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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Making way for the president
Sabah Umno could lose ‘birthplace’
Australian foreign minister Bob Carr cool on Anwar request
Malaysia's Anwar Faces an Islamic Revolt
No U-turn in Islam
Pakatan in a fix over choice of PM
MCA on slippery slope in KL
Hudud-leaning Hadi won’t do in Sabah
Have we become a fascist state?

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 03:09 PM PST

MIC president G.Palanivel wants to contest in the safe Cameron Highlands seat while incumbent Devamany has to step aside and contest in Sungai Siput

Humayun Kabir, FMT

MIC vice president S K Devamany seems to be the unwilling candidate chosen by party president G Palanivel to contest in Sungai Siput in the coming general election.

A party insider confirmed to FMT today that Devamany is MIC candidate who has also been endorsed by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Devamany has been reportedly reluctant to step down from MIC's safe parliamentary seat of Cameron Highlands which he had won for two terms, to contest in Sungai Siput.

However, Palanivel flexed his political muscles and is set to contest in Cameron Highlands while sending Devamany to Sungai Siput.

Devamany could not be contacted while his office staff declined to comment on this speculation, saying only Premier Najib knows the chosen one.

Since 1974, former party boss S Samy Vellu had kept an iron grip for 34 years on this MIC strong hold but lost the parliamentary seat to Parti Socialis Malaysia Dr Michael D Jayakumar in 2008 .

After Samy's defeat, a few MIC leaders were reluctant to contest in Sungai Siput.

Among those were MIC information chief and Samy's son S Vell Paari who cited that he does not want to step into his father's shoes but had kept his options open to serve the party in other ways.

Another reluctant candidate was MIC secretary-general S Murugesan whose wife is believed to be a native of Sungai Siput but the ambitious MIC leader had set his political sights on Selangor .

Another name mentioned was fomer party state chief S Veerasingam but he was sidelined by the new state chief.

Another party hopeful was former deputy minister T Murugiah who had set his sights on this former party stronghold but party veterans were unwilling to give this new kid a chance.

In the Sungai Siput parliamentary constituency, the Chinese voters hold the majority percentage with 40.2 while Malays form 36.3% and Indians 22.6%.

Sungai Siput has two state seats of Jalong and Lintang and in the 2008 polls, the former seat was won by DAP Leong Mee Meng while the latter seat was retained by Umno incumbent Ahmad Pakeh Adam.

Meanwhile, MIC's proposed party candidates for the other parliamentary seat of Tapah is incumbent M Saravanan while the state seat of Hutang Melintang may go to state party deputy chief and state speaker R Ganesan.

READ MORE HERE

Sabah Umno could lose ‘birthplace’

Posted: 23 Nov 2012 03:04 PM PST

Iranun, which is considered as Umno's first 'child' in Sabah, may see a tough fight from opposition STAR

Calvin Kabaron, FMT

KOTA BELUD: Opposition State Reform Party (STAR) has penetrated Umno's bastion in the state – the Iranun and Bajau kampungs – which incidentally is the birthplace of Sabah Umno.

STAR's Sabah chairman, Jeffrey Kitingan, was elated to see about 150 senior citizens and the young who thronged to his ice-breaking "ceramah" at two kampungs here recently.

One session was held in Tempasuk Tamau, an Iranun kampung, not very far from Umno's Pandikar Amin Mulia's home. The ceramah was hosted by a local ustaz who recently joined STAR.

The other function, attended by some 170 individuals, was in Usukan's Lebak Moyoh at the residence of a local Umno leader and well-known Bajau political activist, Ridzuan Sikah.

Ridzuan's entry into STAR is a signal that Umno in Kota Belud is not invincible and that change is coming.

In fact, in the last 2008 general election, through manipulations by local political warlords, Umno did lose votes in some of the Muslim kampungs in this district, especially in Iranun areas.

At that time, Kota Belud's Umno members were humiliated when the party chose outsider Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who is from adjacent Tuaran, to contest under the Barisan Nasional banner, dropping popular Salleh Said Keruak.

The decision was seen as discrediting a pool of many local talents.

Abdul Rahman went on to win Kota Belud parliamentary seat, nevertheless, but with a much reduced majority as compared with his predecessor Salleh who won the seat for Umno in the 2004 general election.

Salleh, in a three-cornered fight, then retained Kota Belud with a thumping 10,227 vote majority. Abdul Rahman in 2008 won it in a straight fight with a PKR candidate, Saidil Simoi, but with only a 3,020 majority.

Divided Tempasuk

According to Umno insiders, disgruntled party leaders and members in Kota Belud are still licking their wounds from the humiliation and their angst will resurface and be magnified if again the incumbent, an "outsider", is retained at the coming polls.

And, STAR is cashing on the still disgruntled local community. Its Tempasuk coordinator, Suwah Buleh, is a personal friend of the young ustaz who is affectionate to many people.

According to local observers, Suwah is gaining ground there already. STAR flags have begun coming up much to the frustration of Umno local leaders.

Businessman Suwah, who is active in his SIB church, is poised to be STAR candidate for mixed-seat Tempasuk. He is set to attract the bulk of the votes from the Dusun community.

Posted: 22 Nov 2012 12:51 AM PST

The leader of Malaysia's largest opposition party and former deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim, appears to have thrown Australia's Foreign Minister a curve ball with his request for help to deal with the corruption in Malaysia's coming general election.

RADIO AUSTRALIA

Mr Ibrahim wrote to the Foreign Minister, Bob Carr, to outline his concerns and to ask for Australia's help in ensuring that the election is free and fair.

But Senator Bob Carr told Sabra Lane that it's difficult for the Australian Government to assist unless it's the Malaysian government that asks for help.

Correspondent: Sabra Lane

Speakers: Senator Bob Carr, Australian Foreign Minister

CARR: Well the Malaysian elections are a matter for the Malaysian people. It's very hard for Australia to do anything about how they're run, as hard as it would be for Malaysia or another government to have a say in how Australian elections are run. We're not the election authority for Malaysia.

Of course we support free and fair elections in any country. I spoke to Anwar Ibrahim in a private conversation during my recent visit to Malaysia. I heard him express concerns and in the letter he underlines them by talking about, by making accusations of fraudulent and fraudulent registration processes and raising concerns that the elections can reflect the popular will.

We can't comment on that. An opposition leader is entitled to say that to us. But we discussed the elections with him, I'm aware of his concerns.

LANE: What are you going to do about those concerns?

CARR: Well we're not the election authority for Malaysia.

LANE: So you're not going to do anything. You've got, Nick Xenophon characterises this as a desperate letter…

CARR: Yeah, I'm not sure what you're saying Australia can do. We don't run elections in other countries. We've received concerns. I say, in respect of this, we want free and fair elections in any country but we're not the election authority for Malaysia.

It is important that we follow what happens in Malaysian politics and our commission there does it. I think their analysis of Malaysian politics is very, very good. Very high quality. But I'm, and it's useful in that process that we talk to opposition forces as well as people in the government.

LANE: Can we offer assistance to Malaysia? Are we interested in sending a parliamentary delegation to…

CARR: Well they would need to ask for it. The only way that can happen is for the government of Malaysia to ask for assistance and then we'd respond.

LANE: Okay. So you won't respond until a request is made?

CARR: Well there's no way we can. Australia doesn't run elections for other countries. We send observers when other countries ask for them. We receive, we receive submissions from opposition figures in other jurisdictions. We have in this case and we take what is said seriously. Our position is, we want free and fair elections in any country.

LANE: How would you characterise the letter that you got?

CARR: Well it's a letter from an opposition figure expressing concern about the elections in his country. But that is the point. It is his country, not our country. And while we can express concern about the freedom and fairness of elections anywhere, we don't run elections in other jurisdictions.

LANE: That's fine, but he's obviously asked for your help and you're saying we can't do anything.

CARR: What help are you proposing we provide?

LANE: Well, I'm simply asking.

CARR: Do you want an amphibious landing on the east coast of Malaysia?

LANE: No, I'm asking.

CARR: This is in Malaysia. Australia doesn't run those elections.

LANE: Some Malaysians believe Australia may be reluctant to say anything given that we are still hoping that the Malaysia asylum seeker swap can be enacted with the country...

CARR: No, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. We've got friendly relations with Malaysia and we haven't a capacity to do anything about the internal affairs of Malaysia any more than we have with any other country.

LANE: This criticism has been made this morning. Senator Nick Xenophon said that there are figures in Malaysia who believe that Australia will do nothing because of that deal.

CARR: What are you proposing Australia do?

LANE: I'm not, I'm simply putting this…

CARR: Sorry, that is, that is, the essence of it. What are you-

LANE: I'm putting the proposition to you.

CARR: What are proposing Australia do? Malaysia is a sovereign country.

LANE: I'm putting the proposition to you.

CARR: No, but I want to know what it is, proposed by anyone, Australia can do about an election in a sovereign country.

Malaysia's Anwar Faces an Islamic Revolt

Posted: 22 Nov 2012 12:09 AM PST

PAS says it wants to run any opposition government that might be elected

Eventually, the conservatives proved they weren't just there for lip service to the rhetoric. They won a provision agreeing that PAS would assume the leading role in the three-party alliance, and that Hadi would be the coalition's pick for prime minister – not Anwar, who cobbled the opposition together and who has led it since 2008. Eventually the assembly approved the conservative agenda with Hadi tacitly going along with the idea.

Asia Sentinel

The always-delicate relationship between Malaysia's three opposition parties is growing strained again in the wake of the annual general conference of Parti Islam se-Malaysia, the conservative Islamic member of the coalition.

The issues are Hudud – Islamic law – and designation of Malaysia as an Islamic state. The other two wings of the coalition, the Chinese-majority Democratic Action Party and the urban, liberal largely Malay Parti Keadilan Rakyat, want nothing to do with either issue, leaving Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim with the task of trying to bring his coalition back together and particular to keep the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party in the fold.

The controversy gives Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak a made-to-order issue to paint the ruling Barisan Nasional, or ruling national coalition, as a force for moderation that will look after the well-being of the Chinese against the forces of radical conservative Islam. The Barisan has already begun energetically exploiting those issues through government-controlled media.

Until the Nov. 16 PAS general meeting, according to political analysts in Kuala Lumpur, the issues of Hudud and Islamic law which had been brought up occasionally had been regarded as fealty to rhetoric to keep the conservative wing of the party happy. Indeed, Hadi Awang, the party leader, opened the general conference on Nov. 16 with a speech that emphasized the common agenda – the so-called Buku Jingga, or yellow book on which the coalition is based –and issues over national elections expected to be held in April of 2013, only to have the conservatives stage a revolt.

PAS has managed to stay largely in the moderate camp on the strength of a clique of leaders called the "Erdogans" after the moderate Islamic Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has headed the Turkish government since 2003. In June of 2011, moderate rank and file members staged a dramatic revolution at the party's annual congress, electing secular leaders and abandoning the rural-based party's traditional call to convert the country into an Islamic state.

The largest party in Anwar's coalition, PAS had long turned off urban Malays and other ethnic minorities, particularly the Chinese, with its demands for observance of strict conservative Islamic laws. Given the size of its membership, its organizational abilities and its potential to take votes away from the United Malays National Organization, the country's biggest political party, PAS unity and support are crucial to the opposition coalition.

At the 2011 party congress, newer, urban followers of PAS, having fled both the racial stridency and endemic corruption of UMNO and the disorganization of Anwar's PKR, elected a slate of officers headed by Mohamad Sabu, a galvanic public speaker from Penang and former member of Anwar's Parti Keadilan who was twice detained under the country's Internal Security Act.

Sabu led the moderates' charge, winning the party deputy presidency and crucially defeating a minority of conservatives seeking to lead a splinter group to link up with UMNO. Salahuddin Ayub, Husam Musa and Mahfuz Omar, elected as moderate vice presidents, completed a leadership team reflecting the party's changing membership and leaving the Islamists out in the cold.

The strains have been there ever since. At the party general assembly last week, fact that the delegates debating Hadi's speech largely skirted the controversial issues, caused the revolt of the ulamas, or religious councils, and the youth wing, who charged that the party had deviated from PAS's longtime agenda.

Eventually, the conservatives proved they weren't just there for lip service to the rhetoric. They won a provision agreeing that PAS would assume the leading role in the three-party alliance, and that Hadi would be the coalition's pick for prime minister – not Anwar, who cobbled the opposition together and who has led it since 2008. Eventually the assembly approved the conservative agenda with Hadi tacitly going along with the idea.

That has sent shock waves traveling through the Chinese community, who want nothing to do with a government that would restrict alcohol use and the consumption of pork, practice gender segregation, strict dress codes and demand general conformity to Islamic practices.

"Above all these is the implementation of the much feared but little understood Hudud and the Islamic legal system, with all its vague implications. In short, such a new Pakatan rule is envisaged to adversely alter their present way of life," write Kim Quek, a longtime Kuala Lumpur-based political commentator and a member of Anwar's Parti Keadilan Rakyat. "Accuracy aside, these are common perceptions and initial reflexes of many in the Chinese community."

Bridgit Welsh, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore, argued in an analysis printed in the Kuala Lumpur-based Malaysiakini that: "The image of PAS as a group of mullahs defending narrow conceptualizations of tradition and religion, banning social activities and limiting freedoms is no longer fair. "

PAS's identity as a party is changing," she wrote. "While some in the old guard and their protégées in the Youth wing are uncomfortable with PAS's more modern open approach, the leadership as a whole, presided by Abdul Hadi Awang and reinforced by an overwhelming majority of progressives in the central committee and as members of parliament, embraced collaboration and greater tolerance."

The question is whether the voters – particularly Chinese ones – are going to believe that, and whether they are sufficiently fed up with corruption in the ruling Barisan Nasional to stick with the opposition, the Malaysian Chinese Association. Getting the horses back into the stable and his coalition back together is going to be a big job for Anwar.

No U-turn in Islam

Posted: 21 Nov 2012 02:21 PM PST

In Islam renouncing Allah is an act of treason of the highest order against God.

Awang Abdillah, FMT

Malaysia, being a multi-religious country, will have to live with the differences in religious beliefs among the various races. Among the differences that have become issues of contention are:

the pursuit by Muslim hardliners to turn Malaysia into an Islamic state;
the supremacy of the Quran versus the Federal Constitution;
the power of the syariah laws vis-à-vis that of the man-formulated (criminal) laws and principles of democracy;
the jurisdiction of the syariah courts versus that of the civil courts; and
an individual's freedom of choice in religion or beliefs.

In essence, the main contention is the supremacy of the religion of Islam in a Muslim-majority country like Malaysia as advocated by the Muslim community versus the non-Muslims' recognition of the supremacy of man-made laws over religion.

The Muslims believe everything centres on the teachings of their religion, but the non-Muslims contend that religion should be confined to one's own personal spiritual belief.

Muslims believe that the religion of Islam, which has been established more than 1,400 years ago, has been proven to provide spiritual guidance and has become a way of life for the ummah (believers) in the Muslim countries till today.

Hence Islam should enhance its role to dictate its terms – vis-à-vis syariah laws – to its ummah. The syariah law is to ensure the religion continues its role as a beacon and custodian of believers.

Muslim scholars would then like to ensure that the syariah laws are implemented in a comprehensive way in the country applicable to Muslims.

On the other hand, the non-Muslims believe the issue of freedom of religion or beliefs is part of the democratic, constitutional and legal rights of an individual; thereby Islam as a religion should be confined to its spiritual teaching only.

In this article, I would like to confine my analysis on the freedom of religion and beliefs.

When the Quran states that there in no compulsion in religion, it means a Muslim cannot force a non-believer to embrace Islam and that a non-Muslim cannot force a Muslim to leave his religion.

However, a non-Muslim can embrace Islam on his own free will but a Muslim cannot leave his religion on his own free will!

In the first place, the terms "to be" or "to become" a Muslim are different from those of being a non-Muslim/non-believer.

Destiny pre-determined and irreversible

A born Muslim is already pre-determined as such by Qada and Qadar (fate and destiny).

Similarly fate pre-determines a person born as male or female, his time and place of birth, his parents, family, his place and time of death.

These matters or events are preordained by his/her personal fate and destiny. Believing that God determines the fate and destiny (pre-destined and the final outcome ) is the sixth pillar of faith in Islam.

It is a fact that the realities involving pre-determined fate and destiny are irreversible.

For a Muslim convert to become a Muslim, he has to declare a spiritual covenant between himself and the one God Allah and His messenger Muhammad (pbuh).

This spiritual declaration is the first pillar of Islam and is irrevocable. For a born Muslim it is mandatory that he declares his faith to Allah and His messenger Muhammad (pbuh), too.

Hence the spiritual agreement which is eternally binding does not give him the right to renounce the religion openly and officially he cannot leave the religion.

Therefore under syariah law it is a crime to renounce his religion. So when a born Muslim or a Muslim convert makes the declaration of faith, he is bound to adhere to all the terms of the teachings of the religion.

A person who renounces the spiritual covenant is called a "murtad" (apostate), while a Muslim who now and then breaches the terms of the vow is called a "munafiq" (hypocrite), which is a common sight in Malaysia, meaning that he is Muslim in name but acts otherwise.

There are many man-made agreements that are irrevocable and punishable.

Acts by a citizen that jeopardise national security is an act of treason against his country with severe penalties meted out; committing serious offences under the man-formulated laws such as the Dangerous Drug Act may result in the death penalty and so on.

'Renouncing Allah is treason'

A husband/wife who dishonours his/her marriage vow by renouncing his partner or acts to dishonour his/her partner in public may result in divorce or even retaliations which may be brutal in nature.

In Islam, renouncing Allah as his One God is an act of treason of the highest order against God. On top of that he makes a mockery of the religion.

The Jews rejected only the holy prophets Isa and Muhammad (pbuh), yet God cursed them till the end of times.

So I leave it to your imagination the seriousness of the crime when a person declares openly that he rejects God after he declares his faith.

READ MORE HERE

Pakatan in a fix over choice of PM

Posted: 21 Nov 2012 02:13 PM PST

The opposition may find itself in disarray if it continues to squabble over its candidate for prime minister.

Rashid Ahmad, FMT

Pakatan Rakyat is caught in a difficult situation when one of its partners – PAS – dropped a bombshell on the last day of its muktamar (national assembly) on Sunday.

Its Youth wing and Ulamak Council endorsed a proposal that party president Abdul Hadi Awang be made the prime minister if Pakatan were to win in the 13th general election.

This has created uneasiness in the opposition alliance despite PAS secretary-general Mustapa Ali saying it was just a suggestion and was not even adopted as a resolution in the assembly.

Mustapa's assurance did nothing to allay the feelings of distrust among the partners as the position of prime minister has been decided, according to DAP and PKR leaders, in a consensus a long time ago.

It is unclear whether the consensus (naming Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim as the candidate) had been communicated to all the members of the three parties or was only known to the top leaders.

But the fact that PAS Youth and the Ulamak Council had mooted the proposal meant that the decision to pick a candidate for the prime minister's job did not reach the grassroots.

Or perhaps the PAS grassroots members knew about it and waited for the assembly to voice their disagreement that Anwar should become the country's top executive.

If this is so (that the grassroots want Hadi to be their man), it means that the party is still being controlled by veteran fundamentalists who do not trust Anwar whose image has been, rightly or wrongly, smeared with "unholy acts".

Internal strife

In fact, PAS has been plagued with internal strife with the liberals seen pitted against the fundamentalists. The former, aligned to Anwar, has been trying to unseat the latter since the party election in 2009.

The liberals managed to get rid of deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa and elect their man Mohamad Sabu or Mat Sabu, but this alone is insufficient to gain control of the decision-making process in the party.

The liberals, although they have gained positions in the supreme council, could not steer the party according to Anwar's wishes as policies have still got to go through the Ulamak Council for endorsement.

And Nasharuddin, despite being unseated as deputy president, still sits in the council, which comprises veteran fundamentalists who share similar views although most do not air them in the open.

READ MORE HERE

MCA on slippery slope in KL

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 03:16 PM PST

Hope is about all it has left in trying to better its 2008 performance.

There are 11 parliament seats in Kuala Lumpur, and BN traditionally lets MCA contest for five of them, namely Wangsa Maju, Bukit Bintang, Seputeh, Cheras and Bandar Tun Razak. It scored zero in the last election.

Stanley Koh, FMT

Most pundits would agree that for the coming general election, MCA has little hope of doing any better than it did in 2008, especially in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.

Indeed, MCA's popularity in Kuala Lumpur has been on the downslide since the mid-1980s. The last time it saw any glory was when Tan Koon Swan was helming its Federal Territory liaison office.

Tan carried out a host of impressive community and party projects and tirelessly dedicated himself to serving his constituents in Damansara, the seat that he had snatched from DAP in 1982.

Two years later, however, MCA plunged into a crisis over allegations of phantom membership. The ensuing quarrels eventually led to Tan's expulsion. However, he made a comeback and became party president in November 1985. But his legal troubles in Singapore persuaded him to resign about a year later.

It has since been downhill for MCA in Kuala Lumpur and only the most idealistic supporter would hold on to any hope of a political reincarnation through the 13th general election.

If there is any glimpse of hope at all, it would be in Wangsa Maju, where in 2008 the party's Yew Teong Look lost by only 150 votes to Wee Choo Keong, who contested on a PKR ticket.

But insiders say Yew has fallen out of favour with the top MCA leadership and that this state of affairs has been worsened by reports that he is not on good terms with local Umno officials. Chances are he will be left out of the candidates' list.

Swap in Kepong

There is also speculation—and perhaps hope—of a swap with Gerakan that would allow MCA to contest in Kepong. Gerakan has been losing there since DAP heavyweight Tan Seng Giaw won the seat in 1982.

MCA apparently wants to position a new and probably young candidate in Kepong in the hope that the novelty would contribute to a change in its fortune.

Bukit Bintang also looks like a lost cause for MCA, especially with the resignation of its division chief there, Lee Chong Meng, who has joined PKR. In 2008, DAP's Fong Kui Lin won the seat with a majority of 14,277.

There is even less hope in the other DAP strongholds of Seputeh and Cheras.

These parliament seats are likely to remain with Pakatan Rakyat regardless of the candidates the opposition pact decides to field.

READ MORE HERE

Hudud-leaning Hadi won’t do in Sabah

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:36 PM PST

Abdul Hadi Awang's 'willingness' to be the prime minister has rekindled a previous controversial call he made for a 'unity government' with Umno.

Anwar was acquitted of his Sodomy II charge in January 2012, and while PKR was immediately jubilant, its coalition partners in Pakatan Rakyat – PAS and DAP – were wary, waiting for the "catch". Many thought the "catch" was in the appeal the government filed but that was rejected.

Pushparani Thilaganathan, FMT

Late last year there were speculations filtering out of Umno corridors in Kuala Lumpur that emissaries of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim were in "negotiation" over the latter and his daughter Nurul Izzah's future.

Whispers then were linked to the imminent outcome of Anwar's Sodomy II and rumours were that Anwar was being asked to "leave" politics "temporarily" and the "powers-that-be" would allow Nurul to grow (politically).

The comment at that time was: "Najib has no personal angst against Anwar… but if he [Anwar] wants a future [Nurul Izzah]; he [Anwar] must go".

It just seemed like random speculation last year as during the very same period there were also talks of Najib and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah "ironing out details". Talk was that Razaleigh would have his own "independent" team contesting in the 13th general election.

Much has happened since.

The months in-between have been a volley of exposures by PKR's young turks with BN on the defence. Nurul Izzah, too, has come under some heavy criticism, the latest potshots came for defending religious freedom.

Amidst the cacophony of disclosures and criticism from both sides, Najib has made an unprecedented number of visits to Sabah.

With its 25-plus one (Labuan) parliamentary seats, Sabah is crucial to Najib's personal future. Talk is rife that deals are being struck here with individuals on the outside who are "federal friendly".

Sabah is also crucial to Anwar. And he, too, has struck deals; among them with former Upko deputy chairman Wilfred Bumburing, a devout Christian whose platform Angkatan Perpaduan Sabah (APS) aims to "lead" the Christian Kadazandusun community.

Sabah, like Sarawak, has a large Christian community. But unlike in Sarawak, in Sabah many are closet Christians mostly due to fear.

PAS may not be significant in Sabah but one cannot discount the impact of its president Abdul Hadi Awang's headlining "I welcome being elected as the prime minister" statement on Sunday in Kelantan.

Hadi supported 'unity government' call

Hudud-leaning Hadi's "willingness" to be prime minister will not resonate well in Sabah where Christianity has been a victim of Umno's "Islamisation" policy dating back to the 1970s.

If popular political blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin's posting on Monday is any measure, then PAS is sure of its position in Peninsular Malaysia and couldn't care less how its partners – DAP and PKR – and allies fare in Sabah in the coming election.

According to Raja Petra, if PAS wins 60 seats and DAP and PKR collectively have 60 seats, then "PAS will have a say on who should be prime minister" within the opposition block.

"Hence it is not impossible for Abdul Hadi to become the prime minister if PAS wins more seats than PKR and DAP," noted Raja Petra.

At the closing of PAS' annual muktamar (national conference) in Kelantan on Sunday, Hadi had publicly conceded to a delegate's call that he accepts the position of prime minister if the opposition coalition wins the 13th general election.

His "willingness" has reminded observers of a call he made, together with Nasharudin Mat Isa and Hasan Ali, post-2008 general election for a unity government with Umno. Hadi's call took many members by surprise and was a clear indication that PAS under his leadership was willing to compromise.

READ MORE HERE

Have we become a fascist state?

Posted: 19 Nov 2012 02:23 PM PST

Our state apparatus and its servants have become mere robots working on command of the ruling party to ensure freedom to opine is controlled if not stifled altogether

It can be said that due to the education system that we have, the entrants into the police force today are of very low quality. Most of these entrants believe that by securing a job with the police and being in uniform, they are untouchable. Most are very lowly educated, most have very little knowledge of English, all they can converse in is in the national language.

By P Dev Anand Pillai, FMT

I wonder now which writer will be picked up for airing his opinions in public all for the betterment of Malaysians and most of all to have a thinking public which is known not to be a reading society.

Though the police may have acted on the orders of their political masters i.e. the top civil servants in the home ministry who would have signaled their displeasure to the Inspector General of Police after having read the article, the police themselves have become a shame to their institution and the nation as a whole.

Despite having a better educated force, we still see many officers taking orders from their superiors which makes them look like fools when they execute such orders. Have we become a fascist state that criticising national policies and the way in which the nation is run has become so dangerous that writers and publishers have become the latest targets of the police?

Perhaps God may have seen what happened to Malaysiakini when the police came a calling, and that in the following days a huge disgraceful incident had happened in Prai, Penang where three policemen were accused of raping an Indonesian domestic helper who was caught without having her original passport which was being withheld by the agency which had brought her here. Instead of disciplining their own, our police force seem interested in ensuring that the freedom to opine is controlled if not stifled altogether.

The ones that are English speaking are usually kept as aides to the higher ranked officers who speak very little English but need to put up a good public relation stunt to show the world that they are able and highly educated policemen. Now with the secondment of Rela guards as police personnel, it makes the matter even worse.

Amongst the lower strata of the Indian community who have now become urban slum and ghetto dwellers, a job with the police force is like a calling from God. They feel that it will be better to join the devil instead of getting killed by the devil all the time. So, with pleasure many will be glad to see their daughters and sons in the blue uniform although what they do is just sit around in pondoks waiting for that gullible Indon, Bangla, Burmese or Indian worker to pass by.

Most don't mind that all their children will be learning is the art of corruption and how to perfect it whilst enjoying a salary from the public purse and to top it all, a pension at the end of the day. Gone are the days when we had Indian and Chinese officers whose names would be enough to put fear into the slime balls of the underworld.

Fear and mental state of Malays

What we are left with today is a batch of Indian and Chinese officers who see the police force as another means of perfecting the art of patronage so that they can be as decorated as it is allowable for a non Malay in the police force.

This mental state has spread to all spheres of the current regime's administration, after the DAP took power in Penang. Suddenly the Chinese in the DAP have become ultra Chinese who "hate" Malays. But when these same Chinese were in the opposition, no mention was made of this so called ultra-ism then.

So what can be gained from this is, as long as compliant Chinese in the MCA are sharing the "leased out" power which is on the benevolence of Umno, all will be fine but if the DAP takes power, the Chinese there will be termed as ultras. This fear and mental state in the Malays will never be eradicated until and unless they themselves brave the challenges and come out of the mental stranglehold of the state.

When queried by the press on the rape case by the police personnel, the home minister says that all has been done to bring them to justice and questions, "What else can be done?". In mature democracies, the home minister's resignation will be called for and if it is not forthcoming, public pressure will mount.

If we are really to become the best democracy in the world as espoused by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, accountability shall be paramount when it comes to public office. But as usual in our administration, all we have for a term of office by this current federal government is slogans, slogans and nothing but slogans. It should have been 'People Last and What Performance?' instead of 'People First and Performance Now!'

We have to learn to differ and respect the right to opine if we are serious in seeing this country not become another province of Indonesia in the future, or some backwater state of South Asia where a system of governance which is more of a system of preferences based on race instead of need and a system which does not bother about accountability that has failed miserably, leaving us far behind our other South Asian neighbours.

To do that we need to show this government which has now become more of a regime because of the way in which the state apparatus and its servants (civil servants) have become more of robots working on command of the ruling party instead of going in tandem with the General Orders of Civil Service no matter which party comes to power.

There is no more time to be given to rectify mistakes. Mistakes should have been rectified a long time ago. We are on the verge of being a failed state. People have got to know that only when we agree to disagree can we sow the best minds which, in turn will help us lead this country to greater heights in the future especially in Southeast Asia where our neighbours are far ahead of us.

READ MORE HERE

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Sabtu, 24 November 2012

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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