Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- RPK amputates 'gangrenous' Anwar Ibrahim from Pakatan?
- Malays should not fear the DAP
- Malaysian of 2011
- Witches, riches, victories in Taib-land
- Student leader Safwan in critical condition after ‘assault by police
- Siapa yang pengkhianat? Introspeksi betul-betul
- Clarity of purpose and vision: ABU!
- What would Gandhi think of our world today?
- Tubuh besar, duit banyak, pangkat tinggi tetapi tidak sihat
- PRIVATISATION - OR - PIRATISATION?
- Civil service as Umno’s fixed deposit or game buster
- Nurul Izzah & Chegubard backstabbed by PKR insider!
- Merdeka sudah, tapi jiwa masih terjajah
- Tiada kebebasan untuk fitnah
- Di antara 'amal makruf nahi mungkar' dengan 'amal mungkar nahi makruf'
- Welcome to DAP and PAS circus!
- Azmin Ali – serang Nurul Izzah?
- We shall remember and we shan’t forget
- Disappointing ‘performance’ by politicians
- ‘ANYTHING BUT UMNO’ in East Malaysia too?
- Siapa Lemahkan Melayu?
- PKR hak milik - Anwar dan Azmin
- Barisan National’s early elections plan in disarray
| RPK amputates 'gangrenous' Anwar Ibrahim from Pakatan? Posted: 31 Dec 2011 09:08 PM PST No, it's RPK with his political and personal dis-endorsements of the Great One, Anwar Ibrahim, much to the distress, disappointments and dismay of the PKR camp – see following at Malaysia-Today:
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| Malays should not fear the DAP Posted: 31 Dec 2011 07:12 PM PST The DAP is a democratic party committed to the rule of law, good governance and good government. It abhors corruption and abuse of political office. To me those are attractive propositions. UMNO on the other hand has turned its back on these. It harps only on one primal worry of Malays- when UMNO is threatened it shares the threat with Malays at large. So a threat to UMNO is translated mindlessly into a threat to Malays as a whole. Nothing can be farther from the truth. That is how UMNO has approached politics in Malaysia basically- make its fears public, make the gains private for selected Malays within UMNO. I have only one message to that - those salad days and that halcyon period are over. UMNO is trapped by its own successes. Indeed its supporters and leaders assume ownership of the wrong things and end up digging in to support the wrong choices. My answer is, if we do indeed change our political vehicle that is what we are actually doing. Don't read our move as blasphemous or treasonable. The DAP is more relevant and functional in achieving a more democratic and abuse-free society. As a Muslim, we are changing wadah not aqidah. So, I thought it would be more substantive to answer my critics by writing an article, why shouldn't Malays embrace DAP politics? That's the only way to dominate and conquer your fears. How has DAP politics been inimical to the general political health of this country? Can any DAP Chinese leader be a PM when it's contesting only at most 50-55 seats? Can any DAP non Malay leader harbor the dream of becoming a PM in a country dominated by Malays? Has the DAP threatened the institution of Malay rulers? DAP has never done that or will not be mad to countenance such rebellious idea, but UMNO on the other hand has insulted the Malay rulers way back in 1998 constitutional crisis. Can we reasonably accept the allegation that the DAP is instrumental in claims that Malays are being converted into Christians when most DAP members are not themselves Christians? We have to do better than that to take Malays as imbeciles. Only UMNO seems to do that. But DAP is Chinese chauvinist party and anti-Malay. I will answer by examining the deeds rather than slogans. When I was an ADUN in the Pahang Legislative assembly (2004-2008) I have never heard the lone DAP member ever speak about anti Malay themes. He spoke about abuse of power, about mindless spending, he spoke about maladministration. The first book Lim Kit Siang writes that I read was Time Bombs in Malaysia. After that I read so many books written by Kit Siang that touched on the Maika Scandals, the BMF financial scandal and so on. If we are honest enough, we have to admit, the issues raised were never about one race dominating the other but were always about the abuses of those in power, corruption, and a continuous attack on policies that are ruinous to this country. So we are going to oppose Kit Siang on the basis of the fact that these things are spoken of by a Chinaman? To the Chinese UMNO is also a chauvinist Malay party except, their leaders can be easily bought. The Malay will sell all to abandon their cause. Er…correction, the UMNO Malay, I mean. I would also like to respond by saying- why Malays should consider joining DAP en masse. It's a party committed to democratic principles and rule of law. I can only imagine, so many can prosper under a regime of freedom of speech within DAP. I can speak on the plight of the displaced and disowned Malays with more energy than allowed of in UMNO. The interest of Malays can be fought of on any political platform other than UMNO. That is what UMNO fears. Its monopoly is broken.
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| Posted: 31 Dec 2011 03:14 PM PST I prefer the latter, yes, I've to confess to having a wish to view Playmate of the Year wakakaka, but in this post I'll forgo the girlie pictures and write on whom I believe to be the socio-political Malaysian of the Year 2011.
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| Witches, riches, victories in Taib-land Posted: 31 Dec 2011 07:37 AM PST In Sarawak, the highlight of 2011 was the "unravelling" of "godlike" Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and the exciting historic victory by the opposition in the state election. Frankly, Taib has been the preoccupation of politicians, activists – both local and abroad – and the man-on-the street. Why, one may ask, and we will say it is because Taib has over the last 30 years woven himself into the very fabric of Sarawakian lives in politics, trade and practices. Observers here claim that Taib controls everything. He has wielded his political clout muzzling local dissent, monopolising corporate Sarawak, and exuding uncharacteristic charm and fatherly "benevolence" at the longhouses littering the rural interior – wooing native Sarawakians into believing that he is "clean and corrupt-free" and that those accusing him are "evil" and not to be trusted. The year 2011 saw Taib's secrets exposed by a UK-based investigative portal Sarawak Report (SR) and its bold Radio Free Sarawak (RFM), with its broadcasts in local Iban dialect. SR in collaboration with the Swiss-based Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) made shocking revelations of Taib and his family's "unimaginable" wealth running into billions in US dollars across eight countries. BMF alleged that Taib was corrupt and had pillaged and plundered the state since he came to power in 1981. BMF has also released figures showing that Taib and his family held influential stakes worth US$1.46 billion in 330 companies in Sarawak and in 80 other companies globally. In response, Taib simply said " my children are clever". BMF has also pressured several countries to investigate Taib's alleged money laundering and already probing Taib's global links are Switzerland, Germany and Australia. Here in Malaysia, there's been increasing pressure for the authorities to investigate Taib. On the local front, opposition DAP, emboldened by its 13-seat victory in the April 16 state election, has been openly demanding for transparency over contracts awarded to Taib-linked companies in Sarawak. According to the party, no major contract in Sarawak is without a Taib-linked company stamp. During the April state election campaign, DAP – together with its Pakatan Rakyat allies PKR and PAS – had successfully highlighted the issues of corruption, power abuse, nepotism and cronyism allegedly committed by the state government. Land grabs by the authorities, land rents, premiums, education, Chinese education and schools were also hot topics that eventually saw the thrashing of the Chinese-dominated Sarawak United People Party (SUPP) at the state polls. Since winning the polls, Taib has tightened the noose on his own Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB). He has made it clear that his party can and will rule Sarawak with or without coalition members SUPP, Party Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP). In the run-up to the April 16 polls, Taib saw an unexpected spoiler in his cousin and former deputy education minister Salleh Jafaruddin. Salleh, who stood against Taib in Balingian constituency, brought to light Taib's fetish for bomohs and witches who "guided" his continued stay in power. According to Salleh, Taib was notorious for consulting with black magic practitioners and after the death of his wife Laila Taib, his daughter Raziah had moved in to consolidate her influence with her father by introducing her own in-house female bomoh – a blonde named Stella – to him. A SR report noted that Stella's signature ritual included "tip-toeing and howling". "Each morning she (Stella) would cross the garden from Raziah's house to the ground of Taib's residence and would perform a ritual of chasing away evil spirits before the chief minister rose for his early run!" Salleh also spoke of Taib's conniving mind and his bevy of "gangsters" who cast a shadow of fear over Balingian in the run-up to the April 16 state election, which Taib eventually won. Taib's majority, however, was far less than in 2004 as was Barisan Nasional's overall support in Sarawak.
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| Student leader Safwan in critical condition after ‘assault by police Posted: 31 Dec 2011 07:22 AM PST Details of the attack were not immediately available. On-the-scene reports sent via Twitter messages said Safwan had lost consciousness after the attack and had initially been taken to Tanjung Malim hospital. Parti Socialis Malaysia said Safwan had been seriously assaulted by police while at the police lockup, and was in critical condition. He had been transferred to Slim River hospital. Parti Socialis also said another person had received stitches in Tanjung Malim hospital for his injuries From inside Tanjung Malim police station, student activist Adam Adli posted a message on Twitter that Safwan was punched twice in the face and was being assaulted in the police station.
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| Siapa yang pengkhianat? Introspeksi betul-betul Posted: 31 Dec 2011 07:14 AM PST Bagi pihak yang mengkritik saya ini, mereka tidak ada isu untuk membahaskan apa yang telah saya perkatakan selama ini: tentang apa yang terlalu kurang dalam UMNO. Mereka ini belum pun pandai menyebut nama UMNO itu tetapi bercakap mempertahankan UMNO itu seolah-olah mereka telah lama mengenali UMNO dan perjuangannya.
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| Clarity of purpose and vision: ABU! Posted: 30 Dec 2011 11:21 AM PST He is clearly not a leader able to put two separate pieces of information together in his head – what more process the numerous inputs coming in from all angles and sources – and digest them before making the necessary decisions that would affect his party, his people and his country. It is tragic for us and our country that this incompetent leader is advised by people whose vested interest overwhelms all other considerations. UMNO is obsessed with one thing and one thing only – how to hang on to power. There is no competent strategy of what to do with the malaise that has now overtaken our country because of this obsession for power over these last 50 years. No competent strategy of how to move on after the 13th general election. These UMNO goons have no plans beyond taking back power in the 13th general election. It would seem that should power be theirs again after the 13th general election it would be back to the orgy of plundering and pillaging of our country wealth and resources! Who advises Najib? Mahathir? The same Mahathir that wants his so called 'legacy' wreck asunder by Pak Lah to now be 'protected' by Najib? What legacy? Abuses and incompetence would more appropriately describe the 20 over years of Mahathir's rule. This same Mahathir has already fast tracked his son into Cabinet! Now he stands poised to 'negotiate' with Najib his support for Najib in the coming 13th general election in return for what? The crooked bridge in Johore? A minister ship for his son? The protection of his crony business interest because without the OSA he would be exposed as having betrayed the trust put upon him by the people to safeguard the interest of the nation rather then to abuse it by giving lucrative IPP and other projects and contracts to his cronies? What sort of advise would Mahathir give to Najib? Surely no advise that would benefit our nations interest and its people! He is advised by UMNO leaders? Take Isa Samad and Thamby Chik – what advise would they give Najib that would benefit the rural Malays that are under their purview? These are two UMNO rejects that has to be recycled because UMNO has need for Isa's proficiency in money politics and Thamby Chik expertise for gutter politics. It sickens me to the core to have these still titled dregs of human society in position of such responsibilities! What advised has Najib been given to deal with the opposition – Pakatan Rakyat? His first foray into opposition territory was infamously successful with the taking of Perak from Pakatan Rakyat – not through the electoral process but through the baiting of opposition MP's to cross over to Barisan Nasional. I will leave it to your imagination to figure out what bait was used. Suffice to say that apart from that bait, the Sultan and the Judiciary were co-opted to come onto Barisan Nasional side. What the price was for the capitulation of the Sultan and the Judiciary is still to be tabulated but we have a fair idea what the final costs will be! After Perak Najib embarked on a relentless vendetta against the opposition. At times even death, as in Teoh Beng Hock's, did not dimmed the enthusiasm of the offending mechanism used to harass the opposition. As if one death was not enough, it took another death before MACC began to get its act together – hopefully it will not regress to what it was before – a running dog for UMNO's political agenda. And now it would seem that only the jailing of the opposition leader would satisfy Najib. What have we regressed to? Somalia, Chad, Zimbabwe or the Democratic Repblic of Congo? In these places arrest warrants and the judiciary are weapons of choice for the government to neutralize any opposition!
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| What would Gandhi think of our world today? Posted: 30 Dec 2011 07:59 AM PST To many people, the first thing that comes to mind when talking about Mahatma Gandhi is of course his doctrine of non-violence. I think by far this is his greatest contribution to the world, that rebellion against injustice can be achieved through non-violent means. That to protest against such injustices is a human right, because injustice itself is a violation of human rights. And because injustice is often violent, to protest in a non-violent manner is also a statement in itself. Not that the world, despite its admiration for Gandhi, has been able to follow his doctrine in practice at all. When we look at the amount of violence today all round the world, we have to wonder what the Mahatma would have thought. Violence today has become more widespread, more sophisticated and more diversified. We are seeing every day different types of violence perpetrated by different people using different means. Are any of them justified and would all of them merit the same non-violent responses? Violence in the world In Gandhi's day, his main concern was the sort of violence perpetrated by colonisers against the colonised. This included both the British government's colonisation of India and the demand by Indians for self-determination as well as the social colonisation of the haves in Indian society over the have-nots, especially those from the untouchable classes. Perhaps less well-known is that Gandhi was also an opponent of the formation of the state of Israel. Although he sympathised greatly with the plight of Jews who were being persecuted in Germany, nevertheless Gandhi thought the answer was not the setting up of a Jewish state in Palestine. "The Palestine of the Biblical conception," he said, " is not a geographical tract. It is in their (Jewish) hearts. But if they must look to the Palestine of geography as their national home, it is wrong to enter it under the shadow of the British gun. A religious act cannot be performed with the aid of the bayonet or the bomb. They can settle in Palestine only by the As we know, nobody listened then to Gandhi and the Palestine issue is still with us today. As indeed colonialism still is, and taking on more violent forms than ever before. Today we have at least two countries, Afghanistan and Iraq, with hundreds of foreign soldiers on their soil attempting unsuccessfully to bring peace to those countries. Instead of development, both Iraq and Afghanistan have been laid waste to violence and are unable to govern themselves for some time to come. Furthermore the violence perpetuated is today much more sophisticated, operated from a distance and causing many more deaths and injuries on civilian populations than ever before. How many times have we seen reports of drone attacks causing many civilian deaths in Afghanistan or suicide bombers killing and injuring innocent people? Weapons of war Today too we have seen more diverse forms of weaponry, not just more technologically sophisticated ones but also chemical weapons, even those declared illegal by the international community. In Gaza, doctors treating the injured reported the use of white phosphorus, which burns the skin as long as oxygen is available. These doctors also reported the use of Dense Inert Metal Explosives (DIME), a type of bomb fired from Israeli planes, which hit the ground, bounce up again and then explode sending out hundreds of sharp blades and shrapnel. The injuries caused by these shrapnel include amputated legs, arms and heads; needless to say, DIME does not differentiate between adults and children, soldiers and civilians. Let us not forget that the threat of nuclear weapons still looms over us today. Despite the global anti-nuclear movement, today there are still several countries that insist on having nuclear weapons including the United States and Israel. Additionally, the conventional arms trade is today estimated to be valued at USD1.5 trillion yearly or 2.7 per cent of the world's GDP. The United States alone accounts for 42.8 per cent of the world's defence spending and 4.8 per cent of its GDP. It is also the largest exporter of armaments, thus spreading violence and death all round the world. As the director Michael Moore pointed out in his documentary Bowling for Columbine, in an environment where it is not considered unusual to manufacture, buy and sell weaponry, violence becomes an idea that seeps into the community and the minds of individuals, with fatal consequences for many innocent victims. The Nobel peace laureate Oscar Arias Sanchez, former President of Costa Rica, a country without an army, noted the same phenomenon: "When a country decides to invest in arms, rather than in education, housing, the environment, and health services for its people, it is depriving a whole generation of its right to prosperity and happiness. We have produced one firearm for every ten inhabitants of this planet, and yet we have not bothered to end hunger when such a feat is well within our reach. "Our international regulations allow almost three-quarters of all global arms sales to pour into the developing world with no binding international guidelines whatsoever. Our regulations do not hold countries accountable for what is done with the weapons they sell, even when the probable use of such weapons is obvious." Thus the world in 2011 is much more awash in the means to violence than in the days of Gandhi, even though he lived to see the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and was a sharp critic of the use of nuclear bombs. In 1946, he remarked: "I regard the employment of the atom bomb for the wholesale destruction of men, women, and children as the most diabolical use of science." Sadly this diabolical use of science continues unabated today. Causes of violence What about the causes of violent conflict today? No longer is it just colonisation that is causing conflict but different issues have arisen of late that may not have existed in Gandhi's day. Globalisation has linked the countries of the world as never before but its benefits have not been evenly distributed over all countries. The divide between rich and poor nations remains large; developing nations still suffer a bigger share of the world's poverty, illiteracy and ill health. They are less able to cope with shocks in the world's economic system; if the developed world to which they export suffers a recession, they suffer worse from the effects of those cutbacks. These types of economic inequalities lead to a new phenomena, human migration, where people move from their own region or country to another to seek a better life. If badly managed, this can lead to conflicts with the native people of the host countries. Migrants now make up 214m people who leave their countries for work or to seek refuge from crises in their own countries, including conflicts. According to the International Organisation for Migration, this means that one in every 33 people in the world is an international migrant. As displaced people and refugees, or even simply as foreign workers in a country, these migrants become vulnerable to violence as well as other disadvantages such as lack of access to health care. Additionally there are the effects of relatively new phenomena such as climate change. When people are displaced by environmental disasters caused by climate change such as drought or floods, they encroach on other people's land. Conflicts arise when more people are forced to find food from the same limited resources. Refugees forced to live in deplorable conditions invariably rebel and start to fight with both fellow refugees and their unwilling hosts. What is happening in Somalia is a case in point where hundreds of thousands of famine-stricken people have been forced to move in search of food, sparking an immense humanitarian crisis. In many cases, compared to Gandhi's day, the perpetrators of violence have also diversified. Where before it was often states that inflicted violence on people, today there may be non-state actors or even communities that may cause such violence. For instance, the existence of networks of people who believe that violence is the only response to injustice, thus leading to events such as 9/11, the Bali bombings and other violent events such as the suicide bombing of houses of worship. Gender-based violence has also been well-documented for example in Bosnia, in Indonesia in 1998, and more recently in the Congo and in Libya. The targets of such violence are also diverse; sometimes it is certain communities, sometimes the more vulnerable sections of the population such as women and sometimes targets are randomly picked.
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| Tubuh besar, duit banyak, pangkat tinggi tetapi tidak sihat Posted: 30 Dec 2011 07:20 AM PST Kecuali seorang yang lainnya memberikan galakan untuk saya menyertai parti yang sinonim dengan transparency, rule of law, multiracial, ketelusan dan tidak ada isu rasuah besar serta tidak terlibat dengan menggunakan duit rakyat hampir rm 2 billion untuk menyelamatkan perniagaan anaknya yang gagal dalam perniagaan.
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| PRIVATISATION - OR - PIRATISATION? Posted: 29 Dec 2011 02:35 PM PST As 2020 approaches it is obvious that in terms of public cleansing and waste management, we are still in the dark ages when compared to developed countries. Back in 1999 the European Union issued the European Landfill Directive for its member states with the overall aim of preventing the negative effects of landfills on the environment. In these developed countries it is well understood that landfills result in pollution of surface water, groundwater, soil and air, and have a negative effect on the global environment in terms of contributing to the greenhouse effect, as well as presenting risks to public health. There is also the recognition that even sanitary landfills can become compromised after a period of time and offer no guarantee when it comes to keeping the toxic residues produced by MSW from entering the ecosystem. This legislation forced the member nations to reassess how waste is handled and disposed of and by eliminating landfills the European countries have shifted the paradigm of how waste is regarded. And herein lies the crux of the issue in Malaysia: Historically waste has always been regarded as an expensive problem, a natural bi-product of our consumer society. This is however an erroneous perception, for in reality waste is a renewable national asset, a storehouse of resources that can be reused, recycled and recovered to the benefit of the environment and society in general. Yet, in spite of lip-service to the notion of reclaiming, reusing and recycling, the government's master plan for waste disposal is still totally dependent on landfills, and despite the huge amounts of public funds that have been diverted into waste management, we haven't made any progress in solving our waste problem. In contrast, the European model of recovering as much of the waste as possible has spawned a multi-million dollar industry. The new Act The 2007 Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act was finally enacted in September 2011. It transfers responsibility for solid waste management and public cleansing from the Local Authorities to the Federal Government. As a result, new federal institutions including the Department of National Solid Waste Management and the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation were established. This Act claims to bring solid waste management (SWM) in line with global state-of-the-art practices at no additional cost to the public. It includes regulation and enforcement tools as well as imposing higher responsibilities on the stakeholders. The Act also enabled the privatization of SWM. This privatization was bulldozed through parliament in much the same way as the recent Peaceful Assembly Bill and the development of Kg. Baru were hastily passed through the house with little debate, despite a lack of support from the majority of the people who will be affected by it. When we take a close look at the Malaysian government's strategy for implementing the act we find that the master plan is almost totally committed to building sanitary landfills to cope with the situation. Of course sanitary landfills are better than dumpsites, but it is clear that the same old mindset is still at play; the one that regards waste as a costly problem and not as a constant supply of untapped and renewable resources. This shows at best how misguided the Malaysian government is in trying to provide a world-class service. At worst it illustrates that the solid waste management strategy has been developed with the interest of the industrial players in mind rather than what is best for the environment and society in general. Lack of transparency and accountability There is strong evidence of mismanagement and a lack of transparency in our national waste management strategy. Take, for example, the Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill in the north of Selangor, which is managed by KUB-Berjaya Enviro Sdn. Bhd. This 1,700-acre site was reportedly chosen because of its isolation from important groundwater aquifers thus eliminating the risk of water pollution. However sceptics claim that the choice of location was determined by the then minister of housing's desire to help out a friend who had already acquired the land thinking that the new airport was going to be located nearby. Since KLIA was subsequently built in Sepang, the minister's friend was left holding a pretty worthless piece of real estate. Then, or so the story goes, the government announced the closures of the Taman Beringen and Air Hitam dumps, in Kepong and Puchong, and acquired the land from the minister's friend to build the Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill. In addition to the cost of the land, the government reportedly handed out RM400 million to build the landfill. On top of that, there's the cost to DBKL for using Bukit Tagar to consider. At present the tipping fee at Bukit Tagar is RM28.80 per ton. By this time next year it will have risen by a staggering 58.7 percent to RM49 per ton. Then there's the cost of transporting all that waste 50 kms north, and we mustn't forget the cost of collecting the waste; the cost of transporting it to the Taman Beringen transfer station and the compacting fee. According to KUB-Berjaya Enviro's statistics, the Bukit Tagar landfill receives about 3,000 tons of waste per day. However, if this amount of waste was sent to a Waste to Energy plant and processed to extract its latent energy, it could supply up to 25MW of energy - enough to power around 50,000 modern 3 bedroom homes using 2 air conditioners, a fridge and a television. Because Waste to Energy management strategy is sustainable it's bankable and can be funded by private venture capital. In addition, the different revenue streams that are created, which make it sustainable, ensure that tipping fees can be kept at an affordable level. Immediately after the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management bill was accepted by the cabinet, the Housing and Local Government Minister, Datuk Chor Chee Heung government announced the award of contracts to three companies: Alam Flora, Southern Waste Management and E-Idaman. Besides payment from the local authorities, Chor said the companies had not been doing a good job because of a lack of funds and so they were also awarded between RM500mil and RM600mil a year from the Federal Government.This decision was made public just one day after the legislation came into force and, to the best of my knowledge, without any open tender exercise having taken place. The Act also raises issues of accountability, for under it, the minister's decision is final and cannot be challenged in court. Furthermore, the legislation places all decision making in the hands of the Director General of the Waste Department, with no checks and balances to ensure that abuse of power does not occur. The 'red tape' associated with the Act creates a barrier to local innovators and new players trying to enter the industry. For example, the National Waste Committee, headed by the deputy prime minister, is supposed to meet quarterly to look out for new ideas, and technology that would enhance and innovate the waste industry. All potential players wanting to enter the industry or suggestions on new technology must go before the committee for consideration. However, I am reliably informed, that the National Waste Committee hasn't met for the past year. Therefore, nothing gets done. This is a classic 'Catch 22' situation, and hardly an incentive to develop local technologies. On the other hand, One German company who has been given approval to build biological composting plants are using a technology that, as far as I know, has not been proven with our waste profile. I'm not implying by any means that they are not doing a good job, but I'm sure there are Malaysian companies that could do an equally good if they had been given the opportunity.
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| Civil service as Umno’s fixed deposit or game buster Posted: 29 Dec 2011 08:21 AM PST The new civil service renumeration scheme recently announced by the government provides civil servants pay rises of between 7 per cent and 13 per cent. Coming just before the elections expected soon, it is clearly intended to influence the outcome of the elections. Umno leaders see members of the civil service not only as their fixed deposit but also as the key game changer in the elections. Will the generous pay rise make a difference in voting patterns of civil servants in the country? At first glance, it appears a politically astute move given the disproportionate weight of civil servants in the voting population and the high voting rate that has been associated with this segment of voters. If we add up the 1.2m civil servants and family members and assume that there is an average of 3-4 voters per civil servant household, this provides a total of 4-5m voters out of the 12m registered voters. The fact that over 80 per cent of civil servants are Malays means that whichever party can win over the Malay civil service vote will take over the reins of political power in the country. Will this group of voters fall for what appears to be an extra large carrot being dangled in front of them? Already the mainstream papers are carrying the mandatory follow up reports of how appreciative the teachers, police and other government staff are with this government recognition of their contribution to the country's development and progress through the new salary scheme. This, together with the earlier sustained bashing of DAP Tony Pua's suggestion that the number of civil servants be reduced, appears to have given a decisive edge in the battle for civil service votes to Umno and the Barisan. Will pay increase move backfire on Umno? But is it a certainty that the civil service vote will continue to be in the pockets of the present government? Evidence is conflicting. The present generation of civil servants – Malays and non-Malays – are a great deal more discerning and demanding of their elected leaders and the policies needed. They, as with other voters in the country, are aware of how the government is courting their vote and will go to the voting booths fully concerned about the government's and opposition party's record on the issues that matter most to them – whether it is in ensuring a rise in their standard of living or fighting corruption or abuse of power. In fact, the timing of the salary increase – so close to the elections – could very well backfire on the government as it can be seen as a blatant attempt to bribe their way into power, with civil servants as their tool. What could also prove to be problematic for the government are the finer details of the new remuneration system and pay increase, and how it affects each civil service voter. Precise details of the pay increase and how it will apply to each grade are not available yet. According to the Public Services Department Director General, the increases will be based on four principles: hierarchy; talent and experience; position and subject matter; and performance.
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| Nurul Izzah & Chegubard backstabbed by PKR insider! Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:35 PM PST Datuk Zaid Ibrahim today denied rumours that he would be rejoining PKR, saying that allegations of discussions between him and Nurul Izzah Anwar on the matter were untrue.
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| Merdeka sudah, tapi jiwa masih terjajah Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:32 PM PST Sekarang ini kepimpinan negara sedang menghadapi krisis keyakinan yang paling getir dalam sejarah kemerdekaan negara. Krisis ini sudah lama menular tetapi kerajaan dan parti yang memerintah masih boleh menyangkutkan kesinambungan kuasa yang dipegangnya melalui saki-baki sokongan dan kuasa yang masih berada di tangan mereka.
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| Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:24 PM PST Baru-baru ini, Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, menang dalam kes saman fitnahnya terhadap Utusan Malaysia. Mahkamah Tinggi Pulau Pinang mendapati akhbar milik Umno itu bersalah memfitnah Lim Guan Eng dalam sebuah berita yang bertajuk "Kebiadaban Guan Eng" yang diterbitkan pada 20 Disember 2010. Mahkamah memerintahkan Utusan untuk membayar RM 250,000 kepada Guan Eng dan RM 25,000 lagi sebagai bayaran kos. Kisah ahli politik dan saman mereka terhadap akhbar, blog atau ahli politik yang lain bukanlah sesuatu perkara baru di Malaysia. Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pernah menyaman ramai pihak kerana mendakwa mereka memfitnah dirinya. Anwar pernah menyaman mantan perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dan kerajaan Malaysia. Anwar juga pernah menyaman ketua pemuda Umno, Khairy Jamaluddin dan ramai lagi. Oleh kerana banyak saman dilakukan oleh pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat kepada golongan yang memfitnah mereka, persoalan ditimbulkan oleh sesetengah pihak, apakah tindakan saman menyaman ini bertentangan dengan prinsip demokrasi dan kebebasan bersuara?  Buku Jingga
Laman Suara Pakatan Rakyat (www.suarapakatanrakyat.com) pada 19 Disember lalu menimbulkan persoalan ini terhadap Exco Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan, Datuk Husam Musa yang kini sedang menyaman pemilik blog Ruang Bicara Faisal dan Kickdefella kerana didakwa memfitnah dirinya dalam penulisan mereka. Naib presiden PAS itu menyaman sebanyak RM 500,000 kepada pemilik blog Ruang Bicara Faisal dan RM 5 juta kepada penggendali blog Kickdefella.  Menurut laman web tersebut, tindakan Husam menyaman kedua-dua penulis blog tersebut bercanggah dengan prinsip Buku Jingga yang mengatakan: "Kebebasan rakyat untuk berkumpul dan menyatakan pandangan mereka juga disekat dari pelbagai arah; baik yang melibatkan rapat umum mahupun di laman internet. Ada ura-ura pentadbiran sedia ada mencari jalan untuk mengetatkan kawalan mereka terhadap internet, memandangkan ia satu-satunya jalan yang berkesan menyebarkan maklumat alternatif kepada rakyat." Persoalan seperti ini pernah juga dibangkitkan oleh sesetengah pihak satu ketika dahulu apabila Anwar dan Lim menyaman akhbar. Kata mereka, kebebasan bersuara belum terjamin jika Pakatan memerintah. Penulis berkesempatan untuk menemuramah ringkas Husam melalui telefon untuk mendapatkan jawapan beliau mengenai kritikan laman web tersebut terhadapnya. Menurut exco kanan tersebut, beliau bukanlah antidemokrasi atau kebebasan bersuara apatah lagi untuk mengkhianati prinsip Buku Jingga yang dipersetujui bersama oleh parti gabungan dalam Pakatan. "Blogger atau penulis boleh menulis apa-apa sahaja kecuali fitnah. Jika berani memfitnah, mereka juga harus berani untuk berhadapan dengan tindakan yang bakal diambil," katanya. Menurut Husam lagi, beliau tidak mempunyai masalah untuk dikritik kerana beliau percaya kritikan itu baik bagi seseorang untuk memperbaiki dirinya. Yang beliau tentang adalah fitnah dan tohmahan.
Read more at: http://www.aminiskandar.net/2011/12/tiada-kebebasan-untuk-fitnah.html
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| Di antara 'amal makruf nahi mungkar' dengan 'amal mungkar nahi makruf' Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:32 AM PST Yang terakhir selepas isu lembu NFC, timbul isu dua orang menteri yang berkelakuan tidak senonoh dalam kepimpinan. Yang menariknya seorang menteri yang berlatar belakangkan agama yang telah menyampaikan khutbah di tanah suci baru-baru ini telah menggemparkan orang Islam di negara kita ini. Beliau telah menggunakan wang zakat kepunyaan rakyat untuk membayar kos perundangan beliau dalam kes saman Anwar Ibrahim terhadap beliau dan dua orang yang lain dalam isu Qazaf baru-baru ini.
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| Welcome to DAP and PAS circus! Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:29 AM PST While PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz stood by his statement that Hasan Ali was in Kota Bharu to apologise to the party, the latter on the other hand refuted the claim. Hasan pointed out that he had already retracted his comments regarding the welfare state issue during a press conference at his residence on Dec 24 and had apologised to the party leaders at the same time. In a statement Wednesday night, he said he was disappointed in Harakah which had been reminded many times not to twist facts which could raise confusion and disunity. He clarified that he had been invited attend a gathering involving former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa along with PAS deputy spiritual leader Dr Haron Din at Nik Aziz's home at JKR 10 Kota Bharu. Now, who spoke the truth here? Its unbecoming of Nik Aziz to lie if he did. And who are confused? Of course PAS members... and the media!Also in Pakatan Rakyat, DAP members are still uncertain of who are the fools and wise, between Karpal Singh and P Ramasamy. The party's chairman said he has left it to the party's disciplinary committee to take action in the recent war of words between him and Penang Deputy Chief Minister, and that he would abide by the gag order imposed by the three-man panel formed to resolve the issue.
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| Azmin Ali – serang Nurul Izzah? Posted: 28 Dec 2011 09:16 AM PST http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/2011/12/28/pkr-will-collapse-under-azmin/ Dalam pada itu pula, Raja Petra Kamarudin dalam tulisan beliau di "Malaysia-today.net" mengulas pula isu sabotaj terhadap Nurul Izzah yang didakwa kemungkinan bertunjangkan Azmin Ali. Hujahnya adalah Nurul Izzah rapat dengan Presiden Parti Kita – Zaid Ibrahim. Ia boleh dibaca di sini: http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/46138-poison-pen-letter-on-nurul-izzah-circulating Maka pergolakan dalam PKR semakin nampak dan peranan Azmin Ali semakin jelas dengan sokongan Anwar Ibrahim. Politik dalam PKR semakin rancak dan semua yang terlibat secara langsung atau tidak dengan menyokong atau menolak Azmin Ali. Namun Anwar Ibrahim masih berkeras di belakang Azmin Ali. Dalam laporan di www.malaysia-today.net Raja Petra turut memuatkan andaian seperti pertentangan Azmin Ali dengan Nurul Izzah dan ini sekali akan pasti memuatkan isu Presiden Parti Keadilan Rakyat itu turut menolak Azmin Ali. Pergeseran semakin meluar dan konflik ini dijangka akan melibatkan banyak pihak terutama mangsa-mangsa Azmin Ali.
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| We shall remember and we shan’t forget Posted: 27 Dec 2011 04:35 PM PST We almost gave up and my mother ask me to write one last time to Mahathir when he became the PM. Few weeks later, Military Officers came to my house and 2 months later my mother pension was revised to RM350 and it was backdated to the day my father died. Cut the story short, my mother was ever grateful till today and anyone who wants to say anything bad about Tun M, will get an earful from my mother. She keeps telling us that we shall remember. Yesterday, the 211 families who are VICTIMS of Ukay Bistari whom could not longer wait for their house decided to take laws into their own hands. They took the keys from the developer office and broke down the fence. While all this was happening under the watchful eyes of the media and the police, we negotiated with the management. In the end, the developer agreed to give the keys provided due process were followed. The buyers followed the committee advice and keys were returned to the developers. Within the next few hours key were released to the purchasers in an orderly fashion. Some family wept openly upon getting their keys. It has been 9 years. Despite using the hot and cold approach, we finally got the MHLG to complete the project. It is still progressing. In January we hope 400 families will get their houses and the rest by March or April. All this happens because we got help from the Minister of Housing. He was approachable and always accommodating whenever we sought his time. His officers were equally supportive. Special mention should go Esther, Hafiz and Ir. Lai.
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| Disappointing ‘performance’ by politicians Posted: 27 Dec 2011 04:25 PM PST This piece was originally intended as a salute to parliamentarians who in the past year have given Malaysians a good enough reason to root for their survival in the 13th general election pipped to be held in the first quarter of 2012. These individuals would be those who have tirelessly chased down both high profile as well as bread and butter issues.Those who tossed out ideas, opinions and recommendations that were startling in their boldness but instrumental in setting the nation on the right track. Those who strode into raging rivers of controversy to stand beside the people even if it sometimes meant standing opposite their party leaders. And those who bravely hoisted the people's call and hope for change upon their shoulders. With 222 parliamentary seats political observers shouldn't have been hard pressed to name a decent number of political beacons across both camps. This is especially so considering the year's events and the politicians who were exalted by the public for the above mentioned traits. And yet two political observers approached by FMT were adamant that not a single politician this year had given a performance worthy enough of a re-admission into Parliament after the next general election. 'Incapable politicians' Khoo Kay Peng was unforgiving in his assessment of both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat of having dodged critical issues to indulge in superficial ones. "What the people really need to know is the state of our economy, a potential second dip, the outflow of illegal funds and our global competitiveness," he said. "Instead politicians are assuring us that all is well." These glib words have infuriated Khoo who warned that Malaysians are more concerned today about the state of the nation than that of political parties. "Our politicians are oblivious…When they awake in the morning their first thought is about who will win the next general election. They don't think about how to bring the country forward," he added. Khoo also observed that Malaysia is moving towards a socialist state through the manner in which politicians chose to resolve national dilemmas by stuffing money into the widening gaps. "A new generation of urban poor has emerged but you won't find it in the government's flimsy data. "Ultimately our politicians are incapable of solving the country's real issues. It's hilarious, really, " he said. Below average performance James Chin of Monash University was kinder in passing judgement saying that no event stood out enough this year to challenge the politicians' mettle. Calling 2011 a "holding pattern year" he pointed out that Umno was still playing the racial card while Pakatan had its sodomy and Islamic state soundtracks on repeat. "Bersih 2.0 was significant but overall it didn't make a strong impact as it was about civil society pushing for change. "At the end of the day it doesn't matter who people want to see win the next general election. "It will all boil down to the one winner for each camp who will either be (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) or (opposition leader) Anwar (Ibrahim). Those are the only two we need to watch for," said Chin. His colleague, Wong Chin Huat, meanwhile rated politicians' performance at 59 points which he said was one mark below a Credit in the university's system. "On one hand we have the ruling party's arrogance in pushing controversial views," he stated. "On the other we have an opposition that isn't up to par because it is too focused on the destination instead of the journey."
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| ‘ANYTHING BUT UMNO’ in East Malaysia too? Posted: 27 Dec 2011 04:09 PM PST
We have held series of talks with one of ABU leading leaders, lawyer-activist Haris Ibrahim who flew to the Federal Territory of Labuan yesterday, in defiance of Sabah's 'persona non grata' order slapped against him recently.
However more are to be refined by the two major stakeholders in Sabah's current opposition front, the United Borneo Front (UBF) and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), and i shall be reporting to them to get a good judgement on what transpired in our meeting with Haris.
We agreed in principle to support this ABU campaign because UMNO has shown that it has been meting bad decisions and policies against Sabahans and Sarawakians in the past 48 years we are in this Federation.
The very fact that both Sabah and Sarawak are the poorest states now speak volumes of what UMNO-led Barisan Nasional had done to our gas and oil resources. So we agree that UMNO must go at this coming general election.
It is understood that also in the meeting were Sabah activists Michael Liew and Kanul Gindol but the latter left early and did not join another meeting in the evening. Local singer-activist Atama was also in attendance.
Haris was barred from entering Sabah, as well as Sarawak before, as the state authority deemed him to be a threat to its own security. Haris was however not stopped in Labuan though he said there were special branch officers taking pictures of him at the airport here when he arrived. At this moment we might have a slight refinement on the name ABU for East Malaysia. Some of us had wanted 'UBA' which could mean 'change' but also stands for United Borneo Alliance to underline that we wanted a restoration of the way the Federal Government treats us as equal partners and not wanting us more and more just as mere subservient to the majority party in Peninsular. So, it is not just 'anything but UMNO' but we want a real change, a restoration of the special rights and position of Sabah and Sarawak within the Federation, this including our autonomy power.
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| Posted: 27 Dec 2011 07:31 AM PST Seraya mengambil hasrat ini sebagai pembuka kata, saya lontarkan persoalan-persoalan berikut dalam meneliti liku-liku sebab-musabab kelemahan kita: Siapa yang telah memerintah negara selama 54 tahun tanpa putus dengan menggunakan undang-undang keras anti-demokratik? Siapa bersubahat dengan penjajah British menahan dan tidak berusaha membebaskan pejuang-pejuang kemerdekaan Melayu daripada tahun 1948 sehingga 1957? Siapa yang sengaja benarkan Singapura meninggalkan Malaysia pada tahun 1965 dengan mudah? Siapa lemahkan kuasa dan martabat raja-raja dengan pindaan perlembagaan pada 1993? Siapa memberitahu seluruh rakyat bahawa raja-raja Melayu tidak relevan dan membahayakan bangsa pada tahun 1993? Siapa yang menghasut agar semua harta Raja-Raja disiasat dan dirampas pada 1993? Siapa yang melemahkan institusi kehakiman dengan memecat Ketua Hakim Negara dan meminda perlembagaan pada tahun 1988? Siapa yang hancurkan UMNO Lama yang ditubuhkan tahun 1946 dan gantikan dengan UMNO Baru pada tahun 1988? Siapa yang melemahkan kuasa politik Melayu dengan mengurangkan kerusi majoriti melayu melalui proses persempadanan semula semenjak 1999? Siapa yang memberikan kerakyatan dan kad pengenalan biru kepada warga asing dengan mudah untuk undi? Siapa lemahkan ekonomi Melayu dengan menjual RM50 billion daripada RM52 billion saham DEB semenjak 1970? Siapa serahkan dengan mudah dan murah; Pulau Batu Putih dan tanah KTM ke Singapura dan Blok L dan M ke Brunei? Siapa yang menjual tanah rizab Melayu kepada bukan Melayu dengan merubah status tanah kepada pegangan bebas (freehold) dengan mudah? Siapa yang telah menenggelamkan Bank Bumiputera Malaysia Berhad yang diwujudkan daripada Kongres Ekonomi Bumiputera pada 1965? Siapa yang memberikan lesen judi yang bertentangan dengan Islam kepada syarikat swasta tauke seperti Genting, Berjaya Sports Toto dan lain lagi? Siapa lemahkan penguasaan matematik dan sains anak melayu dengan mengubah bahasa pengantar kepada bahasa Inggeris dan setelah berbelanja lebih RM6 billion dan 8 tahun sekarang mahu mengubah balik kepada Bahasa Melayu? Siapa yang membebankan anak muda dengan hutang pendidikan tinggi melebehi RM 25 billion? Siapa yang menyebabkan peluang pekerjaan anak muda berkurangan dengan dasar pengunaan buruh asing yang membantut kadar upah di pasaran buruh Negara? Siapa galakkan harga barang naik berganda dengan membenarkan monopoli seperti Bernas dan amalan herotan pasaran yang hanya menguntungkan para peniaga berterusan? Siapa bebankan rakyat dengan kadar bil letrik yang tinggi berbanding dengan Negara jiran yang bukan pengeluar minyak? Siapa yang bertanggung jawab meluaskan lagi jurang pendapatan dengan 'gini coefficient' 0.492 yang kedua tertinggi di Asia dimana yang kaya bertambah kaya dan yang miskin bertambah miskin? Siapa yang menjadikan harga kereta mahal dua kali ganda dengan dasar perlindungan otomotif yang membebankan rakyat dan menguntungkan industri otomotif? Siapa bebankan rakyat dengan kadar tol lebuhraya yang tinggi sedangkan kutipan cukai jalan dan saman kenderaan mampu menampung pembinaannya tanpa tol? Siapa yang membenarkan harga rumah bertambah tinggi sehinga 15 kali gaji tahunan berbanding piawaian antarabangsa dengan hanya 5 kali gaji tahunan? Siapa benarkan syarikat-syarikat gergasi merosot dan gagal sehingga hanya menjadi jaguh kampung seperti MAS, Perwaja dan Proton? Siapa yang untung daripada bakal penyenaraian 800,000 hektar tanah perladangan milik peneroka nanti dengan anak syarikat Felda yang rugi besar?
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| PKR hak milik - Anwar dan Azmin Posted: 27 Dec 2011 12:12 AM PST
menceritakan bagaimana Azmin berusaha membentuk rejim nya dalam PKR. Rejim ini dibentuk dengan memanipulasi pemilihan yang ada – catas mencantas sehingga tumbuk menumbok berlaku. Memang usaha ini telah berlaku sewaktu pemilihan PKR yang menyaksikan kekotoran demokrasi yang dibenarkan oleh Anwar Ibrahim dan Anwar Ibrahim sendiri turut mencatur pemilihan bersesuaian dengan kehendak Azmin. Ini bukan satu rahsia di kalangan PKR. Malah ada yang berkata, UMNO jaga sahaja langkah dan jangan melakukan apa-apa kesilapan kritikal – PKR akan runtuh dengan sendiri bila Azmin mengambil alih teraju parti. Semua tahu dan semua bertanyakan kepada satu sama lain mengenai Anwar – Azmin. Malah kalau diselidiki usaha memasukkan kalangan anti Azmin oleh Presiden Parti dan anaknya turut ada tetapi tidak berjaya. Hubungan rapat Anwar –Azmin inilah yang menjadi kecemburuan kepimpinan lain – yang ada antara mereka sudah terpelanting keluar dari jemaah kepimpinan malah ada yang mengambil keputusan untuk keluar dari PKR dan menghentam PKR secara rakus tanpa strategi. Ini berlaku dalam hubungan tiga segi Anwar – Azmin – Ezam.
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| Barisan National’s early elections plan in disarray Posted: 27 Dec 2011 12:00 AM PST These range from indefinite postponement of the long delayed goods and services tax to financial grants and other handouts to Chinese, Tamil and Islamic religious schools as well as politically strategic groups including Felda settlers, Indian small entrepreneurs, low income communities, and imams and Kafa (religious) teachers. Najib's backroom boys must have been supremely confident that this mass saturation of money and handouts – so effective in past elections - would pave the way for a resounding victory as they plotted the timing of the next GE. Unexpected road blocks Two recent developments appear to have now derailed the BN's plans for an early election to take advantage of the 'feel good' sentiments generated by the deluge of monetary incentives disbursed under the glare of fawning media coverage. One is the spreading cloud of corruption and political irresponsibility associated with the National Feedlot Corporation's (NFC) scandal-ridden project. This is not only likely to result in Minister Sharizat Jalil's resignation very soon but is also causing consternation and reverberations among Umno's grassroots members and supporters in the Malay heartland. The arrogance and contempt displayed by Shahrizat, who received loud applause from Wanita Umno delegates for her bellicose speech, will not be easily forgotten. If the elections are called during the next several months when the cattle-gate case reaches its expected climax, Malaysians going to the polling booths will not only have indelible ink on their fingers; they will also go in with the overpowering and indelible stench of the NFC fiasco influencing their choice of parties. The other development is one which the Prime Minister's think tanks and cronies high up in the civil service must be kicking themselves over. The introduction of a new improved salary scheme for the country's 1.4 million civil servants was to be the main 'game changer' in the 13th GE. With a majority of the country's voters coming from civil servant or ex-civil servant households – perhaps 60% or more of the electorate – it is easy to understand why the roll-out of the new scheme was timed to take place just before the election. Its successful implementation would reinforce the BN's image as a government with the best interests of the civil service constituency at heart. It is possible that if given the thumbs-up by the majority of civil servants, the new salary scheme could have affected the outcome in many marginal constituencies where the civil service vote is critical to tilt in favour of the BN candidates. It is no exaggeration to say that civil service voters comprise the kingmakers in the country and that any aspiring government has to pay special attention to courting and winning this massive block of votes. Devil in the SBPA details The new public service remuneration scheme (SBPA) is to take effect in January 2012. The Public Services Commission rushed its introduction without providing full details of the SBPA key components and without adequate consultation with stakeholders. It was not surprising that the civil service trade union Cuepecs initially refused to be bulldozed into accepting what is now clearly emerging as "a half baked cake" with the icing of 7-13 percent salary increases prominently displayed but resting on a soggy base. Among the scheme's shortcomings is the lopsided salary increase that favours the top echelon. One civil servant compared the impact of the new scheme on lower and higher rank staff. According to him:
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