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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• Defining our political future
• Najib’s election dilemma
• Replacing national flag: chasing after fantasy demons?
• Save Malaysia before it’s too late!
• Malaysians are a load of bullshit
• Malaysian gold strike
• Sacked DAP man eyes Pandamaran
• Perceptions, Illusions & Reality
• Cocky BN needs to repent
• ‘Pakatan ready for polls… but will it be fair?’
• Kehadiran Anwar: Sultan S’gor tidak gembira
• Umno fears a revived Usno?
• Election And Other Stories From Open Houses
• Lajim’s defection is not Umno’s loss
• ‘Kenapa baru sekarang nak timbulkan bendera merah putih?’ Khoo Kay Kim
• Let the pictures do the talking
• DAP urged to act against Karpal on anti-hudud views
• Anwar invite irks Sultan
• DAP chief seeks end to feud with PKR
• Replacing national flag: chasing after fantasy demons?
• Umno, state your stand on hudud
• Delay polls and risk punishment

Defining our political future Posted: 03 Sep 2012 09:48 AM PDT You must remember that it is Najib or Anwar – two individuals impossibly flawed by their years in Umno. Two individuals that are cut from the same cloth by the same self-titled bespoke tailor that was Umno. CT Ali Who will get your vote? Najib Tun Razak or Anwar Ibrahim? Will your political affiliation decide your choice or would quality of leadership matters? Honesty, compassion, integrity, confidence and flexibility are all qualities impossible to find in abundance in either of them when political leaders should have all of these qualities – and more. Najib is at best mediocre. He plods around bemused and befuddled by the unfamiliar situation he now finds around him – Rosmah Mansor, the cut and thrust of Umno and Barisan Nasional politics and his own inadequacies swirl around him in ever concentric eddies that threaten to whirl him away to places unknown. Anwar does trip the light fantastic at times. A charming chameleon who can make himself to be the person we want him to be with just that hint of sincerity that allows us to think that maybe, just maybe that is the real Anwar. And yet the next day he goes off at a tangent because the political expediency needed in juggling Pakatan Rakyat gives him no other option but to do so. Will our choices be based on what is good and right and in the best interest of the nation as a whole? Perish that thought. We are humans and as humans, we reserve the right and the privilege of choosing a leader we think will do good to us. And there my friends lies the confidence and bravado that Najib and Anwar have in their belief that the Malaysian people might choose either of them as prime minister. Surely those right-thinking people among us (of which… ahem… this writer thinks himself as one) would have consigned either of them to that heap where the "not to be resuscitated" sign should tell us that they are both past their use-by-date. But we humans are not creatures of rationality. But this is Malaysia. We have no others. So Najib or Anwar it is. Defining our political future If it was a matter of choosing between Najib and Anwar, then I say that Najib is the lesser of the two men. But the lesser of the two men is now the prime minister of our nation. Those of you who do not want Barisan Nasional say you are tired of the corruption, the abuse of executive power for political and personal financial gain and the total lack of good governance displayed by BN leaders. Those who do not wish to see Pakatan in government talks about the impossibility and improbability of having three diametrically opposed political entities (now together within the Pakatan coalition for political gain) working in tandem for the common good of the nation and its people. How could these three once opposing political organisation be held together just because of their hatred for Umno? We are moving towards the 13th general election and toward our future with all these dilemmas unresolved – not the best of situations but that is all that we have. The pity of it all is that it will still be with us whether we vote for Najib or Anwar. So what are we to do? What should we do? What must we do? What can we "janji" to do? We need to move towards good governance. And the bottom line to good governance is a vibrant democracy. Only then will we have sustainable and equitable economic growth and political stability. This we will not have with the present crop of political leaders now in power and even among those waiting to gain or seize political power. We need to define the culture of our political future. We do not want leaders who seek to gain or remain in power by the manipulations of ethnic or religious sentiments. There are not just Malays and the "others" in Malaysia. We are all one people. Let us no longer talk about Ketuanan Melayu, the institution of royalty, about educating our children in schools that accentuate their ethnicity while ignoring the realities of a society that now demand equality in opportunities and the personal freedom to decide and express their voice in politics, education and in everything that affects their life and the life of their family and the nation they live in. We already have independence. We already have national integration a long time ago. Now we want the freedom to go on with our life the best way we can – and the function of government is to facilitate that demand. We want and we will choose a government that can do that. We will not allow Najib or Anwar to lead us elsewhere. If the two of them want their political kingdom, then their political kingdom must conform to our aspiration of what we want. Who your father is, who you are, what race you belong to, what language you speak, what your religion is and where you are coming from politically no longer matters to us – what matters is that we will have our Malaysia. You ignore these demands at your own peril. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/09/04/defining-our-political-future/

Najib’s election dilemma Posted: 03 Sep 2012 09:34 AM PDT Each time the election has been put off, it has either been in the wake of a scandal revelation — such as the National Feedlot Corporation — or after a mass rally such as those involving the electoral reform movement Bersih. Bridget Welsh When will Malaysia's 13th general election (GE) be held? Pundits continue to speculate on the election timing, with views ranging from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak making a surprise announcement to speculation that he will go the full term. One thing is certain: the polls have to be held before the end of June next year. The person who appears most reluctant to hold the polls is Najib himself. He is now Malaysia's longest serving prime minister without his own electoral mandate — either from his own party, Umno, that has not held elections since 2008 — or from Malaysians. The pressure to call the polls and deliver a comfortable majority remains intense. Najib's predecessor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was forced to resign when he failed to win two-thirds of the parliamentary seats in the 2008 GE. Based on fieldwork and polling, of the 222 seats up for grabs, 84 per cent of them are "competitive" — and with the Barisan Nasional (BN) and the opposition having about the same number of "safe seats". It is thus not surprising that Najib has repeatedly delayed facing the electorate. Multiple windows for the GE have been by-passed. Instead, Najib has worked diligently to earn popular support with the aim of tying his personal popularity to a victory for his ruling coalition. DIMINISHING RETURNS His clock is ticking, as there is less than a year left before the GE will have to be called. The longer Najib waits, the more uncertainty he faces, with the real prospect of diminishing electoral returns. Part of this is a product of the hype surrounding the earlier windows to hold the election. By failing to call the polls on repeated occasions after the election machinery was ramped up and candidate lists forwarded, Najib fuels a possible perception of weakness, as the delays are read as a lack of confidence on his part. Najib also opens himself up to further uncertainties. Each time the election has been put off, it has either been in the wake of a scandal revelation — such as the National Feedlot Corporation — or after a mass rally such as those involving the electoral reform movement Bersih. A pattern has set in — where weaknesses in Najib's political reform efforts have been showcased, only to lead to further efforts to reconsolidate support. The question Malaysians are asking is what will come next. Most are saturated with stories of scandal and intrigue, but ultimately the longer the delay, the greater the possibility of further revelations and civil society mobilisation. This was the pattern in 2007-2008 and it is already repeating itself, as illustrated by the recent protest against the controversial amendments to section 114A of the Evidence Act 1950. The changes presume that a person is guilty for anything written on their websites and social media mediums. STATE OF THE ECONOMY The most serious unknowns Najib faces with his delaying tactics involve the economy. Malaysia has performed well in terms of growth under his watch — an average of 5.8 per cent growth in the three years. Yet the economy is closely tied to global trends. Slowing growth in China, recession threats in Europe and a lacklustre economic recovery in the United States, cast real shadows on Najib's political fortunes. A slowdown is already evident, with third-quarter growth figures dropping to 5.4 per cent. Najib's government has also been unable to stave off the impact of global inflation. In the first six months of this year, stealthily but steadily prices for fuel have risen, with a 10-sen rise in the month before Hari Raya Puasa alone. The attention to the economy calls into question Najib's main strategy of using financial handouts to win support. Billions of ringgit have been doled out to constituents in a variety of forms, from vouchers to disadvantaged families to salary bonuses. More are expected in the upcoming Budget this month, the second year in a row the Budget will have been used as an apparent election primer. While the influx of public sector cash in the economy has boosted consumption, little attention has centred on the long-term implications of short-term allocations and deficit spending. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/najibs-election-dilemma-bridget-welsh/

Replacing national flag: chasing after fantasy demons? Posted: 03 Sep 2012 09:28 AM PDT Here we are not talking about some naughty politicians politicking, but the entire top hierarchy of the Malaysian government making unfounded accusations that are grave and obviously far-fetched.    Kim Quek As tension continues to mount ahead of the imminent general election, almost the entire top heirarchy of the incumbent Barisan Nasional government appears to have gone bonkers.  Two apparently well-meaning youths displayed a flag that looked similar but different from the national flag as a token to commemorate unsung heroes of independence at an independence eve rally, and lo and behold, the entire top leadership of Umno jumped instantly into a frenzy of wild accusations against the opposition without any proof. Prime Minister Najib Razak accused the opposition of wanting to replace the national flag, and warned of many more undesirable changes including the institution of royalty, should the opposition alliance come to power. Minister of International Trade and Industry Mustapa Mohamed warned of a plot to amend the constitution and to turn the current constitutional monarchy into a republic. Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Noh Omar said that in wanting to replace the national flag, the opposition has lost direction, and shown signs of power crazy even before they are in power. Minister of Home Affairs Hishamuddin Hussein said he would act decisively against the "perpetrators of the provocative act", adding that the police have started investigation, and the attorney general will prosecute upon obtaining sufficient evidence. Many other Umno ministers also launched similar attacks against the opposition simultaneously, including Rural and Regional Development Minister Shafie Apdal and Youth and Sports Minister Shabery Cheek. Meanwhile, the police announced in its face book page that it was launching a man-hunt on the offenders who "tried to change the national flag", saying that such act "violates the federal constitution and the democratic process", which is a breach of the Sedition Act. ACCUSATION DEBUNKED Amidst this furor, two youths promptly appeared on the scene to debunk the story of changing flag. Blogger Serigala Selatan, a student, claimed in his blog posting that he and a friend Zairi Shafai were the duo who showed the flag in question, known as Sang Saka Malaya.  It was a flag used by pre-independence nationalists during their struggle to gain independence for then Malaya.  As the story of their struggles has been erased from the official history, they wanted to remind the country of the existence of these forgotten heroes by displaying the Sang Saka Malaya on this commemorative occasion. Serigala said they have not the slightest intention to replace the national flag (known as Jalur Gemilang) with Sang Saka Malaya, from which the Jalur Gemilang has evolved. Meanwhile, top leaders of Pakatan Rakyat instantly and flatly denied that they ever conceived the idea of changing the national flag. HILARIOUS BUT SERIOUS MISCONDUCT Judging from the ferocity and intensity with which so many Umno ministers jumpted to the attacks, one would have imagined that the opposition must have been caught red handed in the act of committing the highest treason against the country, but alas, the truth turns out to be simply that these senior Umno leaders have been acting like a bunch of hyper-imaginative kids chasing after some fantasy demons, as there is neither a shred of evidence nor any credibility whatsoever to their accusations. As DAP leader Lim Kit Siang succinctly put it, "the change of national flag is never a Pakatan Rakyat agenda and has never been discussed or raised in any Pakatan meeting". In fact, the entire episode is so bizarre and funny that it would have made a hilarious Hollywood comedy, if not for the serious implications it carries for the nation. Here we are not talking about some naughty politicians politicking, but the entire top hierarchy of the Malaysian government making unfounded accusations that are grave and obviously far-fetched.   Such weird conduct by the ruling clique suggests that they are either dim-witted or dangerously deceitful, or perhaps both. Whatever case it is, it means our country is in terribly bad hands. Needless to say, this is another serious setback for BN along its bumbling road to defend a political power that looks more precarious by the day.

Save Malaysia before it’s too late! Posted: 03 Sep 2012 09:07 AM PDT Now, did the police act as swiftly as they are doing now when similar behaviours were displayed by BN supporters, especially the racist and violent Perkasa, an Umno outsource. Lim Victor NEVER mind what and how the mainstream print and electronic media reports paint a rosy picture of Barisan Nasiona (BN) and the government. Hardly any sane, educated and intelligent Malaysian believes such reports by the BN-controlled media because the reports insult our intelligence most of the time. Such reports also display disgusted blind loyalty to the BN and to many, such media has been described as prostituting journalism. What is more worrying to Malaysians in general is the way the 55-year-old government is turning a blind eye to the many negative reports in the internet or cyber world. Whether the negative reports are inaccurate or lies is another matter. When a government doesn't give a damn to feedback from the people, it is a sign of arrogance, one of the main reasons for the fall of empires and governments – for Malaysia, it is the BN. Many of the reports that appear in the internet daily include allegations of corruption and abuse of power – another two factors for historic downfalls. The fact that allegations hurled against the BN and its leaders are ignored and not rebutted or followed with legal action speaks volumes of the authenticity of the allegations. And when such allegations are not appropriately acted upon by the police and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), the rakyat (citizens) and the country are in serious trouble. It is a clear sign of lawlessness fermenting in the country. Take the recent court judgments and sentencing of two men found guilty of committing statutory rape. They were freed! On grounds that custodial sentences would spoil their future and that the underage girls had consented! Since when consent, ignorance and the future of those found guilty are valid legal reasons to free rapists! I say the two freed from committing statutory rape were freed due to political influence – of course BN! If the victims were the children of the Opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders, they would be jailed immediately and their crime politicised to the hilt to damage the reputation of such leaders. Another recent example is the way the BN-police are trying to bring to book those who stomped the pictures of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, his wife and the Election Commission Chairman on the eve of Independence Day (Merdeka Day). Now, did the police act as swiftly as they are doing now when similar behaviours were displayed by BN supporters, especially the racist and violent Perkasa, an Umno outsource. This leads to the people questioning the biasness of law enforcement in this country. All these mounting poor governance is certainly doing a disservice to the people and the confidence of both local and foreign investors. No businessmen will want to invest in a country that is displaying clear signs of double-standards in law enforcement - one for those in the Corridors Of Power and another for those not with the BN government. That, my friends, will turn Malaysia into a really pariah state in the eyes of the world, if left unchecked!   I reproduce here a very pertinent and related malaysiakini report: CM:  So, how about Perkasa burning my photo?  DAP says it strongly condemns and disapproves the act of several individuals who stepped on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's picture during the Merdeka eve celebration.However, its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng asks, why the BN did not act against the Perkasa members who burnt and stepped on his pictures outside his office. Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, said the BN was practising selective prosecution and double standards by intending to take action only against those who stepped on Najib's picture. He wants Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to give an assurance that his ministry would act decisively and expedite the legal process against the BN perpetrators of similar provocative acts on Pakatan Rakyat leaders. "To date, there is no court action taken against the BN political desperadoes who showed disrespect to portraits of PR leaders. "Clearly, BN practises selective prosecution, double standards and even outright racism by not expressing the same indignation and demands for stern action against extremist Perkasa members who burnt or stepped on my portrait outside my Komtar office. "They even performed funeral rites with my portrait outside my house. Why was there no action taken against those who behaved in a similar manner against Bersih 2.0 co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan outside her home?" Lim asked. He said that while non-Malay BN component party ministers were demanding action after the prime minister's picture was stepped on, there was no comment when this was done to a Chinese chief minister's picture. Lim was commenting on several people who stomped on Najib's picture's on Merdeka eve and the flying of the Sang Saka Malaya flag. Lim accused Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon was irresponsible in blaming the opposition for such an act, which he said was clearly not. "Secondly, Koh's condemnation of the PM's picture-stomping incident, while keeping mum when my own picture was burnt and funeral rites performed with my image, only exposes Koh's double standards and subservience to Umno. "Neither did Koh press for any action to be taken on similar protests against Ambiga, who had also to suffer the indignity of having a "butt-dance" performed as well as a "burger protest" in which beef burgers were grilled outside her home, despite the fact that she is a Hindu and a vegetarian," he said. This only showed BN's attitude in that it was prepared to exploit extremist racial and divisive politics to win the coming general election, Lim added.

Malaysians are a load of bullshit Posted: 02 Sep 2012 10:42 PM PDT   Again, no cheong hei article, just a short post to tell you that the total collection so far over the last one week for the Nurul Izzah Anwar election fund is only RM24,145.00. ABU konon. You can't even put your money where your mouth is. Yes, let's vote for change, just as long as someone else pays for it and we don't have to do anything. ATPB: Asal tak pelu bayar. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin READ MORE HERE: Battle Royale in Lembah Pantai (UPDATED WITH BANK ACCOUNT DETAILS)

Malaysian gold strike Posted: 02 Sep 2012 09:13 PM PDT Nik Ibrahim is LionGold executive chairman and group CEO. A Malaysian-backed, SGX-listed gold miner hits RM2.5bil market cap KUALA LUMPUR: Recently, an article in the Sydney Morning Herald highlighted the maverick moves of a US-based fund manager, Andres Weiss, of making a killing by merely following the aggressive acquisitions of gold mining companies by one Singapore Exchange (SGX) listed company called LionGold Corp Ltd. Since last October, Weiss Asset Management has bought into LionGold takeover targets Signature Metals Ltd and Castlemaine Gold Ltd, both listed on the Australian stock exchange (ASX) in classic arbitrage plays, the paper reported. (Arbitrage plays refer to situations where investors take positions in target companies in takeovers, betting that the announced deal will come to fruition, thereby gaining from the small premium of the takeover price versus the market price.) What made that article even more interesting is that LionGold was described as a Malaysian-backed company. Checks with LionGold revealed that its executive chairman and group CEO is Tan Sri Nik Ibrahim Kamil, who is famed for his tenure at the helm of KFC Holdings Bhd for a period of around two years from 2006 and also as the former managing director of the NSTP group. Golden opportunity: An aerial view of Castlemaine's Ballarat gold mine, one of LionGold's acquired assets. The other Malaysian element of LionGold is that its single largest shareholder, with a 10% stake, is SGX-listed Asiasons Capital Group Ltd, a private equity fund founded by Malaysians Datuk Jared Lim, Datuk Mohammed Azlan Hashim and chartered accountant Ng Teck Wah back in 2007. LionGold's growth story is an impressive one. It now boasts a market capitalisation of around S$1bil (RM2.5bil) and is touted by some as being among the fastest growing gold mining companies in the world. It has also attracted the likes of Nomura Holdings Inc, Macquarie Bank Ltd and the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners Exchange Trade Fund (ETF) to emerge as substantial shareholders. (The ETF belongs to New York-based asset manager Van Eck Global which had launched the ETF in 2009 aimed at giving investors there exposure to small and mid-cap gold mining companies.) Through its aggressive M&A strategy, LionGold now has control over three producing gold mines and a few more mines that are close to the production stage. In an interview with StarBiz, Nik Ibrahim said that LionGold "is touching production figures of nearly 6,000 ounces (of gold) per month, and growing." He added: "We control directly or indirectly nearly 15 million ounces of JORC compliant gold resources." (JORC is the established code for the reporting of exploration results, prepared by the Joint Ore Reserves Committee or JORC of Australia.) LionGold's modus operandi, it seems, it to take advantage of cash-strapped, small and mid-sized listed gold miners, that are trading at a fraction of their true value, in markets such as ASX. "We saw this aberration in the market. While the price of gold was high, the equity prices of a number of gold mining companies were falling," he said, adding that LionGold then did a close study of such companies, many of which had spent millions in exploration and drilling and which already had proven JORC compliant resources and reserves. But due to the fall out from the Lehman's crisis and the subsequent bearish markets in the Western world, these companies ended up cash-strapped as investors shunned them and ended up trading at a fraction of their net worth. Asiasons' Lim added: "We positioned LionGold in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Asiasons steered LionGold into an "aggregator" and "accelerator" model and leveraged on our corporate finance expertise to identify undervalued mines, with significant potential, to acquire. We have financial strength to provide the necessary capital to the mines, an attractive and liquid platform to be able to attract shareholders to swap shares with LionGold and the operational acumen to be able to accelerate the production of the acquired mines." LionGold's modus operandi in many of its recent M&As has been to acquire a placement of new shares from the target company, thereby ensuring a fresh injection of capital into these companies. After being satisfied with the value of these companies, LionGold would then proceed to make an offer to buy out the rest of the shareholders in the target company, paying them mostly in LionGold shares. Lim: 'We positioned LionGold in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity". "Our pitch was that we are a "consolidater" of junior miners and we have a plant to inject capital, new management and technologies into the target companies. Just as important, is the fact that the SGX-listed LionGold is highly liquid stock and its share price has been appreciating. The ASX-listed targets though, were just the opposite. So the appeal to investors (of target companies) is immense," said Nik Ibrahim. This model had been used to acquire 76% in Signature Metals (which in turn owns a 70% interest in the Konogo Gold project in Ghana) and 98% of Castlemaine (that owns the state-of-the-art Ballarat Mine in Central Victoria, Australia). LionGold has also taken a 10% stake in ASX-listed Citigold Corp, that has 11 million ounces of JORC compliant gold resources and its mine in Queensland, Australia, is touted as Australia's "highest grade gold field". Through other M&As involving ASX-listed entities, LionGold has secured control over gold mines in Tasmania and Bolivia and recently started the process to acquire 60% of the Papua New Guinea operations of another ASX-listed gold miner. No wonder then that LionGold has been getting more media attention in Australia than Malaysia or even Singapore. The Aussies and fund managers like Weiss are likely to be watching LionGold even closer now. Nik Ibrahim said LionGold was still in its acquisitive phase. "But the time will come soon when LionGold's M&As will slow down in order to focus on rationalising the assets we've already consumed," he said.

Sacked DAP man eyes Pandamaran Posted: 02 Sep 2012 08:56 PM PDT Tee Boon Hock says Ronnie Liu has failed his constituents. Athi Shankar, FMT KLANG: Sacked DAP grassroots leader Tee Boon Hock plans to contest in Pandamaran as an independent candidate if the party fields incumbent Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew for that state constituency. He referred to the Selangor executive councillor as an "opportunist" and "tainted candidate" who had failed to deliver anything worthwhile to his constituents since he was elected in 2008. If the DAP were to nominate such a person as its candidate for Pandamaran, he told FMT, "it will ignite my morale and determination" to contest for the seat. He alleged that Liu had been unable to uphold DAP's socialist ideals. Tee, who joined DAP in 1984, was sacked in July 2010 for allegedly misusing Liu's official letterhead to secure contracts for his cronies, an accusation he rejects. He also lost his seat in the Klang Municipal Council. He sought election in Pandamaran in 1999 and 2004 and lost on both occasions. He made way for Liu in the 2008 election. They were then close friends. "Since I was the one who proposed him for Pandamaran, I admit and take full responsibility for the mistake," he said. "I sincerely apologise to the people of Pandamaran for his shortcomings and failures." Tee said he hoped that the DAP leadership would, for the coming polls, field candidates with "credibility, high integrity, dignity and honesty" and who were team players able to work closely with grassroots leaders to serve the public. He said elected representatives must be familiar with issues affecting their constituents and have the ability to solve problems at the grassroots. "A representative should work with, by and for his voters." He said DAP leaders had deviated from the party's principles and that its CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) governance had become an empty boast. He accused them of having distanced themselves from the public and working only for their own materialistic gains. He described the running of the Selangor government as a "comedy of errors" and said the Shah Alam administration was infested with abuse of power, graft, cronyism and nepotism. "The CAT has become a sham and a gimmick and DAP has lost its credibility," he said.

Perceptions, Illusions & Reality Posted: 02 Sep 2012 05:22 PM PDT But, we have yet to hear his stand on the death penalty or whipping, and even if he had made a stand on those issues, it was not articulated with the same intensity as his stand on Hudud. Matthias Chang, FutureFastForward Please observe the following pictures: You would agree that in the top picture, the upper horizontal line is longer than the lower; in the middle picture, the left vertical line is longer than the right; and in the bottom picture, the top horizontal line is longer that the lower. But, let me assure you that if you measure the lines, they are exactly the same length. The above three pictures are commonly referred to as the Muller-Lyer illusion and is one of the most famous of illusions. It was created by German psychiatrist Franz Muller-Lyer in 1889. Now that you know for a fact that the lines are exactly the same length, yet whenever you look at the three pictures, you or rather your mind refuses to acknowledge the reality that the lines are of the same length. Try as hard as you can, your eyes refuse to acknowledge the reality. What has this got to do with political propaganda? Let me explain. Whenever we make a judgment, conclusion and or a decision, we are often affected by what we see and intuitively we make a hasty decision because we believe that our eyes don't lie. This is even so, when as stated above, the lines are of the exact same length, our eyes somehow refuse to accept the reality and this "refusal" persists to the extent that we refuse and or fail to rectify this apparent error. Look at the three pictures again and did your experience not confirm what I have stated? You can see how stubborn we can be in not acknowledging the reality. Once we have made a major decision solely on the basis of an observation (as in the case above) we find it very difficult to change our mind or our decisions, even though we know that it is wrong. Call it "ego", "stubbornness" or whatever, but it is the sad reality that we often cling on to this illusion. Now let me apply the Muller-Lyer illusion to politics, specifically propaganda in politics. Let us now analyse the idiotic stance of one of our politicians from the Opposition coalition, Mr. Karpal Singh and his judgment, decision and or conclusion that he must oppose Hudud come hell or high water. He perceives himself as the champion of the secular society and has said that Hudud can only be implemented over his dead body. Such bravado! But, what is the reality? Obviously, if two-thirds of the members of parliament were to legislate that Hudud be implemented, there is nothing Karpal Singh can do about it, more so when he is dead and buried. Some would even say – good riddance! Again, who is Karpal Singh to insist that members of PAS who are Muslims have no right to promote and or even demand that Hudud be implemented as part of their political agenda? It is the religious belief of the PAS members that as Muslims, they must implement Hudud, no matter how galling it may be for Karpal Singh. Likewise, who are we to judge Karpal Singh as a deviant and a traitor to his religion for not wearing a turban as is required of all those who profess Sikhism as their faith? DOWNLOAD HERE

Cocky BN needs to repent Posted: 02 Sep 2012 05:11 PM PDT Before fingers are pointed at Pakatan for doing a bad job, it will do BN good to take a good look at itself and realise how how bad a track record it has. Jeswan Kaur, FMT Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the country's former longest-serving prime minister, wants the rakyat to vote for Barisan Nasional come the 13th general election. His reason is that the federal government under the Barisan Nasional was all ears and had changed many laws and policies to bring a better future for the people. Thanks but no thanks, Mahathir; had BN been listening, there would have been no reason for the "Bersih" saga to take place. If all was well at the polls, the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections or Bersih, would not have taken to the streets, not one or twice but thrice. And did the BN government listen then? No! Why then must the rakyat vote BN back into power, if all BN does is to "monopolise" its existence and hoodwink the people into believing that it cares? Had BN been a good listener as Mahathir is desperately alluding, there would have been much peace and harmony among the people. In the over five decades that BN has held the nation's fort, much damage has been done, all because its leaders chose to give in to corruption and their never-ending hunger for more power. On the contrary, the opposition under the Pakatan Rakyat banner has only had a taste of "calling the shots" since 2008; has it in just four years done as much damage to the nation as BN has been doing for the past 55 years? For Mahathir to brag that only BN can determine the survival of the nation is implausible as the fate of the country does not lie in the hands of BN; likewise, Pakatan too should not claim it can do wonders for a nation whose people are slowly but surely being torn apart by racial slurs made by the very politicians who had once pledged to keep the nation united. Too many mistakes made Still, given time and experience, the opposition can deliver, provided it ties up all "loose ends" and all three parties under it – PKR, DAP and PAS – work in unison. Any attempt by Mahathir or the likes of him to conjure up a "prima facie" case in the favour of BN is not going to work. Too many deliberate mistakes have been made by BN time and again, a reflection of its disrespect for the very voters who ensured its survival over the years. Is BN willing to "repent", to take cognisance of all its wrongdoings and pledge never to take the rakyat for granted? Can Mahathir give the people the assurance that BN has turned over a new leaf? Clearly, the former premier is unable for the "sludge" covering BN is beyond cleansing; the repeated acts of corruption tell the people that BN has become "too big for its shoes", its arrogance shrouding all promises made to the rakyat. The instances are one too many. The controversial listing of the Felda Global Ventures Holdings is aimed at putting BN in the good books of the people; but really, why will the rakyat bother trusting the federal government when it knows, come what may, BN will never put an end to corruption, a scourge that is here to stay. BN had no qualms appointing Isa Abdul Samad, the former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar who was suspended from Umno for engaging in money politics, as the chairman of Felda. Is this what Mahathir means by "BN listening to the rakyat"? The day BN gets serious in wanting to "listen to the rakyat", it will make an end of corrupt politicians like Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud. Until then, it is pointless for Mahathir to beg for the rakyat's support in ensuring BN's victory in the coming general election. BN selfish Before fingers are pointed at Pakatan for doing a bad job since it came on board four years ago, it will do BN good to take a good look at itself and realise how how bad a track record it has. Post-May 13, 1969 racial riots, did BN learn its lesson and work at strengthening unity among the people? No; instead, the racial divide became wider to the extent that the non-Malays have been made to feel "out of place" in their own homeland. Was it not Mahathir who last year cautioned the non-Malays not to get carried away with the life enjoyed in this country, saying they owed it all to the Malays, the real "owners" of this nation? Did it ever bother Mahathir how the non-Malays and maybe a handful of Malays must have felt each time Umno at its general assembly promised to wage war against the non-Malays should they dare question Article 153 of the Federal Constitution which safeguards Malay rights and privileges? Is this how BN pays attention to the rakyat's woes? READ MORE HERE

‘Pakatan ready for polls… but will it be fair?’ Posted: 02 Sep 2012 05:00 PM PDT Pakatan is confident of taking over Putrajaya if polls are held in November, but expresses doubt that the short notice is enough to clean up the 'dirty election roll'. Anisah Shukry, FMT Pakatan Rakyat is ready for a possible November general election, opposition leaders said today, but added that they were not prepared to face a "dirty election roll" which could hamper their win. Yesterday, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had emphasised heavily on his favourite number 11 in a speech in Sandakan – an indication that he may call for a general election as early as November, The Star reported. "Six times 11 equals 66, five times 11 equals 55 and 2 times 11 equals 22. The 11 factor appears in all, it is unique and good," Najib was quoted as saying, in reference to Umno's age, Malaysia's 55th National Day and Sabah Umno's age. PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar said that Pakatan had been long prepared to take on Barisan Nasional in the general election, but it was unlikely that the Election Commission (EC) would be able to clean the electoral roll by November. "We have been prepared since the beginning. The only thing we are not prepared for is the dirty electoral roll. We are not ready for that," he told FMT when asked to comment on the November polls speculation. "We just want clean and fair management of the elections. Is the EC ready? There are many issues they must handle such as phantom voters, immigrants given citizenship, etc, " he said. He was referring to the influx of immigrants in Sabah who are said to be given blue identity MyKad in return for a vote for the ruling government. Although the government had recently announced it would set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to look into the issue, it has yet to officially appoint the commissioners. "Is the EC capable of solving all this by November?" Mahfuz said, his voice tinged with scepticism. FMT has attempted to contact the EC for comments, but was unable to obtain a response. Meanwhile, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar also confirmed that Pakatan was prepared to take on BN at whatever time, including November, as they were forced to rely on the prime minister to decide on the dates. "As the opposition in Malaysia, subservient to PM [with regard to] general election dates, we have little choice except to be very ready," the Lembah Pantai MP said in an e-mail to FMT. Najib has consistently delayed calls for an election that must be held before BN's mandate expires in April next year. The November polls "hint" is merely one among many that have been spotted by political analysts and various sources throughout this year. "We've been taking the multiple hints seriously to date. Looking to the escalation of violence and the prime minister's penchant for using malicious allegations this Merdeka, it seems that a November election might be a real possibility," Nurul said. She was referring to Najib's accusation that Pakatan was masterminding a plan to change the national flag after several individuals were spotted waving flags with altered designs during last Thursday's Independence Day countdown in Dataran Merdeka. But despite Najib's finger-pointing, Nurul said she was very confident in the wisdom of the rakyat "predicated upon free and fair elections, devoid of political violence and scare-mongering tactics". Pakatan's shadow cabinet When asked whether Pakatan would be revealing its shadow cabinet soon in response to the speculation of looming polls, Nurul was coy. "We will make sure the work of our shadow committees is presented to the public," she said. "Lest we forget, Pakatan's commitment is towards a lean cabinet – and our prime minister will not simultaneously hold other portfolios – such as finance and women's ministry – which have hit a snag in recent times," she said, in an apparent jab towards Najib. Najib, aside from being the prime minister as well as the finance minister, had taken over the position of Women, Family and Community Minister in April this year after its former minister Shahrizat Jalil had stepped down following the National Feedlot Corporation scandal. Nurul also said that the public can be prepared for a host of other policy pronouncements from Pakatan prior to the election, adding that Pakatan was currently working towards a joint manifesto. READ MORE HERE

Kehadiran Anwar: Sultan S’gor tidak gembira Posted: 02 Sep 2012 04:43 PM PDT   Tuanku Sultan malahan tertanya-tanya mengapa Anwar dijemput ke majlis itu sehingga diberi slot untuk memberikan ucapan pada malam tersebut.    Fazy Sahir, FMT   Sultan Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah tidak gembira dengan kehadiran Ketua Umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dalam majlis sambutan ambang Hari Merdeka yang dianjurkan Kerajaan Negeri Selangor pada Khamis lalu. Setiausaha Sulit Sultan Selangor, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani berkata Tuanku Sultan malahan tertanya-tanya mengapa Anwar dijemput ke majlis itu sehingga diberi slot untuk memberikan ucapan pada malam tersebut. "Atas dasar dan kapasiti apa dia dijemput? Beliau memenangi (kerusi) di Penang. Beliau tidak mempunyai apa-apa kaitan dengan Selangor. Sultan tidak gembira mengenainya. "Sultan tertanya-tanya mengapa Anwar dijemput dan diberi slot untuk memberi ucapan," kata Mohamad Munir. Beliau turut menjawab dakwaan Setiausaha Politik Menteri Besar Selangor, Faekah Husin bahawa Tuanku Sultan tidak perlu menyatakan hasrat menghadiri sambutan Hari Merdeka kerana kedudukan Baginda berada di atas pentadbiran negeri. "Baginda (Sultan) berada di atas pentadbiran negeri. Baginda tidak akan berkata bahawa Baginda mahu pergi jika tidak dijemput," jelas beliau. Faekah dalam satu kenyataannya semalam berkata adalah menjadi tanggungjawab Mohamad Munir untuk memaklumkan kepada Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri, Datuk Mohamad Khusrin Munawi sekiranya Tuanku Sultan berkenan untuk mencemar duli dan menghadiri acara berkenaan. Faekah turut mendakwa kekeliruan timbul apabila Mohamad Munir tidak memberikan maklumat sewajarnya kepada Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri. "Pihak Istana biasanya akan dimaklumkan mengenai program-program kerajaan negeri dan saya akan bertanya kepada Tuanku Sultan sama ada Baginda akan menghadiri majlis tersebut. "Tuanku (Sultan) akan memberitahu Baginda lapang untuk hadir dan saya akan maklumkan kepada pegawai kerajaan negeri untuk mengesahkan kehadiran. Namun tahun ini kita tidak dimaklumkan tentang perkara berkenaan. Bagaimana kita akan tahu jika Tuanku Sultan berkehendak untuk hadir?," soal beliau. Mengapa Anwar dijemput? Sementara itu, FMT turut mendapatkan komen mantan Menteri Besar Selangor Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo yang turut mempersoalkan kehadiran Anwar sebagai jemputan utama dalam majlis tersebut. "Siapa yang jemput Anwar? Kenapa jemput Anwar? Itu yang masalah timbul. Pejabat Menteri Besar arahkan agar kerajaan negeri menjemput Anwar. Tidak pernah dalam satu program ada dua jemputan utama. Jadi kewajipan Kerajaan Negeri dibawah Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim untuk menjemput Tuanku Sultan," katanya ketika dihubungi FMT. Beliau turut mendakwa urusan jemputan utama adalah dibawah tanggungjawab Menteri Besar. Maka adalah tidak bertanggungjawab untuk Abdul Khalid menyalahkan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri dalam urusan jemputan berkenaan. "Jemputan utama biasanya ditentukan oleh Menteri Besar. Jemputan lain akan diuruskan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri. Abdul Khalid sepatutnya tidak boleh memberi alasan dan menyalahkan Mohamad Khusrin, sedangkan sepatutnya beliau memberi sebab mengapa Anwar dijemput?," soal beliau. READ MORE HERE

Umno fears a revived Usno? Posted: 02 Sep 2012 04:37 PM PDT The only reason Kuala Lumpur is hesitant to approve the registration of a new Usno is because it will mean the death of Umno in Sabah, claims its pro tem leader. Joseph Bingkasan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Is the acronym Usno and its equally colourful founder Datu Mustapha Datu Harun so powerfully etched in the minds of Sabahans that Umno fears its resurrection before the 13th general election? Is this "fear" the reason why the Umno-led federal government has kept former members of United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) waiting in the wings for approval of their party? Two years on, ex-members of Usno are fuming over the choke-hold grip the federal government and Umno have on Sabah and its future. The once all-powerful and controversial Sabah party is – naively, perhaps – relying on the goodwill of Umno, which it helped set root in Sabah in 1991 by dissolving its own moribund party and joining en masse the Peninsular Malaysia-based party. That goodwill has not been reciprocated, but that has not prevented the "pro tem committee" of the new Usno from anxiously waiting in the wings. The party's stop-gap vice-president until it can be registered, Abdullah Sani Abdul Salleh, sees no reason for the delay in registering his party apart from Umno fearing for its own survival. He said the party wants to field candidates in the 13th general election but is having difficulty getting the consent of the federal-controlled Registrar of Societies (ROS). Abdullah Sani senses that this reluctance to approve Usno's revival stems from Umno's growing insecurity in the state which the Barisan Nasional coalition government of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak calls its "fixed deposit". The new Usno, if approved, is a far cry from the old. The Usno established by Mustapha in Kampong Ayer, Kudat, on Oct 26, 1961 and dissolved in 1991 to allow all its leaders and members to join Umno en bloc is of a different era. Usno-STAR pact In the years after Usno's dissolution even Mustapha and his old party colleagues regretted leaving it by the wayside for Umno, which they had always considered a party bearing no association whatsoever to Sabah. Now a group of born-again Usno supporters headed by his younger brother, Abdul Salam Datu Harun, believe the time is right for the return of the political party. The first step was to register the new Usno as an NGO and when that failed, sent in an application to register it as a political party with Mustapha's fourth son Datu Badaruddin as pro tem head on Oct 26, 2010. In the party's Merdeka Day message, the new Usno indicated that it is moving ahead with plans to contest the coming general election in Muslim-majority constituencies in Sabah. Usno has already joined hands with Jeffrey Kitingan's Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) with Badaruddin and Jeffrey signing an election pact termed "Semporna Declaration" in February . "Umno fears the combined political strength of Usno and STAR," Abdullah Sani said, adding that Usno still commanded respect and loyalty in the state although it was dissolved a long time ago. This respect and loyalty, he said, was what Umno feared the most and was stalling their bid to get registered as a party. He believes that Umno, instead of being thankful to Usno for making way for the Peninsula-based party to spread its wings to Sabah, was acting strangely by blocking the party's return to the state's political stage. "There is no other reason for the delay [in registering Usno as a political party]. "If Makkal Sakti's application for registration was approved within 60 days, why is the ROS sitting on Usno's application?" he asked. READ MORE HERE

Election And Other Stories From Open Houses Posted: 02 Sep 2012 03:46 PM PDT A Kadir Jasin 1. I WAS asked at a Hari Raya open house if I had stopped my blog. If you are a regular reader, you know I have not. But not everybody is a regular reader. It is, however, true that I sometimes do not update as often as I should. I told the enquirer that I have not and, insya-Allah, I will continue writing for as long as I live. 2. Another asked me to predict the likely outcome of the coming general election. I said, bring me a spring chicken, a young cockerel, two kati of sugar and two kati of salt. Another person listening in on the conversation added, some kemenyan (incense). These are articles that a Malay bomoh – medicine man – would usually require as pengeras. They are both gifts and ingredients that would supposedly make the portion or the mantra more potent. 3. On a serious note, I think if the Barisan Nasional retains power, it is not so much because it is strong or popular, but because the oppositions are in disarray – like the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Matahir Mohamad, was recently reported as saying "better the devil you know than one that you don't." 4. At the state level, the DAP looks safe in Penang. The PKR is under threat in Selangor. Its repeated show of disrespect for the Sultan and open squabbles between the Menteri Besar, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and deputy president, Azmin Ali, could weaken Malay support and put off the non-Malays. Pas is safe in Kelantan, but its control of Kedah could be under threat due to internal problems and the continued poor health of the Menteri Besar, Azizan Abdul Razak. Perak is not safe for the BN while Negeri Sembilan and Johor could came under attack by the DAP and Pas. Sarawak and Sabah may no longer be the BN's safe havens. The Economy And Discrimination 5. Another open house visitor, a former CEO of a now defunct Malay conglomerate, said the job market is shrinking, the government and the GLC are no longer giving preference to the Bumiputeras and the discrimination against Bumiputeras is spreading in the non-Bumiputera-controlled private sector. 6. He pointed out that while tokenism by Chinese businesses is well known, now he observes the Indians are doing likewise. He said Malaysian Indian restaurants, including the Indian Muslim ones, are paying more to expatriate Indian workers and other foreigners (salaries, government levies, free food and accommodation) and discriminate against local workers on the pretext that they are choosy and lazy. 7. I came across such a situation in my dealing with a locally incorporated US-owned bank. Since I make a point of not defaulting on my credit card payment, I receive regular telephone calls asking if I want loans on my cards. I observe that Chinese officers (who regularly addressed me as "Encik Kalio or Kadio"), would offer the highest amount, the Indian officers came second and, on very rare occasions, a Malay officer would also chip in and she offered the lowest sum. 8. I can only conclude that the Chinese executives enjoy a higher level of authority to give out loans compared to their Indian and Malay compatriots. And as for the Chinese officers calling me "Encik Kalio or Kadio", I can only conclude that they were Chinese educated. Fear Of Perkasa 9. Then there are my non-Malay doctors and non-Malay ex-military officers who are curious and, at the same time, worried about the power and influence of Perkasa. They think Perkasa is sabotaging the Prime Minister, Mohd Najib Abdul Razak's 1Malaysia agenda. 10. I think they hold such a view because they were so used to seeing the Malays rallying almost exclusively behind Umno and Pas. The two Malay-based political parties in turn speak on their behalf. 11. I asked them to consider what gave birth to Perkasa and the Malay Consultative Council (MPM), and why so many Malays, including professionals and intellectuals, are now rallying behind these NGOs and the maverick politician, Ibrahim Ali? Why do they choose to voice their concerns and demands via Ibrahim and not Mohd Najib, Abdul Hadi Awang (Pas President) or Anwar Ibrahim (the Supreme Leader of PKR)? READ MORE HERE

Lajim’s defection is not Umno’s loss Posted: 02 Sep 2012 03:25 PM PDT A scandal allegedly involving former Umno leader Lajim Ukin was the reason why Umno was happy to see the Sabah politician defect to Pakatan Rakyat. (FMT) - The real reason why Sabah veteran politician Lajim Ukin resigned from all his posts in Umno and threw his support behind Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Rakyat was because of a scandal that is about to explode, popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin said today. He said that Lajim had realised that he had no future in Umno and that he would not be selected as a Barisan Nasional candidate for the coming general election. "Lajim is carrying too much baggage. And this baggage is going to be revealed immediately after nomination day of GE13," Raja Petra said in his Malaysia-Today portal today. Raja Petra added that Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman knew about the scandal and that Lajim was to be dropped as a candidate in the coming general election as a result of the scandal. "Realising that his future is no longer bright, Lajim woke up one morning and decided to join the opposition to fight for reforms." Islamic college project The scandal, according to Raja Petra, allegedly involved Lajim promising his financial backer – named only as Mr W – a RM50 million contract to build an Islamic college in Beaufort in 2007. Raja Petra said Lajim wanted Mr W – a Bruneian who had migrated to Sabah – to pay his commission upfront, supposedly as election funds for the 12th general election. "Over the last five years since 2007, Mr W has paid Lajim a total of RM8 million. However, Mr W never got the project. "What Mr W received instead was 55 undated cheques totalling RM3 million. But all these cheques are worthless and Mr W is hopping mad and now realises he is not going to get the project, nor his money back," said Raja Petra, who also posted photographs of the cheques in his blog. Raja Petra also claimed that the so-called RM50 million Islamic college does not exist, calling it a scam. He added that Mr W, who had been Lajim's financial backer for a long time, no longer wants to fund Lajim and wants his money back. "If he does not get it, he is going to go public on this. And because of that Umno can no longer retain Lajim in the coming general election. "And because of that, also, Lajim has suddenly woken up and is joining the opposition to fight for reforms – justice, transparency, accountability, good governance, an end to corruption and abuse of power, and all that shit," said Raja Petra. Pakatan will get whacked Raja Petra warned that tainted candidates like Lajim would result in Pakatan "getting whacked in East Malaysia". He said that Anwar was making a mistake in hoping that the road to Putrajaya would become clearer with politicians like Lajim with him. "Having Lajim and those of his ilk as your partners will only ensure that Barisan Nasional will remain in power. "I know you [Anwar] want to become prime minister. But this type of thing is only going to make your dream become our nightmare. "As the Malays would say: why would we want to reject 'penyamum' and vote for 'lanun'? We said we want change, meaning change for the better, not change for the worse," he added. Raja Petra also revealed that Lajim was asking too much from Anwar – apart from cash, he also allegedly wanted to become one of the three deputy prime ministers if/when Pakatan marches into Putrajaya. And if he can't become one of the three deputy prime ministers, then he wants at least the post of Sabah chief minister, said Raja Petra. "But Lajim can't be made the chief minister of Sabah – and certainly not one of the three deputy prime ministers. And this is not because those posts have been promised to others, although that is one reason, but because he is carrying too much baggage," said Raja Petra.

‘Kenapa baru sekarang nak timbulkan bendera merah putih?’ Khoo Kay Kim Posted: 02 Sep 2012 03:03 PM PDT Amin Iskandar, The Malaysian Insider Cancelor Universiti Kolej Damansara Utama (KDU), Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim mempersoalkan tindakan pihak-pihak tertentu yang mengibarkan bendera alternatif ketika himpunan Gabungan Janji pada malam sambutan ambang Kemerdekaan di Dataran Merdeka malam Khamis lalu. Menurut pakar sejarah itu, bendera "Jalur Gemilang" telah diterima oleh majoriti rakyat negara ini semenjak tahun 1957. "Kenapa baru sekarang nak timbulkan soal bendera merah putih? "Bendera yang ada kaitan dengan satu negara, diputuskan oleh majoriti rakyat. "Bendera yang digunakan sekarang sudah diterima oleh rakyat semenjak tahun 1957," katanya ketika dihubungi oleh The Malaysian Insider sebentar tadi. Khoo juga menyifatkan tindakan mengibarkan bendera alternatif oleh pihak tertentu sebagai tindakan ahli politik yang tidak ada kerja lain. "Kalau majoriti rakyat nak tukar bendera, bolehlah tukar. "Kalau tidak kita guna sahaja yang sedia ada," katanya lagi. Individu yang bertanggungjawab mengibarkan bendera alternatif ketika himpunan Gabungan Janji pada malam sambutan ambang Kemerdekaan telah membuat pengakuan dan merasakan bendera alternatif yang di bawa pihaknya layak dikibarkan atas nilai sejarah yang terdapat pada bendera berkenaan. Melalui blog singaselatan.blogspot.com miliknya, individu berkenaan mengakui dia dan rakannya bertanggungjawab membuat dan mengibarkan bendera tersebut, namun menafikan daripada mewakili mana-mana parti politik kerajaan mahupun pembangkang. "Kami tidak mewakili mana-mana parti politik dari kerajaan mahupun pembangkang, kami mewakili golongan Anak Muda yang ingin menonjolkan kebenaran dan sejarah yang cuba ditenggelamkan oleh pihak yang bertanggungjawab, jauh sekali bermotif untuk menukar jalur gemilang kepada sang saka Malaya, kerana sang saka Malaya yang ditukarkan kepada jalur gemilang hari ini," jelasnya melalui entri di blognya itu. Bendera alternatif, "Sang Saka Malaya" dikibarkan ketika himpunan Gabungan Janji pada malam sambutan ambang Kemerdekaan di Dataran Merdeka malam Khamis lalu. Perdana menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak telah menyelar Pakatan Rakyat (PR) dan menuduh gabungan tersebut mahu menukar bendera Malaysia selepas mengambil alih Putrajaya. Bagaimanapun, pemimpin pembangkang, semalam menafikan mereka berniat mahu menukar bendera nasional dengan bendera alternatif dan menyelar Barisan Nasional (BN) kerana memutar belit fakta dan "menipu" untuk menghentam pembangkang memandangkan pilihan raya umum semakin hampir. "Menukar bendera bukan agenda Pakatan Rakyat dan tidak pernah dibincangkan atau dibangkitkan dalam mesyuarat Pakatan Rakyat," kata Ketua Parlimen DAP Lim Kit Siang kepada The Malaysian Insider. Ahli Parlimen Ipoh Timur itu turut menyelar Najib dan Kabinetnya kerana mengeluarkan kenyataan sedemikian, yang mana menurutnya "sangat tidak berasas" dan "isu palsu". Sementara itu, Naib Presiden PKR, Nurul Izzah Anwar, turut menyuarakan sentimen sama, berkata "segala tuduhan itu adalah palsu dan telah diberikan jawapan rasmi oleh pemimpin PR". Setiausaha Agung PKR, Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail turut menggesa Najib agar berhenti daripada mengeluarkan kenyataan sedemikian, dan berkata "kedudukannya sebagai perdana menteri bukanlah lesen untuknya menuduh tanpa bukti". Malah, Setiausaha Agung PAS Datuk Mustafa Ali turut menafikan perkara itu. "Itu bukan polisi kami, bukan polisi PR." Beliau turut melihat tindakan mengibarkan bendera alternatif tersebut sebagai "tidak boleh diterima" dan menegaskan "pihak berkuasa perlu menyiasat pihak yang bertanggungjawab ... dan mengambil tindakan sewajarnya".

Let the pictures do the talking Posted: 02 Sep 2012 02:39 PM PDT Many accuse me of being cheong hei. Well, today I am not going to write anything. Instead I am just going to show you some pictures and see if you are smart enough to get the message. If not then never mind. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin

DAP urged to act against Karpal on anti-hudud views Posted: 02 Sep 2012 02:17 PM PDT (The Star) - Several PAS leaders want DAP to take action against its chairman Karpal Singh for fanning sentiments against hudud law as propagated by PAS. However, they dare not say it openly for fear of repercussions as they are obligated to maintain a good rapport with their Pakatan Rakyat partners. "Sooner or later, this matter is bound to explode because no action is taken against DAP leaders who made the statements that are detrimental to Pakatan," said a PAS leader. The leaders were responding to mounting pressure from certain quarters to take stern action against former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa for suggesting that PAS should review its position in Pakatan in view of Karpal's strong objection against hudud. Another PAS leader noted that while pressure was mounting against Nasharudin for merely airing his view, DAP had remained silent over Karpal's statements which had hurt PAS. "And it is even sadder that the parasites' within PAS are working against the party's interests," said another leader. Meanwhile, the party's deputy spiritual leader Datuk Dr Harun Din (picture) cautioned members against the munafikul (hypocrite) faction who could weaken the party from within. He added that the existence of such destructive pressure group would not come as a surprise as their influence had been felt over the years in the course of the party's struggle. "Such groups may exist, or may not exist now. But if they do exist, it is not something peculiar as even during the era of Prophet Muhammad, the munafikul faction had attacked from within to weaken Islam," he said. Dr Harun also said the party's Syura council would decide on Sept 9 if action should be taken against Nasharudin. "I do not know the exact words used by Nasharudin. But urging PAS to review its position in Pakatan does not mean asking PAS to withdraw from the coalition. "Reviewing one's position could also mean looking at the benefits and shortcomings and rectifying problems," said Dr Harun.

Anwar invite irks Sultan Posted: 02 Sep 2012 02:10 PM PDT (The Star) - SULTAN Sharafuddin Idris Shah has questioned why the Selangor Government chose to make Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim the state's guest of honour at its 55th Merdeka celebration. The Sultan found it strange that he, as Ruler of the state, was not given the honour that was accorded to Anwar when the Opposition Leader was not even among the ranks of the state leadership, reported Sinar Harian. The paper, quoting the Sultan's private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani, said Anwar also did not hold any official portfolio other than being a state-appointed economic adviser. "Usually, if Tuanku cannot attend a formal state function, the Mentri Besar acts on his behalf to speak and carry out related official duties. "So, why was Anwar invited to attend and speak when this is an official state event and not a political function?" he asked regarding the celebration at Dataran Kemerdekaan in Shah Alam on Thursday. Mohamad Munir said the Ruler was not informed of the event and only received an invitation to grace a tahlil and Yassin recital programme at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque on Friday. Asked to comment on the matter at a function at Galeri Shah Alam on Saturday, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim passed the buck to state secretary Datuk Mohamed Khursrin Munawi. "The state secretariat has always been in charge of the National Day celebrations, while the Mentri Besar's office only has a representative in the organising committee," he said. Khalid said he would clarify the situation with the Sultan during his weekly audience with the Ruler on Wednesday.

DAP chief seeks end to feud with PKR Posted: 02 Sep 2012 01:56 PM PDT (The Star) - KUANTAN: Pahang DAP chief Leong Ngah Ngah has told his members to stop quarrelling with PKR over the issue of seat allocation for the general election. "It is better to put a stop to this squabble over seat allocation," he said when asked to comment on the continuing feud between the two parties regarding the issue. Leong, who is Triang assemblyman, said he had ordered state party leaders to stop issuing any more comments on the matter. On Tuesday, Pahang PKR chairman Datuk Fauzi Abdul Rahman ticked off the state DAP by saying that it had to "exercise discipline" in requesting for seats to contest. Fauzi said that although it was not wrong for DAP to ask for additional seats, it should be done through the proper channels and with mutual consent. He was responding to reports that DAP intended to contest in several more seats in Pahang claiming to have a better chance of winning these than its allies. In the 42-seat Pahang state assembly, PKR currently does not have any seat while DAP and PAS have two each. The rest are held by Barisan Nasional. Leong said the parties in the state Pakatan Rakyat were still on good terms with each other and would sit down to discuss the issue. "Actually, it is not wrong for us to request for more seats as PKR and PAS also do the same," he said, adding that the coalition's central leadership should meet on the matter and all should abide by any decision made. State DAP secretary and Tras assemblyman Choong Siew Onn downplayed the issue, saying that seat allocation was not Pakatan's main agenda. "What is important is to go to the ground, work hard and serve the people," he said. However, state DAP vice-chairman J. Apalasamy continued to taunt PKR, saying its representatives were more prone to defection. "PKR leaders should show more respect to DAP, the senior partner in Pakatan," he said. Apalasamy reportedly told a news portal that it was the DAP which had allocated seats to PKR in the last general election, adding that Fauzi should remember which was the more senior party of the two. "As such, he should learn to show some respect," he said, claiming that DAP had allowed PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be the Opposition Leader despite PKR having fewer seats in Parliament.

Replacing national flag: chasing after fantasy demons? Posted: 02 Sep 2012 01:47 PM PDT Two apparently well-meaning youths displayed a flag that looked similar but different from the national flag as a token to commemorate unsung heroes of independence at an independence eve rally, and lo and behold, the entire top leadership of Umno jumped instantly into a frenzy of wild accusations against the opposition without any proof. By Kim Quek As tension continues to mount ahead of the imminent general election, almost the entire top heirarchy of the incumbent Barisan Nasional government appears to have gone bonkers.  Two apparently well-meaning youths displayed a flag that looked similar but different from the national flag as a token to commemorate unsung heroes of independence at an independence eve rally, and lo and behold, the entire top leadership of Umno jumped instantly into a frenzy of wild accusations against the opposition without any proof. Prime Minister Najib Razak accused the opposition of wanting to replace the national flag, and warned of many more undesirable changes including the institution of royalty, should the opposition alliance come to power. Minister of International Trade and Industry Mustapa Mohamed warned of a plot to amend the constitution and to turn the current constitutional monarchy into a republic. Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Noh Omar said that in wanting to replace the national flag, the opposition has lost direction, and shown signs of power crazy even before they are in power. Minister of Home Affairs Hishamuddin Hussein said he would act decisively against the "perpetrators of the provocative act", adding that the police have started investigation, and the attorney general will prosecute upon obtaining sufficient evidence. Many other Umno ministers also launched similar attacks against the opposition simultaneously, including Rural and Regional Development Minister Shafie Apdal and Youth and Sports Minister Shabery Cheek. Meanwhile, the police announced in its face book page that it was launching a man-hunt on the offenders who "tried to change the national flag", saying that such act "violates the federal constitution and the democratic process", which is a breach of the Sedition Act. ACCUSATION DEBUNKED Amidst this furor, two youths promptly appeared on the scene to debunk the story of changing flag. Blogger Serigala Selatan, a student, claimed in his blog posting that he and a friend Zairi Shafai were the duo who showed the flag in question, known as Sang Saka Malaya.  It was a flag used by pre-independence nationalists during their struggle to gain independence for then Malaya.  As the story of their struggles has been erased from the official history, they wanted to remind the country of the existence of these forgotten heroes by displaying the Sang Saka Malaya on this commemorative occasion. Serigala said they have not the slightest intention to replace the national flag (known as Jalur Gemilang) with Sang Saka Malaya, from which the Jalur Gemilang has evolved. Meanwhile, top leaders of Pakatan Rakyat instantly and flatly denied that they ever conceived the idea of changing the national flag. HILARIOUS BUT SERIOUS MISCONDUCT Judging from the ferocity and intensity with which so many Umno ministers jumpted to the attacks, one would have imagined that the opposition must have been caught red handed in the act of committing the highest treason against the country, but alas, the truth turns out to be simply that these senior Umno leaders have been acting like a bunch of hyper-imaginative kids chasing after some fantasy demons, as there is neither a shred of evidence nor any credibility whatsoever to their accusations. As DAP leader Lim Kit Siang succinctly put it, "the change of national flag is never a Pakatan Rakyat agenda and has never been discussed or raised in any Pakatan meeting". In fact, the entire episode is so bizarre and funny that it would have made a hilarious Hollywood comedy, if not for the serious implications it carries for the nation. Here we are not talking about some naughty politicians politicking, but the entire top hierarchy of the Malaysian government making unfounded accusations that are grave and obviously far-fetched.   Such weird conduct by the ruling clique suggests that they are either dim-witted or dangerously deceitful, or perhaps both. Whatever case it is, it means our country is in terribly bad hands. Needless to say, this is another serious setback for BN along its bumbling road to defend a political power that looks more precarious by the day.

Umno, state your stand on hudud Posted: 02 Sep 2012 01:41 PM PDT Can Soi Lek give us an honest answer as to why the Trengganu state government under the Barisan Nasional has not repealed the Islamic Criminal Enactment, passed by PAS in 2002, when it ruled Trengganu state! Umno has had eight years (since it recaptured Terengganu in 2004) to prove its sincerity but has done nothing! P Ramakrishnan When Kelantan Umno chief Mustapa Mohamad demanded "why they (PAS) are unable to implement hudud laws in Kelantan", Malaysians would like to know what exactly Umno's stand on the hudud issue is. Is Umno for the implementation of the hudud laws in Malaysia? We know that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had stated that hudud is not suitable for a multi-ethnic society like Malaysia. But that is not enough. He must publicly, honestly and frankly declare: "Umno will not implement hudud laws in Malaysia." Only then would it be very clear what Umno's stand is. Otherwise, it would only be dithering without being specific. If Umno has no intention of implementing hudud laws in Malaysia, why is it then goading Pas to implement hudud. Why is it provoking PAS on this issue? Mustapa stated that "although the laws had been passed by the Kelantan state assembly in 1993, they were still in the 'implantation' stages and were not enforced". Surely he must know some facts and a little bit of Malaysian history. The Kelantan assembly passed the hudud laws in response to Mahathir's challenge to the PAS government to implement the hudud laws. He even promised to amend the Federal Constitution to enable the PAS government to implement the hudud laws. But when the PAS government went ahead and passed these laws, Mahathir did not honourably keep his word. He went back on his promise: he backtracked; he did not have the courage or the integrity to be faithful to his pledge. But that was history. But what is the reality today? PAS, to its credit, had moved away from the Islamic state and the hudud laws by adopting an inclusive philosophy which reaches out to every Malaysian. They have adopted, as a matter of policy, what is termed as a 'benevolent state', which addresses the needs of the poor, the marginalised, the voiceless and the helpless. For simplicity – but erroneously – it is commonly termed as a 'welfare state'. This shift is commendable. Instead of lauding this development in PAS, Umno is attempting to push PAS into the hudud territory. What is your game, Umno? Shame on you that you cannot, unlike PAS, change for the better! In the meantime, the MCA president Chua Soi Lek and his cohorts should stop baying like a pack of wolves on the hudud issue when they are unable to persuade Umno to state positively that hudud will not be implemented in Malaysia. Do that first, then you can take everybody else to task on the hudud issue. He realistically claims that if "PAS were to amend the Federal Constitution to suit its religious teachings, then all Muslim members of parliament would have to support it. "He said the situation would be similar to when PAS amended the state Constitution in Trengganu – all Umno assemblymen there had to support it." His memory of history is much better than that of Mustapa's! The simple question actually is whether Umno will support or oppose the implementation of hudud laws. As long as Umno remains ambivalent on the hudud issue, MCA should not be aiming its guns at others who have stated their position very clearly. Can Soi Lek give us an honest answer as to why the Trengganu state government under the Barisan Nasional has not repealed the Islamic Criminal Enactment, passed by PAS in 2002, when it ruled Trengganu state! Umno has had eight years (since it recaptured Terengganu in 2004) to prove its sincerity but has done nothing! This is a test case for Soi Lek. Get the BN to repeal this enactment in Terengganu. If he can display the moral courage so sorely needed and demand without any hesitation that Umno should immediately repeal this enactment, only then has he the right to talk about the dangers of hudud laws. Ralph Waldo Emerson would say, "Go put your creed into your deed." The writer is the immediate past president of Aliran, now serves on the Aliran executive committee.

Delay polls and risk punishment Posted: 02 Sep 2012 01:31 PM PDT The Bersih leader takes the prime minister to task for delaying the general election with no good reason, describing this as disconcerting and irresponsible. Elaborating on electoral reforms, Ambiga said that Election Commission chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof cannot lead the commission as he was a former Umno member. RK Anand, FMT In 2009, Najib Tun Razak took over the leadership reins after his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi relinquished the post following Barisan Nasional's biggest electoral setback to date. Najib and his retinue of advisers had the unenviable task of reversing the political fortunes of the ruling coalition, which seemed to suffer from an incurable perception malaise. But during his initial period in office, the prime minister appeared to be pressing the right buttons, his popularity soared and speculations of a snap polls were rife. However, Malaysians still remained in the dark about the 13th general election, with the latest talk being that the polls would be held in November, on the 11th, which happened to be Najib's lucky number. Those close to Najib argue that the premier was being cautious while the grapevine had it that intelligence reports painted a bleak picture for BN. Describing this as both "disconcerting and irresponsible", Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga warned Najib that the continued delay could prove to be perilous for him and BN. She said that it would not come as a surprise if the voters, including the fence-sitters, punished him for this feet-dragging in the next polls. "I understand it is the Westminster system and it is the prerogative of the prime minister. But a good government should be prepared to take on the election and not be afraid to set a date," she told FMT. "We have been in election mode since he [Najib] took over and everyone has been pumped up. He drops hints [about the polls] and that is irresponsible. You don't toy with people's feelings. "People are fed up! They can't plan things like going on holidays and so forth. Furthermore, it affects investor confidence. "That's why I say it is irresponsible. If this is how a government is going to play with the election date, then it would be best to have a fixed date for polling," she added. Ambiga said as political leaders in other parts of the world discussed the economic crisis and recession, their Malaysian counterparts were still engrossed in politicking. "So who is running the country? This is unacceptable," she stressed. Is the government afraid? Ambiga said that Bersih had also called for the election to be postponed in the past with regard to the implementation of electoral reforms. She added that if the government claimed that the election was being delayed in order to push through the reforms, then it would be justifiable. "But everyone has forgotten about electoral reforms. So the election is being dragged for no reason. "It seems the government is concerned about the results [of the election]. Otherwise, they would have called for it," she added. Elaborating on electoral reforms, Ambiga said that Election Commission chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof cannot lead the commission as he was a former Umno member. "He cannot claim that he would discharge his duties without bias. There are enough grounds to believe or to suspect that he would be biased and this makes him unfit for the post," she added. Ambiga also dismissed claims that Najib was concerned that if the polls were held before the term expired in April 2013, Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states would not dissolve their respective assemblies. "I don't buy that excuse. He [Najib] kept the nation on election mode. Even the recent Merdeka celebration was an election campaign," she said. Commenting on the Merdeka celebrations, Ambiga expressed disappointment that both political blocs could not set aside their differences for one day. The Bersih leader also pointed out that the government's Merdeka campaign appeared to be centred around the prime minister. "It's a case of adoration for the PM… Where is his team? And I am also saying this with regard to Section 114A of the Evidence Act," she said. On Aug 14, Najib had twitted that he was instructing the Cabinet to review the controversial amendment of Section 114A following protests on the social media network. However, Najib's announcement was met by contradictory statements by the Cabinet defending the provision. The new law imposed a presumption of guilt on Internet users and service providers for Internet abuses such as slander, hate speech and seditious comments posted through their network. READ MORE HERE

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