Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Malaysia and the Muslim Spring
- Is ‘V’ for victory or vilification?
- Attacks on Malaysiakini, here we go again
- When the ends justify the means
- Where did the money go?
- Soi Lek slams Nazri for backing Dong Zong
- Youth who ‘insulted Islam’ remanded
- Zeti must now explain forex scandal
- Confused over right to choose
- Slighted by Anwar, SAPP out in the cold
- Syed Mokhtar’s debts raising fear of future bailout, says Tony Pua
- Anwar naiki jet ‘haram’, Azmin selar Tian Chua
- Bantahan terhadap Zakir: MIC tidak matang
- Nazri: No probe into ‘copgate’
- Mansor must penalise culprit
- Cocky Arrogant Tokong
- Soros man on Mkini board
- The CIA-Soros Partnership
- GST a ploy to hide economic ills, says Pakatan
- US calls Assange 'enemy of state'
- Najib betting on generous budget
- Sometimes I can’t understand Umno
- Stay away from M’sia, Zakir
- Mansor vs Guan Eng: PKR mulakan inkuiri
- Marks of a good Malaysian leader
- Speaker blocks debate on AG Gani Patail
- Mansor did not deny audio contents
- Bersih: We got funds only once
- Pro-Aspirasi sweeps to victory in campus polls
- Clip of DCM’s remarks on Guan Eng on the Net
- GE13 to show if Malays will ditch Umno, says Zaid
- PKFZ trial postponed as Liong Sik hospitalised
- Dr M called to testify in Liong Sik trial
- No longer any sense of decency
- Another round of fun and games?
- Should Malaysia bear the burden of Australian radioactive waste?
- Najib May Extend Handouts as Malaysia Vote Nears
- 10 Big Questions To Ask About Pengerang
- Shock! “Anwar private jet” used by govt TV station and Islamists! Shock! No Jews anywhere!
- Zahid: If not for infighting, UMNO can do better
- All The World's A Stage - Press Release regarding the Happy Mansion “Water Crisis” ...
- Gerakan says stands by claims Guan Eng is corrupt, tenancy doctored
- Former Usno members want seats
- Like a trapped animal (part 4)
- Why things are out of joint at MIA
- Anti-hopping law against constitution, says Nazri
- NGOs demand NST apology for foreign plot claim
- BN, Pakatan going all out to woo new voters
- Why the compulsion to lie, lie and lie, Rafizi?
- Businessman admits private jet loaned to Anwar, declines to reveal for how much
| Malaysia and the Muslim Spring Posted: 27 Sep 2012 12:36 PM PDT
A ruling party is not legitimate if the electoral process is flawed, "national interest" and "realpolitik" are not a legitimate excuse for corruption and police brutality. Azeem Ibrahim (Huffington Post) President Obama's recent address to the UN (September 25, 2012) referred to change in the Middle East and North Africa saying that "the path to democracy does not end with the casting of a ballot". The President went on to deplore the convulsion of violence in the last two weeks in Muslim countries, in reaction to the "crude and disgusting video" denigrating Islam. He said that recent events speak to "the need for all of us to honestly address the tensions between the West and the Arab world that is moving towards democracy". His remarks brought a welcome balance to recent overreaction by international media to the unrest and violence around the world, by acknowledging that the global movement towards liberty and democracy would not be denied. The movement behind the Arab Spring -- or rather the Muslim Spring -- has a different connotation in Southeast Asian countries where Burma for example, is slowly transitioning into democracy and Thailand and Pakistan are emerging from periods of military rule. Popular protests and elections have helped bring about change in these countries -- some peaceful, some violent -- but have been more evolutionary than revolutionary in recent years. Malaysia too, is undergoing change, but its struggle for democracy has also taken a different route from the sudden change of the Arab Spring; it achieved its independence from British colonial rule in 1957 and has since become an example to the world of what an independent multi-racial federation can achieve. One of the Asia Tigers in economic transformation due to its continued political stability, Malaysia has been governed since 1970 by a coalition headed by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) which has presided over a period of dramatic economic growth and increased living standards. Rapid growth, the embrace of technology and industrialization have been accompanied by generous government investment in education, with the result that Malaysia has had one of the best economic records in Asia, with GDP growing at an average of 6.5% for almost 50 years. Today however, the electorate is restless - the young, educated and relatively well-off population is demanding change. They see the government as representing a past that has been overtaken by modernity. Laws remain on the books that should be repealed in the name of democracy and freedom of speech. At the same time, there is ongoing debate over whether the laws and society of Malaysia, a majority Muslim country, should reflect secular or Islamic principles. Conservative elements in the ruling UMNO coalition are resisting change or want the state to reflect more fundamental Islamic principles and Prime Minister Najib Razak is trying to appease his base while offering reforms to the center, described by some as offering "just enough to alienate his own party and not enough to convince the center ground." (Economist, Feb 4, 2012) There is one man however, who seems to have a better understanding of the wave of change overtaking Muslim nations right now. Anwar Ibrahim sees his role in the Muslim Spring as reflecting the mood for change from an autocratic and out-of-touch government whose numerous corruption scandals and police brutality prove that government reform is necessary and democracy needs to be up-dated. Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/azeem-ibrahim/malaysia-arab-spring_b_1916745.html | ||||
| Is ‘V’ for victory or vilification? Posted: 27 Sep 2012 12:26 PM PDT It appears that Putrajaya is full of closet homosexuals who are unable to declare their sexuality openly. Mariam Mokhtar (Free Malaysia Today) Hong Kong billionaire, 76-year-old Cecil Chao Sze-tsung, has offered RM200 million to the man who can woo his lesbian daughter, make her "straight", then marry her. In the past, Chao has claimed to have slept with over 10,000 girlfriends. Gigi, his daughter, is one of three children he fathered with three different women. When he heard that Gigi had married her long-term lover of seven years, Seab Eav, in a civil partnership ceremony in Paris, Chao was prompted to act, to save his family "honour". Chao appears to have more money than sense. When will he accept his daughter's happiness with her sexuality and her future with her civil partner? Will he concede that money is not everything? How does he reconcile his own promiscuity and think it superior to his daughter's monogamous relationship? In Malaysia, our ministers and their deputies cannot be considered harmless eccentrics. They are hypocrites and bigots, and the influence and power which they wield, does the nation much harm. So which is worse? The Malaysian authorities who backtrack on issues or the ill-thought-out directives themselves? It is established that when faced with a public backlash, ministers tend to issue denials and quickly dissociate themselves from whatever it is that caused the outrage. There are numerous examples of such idiocy. Even clothing has attracted official censure; the tutu, yellow shirts and now, V-neck shirts, have all courted controversy. Instead of leaping forward into a world of understanding and tolerance, the nation is forced to descend into the dark ages. Previously, yellow clothing was banned because those who wore it were supporters of democracy. The tutu was frowned upon because it was considered immoral or indecent. In the latest Ministry of Education (MOE)-sanctioned guide, those who wear tight, brightly coloured clothing, sleeveless shirts and V-neck shirts possess homosexual tendencies. Recently, Deputy Education Minister Puad Zarkashi denied that his ministry had endorsed the "gay-spotting guidelines" for schools. Unfortunately for him, the reaction of the public has been to organise a National V-neck Day on Oct 1, which thousands of people claim they will attend, as a form of protest. Puad is furious and has reacted in typical Umno fashion, telling another online newspaper that is was "unreasonable" to hold the "V-neck" event: "There's no gay guideline, is there? I had asked the parent NGO and they said they didn't issue the guideline… "So when they do this (organise a V-neck Day), it shows that they are not taking this issue seriously. What they are doing is unreasonable." The backpedalling has invited more contempt for the MOE and the NGO which produced the "gay-spotting" guidelines. They contend that people wearing V-neck shirts must be gay. What about the homosexuals who wear suits in the civil service? What about the many closet homosexuals in the ministries, some of whom are alleged close associates of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak? The gay-guide states that girls who sleep with other girls must be lesbian. Parents are aghast at the MOE guide, and will be wondering if the MOE would prefer their daughters to sleep with men? Every parent will now have qualms about having their daughter's girl-friends for a sleep over. Forcing homosexuals underground Who are the people in government, who end up dictating policy? Do they live such cloistered and sheltered lives? Is there no discussion to see if their guidelines stand up to reason? Are they themselves closet homosexuals with no avenue to express their sexuality? Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/09/28/is-%E2%80%98v%E2%80%99-for-victory-or-vilification/ | ||||
| Attacks on Malaysiakini, here we go again Posted: 27 Sep 2012 12:22 PM PDT
Premesh Chandran, Malaysiakini The attacks against Malaysiakini signal that the government is getting desperate.
Read more at: http://m.malaysiakini.com/news/210114 | ||||
| When the ends justify the means Posted: 27 Sep 2012 12:19 PM PDT
Many NGOs receive funds from foreign countries but not all are equally transparent about it. Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz (The Star) AEROPLANE passengers who enjoy the interactive maps on flights to KLIA will notice a curious settlement east of Sepang: Kampung LBJ in Negri Sembilan. It was named after the President of the United States Lyndon Baines Johnson when he visited in 1966 (it remains the only town in Malaysia apart from Kuala Lumpur that has ever hosted a US President, and you can find footage of this visit by going to criticalpast.com and searching for "Lyndon Johnson Malaysia"). Although the Malayan Emergency was officially over, the Cold War was still very much ongoing elsewhere in the world. Diplomatic showcases such as this reminded the world that newly-established Malaysia under the leadership of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra was resolutely pro-democratic and unashamedly anti-Communist. Of course, we would not have triumphed over the Communists if not for the enormous contributions – military and aid – that we received from our British and other Commonwealth allies. And as our national focus moved from ensuring stability to development, our Government continued to receive funding from friendly countries and entered numerous bilateral partnerships to upgrade our infrastructure: this in addition to increasingly stable foreign direct investment of course. Let us be clear: foreign funds were something the Malaysian Government actively sought, obtained, and celebrated, and there is no doubt that these funds formed a vital ingredient in our post-independence success. Today, through our memberships of multiple international organisations, foreign funds continue to enter our country. Still, some people's attitude towards foreign funding in Malaysia has been less enthusiastic, particularly where the recipients are non-governmental organisations they do not like. The fact is that NGOs in democracies all over the world routinely accept and disburse funds to further the causes that they support. In Malaysia, there are charities that have been accepting overseas donations for some time (like the Malaysian AIDS Council), and service organisations like Rotary International and the Lions Club which are headquartered in the USA have operated here openly for decades. However, many recent entrants into Malaysian civil society have been far more vocal on policy and political matters than their predecessors. Since there is still scepticism and ignorance about the role played by think tanks and independent research institutes in a healthy democracy, the accusation that they are "foreign agents" is an easy one for critics to make. There are many reasons why such accusations should be dismissed, prime amongst them that so many values are universal, shared by people across the world who will no doubt reach out to friends in other countries, just as Malaya did in fighting communism. Indeed, our Federal Constitution adapted much from the British experience of parliamentary democracy, though of course modified to suit our own historical circumstances. All of the major religions practised by Malaysians originated in "foreign" lands, and let us remember that virtually the entire social, political and economic structure of Negri Sembilan was, to begin with, "foreign": the Minangkabau immigrants who came from Sumatra brought with them their adat, institutions and wealth to a peninsula where Adat Temenggong had hitherto enjoyed a monopoly, and yet these settlers continued to receive resources (and invited monarchs) from the motherland until the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. Today, many NGOs undeniably receive funds from foreign countries, but not all are equally transparent about it. I'm proud to say that we at IDEAS have been open and honest about our funding from the beginning. Since our inception we have received funds or collaborated with organisations from Britain, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Turkey, Morocco, China, France, Germany, the United States and Nigeria. Furthermore, we ourselves have funded activities for students in Indonesia. Nonetheless, we have also worked with the Prime Minister's Department, government ministries, parliamentary and statutory bodies and political parties that did not feel that our relationships with foreigners compromised our patriotism and adherence to the vision of Bapa Kemerdekaan. It is entirely fair for the rakyat to judge NGOs based on the activities that they run, the company they keep and the funding that they receive. But the prerequisite for all of this is transparency and a free media, and that is where I believe the focus should be, rather than singling out any particular NGO, which is probably just as patriotic and committed to our national institutions (though not necessarily their office bearers) as most other participants in Malaysian civil society, even if some of their principles and methods may differ from ours. > Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz is president of IDEAS.
| ||||
| Posted: 27 Sep 2012 12:13 PM PDT  (The Star) - While they are doing a fine job listing out the need for more money and to improve the social amenities, sadly none of them have touched on the need for the Government to come up with a better system on how to use Government funds to make sure that these money are utilised in the right way, for the right purpose, to benefit the targetted group and how to ensure that these money are spent on time for the intended project. I HAVE been scanning the local and national newspapers over the past two weeks to find out what our local and national politicians expect from the coming Budget that will be tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in his capacity as Finance Minister 1 in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow. Almost all of the elected representatives (YBs) talked about the need for more money for their respective states and the constituencies they represent. They talked about the specific needs that have to be looked into, especially affordable housing, basic amenities and better public transportations and the likes. While they are doing a fine job listing out the need for more money and to improve the social amenities, sadly none of them have touched on the need for the Government to come up with a better system on how to use Government funds to make sure that these money are utilised in the right way, for the right purpose, to benefit the targetted group and how to ensure that these money are spent on time for the intended project. These state assemblymen and Members of Parliament, including those from the Barisan Nasional, seemed to have forgotten that year after year, a lot of money announced during the annual Budget does not seem to benefit the intended group of people because the intended projects did not materialise as stipulated in the Budget. These projects often got delayed and the funds approved were not used according to the announced purposes. There were so many examples how the money approved under the annual Budget did not seem to end up accomplishing its intended purposes. I want to highlight just a few of these "incidents" which, to some extend, have directly or indirectly affected the people of Miri just to prove my point. I am not saying there was any hanky-panky surrounding the use of these money, but these incidents raised much confusion. In the year 2008, a certain politician took a group of reporters to Bakong Bazaar, about 60km from Miri, to tour the Lapok Road, a vital road link that connects Miri into the interior of Baram and the rest of northern Sarawak. He wanted to announce that the Government had approved a RM200mil fund to repair the road that was then in a terribly bad shape. The road had not been upgraded since Sarawak gained its independence through Malaysia. During the event, he proudly announced that the fund had been approved by the Federal Treasury for the 40km-long Lapok Road to be resurfaced and that repair works would start immediately. He even brought along senior officers from the company that had been hired to do the job. In the year 2010, I had the opportunity to travel pass the road to get into the interior parts of Baram to attend a function by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein, who was then visiting some Penan settlements to distribute MyKads. Sadly, the road was still in its horrendous condition as in 2008. The politician's sweet announcement remained just an announcement. I passed through the same road again in 2011, when I was assigned to attend a function by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Again, there was still no sign of repair works being been done on the road. Surprisingly, a few months ago, another politician announced that the Government had approved yet another RM150mil to upgrade the same road. The announcement had me perplexed. What actually is going on? What happened to the initial RM200mil meant for the road upgrading as announced in 2008? I am not insinuating that there are some hanky-panky going on. But all these turn of events are very confusing and the fact that the Lapok Road upgrading is neither there nor there is indeed a cause of frustration to the people who have to bear with the poor road condition daily. Another example is the proposed RM120mil Pujut-Permyjaya highway upgrading project. A politician announced in 2008 that the project would soon start to alleviate the massive traffic jam affecting more than 100,000 people in Kuala Baram district daily. But until April 2011, there was absolutely no progress to that project. Works only begun after the state elections where SUPP president and Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan lost his Piasau state seat while Andy Chia lost Pujut seat, both to DAP. The delay in that project's implementation was part of the reasons that the SUPP lost the two seats and almost lost the Senadin seat as well. Yet another example is the RM100mil announced in 2011 meant for the improvement of Miri Port. DAP YB for Piasau Alan Ling asked what had happened to the money and why the funds was not used for the intended project. Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Michael Manyin explained that the money was "diverted" for some urgent projects in Kuching. This sort of "diversion of funds" should have been made public before it was diverted. The intention may sound reasonable, but the manner in which these money were diverted surely raised suspicions. There are so many examples of these "fund diversions" that I can dig up. Just a few months ago, I found that certain Class F contractors hired by government authorities and the MP office here in Miri had done a horrible job in carrying out urgent repair works for the needy and the poor in Miri. They had not only resorted to using low quality materials but also produced shoddy workmanship in order to cut corners to earn bigger profit margins. In the process, they had fleeced the poor people whom the Government had intended to help. This is another blatant example of how Government money had been misappropriated and misused and how the intended target groups of people did not fully benefit from the funds meant for their well-being. The Budget is not just about dishing out money. Equally important is how to make sure that the money allocated do not end up "getting lost" or unaccounted and at the same time failed to benefit the rakyat as it was originally intended for. Whatever money dispensed from the Federal Treasury to the state treasury or to the individual ministries must be speedily channeled to the proposed project and be used for the purpose it was intended for. For example, if a RM100mil fund is approved for the construction of School A in Long Panjang, that money must be used to build the particular school worth the amount. It cannot be "quietly diverted" from Long Panjang and used to build some other things in some other parts of the state. It is also not fair to the people of Long Panjang if the school built is built but not amounting to the approved budget. The people of Long Panjang have the right to query where the money had gone to and who is the one who had made the decision in allowing the "divertion" of the money meant to enable the people of Long Panjang. The MP and state assemblyman for Long Panjang must be held answerable. He must be in the know about the whereabouts of the money and what had transpired. Whether or not there is any hanky-panky involved in the "diversion" of the money is another thing altogether. The fact that the money meant to construct School A in Long Panjang was not used for that intended purpose is already an issue by itself and the YBs and state authorities must explain and reveal the truth. To ensure that these incidents of "missing money" are prevented from happening, the team drawing up the annual Budget must relook at its effectiveness in terms of fund-distribution, the implemen- tation process and the auditing process. Unless these aspects are looked into and improved, the delivery system will always fall short of performance and the intended group of people who should benefit from these money - the citizens - will continue to suffer from the delays, shoddy workmanship and "fund-diversions". I honestly hope that this Friday's Budget will also see Najib introducing stricter mechanisms to check on how fund that were approved under the annual Budget is being spent throughout every nook and corner of the country, including here in Sarawak. | ||||
| Soi Lek slams Nazri for backing Dong Zong Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:06 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek blasted today his Umno political ally Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz for supporting the demands of Chinese-language educationists without understanding fully the real issues that has seen the Chinese party at loggerheads with vocal vernacular education lobby groups. "Minister in the Prime Minister's department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz seems to have said that the demands of Dong Zong is fair and let us hope that he will not sing a different tune in Cabinet.
| ||||
| Youth who ‘insulted Islam’ remanded Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:01 PM PDT The youth who was alleged to have insulted Islam is being investigated under the Sedition Act and the Penal Code for allegedly hurting religious sentiments. G Vinod, FMT J Gopinath, who was alleged to have insulted Islam on his Facebook page, is currently held under remand by the police. "He will be detained till Oct 1 pending investigations. We'll refer the matter to the Attorney-General's Chambers for advise," said Klang South district police chief Muhammad Mat Yusop. The 25-year old youth is being probed under Section 4 (1) of the Sedition Act and Section 298 (a) of the Penal Code for deliberately making statements to hurt the religious sentiments of another. Gopinath was alleged to have insulted Islam last week, which prompted several social media users to create the 'Kami Benci Gopinath Jayaratnam' page. The page currently has 5,529 followers. Yesterday, Gopinath's home in Taman Klang Jaya was attacked by several men, who destroyed furnitures and damaged his car. No one was injured in the attack as Gopinath and his family were not at home. A group calling itself Jemaah Fisabilillah Klang said it masterminded the attack and even posted on the Kami Benci Gopinath Jayaratnam's page that they would track down Gopinath's family. Asked on the attack, Muhammad said the police had no leads on the matter for now. When pointed out that Jemaah Fisabilillah Klang had claimed responsibility for it, he said:" This is the first time I'm hearing this. I'll look into it."
Meanwhile, MIC central working committee member S Vell Paari condemned the attacks on Gopinath's home and urged the police to take action on the matter. "What Gopinath did was wrong but we should let the authorities handle it," he added. On that note, the MIC leader also urged the police to investigate what prompted Gopinath to post such derogatory statements. He pointed out that Gopinath was riled up over a YouTube video which showed Islamic speaker Shah Kirit Kakulal Govindji ridiculing Hinduism. The video, which was posted in June 2003, is a 10-part series where Shah Kirit is giving talks to a predominantly Muslim audience about Hinduism. FMT's check revealed that Shah Kirit passed insulting insinuations on Hindu gods Brahma and Saraswathy in part five of the video. The video pointed out that Shah Kirit was a Hindu before he converted to Islam in 1996. Shah Kirit is currently working with the Saba Islamic Media, an organisation that is bringing controversial India-based Islamic preacher Dr Zakir Naik to give talks in Malaysia. Vell Paari said the police should be fair and investigate both Gopinath and Shah Kirit for insulting religions. "Shah Kirit should be probed as well," he said. Vell Paari said at times, some new converts to Islam tend to get overzealous in professing their new faith by insulting their previous religion. "These people try to act more Malay than the Malays themselves. Shah Kirit must remember that it was his Hindu mother that gave birth to him," said Vell Paari, who added that MIC would lodge a police report against Shah Kirit soon.
| ||||
| Zeti must now explain forex scandal Posted: 26 Sep 2012 09:58 PM PDT PKR Youth submits four-point memorandum to Bank Negara governor demanding answers. Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT PKR Youth wing wants Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz to divulge details and explain the 1990s forex scandal that cost the bank RM5.7 billion in losses. The wing's chief, Syamsul Iskandar Ikin, said the muted response by the governor at the time Nor Mohamed Yackop was "disappointing". Syamsul said the onus was now on Zeti to clear the central bank's name following allegations that it had tried to bury the controversy from public knowledge. Former deputy prime minister and finance minister, Anwar Ibrahim, told Parliament that BNM's involvement in the foreign currency trading was done under the instruction of his predecessor Daim Zainuddin, the right hand man of then premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Anwar also alleged that Mahathir had told him "not to touch" Nor and that he had tried to put a stop to it. Prior to that, a former BNM official had named Nor, now a federal minister, as the foray's main culprit together with another former governor, the late Jaffar Hussein, although Anwar later said the former was not directly involved. Lawmakers from the ruling coalition claimed Anwar was also involved since he was the finance minister at the time but he denied the allegation, saying the "gambling" took place without his knowledge. Clear Anwar's name Jaffar subsequently resigned after the scandal went public. He was then replaced by Nor. In the four-point memorandum submitted to BNM officials today, PKR said the central bank must reply to the allegations made by Anwar. "This involves public interest and the bank must answer," he told reporters under the watchful eyes of the police after meeting BNM officials here. Earlier estimation of losses incurred from the forex venture was said to be in the RM30 billion region but Deputy Finance Minister Donald Lim told the Dewan Rakyat gave a significantly lower number of RM5.7 billion. The opposition had promised to open up investigations into the scandal if they are voted to power at the upcoming national polls. Syamsul said the BNM must also clear Anwar's name if details disclosed on the scandal contradicts Lim's accusation that the former deputy prime minister must be held accountable for the mishap.
| ||||
| Posted: 26 Sep 2012 03:21 PM PDT
We have a far from perfect democracy but then there are no perfect ones anywhere. People's right to voice critical opinions is suddenly seen as traitorous. The possibility of alternative administrations is deemed taboo, a word that has connotations beyond the mundanity of voting, rather like talking about sex is considered taboo. Marina Mahathir, The Star IN all the past 55 years, we have been proud of being a democracy, minimalist though it may be. We elect our Parliament like clockwork every five years or so and everyone is aware that that is the first hurdle they have to get over in order to get into power. Of course, we have a far from perfect democracy but then there are no perfect ones anywhere. We can do with a more inclusive and representative government and certainly can do with a more vibrant and free media and more space for alternative viewpoints to be heard. Still, we like to describe our federation with its constitutional monarchy as a democracy – our democracy. So it rather surprises me that of late, there are voices that seem to say that democracy is a bad thing to have. For some reason, there are people who think that an elected form of government where people have the power to choose who they want to elect is not a good thing. Perhaps this is because they are unsure that this type of government will put them into power at all. Some are even going so far as to say that democracy is incompatible with our state religion, Islam. That's rather odd because I've just been at a conference where an Islamic scholar stated that Islam is the most democratic of religions, because everyone has equal access to God. Yet, he added, most Muslims live in undemocratic states. This sudden turn in attitude towards democracy has had predictable results. Anyone who talks about democracy is suddenly viewed with suspicion, as if they are advocating that the Devil himself should take over the country. People's right to voice critical opinions is suddenly seen as traitorous. The possibility of alternative administrations is deemed taboo, a word that has connotations beyond the mundanity of voting, rather like talking about sex is considered taboo. If the citizens of a country are not allowed to elect whom they want, then they don't live in a democracy. So to say that it is taboo to elect anyone other than the present government is to bring the conversation to a realm that is beyond rational argument. Somehow nowadays, it is a sin to get our people to think democratically, as if democracy is a religion that teaches immorality. I remember in my childhood being taught about democracy at school. My teachers would talk about how concepts like apartheid or "the colour bar" were undemocratic. We held mock elections where we would have candidates and campaigns, including "political" rallies, so that we would understand the whole process of how our leaders are elected. Of great importance were the issues our "candidates" put up; those who had the best solutions to our issues at school were the ones who would get elected. Today, I hear that schools are not encouraged to have any such thing in case our children get "funny" ideas. Instead, we are differentiating children by the way they look and dress, rather than treating all of them as equal. We expose them to possible discrimination, even violence, even though our Federal Constitution says that every citizen has an equal right to education. Every day, we have new restrictions on our already limited democracy. We can get arrested for comments we never made just because someone made them on our website or Facebook page. Some of us, in an already limited job market, find ourselves charged with allegedly working against our own religion even though we are not responsible for anything other than doing our jobs. Even though both our official religion and Constitution give us rights, these rights are now contested. And contested in such a way that those who shout loudest win, even if their numbers are small. Yet these same folks would be the first to demand their right to speak should anyone object to what they say. We need to ask ourselves, how did we come to this state where democracy is confused with "total freedom" and "Westernisation"? Are Westerners the only ones allowed democracy? In that case, why are thousands of people in those autocratic Middle Eastern countries demanding to have a say in how their countries are run? Are we somehow undeserving of democracy, of the simple right to have a say?
| ||||
| Slighted by Anwar, SAPP out in the cold Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:36 PM PDT Anwar Ibrahim's 'new warlords' Lajim Ukin and Wilfred Bumburing together with their 'parties' appear set to assume Pakatan's role in Sabah. Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) appears to have parted ways with Pakatan Rakyat after initially showing signs of building ties with the peninsula-based opposition coalition. The fallout stems from PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim informing SAPP president Yong Teck Lee that Pakatan was now bringing in Lajim Ukin and Wilfred Bumburing as his new trusted warlords in Sabah. That decision was made known last month in a meeting room at a hotel here when Anwar met Yong and Jeffrey Kitingan, the Sabah chapter chairman of Sarawak-based State Reform Party (STAR). Since then, Yong has not appeared at Pakatan functions unlike in the past when he made an effort to attend nor has he sent senior members to represent the party at such events. His latest snub of a Pakatan function was the Sept 15 gathering in Tuaran of Pakatan's top leaders to mark the 49th anniversary of Malaysia Day. In the past Yong would have been loath to miss an event like that since the Sept 16, 1963 date of the formation of Malaysia has been was high on SAPP's agenda. However he did not even send a junior party leader to the function hosted by Lajim and Bumburing in the grounds of a restaurant. The event was staged to show Sabahans that Pakatan leaders empathised with them about how Sabah and Sarawak were equal partners with Malaya in the formation of Malaysia but had since been reduced in status equivalent to those of the peninsula states. Yong would not have wanted to ignore this gesture as among those present with Anwar were PAS president Hadi Awang, Penang CM and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim along with senior Pakatan component party leaders Tian Chua, Mohamad Sabu, Mustaffa Ali, Husam Musa and many others. The fracturing of ties can be traced to the closed-door meeting last month as soon after the brief meeting with Anwar, Yong left with his waiting SAPP colleagues to his residence near here and not long after issued a statement that his party was interested in contesting in Sepanggar, Penampang and Kota Kinabalu. He specifically mentioned the three parliamentary seats that Pakatan component DAP is eyeing as a direct challenge to the coalition's influence in the state. Anwar's new warlords DAP is the incumbent in Kota Kinabalu through Hiew King Chew, a former SAPP man himself who quit to join DAP. According to the political grapevine, Yong and Kitingan are irked by the inclusion of Lajim and Bumburing in the opposition equation and Anwar's declaration that Pakatan now has five components with APS (Angkatan Perubahan Sabah) and PPS (Pakatan Perubahan Sabah) joining PKR, DAP and PAS. APS is headed by Bumburing while PPS by Lajim. The two were in the meeting room with "guests" Yong and Kitingan along with PKR vice president Tian Chua and DAP MP Teresa Kok and Anwar's aides. No one from PKR Sabah was present. Yong and Kitingan were accompanied by senior leaders from their parties but they were not included in the meeting with Anwar. According to those familiar with discussions, Anwar signaled that APS and PPS would be the main players in Sabah even duplicating some of PKR Sabah's role and the message to Yong and Kitingan was "we now have them, so are you coming in or not?" or more bluntly "we can do without you". The meeting lasted only 20 minutes, according to insiders who said that Yong was also irked by Lajim's condescending tone after the meeting when he allegedly told the SAPP president that he could help deliver Lahad Datu constituency to SAPP. The assumption that Yong and his party would need outside help in his own hometown was seen as a slight, according to party insiders. Two days after the meeting with Anwar, Yong and his men turned up at the United Borneo Alliance (UBA) fourth meeting to meet Kitingan. Some have taken that as a signal that SAPP could be working with Kitingan's STAR instead to counter the Pakatan-Lajim-Bumburing tie-up.
| ||||
| Syed Mokhtar’s debts raising fear of future bailout, says Tony Pua Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:29 PM PDT
Hafidz Baharom, The Malaysian Insider The combined debt of RM34.3 billion accrued by companies owned by Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary is causing genuine fears of a bailout using taxpayers' money, the DAP's Tony Pua said today. The Petaling Jaya Utara MP told reporters that his attempt to raise the issue in Parliament was thwarted when the Speaker rejected his question to the Finance Ministry on the basis that his query was based on assumptions. "If a group of companies owe RM34.3 billion, when one entity cannot pay its debt, the ability of all the companies to pay their debts will be affected. "In 1997, the government had to bail out companies, they had to buy out the LRT, give a loan to Tan Sri Halim Saad who had to pull of a corporate exercise and this led to RM3.2 billion not paid back," Pua said, referring to the collapse of the Renong Group during the financial crisis in 1997. Pua said he regretted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also finance minister, chose not to answer his question in Parliament today as the debt also raises the risk of a financial crisis. "His (Syed Mokhtar) companies owe RM34.3 billion, more than 10 per cent of the national corporate debt; Renong owed about RM20 billion, which was only 8 per cent. "This is a serious matter and a threat to the finance and banking industry of this country," Pua said. Syed Mokhtar has holdings in hotelier Tradewinds, MMC Corporation and earlier this year won the bid to privatise Penang Port which sparked criticism on both sides of the political aisle. Barisan Nasional (BN) Backbenchers Club deputy chief Bung Mokhtar Radin has said that "Syed Mokhtar is like a king with so many banks backing him."
| ||||
| Anwar naiki jet ‘haram’, Azmin selar Tian Chua Posted: 26 Sep 2012 02:23 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dikatakan melakukan kesalahan apabila menaiki jet peribadi milik rakyat Amerika Syarikat (AS) yang menjadi satu kesalahan dalam perjalanan ke Labuan sempena sambutan Hari Malaysia baru-baru ini. "Adalah salah untuk menaiki jet yang didaftarkan milik rakyat AS di Malaysia. "Hanya pemilik jet berkenaan yang boleh menggunakan jet tersebut disini," lapor akhbar NST yang memetik dari sumber dari pihak berkuasa penerbangan negara. Baru-baru ini, blog-blog pro Umno mendedahkan Anwar bersama pemimpin DAP dan PAS menaiki jet peribadi mewah untuk ke Labuan, Sabah sempena sambutan Hari Malaysia pada 16 September lalu. Gambar-gambar di dalam jet tersebut mereka perolehi dengan mudah melalui laman Twitter naib presiden PKR, Tian Chua. Semalam media melaporkan syarikat tempatan Tjets Sdn Bhd telah mengaturkan urusan penyewaan jet peribadi untuk digunakan oleh pemimpin pembangkang bagi menyambut Hari Malaysia di Labuan. "Kemungkinan besar rakyat AS yang memiliki jet tersebut membenarkan Anwar untuk menggunakan jet tersebut," lapor NST. Sementara itu, timbalan presiden PKR, Mohamed Azmin Ali mengatakan Tian Chua perlu menyemak fakta sebelum mengeluarkan kenyataan. Naib presiden PKR itu dilaporkan berkata harga sewa jet peribadi murah walaupun Anwar sebelum ini mengatakan jet tersebut oleh seorang teman. "Tian Chua harus kekal dengan maklumat tepat, yang dibuat oleh Anwar," kata Azmin seperti dilapor NST.
| ||||
| Bantahan terhadap Zakir: MIC tidak matang Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:49 PM PDT Kritikan terhadap MIC timbul ekoran bantahan parti itu terhadap kehadiran pendakwah Islam dari India, Dr Zakir Naik. K Pragalath, FMT Sebuah persatuan India Muslim yang kurang dikenali, Persatuan Inspirasi Muhibah India Muslim Malaysia (IMIM) merasakan bahawa tindakan MIC meminta pendakwah Islam Dr Zakir Naik dinasihatkan agar tidak menghina agama-agama lain sebagai "tidak matang dan tidak wajar". "Kedatangan beliau ke Malaysia telah disalah tafsirkan dan ditokok tambah dengan tuduhan-tuduhan yang tidak berasas. "Beliau tidak pernah memaki atau memburukkan agama lain. Sejajar dengan itu sungguh malang bagi sebuah parti yang besar seperti MIC menuduhnya sebegini," kata Pengerusi IMIM, Sabarudin Abdul Rahman di dalam satu surat kepada presiden MIC, Datuk G Palanivel pada hari Selasa. Sabarudin turut meminta MIC berhenti menggunakan media sebagai saluran untuk menyekat kedatangan Zakir. Pada hari Isnin, Ketua Pemuda MIC, T Mohan mengumumkan bahawa pergerakannya akan meminta kerajaan menasihatkan Zakir agar tidak menghina agama – agama selain Islam, terutamanya termasuk agama Hindu. "Kami mahu pihak penganjur memberi jaminan Zakir tidak akan menyentuh sensitiviti agama lain," kata Mohan kepada media. Zakir singgung masyarakat Hindu Berita itu telah disiarkan di dalam slot berita Tamil dua hari lalu. Pengumuman tersebut dibuat Mohan ekoran daripada laporan media bahawa Zakir menyinggung sensitiviti masyarakat Hindu di India yang sembahyang semasa perayaan Vinayagar Chathurti pada minggu lepas. Penganjur ceramah Zakir, Saba Islamic Media merancang untuk menengahkan Zakir di empat lokasi. Ceramah pertama akan berlangsung di Dataran Bandaraya Johor Bahru esok dan yang terakhir di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra pada 7 Oktober. Masyarakat bukan Islam turut dijemput menghadiri sesi ceramah tersebut. Dalam surat sama, Sabarudin menyatakan kehadiran masyarakat bukan Islam di dalam ceramah tersebut adalah di atas kerelaan mereka sendiri. "Kedatangan bukan Islam ke acara ini juga bukan atas paksaan atau disuruh tetapi adalah atas kerelaan mereka sendiri. "Kedatangan mereka dialu-alukan sebagai pemerhati dan bertanya soalan-soalan yang menjadi kemusykilan mereka selama ini," kata Sabarudin. Ketua IMIM turut menegaskan bahawa masyarakat bukan Islam tidak dipaksa untuk menerima jawapan Zakir secara bulat.
| ||||
| Nazri: No probe into ‘copgate’ Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:47 PM PDT Home Minister rejected the setting up of an inquiry due to 'lack of evidence', says Minister in PM's Department. Anisah Shukry, FMT The government has not initiated any investigation against former IGP Musa Hasan's alleged links to Johor underworld figures, Parliament was told today. Minister in the PM's Department, Nazri Abdul Aziz, in a written reply to Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng, said that Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein had rejected the setting up of an inquiry due to "lack of evidence". This is despite the fact that Hishammuddin having admitted to receiving a 2007 letter from former Commercial Crime Investigation Department Chief Ramli Yusuff's lawyer. The letter from Ramli allegedly detailed the actions leading to the exposure of the identity of police informants who had helped in the arrest of Goh Cheng Poh and BK Tan. Nazri also said that as no police report had been lodged over the matter, the authorities had not initiated any investigations since the issue first surfaced six months ago. "No police report was lodged over the exposé by Ramli Yusuff regarding the former IGP's links with these two underword figures whilst he was in service with the PDRM," he said. "As such, no investigations have been made by the police over the issue." Nazri said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) had also not received a single complaint over the matter. But he added that the authorities would investigate if any police reports or complaints were made in the future. Local online media reported in March that several police informants had allegedly been forced to implicate six police officers probing the case of Goh Cheng Poh, also known as 'Tengku Goh'. It is also claimed that AG Abdul Gani Patail, then police chief Musa Hassan and Tengku Goh were behind the move which lead to Goh's release from his restricted residence in Kelantan.
| ||||
| Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:41 PM PDT The leakage of the audio recording involving Mansor Othman is seen as an internal sabotage of PKR's interest in Penang. Hawkeye, FMT GEORGE TOWN: Penang PKR liaison chairman Mansor Othman should act decisively when going after the culprit who allegedly leaked raunchy details of an informal state PKR meeting held earlier this year, said the outspoken Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak. The leak found its way to an online news portal before it created a ripple this week after TV3 broadcast a purported recording of a private conversation that Mansor allegedly had with his PKR members concerning the general election and the standing of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. Mansor, the Deputy Chief Minister (I), had allegedly uttered the words "cocky and arrogant" to describe Lim, while also stating that the latter is regarded as a "tokong" (deity) in the eyes of the electorate here. Rahmad said Mansor needed to act fast while at the same time, in a transparent manner to allay concerns that PKR and DAP are no longer on the best terms in Penang. "We are also worried as a community that Mansor, being the highest ranked Malay in the state government, is allegedly having problems with Lim. "Both do not seem to be on the same page. This does not augur well for Pakatan Rakyat. "This is no laughing matter as the public here are disturbed to hear about the alleged disagreements between PKR and DAP out in the open. "It does not reflect a sense of confidence that the state government is united in one purpose, which is to serve the people here well after decades of sub par performances by the previous Barisan Nasional government," Rahmad said in an interview.
| ||||
| Posted: 26 Sep 2012 01:31 PM PDT  KTEMOC KONSIDERS Free Malaysia Today (FMT) - Mansor did not deny audio contents Penang DCM I, Mansor Othman, thought he was safe within the confines, comradeship and confidentiality of a closed-door PKR special (to Chinese echelon leaders) meeting, when he let loose his opinion of CM Lim Guan Eng wakakaka. And it sure as mafulat didn't help when his CM boss belongs to a different (and potentially rival) political party. Alamak, not brilliant ler for a PKR No 2 saying his DAP No 1 is cocky, arrogant and (considered by Penangites as a) tokong, wakakaka. As FMT journalist Athi Shanker (who I suspect from his previous writings doesn't like DAP, wakakaka) cleverly put it: Just when PKR thought the worst was over, the CAT has reared its ugly head again, much to the chagrin of the party's Penang chief and Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman. CAT here is not the "competency, accountability and transparency" tune routinely sung by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng about his Pakatan Rakyat state administration. In this instance CAT means "cocky, arrogant, tokong", a refence Mansor allegedly made to Lim.
Now, we have two types of C.A.T in Penang wakakaka. But really man, I should be pissed as I'm a dog lover and consider cats only good as door stoppers (sorry darling, wakakaka), but jokes aside, as I had written in my post PKR and its arrogant tokong one month ago: Loose lips sink ships, or in this case, (the potential to sink) the Rocket spaceship. As they say, 'perception' matters in politics and whether there's any truth in PKR Mansor Othman's vocalized opinion of Lim GE, doesn't matter a bloody fig. Each and everyone of his enemies, from those in MCA to pro-UMNO and ultra anti-Lim GE bloggers (wakakaka), and even those in PKR, will have a field day dissecting, pseudo-analyzing and writing ugly dissertations on Lim Guan Eng's political leadership.
The significant political damage would be to the reputation of Lim Guan Eng among his nascent and growing Malay supporters, while Mansor Othman merely suffers the embarrassment of being exposed for badmouthing an ally and boss, though in a worst case scenario he may have (post the next Penang State election) a frigidly courteous, cold and contentious boss. But in visualizing the worst case scenario, maybe we're falling prey to Athi Shanker's projection in FMT that: Whether or not Mansor's alleged description of Lim was spot on, the Penanti assemblyman has surely fueled Lim's wrath. Mansor now faces a tough political future in Penang so long as Lim, from Malacca, hangs around in the island-state. A PKR source said Mansor, who is a party vice-president, must now move out of Penang to safeguard his political interests, alleging that Lim could be "vindictive and vengeful." The source said PKR feared that Lim would order DAP leaders and members not to help Mansor's campaign in the coming general election. As I mentioned, Athi Shanker might possibly be not well disposed to the DAP and could be imagining the worst of Lim Guan Eng. Lim GE is not so small-minded as Shanker has penned, based on his sources. We should remember Lim has been a man who was willing to be jailed for the justice of an (then) under-age Malacca Malay girl. We may say he possesses very high quality values, and would not be a person to be vindictive, much as BN wants us to believe. And if you believe in God, as Lim GE does, wakakaka (sorry for the wakakaka, just ignore me, kaytee the blooming atheist), then we could say the Almighty has rewarded him for his courageous and Guan Yu-like righteous deed for a Malacca Malay girl and her grandmother.
Now, back to topic, much as it may sound strange for me who's not well disposed towards PKR wakakaka, I personally didn't and still won't place much blame on Mansor for his indiscretion in badmouthing Lim GE behind the latter's back. The brouhaha has been nothing more than just a storm in a Pakatan teacup.
Hey, badmouthing someone behind his back, while in itself is bad, means it's suppose to be a private opinion or an opinion expressed among confidantes, wakakaka, and not intended as a biadap-ish disrespect. Surely most of us at one time or another have mafulat-ishly mumbled & muttered imprecations at someone, even those close to us, privately of course or only in thoughts. There is only one rule when doing so, don't get caught and be publicly exposed, wakakaka. Mansor Othman's sin had been in naively believing he was secure within the confines, comradeship and confidentiality of a closed-door PKR meeting, but alas, PKR is not unlike a vipers' nest. The hand that has plunged the assassin stiletto into Lim's political back is not that of Mansor Othman, though I have to say he (Mansor) had naively lent his hand to the assassin for the backstabbing job.
It didn't help when the PKR Chinese faction (supposedly headed by Big Boss Tian Chua wakakaka) was worried about Mansor ceding some state constituencies held or lost (in March 2008) by PKR to DAP, perhaps as a quid pro quo for DAP not to compete with PKR for the State's Malay dominated seats(?). That adverse scenario for the anxious PKR Chinese members was further aggravated when the x number of Chinese members wanting to present themselves as PKR state candidates realized there were only x-1 available constituencies for them, the Chinese elements of PKR. Now, when you become aware you're a loser, or it's made known you'd be one vis-à-vis the list of candidates for the next election, your sour-grapes vengeful exposé of a covertly taped conversation with Mansor committing his faux pas, though totally unethical, would not surprise me in the least, given the generally PKR's viperous environment and culture. And assuming erstwhile PKR MP for Nibong Tebal Tan Tee Beng has been truthful (wakakaka) in stating that, when he was in PKR, Anwar approved attacks against Guan Eng because he (The Great One) considered Lim GE as kurang ajar and desired to "... reproach Lim for his wrongdoings and mismanagement in Penang", it's yet another salutary lesson in being careful of what you say when you are in nest of vipers.
Much as I personally dislike Anwar, and yes, he (The Great One) might have said something uncomplimentary about Lim GE, I doubt he would go to the extent of saying those stuff like what Tan would have us believe. Okay, say maybe he did, that would then make Anwar's unflattering remarks about Lim a trillion quadrillion quintillion times worse that that of Mansor Othman because of the words kurang ajar and the green light to publicly attack an ally. But as I said, I don't believe Tan 100%. Tan is the son of Tan Ghim Hwa, a Penang Gerakan Party big-shot at one time. I mentioned the father in an earlier post Analysing Tan Tee Beng's resignation from PKR where I penned: But this post is not about Tan becoming a frog. If he does that, it won't surprise me. After all, his family roots are in Gerakan-BN. His father Tan Ghim Hwa was the former Gerakan State Chairman, and known as the sworn enemy of the DAP. Lim Kit Siang had in 1991 described Tan Ghim Hwa as a political vulture in a matter where phone threats were made against Lim, allegedly by some Gerakan Party members.
This post is more about Tan Junior's attack against CM Lim GE in particular and the DAP in general. We can of course speculate that his background could have been a possible factor in his latent hostility towards the DAP and the son of Lim Kit Siang, and eventually brought to the boil after some disagreement with CM Lim. But let us not forget that he came from the Chinese section of PKR, led by (its de facto section leader wakakaka) Tian Chua. Uncle Lim described his father as a 'political vulture', and for his unethical kiss-and-tell-like revelation about an alleged Anwar's unfriendly but behind closed door indiscretion towards Lim GE, truthful or otherwise, I have to describe him as 'politically vulgar', wakakaka. Okay, be that it may, obviously with elections around the corner, the BN is in full swing with its char koay teow-ing of the PKR faux pas, aimed to damage and hopefully discredit Lim GE. WTF, after all, it has no policy and nothing else to do, wakakaka. It would appear that Gerakan Penang has been tasked with the dubious honour of playing the role of the fried noodles hawker - huan cheo chay-chay (minta chili lebih - lat cheow tor tee). Okay, so Lim GE is C.A.T though the C.A (cocky and arrogant) is tautological. But sometimes I believe in some circumstances, when one has it, why not flaunt it, as some sweeties have done, much to my immense delight.
| ||||
| Posted: 26 Sep 2012 11:05 AM PDT
(The Star) - The George Soros-linked Media Development Loan Fund (MDLF) chief executive officer Harlan M. Mandel is one of three directors of Mkini Dotcom that runs Malaysiakini while several Opposition figures are among its 50 shareholders. Mandel, who is based in Brooklyn, New York, was appointed as a director in July last year, according to the Mkini Dotcom profile. The MDLF has been funding Malaysiakini operations for over a decade. Subang MP R. Sivarasa, who is PKR's vice-president, admits that he is a shareholder. Sivarasa said he paid RM5,000 for 5,000 units of shares when he was invited to contribute towards the setting up of the Internet news portal 13 years ago. "It was for a worthy cause. And I still own that 5,000 shares out of Mkini's 4.5 million issued shares," he said in an interview. Sivarasa, another shareholder Bruno Gentil Pereira, and director Premesh Chandran are also activists linked to Suaram. Other shareholders include the Selangor Mentri Besar's press secretary Arfa'eza Aziz. Malaysiakini and Suaram have come under the spotlight following reports claiming they were among several organisations that were receiving foreign funding. The two main contributors are the American-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the George Soros-linked Open Society Institute (OSI), which have been financing groups supporting its objectives around the world. OSI is linked to MDLF which in turn claims to be a mission- driven investment fund for independent news outlets in countries with a history of media oppression. MDLF holds 1.316 million units of shares in Mkini, while Premesh and another director Steven Gan own 1.385 million and 1.328 million shares respectively. Premesh had said MDLF owned about 29% of the company shares while its co-founders and staff owned the rest. Despite these and other revelations, Premesh maintained that the portal maintained its editorial independence but several bloggers questioned how he could claim so since there are several Opposition personalities listed as shareholders. According to its financial report that can be obtained from the Companies Commission of Malaysia for the year ended Dec 31, 2011, Mkini recorded a drop in revenue from RM1.85mil in 2010 to RM1.63mil last year. However, its "other income" increased from RM3.26mil in 2010 to RM3.7mil last year. Its operating and administrative expenses was RM5.1mil. According to Mkini.blogspot. com, it received grants from the Dutch Embassy in Malaysia, Canadian International Development Agency, NED, OSI, International Centre for Journalists, Free Voice, and Friedrich Naumann Foundation, apart from MDLF and South-East Asian Press Alliance (Seapa). | ||||
| Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:58 AM PDT
(Economic Policy Journal) - A curious link between George Soros and the CIA has emerged as a result of disclosures of funding of a Malaysian media organization by the National Endowment for Democracy. It turns out it was NED funding and Soros funding. NED has long been known as a CIA front. In the clip below, one time CIA case officer Phil Agee describes the developments that led up to the formation of NED and how NED operates. This is all noteworthy with regard to Soros, since the Malaysiakini, a Malaysian media organization, has just admitted receiving funds from NED. Read more and watch the video at: http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2012/09/the-cia-soros-partnership.html | ||||
| GST a ploy to hide economic ills, says Pakatan Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:55 AM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Putrajaya's desire to implement the goods and services tax (GST) in the future is an easy way get more money and divert attention away from economic problems such as inefficiency and corruption, says Pakatan Rakyat (PR) While the Barisan Nasional (BN) government is not expected to introduce the GST till after the general election, Minister in Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala was quoted in the Wall Street Journal yesterday that he expects the proposed GST to help boost state revenue and help put an end to the federal budget deficit by 2020. PKR's strategy chief Rafizi Ramli said Malaysia did not meet the conditions for the introduction of GST and it was being used as a "shortcut" to reduce the budget deficit instead of addressing fundamental flaws in the country's economy. "GST is a red herring to cover those economic weaknesses," Rafizi told The Malaysian Insider. He noted that if the ruling coalition instead stamped out rent-seeking activities, corruption and cronyism it would boost economic growth which would in turn boost government income. Rafizi also noted that in other countries, GST was used as a substitute tax, meaning that income tax would be cut if the consumption tax was implemented which amounts to the net effect of the new tax being neutral. He pointed out however that if it was implemented in Malaysia, the net effect would be an additional tax burden on large numbers of Malaysians whose earnings currently fall below the taxable income threshold. Rafizi said that based on PKR's means testing, which involved evaluating the size of the economy, government revenue and people's income levels, Malaysia was a poor candidate for GST at the moment. "There are pre-requisites for GST, you can't implement as you wish," he said. DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua said that while GST was supposed to broaden the tax base as only an estimated 10 per cent of Malaysians currently pay income tax, the question that needed to be asked was why were so many Malaysians earning so little as to fall below the taxable threshold. He said that even if 10 per cent out of the people who are not currently paying tax are tax dodgers, GST still would not make sense as it meant that many more low-income Malaysians would be burdened. "If they can't earn enough, why should they be burdened with additional taxes," he said. "People's incomes have not increased significantly." Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/gst-a-ploy-to-hide-economic-ills-says-pakatan/
| ||||
| US calls Assange 'enemy of state' Posted: 26 Sep 2012 10:53 AM PDT  Julian Assange ... "enemy of the state". Photo: AFP (The Sydney Morning Herald) - THE US military has designated Julian Assange and WikiLeaks as enemies of the United States - the same legal category as the al-Qaeda terrorist network and the Taliban insurgency. Declassified US Air Force counter-intelligence documents, released under US freedom-of-information laws, reveal that military personnel who contact WikiLeaks or WikiLeaks supporters may be at risk of being charged with "communicating with the enemy", a military crime that carries a maximum sentence of death. The documents, some originally classified "Secret/NoForn" - not releasable to non-US nationals - record a probe by the air force's Office of Special Investigations into a cyber systems analyst based in Britain who allegedly expressed support for WikiLeaks and attended pro-Assange demonstrations in London. The counter-intelligence investigation focused on whether the analyst, who had a top-secret security clearance and access to the US military's Secret Internet Protocol Router network, had disclosed classified or sensitive information to WikiLeaks supporters, described as an "anti-US and/or anti-military group". The suspected offence was "communicating with the enemy, 104-D", an article in the US Uniform Code of Military Justice that prohibits military personnel from "communicating, corresponding or holding intercourse with the enemy". The analyst's access to classified information was suspended. However, the investigators closed the case without laying charges. The analyst denied leaking information. Mr Assange remains holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London. He was granted diplomatic asylum on the grounds that if extradited to Sweden to be questioned about sexual assault allegations, he would be at risk of extradition to the US to face espionage or conspiracy charges arising from the leaking of hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic reports. US Vice-President Joe Biden labelled Mr Assange a "high-tech terrorist" in December 2010 and US congressional leaders have called for him to be charged with espionage.
| ||||
| Najib betting on generous budget Posted: 25 Sep 2012 06:35 PM PDT With the general election looming, the prime minister is expected to announce measures to help poorer families. (Reuters) - Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is expected to unveil a voter-pleasing budget on Friday, placing the priority on winning a tough election above addressing the country's rising debt burden. Economists say Najib will likely delay much-needed reforms to broaden Malaysia's tax base and reduce its dependence on oil revenues to at least next year, while announcing measures to help poorer families struggling with rising living costs. Strong revenues in 2012 mean Najib can afford to be generous in the budget for next year without alarming financial markets, but further signs of fiscal slippage would add to investor concerns over a steady deterioration in Malaysia's finances. Malaysia's public debt as a percentage of GDP is just short of its self-imposed ceiling of 55% – up from 43% in 2008 – while its budget deficit of 4.7% in the first half of 2012 is the third-biggest in Asia after Japan and India. Fitch Ratings said in August that Malaysia's public finances were weak compared with other countries on equivalent sovereign ratings (A minus) and on a par with heavily indebted countries such as Italy and Israel. "Very plainly this is going to be an election budget. It's going to be generous," said Irvin Seah, an economist at DBS Bank in Singapore. "At this point, the need for political support will take precedence over some economic considerations." Najib must call an election by next April and has already announced a series of handouts this year, including RM2.6 billion (US$847 million) in cash payments to poor families, to shore up support for the long-ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. Although the coalition is widely expected to win the election, it suffered its worst-ever performance in 2008 polls and faces perhaps the closest-ever election this time as the opposition gains ground. 'People-friendly' The economy grew at a brisk annual pace of 5.4% in the second quarter, but many lower-income and middle-class earners complain their salaries have not kept pace with rising living costs and surging house prices. "The budget will be people-friendly and will ensure the country will achieve its goal to become a high-income nation by 2020," Deputy Finance Minister Donald Lim told reporters yesterday. Helped by strong economic growth, Malaysia's revenues for 2012 are expected to top RM200 billion, well above the government's RM187 billion target. But public spending is also growing, raising doubts over whether the government can achieve its goal of keeping the fiscal deficit at 4.7% of GDP this year. Several large infrastructure projects, including the RM50 billion Mass Rapid Transit transport project in Kuala Lumpur, are helping insulate Malaysia from slowing activity around the world but also risk increasing its debt burden. Rating agencies Standard & Poor's and Fitch recently warned of rising fiscal pressures in Malaysia that could lead to a downgrade. "While we are relatively positive about Malaysia's growth and inflation outlook, we are concerned about its fiscal position," said Credit Suisse analyst Santitarn Sathirathai in a research note. The ratings agencies want the government to introduce a goods and services tax (GST) to widen its revenue base in a country where only about 10 percent of the workforce pays income taxes and to cut fuel subsidies that are among Asia's highest. Malaysian policymakers have signalled they plan to implement those reforms, but not before the upcoming election. Najib is expected to set the deficit target for 2013 lower than the 4.7% goal for this year. In one bow to fiscal discipline, he is unlikely to announce any corporate or individual income tax cuts. Gundy Cahyadi, an economist at OCBC Bank in Singapore, said the government will be hoping that the heavy spending now will pay off in coming years through higher revenues. "People forget that it's just like any business decision – you need to invest a lot at the initial stage."
| ||||
| Sometimes I can’t understand Umno Posted: 25 Sep 2012 05:58 PM PDT Umno needs to walk the talk. If it wants to convince Malaysians that it is serious about reforms and that it respects the rights of Malaysians to free speech then Umno has to prove it. Talking alone is not enough. Unless you can demonstrate that you mean what you say then expect many voters to vote against you come the next general election. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin
I can't understand why Umno is making a big fuss regarding the foreign funding that Suaram, Bersih, Malaysiakini, and so on, are alleged to have received. Is it illegal for Malaysian organisations to receive money from overseas (or from local sources for that matter)? Organisations, especially NGOs, need donations and grants to survive. If not how would they operate? I myself donate monthly to the cancer research institute and the seeing-eye dogs for the blind NGO (http://www.guidedogs.org.uk/) here in the UK. They stand on street corners and go door-to-door to sign people up as monthly donors. In fact, the dog I have adopted is called 'Sparkle' and it is being loaned to a blind person for a payment of just one pound. Umno should demonstrate a bit of maturity and not treat everything as a political issue. Umno reminds me of the opposition supporters who question me as to where I get my funding from, as to who is sponsoring me, as to how I survive here in the UK, and whatnot. That is very childish -- raising issues that are a non-issue. Umno should not reduce itself to this level. The private jet that was loaned to the Pakatan Rakyat leaders is another issue that is silly. So a Malay businessman lent the opposition leaders the use of his jet -- or he paid the cost to rent a private jet. Is that wrong? The fact that the businessman does business in the Pakatan Rakyat ruled states should not be the excuse to turn this into an issue. You are just assuming that since this person is a businessman then there must be strings attached. That is malicious and mischievous. You are jumping to conclusions and are insinuating that one is considered guilty until proven innocent. Again, Umno is acting like those Pakatan Rakyat supporters who questioned me about my friend's yacht that I holidayed on in Phuket during the Christmas holidays last year. Actually, we had a meeting on that yacht and a few activists such as Haris Ibrahim also joined me a couple of days in Phuket. And that meeting was actually what resulted in me doing that NST interview on 1st January 2012. Another thing that Umno is being silly about is regarding Deputy Higher Education Minister Saifuddin Abdullah's statements. He has always demonstrated an independent spirit and has always spoken his mind. No doubt some of his statements and opinions may go against Barisan Nasional's 'party stand'. But then what Saifuddin said is very true and is mere coincidental that some of the things he says are what some people in Pakatan Rakyat are also saying. But just because what he says is sometimes also what those in the opposition say does not mean he is a traitor, Trojan horse, mole, or whatever. As the Deputy Higher Education Minister, what he says is very important because the youth are Malaysia's future. Hence it is very crucial that the youth are told the right things and who better to do that than the Deputy Education Minister himself, especially one from Umno? Umno, which has been in power for more than half a century, should know this and, therefore, should allow its ministers some degree of independence. Umno cannot always expect its leaders to just toe the party line. When it is right the leaders must be allowed to say it is right and if it is wrong to say it is wrong. Umno should prove to Malaysians that it is really interested in reforms and respects the rights of Malaysians to speak freely. Umno should not act like those in Pakatan Rakyat who are calling Nasharudin Mat Isa a Barisan Nasional agent, mole, Trojan horse, and whatnot, just because he speaks his mind and what he says does not go down well with the Pakatan Rakyat leaders. Umno should know that the days when you vilify someone for expressing an opinion opposite to yours is long gone. Maybe some in the opposition still do that but this is forgivable since Pakatan Rakyat has not ruled Malaysia for more than 50 years like Umno has. Hence, while the opposition can be excused for being less tolerant or matured, there is no excuse for Umno to also be like that. Umno needs to walk the talk. If it wants to convince Malaysians that it is serious about reforms and that it respects the rights of Malaysians to free speech then Umno has to prove it. Talking alone is not enough. Unless you can demonstrate that you mean what you say then expect many voters to vote against you come the next general election. That is all I wish to say to Umno. If Umno does not wish to listen that is their problem. Then expect the voters to show you what they think of your hypocrisy when they next go to the polls. And if the people vote against you don't get upset. You have only yourself to blame.
| ||||
| Posted: 25 Sep 2012 04:05 PM PDT The call is growing louder for the government to bar controversial Muslim preacher from coming here. Athi Shankar, FMT GEORGE TOWN: Hindraf Makkal Sakti and a local Gerakan leader have called on the government to bar controversial Muslim preacher Zakir Naik from Malaysia. Former president of Malaysian chapter of Transparency International, Tunku Aziz Ibrahim, meanwhile cautioned Zakir not to "come here and insult Malaysians". Hindraf national coordinator W Sambulingam was uncompromising with the movement's stand, saying that Zakir must be banned from the country. He said Zakir was known for pouring scorns on other faiths, pointing out that the controversial orator was banned in Canada and United Kingdom. He said Zakir would be a menace to the country's multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-culture and multi-language landscape. "He is a national threat against peace and harmony that we all cherish. He must be barred and banned altogether. "He is the last person that Malaysia wants," Sambulingam told FMT here today. Gerakan's Baljit Singh concurred with Sambulingam, saying that Malaysia had no place for religious fanatics like Zakir. He said the government should be sensitive to all religious sentiments as Zakir would likely insult other religions in his speeches. "His reputation precedes him," said Baljit, who heads Penang Gerakan's legal and human rights bureau. He noted that all Malaysians had demonstrated a united stand in condemning the controversial US-made movie "Innocence of Muslims". Similarly, he called on all Malaysians to also speak out with one voice to compel the government to stop Zakir coming here. Zakir of Mumbai, India, is expected to address several forums across the country, including in PWTC, until Oct 7. "Malaysians should demonstrate their consistent stand against religious extremism. It's time for all Malaysians to oppose Zakir and stop him from coming here," said Baljit. "The government should not issue a visa to Zakir. The government should be sensitive to all religions," he added.
| ||||
| Mansor vs Guan Eng: PKR mulakan inkuiri Posted: 25 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail berkata, Lembaga Disiplin PKR telah pun memulakan siasatan berhubung dakwaan tersebut namun setakat ini masih belum menerima sebarang laporan rasmi. Jamilah Kamarudin, FMT PKR mengambil serius kontroversi kenyataan Timbalan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang 1 Datuk Mansor Othman yang menggelar Ketua Menteri Lim Guan Eng sebagai 'tokong'. Setiausaha Agung PKR Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail berkata, Lembaga Disiplin PKR telah pun memulakan siasatan berhubung dakwaan tersebut namun setakat ini masih belum menerima sebarang laporan rasmi. "Inkuiri dalaman telah berjalan, jika didapati wujudnya unsur-unsur sabotaj parti PKR tidak akan teragak-agak untuk ambil tindakan tegas Sementara itu, Timbalan Presiden PKR Azmin Ali berkata pihaknya tidak akan membenarkan sebarang unsur sabotaj terhadap parti dan pemimpin lain dalam Pakatan. "Kita menghormati kebebasan bersuara setiap ahli tetapi janganlah sampai mensabotaj parti dan pimpinan. "Kita tidak membuat sebarang pertuduhan kepada mana-mana individu,kerana Ketua Menteri dan Timbalan Ketua Menteri telah mengadakan perbincangan dan mengeluarkan kenyataan media. "Saya anggap isu mereka telah selesai kerana ia telah dibuat secara baik dan muafakat," katanya. Mansor nafi Mansor semasa mempengerusikan mesyuarat PKR Pulau Pinang Ogos lalu yang membincangkan mengenai persiapan PKR dalam Pilhan Raya Umum (PRU) 13 akan datang didakwa melahirkan rasa tidak puas hati terhadap Guan Eng yang dikatakan bersikap biadap, angkuh dan tidak boleh dipercayai. Namun Mansor menafikan perkara tersebut dan hanya mengaku bahawa dia menggelar Guan Eng sebagai tokong yang membawa maksud sebagai 'sanjungan tinggi dan penghormatan' rakyat terhadap pemimpin DAP itu. "Guan Eng macam tokong u know..to the Chinese…You cannot deny that. He is just like a tokong…Itu yang buat dia org sombong…very angkuh and arrogant..Get ourselves stronger. "Every seat kita target nak bertanding kena ada orang…stock ready candidates for areas nak bertanding…I have already asked Lau to identify areas for PKR to stand…Dia lawan kacau tempat kita, kita kena lawan," katanya dalam pendedahan rakaman audio yang tersebar dalam blog tempatan.
| ||||
| Marks of a good Malaysian leader Posted: 25 Sep 2012 03:49 PM PDT Ooi Kee Beng, New Mandala There is an anecdote told among close acquaintances of the late Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's feared and respected Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister in the early 1970s, that he once in confidence said that he felt he was at heart a greater racist than in his actions, unlike most of his politician colleagues, who were more opportunistic and were racists in words and deeds, but not at heart. And yet, he was the Malay leader that Chinese Malaysian leaders of his day trusted. In fact, even Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore has often reiterated that Tun Dr Ismail was the only Malaysian leader he had faith in. As a reflection of the Malaysian culture prevalent during his time perhaps, many of his best friends throughout his life were non-Malays. When Tun Dr Ismail was growing up in Johor Bahru, among his family's closest friends were the Cheahs, the Kuoks and the Puthuchearys. Dr Cheah Tiang Eam was a medical doctor who was very close to Ismail's father, Abdul Rahman Yassin. Ismail's elder brother, Suleiman, later a member of Malaya's first Cabinet, was sent to the Cheah home to learn English manners from Mrs Cheah, who was an English lady. Ismail was especially fond of the youngest Cheah daughters, who later married the Kuok brothers, Philip and Robert. The Kuoks would be among Ismail's closest friends in adult life. The painful process of securing independence and negotiating a workable path of nation building in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s seared the ever-present issue of race onto the political foreground, where it has stayed until today. Racial issues submerged consciousness of the inter-ethnic exchanges and cultural hybridisation, which continued nevertheless. Understandably, in many Malaysians, strong ethnocentric emotions were stimulated for a time, something that the ensuing politicking would not allow to dissipate. What went wrong, of course, when we look back over the last few decades, was that they allowed themselves to be manipulated into seeing themselves exhaustively in racial terms and not in citizenship terms. The political establishment grew to depend on this discourse, and turned it into a chronic pathological state.
| ||||
| Speaker blocks debate on AG Gani Patail Posted: 25 Sep 2012 03:10 PM PDT In a letter to Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai, Dewan Rakyat secretary Rosmee Hamzah said that oral questions posed at the House should not be based on hearsay and insults. G Vinod, FMT Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai's application to submit an oral question to debate on the allegations contained in the controversial book "Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail Pemalsu, Penipu, Penjenayah" was rejected by the Dewan Rakyat. In a letter to Tan, Dewan Rakyat secretary Rosmee Hamzah said that any questions at Parliament should not be based on hearsay and insults. "Standing Order 23 (1) C states that oral questions should not be based on prejudice, slander, praises, insults, confusing terms or any issue which is trivial," said Rosmee. A copy of the letter was also sent to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia and Home Ministry secretary Abdul Rahim Mohamad Radzi. In August, former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) advisory panel member Robert Phang challenged Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail to deny the allegations made in the book authored by Zainal Abidin Ahmad. The book lists details on Gani's alleged criminal acts ranging from abuse of power, corruption to other criminal acts. "I challenge the MACC and the police to probe the allegations made against Gani by the author," Phang was reported saying. He also lodged a police report against Gani. Gani has come under fire from various quarters over the years, with even former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim calling Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to establish a tribunal to investigate the alleged wrong-doings of the AG. The former policeman alleged that Gani had tampered with evidence during the Sodomy I trial in 1998 involving former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. "I believe Zainal, by himself, is unable to prove Gani's wrongdoings. But I can, and am able and ready to prove the allegations against Gani, in particular with regard to the falsification and fabrication in the investigation of the black-eye incident that is being debated until today," Mat Zain reportedly said.
| ||||
| Mansor did not deny audio contents Posted: 25 Sep 2012 03:04 PM PDT PKR has identified the culprit who allegedly leaked the incriminating audio recording involving Penang DCM Mansor Othman. Athi Shankar, FMT GEORGE TOWN: Just when PKR thought the worst was over, the CAT has reared its ugly head again, much to the chagrin of the party's Penang chief and Deputy Chief Minister I Mansor Othman. CAT here is not the "competency, accountability and transparency" tune routinely sung by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng about his Pakatan Rakyat state administration. In this instance CAT means "cocky, arrogant, tokong", a refence Mansor allegedly made to Lim. Ties between the two top state leaders are now at its lowest ebb, with Pakatan sources claiming that "Lim is really pissed off with Mansor". Mansor had allegedly voiced these words during a closed door meeting between him and come local Chinese leaders, including incumbent elected representatives. An alleged audio recording of the closed door meeting was aired during TV3′s prime time Monday night. If the audio recording was authentic, as claimed by TV3 sources, then Mansor could clearly be heard using the words "angkuh" (cocky) and "sombong" (arrogant). He also allegedly described Lim as a "tokong" (deity) to the Chinese community. When the CAT controversy emerged as a hot issue last month, Mansor denied he described Lim as "cocky and arrogant", but admitted saying "tokong" in a positive note. But, when asked today, Mansor did not deny the aired audio recording contents, instead suggested that the leaking and airing of audio recording were all tied up with the coming general election. He mused over how much the television station paid to obtain the audio recording. Whether or not Mansor's alleged description of Lim was spot on, the Penanti assemblyman has surely fueled Lim's wrath. Mansor now faces a tough political future in Penang so long as Lim, from Malacca, hangs around in the island-state. A PKR source said Mansor, who is a party vice-president, must now move out of Penang to safeguard his political interests, alleging that Lim could be "vindictive and vengeful." The source said PKR feared that Lim would order DAP leaders and members not to help Mansor's campaign in the coming general election. The leaked details of the meeting were first published in June postings of a blog "Gelagat Anwar", which sources said was being operated by some insiders close with a top state PKR leader. In its postings in June 16, 18 and 19, the blog revealed that state PKR deputy chief Law Choo Kiang, Bukit Bendera division deputy chief Felix Ooi, Bayan Baru deputy chief Tan Seng Keat, 2004 candidate for Bayan Baru Raymond Ong, Tanjung Youth chief Ng Chek Siang; Batu Uban chief Cheah Peng Guan and Mansor's assistant John Ooi were among those who attended the casual meeting. Notable absentees were assemblymen Jason Ong Khan Lee of Kebun Bunga, Tan Hock Leong of Machang Bubok, Sim Tze Tzin of Pantai Jerejak and Ong Chin Wen of Bukit Tengah.
| ||||
| Bersih: We got funds only once Posted: 25 Sep 2012 02:42 PM PDT
(The Star) - The Bersih movement had received funds from the George Soros-linked Open Society Foundation only once, which was for an electoral delineation project last year, said Bersih chairman Datuk S. Ambiga. The group is now "fully supported" by Malaysians, she told a press conference here yesterday. Present were representatives from five other non-governmental groups the Centre for Independent Journalism, Lawyers for Liberty, Merdeka Centre, Southeast Centre for E-Media and Suaram. Ambiga said the Open Society promoted democracy and there was "nothing wrong" receiving funds from it. "All these about him being responsible for the (1997/98 Asian economy) collapse should be looked at again," she said, in an apparent reference to a report in an English newspaper that blamed Soros for wrecking the Malaysian economy in 1997/98 through currency speculation. Ambiga said there were many sides to the story, with some saying that locals not Soros were responsible for it. Ambiga said another English daily had written a "one-sided and irresponsible" report that two global funders and nine organisations were part of a "plot to destabilise the Government". She has demanded an apology from the paper within 48 hours. In a statement released at the end of the press conference, Bersih and the other groups claimed that the report in the daily was a crude attack on civil society in Malaysia.
| ||||
| Pro-Aspirasi sweeps to victory in campus polls Posted: 25 Sep 2012 02:27 PM PDT
(The Star) - The pro-establishment group, Pro-Aspirasi, has won with huge majorities in campus elections in seven public universities. It won in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) and Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM). In UPM, Pro-Aspirasi took 39 of the 47 seats while Pro-Mahasiswa bagged seven. Pro-Aspirasi candidates also swept 34 of 36 seats in UUM, 18 of 20 seats in UMT, 22 of 24 in UMP and won every seat in UPNM. Fifteen public universities held their campus elections yesterday. Pro-Aspirasi is seen to be pro-establishment while Pro-Mahasiswa is perceived to be anti-establishment. However, in Universiti Malaya (UM), conflicting reports have emerged about who actually won the campus elections. Although the Pro-Mahasiswa student group claimed that it had won 22 of the 43 seats contested, edging out its rival which had 19 seats, Pro-Aspirasi insisted that it had actually won 21 while Pro-Mahasiswa only bagged 20. Two more seats were tied between the two groups. Marwan Kahar, chairman of Penggerak Mahasiswa, which is in the UM's Pro-Aspirasi camp, claimed that the Pro-Mahasiswa supporters had jumped the gun in declaring their win. "Of the 22 candidates they claim are theirs, two candidates are actually independent. "We'll leave these two candidates to decide which side they'll be on," he said. However, Pro-Mahasiswa alleged that their rivals actually only garnered 17 seats instead of 19 because the other two seats were won by independents. The UM campus polls results are unofficial as it is subject to a 24-hour objection period and a further 24-hour appeal period. The final results will only be known tomorrow. In Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Pro-Mahasiswa won 18 out of the 28 seats while Pro-Aspirasi bagged 10. Pro-Aspirasi won most of the 45 seats contested in the three Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) campuses in Penang and Kelantan. At the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), deputy rector (Student Affairs) Datuk Dr Mizan Hitam said the election results could not be formally announced due to a technical problem during the e-voting process. "Some votes were not captured due to the incomplete encryption process," he said, adding that a re-election exercise was expected to be carried out in a week's time.
| ||||
| Clip of DCM’s remarks on Guan Eng on the Net Posted: 25 Sep 2012 02:15 PM PDT
(The Star) - An audio clip, purportedly of Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mansor Othman describing Lim Guan Eng as "cocky and arrogant", has been leaked on the Net. The recording was posted by YouTube user akulah7704, with slide photos of Mansor and the chief minister flashed on the screen, under the title Pendedahan Penipuan Timbalan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang (Exposing the lies of Penang deputy chief minister). Mansor, who is state PKR chief, had allegedly remarked that Penangites viewed the chief minister as a tokong (deity). On Monday night, TV3 aired on its prime time news bulletin the recording of the remarks, said to be made at a party meeting in March to discuss the general election. Speaking to reporters here yesterday, Mansor said action would be taken against those who leaked the minutes of the meeting. "There have been some findings on the investigations," he said, declining to disclose more information. "This is a party matter. Action will be taken," he said, after presenting mock keys for low-cost units to 57 families affected by the third phase construction of the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway here. Mansor said the surfacing of the audio clip was a smear tactic because of the looming general election, reiterating that he had not seen the news programme. "I know there was a news report but I did not see it. I was away at the time. "The elections are coming, that is all I have to say." Asked to comment on the issue, Lim said: "TV3 likes to twist and turn." bGr-exGnlAg SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGr-exGnlAg
| ||||
| GE13 to show if Malays will ditch Umno, says Zaid Posted: 25 Sep 2012 02:05 PM PDT
Jahabar Sadiq, The Malaysian Insider The next general elections will reveal if the majority Malays are ready to abandon "the path chosen for them by Umno for the last 55 years" and seek other answers to the problems they face, says political maverick Datuk Zaid Ibrahim. The former Umno minister said he sensed the Malay nationalist party was fearful of the community's changing mindset, which has prompted Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to castigate "so-called ungrateful Malays" recently. His comments came as a Universiti Malaya survey showed that the Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) will continue to govern the country despite rising support for Pakatan Rakyat (PR). "This election, more than the previous ones, will show if the Malays and the Bumiputeras are ready to abandon the path chosen for them by Umno for the last 55 years," Zaid said in an email to The Malaysian Insider. "This election will show if they are now ready to trust themselves. For so long, they have implicit and absolute trust in their leaders. The question is will they continue to do that or will they seek alternative answers to the many problems they face in their daily lives," he added.
The original Alliance comprising Umno, MCA and MIC was expanded to become BN in the 1974 election, after the 1969 race riots that cost Tunku Abdul Rahman his job. Umno was later deregistered in 1988 after a leadership split led to the discovery of illegal branches. The current Umno is officially registered as Umno Baru. A splinter group in 1951 later became known as PAS, which advocates an Islamist state. BN suffered historic losses in Election 2008, losing five states and its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority. The defeat prompted Tun Abdullah Badawi to resign a year later as prime minister in favour of Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who has been tirelessly campaigning to win back support for the ruling BN. Najib has promised reforms but has yet to indicate when he will call for the election, which must be held by middle of 2013. Former prime minister Dr Mahathir (right) has said November would be ideal for a snap election and, while calling the Malays "ungrateful" and "lacking intelligence", warned that the greed of a few power-hungry Malays in the opposition would see the country's dominant race lose its political power. In his lengthy tirade against the Malays in the Mingguan Malaysia weekly on Sunday, Dr Mahathir expressed sadness that the Malays were now purportedly split into three factions and said that this has resulted in them "begging" for support from the other races. "Who brought on this disaster? No other than the Malays themselves, greedy Malays, Malays lacking in intelligence, Malays easily influenced by lust, easily dominated by hatred when agitated," he continued in typical no-holds-barred fashion.
| ||||
| PKFZ trial postponed as Liong Sik hospitalised Posted: 25 Sep 2012 01:57 PM PDT
Hafidz Baharom, The Malaysian Insider Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik's cheating trial involving the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal was today interrupted suddenly when the former minister fell ill midway through his testimony and was rushed to the hospital. "My client has been taken ill, and we would like to request a postponement because he is suffering from low blood sugar and needs to be rushed to hospital for treatment," Dr Ling's defence lawyer, Wong Kian Kheong, told the court. Judge Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi said the hearing will resume on Friday.
| ||||
| Dr M called to testify in Liong Sik trial Posted: 25 Sep 2012 01:52 PM PDT Hafidz Baharom, The Malaysian Insider Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been issued a court order to testify in defence of former Cabinet minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik's ongoing cheating trial involving the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ), a source disclosed today. "He's been subpoenaed. For the week starting October 8," a spokesman for the defence team told reporters at court, referring to Malaysia's fourth and longest-serving prime minister of 22 years. Dr Mahathir, who was in office from 1981 to October 2003, had previously been implicated in the multi-billion ringgit land scandal that began as a project aimed at turning Port Klang into a regional transport hub. In his previous testimony last July 13, Dr Ling told the court that Dr Mahathir had been kept "fully involved" throughout the entire conception process of the PKFZ project. "The PM was kept fully involved in everything I did. He (Dr Mahathir) was so kind... he knew I was onto something good so I could fly overseas anytime. "Because when I have meetings with shipping agencies abroad, I cannot wait for Cabinet to approve my leave so he would let me go," he said then when asked to explain how the idea for PKFZ had come about. "In any government, if the PM supports you, three-quarters of the battle is won... and he (Dr Mahathir) was so supportive," he added. The former transport minister who served for 17 years from January 1986 to May 2003 launched into a lengthy tale behind the conception of the PKFZ, which he said was mooted to save the country's busiest port from further decline and to lift it to become one of the world's top 10 ports. The former MCA president is charged with deceiving the Cabinet into approving the purchase of 999.5 acres of land for the PKFZ project, which had resulted in wrongful losses for the government. He also faces two alternative charges of deceiving the Cabinet into believing that the terms of the purchase — at RM25 psf plus 7.5 per cent interest — were acknowledged and agreed to by the Valuation and Property Services Department (JPPH) despite knowing that there was no such agreement. Dr Ling faces a possible jail term of up to seven years, or a fine, or both, if convicted on the first charge under Section 418 of the Penal Code. The alternative charges carry a lighter sentence of five years' jail, or a fine, or both. The trial before High Court judge Datuk Ahmadi Asnawi will resume this Friday.
| ||||
| No longer any sense of decency Posted: 25 Sep 2012 01:37 PM PDT ************************* SEPT 25 – I don't know about you but I am disgusted with Umno and its sycophants, MCA and Gerakan, and I believe that we have to reject them wholesale for: 1) The culture of idiocy they nurture. There is a difference between BN and Pakatan Rakyat. Whenever Lim Guan Eng or Khalid Ibrahim is accused of wrongdoing they don't hide. They come out with proof, sue to clear their name and even engage international audit firms. In contrast, till today no one knows how Altantuya Shaariibuu's immigration records were erased or why the RM250 million sweet deal was given to Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's family or how Cabinet ministers are able to live a life of luxury on RM18,000 a month.  Till today, there has been no rebuttal of the fact that millions of ringgit were paid in kickbacks to the highest offices in Putrajaya from a submarine deal.
2) The dumbing down of Malaysia. Umno newsletter, the New Straits Times, reported that local NGOs had received RM20 million to destabilise the government. These journalists must be as dense as their political masters.  And now we have Gerakan politicians going after possibly the cleanest politician in Penang. See, this is the new strategy of the desperate. if you feel threatened by any individual or organisation just keep on flinging mud at them and hope that some of it sticks.
| ||||
| Another round of fun and games? Posted: 25 Sep 2012 12:43 PM PDT
(Free Malaysia Today) - In view of the impending 13th general election, the budget to be presented this Friday will certainly have many goodies to woo the voters but, according to Dzulkefly, whatever is doled out now will be regained a hundredfold and more by the incumbent government via the GST (goods and services tax) if it continues to win at the polls. Last week, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has asked the rakyat to give him a fresh full-term mandate in the coming 13th general election. He must have thought that we, the ordinary rakyat, have failed in our maths. The reason why this columnist makes this statement can be explained as follows: Najib took the oath of office on April 3, 2009. By Oct 3 this year, he will have been prime minister for three and a half years. And if the polls are held in March next year, it will be nearly four years that he has been prime minister. If we were to give him a fresh full-term mandate, he will have been prime minister between eight and a half to nine years overall. Do we want another round of fun and games pertaining to the polls date? Certainly not this columnist! Another round of this silly game will truly drive a lot of businessmen and investors up the wall. For the sake of good governance, it is time to end this tiresome game although the prime minister himself seems to be enjoying all the speculation going around. Many business owners certainly do not find it amusing nor entertaining. The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) has earlier this year issued a statement that they preferred the polls to be held fast. "Of course, the polls date is the prime minister's prerogative but he seems to enjoy taunting the rakyat with it," said Dzulkefly Ahmad, the PAS Kuala Selangor MP. In the meantime, three businessmen from an Asian country are having a good laugh at our expense. Their conversation was overheard by this columnist at the food court in a popular tourist spot in Kuala Lumpur. The first businessman was heard saying, "Look at Malaysia's massive national debt. Who would have thought that they would incur so much debt when they have so much natural resources?" The second businessman commented that Malaysia, however, did quite well in the recent Olympics. The third businessman remarked that while that may be so, the transport system in Malaysia has seen very little improvement. "If the current incumbent government continues to win at the polls, then Malaysia will continue to lag behind in Asia," added the third businessman. Slipping further No one in the 1960s and 1970s would have thought that Malaysia would be lagging behind some of its Asian neighbours years later. It is definitely a sorry state of affairs for Malaysians. And the only way forward for Malaysia to mount a serious challenge in the international stage in terms of economy and finance is to vote in a better government. Otherwise, we will continue to fall behind and slip further down the rankings. In the World Economic Forum (WEF) rankings, we have slipped from 21 to 25. We have also seen a deterioration in the Government Budget Balancing Ranking by slipping from 96 to 110 whereas in terms of inequality of wealth, even Indonesia at 36.8 fares better than Malaysia which stands at 46.2. Our heyday seems to be slipping away. We must have a slogan like: "Stop Corruption, Save Malaysia." Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/09/26/another-round-of-fun-and-games/ | ||||
| Should Malaysia bear the burden of Australian radioactive waste? Posted: 25 Sep 2012 12:33 PM PDT
In other words, the Australia-based Lynas Corporation's wastes will not be an Australian problem. Instead, they will be a Malaysian and South China Sea regional problem. Australian Mining The radioactive waste generated by an Australian-owned rare earth extraction factory in Malaysia has generated a firestorm of controversy. The factory – the world's largest – is owned by Lynas Corporation, and will extract rare earths from materials shipped in from Western Australia. The factory is at Gebeng, near the city of Kuantan in Malaysia. The population of the metropolitan area is about 700,000. The factory is located very near to the South China Sea. At full capacity, it will be the world's largest rare earth extraction plant: about 22,000 tonnes of rare earth elements per annum will be extracted from material shipped in all the way from Mount Weld, Western Australia. The wastes from production will include radioactive thorium and uranium and their radioactive decay products such as radium and radon. The wastes will not be shipped back to Australia for safe disposal since Australian authorities have explicitly refused to accept them. Lynas has been granted a temporary operating license (TOL) for two years, and a generous 12-year tax exemption. But the project lacks an International Atomic Energy Agency-recommended long-term waste management plan, and there is no "permanent disposal facility" (PDF) for the wastes. Critics are alarmed by the fact that no Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) has been done, no long term waste management plan exists. Meanwhile, wastes are to be stored temporarily onsite. Lee Bell of the National Toxics Network estimated (based on the experience of China) that 22,500 tonnes of radioactive waste (containing water) will be produced per annum. Non-radioactive wastes include:
 Construction has gone ahead at Lynas' rare earths factory, despite concerns about radioactive waste. EPA/Ahmad Yusni Lynas also plans to have liquid discharge of 500 tonnes per hour into the nearby Balok River which flows into the South China Sea. The site is on reclaimed swampy, peat land with a high water table. What's more, it was actually flooded during the monsoon season of 2011-2012. Lynas' "Radioactive Waste Management Plan"¹ is as follows. Wastes generated are to be processed into synthetic gypsum for the manufacture of plaster board; gypsum for the manufacture of cement; magnesium-rich gypsum fertilizer for plantations, crops and for soil remediation; and carbon-enriched magnesium gypsum fertilizer to rejuvenate acidic soils. Lynas alleges that any material remaining can either be "disposed safely in a secure municipal landfill" if classified as non-scheduled wastes or "disposed at a licensed facility" if classified as scheduled wastes by the Malaysian Department of the Environment. Wastes are also to be commercialised as road building material, failing which it will be "permanently isolated" (whatever this means). The public lacks confidence in the regulatory authorities because of experience with the earlier Asian Rare Earth (ARE) project in Bukit Merah, Malaysia. This was partly owned by Mitsubishi. Its aim was to extract the rare earth yttrium from monazite ore. Read more at: http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/features/should-malaysia-bear-the-burden-of-australian-radi
| ||||
| Najib May Extend Handouts as Malaysia Vote Nears Posted: 25 Sep 2012 12:29 PM PDT
(Bloomberg) - "This will likely be another populist budget and the last spending spree before elections are called," said Chua Hak Bin, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Singapore, who has covered Malaysia for more than a decade. "Measures to seriously tackle the fiscal deficit and rising public debt will likely be absent. Fiscal reforms will have to come next year, after the general election."
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's efforts to build support ahead of national elections may spur more handouts to the poor and bonuses for civil servants, limiting progress in reducing the 2013 budget deficit. The country will probably post a shortfall of 4.3 percent of gross domestic product for next year, according to the median estimate of eight economists in a Bloomberg News survey before Najib presents spending plans on Sept. 28. The deficit would exceed 4 percent for a sixth year after a 4.7 percent gap projected by the government for 2012. Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings have recommended tighter public finances after Najib, 59, raised state salaries, handed cash to low-income households and unveiled rail and road projects to spur growth. The ruling coalition won re-election in 2008 by the smallest margin since 1957, and its five-decade grip on power will again be tested in a vote due by early 2013. "This will likely be another populist budget and the last spending spree before elections are called," said Chua Hak Bin, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Singapore, who has covered Malaysia for more than a decade. "Measures to seriously tackle the fiscal deficit and rising public debt will likely be absent. Fiscal reforms will have to come next year, after the general election." While the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index has fallen about 2 percent from its record close on Sept. 4, retailers such as Aeon Co. (M) Bhd. and Padini Holdings Bhd. may benefit from measures to boost incomes, according to Maybank Investment Bank Bhd. Record BudgetMalaysia's 2013 budget will be 259 billion ringgit ($84 billion), bigger than last year's record 232.8 billion ringgit, Citigroup Inc. estimates. The government, which joins counterparts from Thailand to the Philippines in increasing spending to protect their economies from the European debt crisis and a faltering U.S. recovery, proposed in June to expand the 2012 annual allocation by 13.4 billion ringgit. The spending boost has helped support Southeast Asia's third-largest economy even as the global recovery faltered, with expansion accelerating to 5.4 percent last quarter as construction and consumption climbed. Stronger domestic demand, particularly investment spending, is helping lift tax revenue and prevent the fiscal deficit from worsening, Chua said. Low Cost"Spending can be front-loaded, to coincide with elections, without harming the structural fiscal position," said Aninda Mitra, a Singapore-based economist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. "The Malaysian government's low cost access to local-currency finance, its net external creditor status and recent reforms of its public-sector enterprises provide a cushion against near-term fiscal risks." Over the "medium-term," the rating implications of the drawdown of the current-account surplus amid "a continuing absence of structural fiscal reforms" remain a concern, he said. The cost to protect Malaysia's sovereign debt from non- payment has more than halved since last year's budget. Five-year credit default swaps fell to 91 from 213 on Oct. 3, 2011, according to data provider CMA, which is owned by McGraw-Hill Cos. and compiles prices quoted by dealers in the privately negotiated market. Najib may announce this week measures to make housing more affordable and highlight large construction projects underway, according to Citigroup. He may also repeat a one-off cash handout of 500 ringgit to low-income families, a measure from the 2012 budget, and give a half-month bonus for civil servants, said Lee Heng Guie, chief economist at CIMB Investment Bank. The prime minister will probably delay implementing a goods and services tax next year, United Overseas Bank Ltd. said. Political Bang"Expenditure will likely be reallocated to groups that deliver the best political bang for the buck," said Kit Wei Zheng, a Singapore-based economist at Citigroup. "With the threat of credit rating downgrades, unless progress is made on fiscal consolidation, the budget will have to walk a tight-rope between populism and fiscal prudence." Read more at: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-09-25/najib-may-extend-handouts-as-malaysia-vote-nears-southeast-asia | ||||
| 10 Big Questions To Ask About Pengerang Posted: 25 Sep 2012 12:20 PM PDT
Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and Datuk Seri Najib Razak (third from left) looking at the model of the Petronas Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (Rapid) project in Pengerang. Pic by Hairul Anuar Rahim The total value is now RM120bil, with expected investments from Taiwanese and German petrochemical companies, easily making this Pengerang project the biggest-ever in the history of this nation. Thomas Fann On May 13 2011, PM Najib announced that Petronas will invest RM60bil in a major integrated refinery and petrochemical complex in Pengerang, Johor. The Refinery and Petrochemicals Integrated Development (RAPID) project by Petronas, as it is known, is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2016, as part of the national oil company's efforts to expand its downstream production. Exactly a year later on May 13 2012, when the RAPID project was officially launched, the total value is now RM120bil, with expected investments from Taiwanese and German petrochemical companies, easily making this Pengerang project the biggest-ever in the history of this nation. In the midst of all the excitement and promises of economic benefits to the state of Johor and the nation, there has been some disquiet amongst the Pengerang community. Local NGOs were formed and has submitted memorandums to various authorities and several protests were organised this year. It would be wrong to say that these NGOs and the people they represent are against any form of development in Pengerang but what many are concerned about is that it has to be sustainable. These local NGOs have adopted a unifying theme - Kekalkan Pengerang Lestari, or Maintain the Sustainability of Pengerang. Development of such scale must be embarked upon with regards for the people affected by it and be done responsibly to minimise its impact on the environment. We have to ask honest questions and hear honest answers to these questions so that the concerns of not just the Pengerangites but also Malaysians are allayed. There are many issues and questions to ask but I want to list down 10 big questions to ask the government about this massive project. Question 1 - The RAPID Project requires 6,424 acres of land but why is the Johor government using the Land Acquisition Act 1960 to acquire 22,500 acres of land? We hope a plausible and detailed explanation for its justification is forthcoming so that the government would not be accused of using Rapid as an excuse to grab land from the ordinary people of Pengerang. Question 2 – What is going to happen to the fishermen and smallholders who would have lost their means of livelihood? There are about 3,100 residents within the seven villages affected, who earned a living as fishermen and smallholders. Though some argued that 40,000 jobs would be created during the construction phase and 4,000 by the time the projects are completed in 2016, the reality are for many of these affected fishermen and farmers, it would be difficult for them to work in these new jobs because their skills are different. Question 3 - It has been reported that licensed fishermen are being offered RM30,000 compensation whilst unlicensed ones are offered half that amount. Smallholders with 1-2 acres land are offered between RM65,000 to RM105,000 for their land. As a "sweetener", the Johor government is offering "subsidized" alternative housing on 6,000 sq.ft. of land with built-up area between 750 to 1,600 sq.ft. The discounted prices the villagers would have to pay for these houses range from RM35,000 to RM105,000. In short, they would have given up their 1-2 acres of land and houses in exchange for 6,000 sq.ft. of land with a house on it, some 15-20km away, with little or no money in their pocket and no land to earn a living. I am told many of these lands are shared between several siblings in the first place, thus, after dividing the compensation they won't even be able to afford the "subsidized" housing. Is this a fair deal? Question 4 - Why is our government so keen to welcome KuoKuang Petrochemical of Taiwan when they have been rejected by their own country? Again, like the Lynas case, is our government telling us that Malaysian lives are worth not only less than the Australian but also now, less than the Taiwanese? We have to understand why the Taiwanese people were so against KuoKuang before we welcome them into our land. Question 5 - Is it true that a petrochemical plant the scale of Rapid would need massive amount of processed water a day to operate, almost 75% of Johor's current daily consumption? If this is true, wouldn't it cause acute water shortages in Johor? Have the government foresaw this and made plans to increase the supply of processed water for the state? Question 6 - Apart from consuming large quantity of water, it would also need large quantity of electrical energy? If not, has the government made plans to increase the energy output in Johor? Has this got anything to do with the rumoured nuclear power plants to be setup in Pengerang? What would our neighbour across the straits have to say about this, especially in the light of the recent Fukushima nuclear disaster? Question 7 - In May 2009, during a visit to Singapore, PM Najib proposed to his counterpart PM Lee that a third link be built linking Pengerang to Singapore. When would this proposal be followed-up with another announcement? Would it be after all the land near this third link has been acquired and parceled to third party companies so that they can make a killing? Question 8 – Currently the Department of Environment (DOE) requires developers to submit the EIA report. This report is paid for by the developers, in this case Petronas. Can we trust the glowing DEIA (Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment) report by Integrated Envirotect Sdn Bhd? Isn't it a case of "he who pays the piper calls the tune"? Shouldn't an independent panel of local and international Question 9 – It is oppression to the local communities when you unilaterally announce a major development without consultation. That was what happened in Pengerang. When PM Najib made the announcement in May 2011, it was said that even the local state assemblyman was clueless, let alone the villagers. Free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) is an approach outlined in international human Question 10 – For all the claims of huge economic benefits these petrochemical projects would bring to this country, we hear that the Taiwanese company, KuoKuang Petrochemical will be given a tax holiday of 10-years! Their government rejected them and ours give them this incentive to move here. While we, the taxpayer pay our government to look after us, hazardous foreign companies are invited into our country to pollute us tax-free, denying us probably billions in taxes which could have bee used to clean up the environment and improve health care here. What is going on here? In Conclusion... As Malaysians, we are concern with what is happening in Pengerang not because it could directly impact us but because it could be our homes and livelihood that would be taken next. What we are confronting is not an isolated situation but a systemic problem of lack of transparency, disregards for the people's rights and the environment. These are honest questions that are in need of answers from the only people who can answer them - the government. We hope that honest answers will be forthcoming in the days to come. We hope that the declaration "Rakyat didahulukan, Pencapaian diutamakan" (People first, Performance now) is more than an empty slogan when it comes to Pengerang. But for now, myself and thousand others will be attending Himpunan Hijau Lestari Pengerang on 30th September because we are seeking answers and standing in solidarity with our fellow Malaysians in Pengerang. For more information, you can visit www.hijau.info | ||||
| Shock! “Anwar private jet” used by govt TV station and Islamists! Shock! No Jews anywhere! Posted: 25 Sep 2012 12:16 PM PDT
So Dato Mohd Taufik Haji Omar has already done a political favour before, and for an Umno politician. Was there any hue and cry about plane rides being used as political favours? uppercaise Shalom. Today is Yom Kippur. Here is the latest news on the Jewish conspiracy. • Shock! Bevy of beautiful girls flown from Subang to Alor Star! Okay, here's the deal:  In Denver 2005. Maybe Jews or CIA agents were on board? • Second political favour by Datuk T | ||||
| Zahid: If not for infighting, UMNO can do better Posted: 24 Sep 2012 09:31 PM PDT
(Harakah) - Top UMNO leaders continue giving mixed signals about the party's chances of surviving the next general election, which must be called within the next nine months. Quoted by Malay daily Sinar Harian, UMNO vice president Zahid gave a less optimistic prediction, saying UMNO would likely perform better than 2008 but not as good as 2004, when BN won by a landslide majority.
| ||||
| All The World's A Stage - Press Release regarding the Happy Mansion “Water Crisis” ... Posted: 24 Sep 2012 08:09 PM PDT
The residents of Happy Mansion, a privately-owned apartment complex, in Section 17 were bewildered early morning yesterday by the sight of more than 300 people, mostly unknown faces, congregating around the compound; awaiting their turns to fill the water containers from several mobile water tankers. A production crew was filming the entire process; to create a 40 s infomercial regarding the water supply of Selangor. Further investigations have shown that the production was allegedly paid for by certain leaders from the Barisan National. Some residents had informed us that the crowd was paid RM50/each to participate in the production, while the JMB was given RM7500 for permission to use the place. Food was ample for those involve in the production. I denounced this act of concocting a water shortage in the state of Selangor. There have been no incidences or reports of water shortages in the area. Since 2008, we'd assisted the residents of Happy Mansion to qualify for the state's free water program by converting centralized meter to individual meter. The residents are upset with the charade and are demanding an apology from the makers of the infomercial. This incident could potentially put a dark spot on the value of their properties owing to the negative perceptions created by the filming. If the allegations are true, Barisan National should strongly reprimand the leaders responsible for creating such malign infomercial. The people expect an honest government and an honest media. The Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor Government, under the leadership of MB Tan Sri Khalid, had fulfilled its promise to provide free water to the needy. Since implementation in 2008, over 92% of low cost apartments have gotten free water, and more than 1 million individual subscribers have benefited from the program. The Selangor Government had spent more than RM400 million in this program. On the issue of treated water, the state water plants are capable of producing 4700 million litres per day (MLD) of treated water, whereas the daily demand of Selangor and KL averages around 3000 MLD. The Selangor government had repeatedly rebuked the necessity of the RM6 billion Langat 2 project. If SYABAS is unable to fulfill its contractual agreement of providing treated water to the people of Selangor, the state is willing to take over SYABAS to realize the responsibility. SYABAS currently owes more than RM2.8 billion to water treatment operators in the state. I would like to urge the public to call, inform, and write to your Member of Parliament and let them know that you disapprove of such sandiwara. The residents of Happy Mansion would like to know who instructed the filming of the infomercial. The film owners should be honest; come forward, and take responsibility over this fiasco. Hee Loy Sian MP Petaling Jaya Selatan
| ||||
| Gerakan says stands by claims Guan Eng is corrupt, tenancy doctored Posted: 24 Sep 2012 08:03 PM PDT
Opalyn Mok, The Malaysian Insider Gerakan said today it stands by its accusations that the Penang chief minister is corrupt and that a tenancy agreement of his rented residence that was publicly revealed was doctored. "We will not retract what we have said and we will not apologise," said Penang Gerakan deputy chief H'ng Khoon Leng. He said Gerakan has been raising the issue regarding the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's rented residence before the latter moved in. "We have also raised so many other issues that Lim evades from answering or responding to our allegations over the years in countless press conferences," he said. He said if Lim could not come clear with all issues raised including his rented bungalow and the controversial sale of the Taman Manggis land, then it shows that he has something to hide. "For the past three years, I have been saying that he (Lim) is corrupt but now when the elections is near, he suddenly wants to take action against me for saying this," he said. "In many press conferences, even on my Facebook profile, I have always said Lim is corrupt but it was ignored. Now, he suddenly wants to clear his name just because the general election is around the corner?" H'ng said. He said Gerakan was not afraid of Lim or the Penang state government as the issues raised are a matter of public interest and should be revealed to the public. "We based our allegations on facts and our own investigations. The issues we raised are not mere stories we made up out of nothing," he said. This morning Lim, through his political secretary Ng Wei Aik, had threatened to take action against H'ng, Gerakan Youth vice-chief Tan Kah Leong and Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng for alleging the tenancy agreement was doctored. Ng said Lim would also take action against H'ng for saying he (Lim) was corrupted if H'ng does not retract the statement within 24 hours. Ng was responding to statements made by H'ng, Kah Leong and Tee Beng that the tenancy agreement for Lim's rented residence was doctored as the landlord's name was obscured and the stamp duty was not clear. The tenancy agreement showed recently listed the rental of the house at RM5,000 a month. Lim is entitled to a RM4,000 a month housing allowance, and his office said the chief minister had been making up the balance of RM1,000 out of his own pocket.
| ||||
| Former Usno members want seats Posted: 24 Sep 2012 07:18 PM PDT These members who have joined Umno believe it is time to 'reactivate the synergy between Umno and Usno'. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: Disgruntled former members of Usno in Sabah are wanting their pound of flesh from Umno, whom they claim has shown little regard for Usno historical alliance and its loyalty. Usno, which was once the backbone of the Sabah Alliance government under chief minister Mustapha Harun – from 1967 until 1976 – was the reason Umno arrived in Sabah. Usno, under Mustapha, gave Umno a shortcut entry into Sabah politics to form the government through Barisan Nasional. According to former Usno secretary-general Onn Ariffin, Usno had agreed to allow Umno into Sabah believing that the two could unite the fragmented Bumiputeras under the peninsula-based party. But that has not been the case. The Usno established by Mustapha in Kampung Ayer, Kudat, on Oct 26, 1961 was dissolved in 1991 to allow all its leaders and members to join Umno en bloc. Said Onn: "It has been 20 years since Usno allowed Umno into Sabah. Umno is here due to the blessings and sacrifice of Usno… "[But gratitude has been slow]… there are still grumblings about former Usno leaders not having opportunities to be in the political frontline." Reminding Sabah Umno chief Musa Aman of Usno's history, Onn called on the state leadership to provide room for former members who were "still capable and trusted by the people". "The leaders must allow these people to continue their struggle on Umno's platform and not ostracise or sideline them. These people are still capable and trusted by the people. "It is important for us to expose winnable leaders who have been silent all this while, " Onn said in a statement here. He also urged the Umno state leadership to take stock of the fact that the brand name "Usno" was being flogged by many parties to woo voters. "The election is nearing and we must accept the fact that the name Usno is stuck in the heart of Sabahans and has a high value as a party with a distinguished heritage in the state political history despite it not being in existence for so long. "It is now time to reactivate the synergy between Umno and Usno and whatever differences and negative thinking between them should be set aside," Onn said.
| ||||
| Like a trapped animal (part 4) Posted: 24 Sep 2012 06:31 PM PDT
To Pakatan Rakyat, this may just be about winning or losing an election. To Umno, it is about the life and death of Barisan Nasional. Pakatan Rakyat can lose the election and still continue to exist as an opposition grouping. Barisan Nasional cannot lose the election and continue to exist as an opposition coalition. Barisan Nasional would be hit with a double whammy. Death will follow its defeat, a danger that Pakatan Rakyat does not face. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Record number of new voters to impact upcoming elections (The Star) - A record number of first-time voters will have a huge impact on the outcome of the 13th general election. With new voters now making up one in five of the country's 13.1 million voters or about 22% (2.9 million) of the electorate, both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat are expected to focus on wooing them over in their campaign strategies. A total of 2,920,828 Malaysians have registered as voters between 2008 and June 30 this year. "This is the highest figure so far. Over the last four years, we have been going all out to reduce the number of unregistered Malaysian voters," Election Commission deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said in an interview. He said the 2.9 million first-time voters were almost equally divided between those aged below 39 and those 40 and above. "It can't be denied that new voters will have a major influence on the outcome of the next general election but whether they are youths or senior citizens, each vote will count," Wan Ahmad said. A total of 155,420 Malaysians signed up as voters in 2008. The numbers have progressively increased with 279,270 in 2009, 826,462 in 2010 and 1,221,635 last year. An additional 438,041 people registered as voters between Jan 1 and June 30 this year. ********************************************* Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak will not want to call for the 13th General Election independent of the state elections, in particular the four Pakatan Rakyat-led states. Umno would like to dilute the opposition election machinery and one way would be to hold simultaneous federal and state elections involving all the states -- save Sarawak, which already held its state election in April last year. When nationwide elections are held at both federal and state levels, everyone would focus on defending their own fort, or attacking their opponent's fort in their own constituency. Very few, other than key federal leaders, would have the time to criss-cross the country to help campaign in other constituencies. As the Malays would say: jaga kawasan sendiri. I remember back in 2004 when I was heading the election campaign for the then PKR Deputy President, Abdul Rahman Othman. Haji Rahman was contesting against the Member of Parliament for Putrajaya, Tunku Adnan Tunku Mansor. We were heavily outgunned and even the police were giving us a hard time. Haji Rahman's son was beaten up as he distributed pamphlets and I was surrounded by two carloads of Umno 'bouncers'. I had to pull out a knife to keep the Umno toughies at bay. They phoned for the police, who arrived almost immediately. When we made a police report regarding Haji Rahman's son's beating they ignored us. Hence it was clear that the police were part of the Umno campaign. And that was not the first time, mind you. That happened also in the election before that in 1999. I sent out SOS messages calling for reinforcements. No one came to our aid. Everyone was busy fighting losing battles in their own constituencies. And boy, did we get whacked good and proper in 2004? That was the worse performance ever for the opposition. Anyway, the point is, in a nationwide election campaign, Barisan Nasional has a more formidable army compared to Pakatan Rakyat. Pakatan Rakyat is an expert at guerrilla warfare. In conventional warfare where firepower is crucial, Pakatan Rakyat will lose out. And that would be how Najib hopes to retain power. The weapon Umno will use, of course, will be race and religion. This has worked for 66 years since 1946, meaning five generations. So why can't it continue to work? And, as they say, why fix something that is not broken? By the way, I say five generation because 1946 was during my grandfather's time and I am now a grandfather myself. So that makes five generations. Umno has accepted the fact that it has lost the Chinese support. It is confident that it can win back some Indian support, though. Nevertheless, MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP are doomed and we may see, in the end, Barisan Nasional in Peninsular Malaysia being just Umno with maybe ten or less seats for MCA. But that would be about it. Hence, for Barisan Nasional to continue to exist, Umno will have to depend on the non-Umno partners from East Malaysia. If Barisan Nasional fails in East Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak fall to Pakatan Rakyat, then Barisan Nasional will be reduced to just Umno. For all intents and purposes, Barisan Nasional will cease to exist other than in name only. Hence, also, Umno cannot afford to lose Sabah and Sarawak. First, that would mean Pakatan Rakyat would be able to form the federal government. Secondly, it would mean Barisan Nasional might as well disband and Umno continue as a 'solo' party. So there is so much at stake here, not only the federal government, but also the legitimacy of Barisan Nasional to continue to exist. To Pakatan Rakyat, this may just be about winning or losing an election. To Umno, it is about the life and death of Barisan Nasional. Pakatan Rakyat can lose the election and still continue to exist as an opposition grouping. Barisan Nasional cannot lose the election and continue to exist as an opposition coalition. Barisan Nasional would be hit with a double whammy. Death will follow its defeat, a danger that Pakatan Rakyat does not face. Hence we are talking about two very different 'value systems' here. Allow me to use the following analogy. When a fox chases a hare, the hare will have to be faster and cleverer. The hare will feel more desperate than the fox. The fox is just running for its dinner. If it fails to catch the hare it just misses its dinner, that's all. The hare, however, is running for its life. If it fails to escape it loses its life. So which is more crucial, your dinner or your life? And who do you think will fight harder, he who is about to lose his dinner or he who is about to lose his life? Malaysia now has about 13 million voters, about three million of them newly registered since March 2008. I expect about 9.5 million to 10 million of these registered voters to come out to vote in the coming general election. That would be roughly 1.5-2 million more voters than in March 2008. Let us assume that a few more Chinese voters swing to Pakatan Rakyat compared to March 2008. So the number of Chinese voters who vote opposition increases slightly. Najib is hoping that the Indian voters who swing back to Barisan Nasional can offset this increase in Chinese voters for Pakatan Rakyat. In other words, the Indian votes will cancel off the Chinese votes -- so you are back to square one. If this happens, as what Najib thinks and hopes will happen, it would then all depend on the Malay voters for Barisan Nasional to retain power. And for this to happen race and religion would become a very crucial weapon. Malays are actually more parochial and regionalistic than racial. For example it would be very difficult for a Malay (meaning Muslim as well) from Kemaman, Terengganu, to contest and win in Besut, also in Terengganu. Never mind he is a fellow Malay-Muslim from Terengganu. As far as the Besut people are concerned, he is not from Besut but from Kemaman. Hence the Malays are worse than the Chinese in that sense. People like Lim Kit Siang or Lim Guan Eng can contest in Penang, Selangor, Perak, Melaka, Johor, or wherever, and still win. Never mind where Kit Siang or Guan Eng were born. They can even become Chief Minister of Penang or Melaka and that would not be a problem with the Chinese. The Malays cannot accept that. Can a Penang Malay become the Menteri Besar of Kelantan or a Kelantan Malay become the Menteri Besar of Johor? No way Jose! That would be unthinkable. So it is not just about whether the person must be Malay, Chinese or Indian. Even if he is Malay, the question is: a Malay from which state? And for some states, say like Terengganu, being a Malay from Terengganu is not enough. Which part of Terengganu also matters. Kemaman is Kemaman and Besut is Besut, both in Terengganu but different parts of Terengganu. You might say that race and religion no longer matters. You might say that Malaysians, especially those 'new' three million voters who registered to vote since 2008, have put race and region behind them. If you say this then you are most likely Chinese and are thinking like a Chinese. Let us put that theory to a test. The Malaysian Constitution does not stipulate the race, religion and gender of the Prime Minister. Can the Chinese and Indians accept Nurul Izzah Anwar as the Prime Minister? Most likely they can -- say given a few more years experience as a Member of Parliament and by the time she is, say, 50 or so. But since she is a woman the Malays would find it difficult to accept her as the Prime Minister even though according to the Constitution that is perfectly legal. What about Lim Guan Eng as the Prime Minister? The Chinese will be delighted. The Malays, however, will be appalled. And let Pakatan Rakyat try to announce that if they win the next general election Anwar Ibrahim is going to be Prime Minister and if they win again in 2018 Lim Guan Eng will take over as Prime Minister. That would be the end of Pakatan Rakyat. Pakatan Rakyat would be dead meat. Even the army and police would take to the streets to engage Malaysia in a civil war. Note, though, that not only the Malays are like this. Say Pakatan Rakyat announces that if they can retain Penang in the coming general election a Malay is going to take over as the Chief Minister of Penang. Barisan Nasional then announces that if they win Penang they will make sure that a Chinese from either MCA or Gerakan (depending on who wins the most number of seats) will become the Chief Minister. I say that Barisan Nasional will take back Penang hands down. I remember back when Anwar Ibrahim was in the government and his political secretary, Dr Ibrahim Saad, for the first time contested a state seat in Penang and won. He then lobbied to become the new Chief Minister and Anwar scolded him and said he was crazy. If we appoint a Malay Chief Minister the Chinese will punish us and Penang is going to fall to DAP. Even if Gerakan wins just one seat and MCA gets nothing, we will still have to appoint a Chinese Chief Minister, said Anwar. To pacify him, Ibrahim Saad was appointed the Deputy Chief Minister. So there you have it. Do you think this is only a Malay 'problem'? Even if Umno sweeps most of the seats and Gerakan and MCA combined win less seats than Umno, the Chief Minister must still be Chinese. Okay, let's do another experiment. Pakatan Rakyat announces that not only will a Malay take over as the Penang Chief Minister, but a non-Muslim Chinese will take over from Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat as the Menteri Besar of Kelantan. Do you think Pakatan Rakyat can retain Penang and Kelantan? Okay, forget about appointing a non-Muslim Chinese as the Menteri Besar of Kelantan. Appoint a Muslim but a Muslim from Sabah as the Menteri Besar of Kelantan. Announce that before the election and let's see if PAS can retain Kelantan. So Malaysians are not really as liberal as they pretend to be, even the so-called liberals reading Malaysia Today. We are all still very racial and parochial. And that will decide how the people are going to vote. And anyone who says otherwise is in denial mode. They are just lying to themselves. And until the Chinese in Penang can agree to a Malay Chief Minister then the Chinese are just as bad as the Malays but are masquerading as liberals. And do you think DAP can do it alone without the Malays? DAP needs the Malays. Without the Malays DAP is as dead as MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP. I have read many comments posted in Malaysia Today by readers who say that the Chinese do not need the Malays. In fact, I have deleted scores of such comments because they only serve to rub the Malays the wrong way and does not help Pakatan Rakyat's cause one bit. Do you really believe this? Well, look at the table below and tell me whether you still think so. See what happened over the last ten general elections. If DAP depends just on the Chinese voters, at best it can win only 20-25 Parliament seats. That means only 10% or so of the number of seats in Parliament. Who then, contributes the balance 90%? Something to think about, no? ********************************************* Parliament seats won by DAP 1969: 13 out of 49 (total popular votes garnered by the opposition: 50.7%) 1974: 9 out of 19 (total popular votes garnered by the opposition: 39.3%) 1978: 16 out of 24 (total popular votes garnered by the opposition: 42.8%) 1982: 9 out of 22 (total popular votes garnered by the opposition: 39.5%) 1986: 24 out of 29 (total popular votes garnered by the opposition: 41.5%) 1990: 20 out of 53 (total popular votes garnered by the opposition: 46.6%) 1995: 9 out of 30 (total popular votes garnered by the opposition: 34.8%) 1999: 10 out of 45 (total popular votes garnered by the opposition: 43.5%) 2004: 12 out of 21 (total popular votes garnered by the opposition: 36.1%) 2008: 28 out of 82 (total popular votes garnered by the opposition: 46.75%) | ||||
| Why things are out of joint at MIA Posted: 24 Sep 2012 04:09 PM PDT The MIA management is another area that seems in dire need of improvement as the word on the street is that "the good ones leave" for better opportunities elsewhere. At worst, the bad ones get promoted and to rub salt into the wound, not based on merit. This is also one of the main reasons why the institute is not seen to be doing enough for the profession. Concerned Number Cruncher PREAMBLE Lately the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) seems to be in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. Some members have been highlighting problem areas in its governance system, and this has led a certain faction to question whether the institute knows what it really needs to do in the interest of a better future for the accounting profession. It would be meritorious for everyone concerned to gain a clear understanding of MIA's true role of putting in place a system that enables, ultimately, the protection of public interest, but it does not take a rocket scientist to see cracks in the system caused by the way the institution is run. QUESTIONABLE GOVERNANCE Indeed, the World Bank, in a recent report on the observance in Malaysia of accounting and auditing standards and codes, pointed out gaps and loopholes that impede the development of the country's accounting and auditing fraternity. It highlighted the need for MIA to review its governance structure so that it may fully deliver its mandate as the regulator of the Malaysian accounting and auditing profession. It said this review should address, among other areas, the structure and membership of the council that leads the institution, the membership admission processes, and the assessment of quality standards for university accounting degree programmes. MIA would also need to ensure effective monitoring and enforcement of standards and determine the level of resources required to enable it to deliver its mandate effectively, the report said. Having observed the progression of events framing the role of the institution over the past years, as an accountant and therefore a party interested in the evolution of the profession, I am inclined to raise some pertinent issues that point to the need for reforms at MIA. FALLING SHORT OF IDEALS MIA was incorporated under the Accountants Act 1967, which sets out its role and powers as an institution that governs the profession. Given that accountants are professionals that undergo rigorous training in order that they may become members of MIA, it was apparent in its early days that those who decided on the direction for the profession had intended for it to be largely self-regulated, with members determining its direction and developmental needs. Is the set-up of the MIA council conducive to enabling good governance within the institution, resulting in the profession being able to meet the needs of the nation? Issues in relation to the lack of accounting skills in Malaysia because of a brain drain continue to be raised at various levels, including in the ROSC report. In addition, MIA through its very own Practice Review function has indicated that the quality of auditors in this country needs to be stepped up a great deal for them to be on par with their counterparts in developed nations. The lack of clarity regarding MIA's role today is another signal that something is indeed not right with the way it performs that role. Previous MIA presidents Tan Sri Abdul Samad Alias and Nik Mohd Hasyudeen Yusoff did attempt to position MIA as a body with both regulatory and professional development functions, but where is this clarity today? GETTING PRIORITIES RIGHT Capacity building for the profession is paramount. However, in these last few years, MIA has not been seen to have been significantly building capacity for members. Instead, it appears to have been wielding its regulatory powers ever more actively. Members are told to pay for education and development, and this brings into question what value we are to derive from being members of an institution that is constantly raising the bars on how we should operate. The very fact that some members are proposing the establishment of a technical centre at MIA also raises red flags, because if MIA is unable to provide this service in a satisfactory manner to its own members, does this not point to a deficiency of skill and talent in the industry? I believe that these are among the issues creating gaps in MIA's governance system. We have been stuck in a mindset of preferential policies for too long, and these have filtered down into the MIA mindset. We should be going for quality, but current policies seem to be more in line with quantitative expansion. The Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) in its Economic Transformation Roadmap indicates the need for all future accountants to have professional qualifications prior to being admitted as MIA members. This is a move to step up the quality of Malaysian accountants so that they will be globally competitive, but not much has been done to bring this to the fore. DANGEROUS BRAIN DRAIN Indeed this is a very pertinent issue for a nation that is in the midst of an economic transformation process, one in which I believe accountants have a very important role to play. There is a need for MIA to have its goals aligned with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak's vision to produce people who are capable of supporting the nation's transformation needs. However, with MIA's present structure and policies, it would seem that these concerns are not being met. Instead, I hear of young professionally qualified accountants leaving the country for greener pastures because they cannot see a clear career path here. Who can blame them when it is so difficult, for instance, to secure an audit licence here and there are better opportunities abroad? If global mobility is the norm, and the Malaysian accounting landscape is as attractive as in other countries, then why are we not attracting talent from other countries? A QUESTION OF NEW LEADERSHIP Let us look at the structure of MIA and see whether it is optimally set up to ensure dynamism in the profession. The council of 30 members, which guides MIA and its management, is headed by a President who is assisted by a Vice President. The council and the two top officials are supposed to have clearly defined roles. But there has been no such clarity in the practice of those roles in the last couple of years. It seems as if there are precious few or no other individuals who can be tasked with leading the institute. In some cases, we see the same people returning to leadership positions. Is this how we want our profession to be seen? Are we so incapable of nurturing new leaders who are able to bring fresh insights and position the institution in a new light, such as was done quite exemplarily by Nik Hasyudeen, who took over the helm from Abdul Rahim Hamid between 2007 and 2009? At the time, MIA was seen to be dynamic and responsive to issues facing the profession. Abdul Samad did his fair share to lead the institute following the restructuring in 2001 and put in place fundamentals that were meant to propel the institution forward. I also feel strongly that appointment of President of the Institute should be based on merit, with consensus from members and no other consideration, especially not preferential policies. It would go against the interest of the profession if leadership positions were accorded on grounds other than merit. DE-POLITICISE THE INSTITUTE The composition of the present council also needs re-examining. It is rigid and prone to political abuse, if politicisation of the professional institution hasn't already happened. If as a nation we are able to practice democracy in how we elect our leaders, why is it that MIA's council is overwhelmed by government appointees? The council reports to the Accountant General (AG), who in turn reports to the Minister of Finance. Given that the AG is a representative of the Minister of Finance, do we need 19 others to be appointed by him or should we be looking at providing equal footing to every member who harbours an aspiration to serve fellow members while at the same time contributing to the growth of the profession and the nation? Why are we so afraid of meritocracy? Is there fear of power abuses? I am convinced that a group of professional accountants would be able to devise checks and balances to ensure this does not happen. It is important to understand that MIA members, who fund the institution with their subscription fees, have the onus of self-regulation. Nobody would be able to understand the challenges of the profession better than the members themselves, and it makes sense to enable them to choose among themselves who are best able to guard the credibility of the profession. As educated professionals, they surely realise that any abuse of power or negative behaviour that is not aligned with national goals would only hurt the profession. If we cannot run our own organisation, how does it make sense that we are tasked as gatekeepers and guardians of other people's companies? MANAGEMENT UNDER FIRE The MIA management is another area that seems in dire need of improvement as the word on the street is that "the good ones leave" for better opportunities elsewhere. At worst, the bad ones get promoted and to rub salt into the wound, not based on merit. This is also one of the main reasons why the institute is not seen to be doing enough for the profession. It does not have the quality talent with the passion required to drive the evolution of the profession and power the transformation that the Malaysian accounting profession really needs at this juncture. The appointment of a new chief executive officer (CEO) is yet to take place more than half a year after the departure of the previous one. Again, we hope the appointment is based on merit and a proven track record. As an accountant, I am saddened to note that an institution set up with the noble intention to lead and develop a sector of professionals so important to the growth of the nation continues to be mired in, among other things, petty politicking and a crisis of its own identity and relevance to members. It is clear as day that in this age of reforms and transformation for Malaysia, MIA too needs its own set of reforms so that it is able to help accountants maintain their relevance as public expectations of our work continues to grow. | ||||
| Anti-hopping law against constitution, says Nazri Posted: 24 Sep 2012 03:48 PM PDT
(The Star) - ANY law that prohibits an elected representative from moving from one party to another would go against Article 10 of the Federal Constitution which protects the freedom of association, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Abdul Aziz. "Article 10 of the Federal Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of association. Any individual is free to join any party without having to vacate their seats as a penalty," he told Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) in a written reply. Karpal had asked the Government whether it would support Pakatan Rakyat MPs idea in proposing a change to the Federal Constitution to bring in an "anti-hopping law". Nazri said any proposed amendments to the Federal Constitution was a policy issue which needed to be studied as a whole, next to other related laws. "The Federal and respective state constitutions, as well as the Elections Act 1958, only authorise the Election Commission to determine whether or not a seat is vacant after receiving notice from the speaker of Parliament or a state assembly." He also noted that existing laws do not empower the EC to determine penalties against elected representatives who change parties.
| ||||
| NGOs demand NST apology for foreign plot claim Posted: 24 Sep 2012 03:35 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Six organisations are demanding an apology from the Umno-linked New Straits Times newspaper for claiming they were part of a plot to destabilise the government. The newspaper was given 48 hours to apologise, failing which the non-governmental organisations would consider legal action. In its September 21 front-page story, the NST had reported that a number of NGOs including human rights group Suaram and electoral reform organisation Bersih had received funds from foreign sources as part of a plot to destabilise the government. Activists said today they are now the target of a smear campaign after a number of newspapers aligned with Barisan Nasional (BN) published stories alleging organisations like Suaram and Bersih took foreign funds as part of a plot to destabilise the country. It is understood the stories appearing in mainstream newspapers and television news programmes are based on a skeleton plan produced by Putrajaya. Activists had previously acknowledged to The Malaysian Insider that many of their organisations had received funds from foreign and local sources, but said the money was meant to help finance their respective causes such as to promote democratic practices and campaign for human rights. They said the funds and their sources were not part of any plot, as suggested by the NST headline. A host of local non-governmental organisations were named in the NST report, including Suaram, Lawyers for Liberty, Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih) and the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ). A similar story also appeared in MCA-owned newspaper The Star. Both stories quoted sources and unnamed investigators probing the financial background of the NGOs. The stories pointed out that RM20 million had been received by the NGOs between 2005 and last year from foreign sources such as the Washington-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the New York-based Open Society Institute (OSI). It was not stated why the organisations were under investigation and what they had been doing to destabilise the government or the country. But many of these organisations have been involved in recent years with campaigns for electoral reforms and for human rights. Today, six of the NGOs named said the report was unfounded and written in bad faith. "We are taking this very seriously. The matter is in the hands of our lawyers," Bersih co-chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan told reporters today. "We expect to see a response from New Straits Times within 48 hours, failing which we will take all the necessary steps and all the steps that are open to us under the law." The demand was also endorsed by Suaram, CIJ, Lawyers for Liberty, Merdeka Center and the Southeast Asian Centre for E-Media (Seacem). On Sunday former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad suggested that currency speculator George Soros was attempting to usurp political power from the BN government by appointing his own leader as the next prime minister of Malaysia. Dr Mahathir made the statement when asked to comment on several local NGOs that were in the limelight recently after the Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Ministry called on the Registrar of Societies to investigate Suaram, which had received funds from Soros-linked organisations. Today, The Malaysian Insider reported that Soros not only funds pro-democracy groups in Malaysia, but has also funded activities of the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) which was led at one time by his chief Malaysian critic's daughter, Datuk Paduka Marina Mahathir. The US citizen has been in the limelight lately after government-friendly mainstream newspapers and a television station said his Open Society Institute (OSI) had funded pro-democracy groups out to destabilise the BN government under Datuk Seri Najib Razak. The media did not offer proof of any destabilisation efforts.
| ||||
| BN, Pakatan going all out to woo new voters Posted: 24 Sep 2012 03:15 PM PDT
(The Star) - Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat political parties are going all out to win the hearts of about 2.9 million newly-registered voters in the coming general election. Tanjong Karang MP Datuk Seri Noh Omar said Barisan MPs would change their approach towards voters. "Normally, MPs would be present at events where the constituents invite us for. This time, we will seek out the constituents and check on their needs instead of waiting for an invitation from them," said Noh, who is also the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister. Hulu Selangor MP P. Kamalanathan said the focus was on youths, with a continuous effort in resettlement of rural youths in urban areas through specialised programmes. "The president (Datuk Seri G. Palanivel) has been travelling around the country to reach out and let the public know of Government initiatives for the community, especially for Malaysian Indians," said Kamalanathan, who is also MIC information chief. MCA vice-president Gan Peng Sieu said the party's groundwork had always been a continuous affair, though it was more intense during the election period. "There will probably be more roadshows, campaigns and a mega rally closer to the election date, as the purpose would be to dispel the lies and fabrications against the party, which has even involved character assassinations," he said. The 2,920,828 new voters registered between 2008 and June 30 this year form about 22% of the electorate, or one in five of 13.1 million voters. Gombak MP and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said his party would not succumb to gutter politics, but would promote its policies to let the public decide. "We will offer the rakyat, especially the youths, with clear policies on various aspects like education and economy and how we intend to address national issues," he said, adding that the Pakatan Rakyat would finalise its budget by Friday. Parit Buntar MP Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said PAS would focus on "bread and butter" issues such as household income and cost of living during the run-up to the polls.
| ||||
| Why the compulsion to lie, lie and lie, Rafizi? Posted: 24 Sep 2012 03:10 PM PDT
According to KL Chronicle, Opposition Strategist Rafizi Ramli has again made a nonsensical and irresponsible statement regarding Approved Permits (AP) for the import of cars - intended specifically to confuse the rakyat, and create dissatisfaction towards the BN Government. Why is Rafizi still lying to the rakyat, it asks in a recent posting? In another September case, reports and blogs say Rafizi is not to be believed. Why? Is it because Section 114A of the Evidence Act now requires news portals and bloggers to report accurately, or have journalists and editors found Rafizi to be a pseudologia fantastica? Fabiani Azmi Psychiatrists say there are three of several terms that best describe compulsive liars, pseudologia fantastica, mythomania, or pathological lying. According to Wikipedia, it was first described in medical literature in 1891 by Anton Delbrueck. Although controversial in nature, pathological lying has been defined as "falsification entirely disproportionate to any discernible end in view. It may be extensive and very complicated, and may manifest over a period of years or even a lifetime." But before we delve into this illness of the mind any deeper, let's look at National Feedlot Corporation's bone of contention that Rafizi had been lying all these months to defame them and create unwarranted public outrage. Rafizi lied on radio There is nothing better than hearing it from the horse's mouth, they say. In a BFM 89.9 podcast, there is a recording with Rafizi in which he tells listeners that NFCorp was never serious in doing the beef business. Rafizi went on to make dramatic defamatory statements to say that money was being swindled and siphoned off. NFCorp however in a news release had said that the company has over 160 customers buying their Gemas beef. These customers comprise hypermarkets, supermarkets, minimarkets, wet markets, pasar tani, processed meat manufacturers, and a host of hotels, restaurants and cafes (HORECA sector). The customers subsequently sell to more than 100,000 retail consumers each week. Now if this is not serious business, what then is it? Why did Rafizi lie to cast a different perception? Can we count on Rafizi to count correctly? Rafizi claims he is a trained chartered accountant. In a Malaysian Insider report (1 November 2011), he said NFCorp met only 5% of the projected annual plan of 50,000 tonnes of beef (5% from 330,000 heads of cattle) for 2009. Rafizi with a gang of PR assemblymen had tried to gain entry into the NFC to do some arithmetic audit. According to the Malaysian Insider, they were rebuffed by security while arguing that they had a right to go in and "count cows". So if Rafizi and gang had not entered the NFC, how did he count the heads of cattle? An Implementation Agreement sighted showed that NFCorp met preliminary targets set by the government for the NFC. For 2010, NFCorp's target was charted at 8,000 heads. NFCorp had imported 8,897 heads of cattle, 897 heads or 11 per cent more than the target charted for that year. As always, Rafizi appears to have not had the correct picture or the full set of numbers. His dramatization of his arguments was premised on lies and fabrications. The target of 330,000 heads of cattle claimed by Rafizi does not exist. Even going up the road, the official target for 2015 in Schedule 9 of the Implementation Agreement for NFCorp reads 60,000 heads of cattle. So why did Rafizi misrepresent and distort? More so, why did Rafizi lie to Malaysians? Can Rafizi read? Or did he not read? The Auditor General's 2010 Report was very clear that the Auditor General (AG) only audits the government machinery comprising ministries, government departments, government agencies, government owned companies, and government projects. The AG's foreword confirms this. It does not audit private limited companies registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM). But at the outset of the NFC commotion in 2011, Rafizi went at length to demonise NFCorp (the company) backing the Auditor-General's assertion that the project had turned "into a mess" (Malaysian Insider, 1 November 2011). On 26 January 2012, the AG Tan Sri Amrin Buang surfaced with a news release to clarify that NFCorp had not been audited, only the government NFC project under the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry was. More importantly, NFCorp was not in a "mess", putting to rest months of tireless public bashing from hard-line critics and a riled public. According to the AG's statement, the audit was to evaluate whether the NFC project had been carefully planned, whether its implementation was carried out prudently and had met its objective. The audit was never on NFCorp. So why did Rafizi misrepresent and distort NFCorp? Why did he lie? No free land and certainly not 5,000 acres Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin had in a 11 November MalaysiaKini report said, "Rafizi had alleged that NFCorp was given 5,000 acres of land in Gemas, Negeri Sembilan, for free. This is categorically false – NFC was only offered 1,500 acres on lease by the Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Incorporated." "Two major errors: on the acreage of the land in question and the fact that it is on lease, not handed out for free. You will notice that Rafizi makes no mention of this in his MalaysiaKini piece on Nov 10, although there is still the Nov 1 blog entry with the words '1 lembu = 5 ekar'." "Great math," quipped Khairy. Documents sighted show the existence of a lease agreement – so the land isn't free as claimed by Rafizi. And Khairy was right that it was just 1,500 acres. The lease agreement reads so. So why did Rafizi lie? Perhaps Khairy sums it best when he said, "Something that has become terribly clear to me is that throughout this debate, Rafizi has shown himself to be disingenuous, dishonest and in the habit of shifting the goalposts the very moment he realises a line of attack is broken down." KL Eco City lie and fabrication nuked The controversy on loans for the KL Eco City office lots was another perfect example where Rafizi realized that his line of attack had been shot down. Rafizi deliberately distorted and misrepresented the bank documents he had unlawfully obtained from a bank employee. MalaysiaKini captured it all on camera on 7 March 2012 (http://www.malaysiakini.tv/video/23239/more-properties-in-bangsar-bought-by-nfc-directors.html). Brandishing and dispensing the documents in outright violation of BAFIA, he dramatised the media into believing that he had the hard facts on loans taken for eight office lots as well as information on the poor credit standing of the directors. Rafizi even lied that the loans were taken at the jeopardy of NFCorp's RM71 million government deposit in the bank when he provided a sly analysis of the bank documents. However, NFCorp clarified to say no loans were ever taken for KL Eco City by the company. The documents Rafizi had were for other private personal loans taken in 2005 and 2008 not connected in any way to KL Eco City. Our close inspection of the bank documents Rafizi had given to the media showed the loans had in fact commenced as far back as 2005 and 2008. It is interesting to note that KL Eco City was only launched for sale in 2011. And if you look at the equation, NFCorp was not even formed in 2005. Ultimately, the bluff that the RM71 million deposit was under threat, was debunked. Since his line of attack was nuked, there has not been a further squeak from Rafizi on the purported loans for the KL Eco City office lots. However, sources close to NFCorp say Rafizi's exaggeration had caused irreparable damage to NFCorp and its chairman. On the premise of lies and fabrication, a whole nation was riled against them. No prizes for guessing why NFCorp is preparing to sue the pants off Rafizi. Why does Rafizi thrive on lies? Why is he so bent hell? Yes, why does Rafizi lie so very often, begs the question? Wikipedia and other Internet resources say that the defining characteristics of pseudologia fantastica or a compulsive liar are: · The stories told tend toward presenting the liar favorably. For example, the person might be presented as being fantastically brave, bold and brazen. It would even make the liar be perceived as a towering hero. Or even related to many famous people. · The problem also usually affects people with low self-esteem – they lie to make themselves feel important and because they are not able to communicate well with other people. They are able to attract attention by exaggerating or making up stories or anecdotes. · The stories told are not entirely improbable. They are not a manifestation of delusion or some broader type of psychosis: upon confrontation, the teller can admit them to be untrue, even if unwillingly. · The fabricative tendency is long lasting. · Pseudologia fantastica may also present as false memory syndrome, where the sufferer genuinely believes that fictitious events have taken place, regardless that these events are fantasies. Pathological lying zealot makes false statements Wikipedia explains that lying is the act of both knowingly and intentionally/willfully making a false statement. Pathological lying is considered a mental illness, because it takes over rational judgement and progresses into the fantasy world and back. Some research suggests that certain people may have a "predisposition to lying". Excessive lying is a common symptom of many mental illnesses. There are several consequences of being a pathological liar. Due to lack of trust, most pathological liars' relationships and friendships fail. Is this not what we hear from the opposition's grape vine? If the disease continues to progress, lying could become so severe as to cause legal problems. Is Rafizi in some dire need of help? About the Writer Fabiani Azmi is an avid reader of Internet news portals like Malaysia Today as well as other blogsites. He believes the world's mysteries can be solved. And it does not warrant a paleontologist to investigate.
| ||||
| Businessman admits private jet loaned to Anwar, declines to reveal for how much Posted: 24 Sep 2012 02:41 PM PDT
(The Star) - A businessman has admitted to providing a private jet to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim but declined to say for how much. TJets Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Mohd Taufik Omar also denied being the jet's owner. "My company only manages the private jet," said the 48-year-old. "As it is a private jet, it should remain a private matter." Pressed to reveal if he was the real owner, Mohd Taufik said: "Am I that rich? I am just trying to cari makan (earn a living)." Mohd Taufik was asked to comment on the buzz in cyberspace following an expose by blogger John F. Seademon that Mohd Taufik was the businessman who had loaned the jet to the Opposition Leader. Bloggers were abuzz over the "jet-setting ways" of Pakatan Rakyat leaders, following PKR vice-president Tian Chua's tweets on Sept 15 showing photographs of the Dassault Falcon jet and several Opposition leaders enjoying its posh setting. Earlier yesterday, Anwar had said a "KL businessman" owned the jet. Anwar said he had asked the businessman if he had any interests in Selangor, Penang and Kelantan, to which he categorically said "no". Mohd Taufik, who is Malaysia Judo Association president, is also the chairman of LD Sports Sdn Bhd, Kenangan Nilam Sdn Bhd, Asiana Inspirasi Sdn Bhd, KN Capital Sdn Bhd and T Corp Labuan. He is also the director of Health Solutions (SE Asia) Sdn Bhd, CltlTower Sdn Bhd, Aliran Modern Sdn Bhd and Vasseti Bhd. Anwar admitted to having borrowed jets from Arab businessmen when he was invited to lecture at Georgetown University in the United States and from the Saudi royal family for a medical trip to Germany. Tian Chua said Pakatan leaders could now enjoy trips on private jets, adding that some friends had chartered the jet with the registration number N990BB. PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin, who was also among the Pakatan leaders on board the plane, said they had used the jet on Sept 15 and 16 to travel to Labuan, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching.
|
Malaysiakini has been further attacked for having a foreign investor which is allegedly linked to billionaire financier George Soros. Further aspersions have been cast on Malaysiakini that some of our shareholders have political links. 
In a nutshell, Malaysiakini was open with its staff about a contract to build a software application for the Centre for Advanced Media Prague (Camp), which is MDLF's technology division. 
Despite a heated exchange of words in the wake of the Asian financial crisis, former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad later 
Umno was founded in 1946 to oppose the Malayan Union established by the British colonialists to unite all states in the Malay peninsula, which were mainly agrarian then. Umno's second president, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, together with allies MCA and MIC negotiated Malaya's independence in 1957 and later formed Malaysia with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. Singapore was then expelled in 1965.
| You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan