Selasa, 3 Januari 2012

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See you on the streets on Monday

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 02:22 PM PST

Dalam satu sidang media semalam, Presidennya Datuk Ibrahim Ali berkata, perhimpunan oleh Perkasa itu adalah sebagai "misi mempertahankan keamanan negara" dan akan bermula dengan solat subuh di Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan. "Selepas itu, kami berarak dan sekiranya bertembung dengan (Timbalan Presiden PKR) Azmin Ali serta penyokong mereka yang sanggup mempertahankan pemimpin yang menghadapi masalah moraliti, kita sama-sama melakukan provokasi," katanya.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

There are those who and angry with me for saying that the Chinese can never support a 'Tahrir Square' type revolution. I am told I am wrong and should not be speaking on behalf of the Chinese. In fact, I should not even be referring to them as Chinese but as Malaysians. Well, if I am wrong then I would like to apologise.

Anyway, Pakatan Rakyat has promised that 100,000 Malaysians are going to be on the streets on Monday. I expect at least 30,000 to 40,000 should be Malaysians of Chinese ethnicity and that it is not going to be an entirely or predominantly Malay crowd or else I will be proven right (that the Chinese are cowards).

Perkasa (and I was told Pekida as well) are also going to be on the streets to checkmate the 100,000 opposition supporters. They boast of millions of members, many who are in the police and army. Sources tell me that this is true although we may not be talking about millions but mere hundreds of thousands.

Well, let's see what happens on Monday. I may be proven wrong and may have to apologise in the end. I know the Umno side hopes that some sort of chaos will be created so that emergency can be declared and Parliament is suspended. Then they need not hold the 13th General Election so soon and Najib Tun Razak's arse can be saved.

I suppose, as I told Haris Ibrahim in Phuket recently, we need to break the shell to fry the egg and unless we are prepared to suffer collateral damage then it is no use talking about a revolution.

I fear if I were to speak out against the Monday event I will, again, be accused of undermining the effort for change. Therefore, I will just say that make sure the agent provocateurs do not successful hijack the event and achieve what they want to do: suspend democracy under the guise of an emergency to allow Najib time to get his house in order.

That is all I wish to say on the matter.

**********************************************

Perkasa akan sekat himpunan bebaskan Anwar

(Harakah Daily) - NGO pendesak Melayu, Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) akan menyekat penyokong Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang akan berhimpun di Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur 9 Januari ini.

Dalam satu sidang media semalam, Presidennya Datuk Ibrahim Ali berkata, perhimpunan oleh Perkasa itu adalah sebagai "misi mempertahankan keamanan negara" dan akan bermula dengan solat subuh di Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan.

"Selepas itu, kami berarak dan sekiranya bertembung dengan (Timbalan Presiden PKR) Azmin Ali serta penyokong mereka yang sanggup mempertahankan pemimpin yang menghadapi masalah moraliti, kita sama-sama melakukan provokasi," katanya.

Mengulas larangan pihak polis agar mana-mana pihak tidak mengadakan himpunan pada hari itu, Ibrahim berkata terpulanglah kepada polis untuk menghalang Perkasa atau pembangkang kerana kedua-duanya melakukan perhimpunan haram.

Tahun lalu, Perkasa turut mengeluarkan kenyataan sama, iaitu mahu menyekat Himpunan Bersih 2 yang diadakan 9 Julai 2011 dengan mahu mengadakan himpunan anti Bersih.

Namun beberapa sehari sebelum Himpunan Bersih yang disertai lebih 50,000 rakyat itu, Ibrahim mengumumkan perhimpunan Perkasa dibatalkan dengan alasan tidak mendapat kebenaran pihak stadium.

Sementara itu, Azmin pada satu sidang media semalam memaklumkan bahawa PKR akan menggerakkan sekurang-kurangnya 100,000 orang bagi menyertai himpunan di Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur pada 9 Januari ini.

Katanya, walau apa pun keputusan yang diumumkan, Pakatan dan PKR telah bersedia menggalas amanah memimpin negara serta berusaha mengembalikannya ke landasan yang tepat.
 

How do I love thee, let me count the ways

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 01:10 PM PST

I wrote some years back that I will have 'arrived' when both sides of the political divide hate me. I also wrote that I am not running a popularity contest and really don't care whether the 'Raja Petra Fan Club' exists or not. Well, the good news is, the Raja Petra Fan Club has now officially closed.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

It's been an interesting start to a new year, at least for some of us. Anyway, they did say that 2012 is supposed to be a year of turmoil; a year of change; maybe even the year the world, as we know it, will end…if what the Mayan calendar says is correct.

Whether you realise it or not, the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) is now 'high profile', even if for the wrong reasons. But is not right and wrong relative? To some, putting apostates to death is right while to others it is wrong. So, certainly right and wrong is relative, relative to your value system.

Okay, so we have a situation here. But is it a hopeless situation, or is it a situation that can be simply solved with a stroke of the pen?

Let's use this analogy. A bee has stung a man's prick and his prick is swollen and he is in pain. He goes to the doctor and asks the doctor to remove the pain but not the size.

MCLM has been stung by a bee and is swollen and in pain. So, let's just remove the pain without disturbing the size. And in this case the pain is me: Raja Petra Kamarudin. So, just remove Raja Petra Kamarudin and the pain will go away.

And this is what I am telling the MCLM committee and the founding members. Just remove me and allow MCLM to go on with its mission and vision. The agenda need not change. Only the head needs to change. After all, I can't return to Malaysia to lead MCLM anyway and the present committee is a mere protem committee, not legally elected in the AGM, which is yet to be held and must be held very soon by law.

Is this so difficult to do? MCLM is about the cause. The cause is above the person. People come and go. But the cause must remain.

One reason Pakatan Rakyat refuses to engage MCLM is because of the 'Independent Candidate Initiative'. Pakatan Rakyat is not prepared to give way to independent candidates. If independent candidates come in then we are going to see three- or even four-corner contests.

I know many of you were foaming at the mouth for exactly this point. You accused MCLM of serving Barisan Nasional's agenda, of being a Trojan horse, for being guilty of triggering multi-corner contests and hence denying Pakatan Rakyat the possibility of winning the next general election.

Over and over I wrote in Malaysia Today that this is not true. MCLM is committed to a two-party system and in seeing the emergence of a strong opposition and is not attempting to grab votes away from Pakatan Rakyat by fielding a third candidate. But this assurance is not accepted. The only way everyone can be assured would be if MCLM is closed down and the independent candidates abandon their plan of contesting the election.

Well, the independent candidates have now announced they are withdrawing. In fact, they are severing ties with MCLM altogether. Only one still insists on contesting and even then he has said he would like to contest under a Pakatan Rakyat ticket.

Is this not what you wanted all along?

But when I say this, again and again, in Malaysia Today, the explanation is not accepted and the allegations of MCLM being a spoiler continues.

I try to talk to the 'alternative' media but am told by friends in Pakatan Rakyat that the order given was: do not engage MCLM and do not give them any space. In short, boycott MCLM and black out all news on MCLM.

Okay, you don't believe what I say in Malaysia Today. The alternative media blacks me out. So I say it in the mainstream media. And I said very clearly that MCLM is NOT contesting the general election and we are NOT fielding candidates and in fact NEVER intended to contest the elections in the first place because we are NOT a political party.

It seems that is also the wrong thing to say. So what do you want me to say -- that we WILL contest the general election and WILL engage in three-corner contests or that we will NOT contest the general election and WILL support a two-party system?

It appears like many of you are confused about what you want.

I wrote some years back that I will have 'arrived' when both sides of the political divide hate me. I also wrote that I am not running a popularity contest and really don't care whether the 'Raja Petra Fan Club' exists or not. Well, the good news is, the Raja Petra Fan Club has now officially closed.

The Umno Blogs say that Malaysia Today is being financed by Anwar Ibrahim and that Raja Petra is a Pakatan Rakyat stooge. That is the spin in the Umno blogs. I deny it profusely and still the allegations continue.

Okay, what are the Umno Blogs going to say now? Now the Pakatan Rakyat Blogs are saying that Najib Tun Razak is financing Malaysia Today and that Raja Petra is an Umno stooge.

I must be the smartest Blogger in the world if I can get BOTH Anwar and Najib to finance Malaysia Today. Maybe I should instead be the Prime Minister or Opposition Leader if I am capable of this.

So, whose boy am I, Anwar's or Najib's? Yes, I know, those posting comments below are going to still insist I am Najib's boy while the Umno Blogs are still going to insist I am Anwar's boy.

It's simple, really. There are no two ways about it. You have to be either Anwar's boy or Najib's boy. It MUST be one or the other. You cannot be no one's boy. That is not allowed.

I suppose that is the same with religion and race. Either you are a Muslim or you are a non-Muslim. There are only two categories. You are also either Bumiputera or non-Bumiputera -- again, only two categories.

Is the world just either black or white? Must it be only black and white? Isn't there more than just black and white in this world? And must it either be Anwar's boy or Najib's boy?

Could I possibly be Muhyiddin Yassin's boy? Could I not also be Mat Sabu's boy? Can't I be Ronnie Liu's boy? Or Datuk Kamarul Baharin's boy, maybe? Is it not possible I am no one's boy? Is there absolutely no likelihood that I dislike ALL politicians, both sides of the political divide?

I remember back in the 1970s when I had an argument with Dr Zakaria Salim and Encik Ibrahim (the head of ITM Dungun) during a function in the Sultan of Terengganu's palace. They were both, of course, hardcore Umno men. The argument was about politics and politicians.

Halfway through the 'debate', I shocked everyone when I shouted: to me, all politicians should be lined up against the wall and shot with a bullet in the head. All politicians are leeches and slimeballs. We need a people's revolution so that we can kill all the politicians.

There was a stunned silence as I walked off.

What makes you think my views from the 1970s have changed? I idolised Che Guevara back then and still do now. And I have stated time and time again that I want to be a Che Guevara and not a Castro -- and if you don't understand what that means then blame Malaysia's education system.

I am not contesting the elections so I don't need your votes. I know I am called 'hero to zero'. You called me that back in April last year. I thought I was already a zero last year? How can I now, again, be a 'hero to zero' when I am already a zero? Make up your mind.

As my final word, Faekah Husin, the MB's political secretary, has challenged me to produce the evidence of corruption or wrongdoing in Selangor. Be careful what you wish for. If you want me to do that I can do just that. Just make sure you don't, again, start foaming at the mouth when I do.

Let me close with this short story.

A husband and wife were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary over a candlelight dinner when a fairy godmother suddenly popped up and asked them what they would like to wish as a present for their wedding anniversary.

The wife said she had never been on a world cruise and wishes for that and, poof, the fairy godmother made two cruise tickets appear.

The husband said he wishes his wife can be thirty years younger than him and, poof, the fairy godmother turned him into a 99-year old man.

Yes, be careful what you wish for because Raja Petra Kamarudin is known to grant wishes.
 

The MCLM will enter into second gear today (FLASHBACK 20th November 2010)

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 03:28 PM PST

There appears to be some confusion as to what I said in my NST interview and what the MCLM committee actually agreed more than a year ago. Below is the article I wrote in this column on 20th November 2010. Maybe you can read what I said at the time the MCLM was mooted and launched. I trust this will clear up the confusion and get the record set straight. There is actually no inconsistency or deviation from what was agreed.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I just want to pen a short note to tell you that the draft Constitution of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MLCM) has just been finalised. MCLM's lawyer has just sent it through to me and I am studying it now.

Later today I shall be fetching Haris Ibrahim from the tube station. He will be arriving about 5.00am this morning UK time. Haris and I will then go through the Constitution to make sure that it is in order before releasing it to the public.

Haris will be spending about a week with me here in the UK to go through the mission and vision of the MCLM. Basically, what we will focus on will be:

1. The MCLM will become a pressure group of civil society movement activists with a view to engage politicians, not to become politicians.

2. The MCLM will assist any political party that may be looking for candidates from amongst the civil society movement activists to field in the next general election.

3. The MCLM committee members and officer bearers themselves will not be contesting the general election to prevent anyone from using the MCLM as a platform to further their own political careers.

4. The MCLM will attempt to mould and shape the Malaysian political landscape and culture, not instead to be moulded or shaped by the political culture.

5. The MCLM will stand on the outside looking in, not get in and become tainted by politics.

These are just some of my early thoughts on the entire thing and I know that Haris has more up his sleeve.

By next Saturday, 27 November 2010, I hope to call for the second committee meeting of the MCLM and finalise all these issues. Thereafter, we shall make known what has transpired, where we are coming from, and where we hope to get to.

In the meantime, the website (http://mclm.org.uk/) is being completed and we hope to open it for public viewing soon so that those who share the aspirations of the MCLM can sign up as members. The Constitution, membership form, Mission and Vision Statement, etc., will all be on the website. Rest assured that the MCLM will be run with complete transparency as a demonstration to the political parties how we would like things done in the political arena.

Till then stay tuned and I shall update you as we go along.

http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/36078-the-mclm-will-enter-into-second-gear-today

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News


How do I love thee, let me count the ways

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 01:10 PM PST

I wrote some years back that I will have 'arrived' when both sides of the political divide hate me. I also wrote that I am not running a popularity contest and really don't care whether the 'Raja Petra Fan Club' exists or not. Well, the good news is, the Raja Petra Fan Club has now officially closed.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

It's been an interesting start to a new year, at least for some of us. Anyway, they did say that 2012 is supposed to be a year of turmoil; a year of change; maybe even the year the world, as we know it, will end…if what the Mayan calendar says is correct.

Whether you realise it or not, the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) is now 'high profile', even if for the wrong reasons. But is not right and wrong relative? To some, putting apostates to death is right while to others it is wrong. So, certainly right and wrong is relative, relative to your value system.

Okay, so we have a situation here. But is it a hopeless situation, or is it a situation that can be simply solved with a stroke of the pen?

Let's use this analogy. A bee has stung a man's prick and his prick is swollen and he is in pain. He goes to the doctor and asks the doctor to remove the pain but not the size.

MCLM has been stung by a bee and is swollen and in pain. So, let's just remove the pain without disturbing the size. And in this case the pain is me: Raja Petra Kamarudin. So, just remove Raja Petra Kamarudin and the pain will go away.

And this is what I am telling the MCLM committee and the founding members. Just remove me and allow MCLM to go on with its mission and vision. The agenda need not change. Only the head needs to change. After all, I can't return to Malaysia to lead MCLM anyway and the present committee is a mere protem committee, not legally elected in the AGM, which is yet to be held and must be held very soon by law.

Is this so difficult to do? MCLM is about the cause. The cause is above the person. People come and go. But the cause must remain.

One reason Pakatan Rakyat refuses to engage MCLM is because of the 'Independent Candidate Initiative'. Pakatan Rakyat is not prepared to give way to independent candidates. If independent candidates come in then we are going to see three- or even four-corner contests.

I know many of you were foaming at the mouth for exactly this point. You accused MCLM of serving Barisan Nasional's agenda, of being a Trojan horse, for being guilty of triggering multi-corner contests and hence denying Pakatan Rakyat the possibility of winning the next general election.

Over and over I wrote in Malaysia Today that this is not true. MCLM is committed to a two-party system and in seeing the emergence of a strong opposition and is not attempting to grab votes away from Pakatan Rakyat by fielding a third candidate. But this assurance is not accepted. The only way everyone can be assured would be if MCLM is closed down and the independent candidates abandon their plan of contesting the election.

Well, the independent candidates have now announced they are withdrawing. In fact, they are severing ties with MCLM altogether. Only one still insists on contesting and even then he has said he would like to contest under a Pakatan Rakyat ticket.

Is this not what you wanted all along?

But when I say this, again and again, in Malaysia Today, the explanation is not accepted and the allegations of MCLM being a spoiler continues.

I try to talk to the 'alternative' media but am told by friends in Pakatan Rakyat that the order given was: do not engage MCLM and do not give them any space. In short, boycott MCLM and black out all news on MCLM.

Okay, you don't believe what I say in Malaysia Today. The alternative media blacks me out. So I say it in the mainstream media. And I said very clearly that MCLM is NOT contesting the general election and we are NOT fielding candidates and in fact NEVER intended to contest the elections in the first place because we are NOT a political party.

It seems that is also the wrong thing to say. So what do you want me to say -- that we WILL contest the general election and WILL engage in three-corner contests or that we will NOT contest the general election and WILL support a two-party system?

It appears like many of you are confused about what you want.

I wrote some years back that I will have 'arrived' when both sides of the political divide hate me. I also wrote that I am not running a popularity contest and really don't care whether the 'Raja Petra Fan Club' exists or not. Well, the good news is, the Raja Petra Fan Club has now officially closed.

The Umno Blogs say that Malaysia Today is being financed by Anwar Ibrahim and that Raja Petra is a Pakatan Rakyat stooge. That is the spin in the Umno blogs. I deny it profusely and still the allegations continue.

Okay, what are the Umno Blogs going to say now? Now the Pakatan Rakyat Blogs are saying that Najib Tun Razak is financing Malaysia Today and that Raja Petra is an Umno stooge.

I must be the smartest Blogger in the world if I can get BOTH Anwar and Najib to finance Malaysia Today. Maybe I should instead be the Prime Minister or Opposition Leader if I am capable of this.

So, whose boy am I, Anwar's or Najib's? Yes, I know, those posting comments below are going to still insist I am Najib's boy while the Umno Blogs are still going to insist I am Anwar's boy.

It's simple, really. There are no two ways about it. You have to be either Anwar's boy or Najib's boy. It MUST be one or the other. You cannot be no one's boy. That is not allowed.

I suppose that is the same with religion and race. Either you are a Muslim or you are a non-Muslim. There are only two categories. You are also either Bumiputera or non-Bumiputera -- again, only two categories.

Is the world just either black or white? Must it be only black and white? Isn't there more than just black and white in this world? And must it either be Anwar's boy or Najib's boy?

Could I possibly be Muhyiddin Yassin's boy? Could I not also be Mat Sabu's boy? Can't I be Ronnie Liu's boy? Or Datuk Kamarul Baharin's boy, maybe? Is it not possible I am no one's boy? Is there absolutely no likelihood that I dislike ALL politicians, both sides of the political divide?

I remember back in the 1970s when I had an argument with Dr Zakaria Salim and Encik Ibrahim (the head of ITM Dungun) during a function in the Sultan of Terengganu's palace. They were both, of course, hardcore Umno men. The argument was about politics and politicians.

Halfway through the 'debate', I shocked everyone when I shouted: to me, all politicians should be lined up against the wall and shot with a bullet in the head. All politicians are leeches and slimeballs. We need a people's revolution so that we can kill all the politicians.

There was a stunned silence as I walked off.

What makes you think my views from the 1970s have changed? I idolised Che Guevara back then and still do now. And I have stated time and time again that I want to be a Che Guevara and not a Castro -- and if you don't understand what that means then blame Malaysia's education system.

I am not contesting the elections so I don't need your votes. I know I am called 'hero to zero'. You called me that back in April last year. I thought I was already a zero last year? How can I now, again, be a 'hero to zero' when I am already a zero? Make up your mind.

As my final word, Faekah Husin, the MB's political secretary, has challenged me to produce the evidence of corruption or wrongdoing in Selangor. Be careful what you wish for. If you want me to do that I can do just that. Just make sure you don't, again, start foaming at the mouth when I do.

Let me close with this short story.

A husband and wife were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary over a candlelight dinner when a fairy godmother suddenly popped up and asked them what they would like to wish as a present for their wedding anniversary.

The wife said she had never been on a world cruise and wishes for that and, poof, the fairy godmother made two cruise tickets appear.

The husband said he wishes his wife can be thirty years younger than him and, poof, the fairy godmother turned him into a 99-year old man.

Yes, be careful what you wish for because Raja Petra Kamarudin is known to grant wishes.
 

Let’s start anew

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 10:48 AM PST

By May Chee

Just the other day, my little one reminded me, "Mum, just ask; don't speculate." Why don't we just ask outright why a person does what he does instead of speculating on his motives? The truth may not be so harsh after all. Speculating and letting our imagination run wild is, in my humble opinion, a lot more dangerous and an exercise in futility. What's more, it will create a mountain out of a mole-hole!
What if people get hurt out of our own paranoia? What if we lose someone or something precious due to our very own insecurities? Crazy, no?

At my little one's confirmation two years back, my favourite bishop, Bishop Paul Tan said this in his homily, "It's natural to feel fear but unnatural to harbour fear." It really struck a chord with me! I see it all around me. People who are afraid to fail – they fall only once and refuse to get up since. People who have been hurt in past relationships – they are afraid to commit themselves again. The list goes on.
I have a friend who refused to enter a church for years just because he "thought" a priest was rude to him. Priests are not humans? They cannot have a lousy day? They cannot be rude? Is this about us or about others? I somehow suspect a big ego is not something we should wish for from Santa last Christmas or hope for, this coming year, 2012.

Easier said than done, right? Fear has changed some for the worse. Some become deceitful to guard their self-interests or they conveniently allow others to embrace what appears to be the truth when in actual fact, may be a "lie". Some become pretentious and are afraid to let others know of their humble beginnings. They adorn themselves from head to toe thinking that such a display can garner them respect. I may be considered a dinosaur here but nothing beats humility in a person. I personally find that most attractive.

I, too, have my fears. I'm afraid my children will forget God, whom we worship; I worship. I'm afraid that they will neglect their faith. I cannot believe the amount of effort and time they have to put into their careers and studies! Will they have time for love? Will they have time to rest? Will they have time to speak to God? Will they have time to listen to Him? What if they forget the most important element of their very existence? What, then, is life all about?

This is election year, so I hear from the grapevine. I'm afraid that the government that will be voted in may once again prevent others from exercising their human responsibilities. I'm afraid that once again politicians voted in only aim to be ranked among the rich and noble who are unwilling to shoulder their responsibilities towards their people and who squander money. If cows could live in condos, when will we, Malaysians, see honour among thieves? Such leaders, unfortunately, only aim to excel in the games of the rich. They don't feel an iota of guilt that while they wine and dine, they allow their people to sink into poverty! We will be bankrupted in no time if we allow this foolhardiness to continue!

I'm sure I share this fear with other Malaysians. So, let's do something about this. Let's save our beloved country Malaysia. We can save ourselves through truth, justice and shared food. Let's not be afraid of the truth any longer. If we can all look into the face of truth together, it can be less frightening. If we can all hold onto each other in our quest for justice, the journey can be less arduous. And if we all can share our food, everything will fall into place.

Let's do our homework. Let's vote in those who can help liberate Malaysia from the chains of old. The chains that continue to make a mockery of our dignity as a human. I've heard of how some politicians belong to the "wrong" party. Some people say party-hopping is morally wrong. Some even want to make it a crime. I say: To those who truly want to be a people's representative, go, hop to the
party that aim to serve the people, that aim to bring justice to the poor, that aim to set the "captives" free, that aim to work with the people, not against them! Is this asking too much of the people's representative? Are we asking them to "sacrifice" themselves? Not at all! They are paid to do their job. No one pays another to rob them blind, to be lied to, to be taken for a ride and worse still, to be enslaved! There is joy in serving and giving. Material liberation is not opposed to spiritual liberation. If one can help another not to go hungry, it can be a "freeing" mission for all concerned. The longing for justice must be the hallmark of a people's representative, if not, dunk him!

The Good Book says that people do not openly deny God; they simply ignore Him. This is what my fifty-one years on earth has taught me. I am nothing without God; I'm lost without my faith. I concur with the Good Book when it says that faith is neither an option or a luxury, as if we could do without it. Some appear to do without it comfortably. I wonder how that's possible. I can imagine if we withdraw all that comes from faith in our culture and lives, our world would die for want of hope. It is in this faith that we can find hope. It is not a matter of seeing or feeling but of believing what God can do and does. It is also this faith that make us so aware of the justice and respect we should accord others.

Am I proselytizing? No, not at all! I believe in a God of all humanity and that all true religions teach good. I believe that no law or religious decree can prevail over a well-informed conscience. I believe an ordered life creates more beauty than any religious instituition could ever achieve. A friend once told me that one can be spiritual without being religious. He, himself, could not bring himself to "conversion" as he felt himself unworthy. I believe he will beat me to the gate of St. Peter!

I look at the Year 2011 with some regret. We could have done a lot more for ourselves and others. We had some near misses. So, what messed up? Perhaps some of us did not work hard enough. Perhaps some of us took many things for granted. Perhaps some of us forgot our purpose in life. Perhaps some of us took the easy way out instead of the road less travelled.

Never mind. Let's not beat ourselves up over this. This is a new year and a new us. If we want progress and one that is evident, it can only happen through upheavals and changes of perspectives. So, it all falls back on us. We, yes, we, have to change. Let's not just be marked bodily by circumcision. Let's all circumcise our hearts and our minds. Let's all be converted interiorly. Let's restore justice, not by
condemning, but by saving. Let's allow our love for our fellow Malaysians ransom our dignity and freedom. Let's return love for love – the beginning of true conversion.

The Self-terminator

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 10:39 AM PST

On 4th December 2011, Gwee received a RM3000 donation from Teo Chin Liang meant to be a maintainance fee for his new service center. RM3000 is considered "kacang" to Gwee, as he thinks in terms of millions of ringgit. Furthermore, he has kept a few hundred thousand ringgit from DAP fund raising dinners as his personal income. Nevertheless, Gwee is petty enough to accept the offer from Teo.

By Malaysia Politic Insider

When we talk about the career success of Arnold Schwarzenegger from California, we always refer to him as Mr. Universe from Austria, and his acting in "The Terminator" became a significant turning point in this career. And on one screen in that movie, he said "I will be back", which became a classic quote. The same quote had been used by MacArthur when he retreated from the Philippines during WW2.

 M Manoharan
On 23th September, the DAP Disciplinary Committee announced that, Bentayan assemblyperson Gwee Tong Hiang who was involved in the misuse of DAP Bakri's fund and, Kota Alam Shah assemblyperson M Manoharan for his controversial remarks over the national flag had been both handed a six-months suspension. After that, both of them appealed against the suspension. Manoharan had his backup from HINDRAF and hence, received a warning. But unfortunately, Gwee, who is a henchman of Lim Guan Eng, still has to carry out the six-months suspension meted out to him.

Tan Kok Wai
Nevertheless, Gwee is no Arnold. He is very short. His height is not more then 5'4'' (160cm). Compared with DAP Disciplinary Committee Chairman, Tan Kok Wai, who sentenced him to the death of his political career, he is even shorter than Tan. One tends to be psychologically disturbed when another person, who is not as good as him/her, looks down on one. Compared to Tan, who is taller, and Ronnie Liu, who is far notorious, Gwee's current situation may make people feel sympathetic towards him.

Ronnie Liu Lian Khiew
People say that the coming GE will be held before or after CNY. This means that, even with Gwee's announcement that "I will be back", he will still lose his chance to contest in the 13th GE since his party membership will not be restored well after April of 2012. Ronnie Liu Lian Khiew, who has a nick name "Tí Gong Kia" (in traditional Chinese belief, one who receives blessings from God), denied that he authorized Teo Boon Hock the authority to sign on his behalf, and that he had joint-ventures with local gangster to open nightclubs. This "Tí Gong Kia" of Johor was in fact handed a proper strict application of justice by the disciplinary committee, the result of which was completely, innocently unintentional.

"No, I gonna stop him from doing that", this is a typical script used in a movie, but politicians like to use it too. Eventually, Gwee decided to write a script, with poor grammar. For instance, a member from his own clan association (Wee clan association base on JB) asked him to quit the party. He managed to use a recorder to record the conversation, and he wanted to test DAP CEC's response (especially to LGE).
(left) Tony Pua, Fong Kui Lun, Gwee Tong Hiang, Tan Kok Wai, Pang Hok Liong
On 1st October, Gwee was accompanied by Pang Hok Liong and appeared at a press conference held at DAP HQ. He made the allegation in front of Tan Kok Wai, Tony Pua and media reporters that, BN top leaders had offered RM 150,000 cash and a RM5000 monthly subsidy, plus 50 acres of land as his term and condition to quit DAP. And Gwee cried at the press conference, proclaiming that he only loved DAP forever.
Gwee Tong Hiang cried in front of the media
Of course you can't compare Gwee with Perak state assembly deputy speaker Hee Yit Foong. Besides comforting Gwee, Tan Kok Wai said he was proud of him etc. So, this is the end of the first part of Gwee's version of "The Terminator" with crying in front of the media as the climax, but the box office is not what he had expected. LGE did not even want to answer his call.

Hee Yit Foong
The theatrical sad performance did not succeed, and that broke Gwee's heart. And "The Terminator 2" must be shot, or else, he might lose his remuneration. A petty guy like Gwee has no choice but to accept the adapted version of the script.

"How about a hot chick in his new script? How about a Bond's Girl in the new movie?" Gwee was desperate and kept thinking of making a best script to win his Oscar Award. A person appears in his mind, and he is Teo Chin Liang -- Teo Nie Ching's father. And becouse of the requirement of the script, Gwee must push for his best performance, in order to complete his impposible mission in this game, and to do so, he has to try his very best to sabotage the election campaign in this so-called PR's "frontline state". And eventually, "The Terminator 2" turn out become a spy movie. The only difference is that, Gwee becomes the bad guy in the movie, and this is the fault of the movie director.

At the end of October 2011, Gwee asked his supporters to demonstrate with a banner to "support Boo Cheng Hau to chop off chicken head". For those who are not familiar with chinese calture, chopping chicken head is equivalent to swear to the holy book in Christian term or swear to Al-Quran for muslim.

Unfortunately the actors were not performing in the role of the characters and nobody gave a damn about this event. At the same time, Gwee continued to assemble those who were frustrated (too many of them, for example, ex-Bekok Assemblyman Pang Hok Liong, and Pang's frustration is that he wants to contest in Jementah and not the Segamat Parliamentery seat), in order to strike back at DAP (or particularly LGE) because of the suspension action towards him.
(left) Gwee Suh Mei (Gwee Tong Hiang's younger sister), Gwee Tong Hiang, Teo Chin Liang
On 4th December 2011, Gwee received a RM3000 donation from Teo Chin Liang meant to be a maintainance fee for his new service center. RM3000 is considered "kacang" to Gwee, as he thinks in terms of millions of ringgit. Furthermore, he has kept a few hundred thousand ringgit from DAP fund raising dinners as his personal income. Nevertheless, Gwee is petty enough to accept the offer from Teo. He managed to find some local gangsters as extras, to make the whole scene become epic style and greater, but it is clear the final production is still basically a comedy version of "The Terminator".

Eddie Chang Teck Chee and Teo Eng Ching

Teo Chin Liang is a veteran DAP member and he has been doing his timber business in Johor. He contested the Mengkibol State Assembly seat during 1986. But during the nomination day, he faced some problems with form filling (or bribed by MCA as some people said), and that made MCA win that seat uncontested. Teo's both daughters joined DAP. They are Teo Nie Ching and Teo Eng Ching. During the 12th GE, Teo Nie Ching won her parliamentery seat at Serdang. But Teo Chin Liang's elder daughter Teo Eng Ching and his son-in-law Eddie Chang Teck Chee who contesetd the Labis Parliamentery seat and Bekok Sate seat but lost. Teo Eng Ching was Johor DAPSY's leader and Eddie Chang Teck Chee is deputy leader at that time. Both of them disappeared after the 12GE. Besides that, Teo Chin Liang 's son-in-law Eddie Chang Teck Chee owed an amount of RM4000 from Johor DAPSY for four years and never repaid the money until recently. His wife Teo Eng Ching plan to stand for election to contest again in Bekok, He returned that amount of money only on November 2011. Owing to this issue, Boo decided not to let both of them to contest in the next GE and that pissed off Teo Chin Liang.

Read more at: http://malaysiapoliticinsider.blogspot.com/2012/01/self-terminator.html

 

MCA’s leadership dilemma

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 10:30 AM PST

Party insiders are saying that about 30% of MCA members were ready to quit in the run-up to the next general election. So, is MCA imploding? They say there had been many cases of the leadership "bullying" those known to be unsupportive of Chua.

By Jackson Ng, Retired Journalist

THE MCA leadership's lack of response to the resignation of about 1,000 MCA members led by the party's former Penang and Johor Youth chiefs last week is telling.

All we got from the morally-tainted MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek was "we can recruit more, let them leave".

Other leaders have remained relatively mum because they are unable to counter the reasons given by the two former youth chiefs who cited loss of confidence in the party leadership.

How do you defend your party and president who has lost all moral and integrity following his adulterous expose?

The problem with the party leadership following the 2010 three-corner presidential election is the fluke victory of Chua.

It shocked members that such an immoral and unacceptable man could still muster enough members, through whatever means, to win the presidency.

Already massively rejected by the Chinese community in the 2008 political tsunami, the election of a wife cheater had plunged the party into a bottomless abyss.

The majority of the Chinese community, ever so concerned about "face saving" and morality, clearly have written off the MCA.

Party insiders, after a detailed assessment of the party elections, have come to grips of their dilemma.

The party is led by a morally unworthy president who is ruling with just about 30% of the support of the party central delegates. One wonders the percentage of support for Chua in terms of the party membership.

The party election was triggered by a series of internal party political manoeuvrings by traitors and turncoats who, for their own self interests, chose to unseat the then president, Ong Tee Keat.

But the party central leaders had grossly miscalculated, landing with an embarrassing president who commands no respect from the Chinese community and women in particular.

During the leadership crisis and prior to the party election, the key players had misjudged or underestimated Tee Keat's grassroots support.

The general talk then was that the lone ranger Tee Keat, as he was popularly tagged, would not be able to secure more than 200 votes and the camp led by former president Ong Ka Ting was confident of victory. Disaster struck when Ka Ting could only garner 833 votes – 68 votes short of Chua's 901 delegates. Tee Keat was supported by 578 delegates.

What we see in the MCA today is status quo, with no single leader able to engineer more than 50% support to close ranks and solidify the party.

That is history, backed by facts.

Today, Chua and his cronies are unable to react strongly against those who resigned because they are unsure of the political manoeuvrings being subtly unleashed.

Should the leadership condemn the resignations as just isolated cases, it may trigger more mass resignations and embarrassments.

What is happening today in MCA is a real loss of confidence and frustration over Chua's authoritarian administration and decisions based on nepotism and cronyism.

The two time bombs (resignations in Penang and Johor) have exploded but the mainstream media, especially MCA's mouthpiece, The Star, has down played the news.

Party insiders are saying that about 30% of MCA members were ready to quit in the run-up to the next general election. So, is MCA imploding?

They say there had been many cases of the leadership "bullying" those known to be unsupportive of Chua.

One clear example is the case of veteran Malacca MCA Wanita chief Datuk Kang Sik Hor.

"Just because she was critical of Chua's attack on assemblyman Betty Chew for serving her husband (Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng) more than her constituents in Malacca, disciplinary action was taken.

"She was referred to the MCA Disciplinary Board (DB). Imagine, for just a simple matter, the DB was used. It shows Chua and his cronies will not hesitate to use and abuse the DB to maintain an iron grip on the party," said the insider.

Although the DB ultimately did not pursue the matter, Chua's state cronies continued to pressure Kang to quit.

Clearly, Chua and his cronies cannot tolerate dissenting views and there is no room for alternative views.

However, that is not to say nothing is moving in the party. In the run-up to the next general election, there will yet be many political manoeuvrings and realignments based on self interests.

This will trigger even more time bombs to explode and let's just sit and watch how MCA implodes.

Double track Project

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 10:15 AM PST

By Concerned KTM

CREC or China Railway Engineering Corporation as far as the Double Track project is concerned is represented by interests aligned with (tun) Daim Zainuddin. It is difficult to confirm this but Mr Cai, the long time Country Manager of CREC, has indicated this to several parties. CREC felt they were duped and are now trying to dissociate themselves from Daim and look for new partners both for the double track and also for other railway projects such as the MRT. 

Tan Kay Hock, another "sad case', has been lured into this project by Dr Vincent Lim (Badawi's former political secretary) who with the support of Kamal Badawi and possibly Khairy was instrumental in the intrigues that led to Badawi awarding the Second Crossing to China Harbour Engineering Corporation and creating a substantial variation order.

Originally, Vincent Lim proposed China Harbour but this was scuttled by Najib's inner sanctum because of their total disgust with Kay Hock and Vincent. In order to deceive these parties, Vincent with the collusion of the technical consultants then proposed using the name of the parent company of China Harbor i.e China Communications Construction Group (CCCG) and the sister company China Road & Bridge(CRB).

Vincent Lim is a master of deceit and could have been the one negotiating and the one who told the Chinese the story about the payments in order to justify huge commissions for himself. I can only assume that a sizeable portion of this was destined for himself.

The current rumour is that the front runner for the project is a Chinese company China Railway Construction Company (CRCC) represented by prominent Johore interests and belatedly supported by the PRC. It is said that they are in active discussions with Gamuda and IJM.

The Chinese Government has a role in exposing shady operators such as VL who have misled CCCG or CHEC or CREC if the MACC will not step in. Rumour has it that Vincent Lim spends most of his time enjoying the fruits of his Penang Bridge deal in Shanghai and Beijing with occasional trips to see his bankers in Hong Kong.

Why, RPK?

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 09:38 AM PST

MASTERWORDSMITH UNPLUGGED

Many Malaysians have expressed outrage at the recent statements made by fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin's critical remarks against DSAI in recent interviews with Umno dailies Utusan Malaysia and New Straits Times. News portals and blogs are filled with comments of readers who have taken umbrage at this development at a most inopportune time, just before the next GE.


There are a few unanswered questions which he should answer.

1. If at all he intended to make those statements, why did he speak to those dailies that represent the backbone of support of the other side? Why did he not approach online news portals? He has to explain why he chose to speak to the MSM whose reach are pro-status quo instead of the online news portals whose readers are more 'enlightened' and are able to make valid judgements of their own to assess the truth and validity behind his statements.

2. With the rumored GE expected to happen as early as this month, why did he choose to slam DSAI who in all matters regardless of his weaknesses, is still the head of Pakatan rakyat? Clearly, the damaging statements have undermined the effort of PR and many other activists. For one who helped PR so much, why did he put PR in bad light? Granted there are many weaknesses that they have, especially of late but surely there is another channel of communication to sort matters in a less damaging and more constructive manner!

3. DSAI is already under siege and in deep sh**. As a once-upon-a-time respected opinion leader, why did RPK, as one keeps saying ABU ABU, kick Anwar down knowing full well smashing him utterly and completely for all and sundry to see? Hitting below the belt at anyone is certainly not on!

4. Homophobic statements are also NOT on! The verdict has not been given and it is really unfair for him to make statements such as ""I don't care. If you say is Anwar gay? I say maybe. But you cannot become prime minister. That is the reality," said Raja Petra in an interview published today the Malay-language Mingguan Malaysia." extracted from THIS LINK. You can read more about sub judice AT THIS LINK.

5. According to FMT, "Reform activist and influential blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin believes that Anwar Ibrahim was a victim of a honey-trap, but quickly added that the opposition leader was given a fair trial. (AT THIS LINK). If that is so, RPK should stop calling himself Fugitive Blogger and come home and get his share of the "fair trial" courtesy of Bolehland.

6. Raja Petra had alleged, in an interview with Umno daily Utusan Malaysia, that several Chinese businessmen in Selangor had complained to him that they still had to fork out "under-the-table" money in order to conduct businesses in the state, and that corruption was still rampant there. Yesterday, The Malaysian Insider reported HERE that the Selangor government demanded that blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin provide evidence to back up his claims of corruption within the state government. To date, he has not responded. Why?

Many supporters are in a daze over this turnaround. Many were going concertedly in ABU ABU fashion and all of a sudden, it is WHAM! BAM! SLAM! and those who supported him morally, financially and other ways are reeling in shock which is worse than the reaction of TV3 interview for obvious reasons.

Then, many defended him and strongly supported him because they felt he was unfairly derided censured at that time. However, this time round- the perception is completely different. In the past, he had always said 'Perception is everything'. So, it is clear that he did what he did at his own peril!

Haris Ibrahim has resigned as MCLM President while Malik Imtiaz and Sreekant Pillai have disassociated themselves from MCLM because of his statements. Where will MCLM go from here?

As a very intelligent man, did he not consider all these consequences before he met with those reporters from MSM?

READ MORE HERE

 

Al-kisah Saiful Bukhari, Anwar, Azlan dan Raja Petra

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 09:14 AM PST

Zaini Hassan, Utusan Malaysia

Saiful Bukhari Azlan tidak gelabah menantikan detik-detik 9 Januari 2012 ini. Tarikh itu sebenarnya dipopularkan oleh propagandis Anwar Ibrahim dengan panggilan 901, lebih kurang sama seperti hari keruntuhan Pusat Dagangan Dunia New York di Amerika Syarikat iaitu pada 911.

Saiful, 27, menjalani kehidupannya seperti orang muda yang lain. Beliau tenang. Beliau keluar berjumpa orang. Beliau tidak gelabah. Beliau bukan pemarah. Beliau kini menyerahkan kepada Allah Taala sebarang keputusan yang akan didengarinya pada pagi Isnin depan, 901.

Beliau sudah bersumpah laknat di masjid. Pendek kata beliau tiada apa-apa lagi tekanan. Beliau akan terus berdoa, beristiqamah dan bersabar. Sebagai mangsa, beliau menyerah kepada qada dan qadar Allah SWT.

Sebaliknya bagi Anwar bin Ibrahim, 901 yang akan dihadapinya itu bukanlah kali pertama, tapi sudah kali kedua. Pertuduhan kali kedua yang dihadapinya juga membabitkan kes liwat, sama seperti pertuduhan kali pertamanya membabitkan bekas pemandu isterinya.

Bagi masyarakat Barat, kes liwat ini bukanlah satu jenayah. Ia bukan sesuatu yang menjelekkan. Ia juga bukan suatu taboo atau sesuatu yang orang mahu sembunyikan.

Di Barat, liwat-meliwat atau kehidupan gay adalah sebahagian daripada cara hidup. Lelaki boleh bernikah dengan lelaki. Mereka boleh menjalinkan hubungan seks sama jenis.

Mungkin kerana itulah para propagandis Anwar mahu menjadikan hari 901 itu sebagai Rakyat Hakim Negara. Mereka mahu menjadikan undang-undang di tangan mereka.

Tapi di Malaysia, undang-undang tidak membenarkan liwat. Jika ada kes, ia harus dibicarakan. Biar mahkamah yang menentukan salah atau tidak. Agama Islam lebih-lebih lagi tidak membenarkan langsung amalan liwat. Anak-anak kita diajar mengenai kisah Nabi Lut a.s. sejak dari kecil lagi.

Gay atau homoseksual dikenal dengan istilah liwat. Imam Ibnu Qudamah mengatakan bahawa, telah sepakat (ijma') seluruh ulama mengenai haramnya homoseksual (ajma'a ahlul 'ilmi 'ala tahrim al-liwat) [Ibnu Qudamah, Al-Mughni, 12/348].

Sabda Rasulullah SAW: "Allah melaknat siapa sahaja yang melakukan perbuatan kaum Nabi Lut, Allah melaknat siapa sahaja yang melakukan perbuatan kaum Nabi Lut, Allah melaknat siapa sahaja yang melakukan perbuatan kaum Nabi Lut" (Hadis riwayat Ahmad).

Hukuman untuk gay adalah hukuman mati dan tidak ada khilafiyah di antara para fuqaha' termasuklah di antara para sahabat Nabi Muhammad SAW mengenainya. Ini seperti dinyatakan oleh Qadhi Iyadh dalam kitabnya Al-Syifa'.

Sabda Rasulullah SAW: "Siapa sahaja yang kalian dapati melakukan perbuatan kaum Nabi Lut (liwat), maka bunuhlah kedua-duanya (peliwat dan yang diliwat)." [HR Al-Khamsah, kecuali an-Nasa"i].

Namun, dalam pelaksanaan hukuman bunuh tersebut, para sahabat Rasulullah SAW berbeza pendapat mengenai tatacara (uslub) hukuman mati ke atas golongan gay ini.

Menurut Ali bin Thalib ra, kaum gay mesti dibakar dengan api hingga mati. Menurut Ibnu Abbas ra, mesti dicari bangunan yang paling tinggi di suatu tempat, lalu dihumbankan si gay tadi dengan kepala ke bawah dan setelah jatuh ke tanah, dilempari dengan batu.

Menurut Umar bin Al-Khattab r.a dan Usman bin Affan r.a, golongan gay dihukum mati dengan cara dihempapkan dinding tembok kepadanya hingga mati.

Meskipun para sahabat Rasulullah SAW berbeza pendapat tentang uslub pelaksanaan hukuman, namun semuanya sepakat bahawa golongan gay ini wajib dihukum mati. [Abdurrahman Al-Maliki, Nidzamul Uqubat, hal. 21].

Begitu seriusnya kes liwat ini. Oleh sebab itulah Islam melarang perbuatan itu. Banyak kemudaratan daripada amalan gay dan liwat ini. Ia boleh menghancurkan manusia sebagaimana yang berlaku di zaman kaum Nabi Lut a.s. Tidak mustahil ia boleh berlaku lagi sekarang.

Berbalik kepada Saiful dan Anwar, Anwar nampaknya begitu gelabah. Kita tidak pasti mengapa beliau gelabah. Apakah Anwar terlalu merasakan dirinya bersalah?

Apa yang kita tahu, para propagandisnya sedang rancak merangka rancangan siang dan malam untuk memastikan kempen Bebaskan Anwar 901 dilaksanakan. Anwar mahu mengembalikan zaman reformasi. Mereka mahu berhimpun dan membuat bising.

Bagi Saiful pula sebaliknya. Apa yang dihadapinya itu ialah masalah peribadi. Bukan soal politik. Anwar pula sebaliknya mahu menjadikannya sebagai isu politik.

Anwar mendakwa dia difitnah oleh kepimpinan Perdana Menteri Najib Razak. Tapi apa kena mengena Najib dengan Anwar? Kes liwat dengan Saiful ini bermula semasa zaman Perdana Menteri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Pada zaman Abdullah juga Anwar dibebaskan.

Jadi siapa fitnah siapa? Nampaknya Anwar dan pengikut-pengikutnya sudah keliru.

Bapa Saiful, Azlan memberitahu saya, keluarganya menyerahkan kepada mahkamah untuk menentukan keputusannya. Rakyat boleh menilai siapa benar, siapa salah.

"Jika anak saya salah, kami reda. Saya berdoa kes ini berjalan lancar tanpa ada huru-hara. Bukan saya tidak mengenali Anwar secara peribadi.

"Malah saya pernah menjadi penyokong tegar Anwar semasa zaman reformasi dulu. Perhimpunan reformasi di Masjid Negara dulu saya adalah salah seorang daripada ribuan penyokong Anwar Ibrahim."

"Malah saya juga pernah berterima kasih kepada Datuk Seri Anwar kerana mengambil anak saya sebagai pegawai khasnya. Dan Datuk Seri menjawab dengan suara bergurau, jangan risau kalau dia (Saiful) nakal saya pukul dia..." kata Azlan kepada saya semalam.

Jika bapa Saiful, Azlan pernah menjadi pengikut tegar Anwar, begitu juga dengan Raja Petra Kamarudin, atau dikenali sebagai RPK.

RPK juga pastinya bersama-sama dengan bapa Saiful, Azlan berada di Masjid Negara semasa zaman reformasi dulu.

Kini, bersama-sama dengan bekas-bekas pemimpin PKR – termasuk dengan bekas-bekas setiausaha sulit Anwar – semua mereka telah lari meninggalkan Anwar. Mengapa? Sebabnya, mereka tahu siapa itu Anwar.

RPK dalam reaksinya kepada New Straits Times semalam, hasil wawancaranya yang disiarkan oleh akhbar Ahad lepas, berkata: "Bukan semua boleh menerima kenyataan."

"Sudah tentu, saya menjangka akan dihentam. Mereka hanya mahu saya bercakap apa yang baik untuk telinga mereka saja, walaupun benda itu tidak betul," katanya ketika mengulas asakan yang diterima daripada penyokong Anwar ekoran wawancara Ahad lepas.

Akhir sekali, Anwar kena percaya kepada takdir qada dan qadar Allah SWT. Beliau mungkin menganggap dirinya hebat. Beliau mungkin boleh bercakap mengenai ketamadunan, peradaban, pemikiran, ilmu dan intelektualisme manusia.

Beliau mungkin the custodian of knowledge atau pun the Renaissance Man seperti Leonardo da Vinci. Tapi sedarlah, orang yang bijak pun boleh jatuh. Personaliti mereka juga boleh runtuh.

Kejatuhan mereka hanyalah kerana beberapa kesalahan kecil. Begitu juga Anwar.

 

PAS atau Umno Selangor lebih bergolak

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 09:03 AM PST

Subky Latif, Harakah Daily  

APAKAH ribut sekejap isu Hassan Ali boleh memberi kesan kepada PAS dan Pakatan Rakyat dalam PRU 13 nanti baik secara umum untuk seluruh negara mahu pun secara khusus di Selangor?

Sedikit sebanyak gema perang mulut antara bekas Pesuruhjaya PAS Selangor ada mengelirukan pengundi atas pagar dan pengundi tidak tegar BN yang bercadang untuk mengajar pimpinan UMNO sekarang.

Rata-rata saya berjalan saya ditemui oleh penyokong tegas Pakatan dan penyokong BN khususnya UMNO. Mereka bertanyakan isu itu. Tiada penjelasan tepat dan meyakinkan yang dapat saya beri melainkan cuba mengatakan ia isu sekejap dan sementara yang boleh diredakan sebelum pilihan raya.

Ketika pilihan raya berlangsung, isu itu tidak menjadi isu lagi.

Apa pun pengundi tegas PAS dan pembangkang bimbang ia boleh mengganggu harapan PR untuk menambah kejayaan PRU 2008 dulu, bahkan mungkin tidak dapat mempertahankan keputusan yang lalu. Mereka tidak akan berganjak dari PR sekali Anwar Ibrahim tiada di luar.

Tetapi mereka bimbang ialah boleh mempengaruhi orang atas pagar. Mana-mana yang bercadang untuk menyokong PR memikirkannya semula. Kalau ia berlarutan ia boleh mengganggu perayu undi dari rumah ke rumah untuk bersoal jawab apabila ditanya pengundi.

Orang UMNO yang tidak senang dengan kerajaan dan pimpinan UMNO yang ada, masih mengharapkan BN berkuasa tetapi mereka mengurangkan pencapaiannya, sekurang-kurangnya seperti keputusan Mac 2008 dulu, supaya ia membuka jalan kepada perubahan pimpinan UMNO.

Keputusan buruk BN itulah yang memungkinkan pimpinan Abdullah Badawi digantikan. Tidak cara bagi mereka mengakhiri pimpinan buruk bersama Najib dan Rosmah melainkan ngeri yang sama berlaku kepada PRU 13. Justeru itu bagi mereka pimpinan PR khususnya PAS jangan memberi banyak peluru kepada BN.

Saya boleh menerima logik itu.

Moga-moga dengan perkembangan terbaru Dato Hassan sudah berjumpa pimpinan PAS – Mursyidul Am dan Presiden – di kediaman Menteri Besar Kelantan, Hassan bukan sekadar mengentikan polemiknya dengan PAS malah minta maaf dan menarik balik tempelaknya terhadap gagasan negara berkebajikan.

Isu itu sudah reda dan seperti betul ialah adalah ribut yang sekejap.

Mungkin kesannya tidak 100 peratus reda, tetapi ia rasanya boleh diimbangi di Selangor dengan keputusan kes mahkamah Dr. Khir Toyo. Kes bekas MB Dr. Khir itu menambah imej rasuah pimpinan kerajaan BN Selangor sejak lebih 30 tahun dulu.

Ia menambah gara-gara yang ditinggalkan oleh kes Dato Harun Idris dan Tan Sri Mohamad Mohd Taib. Kedua-duanya berhenti dari MB kerana kes masing-masing. Sekali pun kes Dato Harun menjurus kepada kes politik, tetapi campuran semua masalah itu menjadikan isu Hassan Ali itu tidak apa-apa.

Boleh tenggelam isu itu dalam timbunan imej rasuah BN dan UMNO Selangor. Dan kes lembu suami ketua Wanita UMNO yang tidak mungkin diselesaikan pada PRU 13 itu menjadikan isu Hassan sekecil zarrah atau hama melayang.

Isu itu mati apabila membatalkan sangkaannya tentang negara berkebajikan. Isu itu sudah bukan lagi suatu perbedaan pendapat di kalangan PAS.

Malah isu Hassan Ali itu tidak sampai mencetuskan perpecahan pada PAS Selangor. Tidak ada bantahan ketara atas perubahan pimpinan PAS Selangor.

Sekurang-kurang kalau ia dikira satu penyingkiran terhadap pimpinan PAS Selangor, maka apa kurangnya penyingkiran pimpinan UMNO Selangor. Kes rasuah Khir Toyo adalah satu bentuk penyingkiran kepadanya oleh pimpinan bersama Najib dan Noh Omar. Adakah Dr. Khir saja yang rasuah di Selangor?

Mengapa yang lain tidak diseret? Adakah yang lain malaikat belaka?

Lebih teruk penyingkiran Najib ke atas Tan Sri Mohamad Taib. Bekas MB Selangor digugurkan dalam semua kedudukan apabila Najib menjadi Perdana Menteri dan ketua UMNO Selangor. Mohamad adalah Ketua UMNO Selangor ketika Najib menjadi Presiden UMNO dan Perdana Menteri.

Najib angkat ramai senator baru untuk dijadikan menteri, digugur Senator Mohamad Taib dari jawatan menteri.

Mana lebih bergolak antara UMNO Selangor dan PAS Selangor?

Sesungguhnya benda yang tidak sepatutnya jadi isu telah dijadikan isu. Untungnya ia sekejap saja.

 

REPLY TO THE PRESS RELEASE by YB Wong Koon Mun, MCA State Liaison Committee Secretary and state ...

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 08:35 AM PST

Yayasan Selangor regretted the superficial and uncalled for statement by YB Wong Koon Mun, MCA State Liaison Committee Secretary and State Assembly man for Kuala Kubu Baru on January 2, 2012, regarding the Ampang Pecah National Service  Camp (PLKN) and Yayasan Selangor's 40th Anniversary.

YS spent RM4.04 million in 2010 and 2011 at the request of the National Service Training Department (JLKN) to meet the SOC 2008 as one of the conditions for National Service contract extension.

The question of YS not realising that the contract would not be renewed in 2012 does not arise. As a matter of fact, selected NS camps  were given the continuation letter for the year 2012  in early December 2011. However, demands for improvement of camp facilities, including  water activity pool have been made since the beginning of 2010.
 
YS strived to meet these requirements and all the facilities listed were completed by the end of 2011, with the hope and expectation that  JLKN NS would extend the contract which ended on December 31, 2011.
 
We are still waiting for a reply from YAB Dato' Sri Najib and YB Minister of Defence Malaysia. Our appeal for extension of  NS Camp in Ampang Pecah was  also supported by the Hulu Selangor Member of Parliament, YB P. Kamalanathan unlike YB Wong Koon Mun who is prejudiced against Yayasan Selangor.
 
However, if the BN Federal Government decides to "persecute" Yayasan Selangor, we will never let the Ampang Pecah Camp to become  a "white elephant" as hoped by YB Wong Koon Mun. Yayasan Selangor shall endeavour to do its best  to meet the income shortfall due to BN Federal G'ment "persecution".
 
The allegation that Yayasan Selangor spent money from the taxpayer (public funds) is baseless. This shows that YB Wong Koon Mun did not make a study on YS and instead chose to make wild accusations. To date Yayasan Selangor does not get any grant from the State Government, what more from the Federal Government.

The allegation that YS had a deficit of RM 7.41m for 2010 is untrue. YS deficit for 2010 was only RM5.1m(Audited Account). The other issues raised are outdated and have been addressed.

YS generates its own  income by the sheer hard work of the staff & management. We have sufficient income to fund the educational programme for the needy children of Selangor through the building/office rental collections, operation of our oil palm plantation and joint venture development. Hence, there is no truth that Yayasan Selangor is allegedly using public funds for any of its expenses.

Throughout 2011, Yayasan Selangor's management strived to improve its financial management where income and expenses were fully monitored. Priority is still given to educational programmes and they run smoothly as planned in the form of student loans, scholarships, contributions to religious schools and orphanages as well as public tuition classes that continue to be successfully implemented.

Thank You.


Ilham Marzuki
General Manager
Yayasan Selangor

 

OK, RPK Switch Sides But Why Are Everyone Surprise?

Posted: 03 Jan 2012 07:51 AM PST

FINANCE TWITTER

One of the reasons why I'm looking forward to the first day of the New Year was the prospect of bombshells of news, besides the glittering and spectacular fireworks, of course. As predicted, the peaceful short demonstration by young students at UPSI ended with bloods, thanks to the kind hospitality of the professional police. The news however was dwarfed by RPK's latest bombshells. Instantly RPK, the UK-born Selangor prince, now living in exile in Manchester, invites criticisms from his remaining loyal readers.

Previously, RPK or Raja Petra Kamarudin, dropped a bombshell just 3-day before the important Sarawak state election, of which his granted interview to the government-controlled TV3 helped cleanse PM Najib Razak, to certain degrees, of the murder allegation of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaaribuu. This time, RPK dropped couple of bombshells when he declares "There's Life after Anwar", "Anwar morally unfit to become PM", "Anwar may become irrelevant", "Frustrated voters will back BN in polls", not to mention he's now suddenly 90% confident Anwar was the man in the sex video.

Raja Petra RPK Switch Sides 

Generally, what RPK is telling the opposition and his readers who once worshipped him as the greatest whistleblowers to the government's dark secrets is this – you can all go fly kites from now onwards because I've joined the dark (rich) side of the powerful and corrupt force. And if you think this is not for real but another round of RPK throwing tantrums with some noble hidden plot due to whatever reasons, think again because his pet project MCLM's president and buddy, Haris Ibrahim, has just quit the movement. But why RPK switch sides?

Actually, the moment he granted his interview to TV3 months ago, knowing very well that the media was a spin master in favour of the present government, and later beat around the bush justifying his acts that TV3 played him out, was the strongest hint that RPK had indeed sold himself out. With his latest interviews granted to yet another UMNO-controlled newspaper, it only goes to confirm (if you're not already convince) that he has sold his soul. There's a saying that everybody has a price-tag so there's no different with ordinary RPK, unless he's not a homo-sapiens.

Raja Petra RPK Switch Sides - Homesick 

So, how much was RPK paid for switching side? If hard cold cash was indeed transacted, it has to be more than what Perak's Jelapang Hee-Apa-Nama received. Of course it has to come with freedom to come back to his country and whatnot strings attached. In spite of luxury accomodation in Manchester and so-called happy Christmas vacation on a friend's boat in Phuket, the sight of not able to come back to taste Nasi Lemak, Teh Tarik (*tongue in cheek*) and whatnot is too much to bear. He may talk big about living luxuriously abroad but the fact remains he's extremely homesick hence he should be forgiven for his latest action.

Whether he's fully sponsored by former premier Mahathir Mohamad or white-collar criminal Soh Chee Wen for his relatively easy escape out of Malaysia and thereafter luxury lifestyle abroad is immaterial. If one were to read his articles, his bazooka was trained primarily at former premier Abdullah Badawi and his son-in-law Khairi, and Najib Razak's wife over the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya, of course. He seldom attack Mahathir or Muhyiddin, let alone Mahathir's sons. That's strange because while RPK sees it freaking wrong for Khairi to amass 13 million shares from ECM Libra for RM9.2 million, he doesn't seems to think it was wrong for Mahathir to use Petronas money to bail out his son's (Mirzan Mahathir) Konsortium Perkapalan to the tune of RM696 million back in 1998.

READ MORE HERE

 

Malik Imtiaz and Sreekant Pillai out of MCLM

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 08:45 PM PST

(The Star) - Prominent human rights lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar is the latest personality to disassociate himself from the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) chaired by Raja Petra Kamarudin.

Joining him is Sreekant Pillai, a lawyer and son of veteran journalist M.G.G Pillai.

In December 2010, both had been picked by MCLM to contest in the next general election.

Their decision to stay away from MCLM came following the resignation of MCLM president Haris Ibrahim after Raja Petra's statement that the movement would not be fielding candidates in the polls.

Haris said Raja Petra (or RPK) was undermining efforts to end Barisan Nasional's (BN) rule.

Another MCLM member, Dr Nedunchelian Vengu, said he would go ahead to contest in the polls.

The candidacy of the 43-year-old dentist was announced by MCLM last July. He is said to be fielded in the Kapar parliamentary constituency currently held by PKR's S. Manikavasagam.

Malik Imtiaz said he was still committed to further the reform agenda although not a member of MCLM.

He said Raja Petra's statements had shed a "less than positive light" on MCLM.

"That is regrettable as it is an impression that has undermined the credibility of the MCLM and its efforts.

"It has also undermined the tremendous efforts of a number of highly committed and selfless individuals to develop various civil society initiatives under the banner of MCLM," he wrote in his blog.

 

Anwar says severed ties with RPK

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 08:43 PM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today he has stopped all forms of communication with Raja Petra Kamarudin since the Sarawak election, accusing the political blogger of "supporting Barisan Nasional".

The PKR defacto leader brushed aside Raja Petra's critical remarks against him in recent interviews with Umno dailies Utusan Malaysia and New Straits Times.

"I have not contacted him since he supported Barisan Nasional in the Sarawak elections…there has been no communication for the last six months," Anwar told reporters here.

Anwar said he had been friends with Raja Petra for ten year, and acknowledged the fact that the Selangor prince had "actively" supported him while he was in prison back in 199.

"He (Raja Petra) ran to London because he did not want to go to prison," said Anwar.

"I don't usually comment on attacks like these, coming close to elections like the Sarawak polls last time, carried out by individuals using Umno media," added Anwar, in apparent reference to the Malaysia Today portal editor's interview with TV3 prior to the Sarawak election last year.

Raja Petra had said that Anwar was morally unfit to become prime minister as Malaysians could not accept a homosexual to lead the country.

The self-exiled blogger did not explicitly call Anwar a homosexual but said there was no room in Malaysia for someone who is gay and wants to become PM.

He also said he was "90 per cent" sure the man in the Datuk T sex video was Anwar, and that many of the latter's friends believed in the authenticity of the video.

PKR has attacked Raja Petra for his remarks made about Anwar's sexual orientation, calling it "untrue" and "libellous", and have accused him of being hired by Umno.

Raja Petra had also criticised Anwar's appointment as Selangor state economic advisor, saying that corruption was still rampant in the state.

"A lot of people have been asking for projects, and have not been getting what they want," said Anwar bluntly in response.

"I am doing my duties based on my experience as finance minister," he added.

 

What now, RPK?

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 08:42 PM PST

Anwar Ibrahim has remained in the country to face his charges and defend his name. Not RPK. This alone doesn't make RPK any more eligible to criticise Anwar.

By TAY TIAN YAN
Translated by DOMINIC LOH
Sin Chew Daily

Blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) is back in the scene. Although he fails to move the mountains this time, he has nevertheless managed to create some small talks in town.

Interviewed by the Sunday editions of pro-Umno Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian and New Straits Times, RPK hit out straight at Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan, and instantly became the media star of the day.

He said a homosexual could not become Malaysia's prime minister, adding that he was 90% sure the guy in Datuk T's video was Anwar Ibrahim.

Coincidentally, a verdict on Anwar's sodomy case will be delivered in a matter of days, while the general election is around the corner.

The fact that RPK was interviewed by these three newspapers in Singapore gave the whole matter an accentuated dramatic twist.

Many Pakatan supporters and members of the public have long lost their faith in RPK, who on the eve of Sarawak's state election last April appeared on TV3 and talked of many things that contravened the principles he earlier cherished.

He was defending his own acts and clarifying some things at that time, including the statutory declaration in relation to Altantuya's murder which he said he made under misguidance.

That could have been an attempt to deliver himself out of the trouble. For a dissident, that was something pathetic, but from the point of a person in exile, his behaviour was nevertheless understandable.

That said, his latest remarks only served to entrench the damage already done to him. By slamming Anwar and the opposition pact, it was evident RPK indeed had his own agenda, especially with the verdict of the sodomy trial just days away.

He said "he was told" that the Selangor state government was as corrupt as its predecessor, although he fell short of providing any evidence to back his claim.

There are two ways one can explain RPK's bizzare behaviour.

1. He hates Anwar Ibrahim more than anyone else, like a wrestler who would run into the ring and throw out his fists blindly in hope of bringing down his opponent.

2. He wants to come back to this country so much that he would change his old stand in a bid to clear his name and get accepted once again.

Because of the statutory declaration he made with regard to the Altantuya murder, he was summoned by the court but failed to show up. He later left the country in self exile and this won him approval from many sympathisers.

Anwar Ibrahim has remained in the country to face his charges and defend his name. Not RPK.

This alone doesn't make RPK any more eligible to criticise Anwar.

 

MCA seeks MACC probe on Yayasan Selangor

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 03:41 PM PST

The state-owned foundation is under fire for spending millions renovating a camp that the Nasional Service Training Department will not use.

(Free Malaysia Today) - MCA today accused Yayasan Selangor of "wanton" spending and urged the state government to get the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate it for financial mismanagement.

It also called for an audit to determine why the state-owned foundation had spent millions of ringgit to renovate a National Service (NS) camp despite failing to get a licence to operate it.

Selangor MCA liaison secretary Wong Koon Mun made these demands in a media statement that referred to a recent news report about the foundation upgrading the Ampang Pecah NS camp only to find out that the National Service Training Department was not renewing its licence. The report said the foundation spent RM4.04 on the upgrading.

It is not clear why the contract has not been renewed.

"Sadly, there were no attempts by the state government to monitor the foundation, resulting with the former overlooking the latter's wanton expenditure," Wong said.

Wong, who is the state assemblyman for Kuala Kubu Baru, said Yayasan Selangor should have known that it would take time to renew a licence and should have checked on its NS contract status before spending so much money on the renovation.

"The lackadaisical attitude of the foundation's management reflects on how they treat public funds without any form of responsibility," he said. "This is definitely abuse of power."

READ MORE HERE

 

The MCLM will enter into second gear today (FLASHBACK 20th November 2010)

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 03:28 PM PST

There appears to be some confusion as to what I said in my NST interview and what the MCLM committee actually agreed more than a year ago. Below is the article I wrote in this column on 20th November 2010. Maybe you can read what I said at the time the MCLM was mooted and launched. I trust this will clear up the confusion and get the record set straight. There is actually no inconsistency or deviation from what was agreed.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I just want to pen a short note to tell you that the draft Constitution of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MLCM) has just been finalised. MCLM's lawyer has just sent it through to me and I am studying it now.

Later today I shall be fetching Haris Ibrahim from the tube station. He will be arriving about 5.00am this morning UK time. Haris and I will then go through the Constitution to make sure that it is in order before releasing it to the public.

Haris will be spending about a week with me here in the UK to go through the mission and vision of the MCLM. Basically, what we will focus on will be:

1. The MCLM will become a pressure group of civil society movement activists with a view to engage politicians, not to become politicians.

2. The MCLM will assist any political party that may be looking for candidates from amongst the civil society movement activists to field in the next general election.

3. The MCLM committee members and officer bearers themselves will not be contesting the general election to prevent anyone from using the MCLM as a platform to further their own political careers.

4. The MCLM will attempt to mould and shape the Malaysian political landscape and culture, not instead to be moulded or shaped by the political culture.

5. The MCLM will stand on the outside looking in, not get in and become tainted by politics.

These are just some of my early thoughts on the entire thing and I know that Haris has more up his sleeve.

By next Saturday, 27 November 2010, I hope to call for the second committee meeting of the MCLM and finalise all these issues. Thereafter, we shall make known what has transpired, where we are coming from, and where we hope to get to.

In the meantime, the website (http://mclm.org.uk/) is being completed and we hope to open it for public viewing soon so that those who share the aspirations of the MCLM can sign up as members. The Constitution, membership form, Mission and Vision Statement, etc., will all be on the website. Rest assured that the MCLM will be run with complete transparency as a demonstration to the political parties how we would like things done in the political arena.

Till then stay tuned and I shall update you as we go along.

http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/36078-the-mclm-will-enter-into-second-gear-today

 

The RPK-Haris Ibrahim saga

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 03:19 PM PST

KTEMOC KONSIDERS

RPK & Haris Ibrahim - a great partnership in the newly formed MCLM but which future now holds a big question mark!

The Malaysian Insider (TMI) article MCLM president quits, says undermined by RPK reported that Haris Ibrahim tendered his resignation as president of the MCLM, after citing as reasons for his decision two of RPK's recent and very damning interviews – see my previous post RPK amputates 'gangrenous' Anwar Ibrahim from Pakatan?

Brother Haris resigned as MCLM's president because he has been terribly upset by RPK's:

(1) unilateral assertion (meaning minus prior consultation & agreement with Haris & other MCLM office holders) that The Rights group (MCLM) is not a 3rd force and therefore would not contest the next general election, and

(2) remarks that 'the Egypt-style people's revolution was not an answer for Malaysia due to the delicate racial balance'"they (Chinese voters) don't want Tahrir Square type of change", saddening Haris because according to him "... my friend (Raja Petra) should continue to see us as Malays, Chinese, Indians, dll (others)."

The overall effect, according to Haris, has basically put a spanner in his (Haris') ABU campaign. because according to RPK,

I lament the end of a great RPK-Haris Ibrahim partnership in MCLM, a movement to promote good parliamentarians and parliamentary practice of first class Westminster-type democracy.

But is there any hope of salvaging the relationship and the impetus of MCLM?

Before I comment on that, let me provide my personal take on the two protagonists.

Let me start with RPK.

I came to know of (rather than 'know' per se) RPK in 2005 when I, influenced very much by Jeff Ooi's blogging, started blogging under the mentorship of my erstwhile partner, Mr X, at the BolehTalk blog.

Then, after I posted a piece critical of Anwar Ibrahim, much to the consternation of my partner and friends wakakaka, RPK contacted me by email with a brief message which I replied with courtesy and kept its contents confidential for the last 7 years. Thereafter we have had no further person-to-person contact.

Out of respect for confidentiality, as should be observed in any private correspondence, I have no intention of ever revealing that message.

As I had written before, cynical kaytee hasn't been and isn't exactly a bloke known to be particularly fond of RPK personally (I treat him with clinical neutrality), though of course I do admire, respect and am a wee envious of his creativity and ability to influence many politically.

But I do not always agree with his arguments, for example, those relating to his inflammatory Stat Dec and his take on Ombudsman. I've written several posts to disagree with the former – see my post RPK a willing captive in his statutory declaration and ...

... shot him down on the latter when sometime immediately after the March 2008 GE, he wrote about instituting an ombudsman (or committee) for the then 5 States under the DAP-PKR-PAS governments. But what took my breath away was his over-the-top proposal when he stated (for some obscure reasons):

READ MORE HERE

 

DAP to ‘sacrifice’ seats for Malay candidates

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 03:09 PM PST

Party leaders have been reportedly meeting with "Malay opinion-makers in small closed-door discussions".

(Free Malaysia Today) - Speculation is rife that DAP will 'sacrifice' 10 of its safe seats for its new Malay members.

Sources said although no 'conclusive decisions' have been made, the party leaders were discussing matters with potential candidates.

'Basically DAP will sacrifice its safe seats as a goodwill to its Malay candidates.The objective is to show that the party is not anti-Malay," said the source.

DAP is apparently aiming to field their 'winnable' Malay candidates in parliamentary seats.

"From what we know, the party has identified seven parliamentary seats for their winnable Malay candidates. The others are state seats. Some may contest in both seats.

"But this is still being decided," said the source.

Post 2008 general election, DAP has been targeting 'thinking' Malays to increase its support within the community.

The party is desperately wanting to free itself from its image of representing only the Chinese community.

Currently with DAP are former Transperancy International Malaysia chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim and Zairil Johari, son of former education minister Khir Johari.

Zahril together with DAP youth chief Anthony Loke and party strategist Liew Chin Tong have been tasked with wooing selected Malays.

A coup for DAP

Party leaders have been reportedly meeting with "Malay opinion-makers in small closed-door discussions dealing with issues concerning Islamic state, hudud and bumiputera affirmative action".

Yesterday the party scored a coup. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's former Pekan division information chief Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz and Negeri Sembilan Umno veteran Aspan Alias joined the party.

Ariff, a former Pulau Manis state assemblyman was with Najib until 2004.

It is also learnt that former Umno minister Zaid Ibrahim will also be contesting under a DAP banner. It is likely that he will be fielded in an urban seat.

Zaid had last month declared that Kita, his party, will not contest in the general election but would instead throw its support behind Pakatan Rakyat.

Confirming rumours of his move to DAP, Ariff said yesterday: "Yes, that is what we are doing (joining DAP). I am impressed by DAP. They are principled, I like their professionalism.

"Don't read our move as blasphemous or treasonable. In DAP I can speak on the plight of the displaced and disowned Malays with more energy than allowed of in Umno.

"Umno has turned its back on corruption and abuse of political office. DAP abhors these traits. To me these are are attractive propositions. As a Muslim, we are changing wadah not aqidah."

READ MORE HERE

 

Statement: MCLM

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 02:28 PM PST

Malik Imtiaz Sarwar

It is with regret that I announce my disassociation from the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement, otherwise known as MCLM. Though I have at no point in time been a member of MCLM, I had committed to working with the movement to further the reform agenda.

For the sake of clarity, I note here that at all times my agreement to stand as an independent candidate hinged on my being satisfied that there was cause for it. In this I firmly believed, and still do, that the Pakatan Rakyat was pivotal in any campaign for reform, though it was not necessarily the only actor of relevance. In that light, I had resolved to stand only where my doing so would not result in a three-corner fight or where it was strictly necessary to do so.

Much has occurred since the announcement of the initiative. For one, the Pakatan Rakyat appeared to commit to a sustained effort to identify and field quality candidates. For another, Raja Petra Kamarudin felt it necessary to state his personal views as he did, in an interview with TV3 last year and recently in interviews published in the New Straits Times and the Utusan Malaysia.

I will not delve into the matters spoken of save to say that they cast a less than positive light on the MCLM in so far as its commitment to principle is concerned. Furthermore, I do not share his views.

READ MORE HERE

 

Looking for the Good in RPK

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 02:05 PM PST

It is unlikely that Malaysians in this country will be swayed by RPK's latest tirade against Anwar in the UMNO press. We should not lose our focus on the political agenda at hand which is to sweep the BN into the dustbin of history and to build a just, equal, democratic society. 

By Kua Kia Soong, Director of SUARAM

 

My feelings of disappointment and rage upon seeing the latest RPK collusion with the UMNO press to denigrate Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat were quickly tempered by my wife's daily email supplement to me:

Today's  Contemplation:

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."   (Audrey  Hepburn)

I will therefore do well by honouring my wife's wise counsel and the immortal wisdom of one of my favourite actors…

RPK's Expose of the BN Government

On 5 Jan 2010, I wrote an article for the online press entitled: "RPK's Expose of the Malaysian State". RPK had been the victim of the same UMNO press he has just colluded with after his expose of the Altantuya murder and all the other shenanigans of the BN administration, including those of the previous Badawi government. I lauded his efforts to expose the illegitimate institutions of the Malaysian state:

"RPK has gone beyond the sociological theses about the shared interests of the ruling elite – he has literally stripped bare the integuments of the Malaysian state; exposed the machinations of the police and the shameful harassment of whistleblowers. He has posed questions surrounding the unsolved murder of Altantuya that all justice-loving Malaysians want answered."

That is the good I found in RPK and all his contributions to the Malaysian peoples' cause in Malaysia Today. I have no interest in his feud with Anwar Ibrahim but exile, ego and eagerness for attention can affect a person's psyche and perspective on things.


RPK's Advocacy of the Third Force

Then there was his advocacy of the "Third Force" in the Malaysian political arena. While the ideological colour of this MCLM was less clear, at least it was seen as part of the broad front against the Barisan Nasional. This was a concept I subscribed to up to a point.

I was one of the proponents of the "Two Front System" in the Eighties and I joined the Opposition Front in the Nineties. Since the political tsunami of 2008, I believe we have a 2-front system in the country although we have not yet ended the 54-year dominance of the BN at the federal level. Political events have since pointed to the need for a Third Force represented by PSM and others who are focused on the political agenda beyond the neo-liberal system in which BN and PR operate and beyond the careerism that characterises mainstream Malaysian politics.

Keeping our eyes on the ball

Haris Ibrahim's stand against RPK's collusion with the UMNO press at least restores our faith in this Third Force position vis-à-vis the BN. It is unlikely that Malaysians in this country will be swayed by RPK's latest tirade against Anwar in the UMNO press. We should not lose our focus on the political agenda at hand which is to sweep the BN into the dustbin of history and to build a just, equal, democratic society including,

-           protecting our public services such as oil and gas, utilities such as water, energy, health, education and social services from privatization and to nationalize the already privatized essential services;

-           defending the social right to employment, health, welfare provision, education;

-           initiating popular participation and control, especially unionization;

-           initiating forms of democratic self-management in Malaysian work places to be run for the common good;

-           implementing a progressive tax system.

This resistance to unrestrained neo-liberalism must try to empower our oppressed people in the process of participatory democracy. Popular democratic participation is not just in economic but also political institutions. Unfettered capital transfers by speculators and finance capitalists must also be checked. Real democracy will never be attained merely through periodic general elections and relying on parliament alone but through direct action and true grassroots democracy.

So even as I yearn for beautiful eyes, beautiful lips and poise RPK, the struggle goes on …

"I have dreamed on this mountain

Since first I was my mother's baby

And you just can't take my dreams away

Not with me watching

No you just can't take my dreams away

Without me fighting

No you just can't take my dreams away." (Mountain Song by Holly Near)

What is RPK to you? (UPDATED)

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 02:02 PM PST

Why is RPK's latest offering a big hoo-hah? I mean, seriously? In fact I am rather equivocal of RPK's latest interview. I find that there is nothing to get upset about. I am not here to defend RPK as I think he feels he is a big enough person.

By AsamLaksa

I, AsamLaksa, am an infrequent commentator and contributor on Malaysia Today.

I check MT regularly mainly for laughs mainly arising from the BN jokers and religious nuts. I am nobody in Malaysian politics and use a pseudonym. I do not reside in Malaysia. I am an atheist. I am occasionally moved to share my opinions with fellow MT readers as I have strong ties with Malaysia. I like Malaysia and have high hopes for Malaysia. If there is one thing I want from Malaysians is for Malaysians to think for themselves.

Now that I have got all that out of the way let me get back on topic. Why is RPK's latest offering a big hoo-hah? I mean, seriously? In fact I am rather equivocal of RPK's latest interview. I find that there is nothing to get upset about. I am not here to defend RPK as I think he feels he is a big enough person.

Let me share some of my thoughts and feelings on Malaysia in general first:

1. Pre-2008 GE, I posted that I suspected PKR is the weak link in PR.

2. Pre-2008 GE, I posted that I do not trust Anwar Ibrahim and that I decided later to give him a chance to prove himself as I recognised the uniting role he plays in PR. After that I again stated my reservations on Anwar as he did not live up to expectations in leading PKR.

3. A few months after PR ruled Selangor I posted my reservations on some of their policies which are populist in nature and their lack of long term planning. I also posted my lack of faith in Khalid Ibrahim.

4. I have nothing against leaders who have extra-marital affairs or being homosexual. Thus I am against the call for Chua Soi Lek to resign as a minister and I am against the persecution of Anwar Ibrahim with Sodomy 2 and the sex video. I also have no qualms of Najib having any extra-marital affairs though I can't speak for his wife. I am more concerned about how the leaders perform their roles.

5. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. This has proved to be a big source for laughs.

6. I personally think Anwar and many of those that surround him do not have good morals or principles from their deeds and speech. You will get my meaning when you read the reactions from PKR spokespersons on many issues where they have displayed inconsistencies. In fact most of them are overly defensive without facts to back them up. Simply not impressed.

7. I think leaders are replaceable but not the good cause.

8. I personally could not care less who is the PM as long as the government brings positive changes.

9. I do not really care what sort of government Malaysia has be it an Islamic, communist, republic or pariah state as long as it promotes and protects fundamental human rights. Labels have little meaning for me.

10. I like Zaid Ibrahim. I think he does what he says. He got PR registered which I think is a task which many in PR would not give priority to. Zaid appears not to depend on handouts from BN or PR. He is his own man.

11. I think MCLM is a good idea but unlikely to succeed because Malaysians are not ready to accept a new political culture mainly due to lack of imagination. What's not to like about Pop MP Idol?

12. I have reservations about ABU as it does not address core principles that would protect fundamental rights of Malaysians and is again overly populist in nature. But I understand the reason for it mainly that UMNO and BN are incapable of changing according to times unless you give them a big scare like kicking them out of power.

13. I think many Malaysians have no principles lauding someone when they say the things they like but quick to denounce when the same person says something they don't like.

14. I think many Malaysians make baseless assumptions too quickly because they don't read or listen. I have been accused of being an UMNO Malay Muslim cyber trooper and I got a big laugh out of it.

15. I think Malaysians are very passionate and often this impairs their reasoning.

16. I think the religious fanaticism impedes development of ideas because it discourages straying from norms.

17. I have posted that real change comes from bottom up – it has to come from the lay people and not the leaders. Thus I do not really care whether such and such a leader goes to jail or talk crap as long as the lay people are strong. Let Malaysians on the ground take charge such as during Bersih 2.0 which made me feel proud for Malaysians.

Now many will have their own thoughts and many will disagree with mine. But I am a nobody thus I have the luxury so say what I like. Who cares what I think? But many care what RPK thinks. I disagree with many of RPK's thinking and I posted unflattering words about him. I even went so far as posting that RPK needs you more than you need him. The reason is simply that he is replaceable and that
you only need him to give you a head start in opening your minds and he needs you to make the hard choices from the day of awakening till the end of your lives. There are no shortcuts in positive social reforms.

Everyone is replaceable but the cause must remain in Malaysians. The cause does not only reside in a select few good Malaysians but in everyone that believes in the goodness of it which is worth fighting for.

By the way, I have never met, seen or spoken to RPK and have no plans to.

What is the point of all this? I am simply pointing out that every one of you MT readers should think for yourselves and challenge your entrenched values. Don't let others think for you.

Many of you are so wrong and you don't know it. Take time to develop self-awareness, finding out where your real values lie and what the reasons behind your thoughts and feelings are. I used to defend the NEP saying that it prevents another May 13 but my wife pointed out that you can't use a wrong to right a wrong and it is simply cowardice to accept such an excuse. It took me 2 days to
realise that I was so wrong.

So please use your reasoning, discover your principles and uphold them and do not let situations and sentiments sway you.

Let me end with – Hoi! Ada guna otak ke?

Why the outcome of Anwar's trial matters to every Malaysian

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 01:59 PM PST

But what is at stake here is more than the opposition leader's personal freedom. 54 years ago, the people of this nation were promised that their newly independent land would be free and democratic; and the hopes of the people were given expression in the highest law of the land, the Federal Constitution. This promise was wilfully broken by the political coalition that has ruled this country from that day onwards.
 
By N Surendran, VP Keadilan
 
On January 9th 2012, the Kuala Lumpur High Court will deliver its verdict in the sodomy trial of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. The entire proceedings have been widely condemned as a show trial of a type frequently resorted to by authoritarian regimes to crush political opponents. But Anwar has a long track record of never giving in. He has already declared that whatever the outcome on January 9th, he will never surrender. He will be as good as his word - prison did not break or silence Anwar before, it will not do so now.
 
But what is at stake here is more than the opposition leader's personal freedom. 54 years ago, the people of this nation were promised that their newly independent land would be free and democratic; and the hopes of the people were given expression in the highest law of the land, the Federal Constitution. This promise was wilfully broken by the political coalition that has ruled this country from that day onwards. The same judiciary that will pass judgement upon Anwar Ibrahim on January 9, utterly failed to uphold the fundamental freedoms contained in the Constitution and allowed the Executive to trample over the basic rights of the Rakyat. Thus for more than half a century, the people have suffered under harsh laws, widespread corruption and the abuse of public office for profit and self-enrichment. The people, to whom this nation rightfully belongs, have been reduced to poor petitioners at the door of Putrajaya, where Umno/BN leaders and their hangers-on lord over the people.
 
The antithesis of the Umno regime is the Anwar-led opposition coalition whose central purpose is to repeal all oppressive and anti-democratic laws and to restore to the people their constitutional freedoms; to end the country's massive losses from corruption; and to ensure a just and equitable distribution of the nation's wealth. Umno is now trying to halt this great Malaysian walk to freedom by attempting to politically annihilate Anwar Ibrahim through a justice system which is partial and compliant. This is why January 9 matters to every Malaysian. Anwar's defiant stand against an unjust system gives the rakyat renewed strength and hope in the face of the oppressor's brute force, and fortifies the rakyat's determination to push for change and reform.This then is the climactic moment in the battle for the kind of nation we want to live in, and the type of values we want to bequeath to a future generation of Malaysians. Whichever way the verdict goes on January 9th, we can take heart that soon enough it will be the Rakyat's turn to deliver verdict upon an unrighteous and persecuting government.

Azmin says RPK irrelevant

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 01:50 PM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - PKR deputy president Azmin Ali today dismissed Raja Petra Kamarudin's attack on him and the party, calling the self-exiled blogger irrelevant after being away from Malaysia for over two years.

Raja Petra, better known as RPK, had called Azmin "deceitful" and unable to shed the Umno culture, saying in an interview published yesterday there will be an internal revolt in PKR if the Gombak MP succeeds Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should the de facto party leader be jailed for sodomy.

"Raja Petra is irrelevant. It is the rakyat, not Raja Petra, who will determine the direction of the party."

"He has been intimately disconnected from the country. He does not know what is happening," the Selangor PKR chief said.

Raja Petra had also told Umno's Utusan Malaysia last weekend that Opposition Leader Anwar was morally unfit to be prime minister as Malaysians could not accept a homosexual to lead the country.

The Selangor prince, who fled the country in 2009 after alleging that Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife were responsible for the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shariibuu, did not explicitly call Anwar a homosexual but said there was no room in Malaysia for someone who is gay and wants to become PM.

He also said he was "90 per cent" sure the man in the Datuk T sex video was Anwar, and that many of the latter's friends believed in the authenticity of the video.

Azmin repeated today PKR's claim that Raja Petra was now "hired by Umno" as he was no longer exiled in Britain but now holidaying in Phuket and giving interviews in Singapore.

"He is so near to Malaysia, he can enter the country anytime," he said, implying that a deal has been struck between the blogger and the ruling Barisan Nasional.

 

 

Zaid Ibrahim: Raja Petra di pihak salah

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 01:37 PM PST

(Merdeka Review) - Dua minggu lalu, saya menulis tentang bagaimanakah kita boleh menjadikan pembangkang lebih kuat.  Saya mencadangkan agar pihak pembangkang harus mengambil pendekatan yang inklusif dan tidak membiarkan perbezaan kecil dengan cara mewujudkan barisan bersatu.

Ini bermakna termasuk kumpulan kecil atau sampingan yang berada di dalam stratosfera politik.  Saya juga berkata bahawa kita tidak harus lupa Hindu Rights Action Force atau HINDRAF, dan penulis blog Raja Petra Kamarudin (gambar kanan), yang mana kedua-dua ini merupakan pemain utama dalam kebangkitan politik 2008.
 
Jadi, saya terkejut apabila membaca New Sunday Times pada hari tahun baru yang menyiarkan temu bual dengan Raja Petra yang telah dijalankan di Singapura.  Bukannya dia tidak mempunyai apa-apa untuk diperkatakan mengenai Anwar Ibrahim yang mana dia tidak pernah pun menyebutnya sebelum pilihan raya Sarawak dahulu.  Ia adalah perkara yang sama, dan saya tidak akan mengulanginya lagi.  Apa yang saya kurang faham ialah mengapa Raja Petra memilih untuk menyerang Anwar dari semua sudut - dan pada masa yang sama mahu melihat pembangkang menjadi lebih kuat.
 
Benar kata Raja Petra, apabila mendakwa pihak pembangkang tidak hanya mengenai Anwar dan nasib politik beliau.  Ia sebuah gerakan yang lebih besar, dan menjadi suara alternatif yang kuat buat rakyat.  Tetapi, ia tidak logik untuk mengalih sebahagian daripada parti-parti pembangkang (yang sememangnya Anwar sebahagian daripada gerakan ini) dan mengatakan bahawa itulah caranya menjadikan pembangkang lebih kuat.

Pembangkang mungkin tidak dapat memenangi Pilihan Raya Umum akan datang, tetapi kepada kita yang mahu melihat kebebasan dan demokrasi yang lebih baik dan amalan rasuah serta penyalahgunaan kuasa yang berkurangan, perjuangan tetap perlu diteruskan walau apa jua rintangan yang menghalang.  Pilihan raya akan datang setiap lima tahun dan satu hari nanti, kita akan pasti menang.

Saya rasa terpaksa mengulangi apa yang saya katakan sebelum ini, tetapi dengan sedikit pembetulan.  Kami harus menjadi inklusif dan kita tidak boleh tidak termasuk orang-orang kita yang mahu melihat pembaharuan dan perubahan dalam cara negara kita diperintah.

Kita perlu berjuang untuk perpaduan dan keharmonian untuk seluruh rakyat Malaysia.  Mereka yang mengatakan mahu melihat pembangkang menjadi lebih kuat lagi tetapi sanggup mengenepikan beberapa pemimpin kerana tidak bersetuju, tidak boleh dianggap sebagai sekutu.  Petra pasti di pihak yang salah.  Di medan perang ini, kita mesti belajar untuk menilai sumbangan semua orang, tetapi hanya untuk orang-orang yang masih mahu melihat demokrasi menyala.

*Tulisan ini dipetik dari laman Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (KITA), oleh Zaid Ibrahim (gambar kanan) selaku Ketua Parti.

 

PKR plans 100,000-strong rally for Sodomy II verdict

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 01:30 PM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - Pakatan Rakyat (PR) said today it will gather 100,000 people on Monday to support Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when the Kuala Lumpur High Court decides if the opposition leader is guilty of sodomy.

PKR deputy president Azmin Ali told reporters today the opposition pact had agreed to mobilise and gather at the Duta Court Complex despite police warnings against any public rally when the court rules in Anwar's two-year-long trial.

"The system is so rotten, we have to expect the worst-case scenario," the Gombak MP said. "Along with PAS and DAP, we will gather 100,000 people at the court to show our support to the cause fought by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim."

He also warned that public rallies would continue until the next general election if the former deputy prime minister was found guilty.

"We will continue. The same night we have a programme in Penang. If he is acquitted, then Anwar will celebrate in his home state. If not, we will go to Penang and continue our demands," he said.

Selangor PAS chief Dr Rani Osman also said the Islamist party had called on all divisions to mobilise and "even those in Sabah and Sarawak want to join".

Anwar is accused of sodomising a former aide, a charge that he has vehemently denied, saying that it is part of a ploy to destroy his political career.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court heard closing submissions from December 8 to 15 and will deliver its verdict on Monday, ahead of a general election that must be called by early 2013.

READ MORE HERE

 

Dr Nedu to stand as candidate in GE13

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 01:20 PM PST

Press statement

A year ago, the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement officially endorsed me, under their Barisan Rakyat Independent Candidate Initiative, as a parliamentary candidate for the Kapar constituency.

However, in a recent report in the New Straits Times under the heading "Rights group not a third force – RPK", MCLM Chairman Raja Petra Kamarudin said that MCLM had decided not to field any candidate for the coming general election.
I wish to state that despite the statement by the Chairman, I will still contest for the Kapar parliamentary seat and I shall do so as a pro-Pakatan Rakyat independent candidate.

RPK's statement has in no way affected my earlier decision to stand for elections.

Out of the numerous people who offered themselves as candidates under the Barisan Rakyat Independent Candidate Initiative, I was one of the few to survive MCLM's stringent vetting and be acknowledged as a winnable candidate.

I have conducted numerous free medical and dental clinics to the needy and children, and served as the President of The Malaysian Private Dental Practitioners Association for three terms, and have held other posts in numerous other dental organisation.

Kapar is my hometown and it is only right that a local represent his constituency so as to serve the people better. I am a Community Leader there appointed by Klang District Office, under the initiative of Economic Planning Unit of Selangor State Government.

DR NEDUNCHELIAN VENGU
CANDIDATE FOR THE 13TH GENERAL ELECTION - P109 KAPAR


Dr Nedunchelian Vengu, a 43-year-old dentist from Kapar is a private practitioner for 20 years who served as the President of Malaysian Private Dental Practitioners' Association and on a Health Ministry committee, is known for his social work as well as his efforts to raise industry standards. His motto for Rakyat is Engage, Educate and Empower and create Rakyat who could stand on their own.

 

A gift to the world?

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 01:16 PM PST

ART HARUN

Let's forget, for the moment,  about Raja Petra, Harris Ibrahim, the police and FRU as well as the cows for a while.

It's the new year. And with a new year, I think we are entitled to at least one new hope. Or one dream. Why not? After all, when hopes and dreams fade and vanish does death begin, I think.

Let's talk about the environment, for a change.

About global warming. The melting of the ice caps. The greenhouse effects. The complete reliance on fossil fuel by the whole world. The consumption of fossil energy which results in the production of carbon which in turn eats up the ozone layer. Which then makes the world warmer and even hotter. Which then makes all of us turn on our air-conditioners even more. Which means we consume even more energy. The power plants then burn even more fossil fuel to produce energy. Which means they produce more carbons which in turn eats up the ozone making the world even hotter. And the heat melts the ice caps. Making the sea level grow higher. And it goes on and on and on in an endless cycle.

What will be of our children and their children?

What are we doing about this?

Personally, I must admit I have not done much about this issue really. Apart from trying not to use plastic bags when I shop or making sure the lights and air-conditioners are switched off if they are not of any use to anybody. For the future, I plan to buy a hybrid car for the family.

That's about it!

I did try though to sell an idea to someone within the corridors of power about 2-3 years ago. But the guy yawned after 15 minutes. Okay, perhaps I was not good at selling the idea. Hence the reaction.

To my mind, why do we continue to build mega industrial, commercial and recreational parks? Can't we, as a nation, do something different? I was thinking of an Environmental Park or a Green Technology Park. Call it whatever you like, but the idea is simple.

We take a huge swath of land – which we seem to have in abundance - somewhere. We turn that area into a park which only use alternative power/energy. Let that park be absolutely and independently sustained by powers generated from the wind, the sunlight, the water and whatever natural means that are within our possession.

Well, actually, we cannot exactly say that we possess those natural means. I mean how can we say that we possess the sunlight or the wind. But we can always claim to have the ability to exploit them if we have the knowledge and technology to harness those natural resources and turn them into power or energy.

So, let's imagine this huge area of land. We build all the infrastructures which are necessary for all those people and corporations with the knowledge and technology to come here to try to exploit those natural resources to produce energy. We create an environment which is conducive for these people to do research, to experiment and to produce. We invite all of them to come here.

The locals can also join in. We do not lack knowledge. Our people have the expertise and specialist knowledge in all sorts of scientific areas. Our people have even managed to trace the Malay genome, for example (not that I know what genome is!). Bring them back here and let them research. And allow them to flourish in our own country.

So, let's all of us imagine. This huge area of land is full of people, locals and internationals, doing research on alternative power and energy. Good, efficient and clean power and energy. It is for the good of the country. And the world at large.

And within that particular land area, people live in homes powered by these alternative energy and power. People drive vehicles using those alternative energy. People exchange ideas about these technologies, conduct forums and seminars about them – in halls and buildings powered by alternative energies – and sell them to the world.

I believe that will be a world's first because really I don't think any country in the world has ever done that. Even if there are, I don't think they have done that at such a scale and at such level of governmental supports. We love to create world records, don't we? We have the 1st astronaut who makes teh tarik in space. We have the tallest twin towers in the world. The biggest ketupat in the world. The longest shortest fattest thinnest roundest squarest whatever in the world. Why not the 1st Green City in the world?

READ MORE HERE

 

No southern comfort for opposition

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 08:22 AM PST

Pakatan Rakyat will come up against a resolute BN in its dream to win more Johor seats in the next polls

It is understood that Pakatan, for all the internal squabbles underneath, is pushing ahead with strategies to realise its dream, one of which is to identify big names among the three parties, even from outside the state, to contest in Johor.

Syed Nadzri, NST

A  GENERAL  election battle royale could be shaping up in the unlikeliest of places as an overconfident parliamentary opposition alliance prepares an all out assault for power on  a resolute Barisan Nasional  lying in wait.

Johor, the birthplace of Umno and BN's Fort Knox, has for all these years, always been too predictable when it comes to elections. The ruling party never conceded significant losses as to make a dent in its armour.

But the Parti Keadilan Rakyat-Pas-DAP troika, which call themselves Pakatan Rakyat, reckon they can change all that when the 13th general election is held probably within the next few weeks, a wild dream as far as  BN and the neutrals are concerned.

The dubious desire is said to have been driven in part by the lust for wealth from Johor's huge economic progress as well as the thought that they could do a Selangor on the southern state.

Johor offers 26 parliamentary seats, all but one being held by BN. And of the 56 state seats, only six are non-BN.

Still, there is an air of confidence, misplaced or otherwise, permeating  the air for Pakatan, spearheaded by Johor PKR chief Datuk Chua Jui Meng, the former health minister.

Johor Baru was picked as the venue for the PKR annual congress a few weeks ago, an indication of where the state lies in the order of importance for the party.

It is understood that Pakatan, for all the internal squabbles underneath, is pushing ahead with strategies to realise its dream, one of which is to identify big names among the three parties, even from outside the state, to contest in Johor.

By doing this, the grouping, especially DAP, thinks it can increase its chances. The game plan: put in the ordinary and less famous candidates in Perak, Penang and Selangor where "they can surely win regardless" and field the big names in Johor to capture new seats, possibly to brighten up hope for a power grab on Putrajaya.

To the neutrals, it is hard to imagine whether this would work, knowing the psyche of the people of Johor.

They are, and have never been, supportive of parties other than Umno-BN, let alone candidates parachuted in from outside the state.

Even in the last general election,  when sentiment for  the ruling party was said to be low, the most the voters did was to protest through spoilt votes.

Indeed, Johor recorded the highest number with 28,709 spoilt votes for  parliamentary seats and 25,455 for state seats then.

For this reason, BN seems to be  quite unperturbed by Pakatan's intended show of force in Johor.

To the ruling party, the DAP-Pakatan strategy takes for granted that the Chinese voters are all for them.

But the fact is, BN has its fair share of support from this community as well, as evident from the Tenang by-election last year, where BN secured almost 30 per cent of the Chinese votes.

A BN source said:  "We have done our survey and performance test in voting centres.

"BN will be on safe ground because we found that, at the moment, we can get  25 per cent to 30 per cent of Chinese votes, enough to improve on the 2008 performance."

The survey, according to him, also revealed that BN could lose up to six parliamentary seats and 15 state seats, if the Chinese support dipped to below 20 per cent.

"This is not likely to happen because Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, MCA leaders and several non-governmental organisations have been working tirelessly and keeping their ears close to the ground to measure support."

Pakatan is being rocked by internal bickering but this has not exactly stopped its audacious plan to grab seats in Johor to add to its national tally, and possibly even hustle up the wealth Johor could bring.

I was most amazed to see the progress in Johor Baru when I came by two weeks ago, my first visit after several years.

The state capital has transformed into a bustling metropolis and I couldn't even recognise some of the localities, despite having lived in the city for a few years 20 years ago.

There were new buildings everywhere and the roads and highways looped around in every corner.  The best part is that, unlike in the Klang Valley, most of the new highways are toll-free.

Of course, there is also the Iskandar economic region, which will prove to be something else.

The senseless incident where pig heads were thrown into a mosque in  Taman Desa Jaya may just signal the start of a big political battle that is looming on the horizon.

 

Lupakan perjuangan personality

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 08:00 AM PST

Nizam Yatim, The Malaysian Insider

Baru-baru ini dalam satu pertemuan dengan media Malaysia di Singapura, Raja Petra Kamarudin, individu yang pernah dikaitkan sebagai penyokong kuat gerakan reformasi Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mengakui Ketua Pembangkang itu kini bukan lagi pilihan bagi rakyat Malaysia.

Raja Petra yang sejak tiga tahun lalu tinggal dalam "buangan" di Manchester, England menegaskan, pihak pembangkang patut mengurangkan perjuangan untuk Anwar atau "Anwarista" kerana agenda untuk perubahan tidak harus berteraskan kepada personaliti.

"Kita belum tamat, kita kena teruskan. Bukan sebab Anwar. Bagaimana jika sesuatu berlaku kepada Anwar. Dia bukan muda lagi. Dia lebih tua daripada saya.

"Cakap tentang struktur dan penambahbaikan negara, kita akan bergerak ke depan. Walaupun Mandela (di Afrika Selatan) dipenjarakan selama 27 tahun, tak ada kempen pembebasan untuknya.

"Walaupun ada Kumpulan Free Mandela, tetapi ia merupakan kempen untuk menamatkan aparteid, bukan untuk bebaskan Mandela. Mandela hanyalah pencetusnya. Saya pasti Mandela adalah figura yang jauh lebih besar berbanding Anwar terutamanya dalam kepentingan sejarah," ujarnya.

Apa yang ditegaskan oleh Raja Petra itu telah mendedahkan akan hakikat bahawa pihak pembangkang bukanlah alternatif terbaik untuk memimpin negara ini kerana dasar yang diperjuangkan mereka berbeza-beza dan hanya menjadikan Ketua Pembangkang itu sebagai "ikon" penyatu.

Ahli Parlimen Kulim-Bandar Baharu, Zulkifli Noordin yang mengulas hakikat itu berkata, penyatuan pihak pembangkang itu boleh dianggap sebagai "persekongkolan luar tabii" kerana masing-masing mempunyai agenda perjuangan berlainan termasuk DAP yang bersifat cauvinis dan rasis.

Menurut beliau, pada masa depan tidak mustahil parti-parti yang menganggotai pakatan itu akan kembali kepada perjuangan asal setelah mendapat kuasa atau setelah merasakan sudah menjadi parti paling dominan dalam pakatan itu.

"Misalnya, PAs telah melancarkan dokumen negara berkebajikan yang turut disokong pimpinan pembangkang lain. Ia sarat dengan pelbagai janji manis dan madah berhelah bagi mencapai nafsu serakah untuk menawan Putrajaya.

"Sekiranya PAS sanggup melancarkan dokumen baru ini bagi menggantikan dokumen negara Islam yang diperkenalkan pada 12 November 2003, tidak mustahil mereka akan membuat pusingan 'U' untuk membuang dokumen negara berkebajikan dan menggantikannya dengan dokumen entah apa lagi!

"Tidak mustahil juga bila DAP berkuasa, mereka akan melancarkan pula dokumen negara cauvinis dan jika sosialis berjaya, mereka akan lancarkan pula dokumen negara komunis," ujarnya.

Dalam pada itu, bekas Naib Ketua Angkatan Muda Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Mohd Zahid Md Arip berkata, Anwar tidak mempunyai falsafah perjuangan terbaik bagi membangunkan negara dan rakyat sebaliknya lebih mengutamakan kepentingan mendapatkan kuasa bagi diri dan kroni-kroninya.

"Saya tidak fikir rakyat Malaysia sedia menerima pemimpin pembohong macam Anwar. Bagi saya, dia tidak layak menjadi pemimpin kerana tidak mampu memimpin dirinya sendiri,"katanya.

Mohd. Zahid berkata, pendedahan Raja Petra seharusnya dijadikan pengajaran kepada pihak-pihak yang baru mahu berjinak-jinak dengan Anwar bahawa Ketua Pembangkang itu sanggup memperalatkan sesiapa sahaja bagi menjaja pembohongannya.

"Beliau sanggup memburukkan negara malah bangsanya sendiri demi memperjuangkan kepentingan peribadi dan kroni-kroninya," ujar beliau.

Apa yang diperkatakan oleh Mohd Zahid seharusnya dapat mengingatkan rakyat supaya tidak terus menyokong Anwar dan gerakan terbaru untuk mendewa-dewakannya. Kita tidak boleh alpa akan hakikat perjuangan berasaskan personaliti tidak penting sebaliknya yang lebih utama adalah idea yang dibawa seseorang itu.

Rakyat seharusnya bimbang dengan trend mendewa-dewakan Ketua Pembangkang itu yang dapat dilihat apabila "ulama" PKR yang juga bekas pemimpin Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM), Dr Badrul Amin menggelar Anwar sebagai pemimpin dari sebelah Timur yang ditunggu-tunggu.

Ungkapan sama pernah digunakan pelbagai pihak bagi merujuk kepada penyelamat umat manusia iaitu Imam Mahdi. Turut menggunakan ungkapan itu ialah pengikut Al-Arqam yang menyifatkan pemimpin mereka, Allahyarham Ashaari Muhammad sebagai Pemuda Bani Tamim yang bakal muncul datang dari Timur.

Kita bimbang apabila rakyat terlalu taksub dengan seseorang pemimpin itu mereka akan mengikut segala arahan dan apa yang diperkatanya secara membuta-tuli.

READ MORE HERE

 

Apa pendirian PAS?

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 07:56 AM PST

Zulkiflee Bakar, The Malaysian Insider

Pada 9 Julai lalu, apabila berlakunya perhimpunan haram Bersih di Kuala Lumpur, PAS merupakan kelompok terbesar menghantar penyokongnya. Malahan beberapa pemimpin utama parti turut serta biar pun ia adalah satu perhimpunan yang dianggap melanggar undang-undang.

Bagaimanapun apabila pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) Islam mengadakan Himpunan Sejuta Umat (Himpun) baru-baru ini bagi membanteras gejala murtad, PAS "senyap dan sunyi", yang hadir hanyalah Exco Kerajaan Negeri Selangor, Datuk Dr Hasan Ali.

Beliau pergi atas kapasiti peribadi sebagai pemimpin Islam bukan mewakili PAS.

Kini PAS menjadi tumpuan lagi apabila kesetiaan mereka sebagai sekutu pembangkang akan dituntut pada 9 Januari ini dalam kempen "Bebaskan Anwar 901".

Kita tidak pasti apakah pendirian PAS dalam kempen tersebut? Apakah PAS akan mengerahkan penyokongnya atau menyerahkan kepada mereka untuk membuat keputusan sendiri.

Tetapi hakikatnya golongan pro-Anwar di dalam PAS tidak akan duduk diam, mereka pasti akan mendesak supaya pucuk pimpinan parti membuat kenyataan agar penyokong parti itu turun menyokong Anwar. Sememangnya semua orang tahu siapa lebih berpengaruh di dalam PAS sejak parti itu dikatakan dikuasai oleh puak Anwarinas.

Bagaimanapun PAS perlu berhati-hati dalam tindakannya, ini kerana himpunan haram yang dicadangkan pada 9 Januari ini bukanlah sebarangan.

Tersilap langkah PAS boleh dituduh "bersubahat" menghina institusi kehakiman negara. Tak apalah jika sebelum ini PAS hendak menjadi "pak turut" apabila bersedia mengerahkan "bala tenteranya" turun ke jalanan.

Tetapi isu 9 Januari ini melibatkan keputusan mahkamah. Oleh itu, pemimpin PAS tidak harus terpengaruh dengan ketidakmatangan sesetengah pemimpin Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) yang melancarkan kempen Bebas Anwar 901.

PAS sendiri sudah menyaksikan bagaimana perjalanan perbicaraan berlangsung dan di kalangan pemimpin PAS sendiri dikatakan bosan apabila Anwar berpuluh-puluh kali memohon penangguhan.

Namun mahkamah tetap membenarkannya, kalau mahkamah tidak adil sudah lama permohonan Anwar akan ditolak.

Bagaimanapun semua itu tidak berlaku, mahkamah memberi peluang seadil-adilnya untuk membela diri. Beliau bukan sahaja dibantu oleh barisan peguam yang hebat belaka, malahan Anwar juga dibenarkan membawa saksi dan pakar daripada luar negara bagi memberi keterangan.

Oleh itu, Anwar telah menjalani perbicaraan yang adil dan PAS tentu mengakui perkara, justeru kalau PAS terlibat dalam kempen Bebas Anwar 901 maknanya mereka tidak menghormati institusi kehakiman.

PAS perlu ingat kempen yang dilancarkan menggunakan istilah "Bebas Anwar" dan bukannya "Sokong Anwar", kalau sekadar "sokong" tidak mengapa kerana PAS sememangnya kawan baik PKR dan DAP tetapi kenapakah awal-awal lagi lancar kempen "bebas Anwar" sedangkan keputusan masih belum diketahui?

Penggunaan istilah "bebas Anwar" ini boleh ditafsirkan seolah-olah bagi penyokong Anwar terutamanya daripada PKR, tidak kira apa pun hujahnya pada 9 Januari ini harus ada satu sahaja keputusan iaitu Anwar mesti dibebaskan!

Soalnya apakah PAS begitu yakin bahawa Anwar tidak bersalah sehingga bersedia untuk turun ke jalanan bagi "membebaskan" beliau. Sepatutnya PAS menyerahkan sepenuhnya kepada mahkamah untuk membuat keputusan.

Anwar bukannya sedang berada di penjara tetapi berada di luar penjara, beliau bebas ke mana sahaja hatta ke luar negara sekali pun biar pun sedang berhadapan dengan kes serius di mahkamah, pasport beliau tidak ditahan.

Justeru PAS janganlah mudah diperbodohkan dengan mainan politik PKR yang pada masa ini bermati-matian mahu memperjuangkan Anwar kerana itulah matlamat sebenar penubuhan parti itu.

Percayalah PKR amat bergantung kepada PAS untuk turun ke jalanan, mereka tidak boleh berharap kepada DAP yang sudah pasti tidak akan membiarkan penyokongnya dikejar oleh polis atau terkena semburan air.

Cuba lihat apa yang berlaku pada himpunan haram Bersih yang lalu, demonstrasi tersebut tidak akan berlaku jika penyokong PAS tidak turun tetapi apa yang PAS dapat?

PAS hanya dimaki-hamun oleh warga kota kerana telah menyusahkan mereka, mengaku parti memperjuangkan Islam tetapi perangai tidak melambangkan peribadi Islam sebenar.

Oleh itu PAS perlu berhati-hati dalam penglibatannya dalam kempen "Bebas Anwar 901", janganlah mengikut nafsu politik dan janganlah terlalu yakin bahawa isu Anwar ini akan membantu pembangkang dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang.

Percayalah senario sudah berubah, Anwar kini dilihat bukan sahaja liabiliti kepada pembangkang tetapi juga negara kerana beliau sanggup memburuk-burukkan tanah air sendiri demi dendam politiknya. Jadi adakah PAS akan bersekongkol dengan orang seumpama ini?

Tidakkah kerana adanya Anwar, pemimpin-pemimpin PAS yang jauh lebih baik budi pekerti dan akhlaknya dipinggirkan serta seolah-olah tidak dihormati hatta oleh sesetengah pengikut PAS sendiri.

Apakah Anwar begitu hebat sehingga DAP berkata, kalau Anwar dipenjara sekali pun, beliau tetap dilantik sebagai Perdana Menteri jika pembangkang memenangi pilihan raya.

Semua keadaan ini jelaslah menunjukkan PAS dan pemimpinnya hanya menjadi alat kepada PKR dan DAP untuk menang dalam pilihan raya, tidak lebih daripada itu.

Kalau mereka menghormati PAS sudah pasti, mereka akan berhati-hati dalam membuat kenyataan seumpama itu.

Sebab itulah PAS janganlah terus membiarkan diri diperalatkan semata-mata untuk memperjuangkan nasib Anwar. Apa yang lebih penting memikirkan sejauh manakah perjuangan mereka dalam soal berkenaan akan menguntungkan PAS.

READ MORE HERE

 

Opposition elites fight to the death – of the Rakyat

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 07:49 AM PST

HORNBILL UNLEASHED

"When rich people fight wars with one another, poor people are the ones to die." so said Jean-Paul Sartre, the French philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. Wikipedia has a write-up of the Frenchman, and it is worth some attention.

Take that statement and fast-forward to today's Malaysia (not just Malaysia Today), and then rewind a little to put it into the context of Malaysian political history. To me, there is much similarlity indeed between what the Frenchman said, with blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin's New Year's Day assault on Pakatan Rakyat.

Critical historians can probably remind us how the elites' tussles for power throughout Malayan history, and also before and immediately after the formation of Malaysia, played out. History can relate how many struggling Malaysians died due to the elites' feud. Oh yes, I forget: mainstream historians tell us those who died in battle were not struggling poor people, but "baby-eating" commies, with guns and explosives, the devil incarnate, supposedly.

Then fast forward Malaysian history – perhaps it is more appropriate to term it UMNO's or Malaya's history – to the Mahathir era in 1987. When authoritarian Mahathir was first threatened by the Kelantan prince, Tengku Razaleigh, for the prized and lucrative Prime Minister's post, it was the first "modern day" Malaysian elites' fight. Bear in mind that the top government post, in the Malaysian context, is lucrative not just for one's own self, but for an entire empire-building industry.

There is more than enough documentation regarding those who suffered under political detention in that 1980s elitist struggle.

Advance now to 1997, again, "coincidentally" as in 1987, during yet another cycle of economic collapse, we had another elites' fight. Mahathir, a practised dictator by then, was having to fend off another assault on his Prime Ministerial post and the treasure associated with the PM package, as perfected by King Mahathir.

It is well known that Anwar Ibrahim, a rising political star within UMNO, was the "victim" in this elitist fight. He was imprisoned and received a black eye from the highest-ranking police officer, the Inspector General of Police. But Anwar was not the only victim.

This time round, in 1997, the victims would again be the ordinary Malaysians, the working class and the proletariat, who had to suffer through another episode of Malaysian elites' fight.

Opposition Elites also do battle

Of course history is never discriminatory, in only recording the ruling front's elite battles. The Malaysian opposition politicians too, after all, are elites in our society. Since the birth of Pakatan Rakyat (PR), it has been an open secret who the elites are, with the exception of a few of those politicians with strong community-centred ideological foundations,

There are plenty of examples of the kind of suffering among the ordinary Rakyat, when elites fight within the opposition. Before one jumps into saying opposition elites' fights do not produce any deaths among the poor, think again.

The elites' battles left the poor under continuing oppression and suppression, and left them to be denigrated, and termed the 'poor' (in fact, in the Malaysian context, it is not enough to be 'poor,' but we have even created another category of "hardcore" poor, so that this last category of Malaysians – neglected Malays, Indians, Chinese, Dayaks, Kadazan Dusuns and "lain-lain" – are left to die young).

The opposition elites' fight became more feverish after March 2008. Opposition numbers grew in and out of Parliament and State Legislatures in Malaya. Sarawak and Sabah elites had of course been fighting, long before Malaya were in any position to fight as they did after March 2008.

The latest battle lines

The controversial blogger, Raja Petra Kamarudin, or RPK, has now openly declared war on the opposition PR with his latest "interview" by the UMNO media group. His broadside has been picked up by various other online news portals.

As he expected, all sort of insults and accusations have been thrown at him after his savaging of Anwar Ibrahim and the PR. RPK knows what he is doing. After TV3 had twisted the content of his previous interview in April 2011 from Australia, RPK had written about further attention by UMNO's media. He had even named his terms and conditions before he would grant another interview to the UMNO media.

READ MORE HERE

 

Any time is a bad time for Najib

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 06:38 AM PST

HORNBILL UNLEASHED

Terence Netto

What would be a good time for Prime Minister Najib Razak to hold the 13th general election?

This question has risen with unnerving urgency now that the Umno-BN supremo is nearing the end of four years of the mandate his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had obtained, albeit in personal tenure ending fashion.

Although the constitution provides for a five-year election cycle, Abdullah had set a pattern of waiting for only four before he decided to go to the polls.

There were exactly four years between his landslide victory in the 11th general election of March 2004 and his loss of Umno-BN's two-thirds majority in Parliament in the March 2008 polls, a descent that spelt disaster for Abdullah.

Four years between one general election and the next seems like a reasonable stretch; five is a stall.

Last day of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Najib Abdul Razak takes over as prime minister in PutrajayaThe quadrennial cycle to elections is a good fit for the waxing and waning of political distempers.

These calculations are not arbitrary: issues have a way of simmering for some time before they reach a boil; four years appear about as long a time as one could keep them on a backburner.

Having taking over from a beleaguered Abdullah in April 2009, Najib has been waiting for the right time to seek a mandate that new PMs consider essential to gaining the legitimacy to make changes, especially after they have taken over from a predecessor who appears to have failed.

Road to hell is paved with good intentions

On assuming the reins, Najib would have reckoned to wait some time in which to introduce reforms before seeking a new mandate.

He spoke the jargon of reform, liberalised aspects of the economy, particularly the rules on equity ownership, and shaped up to introduce political reforms.

The latter score was where he ran into trouble.

Because Malaysia is not like China where the ruling communist party could liberalise the economy while maintaining tight control over the politics and appear to get away with it, Najib discovered that an undertow of stale thinking dogged his intention to liberalise the obsolete regimen of rules and regulations by which Malaysia's politics is conducted.

After belatedly conceding that the popular demonstration last July in support of the changes electoral reform pressure group, Bersih, were clamouring for needed to be reckoned with, Najib had, what in retrospect appeared as a fast-fading chance, to make good on his reform-seeking agenda.

He grabbed at it, or appeared to be intent on doing so.

In a Malaysia Day address last Sept 15, he announced there would be credible reforms to a host of repressive laws on internal security, public demonstrations and the press.

What eventuated, in respect of the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 tabled, amended and passed in Parliament at its last sitting, only served to remind people that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Aspects of the Bill turned out to be worse than what the benighted military junta in Burma had condescended to introduce in their hapless country.

Malaysia on a par with Burma is bad enough; Malaysia worse than that mothballed country is intolerable.

Even as the image of Najib as credible reformer lay exposed by the end of last year as a delusion, the notion is taking hold among the electorate that power which is never transferred from one coalition to another – as distinct from being slightly shuffled among its existing holders – is power that will be abused.

READ MORE HERE

 

How Raja Petra lost the plot and became irrelevant

Posted: 02 Jan 2012 12:00 AM PST

It will not work. In fact what Raja Petra has done in his interview will only harden the entrenched views of those who are going to vote for the Opposition and push the fence-sitters (who were hitherto guarding their wallets and feeding their stomachs) to the arms of the Opposition. There will be a thousand and one ways to use the Raja Petra issue to inflict pain on the BN and it does not require much imagination.

By Matthias Chang

This article will come as a shock to many just as Raja Petra's interview with the New Sunday Times about Anwar but not for those in the political inside track. To those in charge of propaganda in UMNO, the interview in which Raja Petra let loose his pent-up anger on Anwar is a major propaganda coup that will surely turn the tide against the opposition.

There will be some within the ranks of the Opposition who will be disheartened by this open attack on Anwar by a former "loyalist" and founder of Malaysia-Today. There will be many within the ranks of Barisan Nasional who will consider this exposé as the nail in the Opposition's coffin and contribute to the success of Barisan Nasional in the next General Election.
But I beg to differ.

Here are my reasons.

When I was the political secretary to Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, I was not a member of any political party and till today, I am still not a member of any political party so as to remain an independent observer and opinion maker. I gave my views, opinions and advice just as a lawyer would to his client, honestly and without fear or favour. I would do my research and give the pros and cons and finally my conclusions and recommendations. I endeavoured to be as objective as possible. It makes no difference to me whether my views, opinions and advice were accepted or not. I gave my best efforts and would move on to the next assignment.

By adopting any other attitude in such a position would result inevitably in a subjective and bias approach to one's assignment. This was how Vice-President Dick Cheney and his team gathered every morsel of intelligence (regardless of their cogency and veracity) to support the policy of waging war against Iraq. The intelligence collected was to serve a pre-conceived agenda.

So, we have to be very discerning about information, views and "advice" given in such POLITICAL SITUATIONS, as any misjudgment would end up in a fiasco.

Let this be a warning!

It is often quoted in political circles that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". Yes, it is true up to a point and would depend on the degree of usefulness of this particular "friend".

In intelligence work, there is always a lingering doubt whether a "defector" is a genuine defector or a "double agent" – whether he is planting and giving enough intelligence jewels to convince the bait that he is genuine. To understand the mindset of such a person, his motive is all important. We should not be easily taken in by the information / propaganda jewels given on a silver platter. There are no free lunches. Everything has a price and consequences.

To those who take the views of Raja Petra seriously, have you asked one critical question: What caused the "fallout" between Raja Petra and Anwar? Do you really know about this "fallout"?

Why was Raja Petra not a member of Party Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)? Or was he? If he is not a member of the party, why is he trying to dictate the composition of leadership of PKR even to the extent of supporting a maverick and a political frog in the person of Zaid Ibrahim, who resigned as the Law Minister and UMNO member to vie for the leadership of PKR? What locus standi has Raja Petra to interfere in the internal affairs of PKR?

Why is he questioning the leadership of DAP and PAS in their support for Anwar? Is Raja Petra really acting in the interest of the Barisan Nasional? What is the ultimate role of the so-called "Civil Liberties Movement" (more commonly referred to as the "third force")?

Can Raja Petra and the so-called "third force" dictate how a party (whether in the Barisan Nasional or the Pakatan Rakyat coalition) selects the candidates for an election when they are not subject to any party discipline and or adhere to the party's policies?

Raja Petra is even willing to offer the so-called "electable candidates" of the "third force" to any party who is willing to subscribe to his agenda / policies. Therefore, what is his agenda???

So, before Barisan Nasional embraces Raja Petra and the so-called "third force" so eagerly, it should adopt a wary stance for what is on offer may well be a poison chalice! There may be more than meets the eye.

Differences in a political party are normal. It is part of the democratic process of any party and Raja Petra has always demanded such freedom within the Opposition parties. Yet, he highlights differences of minor players within the ranks of the Opposition parties and exaggerates the implications on the basis that this is the view of the voters.

What voters does Raja Petra or the "third force" represent? Who are these voters?

In 2010, Raja Petra announced that he has thirty "electable candidates" that will stand in the next General Election and will provide their names every week or so. But what happened? Other than giving two names (I stand to be corrected on this) and even if it may be more than two, he certainly did not deliver the thirty names.

Another question that needs an urgent answer – not being a PKR member, how did he end up collaborating with Zaid Ibrahim and supporting his candidacy for Deputy President against Azmin Ali? And when Zaid Ibrahim lost the battle and abandoned the party, Raja Petra went ballistics! Why? Wayang Kulit (shadow play)?

Is Raja Petra "a man who has lost the plot" or something else?

After Raja Petra's interview with TV3, just before the Sawarak State Election, he lost all credibility in the eyes of the voters who supported the opposition. DAP did rather well notwithstanding the interview. He then gave an elaborate explanation on how he was misquoted etc. He fell for the bait of having publicity on prime time television – an ego trip, and lost big time! His followers abandoned him.

Now, he gives an interview timed just before the High Court's judgment on Sodomy II fixed for the 9th January 2012. Why?

So many questions, but so few answers! He claims that he wants clarity and focus on critical issues, but his actions muddy further the already polluted waters. That he needs another constituency to survive and to reap the political harvest in the next General Election from whichever political coalition willing to pay his political ransom is all too clear. So he comes bearing gifts to the Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional as a teaser and prelude to extract the ultimate political ransom.

The trillion dollar question: Why is Raja Petra bearing gifts to Barisan Nasional? But he says that he still supports the Opposition. Is he playing both sides? If he is, and gets away with it, he is indeed a political fiddler par excellence.

In my previous article, "Malaysia – 2012, National Suicide or A New Paradigm", I had warned that the next General Election will be a "no-holds-barred" political slug fest and it will be ugly. Post-2008, no one can take for granted that the voters would be as gullible as pre-2008. On the contrary, they are more informed and discerning and can see through the fog of the political war.

In the past, such an interview by a former "loyalist" may be the ruin of a political leader, but not this time, as Raja Petra is not the first and will not be the last "loyalist" that will lambast the leader of the Opposition. Prior to Raja Petra, there was Ezam Mohd Nor, one-time "loyal supporter" of Anwar. But Anwar survived this fallout and it is Ezam who has now become irrelevant. I believe that Anwar will survive Raja Petra's attacks and in due course, Raja Petra will also become irrelevant. Raja Petra is a desperate man and we must all be on guard against such a desperado.

That is why it is so dangerous to assume that this attack by Raja Petra will be the end of Anwar and that this will assist Barisan Nasional to triumph in the next General Election. This would be a gross miscalculation and if Barisan Nasional formulates its strategy on these lines, Prime Minister Najib will definitely be a one-term leader.

Why do I say this?

People are sick and fed-up of the Sodomy II case, not because as alleged by Raja Petra that Anwar dragged on the case, but because the majority of the people have already made up their mind that Anwar is innocent and this is a sham trial to lynch Anwar and bury him once and for all. It matters not whether you agree with this perception or conclusion. But this is the reality. If Sodomy I could not kill Anwar, how can Sodomy II and the other stupid pornographic video bury Anwar?

Anwar went to jail after Sodomy I and came out even stronger and more resilient. Even if Raja Petra says that it is Anwar in the said pornographic video, is he an expert? As far as the people are concerned, Sodomy II is another episode of gutter politics. This is the bloody reality! They are fed-up and disgusted with the way this has been used against Anwar.

I was told once by a political leader that after Sodomy I, the country will not tolerate another sodomy trial against any politician as a means to end his political career.

So, I question Raja Petra's accusations and allegations against Anwar at this particular juncture. Who will be the ultimate beneficiary of his tirade against Anwar?

Just as Hasan Ali is toxic to PAS members and to many Chinese and Christians who are now supporting PAS and are no longer afraid of Islam, Raja Petra is equally toxic to those in PKR and DAP and those Chinese and Indians who are supporting PKR and DAP. Nothing will change their minds because they are riled by the perceived abuse of power by the leaders of Barisan Nasional and the contradictions and inconsistencies of the BN policies, the various flip-flops.

Anger has now turned into contempt. And we are talking about the conservative middle-class. This is another reality. I am only the messenger. You may not want to agree or accept this reality. But the fact remains that many people have this mindset. Period!

I would caution the BN to be wary and not embrace Raja Petra too readily. He is toxic like the financial derivatives that almost destroyed the global financial system in the 2007 / 2008 financial tsunami!

In my view, the granting of two full-page of Raja Petra's propaganda in the New Sunday Times and the Malay mass-media is a desperate attempt by Barisan Nasional to deflect the attention from the various scandals afflicting the BN to Anwar's Sodomy II trial.

It will not work. In fact what Raja Petra has done in his interview will only harden the entrenched views of those who are going to vote for the Opposition and push the fence-sitters (who were hitherto guarding their wallets and feeding their stomachs) to the arms of the Opposition. There will be a thousand and one ways to use the Raja Petra issue to inflict pain on the BN and it does not require much imagination.

Do you know what decent apolitical families are saying? They have been saying and continue to say, "How can these people be so cruel to inflict so much pain on Anwar's family?"

You may well consider this view as being superficial and subjective, but can you rid this perception from the people? Raja Petra in his personal vendetta against Anwar for whatever wrong, real or perceived, that Anwar has done to him, has revealed a side of his character that has not been revealed to his supporters all these years – vindictiveness over political differences. And this is an insecure and dangerous trait.

Raja Petra and his family have suffered tremendously for his political beliefs and views and I sympathise and admire his tenacity for enduring such hardships. But, I cannot allow personal sentiments to cloud my judgment.

Raja Petra has demanded that truth be told. I say that if truth be told, Raja Petra has lost the plot and has become a victim of his own vindictiveness. He is not a leader that can be respected or entrusted to change the country as he professes to do so.

Raja Petra may not be too happy reading this article and his band may well mount a counter-attack on me. But it matters not, for in the past, his band has maligned me with profanities instead of debating the issues raised by me in a mature way in his website. What else can they do after they have called me: "Mahathir's barking dog", "Mahathir's crony", "bastard", "M#@*%@ F#@*%#", "scumbag" etc.

Let's gather our thoughts on the so-called Civil Liberties Movement (the "Third Force") and its agenda. I have no doubt that there are many genuine people who want to better the country and have indeed made tremendous sacrifices and are willing to follow Raja Petra as the pied-piper.

But, do they know Raja Petra's ultimate agenda?

Let me summarise for you. It is quite simple. His ambition is to hold the balance of power in Parliament in the event of a Hung Parliament and leverage to the hilt whichever political coalition that is willing to pay the political ransom demanded.

The essence of his ambition is power. Let's not kid ourselves. Politicians do not venture into politics for altruistic ideals. They want power to fulfill their ambitions. If the country is fortunate, she may from time to time have a politician who does good for the country, but there are far and few.

Yes, I agree that Nelson Mandela is one of the few. Raja Petra does not think that Anwar, Najib, etc. belong to that category. But neither is Raja Petra!

Let us not be distracted by personalities and exaggerated egos across the political divide. We have enough of them. Let us focus on those who can unite our country and lead us to greater heights of excellence and by 2020 to be a developed nation for a start.
 

Pakatan Rakyat : Dulu, kini dan selama lamanya?

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 11:10 PM PST

STEADYAKU47

What did Petra said that has not been said before? Nothing. Elek. Zilch. And yet the main stream media (MSM) went into overdrive and was able to spin the whole "RPK exposure" into a supposedly deadly projectile that wounded the opposition and baited its attendant islands into a frenzy of denials and outright claims of lies and slander made by RPK. It goaded many into hurried damage control and defense mechanism mode to minimize damage to DSAI,to PKR and to all things Pakatan Rakyat.

But really, people, what new news has RPK brought from London to Singapore and from thence to you all in Malaysia and then to me in Adelaide? All things considered what upset me most was the arrogance displayed by RPK in giving that interview! More arrogant than Nazri Aziz, than KJ or even the great man himself, Mahathir! But then that has been RPK style all along - so what's me worry?

Apart from the arrogance displayed by RPK nothing else interest me enough to want to sit down and dash of my comments to what he said onto my blog quick smart.

I read about it at around 10 p.m. in FMT on Sunday night. Slept on it and it was only after I read about Haris Ibrahim's resignation because of what Haris alleged RPK said and did, at around 6 p.m. today – then and only then did it move me to write. And that too, to write more on Haris resignation as President of MCLM then on what RPK said in the MSM.        

When all is said and done the only revelations that RPK made that was unknown to me was the prosecution's insistence for a free hand in the sodomy two case. Everything else I know. And if I know then I am sure you too know! 

That PKR is having problems. Check. 

That Azmin is having problems. Check. 

That Nurrul is talked about as the next Messiah. Check. 

That Anwar is guilty. Check. 

That Anwar was in the Carcosa tapes. Check. 

That Anwar will be found guilty. Check. 

Bribery in Selangor. Check. 

Anwar may become irrelevant. Check. 

Rights group not a third force. Check - there are a work in progress! 

Anwar morally unfit to become PM. Go check my blog - I have been saying this from way back when! Check!

READ MORE HERE

 

PKR: RPK ‘hired’ to smear Anwar ahead of Sodomy II verdict

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 10:31 PM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - PKR today sought to discredit Raja Petra Kamarudin as a "hired Umno blogger" and part of a larger plot to smear Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ahead of the latter's sodomy trial verdict.

The PKR de facto leader will learn the verdict on his sodomy charge on January 9. He is accused of sodomising a former aide, a charge he has vehemently denied and claims is a conspiracy to destroy his political career.

Today, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said Umno and Barisan Nasional were determined to see Anwar jailed, adding that the attacks against Anwar was meant to deflect from the government's financial scandals.

"It should not be forgotten that Raja Petra Kamarudin, now more known as a 'hired Umno blogger', once made a sworn statement that (Datuk Seri) Najib (Razak) and (Datin Seri) Rosmah (Mansor) were involved in the brutal murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shariibuu...

"The latest are spins by Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian, Umno-owned media who ... pick and contort Raja Petra Kamarudin's statement on lies and allegations about Anwar's case in their front pages," Saifuddin said in a statement.

The self-exiled blogger told Utusan Malaysia that Anwar was morally unfit to become prime minister as Malaysians could not accept a homosexual leading the country.

Raja Petra did not explicitly call Anwar homosexual but said there was no room in Malaysia for someone who is gay and wants to become PM.

READ MORE HERE

 

Haris quits MCLM over RPK’s comments

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 10:19 PM PST

Raja Petra Kamarudin's comments in mainstream daily NST, have "greatly undermined" the efforts of MCLM president Haris Ibrahim.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Lawyer Haris Ibrahim has resigned as president of Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM). He cited the views expressed by MCLM chairman, Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK), in a mainstream media yesterday, as his main reason.

Haris said he was compelled to do so after reading Raja Petra comment's on MCLM's candidacy in the coming general elections and his view on 'people's revolution.'

"In the circumstances, I find it impossible to continue to serve MCLM as its president."

"I have communicated my decision to RPK through email, " he said adding that he had been aware of the interview but was not privy to its content until he read the report.

Commenting on Raja Petra's views published by NST, Haris said he was saddened specifically by 'two parts' of the  interview.

"The two parts (of the interview) that have led me to the decision were that "MCLM had decided it would not field any candidates for the coming general election."

"I can confirm now that no such decision has been made. (In fact) in December, 2010, in London, RPK announced the launch of MCLM's Barisan Rakyat independent candidate initiative."

"In July, last year, MCLM announced the deployment of our first candidate, Dr Neduchelian, in the Kapar consitutuency," Haris said in his People's Parliament blog today.

'No idle threat'

He also cited another reported comment by Raja Petra which he said 'greatly undermined' his efforts in the 'Anything But Umno' (ABU) initiative.

"RPK is reported to have said that "the Egypt-style people's revolution was not an answer for Malaysia due to the delicate racial balance. They (Chinese voters) don't want Tahrir Square type of change."

"These comments greatly undermine efforts I am making, albeit through MLCM, in the ABU initiative.

READ MORE HERE

 

Malaysian politics is overheating with Anwar-bashing

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 09:43 PM PST

Whichever way we look at it, for argument's sake, what so wrong if DSAI is a gay? And if he is a confirmed long-time gay, how come UMNO in the first place endorsed, enlisted, groomed and nurtured him during the Mahathir era? Worst, Mahathir himself paraded to the world that Anwar was his sole and only worthy Deputy, after having sacked other predecessors.

By J. D. Lovrenciear

Even before the courts can dish a verdict of guilty or innocent, the political marauders have already gone into overdrive plundering at a man, father, husband, friend, leader – and above all a Malaysian who has the solid support of honorable leaders from the Opposition political divide and many examplary individuals all across the globe.

Truly, by any perspective you look at the politics in Malaysia, we have lost all decency, sensibility and in place are wallowing in a sordid state of scum.

The most recent is the currently broiling sensation involving the widely subscribed and popular blog of Raja Petra Kamaruddin (RPK) - Malaysia Today and its architect.

The amount of national time, national resources and ink and paper and blog space that has gone into bashing this one man – Anwar Ibrahim is probably far more greater than that of Watergate Scandal involving Nixon or the more recent in memory, that of the Clinton-Lewinsky episode.

If ever there is to be an international award for the 'Most Outrageous Politically Laced Sex Scandal' competition, Malaysia will be the crown-grabber and probably be the only contestant.

Whichever way we look at it, for argument's sake, what is so wrong if DSAI is gay? And if he is a confirmed long-time gay, how come UMNO in the first place endorsed, enlisted, groomed and nurtured him during the Mahathir era? Worse, Mahathir himself paraded to the world that Anwar was his sole and only worthy Deputy, after having sacked other predecessors.

Only when the Financial Crisis helmed in, suddenly Anwar is gay! Even any heavenly revelation would have lost to this drama of the centuries.

By any account, what is the gross difference between a gay and a straight-sex man who takes advantage of the weaker sex who are minors?

Or for that matter, what of those who discreetly keep more than their rightfully wedded wives as sex toys? Are there none in our society?

Or how about those who steal another man or woman's spouse under the camouflage of divorce and re-marry? Are these approved sins? Do we not have such examples within the seemingly sacred tabernacles of the power corridors of UMNO and BN?

The whole of Lorong Haji Taib is stinking to high heavens right to this day with pondan-sex-for-sale day and night. This is of no national concern, but Anwar is?

Or how about the upper-class joineries splashed all along Bukit Bintang and Petaling Street? Sex-for-sale is a booming business here. And who says that our 5-Star hotels are free of sins against the flesh? Are these pardonable and should therefore be condoned, encouraged and therefore remain protected?

Let us not think that the electorate are fools. Let us also not run away with the notion that Malaysians cannot think. Above all, we must stop playing God.

If and when politics sinks to the lowest ebb mired in misplaced sex and lust bashing strategies, when it grovels in the pit of personal morality issues while the national socio-landscape is punctured with flesh trade, we have lost everything sane and sensible.  

Indeed we are hypocrites of the highest order, nothing less really.

Let then the first man (or woman) who has never sinned in whatsoever way, be the first to cast the stone at Anwar Ibrahim. And let that person be reminded too that prophets in the past have admonished that even prostitutes are worthy of merit when there is remorse.

It is a shame. It is a disgrace. It is a reputation disaster for Malaysia in the global eyes when our political battle strategies against opponents are drawn with sex-tainted allegations.

Truly Malaysia stands out as the only country in the world today that is so preoccupied these past several years doing political battle by using sex as the batter against one man.

Therein rests the true state of Malaysian politics, Malaysian leadership and Malaysian governance. How are we going to capture our history for the generations to come?

My personal opinion of Anwar Ibrahim

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 08:03 PM PST

Leaving aside Anwar's superior oratory skills and empowering personality, what else has he proven himself to us?

Viva Liberte Negaraku, Viva Liberte Malaysia

Recently our country has been seen to be undergoing tremendous political fluidity towards some may say in the right path of democracy. A lot of these has been attributed to one man who seems to have made a second coming into Malaysian politics and within a hairs breadth knocking on the PM's door to take over his place, ie DSAI.

It is without a doubt Anwar possesses some great characteristics; none greater than his spectacular oratory skills enabling him to sway and eventually command a good majority of the general public's opinion.

I have my personal reservations about him, not because I find him incapable to be PM but I find that his character is suspect.

I shall list my reasons below for debate, kindly bear in mind I am no expert of his biography:

1) Baling incident;
Anwar did cause an uproar regarding the few deaths due to starvation there. However, one must ask oneself what was his intention? What would you have done if you were in his shoes? Most people would have tried to organize channelling of food there, writing in to government bodies for necessary help, donations etc. In short, usually within the confines of the law.

You must also understand that this took place in the 70's long before the corrupt-infested government that is so evident today. Death due to starvation in Malaysia (for that matter anywhere in the world) should never happen but I am quite sure it occurred due to the inefficiency of the government of that day and had nothing to do with their corruption or ill conscience.

For whatever Anwar's genuine intention of leading a demonstration then, the fact is it definitely catapulted his political career. Coming from a family where his father was one of the youngest UMNO MPs, I am quite sure he knew what he was doing and where that incident will take him.

2) ISA detainee; 
As some say, according to his fellow detainees like Syed Hussin etc, he kept them entertained and the overall mood there was great. Agreed he has a great sense of humor and that is all.

3) UMNO/PAS;
He chose UMNO because .... Let me guess ...."I'm going to change UMNO from within " ... yeah RIGHT! How so original! What a sacrifice!

4) His legacy in UMNO;
What legacy are we talking about here? My limited knowledge tells me his moronic decision to introduce Bahasa Baku when he was the Education Minister. We found it strange trying to decipher the new lingo on RTM news.

As the Finance Minister, he fought tooth and nail against pegging the ringgit when on hindsight we are all aware was a masterstroke by Dr M that saved not just Malaysia but this region.

Whose brilliant idea was it to give hard earned tax payers money amounting to RM 1 billion to Indonesia and that too when we were going through one of our worst financial crisis.

Was someone trying to look good on the international stage?

5) He is Mr Clean;
Could anyone believe that Anwar could maneuver himself within UMNO's corridors of 'lepers' and rise to be the Deputy President just on Dr M's patronage alone without greasing a few hands and closing one eye here and there along the way?

Just because he was never caught does not do justice to the argument here. If it needs be reminded, even with Pakatan Rakyat now controlling 4 states, it is difficult to unearth dirt on most UMNO leaders. 'Angels' like Mohd Taib, Samy Velu etc still remain clean in the eyes of the 'law'.

6) He couldn't do much because of Dr M;
Which only means that he was aware of the injustices that were going around but did nothing. Just great isn't it! Here is a guy who went out of his way to highlight the Baling incident but suddenly chooses to remain silent within the system. Wasn't this the same guy who once said he joined UMNO because ....

7) That was then now is now;
Fine, acceptable. So I guess he must be sorry and regretful about it? NO! To date I would like to put it on record there has been no public apology or mention of any regret! So what is going on then? What reforms are we then talking about for the future?

8) Drama Queen;
During last year's BERSIH rally, in case you are unaware, Anwar was not involved in the formation of the petition that was to be given to the Agong. However, at the precise moment of the handing over of the petition, guess who appears driven in on a 500cc bike and that too 15 to 30 minutes late so everyone had to wait for his grand arrival? What was supposed to be a rakyat's initiative attended by thousands of people from all walks of life was hijacked right under their noses by saudara Anwar.

During the HINDRAF rally (pre and post), was Anwar around? However, guess who was suddenly there championing the Indians' rights in Klang just after the infamous HINDRAF 5 ISA arrests. Wow, what a 'Makkal Sakthi' guy! The Turkish embassy fiasco and of course the the Sept 16 drama that practically crippled the whole country economically.

9) His sacrifice going to jail from 1998 to 2004;
That, I'm afraid has nothing to do with the rakyat. He fell out of favour with the dictatorial Dr M and suffered his wrath. That was not his sacrifice to the rakyat at all however wrong it was. Anwar only 'saw the light' for reformation after losing his job as a DPM. While in UMNO and wearing his Armani suits, somehow reformasi was the furthest thing on his mind. Since 1998 till today, the entire country is still fighting Anwar's personal sodomy trials, while 'Rome burns'!

So my friend, leaving aside Anwar's superior oratory skills and empowering personality, what else has he proven himself to us? I know of a similar late Malay actor/singer who possessed similar atributes but did not go far politically. Should we regret that ?

Please do not misinterpret what I am trying to put across here. I do believe we are on the crossroads of political change and Anwar is at the moment our best candidate by chance or default to be our next PM. However, what is more important is the rakyat should be the ones in control and not just one person.

We must watch him and Pakatan Rakyat like hawks once they take control of the government and never ever make the same mistakes we did with BN.

Be a patriot and think out of the box!

 

I have resigned as MCLM president

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 04:44 PM PST

THE PEOPLE'S PARLIAMENT

From the very first post in this blog to this day, my political viewpoint has been the same.

If we are to transform this into a nation of a single, united people, and to finally start to see a just distribution of the nation's wealth, to offer equal educational and economic opportunities to all our children, and, most importantly, to restore vital institutions of state back to their role as servants of the people, UMNO and BN had to be removed from Putrajaya.

My faith, though, in seeing this realised, has been with an awakening people working with the non-BN political parties who are truly pro-rakyat.

This, too, remains unchanged.

On 30th October, 2010, whilst attending to guests at an SABM dinner, lecture, I received an sms from RPK informing that that very night, in London, at the inaugural meeting of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement, I had been unanimously elected as president.

3 weeks later, I was in Manchester where, after much deliberation with RPK, I agreed to accept the position subject to our agreement on several issues.

I will only mention two here that I believe relevant to the difficult decision I have made today.

First, matters of policy and direction of MCLM were to be determined and made after mutual consultation and consensus between us.

Second, RPK would oversee the administrative affairs of MCLM, in his capacity as chairman, as well as look into all overseas matters. whilst I would drive our operations here at home.

In December, 2010, in London, RPK announced the launch of our Barisan Rakyat Independent Candidate Initiative.

In July, last year, MCLM announced the deployment of our first candidate, Dr Neduchelian, in the Kapar consitutuency.

In December, last year, after conferring with RPK, MCLM joined several other groups in issuing a warning to Najib that should he call snap elections without first carrying through the electoral reforms demanded by BERSIH 2.0, he should brace himself for street rallies that might culminate in his government being toppled. I wish to reiterate here that this was no idle threat.

Again, after conferring with RPK, MCLM had, last month, firmly aligned itself with the many NGOs and several political parties that hve given life to the Asalkan Bukan Umno / Anything But Umno (ABU) initiative.

Yesterday, the New Straits Times published an interview with RPK that was conducted in Singapore last week.

I had been informed by RPK whilst I was with him in Phuket over the Christmas holiday that this interview was to take place. I was not, however, fully appraised of all that was to be said in the course of the interview.

The matters spoken of by RPK have been quite wide-ranging.

I only propose to allude here to the two parts that have led me to the decision I have made today.

Under the heading "Rights group not a third force – RPK" that appeared in the NST and is reproduced in full on Malaysia Today, RPK is reported to have said that "MCLM had decided it would not field any candidates for the coming general  election".

I can confirm now that no such decision has been made after due consultation.

And under the heading "RPK – Anwar may become irrelevant", also reproduced in full on Malaysia Today, RPK is reported to have said that "the Egypt-style people's revolution was not an answer for Malaysia due to the delicate racial balance. "They (Chinese voters) don't want Tahrir Square type of change"."

These comments just referred to greatly undermine efforts I am making, albeit through MLCM, in the ABU initiative.

It also saddens me that even as initiatives like SABM and so many others continue daily to undo the ill-effects of UMNO/BN's 40 over years of race-based, divide-and-rule, my friend should continue to see us as Malays, Chinese, Indians, dll.

I remain committed to all efforts to see this a nation of a single people, all equal.

And I am fully committed to the cause of ABU.

In the circumstances, I find it impossible to continue to serve MCLM as its president.

I have communicated my resignation to RPK by email.

READ MORE HERE

 

Come back and shed light on bribery claims, Selangor urges Raja Petra

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 04:35 PM PST

(The Star) - The Selangor state government is willing to pay the travel cost for blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin to come to state office to shed some light into his bribery claims.

Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim's political secretary Faekah Husin said Raja Petra, who is currently living in self-imposed exile overseas, should be responsible for his statements and provide more information to his claims of corruption in the Pakatan Rakyat-held state.

"He should not make wild accusations just to undermine the state government's efforts. We do sympathise and understand his disappointments of having to live in exile amidst personal problems, but making wild accusations will not help him return home. It will instead further dent his image," she said in a statement Monday.

Faekah said providing further information was the least Raja Petra he could do to help the state government combat corruption, more so since he was of Selangor royal blood.

"His accusations that there are corrupt practices in Selangor...are serious. We urge him to step forward to provide detailed information to the state government so that detailed investigations can be carried out.

"We are willing to pay for his travel costs, The state has allocated RM15mil to combat corruption and abuse of power, an amount which has been included in the Selangorku Geran," she added.

Raja Petra, a once close ally of Pakatan leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, recently gave an interview to selected mainstream media and an online portal where he spoke on a variety of issues, including Anwar's possible irrelevance, his sodomy trial and the state in Selangor.

He claimed that corruption was still the same in Selangor and that people still had to pay "under table" money to get things done.

 

RPK says detractors’ comments not important

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 04:31 PM PST

(The Star) - Controversial blogger-in-exile Raja Petra Kamarudin has hit back at critics who have accused him of selling out to Barisan Nasional after he criticised Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in a recent interview with Mingguan Malaysia.

In his latest post on his website, he said he had expected the barrage of criticism unleashed against him once the interview was published as "not many could accept the truth".

Dismissing comments in various online portals where readers questioned whether he had sold out or turned traitor against Anwar, he said the vast majority of their comments did not matter to him.

"The more important issue is, which category are you in? Are you amongst the less than four million Malaysians who voted Opposition in the last general election in 2008 or are you amongst the more than 11 million eligible voters who did not vote Opposition, did not vote at all, or did not even register to vote?

"Yes, I value your comments, but only if you fall in the first category of all those various groups above. If not, then your comments are of no significance. And that would probably mean almost all if not all of those who are commenting," he wrote in his latest blog post Monday, questioning the majority of the commenters' true commitment towards asserting their political rights.

Once a staunch Anwar supporter, RPK stunned many when he questioned whether Anwar was the best candidate to lead the country and said he "wasn't impressed" with Anwar's performance in Selangor.

"Have there been many drastic changes in Selangor? Definitely not. The feedback we have received reflects that corruption still remains at the same level, no decrease," he said in the interview, which was also published in Berita Harian, The New Sunday Times and his online website Malaysia Today on Sunday.

RPK pointed out that it had been three years since Anwar was appointed Selangor's economic advisor, and yet had gone for more than 60 overseas trips during that period instead of carrying out his duties.

"We tell him, stay in the country and carry out your duties in Pakatan. More than 60 trips overseas is really too extreme," he said.

 

Raja Petra Kamarudin adalah ‘blogger upahan Umno’

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 04:25 PM PST

(Harakah Daily) - Keterdesakan Umno dan Barisan Nasional di bawah pimpinan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak semakin terserlah dan jelas tidak boleh diselindung lagi.

Setiausaha Agung PKR, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail berkata, perkiraan Najib untuk membubarkan Parlimen dan mengadakan pilihanraya umum dalam tempoh terdekat ini bakal mengundang padah yang besar bagi dirinya dan isteri beliau, Rosmah serta pada keseluruhan parti usang Umno dan Barisan Nasional.

Katanya, umum mengetahui bahawa strategi serangan terhadap Anwar Ibrahim adalah usaha terus-terusan Umno dan Barisan Nasional, dan menghumban Anwar ke dalam penjara dianggap bakal memberi sedikit nyawa untuk mereka terus wujud dan merompak harta rakyat dan Negara.

Terbaru sekali, ujarnya adalah kepolokkan Utusan Malaysia dan Berita Harian, media pembohong milik Umno yang cukup pantas memetik dan memperbesar kenyataan Raja Petra Kamarudin tentang fitnah dan tohmahan kes salah laku seks terhadap Anwar Ibrahim di muka hadapan akhbar masing-masing.

"Umum tidak harus lupa bahawa Raja Petra Kamarudin, yang kini semakin diketahui sebagai 'blogger upahan Umno' juga pernah membuat kenyataan bersumpah bahawa Najib dan Rosmah terlibat dalam pembunuhan kejam model Mongolia Altantuya Shariibuu tidak lama dahulu yang walaubagaimanapun, sememangnya dan tentunya tidak dilapor langsung oleh akhbar-akhbar ini," ujarnya dalam satu kenyataan.

Katanya, fitnah pertuduhan meliwat oleh Anwar Ibrahim yang selama ini menjadi ancaman kepada Najib dan Rosmah bakal diputuskan oleh Mahkamah Tinggi tanggal 9 Januari ini.

"Terdesaknya Umno adalah apabila belum apa-apa, hasrat rakyat kebanyakan untuk keluar memberi sokongan kepada Anwar terus dianggap sebagai cubaan mencetuskan huru-hara," ujarnya yang juga Ahli Parlimen Machang.

Menurutnya, harus ditekankan bahawa Anwar Ibrahim merupakan Ketua Pembangkang Parlimen Malaysia, Ahli Parlimen Permatang Pauh dan Ketua Umum Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

"Sebagai seorang pemimpin politik, tentunya beliau mempunyai pengikut dan penyokongnya," katanya.

Kehadiran pengikut dan penyokong Anwar dan anggota-anggota PKR bagi menunjukkan sokongan terhadap beliau tidak harus dianggap sebagai cubaan menghuru-harakan negara.

Dari nada pimpinan Umno dan media milik Umno berhubung perkara ini kebelakangan ini serta dari pengalaman lampau, beliau dapat menjangka bahawa Umno sendirilah yang akan mencetuskan provokasi pada hari tersebut.

"Saya sekali lagi menyeru kalangan anggota dan penyokong parti untuk berhati-hati dan tidak terjebak dengan perangkap Umno dan Barisan Nasional yang ingin menjadikan 9 Januari ini suatu hari hitam dalam diari perjuangan kita," ujarnya.

Tambahnya, nyata keterdesakan Umno dan Barisan Nasional untuk terus mengekang dan memadam kebangkitan rakyat telah menjangkau ke tahap kritikal.

 

RPK: Azmin can only plot and scheme

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 04:17 PM PST

Raja Petra trains his gun at Azmin Ali, saying that Anwar's blue-eyed boy is not the right person to lead PKR post-Anwar.

"Azmin is deceitful and he will put his personal interests and ambition above the interests of the party and the rakyat. He is basically a product of Umno who has not been able to shed the Umno culture. He is still Umno through and through. And what we want is ABU: anything but Umno," said Raja Petra.

K Kabilan, Free Malaysia Today

Influential blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin predicts an internal revolt in PKR if Anwar Ibrahim tries to promote deputy president Azmin Ali to take over the party after his (Anwar's) sentencing for sodomy.

"In fact there is already an internal revolt. If Anwar pushes for Azmin, there will be a backlash," Raja Petra told FMT in an interview recently.

Raja Petra said Azmin is devious, likes to plot and scheme, and more worryingly, still had Umno culture in him.

"I have not seen anything from Azmin this far which impresses me or convinces me that he can lead."

"His forte is scheming and plotting, and that's about it. But sooner or later we need to stop scheming and plotting and get down to business. This, Azmin appears incapable of," he said.

"Azmin is deceitful and he will put his personal interests and ambition above the interests of the party and the rakyat."

"He is basically a product of Umno who has not been able to shed the Umno culture. He is still Umno through and through. And what we want is ABU: anything but Umno," said Raja Petra.

Raja Petra also reiterated that PKR members would not have forgotten Azmin's role in pushing out Zaid Ibrahim from PKR after the contentious party polls in 2010.

"The tragedy of Zaid leaving the party was Azmin's doing. Then they tried to paint a picture of Zaid being a Trojan horse and whatnot," he said.

He also added that even Pakatan Rakyat partners PAS and DAP would prefer someone else apart from Azmin to lead PKR.

"Azmin may be acceptable to Anwar as his anointed successor but PAS and DAP do not trust him and do not regard him highly."

Nurul should take charge

When asked who could fill the leadership mantle in the party post-Anwar, Raja Petra said it was time for vice-president Nurul Izzah to step up and take charge.

"Nurul needs to get out of the father's shadow. She needs to be Nurul Izzah, not Nurul the daughter of Anwar."

"She also needs to oppose her father if need be whenever she feels her father is wrong. Maybe the best thing for her would be if Anwar were to be sent to jail. Then Nurul can be her own woman."

He also brushed aside general concerns that Nurul was inexperienced and too young to helm PKR, especially going into an election year.

"They say Nurul is too young. 200 years ago girls got married at 11, boys joined the army at 13, and by 30 you were considered old and over the hill."

"Nurul, by the standards of 200 years ago, would be old and over the hill. So, no, I do not think she is too young and certainly she is of the age when she can take over the leadership of the party."

"But does she have enough experience? If she does not play a leadership role now then how is she to get the experience? It is a catch 22 situation," he said.

He was also harsh on Anwar's leadership, especially in the lack of direction after the massive wins gained in the 2008 general election.

"Over the last three years, he has made more than 60 overseas trips. It appears like Anwar is more interested in lecturing at forums and universities than of managing Selangor as its economic adviser or managing party matters as the party adviser."

"Would Anwar's absence really be missed?" he asked.

On the attack

On Sunday, Raja Petra told FMT that it was certain Anwar would be jailed for sodomy on Jan 9. He also alluded that Anwar was in fact guilty of the sodomy charge, saying that the PKR supremo was a victim of a honey-trap.

Apart from talking to FMT, Raja Petra had also granted interviews to other mainstream media in which he had said that Malaysians were unable to accept a homosexual to lead the country. However he did not state Anwar was homosexual.

He had also claimed that he was almost 90 percent sure that the man featured in a sex video released by the Datuk T trio was Anwar. He added that Anwar had lied by stating that he did not know the main personality behind the Datuk T trio, Shazryl Eskay Abdullah.

Anwar has not officially responded to Raja Petra's hard-hitting interviews but PKR vice-president N Surendran said that Raja Petra's "statements, insinuations and innuendos are unfair,untrue, unsupported by any believable evidence and plainly libelous".

Surendran reiterated Anwar's stand that the sodomy trial was "a transparent fabrication by Umno/BN with the connivance and cooperation of the police force and the Attorney General's office".

READ MORE HERE

 

Najib’s ex-info chief joins DAP

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 04:15 PM PST

DAP scores a coup with Umno veterans and bloggers, including former Pulau Manis Umno rep Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Former Pulau Manis Umno assemblyman Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz and Negeri Umno veteran Aspan Alias (photo) have joined DAP.

Having Ariff on board is a major coup for DAP because he was Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's information chief in his Pekan Umno division up until 2004.

"If you want to know, yes, that is what we are doing (joining DAP).

"I am impressed by DAP. They are principled, I like their professionalism.

"I was with (Lim) Guan Eng at the bloggers conference last month. There is no fancy words, they are focussed on work … always thinking unlike our Umno people," he told FMT recently.

Ariff's admission puts to rest weeks of wildfire speculations in pro-Umno blogs.

He is also rumoured to be contesting under the DAP banner in the next general election.

Ariff is touted to be contesting in Raub where MCA's Ng Yen Yen is incumbent. Ng is currently the tourism minister, and a MCA vice president.

Warning to Umno's bloggers

Gunning pro-Umno bloggers who have been maligning them both personally and professionally, an incessant Ariff (photo) said: "Why the paranoia? If we are not good, failed Adun (assemblymen), bankrupt politicians, it will be cinch for any winnable Umno candidates to beat us.

"So, it's no cause of concern or a sleep depriver."

"But be warned, you want to play ball, we play ball too, so stop telling lies about us and we can promise not to tell the truth about you (Umno)."

Both Ariff and Aspan are not alone. There are increasing speculations of shifts within and out of Umno.

DAP has been targeting 'thinking' Malays post-2008 GE to increase its support within the community.

Onboard is Transparency International Malaysia founder Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim who is now the party's vice chairman and former Umno education minister Khir Johari's son Zairil.

Zairil and party strategist Liew Chin Tong along with Youth chairman Anthony Loke have been tasked with wooing selected Malays.

It was reported that the party leaders have been meeting "Malay opinion-makers in small closed-door discussions dealing with issues concerning Islamic state, hudud and Bumiputera affirmative action".

READ MORE HERE

 

RPK’s Statement Baseless And Unsupported

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 04:08 PM PST

I refer to blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin's interview in which he discusses 'gay Prime Ministers' in relation to the sodomy trial of federal Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He also says he is '90 per cent sure' that the person in the notorious 'Datuk T' sex video is Anwar Ibrahim. I do not wish to speculate as to RPK's motives in making such statements. However I do say that his statements, insinuations and innuendoes are unfair, untrue, unsupported by any believable evidence and plainly libellous.

For some reason, RPK ignores the fact that the entire sodomy case is a transparent fabrication by Umno/BN with the connivance and cooperation of the police force and the Attorney General's office. RPK's insinuations are thus based upon a malicious conspiracy which is widely disbelieved throughout this country and abroad. Anwar's trial has made a mockery of justice, and fair and accepted legal procedures; and it has been condemned as such by civil and political leaders as well as rights bodies worldwide. The failure to disclose material evidence critical to the defence; the serious flaws in the way forensic samples were obtained, stored and analyzed; the unusual and legally unsound pre-judgement of the case by Judge Zabidin at the end of prosecution case; the extraordinary meeting between the complainant and the Prime Minister, and the PM's lying explanation for it, are but some of the proofs of a wide-ranging conspiracy behind the Sodomy II case. Upon this shaky ground, RPK builds a ramshackle tower of vague suppositions and wild innuendoes.
 
As for the sex video, it was concocted out of desperation by UMNO-linked conspirators as a result of Sodomy II's failure to turn the rakyat against Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat. A key figure in the shameful sex video fiasco is the former UMNO Vice-President and Chief Minister of Melaka, Rahim Thamby Chik who was forced to resign over a sex scandal involving a minor. Tens of thousands of copies of the pornographic video were freely distributed all over the country, while the police sat by and took no action against the porn-peddlers. When after months of public pressure, the Datuk T trio were charged for a minor offence, the A-G's chambers took advantage of the proceedings to slander and attack the reputation of Anwar Ibrahim. Has RPK forgotten UMNO's long, disgraceful and criminal history of abusing the police, prosecution and judiciary in order to silence or neutralize key opposition figures? Further, he provides not the slightest basis or evidence for his extraordinary claim that he is '90 %' certain that it is Anwar in the sex video.
 
It is extremely fortunate that the people of this country have not fallen for these UMNO-inspired plots, which are simply underhand and criminal attempts to halt the reform movement and Pakatan Rakyat's march to federal power. UMNO must engage in democratic politics by debate and discussion, and stop using dirty and dishonest means to try to bring down Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat.
 
Issued by,
N SURENDRAN
VICE PRESIDENT
KEADILAN


RAJA PETRA PERLU BERI MAKLUMAT LANJUT DAKWAAN RASUAH

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 10:05 AM PST

KENYATAAN AKHBAR

Saya terpanggil untuk memberi komen selepas membaca temubual eksklusif bekas rakan reformasi yang juga Penulis Blog, Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) bersama akhbar-akhbar milik UMNO yang disiarkan semalam.

Meskipun saya menghormati hak RPK melakukan analisa politiknya namun saya berasa mushkil dan sesungguhnya hanya beliau seorang sahaja yang mengetahui logik sebenar kenyataan tersebut.

Pada masa yang sama saya percaya rakyat boleh menilai sendiri kenyataan dan dakwaan yang dibuat oleh RPK seperti disiarkan The Sunday Times dan Berita Minggu - dua akhbar yang dulunya pernah mengkritik dan mengutuk RPK secara keras kerana menentang Kerajaan Barisan Nasional.

Walau apapun sebab yang membawa kepada tindakan akhbar-akhbar tersebut bertukar selera serta ghairah memberi keistimewaan kepada RPK, yang pasti RPK harus bertanggungjawab ke atas apa yang beliau telah katakan.

Tuduhan beliau bahawa wujud amalan rasuah di Selangor; duit kopi yang melibatkan para usahawan berbangsa Cina, adalah tuduhan serius. Kami menuntut RPK untuk tampil memberikan butiran lanjut kepada Kerajaan Negeri dan pihak berwajib agar penyiasatan terperinci dapat dilakukan.

Kerajaan Negeri bersedia membayar kos perjalanan RPK ke Pejabat Pentadbiran Kerajaan kerana untuk makluman RPK Kerajaan Negeri Selangor telah memperuntukkan sejumlah RM15 juta untuk membasmi rasuah dan penyalahgunaan kuasa di Negara ini khususnya di Selangor. Jumlah tersebut termasuk di dalam Geran Selangorku yang diumumkan oleh YAB Dato' Menteri Besar ketika pembentangan Belanjawan 2012 yang lalu.

Sesungguhnya inilah sekecil-kecil jasa yang beliau boleh lakukan untuk membantu kerajaan yang benar-benar mahu membenteras rasuah; apatah lagi beliau sendiri dari darah bangsawan negeri Selangor. RPK tidak seharusnya melemparkan dakwaan liar hanya semata-mata mahu memperlekeh usaha Kerajaan Negeri untuk mewujudkan sebuah pentadbiran yang baik, bersih dan penuh pertanggungjawaban.

Kami sesungguhnya simpati dan amat memahami kekecewaan beliau yang terpaksa hidup dalam buangan di tengah-tengah permasalahan peribadi yang beliau hadapi, tetapi dengan melemparkan dakwaan liar sebegini tidak akan membantu membawanya pulang ke negara ini. Sebaliknya ianya hanya akan mencemarkan lagi imejnya yang sudah sediakala tercalar.

Rata-rata teman reformasi yang sempat dihubungi serta rakyat biasa, telahpun membuat kesimpulan bahawa RPK begitu terdesak serta mengharapkan kebebasan dan dibenarkan pulang ke negara ini. Insuransnya mudah; tohmahan dan fitnah terhadap Kerajaan Negeri Selangor dan Penasihat Ekonomi Negeri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sebagai serangan awal menghadapi pilihan raya umum.

 

FAEKAH HUSIN

SETIAUSAHA POLITIK KEPADA

YAB DATO' MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR

 

Apa maksud ‘Pemimpin yang ditunggu’

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 09:31 AM PST

Tok Ki, The Malaysian Insider

Menatap video rakaman ucapan Dr Badrul Amin adalah contoh lawak terbaik menjelang 901. Antara yang saya sempat kutip daripada video itu; "Perlu ada seorang pemimpin yang mampu menyatukan umat Islam — paling tidak menyatukan dunia Arab. Ia akan datang dari sebelah Timur. Ia sudah ada dan sedang disiapkan dengan mengalami siri ujian-ujian peringkat akhir. Orang hormat prinsip agamanya. Dan dia ialah Anwar Ibrahim".

Lawak sungguh firasat Dr Badrul. Bagaimana "ulama" PKR ini tergamak membuat kenyataan yang memperlihatkan daya taksub kelas pertama sedangkan yang digambarkan itu penuh dengan masalah integriti atau kewibawaan. Sayang, ilmu yang dimilikinya, kelulusan yang didapatinya tidak seimbang dengan kenyataan yang dibuat.

Kalaulah dikatakan Anwar memiliki faktor penyatuan umat, kerana cita-cita peribadinya untuk sampai ke Putrajaya, umat Islam berpecah dan umat Malaysia terjebak dalam sengketa. Ramai kawan yang dulunya rapat dengannya kini meninggalkannya. Dia tak mampu menjadi faktor pemersatu. Alasan kawan-kawan yang meninggalkannya ialah Anwar tidak layak menjadi pemimpin kerana menghadapi masalah moral yang serius. Anwar membalas dengan mudah dan lazim kepada yang meninggalkannya — mereka sudah dibeli oleh Umno atau kerajaan.

Ujian yang dilaluinya adalah hasil perbuatannya sendiri. Dia tuduh konspirasi berlaku. Mana bukti konspirasi itu. Apakah mudah pihak polis, ahli perubatan, pakar forensik, pegawai pendakwa, hakim dan lain-lain lagi berpakat untuk melakukan kerja keji dan zalim itu. Kalau ia berlaku lambat laun ia akan pecah juga, "mulut tempayan boleh ditutup, mulut manusia, tidak!"

"Orang itu datang dari Timur". Ini mengingat penulis Allahyarham Ustaz Ashaari Muhammad, pemimpin Arqam mengenai Pemuda Bani Tamim yang bakal muncul datang dari Timur. Apakah Anwar Ibrahim orangnya. Ciri-ciri yang disebutkan oleh Dr Badrul tidak menggambarkan watak sedemikian. Apakah kenyataan Dr Badrul sebagai strategi "pemujaan" menjelang 901.

Dia disebut sebagai menghormati prinsip agama. Dr Badrul tentu arif mengenai isu "kalimah Allah" yang diperjuangkan oleh Anwar yang menyebabkan ia digelar "pluralis" sewaktu bercakap di London School of Economics suatu ketika dulu. Dia juga yang mengambil sikap terbuka mengenai isu pemurtadan di DUMC, 3 Ogos 2011 yang menyebabkan Dr Hasan Ali semacam dipinggirkan dari memainkan peranan dan Anwar dikatakan berada di belakang penyokong gaya hidup lesbian, gay, biseksual dan transeksual (LGBT) kerana kenyataannya tidak jelas.

Dia dikatakan mempunyai ramai kawan seperti Al Gore, Camdessus, George Soros, Paul Wolfowitz, Shaha Ali Reza (teman wanita Wolfowitz), Martin Indyk (bekas Duta AS ke Israel), Michael Danby (MP Australia yang pro-Israel), James Wolfensohn (bekas Presiden Bank Dunia), William Cohen (bekas Setiausaha Pertahanan AS) dan ramai lagi. Apakah Dr Badrul tidak pernah mengetahui ini semua. Kasihan!

Ia ditimbulkan kerana Anwar Ibrahim dikatakan boleh menyatukan umat Arab dan membebaskan Masjidil Aqsa. Bagaimana ini boleh berlaku sekiranya NGO "pelik" dari negara luar amat rapat hubungannya dengan Anwar.

Kawan-kawan Anwar dari International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) dan sebahagian kenalan Arabnya dalam Ikhwan Muslimin mungkin tidak tahu isu setempat yang sedang dilalui oleh Anwar termasuk grup al Barakah dari Bahrain. Malah seperti orang lain pun, mereka tidak percaya. Yang berlaku ialah konspirasi dan tuduhan silih berganti terhadapnya adalah dicipta. Memang benar terdapat daya taksub yang tinggi di kalangan sesetengah pihak termasuk yang terjadi kepada Dr Badrul. Tetapi sudah semakin ramai orang luar negara mengetahui cerita sebenarnya.

Untuk menjadi "Pemimpin yang ditunggu" membawa risalah mulia mesti memiliki integriti yang tinggi. Apalagi kalau ingin membawa risalah Islam sebagai faktor penyelesai kemelut umat. Di Malaysia, Anwar sedang menghadapi masalah integriti yang serius.

Kenyataan Lee Kuan Yew dalam Wikileaks suatu ketika dulu terhadapnya, tidak diberi respons dan ia serius. Salah satu bab biografi Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad mengaitkan Anwar dengan kisah yang amat memalukan adalah suatu kes yang serius juga. Video seks Datuk Eskay Abdullah yang dikaitkan dengan dirinya adalah lebih serius lagi. Mengapa Anwar tidak mengambil tindakan menyaman dan membersihkan diri dalam tuduhan ini. Apakah Dr Badrul mengikuti semua ini dan tuduhan-tuduhan yang lain.

Dr Badrul tidak boleh mengambil sikap semuanya ini adalah palsu, direka oleh musuh dan suatu siri konspirasi menjatuhkan Anwar dan menghalangnya untuk sampai ke Putrajaya. Anwar pernah memberitahu kawan-kawan Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) dulu iaitu sebagai pemimpin kita kena bersih dan kelihatan bersih. Dr Badrul sebagai bekas pemimpin ABIM tentu pernah dengar ini.

READ MORE HERE

 

Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #95

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 09:23 AM PST

M. BAKRI MUSA

Chapter11: Embracing Free Enterprise

Encouraging Entrepreneurialism

NEP's Failure to Nurture Malay Entrepreneurs

As a long distance observer, let me suggest some reasons for NEP's failure in this endeavor. They all boil down to that basic defect of too much central planning and too rigid top-down command. Instead of trying to create an environment where budding Bumiputra entrepreneurs could thrive, the government went much further to actually select which individual Bumiputras would thrive and succeed.

These central planners presume to know the traits of a successful would-be businessman. That these planners—politicians and bureaucrats—have no experience in starting or running a business is conveniently ignored. Such hubris! No surprise then that the pseudo entrepreneurs that the system produced were more adept in cashing in their close association with the politically powerful rather than being true creators and builders of wealth. They in turn perpetuated that same system in choosing their own set of suppliers, subcontractors, and vendors. Thus was born a class of Bumiputra entrepreneurs and businessmen more skillful at commercializing their political ties rather than being true wealth creators; a class of rent seekers and economic parasites rather than of genuine entrepreneurs.

These individuals with their new wealth and political clout began flexing their power. They easily convinced the government that juicy public contracts and privatization projects be reserved for them in the belief that their enterprises would quickly reach a sufficient size and strength that they could then take on the world. They wanted to create their own kampong version of the Japanese keiretsu and Korean chaebol. These big Bumiputra companies would then act as a locomotive to carry the rest forward. That at least was the theory.

The reality, as with all centrally hatched plans, was far different. The relationship these new companies had with their suppliers and vendors down the feeding chain was more predatory than supportive. These companies acted less like locomotives and more like the head of a serpent devouring every competitor, Bumiputra and non-Bumiputra alike. They effectively snuffed out other new entrants.

One example would suffice to illustrate the massive clout of these new Bumiputra pseudo entrepreneurs and their destructive predatory behaviors. In Kuala Lumpur of the 1970s, the government issued a number of bas mini (mini bus) permits to provide transportation services to the many small suburbs sprouting around the capital city. These new settlements were too small to merit regular bus services. Thus the bas mini was an ideal compromise between cheap public buses and the more expensive taxis.

That brilliant strategy resulted in many mini bus owner-operators. The program succeeded in creating a class of true small-time entrepreneurs not only in the form of owner operators but also in the supporting services, including repair shops and coach builders. The public too benefited from the frequent and convenient bus service. It became a point where these mini buses became ubiquitous in the capital city, and plans were afoot to introduce them at other major urban centers. They also have a cute acronym, BMW – Bas Mini Wilayah (Federal Mini Bus). It would certainly impress your co-workers when you assert that you come to work in a BMW!

It did not take long for the powerful government-sponsored pseudo entrepreneurs to muscle in. They convinced the government to cancel those permits and to give the franchise to their major bus companies instead. Overnight these owner-operators saw their investments became worthless. The government decided, persuaded undoubtedly by the politically connected entrepreneurs, that the big bus companies could provide a better service than the mini bus operators. Of course the government never bothered to ask the consumers.

A better strategy would have been to let them battle it out in the marketplace. Whoever provides the better service would win. This hubris of top government officials presuming to be able to pick winners in the private sector is major factor in the economic crisis of 1997. Sadly, the government has yet to learn its lesson. It continues with the same pattern. Only this time some other new favored players are replacing the Tajuddin Ramlis and Halim Saads of yore. Contracts and projects are still being awarded sans competitive bidding. A decade hence the story would be the same, only the characters and ventures would change.

READ MORE HERE

 

RPK speaks his mind on Politics in Malaysia

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 07:56 AM PST

DIN MERICAN

Nearly 7,000 words by measure can be a long piece. The temptation is to dismiss RPK as having sold out to the other side because he talks to his erstwhile opponents, The New Straits Times and Utusan Malaysia.

If he has sold his allegiance to any side of our politics, then his friends in Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement like the committed Haris Ibrahim and his associates would have abandoned him. They are still with him. He may be critical of  both UMNO-BN and Pakatan Rakyat these days. That is understandable. And I think I know why. They all are disillusioned with politicians on both sides of the political divide.

I recall having a meeting before the 2008 General Elections with my good friend Haris Ibrahim at the Cobra Club House in Petaling Jaya. Haris wanted to know from me whether PKR (at that time I was in Anwar Ibrahim's Office) and its associates, DAP and PAS, would endorse their Peoples Declaration. I spoke to all top guns in PKR including Anwar Ibrahim and Tian Chua, and came back and told Haris that PKR would endorse it and so would DAP and PAS.

As a result of that endorsement, Haris Ibrahim, RPK, Bernard Khoo and others took part on the campaign for the March 8, 2008 elections and subsequent by-elections. RPK went to hell for the cause, spending some time in Sungei Buloh under ISA until he was won his  habeas corpus case in the Shah Alam High Court. His high profile case was ably handled by Malik Imtiaz, Art Harun and others.

RPK is passionate about the cause of freedom, human right, justice and democracy. He has written a book, The Silent Roar, containing his views on Malaysian political issues.

Writ of Habeas corpus petition, as you know,  is a petition filed with a court by a person who objects to his own or another's detention or imprisonment. The petition must show that the court ordering the detention or imprisonment made a legal or factual error. Habeas corpus petitions are usually filed by persons serving prison sentences.

When their agenda as embodied in the Peoples Declaration was not taken up in earnest by Pakatan Rakyat, RPK and Haris Ibrahim formed the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) to promote political reform in our country. I have a lot of regard for RPK, Haris Ibrahim and the people who are from civil society in this worthy cause. In this interview, he mentioned some outstanding names. But he was critical of Ambiga, the hero of Berish 2.0.

Please read this interview in its entirety with care and critique his views if you must but do not cast aspersions on RPK.  I trust you can do that. I am afraid I do not have an English version, but the interview he gave to the New Straits Times which I posted earlier can give some idea of what he is saying in this Mingguan Malaysia interview.

READ MORE HERE

 

Will we see a change of government in Malaysia in the coming general election?

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 07:47 AM PST

HORNBILL UNLEASHED

The 12th general election in 2008 produced a devastating result for Barisan Nasional. BN received 49 per cent of popular votes in the Peninsula while the opposition gained a combined vote of 51 per cent.

Nationally, after taking into account of votes from Sabah and Sarawak, the tally was reversed with BN 51 per cent versus the opposition at 49 per cent.

In terms of seats, on 8th March 2008, BN gained 85 seats in the Peninsula while the opposition 80 seats.

The opposition managed to get only one (Bandar Kuching) of the 31 parliamentary seats in Sarawak and one (Kota Kinabalu) of 25 in Sabah. In the Peninsula, the opposition won one (Bakri) of 26 seats in Johor and two (Kuantan and Indera Mahkota) of Pahang's 13 parliamentary seats.

The four "fixed deposit" states of BN has a total of 95 seats. A change of federal government will happen if the opposition wins a third of the parliamentary seats in the states of Sabah, Sarawak, Johore and Pahang.

Besides the economic issues such as inflation and depleting value of income, the coming 13th general election will also be based on these factors:

1. Malay votes are sensitive to issues of corruption, abuse of power and bullying tactics against political foes (think about Anwar Ibrahim, Adam Adli, etc);

2. At least two traditional vote banks of Umno — Felda and the civil service — are in jittery due to poor policy choices (listing of FGV and the new salary scheme).

3. The Indian support for BN is not as solid as it was thought. There are divides along the line of North-South (Pakatan Rakyat is not very strong in southern Peninsula), urban-estate (access to alternative information is minimal in estates), middle class-poor (the poor being more supportive of BN, for whatever reasons).

4. The Chinese support for BN has further eroded since 2008, thanks to Perkasa and Utusan.

5. In Utusan and Perkasa's zeal to promote its exclusivist causes, a huge segment of "fixed deposits" — the Sabah and Sarawak Christian Bumiputra — are alienated.

6. Sabah Umno as possible king maker. Umno won only 79 of the 112 federal seats it contested in 2008. Of which 13 comes from Sabah and one from Labuan. Essentially, the Peninsula Umno won only 65 seats.

7. Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud as possible king maker. Allegedly Najib Razak dislikes Taib. If the Prime Minister does not do anything before the next poll, with 14 parliamentary seats which his Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) is likely to retain, Taib may hold the balance of power.

READ MORE HERE

 

Malaysia would be a better place without Umno

Posted: 01 Jan 2012 07:45 AM PST

HORNBILL UNLEASHED

Who is responsible for destroying racial unity in this country? Which forked-tongue party with the tacit support of their soul mate – a xenophobic NGO – is using race and religion to divide the people?

It is palpably not the Opposition. The Opposition on their part are seriously working with the marginalized minorities as well as the majority race in instilling peace and unity in the society.

Ethnic diversity is no doubt a distinctive feature of Malaysia but the Barisan Nasional (BN) ruling parties – led by the 'Big Brother', UMNO – opt to promote individual self-serving racial schema all in the name of promoting the interests of their own ethnic group against the other. This has led to a divisive kind of politics in the coalition since the country's independence and it has caused grave disunity among the people of various races and religions.

The only party in the country that often uses race, religion and ethnic 'rights' to stay relevant in politics is UMNO. For this reason, UMNO does not deserve to talk about racial unity.

Constitution was carved in good faith

Article 153 visibly states that it is the King's responsibility "to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article". Sadly, some racial zealots are using this Article as a weapon of aggression just to score some brownie points in politics. This symptom is not boding well for the country. Malaysians in general have never questioned the special position of the Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak. The minorities among them only demand that their positions too be acknowledged by the majority race.

Notably, the Constitution was carved with good faith to create a united Malaysian race. It explicitly covers the special 'position' of the indigenous and unreservedly recognizes the 'rights' of all Malaysians. The Constitution is not deliberately tilted towards any single group of citizens to favour them more then the others. The lexis 'rights' and 'position' are semantically disparate, though. Unfortunately, some UMNO politicians and their soul mates care more to argue on the deeper structure of the terminology.

A Malay lawmaker has this to say: "When politicians talk of the special 'rights' of only one group of people, it smacks of unfairness, as the Constitution also implicitly prescribes for the 'rights' of other Malaysians."

There is a harmonious gamut to the positions of all races in the country in the Constitution, which some politicians prefer to ignore. They are immaturely trying to practise divisive politics by toying with the issue of 'a chosen people' versus ' the marginal group' and this has perceptibly caused covert but marked disunity among people of different races and religions in the country.

As commented by the Malay lawmaker, "No one disputes the Constitution and no minority groups are for civil strife just by asking the majority to be fair to them as the rightful citizens of the country."

UMNO and some deep-seated NGO leaders are too quick to demean those who bring to facade the above notion – erroneously implying that any attempt to honestly decipher the semantic of the Constitution is to question UMNO and undermine what they term as 'the unity foundations they have long built'. Too many political observers, this is too opinionated in temperament.

The lawmaker added: "The Constitution belongs to all Malaysians and not any political party per se. Some politicians are actually destroying racial unity in manipulating the neat foundation of the Constitution when they insinuate that the minorities must accept themselves as second-class citizens."

To reject a government

More often than not, the word 'unity' becomes a hallowed formulate expansively used by UMNO just before elections to win support. The word disappears from their political repository just after an election. Unity rhetoric is only for UMNO's political expedient. In truth, national unity has virtually been shattered by the UMNO government.

Unity in its truest sense can only be seen if the rights of all Malaysians are taken care of. For that matter, safeguarding the indigenous rights does not come at the expense of the legitimate interests of the minorities. It is a fundamental human right that the minorities in any nation are treated fairly. When the minorities come to realize that they are neglected in all societal sectors they are bound to have animosity against the majority. They, therefore, deserve the right to reject a government that advocates injustice and unfairness.

A sociologist has this to say, "A social contract bounds the rights of all citizens. Nothing absolute pertaining to race is actually sealed in a social contract. The deprived in the society need to be helped. Poverty eradication involves people from all ethnic groups – not just confined to a single race. The poor among all races have to be factored in. Racial unity prevails when a government is sincere in narrowing this gap."

Promoting racial unity for UMNO is like playing a hide and seek game. To the sociologists, the framework for racial unity has to be based on the true aspirants of the people – the majority and the minority. UMNO's mode of silencing the parties representing the minority ethnic groups in the BN coalition with a 'Big Brother' mentality – on the issue of rights and special position of the indigenous has not helped promote good racial relations in the country. UMNO cannot call for unity and yet with the same breath spew out racist remarks against the non-Malays. Neither is it right for UMNO to rancorously create an imaginary Christian onslaught on Islam, as this has given rise to a widening gulf of misapprehension between the Muslims and the Christians in the country.

Cycle of poverty

It is an accepted reality that not all Malaysians are ready to totally shed their racial identity and call themselves Malaysians. For this ideal to morph into reality it may take another few generations. But UMNO does not seem to have the formula for this quandary. First, the poor and marginalized Malays, Indians, Chinese and the Indigenous are those that need to be helped to pull them into a level playing ground. As practised by UMNO, enriching a selected few among their cronies is not the solution to national unity.

Over 70 percent of the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak are still poor after many years of independence. Over 65 percent of the Malays are still in the poor category despite the long years of NEP. The marginalised Indians constitute 58 percent of the poor within this community. The Chinese too are not spared by poverty. 35 percent are still under the poor category within this community. Building richness solely within a single racial group is not going to bring unity or harmony to the society.

Many bigots, opportunists and self-serving leaders in UMNO prefer to ignore the fact that there are also many deprived people from among the minorities who need help in many ways. Unity does not mean that UMNO and their BN parties should come together to help themselves with the nation's wealth, with UMNO taking the biggest share. Racial unity also becomes a mockery if all opportunities are given to a single race with crumbs thrown to the minorities. Practising tokenism for the minorities will only demoralize the marginalized more.

A local economist has this to say: "Preferential treatment of a single race may not augur well for the nation when there are many who are equally deprived in the society. In a need-based economic approach to nation building would see a better Malaysia for all. UMNO does not need to enrich the rich but empower the poor from among all the races to drag them out of the cycle of poverty and into the level playing ground. This will help promote racial unity in the long run."

READ MORE HERE

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net
 

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