Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Hisham, Rais, must apologise to M’sians for national shame
- I retract and apologise to any Muslim who is offended by my tweet
- Registration of Overseas Voter
- Mayra Nazarbayev released
- Two popular request ignored in the Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025
- Did These Women Sleep Around, Dr?
- Dear Archbishop Murphy Pakiam
- An open letter to Chow Kon Yeow – Alleged RM300,000 bribe for a top BN politician
- 10 Reasons Why You Should Bother To Protest
- Najib is the easier prey for Pakatan than Muhyiddin
| Hisham, Rais, must apologise to M’sians for national shame Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:29 PM PDT
Datuk Chua Jui Meng BERNAMA's admission that its pictures were doctored has shamed Malaysia globally in the most unethical manner. It is the Barisan Nasional (BN) government's national news agency and therefore the ministers linked to media affairs, namely Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim, must apologise to Malaysians for the national shame. They must start thinking out of the box and not resort to looking for scapegoats to cover up what was committed intentionally. I guess that would be too much for the ministers and the BN to stomach. After 55 years of Merdeka (Independence), Malaysians cannot continue to rely on a government that is unable to think out of the box to do the right thing. BN resorts to cover-ups and sweeping everything under the carpet whenever blunders and scandals erupt. Admitting that its photographs of prime minister Najib Abdul Razak in Pekan, Pahang (an east coast state of the peninsula), were doctored to reflect huge crowds is not enough. Finding a scapegoat to take the rap is also deplorable as it will further shame Malaysia. Very few Malaysians, save for loyal BN supporters who are always giving blind support, believe that the doctoring of pictures was the act of an individual out to sabotage the national news agency. The delayed admission by Bernama that its pictures were doctored raises doubts of sincerity. The admission came only after a series of pictures were posted on the internet that clearly showed the visuals were fakes. Bernama's editor-in-chief Yong Soo Heong was quick to deny the pictures were fake and that the news agency had no time to engage in such unethical work. When more of such pictures were posted in the internet, Bernama buckled under mounting pressure and admitted guilt. Suddenly, Yong says "Bernama has conducted an initial investigation into allegations that one of its recent photographs was manipulated and found the flawed picture was discovered at the source from where it was sent". Do you expect Malaysians to believe Yong who was quick to dismiss the allegations when the picture was clearly doctored and then admitted guilt when pressure for the truth continued to mount. I doubt the doctoring was done by the photographer who would not be so stupid to put his job on the line because such doctoring can be easily detected. But he could have been pressured by his superiors to do so. Whatever, this is going to be another case of going after the ikan bilis (anchovy or small fish) instead of the big fish. | |||||||||||||
| I retract and apologise to any Muslim who is offended by my tweet Posted: 19 Sep 2012 03:47 PM PDT
Ngeh Koo Ham
I retract and apologise to any Muslim who is offended by my tweet as it was never intended to be so. It was 1.43 am 17th September 2012, after seeing world news on CNN, BBC and Al Ajazeera showing violent protests in various parts of the world where lives were lost, many injured properties gutted and unrest ensued in response to the video produced by Sam Bacile, and after reading the news in Malaysiakini.com that YB Khairy Jamaluddin has planned to hold massive protest coming Friday (21st Sept 2012) with regard to the same matter that I tweeted the following words 'Khairy wants muslim protest against Same Bacile. For Islam or for his political gains? Are muslims wasting to much time and energy on this?' In the context of the violent protests round the world and the many demonstrations to be held that I posed the question 'Are muslims wasting too much time and energy on this?' I was wondering if too much time and energy have been spent in response to the 13.5 minutes video produced by a mad man in the name of Sam Bacile. I wanted our society to think deeper with regard to the way we response to any provocation or issue that confronts us. I have been taught and have always emphasized to the young never to react but always to respond. I want to make it very clear my following stands:- 1. I strongly condemn the video and its producer for belittling the faith/religion of another person and reiterate support for the stand that has been taken by DAP on this issue which is contained in the media statement issued by my party's Secretary General on 16/9/2012. 2. I totally support the rights of a person to hold peaceful demonstrations. In my 23 years of active political involvement, I have organized scores of demonstration in Perak. I was arrested by the police in Bersih 2.0 and was there at Bersih 3.0. The abovesaid tweet has now been twisted by UMNO/BN to say I belittle Islam. This is a total lie. However, having explain the context in which my question was posed, any Muslim who is still offended by the question I posed, I apologise as that was never intended. I feel comforted that a leading Muslim cleric Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi, head of international union of Muslim Scholars, Encik Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya, the Executive Committee Chairman of Malaysia Young Ulama Assembly and Encik Musa Awang, the President of the Syarie lawyers of Malaysia have also come forward to call for restraint in the response to this video issue. | |||||||||||||
| Registration of Overseas Voter Posted: 19 Sep 2012 12:58 PM PDT
I had contacted the Malaysian Embassy in Singapore and had been informed by Ms Shima from the consular, that only civil servants, full time students and their spouse are allowed to vote abroad. This is a gross conflict from your statements as publish by The Star. Eugene Hooi Dear Tan Sri Dato' Seri Abdul Aziz, | |||||||||||||
| Posted: 19 Sep 2012 12:52 PM PDT
According to several credible sources, her surprising and miraculous release was due to the direct and personal involvement by the Malaysian Prime Minister: during his Hadj to Mecca over this summer, which he made in the company Ms. Nazarbayeva's son and his future son-in-law Daniyar. Daniyar Muratov Early in September, Mayra Nazarbayev, the notorious Kazakhstani fugitive, ex-wife of the Kazakhstan's President's brother, and a would-be mother-in-law to Malaysian Prime Minister's daughter, was released from prison in Dubai, flew to New York and had a court date there on September 4. According to several credible sources, her surprising and miraculous release was due to the direct and personal involvement by the Malaysian Prime Minister: during his Hadj to Mecca over this summer, which he made in the company Ms. Nazarbayeva's son and his future son-in-law Daniyar, Mr. Najib had extensive meetings with officials from the United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan to convince them to let the detainee go. Within days after the Prime Minister's hadj, Ms. Nazarbayeva was, indeed, released, and allowed to proceed to her place of residence, New York. Following her salvation due to the influence of her powerful future relative, Ms. Nazarbayeva has been hard at work reinventing herself as an opposition figure: she has reportedly attempted to contact several leading Kazakhstani opposition leaders in exile and, in the affidavit she has filed with the New York court, has characterized Kazakhstan's political system as lawless and attacked the Kazakhstani President and his brother, her former husband – this after being a member of the President's clan for many years. Herself a wanted fugitive for financial and outright criminal shenanigans, Ms. Nazarbayeva is now decrying Kazakhtan's "lack of an independent judiciary and due process" and its "widespread corruption." It looks like a substantial portion of the Prime Minister's time and energy is devoted to a family matter involving a fugitive from law – at the expense of all Malaysians. | |||||||||||||
| Two popular request ignored in the Education Blueprint 2013 - 2025 Posted: 18 Sep 2012 09:34 AM PDT Toh Boo Huat The just released Education Blueprint was touted to be very comprehensive as it took into account the views and desires of Malaysians who were given opportunities to provide input during dialogues held in major towns across the country. In my humble opinion, the blueprint ought to address the desire of many ordinary folks who would like their children to learn Science and Mathematics in its lingua franca i.e. English while fully supporting maintaining MBMMBI policy for those who want it. Interestingly, the rich who can afford to attend International schools and those Mara sponsored students are enjoying this privilege that is gradually being denied to those attending national schools. It is an accepted fact that the English language proficiency among our students and workforce is low. The government has rightly, in this blueprint, seeked to tackle this issue by improving the teaching methods, getting better qualified teachers and allocating more teaching hours to it. These is a good starting base to work from but let us be also frank and accept that learning any language in isolation is tough. Learning English will be very much easier and can be picked up faster when used frequently and applied appropriately. Realistically, studying both Science and Mathematics in English will provide our pupils, especially those from rural areas with a great platform to do so, much like a twin turbo-charger needed to help elevate our standard of English. I am also of the opinion that the plan to introduce English Literature is premature and contradict the reasons why PPSMI was left out. The authorities have constantly highlighted that some of our pupils struggled with PPSMI and that we do not have enough capable English teachers for PPSMI, what more English Literature which is a much more difficult subject by itself. In fact, days before the launch, the DPM said "We have done studies repeatedly and we have found that there is a lack of English teachers" and that "when students did not understand, the teachers reverted to using Bahasa Malaysia to teach the subjects". (NST 9-Sep-2012 - Improving quality in all areas of education) Walk before attempting to run. Our immediate and urgent target is students and a mass workforce with a higher proficiency in English, not flooding the country with Shakespeareans! We should only consider introducing English Literature in future when the standard of English amongst our pupils is elevated, thus reducing any likelihood of failing, leading to abandoning yet another overly ambitious policy. The other loud call was for a professional and highly experienced academician to be the Education Minister and this popular request received among the loudest applause during those dialogues. It is obvious that the rakyat do not want any more politicians in that post. Many (including our former DPM, Tun Musa Hitam) are alarmed and have enough of seeing our education standard deteriorate continuously over the years with no end in sight, not to mention numerous "politically inclined" policy decisions made. The people have spoken and the message was indeed conveyed up. An attendee of two Round Table discussions on education revealed in his blog that "there was an almost unanimous agreement that English should be made the medium of instruction for at least Mathematics and Science". How then and why were these two well-supported requests left out of the blueprint? Whoever made this decision to do so have betrayed the people! As parents and primary stakeholders, we demand that the final blueprint include these two issues to truly reflect and honor the desires of the people. | |||||||||||||
| Did These Women Sleep Around, Dr? Posted: 18 Sep 2012 09:26 AM PDT
It is believed that the child was still alive when thrown but died due to injuries in the head due to the fall Presumably, their mothers cannot light a candle to our Malaysian women of virtue Ice Cream Seller Lets get straight to the point.
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| Posted: 18 Sep 2012 09:18 AM PDT
Your directive does not augur well for our catholic religion in this country, if I do go for the service and receive communion despite being forbidden to do so by you does that mean I have committed a mortal sin and can lose my soul? Because ultimately why I still remain a catholic is because I believe I can go to heaven if I die. Pakirisamy Your Grace,
Your Grace, if your faith is just faith it's a dead faith if your directives are purely to preserve the sanctity of the the Real presence in the Eucharist. I dont think I or anyone else would go to hell if he went for the christian service at Taman Melawati Stadium and received the communnion offered there. The FMM sisters had gone to great lengths to collect massive donations from the public, got govt grants, and built a catholic hospital for the poor and underpriviledged and called it the Assunta Catholic Hospital, (today the catholic has been removed). Even you and Peter Mooney had attended a fund raising dinner to raise funds for the hospital. Today, sad to say the hospital charges RM8,000+ for a simple appendix surgery, which you can get done in the govt hospital for less than RM450/- and the Jabatan Kebajikan pays for you if you can't afford to pay
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| An open letter to Chow Kon Yeow – Alleged RM300,000 bribe for a top BN politician Posted: 17 Sep 2012 03:58 PM PDT It would appear that neither the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Ibrahim Saad, nor the Chief Minister, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, is genuinely interested in getting down to the root of this scandal although it has been explicitly said to involve a top BN politician in the House. What had become of this case? Had there ever any investigation done by Dr. Koh Tsu Koon into the alleged bribe. Choo Sing Chye I am please to hear that the Penang Pakatan Rakyat state executive council had decided to set up a high powered executive committee to probe into the sale of some 4,000 acres of prime land made under the Barisan Nasional administration to be headed by you. This, I hope would provide an accurate account of what actually went on during the long BN's tenure of the Penang State Government. But anyway, I wondered if you would take a second look at one scandal happened 18 years ago. And without doubt, this scandal would have made good Hollywood script. During my work-visit to Penang in 1994 with the late P. Patto, to help out with the first Suara Tanjung 3 issue, I wrote the front page article, RM300,000 For Top BN Politician which was at that time the hottest corruption scandal in Penang.
RM300,000 for Top BN Politician DAP Assemblyman for Datuk Keramat, K. Balasundram, caused a stir in the recent Penang State Assembly meeting on 1st June 1994 when he touched on an alleged RM300.000 armed robbery carried out by an office-boy-cum-director of a company said to be owned by a former Penang tycoon, an undischarged bankrupt. This sum of money was meant as a pay-off for a top Barisan Nasional government politician in the Penang State Government.. Revealing further the mystery surrounding this armed robbery, Balasundram said that the robbery itself was only reported to the police six days later on 26th May. Apparently, the victim was prevented from making any police report on the robbery. At this point, the Speaker of the Penang State Assembly, Dato' Abdul Rahman Abbas, knowing what Balasundram was driving at, tried to prevent him from speaking further on the matter but, failed. Balasundram stubbornly stood his ground and revealed further that this incident was connected to an application for an excision of a 13.11 acres hill property to a non hill land so that it would be developed like any other land. (Note: Any land which is more than 250 feet above sea-level is considered as hill land and therefore comes under the purview of the Conservation Act.) In his speech, K. Balasundram demanded: "The Penang State Government must establish a committee of enquiry headed by former Supreme Court judges, like either Tan Sri Chang Min Tatt or Tan Sri Eusoffe Abdoolcader, to investigate into this case since it is said to involve a top politician in the government. This is to clear the good name of the government." Immediately after Balasundram had completed his speech on the above matter, the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Ibrahim Saad, who is also the Chairman of the State Land Committee, jumped to his feet, although Bala did not mention the name of the politician for whom the RM300,000 was meant for. Dr. Ibrahim declared in the House that the matter would be investigated thoroughly. And he even assured Balasundram that the State Government would allow him to sit in this enquiry committee if he so wished. The next day, 2nd June, the Opposition Leader, Lim Kit Siang, again raised this matter which was still surrounded in mystery. Kit Siang shocked the House when he revealed the name of the top BN government politician. Normally one would challenge Kit Siang to repeat the accusation outside the House but the Chief Minister, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, anticipating trouble for the Barisan Nasional government, quickly cut in to declare that the State Government will establish a one-man enquiry committee by him and that he would investigate the matter. And that if anyone was not satisfied with his investigation, then the matter could be brought up in the House. Kit Siang and Dr. Koh had a heated debate on this matter with Dr. Koh maintaining that he, and he alone, will investigate. Kit Siang insisted that it must be investigated by a Committee of House which should not be headed by him (Dr Koh) alone. Following this heated furore over the RM300,000 alleged pay-off, the DAP Assemblyman for Pengkalan Kota, Chow Kon Yeow, moved an amendment to the Motion of Thanks. The amendment was to include the setting up of an Enquiry Committee headed by the Speaker - Dato' Abdul Rahman Abbas, the Chief Minister - Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, Opposition Leader - Lim Kit Siang, State EXCO Member - Dr. Helmy and K. Balasundram with the powers to subpoena any person or body of persons, to investigate the RM300,000 pay-off scandal. However, this amendment was thrown out by the Speaker. It would appear that neither the Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Ibrahim Saad, nor the Chief Minister, Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, is genuinely interested in getting down to the root of this scandal although it has been explicitly said to involve a top BN politician in the House. What had become of this case? Had there ever any investigation done by Dr. Koh Tsu Koon into the alleged bribe. Although this scandal is beyond the committee scope of investigation, I sincerely hope that you would take a second look at this alleged corruption as you can now access into the 1994 minutes or records of Dr. Koh Tsu Koon's lone investigation. | |||||||||||||
| 10 Reasons Why You Should Bother To Protest Posted: 17 Sep 2012 03:52 PM PDT
Perhaps there are many who feel the same way as my friend that protests are a waste of time and that it is too messy. To him and others like him, I'd want to ask, "What are you doing then?" Thomas Fann It was soon after the Bersih 3.0 protest on 28th April, 2012 that I chanced upon a posting on a social media network by someone I knew. Commenting on the huge protest and violence that followed, he said that it is not that he doesn't support the demands of the protesters but he doesn't believe protesting is the way to go as it doesn't solve anything. It is very likely that many a Malaysian echoes the same sentiments and asks the question – Why bother to protest? Can anything good come out of a protest? Some may even agree with the Prime Minister who said this is not our culture. I want to suggest ten reasons why we should bother to protest: Did you know that the supreme law of our land, the Federal Constitution in Article 10(1)(b), states that all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms (weapons)? Unfortunately, subsequent laws passed like the Police Act (Section 27) and its new incarnation, the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012, restricts that right. It can be argued that such restrictions are not in keeping with the intent and spirit of the Constitution which allows us to assemble peaceably. In such cases of inconsistency, we revert back to our supreme law, the Federal Constitution. As law-abiding citizens, our courage and confidence come from knowing this fact. We are still a democracy and every citizen has a right to express their views in a peaceful manner. As you glance through the news today, you'd find people from all over the world protesting on a variety of issues ranging from unemployment to the latest government austerity measures, to the way banks are run and to an offensive film. It is not just happening in so-called "less" democratic countries but more so in countries that cherish democracy. Democracy is not just about casting our votes at the ballot box. It is about us engaging the political process on an ongoing basis through dialogue with lawmakers and government servants, lobbying or petitioning for change in a certain policy, and even protests. Some issues need multi-pronged approach when the authorities are unresponsive. People need a space where they could express their unhappiness and it is imperative that they be given that space. Constant suppression of people's need to release pent-up frustrations could only lead to an explosion of anger as seen in the Arab Spring. Protests are healthy in the way they show up the feelings of the people and are symptoms of some under-pinning problems, not the problem itself. Using the analogy of our body, protests are like fever or cough. A good physician does not only alleviate the symptoms but also treat the root cause, be it a virus or bacteria that is causing the fever or cough. Good governance means allowing room for protests and paying attention to the root cause for it. Issues that affect communities are many and they are all important to those affected by them. Often times issues would not be made known to the rest of the country or the world without a protest. This would especially be true in a country where the press and media are not free. How else would we know about problems in our electoral roll and process, about Lynas, Bukit Koman and Pengerang, if not for the series of Bersih and Himpunan Hijau protests? How many more injustices and abuses have gone unnoticed because it was not highlighted by the press and no protest was organised? Protests draw our attention to issues that may or may not directly affect us but at least we know about them and can decide what to do about it. It would not be wrong to say that much of the course of world history is shaped by direct actions of the people. Rulers who failed to serve the interest of their subjects are ALWAYS removed, eventually. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." Protests led by Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, anti-apartheid protests worldwide, democracy movements in South Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Myanmar and Middle East have brought about seismic changes in their countries. On the local front, the Bersih protests has forced the EC to implement some changes like the use of indelible ink and promises of reforms to the other demands. While it is true that it still falls short of the true reforms we are asking for, it has forced the authority to consider the demands. If any of the demands are not fulfilled, they would have served to educate the voters of the problems and for Issues like injustices, freedom, corruption, abuses of power, crime, land grab and the environment affect all regardless of race and religion. As a participant in a number of protests over the past couple of years, I can tell you one of the most exhilarating experiences was the joy and privilege of marching side by side with Malaysians of all races, faith, age, and social backgrounds. It was a cleansing experience, being washed clean of years of state sponsored prejudices against our fellow citizens. When we protest against our shared common concerns, we realize that we share a common desire for a better future. Underneath all the things that make us different, we realize that we are just fellow humans. The role of the governing authority is to facilitate peaceful protests and to maintain law and order. What all of us, the protesters and the government, should want is a peaceful assembly. Only a very small minority would want a violent and chaotic assembly. If the stated intent and planning of the protest organiser is towards a peaceful assembly, there is no reason why the authority and the police cannot facilitate it. They just need to provide a public space large enough for the protesters, divert the traffic, deal reasonably with anyone who wants to break the peace, and allow the protest to proceed. We have to ask ourselves why they would want to hinder, politicize, demonize and outright attack innocent protesters unless they feel that their shortcomings are being exposed? For too long we have had a one-party political system, given that the opposition has always been weak until 2008. Now that we are moving towards a two-party system, we can take heart our democracy is maturing. Another key component of a matured democracy is the active involvement of the citizens. Some would call this the Third Force. It is needed to hold the politicians in check, to ensure that the promises made during elections are kept. The awakening that our country experienced in 2008 was the awakening of the Rakyat and it is here to stay. Don't let others struggle for us but stand in solidarity with those who share our belief and are overcoming their fears to make a stand for what is right. It is all too easy to click "Like" on Facebook or even to give money but at the end of the day it is about numbers. Authorities only take notice when there are big numbers of protesters. I joined in my first protest at Bersih 2.0 because I didn't want to let others do the fighting (struggle) for me. I want to be there for my own family and for my country. Rather than doing nothing and complaining about things, you are doing something when you protest with others who feel the same way as you do. Admittedly, protest is not the only way to go but sometimes it is the only option left when all other attempts are met with indifference or disdain. Perhaps there are many who feel the same way as my friend that protests are a waste of time and that it is too messy. To him and others like him, I'd want to ask, "What are you doing then?" Turning up at a protest is the least we can do. As a nation, we are going through the throes of growing pains and it does look messy – dirty politics, corruption, vote-buying, gangster tactics, hate speeches, expose of scandals after scandals and of course, mega protests. These are normal and will soon pass if we do not give up struggling for justice and for the preservation of our democracy. We can gain courage from countries like South Korea and Taiwan whose people have to struggle to set their country free from military juntas not too long ago. But once freedom was achieved and democracy established, their countries flourish and today are shining examples of prosperity and peace. Yes, it was messy during transition but it was well worth it. To the argument that it is not our culture, one only has to look at the history of our nation. UMNO who held mass protests against the Malayan Union and the road to independence was one of protest right up to 1957 and there has always been protests in the subsequent years. Perhaps there are few men who had to struggle with this matter of protestation in the modern context of a democratic society as much as Martin Luther King, Jr. He has this to say. "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. The true neighbor will risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others." Protesting is not a matter of our culture or not. It is a human need to be heard and for our views to be respected. No more excuses, pack your salt and bottle of water, our voices must be heard. | |||||||||||||
| Najib is the easier prey for Pakatan than Muhyiddin Posted: 17 Sep 2012 03:48 PM PDT  Many in UMNO felt Najib had been giving in too much to public pressure, which they believed was due to Pakatan Rakyat's campaign. Muhyiddin's firmness in not negotiating and not being apologetic to BN leaders who questioned the Evidence Act's amendment boded well with such sentiments. Prime Minister Najib Razak's 1Malaysia seems to be contradictory to this plan of UMNO. He still puts hopes in regaining non-Malay support for BN. It is not difficult to understand why. He must do better than Abdullah Badawi's record in 2008 or else risk being booted out as UMNO president in the party election that was delayed to pave way for 13th GE. On the other hand, his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin's declaration of 'Malay First, Malaysian Second' and recent strong stand in support of Section 114A if the Evidence Act have won support of UMNO members. Many in UMNO felt Najib had been giving in too much to public pressure, which they believed was due to Pakatan Rakyat's campaign. Muhyiddin's firmness in not negotiating and not being apologetic to BN leaders who questioned the Evidence Act's amendment boded well with such sentiments. PR should take note of this and make sure Najib continues to lead UMNO into 13th GE. Together with his wife Rosmah Mansor, a Najib-led UMNO-BN will be much easier prey for PR and Anwar Ibrahim. The road to Putrajaya for Pakatan is certainly easier with Najib at the helm. However, while Muhyiddin can convince UMNO that he is the better leader, he may find it hard to find support from BN component parties. But since non-Malay votes are already considered a lost cause, UMNO may just consider going it alone with Muhyiddin to shore up Malay votes to 70 percent, something they cannot achieve with Najib's 1Malaysia. | |||||||||||||
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