Selasa, 13 Disember 2011

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News


Can Najib walk the talk?

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 12:26 PM PST

Some friends from the mainstream media have met up with me in Bangkok to explore the possibility of doing such an interview. But they are not sure whether their government-controlled newspapers will censor the interview. I told them I will agree to the interview only on condition, and that is it is not one-sided and censored. But they are not sure whether their editors can agree to this.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

We are hearing a lot of politically correct sound-bytes coming from Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Of course, not many, not even those in Umno, believe what he is saying. They know it is all a lot of political talk, mere rhetoric. But it sure sounds good nevertheless.

I would like to throw Najib a challenge, to allow him to demonstrate his goodwill, that what he is saying is sincere and that he is genuine in what he is saying. And he can do this by giving me space in the mainstream media. After all, if he can give the hardcore Umno Bloggers space (like visits to the submarine), why can't he also give me space -- if what he is saying is true and not just political talk?

There will of course be one condition. They must not pick and choose from what I say, as what they did in my TV3 interview in February this year (which was aired only in April, close to the Sarawak state elections). They must publish the entire text of my interview.

Secondly, the interview must be in English, not in Bahasa Malaysia. This is to avoid any distortion to what I say (again, like in the TV3 interview). My Bahasa Malaysia is not as good as my English and the way I express myself in Bahasa Malaysia (that is, in the Terengganu East Coast manner) can be misinterpreted if you do not come from Terengganu.

I promise, I will be very critical of the opposition (and with the current developments in the opposition with so many opposition leaders demonstrating their warlord and godfather egos they deserve criticism). However, I shall also be critical of the government and Umno (and this is the part I want published and which should be published if what Najib is saying has any credibility).

Is Najib prepared to allow the mainstream media to do this? Let's see.

Some friends from the mainstream media have met up with me in Bangkok to explore the possibility of doing such an interview. But they are not sure whether their government-controlled newspapers will censor the interview. I told them I will agree to the interview only on condition, and that is it is not one-sided and censored. But they are not sure whether their editors can agree to this.

Some of the issues they wanted to talk about were regarding my perceived fallout with the opposition and Anwar Ibrahim. In fact, they wanted to meet me to ask me whether such a fallout actually exists and if so, why? I told them if they want the answer to that question then it would have to be asked in a formal interview and it must be published. I am not about to satisfy their curiosity by giving them a private, off the record interview.

That's all I want to say today. I am in the final week of my course and I have a lot of papers to complete so this week I have no time for cheong hei (long-winded) articles. Next week, once my course has ended, we can indulge in my normal three-page articles.

Till then I await the response from Najib's boys. Do they have the guts to engage me? If they don't then Najib's so-called openness and reforms is nothing but pure bullshit.

Till later.
 

Mixed signals

Posted: 11 Dec 2011 09:08 AM PST

So what is it that these Muslims want? Do they want Islam or do they want to get rich? Islam is demonised. Muslim leaders like Nik Aziz are demonised. They scream that leaders like Nik Aziz are not compatible to development. Maybe Nik Aziz is a good Muslim but he does not know how to make the people rich. And at the end of the day getting rich is what matters.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The first impression one gets about Islam is that Muslims like to show off. The piety of a Muslim is measured by the public demonstration he or she exudes.

A good Muslim is one who dresses the Islamic way -- a person who wears a tudung or purdah, white skullcap, Arab robe, etc. A person who goes to Mekah every year to perform the umrah or haj is a good Muslim. A person who can utter verses of the Quran or quotes from the Hadith in Arabic from memory is a good Muslim. A person who organises usrahs (religious classes) in his/her home and invites friends over to listen to sermons by renowned or famous preachers/scholars is a good Muslim. A person who not only prays five times a day in the privacy of his/her home but goes to the mosque to participate in congregational prayers is a good Muslim. A person who donates to the local orphanage is a good Muslim.

And the list goes on. It is all about what you demonstrate publicly for all and sundry to witness. And the more public demonstrations you conduct the more you will be considered a pious Muslim.

A good Muslim is also one who does not participate in un-Islamic activities. And this will include not participating in Christmas parties, New Year parties, Valentine's Day events, etc. In fact, wedding anniversaries, birthday parties, National Day celebrations, Labour Day events, etc., are also western or un-Islamic activities, although Muslims somehow do not appear to have any problems with these.

Muslims get extremely upset when Muslims leave Islam to become Christians, Hindus or Buddhists (I do not know of any Muslims who leave Islam to become Jews though). They will threaten bloodshed to those Christians, Hindus or Buddhists who proselytise to Muslims. In fact, the Federal Constitution of Malaysia clearly forbids Christians, Hindus or Buddhists from proselytising to Muslims.

It is not that Muslims can't leave Islam to, say, become atheists. In fact, many do and we actually have a large number of Muslims who are Muslims in name only but not in spirit. It is just that you must leave Islam quietly without making a public demonstration of it.

If you want to leave Islam just don't tell anyone. Leave Islam in your heart. Don't announce it. Then Muslims would not get upset. It is, again, all about public demonstrations. Don't show you have left Islam. Pretend you are still a Muslim. Then Muslims will not get upset although they know that you are actually no longer a Muslim in your heart but are pretending to still be a Muslim.

Of course, if any Christian, Hindu or Buddhist were to convert to Islam, we have to make a big show of it. The whole world must be told. In fact, the world will be told that these people reverted, not converted, to Islam. This is because everyone is considered a Muslim before they came into this world. So, if you become a Muslim, you have reverted and not converted to Islam.

Most Muslims will say they are Muslim first and Malay second (some will also say they are Malay first and Malaysian second). Islam is the number one priority followed by all other things.

But here is where we begin to see the contradiction. And this contradiction is no slip of the tongue but the fault of the mind. It is just the mindset of the Muslims revealing itself. And what is revealed is the insincerity and hypocrisy of the Muslims. It shows the Muslims for what they really are, all talk.

Let me give you one example. I consider Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat a most sincere and devoted Muslim, someone whom I respect immensely. In fact, he is sometimes a bit too sincere for my liking, which makes him a bad politician. Nik Aziz will say what is in his heart, which may not be the politically correct thing to do (in politics you must know how to bluff, pretend, play to the gallery, and say what the people want to hear).

But do the Muslims sing Nik Aziz's praises? Nik Aziz is a perfect Muslim. So why condemn him?

Well, they condemn him because, according to these Muslims, Kelantan has not developed in the 21 years that Nik Aziz was its Menteri Besar. In fact, they shudder at the thought of Nik Aziz becoming Malaysia's Prime Minister (which is very surprising if these people are really as good a Muslim as they pretend to be since Nik Aziz is a perfect Muslim).

So, what is the priority here? Is it Islam or is it development? Do they want a perfect Muslim society or do they want a rich society?

It appears that, at the end of the day, a perfectly run state is one where we all become rich. If getting rich is more important than living in a perfect Islamic society then why worry if Muslims leave Islam? Are not the most advanced and richest societies the non-Muslim societies? In fact, Muslim societies are very backward.

So what is it that these Muslims want? Do they want Islam or do they want to get rich? Islam is demonised. Muslim leaders like Nik Aziz are demonised. They scream that leaders like Nik Aziz are not compatible to development. Maybe Nik Aziz is a good Muslim but he does not know how to make the people rich. And at the end of the day getting rich is what matters.

Muslims are sending mixed signals and it is confusing those who are not Muslims. On the one hand they scream about Islam, and about not allowing Muslims to leave Islam, and about banning rock concerts, and about persecuting and jailing gays, and whatnot. On the other hand they condemn good Muslim leaders because they are not able to make us rich.

If getting rich is what is important then all we need to do is to put aside Islam and let all hell break loose. Malaysia's neighbour, Thailand, is very successful because it does not allow religion to get in the way of business. Thailand is the number one tourist destination because Islam does not dictate what the Thais do. Come join me in Bangkok and I will show you what I mean (in the event you are still blur).

If Nik Aziz were to allow in Kota Bharu what they do just across the border in Golok, Kelantan would be the richest state in Malaysia, in spite of having no oil/gas.

I mean, what else can Kelantan offer? The location of the state puts it in a most disadvantageous situation. There is no way you can develop the state because of where it is located. But if Kota Bharu were to be turned into a twin-city of Golok, the new vice centre of Malaysia, then everyone will get rich. But of course we would have to put Islam aside for that to happen.

Umno ruled the state for 12 years from 1978 to 1990. Are you telling me that the state did any better when under Umno? Even when under Umno it still needed federal government money to develop the state. So what else is new?

It has nothing to do with Nik Aziz. Even if Najib became the Menteri Besar of Kelantan, and without federal government money, the situation would be no different.

The bottom line is, when Muslims scream about Islam it is all a public demonstration. It is just a show of piety. At the end of the day the priority is still money. And that is why these Muslims whack Nik Aziz, because it is about money and not about Islam.
 

Is Najib prepared to go all the way?

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 08:45 AM PST

How can we develop Malaysians with intellectual abilities unless we are prepared to set aside boundaries and religious dogma and allow Malaysians to think and express their thoughts with no holds barred?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Najib: Intellectual capital crucial for Malaysia's development

(Bernama) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak underlined the importance of developing the country's intellectual capital, saying that even if the country produces one or two geniuses, the impact to the nation would be tremendous.

Speaking at the opening of an exposition organised by Permata on Saturday, Najib said intellectual prowess of individuals should be nurtured from the beginning, particularly when they were at the age of two to five.

The prime minister said the government allocated nearly 25 per cent in each budget to develop education and provide training in the effort to develop the country's human and intellectual capital.

He acknowledged however that there was a gap in this effort, saying that those in the "top most of the intellectual pyramid" -- namely those with genius tendencies averaging about one per cent or less -- had not been given sufficient attention previously.

"We have ensured that those at the bottom and middle of the pyramid are given ample opportunities but those at the peak, children who have extraordinary IQ, have not had any specific programme."

"If we don't nurture this one per cent, then our society will stand to lose these great potentials. If we can produce just several geniuses, the impact to the country will be very big indeed," he said.

He added that if these groups were left without being given any assistance, they might only be "one or two gems" emerging from them.

"However, if we have a holistic programme, such as the Permata programme, there may be hundreds if not thousands of these children will eventually emerge as gems for our country," he said.

Najib said: "We help those who are weak and those with disabilities; we also help those who are capable; let's not forget to help those with extraordinary capabilities."

Stressing a point, Najib who is Permata programme committee chairman, said there were countries with less resources like Japan and South Korea but emerged as major economic powerhouses because of their ability to develop their intellectual capital and high-performance work ethics.

"There are also countries with rich natural resources but becoming a fail state or remain backward because of their failure to develop their intellectual capital," he said.

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

The above is probably the most sensible thing Najib ever said since he became Prime Minister and I absolutely agree with what he said. The issue here is: how far is Najib prepared to go? Is he prepared to go all the way?

To be able to develop the intellectual abilities of Malaysians and to see the emergence of geniuses it would involve removing the shackles from the minds of Malaysians. Malaysians must be allowed to think and to express themselves with no holds barred. There must not be any sacred cows, whether it is religion or whatever.

As it stands now, there are too many limitations and boundaries. Malaysians are not free to think what they want to think and to express what they think. This is particularly so when it comes to matters involving Islam. Muslims are not allowed to have a free mind. They can only think and talk whatever it is that religious dogma allows.

You are not allowed thoughts of your own. Your thoughts must reflect only what is allowed. And you will be punished if you have any other thoughts and if you express these thoughts that may run contra to religious dogma.

Yes, to breed intellectual minds and to give birth to geniuses, you cannot imprison the minds of the people. Even if what they think and say is opposed to what you think, it must be allowed.

Can JAKIM, JAIS, JAWI, etc., tolerate this? They wont even allow Muslims to celebrate Valentine's Day or wear a Santa Clause hat. How do we develop the minds of Malaysians like this?

There are just too many dos and don'ts. And there are more don'ts than dos. This stifles the minds of Malaysians and curtails intellectual growth.

How can we develop Malaysians with intellectual abilities unless we are prepared to set aside boundaries and religious dogma and allow Malaysians to think and express their thoughts with no holds barred?
 

When the mouth moves faster than the brain

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 06:14 PM PST

Ibrahim Ali and those of his ilk need to come into the modern world. They have to extricate themselves from this imaginary world of Hang Tuah and Taming Sari and all that bullshit. The English do not live in the world of King Arthur and Excalibur. It is time the Malays did the same.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

ISA a weapon for Malays like Taming Sari, says Ibrahim Ali

(The Malaysian Insider) -- Datuk Ibrahim Ali has likened the Internal Security Act (ISA) to the legendary keris, Taming Sari, describing the law as a "weapon" to protect Malay special rights from being challenged.

"The Taming Sari keris, a weapon for the Malays, is gone."

"Where is our Taming Sari if we wish to safeguard Malay interests in future?" the Perkasa chief said at the Najib Razak Seminar held at the International Islamic University Malaysia (UIA) here.

The Taming Sari is the legendary keris owned by Malay warrior Hang Tuah, which was said to confer upon its owner the power of invincibility.

Ibrahim stressed that the spirit of the ISA, which allows for detention without trial, must live on in new replacement laws so police have the tools to handle issues that threaten Malaysia's multi-religious society.

He cited the recent rise in challenges to Malay hegemony, including the "Allah" issue, the Bersih rally, and an incident where a pig's head was thrown into a surau, as examples of "sensitive issues" that could lead to racial strife.

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

This is what you get when Malays live in an imaginary world. I wonder whether the English would talk about King Arthur's legendary magical sword, Excalibur, which is supposed to make the owner invincible. 

"The Excalibur sword, a weapon for the English, is gone. Where is our Excalibur if we wish to safeguard English interests in future?" laments England's version of Ibrahim Ali.

"We need detention without trial to safeguard English interests and protect Christianity from the Muslims who are flooding England and are threatening the rights and privileges of the English."

"Muslims currently represent less than 10% of the population and yet they are screaming and foaming at the mouth asking for halal food to be sold in the supermarkets and asking for more Shariah courts."

"Unless we have detention without trial the Muslims will overrun England and once they reach 10% of the population they will act like they own the country. The Muslims are too demanding and the English are being pushed aside as the Muslims dominate British society."

Yes, if an Englishman starts screaming like Ibrahim Ali, people would regard him as a nutcase. Furthermore, he would be arrested and sent to jail for the crime of racism.

Does Ibrahim Ali ever look at himself in the mirror as he practices his speeches? And if he does, what does he see? Can he see his mouth moving faster than his brain?

Of late, Malay-Muslim leaders are uttering a lot of embarrassing statements. How can detention without trial serve Malay interests or protect Malay interests? I just can't see the relevance. When I was in Kamunting the majority of the detainees were Malay-Muslims. They were not enemies of Islam. In fact, they were people who were alleged to be extremist Muslims, people who were detained because of their work for Islam.

In short, Muslims are the victims of detention without trial, not the so-called enemies of Islam.

Ibrahim Ali and those of his ilk need to come into the modern world. They have to extricate themselves from this imaginary world of Hang Tuah and Taming Sari and all that bullshit. The English do not live in the world of King Arthur and Excalibur. It is time the Malays did the same.

Zulkifil Nordin, Ibrahim Ali's gang member, has also made a most interesting confession (see below). I thought there was such a thing as lawyer-client privileges. Apparently, Zul has never heard of such a thing. I wonder where he obtained his law degree from? Can he be disbarred for this?

Anyway, Zul confessed that he used Islam for political gain. So, what else is new? Isn't this what many Muslims seem to be doing? Zul has just come out into the open to admit what most of us already know, and that is Islam is just a political tool and most Muslims talk about Islam when it suits them and will caste aside Islam when it suits them better.

Is it any wonder that many view Muslims as a joke?

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

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. 

 

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






 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News


PD’s man in the hot seat

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 12:21 PM PST

Municipal Council President Abdul Wahab talks about the problems he faces and the good things that lie in store for the tourist town

Ravi said it's difficult for tourists to purchase the tickets on weekends. I don't understand what the actual issue is. There are no parking charges on weekends. But still, to say that the coupons are not sold on Saturday and Sunday is a lie.

Zefry Dahalan, Free Malaysia Today

Many people would envy someone who heads the local government in a tourist town, but Port Dickson's Abdul Wahab Samsudin says he has no time to bask in it, what with his state assemblyman constantly breathing down his neck.

In a recent wide-ranging interview with FMT, he complained that PKR's M Ravi, sometimes aided by Ean Yong Tin Sin (DAP-Lukut), was always finding fault with his administration.

He rejected the allegation that he held a bias against Pakatan Rakyat politicians, although he admitted to withholding written permission for their programmes.

Abdul Wahab became president of the Port Dickson Municipal Council (MPPD) in 2009. He said it had been a hot seat for him since Day One.

Apart from responding to various allegations by Ravi and Yong, he also explained some the efforts being done to improve Port Dickson's appeal to visitors.

Excerpts from the interview:

The Pakatan Rakyat representatives allege that you are denying them the right to put up festival banners carrying their party logos. What is your response?

Those allegations are not true. I gave them permission orally, but I told them I could not give them written permission. They asked why. It is within my authority to give either oral or written permission. What's wrong with giving it orally?

I told my officers not to dismantle the banners. I have no problem with them having their party logos on the banners. But previously we did remove the banners. At that point of time, they had not asked for permission.

What about your recent rejection of their application to use the town hall for a badminton tournament?

They wanted to use the hall on Dec 3. I rejected the application because the town hall was due for upgrading works at that point of time.

They insisted that we give them a rejection letter. I said it was not necessary because I didn't want them to use the letter for political purposes.

Recently, Pakatan representatives speaking at a public forum likened the Port Dickson beach to a rubbish dump. How true is that?

I'm aware of the allegations as they were reported in a newspaper. They are lies. In the pictures published in the newspaper, one of the Pakatan leaders was holding an empty plastic bag. If Port Dickson is a dumping ground, then where is the so-called rubbish?

We clean the beach regularly and consistently conduct cleaning campaigns with NGOs. How can they say that Port Dickson is a rubbish dump?

When I took over the MPPD in 2009, "Cleanliness is our priority" became our motto.

As an elected representative, Ravi should not tarnish the image of the Port Dickson with tags like that. It will give the town a negative image among tourists. It will have implications on the local traders and hotel operators as well.

Let me speak about another issue that Ravi raised. He questioned the rationale of installing convex mirrors at the end of every row of shophouses. He said those mirrors should instead be installed at road junctions, where they would be useful to motorists.

He did not check the facts with us. We installed the mirrors not for motorists, but for pedestrians. We fix them at the walls of banks and corner shops to alert the public against criminals hiding behind walls.

He said the mirrors were a waste of public funds. This project comes under the Local Government and Housing Ministry's budget. We installed the convex mirrors as part of the Town Safety project under the ministry and we were accorded the Safe Town status by the ministry.

What about the drainage system in Port Dickson? The town is flood prone, isn't it?

We are trying our best to maintain the drainage system. Some parts of the system are under our jurisdiction and the rest are under the Drainage Department.

Much of Port Dickson is below sea level. There will be floods no matter how big the monsoon drains are.

What about the status of the Lukut landfill? Wasn't is supposed to be closed and rubbish redirected to a new landfill in Bukit Nanas?

I can't comment too much on this as the matter as it is under the jurisdiction of the state and federal governments.

The landfill sits on state government land and MPPD just supervises it.

But I've learnt that the shift to Bukit Nanas is in progress.

Ravi told the State Assembly that the counters selling parking coupons are too far from the parking lots and motorists had complained that agents selling the tickets were late in opening those counters. He said that both these facts had resulted in many motorists being fined for parking without coupons.

Actually this is the result of the motorists' habit of buying the coupons at the last minute. As locals from Port Dickson, why can't you buy the coupons earlier?

Ravi said it's difficult for tourists to purchase the tickets on weekends. I don't understand what the actual issue is. There are no parking charges on weekends. But still, to say that the coupons are not sold on Saturday and Sunday is a lie.

Whatever we want to introduce is always seen as wrong. If they have the attitude of wanting to oppose everything, then it's very difficult for us.

We initially gazetted 14 areas where we would use the parking coupon system, but we only implemented it in two areas. These two are business areas. We don't have parking charges at beaches or other tourist areas.

The coupon system is superior to the coin machine system. Coin machines are very costly and prone to vandalism. We conducted a study on three parking systems—the coupon, coin and receipt systems. We found the coupon system to be the best.

We collected RM400,000 six months after implementing the coupon system. Just imagine that! The system also generates income for the agents who sell them.

Ravi spoke of cases in which motorists were compounded even as they were buying their coupons. This is not true. I told my enforcement officers to wait for the motorists to go back to their vehicles from booths or shops selling the coupons.

The cases in which they were compounded were when they disappeared after parking their cars, or reappeared only after 30 minutes.

READ MORE HERE

 

Penang PKR’s municipal councillor quits party

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 12:16 PM PST

(The Star) - Parti Keadilan Rakyat member Lim Boo Chang announced he had resigned from the party and Penang Municipal Council councillor post Wednesday.

According to him, he had tendered his resignation letters to the council and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail.

Lim expressed his interest in returning to Gerakan.

Lim, a Bukit Gelugor PKR chairman, is a familiar face in Penang politics for over 25 years.

He joined PKR in June 2008. He was a former national Gerakan Youth chief and vice-president in the 1990s.

He quit the party shortly after the 1999 polls when he successfully defended the Datuk Keramat state seat in Penang.

About three weeks after his resignation, the two-term assemblyman joined MCA where he stayed for eight years.

He was suspended from the MCA along with then Jawi assemblywoman Tan Cheng Liang in 2002 when the duo abstained from voting against a DAP-tabled motion during an assembly sitting.

He resigned from MCA in early June 2008 and joined PKR.

 

PAS ganti UMNO?

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 11:30 AM PST

Saya teringat akan kata-kata ulamak Islam Syeikh Muhamad Abduh (1849-1905) ketika dia melawat Eropah dia mengkagumi kemajuan dan ketamadunan Eropah (Barat) yang nilainya sama dengan Islam.  Dia berkata, "I went to the West and saw Islam, I got back to the East and saw Muslims but not Islam".

Mujahid Yusof Rawa, Merdeka Reivew

Muqadimah

Program PAS Ganti UMNO (PGU) telahpun dilancarkan awal tahun ini.  Ia merupakan satu slogan bagi meyakini orang ramai bahawa ketiadaan UMNO sebagai parti dominon bukanlah bererti orang Melayu hilang arah kerana PAS akan tampil untuk mengambil alih kepimpinan dan politik orang Melayu.  Ini bersandarkan kepada realiti bahawa PAS adalah merupakan parti komponen PR yang terbesar berpandukan kepada keahlian, jentera dan pengalaman.  Saya boleh bersetuju PGU dalam konteks pengambilalihan kepimpinan politik Melayu tapi awas!  Kalau ganti itu membawa makna PAS akan ganti "perangai" UMNO di tampuk pemerintahan, saya akan menolak slogan PGU.  Itulah yang diluahkan oleh Timbalan Presiden PAS dalam ucapannya yang disiarkan dalam MerdekaReview pada 5 Disember 2011, ditulis oleh Lim Hong Siang.

Jangan Ganti Perangai UMNO


Perangai buruk UMNO sebagai parti yang memerintah kerajaan persekutuan hari ini boleh disimpulkan dalam satu permasalahan yang dinamakan sebagai isu integriti.  Persoalan ini menghantui UMNO dan mendapat persepsi yang buruk di kalangan rakyat.  Apakah PAS ganti UMNO untuk rakyat nanti menyaksikan pemimpin PAS hidup mewah di luar kemampuannya?  Ataukah bakal-bakal Menteri dalam kabinet Pakatan nanti khususnya PAS akan mengulangi "perangai" minta komisyen atau salahguna kuasa yang ada?  Itukah maksud PGU?  Persoalan ini membimbangkan Timbalan Presiden PAS itu.

Islam dan Muslimin

Mohamad bin Sabu atau lebih dikenali sebagai Mat Sabu melontarkan satu ide tentang bagaimana Barat lebih dilihat Islamik dari sudut tatacara kelola kewangan negara, ketelusan dan integriti sebuah kerajaan dan hak asasi manusia.  Saya teringat akan kata-kata ulamak Islam Syeikh Muhamad Abduh (1849-1905) ketika dia melawat Eropah dia mengkagumi kemajuan dan ketamadunan Eropah (Barat) yang nilainya sama dengan Islam.  Dia berkata, "I went to the West and saw Islam, I got back to the East and saw Muslims but not Islam".  Saya yakin Mat Sabu tidak berkata tanpa satu pengamatan dari susur galur kebangkitan Eropah dan zaman malap tamadun Islam.  Apa yang malang dari kenyataan Mat Sabu ialah keadaan tidak berubah sejak ia diucapkan oleh Syeikh Muhammad Abduh kurun yang lampau.

Tunjuk contoh dulu


Saya memahami bahawa apa yang disebut oleh Timbalan Presiden PAS itu didasari oleh kebimbangan melihat masa depan PAS dan Pakatan Rakyat secara umum jikalau diberi amanah untuk memerintah.  Ini adalah kerana tidak ada gunanya kita melaungkan reformasi atau islah jika kita gagal membuat perubahan dan membongkah akar umbi kebusukan yang akan ditinggalkan oleh regim lama BN.  Kalau kita mengulangi kebusukan BN maka reformasi kita hanya kosmetik dan hanya tukar baju tapi dalam penuh dengan panau dan kurap.  Saya berpendapat bahawa kenyataan Mat Sabu mewakili ramai dari rakyat yang mahukan perubahan yang tulen dan bukan palsu.

Jalan sukar

Berkenaan dengan Arab Spring Revolution yang menumbangkan kebusukan regim diktator dunia Arab, saya berpendapat perubahan regim yang berlaku akan mengalami jalan yang sukar dan berliku.  Ini adalah kerana buat sekian lama dunia Arab bukan sahaja berada di bawah pemerintahan kuku besi tetapi kedudukan sosial dan strata masyarakat serta keadaan ekonomi membentuk satu cabaran yang besar kepada order baru seperti Tunisia, Mesir, Libya dan Syria.

Pengajaran

Pengalaman kebangkitan Arab mengajar kita untuk membuat lonjakan dalam melakar perubahan regim.  Saya mencadangkan bagi mengukuhkan pandangan Mat Sabu (gambar kiri), lonjakan kita mesti melibatkan program kesedaran, pemodelan negeri Pakatan sebagai contoh dan reformasi parti-parti politik yang perlu dilihat telus dalam menyusun sistem organisasi parti.  Parti-parti politik kita khususnya komponen Pakatan masih tidak menunjukkan kesungguhan mereformasi partinya dulu sebelum mampu mengemukakan reformasi politik.

Mat Sabu saja yang tahu

Adapun kenyataan Mat Sabu yang mengatakan golongan kiri dan liberal Barat lebih dilihat bersungguh mengamalkan integriti, ia adalah satu cabaran besar kepada parti Islam yang seharusnya mengungguli prinsip integriti berdasarkan prinsip moral yang dilaungkan.  Apakah benar kebimbangan Mat Sabu itu, adakah benar dakwaan beberapa EXCO Kelantan tidak mencerminkan kehidupan sederhana yang dilaungkan oleh PAS?

Saya tidak mempunyai jawapan, hanya Mat Sabu yang tahu apakah maksud yang tersirat daripada kenyataannya.  Namun mengenali Mat Sabu, beliau adalah orang yang setia kepada parti dan tidak mempunyai apa-apa kepentingan apabila memberi pandangan.  Saya juga berpendapat Mat Sabu berada sebagai orang nombor dua parti Islam untuk menjalankan tugas mengocak air yang tenang supaya parti jangan berada di zon selesa.

 

Political rhetoric to the fore

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 10:05 AM PST

Weigh the threats with caution

When the member from Gombak, Azmin Ali, wanted to tear down the walls of the Sungai Buloh Prison to free Anwar Ibrahim if he were to be found guilty at his current on-going trial for sodomy, or a leader promising to take to the streets if the election results were not to their liking, then we should be careful.

By Zainul Ariffin Md Isa, New Straits Times

WITH the political season heating up, our daily diet of speeches has gotten hotter. This is the time for political speak, which is often high on rhetoric and metaphors.

So for the upcoming general election, Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) members have been advised by their president to prepare for war, while Pakatan Rakyat leaders have been asking us to help them to save the country.

Some speeches are to inspire, some to motivate, some to proclaim, while others to incite. Politicians, by profession, do a lot of them to drum up support and rouse people into action (read vote). Some do that and nothing else, ever on the stump from the first day they were elected.

People get the exaggerations and the over-the-top-ness of great political speak, since they add colour and vigour, and are able to encapsulate ideas in a nutshell for easy and manageable bites. They get the adrenaline going and make an otherwise passive act of listening into a participatory thing.

But even if people understand that in the heat of battle we tend to say things, they are unlikely to tolerate flippant, chauvinistic and racist remarks -- hence, for example, the controversy that followed Pas deputy president Mat Sabu's belittling of dead servicemen and Perak assemblyman Nga's racist reference to  his mentri besar.

When Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said his party should be prepared for war, we know no one was training for combat nor expecting to put life or limb on the line. It's war, but not the warring kind -- the battlegrounds are the constituencies; it is not turf nor resources the fight is all about, but instead a share of voters' hearts and minds.

Politicians like to evoke a sense of battle. In politics where ideas are grand and visions are pure -- it is the "fight" between good and evil, us against them, our way of life and theirs, etc -- the images get them along quickly.

War suggests battles, and the ultimate outcome of war is that the winner takes all. The loser, too, loses something more precious, which is his sovereignty. So if Umno or BN members don't  get the message --  they lose everything if they were defeated in the political battlefield -- then, I suppose, nothing else will.

In political speak, many try to evoke a sense of the divine, too, or semi-divine. The Pas president was famous for branding Umno infidels to the point that animals slaughtered by them were haram. Its adviser, too, can do no wrong and comes out with edicts almost at will.

A sense of drama would be great, too. DAP "Godfather" Karpal Singh suggested that he was willing to die -- over his dead body -- in his opposition of the hudud. I believe it was a figure of speech from him, rattling the cages, though not necessarily literally fighting to the death with his mates in Pas, who at this moment still see hudud as the end game in a Pakatan Rakyat takeover of the government.

It is also good to be lumped by association with underdog political figures, like American civil rights leader Martin Luther King, or Myanmar prisoner of conscience Aung San Suu Kyi, or South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, by referring to them in political speeches.

 Us, the unwashed masses, should be too thick to see through them, I suppose.

Righteousness is such a common commodity in the Dewan Rakyat, peppered in all speeches that at times we hope all of the righteous right honourable elected members could practise it beyond the confines of the august hall.

But it is when politicians decide to disband from the metaphors and start being specific, which is not along the lines of someone saying that someone is God's gift to Malaysians, that we should worry about.

When the member from Gombak, Azmin Ali, wanted to tear down the walls of the Sungai Buloh Prison to free Anwar Ibrahim if he were to be found guilty at his current on-going trial for sodomy, or a leader promising to take to the streets if the election results were not to their liking, then we should be careful.

Similarly, there is no poetic reference to a suggestion that our submarines cannot dive. There is no vagueness in the statement. Was the intention in the political speech then to rouse anger by propagating unsubstantiated untruths?

Would Azmin really be bringing Anwar supporters armed with hammers and picks to break down the walls? If he was not, then he better find a better speechwriter; his metaphor sucks. There was no reference to the alleged walls of injustice, for instance, but instead the brick and mortar walls of the Sungai Buloh Prison.

If he is serious, then he must surely be an anarchist. The specificity of his threat to create chaos or tear down buildings is  a threat at subverting law and order and to create chaos.

Former Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan suggested that Myanmar is better than Malaysia in the issue of human rights. We have made the case that politicians -- which I think Ambiga is, based on the company she keeps -- like to exaggerate. But even then, I cannot reconcile her statement with the images of street protesters  shot in the streets by the armed forces, and guess what, we are worse off than that.

We can live with the hyperbole. We know when they are full of rhetoric and when they are not. We know they are political speak, mostly words to add spice to the situation.

But surely, we can live without some of them.

Perhaps we can laugh at them as the consequences of politicians getting shallow on ideas trying to drum up emotion in the absence of substance.

 

DAP feud has PAS worried

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 09:56 AM PST

(The Star) - Penang PAS is disturbed over the ongoing spat between DAP chairman Karpal Singh and his deputy secretary-general Dr P. Ramasamy.

If this open-ended conflict worsens, it may impact the political support for the Pakatan Rakyat alliance, said state PAS deputy commissioner III Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa.

Although PAS regards the issue as an internal matter of DAP, but as a Pakatan partner, it cannot help but feel concerned over what has transpired, Dr Mujahid, who is the Parit Buntar MP, said in an interview.

"I am a nobody to advise the likes of Karpal, a veteran Opposition figure, or Dr Ramasamy, our Deputy Chief Minister II here. However, PAS hopes the matter can be resolved fast."

Every political party that practises democracy could face conflicts and misunderstandings but what is important, is how the party resolves them, said Dr Mujahid.

Penang Barisan Nasional secretary Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahya said that party leaders who espoused democracy should be able to stomach and not take offence to such trivial remarks as 'warlords' and 'godfathers'.

"This is the impression that is formed by the public when they witnessed how the DAP leaders bickered among themselves during the Penang DAP convention (last Sunday)," said Dr Hilmi.

Asked whether the perceived internal rift among the DAP leaders would give Barisan an advantage in the next general election, Dr Hilmi replied that it was still up to the voters to make their choice.

"I am sure that they are wise enough to decide who they want to run the state government."

 

 

Sodomy II: You Are Also On Trial

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 09:31 AM PST

Malaysians must be feeling a state of déjà vu. In 1998, for Sodomy I, a soiled mattress was dragged into court, Anwar was poisoned with arsenic and the charges of Anwar having sex with a range of people, to lurid sexploits related by the virgin Queen, Ummi Hafilda, made Malaysian courts a laughing stock.

Mariam Mokhtar, Malaysian Mirror 

On the face of it, Sodomy II is the trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim by his accuser, Saiful Bukhari Azlan. In truth, Sodomy II is also the rakyat's trial. It is one where Malaysians are pitted against government misrule, miscarriages of justice and institutionalised repression.

Sodomy II represents a fight to restore democratic rights, for public institutions to recover their integrity, for the judiciary to be made independent and for the police to regain the public's respect.

To most observers, trial judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah, appears to have decided Anwar's fate already.

So who has the most to gain, if Anwar were to be jailed when the judge delivers his verdict?

Who was frustrated when the sodomy charge in Sodomy I was overturned in 2004 by the Supreme Court and Anwar was freed?

The answer is not Prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, but the former PM, Mahathir Mohamad. Najib will be pleased, but Mahathir will be ecstatic.

Najib and the other corrupt BN politicians, their families and cronies, will heave a collective sigh of relief.

But for Mahathir, it is the settling of old scores. His political legacy and dynasty can then prosper, without interference. A corrupt person can continue his evil deeds only if he is surrounded by people with no integrity and low principles.

When Anwar's earlier sodomy conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2004, Mahathir was livid, as were the handful of other individuals who wanted Anwar to remain behind bars.

Anwar said yesterday, that he was "prepared for the best, but expected the worst" when asked to comment about what he thought the judge's verdict would be on his case.

Last June, Anwar's three attempts to have Zabidin recused failed. Anwar's first attempt was when Zabidin failed to take action against Utusan Malaysia for unfair reporting. Zabidin had also threatened to cite Karpal Singh for contempt.

Anwar's second attempt was when Zabidin "pre-judged" the trial when he said complainant Saiful Bukhari's testimony was "reliable" and that it would "establish all the facts required to prove the charge against the accused". Zabidin relied solely on Saiful's testimony.

In-depth studies based on various intelligence reports, have shown Najib's cabinet, that they will fare badly in GE-13. Political observers claim that Najib will want Anwar incarcerated and announce the date for GE-13 during the period set aside for him to appeal.

Najib will claim that he did not put Anwar in jail, but the judge did.

Perhaps, this is what autocratic rulers say, when they absolve themselves of their responsibilities and shift the blame onto others in their administration.

Remember how Mahathir denied that he had ordered Operation Lalang and said that the crackdown had been authorised by the IGP Haniff Omar?

Or as in the current news, President Assad of Syria declared recently, that he did not order the brutal retaliation on his people, and that it was his army which was responsible for the violence.

At a press conference yesterday, Mahathir questioned the need for international NGOs to levy corruption charges against Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud.

He said, "When an election is near, you get funny things like this coming out.

"If it is just a political game to try and undermine somebody's political image then I think it is not right."

Mahathir ignores the fact that the timing for the finale of Sodomy II, is set against a backdrop of GE-13. Did he think this was a coincidence?

Perhaps, Mahathir has got Alzheimer's. In Sodomy I, Anwar faced charges of corruption and sodomy because Anwar, Mahathir's protégé, refused to bail out companies, during the Asian financial crisis in 1997, using taxpayer's money. Some of these companies belonged to his son and cronies.

Anwar became a threat to Mahathir and had to be removed. It did not help that others in Umno were jealous of the close relationship that Mahathir and Anwar enjoyed.

In 2008, Najib, who was the prime minister in waiting, was faced with Anwar becoming a threat to his premiership and to Umno domination in Malaysian politics.

Najib realised that Anwar had to be removed, especially as his mass appeal was increasing and he was able to galvanise the fragmented opposition parties. Unfortunately, Najib is not very creative and his plan, to remove Anwar, involved rehashing the previous one made by Mahathir. Thus, Sodomy II was conceived.

But Najib's blundering ways mean that whatever he does, lacks planning and detail, just like the cursory effort that was put into his Peaceful Assembly Bill (PAB) which then needed urgent amendment barely 24 hours after being tabled.

Nevertheless, Mahathir will be pleased at the prospect of Anwar being jailed. His dream will finally be realised.

Malaysians must be feeling a state of déjà vu. In 1998, for Sodomy I, a soiled mattress was dragged into court, Anwar was poisoned with arsenic and the charges of Anwar having sex with a range of people, to lurid sexploits related by the virgin Queen, Ummi Hafilda, made Malaysian courts a laughing stock.

In 2011, the seedy plots have varied little. The only changes are the actors like Saiful, his semen stained briefs and the allegations of him having sex with several men as his rectal swabs carried the semen of several men.

These are mere distractions. The main thrust is that Najib needs to win GE-13, by hook or by crook.

Losing means he will be made accountable for his part in the corruption scandals which have dogged Malaysia. He will have to answer for the Scorpene scandal and the murder of Altantuya Shaaribu, amongst others. His ministers will have their own corruption scandals to deal with.

Mahathir's reason is simple. He does not want previous illegal deals to be aired by Anwar, who must have been privy to them, when he was Finance minister.

All Mahathir wants is his political dynasty to continue via his son, and his family to keep their business empire, which was built on public money.

 

The Battle for Umno: Infighting at the very top

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:41 AM PST

HORNBILL UNLEASHED

Nawawi Mohamad

There has never been any real agreement between the UMNO president Najib Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yasin. There was competition between them even before Najib was proclaimed the UMNO president after Abdullah Badawi was forced by rebelling warlords to retire early.

Muhyiddin's name is now becoming famous in the Malay community. It has cropped up many times as a possible contender for the top post although both his image and Najib's are always presented side by side in the government-controlled media to create the perception that they are on the most friendly terms. But make no mistake, the competition between the two men has always been there.

How loyal is the 'most loyal' deputy?

In 2008, unfortunately for Muhyiddin, former premier Mahathir Mohamad had decided that Najib should be the one to take over from Badawi as many had predicted he would. Muhyiddin was devastated at having been beaten by Najib at the eleventh hour. But as they say, what to do? Mahathir is still a force in UMNO to be reckoned with and it would be even worse to cross him and his 'geng' or gang of right-wing political thugs.

It is also interesting to note that by then Muhyiddin was as powerless as any ordinary UMNO member because he did not have the backing from the grass roots and the other UMNO leaders, not even from his home state of Johore. He was on his own and had to find supporters, if not followers.

Muhyiddin was not promoted by Badawi and son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin when Badawi was PM because there was Khairy to be groomed into power. So, it was that Muhyiddin was left on the fringes although not totally in the wilderness. It was then that Muhyiddin learnt how to survive on his own, even though he was never alone.

The desire to hold the top post is still burning strong in Muhyiddin and more so now, because of his age and as opportunity knocks. Najib is weak, torn apart by the myriad of problems and dilemmas nagging him 24/7.

But how sincere is Muhyiddin when he only said that he is the most loyal deputy? Did he promise not to challenge for the presidency? Will Muhyiddin just lie down and let Najib steamroll over him?

Disunity

Actually, Muhyiddin has already launched several maneuvers with his advisors and small group of supporters. Despite their huge handicap, we can still feel the impact when he questioned the 1Malaysia concept as soon as Najib announced it.

Muhyiddin then showed his confidence when he declared he was Malay first and Malaysian next. Muhyiddin even defied Mahathir when he committed himself to teaching mathematics and science in Bahasa Melayu instead of English, which had been implemented by Mahathir.

It is clear Muhyiddin is trying to be his own man and garner more grass root support for his impending revolt against Najib at the eleventh hour. That's right. Say what he will during his 'loyalty' pledge to the UMNO assembly, but Muhyiddin is bound to go neck to neck with Najib for president's seat. Same as Najib would if the shoe was on the other foot. Really, Muhyiddin has got nothing to lose.

To win, Muhyiddin does not need to get 100% support from those in UMNO and he knows it. All he needs to do is to harp on the various scenarios that threaten the unity in UMNO, and Najib and his band of sycophants will be forced to heel.

The pressure is already massive for Najib to step down if he wants to save UMNO from another split, more so with the next General Election or GE-13 nearing.

READ MORE HERE

 

Mahathir, Lee Kuan Yew and The Lazy Native

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:38 AM PST

LOYAR BUROK

There are few other living and active political giants in Southeast Asia, other than Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia and Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore.

One wonders if Mahathir and Lee Kuan Yew share the same philosophy. The Ultra Malay Mahathir and Radical Chinese Lee are almost always at odds with one another. From politics to policies, there seems to be infinite issues for them to brawl over and, even if there are none, they can't seem to help pulling a mickey out of one another. But read between the lines and you will realize that they share the same philosophy – the same reductionist philosophy that subjugated the region into chains of colonization in the past.

But before going into the shared philosophy espoused by these leaders, it helps to first understand how a reductionist view on any subject would eventually lead to the perversion of an original idea. An idea or perception of a matter or subject is defined based on the senses and on our analytic thought. That, infused with cultural surroundings and historical impact produces the eventual paradigm in which we live. Now, that's not very hard to follow, is it? However, no matter how accurate one's senses in perceiving a subject, an observer with a reductionist view tries to simplify things by creating faulty arguments and slippery judgments.

Thus, when it comes to formulating a policy, a reductionist approach is, at best, dangerous on many levels. Firstly, a reductionist may not solve the problem at hand but instead exacerbate it by not fully understanding the mechanism in the first place. In other words, a reductionist would rush to 'fix' the problem based on first impressions, hence neglecting the intricacies of the initial problem. Secondly, even if the problem is solved, it will leave an aftertaste of resentment as its early mechanism was forcibly changed in order to facilitate its new functions. This "machinery" is forced to function based on the whims of the reductionist, rather than working naturally based on its mechanics. On a third level, a reductionist distorts an original idea by implementing the interpretation of the idea into a form either unfounded or too extreme in the earlier idea. This is because the reductionist digests the original idea only in its cosmetics instead of understanding the whole dynamics and principles of the idea. For example, such a view of sociology gave birth to Communism; a reductionist view of biology gave birth to Nazism, and a reductionist view of Islam gave birth to Islamic terrorism.

The same can be said about both Mahathir and Lee Kuan Yew.

In his book The Malay Dilemma, Mahathir espoused the view that Malays – particularly the rural ones whom he characterized as less competitive compared to the urban and racially mixed Malays – were somewhat lacking in intelligence as compared to others. By others, I refer to the Chinese, Indians, and Malays of racially mixed background. Therefore, in his assessment an open and competitive market environment would actually cause the Malays to be weaker than permitted by status quo.

Mahathir may have written The Malay Dilemma in the early years of his entry into politics, but his view remains unchanged. An example can be his recent comments – especially with regards to Premier Najib Razak's drive to promote meritocracy – as a clear sign that he has yet to ditch his post-colonialist belief in social anthropology (which ascribes to the idea that certain races are born superior than others). Does Mahathir believe pure-blooded Malays to be superior to other races? No. In fact, he believed that pure-blooded Malays are somewhat incompetent when it comes to competition with other races. It was thus written in his book, and reiterated during his post-retirement era where he concluded that meritocracy would benefit only certain races, as compared to affirmative action which, in his opinion, would level the playing field for everyone. In his paradigm, to which I believe and presume many UMNO Old Guards still adhere, affirmative action is a must to ensure all races be able to stand together and fairly reap the nation's economical benefits.

READ MORE HERE

 

Malaysia losing “faith capital values”

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:26 AM PST

Norani Abu Bakar, New Mandala

Gallup Chairman Jim Clifton asserts in The Coming Jobs War, that what everyone in the world wants today is a good job. He added that the fate of a nation relies on good jobs, and that nations are in revolt and cities are crumbling for the lack of them. Can one simply accept his statement that jobs bring prosperity, peace and human development and that it is not the other way round?

On the one hand, in the short term, it may be that the economy dictates the quality and character of human life.  But in the long term, character values of justice, trustworthiness, mutual respect, benevolence and peace are foundational for the flourishing of any nation that strives towards a long term growth. The lack of these qualities creates tension, instability, and eventually loss of good jobs for the nation.

Ethical apathy and economic stagnation can create a cycle of decline. As Hans Kung, the President of the Foundation of Global Ethics, said to the Parliament of the World's Religion inMelbournein December 2009,

"a painful truth is evident: this economic crisis is characterised by a notable absence of common ethical values and standards."

In Malaysia, about 97 percent of the population claimed to adhere to faith traditions, enriched with ethical values and customs that ought to offer significant faith-based social capital. Diverse in its ethnicity and religious traditions, Malaysia theoretically should flourish much more compared to some of its neighboring countries, like Singapore which citizens are of almost the same ethnic and faith traditions but  lack of land space and natural resources.

Malaysia undermines its "faith capital values" and thus retards potential economic growth, loses good jobs to other nations, and consequently, has lost almost 330,000 university graduates, especially the non-Malays; Six-hundred thousand of them have left to work in Singapore alone.

If Tun Mahathir is right that 90 percent of Malaysia's tax comes from the non-Malays, then this "brain drain" crisis, occasioned in part by dissatisfaction with Malaysia's social and ethical values, further undercuts the financial capital of the nation.

By recognising faith as the basis of social capital, such discourse can identify the responsibilities of the government leaders, the function of social institutions in shaping the patterns of behavior and character development of citizens, and the roles of Malaysian Muslims as the majority in the population. These three agents will have the greatest influence in bringing about change.  This is not to say that public activism, marketplace dynamics, and the presence of other faiths or non-faith adherents are insignificant, but at present, they have less influence in Malaysia's pseudo-democratic context. Thus the first step in moving forward is to analyse where the three key agents fall short.

Surveys conducted in the last quarter of 2010 in Malaysia and Indonesia on "Values, Dreams, Ideals – Muslims Youth in Southeast Asia" release good news that Malaysia Muslim youths, who are at the center stage of this nation's population, prioritised believing in God and becoming better Muslims over becoming rich. Almost 70 percent wanted the Quran to replace the federal constitution. However, further analysis shows a contradiction, given that those interviewed are rather lax about praying, reading the Quran, and fasting, and prefer to watch television, listen to music, or surf the internet in their free time.

Data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) indicates that almost 65 percent of Malaysia population are internet users, a great increase from 15 percent in 2000.  Youths are inclined towards technology, especially the internet and SMS text messages.  Clearly, youths are increasingly consumed by the cyber world and distracted from other faith-related aspects of life, such as learning to exegete Quran passages or engaging themselves with the mosque communal gatherings and community services.

Many of those interviewed denounce violence, yet 62.4 percent perceive the late al-Qaeda terror group leader Osama bin Laden as a "freedom fighter." This ethical contradiction has parallels elsewhere in society.

READ MORE HERE

 

New Reality Voters Will Determine 13 General Election Outcome - Saifuddin

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:24 AM PST

(Bernama) -- Umno supreme council member Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah has opined that the kingmakers in the 13th general election would be the group of "new reality voters".

Saifuddin, who is also Deputy Higher Education Minister, claimed neither the Barisan Nasional (BN) or Pakatan Rakyat comprising the DAP, PAS dan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) had enough support to form the next government and were equally dependent on the group to give them the score.

In special a discourse entitled "PRU 13 Undi Siapa Jadi Penentu" (13GE - Whose votes will determine the outcome?) here today, he said the "new reality voters" comprised groups that used the new media not only to communicate, share and operate online but adopted it as a lifestyle.

"They form a loose network among themselves, yet are close-knitted, producing ideas or reasoning, and acting without concerns for bureaucracy," he said as a panellist at the discourse organised by the Sinar Harian newspaper.

Saifuddin said the "new reality voters" were also aware that politics and democracy go beyond elections or becoming a people's representative for the BN or Pakatan Rakyat and they wanted the involvement of the youth, workforce including professionals, media and university students in the process they perceived as democratic.

The lone BN panelist, and facing an audience of mostly opposition party supporters in the auditorium, Saifuddin maintained that BN still stood a good chance of winning the next general election.

He said from feedback, those who voted in protest against the BN in 2008 had "returned to the fold".

"I feel a majority of them have accepted that the BN is committed and serious in wanting to make changes, via government, economic and political transformation as initiated by the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak)," he said.

The other panellists were DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar, KITA party chief Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and senior lecturer at Universiti Malaya's Media and Social Science Studies Faculty, Associate Prof Dr Abu Hassan Hasbullah.

International Islamic University, Malaysia's Humanities and Revelation-based Knowledge Kulliyah Lecturer Dr Maszlee Malik acted as the moderator.

Lim said for Pakatan Rakyat, winning depended on their control of parliamentary seats in Sabah (25 constituencies) and Sarawak (31 constituencies).

 

Asalkan Bukan Umno - Gerakan Massa Dari Rakyat Untuk Rakyat

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:10 AM PST

Kenyataan Umum

9 Disember lepas satu sejarah telah berlaku di mana satu sidang media serentak di seluruh negara berlaku dengan menyuarakan satu maksud yang sama. Tanpa pimpinan 'besar', hanya rakyat biasa dari perbagai latar belakang seperti peniaga kecil, pelajar, pekerja kilang, aktivis masyarakat dan lain - lain tampil untuk bertemu media di seluruh negara dengan menyatakan iltizam bersama menggerakkan rakyat dengan semangat 'ABU' Asalkan Bukan Umno.

ABU bukan organisasi seperti NGO, jauh sekali sebagai parti politik. ABU ialah semangat yang mengikat rakyat dan satu gelombang kesedaran betapa Umno (United Malay National Organisation) merupakan pewaris penjajah yang menjadi punca kecelaruan dan perbagai masalah dalam negara ini.


Dari masalah perkauman melampau, ketegangan antara agama membawa ke masalah ekonomi, rasuah serta kelemahan pentadbiran sehingga pembaziran melampau yang mencipta kepayahan hidup sehinggalah kenaikan kos hidup (harga barang) secara mendadak dan melampau. Semuanya ialah kerana Umno yang dicipta penjajah mewarisi negara ini dan lebih - lebih lagi ia sudah terlalu lama berada ditampuk kuasa.

Siapa ABU ?
ABU ialah saya, saudara dan kita semua rakyat biasa yang bersetuju mengenepikan perbezaan dalam mencari kesamaan melawan kezaliman Umno sehingga tumbangnya Umno dari kekuasaan. ABU tidak dimonopoli oleh mana - mana parti politik atau organisasi. ABU milik rakyat yang sedar perlunya bangkit dengan berani dan dengan tegas menyatakan tidak kepada Umno. ABU ialah trend kebangkitan melawan penindasan. Semua rakyat, organisasi dijemput bersama dan ialah pemilik gerakan ABU. SAMM terlibat menggerakkan ABU atas kesedaran tetapi ABU bukan milik SAMM.

RAPAT RAKYAT
Gerakan kesedaran ini bergerak dengan perbagai pendekatan dari kempen umum, pengedaran risaalah, vcd. Penyampaian mesra media baru tanpa menolak secara konvensional seperti edaran bahan ke rumah - rumah dan pejabat - pejabat. Hinggalah ke kempen secara grafiti dan sabotaj. ABU juga bergerak secara anarkis dan organik. ABU berteraskan rakyat.

Gerakan ABU ini wujud sudah lama cuma sudah sebulan lebih SAMM cuba menggerakkan secara serius mengikut skala yang kami mampu dengan mengikat beberapa lagi organisasi termasuk parti politik dalam usaha serius menyedarkan rakyat mengenai ABU.

Satu program memperkenalkan ABU akan diadakan di peringkat kebangsaan dan negeri. Semua dijemput ke program memperkenalkan ABU peringkat kebangsaan seperti berikut :

Rapat Rakyat ABU
"bersatu ASALKAN BUKAN UMNO"
15 Disember 2011
8.30 malam
Dataran Sebelah KUIZM, Tmn Melewar, Gombak.

Program ini akan menampilkan kelainan dengan mengetengahkan pidato dari rakyat biasa yang mengenengahkan masalah sebenar rakyat, dari pemandu teksi,setinggan, pekerja kilang, suri rumah, pengamal rawatan alternatif, kerani, pegawai bank, cikgu, artis sehinggalah pimpinan parti politik.

Antara pimpinan politik yang telah mengesahkan kehadiran ialah YB Datuk Mahfuz Omar (PAS), Arulchelvam (PSM), Dr. Rohana (PRM) dan Haris Ibrahim (MCLM). Kemunculan khas kali pertama dalam pentas rakyat di semenanjung ialah Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee (Presiden SAPP) yang akan membuat pengumuman khas bersangkutan ABU.

Majlis juga menjemput Hishamuddin Rais yang porpular dengan blognya Tukar Tiub, beliau didapati antara yang awal menggunakan perkataan ABU sehingga menjadi trend kepada khususnya anak muda.

Diharap semua rakyat yang bersetuju dengan ABU dapat sama membantu menghebahkan maklumat program juga hadir beramai - ramai dan kemudian menjadi agen penyampai maklumat ABU.

Asalkan bukan Umno, selamatkan Malaysia.

che'GuBard
Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

SIDANG MEDIA PELANCARAN KEMPEN "ASALKAN BUKAN UMNO" SERENTAK DI SELURUH NEGARA 9 DISEMBER YANG LALU.


Sidang Media Pelancaran ABU di Pulau Pinang

Tempat: George Town Coffee House, KOMTAR Walk, P.Pinang
Masa : 11.30pg

1. Wakil PRM - Dr Rohana
2. Wakil SAMM - Sdr Aidilfitri Ibrahim / Sdr Ziezullhakim Zainol / Sdr Azhar Noordin / Azrizal Tahir
3. Wakil AMK Negeri -  Sdr Amir Ghazali Kt AMK Negeri / Sdr Rizal Hamid Kt Penerangan AMK PP

4. Wakil Pemuda PAS -  Sdr Ust Yusni bin Md Piah (Wakil)

5. Wakil DAPsy -  YB Yeoh Soo Pin ( Peng DAPsy Penang)

6. Wakil AMK B.Baru - Sdr Shaari Md Salleh

7. Wakil Suaram - Sdr Ong Jien Cheng

8. Wakil PSM - Sdr Lee Choon Khai
9. Wakil Jingga 13 Penang - Zainulfaqar Yaacob

10. Wakil JIM - Tuan Haji Taufek ( AJK JIM PP)

11. Wakil KERABAT - Sdr Azizan ( Jawatankuasa KERABAT Pulau Pinang) (Per Bekas Perajurit)

12. Wakil Per Ibu Tunggal - Pn Latifah Hussainsa (Pengerusi Per Ibu tunggal Pulau Pinang Barat Daya

13. Wakil WATAMI - Cik Sabariah (AJK WATAMI) Pulau Pinang
14. Wakil Unit Ehsan - Zulkarnanin Md Ali (Penyelaras UE Penang)

Mengapa 'Asalkan Bukan Umno' ?

Pulau Pinang dijadikan sasaran paling utama untuk Umno melampiaskan politik perkauman. Ketua Menteri P.Pinang juga sering menjadi mangsa serangan perkauman oleh Umno kononnya meminggirkan melayu walaupun pada hakikatnya statistik terbaru menunjukkan Kerajaan P.Pinang sebenarnya lebih banyak mengagihkan projek dan tender terbuka kepada bumiputra.

Perkauman sempit yang dimainkan oleh Umno dengan cubaan melaga-lagakan keharmonian rakyat di Pulau Pinang jelas memberi gambaran betapa Umno tiada cara untuk meraih perhatian rakyat melainkan dengan dendangan perkauman. Adalah menjadi kelebihan buat Umno jika berlaku ketegangan kaum di Pulau Pinang, tetapi bagi rakyat ianya mengundang rasa tidak selamat jika taktik perkauman sempit ini terus tidak dibendung.

Umno juga telah menyalahguna anak muda di Pulau Pinang untuk politiknya. Anak-anak muda ini diupah untuk membuat kacau dalam beberapa himpunan memburuk-burukkan Pulau Pinang, lantas mengambil kesempatan memberi gambaran buruk ke seluruh negara di atas penguasaan media yang dimiliki Umno. 

Semua gabungan yang menyokong ABU di Pulau Pinang menyatakan sokongan dan sedia untuk bersama dalam menjayakan Rapat Rakyat ABU pada 15 Disember di Dataran Markas PAS Taman Melewar.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sidang Media Pelancaran ABU di Johor

Tempat: Kelab Persatuan Wartwan, 11, Jalan Cermat 1, Taman Maju Jaya.
Masa: 2.30pm

Kehadiran

Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM Johor)
PRM Johor
PSM Johor
Wakil Keadilan

Mengapa 'Asalkan Bukan Umno' ?

JOHOR BAHRU: Seperti yang dirancangkan hari ini, serentak di seluruh negara telah dilancarkan satu gerakan dikenali sebagai Asal Bukan Umno (ABU). Di negeri Johor, sidang media pelancaran ABU ini telah diadakan pada jam 2.30 petang di Kelab Persatuan Wartwan, 11, Jalan Cermat 1, Taman Maju Jaya.

Antara NGO yang hadir petang tadi adalah daripada 7 komrad SAMM (Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia) yang diketuai Penyelaras SAMM Johor, Ahmad Anwar Asyraf Ismail, SU PRM (Parti Rakyat Malaysia) Johor Mohd Salleh Haji Ahmad, Tim. Peng. PRM Negeri S.K Song dan wakil PKR En Tan. Gerakan Rakyat 'Asal Bukan Umno (ABU)' ini ditubuhkan bagi memastikan Umno BN tumbang pada Pilihan Raya Umum akan datang.
 
Sdr Ahmad Anwar menyentuh isu-isu masalah yang dirasai oleh rakyat Johor di bawah pemerintahan kerajaan  negeri yang ditunjangi oleh parti Umno antaranya seperti masalah kos sara hidup yang tinggi, harga pemilikan rumah yang tidak mampu dimiliki oleh warga Johor sendiri terutama di kawasan bandar Johor Bahru, masalah harga air yang tinggi dibandingkan dengan negeri-negeri lain, serta masalah pemilikan tanah.

Pada sidang media yang sama, Sdr Ahmad Anwar turut mengecam amalan politik sempit dan samseng oleh Umno apabila mengelurkan satu kenyataan berbaur ugutan akan berlakunya kekacauan di atas program ceramah anjuran PR yang melibatkan Mohamad Sabu di Muar yang dirancang akan berlangsung pada 11 Disember ini seperti yang dikeluarkan di dalam akhbar Sinar Harian hari ini. Sedangkan sebagai sebuah negara yang mengamalkan demokrasi, Umno sepatutnya menghormati kebebasan program-program yang dianjurkan oleh parti lain, malah PR Muar telah memohon permit Polis dan mengikut saluran-saluran yang betul untuk anjuran program ini.

ABU akan meneruskan program dari semasa ke semasa bagi memastikan Malaysia diperintah oleh parti yang menawarkan pentadbiran lebih baik. S.K Song turut mengumumkan bahawa pelancaran ABU dan forum peringkat kebangsaan akan diadakan pada 15 Disember ini di Markaz Tarbiyah PAS, Taman Melewar, Gombak.

Sidang media pelancaran ABU yang sama turut berlangsung di seluruh negeri di Semenanjung Malaysia kecuali di Sabah dan Sarawak kerana aktivis ABU dihalang dari memasuki kedua-dua negeri itu.


Antara yang menyertai ABU ketika ini termasuklah golongan mahasiswa, pekerja, petani, nelayan, pelbagai segmen NGO, parti pembangkang, golongan profesional, karyawan, mat rempit, penganggur dan kumpulan masyarakat yang tertindas di bawah pentadbiran Umno selama ini.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sidang Media Pelancaran ABU di Melaka

Tempat: Pejabat Parti Keadilan Rakyat, No9A Jalan Asean 1, Taman Asean, Melaka
Masa: 3.30pm


Kehadiran

Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM Melaka)
NGI
Wakil Peniaga
Wakil Mahasiswa

Mengapa 'Asalkan Bukan Umno' ?

Penyelaras SAMM Melaka telah membangkitkan isu pembaziran sebagai satu isu paling terkesan di Melaka. Pembaziran ini berlaku ketika rakyat dipaksa untuk berhemah dalam berbelanja. Pembaziran-pembaziran ini juga menjadi punca ketirisan selain membantu kedudukan indeks rasuah negara mencecah paras terburuk dalam sejarah.
Berikut adalah antara pembaziran jelas yang berlaku di Negeri Melaka;
a) Eye On Malaysia disita.

Fitraco NV memfailkan saman pada Eom dan MST Ad Suria Sdn Bhd (MST Ad Suria) pada 15 September tahun lalu, selepas syarikat terbabit gagal melunaskan hutang pinjamannya sebanyak RM17 juta bagi menyewa dan membawa roda berkenaan ke Malaysia pada 2006.

Sebelum itu Kerajaan Negeri Melaka bersetuju untuk mengambil alih roda berkenaan setelah sebelum ini ianya beroperasi di Taman Tasik Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur dari 1 Januari 2007 hingga 31 Ogos 2008.

Kerajaan Negeri Melaka mempunyai kepentingan di dalam Eye On Malaysia ini menerusi Eom, sebuah syarikat usahasama yang ditubuhkan bersama MST Ad Suria. Kerajaan negeri diwakili Kumpulan Melaka Berhad (KMB). RM8 juta duit rakyat Melaka hangus disebabkan kelemahan dan kelalaian kerajaan negeri Melaka pimpinan Ali Rustam.

b) Pusat Bowling Antarabangsa Melaka (MIBC) yang dirasmikan pada 1Ogos 2009, yang terletak berdeketan MITC, Ayer Keroh yang mempunyai 52 lane telah menelan duit rakyat sebanyak RM15 juta.

c) Projek Pulau Melaka terdiri dari 4,387 unit rumah kediaman dan 4,180 unit separa perniagaan termasuk pusat pelancongan mewah, hotel serta pelbagai aktiviti pantai dengan kos yang bernilai RM1.46 bilion dan dilaporkan telah terjual sebanyak RM195.3 juta iaitu sebanyak 1,419 unit sehingga 31 Januari 2005. Malangnya projek ini akhirnya menjadi projek gajah putih apabila sebahagian besar banguan yang dibina tidak siap dan tidak berpenghuni. Masjid yang tersergam indah tidak digunakan secara maksimum kerana tidak ramai orang Islam tinggal di kawasan tersebut. Walaupun kerajaan negeri cuba menukarkan projek ini menjadi 'Pulau Arab' namun hasilnya sehingga kini belum diketahui.


d) Kincir air berharga RM1.47 juta di Sungai Melaka juga merupakan projek yang membazir. Tambahan pula kincir air ini rosak dan tidak dapat berfungsi.

e) Projek Monorel yang menelan belanja sebanyak RM210 juta yang setakat ini telah berpuluh kali rosak.

g) Dataran Klebang. Segalanya telah musnah samada struktur pantai, ekosistem laut, spesies hidupan laut, tempat tumpuan pelancong menikmati keindahan laut, membunuh para peniaga di pantai Klebang dan hilangnya satu indentiti Melaka iaitu belacan dan cencaluk kerana di sini merupakan tempat yang banyak menghasilkan penangkapan udang geragau yang diperlukan untuk membuat belacan dan cencaluk.

Kerajaan hanya mementingkan keuntungan yang diperolehi dari pemaju saja tanpa memikirkan kelansungan hidup para nelayan.

• Menara Taming Sari berharga RM23 juta
• Projek Hang Tuah Mall berharga RM 8.5 juta;
• Projek air terjun Bukit Beruang berharga RM 1.7 juta;
• Projek pintu gerbang MBMB berharga RM 2.7 juta;
• Jeti Parameswara berharga RM 13 juta;
• Satu unit tandas awam berharga RM 125,000/-
• Bandaraya Mall(Taj Mahal di Bangunan MBMB) berharga RM 4.5 juta;
• Projek pesiaran kaki Jonker Walk sepanjang 600 meter berharga RM 1.8 juta atau RM 300 sekaki;
• Bunga pasu berharga RM800 sebuah di sepanjang Jalan Bendahara;
• Air pancut dan pesiaran kaki di depan Mahkota Parade berharga RM 2 juta dan jalan berbatu yang rosak sebaik ia disiap berharga RM 2.5 juta.
• Projek mencantikkan Sungai Melaka telah makan belanja hamper RM 100 juta dan akan memakan belanja tambahan RM 100 juta lagi. Pihak kerajaan telah berjanji bahawa banjir kilat akan diatasi kerana air pasang tidak akan melimpah keluar dan air Sungai Melaka akan sebersih sehingga boleh cuci mata.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sidang Media Pelancaran ABU di Negeri Sembilan

Tempat: Jalan Tuanku Antah, Tingkat 1, Restoran Bidara Corner, Seremban
Masa: 3.30pm

Kehadiran

SAMM N.Sembilan - Sdr Saufi (Penyelaras SAMM N.S), sdr Azizi, Sdr Sani, Sdr Yaser
PEWARIS N.Sembilan
Kelab Bermotor United Shark - Sdr Saiful
Wakil peneroka Felda Sendayan - Sdr Daud Idris
Wakil Pengusaha Restoran - Sdr Musliady
Wakil Nelayan - Noor Aiza
Wakil Mahasiswa - Sdr Farel
Mengapa 'Asalkan Bukan Umno' ?

Saudara Musliady wakil dari pengusaha restoran membangkitkan isu kenaikkan harga barang berasaskan makanan dan keperluan harian menyebabkan kesulitan untuk pihak pengusaha restoran meletakkan harga jualan.

Sdr Daud wakil Peneroka Felda Sendaya meluahkan rasa kecewa peneroka Felda yang menjadi mangsa penipuan Felda selama puluhan tahun. Selain itu, FELDA juga dikhuatiri terdedah kepada risiko rasuah dan ketirisan memandangkan pengerusi FELDA pernah terlibat dengan jenayah rasuah untuk kepentingan politik.
Wakil dari kelab motor United Shark, saudara Saiful pula mengetengahkan isu insfrastruktur untuk sukan permotoran di N.Sembilan yang begitu terhad, menyebabkan Negeri Sembilan begitu terkenal dengan aksi 'merempit di malam minggu'.
Semua wakil dari Negeri Sembilan termasuk wakil PEWARIS bersetuju untuk menyokong kempen Asalkan Bukan Umno dan akan turut hadir dalam program raksasa Rapat Rakyat ABU pada 15 Disember 2011.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sidang Media Pelancaran ABU di Perak

Tempat: Pejabat Biro Masyarakat Keadilan, Ipoh
Masa: 3.30pm

Kehadiran

Wakil PKR - YB Chang Lih Kang
SAMM Perak - Sdr Mat Saman Kati, Sdr Alfa
MCLM Perak - Sdr Mat Noh
NGI

Untuk sidang media negeri Perak, sila rujuk klip video di bawah;

Mengapa 'Asalkan Bukan Umno' ?

Isu tempatan yang membuatkan rakyat negeri Perak terus membenci Umno ialah Rampasan Kuasa di Perak pada Febuari 2009. Cacamerba yang berlaku di Perak akhirnya terdiri sebuah kerajaan haram di mana Umno sebagai dalangnya dan Najib pula sebagai petualangnya.

Dengan ini, gabungan besar dari Perak menyatakan sokongan penuh kempen ABU dan akan bersama dalam program Rapat Rakyat ABU pada 15 Disember 2011 di Taman Melewar.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sidang Media Pelancaran ABU di Kedah

Tempat: 345A Air Mendideh, Sg Petani
Masa: 3.30pm


Kehadiran

SAMM Kedah - Sdr Angah Habib
PRM - Tok Gandang
MCLM - Sdr Viveg


Gabungan Kedah menyokong penuh Kempen ABU 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sidang Media Pelancaran ABU di Perlis

Tempat: Kelab Media Perlis, Jalan Sekolah Derma, Kangar, Perlis
Masa: 3.30pm


Kehadiran
SAMM Perlis - Asrul (Ketua Penyelaras SAMM Perlis)
Wakil Parti Keadilan - Amran Kamarudin (SUK Keadilan Perlis), Zamri Sapar (Bekas Ketua AMK Perlis)
Wakil Mahasiswa - Farhan Azis
Wakil Peniaga - Lee Mom Leong
Antara NGI yang hadir - Zaidi(Peniaga pasar sehari), Siah Teow Eng(usahawan), Shukri(pengusaha cybercafe), Azmi(pencen kakitangan kerajaan)

Mengapa 'Asalkan Bukan Umno' ?

1. Isu Banjir di Perlis yang tidak selesai apabila rakyat masih belum nampak bilakah projek saliran dari Empangan Timah Tasoh terus ke Laut berjaya disiapkan.
2. Isu perebutan kuasa dalam pelbagai kem Umno di Perlis membuatkan rakyat menjadi semakin meluat dengan Umno.
3. Isu peluang pekerjaan yang terhad menyebabkan ramai anak perlis yang mempunyai tenaga mahir berhijrah ke negeri lain.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sidang Media Pelancaran ABU di Pahang

Sidang media ABU peringkat negeri Pahang berlangsung di Bilik Pusat Khidmat PKR Adun Semambu. Antara yang hadir menyokong pelancaran ABU dalam sidang media ini termasuk;

Clement  (SMSL)
Hatta (SAMM)
Andansura, Mat dan Ali Akhbar (PAS)
Allen Lee (PKR)

Antara Isu tempatan yang dibawa dalam sidang media ini ialah isu Lynas yang mengancam keselamatan bukan sahaja penduduk setempat, tetapi turut menjadi ancaman kepada seluruh negara. Penduduk negeri Pahang dan Sempadan di Terengganu akan terkesan dengan risiko radioaktif.

Antara yang terkandung dalam kenyataan media yang diedar di seluruh negara mengenai Lynas;
Kini keselamatan rakyat akan terancam dengan kewujudan kilang Lynas dimana kesan radioaktif akan membahayakan mereka. Alasan petroleum semakin kering digunakan bagi kononnya mencari sumber ekonomi yang baru malah wang simpanan Negara telah masuk ke dalam poket pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO/BN dan kroninya. Lynas akan menjamin keuntungan mereka walaupun membahayakan rakyat.
Ini isu nasional yang harus dilawan bersama, namun rakyat setempat perlu main peranan lebih penting kerana rakyat setempatlah merupakan kumpulan paling terdedah pelbagai risiko yang merosakkan keturunan ini.

Semua wakil sidang menyokong ABU dan bersedia untuk mobilisasi rapat ABU pada 15 Disember.
 
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sidang Media Pelancaran ABU di Kelantan
 
Masa    :
3.30pm
Tempat  : Hotel Raudah, Kota Bharu, Kelantan

1. Gerakan Bertindak Royalti Rakyat Kelantan (GEGAR)
2. Forum Anak Muda Kelantan (AMUK)
3. Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM Kelantan)
4. BERSIH Kelantan
5. Subway Photographer
6. Dewan Pemuda PAS Kelantan               
7. Angkatan Muda Keadilan Kelantan 

Mengapa 'Asalkan Bukan Umno' ?

Di Peringkat Negeri Kelantan pula, kita dapat saksikan betapa hampir 24 tahun Rakyat & Negeri Kelantan dinafikan haknya dari segi pembangunan dimana semenjak pemerintahan bertukar tangan dari UMNO/BN kepada PAS, 118 projek Pembangunan bermula dari RMK-5 sehingga RMK-10 telah disekat oleh UMNO/BN yang menerajui Pentadbiran Kerajaan Pusat.

Selama hampir 24 tahun juga Rakyat Kelantan telah dinafikan haknya dari segi pembangunan infrastruktur apabila Jalanraya-Jalanraya utama yang penyeliaannya berada dibawah kawalan Kerajaan Pusat tidak diselenggara dengan baik malah Permohonan Kerajaan Negeri untuk mendapatkan Peruntukan bagi pemulihan dan pembinaan lebuhraya yang lebih baik untuk kemudahan Rakyat Kelantan juga diabaikan oleh UMNO/BN yang menerajui Kerajaan Pusat.

Begitu juga dalam isu Air Kelantan yang pada akhir-akhir ini dimainkan oleh UMNO/BN dan Semua Rakyat Negeri Kelantan juga perlu ingat bagaimana Hasil Bumi Negeri Kelantan iaitu Petrolium dan Gas dirompak dan dinafikan hak Royaltinya dengan pelbagai alasan yang tidak masuk akal berbeza dengan 3 Negeri lain dibawah kekuasaan UMNO/BN (Sabah, Sarawak dan Terengganu) yang menikmati pembayaran Royalti dari Hasil Bumi Petrolium dan Gas Negeri masing-masing. 


Nota dari Blogger NGI


Mengapa ABU harus menjadi asas dalam memilih ketika pilihanraya yang akan datang?

Jasa sesuatu pemerintah bukan pertimbangan untuk mengekalkan mereka. Itu adalah tanggungjawab mereka. Mereka yang datang dan menawarkan diri. Gaji mereka dibayar oleh rakyat. Mereka adalah kuli dan pekerja kepada rakyat.

Apabila "Asal Bukan UMNO" (ABU) ini menjadi kenyataan, maka, pemerintah yang baru adalah pemerintah yang berasa takut kepada rakyat. Mereka berasa tidak selamat untuk melakukan kejahatan kerana pemerintah yang baru adalah pemerintah yang bila-bila masa boleh dijatuhkan rakyat kembali.

Untuk kontek Kelantan, asas atau falsafah ABU harus menjadi pertimbangan kerana :

1. Hasil bumi Kelantan yang dirompak dari Kelantan. Diagih-agihkan kepada negeri-negeri UMNO yang boros dan rasuah. Antara hasil bumi Kelantan ialah petroleum, gas, pengambilan hutan Kelantan untuk dijadikan Taman Negara tanpa bayaran royalti, dan sebagainya.

2. Sabotaj Kelantan dalam belanjawan negara setiap tahun. Cukai dipungut dari setiap peluh anak Kelantan. Hasil bumi dikaut dari setiap inci bumi Kelantan. Tetapi, dimansuhkan negeri Kelantan dalam setiap kali belanjawan negara dibentangkan.

3. Dakwaan kepada memonopoli, ugut dan penipuan gred kepada petani-petani Kelantan. Padi, beras dan kelapa sawit.

4. Dakwaan kepada mengugut pentadbiran awam Kelantan. Dengan tindakan tukar ke luar daerah atau daerah yang sukar.

5. Pemulauan terhadap pendidikan anak Kelantan. Sekatan bantuan terhadap institusi pondok agama dan sekolah agama rakyat (SAR).

6. Isu kedaulatan Negeri Kelantan. UMNO/BN gagal menjawab dakwaan sesetengah pihak bahawa projek pemberian IC kepada warga Thailand, sekaligus menjadikan mereka dwi warganegara dan boleh mengundi untuk menentukan hidup mati anak peribumi Kelantan.

7. Dakwaan terhadap sabotaj pembinaan janakuasa elektrik pada tempat-tempat tertentu, dimana ianya bertujuan menghalang rakyat Kelantan mendapat kemudahan air yang sempurna.

8. Projek-projek kerajaan pusat yang dilewat-lewatkan. Ada yang dimansuhkan. Bertujuan menghukum keputusan demokrasi rakyat Kelantan.

9. Membenarkan UMNO sendiri, MCA dan MIC memburuk-burukkan dan menghina hudud yang terkandung dalam Al-Quran.

9 perkara ini adalah antara hujah mengapa falsafah ABU wajib digunakan dalam pertimbangan mengundi di pilihanraya kelak. Kami menyeru kepada seluruh rakyat Kelantan khasnya, Malaysia umumnya, supaya mendapatkan satu suasana pilitik baru yang lebih segar, terbuka pada masa akan datang dengan menjatuhkan UMNO/BN.

Sesuatu keuntungan yang tidak ternilai kepada rakyat adalah apabila mendapat satu pemerintahan yang sangat takut kepada rakyatnya sendiri.

Dengan ini juga, kami mengumumkan pada 15 Disember 2011 ham 8.30 malam, satu forum terbesar ABU akan diadakan di Markaz PAS Taman Melewar, Kuala Lumpur. Sekian, terima kasih. - Aduka Taruna

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sidang Media Pelancaran ABU di Terengganu

Tempat:  Muara Tomyam, Jalan Sultan Sulaiman, K.Terengganu
Masa: 5.00pm

SAMM Terengganu - Rafzi Ramli
Wakil PSM - Sdr Zaidi
Wakil Peniaga
Wakil Nelayan
Wakil petani

Mengapa 'Asalkan Bukan Umno'?

Terengganu merupakan sebuah negari yang kaya dengan hasil bumi. Petrolium berkualiti tinggi disedut dari pesisir laut Terengganu berpuluh tahun tetapi kedudukkan Terengganu yang menjadi negeri nombor dua termiskin dalam Malaysia menimbulkan persoalan besar.

Sepatutnya Terengganu menjadi sebuah negeri yang kaya memandangkan dalam semenanjung Malaysia ini hanya Terengganu selain Kelantan, menjana pendapatan terbesar negara melalui industri petrolium dan gas. PETRONAS seumpamanya menjadi syarikat terbaik dan terkaya dari Malaysia namun Terengganu terus miskin. Terengganu menuntut jumlah royalti yang lebih besar berbanding 5 peratus yang ditawarkan selama ini.

Pembangunan Insfrastruktur di Terengganu juga amat mengecewakan. Kerajaan yang dikuasai oleh Umno telah berbelanja secara mewah tetapi menyediakan kualiti yang sangat rendah. Runtuhan Stadium Tuanku Sultan Mizan adalah lambang ketirisan Umno dan akhirnya segala baikpulih juga banyak yang ditanggung oleh wang rakyat.

Kerajaan Terengganu yang dipimpin Umno juga telah gagal dalam projek pertanian yang menelan belanja berjuta ringgit di Terengganu.

Kerajaan Umno di Terengganu juga merupakan sebuah kerajaan yang kuat membazir wang rakyat, ketika lebih ramai rakyat yang hidup miskin selain daripada banyak merugikan rakyat dan negara.

Antara konsep yang dikenali sebagai Gajah Putih ini ialah Projek Monsun Cup. Pembinaan untuk projek ini menelan belanja 300 juta ringgit dan kos penganjuran selama 4 tahun setakat ini telah menelan belanja lebih dari 200 juta ringgit. Jika di campurkan kedua-dua jumlah ini ianya telah mencecah 500 juta ringgit duit rakyat dibelanjakan.

Selain itu, Projek Masjid Kristal yang dibina berhampiran dengan bandaraya Kuala Terengganu. Projek ini menelan belanja sebanyak 259 juta ringgit. Tidak ada pun peluang pekerjaan yang boleh di manfaatkan oleh masyarakat sekitar. Mengapa masjid yang menelan berjuta ringgit itu dibina di kawasan yang tidak cukup qariah? Lebih pelik, berhampiran dengan masjid kristal terdapat sebuah masjid yang sudah lama didirikan. Ia satu pembaziran dan rakyat wajib menolak Umno dalam PRU akan datang!

Pembaziran ini juga suatu ketirisan dalam pentadbiran. Ke mana perginya duit yang sepatutnya boleh dijimat? Dengan alasan ini juga, gabungan NGO di Terengganu menyokong kempen ABU dan akan bersama menjayakan Rapat Rakyat ABU pada 15 Ogos nanti.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sidang Media Pelancaran ABU di Selangor/WPKL (Nasional)

Tempat: KLSCAH
Masa: 3.30pm


Kenyataan Media (Peringkat Nasional)
ABU - Asalkan Bukan Umno
9 Disember 2011

9 Disember, 2011: 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.

ABU akan melancarkan kempen ke seluruh Negara untuk menyeru rakyat supaya berani menyatakan pendirian jijik dan perasaan meluat mereka terhadap penyelewengan dan rasuah yang UMNO/BN amalkan, lantas dengan tidak teragak-agak menolak UMNO/BN.

Kesan yang kini dirasai rakyat ialah kenaikan harga barang yang melampau. 80 peratus rakyat Malaysia kini terpaksa menanggung beban kos sarahidup yang semakin tinggi. Sedangkan pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO/BN dan kroninya hidup dengan mewah sekali.

Kewujudan undang-undang kejam yang menekan dan menzalimi rakyat sehingga teguran dan rintihan rakyat tidak dipedulikan. Bantahan rakyat dengan angkuh diperangi secara kejam dan ganas. Kini timbul pula undang-undang Perhimpunan Aman 2011 yang langsung tidak masuk akal.

Politik perkauman digunakan untuk menakutkan rakyat. Taktik 'pecah' dan 'perintah' dilaksanakan untuk menutup berita penyelewengan dan rasuah serta boros dan tamaknya pemimpin-peminpin UMNO/BN ini. Selama pemerintahan UMNO/BN rakyat Malaysia didodoikan dengan slogan perkauman sempit. Kini isu agama dicipta dan diapi-apikan untuk memastikan kelangsungan jangkahayat politik UMNO/BN.

Kini keselamatan rakyat akan terancam dengan kewujudan kilang Lynas dimana kesan radioaktif akan membahayakan mereka. Alasan petroleum semakin kering digunakan bagi kononnya mencari sumber ekonomi yang baru malah wang simpanan Negara telah masuk ke dalam poket pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO/BN dan kroninya. Lynas akan menjamin keuntungan mereka walaupun membahayakan rakyat.

Operator-operator kami di seluruh Negara sudahpun menjalankan kerja-kerja penerangan kepada rakyat, termasuk anggota polis, tentera dan kakitangan awam agar lebih celik kepada pembohongan dan kekejaman yang dilakukan pada mereka oleh UMNO/BN.

Kini, ketika cebisan harapan hak-hak rakyat dalam keadaan uzur kritikal yang hampir saja mustahil dapat dipertahankan akibat dibantai pemerintah selama ini, apakah lagi alasan dapat mewajarkan ketakutan dibiarkan bermaharaja-lela membungkam suara hati kita?

Apabila tuntutan rakyat tidak dihiraukan malah terus saja dipersendakan pemerintah, cukupkah sekadar bersandarkan alasan-alasan ideal (umpamanya; apolitical, non-partisan, impartial dan macam-macam lagi) sebagai lapik indah. Sudah tiba masanya bagi kita untuk tidak lagi menghalalkan sifat 'dayus' dan 'bacul' kita dengan terus kekal takut untuk bangkit berjuang menyatakan pendirian dan terus menolak UMNO/BN.

Dengan ini kami umumkan pada 15 Disember 2011 jam 8.00 malam satu forum besar-besaran akan diadakan di KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall. Forum yang akan dihadiri oleh rakyat dari seluruh Negara ini akan juga membuat satu lagi pengumuman besar yang akan merubah situasi politik di Negara Malaysia


ABU - Satu Gerakkan Massa Dari Rakyat Untuk Rakyat !

 

DAP stay silent on hudud challenge

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:07 AM PST

(The Star) - HUDUD was brought up several times during the sitting with two MCA representatives challenging their DAP counterparts to make their stand clear.

The issue was brought up by Dr Sheikh Ibrahim (PAS Sungai Abong), who said there was no harm in hudud.

"When parties like the MCA belittle hudud law, they also belittle Islam," he said and was immediately interrupted by Datuk Tee Siew Kiong (BN Pulai Sebatang) who challenged DAP representatives to state their stand.

"I guess DAP agrees with what PAS wants and that is why they are just keeping quiet," he said.

Dr Lee Hong Tee (BN Jementah) also challenged DAP to make a stand on the matter.

"Tell the people. Do you support PAS' hudud law or not?" Tee asked.

He was interrupted by Dr Boo Cheng Hou (DAP Skudai) who started quoting from Buku Jingga.

Dr Sheikh also said that only those who stole or were involved in bribes were scared of hudud.

Tee, however, said the MCA was not afraid of hudud but added the Federal Constitution was sufficient and no additional law was needed.

Meanwhile, at a press conference, the MCA backbenchers club again reiterated that DAP was just brushing aside the issue.

"We need a concrete answer from them so that the people are not confused," said club chairman Datuk Ng See Tiong (BN Parit Yaani).

He also urged the Opposition to stop harping on the same issues, including their statements on the state going bankrupt by March next year due to financial mismanagement.

"I pose a challenge to him (Dr Boo). If the state goes bankrupt by midnight, March 12, I will resign. If it doesn't, he should resign," said Ng.

He said Dr Boo should also apologise to karaoke singers in the state who were upset after he made a statement on Monday through a poem claiming they were liars.

 

Dr M against general offer for Proton

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 08:00 AM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - Khazanah Nasional should not sell its entire stake in Proton as this would trigger a mandatory general offer and affect the potential buyer's ability to turn the national carmaker around, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

"I'm not okay with it... (because) the cost will be very high for whoever buys," the Proton advisor told reporters at the Palace of the Golden Horses today.

"And when the cost is very high, turning it around becomes very difficult because whoever buys it will have to inject more money into Proton, maybe inject another RM2 billion."

This high initial capital expenditure may affect Proton's revival plans in the long term unless the buyer was "very strong" financially and could manage spending well, Dr Mahathir pointed out.

"I don't want Proton to be hurt. I don't care if others are hurt but not Proton," he stressed.

The former prime minister added he did not favour any particular buyer, but said he would like the company with "the biggest amount of money" to purchase Khazanah's stake in Proton.

"At the moment, Proton cannot make progress, introduce new vehicles and all that because of shortage of funds," he said.

READ MORE HERE

 

After Umno attacks, Pakatan says must assuage ‘Malay fears’

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 07:57 AM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - Admitting that Umno's attacks can affect the opposition's Malay support base, Pakatan Rakyat leaders (PR) have said they will focus on alleviating fears that the dominant community's rights would be at risk under their rule.

Top PR leaders who spoke to The Malaysian Insider said more needed to be done to create awareness among the Malays on how the pact's four states implemented policies that "empowered" the community, as well as a guarantee the community would not be sidelined.

Umno intensified its attacks against the opposition two weeks ago through its general assembly that saw delegates and leaders accusing PR of being anti-Malay and Islam.

"Umno is reverting back its age old policy of Malay agenda which has enabled it to maintain its traditional support base in the past. But Pakatan has not done enough to alleviate these Malay fears, despite how untruthful it is," Nurul Izzah Anwar told The Malaysian Insider.

"Our message needs to be carefully catered to address Malay fears stemming from the use of politics of fear and race that the Umno-BN is currently using against us."

The PKR vice-president said Malay support for PR has been noticeably affected since Umno's renewed attacks, and that PR's ceramah circuit was a way they could counter the "baseless" accusations.

 "Pakatan has policies, like in Penang for example, where 70 per cent of contracts go to deserving Bumiputera contractors based on an open tender system. We have these policies implemented but we need to address them, keep repeating it and remind people during ceramahs, perhaps through leaflets.

"More often than not, politics is about perception," she said.

One of the most common misconceived notions about PR, said Nurul Izzah, was that Malay rights and privileges would be in jeopardy should they take over Putrajaya.

"We reiterate our commitment to defending the Articles spelled out in the Federal Constitution, including maintaining and protecting the special position of the Malays... I believe the policies enshrined in our Common Policy Framework (CPF) address the problems faced by many Malaysians, especially focusing on alleviating the poor — most of whom include Malays.

"Steps proposed such as minimum wage legislation, focusing on and strengthening vocational and technical institutions, as well as returning the independence of various institutions to ensure we tackle graft, corruption and abuse of power accordingly, are crucial in changing current economic conditions and improving the overall welfare of the rakyat — Malays included," said the Lembah Pantai MP.

She said this issue was an "on-going agenda" but became more important in light of the upcoming election.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution agreed, saying coalition is already taking steps to counter Umno's claims.

READ MORE HERE

 

Najib risks Malaysia's reputation in his treatment of Anwar Ibrahim

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 07:49 AM PST

If the opposition leader is convicted of sodomy he will become yet another victim of an egregious, politically suspect injustice

Now Najib is taking no chances as his lieutenants warn that Anwar is fomenting an Arab spring-style uprising – a so-called "hibiscus revolution". Having more or less reneged on shaky, post-July promises of civil rights reform, Najib is now pushing through remodelled restrictions in the form of the Peaceful Assembly act.

Simon Tisdall, The Guardian

The portents do not look good for Malaysia's opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, whose trial on highly dubious sodomy charges draws to a close this week. If Anwar is found guilty – and the trial judge seems to have made up his mind already – he will not be the only or even the most important victim of an egregious, politically suspect injustice. Malaysia's democratic reputation will have been critically wounded, and for that outrage, Malaysians will have their prime minister, Najib Razak, to thank.

The plodding Najib's overriding objective is winning the general election expected next year, possibly within a few months. The son of Malaysia's second prime minister, the nephew of its third, president of the dominant United Malays National Organisation (Umno), and a former defence minister, Najib was born to power and is accustomed to wielding it. As the charismatic leader of the opposition coalition, Anwar represents the biggest challenge to his continuing ascendancy.

It hardly seems coincidental that the sodomy charges were levelled at Anwar shortly after the opposition inflicted unprecedented defeats on Umno and its allies in the 2008 elections. Anwar's main campaign plank – combating the official, institutionalised discrimination that favours ethnic Malays over the country's large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities – threatened the post-colonial order that has kept Umno and its National Front coalition on top since 1957.

In a court appearance earlier this year, Anwar, 64, a married father of six, denied accusations he had had sexual relations with a former male aide. Homosexuality is punishable by law in Malaysia by caning and up to 20 years in jail. The allegations were "a vile and desperate attempt at character assassination" and a "blatant and vicious lie" spread by his political enemies, he said. "This entire process is nothing but a conspiracy by Najib Razak to send me into political oblivion by attempting once again to put me behind bars."

Najib flatly rejects the idea of a political vendetta. But the recycling of sodomy accusations – Anwar was jailed on a similar charge in 1998 and detained until the conviction was quashed in 2004 – suggests a lack of originality characteristic of the prime minister. The case turns on the testimony of the alleged victim and DNA evidence produced by the prosecution. Defence lawyers suggested this week that Anwar's accuser was a "compulsive and consummate liar" who may have been put up to it. Yet the trial judge has already declared the prosecution's evidence "reliable" and credible", leading Anwar to claim he is being denied a fair trial.

Najib gives every appearance of preparing for snap polls on the assumption that Anwar will be out of the way and the opposition decapitated. He told Umno's annual congress to prepare for battle because "the time is near" and urged delegates to work harder, for example by using social media, to attract a "new generation of Malaysians who are more critical and have rising expectations of the government". The party must adapt or face "tragedy", he warned.

To Najib's evident alarm, that tragedy almost occurred in July when tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur. The highly unusual public display of discontent was spurred by a range of factors: spending cuts, official corruption and cronyism, a defective electoral system, curbs on public assembly and debate, and state-imposed censorship considered draconian even by regional standards. The example of recent political upheavals in neighbouring Thailand and Singapore also played a part. In response, thousands were beaten and detained by police.

Now Najib is taking no chances as his lieutenants warn that Anwar is fomenting an Arab spring-style uprising – a so-called "hibiscus revolution". Having more or less reneged on shaky, post-July promises of civil rights reform, Najib is now pushing through remodelled restrictions in the form of the Peaceful Assembly act.

The act effectively makes peaceful assembly impossible by restricting it to undefined "designated places". No gatherings are permitted within 50 meters of prohibited places including hospitals, schools or places of worship. The police can dictate the date, time and place. Najib's idea of engaging the "new generation" of young Malaysians is to ban anyone under the age of 21 from organising a protest.

Opposition parties, lawyers and activist groups have condemned the new law, as has Amnesty International. But Najib Khairy Jamaluddin, Umno's youth-wing leader, articulated Najib's paranoia last month when he accused Anwar's coalition of "trying hard to manufacture panic and disorder" by promoting street rallies instead of elections. "The opposition often quotes social movements in the Middle East to instigate people to take part in street revolutions and in the process manufacture a Malaysian version of the Arab spring," Khairy said.

Najib's authoritarian tendencies, blatant political scaremongering, and the judicial travesty that is Anwar's trial all suggest Malaysia's western allies, including Britain and the US, should take a closer look at their friend. Malaysia is valued as a trading partner, counterproliferation collaborator, and noncombatant member of the Afghanistan coalition. But the government's human rights record and democratic practices merit closer scrutiny.

In a visit last year, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton extracted a promise that Anwar would receive a fair trial. "The US believes it is important for all aspects of the case to be conducted fairly and transparently and in a way that increases confidence in the rule of law in Malaysia," she said. In a recent speech, Clinton urged all states to end discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation.

As Anwar's ordeal approaches an ugly climax, it seems increasingly unlikely that these benchmarks will be met. The next question is: what will Malaysians and their friends do about it?

 

Political gimmicks to con voters

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 07:43 AM PST

Umno leaders are playing a dangerous game and leading the nation towards the brink of destruction when they choose to play the race card at the drop of a hat.

Umno is now leading the nation towards the brink of destruction and the abyss of doom when its leaders choose to play the race card at the drop of a hat. Emotions will run very high if the Malay mind is conditioned by Umno to be under a siege-mentality.

Selana Tay, Free Malaysia Today

Umno, MCA and MIC never fail to use the race card to gain support from the Malays, Chinese and Indians respectively. This race card is the trump card which the British colonialists had left as a legacy to those three parties in the then "Alliance Formula".

Therefore, the opposition will always find it difficult to win the general elections due to these three parties always availing themselves of the ace from the deck of cards dealt by the past colonial masters.

This means that even before Independence itself, the cards have always been stacked against the opposition as the rakyat's minds are already pre-conditioned with the issue of race.

With the 13th general election tipped to be just around the proverbial corner by political pundits, Umno politicians have upped the ante in their recent 65th Umno general assembly with racial speeches accusing the Chinese and the DAP of wanting to grab political and economic power.

Stirring up Malay sentiment is Umno's tried and tested formula of successfully wooing the Malays and it has always yielded tremendous gains for Umno.

As such, during the British era right until this present day, there has not been a single shred of doubt that Umno is the dominant party in the BN coalition. It is Umno which calls the shots and assigns MCA and MIC to only look after their respective race.

This formula of divide-and-rule which has been started by the British has been continued by Umno, MCA and MIC to this present day for them to maintain and stay in power. It is almost impossible to break the divide-and-rule policy because the rakyat are not ready for it. And that is the sad reality to this present day.

For example, there have been rumours that this time the Batu candidate for this coming polls is a Malay guy. Previously in 2008, PKR's Tian Chua defeated Gerakan's Lim Si Pin by a 9,000-plus vote majority. If Umno fields a Malay candidate in Batu, will PKR also field a Malay candidate? The demographics in Batu roughly mirrors that of the demographics of the nation.

Harsh reality

It is a harsh reality here that in Malaysia it is all about race, race and race with a capital "R". A former prime minister has once commented that PAS is afraid to contest in a Chinese-majority seat.

Well, actually it is Umno which is afraid. In Kepong at least 88% of the voters are Chinese.

If Umno fields a Malay candidate in Kepong, PAS will also field a Malay or Chinese candidate and we will be seeing a PAS versus Umno tussle in Kepong – a very interesting and intriguing battle indeed.

Why doesn't Umno field a Malay candidate in Kepong in line with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's much-hyped up 1Malaysia slogan?

Race-based politics is a legacy left by the British and honed into perfection by Umno. It will continue to be the order of the day if BN continues to win the coming general election.

As the rural Malay vote is the crucial decider this time around, Umno is going all out to woo the rural Malays by playing the race card.

This is evident going by the vitriol spewed forth at the recent Umno general assembly where the Chinese have been vilified by one Umno delegate after another who accused the Chinese of wanting to usurp the Malays.

READ MORE HERE

 

Has Rama become too big for his britches?

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 07:40 AM PST

To stir controversy and not know how to douse it is only going to create problems for the DCM II and DAP.

While Karpal and Ramasamy are embroiled in a war of words, DAP's arch enemy, Umno, is grabbing the opportunity to impress upon the rakyat, Penangites in particular, that the current internal crisis facing DAP is proof that unity is an asset this party cannot claim to have.

Jeswan Kaur, Free Malaysia Today

The on-going altercation between DAP national chairman Karpal Singh and Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy serves as a costly lesson for both the party and the latter.

Ramasamy has been in the spotlight the past week for making a premature announcement in Tamil daily Makkal Osai on Nov 28 on party's Indian candidates for the 13th general election.

This prompted the 71-year-old Karpal to chastise Ramasamy, who is also DAP's national deputy secretary-general, for behaving like a warlord by promising seats for candidates of his choice.

Ramasamy, also the Penang DAP deputy chief, responded by calling the party to get rid of godfathers, in an obvious reference to Karpal.

Many party leaders and members felt Ramasamy's godfather remark had undermined party elders such as Dr Chen Man Hin, Lim Kit Siang and Karpal.

While Karpal and Ramasamy are embroiled in a war of words, DAP's arch enemy, Umno, is grabbing the opportunity to impress upon the rakyat, Penangites in particular, that the current internal crisis facing DAP is proof that unity is an asset this party cannot claim to have.

With Umno loyalists wasting no time scurrying about painting a bad picture of DAP, the rift between Karpal and Ramasamy needs urgent repair.

Karpal, once dubbed the "Tiger of Jelutong", has been with DAP through thick and thin.

A former detainee under the now-defunct Internal Security Act (ISA), his affection for DAP is understandable and so is his anger towards Ramasamy for branding DAP veterans "godfathers" or "warlords".

Ramasamy, an academician-turned politician, has miles to walk in politics. Perhaps it was his arrogance as DCM II that resulted in him making those remarks, which have backfired on him.

The no-nonsense Karpal give Ramasamy an ultimatum – either apologise or face the music for misbehaving. On Dec 11, at the Penang DAP convention, Karpal cautioned Ramasamy not to let power get to the former lecturer's head.

The ferocious lawyer also demanded Ramasamy immediately retract and apologise for his godfather remark against the party's veteran leaders, especially him.

Reminding Ramasamy that the position of DCM II was an honour to ethnic Indian community, Karpal said it was thanks to DAP that Ramasamy won in the 2008 general election.

Ramasamy has lots to learn as a politician

The incident brings with it hard lessons for Ramasamy who quit his lecturing job in Singapore to venture into politics. To stir controversy and not know how to douse it is only going to create problems for both him and the party.

Having labelled Karpal and the other veterans of DAP as "godfathers", Ramasamy has given the impression that the party operates along the lines of "mafia-ism", something which Karpal said was unthinkable as DAP is a party for all races.

If at all DAP works ala "mafia", when really did Ramasamy realise this? Where did he gain the conviction that the very party which gave him his political break is all about mafia?

What about the sacrifices of veterans like Karpal and Lim Kit Siang? Do they amount to nothing?

Or has this DCM II become "too big for his shoes", ambitiously confident about his future in politics?

Perhaps it has… for Ramasamy said he was willing to quit DAP if necessary and return to his hometown in Sitiawan.

Karpal is furious, too, that Ramasamy, with his announcement on party candidatures, had trespassed all party decorum, as it was seen as usurping the power of the central executive committee.

Ramasamy was also taken to task for promoting an unknown individual, lawyer K Mangaleswari, as a candidate for the Jawi state constituency.

READ MORE HERE

 

Dr M: Just say sorry, Ramasamy

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 07:39 AM PST

All Karpal is asking for is an apology, the former Umno boss said.

(Free Malaysia Today) - In a strange twist of events, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad advised DAP leader P Ramasamy to apologise to his chief, Karpal Singh.

Referring to Karpal as "the godfather of DAP", the former Umno president wondered if the spat between the two DAP men was nothing more than political drama.

"I don't know if it is not sandiwara (drama), but we all know that the godfather of the DAP is Karpal Singh."

"Everybody knows that Karpal is the godfather, and you have to be nice to him. If you insult him, you must apologise," he told reporters at a press conference.

He said this after officiating at the Sailing the Sand of Sahara event at the Palace of the Golden Horses.

Mahathir was referring to the ongoing spat between DAP deputy secretary-general Ramasamy and DAP chairman Karpal.

Ramasamy was first thrust into the spotlight for reportedly making a premature announcement on Nov 28 about the party's Indian candidates in the coming general election.

Karpal then accused Ramasamy of acting like a party warlord by promising seats to DAP candidates of his choice.

Annoyed, Ramasamy said that the party needed to get rid of its godfathers, apparently referring to Karpal.

READ MORE HERE

 

Post GE13 political scenarios-Part 3

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 07:24 AM PST

SAKMONGKOL AK47

Part 3.

About this having big time grudges or even hating Anwar, let me say this. Just how do you arrive at that judgment? Because I don't write good things about him?  Some of these PKR diehards must have a short memory- if they go into my archives, they will see that UMNO people are accusing me of being pro Anwar. One of them must also be the vermin who insisted that I hate Anwar whenever I wrote something unflattering or not advantageous to Anwar. I advise them if they want to see the real hate writings on Anwar to go visit the extreme pro UMNO bloggers.

Nothing personal against Anwar. To me he remains the crowd puller who can captivate the masses with his mesmerizing oratory. He can call the birds in the trees to his palms. But I don't fancy Anwar as PM because of (a) his duplicity and deceiving nature. He wears too many masks. (2) He is compromisable.

I am stating what I see as the possible outcome of post GE13. Anwar has been committed to jail by then. On the steps of parliament Anwar told someone who I know very well, that the government is bent on jailing him. He himself is convinced he will go to jail. We shall wait. As to the person who ranks according to hierarchy who should become the new PM, who sets the hierarchy? If PKR does not come out with the largest number of seats among DAP, PAS and PKR, how does one arrive at the ranking? Ini bukan suka suka mahu taruh Anwar jadi PM. He can't be PM without the concurrence of DAP and PAS.

Let's examine DAP and PAS. DAP and PAS are more interested to oust the UMNO/BN government, less with the idea that Anwar MUST be the next PM. I hope PKR people get this into their cool heads. PAS and DAP can live together because they are committed to the bigger picture which is – seeing the BN out. PKR's big picture it seems to me is to see Anwar installed as PM. Hence, the "we will break prison walls mindset" this isn't about Anwar brother…

As for PAS and DAP, they can't accept anyone from either party to become PM. I think PAS knows its limitations. They have the material suited to be anything but the PM. Nizar or no Nizar. He's an MB material for now. DAP can't accept any PAS leader to become PM not on account of religion (the personal views of Karpal Singh notwithstanding) but because of fears that Malaysia will regress. Now, we may not agree with this assessment, but how DAP sees things appear to have adherents especially among the Chinese in general. The Chinese in general will be troubled at the idea of having a Mullah heading the country.

Why can't they accept Anwar? Because they can't afford to have a person who has just gone through a blackened period to be the immediate PM. Perhaps later when Anwar is fully rehabilitated in the eyes of the public. The views held by Anwaristas are immaterial at the moment. The voters are more important. The Anwar supporters must also come to terms that maybe they have to take one step backwards to save their leader. 

And also because they ( DAP and PAS) have other reasons I am not at liberty to divulge. Why is Hassan Ali, a close comrade in arms with Anwar Ibrahim since varsity days breaking ranks with Anwar? The talks of his willingness to be the bridge for unity between PAS and UMNO show that to him, Anwar is a non-factor already.

So, PAS, DAP and even some sections of the PKR leadership and even those in UMNO who are waiting in the wings look out for someone with the standing, stature and respect as the next PM. My own view is that, the only person fitting the bill is Tengku Razaleigh.

Why Tengku Razaleigh?

Because it's important for the Pakatan to gain allegiance and support of the 20% fence-sitter voters. This section of the public has a different psychology. They want to know who the next PM is. Is the next PM going to be more acceptable than the present one? They want certainty and some confidence in the person. That person must have the substance, experience, standing and respect all around. Furthermore, the fence sitters who constitute some 20% of voters will demand to see some clarity. These are mostly apolitical and can be persuaded only if the person designated has the qualities and the wherewithal to become PM. If we put Anwar up, they may as well say, if the thing aint broken, why fix it? Whether we like it or not, the 20% fence sitter voters are not exactly enamored with the idea of having Anwar as PM. They might as well stick with Najib.

Tengku Razaleigh is too old. Well, Mahathir remains PM until nearly 80. Deng Hsiopeng became leader of China in his late 70s. Many leaders become head of states at late ages. They have the stamina and wisdom and the experience. Malaysia is in need of someone of that stature. There's no past tense when it comes to political relevancy and making sense.

Didn't I read that Mahathir says, if it isn't broken don't fix it? Only if we are sentimental fools. We are not going to be romantics dreaming of a perfect past in order to perpetuate all the negatives that are associated with the past. The salad and halcyon days perpetrated during the Mahathir era is now over. Of course Dr Mahathir wants a return to his era where everything is more or less decided by him. That presupposes the existence of a leader like him- non inclusive and iron willed. Najib does not have those qualities. Neither does he have the qualities to convince UMNO people the virtues of his liberal ideas.

READ MORE HERE

 

A Badly Conceived Election Budget Allocation

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 10:35 PM PST

By Koon Yew Yin

Recently the leading state newspaper in Perak carried an article which contained details of the Perak State Government's budget for 2012 which was tabled before the State Assembly on 21St Nov. 2011 (The Ipoh Echo, Issue 133, 1-15 December 2011).

Among the key items of planned allocation in what is clearly a pre-election budget aimed at buying votes for the present state government in the coming elections, the most problematic is the RM60 million fund set up to assist first time house buyers by providing the 10% deposit as required by Banks to purchase a new house.

I sympathise with the plight of first time low income house buyers and agree on the need to assist them in helping with home ownership. I can also understand the populist intention of the programme. However, this programme – as it is currently designed - is not only likely to fall short of its noble goal but will result in grief to the Perak administration.

I can already foresee the following difficulties:-

1. What will happen if the buyers cannot pay the monthly instalments to the banks? A Housing Loan Manager of one of the leading banks told me that the bank can issue the first letter of demand after the defaulter fails to pay up only after 3 months. Also that the bank is able to initiate legal action only after 3 letters of demand have been sent out. In all likelihood, the legal procedure to recover
the property will take 6 months or more. Hence, it could take more than one year at least for the Bank to evict a defaulter. By the time the house is reprocessed, it would be in such a deplorable condition that the Bank will not be able to recover its loan and administration cost in most of the cases. To sell a reprocessed property, the bank also has to advertise to invite bids. In most cases, the Bank will not be able to get the reserved price in the first auction. If this happens, the bank will have to reduce the reserved price by 10%. If the second auction is not successful, the reserved price will have to be reduced by another 10%.

2. What will happen when a buyer cannot pay back the 10% to the State Government? Does the Government have the necessary machinery to recover the debt? As you can see above, there are laws to protect the poor men. Even the commercial banks with all the rules and regulations in place, still have difficulties to recover their money, how can the Perak State Government expect to do
better?

The administrative cost to recover the debt is not only likely to be considerable but could also exceed the 10% loan outlay. This will further impoverish the state by diverting resources to unproductive expenditure.

What this means is that any recovery of loan funds will be much less than what has been dispensed, leading to a short life span for the so-called "rolling" fund.

I hope all members of the Perak State Assembly will consider these comments seriously and delay the implementation of the scheme until a later date when all the design and operational kinks and problems are fully understood and accounted for.

A better planned and more stringent housing loan scheme is needed for the state if it is to be sustainable. The unseemly haste with which this poorly designed scheme is being pushed through for the coming elections will surely backfire on the state government and all Perak subjects.

ATM is not your political playfield

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 10:27 PM PST

When Vincent Tan followed behind Dr Mahathir to go inside the submarine, I could not help but think of why Vincent Tan being an ordinary businessman, and neither being a government officer nor a people's representative was being allowed to go inside a military vessel. Dr Mahathir's presence was proper and correct because he was a nation builder, a contributor to the nations progress and held the longest term of Prime-Ministership. Is Vincent Tan a submarine specialist? Why is it a civilian like him was allowed to enter a submarine?

By Er Teck Hwa

According to a report dated 10 December 2011, a pro UMNO blogger called Papagomo, was at the same place where Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his two deputies, P. Ramasamy and Mansor Othman were, when they had access to the KD Tun Razak Scorpene submarine.

Papagomo portraited in his blog negatively that Lim Guan Eng had a bout of sea-sickness while inside the submarine.

Besides that, a reporter at the scene at the material time there was another pro-UMNO blogger, named "Big Dog", (Zakir Mohammed), was also there. According to a photo of Malaysiakini, apparently his presence was effected by being flown to Langkawi Airport in a military helicopter.

Defence Minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, denied that no blogger was allowed into the submarine at the time of Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng's visit to the vessel.

Innitially, the BN government intented to invite the Chief Minister from the PR state to witness this sea-trial, in order to prove incorrect, the current rumour that the submarine was not able to submerge. But the whole event had back-fired. That reflect ted the ignorance of the Minister towards national security. Not only that, he also did not understand the concept of proper process of good administration.

When we arrived at the Pulau Langkawi LIMA Air Show,
Defance Minister Ahmad Zahid was there to receive us
During the middle of 2009, the first submarine, KD Tengku Abdul Rahman, was built and piloted to Malaysia. Ahmad Zahid offered all the MP's from Dewan Rakyat during the 3rd session of Parliament to LIMA show to visit the interior of the submarine.

Among all the opposition MP's, only Bagan Serai (ex-PKR) MP, Mohsin Fadzil Samsuri, and me participated in this event. On 4th December 2009, MINDEF arranged an air craft at Subang Airport and brought us straight away to Pulau Langkawi.

Tan Sri Vincent Tan was with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad
while waiting at the dock
When we arrived at the Pulau Langkawi LIMA Air Show, Ahmad Zahid was there to receive us. And MINDEF also arranged some meals for us and also scheduled at 3'clock for us to enter the submarine.

There were many invited guests, so all of us had to wait at the dock. Because of the space constraint inside the submarine, each one of us visitors had to wait for our turn.

Tun Dr Mahathir was also there as well. As a ex-Prime Minister he was given the privilege to enter the submarine first. But there was a person in the midst of the crowd there, who attracted my attention. He is Tan Sri Vincent Tan.

When Vincent Tan followed behind Dr Mahathir to go inside the submarine, I could not help but think of why Vincent Tan being an ordinary businessman, and neither being a government officer nor a people's representative was being allowed to go inside a military vessel. Dr Mahathir's presence was proper and correct because he was a nation builder, a contributor to the nations progress and held the longest term of Prime-Ministership. Is Vincent Tan a submarine specialist? Why is it a civilian like him was allowed to enter a submarine?

Dr Mahathir got ready to access into the submarine.
Vincent Tan was following behind him
The same happened again after two years. As a Defence Minister, he seems not to be aware of who is being allowed into the submarine. Nevertheless, a civilian had gone inside the submarine, taken photographs and released them into the internet. Ahmad Zahid had the cheek to say that no blogger was allowed into the submarine. Besides that, Papagomo is arrogant in his blog by saying that he can tell the reader only something. The rest are all strategical secret. Does this imply that a civilian is allowed to attend functions where he or she is exposed to military intelligence? And shamelessly he tells the whole world that he knows some military intelligence but he is not going to tell. Isn't this a threat to national security? How does MINDEF ensure that the blogger does not sell the intelligence to spy organization in other countries?

Ahmad Zahid, a Defence Minister who represents the government must understand that simply letting a civilian accessing a military facility is considered a very serious occurrence. Two years ago that was Vincent Tan and two year later there is Papagomo and "Big Dog". Since when a military facility has become BN's political playfield?
 
Read more at: http://mp-bakri.blogspot.com/2011/12/atm-is-not-your-political-playfield.html

Computer tech law: like a giant Trojan worm

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 10:24 PM PST

The political effect of such a broad approach is to splinter criticism, not allowing focus on a single point of attack. This places the politician and bureaucrat in a position to cherry pick which arguments to uphold, which to reject, while keeping the essence unchanged. The Peaceful Assembly Bill is an example.

By uppercaise

» New law puts noose around computer techies

The federal government's draft new law on computing is such an amorphous blob, trying to cover all the bases, that attacks have come from all sides, the latest critic being a politician formerly an IT entrepreneur who sees the law as another weapon against free speech. » MalaysiaKini.

That is not a far-fetched conclusion when the draft Computing Professionals Bill is viewed in terms of its impact on society and the potential for further political control over national life.

Of more workday relevance to the industry are the criticisms of the law for trying to create a closed computing industry; for attempting to keep tabs on everyone with a database of people in the trade; for trying to stifle innovation; for creating regulation by government rather than through industry self-regulation; and potentially for another means of creating avenues for bumiputera-ism to thrive.

Lawyers say it is bad law for being too loosely worded and ambiguous, too broad in scope, legislating for a danger that may not yet exist, and placing too much power in the hands of politicians. » Analysis at Loyar Burok.

The draft law is all that and more. Its broad scope allows its effects to ooze all over the computing trade like a giant malevolent runaway amoeba. Or for a computing analogy, a giant Trojan worm.

 

• Three laws in one

In essence, the bill is three or four laws in one, an omnibus, dealing with related but quite distinct issues which should have been dealt with separately. Among these issues:

• Cyber security, to protect vital institutions
• Creating a closed-shop 'profession' with status on par with doctors and lawyers
• Licensing, certification, and regulation of industry workers
• Political control over thought, information, and access to information

Lumping disparate issues into one law is a crafty piece of political gamesmanship; while on the one hand there is industry involvement in professional matters, the imprint of the heavy hand of government security is moulded into the portions on control and restrictions.

The political effect of such a broad approach is to splinter criticism, not allowing focus on a single point of attack. This places the politician and bureaucrat in a position to cherry pick which arguments to uphold, which to reject, while keeping the essence unchanged. The Peaceful Assembly Bill is an example.

No legislation that imposes further controls on society by restricting the lives of citizens and providing greater powers to the ruling class can avoid being viewed in political terms. The science ministry's putative "explanation" and rationale does little to dispel the impression of political motives. » Ministry statement

Cyber security is a separate issue

If the aim was to deal with cyber security, the government should have ensured that the law was drafted narrowly — by government, not industry — and sets out a proper security regime; to state specifically which areas it wishes to declare as security areas, and how industry and citizens may respond; set out clearly who may declare security areas or decide who is allowed entry; state their powers, and how the citizen or industry worker can obtain redress.

There is none of that. It is not good enough to simply declare out of bounds most of national life and then, in effect, tell the unregistered to just go write code for the sundry shop and the coffee shop.

Nor is it good enough to place the burden of security on the industry worker by putting him through the equivalent of fingerprinting. Once in a lifetime is enough.

Computer geeks are not doctors

Next, the question of why there has arisen a need for creating a "profession". Has there been a general outcry from the public, or even from within the industry, of the lack of "professional" status? Or is it simply a result of professional jealousy, to satisfy the egos of industry leaders with an elitist status analogous to that of doctors? Legislative and government control is placed on entry to a "profession" that was created specifically in order to allow for these controls to be placed. Perfectly circular. The restrictions on specialisation is another form of control. Computing is not yet analogous to medicine where doctors spend years perfecting skills in sub-disciplines so that they don't kill people (and even then they still do.)

Creating a "profession" has nothing to do with cyber security and does not belong in the same piece of legislation. Neither do the provisions on training, education, standards and certification.

Whose need does the law meet?

Above all, why is there now a need to register and keep tabs on who's doing what in computing?

Legislation is created only when there is a pressing need. The draft law does not show what pressing need is being met. Inevitably, political questions arise: questions of control of society through computing, and questions of political power feeling threatened by computing power.

Read more at: http://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/tech-law-like-a-giant-trojan-worm/

Takkan Melayu Hilang Di Dunia? ...dream on!

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 10:19 PM PST

There are no great Malay leaders in this country of ours any more. All our leaders, without exception, have in one way or another, failed us – and yet having failed they still insist that their right to remain a Malay leader is unaffected.

By steadyaku47

I was in Singapore the last few days for work. Have not been to Singapore for over 20 years. The driver of the taxi that drove me from the airport to my hotel was Malay. On the ride to the hotel he pointed out that all the land along the coast that was now fully developed was reclaimed land. He said that Singapore could no longer buy sand from Indonesia or Malaysia – so Singapore now buys its sand from Vietnam. He suggested that maybe the Malaysian government should consider letting Singapore mine all the sand it needed from the Pahang and Perak river so that floods would not occur as frequently as they do now – this way Singapore would have their sand and Malaysia gets two strikes against Singapore: Payment for the sand and flood prevention! I quietly smiled at his logic. If only our politicians could think that clearly! 

At night I would watch TV as I ate dinner and what I saw on Singapore TV gave me some explanation as to why Malaysia is so far behind Singapore. No I am not just talking about the physical aspect of development where a comparison between the two countries would be an exercise in futility: Where would you begin? From Changi airport, the taxis I took, the buses and trains that I used to the presence of a city confident in its growth and secure of its place globally, Singapore is everything that Malaysia is not! 

Singapore TV is filled with programs that provides you with information of world events, knowledge about anything that you would care to know and learn about and many programs that tells Singaporeans that life out there is to be lived and enjoyed responsibly. No politicians in sight on their TV. Nothing that would allow any sensible, intelligent Singapore TV viewer to be upset at any attempt by the Singapore government to try and influence them on matters political.

Malaysian TV is pathetic and an embarrassment to watch. Talk show hosts that are so condescending to their guests that it makes me cringe! We have crowds of people being told about the latest government projects that will benefit them and the nation. What passes for Television programs is in reality government propaganda  - pure and simply drivel and unmitigated spew of useless information that benefits no one – not even the government because all it does is to turn the thinking viewer against such blatant propaganda of a BN government desperate to win a coming general election. I remember one episode where this Malay politician was opening a show or seminar of some sort by unfurling a banner with a giant size portrait of himself! It makes me want to spew! 

What was more disturbing to me is thinking how all this rubbish on Malaysian Television will affect those Malaysian watching Malaysian TV. If that is the only TV they watch then what chance do these people have of developing into a better human being? We have been told that we are what we eat…well I think what our government allow our people to watch on TV and read in the media is what we will be: a people blinkered and oblivious to the world outside.
  
But as a Malay what saddens me is that the politics within UMNO defines us Malays as we have never been defined before. Before this the Malays saw themselves as a people who went about their life with a quiet dignity secure in the knowledge that as a people, they had the respect of the other races and felt themselves worthy of being Malays – son of the soils. More important we had a sense of self worth.

Today the ugliness of the Malay persona is now no longer a matter than can be kept within the confines of family and the Malay community. How can it be kept from the public domain when Malays are ridicule and laughed at as they try to walk along the path where others have walked – and in trying to do so they have failed miserably. Failed because they are ill equipped to compete on a level playing field with the other races. 

This is not something that UMNO can sweep under the carpet anymore.

Today it is the Malays themselves who have realized the dire situation that they are in. This is what the Malays now know of themselves.

There are no great Malay leaders in this country of ours any more. All our leaders, without exception, has in one-way or another, failed us – and yet having failed they still insists that their right to remain a Malay leader is unaffected. The Malay leaders of today are a joke!

The education of our young has not prepared or equipped them to compete on a level playing field against non-Malays in Malaysia and against others when they go overseas. They have failed miserably from their ability to master the English Language to their ability to interact and handle the intricacies of living amongst non-Malays.

I have been shamed countless times when in conversation with Malay students in Australia – not only by their woefully inadequate ability to speak decent English but more worrying in the blinkered approach to education with the 'them' and 'us' approach to everything – from social interactions to having no understanding that we must celebrate diversity – not treat it as a threat to our Malay ethnicity, to our religion and to our way of life. That they have failed to do so is painfully obvious to me as a Malay – what more to the people they meet. But ignorance is bliss and these students are unable to comprehend that they are looked upon as an object to be pitied rather then laughed at. And so these students go about their education oblivious to their failings. Katak di bawah tempurong!
 
The Malays can no longer ignored the reality that the non-Malays are way ahead by leaps and bounds in all things Malaysians: Business, Education, civil society and even respect and dignity of their own race.

How is this possible when the Malays have complete control of government since Merdeka and should and did have control over all aspects of life in Malaysia?

How is this possible when the Malays have 9 Sultans and numerous Governors as the constitutional head of state?

How is this possible when the Malays numerically overwhelmed all the other races put together?

And yet all this advantages have made the Malays into a people that can no longer hold their head nobly whatever their circumstances simply because the Malay dominated Barisan Nasional government has failed in their much stated purpose of Ketuanan Melayu.

Failed not in the getting of the Ketuanan Melayu but failed in the manner in which Ketuanan Melayu is used to further NOT The Malay interest but to further UMNO's interest.

And therein lies the tragedy of the Malays! AN UMNO that takes for themselves what should really be for the Malays.

And it is in the leaders of UMNO that we see the worst of the Malays acting out what the Malays have now become! These UMNO leaders are the epitome of greed, corruption and thievery of the nations wealth for their own pockets.
 

Glaring Indicators That Malaysia is on a Downward Spiral to Economic Obscurity

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 10:13 PM PST

When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work as somebody else is going to get what they worked for, compounded by the fact that the first half are really only getting the little crumbs and the elite UMNOputras are the ones getting all the benefits and wealth from all the work done through mass unbridled corruption, that is the beginning of the end for any nation!

Socrates

There were many supporters of affirmative action in the tertiary institutions, which they felt, helped to "distribute" Malaysia's wealth more evenly and thus, fairly amongst the different diverse races. Rather than argue with them, or have an open debate between the "for" and the "against" which could lead to ill feelings, a lecturer decided to run an experiment in his class.

He told his students to replace money with grades, and therefore, all grades will be averaged out with no one getting outstanding grades, and no one failing. After the first exam, the whole class averaged a "B". The students who studied hard were upset they did not get an "A", but the students who did not study much at all were happy that they got a "B".

When the second exam came around, those who did not study much, studied even less, and those who used to study a lot, wanted a free ride as well, and so they did not study much, too. The whole class averaged a "D" This time round. No one was happy!

By the time the third exam came around, the average was an "F", and the whole class had failed the exam. As the exams proceeded, the scores never increased bickering, name-calling, finger pointing and blame all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

1. You cannot legislate the poor (Bumiputra) into prosperity by legislating the wealthy (non-Bumiputra) out of prosperity. NEP was doomed to failure right from the start, and the UMNOputras knew this, but it created many loopholes for the UMNOputras to pillage Malaysia's wealth seemingly legitimately, while hiding behind the facade of NEP.

2. What one person (UMNOputra) receives without working for, another person (man-in-the-street Malaysia) must work for without receiving anything for his work.

3. The Government cannot give to anybody (UMNOputra) else anything that the Government does not first take from somebody (Malaysians irrespective of race) else, through legislation, corruption, etc.

4. We cannot multiply wealth by redistributing it from many (Malaysian) pockets to a few (UMNOputra elite) unlisted overseas bank accounts.

5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work as somebody else is going to get what they worked for, compounded by the fact that the first half are really only getting the little crumbs and the elite UMNOputras are the ones getting all the benefits and wealth from all the work done through mass unbridled corruption, that is the beginning of the end for any nation!

Malaysia is well on its way to being a FAILED STATE, and is there anything we can do about it??

Yes, there is. We must vote in the 13th General Election that is expected shortly in a focused manner. No matter what the mainstream media says about anything, or anyone, we must have only ONE idea in mind, and that is to vote for ABU, Anything But Umno, or Asalkan Bukan Umno!

Hasan Ali says willing to discuss PAS-Umno unity with PM

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 04:33 PM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - Embattled PAS leader Datuk Hasan Ali has openly announced his willingness to accept any invitation from the prime minister to discuss uniting his party with Umno, claiming he would do so using Islam as his pillar.

In an interview with Utusan Malaysia published today, the Selangor state executive councillor, whose political future in PAS currently hangs in balance, said he would give a "positive answer" to such an invitation.

"I have no problem (with that). If the prime minister says we appoint you to gain input, that in the name of unity I be allowed to use Islam as my pillar, insyaallah I will give a positive answer," he told the Umno-owned daily.

Hasan also said he "hopes" to be invited into his party's top leadership committee to help resolve the matter, adding that if Islam is regarded as the true unifying factor, such talks would be more successful.

Asked, however, if he would leave PAS if the party no longer champions Islam, the Malays and the royal institution, the former Selangor PAS chief offered a non-committal comment.

"It depends, because this question is for what's to come. Fact is, it is not easy for us to make a decision when it comes to matters like this. To just leave a party is not easy.... it involves careful consideration and on this matter I will first refer to the (party's) ulama, my political friends and religious adviser," he said.

Hasan added, however, he was willing to co-operate with any party other than PAS as long as their struggle involves three key elements — Islam, the Malays and the royal institution.

He reiterated his readiness to accept the possibility of being dropped from PAS's candidates list for the coming polls, but alleged there may be "interference" from among his party's state leadership.

"I feel there is a little interference at the state level. This interference is perhaps to hamper Dr Hasan's progress. I do not know for sure but this is my speculation," he claimed.

PAS had denied on Sunday Utusan Malaysia's report that Hasan and former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa will be dropped as candidates as discussions on candidates have not begun.

READ MORE HERE

 

Rep: Karpal-Ramasamy dispute due to DCM ll breaking party protocol

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 04:28 PM PST

(The Star) - Nobody is eyeing the Deputy Chief Minister II post in Penang which is currently held by DAP deputy secretary-general Dr P. Ramasamy, said Datuk Keramat assemblyman Jagdeep Singh Deo.

Responding to such claims made through tweets and chats on the social media network platform, Jagdeep said the dispute between his father, DAP chairman Karpal Singh, and Dr Ramasamy was confined to an issue that involved the latter breaking party protocol by declaring DAP candidates for the next general election through a newspaper report.

"Usually, our members would not adopt such practices. We toe the line and observe party guidelines on the selection of candidates," Jagdeep said.

He said despite the open spat, the matter would likely be resolved via internal channels.

Some politicians tweeted on Sunday that the underlying issue behind the spat between the two leaders was that Karpal was eyeing the deputy chief minister's post for his son (Jagdeep).

On Sunday, at the Penang DAP convention, both Karpal and Ramasamy shifted their rift out into the open with the latter refusing to apologise for allegedly uttering a "godfather" remark via a Tamil newspaper.

Earlier, when opening the convention, Karpal thundered a remark across that he would not tolerate warlords in the party and urged the delegates to respect the party veterans who had slogged and built DAP.

The management of the state Hindu Endowment Board is said to be among the issues in the spat.

Veteran community leader Datuk R. Rajasingham said the problem was since politicians held the top religious posts in the Hindu body, they tended to use the posts "to benefit themselves politically".

Dr Ramasamy defended his role as the board chairman, saying he managed to get RM1mil in grants this year compared with the RM100,000 received during the Barisan Nasional era in Penang.

He also said that the board chairman's post was mostly administrative and not one of a religious nature.

DAP Youth head Anthony Loke said the party's central executive committee would be meeting today to discuss the spat.

It is learnt that the party would also discuss whether disciplinary action would be initiated against Dr Ramasamy after Kuala Juru DAP branch chairman Tan Ah Huat lodged a formal complaint.

 

Sodomy II: ‘Anwar’s statement a bare denial’

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 04:15 PM PST

It does not dispute the evidence stacked against the opposition leader, says the lead prosecutor.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Anwar Ibrahim's unsworn statement from the dock is a "bare denial" that does not dispute evidence stacked against him, said the prosecution at the Opposition Leader's Sodomy II trial today.

Lead prosecutor Solicitor-General II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden said the court must bear in mind why Anwar was reluctant to be cross-examined when it decides on what weight to give the statement Anwar made at the start of his defence.

"This is a bare denial saying 'I didn't do it'. This doesn't dispute the evidence that Anwar had asked complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan to go to his condo… doesn't dispute that the chief-of-staff asked Saiful to go… doesn't challenge the CCTV recordings," Yusof told the court when making the prosecution's closing submissions today.

"It is our submission that you fail to dispute all these facts… that it amounts to an admission; it must be accorded as corroborative evidence against him," he said.

Yusof also dismissed the defence team's contention that the entire trial was a political conspiracy to send Anwar into oblivion.

"You talk about conspiracy. What conspiracy? Nobody, not Saiful or (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) could force Anwar to do it. If there's a conspiracy, then Anwar must be a willing participant to it," said Yusof.

MORE TO COME: READ HERE

 

Arrest Taib! What's the government's response?

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 03:31 PM PST

PM, MACC, Attorney-General and IGP must respond to the public demands by environmental groups and activists from Malaysia, Europe and Australia for the arrest and criminal prosecution of Sarawak Chief Minister and 13 family members for massive graft and plundering of Sarawak's rich natural resources

Lim Kit Siang

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC), the Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police must respond to the public demands by environmental groups and activisits from Malaysia, Europe and Australia for the arrest and criminal prosecution of Sarawak Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and his 13 family members for massive graft and plundering of Sarawak's rich natural resources.

Seventeen non-government organisations and activists, including Greenpeace, the Swiss-based Bruno Manser, Europe-based forest advocate group FERN, the Borneo Resources Institute and the Japan Tropical Forest Action Network, today released a letter to the MACC, the Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police urging the immediate arrest of Taib, alleging crimes including illegal appropriation of public funds and land, abuse of office, fraud, money-laundering "and conspiracy to form a criminal organisation".

The 10-page letter includes 16 exhibits that document the accusations against the Taib and his immediate family members, alleging that they have a stake in 332 Malaysian and 85 foreign companies worth several billion US dollars.

The letter which alleged Taib family stakes in 14 large Malaysian companies alone exceed RM4.6 billion or US$1.46 billion, said:

"We allege that only the systematic breach of the law and the use of illegal methods has enabled Taib and his family members to acquire such massive corporate assets."

The NGOs said immediate arrests were needed to prevent the accused destroying evidence.

The signatores reminded the Malaysian authorities that Malaysia, as a signatory to the UN Convention against corruption and the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, has "a strong international obligation to fight corruption and organised crime in an efficient, timely and expedient manner".

The letter concluded: "We are thus asking you, Gentlemen, to fulfill your duty as leading prosecuting officials of Malaysia and take immediate action against Abdul Taib Mahmud and his 13 co-conspiring family members.

"Malaysia's international credibility is at stake over the Taib's case."

Although the Dewan Rakyat has been adjourned, the Senate is currently in session. The unprecedented international and national joint charges against the Sarawak Chief Minister for being guilty of heinous crimes warrants Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak making a special appearance in the Dewan Negara to give a Prime Ministerial statement on the status of investigations which had been conducted by the various enforcment agencies against Taib to date.

As Chairman of Barisan Nasional, he should also declare whether in view of the very serious allegations made by the battery of prestigious international and national environmental groups and activists, he would ask Taib to step as Sarawak Chief Minister until Taib has fully cleared himself of the allegations.

 

Activists want Taib Mahmud arrested

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 03:26 PM PST

They want Taib and 13 family members arrested for massive graft and plundering the rich natural resources of Sarawak.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Environmental groups and activists from Malaysia, Europe and Australia called Tuesday on Malaysian authorities to arrest Sarawak chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud and 13 relatives accused of massive graft.

Signatories including Greenpeace and the Swiss-based Bruno Manser Fund released a letter sent to the Malaysian government that urges the immediate arrest of Abdul Taib Mahmud, chief minister of Sarawak state since 1981.

Taib opponents have long alleged systematic corruption and plundering of the rich natural resources of Sarawak, by Taib, 75, and his family.

The letter signed by 17 non-governmental organisations and activists, alleged crimes including illegal appropriation of public funds and land, abuse of office, fraud, money-laundering "and conspiracy to form a criminal organisation."

The Bruno Manser Fund, which spearheaded the effort, has said public records in several countries show Taib and his family members have stakes in 332 Malaysian and 85 foreign companies worth several billion dollars.

The letter added that Taib family stakes in 14 large Malaysian companies alone exceed $1.46 billion.

"We allege that only the systematic breach of the law and the use of illegal methods has enabled Taib and his family members to acquire such massive corporate assets," it said.

The appeal was sent to Malaysia's attorney general, anti-corruption agency, and inspector-general of police.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said earlier this year it was investigating Taib but its director of investigations, Mustafar Ali, declined comment to AFP on the probe and Tuesday's arrest appeal.

An official in Taib's office also declined to comment. Taib has previously denied such allegations.

The NGOs said immediate arrests were needed to prevent the accused destroying evidence.

READ MORE HERE

 

The pact with the devil

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 12:39 PM PST

How in the world did the prime minister arrive at the incredible verdict that God was pleased with Umno's track record?

Vote opposition and the country will go up in smoke. Then came his punchline: God knows that the ruling party had been fair to all and that was why He had allowed it to stay in power. His line of reasoning boils down to one conclusion: he is the special one chosen to lead his people again.

Free Malaysia Today

In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, but one must be wrong. – Abraham Lincoln

Maybe God appeared in his dream. Maybe God called him up one night and told him over the telepathic phone that he is the anointed one and that his party will continue to rule the country for another 54 years. Maybe God even whispered in his ears that if he called for a general election now, he will surely win hands down because God is on his side. The prime minister is showing all the signs of a desperate man clutching at a straw. He sees danger lurking in every corner. He is restless. He can never sleep in peace. His enemies are everywhere – and growing stronger. He is dead worried: if he loses power, his whole glittering world will come crushing down. He must hold on though his grip is loosening. The prospect of finding himself in the political wilderness for a long stretch is frightening. Hence, he is using every dirty tool avaliable to ensure people are scared witless and have no choice but to cast their lot for him.

The prime minister chose an appropriate setting to bring home God's message. The audience fitted nicely into his game plan. The spectators are members of the Malaysia Islamic Missionary and Welfare Association (Pekida). Fighting for his political survival, he is counting on these warriors to lap up his political sermon and spread the word around with missionary zeal. The message is clear: Go forth and tell the Malays that only Umno can be their shield. Only Umno can defend Islam. Only Umno can give iron-clad guarantee that their special rights and positions will remain intact. Only Umno can defend the institution of monarchy and all things sacrosanct. You have no choice but to elect my government to another term. Vote opposition and the country will go up in smoke. Then came his punchline: God knows that the ruling party had been fair to all and that was why He had allowed it to stay in power. His line of reasoning boils down to one conclusion: he is the special one chosen to lead his people again.

Does the prime minister know what God is thinking? How in the world did he arrive at the incredible verdict that the Omnipotent One was pleased with Umno's track record? How can he be so sure that the Almighty is always in Umno's camp? Is He an Umno member? The premier was not jesting when he invoked God's name in his fight for power. He was dead serious when he talked about this "divine revelation". The Pekida members probably swallowed the political icing in his message and could be counted upon to go all out to defend the Umno bastion. Simple kampung folks could also be relied upon to carry the Umno torch. But the prime minister's doomsday oration will cut no ice with all the other people who know what 54 years of Umno rule had done to the country.

READ MORE HERE

 

Can Najib walk the talk?

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 12:26 PM PST

Some friends from the mainstream media have met up with me in Bangkok to explore the possibility of doing such an interview. But they are not sure whether their government-controlled newspapers will censor the interview. I told them I will agree to the interview only on condition, and that is it is not one-sided and censored. But they are not sure whether their editors can agree to this.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

We are hearing a lot of politically correct sound-bytes coming from Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Of course, not many, not even those in Umno, believe what he is saying. They know it is all a lot of political talk, mere rhetoric. But it sure sounds good nevertheless.

I would like to throw Najib a challenge, to allow him to demonstrate his goodwill, that what he is saying is sincere and that he is genuine in what he is saying. And he can do this by giving me space in the mainstream media. After all, if he can give the hardcore Umno Bloggers space (like visits to the submarine), why can't he also give me space -- if what he is saying is true and not just political talk?

There will of course be one condition. They must not pick and choose from what I say, as what they did in my TV3 interview in February this year (which was aired only in April, close to the Sarawak state elections). They must publish the entire text of my interview.

Secondly, the interview must be in English, not in Bahasa Malaysia. This is to avoid any distortion to what I say (again, like in the TV3 interview). My Bahasa Malaysia is not as good as my English and the way I express myself in Bahasa Malaysia (that is, in the Terengganu East Coast manner) can be misinterpreted if you do not come from Terengganu.

I promise, I will be very critical of the opposition (and with the current developments in the opposition with so many opposition leaders demonstrating their warlord and godfather egos they deserve criticism). However, I shall also be critical of the government and Umno (and this is the part I want published and which should be published if what Najib is saying has any credibility).

Is Najib prepared to allow the mainstream media to do this? Let's see.

Some friends from the mainstream media have met up with me in Bangkok to explore the possibility of doing such an interview. But they are not sure whether their government-controlled newspapers will censor the interview. I told them I will agree to the interview only on condition, and that is it is not one-sided and censored. But they are not sure whether their editors can agree to this.

Some of the issues they wanted to talk about were regarding my perceived fallout with the opposition and Anwar Ibrahim. In fact, they wanted to meet me to ask me whether such a fallout actually exists and if so, why? I told them if they want the answer to that question then it would have to be asked in a formal interview and it must be published. I am not about to satisfy their curiosity by giving them a private, off the record interview.

That's all I want to say today. I am in the final week of my course and I have a lot of papers to complete so this week I have no time for cheong hei (long-winded) articles. Next week, once my course has ended, we can indulge in my normal three-page articles.

Till then I await the response from Najib's boys. Do they have the guts to engage me? If they don't then Najib's so-called openness and reforms is nothing but pure bullshit.

Till later.
 

Feud to hog limelight

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 11:58 AM PST

Karpal, Ramasamy spat likely to be raised at central meeting

(New Straits Times) - THE DAP central executive committee meeting tonight might discuss the ongoing feud between party national chairman Karpal Singh and its Penang deputy chairman P. Ramasamy over the "warlords and godfathers" issue.

  Karpal said yesterday that there was nothing to stop any party leaders from raising the issue, although it was not part of the meeting agenda.

  He said the meeting was fixed much earlier and the main topic of contention was amendments to the party's constitution.

  "The issue is not on our agenda. However, there is nothing to stop anyone from raising the issue during the meeting.

  "Since a complaint (against Ramasamy) has been lodged with the DAP disciplinary committee, we will leave it to them to handle the matter," said Karpal.

  It is not known when the DAP disciplinary committee will convene a meeting next.

  The spat between Karpal and Ramasamy arose after a Tamil newspaper quoted Ramasamy as saying that DAP would field three Indian women candidates in the next general election  and that several DAP members of parliament would be retained.

  Ramasamy, who is also   Penang deputy chief minister II, was also quoted as saying that he would defend both his Prai state and Batu Kawan parliamentary seats.

  Karpal responded by saying that DAP would not have warlords going around promising and announcing seats for their cronies ahead of the central executive committee's decision.

  Ramasamy then shot back by saying that while DAP should not have warlords, there should also not be any "godfathers" in the party, too.

  Karpal had, during the Penang DAP convention on Sunday, demanded that Ramasamy retract and apologise for his "godfathers" remark against the party elders, in particular, to him.

  However, Ramasamy has remained unrepentant and said that he was ready to relinquish all his posts and quit the party if the situation demanded it.

  Meanwhile, despite DAP members being tight-lipped about Ramasamy's predicament in the party, its national publicity secretary Tony Pua said that  no gag-order had been issued.

  "If they (the central executive committee members) want to discuss it, then the can proceed. But for now, it is not on  our agenda."

  DAP youth chief Anthony Loke said: "It is up to the central committee to see how the party should resolve the matter."



‘Warlord’ and ‘godfather’ choking DAP

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 11:48 AM PST

DAP is bogged down in a tit-for-tat battle between national chairman Karpal Singh and Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy, in which the ultimate loser would be the party itself.

DAP is staring down a precipice, vis-a-vis Indian voter support, because Dr Ramasamy – although a "parachute candidate" at the last general election – is highly regarded in the Indian community as a daring academic who spoke out for injustice and took on the government and won.

By Baradan Kuppusamy, The Star

THE feud in DAP between national chairman Karpal Singh and deputy secretary-general Dr P. Ramasamy could not have come at a worse time for the party.

With a general election imminent and all parties busy preparing for the big battle ahead, DAP is supposed to be well-prepared.

But it is suddenly bogged down in a tit-for-tat battle between the two men, in which the ultimate loser would be DAP itself.

The threat to quit the party by Dr Rama­samy, who is Penang Deputy Chief Minister II, has put DAP in a fix, with one of his supporters declaring: "Let them (his opponents) get the Indian votes, if they can."

DAP is staring down a precipice, vis-a-vis Indian voter support, because Dr Ramasamy – although a "parachute candidate" at the last general election – is highly regarded in the Indian community as a daring academic who spoke out for injustice and took on the government and won.

Dr Ramasamy was a political science lecturer at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia for nearly 30 years and was on a year-to-year contract in his final years. The contract was not renewed in 2007.

He left in a huff and joined DAP, where he had a long-standing personal relationship with adviser Lim Kit Siang.

In 2008, he was fielded in the Prai state seat as well as in the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat, winning both. It was almost like a retirement gift for him.

He went on to become a state executive councillor, DCM II and de facto Indian leader in DAP and Pakatan Rakyat.

Karpal accused him of forgetting his roots and taking on the trappings of a "warlord", a dirty word in DAP that signals one is building personal power as against party power.

The party grassroots had complained about how Dr Ramasamy dealt with matters, like the Hindu Endowment Board.

The party's Indian affairs bureau, which he heads, also came in for criticism.

The informal system of selecting candidates by the bureau was sidelined and Dr Ramasamy started choosing his own candidates.

He is also alleged to have offered seats to many newcomers, as well as benefits to a small group of ex-MIC members, to the exclusion of long time DAP members. These benefits include datukship, medals and other rewards.

And than there was the M. Manoharan affair, in which the Kota Alam Shah assemblyman was suspended for six months by the disciplinary committee for making disparaging remarks about the Jalur Gemilang.

Dr Ramasamy, who disliked Manoharan for siding with Hindraf leader P. Uthayakumar, was said to have played a key role in the suspension.

Manoharan and his wife went to see Karpal, who then used his influence to have the suspension lifted, signalling at once who was the leader with the clout.

Dr Ramasamy's detractors – who include MPs and state assemblymen who constantly griped in private – said he rode roughshod over the DAP grassroots.

The last straw that broke the proverbial camel's back was his statement in the Makkal Osai newspaper last week that four incumbents, including himself, and three women were sure candidates at the next election.

That statement, although subsequently denied, was the cue that Dr Ramasamy's detractors were waiting for. They fell on it for all it was worth and the attack on Dr Ramasamy came out in the open.

Karpal, who is Bukit Gelugor MP, had been out for Dr Ramasamy's blood for several years, until the feud exploded in the open over the ongoing warlord-godfather spat.

Party secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was flabbergasted by the ferocity of Karpal's attack on Sunday. The chairman essentially questioned, who was this upstart Dr Ramasamy?

After being an academic for 30 years, perhaps Dr Ramasamy is unsuited for the brutal world of politics.

In his career as a politician, he made enemies at every turn with his many unguarded words and open associations.

Friends turned foes and fair weather individuals, many ex-MIC people, gathered around him to the exclusion of party faithfuls.

He did not have the political mind nor had he developed one in the short years he was in active politics.

He negotiated the strange territory, ie DAP, like he had done as an academic, always speaking what comes to his mind.

 

Christians used as ‘pawns’ for votes, say church leaders

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 11:45 AM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - Many Christians feel victimised and are convinced they are being used as political pawns to win Muslim votes in the next general election, a number of church leaders have said.

The church leaders told the New York Times in a report published today that there was generally a feeling of Christian-bashing among the community which makes up less than 10 per cent of the population and consists of most major denominations.

"I think Christians are generally feeling that there is kind of a Christian-bashing going on," Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) vice-president Rev Thomas Philips told the newspaper.

The report pointed out that recent events had worsened religious tension here, particularly after the controversial August 3 raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) in Petaling Jaya.

During the incident, Islamic religious authorities had moved in on a dinner function held at the church premises after receiving complaints that Christians were proselytising to Muslims there.

While no concrete proof was found and no action taken, Muslim politicians here and Muslim group Himpun had continued to claim of a plot by opposition parties and Christian organisations to Christianise the country.

The NYT pointed to Himpun's series of planned nationwide rallies to "save and protect" Islam and cited Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan's recent statement as examples of the continuing accusations causing "unease" in the Christian community even as they prepare for Christmas.

During the just-concluded Umno annual general assembly, Ahmad had warned that Islam would be "lost" if Pakatan Rakyat  (PR) made significant gains in the polls and had called the DAP "agents of Christianisation".

Under fire for his words later and dubbed as "Hitler" by his opposition foes, Ahmad chose to stick to his guns, insisting that his statement was nothing but the truth.

READ MORE HERE

 

Post GE13 political scenarios

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 11:41 AM PST

SAKMONGKOL AK47

Part 2.

I will answer by way of an article the comment sent by Orang Kampung on my previous article. Hopefully it will be done in a few days.

For now, as I promised I want to clear off the second installment of my article on this topic. In that article, I suggested that Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has to step in in the interest of the country.

When I wrote the first part, I was serious. I said Anwar does a Sivaji the Boss stunt. Like in one of the Tamil Movies, he hurled a knife towards an oncoming speeding bullet. The knife slices the bullet into two. One hits UMNO and Najib. The other hits BN. the knife on its own momentum, hits Anwar's former mentor turned number 1 nemesis, Dr Mahathir. Anwar gets his revenge after all. He vanquishes his political enemies.

Who is Mack the Knife? (Sung by Louis Satchmo Armstrong)

Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear

And it shows them pearly white

Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe

And he keeps it, ah, out of sight

Ya know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe

Scarlet billows start to spread

Fancy gloves, oh, wears old MacHeath, babe

So there's never, never a trace of red

 

Except here the knife is symbolism. Who is Mack the knife? In about 2 months' time Anwar may perhaps be a special guest to the government at Bamboo River. So physically he may not be there jumping up and down at the Palace gates. Not he, but a trusted person waves the paper that contains the list of MPs who backs him as the PM. He will insist, the choice of PM can be done this way, since precedence has been created in Perak. The MPs whose names are in the list waved are also at the gates. They all have travelled in buses provided free by businessmen eager to ingratiate themselves to the new rulers of Malaysia. But that person who probably has no stature and standing is refused entry. The AG who is inside in audience with the King in the presence of the Chief Secretary of the government informs the King, the test of support of the majority of MPs must be tested in a parliamentary sitting. So, the paper waved is useless unless parliament sits.

The Agong for the first time will be truly tested. The country cannot afford to not have a constitutionally established government. He will need to use his discretion to decide, who he and his brother rulers regard as the person who has the credibility and support to form the next government. The interest of the country now overrides anything else. He will only see the person whom he thinks command all round respect.

Anwar may have underestimated the technicalities of forming a new government. He can't bulldoze his way around and does an Arab Spring or whatever consisting of a series of street demonstrations and the like. He must now realize, his earthly salvation lies in the hands of other people.

The big 3- PKR, PAS and DAP must direct themselves to this possibly. They must collectively address the issue who is their collective leader, the person with the stature, the experience and who possesses sufficient credibility to become PR's leader.

READ MORE HERE

 

Dr Hasan Ali a Kemo Sabe?

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 11:32 AM PST

KTEMOC KONSIDERS

In late April this year, I posted Is Dr Mahathir a racist?, where an extract from it read:

….., 'Malay unity' was touted when the March 2008 tsunami hit Malaysia and dramatically changed the political landscape. UMNO obviously wanted & was desperate to split the Pakatan camp into Malays and non-Malays. PAS was immensely attracted to the clarion call for Malays from both sides of politics to unite to ensure the continuation of Malay supremacy in federal and state government.

In Selangor the sweetener for PAS was the MB's post. Recall also the UMNO-PAS meeting at the Terengganu palace, though Nik Aziz stated that he was ambushed by UMNO. Indeed it was only Pak Haji Niz Aziz who put a stop to Pak Haji Hadi Awang and his deputy president Nasharuddin's keenness to take up UMNO's appeal for ethnic unity, before the Pakatan ship wrecked itself on hidden rocks by the lure of the siren song.

It's not an unusual UMNO tactic when they are in political retreat, that of instigating fear among the Malays of the Chinese taking political control of Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, and hatred of same yellow skin peril by reminding the Malays of (true or otherwise) Chinese aggressive economic prowess, avarice, arrogance, rudeness and disrespect to the Malay rulers, etc. There's nothing like instilling a siege mentality a la Fort Apache. Dr Mahathir had taken this path several times.

What made me bring out the above again has been yesterday's double-talk confession of Dr Hasan Ali who preened and pompously accepted the titillating bait of (UMNO-owned) Utusan Malaysia in conferring upon him the title of the 'saviour' of the Malay-Muslims – see Malaysiakini's 'Saviour' Hasan to pursue PAS-Umno unity.

But why did I mention 'double-talk'?

Dr Hasan declared "The very reason for my existence is to unite humans in the worship of Allah."

If so, why not say Muslim Unity or Human Unity?

Also, why did he assert that he would only cooperate with people who promote the interests of Malays, Muslims and the Malay royalty?

Islam is one of the greatest religions of the world, in fact a religion with a socialist bent, though many orthodox/conservative Muslims would baulk at the association of Islam with socialism.

But consider zakat, one of the 5 pillars of Islam.

Muslims consider zakat as an act of piety where they show charitable concern for the well-being of less fortunate fellow Muslims. The aim is of course to promote and preserve social harmony between the wealthy and the poor, an equitable redistribution of wealth, and a sense of solidarity amongst members of the Ummah.

Marvellously, zakat is not confined to only Muslims because the Quran indicates 8 categories of people (asnaf) who are qualify to receive zakat funds, namely:

(1) Those living in absolute poverty (Al-Fuqarā')
(2) Those who cannot meet their basic needs (Al-Masākīn)
(3) The zakat collectors themselves (Al-Āmilīna 'Alaihā)
(4) People who are non-Muslims, to show them the real spirit of Islam (Al-Mu'allafatu Qulūbuhum)
(5) People whom one is attempting to free from slavery or bondage. Also includes paying ransom or blood money (Diyah). (Fir-Riqāb)
(6) Those who have incurred overwhelming debts while attempting to satisfy their basic needs (Al-Ghārimīn)
(7) Those working for an Islamic cause (Fī Sabīlillāh)
(8) Travelers in need (Ibnus-Sabīl)

I wonder whether Category no 4 is ever practised in Malaysia, or for that matter, in any Muslim country.

READ MORE HERE

 

Dr M predicts polls in a few months with Barisan winning

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 11:27 AM PST

(Bernama) - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the Barisan Nasional is in a good position to win the next general election, which he predicted may take place early next year.

The question, however, is whether the Barisan will obtain a two-third majority, he said.

The former prime minister said a weak government is open to attack by the Opposition.

"I think they (Barisan) are busy campaigning to make sure they can win. The (just concluded) Umno general assembly was quite good," he said at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here yesterday.

Dr Mahathir said the election might be held sometime next year, although Parliament is not due to end its term until 2013.

He said if the election is held too early, states under the control of the Pakatan Rakyat might not want to go through with it.

He added that it could be their strategy because they want to retain those states and make a bid for other states.

"It is up to the Government to consider this," Dr Mahathir said.

Asked whether the court case of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will play a role in the coming election, Dr Mahathir said: "One way or another he will play a role."

Recalling the 1999 general election, he said when Anwar was found guilty of the court case then, the PKR adviser made use of the "black eye incident" and Barisan lost about 300,000 Malay votes.

"The Chinese voted for the Barisan. They were strong supporters because many of them were saved from bankruptcy.

"That's why we retained the two-thirds majority, although Umno lost a lot of seats," Dr Mahathir said.

 

Dual Legal System Will Not Work In Malaysia

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 11:04 AM PST

Tee Siew Kiong

Pakatan Rakyat has agreed to work together with PAS to establish a theocratic state simply so that they can achieve their own political purposes.

In order for PAS to achieve its goal of establishing an Islamic state, they make all kinds of empty promises to deceive voters, including the promise that there will be two sets of laws and that non-Muslims will not be affected by PAS's hudud law.

However, PAS is slowly enforcing their laws onto the people and making them suffer.

When PAS came to power in Kedah and Kelantan, their implementation of hudud law has affected non-Muslims, with the most recent incident being when a Chinese was fined because his Muslim female employee accidentally exposed her arm. In Kelantan last year, the state government did not approve the applications for the Chinese community to celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival, and have banned the sale of lottery tickets. In Kedah, the state government had closed down the sole pig abbatoir, and shops were forced to stop operations during Muslim night prayers and must be close by 3pm during the month of Ramadan.

All these have affected the lifestyle and livelihoods of non-Muslims greatly.

PAS excuse for saying that hudud law does not affect non-Muslims is that there will be two sets of rules governing the country, but if both a non-Muslim and a Muslim conduct a crime, will they be charged under hudud law? Is it reasonable? Is it fair?

There are some political parties which have supported PAS to make Malaysia an Islamic state simply to achieve their own goals.

They purposely portray a moderate image to the public and criticize their opponents as extremist, but their most serious and dangerous offense is their plan to replace the Federal Constitution in order for PAS to establish an Islamic state.

I urge DAP to not be led by the nose and expose this fact, and not work together with PAS simply for their own political purpose.

TEE SIEW KIONG is MCA National Organising Secretary

 

‘We welcome new ideas’

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 09:11 AM PST

(New Straits Times) - THE government is always open to new ideas and opinions from young people to develop and transform the nation.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the younger generation today could be  considered as superheroes because they have the power to make changes.

"And when all the superheroes work hand-in-hand with the government, all our transformation programmes can become a reality easily," he said in his speech at the "Youth Defined: Shape Our Future" dinner last night.

The programme was attended by some 500 undergraduates from institutions of higher learning in the country.

Najib said the government was also open to constructive criticism as this  offered a better solution to an issue or problem.

"You can criticise the government; the opposition does it every day. But, can they offer something better?"

Najib said the strength of a nation today was not judged by its military prowess, but the empire of the mind. Superior ideas could bring success  despite  global competition, he added.

"That is why we encourage it and we listen to the people. You represent the young people in the country and we must listen. This is part of the engagement process with the young people."

He said the government was  working hard to ensure a prosperous and developed Malaysia before 2020.

"We are working hard today so that when you receive the baton one day, you will inherit a developed nation.  

"So my message to the young people today is that we are here for you. I like to work with you.

"If you have good ideas, we will take it to the board. This is not mere political rhetoric  but something which we must back with empowerment and plans."


Hasan may quit Pas if problems continue

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 08:39 AM PST

(New Straits Times) - Pas central committee member Datuk Dr Hasan Ali said he would consider resigning if he continued to face difficulties in the party.

However, Hasan, who is also in the Selangor executive council, said quitting Pas would not be that simple.

"I have been a Pas member for a long time now. It will not be easy to leave just like that.

I have many friends to consult, mufti, advisers and political veterans, whom I must talk to first.

"Well, if any organisation no longer supports the principles that I strive for, then it may happen,"  Hasan said yesterday.

Hasan, who is also the former Selangor Pas commissioner, added that he would continue to work closely with Pas and the opposition as  long as they "promoted and defended the principles of the Malays, Islam and the monarchy".

He was reacting to a statement by Selangor Pas information chief Shaari Sungib last week that Hasan would be dropped in the next general election as he had not garnered enough nominations from party branches to secure his candidacy.

On Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's statement on Sunday rebuking Shaari over his statement, Hasan said: "It is a clear reminder to Pas leaders in the state to not make statements that precede the central leadership.

"I do not blame anyone within the party for disclosing the matter to the media as they may have good intentions.

"However, issues like branch nominations, which are yet to be referred to the Pas national leadership must be kept under wraps," said Hasan, the Gombak Setia assemblyman.

Hasan said he was puzzled over the timing of Shaari's revelation at a time when he was conferred a datukship  by the Selangor sultan on Sunday.

"When I was about to receive the award from the sultan, suddenly the newspapers were abuzz that I did not gather enough nominations.

"I was not even told about this.

"I feel that there was some hindrance at the state level for my future in politics.

"This is my speculation and I hope this does not happen again.

"I do not need recognition from anyone, including the Pas president. I do not need DAP or  PKR to like me.
"I just want Allah's blessings for the little things I do." 

Hasan had  been involved in controversies with DAP and PKR leaders over his stand on Islamic issues.  

Asked whether the speculation that he would be dropped as a candidate was true, Hasan said he would let various factors such as time and circumstances to determine his next course of action if Pas did not select him as a candidate.

 

DRB-HICOM buy plan revs up Proton shares

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 08:30 AM PST

What investors are now eager to find out is how much is DRB-HICOM buying the stakes for and at what price or terms would the general offer be, says a research head

Business Times

 
 

 

Shares of Proton Holdings Bhd rose by more than 6 per cent to RM4.23 yesterday after its adviser Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed confirmed that Khazanah Nasional Bhd will sell its 42.7 per cent stake in the national carmaker to DRB-HICOM Bhd.

Speculation of DRB-HICOM acquiring stakes in Proton, which has been going for years, resurfaced recently.

Over the past two weeks, Proton shares were actively traded, with its mother shares rising more than 63 per cent at one point.

"With the statement from Dr Mahathir, it is highly likely that a deal will be reached. What investors are now eager to find out is how much is DRB-HICOM buying the stakes for and at what price or terms would the general offer be," said a research head from a local brokerage when contacted
yesterday.

 
DRB-HICOM shares closed unchanged at RM2.12, although it hit a high of RM2.19 during the morning session.

On the sidelines of the MIDF Investment Forum in Langkawi last Saturday, Dr Mahathir said that he "understands Khazanah will sell shares to DRB-HICOM, although it hasn't been announced yet".

He added that the share sale deal between Khazanah and DRB-HICOM had his "blessings".

Although DRB-HICOM has a proven record in handling large projects, Dr Mahathir said he had concerns on its ability to come out with funds for Proton's needs.

"DRB-HICOM has to invest a lot of money. This is a very big deal. I'm worried if the buyer doesn't have enough money to pump into Proton.

"Since there are three bidders, the buying price is very high, higher than the market price. So, making profit would be difficult," he said.

Earlier, Business Times reported, citing sources, that of the initial four bidders, only two had been shortlisted for the sale. They were key shareholders of the Naza Group and DRB-HICOM.

It was also believed that the bids were between RM6 and RM7 a share.

On whether Khazanah should sell its stakes in Proton, the former prime minister said it is Khazanah's right to do so.

DRB-HICOM used to own more than 27 per cent of Proton before selling that stake to Petronas in 2000.

Proton posted RM155.61 million net profit on the back of RM8.96 billion revenue in its last financial year ended March 31 2011.

 

Billionaire Syed Mokhtar gets Mahathir’s support to buy Proton

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 08:24 AM PST

"Mahathir's view and approval would be sought by Khazanah if it wants to sell Proton," said Ratnam, an analyst in Kuala Lumpur. "He is the adviser and founder of Proton, the company is still very close to his heart even as he has retired."

By Chong Pooi Koon, Bloomberg

Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, Malaysia's second-youngest billionaire, received former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's endorsement to acquire a controlling stake in automaker Proton Holdings Bhd.

DRB-Hicom Bhd., Syed Mokhtar's auto assembler, is the best candidate to buy the government's 43 percent stake in Proton, Mahathir, now an adviser at the carmaker he founded in 1983, said in a joint interview yesterday in Putrajaya, outside Kuala Lumpur. Officials at DRB and Khazanah Nasional Bhd., the government investment arm holding the Proton shares, weren't immediately available to comment.

The support of the man who was Malaysia's prime minister for two decades indicates DRB's purchase of the stake -- valued at 993 million ringgit ($314 million) at current prices -- is imminent because of the former premier's lingering influence, according to James Ratnam, an analyst at TA Securities Holdings Bhd. Proton would add the owner of the Lotus sports car brand to Syed Mokhtar's business empire, which includes ports, airports and power plants.

"Mahathir's view and approval would be sought by Khazanah if it wants to sell Proton," said Ratnam, an analyst in Kuala Lumpur. "He is the adviser and founder of Proton, the company is still very close to his heart even as he has retired."

Proton advanced 6 percent to 4.23 ringgit yesterday, extending its lead as the best performer on the 100-stock FTSE Malaysia Index in the past month to 57 percent. DRB-Hicom was unchanged at 2.12 ringgit.

General Offer

Should DRB seek to buy a 43 percent stake, it would be obliged to make a general offer for Proton's remaining shares under Malaysian acquisition rules.

Syed Mokhtar, 60, is the Southeast Asian nation's second- youngest billionaire after Berjaya Corp. Chairman Vincent Tan, according to Forbes magazine's latest rankings. His ties to Mahathir, who describes the Malaysian tycoon as a friend, stretch back more than a decade. About a year before Mahathir stepped down in 2003 as prime minister, he awarded a $3.8 billion rail project -- then the nation's biggest infrastructure undertaking -- to contractors including Syed Mokhtar's MMC Corp.

DRB would be able to consolidate and expand its share of Malaysia automotive market with a Proton acquisition, TA Securities' Ratnam said. DRB manufactures, distributes and assembles a range of vehicles from motorcycles to garbage trucks for brands including Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz and Yamaha. It has eight assembly plants of which four are for cars, including one in Malaysia's southern Malacca state where Hondas are made.

Volkswagen Partnership

Selangor-based DRB began manufacturing its first Volkswagen AG Passat vehicles several weeks ago after signing a partnership agreement with the German carmaker last year.

Proton, whose vehicles are driven by taxi drivers across Malaysia, are among the cheapest cars sold in the country. The company, which had two annual net losses over the past five years, is poised to see its profit fall 51 percent in the year ending March, according to the average of 13 analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

Proton has been looking for a strategic partner to compete with global automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp. Partnership talks to form a partnership with Volkswagen, Europe's largest carmaker, ended last year.

While Khazanah approached local companies Naza Group and Sime Darby Bhd. about buying the Proton stake, Syed Mokhtar's DRB may be the best fit, said Mahathir.

"DRB seems well-run," Mahathir said. "It is already producing cars for Suzuki, Mercedes and Volkswagen. They have the capacity to turn around Proton and won't undermine its vendors."

--With assistance from Elffie Chew and Manirajan Ramasamy in Kuala Lumpur. Editors: Young-Sam Cho, Suresh Seshadri

 

Karpal-Ramasamy spat may only be tip of iceberg, says Lau

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 08:19 AM PST

(The Star) - The open spat between DAP's chairman Karpal Singh and deputy secretary-general Dr P. Ramasamy shows that the party is incapable of managing its own affairs, let alone govern Penang.

Penang MCA secretary Lau Chiek Tuan wonders why Chief Minister and party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng was unable to rein-in his fellow party members until the party's state convention turned chaotic on Sunday.

"Even his gag order on the issue was defied during the convention," he said.

Lau said he believed the issue was just the tip of the iceberg, noting that more problems might crop up, especially over the selection of DAP candidates for the next general election.

Penang MIC chairman Datuk P.K. Subbaiyah said it was a pity that the post of Deputy Chief Minister II, which is held by Dr Ramasamy, did not come with any important portfolio.

"Most of the essential portfolios such as land, local government, tourism and infrastructure are held by other DAP leaders. Ramasamy's portfolio of overseeing education has a limited scope," he said.

Subbaiyah claimed that many Indians were losing faith in the DAP due to infighting within the leaders, noting that some members in Prai had left DAP to join MIC instead.

"Disgruntled Indian DAP members, who see no future for them, are welcome to join MIC," he said.

Penang Gerakan chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan claims that more trouble is brewing in DAP.

"Dr Ramasamy would not dare challenge Karpal. Someone is behind the scenes, plotting," he said.

State People's Progressive Party (PPP) chairman and state Barisan Nasional Information chief Datuk Dr Loga Bala Mohan also believes there is a hidden hand behind the squabble.

"Both Karpal and Ramasamy are not the type of people who would want to get into a squabble," he said.

 

Is this Umno’s last hurray?

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 08:10 AM PST

Let Umno now celebrate its mirage of victory at the 13th general election.

There will be many in Umno who are already packed to go. Those in Umno who do not have the stomach to stand and fight on a level playing field with Pakatan Rakyat will go through the motions secure in the knowledge that defeat will not necessarily mean a life too removed from the one they are enjoying now – courtesy of their plundering of our nation's wealth while they were in government.

CT Ali, Free Malaysia Today

Let us all hold our positions while Umno hang itself in the euphoria of all the delusional grandeur that it had conjured up in its last general assembly before it is relegated to the opposition bench.

At every Umno general assembly, Umno gets intoxicated with its perceived greatness in being able to rule our country for the last 54 years.

And it thinks it can do so for another 54 more years.

We will let Umno think so. Let it celebrate now its mirage of a victory at the 13th general election.

But remember (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) had promised RM5 million to the people of Sibu. With sweat drippinng down his face, he (publicly) pondered if RM5 million was enough to persuade the people of Sibu to vote Barisan Nasional (BN).

As we now know, that it was not enough! Not RM5 million, not any amount of money because the people of Sibu have had enough of BN and enough of Najib.

If Sibu can make Najib sweat buckets, think what a general election will do to him.

What you now see at the Umno general assembly is Umno's last hurrah.

It is a "us versus them" situation. You are either aligned with Umno or against them.

'We are in it together'

I am against Umno. The people of Penang, Selangor, Kelantan and Kedah are with me, too.

Then there are those who are in PKR, PAS and DAP. Do not forget Bersih. Do not forget Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM), and the people's power.

MCLM candidates have been urged to be faithful to the rakyat and not to MCLM. My heart swells at the selflessness of MCLM – the rakyat, always the rakyat.

Then there is Kita – who says "it's not government that matters, but governance". Malaysia Today, Barisan Rakyat Bloggers, Zorro Unmasked and me… do not forget me!

Everyone of you that has borne the brunt of being messed around by BN and Umno, remember we are all in this together.

For now we are restrained. No date has been set for the 13th general election. Even restrained we still rejoice as the time nears for regime change.

For Umno, the inevitability of having to face its nemesis is not a matter of if but of when.

Without Najib, Rosmah does not matter

Put yourself in KJ's (Khairy Jamaluddin) place and ask yourself what is it that he is now fighting for?

You know he is just fighting for face. Do not talk about a position in Cabinet – holding on to his Umno Youth post would be hard enough. And everything you do now is money down the drain, never to be recouped.

And what about Muhyiddin Yassin (Deputy Prime Minister)?

In his mind's eye he waits for the call to serve – not to serve Umno but to serve Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) and to serve himself.

If it comes, he knows that Umno is on life support and his work is only to execute Umno's exit strategy to ensure the least amount of damage is inflicted on the thieves, thugs and robbers from Umno and BN as Umno leaves Putrajaya.

Without Najib, his wife Rosmah (Mansor) does not matter – to Umno or to us.

Like the last days of the Fall of Rome, the Last Days of the Third Reich and the end of the Americans in South Vietnam, history will record that Umno was a victim of its own arrogance and hubris.

History will record that no one caused the downfall of Najib more than Rosmah.

That it was Mahathir, not Pak Lah (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) or Najib, that started the descend of Umno into an abyss of deceit, lies and money politics which ultimately will lead to its defeat at the polls in the 13th general election.

READ MORE HERE

 

Former IGP gets back at bloggers

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 08:01 AM PST

(The Star) - Former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan has lodged a police report against several bloggers for allegedly slandering him saying that he married an artiste in a hush-hush RM15mil wedding.

In confirming that he had lodged a report on Friday at the Petaling Jaya police district headquarters here, Musa said it was to facilitate the taking of legal action in due course.

"I leave it to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to investigate the matter.

"Once the police and the MCMC have completed their investigations, I would decide on whether to commence legal proceedings," he told The Star yesterday.

Allegations about the "lavish wedding" between Musa and local artiste Syella Kamaruddin surfaced in the blogsphere recently.

Several blogs claimed that the ceremony cost RM15mil with bridal gifts that included a RM5mil bungalow and an RM800,000 Audi R8.

Syella, who did not want to reveal the identity of her husband, had reportedly said her husband was more "younger and sturdier" than Musa.

Photographs of Syella cutting a multi-layered cake with the groom were being circulated in the blogs and were also published by the Chinese press.

Musa, who retired last year, is currently lecturing at Universiti Teknologi Mara on media warfare.

It is learnt that the blog posts had since been removed.

OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohamed confirmed that police had received the report.

"We would seek assistance from MCMC on the matter," he said.

 

UBF to celebrate its 1st Anniversary on Dec 16

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:50 AM PST

"The United Borneo Front (UBF) will be celebrating its 1st Anniversary on 16 December 2011" announced UBF founder, Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan in a press statement released today.

16 December 2010 saw the birth of the UNITED BORNEO FRONT (UBF) as an apolitical platform under the auspices of the Borneo Heritage Foundation.  As a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), UBF seeks to empower the people especially in the Borneo States of Sabah and Sarawak with the relevant information and knowledge and act as a pressure group and facilitator for change.

UBF which is advocating the BORNEO AGENDA, with its seven (7) core objectives, which seeks to restore the State rights of the Borneo States of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners in the Federation of Malaysia as originally set out in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 as well as to seek the abolishment of unbalanced revenue sharing and unfair trade policies including the current cabotage policy and reducing the economic and digital divide between East and West Malaysia and the resolution of problems in the Borneo States.

In the past one year, UBF has held more than four hundred (400) BORNEO TEA PARTY functions throughout the Borneo States to disseminate and spread the Borneo Agenda and UBF and the Borneo Agenda has been well received and the support has been ever-growing ever since its launch.

At the anniversary function, UBF will review the past activities and plan ahead for the incoming year 2012 to ensure the people of the Borneo States are empowered with the facts of history which has been distorted and manipulated to the detriment of the Borneo States.

"We expect the attendance and support of SAPP, Kelab USNO, STAR and SNAP from Sarawak and the leaders as well as all UBF Coordinators in Sabah and supporters at the anniversary function" added Dr. Jeffrey.

Dr. Jeffrey also invited the media, public and supporters to attend the UBF 1st anniversary which will be held at the Dowish Restaurant in Jalan Bundusan, Penanmpang at 2.00pm.

Datuk Dr. Jeffrey G. Kitingan
Chairman
UNITED BORNEO FRONT

 

155,343 PTPTN borrowers defaulted on RM929m loans

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:46 AM PST

(Bernama) - At total of 155,343 recipients of National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loans have yet to repay their loans totalling RM929.53 million as of last Oct 31, the Dewan Negara was told on Monday.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung said the total amount was arrived at after it has removed the number of borrowers who had duly repaid their loans, comprising of 730,221 and involving a total sum of RM2.8 billion.

"From Dec 1, 2006 till last Oct 31, at total of 267,822 final reminder notices (FRNs) and 189,813 letters of demand (LODs) were issued.

"Following the issuing of the FRNs, a total of 75,530 borrowers have started to service their loans while action has been taken against 81,151 borrowers issued with LODs.

"Legal action was taken against 104,083 defaulters involving a total amount of RM1.12 billion and 69,667 of these cases were settled at the courts," he said when replying to a question from Senator Ahmad Hussin.

Dr Hou also told the Dewan that PTPTN had given exemptions to 10,849 borrowers for graduating with first class honours and that the amount involved was RM312.24 million.

 

For Malaysian Christians, an anxious holiday season

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:41 AM PST

The governing coalition, which has led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957, suffered its biggest loss in the 2008 elections, losing its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time. Some analysts say UMNO is trying to play on religious sensitivities to win back support from Malay Muslims. 

Beneath windows framed with forest-green wreaths studded with red and gold baubles, worshipers at St. Mary's Anglican Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in Malaysia, knelt and clasped their hands in prayer. As part of the Advent service, they celebrated a baptism and sang their way through a series of hymns including "Child in the Manger."

But their voices masked the unease many Christians in Malaysia are feeling this season, following accusations that they are trying to "Christianize" this Muslim-majority country by converting Muslims, which is illegal.

"It's unfortunate that the authorities don't take the relevant action against those making such wild allegations," said Bishop Jason Selvaraj, who led the service at St. Mary's. "We are upset about that. There's a sense of justice is not done. We have not done anything wrong."

The Malaysian Constitution both guarantees freedom of religion and designates Islam as the official religion — ethnic Malays are automatically considered Muslims. While Muslims are free to proselytize to others, most states have laws that prohibit members of other religions from proselytizing to Muslims. In Selangor State, the penalties can include a year's imprisonment and a fine of up to 10,000 ringgit, or almost $3,200.

While the central government's Department of Islamic Development says no one has ever been formally charged with trying to convert Muslims, recent statements by Muslim politicians and groups promoting Islam have left many Christians, who make up just 9 percent of the population, feeling victimized. Many are convinced that they are being used as political pawns to win support among Muslim voters in advance of the next general election, widely expected to be held next year.

"I think Christians are generally feeling that there is kind of a Christian-bashing going on," said the Rev. Thomas Philips, a Syrian Orthodox priest and vice president of the Council of Churches of Malaysia, a group that represents Protestant and Orthodox churches.

While Christians, for the most part, work and live peacefully alongside Muslims in Malaysia, several incidents have heightened tensions in recent years, including the firebombing of churches in 2010.

The latest round of religious tensions was set off in August, when Selangor religious officials interrupted a church dinner outside of Kuala Lumpur, saying they had information that these Christians were proselytizing to Muslims.

Although the sultan of Selangor eventually concluded that there was "insufficient" evidence to take further legal action, Muslim politicians and leaders of Himpun, a new organization that has pledged to protect Islam, have continued to charge that there is a plot by some opposition political parties and Christian organizations to "Christianize" the country.

On Nov. 29, Ahmad Maslan, a deputy minister from the United Malays National Organization, or UMNO, the dominant party in the governing coalition, asserted that Islam would be "lost" if the opposition gained seats in the next election, according to a report by The Malaysian Insider, a news Web site.

"Say goodbye to Islam, because they are agents of Christianization," he said, referring to the Democratic Action Party, a member of the opposition alliance.

The governing coalition, which has led Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957, suffered its biggest loss in the 2008 elections, losing its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time. Some analysts say UMNO is trying to play on religious sensitivities to win back support from Malay Muslims.

Meanwhile, Himpun is planning a series of rallies around the country to "save and protect" Islam. The group, which held a rally in Kuala Lumpur in October that attracted 5,000 people, complains that the government is not enforcing laws that prohibit trying to convert Muslims.

"If we have a law which is not enforced, then it's a mockery on the part of the religious authorities," said Mohammad Azmi Abdul Hamid, Himpun's chairman.

Christian leaders deny that they are part of a plot to "Christianize" the country. They say recent comments about "Christianization" by UMNO members indicate that the party is trying to shore up its support among Muslims, its traditional support base, before the election.

"The present climate and mood is more political than anything else," said the Rev. Lawrence Andrew, editor of The Herald, the Roman Catholic Church's weekly newspaper in Kuala Lumpur. Father Philips, who is also vice president of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism, said he believed that UMNO was seeking to portray itself as the "savior of Muslims."

"They are thinking that it will unite the Muslims together, but I don't think that any Malaysians buy it," he said. "It's a political game."

Farish Ahmad Noor, a political science professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, agrees.

While Prime Minister Najib Razak has been seeking to present Malaysia as a moderate Muslim nation and has opened diplomatic relations with the Vatican and spearheaded a "1Malaysia" policy to promote national unity and inclusiveness, Mr. Farish said his efforts were being undermined by conservatives within his party who were trying to appeal to Muslims. These elements, he said, threatened to alienate non-Muslims affiliated with other parties in the governing coalition, which includes the Malaysian Chinese Association and the Malaysian Indian Congress.

"It may prove to be counterproductive in the long run," Mr. Farish said.

"If this fringe in UMNO thinks this is the only way they can secure the Malay vote, they have to understand that the coalition as a whole has to secure the votes of as many Malaysians as they can, and that includes Christians."

Mr. Farish said while groups like Himpun say they are independent, "in the minds of Malaysians they are seen as another front" for the governing coalition.

Ng Kam Weng, director of the Kairos Research Center, which studies issues related to Malaysian Christianity, said that UMNO politicians may also be trying to intimidate Christians who were becoming more politically active and playing a greater role in civil society groups.

He said churches were careful not to proselytize to Muslims precisely because this could provoke a "backlash from authorities."

"I think if the Christian community is clear in its conscience that it has maintained its integrity in how it practices its faith, I suppose we trust in God that he will override human mischief," he said.

Bishop Selvaraj said the recent controversies would not dampen celebrations at St. Mary's in the days leading up to Christmas. He has discussed the allegations in his sermons and urged the congregation — Malaysians of Chinese and Indian ethnicity, Africans, Indonesians and Europeans — to pray for peace. He said he has been encouraged by messages of support from Muslim friends.

"The majority of Muslims are good people," he said.

 

Philippines' top judge faces impeachment

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:27 AM PST

(AFP) - MANILA - Philippine President Benigno Aquino's parliamentary allies moved Monday to impeach the country's top judge, who in turn accused his opponents of seeking to destroy the Supreme Court's integrity.

The unprecedented push to impeach Chief Justice Renato Corona came after the Supreme Court made a series of decisions that hindered government efforts to prosecute ex-president Gloria Arroyo for alleged corruption.

House of Representatives Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said 175 members of the 285-member Congress had signed the impeachment complaint, well above the one-third needed to begin the process.

Belmonte said Corona was being impeached for "betrayal of public trust", "violation of the constitution" and "undue closeness to Arroyo".

He said the complaints largely centred on the decisions that were favourable for Arroyo, but also because Corona had allegedly broken the law by not publicly disclosing his own assets.

The impeachment proceedings will now move to the 24-member Senate, which will hold a trial to determine if Corona must step down.

Aquino, who won presidential elections last year in a landslide, has never fully recognised Corona's legitimacy as the Supreme Court chief justice.

This is because Arroyo appointed Corona shortly before she stepped down as president, in what Aquino said was a violation of a constitutional ban on so-called "midnight appointments" by an outgoing leader.

Aquino's allies have said Arroyo planted Corona in the Supreme Court as part of her efforts to protect herself from future criminal prosecutions.

Arroyo, who ruled the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, has been accused of rigging elections, plundering state coffers and a wide range of other corruption while in power.

She has denied all the accusations.

The government filed the first of what it promised would be many charges against Arroyo last month for allegedly rigging the 2007 senatorial elections. Corona made a defiant speech to court officials on Monday in which he vowed to resist the political pressure.

"I assure you, I do not intend to leave them to do as they please. I am not going anywhere," Corona said in a speech to court employees.

"I want all of you to know that your chief continues to be in command and will lead the fight against any and all who dare to destroy the court and independence of the judiciary."

 

Hindraf to lend its strength to ABU

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:22 AM PST

THE PEOPLES' PARLIAMENT

Hindraf Chairman P.Waytha Moorthy issued the following press statement today.

This is a most positive development and I personally wish to extend a hand to my brothers and sisters in Hindraf in welcoming them to this Rakyat-driven initiative to rid our nation of the cancer that UMNO and BN are.

____________________________________

Recent developments seem to point in the direction of a hardening of UMNO's political attitude. This is what we get reading what PM Najib has been saying and reading between the lines of what he has been saying.

He is creating a false feel good factor by handing out goodies to his target constituencies, the rural Malays, the urban poor and the civil servants as seen by his various pronouncements in the budget, the various handout schemes and various other subsidy maintenance programs. He has been talking a hard brand of racist talk to his core constituency. He has been mingling with organizations acknowledged to have questionable credentials. For the large segment of educated young and the middle class voters he is creating an illusion of liberalization and moderation when in fact the recent changes and additions to our laws – the amendments to the Employment Act, the new Freedom of Assembly bill are in reality detrimental to the people. Even as he is gearing up for the polls with all of this, he is also gearing up for more repression on the other hand in preparation for the unpopular and postponed actions post-election. It is clear what the future holds if left unattended.

READ MORE HERE

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net
 

Malaysia Today Online

Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved