Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Dear Santa…
- ABU not owned by anyone, says Chegubard
- The hypnotist
- Umno’s sound and fury a sign of desperation
- Hasan sidelined as PAS leaders say he can leave if he wants
- Ramasamy, Karpal spat far from over
- Battle for the Malay vote
- Anwar is expendable, PKR is not
- PAS’ Islamist duo set to rattle party
- Anti-Umno group hits the ground running with ‘people’s platform’
- Malaysia awaits sodomy verdict
- ’8.3m M’sians will be poorer by 2020′
- Again, didn’t I say so?
- Anti-Umno group targets Malay heartland with viral video
- Is it STAR in Sabah for Jeffrey?
- Hasan, Nasharudin terperangkap dalam agenda Umno
- Mahfuz: Hasan Ali boleh keluar PAS sertai Umno jika mahu
- NFC scandal: MACC blind to corruptions
- Jeffrey to ‘take the political bull by the horns’
- ‘It won’t be Anwar at Istana gates’
- Sodomy II verdict on Jan 9
- Buzz your rep on the bus issue
- Every Thai student should have a tablet PC by May: Education Minister
- Between friends, comrades and acquaintances (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
- Naza joins in race for Proton
- The Proton saga continues
- Race and religion are ‘sensitive’ because Umno feels threatened
- Public spat between Karpal and Ramasamy resolved – DAP leadership to move forward as one ...
- Oh! Woe to the book lover
- Shafie: Karpal-Rama feud a time bomb
- Taking the DNBN Kuburkan BN initiative to the Malay heartlands
- Apa lagi PAS nak perjuangkan!
- Non-halal books? What’s next?
- Post GE13 political scenarios-Part 4
- PKR man quits, calls DAP ‘autocratic’
- MIC to keep up with times
- PAS begins to gather proposed candidate lists
- Zul asks people to reject document on PAS welfare state
- 15 students held over 'silent' protest at KL Sentral
- Additional exco post for Indians in Selangor?
- Jeffrey to reveal his political future
- Pakatan, be prepared for the worst
- How Do You Prove Someone's a Witch in Saudi Arabia?
- Malaysia's Mahathir Defends Sarawak Chieftain
- ABU: Movement of the Rakyat for the Rakyat
- ‘Rosmah, Dr M should stay out of politics’
- PRU-13: Pekida ikrar pangkah BN
- Video hina hudud ada kaitan dengan Noh Omar?
- Dap's Extended Honeymoon in Penang
- PD’s man in the hot seat
| Posted: 15 Dec 2011 10:51 AM PST ART HARUN Hi there. Hope this letter finds you in excellent good health, amidst your busy schedules as Christmas, and hence, Christmas eve approaches. I know. This letter is a bit late. But I hope it is okay with you. Actually, I had posted a hard copy of this letter in January this year using Pos Laju. Recently however, that letter was returned and marked "return to sender." I called up Pos Laju to find out the reason for this letter being so returned. This was how the conversation went (I hope you don't mind. It's in the original language. I am sure as a saint, you would understand it anyway). Pos Laju girl: Hello, selamat pagi dan salam 1Malaysia Encik. Me: Hi, selamat pagi. PL girl: Eh, erm..Encik Melayu? Me: Ya, saya. PL girl: Assalamualaikum Encik. Boleh saya bantu? Me: Mualaikummusalam. Saya sebenarnya nak tanya ni. Kenapa surat saya yang saya kirim bulan Januari lepas dikembalikan? Alamatnya Santa Claus, TheOnlyOne, North Pole. PL girl: Oh, tunggu jap yer, saya cek. …3 minutes later… PL girl: Terima kasih Encik kerana menunggu. Erm…sebenarnyer Cik, surat Encik tu haram. Me: Haram? Ada surat haram dan halal ke sekarang ni? PL girl: Eh, ada Encik. Semua surat kena cek dulu halal ke haram. Kalau haram, kami takleh hantar Encik. Masuk neraka nanti. Surat kepada Santa Claus tu haram Encik. Sebab Santa Claus tu ialah seorang santo Kristian. Me: Oh, itu kes berat tu Dik. Neraka jahanam ke? PL girl: Ye Bang, eh, Encik. Neraka jahanam. Me: You tau tak, perkataan "jahanam" tu sebenarnyer kan, adalah dari perkataan Yahudi "gehenna" you tau. Itu tempat dier orang bakar anak-anak lelaki dier orang dulu-dulu tau, kat Lembah Hinnom. Perkataan tu pun haram Dik. Yahudi tu! PL girl: Iyer ker? Hamaigod. Me: So, surat haram you all takleh hantar la yer? PL girl: Takleh Bang, eh, Encik. Me: Ada tak surat CIMB ker, Maybank atau RHB ker you all hantar? PL girl: Ada gak. Kenapa? Me: Surat-surat bank yang kenakan bunga atau faedah ni haram you all tau tak? Surat Bank Islam dan Muamalat jer yang you leh hantar. Itu halal. PL girl: Yer ker Encik? Me: Yer lah. PL girl: Habis orang Islam yang makan gaji kat bank-bank tu gaji dierang halal ker haram Encik? Me: Tak tahu ler saya. Kena tanya JAKIM lah. Kita orang biasa mana tahu. Okay, assalamualaikum. PL girl: Wassalam. I hope you wouldn't be upset because you are deemed haram in my country. You are not alone however. Recently, a book on Lee Kuan Yew – yes, that guy who always ask you to turn Singapore into a continent every Christmas – was also deemed haram. Oh, a book on Doraemon had also be deemed haram before. The only wonder I have is why is it that books like Hikayat Hang Tuah, Merong Mahawangsa, Sejarah Melayu and Hikayat Inderaputera or Anggun Cik Tunggal have not been declared haram. As you might know dear Santa, those folklore contain all sorts of stories about magic stones, super human powers, the ability to see the future and sprinkled with Hindu elements. Some of the books are even mandatory reading in our schools. Don't you think they should be declared haram too yah?
| ||
| ABU not owned by anyone, says Chegubard Posted: 15 Dec 2011 10:37 AM PST (Malaysian Digest) - The Asalkan Bukan Umno (Anyone But Umno) movement is not owned by anyone, says one of its core members Badrul Hisham Shaharin. Badrul, or better known as Chegubard, said ABU has been around for a long time, but now it has been given a new 'color' with the main objective of uniting the rakyat to fight against Umno which he claims has been dividing the people all this while. "So today we unite simultaneously throughout the nation starting from 9 December 2011," said Chegubard during a press conference at the Rapat Rakyat: Asalkan Bukan Umno ceramah today. Chaired by Chegubard, among those who attended the ceramah were Benny Loh of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) president Dr Rohana Ariffin, and Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) Secretary-General S Arutchelvan.
| ||
| Posted: 15 Dec 2011 10:25 AM PST Yes, this is Hasan Ali that we know, an expert in packaging himself with a noble objective and exalting himself with flowery language. Please be reminded that he was a motivation speaker, a master in group hypnotism, before he went into politics. Tay Tian Yan, The Malaysian Insider Finally we will have a one less troublemaker in politics if Hasan Ali is eventually removed by PAS. Of course, it is no one's wish that he will be picked up by another party, including Umno. Already coming to an end of his political career, Hasan Ali said he wouldn't bother whether PAS would nominate him or approve of what he did, so long as Allah approves him. He insisted that he was defending Islam, and was fighting for the rights of the Malays and the Rulers, saying that he would not back down in his efforts to promote greater integration between his party and Umno. Yes, this is Hasan Ali that we know, an expert in packaging himself with a noble objective and exalting himself with flowery language. Please be reminded that he was a motivation speaker, a master in group hypnotism, before he went into politics. Hypnotism will not get the problems solved, but will instead bring on an array of side-effects. No one should query his noble intent of defending Islam, the Malays and the Rulers, but the problem is no one in the state of Selangor nor anywhere in the country would ever rise up against Islam, the Malays or the Rulers. A member of the state exco, Hasan Ali's duty is to take care of everyone's needs in the state, Muslims or non-Muslims, and promote racial and religious harmony. However, he chooses to exclude this all-important role. While the hypnotist puts everyone under his spell, he himself falls into the trap of excessive self-conceit. He has assumed the role of a guardian of Islam over the years, and yet he continues to suspect that someone out there is trying to erode the status of Islam, the Malays and the Rulers. Selangor used to enjoy relatively harmonious inter-religious relationship, but thanks to his conspiracy theories, restlessness and discord began to surface.
| ||
| Umno’s sound and fury a sign of desperation Posted: 15 Dec 2011 09:49 AM PST The raving and ranting at the recent Umno general assembly showed us that the party is a cornered animal. Anger, fear and ignorance were greatly evident at Umno's recent annual general assembly. There was little else but the sound and the fury. By the end of the meeting, we were left only with the impression that here was a dying 65-year-old political organisation desperately trying to cling on to life by baring its fangs and claws, like a cornered beast. Stanley Koh, Free Malaysia Today "Those who are skilled in combat do not get overwhelmed by anger and those who are skilled at winning do not become afraid. Thus, the wise win before they fight, while the ignorant fight to win." These wise words were spoken by Zhuge Liang (181-234 AD), an accomplished military strategist, scholar and statesman who became chancellor of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. Anger, fear and ignorance were greatly evident at Umno's recent annual general assembly. There was little else but the sound and the fury. By the end of the meeting, we were left only with the impression that here was a dying 65-year-old political organisation desperately trying to cling on to life by baring its fangs and claws, like a cornered beast. "How hurt we are that Umno, which has given so much service, is today being incessantly condemned and criticised to the extent of erasing from history all our past contributions." That was the party president himself addressing the assembly. Does Najib Tun Razak seriously think that today's Umno is even a shadow of the kind of party that Onn Jaafar envisioned? Do today's big shots in the party have the same leadership qualities that the early leaders had? Do they have the same integrity, honesty and sense of fair play? Many pundits trace the rot back through only two Umno presidents. They say it was during Dr Mahathir Mohamad's long tenure that money politics and corruption were worked into the system to consolidate the power of the Umnoputra. Today's Umno is in fact the same as it was in 2000, when Mahathir spoke at the party's 54th anniversary. "Money can buy anything," he said. "Money can buy influence and popularity. Money means power. And money for the urban Malays, thanks to the New Economic Policy, is easily available." Yet there are some who would give Najib the benefit of the doubt and credit him with sincerity in trying to root out nepotism, cronyism and money politics from Umno and, by extension, from government. If so, we should perhaps blame dissensions and dissatisfaction among hardliners within the party for his apparent flip-flopping and inability to convince us that his transformation plan is working. Some pundits think that Najib is hanging on to power merely by the skin of his teeth. Umno's performance at the next general election will be crucial to his political survival. Apparently he, along with his deputy and the delegates to the assembly, believe that Umno can perform well if it emphasises its jingoistic character. Missed opportunity The race card was played to the hilt. The past glory of Umno was replayed and amplified. Blind loyalty and unconditional love for the party were expressed in melodramatic moments that would have made Bollywood blush. In the process, Umno missed the opportunity to use the assembly as a major platform to win the hearts and minds of the Malaysian public for the coming electoral battle. We are reminded of Theodore Roosevelt's characterisation of ageing political parties: "The old parties are husks, with no real soul within either, divided on artificial lines, boss-ridden and privilege-controlled, each a jumble of incongruous elements, and neither daring to speak out wisely and fearlessly on what should be said on the vital issues of the day." The assembly confirmed to us that Umno has become a political dinosaur. The event itself was an image of the party's brand of leadership, which the non-Malay heartland has labelled as The Thee Rs: Repulsive, Repugnant and Racist. Ironically, the party president's message was also on three Rs: Race, Religion and Royalty.
| ||
| Hasan sidelined as PAS leaders say he can leave if he wants Posted: 15 Dec 2011 09:42 AM PST (The Star) - Firebrand PAS leader Datuk Dr Hasan Ali is in the middle of a storm, with one top official saying the party would have no issue with him quitting to join Umno just a day after there were reports that he would not be fielded as an election candidate. Another party leader is suggesting that he has been "trapped" by the agenda of the enemy, but things became complicated with PAS Youth chief Nasruddin Hassan openly pledging his support for Dr Hasan, who is said to have a solid bank of support among the grassroots. Vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar said it was up to Hasan to decide whether or not he wants to leave the Islamist party, indicating a widening rift between the top leadership and the former Selangor PAS commissioner. Secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali was also irked that Hasan appeared to be questioning the stance of the party. The embattled 64-year-old Hasan was recently quoted in a Malay daily as being open to spearheading unification talks with Umno but Mahfuz said Hasan did not represent the party's position on the issue. "This issue (PAS-Umno unity) was never discussed (by the top leadership), and he (Hasan) was never appointed as our representative to discuss this," he said yesterday. Mahfuz, however, clarified that he was not alluding to the possibility of Hasan leaving PAS, saying he was only answering a hypothetical question raised at a press conference earlier. The vice-president said Hasan's plan to bring the two parties together with Islam as the basis was not in line with the PAS goal of unifying all Muslims and all Malaysians, regardless of race and creed. In an interview with Harakah online, Mustafa criticised Hasan and his Nasruddin Hasan. Mustafa said: "The two of them have been dragged into the Umno agenda which can jeopadise our party." This is the latest in a series of controversies to hit Hasan, who as a Selangor state executive councillor has had many a run-in with his party colleagues and Pakatan Rakyat partners over the management of his portfolio in charge of Islamic affairs, Malay customs, infrastructure and public amenities. The controversies include the recent anti-proselytisation inspection on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church, claims of solar-powered bibles being used to convert Muslims to Christianity and his failed attempt to ban the sale of alcoholic beverages at 7-11 outlets. On the other hand, his supporters, most notably Nasrudin, view Hasan as an eminent defender of Islam, Malays and the royal institution. Nasrudin was at the forefront to defend Hasan on numerous occasions, openly supporting the church inspection and his decision to take part in the "Himpunan Sejuta Umat" (gathering of a million believers) against proselytisation of Muslims, despite a ban by the top PAS leadership. Another key supporter for Hasan is veteran leader and former party deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa.
| ||
| Ramasamy, Karpal spat far from over Posted: 15 Dec 2011 09:39 AM PST (New Straits Times) - The high-powered committee formed to resolve a dispute between DAP chairman Karpal Singh and Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy may like to think it has resolved the problem, but the issue is far from being settled. Karpal yesterday made it clear that the panel may have come to its own conclusions, but "it was definitely not the end of the matter". In a statement faxed to the New Straits Times office here, Karpal said the three-man panel —comprising national adviser Lim Kit Siang, life adviser Dr Chen Man Hin and secretary-general Lim Guan Eng — had "made a quick decision" to solve the issue between him and Ramasamy. He said while there was no doubt that DAP had to move forward, the party would not tolerate political intimidation from any quarter, referring to the commotion caused by Ramasamy's supporters at the Penang DAP convention on Sunday. It was reported that about 150 people had gathered outside Pearl View Hotel in Prai carrying placards supporting Ramasamy. The group also condemned two Penang DAP assemblymen — R.S.N. Rayer (Seri Delima) and A. Thanasekaran (Bagan Dalam) — besides throwing jibes at Karpal. The protesters turned rowdy as soon as Karpal arrived for the convention, and he did not mince his words about what he thought of the group when he started his speech. There was also a slight commotion during the convention when a Ramasamy supporter tried to disrupt Karpal's speech. Karpal said it was clear that what happened at the convention was disgraceful and could not be allowed to happen again. "Those responsible for the disturbance in the convention hall and those who organised the demonstration outside the hotel will have to face the disciplinary board." "No one, however high in the party hierarchy, will be spared if he is found responsible for organising the demonstration or, in any way, encouraging it." He added that other matters requiring solutions would be dealt with through party channels. Earlier yesterday, Kit Siang, Guan Eng and Dr Chen issued a statement announcing that the issue between Karpal and Ramasamy had been resolved and the party leadership would move forward as a united team to face the 13th general election. They said Tamil newspaper Makkal Osai had issued a correction of its Nov 28 report quoting Ramasamy on DAP candidates for the polls. They said its chief editor, M. Rajan, had issued the correction in the newspaper's Wednesday edition, which stated that the report had not originated from Ramasamy, besides expressing sadness that it had caused the public controversy between Karpal and Ramasamy. | ||
| Posted: 15 Dec 2011 09:06 AM PST Until the next general election, political parties will engage in serious courting, especially for the fence-sitters A movement called Asalkan Bukan Umno (Anyone But Umno) has arisen but it is too early to tell if such bodies can make any impact on voting patterns at the next polls. What is certain is that Umno, Pas and PKR have all stepped up their posturing as defenders of the Malay/Muslim vote, while DAP is seeking to alleviate concerns that the Malay community's rights would be at risk under opposition rule. Zubaidah Abu Bakar, New Straits Times POLITICAL parties competing for Malay votes are scrambling to solidify their traditional support banks ahead of the coming general election. Winning over voters in the traditional Malay heartland has become the focus even of non-Malay-based parties and non-governmental organisations. Of late, issues sensitive to the Malays are being cautiously handled by the governments of both sides of the political divide for fear of losing the support of the community. Although much wooing of Chinese support has taken place in the past three years, particularly by Barisan Nasional, political realities have shifted the attention of both blocs to Malay voters. Malays make up 65 per cent of the population. Of the country's 222 parliamentary constituencies, only 46 are Chinese-majority and none has an Indian majority. While BN linchpin Umno continues to be the key player in the ruling coalition, the multiracial Parti Keadilan Rakyat and secularist Chinese-majority DAP have joined forces with Pas to cover the Malay ground. A movement called Asalkan Bukan Umno (Anyone But Umno) has arisen but it is too early to tell if such bodies can make any impact on voting patterns at the next polls. What is certain is that Umno, Pas and PKR have all stepped up their posturing as defenders of the Malay/Muslim vote, while DAP is seeking to alleviate concerns that the Malay community's rights would be at risk under opposition rule. DAP and PKR are courting the urban Malays, mostly young, educated and liberal, many of whom had opted out of the electoral process. But in Penang, where DAP's main foe is Umno, Malay votes, according to analyses by Persatuan Anak Jati Melayu Pulau Pinang (Pajim), could swing to Umno while the DAP hangs on to the lion's share of the Chinese electorate. PKR and Pas are out to cut Umno's influence on rural Malays, especially in the Felda schemes. The opposition partners have accepted that Pas, on its own, is unlikely to be able to maintain the Malay support it enjoyed in the 2008 general election. Pas' internal surveys show that it will have difficulty even defending its seats in the Malay heartland, including federal seats in Kelantan, the state that has been under Pas rule for the past 20 years. The Islamist party is facing the stark possibility of declining Malay support if it remains in league with PKR and DAP. It may indeed be fighting a losing battle with Umno. The chances are there of Pas' traditional supporters moving away from the party they feel has deviated from its core values for the sake of expediency. Pas knows that in order to attract new supporters among the Malays, it will have to satisfy the community that it champions, the Malays and Islam, a task that needs careful juggling with the opposition's multiracial commitments. Malays would be less inclined towards Pas if they see the party as simply caving in to its allies. Insiders said PKR, Pas and DAP took serious note of a finding by political analyst Dr Wong Chin Huat, a lecturer at Monash University, that revealed at a Pas convention in February that the opposition alliance could lose as many as 34 parliamentary seats if Pas did not regain its Malay support base. Pas did well in non-Malay areas in 2008. It won 82 seats on the back of support from all races but has seen between seven and 10 per cent of Malays swinging back to BN in recent by-elections. The erosion of Malay support, proven in the string of Umno's by-election victories and its intensified attacks on opposition parties lately, including during the recently concluded Umno general assembly, is causing jitters in the opposition front. Opposition leaders have since embarked on a mission to persuade the Malays that the four states under opposition rule have implemented policies to guarantee the community would not be sidelined. Among the opposition's counter-measures is an intense chasing of the Felda vote by fanning distrust against BN over alleged irregularities and mismanagement. Roughly two million people are directly or indirectly involved in Felda, about 1.2 million of whom are voters. Discontent could thus affect the delivery of votes in the 54 parliamentary and 92 state seats that contain Felda land schemes. There are more than 400 Felda land schemes with more than 113,000 settlers nationwide, mostly in Pahang, Johor and Negri Sembilan, making Felda settlers an important political force. They are traditionally Umno loyalists and up to 2008, only an average of 10 per cent favoured Pas. Pas now claims as much as 25 to 30 per cent support in some Felda schemes. Pas and PKR have intensified campaigning and recruitment drives with the help of non-governmental organisations to win Felda votes. Umno has responded with its own array of partisans. Although no conclusive evidence has been adduced, it is widely held that a number of civil servants -- a previously secure BN vote bank -- have switched to becoming fence-sitters. One thing is for sure, the battle for the Malay vote will, until the next general election, be fierce, especially for the fence-sitters. | ||
| Anwar is expendable, PKR is not Posted: 15 Dec 2011 08:55 AM PST PKR must 'ready' itself to lead the Pakatan Rakyat charge with or without Anwar Ibrahim. The question now is this: When does my responsibility towards "supporting" Anwar – the individual – ends and when does my responsibility to ensuring the relevancy of his "vision" and PKR to our future starts? It is a fine line to tread but I will tread it with the conviction that PKR and Anwar are two separate entities. CT Ali, Free Malaysia Today The future of PKR is a shared responsibility. It is not only the concern of PKR members but also all of us who have not forgotten what Anwar Ibrahim has done towards the cause of putting together a credible opposition to give Barisan Nasional a run for its money. Without Anwar there would have been no Pakatan Rakyat. Without Anwar there would not have been that much hope in our hearts for regime change and an end to 53 years of abuse by that bully named Umno. Without Anwar we could not today talk about momentous change that could possibly come in the coming 13th general election. But our responsibility is not to Anwar alone. Our responsibility is to his cause, his stated ideals and keeping alive the hope that he gave us for a better future for the people of our nation. The question now is this: When does my responsibility towards "supporting" Anwar – the individual – ends and when does my responsibility to ensuring the relevancy of his "vision" and PKR to our future starts? It is a fine line to tread but I will tread it with the conviction that PKR and Anwar are two separate entities. One cannot eat off the other. In essence, what I am saying is this: if Anwar becomes a liability to the wellbeing of PKR, then our responsibility to PKR and to Anwar is to ensure that minimal harm is done to PKR. Anwar is expendable. PKR is not! Anwar in prison? What now lies ahead for Anwar? Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin, former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Umno and Barisan Nasional can dismiss the future of Anwar with one word – prison. You, PKR, Pakatan Rakyat and me… we cannot! This man has run the gauntlet for our cause once too many times for us to abandon him now. He needs our support not for him personally, but for what he has created – PKR and Pakatan. Gauntlet is described in the dictinary as "a punishment formerly used in the military in which somebody was forced to run between two lines of men armed with weapons who beat him up as he passed". Najib and BN will put him (Anwar) in prison. You, PKR, Pakatan and me – we will free him from prison. Not by breaking any prison walls but by winning the 13th general election for Pakatan and making the business of freeing him from prison the first order of business for the incoming Pakatan government.
| ||
| PAS’ Islamist duo set to rattle party Posted: 15 Dec 2011 08:48 AM PST Datuk Dr Hasan Ali and fellow PAS leader Nasharuddin Mat Isa are looking out of synch with the party's leadership but both have solid support behind them, which could unsettle things for their rivals in the party. Dr Hasan and Nasharuddin are the two leaders who have come to haunt the party at a time when PAS has sacrificed so much to accommodate the liberals compared with the pre-1999 polls when it was breathing fire and brimstone, promoting and defending everything Islam. By BARADAN KUPPUSAMY, The Star YOU would think that a man like Datuk Dr Hasan Ali, who is a fiery articulator of all things Islamic, will be embraced by an Islamist party like PAS. But it is strange that the Selangor exco member for Islam and Malay customs is shunned by the party and, according to state information head Shaari Sungib, has been dropped from the proposed list of PAS candidates for Selangor. It is said that he did not receive enough nominations from the party branches to qualify to be re-nominated for the Gombak Setia state seat, which he won in 2008. Various Islamic NGOs have gathered to champion Dr Hasan — a conservative Muslim who defends the banning of beer and other fundamentalist initiatives in Selangor. They also questioned the party's credentials as an Islamist party. Dr Hasan also defends the institution of the Malay rulers much more overtly than the party which has a mixed record on that score. Dr Hasan gave media interviews since Sunday, and in the interviews lashed out at his liberal critics in PAS and said he was not concerned about being dropped as a candidate. "It is a small matter," he said in an interview on TV3, adding "the larger issues are Islam and defending Islam." PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang was quick to deny that Dr Hasan has been dropped because such matters had not been decided by the party. Another veteran PAS leader Nasharuddin Mat Isa is in the same boat as Dr Hasan, as the party's central leadership is dominated by the so-called "Erdogans". In PAS, leaders deemed progressive and moderate are dubbed Erdogans, after the visionary and popular Turkish prime minister Racep Erdogan. Three-term MP Nasharuddin, a technocrat and Muslim conservative, is not in the good books of the central leadership. He was painted with the same brush as Dr Hasan after both were said to be in favour of Malay unity talks with Umno. Nasharuddin also declared in a TV3 interview on Tuesday that he shares Dr Hasan's sentiments on Islam and Malay rulers as the twin pillars of Malay society. "I put Islam first. The royal institution is also to be defended," said the Bachok MP, clearly drawing a line between them and the Erdogans, who take the cue from PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat. The actions of the two leaders – Dr Hasan and Nasharuddin – are causing a headache to the Erdogans in PAS and restraining the push towards liberal policies and collaboration with DAP. They feel that it is only through liberal policies that they can convince the majority of non-Muslim voters to support PAS in the forthcoming general election. At the same time, the party has kept open its stand on the hudud issue, hoping to keep its traditional voter base. This can easily backfire on PAS. They can lose the hardliners who question the party's liberal policies and "submission" to non-Muslims. They can also lose the non-Muslim votes for taking on a radical hue. Dr Hasan and Nasharuddin are the two leaders who have come to haunt the party at a time when PAS has sacrificed so much to accommodate the liberals compared with the pre-1999 polls when it was breathing fire and brimstone, promoting and defending everything Islam. It is the same party which has decided to deliberately lower the heat of its rhetoric to win the non-Muslim voter support. It is now the era of the Erdogans in PAS that is led by Nik Aziz and his group. They won most of the top posts in this year's party election. The Erdogans are trying to finish off the Malay nationalists and equally Islamic leaders like Dr Hasan and Nasharuddin and their supporters in the party. The stage is set to get rid of them by not nominating them to contest in the general election. The two, and their supporters in the Muslim NGOs, have challenged the PAS leadership with their "Islam comes first" statements and their readiness to defend the institution of the Malay rulers – all very nationalistic sentiments that come naturally to a Malay but are abhorred by leaders like deputy president Mohamed Sabu. They are a thorn in the side of PAS, constantly reminding them that there are real issues to defend and politics is not just a process of winning elections and enjoying power.
| ||
| Anti-Umno group hits the ground running with ‘people’s platform’ Posted: 15 Dec 2011 08:43 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Eschewing policy for potshots, the Asalkan Bukan Umno (ABU) grouping last night trotted out a laundry list of the ruling Malay party's failings to drive home a message of urgent change in the next polls. Drawing on the testimonies of ordinary Malaysians, from housewives and bank executives to students and contractors, the coalition of political parties and civil society groups stressed repeatedly that voters should pick "anything but Umno" to put an end to alleged abuse of power.  Badrul Hisham said ABU was a vehicle through which Malaysians could voice their disaffection with Umno. "The people have opposed Umno's rule but their (the party's) advantage is that the people are not united... "Umno is not strong, the people have just been weak in fighting them so far," he told the 300-strong crowd at Taman Melewar here. Also present were PAS vice president Datuk Mahfuz Omar, Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) secretary-general S. Arutchelvan, Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) president Haris Ibrahim, among others. Badrul Hisham, better known as Chegubard, also took pains to point out that ABU was not a political movement but a vehicle through which Malaysians could voice their disaffection. "This... is a platform for the people, (a platform) for people's stories," the PKR leader said. But Haris reminded the largely partisan crowd it was meaningless for them to air their grouses and speak of change if no action came of it. "Let's not take ABU as just a slogan. Slogans are Umno's domain. Mahathir gave us Vision 2020, Pak Lah gave us Islam Hadhari, now it's 1 Malaysia. All merely slogans..." he said in a fiery speech. "We must spread the word that the people have united with one spirit to topple Umno, to topple Barisan Nasional (in the next election)." ABU, comprising SAMM, PSM, MCLM, Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM), was launched last week to educate Malaysians on "the evils of Umno". The loose grouping last night launched its "DN Tumbangkan BN" video online to counter the government's chokehold on mass media in rural areas. According to Haris's website, over 200,000 hardcopies of the 104-minute video have already been distributed in mainly Malay villages nationwide.
| ||
| Malaysia awaits sodomy verdict Posted: 15 Dec 2011 07:43 AM PST (AFP) -- THE sodomy trial of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has closed with a judge setting January 9 for a verdict.
Defence lawyers were allowed a final rebuttal of the prosecution's charge that Malaysia's former deputy prime minister and one-time leader-in-waiting sodomised a 27-year-old male aide in June 2008. Sodomy is illegal in Muslim-majority Malaysia and Mr Anwar, 64, faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted. Legal experts say he would also be barred from contesting polls expected to be called by Prime Minister Najib Razak within months, although others say he may be able to run if an appeal is pending. "I will deliver my decision on January 9," judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah told a packed courtroom in the capital Kuala Lumpur, shortly after the defence rested in the trial, which opened in February 2010. Mr Anwar, who was jailed a decade ago on a separate sodomy conviction that was later overturned, says the case was cooked up by Mr Najib and is part of a pattern of legal harassment by the long-ruling coalition to ruin him politically. "The process has not been fair. This is not a fair trial and we have adduced enough cogent, compelling, incontrovertible evidence to support that," Mr Anwar told reporters after the trial ended. "Having said that, we are still hopeful that sanity will prevail and the judge will decide based on the facts and the law." Mr Anwar alleges the case is a bid by Mr Najib to decapitate an opposition alliance of ethnic Malay, Chinese and Muslim parties that found new strength rallying around the charismatic Mr Anwar. The sodomy allegation emerged shortly after the Anwar-led opposition secured historic gains in March 2008 parliamentary elections. "It doesn't make a difference - in jail or outside, I will fight for justice," Mr Anwar said. Mr Najib, who denies involvement in the case, must call elections by 2013, but speculation of early polls has mounted after he told his ruling United Malays National Organisation's (UMNO) congress last month that "the time is near". Mr Anwar's legal battles have cast a shadow over Malaysian politics for years. He had been groomed to take the helm of the multicultural nation but a bitter split with his boss, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, in 1997 led to Mr Anwar's arrest the following year. He was later convicted on sodomy and corruption charges widely seen as politically motivated, but was freed in 2004 after the sodomy conviction was overturned. Whether or not Mr Anwar can run in the coming polls, political observers say the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition apparently hopes his image - and the opposition's - will be fatally tarnished by a guilty ruling, especially among conservative majority Malay voters. However, analysts say widespread perceptions among Malays - who make up about 60 per cent of the country's 28 million people - that Mr Anwar is being persecuted have caused many to desert UMNO in favour of the opposition. A guilty verdict could backfire on Mr Najib, said James Chin, a political science professor with Monash University in Kuala Lumpur. "Most people expect Anwar to be found guilty so the key will be in the sentence. If Anwar gets a harsh sentence, it will lead to strong anti-BN sentiments," Mr Chin said.
| ||
| ’8.3m M’sians will be poorer by 2020′ Posted: 15 Dec 2011 07:38 AM PST Promises of a high-income economy will come to naught, claims the opposition leader. (Free Malaysia Today) - As many as 8.3 million Malaysians may be classified as urban poor – earning less than RM1,500 a month – by 2020, claimed Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. A high inflation rate, he said, would only plunge more Malaysians into poverty even if incomes were to increase by 3.6% every year. "…by 2020, there will be between 7 million and 8.3 million urban poor with monthly earnings of RM1,500 and below, according to the ETP's (Economic Transformation Programme) own projections," he said during a speech here. He said this while delivering a keynote address entitled "Debunking ETP: Widening Income Gap". Even if wages were to grow at 3.6% every year over the next decade, there would still be 7.6 million people earning less than RM1,500 a month, Anwar said. He also called the current national poverty line of RM700 "obsolete", saying that many urban households were struggling with RM1,500 a month. Anwar did not appear confident with the government's claim to turn into a high-income nation by 2020. Citing government figures, he said: "Wage growth in Malaysia recorded an average increase of 2.6% annually for the past 10 years while the cost of living has outpaced the wage growth." This, he said, contradicted the ETP's claim that workers' wages would grow at an average of 3.6% every year.
| ||
| Posted: 15 Dec 2011 07:07 AM PST
PAS vice-president, Mahfuz Omar, has suggested that Hasan Ali -- who openly indicated his willingness to become the matchmaker for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to unite the Malays and Muslims, plus who said he was prepared to leave PAS (presumably to join Umno) -- leave the party and join Umno if he wants to. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Well, this is what I wrote almost three years ago back on 15th February 2009: ******************************************** And I wrote the following article on 23rd September 2009: | ||
| Anti-Umno group targets Malay heartland with viral video Posted: 14 Dec 2011 09:25 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Frustrated by rural Malays' poor access to alternative sources of news, an anti-Umno coalition has launched an online video it hopes will break Barisan Nasional's (BN) media monopoly in key heartland areas. Jumping between archive photos and documentary footage, the 104-minute "DN Tumbangkan BN" video by Asalkan Bukan Umno (ABU) hopes to undercut Umno's claim that it has always fought for Malaysians and the good of the country. ABU comprises the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM), Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM), Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) and the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM), among others. The central theme of the video is former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's alleged abuse of the New Economic Policy (NEP) to enrich cronies, which ABU claims not only resulted in persistent poverty but also worsening race relations. The NEP was introduced in 1971 following the bloody May 13, 1969 race riots to foster national unity by reducing the wealth gap between the races. "Had the aspirations of the New Economic Policy been carried out, Tunku Abdul Rahman's hope that Malaysia remain a democratic, independent nation based on freedom and justice... would have been realised long ago," said the video's narrator. "Unfortunately, the Umno-BN government, beginning with the leadership of Dr Mahathir Mohamad from 1981 until now, has abandoned the principles of the Rukunegara and played up racial and religious sentiment to ensure the people are not united so they can remain in power." It also slammed Dr Mahathir – "the world's biggest liar" – for allegedly undermining key national institutions to stay in power, presenting as proof the chain of events which began with the deregistration of Umno in 1988 following fractious party polls. But the video also struck a more positive note amid the Umno-bashing, highlighting the alternative vision for Malaysia held by leftist political parties which fought for Malaysia's independence from Britain in the 1940s and 1950s. It noted that such groups, including the Malay Nationalist Party (PKMM) and Malayan Democratic Union (MDU), had worked together politically for a race-blind Malaysia even before BN's predecessor, the Alliance, was formed. "The unity we talked about never mentioned race, as is emphasised nowadays. All we wanted was that all the trade unions, all the workers, all the women, all the organisations should join in a broad front to oppose the return of the (British) Governor to rule the country," MDU founding member Lim Kean Chye said. Special attention was paid to the All-Malaya Hartal of 1948, which MCLM president Haris Ibrahim described as "the most graphic evidence" that Malaysians of different races have always been able to cooperate. "It's amazing that they managed, even then without internet, to pull off something on that scale. We've never had a race relations problem in this country. It's just Umno and its sidekicks," he told The Malaysian Insider. ABU will kick off its campaign to disseminate the video among rural Malay voters at Kolej Universiti Islam Zulkifli Muhammad (KUIZM) in Gombak tonight. According to Haris's website, the group has already distributed some 200,000 hard copies of the video in villages in the past month alone.
| ||
| Is it STAR in Sabah for Jeffrey? Posted: 14 Dec 2011 07:49 PM PST Once-dormant Sarawak Reform Party looks set to make a comeback through Sabah. (Free Malaysia Today) - Speculations are rife that Sabah political maverick Jeffrey Kitingan will be announcing the Sabah chapter of the once-dormant Sarawak Reform Party (STAR) tomorrow. STAR is headed by former assistant minister Patau Rubis. It was formed 16 years ago and has been dormant since 2008. Yesterday, Jeffrey, who is the co-founder of United Borneo Front (UBF), announced that he would make an announcement regarding his political future amidst growing speculation that he was setting up a Sabah chapter of a Sarawak-based party. Jeffrey, who is a former PKR vice-president, has been trying to register UBF as a political party but his efforts have ended in vain. Rubis, who was once a member of Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and a minister in Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's Cabinet, when contacted today, said: "You can wait for the announcement tomorrow; in the meantime you can speculate. "But speculation can be wrong," he said. But Rubis did indicate that Jeffrey's announcement tomorrow would also coincide with the anniversary of STAR's formation 16 years ago. STAR is expected to be officially launched early next month. Borneo Alliance In the past STAR had fielded candidates in both parliamentary and state elections but with no success. Since the 2008 general election, the party has been dormant. Observers here are of the view that Jeffrey was left with no choice but to engage STAR.
| ||
| Hasan, Nasharudin terperangkap dalam agenda Umno Posted: 14 Dec 2011 04:01 PM PST (Harakah Daily) - Setiausaha Agung PAS, Datuk Mustafa Ali menganggap dua pimpinan parti itu, Datuk Dr Hasan Ali dan Nasharudin Mat Isa sudah terperangkap dalam agenda Umno untuk melemahkan PAS. Beliau berkata, Hasan yang merupakan bekas Pesuruhjaya PAS Selangor dan Nasaharudin yang pernah memegang jawatan Timbalan Presiden bertindak tidak wajar sebagai pimpinan parti.
| ||
| Mahfuz: Hasan Ali boleh keluar PAS sertai Umno jika mahu Posted: 14 Dec 2011 04:00 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Bekas pesuruhjaya PAS Selangor Datuk Dr Hasan Ali yang menjadi tumpuan sejak kebelakangan ini termasuk berhubung desas-desus kemungkinan digugurkan daripada menjadi calon, boleh keluar parti Islam itu dan menyertai Umno jika mahu, kata Datuk Mahfuz Omar. "Itu terserah kepada beliau (jika mahu meninggalkan parti). Bagi saya, ini negara demokrasi, setiap orang ada hak untuk memihak parti yang mereka pilih," kata Naib Presiden PAS ini kepada pemberita pada sidang media hari ini. "Tetapi sama ada beliau benar-benar berkata (mahu meninggal PAS), (saya) tidak tahu," kata beliau lagi. Hasan, yang juga Exco Kerajaan Negeri Selangor pada Isnin lalu secara terbuka mengumumkan kesediaan menerima jemputan daripada perdana menteri untuk membincangkan usaha menyatupadukan PAS dan Umno. Katanya, beliau akan berbuat demikian dengan menggunakan Islam sebagai teras. "PAS tidak pernah membantah (jika ada mana-mana ahli mahu meninggalkan parti). Ia satu demokrasi. Itu hak mereka," kata Mahfuz lagi. "Hasan Ali bersedia untuk memberi sokongan beliau kepada parti yang berjuang bagi hak orang Melayu. Tindakan beliau mahu memperjuangkan Islam adalah baik, PAS juga memperjuangkan Islam," katanya lagi. Ditanya sama ada partinya akan merasakan satu kehilangan jika Hasan keluar, Mahfuz berkata, "PAS pernah melalui banyak kehilangan dalam kepimpinan (sebelum ini), tetapi PAS terus bergerak." "Kami tidak mengejar orang, kami mempelawa mereka," katanya lagi sambil menambah, "saya tidak meminta sesiapa meninggalkan parti." "Kami meminta mereka bersatu dan membangunkan parti. Tetapi jika mereka mahu meninggalkan parti, saya tidak akan menahan mereka," katanya lagi.
| ||
| NFC scandal: MACC blind to corruptions Posted: 14 Dec 2011 02:45 PM PST Can you imagine Abu Kassim telling Sin Chew reporters that the problem with the people is that they don't understand the law and cannot distinguish white from black and they simply tango with the opposition to condemn MACC? Kim Quek Many people may be wondering why the MACC washed its hands over the investigation of the National Feedlot Center (NFC) scandal and passed the buck to the police. And now, chairman of MACC Abu Kassim Mohamed gives us his answer. Speaking to Sin Chew Daily reporters after an international conference on Dec 14, Abu Kassim explained that the complaint that MACC received pertained to abuse of a public loan, not abuse of authority; and hence, it is a case under the Criminal Procedure Act to be investigated by police, and not a corruption case that falls under the jurisdiction of MACC. I presume Abu Kassim was referring to the complaint about the use of part of a RM250 million government soft loan to purchase luxurious condos and other personal properties by the family of Wanita Umno Chief and Minister of Women, Welfare and Community Development, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. But hasn't Abu Kassim been acting rather amateurish as the nation's top corruption buster, akin to the blind man touching the proverbial elephant? Like an elephant, which is made up of many features, this NFC scandal is a multi-faceted monster that gobbles up large quantities of public funds. PROJECT RIDDLED WITH CORRRUPTIONS A major government project was dubiously awarded to an incompetent and unqualified minister's family, for which a huge government soft loan was granted and disbursed under highly questionable circumstances that enable the project recipient to squander on improper purposes, resulting in a project failure that not only thwarted an important food production scheme, but also imperiled the recovery of such public funds. Needless to say, in such a scandalous project failure, more than one minister, and more than one ministry's officials could be incriminated in offences that encompass corruption, collusion, breach of trust and criminal negligence – in the award of project and subsequent disbursement of funds. In this entire chain of criminal acts, the purchase of condos is only one link - not the most important one. The bigger question is: Why was the project awarded to Shahrizat's family? Who decided it? The next question is: Who should be responsible for failing to control the proper disbursement of loans, and for failing to monitor the proper utilization of the funds? On the first question, the culprits at the fore-front are present and past ministers of agriculture and agro Industries (Noh, Mustapa Mohamed, Muhyiddin), and present and past ministers of finance (Najib, Abdullah Badawi), for having been involved in the award of project and subsequent disbursement of funds. POLITICAL HANDSHAKE? Apart from these apparent culprits at the protocol level, what about possible behind-the-scene political machinations linked to the project? Readers will recall that Shahrizat was engaged in a heated contest against her predecessor Rafida Aziz as Wanita Umno Chief in the last Umno party election and succeeded in ousting the latter that many observers believed as fulfilling the wishes of the top party leadership. Under the circumstances, it may not be entirely far-fetched to ask whether there was any link between this RM250 million project and Shahrizat's successful mission to oust Rafida. This is an aspect that no conscientious investigator should overlook in his probe on the scandal. On the second question of disbursement of loan that resulted in splurging of funds for improper purposes, both the agro ministry and finance ministry cannot possibly shirk their responsibility, as it is under their joint scrutiny and approval that every disbursement was made. For that reason, the two ministers, as well as officials concerned from the two ministries have to be probed. With such abundance of corrupt activities going on at the political leadership as well as the administrative level, can you imagine our MACC telling us that there is nothing it can do regarding the scandal? Can you imagine Abu Kassim telling Sin Chew reporters that the problem with the people is that they don't understand the law and cannot distinguish white from black and they simply tango with the opposition to condemn MACC? Abu Kassim further said: "Our biggest problem is how to change people's mindset and how to convince them that MACC is independent. Under the present political atmosphere, corruption is politicized and MACC's alleged lack of independence is used to topple the government". TREATING PEOPLE LIKE FOOLS Hearing such comments, one can't help feeling that Abu Kassim has taken the people as ignorant fools. If MACC is independent, can Abu Kassim tell us why there has been no response whatsoever over the mountains of evidence and numerous reports lodged with the Commission over the now world famous timber baron of Sarawak, Taib Mahmud the Chief Minister? A Sarawak NGO called Movement for Change Sarawak (MoCS) submitted a 2-inch thick report in March, documenting Taib Mahmud's corruption – no response to date. Sarawakian Willie Kajan submitted his second report by travelling all the way to Putrajaya in January – no response. Sarawakians James Wong and John Brian submitted their reports in June and August 2010 at Shah Alam and Putrajaya respectively – no response. Many others including political party leaders have also submitted their reports to MACC and met with the same fate. As for the current NFC scandal, why is Abu Kassim acting like a blind man, oblivious to the swirling controversy that has exposed voluminous evidence of corruption and abuse of power through numerous press conferences and Internet postings over the last two months? Why is it that Abu Kassim can't see the word "corruption" when it is staring at him from all directions? We understand why Abu Kassim (and the MACC under him) is acting the way he does, but at least spare the people the insult of treating them like fools.
| ||
| Jeffrey to ‘take the political bull by the horns’ Posted: 14 Dec 2011 01:20 PM PST Tommorrow Sabah's political gadfly Jeffrey Kitingan will reveal his political direction. (Free Malaysia Today) - Jeffrey Kitingan, the evergreen local hero in Sabah and Sarawak, may be ready at last to bring some much needed clarity into his politics when the United Borneo Front (UBF), his NGO, celebrates its first anniversary tommorrow in Kota Kinabalu. Other celebrations are scheduled to take place throughout Sabah and Sarawak in the run-up to the 13th general election. The word is that Jeffrey has an important message to mark the occasion and will, at long last, give a glimpse of where his politics is headed. It certainly won't be that United Borneo Front has been registered. Registrar of Societies (RoS) Sabah Matthew Barin had recently threw a damper into the works by rejecting the registration of UBF. It appears that "Borneo" is a taboo word with the ROS for its connotations with "nationalism of the wrong kind" as speculation over the 'UnBorn Federation' (UBF) would have it. UBF remains, at writing, an ad hoc apolitical rights movement which works across the political divide to, among others, bring Malaysians in Sabah and Sarawak together as a Third Force in Parliament. The Third Force will support either the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) or the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (Pakatan) to form the federal government but without joining such a government.
| ||
| ‘It won’t be Anwar at Istana gates’ Posted: 14 Dec 2011 01:10 PM PST Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim may have underestimated the technicalities of forming a new government post 13th GE. When push comes to shove, everyone must be realist. Can a person who will probably be in jail become a PM? Can a person with an image problem be PM? We will be defending a person who is stung by accusations of all sorts of moral depravities all of which suggests moral weaknesses. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today In about two months' time Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim may perhaps be a special guest to the government. So post 13th general election, he may not be there jumping up and down outside the Istana Negara gates. It won't be him, but another trusted person who waves the paper that contains the list of MPs who back him (Anwar) as their prime minister. Anwar 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 would have all 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 at the Palace gates is refused entry. Because inside in audience with the King is the Attorney-General. The AG, in the presence of the Chief Secretary of the government informs the King that the test of support of the majority of MPs must be done in a parliamentary sitting. So, Anwar's paper with the list of MPs 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. Humbling reality The Agong 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 do an Arab Spring or a series of street demonstrations. 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 Pakatan's leader. Anwar and PKR must acknowledge the bigger picture. His salvation may indeed depend on this humbling reality.
| ||
| Posted: 14 Dec 2011 01:08 PM PST High Court Judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah will deliver his decision on Anwar Ibrahim's case on Jan 9. (Free Malaysia Today) - Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim will know his fate on Jan 9 next year after the defence and prosecution wrapped up the Sodomy II case today. High Court judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah said he would deliver the verdict after hearing the final submissions this morning. Three years ago, Anwar was charged with having sodomised Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, his former aide, then 22. Anwar pleaded not guilty to the offence, allegedly committed at a Desa Damansara condominium unit in Bukit Damansara on June 26, 2008. The PKR de facto leader is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison and whipping, if found guilty under Section 377B of the Penal Code. This is the second time he was accused of sodomy. In 1998, Anwar lost his deputy prime minister's post after he was charged with corruption and sodomising his family driver. He was freed in 2004 after six years of imprisonment when the Federal Court overturned the sodomy conviction. It took almost a year for the Sodomy II trial to start, after a number of delays due to several applications by Anwar's lawyers that went to the Federal Court. Among others, the main applications were to quash the charge, seeking key documents they claimed were denied, and to recuse the sitting judge. The prosecution had called 27 witnesses, including Saiful. Prima facie case There were three doctors from the KL Hospital who examined Saiful two days after the alleged incident. The prosecution also relied heavily on the findings of two chemists, Dr Seah Lay Hong and Nor Aidora Saedon, whose testimonies showed that the DNA profile of "male Y" found in the anus of Saiful was Anwar's. On May 16, Mohamad Zabidin ordered Anwar to enter his defence after ruling that the prosecution had established a prima facie case. He ruled that Saiful was a "credible" and "truthful" witness whose testimony was corroborated by the evidence of expert witnesses, including doctors and chemists.
| ||
| Buzz your rep on the bus issue Posted: 14 Dec 2011 12:59 PM PST Azmi Sharom There is a need to understand what the philosophies of the competing political parties are, to know their thoughts on the problems of the day. ________________________ UNLIKE most of my contemporaries who signed up for driving lessons as soon as they turned 17, I was a late bloomer. I did not learn to drive till I was way into my 20s and then I did not actually drive until a few months after getting my licence because the Mini Minor I bought blew her gasket when my mate was driving it from the dealer to my house. So for years, getting to and from work meant taking a bus. From the depths of Keramat, I would take a blue Sri Jaya bus to Chow Kit and from there I would take either a yellow No. 12 minibus or a pink No. 30 minibus (Actually its number 39. The Star made a mistake. Just in case there are any mini bus fanatics reading this!) to get to my final destination (both the Sri Jaya bus and the minibuses are now history of course). The whole trip would normally take me an hour and a half. It was pretty tiring just getting to work. The buses were usually full to the brim. If I was fortunate enough to actually get a seat, inevitably there would either be an old pakcik standing next to me tremulously holding on for dear life or, more commonly, a heavily pregnant woman looking at my seat with undisguised longing, her bulging belly gently bumping my head. Needless to say, I would end up standing for the entire journey hanging on to a metal bar as I perched precariously on the outside step of the bus, my Billy Ray Cyrus mullet blowing in the wind. Once, I got to my final stop in such an exhausted state that I knew I would die if I tried to cross the busy street to my office. Being the wise young man I was, I just curled up on the bus stand bench and slept, lulled by the gentle sounds of the mon-soon drain gurgling and the kapchais spluttering. The reason I am reminded of these adventures during my early days in Kuala Lumpur is the news that some bus companies are actually stopping entire routes because they are losing so much money from them.
| ||
| Every Thai student should have a tablet PC by May: Education Minister Posted: 14 Dec 2011 12:57 PM PST (The Nation) - The government's One Tablet PC per Child policy will be fully implemented by May, Education Minister Woravat Auapinyakul pledged yesterday. "We will try to give tablet PCs to all students in primary and secondary school," he said, adding that vocational students would also get the tablets. He was speaking in response to reports that due to a limited budget, the tablets would first be handed out to Prathom 1 students only. "I am looking for additional funds," he said. In response to comments that the tablets might not be useful for some vocational subjects, Woravat said the devices would serve as a learning tool, giving students access to other materials. The One Tablet PC Per Child policy was one of the many campaign promises made by the ruling Pheu Thai Party. "We have set a goal and we will achieve it," the education minister insisted. While Woravat was keen to implement Pheu Thai's election policies, he paid little attention to the New Breed of Teachers project launched by the previous government. "It's not a main policy of the current government," he said. "I will push for this government's policies first." However, he said, he had no intention to scrap or suspend projects introduced by his predecessors and that he would look into the details of the project later. "Today, the country must move to stay competitive in the international arena. We can't pin all our hopes on a new-breed of teachers alone," Woravat said. Assoc Prof Piniti Ratananukul, deputy secretary-general of the Office of Higher Education Commission (Ohec), said the Thailand Education Deans Council was seeking clarity on the teacher project. "We will raise the issue with the education minister," Piniti said. According to him, Ohec is seeking Bt278.7 million (S$12 million) to operate the project in the next fiscal year but it has yet to hear from Woravat. According to a previous Cabinet resolution, the New Breed of Teachers Project was to be implemented this year and run until 2015, expecting to produce 30,000 new-breed teachers for the country. "I can explain the needs for the project," Piniti added.
| ||
| Between friends, comrades and acquaintances (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 14 Dec 2011 12:18 PM PST Opposition supporters demonstrate a very low level of maturity. They allow their thinking to be clouded by emotions. We need to be pragmatic. Support the cause by all means. The cause is what matters. But leaders are dispensable. Leaders come and go. The cause remains. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Back in the days when I used to do business (that would be pre-1995) I had a 'guiding light'. I do not do business with people I socialise with and I do not socialise with people I do business with. I keep my friends and my business acquaintances separate. Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/12/blog-post_15.html
| ||
| Posted: 14 Dec 2011 10:26 AM PST Business Times understands that the Naza bid could be slightly higher than the rumoured price of RM6 to RM7 a share. | ||
| Posted: 14 Dec 2011 10:14 AM PST Interestingly, the announcements on Proton's seemingly imminent sale — and even the likely buyer — are coming from Dr Mahathir, who is an adviser to Proton, rather than its major shareholder — Khazanah, which has been rather quiet throughout the episode. Written by Joanne Nayagam, The Edge The Proton-DRB-Khazanah saga continued yesterday with Proton Holdings Bhd issuing a statement saying that Khazanah Nasional Bhd, "in its normal course of business, it regularly receives proposals, enquiries and expressions of interests in relation to its various investments and companies where it has interest in, including Proton. Khazanah will make necessary disclosure at the appropriate time". Khazanah neither denied nor confirmed the rumour of the sale of its 42.7% equity stake in Proton to DRB-Hicom Bhd. This was the second statement from Proton in a week, although it sent a clearer signal that something may be brewing at the national carmaker. On Dec 6, in a response to an article in The Edge, Proton had flatly denied any corporate development. It announced to Bursa Malaysia that "after making due enquiry with the board of directors and major shareholders, the company is not aware of any reason for the unusual market activity in its shares and that there is no material corporate development not previously disclosed". Meanwhile, DRB-Hicom did not acknowledge that it is keen on buying into the national carmaker. The conglomerate had last week denied the speculation of it acquiring an equity stake in Proton.
Proton's announcement came after the comments made by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that DRB-Hicom "is likely to win the bid for Khazanah's equity interest in Proton" on Monday. Interestingly, the announcements on Proton's seemingly imminent sale — and even the likely buyer — are coming from Dr Mahathir, who is an adviser to Proton, rather than its major shareholder — Khazanah, which has been rather quiet throughout the episode. The Edge weekly reported over a week ago that Khazanah might sell its stake in Proton to DRB-Hicom, which also assembles cars for Suzuki, Mercedes-Benz and global car maker Volkswagen AG (VW). It is a well-known secret that Khazanah has been looking for a suitor for its majority stake in Proton, in which the the former does not have a board representative despite being the major shareholder. In 2006, VW was interested in purchasing Khazanah's stake in Proton, but the plan hit a snag due to what some said was nationalistic interest. Three years later in 2009, DRB-Hicom approached Proton and submitted a bid to buy 32% of Proton shares. Again, the talks failed for reasons unknown. Today, Proton is not exactly in the pink of health. Proton's net profit fell 76% to RM15.6 million for 2QFY12 ended Sept 30 from RM65.9 million a year earlier due to higher expenses incurred by Lotus Group. Likewise, its 1HFY12 earnings took a sharp 86.6% fall to RM20.1 million from RM150 million a year earlier. As at Sept 30, Proton had RM1.31 billion in cash, bank balances and deposits. Its short-term and long-term borrowings grew 158% to RM959.1 million compared with RM371.2 million six months earlier. Proton is in the second year of a five-year turnaround plan for Lotus Group that costs £480 million (RM2.35 billion). However, if Khazanah didn't sell its stake in 2006, one might wonder why the rush now, indeed? And why narrow the potential buyers to only a few local parties? Would it not be better to have a tender exercise open to global auto players as well? Limiting the pool of buyers will not get Khazanah the best price, or a partner for Proton that will ensure it thrives. Proton could definitely use a helping hand given its current weakening financial position, but certainly there should be no rush to make a transaction of such size and importance. Recently, DRB-Hicom in an announcement to Bursa refuted claims that it is looking to secure a substantial stake in Proton and would later divest part of the stake to VW. This wasn't exactly a denial of the possibility that it could buy Khazanah's stake and simply not sell it. If Khazanah is indeed interested in potential buyers for its stake, the national sovereign wealth fund should open up the bids in a more transparent manner for a longer period of time. This is especially since Proton is currently trading below its book value per share of RM9.81, net tangible assets per share of RM7.62 as well as Khazanah's estimated cost of above RM8 per share. Proton can rely on bigger automotive players to not only invest money in the national carmaker, but also to lend research and development (R&D) capabilities, something which DRB-Hicom can not offer. When contacted by The Edge Financial Daily, Aberdeeen Asset Management fund manager Abdul Jalil Rasheed said: "A lot of the car manufacturing brands are owned by one company, where divisions like R&D are shared by all the different divisions within the company". If a significantly large auto player like VW were to have a stake in Proton, the local carmaker could stand to gain substantially from its R&D capabilities. Back in its heyday from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, almost every Malaysian had a Proton car. Fast forward to 2011 and Proton is seeing a decline in its market share, despite strong protectionist policies that result in hefty taxes and Malaysia having some of the highest car prices in the world. Thanks to economies of scale and continuous investments in R&D, there are plenty of foreign carmakers that are selling much nicer cars, priced not much higher than Proton here and far cheaper overseas. This is Proton's biggest challenge. Jalil said the more pertinent question at this time is not if Khazanah were to sell its Proton stake to DRB-Hicom, but if Proton can just survive by being Proton. With all three parties neither denying nor agreeing to the claims of the sale of Proton, it really is anyone's guess how the saga will further develop. Proton's existing management is also said to have expressed interest in a management buyout, with the proposal spearheaded by its chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, and its CEO Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamad Tahir. However, on a brighter note for Proton, the group has seen some interest in its shares of late. Yesterday, Proton closed at RM4.27, four sen higher than Monday's close.
| ||
| Race and religion are ‘sensitive’ because Umno feels threatened Posted: 14 Dec 2011 10:09 AM PST Maclean Patrick, Hornbill Unleashed The need to label any attempt to have a discourse on race or religion has always been considered sensitive in Malaysia and we are conditioned to believe that this is the way the world operates. From young, Malaysians are taught by the BN government that nature has provided a system where we are separated based on our race and the religion that we profess. And when we take a step forward to discuss and query those from different faiths, lines must be drawn and any time someone crosses this line; we must throw up a hand and tell them to back off. We then surmise that the issue is sensitive and no-one is allowed to discuss it. In Malaysia, it is sensitive when the authorities call it sensitive. And no one else has any say. And because of this propaganda and brain-washing, many everyday Malaysians have some hang-up or other about race and religion. Racial and religious polarization is on the rise thanks to the BN's continuous efforts to keep the Malays separated from the non-Malays. The only saving grace is that violence has not broken out despite provocation and threats by groups linked to Umno such as Perkasa and Pekida. Tools of the politicians Really, it is only those in politics who find religion and race a sensitive issue, since both serve as tools for Prime Minister Najib Razak to gain political mileage and to character-assassinate political rivals. One good example of an Umno stirred-up spat is between JAIS and the Christian community. It has allowed Umno and its supporters to claim that Muslims are being turned away from their faith by Christians groups. The Muslims are always portrayed as innocent lambs led to the slaughter by the evil Christians who would not hesitate to stoop to using money and false assistance in order to lure Muslims away from Islam. Yet, to date, the actual number of Muslims turning away from their faith remains under wraps. We only have the word of feverish politicians to go by, with no real facts and figures to read or research. Christians upset The Christians can also call the matter sensitive since their faith is also being questioned and even subjugated to another. A good Christian is called upon to make disciples of men and thus the higher calling takes precedence over rules and regulations put in place by mere mortals. Existing laws are adequate to address an alleged rise in the proselytisation of Muslims, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom recently, adding that failure to enforce such laws was what needed redress, not the lack of laws. Jamil, the minister in charge of Islamic affairs, was responding to newspaper reports alleging that attempts to convert Muslims were increasing in the country. And this is the state of affairs in Malaysia. Accusations are hurled by top level government officers. Najib himself has led the charge in insinuating a real threat from the Christians – and this directly after an official visit to the Vatican to create diplomatic ties. It is no wonder that Christian leaders here have felt the need to speak out against the government to the foreign media. At the very least, it is a form of self-defense and a real disgrace to the Umno-led BN government. That citizens in Malaysia feel the need to seek protection of the global community shows the type of 'people' leading the government of the day. Until real numbers are shown, all the feverish claims are hearsay and mere whispers that insult Malaysian Christians and infringe on the basic right of a citizen to practice his or her belief. To draw the Sultan of Selangor into the fray was a sad attempt at hiding the ulterior motives of Umno to wrest back Selangor from Pakatan Rakyat's rule. Umno knows, in a straight fight, it is doomed to lose at the ballot boxes. So it plays up the fears of the Malays by telling them that Islam was being trampled on and that they were losing ground because the Christians were proselytizing Muslims in the country. The use of race, as a tool to scare the electorate into voting BN, will surely be used with full effect in all the Pakatan states. Prime Minister Najib Razak gave a hint of this strategy during the Umno General Assembly, which was subsequently echoed by all branches of the Umno political machinery. Ironically, when real issues that threaten Malay rights present themselves; Umno and Perkasa who both insist they are the champions of the Malays and the Malay Rulers remain silent. Take for example the RM100 million suit filed by a Kelantan prince against the police and effectively against the government. Why has Perkasa or Umno not come forward to defend a royal who is seeking justice via the courts of law? Why has Perkasa not come out to take up the Kelantan prince's cause?
| ||
| Public spat between Karpal and Ramasamy resolved – DAP leadership to move forward as one ... Posted: 14 Dec 2011 09:56 AM PST Joint Media Statement by DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng, DAP Life Advisor Dr. Chen Man Hin and DAP Parliamentary Leader On Tuesday, 13th December 2011, the DAP Central Executive Committee entrusted a three-man committee to resolve the differences between the DAP National Chairman Karpal Singh and DAP Penang Deputy Chairman and Penang Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. P. Ramasamy. On Wednesday, 14th December 2011, Makkal Oosai Chief Editor M. Rajan issued a correction on its 28th Nov. 2011 news report, admitting its mistake and making clear that its 28th November 2011 report about DAP candidatures for the next general elections had not originated from Ramasamy and expressing sadness that its news report had been the cause of the public controversy between Karpal and Ramasamy. Hoping that the differences could be resolved as soon as possible, the Makkal Oosai chief editor paid tribute to the leadership qualities of Karpal and Ramasamy and wrote: "Untuk kita, Karpal Singh dan Professor Ramasamy adalah pemimpin yang terpenting. Karpal Singh adalah pejuang dalam barisan pembangkang yang amat disanjungi di negara kita. Beliau telah melalui banyak penderitaan dan dugaan. Beliau berpegang teguh kepada prinsip parti dan berjuang sehingga masuk ke penjara. "Seperti itu juga, pemberian jawatan Timbalan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang kepada seorang India adalah sejarah dalam politik negara kita. Pada pilihanraya lepas, Professor Ramasamy telah memenangi DUN dan Parlimen di Penang dan menjadi Timbalan Ketua Menteri. Beliau juga memberikan khidmat yang baik kepada masyarakat India Pulau Pinang dengan jawatan sebagai Timbalan Ketua Menteri tersebut." DAP leaders, including Karpal and Ramasamy, are conscious of the high expectations and great trust of the people in the DAP leadership to create a new political landscape in the imminent 13th general elections, particularly in bringing about a genuine two-coalition system in national politics by effecting a change of federal power in Putrajaya for the first time in 54 years of independent nationhood. Taking into account the Tamil Oosai clarification and mindful of the great concerns of the people over the unity, cohesion and solidarity of the DAP leadership, Karpal, Ramasamy and the DAP Central Executive Committee have decided to move forward as one solid and committed political team to complete the final preparations for the challenges of the 13th GE expected in the next few months. We will address and resolve internal differences using party channels to strengthen party unity, solidarity and cohesion so that we can single-mindedly ensure that DAP and Pakatan Rakyat can take on and defeat UMNO and Barisan Nasional in the 13th general elections.
Lim Guan Eng Dr. Chen Man Hin Lim Kit Siang
| ||
| Posted: 14 Dec 2011 09:46 AM PST One becomes more empathic to social issues and will contribute to the worthiness of a cause when one has a learned viewpoint of the world, as opposed to having shallow knowledge. A reading and intellectual society begets learned critics; when one has a learned viewpoint of the world, as opposed to having shallow knowledge, one becomes more empathic to social issues and will contribute to the worthiness of the cause. By Dina Zaman, The Star THE recent literary kerfuffle over the weekend was news of Jakim finding Lee Kuan Yew's book (and other books) haram for not meeting its guidelines. To date, Putrajaya and Jakim's director-general are "… still studying the book." However, Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going is not banned yet and is still on Malaysian bookshelves. A blogger, The Malaysian Reader (http://themalaysianreader.com/2011/12/08/jakims-list-of-banned-islamic-themed-books-2011/), had posted a list of books banned by Jakim; and a literary figure, Feisal Tehrani, is also one of the authors scrutinised, and whose book Batu di Kuala Berang is banned. First, what is the difference between a ban and the term "haram"? A ban means a prohibition, censure, condemnation by public opinion. Haram means forbidden, especially those actions and deeds deemed so by Allah. According to lawyer Art Harun, "… assuming Jakim has the power to declare books (actually to declare anything) as haram, its declaration that the book is haram only operates as a declaration per se and nothing more. "It brings about no legal repercussions to any Muslim who defies that declaration by proceeding to be in possession of the book, touching it passionately or even using it as an object of pleasure. "As for banning a book, that is the purview of the Home Ministry. Banning a book has legal connotations. People in possession of or selling the book can be charged in court; and if found guilty, punished." Now what is the role of Jakim in multicultural Malaysia? "In 1968, the Malaysian Council of Rulers decided that there was a need for a body that could mobilise the development and progress of Muslims in Malaysia in line with the country's status as an Islamic country which was growing in strength as well as fast gaining worldwide recognition," its website states. "In realising the fact, a secretariat for the National Council of Islamic Affairs of Malaysia was formed to protect the purity of faith and the teachings of Islam." The question every discerning Malaysian reader wants to know is: What are Jakim's guidelines towards books? Are these men of the cloth also literature graduates? Do learned and pious men make good literary critics? I do not know the content of Hard Truths. I am a fan of history, not of biography, though Keith Richards' Life is a rocking read. (Now will that book be banned for its celebration of a life of decadence?) I am also a believer that when you have your religious/humanist basics right, you will be able to perform an intelligent comparative analysis when you come across a text which may offend or cause discomfort. It will not be based on emotions, but facts. I can say this confidently: Muslims, in general, are an intelligent lot. At least my friends are. Even the most pious of my friends enjoy a good read and are able to discern what is right and wrong. I have a friend, Mr Greenbottle, who is a proud supporter of PAS and crazy about books. He once gave me a book about the lives of pigs. Yes, you read and saw that right: PIGS. "Hey, the religion never said anything about not being allowed to READ about pigs, right? We just can't consume it," he clucked as I stared incredulously at the book. The book was a really interesting read about the animal and I stopped halfway when I came to the chapter which discussed the dismemberment of pigs. For that matter, I stopped reading Mary Roach's Stiff halfway: learning about corpse farms in America turned my stomach. What is this fear that Malaysians and Muslim-Malaysians may be influenced negatively by the books they read? Are we so incapable of independent thought, and our faiths so shallow that we cannot navigate the terrain? Countless articles have been written, expounding the benefits of reading to society. A reading and intellectual society begets learned critics; when one has a learned viewpoint of the world, as opposed to having shallow knowledge, one becomes more empathic to social issues and will contribute to the worthiness of the cause. A reading and educated society takes itself out of poverty and empowers its children. Every industry's work is documented on paper and in a digital format – you cannot escape literature! On a personal note, reading helps stave off dementia and makes me a more interesting person! Reading also brings different worlds together. I am now researching for my new book and I am reading about Catholic women saints and Japan's hidden Christians. At the same time, I am comparing the saints to Sufi women saints and reading about the persecution of Muslims during Prophet Muhammad's time. I am struck by the passion and grit of these people, who had only one thing in common: to serve God. However, by reading books that are not Islamic in content, am I committing a crime? I read these books for research and also out of sheer curiosity. Will the latter be censured? Dr Asri Zainal Abidin in his book, Islam in Malaysia: Perceptions & Facts also commented on the lack of intellectual and critical thinking in the country. "The practice of blind taklid was never taught by any imam (of the Sunni community as a whole). "On the contrary, imams have demanded that each person must strive to build his or her own intellectual ability," he wrote in Facts and Evidence in Islam. If "… the academic world has acknowledged the competence of non-Shafi'i (but Muslim) scholars… (why) should we reject them on the basis of their school...?" (The Need for an Open Mind). Obviously, in this context, Asri is talking about mazhabs, but it is also clear that Islam does not hinder critical thinking. It encourages it. I fear having an authority decide which books can be read and which are disallowed. I have said that wearing the hijab is not an issue to me, but veiling my thinking and the books I choose to read will be a threat to my freedom and happiness. Dina Zaman is a writer based in KL. She is interested in Malaysian religious histories and its people.
| ||
| Shafie: Karpal-Rama feud a time bomb Posted: 14 Dec 2011 09:40 AM PST (The Star) - The feud between DAP national chairman Karpal Singh and deputy secretary-general Dr P. Ramasamy shows that there is a crack in the party, Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said. He said the feud could be just the tip of an iceberg with a bigger fight ahead. "When leaders of a political party quarrel openly and start calling names, what does that mean? "It only shows that they are actually not on good terms with each other and a fight is waiting to break out just like a time bomb," he said yesterday. Shafie said if the people analysed the on-going spat between the two DAP leaders, they would realise that it was about cronyism. "Apparently, cronyism is practised widely in the party and that made its senior leaders upset. "I think many DAP members are aware of this and they are waiting for someone to express it on their behalf," he said. Karpal and Dr Ramasamy have been engaged in a tit-for-tat feud over the past week, after the former chastised the latter for allegedly offering seats to certain leaders in exchange for their support and loyalty. In an apparent dig at Dr Ramasamy, Karpal also said the DAP had no place for "warlords". Dr Ramasamy denied that he had offered any seat and launched a veiled attack on Karpal by saying that DAP had no place for "godfathers".
| ||
| Taking the DNBN Kuburkan BN initiative to the Malay heartlands Posted: 14 Dec 2011 09:32 AM PST
THE PEOPLES' PARLIAMENT Over the last one month, in a stealth exercise, more than 200,000 copies of a DNBN KUBURKAN BN DI PRU13 documentary have been distributed to our Pakcik2, Makcik2 and Adik2 in the kampungs throughout Malaya. For some time now, we have realised that even as many of us are able to get at the truth as to what is happening in our country, our brothers and sisters in the Malay heartlands, on a daily basis, are fed doses and doses of lies, fear mongering, divisive reports and hate rhetoric by the main stream media. With a view to countering this, over the last 7 months, a team has worked to put together a video documentary to deliver a message to the kampungs : that if we are to save this nation, UMNO and BN must be removed from Putrajaya nad buried. After much brainstorming, we felt that, if nothing else, it was imperative that the following 3 messages reach the Malays in the kampung. Firstly, and most importantly, that UMNO's sloganeering of 'Ketuanan Melayu' is unIslamic, as Islam does not countenance any notions or race supremacy or discrimination on grounds of race or ethnicity. Secondly, that over the last 30 – 35 years, on the pretext of working to help the impoverished Malays, UMNO has hijacked the New Economic Policy (NEP) to enrich its own leaders and their cronies, leaving some 40% f the population living in poverty today. Finally, that contrary to UMNO's claims, UMNO was not the party that fought for independence from the British and that, to this date, by constantly playing up manufactured race and religion issues, UMNO endeavours to keep the people colonised and enslaved whilst they hijack the national wealth. The DNBN KUBURKAN BN DI PRU13 documentary, which is about an hour and 44 minutes long, is, in its content, most complementary of the ASALKAN BUKAN umno initiative to be lauched later tonight.
| ||
| Posted: 14 Dec 2011 09:20 AM PST Hakikatnya undi orang Melayu tidaklah banyak — sekitar 6.3 juta manakala bukan Melayu lebih 4 juta. Namun jika diambil perhatian, pengundi Melayu memang tersangatlah liat untuk keluar mengundi lebih-lebih lagi jika hujan lebat di sebelah pagi hari pengundian. Zulkifli Jalil, The Malaysian Insider Negara berkebajikanlah, Buku Jinggalah. Sesiapa pun kalau "membacanya" pasti mengerti semua yang terkandung di dalam dua agenda pembangkang ini sudah pun terangkum dalam pelan pembangunan negara sejak merdeka lagi. Berkehendakkan sekolah, klinik dan hospital, nah! semuanya beribu-ribu terpampang di muka bumi Malaysia ini. Itu belum lagi soal yang lain-lain sehinggakan rakyat asing pun "tercengang-cengang" sebaik sahaja tiba di tanah air ini termasuklah kira-kira dua juta pekerja mereka. Tambah manis lagi apabila aspek pembangunan negara ini digarap dengan pelan transformasi yang digerakkan Datuk Seri Najib Razak sejak menyandang jawatan Perdana Menteri. Manfaat pelan ini mula menebar rezekinya di kalangan rakyat. Kerana itu, kalau secara kasar kita boleh ungkapkan: "apa nak lagi"? Tapi biarlah secara tertib "bukankah semuanya sudah ada". Buat apa ibarat "tikus membaiki labu". Sewajarnyalah PAS yang diketuai Presidennya, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang membuktikan dahulu parti itu boleh membangunkan ummah dalam bidang ekonomi dan ilmu. Ini khususnya di sebuah negeri Pantai Timur yang diperintahnya hampir lebih 20 tahun itu. PAS perlu berfikiran besar. Jangan terlalu jumud dan kecil. Janganlah gunakan diri sendiri untuk mengukur alam yang luas ini. Cuba renung-renungkan cerita orang buta dan gajah. Bila yang seorang terpegang ekor gajah, maka disangkanya gajah itu panjang dan tirus. Yang seorang lagi terpegang telinga gajah, lalu disangkanya gajah itu nipis. Seorang lagi memegang badan gajah dan disangkanya gajah itu keras macam tembok. Islam itu hakikatnya lebih besar dari gajah yang ditafsir oleh tiga orang buta tadi. Malah Islam itu lebih besar dari tafsiran sempit sebilangan pengikut yang berpartikan PAS yang menganggap mereka lebih Islam daripada orang lain. Dalam Islam, kenalah keutamaan yang betul dalam soal agama ini. Kalau kita asyik kejar yang sunat dan yang kecil, kita akan abaikan yang besar atau yang penting. Masalahnya, sebilangan dalam PAS ini lebih utamakan yang kecil dan cabang dari itu yang besar dan yang penting. Kelak, lama-kelamaan kita pentingkan apa yang sebenarnya perkara luaran sahaja. Bukan isi atau semangatnya. Kita hanya pentingkan cara menangkap daripada mengajar atau membetulkan. Ini penting untuk kita fahami sedalam-dalamnya supaya kita dapat melahirkan umat Islam yang berhati besar, yang kuat, yang kaya dan yang berilmu. Itu sahaja caranya kita nak lawan orang lain. Kalau kita lawan dengan air liur dan cakap sahaja seperti mana Abdul Hadi dalam memperkatakan Negara Berkebajikan PAS sedangkan di negeri Pantai Timur itu pun sampaikan pembangunan pesat di Jeli termasuk projek Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) pun diusahakan oleh Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed dari parti kerajaan, tak akan ke mana kita. Cuba sekali lagi kita renung-renungkan kisah PAS semasa pilihan raya. Antara yang paling menarik ialah tentang kedudukan wanita sebagai calon pilihan rayanya. Ya, memanglah calon wanita pertamanya yang diturunkan ialah Khadijah Sidek ketika pilihan raya (umum) pada 1955 yang ketika itu negara ini dikenali nama Tanah Melayu. Tetapi sejak itu, calon-calon wanita dari parti itu lenyap terus kelibatnya. Tiba-tiba pada Januari tahun ini, PAS mengakui parti itu membuat tafsiran semula ayat al-Quran berhubung keputusan meletakkan calon wanita bertanding pilihan raya apabila menurunkan Normala Sudirman pada pilihan raya kecil Tenang di Johor. Isu calon wanita menjadi bukti betapa PAS sebenarnya membuat sesuatu dasar bukanlah kerana mereka benar-benar ingin mengikut ajaran Islam sebenar. Tetapi lebih kepada soal kepentingan politik.
| ||
| Posted: 14 Dec 2011 09:17 AM PST We do not want this action by Jakim to be a precedent which, if left unchecked, will lead us to follow in the footsteps of the Chinese during the Qin Dynasty where they burned books and buried their scholars, or the Nazis when they burned Jewish literature, or the Spanish conquistadors when they destroyed the Aztec codices. Dr Kamal Amzan, Free Malaysia Today Muslims can now can look forward (or backward) to bookstores having halal and non-halal sections nationwide. Publishers get ready. Books about yoga, the poco-poco dance and even Lee Kuan Yew's "Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going" will be placed in the non-halal section. If you haven't heard, Jakim has declared Lee's book haram. But do not worry, no rush, you still have ample time. It took Jakim nine months before they realised Lee Kuan Yew's book was not suitable for Malaysian Muslims. According to The Malaysian Insider, 15 books/magazines were declared haram by Jakim. Upon going to their site, I found out that one of them is "Majalah Tora Aman Doraemon — Kisah Penciptaan Dunia". Though Doraemon made the cut, romance books by Mills and Boons, books like "Poem of the Man God", "The Da Vinci Code", "The Anarchist Cookbook", "Misteri Nusantara", "Koleksi Cerita Hantu Asia" did not make it to the list. And if I may add, anyone reading and believing in Doraemon needs a trip to Tanjung Rambutan. Lee Kuan Yew's book may be offensive to some but then again it is not compulsory reading. I know I am pushing the fantasy further but even IF it is made compulsory reading, Jakim should not have banned it but instead pursued legal and civil way to deal with the matter. They must realise that we are not a country of mullahs and ayatollahs, but a constitutional democracy that protects the civil rights of everyone, and yes that includes Muslims. Muslims are therefore free to choose what to read and insinuating we will become less of a Muslim just from reading certain books, or doing yoga, is very, very insulting; demeaning and superficial to say the least. Books, works of art, public debates are essential to critical thinking, problem solving and the maturing of a society. It creates a nation of critical thinkers who look for and find answers outside the box. Banning books no matter how controversial they are cannot be the answer, what more in the name of protecting Malaysian Muslims. The country needs thinkers, at this juncture now more than ever.
| ||
| Post GE13 political scenarios-Part 4 Posted: 14 Dec 2011 09:05 AM PST SAKMONGKOL AK47 I am surprised to see comments asking where do we put Najib and Muhyidin in this entire wild speculative and kite flying article. If people find this article purely speculative and just a load of rubbish, then UMNO has nothing to worry about. No need to go into sixes and sevens. (by the way- that is an expression of being in a state of disorientation and confusion that neatly describes the recent UMNO GA). Where do you place Najib and Muhyidin? This article is founded on a belief that UMNO and BN are out in the GE13. Najib will be the opposition leader and Muhyidin will be there too. So what to talk about Najib and Muhyidin? We are all entitled to our own political beliefs. Some call it potatoes, others call it pertatoes, portartoes etc. There is no present or past tense in politics. There's only relevance. Is Razaleigh relevant? In my mind, given the manic and xenophobic stage of our politics, we urgently need political sanity. How do we achieve that? Through a leadership committed to the rule of law, fair play and inclusiveness, democratic and liberal principles. That leadership I believe can be provided by a person of the stature and standing, experience and man of substance like Tengku Razaleigh. Relevance comes with the commitment to immutable principles- a sense of fair play, rule of law, good governance, and jealous observation to democratic principles. It's funny to see judgmental stand on this- Razaleigh is old, yet Mahathir who is in his 80s is waiting in the wings. Because some people think he is relevant. I am old, but Najib and Muhyidin who are older, aren't classified as old. Hence old, young, or whatever is just management of subjective and very personal numerical perception. It depends on how you want to angle it; hence the managed perception has no universal application. It's subjective. A frequent objection to Tengku Razaleigh has been this concerted effort to link him with the infamous BMF affair. As finance Minister at that point in time, he has no involvement at all with the BMF scandal. BBMB was answerable to the PM's office at the time and the person principally responsible over BBMB affairs was Dr Mahathir. Tengku Razaleigh won many defamation cases against international newspapers which attempted to link him with the BMF affair. Local politics at that time, controlled by Dr Mahathir of course, directed local mainstream newspapers to carry but scant reports about Razaleigh successfully clearing his name from any involvement in the BMF affair.
| ||
| PKR man quits, calls DAP ‘autocratic’ Posted: 14 Dec 2011 08:48 AM PST (New Straits Times) - An opposition grouping insider called the DAP-led state government "autocratic and undemocratic" with Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng constantly meddling in the affairs of the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP). Lim Boo Chang, 56, said this after leaving Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and resigning as MPPP councillor. He was also PKR Bukit Gelugor division chief. He said Penang PKR was often sidelined by DAP, which behaved arrogantly because of its huge majority of 19 seats in the state assembly. PKR has nine, Pas one and Umno 11 seats in Penang. He said MPPP had lost its autonomy because of Guan Eng's constant interference. Boo Chang, who served as MPPP councillor for 11 years, and the last three years as a PKR representative, cited the subterranean Penang Councillors were forced to act as rubber stamps as Guan Eng wanted to see his brainchild project completed, no matter what, he said. "Until now, I have not even been given a copy of the agreement signed between MPPP and developer, Eco Meridian. "I have been a councillor for nine years and I have never seen such an undemocratic thing happening in the council. "The state government keeps chanting about its CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) principles, but in reality, it does not exist." Boo Chang was one of two councillors who objected to the RM50 million that MPPP would have to pay for the sPICE project. The other councillor, Dr Lim Mah Hui, also put on record his opposition during MPPP's budget presentation in October . As for PKR, Boo Chang said he decided to quit as he had become disillusioned with the party. "I joined PKR in June 2008 as I was attracted to its reformation pledges. "However, all the promises made by their leaders have fallen short of expectations. "The internal squabbling has also caused me to lose confidence in the party." Boo Chang started his political career in Gerakan in 1984, but left the party in 1999 to join MCA. His late father, Datuk Lim Ee Heong, was a founding member of Gerakan. Boo Chang, who was also the state PKR legal and social service bureau chief, said he had sent his letters of resignation to PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and MPPP president Patahiyah Ismail. The former Datuk Keramat assemblyman (1995 to 2004) said all the internal problems faced by the opposition had pushed the loose alliance to the crossroads, but it was putting on a united front because of the pending general election. "Mark my words. It will go its own way after the general election." On the contrary, he said, the transformation programmes laid out by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to move the country forward had impressed him. Citing the 1Malaysia vision as an example, he said Najib had demonstrated a determination to be close to the people and unite all Malaysians. "That is also why I have decided to quit PKR. "I hope those who share my views will join me in support of Barisan Nasional's transformation programme." He said he hoped to rejoin Gerakan, but had yet to officially inform the party's leadership. "I have seen how Gerakan transformed after the last general election and I want to lend it a helping hand throughout the transformation process." State Gerakan chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan said Boo Chang was welcome to join Gerakan, but he had to fill up a membership form. He added that Gerakan's central working committee would decide whether to accept Boo Chang. "As long as someone subscribes to Gerakan's ideologies and BN's policies, he is more than welcome to join us." | ||
| Posted: 14 Dec 2011 08:43 AM PST (New Straits Times) - The MIC will be fielding more young and new faces as candidates in the next general election, said its secretary-general S. Murugesan. This is to keep up with the growing demand for younger blood, meeting new challenges and keeping up with the younger voters, he added. "There will definitely be a mixture of old and new faces, but we will field more younger people," he said in an interview yesterday. On the selection of candidates, he said the party needed to consider, among other things, whether the person could deliver, keep up with the expectation of voters, was likeable and accepted by the people and enjoy good support from the constituents. On preparations for the 13th general election, he said the party had taken several measures like appointing coordinators at parliamentary and state seats the party had held. Their job included organising activities and getting to know the people, their problems and needs. He said the party was also working closely with several non-governmental organisations on various issues. On seat swapping, he said they would only consider doing so if the deal was fair. At the same time, he acknowledged that winning some seats like Kota Raja, Subang, Kapar and Batu Caves would be tough. Nevertheless the party was ready. "Yes, we are ready. We are prepared for battle," he added. | ||
| PAS begins to gather proposed candidate lists Posted: 14 Dec 2011 08:39 AM PST (Bernama) -- PAS has received the proposed lists of candidates for the next general election from almost 60 per cent of the states, the party's information chief, Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, said today. He advised the states which have yet to submit the proposed list of electoral candidates to do so. However, the party has yet to make the final decision on the choice of candidates, he added. "We will only make the final decision close to the dissolution of parliament," he told Bernama. Tuan Ibrahim said each of the states would usually send the names of two or three potential candidates for each parliamentary and each state seat. Commenting of the stated desire of Kelantan PAS to reduce the number of candidates from elsewhere contesting in the state, he said it was only a proposal. "If there are potential candidates who are good, their names can be sent to the PAS headquarters. We have no problem accepting them," he said. Asked whether it is true that former Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Hasan Mohd Ali would be dropped as a candidate for the next general election, Tuan Ibrahim, who is also Pahang PAS commissioner, said it was only the personal opinion of certain people and not true. "We are only receiving the lists of proposed candidates. How can Hasan be dropped? It is not true. The choice of candidates is not final yet," he said.
| ||
| Zul asks people to reject document on PAS welfare state Posted: 14 Dec 2011 08:33 AM PST (Bernama) - An Independent MP has called on the people to reject the document on a PAS Welfare State which he claims contains sweet promises of the opposition party in its attempt to take Putrajaya in the next general election. Datuk Zulkifli Noordin, the MP for Kulim-Bandar Baharu, said the document was engineered solely to oppose the concept of moderate Islam which formed the basis of the 1Malaysia Concept of "People First, Performance Now". In the latest entry in his blog, he said he felt that the opposition was pressured by the approach of moderation promoted by the government helmed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Zulkifli said that in 2003, PAS had come up with the document on an Islamic State to oppose the Islam Hadhari concept introduced by then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. "But now that 2003 document has been discarded by PAS and the new document was launched by its president, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, on Dec 11. PAS itself rejected the document on the Islamic State and its struggle for an Islamic state on the grounds that the Quran did not make any reference to an Islamic state," he said. Zulkifli said there was nothing to stop PAS from discarding its document on a welfare state to replace it with something else, and added that PAS's stand seemed to waver with its alignment with the DAP.
| ||
| 15 students held over 'silent' protest at KL Sentral Posted: 14 Dec 2011 08:29 AM PST (The Star) - Fifteen students were detained by the police after they held a silent protest at KL Sentral here Wednesday. Brickfields OCPD Asst Comm Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid said the students, aged between 20 and 22, were from several local universities. He said they were being investigated under the Section 27 of the Police Act. A total of 30 students, led by Movement for Academic Freedom (Bebas) chairperson Mohd Safwan Anang, staged a flashmob at the main entrance hallway of KL Sentral in the afternoon. The group carried placards protesting against the oppression of academic freedom in the country. Their demands included the guarantee of academic autonomy and repeal of the controversial Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA). The group was asked twice by the police to disperse but refused to do so, leading to the arrest of the 15.
| ||
| Additional exco post for Indians in Selangor? Posted: 14 Dec 2011 08:22 AM PST An additional exco seat will be the best move to reach out to the Indian community, says Selangor MIC secretary K Parthiban. (Free Malaysia Today) - In an attempt to win the hearts and minds of Indian voters, the Barisan Nasional (BN) is planning to give an additional state executive council (exco) seat in Selangor. The ruling coalition would also promise an Indian-held exco seat for Indians in Pahang. "In total, Selangor will have one extra Indian exco seat, making it two Indian exco members in the state while Pahang would have an Indian exco member. The Pahang's exco is new. "We expect this to be contained in the BN's manifesto for the next general election," a reliable source told FMT. Prime Minister and BN chief Najib Tun Razak, the source said, has already promised the additional exco post for Indians in Selangor in his meeting with BN Indian leaders. "But this is provided the BN takes back Selangor. He (Najib) also intends to push for an Indian exco post in his home state in Pahang. These strategies are in the pipeline and is expected to be announced during the campaign period for the next general election. "This is BN effort to woo Indian voters," he said, adding that the BN realised that it would need the votes of the community to retain power at the coming general election. The source said Najib was "very sensitive" to the plight of the Indian community and would offer the best to rope in the votes. More inclusive politics Selangor has one of the largest Indian concentrations in terms of population, constituting 13 percent of the total 5.5 million people in the state. MIC, a BN component party and the largest Indian-based political party in the country, has over nearly three decades asked the ruling BN to allocate an extra exco seat in the state. "At the 2008 general election, the Indians were frustrated… they wanted their voice to be heard. They deserted the BN for the first time. Although Pakatan Rakyat had a golden opportunity to remedy BN's mistake, it failed to capitalise on it. "If Najib's promise is kept, then many Indians, if not all, will return to the BN fold. Only a small number might remain with Pakatan," said the source.
| ||
| Jeffrey to reveal his political future Posted: 14 Dec 2011 08:16 AM PST Speculation is growing that the UBF president will form the Sabah chapter of a Sarawak-based party. (Bernama) - Come this Friday, United Borneo Front (UBF) president Jeffrey Kitingan will make an announcement on his political future, amidst growing speculation he would form the Sabah chapter of a Sarawak-based party. The former PKR vice-president, who is scheduled to hold a press conference, here on that day, is expected to announce the names of office-bearers of the Sabah chapter. It was reliably learnt that the president of the Sarawak-based party is also expected to attend the press conference while the launch of the party in Sabah is expected to be held early January, next year. Sources said the majority of UBF members were in favour of pursuing their political struggles through the Sarawak-based party as the party subscribed to the Borneo agenda advocated by Jeffrey. UBF has also indicated its willingness to form an alliance for all Sabahans, regardless of race and religion, to stand united to protect and safeguard the interests and rights of the people. The newly-revived Usno became the latest entity to support the UBF and the fight for the restoration of Sabah's rights. In what is seen as a show of support for the UBF, a prominent leader of the revived Usno is slated to join the press conference, the sources said, adding that Jeffrey was hopeful of forging an alliance with the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and Pakatan Rakyat in the coming general election. Apart from opposition Sarawak National Party (SNAP), the other opposition Sarawak-based party is State Reform Party (Star) led by Patau Rubis. | ||
| Pakatan, be prepared for the worst Posted: 14 Dec 2011 08:12 AM PST The recent Umno general assembly ignored critical national issues and continued to 'make other parties and races feel inferior so that they would have to crawl to Umno' for help. On the other hand, Najib Tun Razak, who succeeded Pak Lah in 2009, was initially uncertain on the kind of political system he would adopt, which explained the many flip-flop decisions on a number of issues which made Mahathir critical of his leadership. Awang Abdillah, Free Malaysia Today A statesman believes that political power comes from the people and that entrusted power should be used for the enrichment of the people and nation. A dictatorial political leader, however, believes that political power can be won or usurped by force and used to establish an authoritarian government. An undemocratic leader believes in the art of false leadership. The undemocratic leader bulldozes his way to secure political power from the people and will go to any length to maintain such power. Very often the border-line between an undemocratic political system and that of a dictatorial system overlaps. It is not surprising then for an undemocratic politician to walk through the corridors of power of an authoritarian government. Such different kinds of leadership and political system are based on the value system a leader adopts as explained in my earlier articles. In Malaysia, we have a number of political leaders who practise the undemocratic system where all kinds of malpractices are the hallmarks of their governance. Over a period of time this bad system will become worse when it turns into an undemocratic-dictatorial government and then, if unchecked, could turn into a worst kind – the undemocratic-despotic rule. BN has long been dysfunctional Let's look at Umno. The original true spirit of Umno – which existed in the party from 1955 till 1981 – which fought for the Malays and the nation is gone . Lost, too, is the spirit of national unity and cooperation that held together the Barisan Nasional (BN) entity which built this nation from 1974 till 1981. From 1981 till 2003 both these political entities were under the personal control of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his henchmen. Umno controlled the political power in the country while the BN coalition has long suffered from political dysfunctional problems. Hence, both the original Umno and BN can now be considered as a defunct party and entity respectively. During this period, Malaysia was ruled by Mahathir's undemocratic and authoritarian doctrine. Unlike a despotic rule where actions taken are more arbitrary in nature, an undemocratic-authoritarian rule, though bad, is more systematic and established. Even in retirement and after handing over the reins of the nation's administration to his chosen successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (Pak Lah), Mahathir wanted control. He wanted Pak Lah to walk the corridors of power wielding an undemocratic-dictatorial system. Pak Lah resisted. He failed as a leader not because he did not continue the Mahathir dictatorial legacy – it would be suicidal to do so – but because he did not pick the good value system and put it to work. But he seems to have redeemed himself in Mahathir's eyes with his stand in the recent 62nd Umno general assembly. Najib, it now appears, firmly believes in and is determined to pursue Mahathir's undemocratic-dictatorial doctrine. Hence, Mahathir now fully backs Najib and had openly declared that the prime minister is on the right track. However, unlike the Mahathir government – which, although undemocratic and authoritarian in nature, was backed by systematic policies and strode in economic development – Najib's administration has nothing to offer. Najib's government is best described as an undemocratic-despotic one where flip-flops and arbitrary actions are the order of the day. At the recent Umno general assembly, "Najib the Great" continues his agenda to hit hard at Pakatan Rakyat in order to win back the lost Malay support. He invoked history, race and religious rhetoric and launched personal and vicious attacks on the opposition leaders. Najib did not bother to beg for the support of other races because people like him and Mahathir believe in the unsinkable power of Umno as long as the said doctrine is in place. Part of this doctrine is to make other parties and races feel inferior so that they would have to crawl to Umno for help.
| ||
| How Do You Prove Someone's a Witch in Saudi Arabia? Posted: 14 Dec 2011 08:10 AM PST Call the religious police's Anti-Witchcraft Unit and get them to set up a sting operation. (Foreign Policy) - In yet another reminder that the phrase "witch hunts" isn't only used figuratively these days, the Saudi Interior Ministry announced on Monday that it had beheaded a woman named Amina bint Abdul Halim bin Salem Nasser for practicing "witchcraft and sorcery." The London-based al-Hayat newspaper, citing the chief of the religious police who arrested the woman after a report from a female investigator, claims Nasser was tricking people into paying $800 per session to have their illnesses cured. So, how did Saudi authorities prove Nasser was a witch? The government hasn't gone into detail, but a look at the kingdom's past witchcraft cases suggests the bar for proving someone guilty isn't very high. Witch hunting is fairly institutionalized in Saudi Arabia, with the country's religious police running an Anti-Witchcraft Unit and a sorcery hotline to combat practices like astrology and fortune telling that are considered un-Islamic. But institutionalized is not the same thing as codified. A top official in the kingdom's Ministry of Justice told Human Rights Watch in 2008 that there is no legal definition for witchcraft (Saudi Arabia doesn't have a penal code) or specific body of evidence that has probative value in witchcraft trials. Instead, judges have wide latitude in interpreting Sharia law and sentencing suspected criminals. And Amnesty International claims these judges use witchcraft charges to arbitrarily "punish people, generally after unfair trials, for exercising their right to freedom of speech or religion." A Human Rights Watch researcher tells The Media Line that foreigners in particular are often the targets of sorcery accusations because of their traditional practices or, occasionally, because Saudi men facing charges of sexual harassment by domestic workers want to discredit their accusers. The evidence arrayed against witchcraft suspects typically revolves around statements from accusers and suspicious personal belongings that suggest the supernatural, in a country where superstition is still widespread. In 2006, for example, an Eritrean national was imprisoned and lashed hundreds of times for "charlatanry" after prosecutors argued that his leather-bound personal phone booklet with writings in the Tigrinya alphabet was a "talisman." A year later, Saudi authorities beheaded an Egyptian pharmacist who had been accused by neighbors of casting spells to separate a man from his wife and placing Korans in mosque bathrooms. "He confessed to adultery with a woman and desecrating the Koran by placing it in the bathroom," the Saudi Press Agency reported, adding that books on black magic, a candle with an incantation "to summon devils," and "foul-smelling herbs" had been found in the pharmacist's home.
| ||
| Malaysia's Mahathir Defends Sarawak Chieftain Posted: 14 Dec 2011 07:59 AM PST Charges of looting Sarawak could just be electioneering, he says (Asia Sentinel) - Malaysia's former Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, has defended Sarawak's embattled chief minister, Abdul Taib Mahmud, questioning calls by international NGOs for investigations of Taib's vast fortune. "When an election is near, you get funny things like this coming out," Mahathir told reporters at a press conference Tuesday. "If it is just a political game to try and undermine somebody's political image then I think it is not right."
| ||
| ABU: Movement of the Rakyat for the Rakyat Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:47 PM PST "We (ABU) are not linked to any political party. We are independent and this is a movement, not an organization. This is the rakyat's movement," he said. Meanwhile, Haris of MCLM who had just been deported from Sabah on Dec 7 said ABU was set to reach to the rakyat with information that will show how Umno have been "manipulating" the country for the past six decades.
Something big may be brewing in this time of uncertainty surrounding our political landscape. And this time it has nothing to do with Anwar Ibrahim, Pakatan Rakyat, Perkasa or extremist, racist, religious groups or terrorist groups of sort. Instead, this one comes in the form of a sincere initiative by the people, for the people; and the main objective of this movement which fittingly call itself ABU or Asalkan Bukan Umno (Anyone But Umno) is to call out to the rakyat to come out from their silence to reject Umno. "We are calling out to all workers, farmers, fishermen, associations, organizations, government bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties – excluding Umno, opposition parties or Independent parties, professionals, academicians and intellectuals, artists and all those who are marginalized including Mat Rempits, the homeless, unemployed and others to establish clearly (through media statements or demonstrations) our loss of confidence towards Umno which has lost its purpose, corrupt, conceited, oppressive, ruthless and more lately IGNORANT and ARROGANT!" Badrul Hisham told a press conference held at the KL Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall on Dec 9. Badrul, or better known as CheGubard, who is the president of Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) is believed to be one of the main men behind ABU. Among those alongside him at the media conference on Dec 9 were Haris Ibrahim of Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) President Haris Ibrahim as well as representatives from Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM), Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and members of various non-governmental organizations. Calling All Malaysians The nationwide movement which had held media conferences in every state in the Peninsula on Dec 9 (the same announcement will be made in Sabah and Sarawak at a later date). ABU can be seen as the voice of Malaysians who are saying 'enough is enough'. The way they see it, Umno has taken their selfish and excessive desire for material gains too far and it is time to put a stop to this as it has become clear that Umno is beyond repair (NFC and PKFZ are just two of the many scandals that has been exposed of recent, imagine the others that have not been detected). Not Linked to Pakatan Even though Badrul is one of the most influential figure in Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) among the Opposition youth supporters, he is not playing his role in ABU in his capacity as a political party member, neither are the rest of the key people in the movement. He insisted that ABU is a non-structured movement and people from all segments of life are invited to join the movement. NFC Scandal: A Sign That Things Are Getting Out of Control Things are getting from bad to worse for the country under Umno/BN's rule. Looking at the latest development on the NFC issue, now even Umno senior leaders like its former president Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Umno supreme council member Bung Mokhtar Radin have come out to ask its main culprit Shahrizat Abdul Jalil to leave the party. Others like Batu Pahat MP Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi and Cheras Umno Division chief Syed Ali Alhabshee have asked NFC's executive chairman who happens to be Shahrizat's husband Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail to come clean on the controversy involving the family-owned company as it has tarnished Umno's image.
| ||
| ‘Rosmah, Dr M should stay out of politics’ Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:43 PM PST The Kita president says the former premier should realise his time in politics is over. (Free Malaysia Today) - Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's wife, Rosmah Mansor and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad should not meddle in politics, said Kita chief Zaid Ibrahim. "Mahathir, now that he has retired, should stay out of politics. Once your time is over, it is over," Zaid said in response to a question at a forum entitled "13th General Election: Whose Vote Decides?" organised by Malay daily Sinar Harian yesterday. A polling agent raised the question of Rosmah's influence on her husband and if it may contribute to BN faring badly in the upcoming general election. The other speakers were Deputy Higher Education Minister and Umno supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah, Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, Lembah Pantai MP and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar and Universiti Malaya media studies senior lecturer Abu Hassan Hasbullah. Saifuddin came to the government's defence and dismissed the notion of Rosmah's influence on her husband and in the politics of the day. He cited the amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act, the government's transformation programmes and the repeal of the ISA as examples of how Najib acted independently without anyone's influence. Rosmah has been in the news for her alleged exhorbitant and extravagant spending since Najib came into power in April 2009. Abu Hassan weighed in by calling voters to reject individuals who misuse public funds. "Irrespective of whether they are wives or children of ministers, if they misuse public funds, they must be rejected," he said. The panellists, however, had different opinions on which group would be an influential force to decide on the fate of the next government. New reality voters Zaid said that the Malay votes would be a crucial factor. "They will determine the outcome as they are the biggest group. "The Malays would only be able to be a strong voter bloc if they were willing to reject the corrupt culture perpertrated by Umno whom he referred to as the 'biggest Malay party'."
| ||
| PRU-13: Pekida ikrar pangkah BN Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:39 PM PST Presiden Jamaluddin Yusof berkata Pekida bertanggungjawab untuk memenangkan Barisan Nasional supaya orang Melayu bernafas. (Free Malaysia Today) - Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida) menyatakan ikrar mereka untuk setia 'pangkah' Barisan Nasional (BN) pada pilihan raya umum (PRU-13) akan datang. Presiden Pekida, Jamaluddin Yusof berkata tidak cukup untuk pertubuhan itu memberi sokongan moral semata-mata memandangkan kemenangan BN pada PRU-13 kelak menjadi keutamaan bersama. "Kita bagi sokongan dengan mengajak ahli-ahli Pekida untuk memenangkan BN agar kekal memerintah negara. Sokongan moral sahaja tidak cukup, maka kita mahu ahli-ahli pangkah BN pada pilihan raya nanti. Kerana pada anggapan Pekida BN menjalankan pemerintahan dengan berkesan. "Semua ahli-ahli Pekida perlu sokong BN….kita ibarat adik-beradik maka akan sama dan perlu bantu antara satu sama lain. Pekida bertanggungjawab untuk memenangkan BN supaya orang Melayu bernafas. "Tapi bagaimana untuk kami gerakan kepada ahli-ahli ia adalah rahsia," katanya kepada FMT. Pekida kini mempunyai dua juta ahli di seluruh negara dengan mantan Perdana Menteri Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi adalah merupakan penaung bagi pertubuhan berkenaan. Sementara itu, Jamaluddin mengakui bahawa sokongan orang Melayu terutama anak muda menjadi pertikaian memandangkan mereka kini lebih banyak terpengaruh dengan fahaman luar. Katanya ia menjadi ancaman kepada kepimpinan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak untuk mengekalkan pemerintahannya kerana secara tidak langsung menghakis sokongan anak muda kepada pemimpin nombor satu negara tersebut. Walau bagaimanapun, menurut Jamaluddin Pekida mempunyai 'cara' tertentu untuk menarik minat golongan anak muda ini terus menyokong BN. Namun beliau enggan menjelaskan secara terperinci perkara itu, dan sebaliknya berkata ada perkara tertentu perlu diselesaikan Najib sebelum mengadakan PRU-13 nanti.
| ||
| Video hina hudud ada kaitan dengan Noh Omar? Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:34 PM PST (HARAKAH DAILY) - Penerbit video Sembang Rakyat yang menerbitkan klip video yang menghina hukum hudud adalah dimiliki oleh orang yang sama yang menguruskan blog Datuk Seri Noh Omar. Penerbit video ini juga adalah orang yang sama yang menguruskan laman web Puteri Umno Selangor dan Umno Tanjung Karang di samping blog Pena Noh Omar itu.
| ||
| Dap's Extended Honeymoon in Penang Posted: 13 Dec 2011 03:30 PM PST Khoo Kay Peng Susan Loone of Malaysiakini was right to note that Dap had lost an opportunity to address it's plan and blueprint for Penang during the party's recently concluded state annual conference. Dap leadership and members should have used the opportunity to discuss some crucial state centred issues such as strategy to mitigate looming economic slowdown, job creation, curbing inflation, improving local authority services and enhance public transport. Prior to the 2008 general election, the party was at the forefront in promoting and advocating local council election. What has happened to the pledge? Did the party leadership do anything substantial to prepare the state for local council elections? Leaders who were at the forefront of the campaign such as Sec-Gen Lim Guan Eng, MP Liew Chin Tong and others should help explain why the pledge was not being fulfilled.
| ||
| 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.
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
