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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

MCA – the champions of petty issues
Should government scholars be grateful?
The power is with the people
Amangate: Umno sinks into deeper quagmire
No end to crisis in Kedah
Tidak salah jadi ‘Cina pisang’
Political funding: A reality check
After mega dinner, mega disaster awaits the MCA
The Murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu
PKR must end Azmin-Khalid conflict

Posted: 21 Oct 2012 02:49 PM PDT

Taking pot-shots at Pakatan leaders for the most trivial issues shows how bankrupt of ideas MCA has become.

Iskandar Dzulkarnain, FMT

When one thinks that the MCA has run out of petty issues to lament about, out of the blue comes another salvo from MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek who now claims that PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat condones rape on women who are not properly attired.

Rummaging through the closet, the party came up with a "four-year-old" issue to try and frighten non-Muslims against voting for PAS, as PAS leaders condone raping any woman who does not cover up, whether Muslim or non-Muslim.

Not only is that a gross insult to a Muslim leader, it is also an insult to all Muslims and non-Muslims as well. Nik Aziz was merely admonishing his Muslim audience on the need to cover up, so as not to invite disaster.

How can that be taken literally as evidence that PAS leaders condone the rape of women who do not dress decently?

Did the Muslims go berserk, and started a raping spree in Kelantan and elsewhere after hearing his speech? Did any Malaysian took Nik Aziz's speech literally and contemplated a desirous urge to rape, or was it just an isolated case narrowed down to the MCA president that harboured such unhealthy thoughts?

Sometimes, Malaysians would never know how dumb some of our political leaders are, until they open their big mouths.

And to ensure that Malaysian citizens are safe from rape and other immoral sex crimes, MCA thinks that the Chinese should refrain from voting PAS or Pakatan Rakyat.

Caught red-handed on tape

Having forgotten his own humiliating dash with adultery, forever embedded on video and still accessible on YouTube to everyone, he sees it fit to point a finger at other opposition leaders, accusing them of condoning rape.

Now, that is rather sickening and an embarrassment to himself and the MCA.

Until today, everyone including the non-Chinese is stupefied as to how he managed to get himself elected by the same MCA members who made him the MCA president.

In the past 50 years, Chinese rights were seen to have deteriorated to the point that the Chinese themselves felt like second-class citizens.

The MCA flirted with the sentiments of the Chinese, ignoring their plight and simply stood idly by, watching as their rights were being stripped away little by little.

Umno, on the other hand, was seen busily trying to upgrade the rights of the Malays at the expense of other races.

MCA was so comfortable in its seats that it simply forgots about its own countrymen. Power has gone to its head, and it was busy helping itself to the till.

Today, we see two past senior MCA leaders being charged with corruption while the Chinese believe it is only the tip of the iceberg.

The Chinese also see the MCA as playing second fiddle to Umno, contented with a power-sharing formula that allows the latter to lord over the Chinese.

Are the Chinese abandoning the MCA?

Contrary to popular belief, the Chinese did not abandon the MCA, but it was the MCA that has abandoned the Chinese many, many years ago.

Now that the first generation of Chinese voters has dwindled, a disillusioned second generation is not going to give the MCA anymore room to manoeuvre, and is determined to see its timely demise. Yes, MCA MPs would be hard-pressed to keep their 15 seats intact.

If MCA is not harping on the hudud, it will be about Chinese education or backstabbing the opposition.

If MCA leaders were serious about Chinese education, this issue would have been wrapped up ages ago.

And taking pot-shots at Pakatan leaders for the most trivial issues shows how bankrupt of ideas MCA has become. The Chinese are actually shaking their heads in disbelief, whether to laugh or cry at the absurd issues highlighted by their leaders.

And today, Chua is trying to convince himself that Chinese fear of hudud is greater than before. To the Chinese, the issue is no more play-play. The Chinese would now vote for BN. What a big relief for Umno.

Meanwhile, MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong is saying that a Pakatan government will take Malaysia back to the Dark Ages. Such vivid imagination! Maybe, we would see more limbless sub-humans walking around like zombies if a Pakatan government ever come to pass?

MCA's refusal to admit its own mistakes and putting the blame on the "stupid" Chinese for their predicament shows how chauvinistic it has become. Political infighting, greed and power struggles have weakened them.

Instead of wooing back the Chinese with sincerity and humility, the leaders continue to use the politics of fear, race and religion card to scare the Chinese into submission. Do they think the Chinese are as dumb as they are?

READ MORE HERE

Should government scholars be grateful?

Posted: 21 Oct 2012 02:04 PM PDT

Should recipients of government scholarships be grateful? Grateful to whom?

Kee Thuan Chye

I'm asking this because former minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil mentioned recently that PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli was a Petronas scholar and yet he appeared to be going against the people who had given him the scholarship. As the Petronas scholarship is a government scholarship, she implied he was being "ungrateful".

She even suggested that other young people of Rafizi's generation might also be "ungrateful".

But should Rafizi – and other Petronas scholars, indeed all government scholars, including those awarded the Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) scholarships – be beholden to the Government and eternally grateful to it?

First of all, what is "the Government"?

It is the entity that rules and administers the country. And in our democracy, it is made up of the party or parties that won the most number of parliamentary seats in the last general election to gain the right to rule the country.

This party or parties can lose the next general election and cease to be "the Government". In other words, it is only the government of the day.

Governments come and go, as people say, which means no party or parties can claim ownership of the title "Government" forever.

Barisan Nasional (BN) is the coalition of parties that makes up the current government of the day. In years to come, it may no longer be that. In fact, it may cease to be that sooner if it loses the upcoming 13th general election.

So if "the Government" is something that is subject to change, how can anyone be beholden to "the Government"? How can anyone be eternally grateful to "the Government"?

To supposedly back up her call, Shahrizat said, "I come from a generation that is grateful for things happening to you and we are taught not to bite that hand that feeds you. And somebody who is seen as biting the hand that feeds you would be deemed as derhaka (betrayal)."

But whose is "the hand that feeds" all recipients of government scholarships?

Where does the money to fund the scholarships come from?

Does it all come from the pockets of the ruling elite that helms the government of the day?

Of course not. The money comes from the rakyat. The money from the taxes they pay goes into the coffers of the government of the day. Of course there's also Petronas money, but that is also the rakyat's money. And part of this collective money goes into funding scholarships.

By this simple reasoning, "the hand that feeds" all government scholars is the hand of the rakyat.

So if government scholars need to be grateful, they should be grateful to the rakyat. Not the government of the day.

They can show their gratitude by serving the rakyat, by looking after its interests.

Rafizi chose to do this by joining an Opposition party.

Since looking after the rakyat's interests is what political parties – ruling or Opposition – should do, his opting for that should not be an issue.

After all, the ruling party is supposed to ensure that the rakyat's welfare is served through the policies it formulates and implements while the Opposition parties are supposed to point out lapses in the implementation and expose the shortcomings. Simplistically put, they should both serve the same cause.

By that token, Rafizi – as well as other government scholarship recipients – should be free to join whichever party they choose. It is their democratic right. Besides, our Federal Constitution itself grants every citizen the right to free association.

Indeed, by exposing the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal, Rafizi was actually serving the rakyat's interests. He showed us that our money which was given to the National Feedlot Corporation was allegedly not being used to serve its avowed purpose.

How then could Shahrizat suggest the contrary – that Rafizi was being ungrateful to the provider of his scholarship and was committing derhaka?

What derhaka? He should instead be commended for what he did. In fact, he should deserve the rakyat's gratitude.

Speaking of gratitude, there is one thing more – something basic which I think needs to be examined.

Why should Rafizi or any young person be grateful at all to anyone for getting government scholarships?

I think they need not be. Because it is the responsibility of the State to see that our young get proper education. If we the rakyat pay taxes that go into giving the young scholarships, we should accept it because we are helping to fulfill that responsibility. It is money correctly spent. It's like what we would do for our own children.

Besides, as citizens, these young people are entitled to such help – provided they deserve it. And if they are entitled to it, why should they need to be grateful?

From what we can see of Rafizi's track record and the things he has done in the public sphere, he appears to be a brilliant man. He must have deserved his Petronas scholarship. If, as a taxpayer, I were to have had a hand in funding his education, I would have been more than happy for having done that.

I would not expect him to be grateful – although he has nonetheless performed his duty to society by exposing the NFC scandal.

And by extension, I would not expect any deserving government scholarship recipient to be grateful.

They needed it, we helped. That's the end of the matter.

* Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the bestselling book No More Bullshit, Please, We're All Malaysians, available in bookstores together with its Malay translation, Jangan Kelentong Lagi, Kita Semua Orang Malaysia.

The power is with the people

Posted: 20 Oct 2012 04:08 PM PDT

Stop blaming the BN government or Pakatan Rakyat for the state of affairs within our nation today. We have to take our fair share of blame too.

CT Ali, FMT

Today our people are divided in so many ways. Whether intended or not these divisions reached its peak under Mahathir's watch because this Umno-led Barisan Nasional government saw in these divisions their way towards consolidating political power and personal wealth for themselves, their families and their cronies.

The rich and the poor. The powerful and the weak. The VVIP's and the VIP's. The connected and the not too connected. The privilege and the not so privileged. Those in Umno and those outside Umno. Those in Barisan Nasional and those outside of Barisan Nasional. The Malays and the non-Malays. Royalty and commoners.

Everywhere we look these barriers became obstacles we encountered on a daily basis and caused great hardship and impossible odds to overcome as we go on with our daily lives and the business of trying to earn a decent living.

It took us this long – 12 general elections in total – to come to the realisation that these divisions within our people have been the result of a conniving politicians from both sides of the divide that had deliberately used these racial and religious barrier to their advantage – both Barsian Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat.

These politicians think that our division is their salvation!

These politicians believe that when our people are in conflict it is easier for them to secure electoral success.

These politicians have that twisted logic to divide and rule their own people because they know that if we are together as one people our first work will be to rid ourselves of these insidious politicians!

How has it come to this? How has these politicians been able to exploit these inherent divisions within our people to their advantage and more to the point – why do we let them?

Of course I am first a Malay. I cannot ignore that reality in Malaysia nor can I ignore that reality anywhere I go. Here in Australia I an acutely aware that I am different from the others that are around me. I see white people, black people and every conceivable hue and colors in between.

I see women covering themselves from head to toe walking alongside another member of her gender with her jeans hung so low that you can see the top of her underwear splendidly exposed.

There are men outfitted in sartorial splendor walking alongside men in shorts so brief that any lady would be remised if she did not make herself look the other way when these men walk by.

Everywhere you turn you are aware of the diversity that abounds around you and yet there is symmetry and balance that is the result of a tolerance of each other individuality and the acceptance of it.

To each his own. And that is why even as I am acutely aware that I am different from the others we are all able to live together because we celebrate our differences.

So why do these politicians talk about our people living in harmony under 1Malaysia when they are the very reason why we have a people divided in every way except for the fact that we call Malaysia our home.

How, as I have asked before, have we come to this?

The power is with us, the people

We have come to this because we allowed these politicians to take advantage of and play on the worst of human frailties – self-interest – and use this weakness to their political advantage.

Let us stop blaming this Barisan Nasional government or Pakatan Rakyat for the state of affairs within our nation today. We have to take our fair share of blame for the state we now find ourselves and our nation hopelessly mired in.

A state of affairs where corruption is endemic, where people go into politics not to serve the nation or its people but to make money for themselves, where the use of race and religion will bring you more electoral success then anything else, where politicians are more the subject of ridicule then of respect.

Where political leaders are without honour or self-respect, where the people's trust and votes are not earned but bought.

If we are prepared to keep electing the same corrupt politicians to power why are expecting things to change?

And yet where would we find the precedent from our nation's past to tell us what do? How do we tell our people that this 13th general election is our opportunity to effect change? There is no precedent in our history that will point us to go in the right direction.

Neither had the people in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and now Syria had any precedent in the history of their nation to know what was the right thing to do to rid themselves of the tyrants and dictators that had exploited their time in power for personal gains.

So like them we only have ourselves to depend upon to make these changes that we want as to how we want our nation to be governed.

Never before in the history of our nation have our people been in so much in contract and in communication with each other. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and blogs are our go-to source for information and knowledge when we want to know what is going on around us.

The social media defines our generation – young and old – cutting across barriers of race, religion and culture. When a politician takes from our nation what he is not entitled to, then in anybody language, in any culture, in any religion in any race – we know that that politician has done wrong.

And that information is available to anybody with little or no advanced computer skills. And the impact of that information has toppled government.

What anyone of us think, when put onto the Internet, You Tube, Twitter and Facebook will make a government denial of wrongdoing superfluous if evidence to the contrary is posted on to the public domain through these social media outlets.

Hence we have seen Umno's capitulation to our demand that Shahrizat Abdul Jalil take responsibility for NFC. In Pakatan Rakyat the impact of social media comments have been to ensure that there is accountability from within the ranks of its first tier leadership for the abuse of public office in the states they control.

There are many other instances we all know off when what is posted onto the public domain will ensure that at the very least, Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat understand that we are watching them and will judge them by what they choose to do when we make clear our displeasure at what they do.

Moving from online activism to offline reality

The mobilisation of this force to organise and generate awareness amongst our people as to whom would best serve our nation's interest if elected to public office would decide the outcome of this 13th general election.

Political chatter on the Internet will increase as we near the 13th general election and will continue to generate enormous amount of data and information that will determine how we cast our votes.

Real time Internet debating on issues of the day and on matters of interest to the people would be something we can all participate in with the knowledge that both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional will take cognizance of we say and where necessary act on it.

What we say now can gain momentum, attention and awareness in real time and with this possibility comes the ability to do good or bad to the leaders we want to serve us in government.

Najib Tun Razak and Anwar Ibrahim had been at the receiving end of these possibilities too many times to be unaware that they can feed of the social media as much as the social media can feed off them.

Politicians of all persuasion are now adept at using cyberactivism to advance their political agenda.

Posted: 19 Oct 2012 06:52 PM PDT

The S$16 million cash seized on 14th August 2008 was only released at the end of the statutory retention period limit of three years, when ICAC failed to wrap up the case due reportedly to Malaysian government's refusal to extend co-operation in the investigation. If there was no case as claimed by Nazri and Najib, would the Hong Kong authorities have kept the money for the full legally allowable period of three years?

Kim Quek

Parliament should consider censuring Minister Nazri Aziz for giving completely contradictory answers in parliament within the short interval of one week in respect of the contraband S$16 million cash seized in Hong Kong International Airport which both Nazri and Prime Minister Najib Razak denied that it was Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman's money, claiming it was donation to Sabah Umno.

It should also consider rebuking Prime Minister Najib for having irresponsibly denied that the illegal attempt by Michael Chia Tien Foh to board the plane with the contraband cash was not an act of smuggling cash in breach of law, simply because Nazri has made some dubious statements in parliament.

On Oct 11, answering MP Chua Tian Chan, Nazri stated that the Attorney General (AG) had decided that corruption was not proven, based on the reports submitted by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Nazri further stated that, based on this outcome of MACC's investigation, Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) did not take any further action.

However, answering MP Tan Kok Wai on Oct 11, Nazri said investigation carried out on the case was not done by MACC, but by Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), which had subsequently stated that there was no corruption in this case.

One moment, it was MACC's investigation that led to AG's verdict of no corruption. But the next moment: no, it was not MACC, but ICAC which investigated and concluded that there was no corruption.

MULTIIPLE CONTRADICTIONS

The contradictions are puzzling.

Could it be that Nazri thought our AG and MACC's credibility might not be good enough for Malaysians, and decided to attribute the findings to the world famous ICAC noted for its anti-corruption prowess, hoping to get better reception from Malaysians? Otherwise, how could he reconcile the two completely contradictory statements?

In fact, Nazri not only has problem reconciling these two different statements, but he also has problems reconciling both these statements against a MACC statement a few days earlier.

On Oct 5, MACC's deputy chief commissioner (operations) Shukri Abdul said that investigation on the Hong Kong contraband cash case was still ongoing as its review panel requested for further investigation.

Apart from these multiple contradictions thrown by Nazri to parliament, his claim that ICAC has concluded that there is no corruption is also fishy.

This is evident from the fact that the S$16 million cash seized on 14th August 2008 was only released at the end of the statutory retention period limit of three years, when ICAC failed to wrap up the case due reportedly to Malaysian government's refusal to extend co-operation in the investigation. If there was no case as claimed by Nazri and Najib, would the Hong Kong authorities have kept the money for the full legally allowable period of three years?

In fact, Michael Chia was arrested and investigated for both offences of money smuggling and money laundering.

NAJIB'S DENIAL IRRESPONSIBLE

Sneaking out the country with large amount of cash in breach of law is called smuggling money. I fail to see how Najib could claim it was not smuggling just because his minister Nazri has answered some questions in parliament – and badly answered at that, I must add.

Answering a question in a press conference on Oct 19 whether there was any basis to claims that the money was smuggled or laundered through Hong Kong, Najib answered curtly: "No. It has already been explained in parliament". By that, Najib was of course referring to Nazri's duplicitous answers abovementioned.

It is most unbecoming of the prime minister to base his answer to such a serious scandal on such a shady foundation.

Members of parliament should seek the following from Nazri in parliament, in addition to asking him to explain the many contradictions in his abovementioned statements:

1. Full disclose of the communications between the governments of Hong Kong and Malaysia on this issue; in particular a) whether ICAC has forwarded its findings to MACC including the money flow chart trailing the Sabah timber corruption money all the way to Musa Aman's UBS AG account in Zurich, b) whether ICAC has requested for inter-country co-operation, c) whether ICAC has categorically stated that there was no corruption in the case and that it has ceased to pursue the case further.

2. When did MACC start its investigation, and whether it is still on-going. If so, why it has not been able to complete the task after such a lengthy investigation.

3. What role the AG has played in this case – in relation to the Hong Kong authorities and in relation to the Malaysian government, in particular, MACC.

Unless Nazri is forthcoming with satisfactory answers, he should be censured and referred to parliamentary select committee (privileges and power) for further probing.

No end to crisis in Kedah

Posted: 19 Oct 2012 12:13 PM PDT

Kedah is in the throes of an administrative crisis as tensions between Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak and his state secretary Datuk Rasli Basir worsen amid attempts to make the top civil servant resign.

Joceline Tan (The Star)

DATUK Seri Azizan Abdul Razak was in a relaxed mood as he mingled with the dignitaries sending off the King and Queen who were leaving for the Haj in Mecca. The Kedah Mentri Besar seems to have recovered from his poor health; he looked steady on his feet and has even put on some weight.

But rumours about his tenure continue to irritate him. Last Wednesday, journalists were calling up his office to ask about reports that he was resigning that afternoon. It was completely untrue and the news portal that published the news has since apologised.

Azizan has no plans to resign. Instead, he is demanding the resignation of his state secretary Datuk Rasli Basir.

Kedah is currently embroiled in an administrative crisis that has drawn parallels to the one that had preceded the appointment of Tan Sri Sanusi Junid as Mentri Besar back in the 1990s. The current crisis has caused the state administration to come to a near standstill and there are endless accounts of how state matters, especially land applications, have stalled for months.

At one level, the crisis is about the fallout between the Mentri Besar and the state secretary. At another, it is about PAS trying to assert control over the Kedah civil service.

The Mentri Besar and his state secretary have locked horns for much of the past year and witnesses have watched them argue openly at meetings.

They are barely on talking terms and Rasli was not allowed to visit Azizan when the latter spent weeks in hospital.

Their fractured ties and animosity are an open secret in the state. But it erupted into the open following Rasli's decision to transfer one of his district officers (DO) Ahmad Fisol Md Nor from Kubang Pasu to Kuala Muda.

It seemed like a routine transfer but it has erupted into a political issue with PAS politicians claiming that Rasli has no right to order the transfer as Ahmad Fisol is also Kubang Pasu District Council chairman.

They said that while the DOs come under the power of the state secretary, district council appointments come under the political purview of PAS. As such, they are claiming that Rasli has overstepped his powers in taking Ahmad Fisol out of his chairman post.

The PAS side apparently like Mohd Fisol who is said to be sympathetic to the party's cause. Several district councillors have since staged protests against Rasli, holding up banners calling for his resignation. They are demanding that Rasli reverses the transfer of Ahmad Fisol. However, Rasli is standing firm.

But the story behind the story is that PAS had been uncomfortable with Rasli from the day they came to power.

Tidak salah jadi ‘Cina pisang’

Posted: 19 Oct 2012 11:28 AM PDT

Proses pencinaan berlaku daripada sekolah rendah sehingga ke peringkat institusi pengajian tinggi. Jika semua ini terus dibiarkan berlaku, tidak ada ertinya nama Malaysia, kerana identiti Malay (Melayu) sudah tidak wujud lagi. Yang ada, hanya menonjol Chinesesia.

Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, The Malaysian Insider

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak baru-baru ini mengatakan, Malaysia adalah satu-satunya negara di luar China yang mengiktiraf pendidikan Cina sebagai sebahagian daripada sistem pendidikan kebangsaan.

Beliau juga menegaskan, ketika menjadi Menteri Pelajaran, Akta Pendidikan 1996 diwujudkan menggantikan Akta Pelajaran 1961. Akta Pelajaran 1961 amat ditakuti kerana memberi kuasa penuh kepada Menteri Pelajaran untuk menukar sekolah jenis kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) kepada sekolah kebangsaan.

Akta Pelajaran 1996, memberikan signifikan amat besar kepada pendidikan Cina. Kerajaan secara langsung mengiktiraf kewujudan Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC), Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SMJKC) dan Sekolah Persendirian Cina (SPC) sebagai sebahagian daripada sistem pendidikan kebangsaan yang bersifat kekal.

Sekadar makluman, selepas 1996, lebih banyak sumber kewangan diperuntukan pendidikan Cina. Pada masa itu, terdapat 78 sekolah menengah Cina yang memilih untuk mematuhi silibus dan pengajaran kerajaan dan ia menjadi SMJKC, manakala 60 lagi kekal sebagai SPC.

Ini tidak termasuk sejumlah hampir 1,300 SJKC yang diterima masuk sebagai sistem pendidikan kebangsaan. Bilangan SJKC terus bertambah setiap tahun melalui bantuan kerajaan sepenuhnya.

Akta 1996 yang lunak ini membolehkan kerajaan memberi bantuan kewangan, fiskal dan sumber perancangan kepada sistem pendidikan Cina. Namun, sedarkah kita bahawa akta ini juga ditentang oleh NGO Cina seperti Dong Jiao Zong, kerana mereka tidak mahu langsung sekolah Cina diganggu-gugat. Mereka mahu beroperasi dengan penuh kecinaan.

Najib turut menjelaskan kedudukan terkini permohonan pembinaan sekolah menengah persendirian Cina di Kuantan, Pahang seperti yang dituntut komuniti di kawasan tersebut. Syarat yang dikenakan adalah pelajar-pelajar ini wajib mengambil Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) dan jika pelajar mahu mengambil peperiksaan Sijil Peperiksaan Bersama (UEC), itu terpulang kepada mereka.

Kerajaan juga menyediakan peruntukan kira-kira RM100 juta untuk membangunkan SJKC di seluruh negara. Selain itu, kerajaan turut menawarkan biasiswa kepada pelajar-pelajar terbaik UEC dan menyelesaikan segera isu kekurangan guru di SJKC. Itu pun masih ditentang kerana mereka mahu UEC diiktiraf sepenuhnya tanpa mengambil SPM.

Sebagai timbal balas, Perdana Menteri menaruh harapan melihat masyarakat Cina di negara ini fasih berbahasa Melayu. Persoalannya, bolehkah harapan Najib ini dipenuhi oleh komuniti Cina, terutama kumpulan ultra kiasu, setelah kerajaan memberi begitu banyak kemudahan dan begitu bertoleransi.

Tiada negara di dunia ini yang begitu bermurah hati dan bertoleransi seperti apa yang negara kita lakukan. Persoalannya, kenapa tidak dihargai? Apa jua cadangan kerajaan untuk penambahbaikan sekolah Cina adalah ditentang habis-habisan. Toleransi yang tidak ada tolok bandingnya ini masih lagi diterima.

Apa yang dimahukan oleh orang Cina? Apakah mereka mahu tinggal di pulau sendiri seperti Singapura dan sasaran mereka hari ini adalah Pulau Pinang.

Political funding: A reality check

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 02:28 PM PDT

Let's face it. All political parties, including those in the opposition, receive donations and contributions from their supporters. Otherwise how would they carry their vast organisation and nationwide activities, which need to be sustained throughout the five-year gap between elections?

Abdul Rahman Dahlan, The Malaysian Insider

When Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz recently made an announcement in Parliament reflecting on the decision of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in clearing Datuk Seri Musa Aman of the alleged corruption charges, a cynical smile cracked my face: the opposition must be finding themselves in a very awkward position now.

While previously they have had a field day attacking Musa's alleged abuse of power and corruption, the same announcement has coerced them into changing their "attack-with-extreme-prejudice" strategy.

A few days after the announcement, the opposition conveniently shifted the attack from Musa to political funding for Umno. Source of the condemnation — this time around — includes calls that such funding is preposterous, labelling such funding as unacceptable and that a royal commission of inquiry must be called in instantly.

While I leave the opposition to their agenda, let's peel some underlying truth within the fabric of Malaysian politics. It is not illegal for any Malaysian to give money to a political party of his or her choice — or to anybody for that matter. Should the donor wish to remain under the cloak of anonymity, the request should be respected as long as the donation stays within the confines of the law.

But the opposition's world thrives on the axis of inequality and double standards. Allow me to illustrate my point. When the donation falls into Umno's coffer, the source must be revealed immediately. But have you heard the opposition declaring the sources of donation they have received so far? We all know that the opposition, too, receives political donations from all and sundry. How ironic!

For instance, take the spanking new multi-million ringgit DAP headquarters in Penang, which the DAP decided to acquire within two years after assuming office in Penang. The Penang DAP headquarters building is reported to have cost about RM3.5 million. According to the Penang DAP chairman, the money was collected through donations. Apparently millions have been collected to date.

When I asked a senior DAP leader on Twitter who financed the building, he replied in no uncertain terms that the millions collected were from the DAP's well-wishers and loyal supporters. It is interesting to note that when individuals give money to the DAP, it is called "sincere donation" but when the same treatment is accorded to Umno, the opposition cries "Foul!" and accuses Umno of cronyism, corruption and abuse of power.

Ironically, while Musa is accused by the opposition of looting and pillaging Sabah's rich timber areas, it was his incessant drive to protect the timber and the forest from being plundered by the irresponsible few that made him the darling of environmental groups from around the world. These organisations consistently heap praises on Musa's forest conservation programmes. Forest areas are being replanted at a record pace under Musa's watch, making hundreds of thousands of previously logged areas green again within 30 years.

In fact, during his tenure as chief minister, Musa gazetted more forest areas with lucrative timber profits and placed them under the protection of the State Assembly to ensure that no chief minister — including himself — could unilaterally give permission to log the protected areas without express approval from the State Assembly!

The same fervour is seen in Musa's handling of the state's huge reserves of minerals such as coal, silica, gold and limestone which, if mined, are potentially worth billions to the state's coffer.

When asked why he does not utilise these resources, which could potentially increase the state's revenue instead of spending effort and money on his conservation agenda, Musa frankly replied: "Sabah at the moment is already blessed with oil money, so let's keep the forest and minerals for our children's and grandchildren's future."

Now if you go by what is being alleged by the opposition in Parliament, you would think Sabah finances were in utter mess — plundered by corrupt leaders and at the same time causing millions of its people to go destitute and live in a broken society.

That is far from the truth. The fact of the matter is under Musa as the chief minister, Sabah has grown by leaps and bounds. The cash reserves of the state are at an all-time high, surpassing even the two most industrialised states in Malaysia (Selangor and Penang) and still growing strong as we speak. If the chief minister was corrupt to the core as painted by the opposition, the state would be penniless. It doesn't take a genius to empty the state coffers if one is a "vacuum cleaner" as alleged by the opposition.

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 02:08 PM PDT

Now what has the MCA to say about Utusan's lies and dirty reporting — nothing! The silence of the MCA in response to the racist brainwashing engaged in by Umno speaks volumes about the low quality and lack of backbone of the MCA's leaders — past and present.

Koon Yew Yin, The Malaysian Insider

It was reported in The Star that several thousand people attended the mega dinner in the Ipoh Stadium, organised by the Perak MCA, on October 14.

In his speech, Dr Chua Soi Lek, the MCA president, urged the guests to vote for Barisan National because it had established a solid foundation dating back to independence. He also said that the DAP would not be able to defend the Chinese even if Pakatan Rakyat took over power because it is subservient to PAS and PKR.

At the function, Dr Chua presented RM500,000 to 44 Chinese primary schools and six national-type secondary schools or RM10,000 for each school.

Various thoughts come to my mind on reading the report of the mega dinner. One is of disbelief that MCA leaders can stoop so low in using public funds for Chinese education in their attempt to win a few seats in the coming elections. But we should not be surprised especially when we look at the MCA's track record in the 2008 general election in Perak where it won only one state and three parliamentary seats.

A chairman of one of the Chinese schools told me that he did not attend the dinner because he did not want to appear so stupid as to accept the RM10,000 bribe to vote for the MCA.

Learning from the senior partner, electoral bribery appears to be the main item in the standard operating procedure manual of the MCA for the coming election. But unlike Umno in the peninsula, and Taib Mahmud and Musa Aman in Sarawak and Sabah who have billions in their political slush funds, the MCA can only throw out crumbs — such is the party's impotency and poor standing in BN and the governmental system.

See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil

With regard to Dr Chua's statement that the DAP is subservient to PAS and PKR, it is necessary to remind MCA supporters that almost every act of the Perak Pakatan Rakyat administration before BN unfairly regained control was criticised by the mainstream press, especially by Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian.

Chinese readers of the Malay papers and media will be familiar — and must be thoroughly disgusted — with the racist campaign of hate and poison poured out on a daily basis by Umno, the MCA's partner, which owns the mainstream Malay papers.

We now see that the Malays are being peddled the line that the Pakatan Rakyat is selling out to the non-Malays and that there is a Christian plot to take over the country.

These dirty tricks and political spinning have not only continued but have gotten worse. Increasingly racial and religious extremist sentiments are coming to the forefront which all of us need to condemn if our country's social fabric is not to be torn apart. But does the MCA dare to speak out? No, instead it is a party to these dirty tactics.

National Education: Monumental MCA Failing

It is pathetic to see the MCA going round the country and throwing out crumbs to the Chinese schools. During the past 50 years, not only has the MCA failed Chinese education dismally but it has also been a leading partner in the decline of our national school system. Today our national schools are characterised by regressive language and religious dogmas, dismal performance, low standards and unemployable products. No middle- or upper-middle-class parent — whether Chinese, Malay, Indian or from any community — would want to have their young children schooled in the sekolah rendah kebangsaan and sekolah menengah if they can help it.

This national disgrace has the MCA as one of its leading players. The party has held the deputy minister of education portfolio for umpteen years. Can the MCA point to any educational innovation that it has introduced? Can the MCA point to any educational policy of merit, fairness, and tolerance that it has been responsible for since independence?

The Chinese deputy minister of education or Dr Chua may be good at giving speeches to Chinese schools and giving out chicken feed funds but when it comes to helping determine the course of national educational policy in key areas, their position is more like that of the office boy.

Let's take the National Education Blueprint report. Now what is the MCA to say about the establishment of the matriculation college system which has discriminated against the deserving non-Bumiputeras. Malaysian public universities offer a one-year matriculation programme. These courses have largely catered to the Bumiputera population and are deemed as having a much lower standard, qualifying criteria and final examination requirement for entry into university. This situation is in contrast to that which non-Bumiputera students face as they are required to sit for the much tougher two-year STPM in Form 6. Now how did this system come about if the MCA has not been a willing accessory to the educational discrimination and injustice.

READ MORE HERE

The Murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu

Posted: 18 Oct 2012 01:10 PM PDT

Six years on, troubling questions remain about the Mongolian beauty's death, and who ordered it

John Berthelsen, Asia Sentinel

It will be six years tomorrow since bodyguards for now-Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak dragged the Mongolian translator and party girl Altantuya Shaariibuu out of a car in a patch of jungle near the Kuala Lumpur suburb of Shah Alam. As she begged for her life and apparently that of her unborn child, they knocked her unconscious, then shot her twice in the head.

That was Oct. 19, 2006. According to court testimony, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, members of the elite Unit Tindakan Khas, both assigned to Najib's office, then wrapped Altantuya's body in C4 plastic explosives and blew her up, possibly to mangle her remains so badly that the fetus would be destroyed.

Sirul Azhar was interrogated by police shortly after the murder was discovered. He was informed that anything he said could be held against him, in accordance with the law. In his cautioned statement, as his confession was called in Malaysia, he told authorities he and Azilah had been offered RM100,000 to kill the woman and her two companions, who were causing highly public embarrassment for Abdul Razak Baginda, Najib's best friend. The 28-year-old Mongolian woman, in a letter found after her death, wrote that she was sorry she had been blackmailing Razak Baginda.
If French police records are to be believed, Razak Baginda was allegedly central to a massive bribery case in which a total of nearly €150 million in payments were steered to two Razak Baginda companies, Perimekar Sdn Bhd and Terasasi Hong Kong Ltd.

As Asia Sentinel reported earlier this year, records seized by the French police show that former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and the French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe were aware of the transactions. Memos obtained by Asia Sentinel show the French expected at least part of the money to be steered to the United Malays National Organization, Malaysia's biggest ethnic political party.

Sirul's confession was never admitted in court despite its seeming legality. And, despite a 14-month trial, neither the prosecutors, the defense nor the judge asked who had offered the RM100,000 payment to the two men. Najib's chief of staff, Musa Safri, reportedly dispatched the two policemen to pick up Altantuya and her companions, who mercifully weren't around when the two murderers abducted Altantuya, or presumably they would have died with her, As nearly as can be detremined from official records, Musa Safri was never questioned about the matter, nor was Najib.

This recounting is important because in recent weeks Najib's government has embarked on a concerted legal campaign to discredit a long string of political reform and independent news organizations who have kept the Altantuya story and others concerning corruption and political misdoings alive in Malaysia. Instead, the government and UMNO leaders have accused the reformers of being the tools of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition, or of foreign powers, out to destabilize Malaysia. The presumptive foreign powers are shadowy ones, sometimes German, sometimes American, sometimes Israeli, sometimes unnamed. Enormously long blogs have been written calling into question the French documents, which were published by Asia Sentinel.

But whoever these foreign powers are, they are cast as out to hoodwink Malaysia's voters out of the government that is best for them in national elections to be held sometime next year, probably in April. This is an old story, peddled by a long string of disreputable governments across the world when reformers get too close, and it may hold sway again in Malaysia.

But there is one incontrovertible fact. Altantuya Shaariibuu is dead, and she appears to have been killed at the behest of someone with considerable clout in Kuala Lumpur. If her dying statement to Sirul Azhar, as he recounted it in his confession, is to be accepted, she appeared to have been carrying the baby of someone, perhaps high in power in Malaysia.

And, despite indignant denials from the powers that be, Altantuya appears to have had inside knowledge of the later events in France when Razak Baginda and Najib Tun Razak visited to deal with matters surrounding the purchase of Scorpene submarines from the French contractor DCN.

Although pro-government critics have denied she had ever visited France, according to testimony given by Abdul Razak when he was under investigation for ordering the two bodyguards to kill Altaantuya, he himself told investigators he traveled with her to France in 2005.

PKR must end Azmin-Khalid conflict

Posted: 17 Oct 2012 03:04 PM PDT

Swift action by PKR to end the conflict between Azmin and Khalid will portray the party as a truly democratic one.

Amir Ali, FMT

The conflict between PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, seen as the culprit in a long-standing and shameful political squabbling, and Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim risks destroying the image of the party in the wake of the coming general election.

In a democratic party, there will be such conflicts of interest that will arise from time to time but it is rare that such power struggle will spill over in the public arena via the media.

The very reason for the usual "secrecy" behind these internal struggles is that political parties tend to act fast in order to nip in the bud any dissension.

However, in the case of the Azmin-Khalid conflict which is now focused on the menteri besar's political secretary Faekah Husin, the conflict has been allowed to go on for far too long.

In order to end such conflicts immediately, PKR should have created a committee to resolve these issues internally and swiftly. The committee must be composed of the grassroots and party leaders from other states who have the interest of the party at heart, not the interest of any of the personalities involved.

It should not involve de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim since he is known to be close to Azmin who was his personal secretary in the past. Party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail should also not be part of the committee as she is said to be close to Faekah.

Independent observers, too, can be invited to such a committee to deliberate on the issues involved in order to represent the people's views in such conflicts.

The purpose of such a committee will be to listen to the grouses by the leaders in the conflict and the reasons for the differences in their views. The culprit should be punished by the party leadership after the submission of the report by the committee.

Murky political waters

As part of the punishment, the culprit should be suspended or even fired from all party and state posts in order to send a strong message.

It is only through such discipline that PKR will rise as a truly democratic party. This will encourage the masses to see the party in a new light, a democratic one.

READ MORE HERE

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Isnin, 22 Oktober 2012

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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