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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• How far is MCA prepared to go?
• The selfish, ugly Chinaman (UPDATED WITH CHINESE TRANSLATION)
• We need another ‘May 13’ (UPDATED WITH CHINESE TRANSLATION)
• Been chilling out
• Marry for love, not hate (UPDATED WITH CHINESE TRANSLATION)
• Why Umno is now going cyber (UPDATED WITH CHINESE TRANSLATION)
• The helicopter view approach (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
• You first have to know the meaning of the word
• Making sense of nonsense
• What else is unconstitutional in Malaysia?

How far is MCA prepared to go? Posted: 07 Dec 2011 10:39 AM PST It is time that MCA learned you can't play the race and religion card without something happening. Then, when the MCA headquarters building in Jalan Ampang is burned to the ground and the MCA leaders are killed in their homes, just like what happened in Indonesia, maybe the MCA people will shut the fuck up and not continue to play the race and religion card. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin (Bernama) - The Kelantan Pas government has admitted having built only one mosque in the state, the Sultan Ismail Petra Golden Jubilee Mosque, from its own funds during its 21-year rule in Kelantan. State Economic Planning, Finance and Welfare Committee deputy chairman, Abdul Fatah Harun said all the other mosques in Kelantan had been built by the federal government.   "The Golden Jubilee Mosque, better known as the Chinese Mosque, was built with state government funding, without a single sen coming from the federal government," he told Bernama, here, today.   As for mosques in the other mukim (sub-districts), he said the state government was only responsible for giving allocations to carry out repairs and renovations.   Abdul Fatah was responding to the state opposition's (Barisan Nasional) claim that the Pas government had not built even one mosque since ruling Kelantan for over 20 years.   They had been built by the federal government or the BN government that ruled Kelantan from 1978 to 1990. *************************** (The Star) - MCA has continued with its call that PAS must include its intention to implement its own brand of hudud law in its manifesto for the next general election. The Islamic party must be fair to voters so they could be fully informed about their choices before making their decision, said MCA Young Professionals Bureau chairman Datuk Seri Chua Tee Yong. "Voters deserve the right to know what kind of Government they are voting in," he told reporters. "Previously, Pakatan Rakyat also declared that the implementation of hudud law was not possible. How are PAS and PKR going to explain this?" "They choose not to respond to these type of issues to keep their marriage of convenience alive," he said. *************************** Aren't you tired of hearing all this talk about Islam and Hudud? I don't know about you but I am. And that's because that is all it is, all talk. And this seems to be the problem with the Muslim world. It is all talk and no action. Corruption, abuse of power, no respect for fundamental liberties and human rights, and much more, appears to be a predicament for mostly so-called Muslim countries. They talk and talk but they do the opposite of what they talk. Now MCA has joined the bandwagon. They want Pakatan Rakyat to state its stand on the Islamic law of Hudud. Why is MCA so kaypoh? What business is it to these bloody kafirs? Islam has nothing to do with these bloody kafirs. Why don't the 15 MCA Members of Parliament raise this matter in Parliament? If Malaysia is as democratic as they say it is then raise this matter in Parliament. After all, MCA has 15 members represented in Parliament. Raise this matter in Parliament and ask the Barisan Nasional-controlled government to pass a bill in Parliament to amend the Federal Constitution of Malaysia to remove Islam as the religion of the Federation. Article 3(1) of the Constitution says that Islam is the religion of the Federation. MCA should ask Parliament to repeal this and remove Article 3(1) of the Constitution that says that Islam is the religion of the Federation. Once Islam is no longer the religion of the Federation then no longer can anyone talk about implementing Islamic laws in Malaysia. It's no use for MCA to shout like mad dogs outside Parliament. Go to Parliament and shout. Shout loud and clear. Tell the government that Islam should no longer be the religion of the Federation and that Article 3(1) of the Constitution should be repealed. Malaysia, since it is a Secular State, should not have Islam as the religion of the Federation. This is a contradiction. And once Article 3(1) has been repealed there will be no more talk about Hudud or any other Islamic laws being implemented. What is most interesting to note is that the PAS-led Kelantan State Government built only ONE mosque in the state over 21 years since 1990. Even then it was a 'Chinese' mosque. No 'Malay' mosques were built. All the mosques that were built were built either by the Federal Government or by the State Government during the time that Barisan Nasional was in power from 1978 to 1990. Does this not sound odd? PAS, which is being accused of trying to Islamise the country, built only ONE mosque over 54 years since 1957 -- one mosque in more than half a century. Hello MCA! MCA is part of Barisan Nasional. And the Barisan Nasional government, which MCA is a member of, built all the mosques in Kelantan over 54 years since 1957. The Pakatan Rakyat government built only one mosque, and even that it was a 'Chinese' mosque. MCA is very devious. They are trying to raise anti-Islam sentiments. They are trying to use Islam to turn the voters against Pakatan Rakyat. But the truth is MCA does not want to ask Parliament to repeal Article 3(1) of the Constitution whereby Islam is the religion of the Federation. And all the mosques in Kelantan, save one 'Chinese' mosque, were built by the Barisan Nasional government, which MCA has been a member of since Merdeka in 1957. It is time that MCA learned you can't play the race and religion card without something happening. Then, when the MCA headquarters building in Jalan Ampang is burned to the ground and the MCA leaders are killed in their homes, just like what happened in Indonesia, maybe the MCA people will shut the fuck up and not continue to play the race and religion card. Yes, I know, this is not MCA's fault. MCA is just playing the role of Umno's running dog in raising anti-Islam sentiments because Umno themselves can't do it since they claim to be the largest Islamic party in the world. Well, then MCA has to pay the price for being Umno's running dog. And the price will be a very heavy price to pay indeed when blood flows on the streets. And I have no problems with this because you can't fry the egg unless you first break the shell. So, many shells need to be broken to fry the eggs. The bottom line is: there is no such thing as a peaceful or bloodless revolution. And we need a revolution to see changes in Malaysia. And if MCA continues with this Islam hate-campaign we may yet see the revolution that we need to be able to see changes in Malaysia. So carry on, MCA! What you are doing may just be what we need for the good of the country. We need a catalyst. And the MCA Islam hate-campaign may be that catalyst. Bodoh punya MCA! Don't you know that fire burns and that when you play with fire it may burn you as well?

The selfish, ugly Chinaman (UPDATED WITH CHINESE TRANSLATION) Posted: 05 Dec 2011 04:58 PM PST The Malays have to wake up and wise up to one hard fact. To the Chinese it is all about money. And as long as money flows like water in Bangkok that is all that matters. Should the Malays sacrifice so much, fighting for the Chinese and Indians, when what they are fighting for is not appreciated and instead the Malays are mocked for their efforts? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin One of our Chinese readers, lakian, posted the comment below. I have not edited it and you can see that he probably obtained his education in a Chinese school because you have to read his comment many times to understand even a little bit of what he is trying to say. Anyway, the gist of what he is saying is that politics should be left for the Malays to sort out amongst themselves and the Chinese and Indians do not care a damn who runs Malaysia, and in what way it is run, as long as the Chinese are left alone to make money. The Malays can go kill each other as long as he is concerned and this is no business of the Chinese or Indians. Now read this: 'We won't surrender an inch'. Clearly this has been targeted at the Chinese and Indians. It makes we wonder why the hell do we even bother about the political situation in Malaysia. If the Chinese and Indians do not care then why should the Malays bother? After all, it is the Chinese and Indians and not the Malays who are facing discrimination and persecution. I have noticed many similar comments in the past. The Chinese have made it very clear that their only concern is money. And as long as they can make money then nothing else matters. Some Chinese have even commented that they are not concerned about corruption because it is easier to do deals when there is corruption. The Chinese can make money even easier when they can bribe their way through life. If this is the way the Chinese and Indians think, and if politics have nothing to do with the non-Malays, then the Malays should reconsider their stand. Is it worth for the Malays to go out of their way to fight for equality and an end to racial discrimination if the Chinese and Indians do not really care about such matters? The Malays have to wake up and wise up to one hard fact. To the Chinese it is all about money. And as long as money flows like water in Bangkok that is all that matters. Should the Malays sacrifice so much, fighting for the Chinese and Indians, when what they are fighting for is not appreciated and instead the Malays are mocked for their efforts? If there is one thing I can't stand is to be mocked. And if this is the reward we get from the Chinese and Indians then they can fight their own fight. I would gladly step back and not get involved and will persuade the other Malays to do the same. And don't blame me if I decide to call it a day and save myself further trouble. **************************** another may 13 is needed without or no racial it is solely between the malays themself.the fight or the cut slaughter and whatever are only for the sake of called malays supremacy,the umno said malays right and pkr called rakyat right.they are afterall are malays.for the chinese as said long time ago,they don't care no bother and no concern who the hell is the government and also what the fcuk the umno or pkr fighting for.chinese are opportunistic beneficiarier.they are only interested in what they can take fron the corner.the project not matter whether 2nd handed or even fourth handed.they can still make money what to say just that merely slim profit.chinese are always the group of hard working but envied hatred enthnic in all over the world.usa,canada,australia......even in the carnivalised africa,middle east.indian are the pathetic sandwiched group due to their own character,atitude or simply they are beggar style.they are conspirative minded wanting to use their tactic to control to use the malays killing malays.dominant example mr mamakutty. all in all may 13 is needed for the future of these malays own community.they should make this very vital disolution whether they want power or they need food!they want rhetoric VIP but starving in their kitchen or otherwise.for chinese,indian and others,there will be no different cos they are infact struggling to starve to hunger inorder to live under this already oppressive and suppressive areana. so malays friend,believe umno is giving the pride or snapping you ass is your own concern.do not use your own parang to snap your own anus. -- lakian   READ THE CHINESE TRANSLATION HERE

We need another ‘May 13’ (UPDATED WITH CHINESE TRANSLATION) Posted: 04 Dec 2011 07:09 AM PST The Barisan Nasional government is built on a house of cards. And houses of cards tend to not last and will fall when least expected. The general elections give this appearance of legitimacy. It gives us the illusion that we have a democratically elected government in power. But that is all it is, an illusion. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin There may be no doubt that Barisan Nasional will win the next general election and will get to form the federal government yet again. The question remains, however, as to whether Barisan Nasional can win on a level playing field and will they win because they really do have the peoples' support or for entirely different reasons. This is what is troubling the Barisan Nasional leadership. They are not too concerned about the winning part. They are confident enough that they can win by hook or by crook. And they know they will need to do so by hook and by crook. What is of concern to them is that unless it is by hook and by crook they have a slim chance of winning. I suppose anyone who wins through fraud and knows that he or she can only win through fraud would not rest easy. They would get very little satisfaction from that type of win. Even though they would be consoled by the fact that they won, they would nevertheless be quite restless about the win. The Barisan Nasional leaders know that if it were on a level playing field they would be out of power. If they gave the opposition equal airtime on radio and television and did not impose such stringent rules and procedures for ceramahs, the government would have been changed long ago. If Malaysian elections were based on one-man-one-vote and within 15% or 20% variance between constituencies and the postal voting system was abolished plus overseas Malaysians were allowed to vote, that would be the end of Barisan Nasional. We know that Barisan Nasional lost the election. Barisan Nasional knows that it lost the election. The United States government knows that Barisan Nasional lost the election -- if you had been reading the Wikileaks reports that Malaysia Today has been publishing this last half-year or so. There is no one who does not know that Barisan Nasional lost the election. And everyone knows that the official results showing that Barisan Nasional won the election is a sham and not a reflection of the real situation. And that is why the Umno leaders have been making all sorts of statements over the last weekend during the Umno general assembly. They know that the reality of the situation is they are out of power. They know that the only reason they are still in power is because they had to use by hook and by crook methods to win. And they know that, to continue to stay in power, they have to continue applying by hook and crook methods in the coming election. The Barisan Nasional government is built on a house of cards. And houses of cards tend to not last and will fall when least expected. The general elections give this appearance of legitimacy. It gives us the illusion that we have a democratically elected government in power. But that is all it is, an illusion. So we need to break this illusion. We need to smash it to pieces. And the only way to do that is to not allow elections to be held until and unless we see electoral reforms and a level playing field. Over the next few months we need to galvanise support from the rakyat to block, by hook or by crook (the methods being employed by Barisan Nasional), elections from being held. If a 'Malaysian Spring' needs to be triggered then a Malaysian Spring it will have to be. The time for idle talk and empty rhetoric is over. I have heard and read a lot of things. So many comments by readers were posted in Malaysia Today. But now we have to walk the talk. Now we have to brace ourselves and prepare for hard times. We need another 'May 13'. But this 'May 13' is not a race war. It is not Malays versus non-Malays. It is the rakyat versus the establishment. It is the ruled versus the ruler. It is the bourgeois masses versus the ruling elite. Are you ready for this? Or are you all talk and hot air? Yes, many things have been said. But this is all being said anonymously and hidden behind the computer keyboard. Talk is easy. Talk is cheap. How far are you prepared to walk that talk? Unless we are prepared to bite the bullet then we might as well stop talking. Just let Barisan Nasional continue to rule Malaysia. If we really want a change of government then we must be prepared to face all consequences. And the consequences must be the elections must be blocked until and unless electoral reforms are in place even if that has to result in bloodshed. Now let us see if Malaysia Today's readers are mere empty talk and bullshit! Anyway, stayed tuned for further announcements. ************************************** We want a strong government, says Najib Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno want to form a strong government in the next general election. "Whatever constitutes the definiton of a strong government, this is what we want. A two-thirds (majority) is something which is ideal but what is important is a strong government," he said at a news conference at the end of the 2011 Umno General Assembly, here. He was responding to a question whether he would be happy with a two-thirds majority or a simple majority for the BN in the election. He added that a strong government could be formed from a working majority or a two-thirds majority. Najib, who is Umno president, also said that the BN was capable of winning the four opposition-ruled states in the coming election but said that he would not want to underrate the opposition. -- Bernama ************************************** Muhyiddin outlines seven winning ingredients Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today outlined seven ingredients that would ensure Umno and the Barisan Nasional's (BN) victory at the polls. "I think there is no magic ingredients to ensure Umno and Barisan National's victory in the general election other than implementing our focus over the next few years. "We have to work hard to ensure the party's victory, then God willing, our party will succeed," he said when winding up the debate at the Umno General Assembly 2011 here today. The ingredients are unity, loyalty, service, sacrifice, hard work, acceptance and submission, he added. The deputy prime minister said the most important ingredient was unity in line with Umno's slogan. "To win, unity is important as I have mentioned at the Wanita, Youth and Puteri assemblies. It is important that we have unity of hearts, minds and objective, and all these translated into unity in our resolve," he said. He also reminded party members not to cause new problems, including resorting to back-stabbing and sabotage. The deputy prime minister said secondly, Umno members must be loyal and should not take action that could be deemed not toeing the line. "Do not do anything against the party's ethics and damage the party during this important and challenging time," he said. Muhyiddin said thirdly, Umno members must serve wholeheartedly to the party and should not be calculative in performing their tasks. "We are in a critical moment. We need to double our efforts as the president had said 'business is not as usual'. Do not take the same approach without taking into account the changing times and environment," he said. Fourthly, he said all Umno members must be willing to sacrifice for the party regardless of time, energy and thinking without expecting any reward. For the fifth ingredient, he said everyone in the party must strive for victory in the election as hard work would guarantee success. "Umno members must be good team players just like in a football team. A good striker should play upfront, a goalkeeper should play as a goalkeeper and not becoming a striker or vice-versa. "And what is most important is not to score own goals. This is a taboo in football as well as in the election, do not score own goals," he added. -- Bernama CHINESE TRANSLATION

Been chilling out Posted: 02 Dec 2011 08:24 PM PST Sorry I haven't been writing much the last couple of days. I've been chilling out and catching up with friends in sunny Bangkok. Furthermore, I am working on my final paper for my course, which ends this month. The last few months I've been busy with my essays on Philosophy of Religion, a course run by Oxford. Will then take a short break before my new course on European History starts on 1st February 2012. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin

Marry for love, not hate (UPDATED WITH CHINESE TRANSLATION) 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?   Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-post_28.html

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 CHINESE TRANSLATION: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-post_5042.html

The helicopter view approach (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 24 Nov 2011 05:37 PM PST Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali whacked me to kingdom come and made all sorts of snide remarks against me during PKR's annual general assembly in Penang. Azmin had venom is his tone when, during his speech, he looked at me and said that all those who collaborate with Dr Mahathir can take a hike. I detected the smirk on Anwar's face when Azmin took that swipe at me. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved. All warfare is based on deception. Be extremely subtle, even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious, even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate. He who knows when he can fight and when he cannot, will be victorious. It is essential to seek out enemy agents who have come to conduct espionage against you and to bribe them to serve you. Give them instructions and care for them. Thus doubled agents are recruited and used. Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat. Thus, what is of supreme importance in war is to attack the enemy's strategy. The above are just some of Sun Tzu's quotes. Nevertheless, these few are enough to give us an idea of what both Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim are doing right, and wrong. Incidentally, my wife sent me a book on Sun Tzu's quotes back in September 2008 when I was under detention in Kamunting and it took me only a day to read it from cover to cover. I must admit I found it most enlightening. It was the only book I ever re-read three days in a row. I too have my own panduan peperangan (guide to warfare), which I once wrote about, probably ten years or so ago, long before I had read Sun Tzu. These go as follows: Those who fight and run away live to fight another day. Never fight your enemy in his terrain, which he knows best. Draw him into your terrain, which he is unfamiliar with. The best form of defence is to attack. When an enemy chases you, run away. When he is resting, launch a sneak counterattack. A dead hero is of no use to his country other than for declaring national holidays. Never face a more powerful enemy head-on. Ambushes always work better. Your task is not to die for your country. Your task is to make your enemy die for his country. When faced with defeat, surrender and sue for peace. Once you have gained the advantage, wipe out your enemy through treachery. Take a smaller enemy of your larger enemy as your friend. Once you have defeated your larger enemy then you can turn on your smaller enemy. Never allow principles to stand in the way of your strategy. Victory is still victory even if gained in unethical ways. Okay, I admit, not all my quotes are originals. Some are stolen but they still make good sense. The objective of war is to win and it is not how you play the game that counts. I know, you would probably surmise that, judging by my quotes, I would clearly not hesitate to do a Datuk Maharaja Lela on JWW Birch, the British Resident of Perak who was stabbed in the back while taking a shit in the Perak River. But who the hell ever said that war is about playing fair? War is about winning, at whatever cost, even at the cost of collateral damage, if it has to come to that. Let me give you one example. The opposition is hell-bent on bringing down Shahrizat Jalil regarding the cowgate fiasco. No doubt RM250 million of the taxpayers' money has gone bust so she should be made to pay for it. Or should she? Now, there is currently a tussle over the Lembah Pantai parliament seat, currently held by Nurul Izzah Anwar who wrested it from Shahrizat in March 2008. Shahrizat wants to contest that seat again, as does Raja Nong Chik. If Shahrizat were to contest that seat then there is a strong possibility that Nurul Izzah would, again, win. However, if Shahrizat is brought down, and chances are she might since the cowgate fiasco is hurting the government bad, then Raja Nong Chik would most likely get that seat. And if it were Raja Nong Chik versus Nurul Izzah, then Nurul's chances of winning would be reduced. It would have been better to spare Shahrizat so that she is chosen as Barisan Nasional's candidate for Lembah Pantai. Then, once the nomination papers are filed, you can go to town and bring her down by using the cowgate issue. Raja Nong Chik is a stronger candidate than Nurul Izzah and allowing him to contest the Lembah Pantai seat is not a wise move. But with Shahrizat out of the picture, that can now most likely happen. Raja Nong Chik is certainly a smart cookie. His people leaked the information on Shahrizat's cowgate fiasco and the opposition gleefully grabbed at it. They are now doing Raja Nong Chik a favour by bringing down Shahrizat. And because of that Nurul Izzah may be brought down as well. Anyway, that is one example and there are many more. Another can be: why attack Najib too much? I would be 'gentle' with Najib, which actually I am (although this has attracted allegations that Najib has bought me off). If you want me to attack Najib I can do that as well. But why the hell do I want to bring down Najib just so that the opposition supporters would stop alleging that I have been bought off? I do not need the opposition supporters to sing my praises. They can condemn if that makes them happy. After all, small things please small minds. If Najib is brought down and Muhyiddin Yassin takes over as Prime Minister, the chances of the opposition forming the next federal government is slim. With Najib leading the charge in the next general election, the disgust most people have with First Lady Rosmah Mansor is going to cost Barisan Nasional a lot of votes. Rosmah is to Najib what Khairy Jamaluddin was to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, an albatross around his neck. I would rather have Najib as Prime Minister when we face the next general election than Muhyiddin. Najib has a lot of internal enemies within Umno, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad included. And I would rather have Dr Mahathir on our side, like in the 2008 general election. What, you do not think that Dr Mahathir is still relevant and a factor? Hey, if not for Dr Mahathir, do you think Pakatan Rakyat could have done so well in the March 2008 general election? Why do you think I supported Dr Mahathir back in 2006 and 2007? Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali whacked me to kingdom come and made all sorts of snide remarks against me during PKR's annual general assembly in Penang. Azmin had venom is his tone when, during his speech, he looked at me and said that all those who collaborate with Dr Mahathir can take a hike. I detected the smirk on Anwar's face when Azmin took that swipe at me. I know what I was doing. Sure, that attracted a lot of snide remarks about how Dr Mahathir had bought me off and was financing Malaysia Today and whatnot. But then these are remarks from people devoid of a brain that can think clearly. They are guided by emotions and not by logic. And the way they are trying to bring down Najib and Shahrizat is evidence of this. Anyway, enough said. You play the game according to your strategy and I will do so according to mine. At the end of the day the test of the pudding is in the eating, as President Bush said. READ ALSO: All eyes will be on Shahrizat   Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-post_25.html

You first have to know the meaning of the word Posted: 22 Nov 2011 07:39 PM PST Give me atheist leaders any time. As Karl Marx said, "The first requisite for the happiness of the people is the abolition of religion." And as Lenin said, "There are no morals in politics; there is only expedience. A scoundrel may be of use to us just because he is a scoundrel." NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Unbridled civil rights 'recipe for disaster', say BN MPs (The Malaysian Insider) - Barisan Nasional MPs today defended the new laws regulating public assembly, saying that it showed progress and guaranteed more freedom compared to previous legislation. BN leaders argued that the Peaceful Assembly Bill was favourable to "all parties", and said the restrictions were necessary to keep society in check. "Civil rights groups have to understand, unbridled rights is a recipe for disaster," Umno MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan told The Malaysian Insider. "Dissenting views must be heard, and it is included in the spirit of the law. The government has shifted its approach from a position of absolute power to advisory," the Kota Belud MP said. Citing the Police Act as an example, Abdul Rahman said new regulations were an improvement of the old Act. He said the new laws did not require anyone to apply for a permit from the police, only a formal notification. "You have to compare the new law to Section 27 of the Police Act. Some people are now complaining about the need to notify the police. "That is needed for their protection, if you don't inform the police how can they protect you if anything happens?" asked the BN backbencher. Datuk Wan Junaidi Wan Jaafar said the new assembly law showed progress and that the government had satisfied the needs of all Malaysians. "You want to have your right to a demonstration at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, but people who live there also have their rights. "The law is more relaxed, and gives more work to the police," said the Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker. (READ MORE HERE) *********************************** The small-minded Barisan Nasional leaders are foaming at the mouth screaming about how more freedom, democracy and civil rights are being allowed Malaysians. Yes, these are people who are leaders, Members of Parliament, Malaysia's lawmakers, many who are even beneficiaries of a tertiary education, and supposedly very religious people. But I personally know uneducated fishermen and farmers who can think and talk better than these people. And trust me on this because for 20 years I lived amongst fisherman and farmers and was the Chairman of the residents' committee and of the local mosque, 70-80% who were fishermen and farmers. So I DO know how they think and talk. To these Barisan Nasional people, civil rights is just about freedom to hold demonstrations (subject to the police allowing it to be held) and more freedom to speak your mind (as long as you do not criticise the Rulers, the religious department, the Malays, Islam, the Prime Minister's wife, government leaders, or touch on whatever the government may consider 'sensitive issues' -- and the government will determine what constitutes 'sensitive issues'). See how narrow the concept of civil liberties and freedom is to these people? And they will determine what can and cannot be done and said. This, as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Lee Kuan Yew said, is called 'guided democracy'. And this is what Malaysia and Singapore practices. Actually, civil liberties or civil rights extend to more than just 'controlled demonstrations' and 'limited freedom of speech'. There are many things under the ambit of civil liberties. And this is something these so-called educated government leaders from both the government and opposition do not understand. And that is why we need to line them all up against the wall and shoot them dead, figure of speech of course, although literally would not be such a bad idea as well. When we talk about civil rights we must look beyond just demonstrations and freedom of speech (although that would be a good start). For example, the right to clean and interrupted water supply is also your civil right. And are Malaysians being given this? I wrote about this back in 2000 (see the ADDENDUM below) so I do not need to repeat what I have already said. Denying the people of Kelantan clean water (and this has been prevalent since long before Merdeka) is a violation of their civil rights. Of course, if the Kelantanese were to kick out PAS and vote Umno into power then the state will be given the water it needs. This is blackmail. In the meantime how many Kelantanese need to die of Cholera and other water-borne diseases? Umno is prepared to allow Kelantanese to die just to punish them and blackmail them into voting for Umno. Yes, Umno, is the largest Islamic party in the world, so claims Umno. And 97-98% of the Kelantanese people are Muslims. But it is okay for Muslims to kill Muslims for political considerations. And Umno has the gall to laugh at the state government for not being able to provide the Kelantanese with clean water. 1. Incumbent upon PAS government to provide quality water in Kelantan: Mustapa (READ HERE) 2. BN can resolve Kelantan water problem in five years (READ HERE) 3. Kelantan hospital faces dire water shortage (READ HERE) 4. Water problem in Kelantan getting worse (READ HERE) 5. 30 schools and 30,000 students hit by water woes (READ HERE) As I have always said, we must be very careful with people who foam at the mouth and scream about Islam. These would normally be the biggest hypocrites. The more they talk about Islam the more we need to guard against them. I never trust anyone who always talks about religion, whether they are Jews, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists or whatever. Since time immemorial, people have been killed in the name or religion by people who claim to be doing God's work. Show me all those war criminals and mass murderers and I will show you people who have a religion. Okay, maybe some will now say that Stalin was an atheist. Actually, he was not an atheist. He did have faith. It is just that he was not a religionist. And there is a big difference between a religionist and those who believe that there is a God (theist). You can believe in God without being a religionist, which was what Stalin was. Anyway, that is not the issue. The issue is many so-called religionists who foam at the mouth when they talk about their religion do not understand what civil rights means and have no respect for civil liberties. And this violates the so-called religion that they profess and try to preach to us. Give me atheist leaders any time. As Karl Marx said, "The first requisite for the happiness of the people is the abolition of religion." And as Lenin said, "There are no morals in politics; there is only expedience. A scoundrel may be of use to us just because he is a scoundrel." *********************************** ADDENDUM Killing the Kelantanese with no water When the Anwar Ibrahim poisoning crisis erupted late last year, Mahathir pooh-poohed the whole matter by saying that Malays do not murder for political ends. Not quite true! Samad Goal was murdered in Kota Bharu - head split open with an axe. The "old timers" tell me, while he was giving a speech during a political rally. Dato Tahar was murdered - I was told, shot all over his body. Some people tell me Dr Burhanuddin Hilmi was poisoned. And those are only the ones I know about. And they were all murdered for political reasons. Yes, Malays DO murder for political ends. Is Mahathir now killing off the Kelantanese, his political rivals, by denying them water? This is what Mahathir said recently, "However, the Kelantan government could not even ensure clean water for its people. When you turn on the tap, you get coffee instead''. To Mahathir it is all a big joke - something to laugh about. The Kelantan opposition government cannot even provide clean water for its people. Mahathir thinks it is so funny. Mahathir added that the Kelantan State government was seeking help from the Federal Government to overcome its water woes. "They are asking for 600 million Ringgit from us. If we have that kind of money, we will put it to good use". Yes, that's right. If the Federal Government had 600 million Ringgit they would put it to good use. They would not give it to the Kelantan State government to provide water to its 1,500,000 people. That is not good use for the money. 600 million Ringgit can build an F1 racetrack. Foreigners can use the track to enjoy themselves. 600 million Ringgit can also build a beautiful tower in the middle of Kuala Lumpur. That is better use for the money. Water for 1,500,000 people in Kelantan is definitely NOT good use. Kelantan has been facing a water shortage problem for the last 20 or 30 years - long before the opposition took over the State. In 1990, the state fell to the opposition. The Federal Government then suddenly decided to cancel the plan to spend 600 million Ringgit to improve the water supply in the State. The members of the Kelantan Branch of the Housing Developers Association met the Minister-in-Charge of the State, Anwar Musa, to discuss the water problem with him. These developers could not hand over their houses to their buyers as there was no water supply and they were losing money because of it. Anwar Musa told the developers, if they wanted water, they would have to vote in the Barisan Nasional the next general election. As long as the State was under the opposition they would get no water. Then the Federal Government announced they were giving Kelantan State the 600 million Ringgit they required. There was much rejoicing. Kelantan, at last, would be getting water. Then, when everyone's hopes were high, the Federal Government announced they would not, after all, give the State the money. All hopes were dashed. Then it was announced the State would be given the money, but the Federal government would control it and decide how it is used. Then they said the State would not get the money. This is a cruel game to play on 1,500,000 people who have not seen clean water for two generations. You build up their hopes, then you dash it again, just to see the smiles on their faces get wiped off. Today, Kelantan is suffering from a Cholera outbreak. Mahathir is a medical man. He knows how and why Cholera is spread. Does Mahathir announce the water embargo on Kelantan is off? Does Mahathir now give them the 600 million Ringgit promised and un-promised so many times? No! Instead, TV3 parades people before their cameras to show them condemning the Kelantan Government for not being able to overcome the State water woes. The water woes were there long before the opposition took over the State. It is not the opposition government's fault. They inherited the problem when they took over a State that already had no water. This is a cruel game to play on the people of Kelantan. It is not funny, and Mahathir should wipe that smirk of his face. People are dying in Kelantan. And it's all because they have no water. And they have no water because the Federal Government is trying to bring the State to its knees. Was it not Mahathir who condemned the US for its embargo on Iraq? Was it not Mahathir who said the embargo is causing the deaths of thousands of innocent children? Was it not Mahathir who called the Americans murderers for doing this? Does Mahathir not see he is now killing innocent Kelantanese by denying them water? Is Mahathir so sure those dead from Cholera voted for the opposition? What if they did not? What if they did not vote at all? What if they are children and babies who are not even voters yet? Mahathir, are you not a Malay? Are not the Kelantanese Malays? Did you not say Malays do not murder for political ends? Mahathir, stop killing off innocent children and babies! Stop the Cholera epidemic in Kelantan! Give Kelantan the water they need! Give them the water they have been waiting generations for. Most importantly of all, Mahathir, stop gloating. Wipe that smirk off your face. It is not as funny as you think. Denying the Kelantan people water does not prove how incapable the opposition is in running the State. It just proves you would gladly resort to murdering innocent babies just to defeat a political rival. May God have mercy on you, Mahathir, for all those deaths in Kelantan! Raja Petra Kamarudin (28 September 2000)

Making sense of nonsense Posted: 21 Nov 2011 08:01 PM PST So, YB, are you going to now issue a statement saying that you made an error and that only anal and oral sex are crimes whereas gay relationships are not a crime according to Malaysian law? And if people live together as gay couples and only kiss, hug, touch, rub against each other, masturbate each other, but as long as there is no anal or oral sex, then the government can't do anything about it? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Malaysia Today: First of all, Yang Berhormat, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Yang Berhormat: I am always happy to talk to the media, even opposition media like Malaysia Today, which never reports the truth and always twists and distorts what we say. MT: Well, YB, we are here today so that you can clarify what you actually said and which you claim has been misreported. You can also take this opportunity to clarify government policy and clear whatever misconceptions or wrong perceptions the public may have. And I promise you, YB, Malaysia Today will report exactly what you said without any editing. YB: Thank you. That is very comforting to hear. First of all, I want the readers to know that I never said that homosexuality is against the Federal Constitution. I said it is against the law. MT: Yes, that is now very clear. In fact, earlier today, Malaysia Today published your clarification and rebuttal. So we are not really as unfair as some allege, YB. YB: Good. And thank you. At least Malaysia Today allows both sides of the story, not like some other opposition newspapers that only report bad things about the government. MT: Actually Malaysia Today is not a newspaper and neither is it opposition owned. Malaysia Today is a sounding board for Malaysians to express their unhappiness with both the government and the opposition. Anyway, that is not the point, YB. What we want to talk about today is your statement regarding homosexuality being against the law. You quoted the section of the law regarding sodomy. It talks about sodomy, not about homosexuality. That section of the law does not say that homosexuality is a crime. It only says that sodomy is a crime. YB: It is automatic. If it involves homosexuality then automatically it involves sodomy. MT: But, YB, that section of the law also makes it a crime for a husband and wife to have anal sex. So heterosexual anal sex also attracts a 20-year jail sentence, even if it is between legally married couples. Why did YB not also stress on this fact: that husbands and wives can also get sent to jail, not just homosexuals? YB: We are not concerned about married couples and what they do in the privacy of their bedrooms. We are only concerned about what homosexuals do in the privacy of their bedrooms. MT: But that is beside the point, YB. It is still the law that married couples who indulge in anal sex can be sent to jail for 20 years, until such a time that this law is amended and stipulates that anal sex is a crime only for those who indulge in same-sex relationships. YB: How can we control what married people do in their bedrooms? It is impossible to monitor what people do in the privacy of their bedrooms. MT: Yet the government wants to monitor what non-married people or gay couples do in the privacy of their bedrooms. How are you going to do this? YB: Well…I….I…. MT: Never mind, YB. Let's move on. The law says that anal sex is a crime. It does not say that homosexuality is a crime. What happens if two people of the same sex live as husband and wife but they do not indulge in anal sex? How can you arrest and charge them? YB: How can they live together but not have sex? MT: They can always indulge in oral sex, YB. YB: You mean they live together as a married couple and just talk about sex? I don't believe that. MT: No, YB, I don't mean oral sex as in talking about sex. I mean….well, you know YB…..lick, lick, suck, suck. YB: Oh, that oral sex! Oral sex is also a crime. It is also punishable by 20 years jail, even if between husbands and wives. MT: Okay, YB, you may be thinking of homosexual relationships as just being between two men. What if the homosexual relationship is between two women? Are you still going to say that it is a crime since there is no sodomy or anal sex involved? And take note, YB, that section of the law you are talking about makes it a crime to indulge in anal sex, not to be a homosexual. YB: Well, if it is two women, then they probably have oral sex. So that means it is also a crime. MT: So, it is the sex act that is the crime then. Being homosexual or living as a gay couple is not a crime. Is that right, YB? YB: Well….yes, that is right. MT: So, YB, are you going to now issue a statement saying that you made an error and that only anal and oral sex are crimes whereas gay relationships are not a crime according to Malaysian law? And if people live together as gay couples and only kiss, hug, touch, rub against each other, masturbate each other, but as long as there is no anal or oral sex, then the government can't do anything about it? YB: Well…I…..I…. MT: Never mind, YB, let's move on. Let us now talk about non-Muslims, in particular Evangelists, preaching or propagating Christianity to Muslims, which has been an issue of late. YB: Yes, according the Constitution that is wrong. So the government can take action. MT: Okay, agreed. According to Article 11(4) of the constitution, it says: "State law and in respect of the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan, federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam." But what about if that person may have been born a Muslim but he later leaves Islam. That means you are technically no longer propagating to Muslims but to ex-Muslims. YB: There is no such thing as ex-Muslims. Once you are born a Muslim or you convert to Islam then you are a Muslim forever until the day you die. MT: But what are the criteria to be a Muslim? YB: I don't understand. MT: Is it not compulsory that you believe in one God, Allah, and accept Muhammad as the last Prophet, the Quran as God's word, and the belief in the Afterlife, and so on? And if you reject this doctrine then your akidah would be demolished and you would cease to be a Muslim? YB: Yes, your akidah is important in Islam. If your akidah is defective then you are no longer a Muslim. MT: So, if a Muslim says he does not believe that Muhammad is the last Prophet or he says he doubts that the Quran is from God but was in fact written by Muhammad's people then he ceases to be a Muslim since he no longer has akidah. YB: Yes. MT: So where is the crime then if the Evangelists preach or propagate Christianity to these people since technically they are not Muslims any longer? YB: Well….I….I….but still we can't allow it. They may be ex-Muslims according to Islam but we still regard them as Muslims and will arrest them and send them for religious rehabilitation to try to bring them back to the right path. MT: So the government regards them as non-Muslims or ex-Muslims but will not allow them to be non-Muslims or ex-Muslims and will arrest them and rehabilitate them and that is why Christians can't preach to them or propagate Christianity to them? YB: Yes, that is correct. MT: Thank you, YB. We hope with this clarification Malaysians can now better understand how the mind of the Malaysian government works.

What else is unconstitutional in Malaysia? Posted: 20 Nov 2011 04:45 PM PST Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said it is unconstitutional for a person to be homosexual in Malaysia. "In reality, in the country's constitution it is not allowed, including sections 377(a), (b), (c) and (d) which prohibit sexual relations between two men," said Jamil, who is in charge of Islamic affairs and head of the Malaysian Department of Islamic Development (Jakim). NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Actually, if the minister really wants to follow the Federal Constitution of Malaysia, there are many more things that are unconstitutional, and being a homosexual is certainly not one of them although he can argue that it is against the law. But then, being against the law (meaning: it constitutes a crime) does not make it unconstitutional. For example, raping your own mother or sodomising your own father is also a crime. But that does not make them unconstitutional. So is robbing a bank, murdering your wife, cheating on your income tax, taking bribes, misusing public funds to pay for your wife's lavish shopping, etc. They are all crimes but can't quite be called unconstitutional. The minister, being not that intelligent and downright ignorant, as most Malaysian ministers are, does not appear to know the difference between what is unconstitutional and what is a crime. Anyway, if you refer to some of the Articles in the Constitution below, you can see that there are many practices and policies in Malaysia that are unconstitutional (and at times opposed to Islam as well). Maybe my learned minister would like to talk about these as well. Detaining someone without due process of the law is unconstitutional as per Article 5. And to use 'emergency laws' that waive the need for due process is unconstitutional when Malaysia is not facing any emergency and whatever emergency it did face in the past (such as The Emergency, May 13, Konfrontasi, etc.) have now ended (which means the emergency laws no longer apply). This is like still using WW1 or WW2 emergency laws when WW1 and WW2 have ended a long time ago. Discrimination, quotas, preferences, etc., based on race or religion is unconstitutional as per Article 8. You can argue that the New Economic Policy (NEP) overrides the Constitution but Article 4 does not allow this. Anyway, the NEP was not a law passed by Parliament and that is why it is called 'the aspirations (hasrat) of the NEP'. It is merely an aspiration and not a law. Hence, to force Malaysians to comply with the NEP violates the Constitution. Asking for the citizenship of any Malaysian to be withdrawn is unconstitutional as per Article 9. So Umno should stop asking for the citizenship of Ambiga and others to be withdrawn. Malaysians have the liberty to express their opinion as per Article 10 even if they wish to opine that religion is bullshit, God does not exist, or that the monarchy is outdated and corrupt and should be abolished in favour of a Republic of Malaysia. Opinions are allowed and expressing them is not a crime. Malaysians have the liberty to believe in any religion they want to or to reject religion totally under Article 11. Even if they wish to reject all forms of religion and become atheists, that is their constitutional right. The only thing the Constitution forbids is to propagate these beliefs to Muslims. However, if that person has declared that he/she no longer believes in God, then that would make him/her an apostate and, technically, that person would no longer be a Muslim. Therefore, propagating to ex-Muslims would not constitute a crime since they have on their own freewill become apostates. Setting up institutions of learning exclusive to any one race is unconstitutional according to Article 12. Therefore, UiTM, according to the constitution, must open its doors to all races (but whether they would want to enter UiTM is another matter altogether). Yes, if you want to talk about what is unconstitutional then let us talk about what is unconstitutional. And being gay is not one of them. The above, however, are. But does the minister understand this? Most likely not! Or else he would not have been made a minister. Instead, he would have become a Blogger like me. ****************************************** PART II - FUNDAMENTAL LIBERTIES Article number: 4 • (1) This Constitution is the supreme law of the Federation and any law passed after Merdeka Day which is inconsistent with this Constitution shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void. • (2) The validity of any law shall not be questioned on the ground that -         • (a) it imposes restrictions on the right mentioned in Article 9 (2) but does not relate to the matters mentioned therein; or         • (b) it imposes such restrictions as are mentioned in Article 10 (2) but those restrictions were not deemed necessary or expedient by Parliament for the purposes mentioned in that Article. • (3) The validity of any law made by Parliament or the Legislature of any State shall not be questioned on the ground that it makes provision with respect to any matter with respect to which Parliament or, as the case may be, the Legislature of the State has no power to make laws, except in proceedings for a declaration that the law is invalid on that ground or -        • (a) if the law was made by Parliament, in proceedings between the Federation and one or more States;        • (b) if the law was made by Legislature of a State, in proceedings between the Federation and that State. • (4) Proceedings for a declaration that a law is invalid on the ground mentioned in Clause (3) (not being proceedings falling within paragraph (a) or (b) of the Clause) shall not be commenced without the leave of a judge of the Supreme Court; and the Federation shall be entitled to be a party to any such proceedings, and so shall any State that would or might be a party to proceedings brought for the same purpose under paragraph (a) or (b) of the Clause.   Article number: 5 • (1) No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty save in accordance with law. • (2) Where complaint is made to a High court or any judge thereof that a person is being unlawfully detained the court shall inquire into the complaint and, unless satisfied that the detention is lawful, shall order him to be produced before the court and release him. • (3) Where a person is arrested he shall be informed as soon as may be of the grounds of his arrest and shall be allowed to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of his choice. • (4) Where a person is arrested and not released he shall without unreasonable delay, and in any case within twenty-four hours (excluding the time of any necessary journey) be produced before a magistrate and shall not be further detained in custody without the magistrate's authority: Provided that this Clause shall not apply to the arrest or detention of any person under the existing law relating to restricted residence, and all the provisions of this Clause shall be deemed to have been an integral part of this Article as from Merdeka Day. • (5) Clauses (3) and (4) do not apply to an enemy alien.   Article number: 8 • (1) All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law. • (2) Except as expressly authorized by this Constitution, there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent or place of birth in any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment. • (3) There shall be no discrimination in favour of any person on the ground that he is a subject of the Ruler of the State. • (4) No public authority shall discriminate against any person on the ground that he is resident or carrying on business in any part of the Federation outside the jurisdiction of the authority. • (5) This Article does not invalidate or prohibit -         • (a) any provision regulating personal law;         • (b) any provision or practice restricting office or employment connected with the affairs of any religion, or of an institution managed by a group professing any religion, to persons professing that religion;         • (c) any provision for the protection, wellbeing or advancement of the aboriginal peoples of the Malay Peninsula (including the reservation of land) or the reservation to aborigines of a reasonable proportion of suitable positions in the public service;         • (d) any provision prescribing residence in a State or part of a State as a qualification for election or appointment to any authority having jurisdiction only in that State or part, or for voting in such an election;         • (e) any provision of a Constitution of a State, being or corresponding to a provision in force immediately before Merdeka Day;         • (f) any provision restricting enlistment in the Malay Regiment to Malays.   Article number: 9 • (1) No citizen shall be banished or excluded from the Federation. • (2) Subject to Clause (3) and to any law relating to the security of the Federation or any part thereof, public order, public health, or the punishment of offenders, every citizen has the right to move freely throughout the Federation and to reside in any part thereof. • (3) So long as under this Constitution any other State is in a special position as compared with the States of Malaya, Parliament may by law impose restrictions, as between that State and other States, on the rights conferred by Clause (2) in respect of movement and residence.   Article number: 10 • (1) Subject to Clauses (2), (3) and (4) -       • (a) every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression;       • (b) all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms;       • (c) all citizens have the right to form associations. • (2) Parliament may by law impose -       • (a) on the rights conferred by paragraph (a) of Clause (1),such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof, friendly relations with other countries, public order or morality and restrictions designed to protect the privileges of Parliament or of any Legislative Assembly or to provide against contempt of court, defamation, or incitement to any offence;       • (b) on the right conferred by paragraph (b) of Clause (1), such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof, or public order;       • (c) on the right conferred by paragraph (c) of Clause (1), such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof, public order or morality. • (3) Restrictions on the right to form associations conferred by paragraph (c) of Clause (1) may also be imposed by any law relating to labour or education. • (4) In imposing restrictions in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof or public order under Clause (2) (a), Parliament may pass law prohibiting the questioning of any matter, right, status, position, privilege, sovereignty or prerogative established or protected by the provisions of Part III, article 152, 153 or 181 otherwise than in relation to the implementation thereof as may be specified in such law.   Article number: 11 • (1) Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and, subject to Clause (4), to propagate it. • (2) No person shall be compelled to pay any tax the proceeds of which are specially allocated in whole or in part for the purposes of a religion other than his own. • (3) Every religious group has the right -         • (a) to manage its own religious affairs;         • (b) to establish and maintain institutions for religious or charitable purposes; and         • (c) to acquire and own property and hold and administer it in accordance with law. • (4) State law and in respect of the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Lubuan, federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam. • (5) This Article does not authorize any act contrary to any general law relating to public order, public health or morality.   Article number: 12 • (1) Without prejudice to the generality of Article 8, there shall be no discrimination against any citizen on the grounds only of religion, race, descent or place of birth -       • (a) in the administration of any educational institution maintained by a public authority, and, in particular, the admission of pupils or students or the payment of fees; or       • (b) in providing out of the funds of a public authority financial aid for the maintenance or education of pupils or students in any educational institution (whether or not maintained by a public authority and whether within or outside the Federation). • (2) Every religious group has the right to establish and maintain institutions for the education of children in its own religion, and there shall be no discrimination on the ground only of religion in any law relating to such institutions or in the administration of any such law; but it shall be lawful for the Federation or a State to establish or maintain or assist in establishing or maintaining Islamic institutions or provide or assist in providing instruction in the religion of Islam and incur such expenditure as may be necessary for the purpose. • (3) No person shall be required to receive instruction in or take part in any ceremony or act of worship of a religion other than his own. • (4) For the purposes of Clause (3) the religion of a person under the age of eighteen years shall be decided by his parent or guardian.

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• Parti Rakyat Malaysia to slug it out with more seats
• Boo taking on foes within DAP and PKR
• Welcome to Crony Nation
• Remove the tumour
• Jeffrey: How threatening can Haris be?
• Bar Ah Long and illegals, not activist – SAPP
• Yusof Noor, Rozali urged to clear name over Felda listing
• Civil service as Umno’s fixed deposit or game buster
• Government’s handout doesn’t mean freedom of religion
• Banning activist abuse of immigration power – Jeffrey
• PAS won’t let DAP stand in Malay-majority areas
• Rayer: I dare you to name DAP leaders
• Sultan Sharafuddin: Stop covert attempt to convert Muslims
• PKR says will contest more federal seats in coming election
• Dr M: Shahrizat should know when to step down
• Security reasons? Whose security? The rakyat’s? Or UMNO’s and BN’s?
• New law puts noose around computer techies
• In Friday sermon, Jakim warns Muslims against selling out to ‘others’
• ABU dilancarkan besar-besaran, desak rakyat tolak Umno
• ASALKAN BUKAN umno
• Musa: Haris denied entry ‘for security reasons’
• DAP’s internal squabbles ‘poetic justice’
• No candidates, Kita beats a retreat
• Taib Hit By UK’s Bell Pottinger Scandal!
• NGOs want Indian as Malacca CM
• 6 aktivis SMM ditahan di Speakers Corner UiTM
• Tengku Muhammad Fakhry saman IGP, tiga lain RM100 juta
• A haram book? What next?
• Groups protest against homosexual lifestyle
• 'DAP parti cauvinis'
• Umno assembly ‘an insult’ to Malays
• M’sia overly dependent on foreign workers
• CM: We had reason to bar Haris
• No need for expensive presents and fancy emcees, says Sultan
• MACC pledges fair probe
• Pas Selangor tidak akan tunduk
• EU bank capital hole deepens to €115b
• Wall St falls on dashed euro zone hopes
• Najib: Appreciate history of Umno's struggle
• Don’t be scared by doomsday predictions
• Najib makin 'Ultra Melayu'?
• Overview of Malaysia's Human Rights Record 2011
• Is the Deputy IGP whitewashing a misappropriation?
• not all is right in Lumut...
• KLCC threatens flashmob organisers with injunction
• ‘We have proof that MB lied’
• Zul Noordin: Dr Yusuf Qardawi deceived
• PRM has not confirmed on creating Third Force with NGOs, says President
• DAP winning over Malay voters
• Political branding just rhetoric

Parti Rakyat Malaysia to slug it out with more seats Posted: 09 Dec 2011 11:23 AM PST (The Star) - Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) will now contest more seats upcoming general elections and was also willing to slug it out in three-cornered fight with Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional. PRM, which only contested in the Stulang state seat and the Johor Baru parliamentary seat in the 2008 last general elections, is now eying two more seats in the state. The party's deputy national president S. K. Song said that the party was well prepared for the upcoming general elections and would focus on issues such as education, corruption and the increasing cost of living in the state. "We will contest in Johor Jaya, Stulang as well as Johor Baru and Gelang Patah parliamentary seats," he told reporters during a press conference here yesterday. He believes there would even be a possible four-cornered fight in Johor Jaya as the area was a hot seat. "The area consists of many Chinese votes and is a pro-opposition seat so we believe we can get a good number of votes from Johor Jaya," he said. The veteran politician, who was once in DAP, has since announced that he would not be contesting in the coming election and all the candidates would be new faces. Asked whether the party's move to contest in three and four-cornered fights might split the votes and be at a disadvantage for the opposition, he said, "Everybody had the right to contest in an election and to fight for their rights". Song admitted that the party has been suffering losses over the years and in some cases even lost their deposits, but this would not deter them from contesting in the four seats. Song added that the party was open to working alongside DAP and PKR and but would not compromise by merging Pakatan. Asked if there have been any formal talks on seat negotiations, he said that so far there has been none. "We have done a lot of ground work since the previous general elections like meeting with non-governmental organisations (NGO) and the people to understand more about the problems that they face," he said. He also said that the party would persist and would not give up just because they lost badly in the previous elections.

Boo taking on foes within DAP and PKR Posted: 09 Dec 2011 11:19 AM PST Johor DAP chief said to be undermined by 'old school' faction leaders Sources within DAP said Dr Boo had been under a lot of pressure as "he is being systematically undermined by certain party leaders from the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur via their proxies in Johor". By Shahrum Sayuthi, New Straits Times DR Boo Cheng Hau speaks fluent Bahasa Malaysia and is known to be friendly with a Barisan Nasional assemblyman. He demonstrated his multiracial credentials by broaching the idea that more non-Chinese should be fielded in the 13th general election. His critics, on the other hand, believe  DAP stands a good chance of increasing its parliamentary seats by presenting an all-Chinese election cast in the "Chinese constituencies". Although Dr Boo, Johor DAP chairman, knows a thing or two about bouncing back, having lost in Skudai to Gerakan's Teo Kok Chee in 2004 and winning the last time around, the question is: will he triumph over his foes in DAP, and also in its supposed ally, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)? Of late, he has been taking on his DAP and PKR rivals through his speeches as well as  blog and Facebook postings. There seems to be a wider political play. Sources within DAP said Dr Boo had been under a lot of pressure as "he is being systematically undermined by certain party leaders from the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur via their proxies in Johor". These leaders, said to be from the "old school" faction of DAP, felt that Dr Boo was getting too powerful in Johor and "may  soon pose a threat to them at the national level". Bentayan assemblyman Gwee Tiong Hiang, who had openly displayed his independence from Dr Boo's leadership, was said to be one of them. In October, the DAP disciplinary committee suspended Gwee and several of his supporters after they were found to have misused party funds. Dr Boo was said to have the strong backing of leaders such as Bakri member of parliament Er Teck Hwa, who has a long standing rivalry with Gwee, and Johor DAP secretary Tan Chen Choon. Tan contested the Bentayan seat in 2004 but lost. He was replaced by Gwee in 2008. With demarcations of factions getting obvious, Gwee's allies were  said to include Senai assemblyman Ong Kow Meng.  Dr Boo's insistence on a multiracial election cast had triggered the spat between him and Johor PKR chief  Datuk Chua Jui Meng two months ago. The anti-Dr Boo faction also believes that Dr Boo is trying to place his own supporters as candidates while sidelining those who oppose him, including the likes of Gwee and Ong. It is no secret that the "mini demonstration" by party members against him in Muar on Sunday was  their "work". The sniping at Dr Boo  will  continue  right up to the day when DAP names its election candidates,  and possibly beyond that, too.

Welcome to Crony Nation Posted: 09 Dec 2011 11:14 AM PST The BN government's irresponsible attitude in using citizens' money to help out crony corporations smacks of bad governance It is an open secret that the BN federal government's hidden agenda is to strangle the Opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in order to stay in power. Thus, the ones who will suffer the most are the poor and uneducated masses who will forever be shackled via the very chains of those whom they vote. Selena Tay, Free Malaysia Today Want to go into debt by taking out a bank loan? Deal with a crony bank. Want to subscribe to a telecommunications service? Deal with a crony. Want to take a flight? Ditto. Driving on the tolled highways, using water and electricity; from dawn to dusk our lives are controlled and suffocated by BN cronies so much so that Malaysia can be labelled as a Crony Nation. The BN federal government's strategy to create a large pool of cronies is made with the intent to broaden its vote base because the crony bosses will surely tell their employees to vote BN. It is an open secret that the BN federal government's hidden agenda is to strangle the Opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in order to stay in power. Thus, the ones who will suffer the most are the poor and uneducated masses who will forever be shackled via the very chains of those whom they vote. Only the elite, the powerful and the well-connected thrive in Crony Nation. Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that the Arab Spring will not occur in Malaysia. But can he be absolutely sure? It is not easy to read the mood of the masses. History has shown this time and time again. For example the "Peasants Rebellion" during the Ming Dynasty in the year 1644 took place due to heavy taxes and rent repayment levied by the government. The rebel forces who had won wide popular support crushed the government army in many campaigns. The rebel forces led by Li Zicheng then captured Beijing and Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty committed suicide thus marking the end of the Ming Dynasty. This is history. Ditto the French Revolution in July 1789 and the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia in October 1917. When the oppressed peoples could not tolerate anymore oppression, there is bound to be unrest. All the uprisings occur when power is concentrated in the hands of an elite few who continue to arrogantly flaunt their wealth as they oppress the citizens. News travels quickly The BN leaders have now become boastful and full of pride as they disdainfully ignore the rakyat's pleas for a vibrant and transparent democracy. Questions on accountability are brushed aside in a brusque manner akin to swatting an irritating mosquito. The government must not be over-confident that the citizens are dumb and docile because once the situation reaches boiling point, it will be too late to do anything. In this age of instant technology, news travels quickly. Perhaps that is the reason why broadband penetration is poor in the rural areas. The federal government intends to dumb-down the rural masses with the intention of forever feeding them government-controlled propaganda. As such the rural folk are the government's fixed deposit vote bank in Crony Nation which works extremely hard to control and manipulate the minds of the masses. This is a distinct hallmark of crony nations anywhere. It is very difficult for the opposition to make any inroads into the rural areas in Crony Nation. In the recent 10th Sarawak state election in April this year, Taib Mahmud's PBS party chartered all the helicopters and boats to go into the interiors and therefore the opposition suffered a crushing defeat. The boats would not ferry the opposition's supporters and voters into the polling centres. Thus, it is not unusual for BN to win by landslide margins in Sabah and Sarawak. Everything in Crony Nation is controlled by BN. This gives the lie to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's Government Transformation Programme (GTP) which has undergone a metamorphosis into a mafia-like organisation. This is detrimental to the genuine small and medium business entrepreneurs who are not in the BN-mafia and will therefore fail to secure any business contracts or projects. It is clear that Najib's rhetoric does not transcend into political will. As economy is linked to politics, will Malaysia become a failed state? With the nation is firmly in the grasp of BN's iron tentacles, their cronies will have free reign to amass wealth via monopolies in all sectors of the nation's economy. This in turn will lead to nepotism and malpractices. A clear example of this is Umno minister Sharizat Abdul Jalil's "Cattle-Condo Caper", the project which was given to her by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin who was the minister of agriculture at that material time. It is not surprising then that Malaysia's Corruption Perception Index is on a downhill slide, the latest from position number 56 to 60. This will certainly not inspire confidence in foreign investors. Does the BN federal government know that it does not take a rocket scientist to make this elementary deduction? Still, the federal government continues to put into practice the concept of Crony Nation. For them it is business as usual as they continue to plunder the nation's wealth. The latest shenanigan is the plundering of the citizens' old-age life savings from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) wherein RM55 billion was taken out by the government to be given to crony companies as unsecured loans. The EPF should be renamed the Eternal Plunderers' Fund! READ MORE HERE

Remove the tumour Posted: 09 Dec 2011 11:11 AM PST Malaysia's civil servants-to-population ratio is the highest in Southeast Asia, recording 4.68%, compared to Thailand's 2.06%, the Philippines' 1.81%, Indonesia's 1.79%, Laos' 1.24% and Cambodia's 1.18%.  By LIM MUN FAH Translated by Soong Phui Jee Sin Chew Daily The efficiency of civil servants is the key to the success of various transformation plans. It also affects the country's competitiveness and the BN government's image. Therefore, it is absolutely correct to dismiss civil servants with poor performance. The Public Service Department has finally recognised the reality that they must remove the "tumour" to ensure a smooth administration while preventing sham, fraud and other abuses. Since they are provided with lifelong benefits, it is unfair to the people if all civil servants are kept in the office, regardless of their performance. The exit policy requires those with poor performance to be reviewed by a special panel and if they fail to improve within six month, they will be asked to voluntarily leave the job. Such a policy is in fact not enough to improve the overall performance of the team. Instead, it must develop a road map, including the implementation of a more stringent management, a reward and punishment system, a productivity index and a downsizing plan. In addition to ordinary civil servants, those in executive level should also be monitored. Various overpriced item purchase, the waste of public funds and other frauds revealed by the annual Auditor-General's Report show us an efficient management. The Public Service Department should make it a compulsory for department, agency and team heads to take management courses before assessing their abilities. If their annual performance ratings are less than 70%, they are required to be reviewed by a special panel and those who fail to improve within six months will be downgraded. The public domain is also facing a serious disciplinary problem. Apart from absenteeism and unpunctuality, there are also criminal offenses, such as three Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers were arrested for allegedly robbing a money changer at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang, as well as corruption, kidnapping, robbery and theft involving law enforcement officers. Therefore, disciplinary problems must be rectified to improve the team's spiritual outlook. It is staggering that the number of civil servants has actually climbed from 1.14 million in 2007 to 1.4 million this year. The Public Service Department's effort in cutting 29,000 positions this year is simply negligible. Malaysia's civil servants-to-population ratio is the highest in Southeast Asia, recording 4.68%, compared to Thailand's 2.06%, the Philippines' 1.81%, Indonesia's 1.79%, Laos' 1.24% and Cambodia's 1.18%. Therefore, a reasonable ratio target should be set and gradually achieved, to force the public service team improve efficiency and reduce the national burden. To greatly enhance the efficiency of the public domain, filling top positions with outside talents is feasible, including bringing in the private sector's performance-based work culture and time sense. Civil servants should not resist it. The welfare of civil servants has been significantly improved over the past 10 years. Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched the Malaysian Remuneration Scheme (SSM) to replace the New Remuneration Scheme (SSB) on 1 November 2002, increasing civil servants' salaries by RM15 to RM110. In July 2007, another increment was made and now, civil servants will enjoy an increment of 7-13% and other benefits under the the New Civil Remuneration Scheme (SBPA). The problem is, there is no correspondent increase in the requirement for their efficiency. Hopefully, they can really put words into actions this time or everything will be meaningless.

Jeffrey: How threatening can Haris be? Posted: 09 Dec 2011 09:27 AM PST Musa Aman's ban on Haris Ibrahim's entry into Sabah shows that his decisions are heavily vested in 'political interest' and not 'in the interest of the people as a whole.' (Free Malaysia Today) - Political maverick Jeffrey Kitingan, who has been at the forefront in the fight for Sabah's absolute rights as set out in the Malaysia Agreement 1963, is alarmed that some powers are being misused by the government. He views the banning of rights activist Haris Ibrahim from entering the state as a gross abuse of the state's immigration powers by Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman. "It is outrageous that Chief Minister Musa Aman decided to ban the president of the Malaysian Civil Rights Movement (MCLM) supposedly due to security threats to the state but without giving any details or elaboration. "Haris is only an activist promoting civil liberties and freedom of movement and speech which are rights guaranteed by the Federal Constitution," said the Harvard scholar whose name is synonymous with the struggle to ensure the autonomy of the state within Malaysia is not diluted further. Haris, a lawyer-cum-rights activist, was on Dec 7 barred by Federal Immigration officers under orders from the chief minister. This was the first time the state has used this power again after many years. Sabah Immigration Director, Mohammad Mentek, had also said Friday that another West Malaysian activist, who he refused to name, is already on the list as "persona non-grata" in Sabah. "How much threat can Haris create for the state? Is the movement for democracy also a threat?" asked Jeffrey. He said by banning Haris, the Sabah Chief Minister had actually proved that the state government is afraid of its own shadow apart from showcasing the state's immense immigration powers. READ MORE HERE

Bar Ah Long and illegals, not activist – SAPP Posted: 09 Dec 2011 09:20 AM PST (Borneo Post Online) - The state authorities should take action against the Ah Long (loan sharks) from other states and illegal immigrants in Sabah instead of barring a NGO activist from entering the state, said Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Youth chief Edward Dagul. He said the latest action in barring Haris Ibrahim, president of Malaysian Civil Rights Movement (MCLM), from entering Sabah has made many people ponder on the priorities of the authorities. "Wouldn't it be more beneficial for the people of Sabah if the relevant authorities, namely the Immigration Department stop along operatives from other states coming to Sabah or for that matter, to stop the influx of illegal immigrants entering the State?" he said in a statement yesterday. Edward said the reports in the local newspapers that three moneylending premises were being probed by police had confirmed the fear of SAPP. He said SAPP had warned against the extension of the Money Lending Act 1951 in 2008 which arbitrarily replaced the Sabah Money Lenders Ordinance. According to him, the authorities then had claimed that the extension of the Money Lenders Act would enable them (the authorities) to be able to tackle unhealthy lending activities, loan sharks etc. but what was reported in the local news suggests otherwise. To many, if not all, in Sabah, the problems of alongs and illegal immigrants, are matters of State security. These directly threaten the livelihood of the people and should be accorded top priorities whereas the barring of an NGO activist from entering Sabah under the lame excuse of state security is nothing more than an act of political cowardice. "Haris Ibrahim is a well known, respected civil liberty activist whose Bersih and MCLM roles have received wide acclaim. There is no basis for barring him from the State. He was a guest at SabahTV.net and as such, we will continue to welcome him," Edward said.

Yusof Noor, Rozali urged to clear name over Felda listing Posted: 09 Dec 2011 09:06 AM PST (New Straits Times) - Bayan Baru Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim yesterday called on two corporate figures to clear their names over their alleged involvement to stop the listing of Felda Global Ventures on Bursa Malaysia. The Independent MP claimed that former Felda president Tan Sri Yusof Noor and Syabas executive chairman Tan Sri Rozali Ismail could be "in cahoots" with the opposition coalition to halt the plan. "I hope they come out and clear their names because we don't want them to be used by Pakatan Rakyat whose aim is only to fail this (listing) plan," he told reporters yesterday. Zahrain, who refused to reveal his source of information, said this was based on "talks" claiming that Rozali, who is also Gabungan Wawasan Generasi Felda Berhad president, was aiming for the Felda chairman's position. "There were also talks saying that Yusof was not happy (with the listing) and we do not want people to perceive that he is involved with Pakatan Rakyat in going against FGV." Instead, Zahrain said Yusof and Rozali should put their trust on Tan Sri Isa Samad (Felda chairman) who is responsible in making the listing a reality. "Yusof and Rozali should prioritise the settlers' interest rather than theirs because the settlers will definitely benefit from this listing," he said. Last week, Isa likened those who were against the idea of the listing as "traitors" to the settlers and the organisation. Isa had said the opponents were mixing facts with fiction and spreading lies to gain influence and instill fear and mistrust among the settlers. FGV, the commercial arm of Felda will be listed in the bourse by middle of 2012 as the world's largest listed plantation entity. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had announced the listing in his 2012 Budget speech.  However, attempts to contact Rozali and Yusof for comments were unsuccessful at press time.

Civil service as Umno’s fixed deposit or game buster Posted: 09 Dec 2011 08:34 AM PST Dr. Lim Teck Ghee, CPI The new civil service remuneration scheme recently announced by the government provides civil servants pay rises of between 7% and 13%. Coming just before the elections expected soon, it is clearly intended to influence the outcome of the elections. Umno leaders see members of the civil service not only as their 'fixed deposit' but also as the key game changer in the elections. Will the generous pay rise make a difference in voting patterns of civil servants in the country? At first glance, it appears a politically astute move given the disproportionate weight of civil servants in the voting population and the high voting rate that has been associated with this segment of voters. If we add up the 1.2 million civil servants and family members and assume that there is an average of 3-4 voters per civil servant household, this provides a total of between 4 to 5 million voters out of the 12 million registered voters. The fact that over 80% of civil servants are Malays means that whichever party can win over the Malay civil service vote will take over the reins of political power in the country. Will this group of voters fall for what appears to be an extra large carrot being dangled in front of them? Already the mainstream papers are carrying the mandatory follow up reports of how appreciative the teachers, police and other government staff are of this government recognizing their contribution to the country's development and progress through the new salary scheme. This, together with the earlier sustained bashing of DAP parliamentarian Tony Pua's suggestion that the number of civil servants be reduced, appears to have given a decisive edge in the battle for civil service votes to Umno and the Barisan. Will pay increase move backfire on Umno? But is it a certainty that the civil service vote will continue to be in the pockets of the present government? Evidence is conflicting. The present generation of civil servants both Malays and non-Malays is a great deal more discerning and demanding of their elected leaders and the policies needed. They, as with other voters in the country, are aware of how the government is courting their vote and will go to the voting booths fully concerned of the government's and opposition party's record on the issues that matter most to them – whether it is on ensuring a rise in their standard of living, or fighting corruption or abuse of power. In fact, the timing of the salary increase – so close to the elections – could very well backfire on the government as it can be seen as a blatant attempt by Barisan Rakyat to bribe their way into power, with civil servants as their tool. What could also prove to be problematic for the government are the finer details of the new remuneration system and pay increase, and how it affects each voter who is in the civil service. Precise details of the pay increase and how it will apply to each grade are not available yet. According to the Public Services Department director-general Abu Bakar Abdullah, the increases will be based on four principles: hierarchy; talent and experience; position and subject matter; and performance. READ MORE HERE

Government’s handout doesn’t mean freedom of religion Posted: 09 Dec 2011 08:30 AM PST I can't blame the head of the MIC in Sabah for heaping praises on the government for helping the Hindu temples in Kota Kinabalu with a gift of RM50,000. A thank you is only natural and expected for any gift but I feel he has gone overboard by saying it was a proof that there is freedom of religion in Malaysia! First of all, the gift was not meant by the government to prove that it is guaranteeing freedom of religion. It was simply a gift as one of many to help all religious bodies in Sabah. And I think all can see very well that the gift came in too much of a coincidence with the imminent arrival of the next general elections – just like the few "one-off" handouts allocated for in the last national budget.   I can also understand that the MIC Sabah leader, being a leader of a BN component, needed to be politically correct by expressing political appreciation, but he must also understand that the money he is receiving is not money from the BN but money from the people! It was the people who voted the BN to become the steward for this money, i.e. to help them (the people), so the handing of the assistances to the religious bodies was in fact a matter of due process, something which should be given as a matter of course, which the BN had not fulfilled for so long. If the BN was more responsible, it would be handing out this assistance all the time on a regular basis! Why? Because the money belongs to the people of all religions in Malaysia and these people are paying their income taxes, and working day and night to produce the GDP to make their country a prosperous nation! It has been repeated time and time again that it is wrong for the BN to keep saying the people needs to be thankful to the BN government for doing this and that for the people, when in fact it is the government leaders who should be thankful to the people for giving them the opportunity to serve the people and enjoy all the salaries and perks, and get themselves rich in the process.   But to take on the issue of religious freedom in the country, there is a lot of room for argument if we were to remind everyone how the government has been suppressing religious freedom of the Christians. There is still the unresolved issue of prohibition on the use of certain words especially "Allah," the intrusion into church functions, the burning of churches, the quarrel over dead bodies, the unpublicized bulldozing of Orang Asli churches, the control on the import and publication of Bibles, the marking and numbering of Bibles and so on and so on. In a truly religious society, no one is prohibited from practicing any religion or from switching from one religion to another. This freedom is not fully allowed in Malaysia where as there is no such problem in the world's largest Islamic country, Indonesia. The Hindus by the way is not free from religious pressure if we were to remember the case of cow head kicking and throwing, as well as the disputes about locations, shifting and demolition of temples in the Peninsula. But on the whole the Hindus are admittedly having greater religious freedom because they can even conduct sermons and religious ceremonies on some Astro channels, privileges will most likely be denied to Malaysian Christians. I believe this injustice will change only when the BN is replaced by a new just and open government.   DANIEL JOHN JAMBUN Political Activist and Advisor, UK-based Human Rights Foundation Malaysia

Banning activist abuse of immigration power – Jeffrey Posted: 09 Dec 2011 08:29 AM PST (Borneo Post Online) - The United Borneo Front (UBF) is strongly against the state's decision to ban activist Harris Ibrahim from entering the state, saying it is a total abuse of immigration power. In a statement here yesterday, UBF chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan said it was outrageous to ban the entry of president of the Malaysian Civil Rights Movement (MCLM) supposedly due to security threats without further elaboration. "Harris is only an activist promoting civil liberties and freedom of movement and speech which are rights guaranteed by the Federal Constitution. So how much threat can he create for the state? Is the movement for democracy also a threat?" he asked. On Wednesday, Harris, a Malaysian blogger believed to be a close friend of well-known blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, was prevented from entering Sabah upon his arrival on AirAsia flight AK5106 at 3.10pm at Terminal 2 of Kota Kinabalu International Airport. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the relevant authority could stop anyone from entering the state with valid reasons. Sabah, he pointed out, welcomes visitors to the state but the Immigration Department will bar the entry of any individual(s) if there was a reason for it to do so.

PAS won’t let DAP stand in Malay-majority areas Posted: 09 Dec 2011 08:20 AM PST (The Star) - PAS is opposed to DAP's plan to field Malay candidates in Malay-majority seats in the next general election. Selangor PAS deputy commissioner and Shah Alam MP Khalid Abdul Samad told Utusan Malaysia that PAS would not back down on its opposition because it felt that the Malay community could not accept the idea yet. "Besides, it is not guaranteed that DAP will win those seats in the next general election," said Khalid, who revealed that the issue was discussed in a meeting between PAS and PKR. "DAP is planning to field Malay candidates in Malay-majority seats because it wants to move away from its current image as a single-race party to a multi-racial party. But the move will take time," said Khalid. "Nevertheless, we feel this is unfair and we will not bow to its demands," Khalid added. Asked about an Utusan columnist's view that former Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Hasan Mohamed Ali was the key to unity among the Malays, Khalid said this was the writer's personal opinion. On talks that Dr Hasan would receive the Datuk Paduka Mahkota Selangor, which carries the title of Datuk Seri, Khalid said he might because both the Selangor Mentri Besar (Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim) and Selangor state assembly speaker (Datuk Teng Chang Khim) had already been bestowed the award. "I think the Sultan is fair because the awards are given in sequence to the Mentri Besar (Abdul Khalid), who is from PKR, state assembly speaker (Teng), who is from DAP, and now Dr Hasan, from PAS," said Khalid.

Rayer: I dare you to name DAP leaders Posted: 09 Dec 2011 08:19 AM PST (The Star) - Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer has challenged Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Rama­samy's personal assistant (PA) M. Satees to back his allegations over the misdeeds of two assemblymen. "I dare Satees to name the DAP leaders and provide evidence about the allegations in his tweet within 24 hours. "If he is brave enough, he can also lodge a report with the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Com­mission," he added. When asked if he felt targeted in Satees' tweet, Rayer said he was sure that the PA was referring to him and Bagan Dalam assemblyman A. Tana­sekharan. Tanasekharan also challenged Satees to name the leaders failing which "he will face a legal suit." Rayer and Tanasekharan had criticised Dr Ramasamy for showing disrespect to party senior leaders including national chairman Karpal Singh. Rayer had warned that "all hell will break loose" at the Penang DAP convention tomorrow if Dr Rama­samy did not retract his statement. Meanwhile, Satees, at a press conference at Dr Ramasamy's service centre in Prai denied his tweets referred to any DAP or Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

Sultan Sharafuddin: Stop covert attempt to convert Muslims Posted: 09 Dec 2011 08:16 AM PST (Bernama) - The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has ordered the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) and the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) to take strategic steps to root out a subtle attempt to proselytise Muslims. "I was informed that the proselytisation of Muslims, which occurred over the last few years, was done covertly and those involved were cunning in concealing evidence," he said when opening the RM5mil Kampung Gulang-Gulang Mosque here Friday. He said Jais must continuously give explanation and counselling to Muslims who had committed apostasy. "Let me remind Jais to be discreet in its actions and approaches so that Muslims who have began distancing themselves from Islam will be enchanted to return to the fold and repent," he added. The Sultan said he was worried over the emergence of apostasy among Muslims, apart from Islamic deviationist teachings, as it would damage the growth and development of Islam in Selangor if left unchecked. On his instruction that only those who were qualified and certified by Jais could preach in mosques, Sultan Sharafuddin said it was aimed at preventing Muslims from being misled or confused. He called on residents of Kampung Gulang-Gulang to live in harmony and goodwill despite embracing different beliefs and ideologies. The Sultan also urged Muslims to use the mosques to foster friendship and understanding as it would help entice the younger generation to emulate the integrity of congregators. The Sultan later joined the Yasin recitation and thanksgiving prayers led by Selangor mufti Datuk Mohd Tamyes Abdul Wahid in conjunction with his 66th birthday and 10th year reign as the Sultan of Selangor. He also received payments of tithes amounting to RM100,000 from the Selangor Agricultural Development Corporation and RM600,000 from Maybank Islamic Bhd.

PKR says will contest more federal seats in coming election Posted: 09 Dec 2011 08:10 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - PKR has said it will contest more federal seats in the next general election despite already taking the lion's share of seats and suffering the most number of party defections since 2008. PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution told The Malaysian Insider although seat negotiations for some states have yet to be finalised, PKR will most likely have "slightly" more candidates running in parliamentary seats than in 2008. "Although discussions are currently on-going, the numbers on paper so far show that there is a slight addition to the seats which PKR will be contesting. "This is due to the contribution of Sabah and Sarawak seats which PKR will contest. The seats in peninsula are likely to remain status quo," he said. The Machang MP said state-level seat negotiations ended last month, and the PR central leadership was now deliberating and finalising the respective seats and candidates. "There are currently three categories — clean seats where a candidate is accepted by all parties, incumbent seats where a particular seat was won by, say, PKR but DAP expresses an interest to contest. "There is also a case of overlapping of seats, whereby a particular seat was not won in the last GE but two or three Pakatan parties have expressed interest in contesting that seat," Saifuddin added. He stressed that seat talks among PR's top guns were coming along "smoothly", but said that there was no "timeline" as to when the matter would be concluded. "I am optimistic it can be settled soon," said the PKR leader. PR leaders have dispelled talk of squabbling among its state leaders over seat negotiations for the coming polls despite reports of bickering among PR party members, leading to talk of fractures within the pact. PKR contested 97 federal seats in 2008 while PAS and DAP ran in 66 and 47 respectively. But PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had said in September that the party aims to win 60 federal seats in a general election expected soon. READ MORE HERE

Dr M: Shahrizat should know when to step down Posted: 09 Dec 2011 08:08 AM PST (The Star) - Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil should be mindful on the right time to step down, said former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. But short of calling for her resignation, the long-time former premier said it was up to her to do so. "When I wanted to resign, I didn't ask anyone about it. "I thought it was a good time to resign, so I resigned. I hope others are like that. No need to wait for people to chase us out," he said after the launch of the e-book version of his memoirs A Doctor in the House here yesterday. However, he said if people thought that they could contribute to their own party better by staying on and contesting, then it would be up to them. "If we think we will be doing the party a favour by quitting, we should quit," he said. When pressed further, Dr Mahathir, however, refused to state if Shahrizat should step down after the controversy with the National Feedlot Corporation in which her husband is the executive chairman. "It is up to her. I want to advise (PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat) to step down. I want to advise (Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) to join (former World Bank Group president Paul Wolfowitz). "I can only advise. Whether they follow it is up to them. I'm not a British adviser where the advice must be followed," he said. Shahrizat, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister, had previously maintained that she had nothing to do with the company and refused to answer the allegations.

Security reasons? Whose security? The rakyat’s? Or UMNO’s and BN’s? Posted: 09 Dec 2011 07:58 AM PST THE PEOPLES' PARLIAMENT FMT reports that Musa Aman cited 'security reasons' to justify his order to Sabah immigration to refuse me entry into Sabah 2 days ago. Musa's security of tenure, as the Chief Minister, and that of every other BN leader holding office in the Sabah state government, hinges on the impoverished people of Sabah, particularly in the interior areas, remaining ignorant about how, since UMNO's entry into Sabah, the state's wealth has found its way into the pockets of the leaders of Sabah UMNO and other BN parties, and their cronies. My refused entry into Sabah was indeed premised on security concerns : concerns at ongoing efforts by many good people in Sabah with whom I have been working in recent months to take the truth of how UMNO continues to bleed this nation of its last remaining vestiges of its God-given wealth to feed their  own excesses and opulent lifestyles. Concerns that the truth about UMNO's and BN's shameless rape and plunder of Sabah, now filling the empty bellies and the hearts of the hardcore poor, might be the very catalyst to see the people rise to rid Sabah of this curse, whether at the next election or earlier, by force. These were the real concerns of Musa Aman and his band of robbers and thieves who pretend to administer the state for her people. READ MORE HERE

New law puts noose around computer techies Posted: 08 Dec 2011 09:59 PM PST uppercaise A new law now being considered proposes to turn computing into a closed shop, where only those registered with the federal government can work, and it would be illegal for others to offer any kind of computing services. A draft of the Bill, now being circulated in the industry, is provoking unrest among computer techies. Potentially, it could turn into an outlaw any boy genius who learned computer programming on his own and does freelance work while studying — or a journalist who learned PHP programming and offers to create and design web sites. The draft Computing Professionals Bill proposes to create two classes of people with computer skills: A lower class of "Registered Computing Practitioner" — people without degrees in computing; and An upper class of "Registered Computing Professional" — graduates in computing Companies would be registered as computing services providers. Only "registered computing professionals" — computing graduates — would be allowed to offer services or work in areas defined by the government's Critical National Information Infrastructure guidelines. Furthermore, they must declare their areas of specialisation, and can only work within these areas — another bureaucratic and regulatory obstacle for computing people as new specialisations crop up or programming projects get "forked" into new branches. The unrest among computer techies is reflected in a blog article by writer Erna Mahyuni » Killing techies the Malaysian way in which she said: " In other words, if I don't register, it is technically illegal for me to even email ANY MALAYSIAN with even an IDEA for a tech-related project. It would be against the law for me to even sketch, on a napkin, my idea for a new app while having coffee with someone.    Want to know the hilarious part? The country with a bill nearly identical to ours is…Nigeria. So we're taking a leaf out of their book? Brilliant, Malaysia, totally brilliant. Dinesh Nair, computer security expert, said on Twitter: Dinesh Nair @alphaque When you outlaw computing professionals, only outlaws will be computing professionals. 8 Dec 11 Reply Retweet Favorite Dinesh Nair @alphaque I just typed "#include main ". I may have committed a crime if the #CPB2011 passes. 8 Dec 11 Reply Retweet Favorite » A Facebook page "Malaysians Against Board of Computing Professionals Bill" has already gathered 230 "likes". The Bill would create a new layer of government bureaucracy with a Board of Computing Professionals to maintain a register and certify all those who wish to work in computing or offer computing services. Read more at: http://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/new-law-puts-noose-around-computer-techies/

In Friday sermon, Jakim warns Muslims against selling out to ‘others’ Posted: 08 Dec 2011 07:23 PM PST The sermon appeared to suggest that Muslims who associate with non-Muslims or stand up for non-Muslim causes were betraying their faith. (The Malaysian Insider) - The government's official sermon delivered today suggested that the position of Islam and the royal institution was being questioned because Muslims were selling out the religion to "certain quarters" which it did not name. The sermon appeared to suggest that Muslims who associate with non-Muslims or stand up for non-Muslim causes were betraying their faith, and echoed a few racially divisive views espoused at the recent Umno general assembly. It was delivered at all mosques today and was prepared by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim). A copy of today's sermon — sighted by The Malaysian Insider — appeared to hit out at Muslims who "conspire with certain groups in questioning Islam as the official religion in this country on the excuse of defending the fundamental rights of others" for personal gain. It described those Muslims as "deviating from the teachings" of Prophet Muhammad, as well as "committing a big sin, oppressing Muslims and threatening national harmony" in the sermon that was to mark the end of Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin's five year reign as Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. "Remember, if Muslims lose their integrity, their pride and are manipulated by others, in the end, Islam in this country will suffer the same fate that has befallen other nations where their people were insulted and driven from the country of their birth," it said. The sermon did not directly refer to any one person in particular but appears to echo the political rhetoric heard at the Umno general assembly last week. According to the Jakim sermon, purported attempts to convert Muslims also fall foul of Islam's exclusive rights under the country's Constitution. It urged all Muslims to unite and uphold the constitutional monarchy system, reminding them that without a ruler, the administration of religion would be chaotic and would cause animosity. "Avoid involvement in any action that could potentially threaten or pollute the royal institution and disputes what is contained in the Constitution, including that which pertains to Islam as the country's religion," it added.

ABU dilancarkan besar-besaran, desak rakyat tolak Umno Posted: 08 Dec 2011 06:56 PM PST Ia menggesa rakyat menyatakan rasa jijik dan meluat terhadap penyelewengan dan rasuah yang dilakukan Umno/BN. (Free Malaysia Today) - Satu gerakan rakyat yang dikenali sebagai Asalkan Bukan Umno/BN (ABU) akan dilancarkan secara besar-besaran pada 15 Disember ini di Markas Tarbiyah PAS,Taman Melewar,Gombak. Ia menggesa rakyat  menyatakan rasa jijik dan meluat terhadap penyelewengan dan rasuah yang dilakukan  Umno/BN. Pengerusi Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM), Badrul Hisham Shaharin berkata, gerakan dibuat di seluruh negara ekoran kemusnahan sistem negara yang dilakukan  oleh Umno. Beliau yang turut dikenali sebagai Chegu Bard berkata, gerakan di Sabah dan Sarawak akan dibuat secara senyap-senyap. "Sumber dalaman kami memberitahu bahawa kempen ini tidak boleh dibuat di Sabah dan Sarawak atas alasan keselamatan. "Sasaran adalah kemusnahan yang diciptakan Umno. Malaysia akan menjadi lebih bersiap sedia tanpa Umno. Malaysia lebih dinamik dan berdaya saing. Rakyat lebih berkaliber dan cerdik jika tidak diperbodohkan Umno. "ABU  yang digerak dan dipacu oleh rakyat. Kami gambarkan ia gerakan rakyat," katanya dalam sidang media di Dewan Perhimpunan Cina Selangor/Kuala Lumpur hari ini. Kempen rakyat Chegu Bard menjelaskan bahawa kempen  ini didokong sepenuhnya oleh rakyat tanpa penglibatan  mana-mana parti politik. "Ia gerakan rakyat. Ini bukan urusan parti politik ,tapi hal rakyat yang dimunculkan oleh Umno. Ia bukan sekadar program tapi satu gerakan," jelas beliau. Sementara itu, Presiden Pergerakan Hak-hak Sivil Malaysia (MCLM) Haris Ibrahim pula berkata, ABU membawa kebenaran kepada rakyat agar mereka sedar apa yang dilakukan oleh Umno selama 40 tahun memerintah. READ MORE HERE

ASALKAN BUKAN umno Posted: 08 Dec 2011 06:45 PM PST THE PEOPLES' PARLIAMENT Berikut adalah teks kenyataan media yang disampaikan di sidang media di Kuala Lumpur serta di sidang-sidang media di seluruh Malaysia, kecuali di Sabah dan Sarawak. Sabah dan Sarawak dijangka akan mengadakan sidang media untuk umumkan initiatif sendiri dalam masa yang terdekat ini. Kami merayu dan menyeru kepada semua; pekerja, petani, nelayan, persatuan dan pertubuhan, badan kerajaan dan bukan kerajaan (NGO), parti politik komponen Barisan Nasional, kecuali UMNO, parti pembangkang atau parti politik bebas, golongan profesional, ahli akademik dan cendiakawan, mahasiswa, karyawan, para artis dan pekerja seni, malah semua kelompok rakyat tersisih dan tertindas (marginalised) seperti kumpulan Mat Rempit, gelandangan (homeless), penganggur (jobless) dan lain-lain supaya melahirkan dengan nyata (melalui kenyataan media seperti ini atau tunjuk perasaan dan sebagainya) rasa tidak yakin kita masing-masing terhadap UMNO yang sudah tidak sedar diri, korup, angkuh, menindas, zalim dan kebelakangan ini BODOH SOMBONG!!! Kini bukan masanya lagi untuk kita terus mendiamkan diri dan tidak mahu ambil tahu, kecuali anda rela mewariskan Malaysia yang musnah kepada generasi akan datang. Masihkah kita tidak nampak atau sengaja mahu membiarkan saja apabila sisa-baki hak demokratik rakyat yang hanya tinggal secebis itu pun dinafikan, manakala segala tuntutan rakyat terus diabaikan? Sepanjang pemerintahan UMNO/BN kita semua juga sebenarnya telah bersama-sama menyumbang –akibat sikap kita yang 'biarkanlah', 'tidak kisah' serta 'ignorant', dll– dalam menyemai kuasa kuku besi pemerintah yang kejam hinggalah kini kuasa itu menjadi parah dan terlalu mencengkam. READ MORE HERE

Musa: Haris denied entry ‘for security reasons’ Posted: 08 Dec 2011 03:20 PM PST Sabah and Sarawak chief ministers share the dubious honour of banning civil rights activists and embracing illegals and alleged illicit activities. (Free Malaysia Today) - Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman has refused to explain why his government barred human rights activist Haris Ibrahim from entering the state this week. Haris was, on arrival at the Kota Kinabalu airport on Wednesday, served with a Notice of Dismissal of Entry to Sabah by an immigration officer and  immediately put on the next flight back to Kuala Lumpur. The letter dated Dec 7 was signed by one 'Syamilin" on behalf of the Sabah Immigration director Mohammad Matek. Musa and the state government have come under heavy criticism for barring Haris, who is a lawyer and president of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM), whilst allowing thousands of illegal immigrants into the state. Yesterday Musa told reporters the decision to deny Haris entry into Sabah was because of 'security reasons". Declining to elaborate, Musa when pressed by the media, merely said: "the incident is related to security issues" and that the authorities "had strong reasons … that is all I want to say." According to Haris the reason given in the notice specified that it was in accordance with the Immigration Act 1959/63 that stipulated that the state authority has the power to bar him from entry, Haris said. All entry points monitored The Sabah government's ban on the outspoken lawyer mimics the action of the Sarawak government under Chief Minister Taib Mahmud which had also barred Haris from entering the  state in September. They had flexed the same law. Meanwhile, Sabah Immigration Department director Mohammad Mentek revealed that apart from Haris, another Malaysian citizen was also barred from entering the state but declined to disclose his name. He said the department had received an order from the state government not to issue a visit pass to the man who is a member of an NGO in the country, according to local media reports. "So far only two persons have been barred from entering Sabah," he was quoted as saying. Apart from Haris, the second, whose identity Mohammad said he could not reveal, is from Kuala Lumpur "and is involved in spreading issues related to deviationist teachings". Mohammad said the department would monitor all entry points in Sabah to prevent that person's entry into the state. READ MORE HERE

DAP’s internal squabbles ‘poetic justice’ Posted: 08 Dec 2011 03:18 PM PST Everyone embroiled in the present dispute are 'paying back' for the empty promises they made to Kampung Buah Pala villagers in 2008, says residents association chief. (Free Malaysia Today) - The past is coming back to haunt Penang DAP Indian leaders here following the recent outburst between factions linked to its chairman Karpal Singh and Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, said Kampung Buah Pala residents association chairman M Sugumaran. "I believe God is punishing them and this is the consequence," Sugumaran said in response to the recent open-ended spat between Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer and Ramasamy. This is also followed by reports quoting local DAP veterans as saying that Ramasamy's alleged remark of "godfathers" in the party as uncalled for. Sugumaran, who continues to battle on for the village although it is no longer in existence and that 24 out of the 33 families affected were peacefully resettled, said everyone embroiled in the present dispute made alleged "empty"" promises to the villagers in 2008. "I'm not stirring up things for the sake of antagonising anyone or exploiting the faultline between Penang DAP Indian leaders. This is a perception from some sections of the Indian community in Penang, which is that DAP had failed the community. "It is not just the nine Buah Pala families who refused to take up the offer of relocation who feel this way about DAP, it is sections of the Indian community here, who felt that the controversy could have been handled in a better way," said Sugumaran. And it is not just on Buah Pala, it is a host of other issues which the community are aggrieved about, such as affordable housing and the lack of attention given to constituency issues, he added. Sugumaran said the facts of the Buah Pala issue remained unchanged despite that the traditional village, said to be over 100 years old, have long been demolished to make way for a condominum. In 2005, the villagers were battling against the Barisan Nasional-led state government over the eviction order issued to them and in 2008, the likes of Karpal, Rayer and Ramasamy made promises that the opposition would fight against the order. Subsequently, Sugumaran said the village supported DAP in the 2008 general election based on the promise but when the pressure was piled on by the developer, the state could not find a win-win solution. Even Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim made a similar promise when he visited the village, said Sugumaran. He insisted that he remains as the now-defunct Buah Pala village residents association chairman as it is a registered body. "We are still pursuing legal avenues as we have obtained documents from the National Archives Department to illustrate that the demolition of the the village may be illegal." 'DAP's Indian leaders inexperienced' Sugumaran said Penang DAP Indian leaders are ill-equipped to see to the needs of the community, and one example is how the Buah Pala issue dragged on for several months before it was demolished. "If you ask me, it is the question of experience. I think the Penang DAP Indian leaders are now quarelling among themselves because they are inexperience and they are beholden to the DAP top leadership. "If the issue of 33 villagers here cannot be resolved, how can the people expect DAP to govern the entire country?" asked Sugumaran. READ MORE HERE

No candidates, Kita beats a retreat Posted: 08 Dec 2011 12:11 PM PST Party insiders believe this predicament is the reason for Zaid's decision to field candidates for selected seats. (Free Malaysia Today) - Kita chief, Zaid Ibrahim, may have unwittingly offered a glimpse of more possible turmoil within his party with his latest decision on Kita's involvement in the upcoming general election. On Tuesday, Kita announced that it would refrain from fielding candidates if doing so meant jeopardising Pakatan Rakyat's chances of victory. Zaid said his decision to offer "unconditional" support to the opposition stemmed from the racist statements made by Umno leaders during the party's recent general assembly. Kedah state chief, Zamil Ibrahim, further clarified yesterday that Kita would steer clear of Pakatan strongholds like Permatang Pauh and Bagan, and would only field candidates for seats where Pakatan faced a 50-50 chance of winning. He also hinted that Zaid may not be running for the Petaling Jaya Selatan seat as previously reported but could be eyeing a seat in Kedah. "Kita will definitely be contesting because we have already launched our party manifesto," he told FMT. "And it is impossible for Zaid as party chief to not contest. It's just a matter of which seat he chooses." "As of now, I myself have identified six parliamentary and 12 states seats for Kita to contest in Kedah. All that is left is to select the right candidates from the list of hopefuls." And this is where Kita may be facing an excruciating predicament. According to a party insider, the list has since crumbled as almost all those on it have retracted their interest to be fielded as Kita candidates. Pandering to BN The insider said that Zaid's apology to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak for misjudging his political will to abolish the Internal Security Act was the first of many moves that spooked potential candidates. Furthermore, Kita's supposed neutrality has come under a cloud with Zaid seen as cosying up to Najib and compounded by Kita's apparent pandering to Barisan Nasional (BN). All this was enough to convince them that they would lose their deposits if they contested. The insider speculated that Najib probably gave Zaid the cold shoulder and, left with a nearly dried up pool of candidates, the latter was forced to announce that Kita would only be contesting in selected seats. One candidate who will be contesting whether under the Kita banner or as an independent is Penang state chief and Nibong Tebal MP, Tan Tee Beng. "I have no fear contesting as an individual because Penangites are more familiar with me than they are with Kita," he told FMT. "Kita doesn't have a significant image in Penang." "Many people still confuse it with Parti Cinta. So maybe novice candidates would need Kita's image to support them but not me." "Whatever the party's decision I respect it, but as an incumbent and a politician I must also have my own back-up plan," he added. When asked about candidate selection in Penang, Tan's reply corroborated the party insider's earlier account of potential candidates withdrawing their names. READ MORE HERE

Taib Hit By UK’s Bell Pottinger Scandal! Posted: 08 Dec 2011 12:05 PM PST SARAWAK REPORT Once again Taib's dirty tricks against Sarawak Report and Radio Free Sarawak have spectacularly backfired!   In the past few hours it has emerged that the Chief Minister, along with his son-in-law, Sean Murray, was one of the clients who hired Bell Pottinger to alter Wikipedia entries about themselves, their companies, Sarawak… and, of course, Sarawak Report/Radio Free Sarawak! Bell Pottinger is the PR giant that has been at the centre of a scandal that has been gripping the UK since Tuesday.  The company, which first achieved fame as Margaret Thatcher's favourite agency, has developed a reputation for professional ruthlessness and a willingness to do business with unpleasant clients. Video sting They demonstrated these questionable ethics when they were exposed earlier this week in a sting by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, posing as representatives of Uzbekistan, which has been condemned for promoting the slave labour of children in the cotton industry. Bell Pottinger staff were caught on camera saying they would be willing to work on improving the country's image, even though reform might be minimal.  They would charge a million pounds a year (RM5million) or a hundred thousand a month. At the same time the company was exposed for bragging that it had special access to UK Prime Minister David Cameron for clients wishing to lobby the British Government, which has been hugely embarrassing for the Conservative Party. Taib was a client! Sarawak Report has been dragged into the affair Now the scandal has rolled into its 3rd day with further exposes about Bell Pottinger's willingness to engage in 'Dark Arts', such as the secretive alteration of people's Wikipedia entries.  The story is splashing around UK newspapers, but is being led by The Independent and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. After the details of ten pseudonyms used by Bell Pottinger to alter information about their clients were released by Wikipedia a few hours ago, it emerged that one of the key users of this service was none other than Taib Mahmud and his son-in-law Sean Murray! The list of Wikipedia entries altered by the Bell Pottinger pseudonym 'Biggleswick' includes Abdul Taib Mahmud, Sean Murray, Ridgeford Properties (the Taib family company in the UK), Christopher Murray (Sean's cousin and the Director of Ridgeford Properties), Sakto (the Taib family company in Canada), Sarawak (which Taib largely owns in Malaysia) and… Clare Rewcastle Brown, the Editor of this blog and the Radio Station Radio Free Sarawak! READ MORE HERE

NGOs want Indian as Malacca CM Posted: 08 Dec 2011 11:51 AM PST A coalition of 36 Indian NGOs feel that the time has come for the country to show its appreciation for the contributions of the Indian community. (Free Malaysia Today) - A coalition of 36 Indian NGOs have urged both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat to consider appointing an Indian as chief minister of Malacca after the next general election. On its part, the People's Welfare and Rights Coalition (Power) president S Gobi Krishnan said the coalition would submit memorandums to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim stating their claim. "We find this request timely and most suitable as an appreciation to the Indian community in Malaysia," he said, adding that to date no states had been helmed by an Indian chief minister. He also said appointment of an Indian chief minister would also be a way for the two political parties to show their gratitude and fairness to the 1.8 million Indians in the country. Gobi pointed out that Malacca had a rich heritage and history related to Indians evident from the many Indian settlements in this state. "For example, the Sri Subramaniam Thuropathai Amman temple is one of the oldest in the country which dates back to about 200 years and the presence of the Indian Chitty sub-race," he added. Indians make up 10% out of the 788,706 population in the state. It has the highest concentration of Indians in terms of percentage compared to any other state in the country. He said the idea of appointing an Indian chief minister in Malacca is not new as it was mooted by former MIC president John Thivy in the 1950s. However, the request was not successful then, taking into account various considerations. "We believe the time is right for such an appointment now. We have gained independence for over 54 years, as such this is possible at this moment," said Gobi. As Malacca is part of the Straits Settlement in Malaysia, other than Penang, this appointment is in line with the state constitution and can be done legally, he argued. Recognising the Indians Meanwhile, the Human Rights Party (HRP) said the request by the NGOs has some merit especially with the prime minister's 1Malaysia slogan. Central executive committee member S Thiagarajan said that the proposal is a long standing one but "Umno is still deaf to the issue." According to him, in 1956 the Penang Tamil Representative Council proposed to the Reid Commission for election of a Resident Commissioner in Penang and Malacca respectively. The council then also proposed that the chief minister's post in these two states be on a rotational system between Malays, Chinese and Indians. "However, Umno has been reluctant to practise such a system," he added. "I can daringly say that the Indian community is a major contributor for the nation's development." READ MORE HERE

6 aktivis SMM ditahan di Speakers Corner UiTM Posted: 08 Dec 2011 11:49 AM PST (Harakah Daily) - Enam aktivis mahasiswa ditahan polis bantuan Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam malam tadi ketika mereka sedang mengadakan sesi penerangan di Speakers Corner di kampus itu. Program yang pada mulanya aman tiba-tiba bertukar kecoh apabila berlaku provokasi melampau oleh mahasiswa pro-aspirasi sehingga memaksa polis bantuan kampus itu campur tangan dan menahan keenam-enam aktivis mahasiswa itu. Kesemua yang ditahan adalah dua dari UiTM, dua dari Universiti Malaya (UM) dan dua orang lagi masing-masing dari Universiti Industri Selangor (Unisel) dan Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Selangor (Kuis). Pengerusi Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM), Ahmad Syukri Razab yang juga salah seorang yang ditahan berkata, kesemua mereka ditahan kira-kira jam 9.30 malam dan dibawa ke pejabat polis bantuan di UiTM Shah Alam. Katanya, alasan penahanan mereka adalah kerana masuk ke kampus itu tanpa kebenaran, manakala dua pelajar UiTM itu pula ditahan kerana menyertai Speaker Corner yang tidak mendapat kelulusan pihak universiti. "Bagi saya tindakan UiTM keterlaluan dan sangat terkebelakang berbanding kampus-kampus lain. "UiTM juga tidak seiring dengan keterbukaan kerajaan yang mahu memberi kebebasan kepada mahasiswa," katanya. Menurutnya lagi, kesemua yang ditahan kemudian dibebaskan kira-kira sejam kemudian selepas melalui soal siasat biasa. Mereka juga diberi amaran agar tidak meneruskan program itu dan diiring keluar dari kampus tersebut sejurus selesai soal siasat tersebut.

Tengku Muhammad Fakhry saman IGP, tiga lain RM100 juta Posted: 08 Dec 2011 11:07 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Adinda Sultan Kelantan, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra hari ini memfailkan saman RM100 juta ke atas empat pihak termasuk Ketua Polis Negara berhubung tindakan polis mengenakan kurungan di Istana Mahkota Kubang Kerian, Kelantan secara tidak sah dua tahun lalu. Peguam Tengku Muhammad Fakhry, Datuk Harpal Singh berkata pelangganya juga menuntut RM50 juta lagi dalam bentuk ganti rugi teladan dan teruk. Laporan Star Online menyebut bahawa dalam pernyataan tuntutan, putera itu menamakan Ketua Polis Negara Tan Sri Ismail Omar dan tiga yang lain sebagai defendan. Bercakap kepada pemberita di kompleks mahkamah Jalan Duta di sini pagi ini Tengku Muhammad Fakhry berkata, beliau hanya melaksanakan haknya sebagai seorang rakyat Malaysia demi keadilan. Dalam tuntutannya, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry mendakwa saman itu berkaitan dengan kejadian beliau ditahan di Istana Mahkota Kubang Kerian oleh polis pada 2009, daripada mengambil kereta Bentley Brooklands sebagaimana diminta oleh ayahanda Sultan Ismail Petra, ketika itu Sultan Kelantan, untuk ke Singapura. Ia antara beberapa kes saman dibawa oleh putera sejak kebelakangan ini. Laporan media semalam menyebut Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur menetapkan 18 Januari depan untuk pengurusan kes saman fitnah Tengku Muhammad Fakhry terhadap akhbar Malay Mail dan tiga lagi berhubung satu artikel yang disiarkan akhbar tersebut. Beliau menuntut antara lain ganti rugi RM50 juta kerana atrikel tersebut mengaitkannya dengan kes tembakan terhadap pengawal istana Ramli Mohamed pada 1 Mei tahun lalu. Hakim Datin Zabariah Mohd Yusof menetapkan tarikh tersebut dalam kamar dengan dihadiri peguam AS Dhaliwal mewakili Tengku Muhammad Fakhry dan peguam Koh Chee Hong bagi pihak kesemua defendan.

A haram book? What next? Posted: 08 Dec 2011 09:01 AM PST Don't be afraid of being blasphemous. In fact, Islam doesn't even recognise the concept of blasphemy as it has never been mentioned in the Quran or Hadith. Blasphemy is really a concept that was developed in the Middle Ages to stop the masses from questioning and challenging authority. Zan Azlee, The Malaysian Insider  Do not eat the book. Do not drink the book. Do not touch the book. Do not use any kitchen utensils that have been used with the book. Because it is haram. The book that I am referring to is "Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths To Keep Singapore Going", which has been declared haram by our Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim). I find the decision utterly ridiculous. Apparently, Lee mentions that Muslims in Singapore are "socially distinct and separate" and should "be less strict on Islamic observances" to aid integration and the city-state's nation-building process. In my opinion, I see the act by Jakim as an act that clearly defies the teachings of the Quran as it obstructs the quest for knowledge. I have written about Islam's fierce encouragement to seek out knowledge time and again, and I find that I quote the same verses every time. Surah Al-Alaq states: "Read! Read in the name of your Lord who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clod. Read! And your Lord is the most generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not." I liken the haram declaration of Lee Kuan Yew's book (and any book for that matter, even the Obedient Wives Club' sex guide) to the disgusting act of book burning. The Nazis burned books. The Khmer Rouge burned books. Terry Jones burned books (he burned the Quran last year in Florida). It is so obvious that it is a repulsive act committed by repulsive people. To seek knowledge does not only mean we are allowed to obtain it from kosher sources. Many times we also gain knowledge from negative sources. What I'm trying to say here is that it does not matter whether the ideas in a book are wrong or right. It should be made available anyway. I'm sure everyone would agree that we learn to do good from good examples and we learn to stay away from wrong by the bad examples. Society should have access to it in order to process it and decide for themselves whether to accept it or not. Either way, people will gain knowledge from it. Don't be afraid of being blasphemous. In fact, Islam doesn't even recognise the concept of blasphemy as it has never been mentioned in the Quran or Hadith. Blasphemy is really a concept that was developed in the Middle Ages to stop the masses from questioning and challenging authority. READ MORE HERE

Groups protest against homosexual lifestyle Posted: 08 Dec 2011 08:51 AM PST (New Straits Times) - Five non-governmental organisations from Bangsar here held a peaceful demonstration against homosexuality yesterday. The demonstration saw the participation of some 100 supporters, comprising members of Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM), Lembah Pantai 4B Youth Movement, Hindu Youth Organisation, Young Malaysians Movement, Federation of Peninsula Malay Students and parent-teacher associations from several schools in the area. Demonstrators stood along Jalan Kerinchi, near here,  chanting and holding banners opposing sexual immorality and perversion. JMM president Azwanddin Hamzah said this was the ninth demonstration held so far and more supporters were joining them in their cause. "Parents have come forward urging us to continue spreading awareness on the dangers of allowing   this lifestyle to gain acceptance in our society, as they are worried about its effects on their children." He said this was not a political issue, but an issue of belief as most religions in Malaysia discouraged homosexuality. "We will continue to hold these demonstrations across Selangor to educate Malaysians." The participants later spread their message by handing out 10,000 pamphlets to residents in nearby housing areas.

'DAP parti cauvinis' Posted: 08 Dec 2011 08:37 AM PST Penyertaan kaum lain hanya dijadikan boneka (Berita Harian) - Ramai tidak mengenali bekas guru, Abu Zahar Abu Bakar, 71, tetapi pengalamannya selama empat tahun menjadi ahli DAP amat berguna dijadikan pengajaran kepada orang ramai, khususnya orang Melayu. Bekas Timbalan Setiausaha Agung Parti Sosialis Demokratik (SDP) itu menyertai DAP pada 1986 bersama bekas Presiden CUEPACS, Ahmad Nor, kerana yakin parti itu mewakili pelbagai kaum dan perjuangannya cukup berbeza dengan parti politik lain di negara ini. Namun, ia hanya indah khabar daripada rupa. Selepas menjadi ahli DAP dan melihat sendiri perjalanan parti itu, keyakinannya pudar dan musnah sama sekali yang menyaksikannya keluar daripada parti itu pada 1990. Peristiwa yang menjadi titik tolak kepada perubahannya apabila Ahmad yang memperoleh undi tertinggi dalam pemilihan DAP serta menjadi Ahli Parlimen Bayan Baru pada 1990, 'dinafikan' hak menjadi Pengerusi DAP Kebangsaan. Katanya, Ahmad memperoleh sokongan kuat daripada ahli dan mendapat undi tertinggi kerana perjuangannya untuk rakyat, tetapi Dr Chen Man Hin yang mendapat undi kurang, malah kalah di kerusi Parlimen Seremban pada pilihan raya umum dipilih menjadi Pengerusi DAP Kebangsaan. "Saya cukup kecewa dengan keputusan itu kerana hasrat sememangnya mahu melihat Ahmad menjadi pemimpin memperjuangkan masyarakat majmuk, tetapi tidak dapat kerana sistem pemilihan DAP yang agak pelik iaitu orang kalah pula dilantik sebagai ketua. "DAP mempunyai peluang untuk membuktikan mereka adalah parti mewakili masyarakat majmuk dengan melantik Ahmad menjawat jawatan Pengerusi DAP kebangsaan berdasarkan sokongan terhadapnya tetapi itu tidak berlaku. DAP adalah parti cauvinis," katanya kepada Berita Harian di sini. Sehubungan itu, Abu Zahar mahu pengalamannya itu menjadi panduan kepada rakyat terutama orang Melayu bahawa DAP bukanlah parti berbilang kaum seperti dilaung-laungkan pemimpin parti, sebaliknya parti cauvinis. "Trend itu berterusan apabila Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim hanya dilantik Naib Pengerusi DAP. Kalau DAP mahu membuktikan mereka parti berbilang kaum, seharusnya beliau dilantik sebagai Pengerusi. "Mereka hanya meletakkan pemimpin daripada kaum lain dan mendakwa DAP adalah parti berbilang kaum, sedangkan mereka menjadi boneka semata-mata. "Ini harus menjadi petunjuk kepada rakyat khususnya orang Melayu supaya tidak tertipu dengan helah DAP yang kononnya parti berbilang kaum," katanya.

Umno assembly ‘an insult’ to Malays Posted: 08 Dec 2011 08:29 AM PST Umno has shown not just the rakyat but also the whole world how low class its delegates are. By Walla, Free Malaysia Today In much the same way the Auditor-General's report has nuked Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's feel-good annual Budget 2012, the Umno general assembly 2011 has completely nuked and debunked Umno's standing before the eyes and ears of all sensible, moderate, thinking and upstanding rakyat of the country. We all know why Umno was shocked by the results of the last general election. It had been overweeningly confident that each race would only vote for its own party. Doesn't that mindset reflect racism in the first place? And what actually happened? The rakyat voted for other races. The Umno general assembly 2011 was spewing nonsense and hatred bereft of intelligence, integrity and standard. It was an insult to the Malays. If anything, Umno has shown not only our rakyat but also the whole world how low class its delegates are. Just wait for another set of WikiLeaks to reinforce the conclusion. Here we have the extremely well-fed and well-dressed talking nonsense and expecting the rakyat to agree with them just because they are on stage punching their fists, putting on their false show, and creating yet another bogeyman to channel attention away from their corruption and abuse of power that continue to form the bulwark of issues that is destroying the future of the young. Just think of it – 3,000 empty-headed and self-deluded hyenas and jokers wanting to run this country of 28 million for another five years in the same way they have been running it into the ground all the past years. They are asking to be trusted and supported again so that they can whip up another spin while ripping off the rakyat who will have to settle for an economy with a RM400-over-billion debt that will grow unabated because in (Prime Minister) Najib Tun Razak's calculations, (British economist John Maynard) Keynes couldn't imagine the rapaciousness and gross stupidity of an animal called Umno. Why weren't there any questions? Why didn't a single Umno delegate tell Najib that politics is not a game, so how can he talk about game-changer? And if, in responding to his call to Umno leaders to "do the right thing" by resigning as unwinnable candidates, they were to tell him "you first, show the way", will his answer be any different from that by (former premier Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad) in the 22 years he had messed up the institutions while holding on to his seat and spinning about "Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah"? Why didn't a single Umno delegate ask (Deputy Prime Minister) Muhyiddin (Yassin) whether (de facto Law Minister) Nazri (Aziz) would have labelled his speech "racist" eight times and call for his immediate censure in Parliament? READ MORE HERE

M’sia overly dependent on foreign workers Posted: 08 Dec 2011 08:26 AM PST Malaysians are relying more on foreign workers and a change of mindset is needed, says Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam. If you see the recent registration, we've registered 1.3 million illegal workers, along with the 1.8 million legal. This means, we already have 3.1 million foreign workers. And there are also fears that some are still undocumented. As far as we're concerned, these numbers are huge. Teoh El Sen, Free Malaysia Today We see them everywhere – in restaurants, foodstalls, homes, gardens, construction sites, just to name a few places. We are talking about the ever-present foreign workers. There are about 3.1 million documented illegal and legal immigrants in the country, and probably more still under the radar screem. The consensus is that Malaysia is facing the problem of having too many foreign workers. Admitting that this was the "biggest issue" faced by his ministry, Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam said efforts by the government to reduce the numbers have been met with difficulties, including opposition from employers. "Malaysians have become too dependant on foreign workers. The way forward is for the employers to have a change in their mindsets," said Subramaniam. This mindset change, he said, must translate into employers being less labour dependent and more skill dependent. Subramaniam said many developed countries have gone through this phase and have been able to transform themselves by using less manpower and more machines. He believes Malaysia can change, too. He said the country is caught in a "vicious cycle" where wages are low and locals don't want to work. "And because locals don't want to work, foreign workers come in, and the more they come in, the more wages won't increase," he said, adding that he hopes wage increases would help alleviate this problem. Subramaniam was speaking to FMT in a recent interview about the foreign worker situation in Malaysia. During the interview, he also spoke about what he thought about cases of foreign maid abuses and how the government was addressing the issue as well as the status of asylum seekers in the country. Below are excerpts of the interview What are some of the plans the ministry has for foreign workers? Ideally, we should be in a situation where we can manage with the minimum number of foreign workers. Unfortunately in Malaysia now, too many sectors have become dependent on foreign workers. Any attempt by the government to reduce it at any stage is met with objection and opposition from employers. And this is the ministry's biggest issue. After the 10th Malaysia Plan, the government said, 'we'll be able to reduce foreign workers to 1.1 million.' That was our expectation. Initially, it went to 1.1 million during the economic crisis, but after that, it slowly went back to 1.8 million illegal workers. If you see the recent registration, we've registered 1.3 million illegal workers, along with the 1.8 million legal. This means, we already have 3.1 million foreign workers. And there are also fears that some are still undocumented. As far as we're concerned, these numbers are huge. So, how are we dealing with this huge number? There are two parts of this argument. On one side are the non-employers, whose argument is that 'we should stop them from coming in'. There is also this concern that the unusual number of foreign workers has led to suppression of wages. Wages are not high in Malaysia, and because wages are low, locals don't want to work… and because locals don't want to work, foreign workers come in, and the more foreign workers come in, the more the wages don't increase. So it becomes a vicious cycle. That is one view. The other group, the employers, says that 'we cannot get locals, we're willing to pay locals higher, but they don't want to come'. This is is true in particular categories of industries. We are really critically dependent on foreign workers, like plantations; some 90 percent of the harvesters and tappers are foreigners. And the estates are not able to draw the younger generation to take part in this activity. Likewise in construction, except for locals who are probably independent contractors, foreign workers are the mainstay. Likewise in domestic maids, there are a lot of people who say you can train locals and give opportunities, but nobody wants to go for such training. It's the nature of the job itself; locals don't want them. So we are caught in a bind. These three sectors alone employ nearly 1.2 million people. So we would not be able to reduce (the number of workers) in these three sectors. Then we have the manufacturing sector and service sector, restaurants. When we tell restaurants we are freezing the intake of workers, they say they have to close shops. READ MORE HERE

CM: We had reason to bar Haris Posted: 08 Dec 2011 08:18 AM PST (The Star) - Sabah barred lawyer-activist Haris Ibrahim from the state for valid reasons, Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said. "The authorities have valid reasons for not allowing him to enter Sabah," Musa told reporters yesterday after launching the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Com­mission's open day for civil servants to eradicate corruption. However, Musa did not disclose the reasons for the persona non grata order against Haris who was put on a flight back to Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday by Imm­igration officers. Haris, who is Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement president, had come to Sabah to carry out the movement's roadshow with local NGOs and political parties.

No need for expensive presents and fancy emcees, says Sultan Posted: 08 Dec 2011 08:18 AM PST (The Star) - The Sultan of Selangor doesn't want anything lavish for any function he attends, and has asked organisers to stop giving him mementoes. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah asked the state government and the public not to make any elaborate preparation to honour his presence which he said would be a waste of money. "There is no need to spend RM60,000 to engage a singer to entertain me, or hire a well-known emcee for the event. What purpose does that serve? I am fine with an emcee provided by the state information department," he said. He advised organisers to give him books instead, saying he could pass them on to the public library after he had read them.

MACC pledges fair probe Posted: 08 Dec 2011 08:15 AM PST (The Star) - The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has pledged to carry out investigations into the corruption allegation involving French engineering firm Alstom without fear or favour. "This is in line with Section 29(4) of the MACC Act 2009," the commission said in a statement yesterday. The MACC said it was liaising with the relevant authorities, both locally and abroad, to conduct the investigation. However, the Commission declined to reveal details of the ongoing probe. Swiss authorities had last month ordered Alstom to pay 31 million euros (RM130mil) in fines for failing to stop bribery by some employees over contracts in Latvia, Malaysia and Tunisia. The Swiss Attorney-General's Office cited the company for "corporate negligence" but not criminal wrongdoing. Alstom Malaysia had said in a statement that investigations confirmed that there was no systematic bribery and that sufficient controls were in place. Swiss prosecutors recently removed from its website an unendorsed document linking two Malaysians to the Alstom scandal.

Pas Selangor tidak akan tunduk Posted: 08 Dec 2011 07:58 AM PST (Utusan Online) - Pas Selangor menyifatkan cadangan DAP yang berkemungkinan meletakkan calon Melayu bertanding di kerusi majoriti Melayu dalam Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU13) nanti sebagai satu langkah yang tidak wajar. Timbalan Pesuruhjaya III Pas negeri, Khalid Abdul Samad berkata, pihaknya tidak akan tunduk kepada tuntutan itu kerana langkah tersebut masih belum dapat diterima oleh masyarakat selain ia bukan satu jaminan DAP akan memperoleh kemenangan dalam PRU13. Beliau yang mengakui bahawa cadangan DAP tersebut ada dibincangkan dalam mesyuarat bersama Pas dan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), namun pihaknya beranggapan ia sukar dilaksanakan dan memerlukan masa. ''DAP (letakkan calon Melayu di kerusi majoriti Melayu) kerana mereka mahu pecahkan imej daripada parti satu kaum kepada parti semua kaum tetapi langkah ini memerlukan masa. ''Namun, kita rasa langkah ini tidak wajar dan kita tidak tunduk kepada tuntutan DAP," katanya kepada pemberita di sini, hari ini. Dalam pada itu, Khalid yang juga Ahli Parlimen Shah Alam ketika di minta mengulas mengenai artikel dalam ruangan Cuit yang ditulis oleh Datuk Zaini Hassan dalam Utusan Malaysia yang menganggap bekas Pesuruhjaya Pas Selangor, Datuk Dr. Hasan Mohamed Ali sebagai faktor penyelamat kepada perpaduan dan penyatuan orang Melayu, Khalid berkata, ia adalah pandangan peribadi penulis. Mengenai Hasan yang dikatakan akan dikurniakan pingat kebesaran Datuk Paduka Mahkota Selangor (D.P.M.S), beliau berkata, ia adalah perkenan baginda Sultan Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah atas sumbangan yang diberikan oleh Hasan yang juga Exco kerajaan negeri. ''Namun pada saya penganugerahan darjah kebesaran ini dilakukan oleh baginda mengikut giliran kerana Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim telah dianugerahkan darjah kebesaran Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (SPMS) manakala Speaker Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Selangor, Datuk Teng Chang Khim turut menerima darjah kebesaran Datuk Paduka Mahkota Selangor (DPMS) pada tahun lalu. ''Saya melihat baginda adalah adil dan anugerah serta darjah kebesaran diberikan mengikut giliran iaitu Menteri Besar (Abdul Khalid) kebetulan daripada PKR, Speaker DUN (Chang Khim) daripada DAP dan seterusnya kali ini Pas (Hasan)," katanya.

EU bank capital hole deepens to €115b Posted: 08 Dec 2011 07:49 AM PST (Reuters) - Europe's banks must find €114.7 billion (RM482 billion) of extra capital, more than predicted two months ago, to make them strong enough to withstand the euro zone debt crisis and restore investor confidence. Europe's banking watchdog, confirming a Reuters exclusive earlier yesterday, said the capital shortfall across 71 banks was almost 8 per cent higher than the €106.4 billion estimated in October, telling banks in Germany, Italy, Austria and Belgium to find more cash. Banks will look to fill any shortfall through rights issues, shrinking loans to customers, selling assets or cutting dividends or pay for staff. National governments may have to bail out any lender unable to find the cash. German banks need to find €13.1 billion, more than double the €5.2 billion estimated in October, the European Banking Authority (EBA) said. Commerzbank needs €5.3 billion and Deutsche Bank needs €3.2 billion. Spanish banks need to find an unchanged €26.2 billion, including €15.3 billion at Santander and €6.3 billion at BBVA. The average core capital of EU banks, excluding those in Greece, was just over 9 per cent at the end of September, not far from the average for their top US peers. But Europe has been criticised for less effectively stress testing its banks than the United States did in 2009. That is mainly because European governments have not forced weaker banks to capitalise, lacking the power of the Federal Reserve, which immediately provided the funds to shore up US lenders to revive investor confidence. European governments now face the prospect of having to plough more money into lenders struggling to balance a weaker economic backdrop against tougher regulation. Germany's Commerzbank stood by its commitment to avoid taking more help from Berlin, which would tip it nearer to full nationalisation. "We stand by our intention not to make use of additional public funds," Eric Strutz, finance director, said in a statement. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said he expected banks to meet their commitments by mid-2012. "In arranging the recapitalization everything possible is being done to avoid giving the wrong incentives to reduce business," he said. "In particular there are no grounds for trying to improve capital ratios by selling sovereign bonds." In all, some 31 of the 71 banks tested need extra capital. They have until January 20 to present their plans and need to fulfil the capital requirements by end-June, the EBA said. Several banks have taken action to improve capital since the end of September. The EBA's recapitalisation plan is part of a three-pronged approach that also deals with sovereign debt exposures and improving access to funding. The aim is to restore confidence without crimping lending in a fragile economy. The European Central Bank said yesterday it would start offering banks liquidity funding for 3 years for the first time ever, to try to head off a credit crunch. EU leaders are meeting yesterday night at a high-stakes summit aimed at agreeing a plan to defuse the crisis, with France and Germany pushing for rule changes to enforce stricter budget discipline in the bloc. The EBA said banks should have core Tier 1 capital of at least 9 per cent of risk-weighted assets, which exceeds the 7 per cent minimum world leaders have agreed to phase in from 2013. Europe's banks may need to tap shareholders for less than €30 billion to plug the hole, analysts have estimated. Greek banks have been told they need an extra €30 billion of capital, but this should be covered by an existing programme of aid, while €9 billion of the shortfall in Spain will be met by debt that converts into equity. BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, UniCredit, Commerzbank and other banks are reducing loans, an alternative to raising equity, which is costly at present due to depressed share prices. That has sparked fears of tighter credit hurting economic recovery. Europe's banks could "deleverage" by up to €3 trillion in the next two years, or by €4.5 trillion over the next 5-6 years, analysts at Morgan Stanley estimate. The EBA said it will limit deleveraging banks can do to meet targets, saying national regulators could exclude it from the calculation. Banks should first try to raise funds, retain earnings, reduce bonus payments and other liability management measures. Banks in France will need €7.3 billion, down from €8.8 billion in October and banks in Italy will need €15.4 billion up from €14.8 billion. Austrian banks need €3.9 billion up from €2.9 billion and Belgian banks need €6.3 billion up from €4.1 billion. British banks, as previously, do not need any extra capital.

Wall St falls on dashed euro zone hopes Posted: 08 Dec 2011 07:46 AM PST (Reuters) - Wall Street fell yesterday after the European Central Bank dashed hopes that policy-makers were preparing a financial "bazooka" to contain the debt crisis, and Germany rejected some proposals to add power to the euro zone's bailout fund. US markets have been on edge all week in anticipation of a summit deal that would come to grips with the euro zone's growing debt crisis, and pave the way for greater action by the ECB to hold down bond yields. But actions from Europe — both early and late in the day — were a stark disappointment. Before the market's open, ECB President Mario Draghi discouraged expectations that the central bank would massively increase its purchases of government bonds after a crucial Brussels summit today. Shortly before the closing bell, Germany rejected some measures in draft conclusions from the summit, including giving the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) a banking license and issuing common euro-zone debt. US stocks and the euro fell sharply following the news. "It looks like it's (the opposition) coming from Germany. That just spells more trouble ahead in the days to come," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Rockwell Global Capital in New York. More than 44,500 S&P E-Mini futures contracts traded between 3.40pm and 3.45pm, when the Germany headline appeared. This was the busiest five minutes of the day, other than the last five minutes of trading, which typically has the highest volume. The S&P financial sector index was the biggest loser, falling 3.7 per cent. That followed sharp losses in European banks' shares as sources told Reuters the European Banking Authority (EBA) sees the capital shortfall at European banks at €114.7 billion (RM482 billion). Shares of Morgan Stanley (MS.N), a barometer of risk aversion due to its perceived exposure to Europe's crisis, fell 8.4 per cent to US$15.88. The latest developments from Europe overshadowed a cut in the bloc's interest rate to a record low one per cent and extra liquidity provisions for banks. The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 198.67 points, or 1.63 per cent, to end at 11,997.70. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 26.66 points, or 2.11 per cent, to 1,234.35. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 52.83 points, or 1.99 per cent, to close at 2,596.38. The decline comes after three days of gains for US stocks when the S&P 500 tried and failed to stay above its 200-day moving average, which has been a key level for investors to watch this year, and one that could prove tough to break. But yesterday's pullback, concentrated in economically sensitive areas, was a far cry from the wild swings of recent months when uncertainty over Europe has dominated headlines. That is being seen as a sign of resilience by many investors who are hoping for seasonal strength into the end of the year. Yields on European sovereign debt spiked. Ten-year Italian government bond yields rose 44 basis points to 6.51 per cent — the day's high. German Bund futures hit a session high of 136.89, up 109 ticks on the day. Earlier, data showed US jobless claims fell more than expected in the latest week, a sign the labor market recovery was gaining momentum. Claims slid to a nine-month low. About 7.55 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Amex and Nasdaq, slightly below the daily average of 7.95 billion. Declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones on both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq by a ratio of slightly more than 6 to 1.

Najib: Appreciate history of Umno's struggle Posted: 08 Dec 2011 07:29 AM PST (Bernama) - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has urged the people to appreciate the history of Umno's struggle so that they would acknowledge its capability in helming the Barisan Nasional (BN) government. The prime minister said by looking back at history, the people would realise the immensity of Umno's struggle all these years. By appreciating history, the Malays would realise that they had no reason to forsake Umno, he said when opening Wisma Umno Langkawi in Kuah, here, today. Najib said Umno and BN would continue to bring about change in the interest of the people in the battle-of-the-mindset era, for which until today Umno had emerged the winner through its outstanding ideas. He believed the people would continue to have confidence in the ruling party amid the global scenario where a country saddled with political instability would also destroy the people's life. Hence, Najib, who is also Umno president, said the people should appreciate what they now enjoyed due to BN's ability in leading the country. On Langkawi, he said it had emerged as a popular international destination from an isolated island. "In the 1960's, it took four hours to ply by ferry to this barren island, but now it takes only 45 minutes (from Kuala Perlis)," he said. Najib said the price of land on this mythical island had shot up following development brought about by the government. He cited a security guard, who led an impoverished life, but suddenly became a millionaire as his land in Padang Matsirat, Langkawi was bought for RM2 million due to development on the island. "All these were due to the struggle of Umno and BN, which could feel the pulse of the people. No party (other than Umno and BN) could claim that they have done good deeds to the Langkawi community," he said. Najib said that in the early 1980's, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had turned Langkawi into a duty-free island and now he (Najib) would continue efforts to ensure that Langkawi would remain on track for the better. Najib said while striving for development, Langkawi should also protect the environment and improve the quality of life of the community. "We do not want any environmental damage to the island. The people of the world demand high environmental standards," he said. To make Langkawi a world-class destination, he said, the local community should have a world-class mindset and give priority to cleanliness. He said tourists flocked to Langkawi for its natural beauty, which provided revenue for the tourism operators, and if cleanliness were to take a back seat, the number of visitors would decline and the operators' income would drop. At the ceremony, the prime minister also presented allocations to build 17 jetties costing RM17 million to the Langkawi Area Fishermen's Association, and a cheque for RM782,000 for Tekun Nasional loans to 91 entrepreneurs. Najib later toured the two-storey Wisma Umno Langkawi costing RM1.65 million before attending a feast at the premises.

Don’t be scared by doomsday predictions Posted: 08 Dec 2011 07:25 AM PST (Global Times) - The yuan has gone through seven days of consecutive depreciation, sending confusing signals around the world. The doomsday prediction for China's economy has resurfaced again. It appears that uncertainty has become a popular tune in evaluating the country's economic future. Yet the rules may be unfit and the results inaccurate when measuring China's large scale economic growth by Western concepts. The economic components in the West are much simpler, while business activity and implication here in China are more complicated. For instance, a market crash may bring a much stronger impact in the West than to China. The same applies to the depreciation of a currency. China will feel it differently from its Western counterparts. The economic foundation of Western society is actually quite limited compared to an enormous financial system it is supporting. This has made its structure more vulnerable and fragile. China, however, is the opposite. Although its economic foundation is not that sophisticated, it is vast in scale. Doomsday prediction or a rosy painting should all be ignored. China still has quite a lot of ground work to do. Every family is dreaming a better life. These will continuously pump the country's economy no matter how difficult the situation appears to be. The financial crisis and property bubble are only setbacks, not "turning points." Beneath China's rapid growth lies concerns about its quality. We have reasons to be worried, but if we blindly accept comments from Western economists, we will lose sight. China is poised to face tough challenges from different economic entities and waves of hungry speculators, yet its available options do not make it invincible. It is difficult to tell the real logic of those who are short on China. Are they really pessimistic, or are they simply  there to speculate from market turbulence. Developing an economy is like playing chess. We may lose a few pieces, but these will also create opportunity for counters. However, the outcome ultimately lies on our shoulders. The world is far from settled, especially in the economic realm. To measure China's economic outcome, the criteria should be the quality of life enjoyed by its people, the abundance of its culture and material, and the growth of its sustainability. Chinese people need to be more confident about their country's future, because their country has a strong foundation to sustain its growth. Although issues do exist, and some of them are even threatening, our growth will provide a solution. In fact few Chinese people believe  that China's economy is heading towards a collapse. Optimism is the overwhelming mindset. Ordinary people may know nothing about economic theory, but they may have better instincts.

Najib makin 'Ultra Melayu'? Posted: 08 Dec 2011 07:17 AM PST (Harakah Daily) - Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak didakwa ingin menjadi 'Ultra Melayu' apabila hadir ke program yang dianjurkan oleh Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Perkida) di Shah Alam baru-baru ini. AJK PAS Pusat, Khalid Samad berkata, ia ditambah lagi dengan ucapan Najib ketika perhimpunan itu yang bersifat rasis sehingga sanggup menghina parti-parti dalam Pakatan Rakyat khususnya DAP. "Dan ini di perkuatkan lagi apabila Najib sendiri hadir pada perhimpunan Perkida di Shah Alam, malah ucapannya menunjukkan beliau ingin menjadi 'ultra-malay'. "Umno memainkan sentimen perkauman bagi mendapat undi Melayu dengan melabelkan parti kaum lain terutamanya DAP sebagai ancaman kepada seluruh orang Melayu di negara ini," katanya pada sidang media di sini hari ini. Khalid menyatakan atas dasar terdesak Umno sanggup melakukan apa sahaja walaupun menimbulkan ketidak senangan pihak lain. Dalam pada itu, beliau turut memberitahu apa yang dijanjikan oleh Najib dalam transformasinya juga sudah tiada malah beliau semakin terkebelakang. "Kita tahu sebelum ini ramai pihak tidak menyukai pertubuhan Perkida termasuk dalam Umno sendiri tetapi Najib yang terdesak tetap menghadirinya kerana baginya undi Melayu itu penting dan kaum lain beliau tidak memberi penekanan yang sewajarnya. "Malah tindakan tersebut membuatkan beliau semakin terkebelakang dengan transformasi yang dijanjikannya, transformasi yang dilaungkan olehnya untuk semua kaum bukannya meminggirkan kaum lain tetapi Najib pula menyongsang dengan pendiriannya," katanya yang juga ahli parlimen Shah Alam. Menurutnya lagi, Melayu tidak akan hilang walaupun Umno tidak diundi kerana yang hilang adalah Umno bukan Melayu. Sehubungan itu beliau mengingatkan rakyat agar tidak gusar jika Umno kalah kerana Pakatan Rakyat memberi jaminan akan menjaga orang Melayu dan kaum-kaum lain dengan lebih baik. "Secara jelas saya katakan melihat kepada apa yang dilakukan oleh Najib serta Umno menunjukkan bahawa mereka telah gagal dan tidak boleh menjadi pemerintah yang adil dalam negara ini kerana mereka hanya memperjuangkan hanya untuk satu kaum sahaja. "Ini berbeza dengan Pakatan Rakyat kerana dasarnya sama untuk kesejahteraan semua kaum malah di dalam Pakatan Rakyat jika ada sebarang kesulitan maka jalan penyelesaian dicari bukannya saling tuduh menuduh seperti yang dilakukan oleh MCA," katanya.

Overview of Malaysia's Human Rights Record 2011 Posted: 07 Dec 2011 10:26 PM PST With the 13th general election in sight, time is running out for the BN government to demonstrate that it is capable of reform. For the last 54 years since independence, every fundamental liberty enshrined in the federal constitution has been cynically taken away or amended beyond recognition.  SUARAM   NAJIB'S REFORMS TURNED OUT TO BE RETROGRESSIVE On the eve of Malaysia Day, Prime Minister Najib Razak clearly sought to capture the imagination of an election-expectant public by promising reforms. He undertook to abolish the Internal Security Act 1960 ("ISA") and three Emergency Ordinances and to review other laws relating to the freedoms of expression, assembly and association. Continuing detention without trial However, before two months had expired, his government made new arrests under the ISA based on grounds of terrorism. At present, there are over 50 detainees under the ISA and more than 1,000 are being detained under the Emergency Ordinance and Dangerous Drugs Act 1952. More deaths in police custody The impunity of the Police and other enforcement agencies continued despite the demand from civil society, SUHAKAM, Malaysian Bar and opposition parties for an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission. The MACC made the headlines again with the death of yet another witness in their custody, Ahmad Sarbani, in a similar fashion to the demise of Teoh Beng Hock. None of the officers implicated in Teoh Beng Hock's death by the Royal Commission of Inquiry and in Ahmad Sarbani's inquest have been prosecuted. More deaths by police shootings Through our monitoring, SUARAM has documented a total number of 20 individuals killed in police shootings between 9.2.2011 to 1.11.2011, an increase from last year's 15 cases. There were a total number of 9 deaths in custody, an increase from 4 deaths in 2010. There has been a heartening increase in public awareness of police violence and abuse of powers as was evident in several cases where dissatisfied family members of victims had on their own initiative demanded post-mortems and an inquest into the cause of death of the victims. Continuing death penalties On 25 October 2011 the High Court at Shah Alam handed down the death sentence on Japanese national Mariko Takeuchi, a former nurse, for trafficking 2,493gm of methamphetamine at the Kuala Lumpur International airport on 30 October 2009. This was but the latest court case involving the mandatory death sentence for drug trafficking in Malaysia. In the course of 2011, the courts continued to hand down the mandatory death sentence on those convicted of trafficking in drugs. Denial of the right to peaceful assembly The government's refusal to allow the Bersih 2.0 rally merely encouraged the police to use uncalled-for repressive methods to disperse demonstrators. The Bersih 2.0 rally had put forward eight demands calling for free and fair elections. About 50,000 supporters gathered and witnessed with their own eyes how the police used tear gas and water cannons to drench their right to assemble peaceably. Starting from 19.6.2011, the police had begun arbitrarily arresting persons suspected to be supporters of Bersih 2.0 especially those who were wearing or were in possession of yellow T-shirts. Police had also secured restriction orders from the court against 91 individuals to bar them from the city centre on 9.7.2011.[1] A total number of 1,667 persons were arrested that day, perhaps the largest number of arrests ever on a single peaceful assembly. There was one death reported when Hadriyudin Baharudin died due to asphyxiation by tear gas. In February 2011, 109 persons were arrested in an anti-racism rally organised by the Human Rights Party (HRP) to protest against the controversial Interlok novel which contained racial slurs. Police arbitrarily arrested persons they suspected to be Hindraf supporters, especially Indians found walking in the streets. The arrested persons were detained and investigated under Section 27(5) of the Police Act 1967 for participating in an "unlawful assembly" and Section 45(1) of the Societies Act 1966 in relation to an unregistered organisation.[2] The crackdown on Hindraf's aborted rally continued for three consecutive days in two different towns.[3] On 30 November, a Peaceful Assembly bill, which the people had hoped would return the peoples' right to peaceful assembly, turned out to be more repressive than previous laws that had suppressed this right. The bill confers arbitrary powers to the police and the Home Minister and contained inter alia provisions in which organisers can be fined up to RM10, 000.00 if no advance notice of assembly is given to the police; participants can face RM20, 000.00 in fines.   Racism on the rise 2011 again saw the growing incidence of threatening racist demonstrations by the far-right with police connivance. Prior to Bersih 2.0 rally, 300 supporters from UMNO, Perkasa and unregistered NGO, Suara Anak Anak Mamak Pulau Pinang held a violent protest in George Town condemning both Pakatan Rakyat and Bersih 2.0. On 31.10.2011, about 300 noisy motorcyclists clad in yellow t-shirts rode to Penang State Legislative Assembly at lunch time causing traffic to slow down to a crawl.  Five persons were arrested but they were released later on the same day. Then on 29.11.2011, about 300 people in yellow t-shirts from NGOs of different states including Perkasa and Pertubuhan Kebajikan Sejati Malaysia marched along Penang Road to Komtar demanding the resignation of Komtar assemblyman Ng Wei Aik alleging that he was rude and unfit to be an assemblyman. Nine persons were arrested but were later released on the same day. In schools, instances of teachers and head teachers expressing racist and racial slurs continue to be documented by Suaram. Restrictions on the freedom of religion According to the international think tank, PEW Research Centre, Malaysia ranked among the top 10 in the world with some of the highest government-led restrictions on different religions and Malaysia ranked 5th in recording substantial increases in such restrictions. In March 2011, there was controversy over the stamping of 5,100 Malay-language Bible with "For Christians Only" on the cover of the bibles. This had been done without the consent of the importer, Bible Society of Malaysia. Then in May, the Democratic Action Party ("DAP") was implicated by the UMNO-owned paper Utusan Malaysia to be involved in an alleged plot by Christian priests to replace Islam with Christianity as the official religion of Malaysia. Perkasa chief, Ibrahim Ali, warned of violence against the Christian community following allegations of the establishment of a Christian State. The Law Minister Nazri Aziz said that no action would be taken against Ibrahim Ali because doing so would amount to stifling his freedom of speech. Suppression of freedom of expression The freedom of expression suffered a blow when lecturer Dr Abdul Aziz Bari was suspended by the International University of Islam for commenting on the Sultan of Selangor's pronouncement on the raid by the Selangor State government's Islamic Department JAIS' raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church. Another serious breach of the freedoms of expression and assembly occurred in November when the police banned the film fest and other activities associated with 'Seksualiti Merdeka', an annual activity to highlight the problems faced by lesbians, gay, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT). The government, through its media organs, Utusan Malaysia and other news media went on a misinformation spree by portraying "Seksualiti Merdeka" as a "free sex" festival. The law minister, in his convoluted wisdom, even propounded his thesis that homosexuality is unconstitutional because it contradicts Article 3 of the Federal Constitution (which states that Islam is the official religion of Malaysia). However, there was a glimpse of hope for freedom of expression when the Court of Appeal in a 2-1 majority decision ruled that Section 15(5) of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971[4] ("UUCA") is unconstitutional and violates freedom of expression.[5] The section allows public universities to take disciplinary action against students found to be involved in political activities. Appellants Muhammad Hilman bin Idham, Muhammad Ismail bin Aminuddin, Woon King Chai and Azlin Shafina Mohd Adzha of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia had been arrested on 22.4.2010 for participating in the Hulu Selangor by-election. Hopeful developments for freedom of Information In the course of the year, the Selangor and Penang state governments introduced amendments to their respective Freedom of Information (FOI) Acts which were a positive move in the right direction. Civil society still stressed the importance of maximum disclosure and narrow exemptions; the protection of whistle-blowers; the routine publication of information; simple procedures to enable the public to gain access to information at a minimal cost, and the need for an independent administrative oversight body. Nevertheless, until the Official Secrets Act 1972 and the Printing Presses & Publications Act 1984 are abolished or amended, FOI cannot be said to empower and promote transparency and accountability in the country. Denial of the freedom of association The Registrar of Societies (ROS) continued to curtail freedom of association by de-registering associations on technical grounds. On 12.10.2011, the Registrar of Societies de-registered the Malacca Chinese Assembly Hall (pursuant to Section 42 of the Registrar of Societies Act 1966) for holding its Annual General Meeting ("AGM") without sufficient quorum.[6] In another instance, the ROS struck off the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) following complaints from members that MMA had failed to deliver a list of candidates for elections and the failure to include the elections in the AGM agenda.[7] On 16.8.2011, the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed HRP's application for a judicial review of the ROS' refusal to register the party on grounds of it being academic, alleging that the party was not properly organised and it had failed to produce a constitution in compliance with ROS requirements.[8] Positive development for free and fair elections The positive development as a result of the Bersih 2.0 rally and in an attempt to salvage the Najib government's damaged image, a Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms ("PSC") was commissioned to review and make recommendations to reform the current electoral system. Prime Minister Najib again stirred up a storm of dissent when he said that the PSC recommendations can be implemented after the 13th General Election. He tried to justify this by claiming that the government of the day retains the discretion to dissolve the Parliament at any time during its tenure. Another positive development was seen on 14.11.2011 when six Malaysians living abroad in the United Kingdom through their counsel filed an application for a judicial review seeking to quash the Election Commission's decision not to register them as absent voters, thus depriving them their right to vote. Their counsel stated that in the event the High Court quashes the said Election Commission decision, the nation would be looking at 700,000 to 1,000,000 Malaysians living abroad voting by way of postal votes[9]. Malaysia embarrassed in refugees swap deal Malaysia made the international headlines when the refugees swap between Australia and Malaysia was aborted mainly because of Malaysia's failure to ratify the United Nations' 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol. It was a deep embarrassment for the Malaysian government to have its human rights record relating to the treatment of refugees exposed by the international media. In an attempt to circumvent international standards pertaining to protection of refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants, the government introduced the "6P" program. This program still failed to distinguish the fundamental differences between a refugee, an asylum seeker and an undocumented migrant. In the presence of deportation provisions, the 6P program contradicts the principle of non-refoulement and acts as a sanctioned "rid-all" program facilitating the Malaysian government's "immigrant cleansing" practices. Flouting the freedom of movement During 2011, several cases illustrated the government's suppression of the freedom of movement and further embarrassed the nation in the international arena. On 22.7.2011, French human rights lawyer, William Bourdon who was in Malaysia to present a speech at a fundraising dinner organised by Suaram was deported back to France. Bourdon is the lawyer representing Suaram in the on-going case in the French courts relating to suspected corruption in the purchase of two Scorpene submarines by the Malaysian government from the French naval arms producer DCNS. Then on 12.8.2011, British lawyer, Imran Khan, counsel for the Human Rights Part was detained and deported back to London on grounds of national security. He had arrived in Malaysia on a fact finding mission to investigate the marginalisation of Indians in Malaysia  in regard to Hindraf's class action suit against the United Kingdom government.  The freedom of movement was again curbed for Malaysian activists going to Sarawak for the state elections when Bersih 2.0 coalition chairman S. Ambiga together with others including Steven Ng, Wong Chin Huat and Johan Tan were barred from entering Sarawak to observe the state elections. Suhakam's inquiry into rights of indigenous peoples lauded Suaram welcomes Suhakam's national inquiry into land rights of the indigenous peoples and hopes this will be translated into positive policies to better the lives and conditions of the indigenous peoples of our country. Suhakam's stand on various events that happened in 2011 – detentions, Bersih, Seksualiti merdeka, refugees, the Peaceful Assembly Bill – were also progressive. We hope the national human rights commission will go further in being more proactive in human rights cases and even drafting alternative human rights-based bills for the people.   CONCLUSION Malaysia's human rights record for 2011 puts into question the Prime Minister Najib's promises of reforms including the repeal of detention-without-trial laws, the Police Act 1967 and assembly. The recent arrests of 13 more individuals under the ISA have confirmed our suspicions that the BN government has no intention to abolish detention without trial. The recent speedily passed Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 has deprived Malaysians of their freedom to assemble peaceably enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. Abuse of power by the police has continued as seen in the rising statistics with regard to deaths in police custody, police shootings and other forms of violence against the public. The government remains recalcitrant in refusing to implement the IPCMC as recommended by the Royal Police Commission a few years ago. The reaction by the government to the 50,000-strong rally organised by civil society on 9.7.2011 for free and fair elections was seen in the half-hearted formation of a Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms. Even so, the Prime Minister Najib still maintained that his government reserves the right to dissolve parliament at any time even before the implementation of the recommendations by the PSC. The plight of refugees has not been alleviated by the government's refusal to distinguish the fundamental differences between a refugee, an asylum seeker and an undocumented migrant. Their protection remains illusory while the Malaysian government drags its feet in ratifying the United Nations 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. With the 13th general election in sight, time is running out for the BN government to demonstrate that it is capable of reform. For the last 54 years since independence, every fundamental liberty enshrined in the federal constitution has been cynically taken away or amended beyond recognition.

Is the Deputy IGP whitewashing a misappropriation? Posted: 07 Dec 2011 10:19 PM PST When money meant for a specific project was channelled into a family firm that has nothing to do with the project, doesn't it constitute embezzlement? Isn't embezzlement akin to corruption? P Ramakrishnan, Executive committee member Thinking Malaysians are perturbed by the unbecoming conduct of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar. He was clearly trying to cover up for the Umno Wanita leader Shahrizat Jalil during the Umno General Assembly. Shahrizat is under intense scrutiny over the scandalous beef-breeding project, which was undertaken by her husband through their company, National Feedlot Corporation (NFC), with a soft-loan of RM250m from the government. Following the Auditor-General's damning disclosure that this project is in a "mess", many startling and disturbing 'fishy' details have been unearthed by the Opposition. All these allegations of impropriety involve funds meant for a national livestock project to provide a cheap supply of beef to Malaysians. From the allegations, it would appear that there has been blatant abuse and mismanagement of public funds suggesting corruption. This overwhelming and glaring evidence cannot be simply overlooked or covered-up or pushed under the carpet. Khalid's contention that "investigations have so far not revealed any element of corruption in the RM250m NFC" debacle is far-fetched, absolutely without merit and cannot be believed. It has been alleged in no uncertain terms with regard to the abuse of the funds: That Shahrizat's family bought two super luxury condos in Bangsar for RM6.9m each; That RM3m discount was given to a family-owned company; That RM3.3m was used to buy a Mercedes CLS350 and residential land in Putrajaya; That half a million was channelled to a family firm in Singapore; That huge sums of money were paid to a tour agency for family "holidays"; That the loan was released even before the agreement was signed. The above stark allegations clearly establish that the money was not used for the purpose the loan was granted. That being the case, evidently the money was mismanaged and misappropriated, suggesting wrong-doing. Is it possible that this aspect of the abuse of the loan could have gone unnoticed and without being investigated? Didn't alarm bells ring while the investigation was ongoing? Didn't it strike the investigators that something was gravely wrong for the loan to have been released before the agreement was even signed? Who authorised this huge loan of RM250m to be released without the agreement duly signed and stamped? Was this line of investigation undertaken? When money meant for a specific project was channelled into a family firm that has nothing to do with the project, doesn't it constitute embezzlement? Isn't embezzlement akin to corruption? Under whose name(s) are the luxury condos, the land in Putrajaya and the car registered? Who went on the family holidays and who authorised the use of the loan, meant for a livestock project, for this private purpose? The timing and the attempt to clear Shahrizat in this debacle is suspect and cannot be explained away as coincidence. Why did the Deputy IGP choose to reveal this during the Umno General Assembly when the investigation is ongoing? It was clearly meant to 'save' Shahrizat from prying questions. Some would even argue that it was meant to pull wool over the Umno delegates' eyes. When an official from the highest echelon of the police force is perceived to be a functionary of a political party then what credibility is there for the police? The person in the street is thoroughly disappointed and disillusioned because the police are unable to discharge their duty and responsibility in an impartial and professional manner that would have brought respect and credit to the police force.

not all is right in Lumut... Posted: 07 Dec 2011 10:15 PM PST By say no to Vale International The Perak Government has recklessly placed a huge jetty in Lumut, with construction itself costing a whopping RM 676.8 million, under foreign ownership of Brazilian mining giant Vale International SA. A jetty is considered a strategic national asset similar to a port which has to be gazetted as a Legal Landing Point. In the best interest of the country it should remain in the hands of the Government or a local nominee. The Brazilian company Vale, will bring in and ship out huge amounts of iron ore through the jetty, which will be one of the largest jetties in the country and even the world. The jetty is part of Vale International's US$1.37 billion (RM4.07 billion) maritime terminal in Lumut with capacity to dock its mega big Valemax vessels. What worries us is this… While the impact of the project in terms of the environmental consequences remains a question, the consequences of allowing a large jetty to remain in foreign hands pose a different set of questions. And the degree of spinoff- downstream value flow to the people of Perak is unanswered. The Perak Government under MB Zambry will be setting a very unhealthy precedence if it allows a foreign company to own a jetty in such a strategic shipping port such as Lumut. Then, there are a host of other issues such as control, regulation and maintenance as well as liability for dues, charges and fees. Zambry must not allow a jetty so large and important to be operated autonomously by a foreign owner. It is only right for the Government to retain control of the jetty once completed. This project is not about fulfilling the objectives of a foreign company simply because they are setting up shop and investing here. The actions of the Government in allowing Vale to do what it does should ultimately benefit the people of Perak. Are we, the locals, going to benefit from the project or are we going to be at the losing end? Even the contracts for constructing Vale's facilities have largely gone to foreign hands while only a slight number has gone to Malaysian companies. Read more at: http://sayno2vale.blogspot.com/2011/12/not-all-is-right-in-lumut.html

KLCC threatens flashmob organisers with injunction Posted: 07 Dec 2011 07:34 PM PST The organisers however say they will urge their friends to wear yellow and shop for yellow items at the KLCC this Saturday afternoon. (Free Malaysia Today) - The organisers of a protest campaign against the Peaceful Assembly Bill have been forced to change their activity from holding a flashmob to shopping for yellow items this Saturday after a legal threat from the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) management today. The organisers of the Free to Assembly campaign were issued legal notice via Facebook today by lawyers representing the KLCC management,  stating that they will be applying for a court injunction to stop the flashmob from taking place this Saturday. KLCC management – which runs the Suria KLCC shopping complex and the KLCC Park – is claiming that the two previous protest gatherings by the opponents of the Peaceful Assembly Bill have disrupted business operations of the tenants ot KLCC. The lawyers for the KLCC management added that it has come to their knowledge that another gathering is to be held this Saturday at the KLCC shopping centre and that this had raised concerns among the tenants. The lawyers urged the organisers – seven of whom they had named in their legal letter – to immediately revoke their invitations to others to participate in the gathering. They added that they have noted that so far 3,555 people have been invited through the Facebook and have urged the organisers to similarly uninvite these people from gathering. The lawyers said that if the organisers failed to do so in 24 hours, they will then take all necessary action, including filing an application for an injunction to restrain the organisers from proceeding with the gathering on Saturday. Organisers unmoved, to buy yellow items However in an immediate reaction, the organisers said that they will not be stopped from gathering at a public place. They also said that the attempt by the KLCC management was perhaps the first time in Malaysia, if not also the world, "where a flashmob is seen as a major threat that warrants a court injunction". "We reject completely the KLCC's accusation that our gatherings in the KLCC could have had "eroded and impeded the regular shoppers and visitors and members of the public to the premises and thereby disrupted the business operations of [the KLCC's] tenants". "None of the tenants operate in the KLCC Park. Rather than disrupting their businesses, our friends who attended have supported them by spending in the mall," they said in a statement today. The organisers said that they will not stop inviting their friends to gather public places, adding that they will not respond to the 24-hour notice by the KLCC. READ MORE HERE

‘We have proof that MB lied’ Posted: 07 Dec 2011 07:32 PM PST A logging company wants the police to investigate Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob and Umno secretary Rahim Abas for alleged cheating. (Free Malaysia Today) - A police report has been lodged against two Pahang Umno leaders, including Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob, for allegedly cheating a logging company over the ownership of a plot of land in Pekan, Pahang. Seruan Gemilang Makmur Sdn Bhd (SGM) shareholder Lee Sin, who filed the report today, alleged that Adnan and Rahim Abas, the Pahang Umno secretary, committed a criminal offence when they previously claimed that the 10,000 acre land belonged to the party. Lee claimed that he had obtained several documents from Umno members during the party's recent annual assembly that proved that Adnan and Rahim had "lied" and cheated SGM. He said one of the documents, which was shown to the media, indicated that Umno had failed to pay premium for the plot of logging land. This, according to Lee, meant that Umno never owned property as the state land authority would have reclaimed it. The letter dated Dec 28, 2002 sent from the land office to the Pahang Umno office was the approval for a final time extension to pay up RM4.8 million in premium for the land. "We want the police to investigate and ascertain the rightful owner of the land and take action against the two leaders if it is found that they committed a crime," said Lee, adding that his personal investigations revealed that Pahang Umno never owned any land in the state. Did MB act on his own? Lee said it should also be investigated if Adnan, who is also Pahang Umno chairman, had acted on his own or received a resolution from the Umno board of trustees. "If he had acted on his own, wouldn't it be against the regulations of the Registrar of Societies for Pahang Umno to issue a court action against our company?" he asked. READ MORE HERE

Zul Noordin: Dr Yusuf Qardawi deceived Posted: 07 Dec 2011 04:14 PM PST Member of Parliament for Kulim-Bandar Baru, Datuk Zulkifli Noordin has admitted to have deceived renowned cleric Syeikh Dr Yusuf Qardawi into issuing a fatwa supporting the sodomy II case involving Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan. "We have made a mistake…we admit making the mistake. I was among those who made the mistake, and I must meet up with Syeikh Yusuf Qardawi to make amendments. "Because…we wish to inform (that) it was true we had deceived Syeikh Yusuf Qardawi into believing that Anwar had been slandered," he said. As Anwar's lawyer, Zulkifli had prepared biased questions to elicit the fatwa from Dr Yusuf Al Qardawi in 2009. According to him, he was responsible in preparing the questions, which sided Anwar and hiding the truth about the complainant, Mohd Saiful. "I was the one who gave the briefing and prepared the questions couched in specific forms to persuade and convince Syeikh Yusuf Qardawi that Anwar had been slandered…that was how it was pictured. "We completely avoided the truth about the case, (for example) that Saiful was Anwar's employee…we didn't tell him about Saiful complaining that he had been sodomised. "We (only) described that there was slander in this sodomy case. When he understood the way we put it,  Syeikh Yusuf Qardawi immediately issued the 'Qazaf' fatwa," Zulkifli, who was one of Anwar's defence lawyers in the sodomy I trial (1998), also admitted what he did was wrong and sinful because he went to the extent of lying to the respected cleric just to save Anwar's reputation and image. "Looking back, we find we have committed much sin relating to this matter…to the extent that we even had the audacity to deceive a cleric of such stature in believing that the issue faced by Anwar was one of slander – an issue that needed to be addressed through Qazaf. "That was why I spoke in parliament…we have made a mistake and I am asking our colleagues not to persist in doing the same. "Alhamdulillah, Allah has made me realise. I still have the time to meet certain people and ask for apologies...and I have done so. "I have the responsibility to meet him (Syeikh Yusuf Qardawi) to explain and correct the situation, if it can still be corrected, that is. If he refuses to accept it, then it will be his responsibility, but at least I have tried to make amendments about what I have done," he said. http://thebenchmark0.blogspot.com/2011/12/anwar-conned-qardawi.html

PRM has not confirmed on creating Third Force with NGOs, says President Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:59 PM PST (Malaysian Digest) - Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) President Dr Rohana Ariffin today said that the party has not confirmed any move to join forces with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to offer itself  as the 'third force' for the next general election. Referring to a statement made by PRM's vice-president Koh Swe Yong in the Sun Daily yesterday, Dr Rohana said it was a statement made in his own capacity, and not a statement by PRM's central administration. "Not a statement made by the party... it's a statement made by Koh's own capacity. "The authenticity of PRM comes from statements made by the party's three leaders – president, deputy president and the secretary-general," she said when contacted by Malaysian Digest today. She said, as far as the party is concerned, the decision to work with other groups is still in the process of discussion. She added that the same goes for the decision on the three parliamentary seats in Balik Pulau, Selayang and Petaling Jaya Selatan as to whether it is just a suggestion or an open negotiation because the party wishes to avoid three-cornered fights. "We are still in the process of negotiation and have not confirmed anything yet... We are still working it out," she said when asked to comment on the possibility of the party working together with NGOs and contesting in the three parliamentary seats. Nevertheless, Dr Rohana said other parties should not misconstrue the party's suggestion to contest in the general election. However, she said for now PRM is planning to reestablish the party again by reactivating the branches in few states of the country. "But for now our main focus is to rebuild the party by activating its branches in various states including Kedah, Penang, Pahang and Johor," she said. Yesterday, the Sun Daily reported a statement from Koh that PRM is planning to join forces with more than 10 NGOs to offer themselves as the third force in the next general election. However, according to a report in China Press on Dec 5, the third force's (parties not under Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat) candidates will be contesting under the PRM banner, and the party has identified three parliamentary seats in the Klang Valley to contest in.

DAP winning over Malay voters Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:52 PM PST Seen as a Chinese-based party, DAP is making slow but steady inroads into the Bumiputera community, according to party leaders. (Free Malaysia Today) - DAP appears to be gaining ground in seemingly uncharted territory: the Malays. Despite having been around since the mid-60s, the party has been perceived as a predominantly Chinese-based party, causing many Malays to shy away from it. This perception, however, according to DAP members, is changing, albeit slowly but surely. Party member Zairil Khir Johari said that the DAP was only recently able to tap into the Malay grassroots after the 2008 general election. "Before 2008, the Malay support for DAP was almost non-existent," he said, adding that the alternative political choice was usually the Islamic-based PAS. "If you joined the opposition, if you had problems with the government, the natural appeal would be PAS. They have (access to) the suraus and the mosques, which DAP does not have. "Umno would have its ketua kampung (village chief), while PAS has the religious (advantage), but if the DAP wanted to open a branch in a village, it would be so artificial," said Zairil, who is also DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's political secretary. DAP's lack of a large Malay support base for the past 40 years, Zairil claimed, was partially because it was an "urban-based" party; it was more attractive to the city-living Chinese. The government's control of the mainstream media did not help the party either. Malay branches in Penang According to Zairil, the Umno-linked Malay-based media groups such as Utusan Malaysia blacks out anything DAP-related, unless it was negative. These factors, according to Zairil, made sure that even urban Malays were kept unaware of the DAP's handiwork. However, the party's entry into the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, coupled with access to the alternative media, appears to have helped its position, Zairil claimed. He said that the party has been able to open a few Malay branches in Penang, with forays into Perlis as well. Though acknowledging that its Pakatan allies – PKR and PAS – were there to attract Malay voters, DAP president Karpal Singh said that the party needed to make its own effort in reaching out to the Malays. "PKR and PAS are there, but we shouldn't rely on them. We have to go ahead with our own Malay support. Recently, there have been some Malays who have joined us." "They're not shying away from the DAP… but they're not coming in at the extent that we'd want," he said. Karpal said that the DAP had seen some Malay representation over the years, such as through former Bayan Baru MP Ahmad Nor and current Senator Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim. Even so, he said these efforts into the Malay heartland were not enough. READ MORE HERE

Political branding just rhetoric Posted: 07 Dec 2011 03:49 PM PST Political observers believe that the rakyat are now able to see past political rhetoric and are demanding 'responsible' candidates. Stephanie Sta Maria, Free Malaysia Today An impending and critical 13th general election has spurred the country's two political coalitions to start branding of candidates. Barisan Nasional (BN) has hammered the word "winnable" over the heads of its future candidates with Umno president, Najib Tun Razak, defining them as those accepted by the new generation. Pakatan Rakyat, having recovered from a series of blows, has promised to field "principled" candidates whom PKR president, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, described as those who hold true to the principle of struggle and are not tempted by wealth. But neither terminology has impressed political observers who unhesitatingly stripped both brandings down to their rhetorical basics . Associate Professor of the Political Science School in Singapore Management University, Bridget Welsh, called it nothing more than politicking as well as an indication of the different broad orientations of both coalitions. "One is driven to win at all costs and hold on to power while the other is trying to portray itself as the political high ground," she noted. "The focus of both sides should not be on terminology but on efforts to select and groom strong candidates." "Malaysian voters are sceptical of both sides and are less interested in the talk than they are in the evidence and delivery of strong viable candidates who can improve governance and represent people well." Political analyst, Khoo Kay Peng, said should such candidates be found and fielded, they would be better pitched as "responsible" or "effective" rather than "winnable" or "principled". "Politics is not about winning but serving," he said. "Right now, political parties are hard-pressed to come up with something new and convincing enough to garner solid public vote and support." READ MORE HERE

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