear as a hero in the media," he added. Chai also urged Pakatan Rakyat leaders to take a collective stand on Shamsul's statement. "Will any disciplinary action be taken or will the issue be swept under the carpet like always?'' asked Chai. DAP Rasah MP Anthony Loke said Shamsul's statement was unnecessary. "I don't agree with it because it reflects negatively on Pakatan Rakyat," he said, adding it was a political reality that a Malay is PM. Loke also said Malays were not in danger of losing their political power as they were the majority. "We accept this fact and to ask for the Federal Constitution to put in such a criteria is not progressive,'' he added. Loke's party colleague Jenice Lee also tweeted her dissatisfaction with Shamsul Iskandar's statement. Lee said she was disgusted with the youth leader's statement. "We are all Malaysians!'' retorted the Teratai assemblyman. |
| Group protests against Assembly Bill Posted: 26 Nov 2011 03:57 PM PST (The Star) - A group gathered at KLCC park to protest the proposed Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011. Dressed in yellow and carrying yellow balloons, the group assembled at the park at about 2pm yesterday and chanted slogans against the proposed Bill. They were told to disperse by the police and KLCC security personnel at about 2.45pm.  Peaceful demo: The group protesting at KLCC park yesterday. Also present were Klang DAP MP Charles Santiago and Segambut DAP MP Lim Lip Eng. Campaign organiser Wong Chin Huat deemed the Bill unconstitutional. "We are here to illustrate that we as Malaysians can gather peacefully without disrupting public order," he said. On whether the amendments to reduce the advance notice period from 30 days to 10 days was acceptable, Wong said it was not. "There are countries where organisers only need to give notice to the police a day before a gathering. An acceptable period should be one or two days," he added. Meanwhile, a group of people gathered at Dataran Merdeka for a candlelight vigil at about 8pm. They marched to the Bar Council about 200m away and dispersed 30 minutes later. |
| ‘Malaysian Malaysia’ goes against principles: Chandra Posted: 26 Nov 2011 03:50 PM PST (The Star) - The concept of "Malaysian Malaysia" goes against the principles of moderation, 1Malaysia Foundation chairman Prof Dr Chandra Muzaffar said. Dr Chandra said some of today's politicians were still promoting the concept which was mooted by former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew back in 1964.  Personal touch: Muhyiddin handing over a gift to Dr Chandra during the launch of the 'Understanding of Wasatiyyah and 1Malaysia' seminar at Putra World Trade Centre yesterday. "The Malaysian Malaysia idea is a concept that is unfair and it goes against the principles of wasatiyyah, or moderation," said Dr Chandra, when speaking at the "Understanding of Wasatiyyah and 1Malaysia" seminar at PWTC here yesterday. The seminar was organised by Umno in conjunction with its general assembly next week. He said the concept rejected and denied the basic rights of Malays and bumiputras in Sabah and Sarawak, as provided for in the Federal Constitution. He also warned the 500-strong audience, mostly delegates of the coming Umno general assembly, of politicians who were prepared to go against the Federal Constitution just to please people of certain races so that they could win votes. He said the concept of a middle ground, which was often likened to the concept of wasatiyyah, should not be confused for allowing mismanagement and bribery provided it did not involve large sums of money. "This concept cannot be abused to allow practices that are clearly prohibited by the religion. This concept makes it clear what is right and what is wrong," he added. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, when closing the seminar, said Malaysia had remained peaceful because the majority of the people believed in the moderate approach in their daily lives rather than being extreme when practising their culture and religion. This, coupled with good understanding of the culture and religion of others, had ensured that the people continued to enjoy progress and lived in harmony, he said. "Through wasatiyyah, we have learned to think and act wisely without being extreme, too rigid or overly liberal. We are taught not to be a fanatic or to be so obsessed that we close our minds to other views, thoughts and opinions," he said. Explaining the concept of wasatiyyah in the Government system, Muhyiddin who is also Umno deputy president, said it had helped spur development in an effective manner because the people's wellbeing was always top priority when implementing policies. |
| Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 – a Malaysian layman perspective Posted: 26 Nov 2011 03:41 PM PST Wong Mun Chee Much has transpired since the introduction of this bill. For those laymen like me please visit http://www.parlimen.gov.my/files/billindex/pdf/2011/DR422011E.pdf or see attached a copy for your reading where you are on first hand to have sight of this proposed bill. If you did not know this is public information not OSA so don't be fearful of reading it. UMNO led BN as usual will dictate their legal draftsmen to copy & paste some archaic bills to cement this bill. Now the opposition is no better with their 30 days notice, fine matters whereas the fine print of the bill is a total infringement of Article 5 & Article 10 of the constitution. As for the other bodies like the Suhakam & Bar Council, they had failed to detail exactly how backward this proposed bill is unless they feel laymen like you and me would not understand the nitty gritty of a law that would actually take away any liberty left for us to voice without fear and favor by Parliament suffocating & strangling our freedom. If you have a chance to look through the proposed bill, you will notice in Part II "A Street" protest is amongst prohibited and see how it is defined in Interpretation (3). In the same Interpretation (3) there is this thingy called "person who has interest" – see how far it is defined when in section (5) & (12) how broadly it is stretched. Imagine, if you were to have a street protest, you would probably need to obtain an permission from the street hawkers and if you don't it would against the law. Now it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out how onerous this law will become for righteous and humane cause in exercising fundamental liberty. I think this is a single peace of bill that takes us aback before independence in the pretext of artificial freedom. This bill is politically motivated which we are aware of, yet the opposition, nor the ultra vires media had not done enough to educate people beyond the typical political bashing by not addressing major issues in this proposed bill. This bill also gives the Home Ministry & the police such unabated power of the public of their exercise for freedom of movement. The bill is full of such contradictory terms that it shows how inept are the BN-led UMNO legal draftsman and also the inefficiency of the opposition, NGO's and Bar Council in mounding a proper, meticulous challenge against UMNO as well as in educating people on the detrimental effect on the long term. As a layman Malaysian I think it is up to us as Malaysian to read through this bill and voice our dissent in any form as politicians come and go but our rights should prevail by our equal participation against this bill even if we need spend some precious moment of our live for the community. I would suggest that this bill should be withdrawn in whole until and unless the UMNO led government had consulted other stakeholders of the community such as the opposition, NGOs', Bar Council as they also do represent a major party of the community. I hope Malaysians will take the trouble to read through the bill and understand what it really entails for our own good. Thank you. |
| More On Daya Syukra – The Samling Connection! Posted: 26 Nov 2011 03:37 PM PST Sarawak Report Taib Mahmud is betraying big weaknesses with his useless attempts to shut up questions in Parliament about his family corruption and then to have those questions removed from the official records. The first thing it shows is how dangerous he knows such questions are. To sell a huge area of valuable state land worth RM225 million to a company owned by his own kids for just RM2 million is plain, dirty corruption for all to see. This is exactly what YB Wong King Wei most recently revealed in the State Assembly with his question about the scandal of Shoreline Development Sdn Bhd. As we know, there have been plenty of similar thefts linked to other scandals, such as Monarda Sd Bhd and the land round Kuching airport; the handouts to Naim Cendara; the World Heritage site of Borsamulu given to his sister and of course the scandal of the contracts and plantation licences given to Taib's son Abu Bekir's Titanium Management, which YB Chong also drew attention to in a series of separate parliamentary questions last week. The Chief Minister is already suffering the indignity of a public investigation by the MACC, as well as questions over money laundering in Germany, Switzerland, the UK and Canada. Those investigators are not going to have to work very hard with such evidence as the Shoreline Development deal revealed in broad daylight! Voter power  - I voted BN and all they ever gave me was this lousy t-shirt!
And what are voters to think with an election just round the corner? Remember, it has just been announced that Taib's administration has only been able to allocate a tiny RM3.47 million to help alleviate the hard core rural poverty that afflicts so many Dayaks in Malaysia's richest state. It is now easy to see why there is no money to help the starving poor, since Taib has just stolen land that could have raised RM222 million and given it to his own mega-rich children instead! The second great weakness that Taib's behaviour reveals is that he clearly has not realised how times have changed. He now faces a real and strong opposition in the State Assembly and in his appearances there he is looking increasingly like an old man in the dock! He can no longer control the opposition by simply trying to silence it. Furthermore, his old tactics for suppressing embarrassing information can no longer work. Because, whatever the tame Speaker tries to do in the way of altering parliamentary records and shutting up speakers, the Chief Minister and his cronies can not wipe this information off the internet! The Samling connection YB Wong pointed out that the lucky owners of Shoreline Development Sdn Bhd, who were able to walk off with a RM 225 million plot of 90 acres for just RM 2 million, were two companies, Plieran Sdn Bhd and Sarawak Land Sdn Bhd.  - Behind closed doors. Deals involving State Lands should be open and everyone should be allowed to bid. Then it would not end up going cheap to Taib's family!
Company information plainly shows that Plieran Sdn Bhd is fully owned by KBE Malaysia Sdn Bhd, which is 60% owned by Daya Syukra Sdn Bhd, which in turn is owned by Taib's kids Jamilah, Abu Bekir, Sulaiman and Hanifah! So, who are the other shareholders of KBE Malaysia Sdn Bhd? They turn out to be the logging tycoon Yaw Teck Seng of Samling and Wan Morshidi bin Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a close proxy for Taib's own uncle and predecessor, Abdul Rahman Ya'kub. READ MORE HERE |
| Sabahans gather to say “No to the Peaceful Assembly Act” Posted: 26 Nov 2011 03:34 PM PST The Peoples' Parliament On Tuesday, 29th November, 2011, at 11.30am, as many of us meet at the Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur to walk to defend our right to assemble peaceably, our brothers and sisters in Kota Kinabalu will gather at the same time around the monument built in remembrance of the fallen Golden son of the Kadazans, Peter Mojuntin, who perished with others in the highly controversial and much unexplained plane crash on 6th June, 1976. Date : 29th November, 2011 Time : 11.30am Venue : The square behind the Long Mall, around the monument, in Doggongon. Wear yellow if you can. If you don't have yellow, just be there. Good people of Sabah, will you allow UMNO and BN to continue to rob you of your rights and your dignity? Is it not enough that they have taken your land and your wealth? READ MORE HERE |
| What’s up, doc? 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. READ MORE HERE. |
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