| Currency scandal: new files contradict Stevens Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:40 AM PDT  Questions raised ... Glenn Stevens. Photo: Tamara Voninski
(Sydney Morning Herald) - The arms dealer's company wrote to Mr Campbell demanding further payments and stating that it had convinced the ''prime minister and the Malaysian cabinet'' to give out contracts. NEW internal documents have contradicted parliamentary testimony by the Reserve Bank governor, Glenn Stevens, that the bank knew nothing about the Securency banknote scandal before it was revealed by a Fairfax investigation in 2009. The scandal involves the Reserve Bank companies Securency and Note Printing Australia, which were charged last year with bribing foreign officials to win banknote contracts. The sensitive documents, seen by the Fairfax, which contradict Mr Stevens's parliamentary testimony, come from the central bank's files. They show that in 2007: The assistant governor Frank Campbell was told that Securency engineered a dodgy business deal to hide a $492,000 payment to an allegedly corrupt Malaysian arms dealer; The arms dealer's company wrote to Mr Campbell demanding further payments and stating that it had convinced the ''prime minister and the Malaysian cabinet'' to give out contracts. Reserve Bank auditor John Klincke allegedly queried a Securency manager about payments to an agent working for Vietnam's spy agency, and was told in response: "Well, if I asked you if you worked for ASIO, you wouldn't tell me, would you". The Herald can also reveal that the Reserve - unwittingly or otherwise - hampered the Australian Federal Police bribery inquiry by failing to inform it for several months in 2009 of incriminating documents it held regarding its subsidiaries' activities. In response to 18 questions from the Fairfax, the Reserve released a statement saying: ''The bank has sought to deal appropriately with all the issues that have arisen. It has co-operated fully with the legal authorities, notifying them of the existence of relevant documents and providing documents when requested. There has been no attempt by the bank to hide information from the authorities. ''Even if it were ultimately to be concluded, with the benefit of hindsight, that incorrect conclusions were drawn from the various investigations, the bank and the NPA board relied on the information available at the time and external legal advice. The bank's executives acted in good faith and with integrity. It is completely without foundation to suggest otherwise.'' The fresh revelations have led to further calls for an inquiry into the bank's handling of the scandal. |
| What's the difference between BN & George Soros? Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:36 AM PDT 
Dr Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser In the BN Government's on-going witch hunt against SUARAM to try to discredit us for pursuing the suspected corruption scandal over the Scorpene deal in the Paris court, they now try to suggest that there is a problem with us having received funds from George Soros' Open Society Institute. The Domestic Trade Minister wants Bank Negara to investigate if there is "money laundering" involved. In so doing, the Minister has unwittingly put Bank Negara in an embarrassing position. George Soros is well known as a currency speculator, philanthropist and promoter of open society. What is baffling is the BN Government's problem with Soros. From the BN Government's propaganda, there seem to be two problems: (i) He is a currency speculator (ii) He is Jewish. The Jewish Question The fact that being ethnically Jewish (rather than being a Zionist) can be the basis for derision and condemnation in Malaysia (especially in the UMNO press) is evidence of the racist nature of the governing regime. This speaks volumes about UMNO's capacity for providing a non-racist path to progress in Malaysia. SUARAM certainly does not have a problem with Soros' ethnicity. Who is NOT a Currency Speculator? Soros has a reputation as a smart currency speculator. But he has made his millions through his own means and devices. On the other hand, our own Bank Negara under Dr Mahathir's watch speculated in the international currency markets from 1992-94 using the rakyat's money and incurred losses cited as ranging from RM10-30 billion! It has been claimed that the maximum exposure of Malaysian taxpayers' money in the forex market during that irresponsible fling was as much as RM270 billion. (Malaysian Business, April 1994) It was the biggest disaster ever for Bank Negara which had to be bailed out by the Finance Ministry in 1994 but the biggest heads have yet to roll! It was after this fiasco and one of Dr Mahathir's most humiliating performances that he, in a pique of rage, called Soros a "moron". When the 1997 Asian financial crisis struck, Soros was again blamed. However, Mahathir eventually had to eat humble pie at a press conference with Soros on 15 December 2006 at which he accepted that Soros had not been responsible for the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Thus, after the 1992-94 forex scandal one would have thought that the BN government would think twice about denouncing currency speculators! SUARAM's Principled Stand on Justice, Democracy & Human Rights Through the 23 years of SUARAM's existence, we have never compromised our principled stand on freedom, justice, democracy and human rights. We have never been beholden to any funders, whether foreign or local, as our anti-imperialist stand and actions in the Anti-War Coalition testify. Malaysia sliding down the slippery road to banana republicanism From the Domestic Trade & Consumerism Minister's irresponsible statements about charging our company while CCM is still investigating the case and this latest gaffe involving Soros, the BN Government appears to be shooting itself in the foot. On the one hand, the Prime Minister is trying so hard to present himself as a reformer by promising more democracy, the rule of law and human rights in the run-up to the 13th general election; On the other, his minister continues to violate all these principles of good governance in his haste to try to discredit SUARAM. This seems to be the Prime Minister's dilemma. His words do not seem to match the BN Government's actions and with every gaffe by blundering ministers, we seem to be sliding down the slippery road to banana republicanism. |
| Defence Ministry Acquisition of Rapid Intervention Vehicles Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:28 AM PDT The reprimand by the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ismail on the acquisition of Rapid Intervention Vehicles (RIVs) at exhorbitant prices highlights the malaise in the Ministry of Defence procurement exercises Tony Pua On Saturday 8 September 2012, the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ismail asked that "nobody should take advantage of the situation for personal gains when acquiring equipment for the Special Forces," adding that recently four Rapid Intervention Vehicles (RIV) were purchased for RM2.76mil or RM690,000 each by the Ministry of Defence. Sultan Ibrahim then displayed one of the RIV vehicles and another personal vehicle that he purchased for RM150,000. "Which of these will be your choice? I do not understand why government purchases involve exorbitant charges that do not make sense," Sultan Ibrahim, who is also a Colonel in the Special Forces, was reported to have said. The above acquisition follows a series of controversial procurement of defence vehicles by the Ministry of Defence that have raised major question marks over whether the tax payers are getting value for their money. In 2008 the Ministry of Defence has acquired 12 Eurocopter Cougar EC725 for RM2.3 billion or RM193 million each despite the same model helicopter being acquired for only RM82.8 million each by the Brazillian government. The Ministry had attempted to justify their higher purchase price to the Parliamentary Accounts Committee on the basis that there were "customisations" on the vehicle to meet the needs of the local air force. Last year, the Ministry also awarded a RM6 billion contract to Boustead Naval Shipyard to build 6 offshore patrol vessels and a RM7.55 billion contract to purchase 257 units of 8x8 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) from DRB Hicom Bhd. The RM6 billion contract was subsequently inflated to a RM9 billion contract and the Minister of Defence, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi had justified the both the acquisition and the increase in price on the fact that Malaysians are acquiring the state of the art "littoral combatant ships" (LCS). It was subsequently exposed that the Ministry of Defence had merely "renamed" the German-made "Gowind Class" naval vessels into "LCS", which is the name for the more technologically advanced ships built for the United States. We can only interpret that the "renaming" of the ships is done to mislead the public into believing that we were indeed acquiring the best-in-class ships with the RM9 billion contract. Similarly, it was exposed that while we are buying 257 APCs from DRB-Hicom for RM7.55 billion, DRB-Hicom is acquiring the 257 APCs from Turkish defence contractor for RM1.7 billion. While DRB-Hicom will still need to install certain optional equipment, such as the turret guns and software systems onto the APCs, it is beyond reasonable believe that such additional "customisations" will cause the bill to be inflated from RM1.7 billion to RM7.55 billion; or from only an average of RM6.6 million to RM29.4 million for each vehicle. When the above controversies were exposed, I was accused by the Minister of Defence as a foreign spy seeking to expose national defence secrets and criticised as being ill-informed with regards to defence technology. However, when the critique comes from the Sultan of Johor, the Minister has no choice but to concede an investigation into the glaring financial irregularity. Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi had responded yesterday that "the Defence Ministry takes note of the comment positively. [He] will look into the difference in prices between the RIV awarded by Sultan Ibrahim priced at RM150,000 compared with the RM690,000 sold by the supplier." We call upon all of the above deals to be investigated and scrutinised not the Ministry of Defence itself, but by an independent Parliamentary Oversight Committee. Malaysians have no faith that the Ministry will be able to conduct an investigation that is fair and above board. In the light of procurement transparency promoted by the Government Transformation Programme, it is critical that the Ministry of Defence supports the set up of the Oversight Committee to prove that all is above board. After all, if all the above transactions are of value for money to the Government, then surely there is nothing to hide from this independent panel. |
| Kenyataan Mukhriz Sahkan Negara Hilang RM3.5 Bilion Setiap Tahun Kerana Agihan AP Yang Tidak Telus Posted: 11 Sep 2012 10:21 AM PDT 
Jika jumlah AP yang dikeluarkan mencecah 70,000 setiap tahun seperti yang dianggarkan, negara dan rakyat kehilangan hasil sekitar RM3 bilion hingga RM3.5 bilion setiap tahun kerana kementerian yang turut diketuai Datuk Mukhriz kini hanya mengenakan caj RM10,000 sahaja setiap AP apabila ia diagihkan kepada pihak-pihak tertentu tanpa melalui proses tender terbuka. Rafizi Ramli,YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad Saya mengalu-alukan maklumbalas pertama Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir terhadap isu penurunan harga kereta memandangkan beliau adalah antara orang penting yang bertanggungjawab menggubal dasar automotif negara, atas kapasiti beliau sebagai Timbalan Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri (MITI). Saya sertakan laporan BERNAMA bertarikh 7 September 2012 mengenai kenyataan yang dibuat beliau semasa merasmikan Persidangan Perwakilan Wanita Umno Bahagian Jerlun: Mukhriz: 'BN tidak berani buat janji kosong'
7 September 2012
JERLUN - Barisan Nasional (BN) tidak akan membuat janji yang tidak mampu ditunaikan oleh parti, kata Timbalan Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Kedah Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir.
Beliau berkata semua yang tertulis di dalam manifesto pilihan raya BN akan dianggap sebagai janji kepada rakyat dan semua itu perlu ditepati untuk memberi kesenangan kepada rakyat.
Mukhriz yang juga Timbalan Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri berkata BN tidak akan berani untuk membuat sebarang janji yang ia tahu tidak akan mampu dilaksanakan.
"Lainlah dengan pembangkang. Mereka kata manifesto yang dibuat itu bukannya janji sebaliknya hanya cadangan, sebab itu mereka tidak serius dalam menunaikan semua yang ditulis dalam manifesto pilihan raya yang lepas.
"Apabila mereka sendiri dah kata macam tu, apa kita nak harapkan lagi daripada mereka," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Persidangan Perwakilan Pergerakan Wanita Umno Bahagian Jerlun di Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Permatang Bonglai di sini hari ini.
Beliau berkata janji menurunkan harga kereta yang dibuat oleh Pengarah Strategi Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Mohd Rafizi Ramli sekiranya pembangkang berjaya mentadbir Putrajaya pada pilihan raya umum ke-13 akan datang adalah bersifat populis.
Katanya strategi pembangkang ialah menggunakan isu-isu yang bersifat populis seperti hendak hapuskan pinjaman Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN), hapuskan tol dan turunkan harga kereta.
"Mereka tidak jelaskan dari mana datangnya duit malah ada pemimpin PKR mengatakan untuk mengumpul dana kerajaan, mereka akan jual AP (permit import) kereta menggunakan kaedah opsyen.
"Seperti kita tahu, kalau guna kaedah itu, orang yang menawarkan harga tertinggilah yang akan menang. Jadi daripada anggaran kami setiap AP akan berharga RM50,000 hingga RM60,000. Kalau itu dilakukan, bagaimana nak turunkan harga kereta? Itu baru AP, belum kira lagi harga kereta tersebut," katanya.
Mukhriz berkata pembangkang hanya pandai membuat cadangan tetapi tidak memikirkan bagaimana hendak menjayakan cadangan tersebut termasuk dari mana hendak dapatkan punca pendapatan untuk menampung semua itu.
"Silap-silap kita (negara) akan menjadi muflis," katanya. Kenyataan Datuk Mukhriz yang mengesahkan anggaran kementerian beliau bahawa permit import (AP) akan menarik bidaan setinggi RM60,000 setiap satu jika dikendalikan secara telus melalui tender terbuka mempunyai kesan yang besar kepada kewangan negara. Jika jumlah AP yang dikeluarkan mencecah 70,000 setiap tahun seperti yang dianggarkan, negara dan rakyat kehilangan hasil sekitar RM3 bilion hingga RM3.5 bilion setiap tahun kerana kementerian yang turut diketuai Datuk Mukhriz kini hanya mengenakan caj RM10,000 sahaja setiap AP apabila ia diagihkan kepada pihak-pihak tertentu tanpa melalui proses tender terbuka. Bagi setiap AP, negara dan rakyat rugi sehingga RM50,000 dan jumlah itu masuk poket pihak berkepentingan yang mengaut untung besar akibat dasar tidak telus Umno/Barisan Nasional. Jumlah RM3 bilion hingga RM3.5 bilion ini adalah lebih tinggi berbanding anggaran yang dibuat KEADILAN dalam menentukan sumber kewangan untuk menampung dasar menurunkan harga kereta melalui pemotongan cukai eksais secara berperingkat. Ia juga membuktikan kemampuan kewangan kerajaan untuk melaksanakan dasar ini, jika Umno/Barisan Nasional benar-benar serius mendengar desakan rakyat. Kenyataan Datuk Mukhriz juga menggambarkan beliau masih belum faham mekanisme yang boleh digunapakai untuk menurunkan harga kereta kerana terlalu terbawa-bawa dengan pandangan yang berpihak kepada tauke kaya dan pengedar kereta yang membuat untung berlebihan dari sistem AP sedia ada. Rungutan beliau, kononnya harga AP yang tinggi jika dilelong secara terbuka akan menyebabkan harga kereta bertambah tinggi membayangkan beliau mahu mempertahankan kadar keuntungan berlipat kali ganda yang kini dinikmati pihak-pihak berkepentingan ini. Menurut perkiraan beliau, bila kadar keuntungan ini dipertahankan, sebarang peningkatan kos kepada pengedar kereta akibat harga AP yang lebih tinggi perlu ditanggung oleh rakyat. KEADILAN mengesyorkan supaya pengedar-pengedar berkepentingan ini bersaing sesama mereka dengan mengurangkan kadar keuntungan demi mendapatkan pelanggan. Apabila harga AP meningkat dan harga kereta mula turun, mereka tidak ada pilihan melainkan mengurangkan kadar keuntungan yang tidak berpatutan yang mereka nikmati selama ini. Demi menerangkan lagi mekanisme ini kepada Datuk Mukhriz, KEADILAN ingin menjemput Datuk Mukhriz untuk turut sama hadir ke Forum #turunhargakereta yang diadakan pada hari Khamis ini (13 September 2012) jam 8 malam di Dewan Perhimpunan Cina Kuala Lumpur & Selangor yang bakal menemukan YB Tony Pua, YB Dr Dzulkifly Ahmad, Saudara Wan Saiful Wan Jan, Saudara Rafizi Ramli dan YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. Jika beliau benar-benar berjiwa besar demi kepentingan rakyat, kami yakin Datuk Mukhriz akan sudi singgah bersama-sama dengan rakyat berbincang kaedah terbaik untuk menurunkan harga kereta, terutamanya apabila beliau sendiri sudah mengesahkan bahawa kerajaan mempunyai dana yang mencukupi untuk melaksanakannnya. |
| On the New Malaysian Educational Blueprint: Shift #1 on equal opportunity in education Posted: 11 Sep 2012 01:40 AM PDT 
How do Malaysian provide equal access to education when the problem of equity, equal opportunity, and equality is systemic, ingrained, historical, and class-based? Sometime ago, I wrote the following classification of Malaysian schools:
A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman MALAYSIANS .. your educational system might be at risk ... you have developed seven types of schools ... 1) POWER schools, i. e. international schools meant for the rich and powerful who will compete and collaborate with children of expatriates and to save children from the children of the poor and of the natives; 2) PRIVATE schools, i.e. most often very expensive "breakaway schools" meant to save children from poor teaching, overcrowded classrooms, and save children of the rich from those of the lower and middle class; 3) PRIVILEGED SCHOOLS, i.e. well-funded boarding schools built to safeguard racial privileges and to instill ketuanan Melayu amongst children who did well in their kampong schools to be saved from the schools for the poor, to groom them so that they will become leaders that will protect the rights of this or that race; 4) PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS, i.e. schools that sustains the transmission of of this or that culture based on the perceived superiority of this or that language, culture, and religion , so that the children will be saved from being washed away in the tide of cultural change brought by the children of the poor; 5) PUBLIC SCHOOLS, i.e. government schools that sustain the ideology of the ruling regime par excellence and en mass, deploys curriculum that passes down "Official Knowledge and Grand Narratives of One Particular Historical, Cultural, Scientific truths", trains the children of the poor to be nationalistic and patriotic unquestionably, and used as a training ground for children to participate in nation-building as servants and appendages to the state capitalist system so that the children will grow up as defenders of the evolvingly-totalitarian state; 6) "PROOF-OF-CONCEPT" SCHOOLS, i.e. well-funded "pulled-out" government schools to prove that public schools do work as a showcase of innovations and good management, as a way to show that selected schools can be saved from the failing public schools, and that a failing policy can be saved by a successful showcase of "smart way to schooling" ; 7) PARIAH schools, i.e. schools that beg for money from the government even to fix a roof or a toilet ... fit for a punishment haven for children simply because they are born out of the wrong race, class, or caste, and schools for those whose parents did not go to any of the schools above ... which school do you wish you child to be schooled n ..? What then must we do ? ... to stop this conveyor belt of education and to give each child the right to be intelligent in a level playing field ...?
********************************** DR AZLY RAHMAN, who was born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York) doctorate in International Education Development and Master's degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 300 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience spans Malaysia and the United States, over a wide range of subjects from elementary to graduate education. He currently resides in the United States. https://www.facebook.com/#!/azly.rahman http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/ |
| Wrong conviction? Posted: 10 Sep 2012 07:55 PM PDT  Lim Mun Fah, Sin Chew Daily 27 years ago, on this side of the Johor Causeway, a bunch of MCA members shouted boisterous slogans, urging the Malaysian government to sever water supply to Singapore. Despite the passing years, the emotional outburst of 1985 still comes back to me vividly. Indeed, those people were protesting the arrest of then MCA president Tan Koon Swan by the Singapore authorities. In the infamous Pan El incident, Tan, exalted by many as the saviour of the local Chinese community, was slapped with 15 charges of fraud, cheating, stock market manipulation and abetment of criminal breach of trust. Tan was convicted the following year and had to spend his next two years in a jail in the island state. Many MCA leaders and members were unconvinced by the Singapore court's verdict, crying foul that the sentence had been politically motivated and not merely on commercial grounds. Although this incident has slowly faded from the memories of many, Singapore's chief prosecutor back then Glenn Jeyasingam Knight has revealed in his book Glenn Knight The Prosecutor published just three weeks ago, that he admitted of wrongly convicting Tan back in 1986. According to Knight, when Singapore's chief justice Yong Pung How was presiding over a similar CBT case in the court in 1996, ten years after Tan's verdict was passed, he said Tan was wrongly charged. In other words, Tan was wrongly charged and convicted and was technically an innocent man. Knight said he had to come to terms with his "mistake." although he did not elaborate why he apologised to Tan only as recently as in 2010, or nine years after he learned of his grave mistake, and revealed this 'secret" only now. Did that have anything to do with his conviction of corruption charges years later during his tenure as the director of the republic's Commercial Affairs Department? We cannot imagine the feelings of Tan Koon Swan after he was informed of the wrong conviction that resulted in him spending 18 months in jail. We also cannot imagine how emotionally charged Tan was on learning of this, as Knight has depicted in his memoir. From Knight's accounts, Tan already knew of the fact that he had been wrongly convicted two years ago, but why did he keep mum over the past two years instead of seeking justice for himself? I have to admit that I am a complete layman where law is concerned. I could not fathom out why in such a major case like the Pan El -- which endured a lengthy hearing process with the chief prosecutor, defending lawyers, judge, evidences, defences and court verdict all in place -- the chief prosecutor would make an abrupt public revelation only after two decades that he had indeed wrongly charged the defendant? Does it imply that everyone is equal under the law is not an absolute truth? Or is it real that deficiencies do xist in law, which could be defiled, dark, selective, and even inequitable? Today, we might lament this misstep, and wonder whether the MCA history would be rewritten, whether the Malaysian politics would take on a different course of development, or whether the cooperative scandal could be averted, in the absence of this whole thing. That said, there is no way we could turn back time. And again, there is no "if" in history. All that we can say is that if Knight's confession has been true, no apologises nor remorse could make good the agony and loss Tan Koon Swan has been forced to swallow. |
| It’s about ‘what’s in it for me?’ Posted: 10 Sep 2012 05:40 PM PDT 
Whatever it may be Pakatan Rakyat admits that it needs to bribe the voters and to make them promises to be able to get their votes. ABU, good governance, transparency, accountability, etc., are not enough. The voters would not give you their votes just because you promise them a better government. What is more important to them than a better government would be what's in it for me? THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin PKR eyes swing voters in cheaper cars campaign (The Malaysian Insider) - PKR is banking on its promise to lower car prices to win support from fence-sitting voters ahead of what is expected to be tight race for power in the next general elections. The party has promised to make cars cheaper by slashing the triple tax burden imposed on cars if the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition pact takes power after the next elections that must be called by April next year. "From what we see, online or when we go down (to the ground)...you see the crowd is not normally political or partisan being very interested ... making queries ..." said PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. "It shows that we reach to a new audience, a new group, which is the fence-sitters." "We get people who openly claim they are Umno, (but) in this campaign, they are fully behind us." PKR will have its first 'Turunkan Harga Kereta' forum at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall at 8pm this Thursday. The forum will be moderated by Nik Nazmi and will feature PAS' Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, DAP's Tony Pua, PKR's Rafizi Ramli and think tank IDEAS' Wan Saiful Wan Jan. ************************************** Now PKR is talking. I have been trying to tell you for some time that those of you who visit Malaysia Today may be ABU screamers, but that does not mean that all 14-15 million Malaysians who are registered to vote are also the same. In fact, probably about 4-5 million registered voters may not even be going out to vote in the coming general election. And probably another 3-4 million eligible voters did not even register to vote. Hence we may see roughly only 10 million Malaysians voting in the 13th General Election with about 8 million or so 'abstaining'. This means only 55% or so of Malaysians care while the other 45% do not care a damn. How else can I put it? Okay, so I can expect to see about 5 million or so of you (around 10% or so of those who probably read Malaysia Today) voting for Pakatan Rakyat come the next general election. That would mean 13 million of you who are eligible to vote would definitely not be voting for Pakatan Rakyat. Do you think with only 5 million votes Pakatan Rakyat can get to form the next federal government? If 10 million people come out to vote then Pakatan Rakyat will need around 6 million of those votes if it wants to march into Putrajaya. If it is only 5 million votes then Barisan Nasional is going to remain in power. So how is Pakatan Rakyat going to get more than 5 million votes? How is Pakatan Rakyat going to convince an additional 1 million voters to not just stay home but to come out to vote and, more importantly, to vote for Pakatan Rakyat? Well, if you just want to see a strong two-party system in Malaysia and if you want to see Pakatan Rakyat become that strong opposition then just continue doing what you are doing. Pakatan Rakyat can probably win 85-95 seats in Parliament and at least three state governments -- with Barisan Nasional's majority in another three state governments reduced drastically. But that is about it. To do better than that you need to reach beyond the ABU screamers. You need to reach the middle ground and fence sitters. These people do not care a damn whether Najib Tun Razak or Anwar Ibrahim is the next Prime Minister. They do not care about Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat. They only care about Numero Uno. Pakatan Rakyat is beginning to understand this. Phew…and it took a lot of bashing before they would wake up to this fact. Now they are talking about the very large atas pagar or fence-sitting group. Now they are talking about how to bribe the voters. And this is basically what it is, how to bribe the voters. And Pakatan Rakyat is offering these voters cheaper cars. Well, that probably works in Malaysia. In the UK that won't work because cars are already cheap. In Malaysia, a car like a BMW 3 Series costs the equivalent of 20-25 years salary for the basic wage earner. In the UK, it is only 2-2.5 years salary for the equivalent salaried worker. So how cheaper do you want cars to be? Anyway, not many people need cars in the UK considering that the public transport system is very efficient, unlike in Malaysia. But would the promise of cheaper cars be enough to get these 'don't care a damn' people to vote for you? What about housing? Some people worry about housing more than about cars. How about the cost of living and minimum wage? How about quality of life? How about the very worrying crime rate? How about education and health? Yes, cars are not all that there is to life. When you already have everything else then cars become important to you. But when you do not have a decent home or access to a quality education, etc., cars are not at the top of your priority list. Whatever it may be Pakatan Rakyat admits that it needs to bribe the voters and to make them promises to be able to get their votes. ABU, good governance, transparency, accountability, etc., are not enough. The voters would not give you their votes just because you promise them a better government. What is more important to them than a better government would be what's in it for me? Now Pakatan Rakyat admits that voters need to be bribed and that all those people who talk so much are actually just a load of bullshit. I mean, even many who post comments here in Malaysia Today are a load of bullshit. They accuse this person or that person of being bought while they post comments under anonymous names so that they are safe and will not get detected/arrested and lose their jobs, etc. These people are more concerned about their comfort/security and they have the gall to accuse other people of that very crime they are guilty of. I know many of you are now going to accuse these types of voters as having no principles. Come on! Even you vote based on what you can get. Would you vote for someone just so that you can help that person get into power with no benefit to you? You vote for someone because you want something. No one votes for nothing. It is just that you are in denial mode and will not admit it. |
| Nervous time for Pakatan ‘candidates’ in Sabah Posted: 10 Sep 2012 04:17 PM PDT 
The recent defections of BN leaders to the opposition camp have created friction between the old and new opposition supporters. Joseph Bingkasan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: The opposition in Sabah is gaining confidence that the game is up for Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians in the coming 13th general election, but its would-be candidates are getting edgy. The entry of recently-defected senior Barisan Nasional leaders into the opposition camp has thrown up a lot of dust in the Pakatan Rakyat camp. In the poverty-stricken rural district of Kota Marudu north of here, friction between the old and the new opposition supporters is being felt. Federal Minister Maximus Ongkili, the Kota Marudu MP, is among those on shaky ground for sure if he stands for re-election in the same constituency, according to Pakatan. Pakatan has been working hard since its unexpected showing in Peninsular Malaysia in the last general election. It believes its candidates in Sabah will be capable of wresting several BN-held constituencies due to the failures by the Umno-led government to live up to its promises. Among the front-running candidates for the Kota Marudu seat is PKR old hand Anthony Mandiau, the party's division head there. Also in the list of potential candidates for the state seats of Matunggong and Tandek are local leaders. Mandiau himself is optimistic that he will be able to unseat Ongkili, the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) deputy president. It will be the third time the two will face off if Ongkili defends the seat again, with Mandiau losing in the 2004 and 2008 elections. Former United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) vice-president Senator Maijol Mahap's defection from the ruling coalition to support Pakatan has added a new dimension to the contest. All's not well with BN While there was a big crowd at Maijol's house when he made the announcement of his support for the opposition in the presence of Pakatan leader Anwar Ibrahim, Mandiau, who was also present, played down its significance. He claimed he was responsible for getting PKR supporters to the function which they would have otherwise ignored. "I did this out of respect for Anwar… I had to organise a big crowd to come. The response from the people would had been less if it was the senator who invited the rakyat to come. In fact, there was also a big crowd from outside Kota Marudu," Mandiau said. Although Maijol resigned from BN to support Pakatan, he has not applied to officially join any of the Pakatan parties nor has he indicated he will do so any time soon. He has stated that should he contest, he will choose one of the Pakatan parties (PAS, DAP or PKR). There have been indications that all is not well for the BN in Kota Marudu for some time now. In fact, after Maijol's resignation from the BN, local leaders aligned to him have started a campaign to get him on the list of Pakatan candidates for the coming election. The campaign by his supporters is understood to be continuing despite Mandiau announcing that he had had "discussions" with Maijol on the issue of candidacy for the Kota Marudu seat. Mandiau and other local PKR leaders have insisted that the opposition candidate is not an independent. "We will make sure that candidates for the parliamentary and state seats will be from PKR," Mandiau said. The party fielded candidates for the state seats of Matunggong and Tandek in 2008 but lost to BN. Full-time politics 
Ongkili, who is Federal Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, has been MP since he won the seat for PBS, then the opposition in 1995. He defeated his uncle, Jeffery Kitingan, who was the BN candidate. Ongkili polled 10,716 while Jeffrey got 5,851 votes. Ongkili, a former assemblyman for Langkon (1994-2008), retained the seat as an opposition PBS candidate in 1999 when he obtained 8,465 votes against 6,781 votes polled by BN's Maijol. He went on to retain the seat in the 2004 election with 10,457 to 7,268 votes managed by independent Mandiau. They contested against each other again in 2008 when Mandiau garnered 7,890 to Ongkili's 10,457 votes. READ MORE HERE |
| Jayakumar to contest in Sungai Siput again….. but this time under PSM banner Posted: 10 Sep 2012 04:05 PM PDT 
(The Malaysian Times) - Sungai Siput MP Dr Micheal Jayakumar says that he would contest for the Sungai Siput seat in the coming 13th General Election (GE). "I will be contesting again for the seat in Sungai Siput under the PSM banner," said Jayakumar to The Malaysian Times (TMT) today. The Sungai Siput constituency in Kuala Kangsar, Perak, had been under the helm of Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu since 1974. It however, fell to Jayakumar of the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) in the 2008 election. This was Jayakumar's third attempt in regaining the seat from BN, with the first being in 1999 and the second in 2004. The largest percentage of voters in the constituent is the Chinese community with 41 percent followed by the Malay community with 31 percent, Indian with 21 percent and seven percent Orang Asli voters. With a total number of voters being 47,424, Jayakumar had managed to garner 16,458 votes while Samy Vellu received 14,637 votes. He (Jayakumar) won the election with a majority of 1,821 votes. In speaking about the election in 2008, it was believed that Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu had lost the seat in Sungai Siput due to the lack of Malays voters. In confirming this, Jayakumar had said that Samy Vellu had not only loose the support of the Malays voters, but also the Chinese and Indian voters alike. This was due to the Hindraf issue which was aflame at that time. Looking into who would be the possible candidate to go against Jayakumar, iIt is rumoured that MIC Secretary-General, Datuk S Murugesan may be contesting in Sungai Siput under the Barisan Nasional (BN) banner. The voters in Sungai Siput may see a fight between two capable Indian leaders should Murugesan and Jayakumar indeed contest in Sungai Siput. This may also turn Sungai Siput into a 'hot seat' during the coming election. It is said that the odds of him (Murugesan) winning the seat against Jayakumar was 50-50. This was based on the current support that the PSM leader had gained during his term at the constituency. When asked on how PSM was faring in Sungai Siput, Jayakumar said that the party is doing fairly well and is well supported by the people there. However despite his dedication in wanting to serve the constituents, Jayakumar lacked the funds to address the woes. "The only downfall is that PSM is not able to provide monetary goodies for the people as BN can. We have instead helped the people in getting housing loans and looking into the people's Social Security Organization (SOCSO) woes. We are also providing counseling for those who are facing family problems," said Jayakumar. Asked on whether PSM will be able to retain its seat there, Jayakumar said, "We have a fighting chance. We have and are serving the people. They recognize our services." Jayakumar on June 25, 2011, was among the 24 people who were picked up in Penang during the widespread pre-Bersih clampdown. They were later slapped with accusations that they had attempted to revive communism and wage a war against the King. He and five others – PSM deputy chairman M. Sarasvathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M. Sugumaran, Sungai Siput branch secretary A. Letchumanan and Youth chief R. Saratbabu were however released on July 29, 2011. |
| Young doctor to take on 'Old Lion' Karpal in Bukit Gelugor Posted: 10 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT 
(The Malay Mail) - The Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) is planning to field a medical candidate in the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat to challenge DAP chairman and veteran politician Karpal Singh in the coming general election. This is to fulfill the wish of Malaysians for young MPs to replace older ones, said PCM vice-president Huan Cheng Guan. In a statement yesterday, he said it was time for the constituents to decide whether they wanted to retain a 72-year-old DAP stalwart or to let a 27-year-old doctor, whom he did not name, to serve them. "The party is unfazed that Karpal has announced that his candidacy for the seat. We recognise the veteran politician's contributions to the constituents but we strongly feel he should retire and give way to younger politicians," Huan said. "The DAP and Karpal are at loggerheads over PAS' hudud issue, and DAP leaders feel if one is not involved in crime, they need not worry about the implementation of hudud." Huan said Karpal believed hudud was inconsistent with the Federal Constitution. He said Karpal was no longer welcomed in DAP and should retire with dignity and allow his two sons to serve the party. He also said the unnamed PCM candidate had learned the constituents were looking for a young candidate to serve them better, and more efficiently and effectively. |
| Karpal going ahead with suit against Nasharudin Posted: 10 Sep 2012 03:01 PM PDT 
HUDUD ROW: Pas says matter is resolved, Karpal stands his ground (NST) - DAP chairman Karpal Singh is proceeding with his defamation suit against Pas former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa despite the latter being apparently cleared of any wrongdoing by his party. "As far as I am concerned, I will go on with the suit," said Karpal. The hudud spat between the two veteran politicians started when Nasharudin accused Karpal of being "anti-Islam" for rejecting hudud to be implemented in the country. He also said that Pas should review its position in the opposition coalition over DAP's outright objection to hudud. Nasharudin had also incurred the wrath of his party after a photograph of him and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak meeting Saudi Arabian ulama in Mecca made the headlines recently. This prompted a meeting by the syura council -- the highest policy-making body in the party -- as confirmed by its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in news reports last month. However, the highly-anticipated meeting, which was held last Sunday night, did not discuss Nasharudin's fate in the party. "Nasharudin remains a syura council member... the issue was not discussed," Hadi was quoted as saying after the meeting. Speaking to New Straits Times yesterday, syura council member Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed said the matter involving Nasharudin was considered "solved" by the party. "It was not such a big deal. For me, the matter has been resolved and he remains a member of syura council," he said. He added that the meeting did not even touch on matters surrounding Nasharudin. "Besides, if we wanted to discuss the action to be taken against someone, that someone has to be brought to a disciplinary committee and not the syura council as it only discusses party policies," he said.
|
| Victory of sorts for Nasharudin Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:58 PM PDT 
PAS politician Nasharudin Mat Isa has been given a reprieve by the party's most powerful body – the Syura Council – in what many see as the ulama exerting their clout over the liberals who want him sacked. Joceline Tan, The Star IT was a victory of sorts for controversial PAS politician Nasharudin Mat Isa when he emerged unscathed from the highly anticipated meeting of the party's powerful Syura Council. The meeting ended at about 11pm on Sunday; it had been a long day and everyone was tired. But Nasharudin was smiling as he stood alongside his party president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, both of them looking as though nothing was amiss while cameras flashed all around them. It was the first time that Nasharudin was attending any party meeting since losing his position as deputy president last year. It looked almost like the good old days when Nasharudin used to accompany Hadi everywhere before things went downhill for Nasharudin. For weeks, there had been speculation that Nasharudin would be disciplined or even sacked after he was photographed with the Prime Minister at an exclusive meeting with several notable Saudi ulama in Mecca. His critics in the party thought he was cavorting with the enemy. But the last straw was when he appeared on TV3's prime-time news calling for his party to pull out from cooperating with DAP; that was when his critics began baying for blood. There was also speculation that Nasharudin, who is an ulama, would be dropped as a member of the prestigious Syura Council but it looks like he has not only survived the latest round of controversy, he got to keep his place among the party's top ulama. According to Hadi, the Syura Council did not discuss Nasharudin's position. But it is learnt that Nasharudin was given a chance to explain some of his statements against DAP as well as defend his presence in Mecca with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, who heads the Syura Council, was one of the biggest critics of Nasharudin. But Nik Aziz left the meeting after 30 minutes, thereby clearing any possible opposition to Nasharudin's position. There are several reasons why Nasharudin escaped censure from the party's top decision-making council. The party leaders did not want to repeat the mistake they made over the sacking of their former vice-president Datuk Dr Hasan Ali who had offended the Erdogans as well as DAP with his over-zealous Islamic agenda in Selangor. It would have been awkward to sack one leader after another just because they opposed DAP and wanted a stricter adherence to the party's Islamic State agenda. It would be like admitting to PAS faithfuls that the party has gone astray. Moreover, if the party had wanted to punish him, it would have been executed by the central committee which had dropped him from the committee and also as head of the international bureau. The Syura Council only deliberates policy matters and issues of the faith. Nasharudin's dilemma has also been seen as a tug-of-war between the conservative ulama and the liberals or Erdogans in PAS. The fact that he remains a member of the Syura Council suggests that the ulama are standing by one of their own. The ulama are exerting their clout over the Erdogans who have become quite powerful and vocal after Mohamed Sabu became the first non-ulama deputy president of PAS. The thing is that the conservative faction of PAS are on the same page as Nasharudin. They are also not comfortable about the party's partnership with DAP. They are upset that PAS should persist in working with a party that is so critical of what they stand for and they have also been vocal about it. To rub salt into the wound, they have to endure DAP chairman Karpal Singh's public attacks on the party's mission to implement hudud. Nasharudin, in that sense, is taking the bullets for what they believe in. Nasharudin had good reason to be smiling on Sunday night. He had survived to fight another day and is commanding a lot of attention for someone who does not even hold a party post. Even Karpal's threat to sue Nasharudin over remarks regarding hudud may not materialise. It is understood that people are working behind the scenes to pressure Karpal not to go ahead with it. Karpal and Nasharudin had engaged in a war of words over the issue of hudud. Things came to a head when Nasharudin reportedly equated Karpal's opposition to hudud to being anti-Islam. Karpal's contention is that he is not against Islam but opposed to PAS' goal to establish an Islamic State. Karpal, when contacted, indicated that he intends to go ahead with the suit but was rather ambiguous as to when he would file it. Nasharudin's career is as good as over. He is, as Karpal puts it, "a minor digit in PAS". The once rising star has gone from hero to zero and the question many in his party are asking is: Will he now toe the line or will he continue to be a loose cannon? "He will have to watch his words," says a top party figure. "The next mistake he makes, he is out." |
| Ibrahim Ali: Buktikan Perkasa terlibat lempar kasut, Anwar mulakan politik ganas Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:55 PM PDT 
Amin Iskandar, The Malaysian Insider Presiden Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa (Perkasa) Datuk Ibrahim Ali mahu naib presiden PAS Datuk Mahfuz Omar untuk membuktikan tuduhannya bahawa individu yang melempar kasut didalam sebuah masjid di Alor Star ketika Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sedang memberikan tazkirah adalah seorang ahli NGO tersebut sebelum membuat tuduhan. "Jika benar dia (individu lempar kasut) ahli Perkasa, polis silakan ambil tindakan, polis jangan tergesa-gesa. "Tetapi, buktikan dahulu dia tu ahli Perkasa. Mahfuz kena buktikan. Kenapa nak besar-besarkan isu ini sebelum ianya dibuktikan? "Pendirian Perkasa, kami tak bersetuju dengan politik seperti ini," kata Ibrahim dalam sebuah wawancara eksklusif bersama The Malaysian Insider semalam. Baru-baru ini, ketika memberikan tazkirah di sebuah masjid di Alor Star, Anwar dilempar kasut oleh seorang individu yang didakwa Mahfuz sebagai salah seorang ahli Perkasa. Menurut Ibrahim, Anwar adalah invidu yang bertanggungjawab membawa politik ganas ke negara ini beliau dipecat dari jawatan timbalan perdana menteri pada tahun 1998. "Anwar inilah kepala masa dia student leader (pemimpin pelajar) dan presiden Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM) dulu. "Saya dan Anwar ini samalah dulu, kaki tunjuk perasaan. "Bila dia kena pecat dan lawan balik Umno untuk dapatkan balik kuasa, dia bawak balik politik jalanan seperti pada akhir 1970an dulu dan sejarah politik jalanan kembali berulang," katanya. Menurut presiden Perkasa itu lagi, politik jalanan dibawa kembali oleh Anwar dengan bantuan bekas aktivis mahasiswa 1970an dan pemimpin politik beraliran Sosialis. "Saya tengok bila Anwar terkeluar, dia susun gerakan untuk berkuasa balik. Kebetulan pulak, Hishamuddin Rais dah ada kat sini, dimana saya kenal siapa Hishamuddin Rais ni. "Yang dulu lari semasa isu Baling pada tahun 1970an dulu, kemudian dibantu juga oleh Tian Chua dari parti Sosialis. "Individu-individu terpencil ini, bergabung di belakang Anwar and Anwar menggunakan orang-orang ini," katanya. Ibrahim juga mengkritik sesetangah media yang hanya menghebahkan insiden-insiden keganasan politik terpencil yang melibatkan Perkasa, tetapi tidak pula membangkitkan apabila parti pembangkang melakukan keganasan. "You (kamu) bercakap soal insiden-insiden kecil seperti di Kedah tu, kenapa kamu tak heboh apabila Tian Chua gigit telinga polis? "Kenapa kamu lupa tentang insiden ini? "Kamu tak tulis tentang itu dan tak tanya pada orang. "Isu itu mati dengan begitu saja dan Tian Chua patut gugur sebagai ahli parlimen, saya yang bawak usul," katanya lagi. Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi Datuk Ghazali Cha mengenakan denda RM2,000 terhadap wakil rakyat daripada PKR itu selepas mengetepikan hukuman penjara enam bulan dan denda RM3,000 yang dikenakan terhadap Tian Chua sebelum itu kerana mencederakan Konstabel Rosyaidi Anuar, 22, di jalan menghala ke bangunan Parlimen pada 10.45 pagi 11 Dis 2007. Kekeliruan berlaku pada ketika itu apabila timbul pendapat bahawa Tian Chua perlu mengosongkan kerusi Parlimen yang diwakilinya disebabkan oleh jumlah denda yang dikenakan terhadapnya. Walaubagaimanapun, Yang-diPertua Dewan Rakyat Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia memutuskan Tian Chua kekal sebagai ahli parlimen. |
| A Dear Leader in our midst Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:46 PM PDT 
The last thing we want to see is a personality cult built around the prime minister. The police are making out a case against all those who dared defile the "sacred" photograph, but the end result will not make the country a better place. If the government wants to teach the young generation to respect a political figure, it cannot be done using the loathsome tools of intimidation and coercion. Free Malaysia Today It must come as a shock that stomping on the photograph of the prime minister is an act of sedition. What is sedition? Sedition is using "words or actions that are intended to encourage people to oppose a government". A young girl stepped on the photograph of the prime minister and the police acted swiftly. She was promptly handcuffed when she surrended at a police station. She is out on bail and will most likely be charged under the Sedition Act. It is hard to believe that her act would encourage people to oppose the government. A revolt erupts when a government becomes unpopular because of corruption and abuse of power. A political leader is toppled because of his own doing and not because the people spat on his portrait and incited an uprising. The Merdeka eve "affair" was painted as an outrageous act that got the whole nation disgusted. The official storyline – that all those who left their footprints on the "sacred" photograph were out to fan the flame of hatred against the political establishment – will not sell. The whole nation was not grieving for the "ill-treated" leader but went on its business as usual. People did not pour out onto the streets to man the barricade against the young horde. These so-called sacrilegious acts simply do not carry enough weight to merit public outpouring of condemnation. What motive drove the incensed official crowd to such frenzy of righteous anger? One cannot help but come to the conclusion that the government of the day is slipping down the treacherous political slope and must find a way to regain so much lost ground. That midnight "tap dance" gave it just the right ammunition to whip up a tempest. As if on cue, all the prime minister's men and all the sympathetic cohorts raised the red flag: the country is under mortal threat from a band of stomping teenagers intent on inciting hatred against the government. Defend the government. Are the people listening? The picture of the handcuffed teenager only created an uproar and a backlash. Public sympathy surely did not lay with the crumpled photograph on the ground. People were more aghast than anything else at the heavy-handed treatment of the youth. The police are making out a case against all those who dared defile the "sacred" photograph, but the end result will not make the country a better place. If the government wants to teach the young generation to respect a political figure, it cannot be done using the loathsome tools of intimidation and coercion. Cult of personality It appears that the Sedition Act has become a useful weapon to crack down on all manner of dissent and indirectly protect the prime minister. In the short term, it may ensure his political survival but in the long run, it will antagonise the people. Sure, the office of prime minister is important and must be duly recognised. What is at issue is the person who occupies the seat. He can bring disrepute to his office because of all the bad things he can do to the country. In which case, he can become an object of derision and hate. In many countries, this resentment would boil over into street protests and the portraits and statues of the prime minister or president would be defiled. No harsh laws can save a leader who loses the trust of his people. READ MORE HERE |
| Allies scramble to mend Najib-Muhyiddin cracks Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:41 PM PDT 
The friction between Umno's top two leaders not only threatens Najib's position but the entire party with regard to the general election. Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT Umno is on high alert as the friction between the party's top two leaders has reached a "worrying level" and allies close to both president Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin are now scrambling to "manage" the fray, party sources said. Umno sources told FMT that the recent distribution of posters calling for Muhyiddin to succeed Najib as prime minister in the latter's home state of Johor indicated "disturbing developments" on a feud that could threaten the party's preparations for what may be the ruling coalition's toughest election yet. The party's Johor chapter has denied publishing the posters which read "we want Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as PM before the 13th general election" and has lodged a police report. But while FMT's source said the poster could be an attempt by the opposition to drive a deeper wedge between the Umno president and his deputy, it cannot hide the friction between them. "The fight is not only detrimental to Najib but the party as a whole… but it is now being managed," said one party source familiar with the subject. One of the key figures in the move to patch the cracks is Najib's close confidant and "golf buddy", Mohamed Al-Amin Abdul Majid, the current chairman of SME Corporation who is also a business partner of Muhyiddin's son Adlan Berhan. Links to both the leaders will give him access to unite Najib and Muhyiddin and avoid any bloodletting that could harm Umno's chances at the polls. Muhyiddin's impatience Whether or not Mohamed Al-Amin can manage the rift is uncertain, said the same source but what is clear is Muhyiddin's growing "impatience" on what may be seen as Najib's weakness in tackling the opposition's surging influence. "He [Muhyiddin] is growing impatient," said the Umno official but stopped short of explaining. READ MORE HERE |
| Perak’s ‘defected 4′ keen on contesting Posted: 10 Sep 2012 02:18 PM PDT 
The four Pakatan reps who contributed to BN's political coup in the state are hoping for another shot in the coming national polls. Humayan Kabir, FMT The four former Pakatan Rakyat state assemblypersons who contributed to the fall of the Pakatan state government in Perak in 2009 are now planning for a new lease of political life in the coming general election. The four BN-friendly independents are Hee Yit Foong (Jelapang), Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu (Changkat Jering), Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (Behrang) and Keshvinder Singh (Malim Nawar). The first three played a vital role in destabilising the elected Pakatan state government into falling into the hands of BN while Keshvinder left after the fall due to political differences. While there was much speculation that the four had jumped ship due to monetary gains, they however denied this. The four claimed they shifted alliance to BN because they were unhappy with their respective parties' administration. FMT spoke to them recently about their intention to remain active in politics. "Yes! I shall definitely stand again in Jelapang for the third time on a BN ticket," exclaimed an excited Hee, who is also the state assembly deputy speaker. Hee had contested and won the Jelapang seat twice under the DAP banner in three-cornered fights in 2004 and 2008. When told that Jelapang was a MCA area which may not be given to her and the alternative may be for her to stand as an independent candidate, she said: "Our BN leadership wants a performing, likeable and winnable candidate which qualifies me for the seat." "Anyway a four-cornered or five-cornered fight (in Jelapang) does not scare me as I have already faced two three-cornered fights before," she added. Asked about the alleged monetary gains for jumping ship, Hee retorted: "You think I am money gila [crazy] like them?" "I left because I was unhappy with the party leadership of the two cousin brothers (DAP state chief Ngeh Koo Ham and secretary Nga Kor Ming)," she added. She also said that her relationship with the Jelapang voters remained good despite DAP's political propaganda to tarnish her name after her defection. "You must remember that the two PKR assemblymen (Osman and Jamaluddin) had left earlier and BN had the majority in the state assembly before I resigned from DAP. "My relationship with the Jelapang voters is good as I am constantly attending to their problems and needs," she explained. READ MORE HERE |
| Too many perpetrators going unpunished Posted: 10 Sep 2012 09:29 AM PDT 
The AG knows only too well that the "aberration" of justice has been "alive and kicking" since 1994 when the top politician escaped punishment for statutory rape and again in 2008 when another former minister and currently an ambassador dodged punishment for having molested a bar worker of a five-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur after the victim withdrew her statutory declaration over the incident. Jeswan Kaur (Free Malaysia Today) There have been far too many cases of 'aberration' of justice faced by the rakyat. Eighteen years ago the grandmother of a 15-year-old schoolgirl turned to an opposition politician for help after the girl was allegedly raped by a chief minister. The country's law defined the girl as a minor but did that make any difference to the CM? No! And neither was the law perturbed over his actions when the public prosecutor withdrew the charge citing lack of evidence. The perpetrator went "unpunished" over such an "aberration" of justice. Instead, through political manouvering, it was the opposition politician who ended up in jail under sedition charges for printing and distributing pamphlets containing details of the allegations. Like the girl, the well-meaning opposition man too ended up as victim of "aberration" of justice. That was in 1994; since then history kept repeating itself with justice consistently turning a blind eye to rape survivors, their ages regardless. The most recent "aberration" of justice happened to a four-year-old girl who was raped by a kindergarten co-owner, Ewe Peng Lip, 49. Ewe had appealed against the Sessions Court's verdict which had convicted him of the crime; on Sept 5, High Court judge Zamani Abdul Rahim, who heard the appeal, concluded that the girl's testimony was far-fetched and implausible and decided to free Ewe. If allowing a rapist to evade punishment was not damaging enough, Zamani made yet another blunder when he remarked that women have a tendency to exaggerate about a sexual act. The Children's Protection Society (CPS) Penang president Nazir Ariff, for one, was at lost for words with Zamani's "aberration" of justice. "There have been three such cases [involving alleged rape of minors] in just a month. "I don't know what to say. There must be something technically wrong with our law," Nazir told an English daily. Nazir was referring to the earlier two cases involving bowler Noor Afizal Azizan, 21, and electrician Chuah Guan Jiu, 22, both who were convicted of statutory rape. The two escaped jail terms and were instead bound over on good behaviour bonds. A worried Nazir urged the courts to consider working with professional child psychologists before judgments are made to enable child witness testimonies to be thoroughly assessed. Is the government listening? Since Noor Afizal and Chuah's crimes went unpunished, a furore has erupted, with parents worried over the safety of their daughters while women's groups angry over the nonchalant disposal of justice in cases of rape, both statutory and otherwise. Even the Bar Council has reflected its concern, with its president Lim Chee Wee declaring the local courts as being inconsistent in sentencing convicted offenders. "The four aims of sentencing are retribution, deterrence, rehabilitation and incapacitation," Lim had told FMT. To make sure that sentences were consistent, Lim suggested that Malaysia set up a sentencing council; a method adopted by developed nations such as England and Australia (New South Wales and Victoria). Lim said the council would give judges guidelines on how best to decide on an appropriate sentence for a given crime. The guidelines would help to guide a court when a more or less severe sentence would have to be imposed. "The sentencing guidelines for individual offences set out a range of sentences reflecting different levels of seriousness and within each range, a starting point for the sentence." The question is: is the Malaysian judiciary "humble" enough in welcoming the assistance? Or will the nation's justice system remain presumptuous as ever, refusing to make judgments above board? Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/09/11/too-many-perpetrators-going-unpunished/ |
| Indigenous Malaysians Miss School, Agency Finds Posted: 10 Sep 2012 09:17 AM PDT 
(New York Times) - Human rights advocates have raised concerns that thousands of indigenous children in Malaysia are not attending school, which they say exposes them to greater risk of living in poverty in adulthood. A report released last week by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, a government agency, showed that 7,000 indigenous children aged 5 to 18 who live on the Malaysian Peninsula were not attending school in 2007, based on government figures. Among those aged 7 to 12, the number not attending school rose to more than 2,700 in 2010, up from 1,962 in 2007. The commission was unable to obtain more recent figures for other age groups but said the overall number of indigenous children not in school could have increased because of population growth. Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah, a human rights commissioner, said many indigenous people on the Malaysian Peninsula, called orang asli in Malay, lived in remote areas. "Based on our observations and our visits to the orang asli villages, still there are issues of no schools in the villages or the schools are very far away," he said by telephone. While the report focused only on the Malaysian Peninsula, some rights advocates say the number of indigenous children not attending school is likely to be higher in Borneo Island states like Sabah and Sarawak, which are home to the majority of the indigenous population. In Malaysia, there are about four million indigenous people from a total population of 28 million, according to the Center for Orang Asli Concerns, a private group. About 190,000 indigenous people live on the Malaysian Peninsula. The commission's report, based on interviews with students, parents and teachers, found that the distance to the closest school was a major concern. Colin Nicholas, coordinator of the Center for Orang Asli Concerns, cited as an example two indigenous villages in Pahang State, where the nearest school is 30 kilometers, or 20 miles, away. "The kids there don't go to school," he said. "They say it's too far and they don't have transport." While there was a student hostel at the school, many parents did not want to leave their young children there. Mr. Nicholas added that some students felt discriminated against by teachers and parents worried about their safety. Mr. Sha'ani said that while the government was supposed to provide students with transport to schools, often the vehicles did not show up and could not reach the children in bad weather, raising questions over how often the children attended. Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/10/world/asia/10iht-educmalay10.html |
| Whistle-blowing NGO in Malaysia to be Charged Posted: 10 Sep 2012 09:09 AM PDT 
The Chinese probably hold the record for jailing those who point out corruption, violation of environmental laws and other shortcomings. But Malaysia could be catching up. John Berthelsen, Asia Sentinel When the going gets tough, UMNO jails the whistleblowers Suaram, the human rights NGO that hired French lawyers to investigate bribes and kickbacks surrounding Malaysia's controversial purchase of French submarines, will be charged for violations of the country's Companies Act sometime during the next two weeks, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said Saturday, according to the state-owned Bernama news service.
Some 66 Malaysia-based NGOs are expected to give a press conference tomorrow at 11 am expressing their support for Suaram, an acronym for Suara Rakyat Malaysia, or Voice of the Malaysian People.
Suaram in 2009 asked a French investigative law firm headed by William Bourdon in 2009 to look into what appeared to be huge bribes and kickbacks paid to Malaysian politicians by the French state-owned defense company DCN and its subsidiaries for the 2002 purchase of two submarines and the lease of a third.
The probe resulted in a raid on DCN's headquarters and other company offices that exposed nearly 150 million euros in questionable funds paid to a close friend of then-defense minister Najib Tun Razak, now Malaysia's prime minister. The documents indicated that the bribes had been paid with the full knowledge of Alain Juppe, the French foreign minister, Mahathir Mohamad, then the prime minister of Malaysia, and Najib, who had negotiated the purchase. The evidence detailed a host of other sleazy dealings.
Some 133 documents listing the alleged criminal dealings were obtained independently by Asia Sentinel and posted here on June 25 on the Internet. Two Asia Sentinel stories detailed the allegations against French and Malaysian officials.
Suaram, accused of being "Anwar's NGO" because of the presence of opposition members of its board of directors, has come under unprecedented attack by pro-government bloggers, party-owned newspaper and UMNO lawmakers who questioned its status as an NGO rather than a company and accused it of receiving foreign funds.
"Yes, they are going to try to charge us," Suaram Director Cynthia Gabriel said in a telephone interview Sunday. We have no details yet, the first charge will probably be in a couple of days, we will see what happens." Read more at: http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4809&Itemid=178 |
| Koon Swan case ‘a mistake' Posted: 10 Sep 2012 08:56 AM PDT 
(The Star) - Former Singapore prosecutor Glenn Knight has apologised to ex-MCA president Tan Koon Swan for wrongly prosecuting him in the Pan-El crisis in the mid-1980s. "It was extremely painful for me to suddenly discover that the Singapore courts had got it wrong," Knight wrote in his recently published book, Glenn Knight: The Prosecutor. Tan, who is in China for a business trip, said he was not prepared to comment as he had yet to read the book. In 1985, Knight, the first director of the Singapore Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), prosecuted Tan, who faced 15 charges including criminal breach of trust (CBT) and share manipulation after the collapse of Pan-El Industries which termporarily halted the Malaysia and Singapore stock exchanges. Tan, who had a stake in Pan-El, pleaded guilty and was jailed two years and fined S$1mil. He quit as MCA president after his sentencing. In his book, Knight wrote that one of the most important cases of his life involved Pan-El, as the Pan-Electric group of companies was known. "It was a highly significant case that led to enforceable regulations being introduced into Singapore's stockbroking industry," he said. He wrote in a chapter titled "The Pan-El Debacle" that "as Koon Swan was the head of the MCA, I put up a paper on his involvement in the Pan-El saga but left it to my superiors to decide his fate as he was out of (Singapore) and in Malaysia". "In the end, the government decided that the CAD could prosecute Koon Swan." In 1996, in a similar CBT case, Singapore's Chief Justice Yong Pung How concluded that Knight was wrong to have charged Koon Swan for the offence. "Chief Justice Yong was of the opinion that the section I had charged Koon Swan with was wrong in law for we could not charge a person for stealing from a company because as a director, it was not a breach of the law in that sense," he wrote. "Chief Justice Yong concluded that it was wrong to convict anyone for stealing money if the wrong charge had been used to begin with. The judgment shattered my belief in our legal system." Knight wrote that many people asked if Chief Justice Yong's judgment could be used to set aside the conviction in Koon Swan's case. "In the United Kingdom, such a landmark judgment would have set aside Koon Swan's conviction but our jurisprudence does not allow for this though technically, Koon Swan could still have been granted a pardon," he said. Knight wrote that in 2010 he met Tan at a conference in Singapore and told him about Chief Justice Yong's judgment, which meant that Tan was technically an innocent man". "He received the news with great excitement," he recalled, adding that he (Knight) had also apologised. |
| Lim Guan Eng Is The One That Should Apologize in Ong Sing Yee Issue Posted: 10 Sep 2012 08:51 AM PDT 
Pakatan Rakyat should stop using young and innocent youth for any of your political agenda. Please do not manipulate and deceive them as your political pawn for you to capture Putrajaya. Shen Yee Aun His press statement called on the Home Minister to "apologize for the police's harsh and heavy-handed treatment". He described the handcuffing of Sing Yee as "nothing but an abuse of power and an act of humiliation", and criticized the police as "insensitive, irresponsible and not making any sense" (compared to the kid-glove treatment of BN leaders when they are charged for corruption). See Malaysiakini, 'Guan Eng: Handcuffing girl is double standards'. He further described Sing Yee as a "young, powerless and defenceless kid" who has been victimized by the "bullying and cowardly tactics of Hishamuddin [Hussein] that question his fitness as Home Minister". This is one of those rare occasions when I partially agree with Kim, at least insofar as the characterization of Sing Yee as a young, powerless and defenceless kid is concerned. It is her very powerlessness that would make her more susceptible to manipulation by Kim's coterie to score electoral points. For her sake, it should not be allowed that she be turned into a political football like Teoh Beng Hock. Dearest Lim Guan Eng , How could we be accused of being double standard where even our MCA former Deputy President and Minister was being handcuffed ? As a Organizer for an event the organizer should be responsible for whatever incident or things that is happening . Pakatan Rakyat in the first place should never used young girls to bait them into your political trap to fight the Government. As the Secretary General of DAP you should apologize for whatever that is happening in this whole issue. Moreover this young girl is wearing your DAP Rocket Red T Shirt during the incident. Pakatan Rakyat should stop using young and innocent youth for any of your political agenda. Please do not manipulate and deceive them as your political pawn for you to capture Putrajaya. Please guide to do a healthy political culture and not bringing them out for a street violent rally that practicing dirty political culture. Please do think for their parents and also for their future. Malaysian youth should now open your eyes to know that Pakatan Rakyat are basically using you all for all their personal political benefit. They can never replace any of you to go to over to hospital , jail or even being handcuffed by our police if anything goes wrong . Lim Guan Eng as a respectable political leader in Malaysia should have certain integrity for blaming game. If you are really sincere about the safety and well being of Ong Sing Yee then you will never used her in your rally in the first place. You should be responsible for whatever event that you all organizer as an organizer. Moreover you had deceive most Malaysian that it will be a peaceful rally that turn out to be ugly and violent. As a leader you must not only be good in blaming others for whatever that happen but also do take certain responsibility for bad incident that is happening in your own rally. Dearest Ong Sing Yee and all Malaysian , This whole incident only proven to us one thing that not even a single Pakatan Rakyat leader will be responsible for your own action. What they will only be doing will be always blaming Barisan Nasional and the government. That is the only thing they can do for you. They will never take the responsibility to apologize to you and your parents for whatever that is happening. You claim in your press conference that they are the one influence you to step on our Prime Minister picture and you ignorantly follow them without knowing that it is wrong. Will they be responsible and apologize for influencing you ? No. They will and they will never do so. They lie to you that it is a peaceful assembly and you thought that by attending it everything will be fine. Now is a great lesson to all of us where if anything happen to any of us or you the only thing Pakatan Rakyat leaders is capable of doing will only be blaming Barisan Nasional and the government. That is the only thing they can do. Read more at: http://1sya.com/?p=1894 |
| Police receive video of Anwar’s bodyguard allegedly pointing a gun Posted: 10 Sep 2012 04:40 AM PDT 
(Bernama) - Melaka police today received a video recording believed to be that of a bodyguard of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim threatening a member of the public with a gun. It was surrendered to the Jasin Police Headquarters here at 6pm. The four-minute video, belonging to a local cyber media officer, was recorded at a function organised by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in Kampung Baru Rim on Saturday. The 29-year-old man, who was met at the IPD, said the recording was handed to police to help investigations related to the incident. "This is because the action of pointing a gun at someone is a threat to the crowd at the scene of the incident," he said. Meanwhile, Melaka police chief Datuk Chuah Ghee Lye when contacted confirmed receiving the tape and said police would study the tape. He said police might call the opposition leader to help in investigation on the case if necessary. "Anwar was in the bus during the incident and it is not known if he had seen the incident. But it is up to the investigation officer to decide whether to call him or not," he said. |
| ‘I was blindfolded, handcuffed, beaten’ Posted: 09 Sep 2012 11:38 PM PDT 
A security manager claims the nightmare started when he lodged a report with the police about a burglary. Anisah Shukry, FMT When Tesco security manager S Selvaraja lodged a police report last week over a robbery at the store's Taman Wahyu Selayang branch, little did he know that the act would leave him maimed at the hands of the police. According to Selvaraja, after he made the report and provided the police with CCTV footage of the robbery, the police promptly remanded him and several others to aid in their investigations – and that was when the nightmare began. "The police took me to their Kepong station, along with two other of my staff. "They blindfolded me and handcuffed me from behind, then started beating my legs and feet with a black rubber cable for 40 to 50 minutes," he told reporters here. Meanwhile, he said, his colleague P Nuniandy was shoved under a table, while the other, Nanda Kumar, was forced into a corner to prevent the two from witnessing the beatings. "They beat me, they used vulgar words on me… Now I cannot walk without help," Selvaraja said, indicating his visibly swollen feet, while his wife sobbed silently behind him. According to Selvaraja, once the beatings ended, he was brought to the Jinjang police lock-up, where he was refused food and medical treatment for the rest of the day. But he said the ordeal finally ended the following day, after he was brought before the magistrate's court to have his remand extended. "At that point, I was unable to stand anymore. So I spoke straight to the judge and asked, 'What is happening? Why do they need me? Why are they beating me?'" Selvaraja said. "The judge said it was because of a separate robbery case in Batu Caves that the police were investigating. "But I was in custody at the time of the second robbery; the remand was not granted." He said he was immediately brought to a hospital for treatment, and he later lodged a police report over the incident. "The hospital says the tissue is torn, and it will take a very long time to heal," he said, adding that for the time being, he has been granted medical leave as he is unable to walk unaided. He is also expected to identify the perpetrators later this evening – an almost impossible task as he was reportedly blindfolded throughout the ordeal. 'Why so brutal?' 
Meanwhile, DAP's A Sivanesan, who was representing Selvaraja, lashed out at the police for their alleged brutality and disregard for standard operating procedures (SOP). READ MORE HERE |
| Suaram slams ‘premature’ accusations Posted: 09 Sep 2012 11:23 PM PDT 
(The Sun Daily) - Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) slammed Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob for jumping the gun by saying that the organisation would be prosecuted even though investigations into its accounts are still ongoing. In a statement today, Suaram executive director Nalini Elumalai said Suaram also condemns Sabri's alleged statement that its accounts are "highly suspicious" despite the ongoing probe. "Suaram has all along complied fully with the Companies Act in our dealings, and our accounts are fully audited every year," said Nalini. "This can only be seen as a political setup to frame Suaram because of our complaint to the French court to investigate suspected corruption in the Scorpene deal," she added. It was reported on Saturday that Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, the company linked to Suaram, would be charged in the next two weeks for breaching provisions under the Companies Act, and it would also be investigated for four other possible offences linked to its highly suspicious accounts. It was also reported that the company has been receiving funding from foreign countries such as Germany, and has been linked to currency speculator George Soros. The Foreign Affairs Ministry said Malaysia is deeply disappointed to learn that the German embassy had funded Suaram as it can be misconstrued and be seen as interference in the domestic affairs of the country. According to the ministry's statement, the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Malaysia Dr Guenther Georg Gruber told the ministry's deputy secretary- general (bilateral relations) the funds were for a project that is "close to German values – the protection and promotion of human rights".
rights". According to the statement, the funds were used to organise a workshop which was held in Kuala Lumpur in November 2010 which was attended by 21 non-governmental organisations. |
| Ex-NFCorp consultant allegedly given RM1.7m to pay off cops Posted: 09 Sep 2012 11:09 PM PDT 
(NST) - Former National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFCorp) consultant Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail was allegedly given RM1.7 million to pay off police officers investigating the 'NFC case' late last year, the Sessions Court heard yesterday. The first witness in Shamsubahrin's cheating trial, ASP Mohd Nor Hasnimaizam Othman said he obtained this information while questioning an official of NFCorp in relation to another case he was investigating. Mohd Nor told the court that when he was questioning Hasimah Ahmad, a finance manager with NFCorp late last year, she told him that Shamsubahrin was paid RM1.7 million. "Later she called me and asked if I received any money from him. I denied it," Mohd Nor testified when questioned by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission head of prosecution Datuk Abdul Razak Musa. Mohd Nor, an investigating officer with the Bukit Aman commercial crime department, was at that time investigating a sales manager from one of the subsidiary companies who was accused of misappropriation. The witness said Hasimah contacted him again later and this time, allowed him to listen to a conversation she was having with Shamsubahrin at her office. Unknown to Shamsubahrin, Hasimah had dialled Mohd Nor's number and left the phone on her desk, enabling the police officer to listen in to the conversation. "I heard him (Shamsubahrin) say he had given the money to 'ASP Maizam (Mohd Nor), Superintendent Ravindar (Ravindar Singh) and ASP Nordin (Nordin Md Nor)'. I also heard him say he has not yet given the IGP, deputy IGP and Datuk Tajudin (Commercial Crime Investigation Department deputy director Datuk Tajudin Md Isa)," the witness said. Mohd Nor added he contacted Ravindar and Nordin and they denied receiving any money. "I then told Datuk Tajudin and he advised me to lodge a police report," he said, adding Shamsubahrin was arrested that same day. Mohd Nor was testifying in the trial of Shamsubahrin, who is charged with cheating NFCorp director Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail of RM1.755 million. Shamsubahrin, is also facing 17 counts of money laundering, involving the same amount. The second witness to take the stand yesterday was Tajudin, who told the court he was in charge of the three simultaneous investigations involving the NFC. They were the main case involving allegations of misappropriation of RM250 million, a report lodged by NFCorp when certain confidential documents were published on the Internet and the misappropriation report against the sales manager of a NFCorp subsidiary which Mohd Nor was investigating. When questioned by defence lawyer Datuk Salehuddin Saidin, Tajudin agreed that Salleh was the main suspect in the RM250 million misappropriation case. He, however, denied that Shamsubahrin was arrested to divert attention from the main case which was heavily publicised in the media. Lawyer Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin then questioned the witness why Shamsubahrin was arrested when the officers mentioned earlier had denied accepting any money from the accused. Tajudin: For cheating. Kamarul: Cheating who? Tajudin: Cheating NFCorp. Kamarul: A police report was lodged against Shamsubahrin in the morning and in the evening he was arrested. So when did formal investigations into the report begin? Tajudin: After he was arrested. Kamarul: So before he was arrested, there was no investigations yet? Tajudin: Correct. Hearing continues today.
|
| They are messing with our minds Posted: 09 Sep 2012 07:00 PM PDT 
Committing suicide was the last thing on our minds back then. Our minds were not messed up like the minds of today's kids. Okay, maybe we were a bit messed up because we could not decide in what order of priority it was supposed to be -- bikes, booze and broads or bikes, broads and booze. But we did not allow details to stand in the way of fun. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin One million people commit suicide each year: WHO (AFP) - One million people die by their own hand each year, accounting for more deaths than wars and murders put together, the World Health Organisation said yesterday, calling for urgent action to address the problem. "Data from the WHO indicate that approximately one million people worldwide die by suicide each year. This corresponds to one death by suicide every 40 seconds," the organisation said in a report launched ahead of the World Suicide Prevention Day on Monday. And while the number of deaths by suicide is staggering, the number of attempts each year is 20 times higher, the WHO said, pointing out that five percent of people in the world try to kill themselves at least once during their lifetime. And the problem is getting worse, the organisation said, insisting that "given the magnitude of the public health problem of suicidal behaviours", urgent action was needed. "As suicide is largely preventable, it is imperative that governments, through their health, social and other relevant sectors, invest human and financial resources in suicide prevention," the report said. According to Dr. Shekhar Saxena, who headed the team behind the report, suicide rates have risen sharply in some parts of the world in recent years, with some countries seeing their rates jump by as much as 60 percent. "Although suicide continues to remain a serious problem in high-income countries, it is the low- and middle-income countries that bear the larger part of the global suicide burden," the report said, adding: "It is also these countries that are relatively less equipped to prevent suicide". The highest documented suicide rates can be found in Eastern European countries like Lithuania and Russia, while they are lowest in Latin America, WHO said. The United States, Western European countries and Asia fell in the middle of the range, the report showed, but stressed that statistics are not available for many countries in Africa and South-East Asia. Globally, suicide is meanwhile the second cause of death worldwide among 15-19 year-olds, with at least 100,000 adolescents killing themselves each year, according to the study. Among adults, the suicide rate is highest among those aged 75 and older, the WHO said, pointing out that "elderly people are likely to have higher suicide intent and use more lethal methods than younger people, and they are less likely to survive the physical consequences of an attempt". The report also showed that men were three times more likely to commit suicide, but that three times as many women as men attempted to kill themselves. "The disparity in suicide rates has been partly explained by the use of more lethal means and the experience of more aggression and higher intent to die, when suicidal, in men than women," it explained. ********************************************* 
Latin America has the lowest suicide rate in the world, maybe because they like to party One million people a year or one person every 40 seconds commits suicide all over the world. "Although suicide continues to remain a serious problem in high-income countries, it is the low- and middle-income countries that bear the larger part of the global suicide burden," said the report. "Globally, suicide is meanwhile the second cause of death worldwide among 15-19 year-olds, with at least 100,000 adolescents killing themselves each year, according to the study," said the news report above, which represents 10% of those who commit suicide So there you have it. These people are too young to have sex (they are not matured enough to make the decision whether to have sex of not) but they are not too young to commit suicide. But why do people commit suicide, especially teenagers who have not even started their life yet? I suppose it is because they are not happy. And since they are not happy they no longer want to live. Isn't 15 or 16 a bit too young to not be happy? When I was that age I was happy like hell. Every day was party day, as far as I was concerned. And we lived for today. We did not care a damn about tomorrow. Why are the kids of today not like how we were when we were their age? I suppose, in our days, we did not have any pressure. Everyone was a friend, not like today where you have Malay friends, Chinese friends, Indian friends, etc. You were just a friend, period, so there was not much pressure placed on us to compartmentalise ourselves into racial, religious or social blocks. Then we never worried about our future. Every day is today. Tomorrow also becomes today when the sun rises the following morning. Hence who cares about tomorrow? Tomorrow never comes. Nowadays, there is no today. Everything is about tomorrow. We don't live for today. We plan and prepare for tomorrow. I suppose grass helped a lot as well. In our days, grass was not considered a drug and hence was not illegal. Even policeman would join us for a smoke. And sometimes the policemen would dip into their own pocket and pull out some grass for us to 'roll'. Man, in those days we kids did not have any problems with the policemen like the kids of nowadays. The policemen were our friends and our smoking 'kakis'. Some of them even came around with their squad cars to join us in Benteng for Teh Tarik and a smoke. Committing suicide was the last thing on our minds back then. Our minds were not messed up like the minds of today's kids. Okay, maybe we were a bit messed up because we could not decide in what order of priority it was supposed to be -- bikes, booze and broads or bikes, broads and booze. But we did not allow details to stand in the way of fun. So what happened? What changed in those 45 years since we were kids who lived for today and did not care a damn about tomorrow? Why do kids today commit suicide when in our days a good 'watermelon' was to die for but only in a figure of speech sort of way? (By the way, for those of you who do not know what 'watermelon' means, too bad. For those who do, maybe you can take a trip down memory lane with the video below). Anyway, sometimes I wonder whether the fault could be because we replaced grass with religion and that is why so many people are unhappy and end up committing suicide. Well, as Bob Marley said, "Don't worry, be happy." But we will have to start by getting rid of those people who keep telling us that we are going to go to hell if we don't listen to them. oenlU0KiILc SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oenlU0KiILc |
| The only good politician is a dead politician Posted: 09 Sep 2012 04:56 PM PDT
Would an orgy help then? I mean, not only will we encourage males and females to mix freely but they can also strip naked and engage in an orgy. We will have a mass bonking session involving 1,000 men and women. Will this make Malaysians love each other more? If free mingling of males and females can help improve racial harmony just imagine what free sex can do. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Two dead, child loses leg in Thai south 80 police hurt after riot at Kurdish festival in Germany Wave of attacks kills 56 in Iraq Taliban threaten to kill Prince Harry Those are just some of the news items this morning. There are, of course, many more than just those four and all give Islam a bad name. Basically, the impression that one gets is Islam or Muslims is about violence, conflict, killing, intolerance, extremism etc. Why is it when we read anything about Islam or Muslims it must always be something negative? Aren't there any good news like Muslims set up relief centres for refugees, Muslims raise USD100 million for war orphans, Muslims condemn and call for economic sanctions against states that propagate terrorism, and whatnot? I am sure that there are some good news but who likes to read good news? It is the bad news that sells. Sex, politics, murder -- those are what sell. And if it is a politician involved in a sex cum murder scandal that sells even better. Hence do you now understand why the Altantuya Shaariibuu story will just not go away? Today there is that story about PAS in Negri Sembilan separating the males and females at its Hara Raya bash (Negri PAS under fire for segregating sexes at Raya open house). State MCA political and strategy bureau head Datuk Lee Yuen Fong said PAS' action only caused uneasiness among Malaysians. "Why do you need to segregate when it is an open house and held in an open area? This is a preview of what PAS will do if it ever gains power," he said. Negri Sembilan Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism council chairman Edward Lim said that having such a rule would not help foster unity. "We can understand if the rule is introduced to ensure women, girls and children get their food as there is always a scramble at such events," he said. National MIC information chief Datuk V.S. Mogan described the segregation as ridiculous. "It mocks the open house concept and doesn't help in promoting unity," he said. PAS has been doing this for years. I have attended many PAS functions at Taman Melawar in Gombak (not only Hari Raya events) and they have always had separate sections and separate entrances for males and females. But this has never upset my wife and me one bit. My wife just walks in together with me through the 'male' entrance and she sits together with me in the male section. She does not join the other ladies in the ladies section. And that has never been an issue. No one has come up to her to ask her to leave the male section and go join the women in the ladies section. In fact, my wife was not even wearing a tudung or scarf. And sometimes she wears tight/body-hugging jeans and a 'sexy' T-shirt. These people make it appear like this is something that PAS only introduced this year rather than it has always been like that for more than two generations. And what are these MCA, MIC and Negri Sembilan Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism council people complaining about? The event is a PAS event held at their place. They can decide how they want things done in their own event. If you come to my event, say at my house, I will expect you to take off your shoes even though taking off your shoes when entering someone's house is not British culture. It is my house so I will decide how things are done. And if you don't like it then don't come to my house. Simple! The event was a PAS event. If PAS says no dogs are allowed then don't bring your dog. Go bring your dog to a MCA or MIC event of you wish. If PAS says you cannot strip and dance stark naked on top of the table then don't do that. Do that when you go to the Negri Sembilan Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism council gathering. Lee said that in a multi-racial and multi-religious country like Malaysia, it was important for people to mix with one another as it would help promote understanding. So the state MCA political and strategy bureau head, Datuk Lee Yuen Fong, wants to promote racial harmony through free mingling of males and females. If males and females were not allowed to mix freely then Malaysia would suffer racial discord. Would an orgy help then? I mean, not only will we encourage males and females to mix freely but they can also strip naked and engage in an orgy. We will have a mass bonking session involving 1,000 men and women. Will this make Malaysians love each other more? If free mingling of males and females can help improve racial harmony just imagine what free sex can do. Actually, asking men and women to mix freely or organising orgies would not solve the racial problem in Malaysia. What would help improve things would be when we line up all the politicians in front of a firing squad and shoot them, especially those politicians who are using race and religion to divide Malaysians The only good politician is a dead politician, I always say. 
THE SECRET TO RACIAL HARMONY |
| Anonymous letter warns Najib of Indian ‘gang threat’ Posted: 09 Sep 2012 03:56 PM PDT 
An 'Umno member' warns the prime minister of the rise of Indian gangs in the country which may cause another Hindraf-like political tsunami if not addressed urgently. Teoh El Sen, FMT Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has apparently been warned of an alleged threat of gangsterism among the Indian community which would, if left unchecked, indirectly cause the Barisan Nasional government to lose votes in the next general election. An anonymous letter purportedly written by a "concerned Umno member" and sent to Najib on April 20, urged the Umno president to treat the matter seriously or risk another "political tsunami" akin to 2008, which the Hindraf movement had contributed to. In the letter, seen by FMT, the "Umno member from Selayang Baru" implicated the MIC and the police for being complicit in allowing "Gang 36″ to gain more influence and power. The author claimed that on Dec 3, 2011, MIC organised a Deepavali event at The Mines, Sri Kembangan, where about 7,000 Indian youths who attended were made up of "almost 99%" of Gang 36 members. Several prominent politicians from BN officiated at the event, with the author naming three of them in the letter. They included two members of parliaments and a minister. Repeated attempts to contact the three national leaders for comments were unsuccessful. "Close to 99% of the Indian youths who attended were from Gang 36. The behaviour, character and clothing of these youths were very embarrassing. Their actions not only taint the image of MIC but also BN," wrote the "Umno member". The writer claimed that a number of these youths even wore the "Geng 36″ T-shirts and waved the "Gang 36″ flag openly. They were also displaying the Sanskrit Aum symbol(picture below) which is said to be used as the gang's logo. "That event gave a bad impression, especially the Indian community towards BN party. The event also clearly shows an attempt by Gang 36 to fortify its positions through politics." 
The writer also said the event has become the talk of the town among the Indian community, and defeated MIC's attempt to portray a new image after their alleged "failure" under former MIC president S Samy Vellu. The writer said that it was his opinion that the leader of the gang, who he claimed is involved in drug trafficking and other crimes, is trying to use politics to clear the gang's criminal records and reign supreme in the country. 'Conspiracy brewing' "The attempt of Gang 36 to enter politics to fortify its position should be stopped so that the opposition does not use this issue to deny [BN] the votes of the Indians. "Yang Amat Berhormat [prime minister], don't treat this issue as merely an Indian one. Hindraf, which was considered a small matter, created such a big impact in 2008 and four states fell to the opposition's hands. "A conspiracy is brewing to accuse the government, particularly Umno, of ethnic cleansing of the Indian community by taking a lax attitude towards gangsterism in Malaysia. The police all over the country have been bribed in the millions by Gang 36." READ MORE HERE |
| Keep out, PKR rep tells CM's aide Posted: 09 Sep 2012 03:30 PM PDT 
(NST) - BAYAN LEPAS: A Parti Keadilan Rakyat assemblyman has hit out at Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's political secretary for "encroaching" into his turf and causing unnecessary problems among his constituents. Batu Uban assemblyman S. Raveentharan said Ng Wei Aik, who is also the DAP assemblyman for Komtar, owed him an explanation. The rebuke comes in the wake of leaked minutes of a PKR meeting in which those present had discussed issues concerning how DAP was trying to muscle their way into getting more seats in the coming general election. It was reported that Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mansor Othman, who is also state PKR chief, had during the meeting advised PKR's Chinese representatives, who were present, to prepare for contingency plans if such a scenario presented itself in the next polls. Yesterday, Raveentharan said Ng had stirred a hornet's nest among his constituents over a plan to build a Chinese temple at a former sewage treatment plant site in Taman Lip Sin here. Raveentharan said Ng's action had led to residents protesting against it. "I was informed by the residents' association that a Chinese temple committee had contacted Ng for help and he had taken it upon himself to encroach into my constituency and hold discussions with certain people over the past three months. "He did all this without even having the courtesy to contact me first." Raveentharan said Ng's action had caused unnecessary problems for him and he had to face his fuming constituents. "He owes me an explanation. I have to reveal all this as if I don't, my voters will think that I am subservient to him." Raveentharan said residents were angry that the Kew Ong Tai Tay (Tow Boe Keong) Devotees Association, which usually held their Taoist nine-day prayers at the Taman Lip Sin field, was planning to have their permanent prayer grounds at the 0.15ha former sewerage treatment facility.
|
| Pakatan bars leaders from PSM function Posted: 09 Sep 2012 03:24 PM PDT 
(NST) - IPOH: THE Jelapang state constituency in Perak is set to drive a wedge between Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and fellow Pakatan Rakyat (PR) members with PR upping the ante by barring its leaders from attending functions organised by PSM. Sources told the New Straits Times that Perak PR had, during a meeting on Friday, decided that its leaders would not attend a ceramah tomorrow which is organised by PSM at Taman Pertama. Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu, better known as Mat Sabu, was to be the main speaker. "Former Perak menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin had been tasked to talk to Mat Sabu to persuade him not to attend the ceramah," said the source. This is not the first time Perak DAP had tried to frustrate programmes organised by PSM. Previously, state DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham had sent a blanket text message to all party representatives, barring them from attending a similar ceramah organised by PSM in Jelapang on July 13. PSM and DAP are locked in a tussle over the Jelapang seat, which is being held by Barisan Nasional-friendly independent, Datuk Hee Yit Foong. PSM had previously said it would not back down from contesting in the constituency against Barisan Nasional. PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvan (photo above) labelled PR as childish for the move. "I can assure you that the stand made by PR is not shared by its counterpart from other states, as we just jointly organised a Hari Raya open house at Kota Damansara." Arutchelvan reminded DAP that negotiation for the Jelapang seat was still ongoing and nothing had finalised yet. "Ngeh should not be jumping to conclusions," he added, warning DAP to stop antagonising PSM. Perak PKR vice-chairman Chang Lih Kang declined to comment on the meeting, while Nizar and Ngeh could not be reached. During the 2008 general election, Jelapang saw a three-cornered fight between BN, DAP and PSM. PSM's national deputy chairman M. Saraswathy received 1,275 votes against BN's Loh Koi Pin (5,512 votes) and Hee, who won by a landslide of 12,219 votes. |
| Tian Chua, Mat Sabu, Hishamuddin quized on rally Posted: 09 Sep 2012 03:04 PM PDT 
(NST) - Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Tian Chua, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu and social activist Hishamuddin Rais turned up separately with their lawyers at the Dang Wangi police station here at around 4pm today over the "Janji Demokrasi" illegal assembly held in the city on Merdeka eve (Aug 30). Tian Chua, when approached by reporters afterwards, said he became aware that the police wanted to question him and the others about the rally through news reports and subsequently his lawyer arranged the meeting today. He said he had nothing to hide and answered the questions asked to the best of his ability. Mohamad Sabu, more popularly known as Mat Sabu, said he elected to remain silent. On Thursday, National Laureate Datuk A. Samad Said and the organiser of the rally Maria Chin Abdullah had given statements to the police concerning the assembly after being notified to do so under Section 111 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Meanwhile, City deputy CID chief (Legal Affairs) ACP Aziz Zakaria told Bernama that the trio (Tian Chua, Mat Sabu and Hishamuddin) were being investigated under Section 9 (5) of the Peaceful Assemblies Act 2012. He added that police also wanted to record statements from two more individuals regarding the rally, namely Stanley Yong and Kumpulan Aktivis Mahasiswa Independen (Kami) deputy president Khaled Ismeth. "We will be calling them to come forward to give their statements soon," he said.
|
| Blogger: Anwar's bodyguard held gun to my face Posted: 09 Sep 2012 02:56 PM PDT (The Star) - A blogger who had an automatic pistol pointed at his face by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's bodyguard is still in trauma over the incident. Shahridhan Shaharan said the bodyguard was so brazen and came up to him, although he was with a group of people in Kampung Baru Rim on Saturday. He said he still shuddered whenever he thought about the incident as the bodyguard "looked very menacing, as if he really meant to pull the trigger". Shahridhan said he was among some people who were putting up banners along a road when a bus carrying Anwar and his party members on PKR's "Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat" roadshow passed by. "We decided to trail the vehicle," said the 29-year-old. "However, a dark coloured car suddenly stopped in front of us. A man came out and immediately pointed the gun at my face and told me to get into his car. "I was shaking, too in shock to react," he said, adding that the man, seeing this, went back into his car and left. Shahridhan later lodged a police report. The bodyguard was arrested by a plainclothes policeman who witnessed the incident that occurred between 3.30pm and 4pm. State CID chief Asst Comm Raja Sharom Raja Abdullah said police here had received six reports on the incident. The 37-year-old man from a private security firm, who has a licence to carry firearms, was released on police bail at about 9pm the same day after his statement was taken. ACP Raja Sharom said the man was being investigated under Section 427 of the Penal Code for mischief and Section 506 of the Penal Code for criminal intimidation. "The man said he was only doing his job as a personal bodyguard," he said. However, police would investigate further and look at the video recording and pictures taken by the public at the scene, he added. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, who is on a working trip to Rome, urged police to revoke the firearm licence granted to the bodyguard. "This is a serious matter. The man's actions were unwarranted and excessive," he said by phone. "I don't think his boss' (Anwar) life was threatened." Separately, PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin lodged a police report yesterday, alleging that two Umno members from Jasin had provoked the entire incident. |
| Chamber to explain RM180mil aid facility for Indians Posted: 09 Sep 2012 02:50 PM PDT 
(The Star) - The Malaysian Associated Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI) will go on a nationwide campaign to explain the Government's special allocation to the community. Its president Datuk K.K. Eswaran said the campaign was necessary as some quarters had been trying to discredit the Government's genuine effort by calling it sandiwara (an act). "I can assure everyone that the Government is committed to assisting Indians and there is no hidden agenda," he said yesterday. Eswaran had earlier chaired a meeting of the state chambers as well as representatives of the Indian trade associations. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had earlier announced an allocation of RM180mil for Indian entrepreneurs. The Special Secretariat for Empowerment of Indian Entrepreneurs has been entrusted to assist the loan applicants to prepare a feasibility study as well as relevant documents to be submitted to the 16 banks selected. |
| Pussy Riot burned picture of Putin Posted: 09 Sep 2012 02:45 PM PDT 
(Reuters) - Russian opposition punk band Pussy Riot have released a new video in which they set fire to a portrait of President Vladimir Putin in a stunt likely to anger the Kremlin. Three of the band's members – Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich – were last month given two-year jail sentences each after storming the altar of Moscow's main cathedral and staging a 'punk prayer', calling on the Virgin Mary to rid Russia of Putin.
Their jail sentences – for the crime of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred – drew sharp international criticism with opposition groups saying the case was part of a Kremlin crackdown on dissent.
In August, the all-female collective said that two other band members who had taken part in the same cathedral protest had fled the country. The whereabouts of the roughly dozen other members who did not take part in the stunt is unknown.
In the new video, which was released on the internet and featured three anonymous band members , women donning balaclavas are shown abseiling down the facade of an abandoned or under construction building.
A giant white banner depicting a guitar-wielding woman in a red miniskirt with the caption "Pussy Riot" is unfurled on the facade and, beneath it, smaller cardboard portraits of Putin and of Alexander Lukashenko, the President of Belarus, are shown hanging.
"We've been fighting for the right to sing, to think, to criticise. To be musicians and artists, ready to do everything to change our country, no matter the risks. We go on with our musical fight in Russia and our country is dominated by an evil man," female voices, speaking in English, exclaim in turns.
The women then set off fluorescent flares thanking famous musicians for speaking out for them.
The camera then pans to a shot of the portrait of Putin in flames. |
| Nasha to stay, issue was not discussed at PAS' Syura Council Posted: 09 Sep 2012 02:37 PM PDT (Malaysian Digest) - His former deputy, Nasharudin Mat Isa, is still a member of the party's Ulama Syura Council, said PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang. Aaccording to a Malaysiakini report, Abdul Hadi told this to reporters at a press conference held after the council meeting on Sunday night. Abdul Hadi said Nasharudin's position in the party was not discussed in the meeting. The meeting primarily focused on party candidates for the upcoming general election (GE), he added.
Earlier, PAS Syura Council took place at the PAS headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut. This particular meeting received much attention, from within and outside the party, mostly due to Nasharudin's presence.
Sinar Harian reported, Nasharudin arrived at the headquarters at 8.55pm. Various political spectators, including the right hand leaders of the party believe that Nasharudin would be spared from any severe actions.
Nasharudin, who is also Bachok MP, recently became the focus of attention after he urged PAS to reconsider its alliance with Pakatan Rakyat, following DAP chairman Karpal Singh's stand on the 'hudud' issue.
Meanwhile, according to KLPos, Nasharudin's presence at the council was to give his side of the story regarding the issue before any decision can be made by members of the council.
Malaysiakini also reported that when asked about Nasharudin being fielded as a candidate for the 13th GE, Abdul Hadi said it would be announced at a later date.
Nasharudin, who attended the media conference alongside Abdul Hadi, refused to comment.
The meeting was chaired by Mursyidul Am Pas, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. However, he was reported to have left the party headquarters at 9.15pm, after heading the monthly meeting for only 20 minutes. Sinar Harian reported that the remainder of the meeting was chaired by his deputy, Datuk Dr Haron Din. |
| Lajim’s new gambit rattling Sabah PKR Posted: 09 Sep 2012 02:11 PM PDT 
Sabah MPs Wilfred Bumburing and Lajim Ukin's unusual terms of 'joining' PKR has raised the question and stoked resentment within state PKR. Raymond Tombung, FMT They try to keep it as quiet as possible – to subdue the irritations – but Sabah PKR just can't keep it down. The prevailing discomfort has morphed into serious disagreements and the leaders just can't keep it behind the curtains anymore. Since MPs Wilfred M Bumburing (Tuaran) and Lajim Ukin (Beaufort) and later (Senator) Maijol Mahap, "joined" PKR, several serious consequences have surfaced. First of all, Bumburing and Lajim's unusual terms of "joining" PKR without becoming actual PKR members have raised the question of their real commitment to PKR. Their choice to just affiliate themselves and "borrow" the PKR ticket when the time comes for them to contest in the 13th general election, has made their sincerity questionable. And both have allegedly been promised substantial number of seats (rumoured to be around 17 seats each). PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, on his part, is delightedly lapping up the media hype, acting like he scored two important goals in his fight with Barisan Nasional. Anwar, the perennial opportunist, can sense making political mileage out of it. The duo had left the BN and invited him to witness their official public declarations, so why not take the golden opportunity to bask in the publicity? And although deep inside he wished the duo had actually joined PKR, they did not and have not todate. It is a smart move on Lajim and Bumburing's part.
Smart move By coming into the PKR camp without really becoming members, by being pro-PKR or pro-Pakatan Rakyat but remaining independent, these MPs thought they had their cake and could eat it too. They wanted to be able to move about and speak at will without having to get any approval from PKR (read Sabah PKR). In the case of Tuaran, there was no outward clash for positions in the PKR division; Ansari Abdullah continued unthreatened as the division's head. But moving unhindered under Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), Bumburing is harnessing the support from those who were in BN with him while enjoying the ready assurance of the support of the PKR members – a nice way to kill two birds with one stone. Kalakau Untol, previously in an uncomfortable position in Tuaran PKR due to his inability to forge real co-operation with Ansari, has now found his niche and purpose under APS, while still a PKR member. Will Bumburing throw his weight to field Kalakau as the Tuaran MP candidate in the 13th general election? This can only happen if Ansari decides not to re-try his luck in the MP contest this time round. Bacause if he does that, Azmin Ali (PKR deputy president) will surely decide in his favour. But the decision by the defectors not to join PKR was a smart move only to a point. This is because a clash between the duo and the Sabah PKR old guards is unavoidable – they could pretend to ignore the potential fireworks only for a while. Initially, the PKR leaders made comforting self-reassurances that co-operation was being nicely established and the whole arrangement is good for the party, no matter what. READ MORE HERE |
| Karpal: There’s nothing between the lines Posted: 09 Sep 2012 02:05 PM PDT 
The lawyer dismisses speculation of a rift in the defence team representing three PKR leaders with regard to the Bersih 3.0 rally. S Rutra, FMT There is nothing to read between the lines regarding the absence of former solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden at the Kuala Lumpur Session's Court last Monday during the case against PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim and five others related to the Bersih 3.0 gathering, said Karpal Singh. Dispelling speculations of a rift in the legal team, he said Mohd Yusof, who was acting for the third accused Rembau PKR chief Bardul Hisham Sharin, was still part of the defence team. "Whether he acts for Anwar or the others, it does not make any diffrence since this case is a joint trial," he added. Karpal told FMT that it was part of the defence strategy and Anwar had been briefed on the matter. "With this arrangement, Mohd Yusof has more oppurtunity to cross-examine the witnesses," he added. Asked why an application to refer a point of law to the High Court was only filed on behalf of Anwar and not a collective application, Karpal explained that the application was made at the eleventh hour and there was no time to consult other counsels in making similar applications. He said lawyer CV Prabhakaran, acting for PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, and Mohd Yusof acting for Badrul would be making their respective appplications before Sept 13. Last Monday, the Sessions Court set Sept 13 to hear the prosecution's objections against Karpal's application to refer a point of law to the High Court in relation to the three charges against Anwar. Anwar, Azmin and Badrul were jointly charged with other Bersih 3.0 supporters still at large, with inciting Tangam Raju, Rajesh Kumar Gejinder and Farhan Ibrahim to violate the magistrate's court order issued on April 26. Meanwhile, lawyer Sankara Nair said it was a defence strategy that Mohd Yusof and him represented Badrul. "Anwar and Azmin are represented by very senior lawyers and hence it was decided that Yusof, being a senior lawyer, and I lend our services to Badrul to add balance," he clarified. "This was a strategic decision and was done amicably and there was mutual consensus between all counsels and clients," added the senior lawyer. |
| RPK applies for passport to return home Posted: 09 Sep 2012 01:59 PM PDT 
He wants to return so that he can help Nurul Izzah in her election campaign. (FMT) - Raja Petra Kamarudin, the editor of Malaysia Today, is in contact with the Malaysian High Commission in London to inquire into the possibility of getting his Malaysian passport renewed. Raja Petra, who left Malaysia in February 2009 just six months before his passport expired, has been living in Manchester ever since. Raja Petra, popularly known as RPK, had been banned from leaving the country and to avoid getting detained at the immigration exit he left the country illegally without going through the proper channel. He then entered Thailand and from there went over to the UK. Raja Petra intends to return to Malaysia to join PKR vice-president and Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar's campaign team. Nurul Izzah is expected to face a tough fight against Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, the Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister. Recently, Malaysia Today launched a fund-raising drive for Nurul with more than RM35,365.00 collected so far Since early 2011, Raja Petra has been very critical of Pakatan Rakyat, in particular PKR and Anwar Ibrahim. His move to join Nurul's campaign team is thus viewed as quite a surprise although Raja Petra has always expressed support for Nurul even when he was critical of her father, Anwar. In an immediate response, Immigration Department Director-General Alias Ahmad said there were no problems with Raja Petra's return, as long as the latter had the necessary travel documents. "As long as he has Malaysian travel documents, there are no problems for him to come back," he told FMT. He added that the blogger's passport could be renewed by the Malaysian High Commission in London. |
| Last of Three Parts: Opportunities for Sultans as Head of Islam Posted: 09 Sep 2012 09:57 AM PDT 
The sultans have shirked their responsibilities because one, they are ill equipped to play this important role as head of the faith. They have severely limited knowledge of Islam and worse, they lack the curiosity to learn. They are Islamically-challenged in all spheres. M. Bakri Musa [In the first part of this essay I explored the myth to the sultans' claim of their special powers based on daulat (divine dispensation); in the second, I examined the dynamics that led them to claim that status today. In this third and last essay, I reviewed Zaid's novel views of how the sultans could indeed claim their "special powers" by virtue of the fact of their being head of Islam.] The constitution explicitly states the secular role of sultans. There are no penumbras or derived powers. In practice however, as Zaid noted with everything pertaining to the law, if you have money you could always hire a smarter lawyer who would argue otherwise. Indeed that is what the sultans are doing as they now can afford expensive legal counsel; hence their claim of "something extra" based on daulat. Legal theories do not arise out of nowhere. It is the current weak political leadership of Najib (and Abdullah Badawi before him) that emboldens the sultans to reassert themselves and challenge established principles and practices. That notwithstanding, there is one area in the constitution that is indisputable and unchallengeable: The sultan as head of Islam. This is where the sultan could rightly claim his special status as his authority there is absolute. Creatively managed, it could prove to be a splendid opportunity for them to serve not only Malays but also non-Muslim Malaysians. "Where Islam is concerned," Zaid writes, "the Malay Rulers have a golden opportunity to make their mark." That they do not is the greatest missed opportunity, for them as well as for Malaysians and Malaysia. This special role in Islam for the sultan has a strong foundation. The concept of a supreme head of the ummah goes back to the days of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and indeed Prophet Muhammad, s.a.w., himself. Not surprisingly, modern Muslim leaders including our sultans have conveniently latched on to that symbolism. Historically and for very practical reasons, the British were only too happy to relegate matters of Islam to the sultans. That was also politically shrewd as it placated both the natives and their sultans. Conveniently, Islam was also then peripheral if not irrelevant to the politics and economics of the country. So that was an easy concession on the part of the colonials. Further, with Malays consumed with their sultans and religion, that eased the British to exploit the economic riches of the land with the help of immigrants who were unencumbered with either. Today the situation is very different. Malays are still obsessed with their religion and to some extent (although decidedly less so) their sultans. Islam today however, is central to everything that is Malaysian, especially politics and economics. The increasingly shrill contestation of Islam between UMNO and PAS attests to this. Islamic financial institutions are now major players, and zakat collections are in the billions. At one level, Malays' continuing obsession with religion and the afterlife distracts us from making our rightful contribution to the country, especially in matters economic. At another, this presents lucrative opportunities for the sultans to intrude into Islamic financial and economic spheres all in the guise of their being head and defender of the faith. With his legal background, Zaid rightly focuses on the increasingly assertive role of syaria in the administration of justice. In the past, syaria was concerned primarily with family law, as with divorce and inheritance cases. Now it encroaches into areas hitherto the purview of secular (both civil as well as criminal) courts. Syaria is now on par with and in many instances superior to secular courts, in effect above the constitution. Fatwas (decrees issued by religious functionaries) now have the power of law, thus usurping the legislature. If those were not problematic enough, with syaria usurping the criminal courts Malaysians face the reality that the punishment they get would depend not on the crime they have committed rather their faith. A Muslim caught committing adultery could face "stoning to death" under syaria while non-Muslims would not even be prosecuted, or if prosecuted would be slapped with a small fine for indecent exposure perhaps and suffer the wrath of their spouses. Even in matters pertaining to family law, they can get messier especially where one party to the dispute is a non-Muslim. The victims are not just the living. Recent cases of "corpse snatching" are but one ugly manifestation. This judicial abdication by the secular courts, in Zaid's view, occurred because their judges are mostly Malays who want to appear "pious and upright Muslims… want[ing] to fit into the 'correct' image of a good Muslim." Islam emancipated the ancient Bedouins and made them give up their odious practices such as female infanticide and "an eye for eye" sense of justice. Perversely today, the more Malays and Malaysia become "Islamized," the more backward, corrupt, polarized and dysfunctional Malays and Malaysia become. The irony! "Islam – the great purifier and liberating force in the world – had been reduced to an ordinary cult in Malaysia," writes Zaid. Not any ordinary cult but a rogue one, with corrupt, toxic leaders. As undisputed leaders of Islam, sultans have a major role to correct these obvious pathologies. That they have abdicated this crucial role is a major factor to Malays becoming deeply polarized and increasingly marginalized economically. That is a tragedy not only for Malays but also for all Malaysians. Ultimately this will also negatively impact the sultans. Read more at: http://www.bakrimusa.com/archives/book-review-zaid-ibrahims-ampun-tuanku |
| Merdeka and the rise of citizens Posted: 09 Sep 2012 09:52 AM PDT  (© KELANTAN JOTTINGS @ Flickr) (The Nut Graph) - THERE has been an unusual amount of bickering over the Merdeka celebrations this year. There have been public disagreements over the Merdeka theme, song and logo, and over the celebrations that have been held, plus who should be invited. There were the federal government-organised Merdeka celebrations at Bukit Jalil and the countdown at Kuala Lumpur City Centre, and the Pakatan Rakyat state government celebrations. There was also Janji Demokrasi, organised by civil society, at Dataran Merdeka. Individuals, including a teenager, have even been arrested, handcuffed and expelled from school over their behaviour at the non-government Merdeka celebrations. The Nut Graph speaks to political scientist Wong Chin Huat on the different celebrations of Merdeka and tries to pin down why this year's celebration is more contested than in other years. TNG: Why the tussle over Merdeka this year? Has it been this way before? What's different this time round? This is not the first time the official celebration of Merdeka and/or Malaysia Day has been contested. In 2008, some bloggers posted the national flag upside down to drive home the message of "nation in distress". In 2009, after the Perak coup, Teoh Beng Hock's death and the cow-head protest, some citizens called for a black Merdeka celebration. In 2010, on the eve of Malaysia Day, instead of having a loud countdown, concerned citizens organised "47 minutes of silence", a celebration to usher in Malaysia's 48th year as a country and reflect on what Malaysia was meant to be – a promise of fraternity through freedom. These were, however, mostly small-scale gatherings and expressions. What makes this year's state-citizen contestation more pronounced than before is the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition's desperate move to push its electoral campaign into the Merdeka celebration by using "Janji Ditepati" – a self-praise slogan. Many Malaysians can no longer stomach such self-serving behaviour especially after their "baptism of fire" in the Bersih 2.0 and 3.0 rallies. This is something the BN government cannot or refuses to acknowledge. In the past, most people seem to have been happy to enjoy their public holiday or watch the Merdeka parade on television. This year, people have taken to the streets for their own Merdeka celebrations, ignoring or even mocking the government-organised celebrations. Why do you think this was the case? The fact that Merdeka and Malaysia Day are no longer just official rituals speaks volumes of the rise of citizens. They want to reclaim the country. They are not satisfied to be pushed around by politicians, bureaucrats and the police after paying taxes. They are putting their feet down and telling the state: "Hey, look. Who's the boss here?" Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak reportedly described the roughly 100,000-strong crowd at the government-organised Bukit Jalil celebration as the "majority … who are nation-loving citizens". Are those who snubbed the government celebrations then nation-hating citizens?  Thomas Paine (Wiki commons) It appears that "Najib the Moderate" has not read Thomas Paine, who said: "The duty of a patriot is to protect his country from its government." Or Mark Twain, who said: "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time and your government when it deserves it." The test of democracy is about living with people you don't like. State officials who cannot see themselves as serving the entire country should return the portion of their salaries that come from those who oppose or are critical of them. That would simply be the honest thing to do. Read more at: http://www.thenutgraph.com/uncommon-sense-with-wong-chin-huat-merdeka-and-the-rise-of-citizens/ |
| PAS berang tindakan MPS turunkan bendera parti Posted: 09 Sep 2012 09:45 AM PDT  Bendera BN telah berbulan-bulan berkibar
(FMT) - Persoalannya ialah kenapa bendera BN yang turut dipasang di Dataran Senawang tidak pula diturunkan? Pesuruhjaya PAS Negeri Sembilan, Mohd Taufek Abdul Ghani hari ini melahirkan rasa berang terhadap tindakan penguatkuasa Majlis Perbandaran Seremban (MPS) yang menurunkan kira-kira 40 bendera PAS di Dataran Senawang pagi semalam iaitu tempat berlangsungnya Jamuan Hari Raya anjuran PAS Negeri Sembilan. Bendera PAS diturunkan Bendera BN telah berbulan-bulan berkibar "Kami memasang bendera PAS sehari sebelum (Jumaat) majlis ini berlangsung. Jamuan Hari Raya ini bermula 11.00 pagi dan berakhir 3.00 petang semalam. Kami sepatutnya menurunkan bendera PAS pada petang semalam juga selepas majlis berakhir. "Bagaimanapun ketika kami sedang menyiapkan makanan, minuman, kerusi dan meja untuk orang ramai, kira-kira pukul 9.30 pagi, penguatkuasa MPS menurunkan bendera PAS. "Kita tidak ada masalah dengan penguatkuasa MPS jika itu tugas mereka. Persoalannya ialah kenapa bendera Barisana Nasional (BN) yang turut dipasang di Dataran Senawang tidak pula diturunkan? "Bendera PAS diturunkan apabila baru sehari dipasang. Kita pasang bendera PAS pun kerana kita anjurkan majlis jamuan Hari Raya di sini memandangkan Dataran Senawang juga terletak di dalam Dewan Undangan Negeri (Dun) Paroi. Manakala bendera BN sudah dipasang sejak berbulan-bulan lamanya. "Jika memasang bendera di Dataran Senawang satu kesalahan, mengapa tindakan yang sama tidak diambil terhadap bendera BN di sini?," tanya Mohd Taufek yang juga merupakan Adun Paroi. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/09/09/pas-berang-tindakan-mps-turunkan-bendera-parti/ |
| Negri PAS under fire for segregating sexes at Raya open house Posted: 09 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT (The Star) - Negri Sembilan PAS has come under fire from several quarters here for segregating men and women at their Hari Raya open house held at Dataran Senawang on Saturday, who said that the move would only derail efforts to strengthen national unity. They felt that the rule imposed by the Islamist party was inconsistent with the open house spirit, which, among others, allowed Malaysians from all walks of life to mix and mingle freely. State MCA political and strategy bureau head Datuk Lee Yuen Fong said PAS' action only caused uneasiness among Malaysians. "Why do you need to segregate when it is an open house and held in an open area? This is a preview of what PAS will do if it ever gains power," he said. Lee said that in a multi-racial and multi-religious country like Malaysia, it was important for people to mix with one another as it would help promote understanding. "If you are not encouraged to mix at such events, then where are you supposed to know more about the people of other faiths who can be your neighbours or your colleagues?" he asked. PAS state commissioner Taufek Abdul Ghani said the move was to allow its guests, particularly women, to be comfortable. "I don't know why is this an issue as we have been doing this for years," he said, adding that the rule was similar to KTM Bhd's rule to have special coaches for women commuters. Taufek said the rule, which required men and women to sit and queue up separately for food, was not mandatory. Negri Sembilan Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism council chairman Edward Lim said that having such a rule would not help foster unity. "We can understand if the rule is introduced to ensure women, girls and children get their food as there is always a scramble at such events," he said. National MIC information chief Datuk V.S. Mogan described the segregation as ridiculous. "It mocks the open house concept and doesn't help in promoting unity," he said. Mogan, who is an exco member, said it was acceptable if PAS had implemented the rule at a closed-door event. Meanwhile, state opposition leader Anthony Loke defended PAS on the issue. "I was seated on the same table with Mohamed Sabu (PAS deputy president) and his wife and no one told me anything. "Our detractors should know that such things are common at PAS-organised events," he said. |
| Explain Unisel debt, Khalid told Posted: 09 Sep 2012 09:36 AM PDT 
(The Star) - Selangor Umno is calling on Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to explain a RM54.8mil debt incurred by state-owned Universiti Selangor. Its deputy chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar said the loss was sustained after Pakatan Rakyat took over the state in 2008. Showing a copy of the university's 2010 audit report to the members of the media, Noh questioned why the information was not made public. "He (Khalid) and the state financial officer signed the report on Aug 27. "So, what is he waiting for? The people of Selangor need to know the truth," he told reporters after the opening of the Tanjung Karang Umno division' meeting yesterday. Noh said the report showed Unisel had sustained losses in the past three years with a deficit of RM1.63mil in 2008, RM13.55mil in 2009 and RM39.68mil in 2010. "The losses are after taxes were paid. Khalid should stop blaming the former state government and explain this," he said, adding that the university was running well when Selangor was under Barisan Nasional's administration. He also believed that the losses had been a contributing factor to the university's inability to settle its debts with its hostel management Syarikat Jana Niaga Sdn Bhd (JNSB). Khalid had previously announced that the audit report on Unisel would be made public by the end of last month. Unisel had recently made headlines for the wrong reasons and fingers were pointed at the Selangor Government for not managing the university properly. |
| Ahmad Maslan Asks People To Reject Six Types Of Political Practices Posted: 09 Sep 2012 09:31 AM PDT 
(Bernama) - Umno Information Chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan today urged the people to reject what he termed as six types of political practices of the opposition. He said these were the politics of rudeness, politics of liberty, politics of libel, politics of punishment, politics of disunity and politics of violence. An example of the politics of rudeness was the stomping on pictures of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and the intention to change the national flag with another, he told a news conference after opening the Klang Umno Division delegates meeting, here. The politics of liberty referred to the support for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) activities which was contrary to Islamic teachings, he said. Ahmad said the politics of libel was evident from the slander hurled at Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor. |
| Suaram-funding NGO link to Soros probed Posted: 08 Sep 2012 06:39 PM PDT 
(NST) - The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry is investigating whether an American non-governmental organisation allegedly funding Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) is linked to currency speculator George Soros, Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today. He said the NGO was one of two based in the United States allegedly contributing a huge amount of funds to Suaram. The ministry was carrying out the investigation through the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), he said after opening the Rasah Umno Division delegates meeting here. Ismail Sabri asked Bank Negara to investigate the matter under the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001. He also asked the Home Ministry and the Registrar of Societies to determine the status of Suaram.
|
| Why it is un-Islamic to arrest Ong Sing Yee Posted: 08 Sep 2012 04:19 PM PDT
When I brought that poster back to Malaysia, my Tok Guru whispered to me that I should get rid of it because it is haram in Islam. I should not hang it up on the wall, said my Tok Guru. I should just burn it. Even if Khomeini is a revered religious leader it is still haram to hang his poster or photograph on the wall. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin From the Islamic viewpoint, there is nothing wrong in stepping on statues, paintings, posters and photographs of humans and animals. In fact, the Talibans in Afghanistan blew up such statues. Remember the Bamiyan statues of Buddha that were blown up back in March 2001? 
Statues, paintings, posters and photographs of people and animals are forbidden in Islam. Some ulama' (scholars) say that 'exemption' can be given in certain instances such as when photographs are needed for passports, identity cards, driving licences, etc. However, if they are just for fun or for show, then, according to the ulama', they are forbidden. Hence are we allowed to hang photographs of rulers, political leaders, pop stars, etc., on the wall? Not if it is meant to revere these people or to 'honour' them. This would expose people to the danger of idol worshipping like how some people idolise pop stars. I know some kids will say that so-and-so is their idol. They idol worship these superstars. Well, in Islam that is wrong. Saudi Arabia would even confiscate photographs and posters of Imam Khomeini. I should know because I had to hide my poster to smuggle it out of the country. I was warned I might be arrested if I was caught but I took that risk (and got away with it). When I brought that poster back to Malaysia, my Tok Guru whispered to me that I should get rid of it because it is haram in Islam. I should not hang it up on the wall, said my Tok Guru. I should just burn it. Even if Khomeini is a revered religious leader it is still haram to hang his poster or photograph on the wall. I did what my Tok Guru advised although it pained me to do so because that was the poster I carried above my head in the Mekah demonstration that I participated in. Hence what Ong Sing Yee did was actually very Islamic. The Talibans would probably approve of what she did. So would the Salafis. In fact, even many Sunnis, the sect that most Malaysian Muslims belong to, would feel the same way. If Ong Sing Yee had stepped on a poster of Carlsberg beer or on a poster of Sports Toto, she would have been commended. Such things are haram in Islam. And so are posters of human beings, which are equally haram in Islam. Let those politicians and fake Muslims continue to foam at the mouth and whine away. We true Muslims who know what Islam is all about should commend Ong Sing Yee. More people should do what Ong Sing Yee did. Revering politicians and placing their photographs on the wall is considered idol worshipping in Islam. All these should be pulled down just like what the Talibans did in Afghanistan. Oh, and don't worry about the Sedition Act. That is an old English law that was created so that the people would not criticise the King. You see, the King went against the Pope and the people were not happy about it. In those days, many people were papists and they believed that the Pope was God's Wakil on earth and that what the Pops says is on behalf of God. The Palace, however, wanted the people to believe that the new Wakil of God is the King and not the Pope. But they had to stop the people from contradicting the Palace. Hence they created the Sedition Act so that those who said the Pope and not the King is the Wakil of God could be arrested. Basically, the Sedition Act was meant to defend the Church of England. Now, Malays use it to defend haram things like hanging photographs and posters of people on the wall. Actually, these are sesat Muslims. 
|
| Tanda Putera: Deconstructing Prejudice Posted: 08 Sep 2012 04:04 PM PDT 
I really doubt the capacity of Ms Shuhaimi to "look at all angles" if after looking at the records produced in my book she still insists that the communists were responsible for May 13. Dr Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser I am in full agreement with the director of the forthcoming film 'Tanda Putera', Shuhaimi Baba that we should withhold any critique of the film until we have seen it. I have so far merely warned Malaysians about the record of the Barisan National in resurrecting the spectre of 'May 13' at every general election since 1969. Others have protested against some of the images posted on the Facebook for the film. But judging from Shuhaimi's interview in an online media (FMT, 6.9.2012), I am not too sanguine about her impartiality and capacity to discern fact from prejudice in a mature manner: "When I first read Dr Kua (Kia Soong's) book, I thought what came out first and shining through was his prejudices against Malays and his resentment against the office of the prime minister then. His accusations – alluding to who was responsible for May 13- that is, Tun Razak, was not only atrocious but irresponsible. But then he knows that, I am sure, since he's more intelligent than most men, and he does it for effect and propaganda and to rile up Chinese sentiments. It was too easy for him. As a writer, he preferred to be biased and did not shed any light on the riots but even considered the communists had nothing to do with it. His obvious biasness – not questioning why in Tunku's own book, and later in an authorised biography of Tunku as late as 1990 – Tunku did not cast aspersions on Tun Razak. There were reports and books written by people who were not present during May 13. Some were based on third party reports. Yet in one publication, no mention was made that the writer was not in the country, the author did not point out he was not present but his comments and observations on May 13 were like a first-person report. Complete with prejudices against the Malays and the Malaysian government. How is it that this author can be quoted as a reliable source? He had deliberately too omitted details of what were the insulting behaviours towards the Malays before May 13. I find the NOC (National Operations Council) report on May 13, 1969, may not be as complete, but it was more useful and reliable because they were verified with statistics and signed support reports and documents. The NOC report was also verified by a committee appointed by Tun Ismail. The head of the committee was a person of high integrity. So that's where I am coming from when I say I looked at all angles…" Prejudices against Malays? First, I would like to thank her for reading my book although I am very disappointed that she has drawn very odd conclusions from it. I have read such accusations of my supposed "prejudices against Malays" among the mindless blogheads in cyberspace but I would expect better of an artist who seeks a reputation for integrity. For a start, she fails to provide any evidence for my supposed "prejudices against the Malays and (my) resentment against the office of the prime minister". Many respected Malay intellectuals have critiqued my book and made no mention of it being "prejudiced against Malays". I may be guilty of using class analysis in my writings but you will not find a more committed anti-racist crusader than me in this country… The late Rustam Sani (bless his soul!) wrote in his blog on 13 May 2007 after attending the launch of my book: "May 13: A Sunday morning well-spent at the book launch. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind that Dr Kua had penned a very important book – indeed, to my mind, he has made "publishing history" of sorts. I came out of the book launch feeling only half-satisfied with the discussion that took place and half-pessimistic about the future. It did not, however, diminish my appreciation of Dr Kua's book as an important contribution to my understanding of Malaysia's contemporary history, and for such interesting and thoughtful presentations by the guest speakers." Among the guest speakers was highly respected Malay intellectual, Professor Syed Husin Ali who disputed my "coup detat" thesis but he did not think that my book displayed "prejudices against the Malays". Azmi Sharom, writing in The Star on 31 May 2007, had this to say about the book: "As with Kua's earlier works, it is written in a passionate style that drives the narrative forward with a sense of urgency, so much so that reading it was a pleasure. I think that this is an important book. It raises issues and questions that challenge the official story of the riots and it adds new information that is vital if we as a nation are ever to truly understand that horrible period of our history." Again, he did not get the impression that I was "prejudiced against the Malays". Likewise, my socialist comrade Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim has not mentioned to me that he finds my account "prejudiced against Malays" because he also subscribes to class analysis of society and history. I am therefore dubious about the amount and the quality of research done by Ms Shuhaimi on May 13 and whether she seriously read my book. She says that "no mention was made that the writer was not in the country, the author did not point out he was not present but his comments and observations on May 13 were like a first-person report." The Full Story of May 13 is Yet Untold First, my book uses declassified documents which I researched first-hand in London and made available in The British Public Records Office, Kew Gardens. That's a lot of valuable legwork that is potentially helpful research for Ms Shuhaimi's film. The suggestion that I was trying to portray this as a first-hand account is puzzling, as the title itself clearly states the fact that such first-hand accounts are extracts from the declassified documents themselves. Ms Shuhaimi is certainly the first person to make such an observation. The reason my book created such a sensation was because many Malaysians do not find the official versions credible. Contrary to what Ms Shuhaimi says, the official statistics on the casualties during May 13 are the least credible of all. I may not have been there but my brother in law was a professor at the University Hospital at the time and my brother was a medical student at Malayan University too. They saw the number of bodies that were tarred to conceal their ethnicity and they certainly exceeded the official figures. The documents in my book testify as much to this fact. I provided a class analysis based on the available evidence provided by the records at the time. A fuller story will only emerge with a Truth & Reconciliation Commission when families of the victims, the police, the army, hospital doctors and staff come forward to tell us their stories. A serious artist should welcome as many stories from the people as possible and not be beholden to the official version. The Tunku's Views on Tun Razak Ms Shuhaimi accuses me of bias and claims that the Tunku didn't cast aspersions on Tun Razak. Again, this reflects on the quality of her research and her capacity to weigh historical documents. Obviously Ms Shuhaimi does not consider the documents produced in my book to be worth consideration or to be objective. She falls back on the Tunku's early writings and apparently, "the Tunku's authorised biography". For the information of Ms Shuhaimi, K. Das was the Tunku's official biographer and they had carried out a series of interviews which can be read in my 2002 title: "K. Das & the Tunku Tapes". Yes, a copy of the tapes was given to me by K.Das' family. Can any records beat these audio recordings done in the twilight of the Tunku's life when he could finally speak his mind? Will Ms Shuhaimi challenge me to produce the Tunku tapes to verify if the Tunku actually said these words to K. Das? "You know Harun was one of those – Harun, Mahathir, Ghazali Shafie – who were all working with Razak to oust me, to take over my place…" (Kua Kia Soong, 2002: 112) For the further information of Ms Shuhaimi, I am not the first person to see May 13 as a coup detat against the Tunku. A Malay (yes, Malay!) intellectual, Subky Latiff had already put forward this thesis in an academic journal, Southeast Asian Affairs, Singapore in 1977. Although I was not at the seminar when Subky Latiff presented his paper, I am sure there were no gasps of "how atrocious and irresponsible!" among the academics gathered there. Why the deference to Authority? We can understand deference to authority in a feudal society. But why do we need to be deferential to the people we elect? Ms Shuhaimi refers to the Prime Ministers as if they are deities to worship. In fact, whenever a general election approaches, that is the time when the politicians including prime ministers eat humble pie and plead for our support. What are prime ministers but the leaders of the respective parties who happen to win a majority in the general election? If we take the trouble to research into Malayan/ Malaysian history, we will invariably find that the leaders of political parties often use foul underhand means to maintain their political positions. This goes not only for the incumbent but also for the opposition parties. My recent "Patriots & Pretenders" gives an account of the way the British colonial power connived to ensure the victory of the Alliance in the pre-Independence manoeuvres. Take UMNO as an example. If political chicanery had not come into play, Dato Onn Jaafar leading the Independence of Malaya Party could have become Prime Minister at Independence. If the British colonial power had not backed the Alliance, the PMCJA-PUTERA coalition could have given the Alliance a good run for their money and we could have had a socialist prime minister who would not want such feudal deference from the people! The proclamation of The Emergency in 1948 through to 1960 was to ensure the British colonial power passed political power onto their local custodians at Independence and not to the PMCJA-PUTERA coalition. Then again, if it had not been for Dr Mahathir's "tengkolok trick" in 1990, Tengku Razaleigh might have become Malaysia's prime minister. Likewise, the arrest of Anwar Ibrahim in 1998 altered the history of UMNO and assured Dr Mahathir's hold on power into the 21st century. Yes, like any democrat I have a healthy disrespect for authority in an oppressive regime and I would have imagined an artist with ideals and integrity would share such aspirations for truth, justice, freedom, democracy and human rights. Were the Communists Responsible for May 13? I really doubt the capacity of Ms Shuhaimi to "look at all angles" if after looking at the records produced in my book she still insists that the communists were responsible for May 13. In my book I have shown that in the Tunku's broadcast at 2230 on 17 May 1969, he had qualified his earlier assertion that the disturbances were caused by communists, putting the blame instead on assorted "bad elements". Is this Ms Shuhaimi's own prejudices or does she have stronger evidence to show that the communists were indeed responsible for May 13? The regime used the communist bogey at the time because it was necessary for it to justify imposing a state of emergency and to carry out the agenda of the new Umnoputras. To conclude, I fervently hope that Ms Shuhaimi will seriously study my views like any honest artist and ponder the deconstruction of prejudice. Perhaps, this is an opportunity for Ms Shuhaimi as an artist to be more circumspect – be more of a calligrapher with a deft brush rather than follow the mindless mob that tars and feathers any detractors… |
| What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, Tun Posted: 08 Sep 2012 04:00 PM PDT 
Isn't Mahathir, in his desperation to ensure the BN remains in power forever, indulging in undemocratic actions to deny the opposition the space and opportunity to form an alternative government that would guarantee the demise of the BN, wonders P Ramakrishnan. Tun Dr Mahathir's warning that the country may never see a Barisan Nasional (BN) government again if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is voted into Putrajaya, would provoke the response, "Good riddance to bad rubbish!" from many Malaysians who are totally fed up with BN rule. After 55 years of BN rule, it is time to say, "Enough is enough! It's time to go!!" Mahathir should stop whining that the federal opposition would do "everything possible" to stay in power forever if they were to form the next government. What's wrong with that, Tun? Didn't you do that, Tun, to stay in power forever? Why is it when you did "everything possible" to cling on to power, it was the proper thing to do but it is utterly wrong now for others to aspire to, as you did. Didn't you refuse our beloved Tunku, the honest Hussein Onn, the fearless Tengku Razaleigh and others admission into Umno Baru so that you could remain in power forever without any opposition from within the party? Didn't you introduce the system of 10 bonus votes for every nomination you received from Umno divisions to ensure that you would continue to be the President of Umno without any threat of a challenge? Didn't you fix a minimum number of nominations from Umno divisions to be eligible to contest the president's post? And didn't this effectively prevent Tengku Razaleigh from challenging for the president's post? Didn't the BN amend the federal constitution to disqualify those who resigned and thereby forced a by-election so that you could not be put to the test again? The amendment came soon after Shahrir Samad resigned as a BN parliamentarian in 1988, forcing a by-election in Johor Bharu, which he won convincingly as an independent, thus embarrassing you in the process. Didn't you have absolute control of the party and government so that your position would remain unassailable as long as you chose to stick around? Wasn't the BN guilty of gerrymandering to ensure that the BN had the best advantage to win the elections so that you and the BN could lord over the nation forever? Didn't you destroy the judiciary in 1988 when you played a role in the sacking of the then Lord President, Tun Salleh Abas? Wasn't it to preserve and perpetuate your position? Didn't you shackle the powers of the royalty by holding semarak gatherings throughout the country to run down the royalty and by amending the constitution so that you and the BN could remain in power forever without any obstacles or obstruction? Didn't the BN deny allocations for all elected MPs and State Assembly members – unfairly and unjustly – so that the BN could continue to rule forever by pulling the purse strings? Didn't the BN engineer the overthrow of the legitimately elected Pakatan government in Perak ignoring the choice of the voters so that the BN could forever continue to be in power by whatever means? Isn't the BN hounding Anwar through trumped up charges and all other foul means to prevent his political ascendancy, which threatens the BN's greed to remain in power forever? Isn't it because the BN wants to be in power forever – and by any means – that it is going after the brave Bersih leaders who had inspired Malaysians to march in their thousands demanding free and fair elections? Aren't you in your desperation to ensure the BN remains in power forever indulging in undemocratic actions to deny the opposition the space and opportunity to form an alternative government that would guarantee the demise of the BN? Why is it, dear Tun, that only you and the BN can have the licence to do everything possible to remain in power forever? Why are you denying the loyal opposition the same opportunity to protect and preserve their position? Haven't you heard of the saying, "What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander"? Your hypocrisy is really nauseating, Tun! P Ramakrishnan, the immediate past president of Aliran, now serves on the Aliran executive committee. |
| Up to police to investigate gun incident, says Anwar Posted: 08 Sep 2012 03:31 PM PDT 
Lisa J. Ariffin, The Malaysian Insider Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will leave it to the authorities to investigate claims that his bodyguard drew a firearm and pointed it at Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters in Kampung Baru Rim, Malacca yesterday. The opposition leader said today he will leave it to police to "establish whether the security behaved in self-defence and according to SOP (standard operating procedures)". "Whether he did it in self-defence or followed SOP that is for the police to investigate. They (the bodyguards) all have permits anyway," he told reporters today during Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar's Hari Raya open house here. Anwar had claimed that the bus, in which he was travelling for PKR's Jelajah Merdeka Rakyat programme, was attacked by a group he believed to be Umno Youth members. Plainclothes policemen detained the 37-year-old bodyguard at the scene when the incident took place at 3.15pm. Police and Special Branch officers were there to observe the event. Local media reports said the bus in which Anwar was travelling was stopped by some youth who wanted to prevent them from entering the venue for the programme. The bodyguard alighted from a car near the bus and pointed the firearm at the youth. Anwar said it was deplorable that none of the youth who attacked his bus were arrested. "The fact that none of the Umno fellas were arrested is shocking," he said. "This shows how incompetent and how irresponsible Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the Home Minister (Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein) are," he said. "These hooligans are supported by Najib and (Hishammuddin)," he claimed. Anwar then said he had video and photographic evidence of the group attacking his entourage. At least four police reports were lodged by members of Jasin Umno Youth and the Belia 4B movement over the incident. State police chief Datuk Chuah Ghee Lye said the bodyguard has been detained for questioning. "Let us investigate the matter first as it is still premature to determine if the man had actually pointed the weapon at the public, or he was just brandishing it as an act of protecting someone. He could have taken out the gun and accidentally showed it to the people gathered there," he was quoted as saying by the New Sunday Times. |
| Why Tun M is terrified of the opposition! Posted: 08 Sep 2012 03:17 PM PDT 
Daniel John Jambun If we look at how Tun Dr. Mahathir has been making political comments during the last few months we would have noticed very clearly that he is actually very worried, yes, utterly terrified, about of the possibility of the opposition taking over the government. The basis of this fear is real. Mahathir is not merely having a nightmare for nothing. And he has a lot of good reasons to see it all coming. Firstly, the great tsunami of 2008 changed the way the BN looks at itself. It made BN realize how fragile the national coalition is. In fact 2008 was such a close call that had it been without Sabah and Sarawak, the powerful BN leaders would no longer be sitting in Putrajaya right now. And he knows things had gone further downhill for the BN since then. In spite of all the dirty tactics, all the scandals against opposition leaders, all the manufacturing of endless good news about the economy, the Santa Claus programs, the people had continued to lose confidence in the BN. Now wonder Mahathir had gone into the bad habit of saying a lot nonsensical and downright stupid things! In desperation he said it's better to have a devil that you know that a devil you don't know. It was admittance that the BN is a devil. He had justified the huge influx of illegal immigrants into Sabah and made the totally ludicrous proposal that as long as they can speak Malay, they qualify to become citizens of Malaysia. This statement set off a barrage of firings from both the opposition and the BN leaders. It made us wonder what kind of mind was ruling us for 27 years. Now he had gone into fear mongering by saying again and again that if the opposition takes over the country, it would lead to total chaos, which goes in line with PM Datuk Seri Najib's idea that the opposition is not qualified to take over the government. Well tell that to Lim Guan Eng and Datuk Khalid Ibrahim. But to top it all, Mahathir's most interesting remark was his idea that if the PR takes over the government, it will rule Malaysia forever. The funny thing about this childish remark is that it is actually a compliment to PR! Mahathir said if the PR takes over, it will do things to make sure the BN can never come back to rule again, saying he "knows a few things." What he said here is very telling about what kind of government the BN has been running for 27 years under Mahathir. He doesn't know a few things; he actually know A LOT of things, meaning underhanded tactics and dirty tricks to ensure the opposition can never take over the government. Well, if he knows all these tricks and he had used them over the years, how come the BN is in real danger of toppling over now? Maybe Abraham Lincoln was right when he said, "You can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time" or as the Malay proverbs says, "Sepandai-pandai tupai melompat akhirnya jatuh ke tanah juga." Or maybe Mahathir's many tricks – increasing the population of Sabah with immigrants by four folds, gerrymandering, threatening and penalizing the opposition leaders and dissenters with draconian laws, manipulating the economy to keep Sabah and Sarawak poor so they continue to be beggars and dependants in Malaysia, suffocating the press, promoting social polarization through manipulation of race and religion, etc. etc. – had failed to put Malaysians under anymore control because they have had enough of it and realized it is time to change the government. He thought he could continue to put on a benign face and manipulate the people forever. But guess what, you can't fool the people forever. It is interesting that he believes that a new Malaysian government will become more corrupt than his government. Only a dictator who controlled a regime which put on a benign face for so long can think like this. He is actually telling the world, that by knowing "a few things" he was really corrupt and evil as a Prime Minister. By saying all these things he is actually admitting that he is a Machiavellian politician who would stop at nothing to get what he wants. And now, frustrated that he no longer calls the shots, he thinks he is helping Najib's government by going into fear mongering. And poor Najib can't say or do anything because Mahathir has a lot of clout, being able to play the role of a puppet player behind the scene. Najib has to keep quiet, or else. And when we fully realize the reality of this situation, in which our Prime Minster is at the mercy of his predecessor, we will have reasons to have even less confidence in the present BN government! So Mahathir is not doing Najib any favour by talking endlessly like a drunken and frightened monkey. Despite his praises for Najib, he only causes the people to see out PM as a weak puppet. It will be very interesting to observe what Mahathir will say on the next few days. You can bet he won't be able to keep quite more than a few days. He is too paranoid to keep quiet more than a few days. But what he needs to understand is that his ideas are getting more and more ridiculous and only to serve to convince us even more that our former PM is losing his marbles and showing clear signs of senility. But what is the real reasons Mahathir is so frightened of the prospect of the BN falling? Believe me Mahathir's reasons are less patriotic than what he tries to show to the public. The real reasons are personal. If BN falls, protective walls around him will crumble and he stands to face the music for a lot of misdeeds during his heydays. Why else is he so paranoid about the RCI and so eager to defend the illegals? Because of the reality of the Projek IC Mahathir. And this is not the only can of worms that are waiting to be exposed. There will be so many that the whole world will have to reel back in shock and disgust. But what can he do now, that the dark clouds are descending on his head and his family? The days of reckoning are here and nobody, even Mahathir with all his clout and money, can stop it. |
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
