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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• DAP a symbol of racism after Perkasa?
• Malaysia's Elections: Down to the wire
• Don’t see DAP congress with Umno mindset
• Bentong villagers want DAP to explain
• PKR’s Tanjong Malim dilemma
• Pas: Hadi diserang kerana dicadang jadi PM
• Nik Aziz ulangi pendirian mahu tanding PRU
• Utter confusion
• RM200b outflow Najib’s best achievement as Finance minister, says PAS Youth chief
• Talks going on well with SAPP, says Anwar
• Press Statement by Americk Singh Sidhu
• Malaysia poised for pivotal polls
• Are we setting up Miss Universe Malaysia to lose?
• Lawyer not part of MACC review on Bala’s SD probe, says panel chief
• Kita’s president crisis remains unresolved
• ‘Beware of BN temporary withdrawal gifts in polls run-up’
• PAS shows Indians the door
• Anwar: DAP mahu kerusi lebih tidak munasabah
• ‘Tan Sri lawyer must come forward’
• I’m not behind Deepak, Anwar says it again
• System to blame for illiterate students — STU chief
• ‘Most graduates lacking in problem-solving skills’
• Money Laundering? Questions In Australia For Taib’s Brother Onn
• MCA power play in Tanjong Malim
• DAP warlords eye party sec-gen prize
• PRU 13: Antara strategi BN dan Pakatan Rakyat
• Seeking justice or vendetta?
• Govt relaxes restrictions on Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem
• Lynas' Waste Plans A Toxic Pipe Dream
• Screw you, Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim
• ‘Prove Jeffrey met Daim in KK’
• Doomsday Prophecy ‘Haram’: Malaysia
• EC accuses Ambiga, Bersih of partisan agenda
• DAP's Ubah or Ubah DAP?
• The transformation of DAP
• Perkasa Chief Insults the Malays
• Insiden yang sebenar di Sungai Petani
• Jangan ganggu urusan PRU, SPR ingatkan Bersih
• PAS’ stance against supporters slammed
• Pakatan to win with 118 seats?
• DAP and its multiracial dilemma
• ‘No black or white knight, just truth’
• May 13, Kg Medan – Never again!
• Bar Council: Give us more evidence
• A-G’s Chambers freezes AES summons cases for now
• More than one in three Malaysians to get cash handouts on January 15
• Ariffin’s remarks inaccurate, says PSC
• No tussle in Sungai Siput, says PSM
• Bumburing and Jeffrey in face-off
• DAP on damage control

DAP a symbol of racism after Perkasa? Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:27 PM PST   Since Devan Nair, the only other Indian who rose to prominence in DAP is Karpal Singh. Since its establishment, no other Indian has held a top post in the party. If that is astounding, it is even more shocking that there has never been a Malay leader holding any top position in DAP. The nation's most populated ethnic group has little or no say in DAP.    Easow Verghese   Democratic Action Party, or better known as DAP was established in the 1960's by Mr. Devan Nair. DAP declared to be irrevocably committed to the ideal of a free, democratic and socialist Malaysia, based on the principles of racial and religious equality, social and economic justice, and founded on the institution of parliamentary democracy.  Is DAP really upholding their principles of multi-ethnicity? Since Devan Nair, the only other Indian who rose to prominence in DAP is Karpal Singh. Since its establishment, no other Indian has held a top post in the party. If that is astounding, it is even more shocking that there has never been a Malay leader holding any top position in DAP. The nation's most populated ethnic group has little or no say in DAP.  Time and time again DAP has been accused of practicing race-based politics. Despite the leaders of DAP claiming false to the allegations, results of the last DAP elections speak for itself. None of the Malay candidates who contested for a Central Executive Committee (CEC) position managed to get into the Top 20. Before a national uproar could occur, as an eye wash, two Malay candidates were appointed to the CEC. Only time will reveal how much they can contribute with their representation. The number of Indian candidates is also kept to a bare minimum.  Being a party that claims to be multi-racial, the representation of non-Chinese ethnic groups is a worrying sign. Till today we still see some members of DAP at war with its coalesced party PAS over the hudud issue. What if DAP-PKR-PAS does someday form the government? Are we, a small nation like Malaysia, heading towards separation of states?  The biggest opposition party with the most amount of representation in parliament after Barisan Nasional seems to lack genuine multi-ethnic representation at the elected leadership level. DAP is definitely not practicing multi-ethnicity as preached by their leaders. DAP will not represent and will not reflect the diverse cultures and beliefs which constitute the people of Malaysia.

Malaysia's Elections: Down to the wire Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:18 PM PST   (The Economist) - With so much at stake, every vote counts…but only if every vote is counted.  ALL year, it seems, Malaysia has been on a war footing. For elections, that is—and thankfully, rather than anything more martial. The country operates on a Westminster-style parliamentary system, so the prime ministers' five-year term does not officially end until early next summer. Nonetheless, Najib Razak and his people have been talking up the chances of going to the polls before then pretty well continuously over the past 18 months or so, which keeps everyone guessing. Now, with the end of the year in sight and no further announcements, it seems that Mr Najib will take this down to the wire. Given that he can only go to the country after Chinese New Year next February, most people expect him to plump for the latest date he can in the electoral calendar, which would be about late March or early April. His supporters say, why rush? With a generally favourable economic outlook, tame state media and all the advantages of incumbency, there is no reason why Mr Najib can't enjoy the rest of his term of office without worrying about the 13th general election. After all, he has a bit of history on his side, to put it mildly—the ruling political alliance, Barisan Nasional (BN), has never lost a general election since independence in 1957. His critics, however, detect signs of nervousness about the outcome—mainly, the endless indecision about when to go to the polls. Indeed, all the evidence suggests that this will be the closest race in Malaysia's history, even more so than the last general election in 2008. On that occasion, the BN lost its two-thirds majority in parliament for the first time, thus losing its powers to make changes to the constitution. Just as bad, five of the 12 contested state legislatures were won by the opposition, compared with only one in the previous election. Mr Najib knows that to placate his hardline critics within the BN he has to not only win, but win big. They want the BN to claw back most of what the party lost last time. It's a tall order. Read more at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2012/12/malaysia%E2%80%99s-elections

Don’t see DAP congress with Umno mindset Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:13 PM PST   The worse thing any Malay DAP member or leader can do is to read what has just happened at the 16th DAP national congress with an Umno mindset. And what is this Umno mindset? The Umno mindset is that you deserve to get something just because you are Umno. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today The recent DAP polls showed that Malays in the party must earn their keep and keep their peace. A total of eight Malay candidates contested for places in DAP's central executive committee (CEC) last week. But no Malay candidates won any place. Also, more Indians offered themselves in the contest but only M Kulasegaran got in. I don't hear them grumbling or getting gruffy. Perhaps the Malay DAP members must learn from them a thing or two. Why didn't any of the Malays get selected? Perhaps it's the fault of the candidates and the delegates and also the DAP leadership. But first let's set aside one issue – viewing the results with an Umno mindset. The worse thing any Malay DAP member or leader can do is to read what has just happened at the 16th DAP national congress with an Umno mindset. And what is this Umno mindset? The Umno mindset is that you deserve to get something just because you are Umno. Umno is built on the idea that you can get ahead by cutting corners, leveraging politics, exploiting inherited status and so forth. But the world does not operate on these terms. The world moves on, driven by people's abilities and on what they can contribute. And this is typically NOT the Umno mindset. DAP leadership's weakness In DAP, recognition, respect and appreciation must be earned irrespective of creed and stature. All of us, not only Malays, must now begin to think if we have not already done so, that we move on in life being assessed by: what we can do rather than who we are. That would depend on our abilities, resolve and single-mindedness; and the belief that anyone and not just specific persons with specific surnames can do specific jobs. Today, it's Lim Guan Eng who is the secretary-general. In a few years, it may be another person with a another surname, judged by his peers as having the qualities and abilities to do the job. The DAP leadership has not abandoned its agenda for "inclusiveness". But what the results did reveal is that it has some weaknesses in translating this agenda into practice. It showed that the leadership hasn't done enough to educate the delegates and DAP members of the importance of inclusiveness. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/12/21/dont-see-dap-congress-with-umno-mindset/

Bentong villagers want DAP to explain Posted: 20 Dec 2012 12:09 PM PST   (The Star) - BENTONG villagers have given a date for DAP to explain its decision to abruptly stop a singing show during a dinner, reported China Press. They had challenged Bentong Dapsy chairman Chow Yu Hui to cut the head of a cockerel and perform a vow at Guan Di Temple in Kampung Telemong at 1pm tomorrow. The act of cutting a cockerel's head at a temple is a Chinese tradition to prove one's innocence in settling disputes. In a statement signed by 15 village heads and Bentong MCA deputy chief Woong Choo Yak, the group urged Chow to show his bravery in politics and not be a "deserter". "Come to the temple on time and tell us everything. Many villagers know the show was halted because DAP bowed to pressure from PAS and used many tactics to cover this up. "In fact, the incident on Nov 17 should not have happened because DAP was the organiser of the event, which was mostly attended by the Chinese. DAP did not have to follow the orders of PAS members," said the group, adding that this proved that the party had no status in Pakatan Rakyat. During the incident, PAS guests had reportedly demanded that the performance be stopped because they were apparently disturbed by a singer's dressing, which was "too revealing". Villagers, who had raised thousands of ringgit to hire the singers, were furious.

PKR’s Tanjong Malim dilemma Posted: 20 Dec 2012 11:55 AM PST Two viable candidates - one Malay and one Chinese - are eyeing the seat  In the 2008 election, the PKR had great difficulty in finding suitable candidates to field in this semi-urban constituency. Now, it has one too many.   Chen Shaua Fui, fz.com    In part two of a three-part series focusing on the Tanjong Malim parliamentary seat, we look at the challenges facing PKR in picking the right candidate to stand here in the next general election   THE opposition in the Tanjong Malim parliamentary seat has an unfamiliar problem in the coming general election.   In the 2008 election, the PKR had great difficulty in finding suitable candidates to field in this semi-urban constituency. Now, it has one too many.   There is a laid back air about Tanjong Malim that hides the intense political attention that this constituency is attracting. Many people have left the area for higher education and in search of better job opportunities. Kuala Lumpur is an accessible 70km from the main town.   The electorate of some 53,000 voters consists of 53% Malays, 28% Chinese, 14% Indians and 5% others. A local politician says that Malay voters will decide who wins the coming contest, especially since there has been an increase of some 2% of their numbers since the last election, due to a rise in the number of auto workers in the Proton City in the constituency.   For the PKR, the lesson from the 2008 general election was that it needed to do the groundwork long before the next election if it hoped to gain the public's backing. A young, vocal NGO worker was chosen by the party to build up support on the ground.   Chua Yee Ling, 29, was selected because of her track record as the councillor for Hulu Selangor, which is adjacent to Tanjong Malim. She was also an aide to Selangor state exco member Elizabeth Wong and was elected to the PKR women's wing as an exco member in the party's election in 2010. Chua was an active member of a youth group, Youth4Change before she joined politics.   Chua has been working on the ground since two years ago and has built up a team consisting of young former MCA members. In that time, she has opened two party branch offices in Tanjong Malim and Bidor towns, organised fundraising dinners and talks and walkabouts in the Felda settlements.   "In these small towns, you have to turn up at weddings, funerals and any social functions that are going on, so that people get to know you personally," she tells fz.com in an interview.   Chua sees some change in the people's mood in the Malay-dominated Felda areas.    "Previously, we could only turn up at kenduris (feasts). Now, we can organise ceramah (talks), and the turnout  is quite encouraging," she says.   Two viable candidates   About a year ago, Chua had to deal with a new factor. Another potential candidate for PKR appeared in the form of Jeneral (retired) Datuk Abdul Hadi Abdul Khatab, a retired air force officer.   The local PKR leaders want Chua to contest the seat, as they believe that a young Chinese leader like her will be able to win Chinese votes that went to the MCA in 2008.   The PKR Tanjong Malim division chief Mejar (retired) Kamal Badri said the division had conveyed the message to the party leadership at the state and national levels.   He said that during the last election, there was no Chinese candidate from the opposition to contest in the parliamentary and three state seats – Behrang, Slim and Sungkai – and he believes that this was why the 1,500 Chinese voters in Slim River did not vote for the PKR.   He said that Chua had been working in the area for a year before Hadi appeared in the picture, and considered that as "a little bit late." Kamal said that the voters have seen Chua as the potential candidate, and they may not endorse Hadi if he were to stand in her place.    "This will not only affect (Pakatan Rakyat's chances for) the parliamentary seat but also the state assembly seats," said Kamal, who is the potential candidate to contest in Behrang state seat.   Chua said that the party may be working on the basis that Hadi could gain the Malay votes in view his rank as a retired general.   Another factor, according to a Perak PKR leader who spoke to fz.com, is that the seat is being held by a former federal minister, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan, and the party's top leadership was concerned that Chua could be too young  to take on a political heavyweight.   On her part, Chua is being supported by the PKR women's wing to contest the seat, to meet the 30% women's candidacy quota set by the party.   However, she stressed that she has no problem if Hadi is chosen, and will work hard to make sure the party's candidate wins the election.  "We have been going to the ground together. Let us compete to win the chance to stand in the seat," she said.   Chua also pointed out that, although she and Hadi are competing with each other, they are united in the aim of making sure the party wins in the election.   The MCA, however was affected by factionalism, she opined, as Ong Ka Chuan's faction and the other division leaders do not work together.   For example, she said, the publicity materials of MCA leaders reflect this lack of unity. While Ong has his own banner, the MCA Tanjong Malim Division Chief Loke Yuen Yow's banner has the party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek's photo on it.   However, Chua acknowledged that PKR needs to be cautious about the candidates it fields so as not to repeat its experience with representatives who have defected.    Since 2008, at least six legislators have left PKR, including Behrang assembly member Jamaluddin Radzi, and the party's image has suffered as the voters have felt betrayed by these defections. The party had promised to screen its candidates more strictly.    Chua proposed that the party holds a debate between she and Hadi to see who is more suitable to contest.   The danger in race-based campaigning    Hadi, when contacted, shared Chua's view, promising that he would work hard to ensure that whoever contests the seat would win. He said he has been promoting the party rather than himself personally.    "I'm selling the party, not myself. I think that should be the way," he said    Read more at: http://fz.com/content/pkr%E2%80%99s-tanjong-malim-dilemma

Pas: Hadi diserang kerana dicadang jadi PM Posted: 20 Dec 2012 11:52 AM PST   (Sinar Harian) - Mungkin ramai yang masih ingat bagaimana Pertubuhan Al-Arqam mengeluarkan sebuah buku yang menggambarkan Ashaari Mohammad sebagai bakal Perdana Menteri. Selepas itu, Al-Arqam terus diserang habis-habisan sehingga segala perniagaan, program dan perkumpulannya dipantau; bahkan galakan poligami turut diserang. SERANGAN ke atas Presiden Pas khususnya berhubung Amanat Haji Hadi dilakukan semata-mata kerana ada ura-ura nama beliau disenaraikan sebagai calon PM. Sedangkan sebelumnya beliau jarang diserang sebegini hebat. Di Malaysia, jawatan Perdana Menteri seolah-olah hak Umno. Sesiapa sahaja yang disebut-sebut akan mengambil alih jawatan ini akan diserang habis-habisan. Mungkin ramai yang masih ingat bagaimana Pertubuhan Al-Arqam mengeluarkan sebuah buku yang menggambarkan Ashaari Mohammad sebagai bakal Perdana Menteri. Selepas itu, Al-Arqam terus diserang habis-habisan sehingga segala perniagaan, program dan perkumpulannya dipantau; bahkan galakan poligami turut diserang. Sedangkan asal bantahan hanya kepada amalan Aurad Muhammadiah. Begitulah nasib sesiapa yang disenarai sebagai Perdana Menteri. Walaupun kita mengakui ada beberapa amalan dan keyakinan bertentangan dengan syarak, tetapi antara sebab hebatnya serangan adalah kerana ada cita-cita untuk menjadi Perdana Menteri. Sudah tentu, rakyat masih ingat bagaimana Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim diserang kerana namanya disenarai sebagai Perdana Menteri. Kini Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang pula diserang sedangkan namanya hanya disebut oleh perwakilan dalam Muktamar Pas bagi menolak tohmahan Umno bahawa kalau Pakatan Rakyat menang, DAP akan jadi Perdana Menteri. Itulah yang diwar-war di kalangan pengundi Melayu di kampung-kampung. Kini terbukti apa yang dicanang bahawa DAP akan menjadi Perdana Menteri itu berjaya ditolak dengan munculnya cadangan ini. Hasilnya, kini muncung senapang Umno mula dihalakan kepada Presiden Pas pula. Kita yakin selepas ini pelbagai tohmahan, tuduhan, fitnah akan dibuat ke atas beliau kerana di Malaysia sesiapa yang dicadangkan sebagai Perdana Menteri akan menjadi sasaran serangan media BN. Rakyat mempunyai satu peluang cerah untuk menyedarkan Umno supaya jangan lagi berfikiran bahawa seolah-olah jawatan Perdana Menteri itu hak eksklusif Umno sahaja di PRU13 dengan menyokong Pakatan Rakyat sebagai kerajaan persekutuan yang baru.

Nik Aziz ulangi pendirian mahu tanding PRU Posted: 20 Dec 2012 11:50 AM PST   (Bernama) - Menteri Besar Kelantan Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat mengulangi pendiriannya untuk tetap bertanding pada pilihan raya umum walaupun keadaan kesihatannya dipersoalkan. Menurutnya untuk bertanding pada pilihan raya, ia sama sekali tidak memerlukan seseorang calon itu sihat tubuh badannya tetapi cukup mempunyai pemikiran yang baik. "Insya-Allah...apa sahaja yang Umno tidak suka, itulah yang saya akan buat (bertanding). Bertanding politik bukan perlu kepada tubuh yang sihat tetapi akal yang sihat. Bertanding bukan semestinya untuk bertumbuk. Kalau bertumbuk saya minta maaf," kata Nik Aziz, 82, sebelum ini pernah menerima rawatan jantung. Ketika ditanya tentang kenyataannya yang pernah membayangkan untuk bersara daripada politik, beliau menjelaskan ia hanya terpakai sekiranya Umno menerima dasar Islam sebagai perjuangannya. "Selagi Melayu sokong Umno, wajib bagi saya melawan," katanya kepada pemberita di kediaman rasmi Menteri Besar di JKR 10 di sini, hari ini.

Utter confusion Posted: 20 Dec 2012 11:46 AM PST   We have heard that the system has been under study for many years. From the mouths of those Highers-up (ad presumably wise people), you would think that this system is almost perfect. Why haven't the legal issues been considered during the supposedly thorough study period? Dr. Hsu  If you have received a notice of speeding under the AES system, do you now pay up or not? What about if you received a notice under AES and then a summons from police for the same offence, what recourse do you have? The government has said that it is merely studying the legal aspects of the AES system and not suspending it. But what if the legal issues cannot be resolved? If that is the case, will our Parliamanet amend existing laws just for the sake of AES? If there are legal issues and these cannot be resolved, what about those who have been summoned to court and paid up, do they get a refund? We have heard that the system has been under study for many years. From the mouths of those Highers-up (ad presumably wise people), you would think that this system is almost perfect. Why haven't the legal issues been considered during the supposedly thorough study period? Read more at: http://hsudarren.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/utter-confusion/

RM200b outflow Najib’s best achievement as Finance minister, says PAS Youth chief Posted: 20 Dec 2012 02:49 AM PST (Harakah) - The high ranking recently given to Malaysia among developing countries suffering illicit funds outflow means the country's Finance minister Najib Razak has broken a records of sorts, according to PAS Youth leader Nasrudin Hassan. "It is something which has surprised many. What is not surprising is the fact that mainstream media do not report it," he said, adding that the public would eventually come to know details of the damning report issued by Washington-based Global Financial Integrity. Nasrudin (pic) reminded that Najib himself had admitted during UMNO's recent congress that young Malaysians were now more equipped with information due to information technology. In its latest report on illicit funds outflow released on Tuesday, GFI ranked Malaysia second only to China among other Asian economies in terms illicit funds outflow, while it is placed third globally. Noting that some 80 percent of illicit financial flows were due to trade mispricing and 20 per cent due to corruption, GFI said that between 2001 and 2010, a total of US$285 billion was transferred out of Malaysia illegally. Nasrudin compared the figure for illicit funds outflow provided by Najib last year - RM135.4 billion between 2000 to 2009 - with GFI's figure of RM662.6 billion for the same period. He added that one should not be surprised if the government denies the figure by GFI. He also said the revelation reflected badly on giant government-linked companies such as Khazanah Nasional and Petronas. "It proves the existence of illegal acts to avoid taxes and siphoning out the country's revenue through property investment, foreign bank accounts and others to shore up personal wealth," said Nasrudin, who cited the recent revelation of unusual wealth owned by the family of Sarawak chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, when some RM100 million was demanded for a divorce settlement involving the latter's son. Nasrudin also reiterated the urgency for public office bearers to declare their assets. Earlier today, Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said he would write to Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar to participate in a discussion on how to weed out illicit funds outflow. "Urgent steps must be taken to finalise an action plan, not by avoiding the issue as the case has been so far with Najib Razak," said Anwar.

Talks going on well with SAPP, says Anwar Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:59 AM PST Anwar Ibrahim today played down talks of tension between the 'original' Sabah PKR members and allies of Wilfred Bumburing and Lajim Ukin.  Teoh El Sen, FMT Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today dismissed reports that talks were not going well with former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee's Sabah Progressive People's (SAPP) party. He said Pakatan Rakyat, which he leads, has been "more successful with SAPP" as there has been a more active process of negotiations and "they have been attending our joint meetings". Anwar's comments contradict a report on Tuesday quoting a SAPP insider who claimed that Yong had implied that SAPP could well be on a collision course with its "allies" PKR and DAP (Pakatan members) in many seats. Speaking to FMT after SAPP's supreme council meeting on Monday, the insider said Yong told his comrades that SAPP must stick to its "principle" that a local-based party must take the majority of the State Legislative Assembly seats. But Anwar insisted that talks were going smoothly and that seat negotiations in Sabah were underway. Anwar said that the opposition allies are more inclined towards a one-to-one fight against Barisan Nasional parties. "We have taken a clear position that we are moving towards that direction, that's it's one-to-one," Anwar said in a press conference at the PKR headquarters today. When asked about Jeffrey Kitingan-led State Reform Party (STAR), Anwar said that Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing, who helms Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), had been appointed to negotiate seats with Jeffrey in Sabah. "We think we have a problem with the STAR because STAR says it is opposed to all Peninsula-based parties while we say that we are opposed to all corrupt leaders irrespective of whether peninsula or state-based. There is a difference there. "Notwithstanding that, we have assigned Wilfred (Bumburing) to proceed with the negotiations, including with the STAR," said Anwar. 'We want to kill Umno' Asked if peninsula-based Pakatan was focusing its efforts on only parliamentary seats and leaving the state to the locals to fight out, Anwar said: "There is no way we are only fighting in the parliamentary seats and giving the state to Musa [Aman]. We want to kill Umno." He also touched on reports that Sabah PKR was dysfunctional following Anwar's ready acceptance of BN defectors Bumburing and Beaufort MP Lajim Ukin. Both declared their alliance to PKR-Pakatan but declined to become members of the coalition. Lajim has set up his own platform Pakatan Perubahan Sabah which is Pakatan-friendly. FMT had last month reported tension within Sabah PKR between the "PKR ori"[original] or "PKR photocopy", the former referring to genuine members of the party while "photocopy" addresses those with APS and PPS who "refused" to be members of PKR but have declared support for Anwar. But Anwar played down such allegations, saying that it was not an accurate assessment of the current situation. "Not really, of course; there are questions raised, for example: 'why do you consider this candidate… we think another candidate is better'. Things like that. We've had sessions, [PKR] state leader Ahmad Tamrin will be present in all the other meetings, similar with Wilfred and Lajim." "It is not about new or old, [former health minister and MCA leader] Chua Jui Meng came in later but he is still the head of Johor and doing similarly well national. I don't think that is quite correct." When asked about the details of the "deal" with the newcomers, Anwar merely said that the collaboration with Lajim and Bumburing was going "smoothly". "They come in as partners in Pakatan. They are committed to the Pakatan agenda. We are working very well. In fact, next week I am going to [meet] Wilfred and Lajim as part of the campaign programme. I don't have a problem, seriously." "There will be questions. Particularly now with people clamouring for seats or lobbying for seats; it is something which is quite normal. But we have to draw the line, you know." READ MORE HERE

Press Statement by Americk Singh Sidhu Posted: 20 Dec 2012 01:47 AM PST I wish to place on record that I find these allegations extremely surprising as I know Cecil personally. He is a barrister of the highest integrity with at least 40 years of impeccable service to the Malaysian Bar and is held in high esteem by all those who have had the privilege of making his acquaintance, both personally and professionally. Americk Singh Sidhu There has been much speculation in the press recently over the identity of a "Tan Sri lawyer and his son" who were both supposedly involved in the preparation of my client's 2nd statutory declaration (SD), the contents of which were specifically designed to withdraw the allegations made in his earlier statutory declaration and to state that my client, Bala, was 'compelled' to make those allegations 'under duress'. The reasons for this alleged 'compulsion' leading to the alleged 'duress' were never explained in the 2nd SD. As far as I am concerned, the 1st SD was transcribed, produced and eventually affirmed by my client over a period of two months during which time every detail was painstakingly checked and cross-checked to ensure the highest accuracy. There was never any reason for my client to withdraw those contents unless he had been forced to, which is now apparent. Let me make it very clear that my client does not know the identity of the lawyer(s) who drafted this 2nd statutory declaration. He had not instructed any lawyer to do so. This is because the contents of his 1st statutory declaration were true to the best of his knowledge and belief. Therefore there was never any necessity to alter the contents of his 1st SD. However, Bala was forced to sign a 2nd SD because of a threat to the safety of his wife and children. My client was presented with this 2nd SD when he was being held in a room at the Hilton Hotel, KL Sentral, on the morning of July 4, 2008. In the hotel room with him at that time were Deepak Jaikishan, his brother Dinesh and one ASP Suresh. At about 8am Deepak received a phone call from the reception desk informing him that some documents had just been delivered to the hotel. Dinesh went to retrieve them and brought them back to the room. A few minutes later an elderly Malay gentleman turned up at this room. His name was Zainal Abidin bin Muhayat. He introduced himself as a commissioner for oaths and proceeded to attest Bala's signature on the 2nd SD. Bala had not read the contents of this 2nd SD. He was merely requested to sign it. This commissioner for oaths then placed his stamp over his own signature. The address on this stamp is Suite 17.01, 17th Floor, Menara Pan Global, Lorong P Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur. It has been pointed out that this address is the same as that of the law firm of Zul Rafique & Partners in 2008. I presume this commissioner for oaths must have been working from this office, unless of course a false address had been used. The commissioner for oaths then informed Deepak to make sure he showed my client where his office was situated whilst Deepak was driving Bala to the Prince Court Hotel for a press conference scheduled to take place later that morning. This commissioner for oaths was concerned that Bala would know exactly where his office was as a commissioner for oaths is only supposed to attest signatures at the premises at which he is registered. He wanted to ensure Bala knew where his office was situated in the event he was asked. Deepak however, did not show Bala where this office was. At the Prince Court Hotel, Bala was held in an area above the main lobby where he was introduced to a lawyer named Arunampalam, whose presence at the hotel had been organised by Deepak. This lawyer informed Bala that he was not to say anything to the press, who were waiting in the main lobby, as he, Arunampalam, would do all the talking. Bala had never met this lawyer Arunampalam before that and neither had Bala engaged him to represent him in the scheduled press conference. At the conference that followed, Arunampalam handed out copies of the 2nd SD to all the journalists present and informed them that Bala had been forced to sign the 1st SD under duress. This, of course, is totally untrue. The only duress Bala had been under was when he was forced to sign the 2nd SD as threats had unequivocally been made to the wellbeing of his wife and children by both Deepak and Nazim Tun Razak. These threats have been documented in earlier revelations Bala has made and are in the public domain. Both Deepak and Nazim Tun Razak havenot denied these allegations. It is pertinent to note that whilst this press conference was being held at the Prince Court Hotel, Bala's wife and children were at the immigration department at Pusat Bandar Damansara with Deepak's secretary, a Miss Wong, having their passports hastily processed for the intended flight from Malaysia, due to take place that very afternoon. This was one of the conditions imposed by Deepak and the parties behind him as a guarantee for the safety of Bala's wife and children….that they immediately leave the country until such time that Najib Tun Razak became prime minister. Having laid out the circumstances in which Bala was made to sign that 2nd SD, I would now wish to comment on the speculation surrounding the lawyers involved in preparing that second SD. The Bar Council president, Lim Chee Wee, has made a statement to the effect that the Bar Council would no doubt urge the Advocates & Solicitors Disciplinary Board to investigate this matter should a complaint be lodged against the lawyers who prepared this second SD. I wish to clarify the position at present. Bala is unable to lodge a complaint with this Disciplinary Board for the simple reason he is unable to identify the lawyer(s) who attended to the drafting of that 2nd SD, as this was done in his absence and without his permission. All he is able to do at this point in time is to confirm that he had not instructed any lawyer to prepare that 2nd SD, nor was he present before a lawyer when it was being prepared. The contents of that 2nd SD are also totally false. Deepak has gone on record to say that the lawyers involved in the preparation of that 2nd SD were in fact a 'Tan Sri and his son who is also a lawyer'. This statement has, in the circumstances, publicly perpetrated, by insinuation and deduction, the identification of Tan Sri Cecil Abraham and his son Sunil as the possible culprits due to a strange series of coincidences, which in themselves are indeed unfortunate. I wish to place on record that I find these allegations extremely surprising as I know Cecil personally. He is a barrister of the highest integrity with at least 40 years of impeccable service to the Malaysian Bar and is held in high esteem by all those who have had the privilege of making his acquaintance, both personally and professionally. It is therefore unthinkable that someone who possesses such an ingrained sense of dignity, integrity and professionalism and who has dedicated over 40 years of his life in upholding all that is sacrosanct to the honour of being a member of an historically noble profession, would in any way so blatantly compromise those ideals by partaking in something as undignified and as irresponsible as knowingly formulating a false statement to be sworn by someone he had never met, under circumstances of obvious duress and coercion, knowing at all times that I was representing Bala. It is for this reason Bala will not, at this point in time, be lodging a complaint with the Advocates & Solicitors Disciplinary Board for the simple reason he is unable to identify the lawyer (or lawyers) concerned who were involved in preparing a knowingly false statutory declaration without any instructions from him to do so. As this is a rather serious matter, may I suggest that the president of the Bar Council organise a simple email to be sent to all members of the Malaysian Bar requesting that the member(s) responsible for drafting that 2nd SD do the right thing and make themselves known, as it appears innocent parties may be publicly falling victim to the blame game and finger pointing which has emerged since Deepak's revelations, to which I certainly do not subscribe.

Malaysia poised for pivotal polls Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:37 PM PST   Simon Roughneen, Asia Times Ahead of what reform campaigners believe will be Malaysia's "dirtiest ever elections", the long-ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) has engineered something of a clean-up. In recent months, it has reformed some old and oft-derided laws, such as allowing indefinite detention without trial and forcing local newspapers to apply each year for a publication permit, a stipulation that encouraged self-censorship.  UMNO and its allies have governed Malaysia consecutively since achieving independence from colonial rule, a longevity not usually associated with electoral democracies. UMNO and its Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition survived the last election in 2008, though it ceded its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time and lost five out of 13 federal states to the opposition, a coalition of three parties led by controversial former UMNO firebrand Anwar Ibrahim that includes the Islamic party PAS and the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP).  While some in the Malaysian opposition and rights groups have criticized the recent reforms as piecemeal electioneering for next year's vote, there are indications that the government has made some real positive changes, particularly regarding the overhaul of certain emergency laws and repealing the old Internal Security Act, a law which has in the past been used against the government's political opponents.  Noting some improvements, Amanda Whiting, a law academic at University of Melbourne who carries out research on the Malaysian legal system, told Asia Times Online that "there now cannot be lengthy detention without trial, there must be a criminal court process, not extrajudicial detention."  It remains to be seen whether the "two steps forward, one step back" reforms will be enough to help UMNO and its fellow members in the BN (or National Front) coalition to retain power over the Pakatan Rakyat (or People's Justice) opposition coalition, said James Chin, a political scientist at Monash University's Malaysia campus. He views the reforms as an appeal by Prime Minister Najib Razak to voters to stick with the devil they know.  "Najib is trying to say, 'you can have an UMNO that is trying to reform, or you can opt for uncertainty with Anwar and PAS'," Chin told Asia Times Online.  Many of Malaysia's main political parties held internal conferences in late November and early December, with the election foremost on members' minds. UMNO delegates rehashed old themes about continuity while accusing the Anwar-led coalition of being foreign-funded stooges with an anti-Malay, anti-Islam agenda.  These were viewed in some quarters as diversionary tactics. Najib and UMNO have come under fire of late with renewed allegations centering around a possible cover-up of the murder of a Mongolian model living in Malaysia in 2006 who associated with government officials, which in turn has been linked to a kickback scandal involving the government's purchase of French submarines.  At times, the fear-mongering took unwittingly comic turns. Ibrahim Ali, president of Perkasa, a Malay supremacist organization with links to UMNO, suggested that Malays are economically disadvantaged against non-Malays due to Islamic law and therefore the government's long-standing effective subsidization of the Malay population at the expense of other ethnic groups should continue.  "Gambling, liquor, entertainment outlets... how could Malays afford, be able to compete?" Ibrahim asked, citing businesses prohibited by sharia law.   Read more at: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NL21Ae01.html

Are we setting up Miss Universe Malaysia to lose? Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:34 PM PST   Instead of answering eloquently about battlefields and patriotism, most times you can see their eyes glaze over, or open wide like a deer caught in headlights as they stare dumbfounded at the host.  Chew Wan Ying, The Daily Chilli Time and again we've seen beauty pageant contestants score in the swimsuit competition, entertain in the talent segment, and stun in the evening wear parade—only to falter at the finish line. That's the moment they emerge from the isolation booth to answer the question, "What would you do to prevent war?" Instead of answering eloquently about battlefields and patriotism, most times you can see their eyes glaze over, or open wide like a deer caught in headlights as they stare dumbfounded at the host, and then giggle and plead, "Can say in Chinese please?" (Not that we're singling them out.) But therein lies the problem. Contestants can be flawless and elegant in a beautiful gown, show-off their sexy bodies in an itsy-bitsy bikini, and flash a winning Vaseline smile. But when comes that make-or-break moment—speaking their minds intelligently and wittily—it's truly a nerve-and-soul wrecking moment for them and the audience. There's a huge reason why the Q&A remains one of the most anticipated moments of any beauty pageant—right after the swimsuit competition. And as long as the "I want world peace" joke has been making the rounds, Miss Universe has had an admirable history of posing the kind of questions that challenge our perception of these "beauties with no brains"—that they are indeed smart, clever, educated, informed women. At times the questions have been tough, philosophical ("Who has it easier in life: men or women?"), driven by issues (the death penalty, same-sex marriages, public nudity), thought-provoking ("What is it about fame that makes many people, including you, want to be famous?"), creative ("If a man from the moon landed in your hometown, what would you do to entertain him?"), sweet and a little bizarre ("What makes you blush?"). Carey looks surprised that she beat Natalia for the crown.     May Salitah, Carey and Natalia are your Miss Universe Malaysia 2013 top three.     Carey kissed by second runner-up May Salitah and first runner-up Natalia. On the far left is third runner-up Symren Kaur.   We can only imagine what waits for Carey Ng if she makes the cut at the Miss Universe final next year. At last week's Miss Universe Malaysia 2013 pageant, the last eight girls were lobbed softball questions that completely avoided national issues or world affairs—except for Symren Kaur who was asked, "What do you think is the biggest problem affecting the youth of Malaysia?" She ended up in fourth place.  Read more at: http://dailychilli.com/happenings/19621-are-we-setting-up-miss-universe-malaysia-to-lose-

Lawyer not part of MACC review on Bala’s SD probe, says panel chief Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:21 PM PST   (The Malaysian Insider) - Prominent lawyer Tan Sri Cecil Abraham was not part of the graftbuster review team that had closed the file on P. Balasubramaniam's controversial second sworn statement over the 2006 murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, the head of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Operations Review Panel (PPO) said today. Abraham had been named as the mystery lawyer suspected to have drafted the private investigator's (picture)contradictory second statutory declaration (SD) by several high-profile figures questioning a possible conflict of interest as the former also sits on board of the MACC review panel. "PPO had agreed with the decision by the Deputy Public Prosecutor to stop investigating the case on grounds the main witnesses' testimonies were not supported by any other witness and the credibility of the main witnesses were disputable. "PPO wishes to state that one of the panel members, Tan Sri Datuk Cecil Abraham was not present and was not involved in that meeting," Tan Sri Hadenan Abdul Jalil, chairman of the eight-man MACC operations review panel, said in a media statement today. Hadenan said the case, which was linked to that of carpet merchant Deepak Jaikishan Rewachand, had been presented at a PPO pre-meeting on November 8. However, he was silent on the allegations surrounding Abraham. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/lawyer-not-part-of-macc-review-on-balas-sd-probe-says-panel-chief/

Kita’s president crisis remains unresolved Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:19 PM PST   (Free Malaysia Today) - Outspoken Kita leader Zamil Ibrahim has issued an ultimatum to ROS to resolve the leadership crisis in seven days. Parti Kesejahteraaan Insan Tanah Air (Kita) has been plunged into a leadership crisis since the sudden announcement by its supposed president Zaid Ibrahim to dissolve the party in February this year. The party's Kedah chief Zamil Ibrahim and his Penang counterpart Tan Tee Beng who spoke against the dissolution were expelled on Feb 7. The situation quickly spiraled out of control as Zamil proclaimed that the party's delegates through the Annual General Assembly (AGM) on Feb 25 passed resolutions to elect him as the new president replacing Zaid. However, the party's supposed secretary-general Masrum Dayat, widely seen as Zaid's man, claimed that he was the party boss following Zaid's departure. Demanding a solution to the leadership dispute today, Zamil took the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to task for failing to resolve the matter despite a complaint lodged on Feb 29. "I personally visited the office and submitted all the documents detailing the AGM proceedings on Feb 25. But until today, after some 295 days, the ROS has yet to make any decision," he said. Zamil said the delay could be equated to being prejudicial to the party members' right under Article 10 (1) of Federal Constitution because it affected the functioning of the party. He said this was even more damaging with the general election around the corner. "There are 18 individuals in Kedah and 40 in Sabah who were previously announced to be the party's candidates in the elections. They are now left wondering what to do. "The ROS must resolve the matter within seven days," he added. Zamil also claimed that Zaid had violated the party constitution Clause 11.3.1 to appoint Masrum as Kita chief. He said Zaid who had left the party earlier could not have chaired a meeting to appoint Masrum.   Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/12/20/kitas-president-crisis-remains-unresolved/

‘Beware of BN temporary withdrawal gifts in polls run-up’ Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:15 PM PST   (The Malaysian Times) - The suspensions of several unpopular initiatives by the government, including the Automatic Enforcement System (AES), the Goods and Services Tax (GST), electricity tariff hike and tax on prepaid mobile will be temporary in the run-up to the general election, warned PAS. Following is the full report carried by the Harakahdaily. "These 'gifts of withdrawals' are just waiting for the next general election. If the result favours BN, then the suspensions will be revoked and the public will be burdened with all sorts of ridiculous regulations," said PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. Tuan Ibrahim said BN decided to defer many of its mega projects to avoid giving political bullets to Pakatan Rakyat during election campaign. He however pointed out that the decision whether to revoke the withdrawals or not rests with the people, urging them to deny BN a fresh mandate. "Retaining BN means these temporary suspensions will be lifted. Toppling BN will see all of them permanently cancelled," he said. On the recent suspension of AES by the Attorney General's Chambers despite earlier insistence by Transport minister Kong Cho Ha defending the system, Tuan Ibrahim, who is also Pahang PAS commissioner, said the contradiction only showed the government's messy administration. "We don't know who makes the policy and who enforces it," he chided, adding that either the AG or the Transport minister should be sacked for the AES fiasco.

PAS shows Indians the door Posted: 19 Dec 2012 07:09 PM PST   "You scratch my back, I'll claw you back". That's PAS's gratitude for you. Mohan Dass  Indians who form the bulk of the non-Muslim supporters of PAS have been shown the door by the party hierarchy. They should therefore walk out of PAS.   It's time Indians should realize this: You are there to look after PAS interests, but PAS is not there to look after your interests.   In effect PAS is saying to you "You scratch my back, I'll claw you back". That's PAS's gratitude for you. Just look at the unfolding events.  PAS is accusing its non-Muslim supporters of undermining the party's Islamic stand. How so? The National PAS Supporters Congress had merely defended non-Muslim rights when PAS took action against non-Muslims for alleged indecent behaviour. Now, the PAS Assistant Secretary-general and State Executive Councillor Datuk Takuyuddin Hassan claims that the congress has bad intentions and must not question what the party decides.   Wake up Indians. Don't turn a blind eye to the problems of your community.  Know which side of your bread is buttered.    •   Where was PAS when Indians highlighted the plight of stateless persons within the community?  •   Where was PAS when temples were being demolished in Selangor with impunity?  •   Where was PAS when you protested the proposed condominium near Batu Caves that would threaten the caves and the Murugan             statue? There is no Nambikei with PAS. Know where to place your trust!!

Anwar: DAP mahu kerusi lebih tidak munasabah Posted: 19 Dec 2012 03:31 PM PST Permintaan DAP untuk lebih kerusi parlimen dan DUN masih lagi di peringkat perbincangan jawatankuasa perundingan Pakatan Rakyat. Fazy Sahir, FMT Ketua Umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata jika permintaan DAP yang mahu mendapatkan  lebih kerusi pada Pilihan Raya Umum (PRU13) akan datang adalah tidak munasabah kerana ia tidak akan diterima baik. Menurut Anwar, baik PKR, DAP mahupun PAS permintaan untuk mendapatkan  lebih kerusi adalah dibenarkan terutama apabila parti berkenaan mempunyai peluang baik untuk memenangi kawasan tersebut. Namun ujarnya, perkara itu belum sampai ke pengetahuan beliau dan masih dalam peringkat perbincangan oleh Jawatankuasa Perundingan. "Pembahagian kerusi sudah selesai 90 peratus. Cuma ada beberapa kerusi di Pulau Pinang (1), Kedah (1), Perak (2). Ada sikit di Sabah dan Sarawak. Namun keseluruhannya 90-95 peratus dah selesai. "Dalam tradisi Pakatan kita akan bincang namun akhirnya peringkat jawatankuasa yang akan buat keputusan. Secara rasminya ia belum sampai kepada saya. "Pertambahan dan pengurangan kerusi bagaimanapun akan dibuat berdasarkan prestasi parti dan kawasan mereka pada 2008. Tetapi kita juga sentiasa mengelak perbincangan terbuka kerana ia akan merumitkan negeri dan parti masing-masing," katanya di sidang media di Ibu Pejabat PKR hari ini. Minggu lalu, Setiausaha Agung DAP, Lim Guan Eng berkata partinya mahu tambahan 13 kerusi iaitu tiga kerusi Parlimen dan 10 bagi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) untuk Semenanjung Malaysia pada pilihan raya umum akan datang. Pertambahan 13 kerusi itu katanya adalah atas dasar semangat setiakawan dan tulus kepada PAS dan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). Pada pilihanraya umum 2008, DAP menang 28 kerusi parlimen daripada 82 kerusi keseluruhan yang dimenangi Pakatan Rakyat. Anwar ulas kekalahan calon Melayu READ MORE HERE

‘Tan Sri lawyer must come forward’ Posted: 19 Dec 2012 03:20 PM PST Businessman Robert Phang says that Cecil Abraham must clarify if the latter is the senior lawyer involved in drafting PI Bala's second statutory declaration. Anisah Shukry, FMT MACC advisory panel member Cecil Abraham must clarify whether he is the senior lawyer allegedly involved in the second statutory declaration (SD) by P Balasubramaniam. Making the call at a press conference here, businessman Robert Phang said he was told that Abraham was the only lawyer with the Tan Sri title. "Cecil Abraham is a very senior lawyer and is known to be a close advisor of Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail. I have always questioned his impartiality. "Why is everyone so afraid to mention that the Tan Sri lawyer is Cecil Abraham and that the legal firm is ZulRafique and partners?" he said. However, Phang stressed that he could not confirm whether Abraham was the lawyer allegedly involved in the second SD and added that the onus was on the latter to clarify the matter. Carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan had recently revealed in an interview that a "Tan Sri" lawyer and his son had been allegedly responsible for the preparation of Balasubramaniam's second SD. The second SD reversed Balasubramaniam's first SD, released the day before, which implicated Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in the murder of Altantuyaa Shaariibuu. READ MORE HERE

I’m not behind Deepak, Anwar says it again Posted: 19 Dec 2012 03:17 PM PST Refuting the speculation of his involvement once again, the opposition leader tells the prime minister to 'deal with it'. Teoh El Sen, FMT Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has again brushed aside claims that he and his party members are masterminding the recent exposé by Deepak Jaikishan and instead asked Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to "deal with it". Asked about the accusations, especially in pro-Umno blogs that PKR had a hand behind Deepak's re-emergence, Anwar replied with sarcasm: "I'm not surprised because I am behind everything. In fact I wrote GFI [Global Financial Integrity] and asked them to come out with the report on the RM197 billion [of illicit financial outflows in 2010]." The opposition leader also said that if the controversial carpet businessman was revealing issues about him, the mainstream media would go to town with the issue. "But in this country, imagine if he [Deepak] had said something about Anwar. Just 10% of what he said will be in the frontpage of Star, Utusan, everyday, for the next… 32 days," he said. READ MORE HERE

System to blame for illiterate students — STU chief Posted: 19 Dec 2012 02:32 PM PST   (The Borneo Post) - It is "normal" for our education system to produce illiterates even after they have reached Form Five.   "Over the last 20 years, I have come across students of Form Four and Form Five who can't even read and write. And these students are from an urban school, not a rural school.   "It is 'normal' for our education system to produce students who can't read and write even after more than 10 years in formal education," Sarawak Teachers' Union president William Ghani Bina told The Borneo Post.   He explained that it was "normal" because our education system was too "democratic" where there was no filtering system until Form Five examination – Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia.   "So these students can go from Primary School to Form One until Form Five. Though they have to go through some public examinations such as UPSR and PMR, they can remain to be illiterate as they don't necessarily have to pass to continue their studies," said Ghani.   He said another factor that led to illiteracy even after a decade of formal education was the widening ratio between students and teachers.   "In my time, we had a teacher to 20 students. Now, there are 50 or even 60 students in one class. There is no personal touch between teachers and students.   "Education is a personal matter. If there is no personal touch between students and teachers, then there is no education. The students may just sit in the class and watch the teacher as if they are watching some television programme," said Ghani. He said the Education Ministry must look into the issue if it hoped to prepare the students to meet global demand.   "And just imagine, the illiterate students whom I have met were from an urban secondary school, what about those in rural schools? I believe that the situation in the rural areas is even worse," he added.   He said to overcome this situation, our education policy makers must go back to the old system where students who could not pass a public examination were not allowed to go further.   "And also, parents must work with teachers. Every year when we ask the parents to come to school to meet us, they must try to make it. Both parties can then sit to discuss the students' progress in learning.   "The situation now is that, we only ask them to come to school to meet for half an hour, but most parents came back to us furious, refusing to come to school to meet the teachers, saying that it is a waste of their time," he stressed.   "Our teachers are well trained. We can teach if the students are ready. And if the students are not ready to learn, we can't do anything," he stressed.

‘Most graduates lacking in problem-solving skills’ Posted: 19 Dec 2012 02:18 PM PST   (Bernama) - Most of today's university graduates are lacking in skills, especially problem solving skills needed in the workplace, said MK Land Holdings Berhad chairman Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar.   He said when interviewing potential new workers for his company, he found that many graduates did not have the knowledge about the job they applied for, let alone the relevant skills, experience and qualifications.   "Some of the graduates were clueless about how to work with colleagues and did not know about the right time management system," he said in his special briefing titled 'Empowering Youth for Nation Building' to staff of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) here on Tuesday.   Present were Bernama chairman Datuk Abdul Rahman Sulaiman, Editor-in-Chief Datuk Yong Soo Heong, Deputy Editor-in-Chief (Domestic News Service) Datuk Zulkifli Salleh and Deputy Editor-in-Chief (Economic News Service) Datuk Zakaria Abd Wahab.   Mustapha Kamal said apart from being uncreative, the graduates were also unable to carry out proper presentations.   Hence, he advised graduates not to focus solely on improving their academic performance, but to also improve their soft skills, including their etiquette and judgement skills.   He said young workers should also be able to take responsibility while discharging their duties.   "Sometimes, people do not understand the real meaning of responsibility even though they hold power. Hence, they have no accountability to do their level best in discharging their duties," he said.   Mustapha Kamal said he also hoped that the younger generation of workers could practice the culture of integrity in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's aspiration as they were the assets of the country.

Money Laundering? Questions In Australia For Taib’s Brother Onn Posted: 19 Dec 2012 02:01 PM PST Sarawak Report  Chief Minister, Taib Mahmud's business-partner brother Onn has left some very awkward questions to be answered in Sydney, where his family lives in one of the city's smartest houses, over-looking the harbour bridge. Documents obtained by Sarawak Report plainly show that Onn Mahmud has offered conflicting information to the Australian authorities, in order first to obtain a Business Visa and then to export the profits from a series of multi-million dollar property transactions. Incorrect information given to the authorities includes claiming that a foreign based company, Ryan Park Limited, which was used to sponsor his visa application, was an "Australian Private Company" registered in Australia. We can further reveal that Onn Mahmud has bought and sold tens of millions of dollars worth of investments in Sydney real estate, through an elaborate network of off-shore companies, based in the Cayman Islands and managed by a top American bank, Merrill Lynch, from offices located in the Isle of Man. The visa application, submitted by the Chief Minister's brother to the Australian authorities, clearly states that Ryan Park and its associated companies (which all appear to have been ultimately controlled by Onn himself) owned commercial properties in Australia worth in excess of A$50 million: "To date, the total financial commitment of Ryan Park and its associated companies to Australia has been for a sum in excess of A$50 million through investment in commercial properties in Sydney by Ryan Park and its associates, Ferncroft, Golden Arrow and Cherry Blossom" [Business Visa Application submitted by Onn Mahmud, 2002]   Visa application – in excess of AUS$ 50 million invested by Onn Mahmud's companies in Sydney. The application explains that Onn holds the position of 'General Manager – Australia" for these companies, acting as their "sole employee", who "reports directly to the Directors".  However, Onn's ultimate ownership of the companies is also implied: "In addition to the investment in excess of A$50 million in the Australian economy, Mr Mahmud and his investment companies are also creating employment opportunities.. " [page 4, visa application form] Yet, we can demonstrate that Onn Mahmud appears to have supplied incorrect details to obtain Australian Business Numbers (ABN) for one of the companies Ryan Park Limited, which is described as an "Australian Private Company", although it does not in fact exist on the Australian Company register (ASIC). Read more at: http://www.sarawakreport.org/2012/12/money-laundering-questions-in-australia-for-taibs-brother-onn/

MCA power play in Tanjong Malim Posted: 19 Dec 2012 01:37 PM PST   (fz.com) - In this first of a three-part series focusing on the Tanjong Malim parliamentary seat, we look at the battle brewing within the MCA between two powerful political families over who should stand here in the next general election   Tanjong Malim may look like a town that time has forgotten, but what happens there in the next general election could change the power structure in the MCA.   The parliamentary seat is shaping up to become a battle between a political family waiting to make a comeback and a chance for the MCA president to deal a double whammy against his nemesis.   The Tanjong Malim parliamentary seat is being held by Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan, the elder brother of former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting. As Tanjong Malim is seen as a safe seat for the MCA, winning it in the next election would be an important step for the Ong faction to stage a return to the seat of power in the party.    For MCA president  Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, the seat offers a number of tantalising options. As the Perak MCA chief, he could decide to stand there to lead the charge for the state, which the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition lost in the 2008 general election.   If Chua stands in Tanjong Malim, he could cut off an obvious avenue for the Ong faction to stage a return. Otherwise, he could field a loyalist there to deny the Ongs a chance to rebuild their base.   Asked about the likelihood of the above scenario taking place, a Perak MCA insider said that if Ka Chuan contests and wins in the coming election and overall, the MCA performs worse than in 2008, Chua would probably have to quit, and Ka Chuan could be a candidate for the next president of the party.   When asked, Goh Choong Seng, a special aide to Ka Chuan, said this development is plausible. "When you are in politics, this is normal, no matter whether it is in Umno or the Communist Party," he said.   However, Chua has to balance between settling a political score and choosing a "winnable" candidate to improve the BN's electoral performance, after the unprecedented setback it suffered in the last general election.    Chua won the president's post in the 2010 re-election, beating Ka Ting by 68 votes. Although the party is seen to have closed ranks after  Chua became the president, Goh opined that if Ka Chuan and Chua are compared as candidates, Ka Chuan stands a better chance.    He said the electorate, especially the Malays in the constituency, are conservative, and would not accept Chua because of his sex scandal.   Read more at: http://fz.com/content/mca-power-play-tanjong-malim

DAP warlords eye party sec-gen prize Posted: 19 Dec 2012 01:26 PM PST   (fz.com) - To outsiders, it may seem premature to be talking about a "post Lim Guan Eng era" within the DAP but the party warlords appear to be thinking otherwise. The recently concluded central executive committee (CEC) party election result saw little change on the surface. However, dig a little deeper and you'll find that the different factions in the party had used the platform (of the CEC polls) to get a stronger footing (within the party) with an eye on the coveted secretary general post in 2015 party election.    The DAP had amended its party constitution to limit the tenure of a secretary general to three terms. This means Lim, who became DAP secretary general 2004, can only hold on to the post until 2015. The local Chinese papers had thus claimed that the party had now entered the "post Guan Eng era".   However, political analysts believe that Guan Eng would continue to play an important role in the party, even after he steps down as sec-gen.   Guan Eng was still dominant in the party, and it is too early to say (what will happen after he steps down), said Bridget Welsh, Associate Professor in Political Science at Singapore Management University.   Welsh believes the real test to the party would come in next few years. Wong Chin Huat, a fellow of the Penang Institute under Penang government, concurred as Guan Eng was only 52 this year and is very popular as the Penang Chief Minister. There was no reason for him to retire so soon.   "And as long as he has not retired, he will play an important role in whatever position. After stepping down as Sec-Gen, he may just assume the position of DAP's Parliament Chief," he toldfz.com.   Using the British tradition as an example, Wong said that the party chair was but the head of the party machinery while the real leader of the party was the one accepted by the majority of its parliamentarians.   "While some new guy will take over his sec-gen position, I don't think there are leaders of his generation or junior than him can have enough clout to assume the position of DAP's most senior federal cabinet minister (should they take over the federal government). With the new sec-gen three years down the road, what you will see is two leaders from different generations running the party together."   Deputy chairman Tan Kok Wai, Vice-chairman Teresa Kok and M Kulasegaran, Pakatan Rakyat bureau chairman Datuk Teng Chang Khim, deputy secretary general Chong Eng  are leaders of the same generation as Guan Eng.   Party election paves way for power tussle   Although Guan Eng is unlikely to retire (from party politics) soon, the CEC election results has laid the groundwork for an intense power tussle in the next party election.   A party insider told fz.com that the election result reflected that the delegates voted according to their alignment with certain leaders or factions in the party.   Read more at: http://fz.com/content/dap-warlords-eye-party-sec-gen-prize

PRU 13: Antara strategi BN dan Pakatan Rakyat Posted: 19 Dec 2012 01:22 PM PST   Umno/BN juga akan mengambil pendekatan meletakkan calon bebas untuk memecah undi di kebanyakkan kawasan Pakatan Rakyat. Kalakau Untol, Free Malaysia Today Formula Satu Lawan Satu dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke 13 Satu lawan satu adalah formula yang terbaik dan berjaya meletakkan Pakatan Rakyat ke landasan yang kukuh menumbangkan kerajaan Umno/BN pada PRU ke 12. Di Semenanjung sahaja negeri yang diterajui Umno/BN di lima buah negeri telah tewas. Jesteru strategi pucuk pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat kini cuba dan berusaha dengan lebih gigih menjadikan agar formula satu lawan satu menjadi realiti. Samada menampakkan strategi ini berjaya atau sebaliknya, penulis ingin menyingkap dan berkongsi kebarangkalian bagi dijadikan perhitungan dan pertimbangan pengundi menilai dan memuktamadkan pilihanraya umum ke 13 nanti. Strategi Umno/BN Barisan kepimpinan Umno/BN akan menggunakan pelbagai cara helah bagi memungkinkan kejayaan kemenangan dengan mengupah parti-parti politik dan calon-calon mereka agar dapat bertanding di kawasan-kawasan di mana Pakatan Rakyat bertanding dengan tujuan memecah undi bagi memberi kelebihan dan kemenangan kepada pihak Umno/BN. Selain itu Umno/BN juga akan mengambil pendekatan meletakkan calon-calon bebas bagi usaha memecah undi di kebanyakkan kawasan yang berpotensi Pakatan Rakyat untuk menang. Ini jelas pada pilihanraya umum tahun 2008 di mana kebanyakkan kawasan Umno/BN telah meletakkan tajaan mereka. Setiap satu undi yang didapati oleh parti-parti di luar Pakatan Rakyat dan calon-calon bebas adalah satu hadiah `bonus' kepada Umno/BN. Ini satu kebarangkalian dan strategi untuk mematikan undi kepada Pakatan Rakyat dan ternyata amat berjaya dan mustajab. Pertahanan dan perkakasan Umno/BN Bagi memulakan gerakan strategi kotor Umno/BN akan menggunakan pelbagai muslihat dengan mengaburi mata pengundi di mana Umno/BN menggunakan jentera-jentera Biro Tata Negara melalui saluran agensi kerajaan Kemas,Jati atau Tekun dengan mengedarkan mesej-mesej hasutan kepada kakitangan–kakitangan kerajaan di mana mereka akan dikenakan tindakan disiplin mahupun ditukarkan ke jabatan-jabatan lain ataupun ke tempat –tempat yang jauh dan terpencil serta juga akan mengugut suami atau isteri dipisahkan melalui teknik "politic of fears". Dalam masa yang sama Umno/BN akan menggunakan Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) sebagai pintu mengeluarkan kad pengenalan Mykad kepada pendatang-pendatang tanpa izin seperti Bangaladesh, India, Pakistan, Filipina dan Bugis dan mendaftarkan mereka sebagai pengundi sah. Sudah tentu kenyataan yang dikeluarkan dari kementerian dan JPN yang bertanggungjawab akan menafikan segala tindakan teknik kotor ini. Ini nampak jelas ketika era rejim pemerintahan Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir dan Perdana Menteri kini yang diterajui kerajaan Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Penipuan ini bukan lagi setakat di Sabah sahaja tetapi telah menjalar ke seluruh pelusuk Semenanjung. Peranan Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya (SPR) Bagi menjayakan kesinambungan talian hayat pemerintahan Umno/BN, peranan Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya akan memastikan segala tindakan halus kotor Umno/BN akan berjaya dilaksanakan. Cara yang terbaik adalah memanipulasi daftar pengundi dengan menggunakan daftar pemilih yang belum lagi digazetkan. SPR akan menggunakan daftar pengundi yang berlainan ketika waktu pembuangan undi. Antara lain penipuan SPR adalah dengan memindahkan pengundi-pengundi dari satu kawasan mengundi ke lokaliti yang lain tanpa pengetahuan pengundi itu sendiri, mendaftar pengundi yang diragui sebagai pengundi sah,menambah dan mendaftar sebahagian besar anggota rela sebagai pengundi pos dan banyak lagi jenis penipuan. Strategi Pakatan Rakyat Dalam keadaan sebaik mungkin formula satu lawan satu adalah jalan terbaik bagi memastikan kemenangan kepada Pakatan Rakyat. Oleh itu melalui pelbagai saluran maklumat, Pakatan Rakyat melalui unit media haruslah menyampaikan mesej secara meluas mengenai kesedaran supaya mesej satu lawan satu dapat menyuntik dan memahat ke pemikiran pengundi. Ini jelas terbukti apabila formula satu lawan satu telah berjaya dibuktikan di Semenanjung. Melihat kepada kesatuan inilah, kesepakatan menumbangkan Umno/BN berhasil. Pada tahun 2008, semasa PRU 12 , formula satu lawan satu tidak menjadi di Sabah kerana tidak wujudnya persefahaman dan permuafakatan di kalangan parti-parti yang bertanding dan menampakkan suasana gelanggang pertandingan adalah "Free for all to contest". Hakikatnya Pakatan Rakyat atau pembangkang kecundang. Dalam hal ini, Pakatan Rakyat mesti melahirkan dan menerapkan mesej yaitu 'Mana-mana calon Bebas atau calon-calon dalam parti' yang tidak bernaung di bawah Pakatan Rakyat adalah dilihat sebagai `agen pemecah undi' bagi pihak Umno/BN. Tujuan yang disampaikan adalah jelas iaitu perjuangan kali ini adalah untuk perjuangan rakyat dan menumbangkan kerajaan Umno/BN yang zalim dan autokratik. Jesteru, rakyat jelata mesti dimaklumkan dalam penegasan mereka mengenai "siapa agen pemecah undi' yang berselindung disebalik pelbagai slogan rakyat. Jika rakyat menyedari hal ini ianya akan mengkukuhkan lagi pendirian mereka ke arah perubahan kepada kerajaan baru Pakatan Rakyat. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/12/20/pru-13i-antara-strategi-bn-dan-pakatan-rakyat/

Seeking justice or vendetta? Posted: 19 Dec 2012 01:17 PM PST   The truth, as bitter as it is, remains that carpet trader Deepak is livid at how 'ungrateful' both Najib and Rosmah have been to him. The "I want to clear my conscience drama" came about after Deepak lost millions in government contracts. He had a 20-year contract to build 16 1Malaysia Mara hostels abroad worth RM2 billion but the deal was suspended. Jeswan Kaur, FMT A wealthy carpet trader has after four years decided to "clear his conscience" and hopes the real perpetrator/s behind the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu will not go unpunished. Deepak Jaikishan, whose carpets once adorned the residence of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, is now crying foul, implicating the premier in the Mongolian interpreter's death. In 2008, Deepak was said to have paid private investigator P Balasubramaniam (Bala) RM5 million for the latter to retract his first statutory declaration which directly linked Najib to Altantuya's death. But on Nov 12, 2009, Bala via YouTube disclaimed the second SD, saying he was paid by Deepak to withdraw the first SD. Deepak, meanwhile, said he did so at the behest of a "female friend" who later turned out to be Rosmah Mansor. The "I want to clear my conscience drama" came about after Deepak lost millions in government contracts. He had a 20-year contract to build 16 1Malaysia Mara hostels abroad worth RM2 billion but the deal was suspended. Deepak claimed subsequent to his involvement in 2008, he has been pressured by the "powers that be" to be silent. And between 2010 and 2011, his home and his offices had been raided by various agencies sent by the government to intimidate and silence him. Deepak is now considering legal action against the government, including Najib. The "Deepak-Rosmah/Najib" drama unfolded after whistleblower Raja Petra Kamarudin revived the matter in April 2011. Now Deepak decided to reveal all. But then was it really a case of wanting to "clear his conscience and seek justice for Altantuya" or is it all about vendetta for the billions lost in government contracts? For Deepak's sake, one hopes it is all about giving conscience a priority. Nevertheless, this businessman is angry for having been taken for granted by both Najib and Rosmah, the latter whom Deepak regarded as his "elder sister". What's Deepak up to, really? It is unfortunate that Deepak got himself entangled with the "crooks", but then did he not know from day one just whom he was dealing with? Was Deepak that naïve that he had no idea of the machinations of Rosmah and Najib? Where was Deepak's conscience when he "rewarded" Bala with RM5 million to tell a lie and save both Najib's skin and his political career? The truth, as bitter as it is, remains that Deepak is livid at how "ungrateful" both Najib and Rosmah have been to him, especially after he agreed to help the couple escape blame for Altantuya's gruesome murder in the jungle of Puncak Alam, Shah Alam, in October 2006. Two members of an elite police unit were later convicted and sentenced to death for the crime. What was Deepak thinking when Rosmah asked him to look for Bala the very day when the PI's SD was made public? Is it wrong to deduce that Deepak willingly jumped in to help when everyone else Rosmah contacted turned her down because he was hoping for a "quid pro quo"? He played accomplice to crooks and suffered in the process. What would be unacceptable is for Deepak to use "conscience" as an excuse to seek revenge against Rosmah and Najib. The fact is that Deepak's ties with Rosmah turned sour following a land dispute involving him and Umno senator Raja Roopiah Abdullah. Deepak claimed that his company, Asta Canggih Sdn Bhd, was the nominee company or third party vehicle in the acquisition of 223 acres of land after he struck an agreement with Raja Roopiah. Under the agreement, he was supposed to get all but 23 acres of the land, which would be returned to Raja Roopiah. Deepak claimed that Najib had bypassed the Cabinet in deciding to pull back the land from him. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/12/20/seeking-justice-or-vendetta/

Govt relaxes restrictions on Christian pilgrimages to Jerusalem Posted: 19 Dec 2012 01:15 PM PST   (The Sun Daily) - The government has removed quotas and some other restrictions on Christians making their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The decision can be seen as a sort of Christmas present for local Christians who wish to have more freedom to visit the holy land. Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) Secretary-General Rev Dr Herman Shastri said the move by the government to relax conditions was much welcomed by the council, reports Karen Arukesamy. "This is certainly a happy news for all of us. We have been in talks with the PM's office and relevant authorities for one year now and we are glad that Christians are allowed to make their pilgrimage (more freely)", he said. Malaysia bars travel to Israel but the government has previously allowed Christians to travel to the historic city, regarded as holy to both Christians and Muslims. Previously, the government had imposed a quota of 700 pilgrims per year, with any one church only allowed to send a group of 40. According to Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) executive secretary Tan Kong Beng, visits were also limited to 10 days and pilgrims were only allowed one visit every three years. But a letter sent from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak's office to CFM president Ng Moon Hing on Nov 28 said these limits no longer applied and visits could be for a maximum of 21 days. However, according to Herman, Christians from here must still travel in church groups when entering Israel. "I think even Israel might not allow (such a long visit)," Tan, who confirmed receipt of the letter, told AFP yesterday. Najib's political secretary, Wong Nai Chee, confirmed that he had signed off on the letter but did not give a reason for the move as "it is a cabinet decision and I am just relaying it to CFM". "Taking into account the needs of Christian Malaysians, the Home Ministry has amended the religious pilgrimage rules to Israel," he wrote in the letter seen by AFP. "The letter should be issued from the Home Ministry," said Ng, about the move which comes ahead of the 13th general election which must be held within the next six months.

Lynas' Waste Plans A Toxic Pipe Dream Posted: 19 Dec 2012 01:07 PM PST   "If this was all ready to go they would be trumpeting it in the public arena … already it looks slippery. If this was possible wouldn't most countries around the world be doing it?"  Scientists and community leaders are concerned about radioactive waste from Lynas' Malaysian plant but the company representative who took Wendy Bacon's questions brushed off the criticism This is the second of two articles about Lynas by Wendy Bacon. Read the first here. Australian rare earth company Lynas has always known it had a waste problem. It plans to process rare earth concentrate, imported from its mine at Mount Weld in Western Australia, at its Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) in Malaysia. It will not only produce rare earths for export but also a huge amount of waste, including more than a million cubic metres of low level radioactive material. Lynas was originally going to build its LAMP plant in China, which produces more than 90 per cent of global rare earths. But according to its 2007 annual report, it decided to move to Malaysia, because the Chinese government was increasing its control over production, including applying environmental standards more strictly. Lax regulation had led to what a Chinese government white paper described this year as extensive emissions of radioactive residues and heavy metals, clogged rivers, environmental pollution emergencies and accidents causing "great damage to people's safety and health and the ecological environment". Lynas was attracted to Malaysia because it was offered tax free status for 10 years. Its first choice was a site in the state of Terangganu where it quickly received necessary construction approvals. Then the Malaysian government asked Lynas to move south to the Gebeng industrial estate which was built on a reclaimed swamp, 2.5 kilometres from the port of Kuantan in Pahang. Although the new land cost $30 million rather than $5 million, the company reported that it "had little choice but to accept this", and in any case the infrastructure at the new site was better as it was close to petrochemical plants. For its cooperation, Lynas's tax holiday, which included all imports and dividends, was topped up to 12 years. The company told the sharemarket that it would start producing rare earths by June 2009. New environmental approval documents were filed in January 2008. It took only five weeks for the state and local council environment departments and the Malaysian Atomic Energy Licensing Board to give the company a construction licence. It is clear from the documentation that at this stage the company had only temporary plans for waste storage, had not addressed the possibility that future events including flooding could affect the safety of the site, or selected a permanent waste facility. Despite the delays, shareholders were told that production would still start in 2009. As 2012 ends, the plant — which will take months to become fully operational — received its first rare earth concentrate several weeks ago. There is an emphasis in the the company's glossy investor presentations and annual reports of the sustainability of its products, which are necessary for the operation of almost all electronics — from smart phones to missiles. However, there was little mention of the waste — or "residue", as Lynas prefers to call it. Lynas and its supporters assert its operations are completely safe, but as NM reportedon Monday, others — including scientists — are less confident. Lynas relies on an IAEAreport that found it had complied with international standards in its construction phase, but needed to do more prior to operating. Lynas told New Matilda that since the IAEAreport, it has taken the "additional safety step" of placing "hydrated residues in safe, reliably engineered, elevated storage cells that are designed so that there is no possibility for any leakage of material into the environment". These storage cells will be monitored by Lynas and the Malaysian Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB). The IAEA also recommended that Lynas proceed no further until it had filed comprehensive plans for the permanent disposal of waste, decommissioning of the plant and remediation of the site at the end of its life. The AELB and Lynas issued a joint statement mid-way through last year stating that this work would be done before any rare earths could be imported. But then, earlier this year, the AELB jumped the gun by granting a temporary operating licence which gave the company 10 months to come up with these plans. This temporary operating licence was then delayed as a result of court action until November. Shutting Down the Critics New Matilda asked to interview the Lynas Executive Chairperson Nick Curtis but he was not available. Instead we interviewed a Lynas spokesperson who insists that the waste products of the LAMP project are "not hazardous in any way". He refers to the safety record of Lynas which in "all of its constructions … has been achieved with zero lost time injury". When New Matilda suggested that problems are more likely to arise in the long term, even 20 or 30 years away, he replied: "I would be lying if I categorically tell you there is no risk in 20 or 30 years time from anything. What I can tell you is that the unanimous conclusion of all of the scientific experts from all of the different organisations that have investigated this material and everything else is that there will be no discernible risk for the public or anyone else from this facility." But this is far from true. For example, in April this year, the National Toxic Network (NTN), a community based network "working to ensure a toxic-free future for all", published a preliminary assessment of the waste steam of Lynas's LAMP project. It was prepared by Lee Bell, a qualified environmental scientist with 20 years experience in analysis of industrial process plants, groundwater monitoring and contaminated sites. He co-chaired the Core Consultative Committee on Waste under the former Labor government in Western Australia, which reformed the state's hazardous waste sector. Readers of his 29 pageNTN report (pdf), which was reviewed by another scientist, are likely to be concerned about the company's environmental plans. I asked Lynas' spokesperson about the NTN report: "Whatever you think of it, it [the report] is a solid document. It appears to be academically referenced and it also appears to have had some form of review. If you read it, on a number of scores, you would be concerned?" To which the Lynas spokesperson responded: "The relevant thing there is 'appears to be' that is a really interesting phrase … I take you to the disclaimer right at the end [of the report] — 'Please note this information is provided as general information and comment should not be seen as professional advice' — on the basis that it 'appears to be well referenced', that is a strange disclaimer to have." In response Bell explained the disclaimer is used to indicate the report is intended for public use. Most of Lynas's reports on the other hand are not easily accessible. The Lynas spokesman rejected an NTN claim that the LAMP's location on a reclaimed swamp with a high rainfall is relevant to disposal of low level radioactive waste. Asked if he was aware it was a "marshy site", he said, "I have no idea". He explained that although there is a pristine fishing village and beach at Kuantan three and a half kilometres away on the coast, "if there is a risk there, it is much wider than just Lynas because the LAMP is in a petrochemical zone". In fact, the site is on a reclaimed peat swamp. Bell doesn't buy Lynas' argument that their plant will be yet another structure in the petrochemical zone. "The area may well have been developed for petrochemical plants — but these do not have large tailings ponds full of low level radioactive material," he said. "Refineries usually dispose of their waste by on-site incineration or off-site disposal in stable geological areas. This is comparing chalk and cheese." Discrediting sources is a familiar public relations tactic used by companies to protect themselves against journalists relying on their critics as sources. So NM asked if the company had prepared a response to the NTN report. The spokesperson said it had but it was "unfortunately contained material before a [Malaysian] court and I can't share that with you". The NTN report deals with LAMP waste steams which include non radioactive fluoride, dust particulates, gas, acidic waste water as well as more than 22,000 tonnes of low level Water Leach Purification (WLP) radioactive waste which a year. The most critical issue is the control and disposal of the WLP wastes — which for radioactive material may mean for many hundreds of years. On the basis of specific criticisms, NTN has two main recommendations. First, that the temporary licence issued by the AELB should be revoked until the issue of long term waste disposal is resolved and second, that the plant should not be allowed to operate until the release of mlliions of litres of effuent into the Balok River that runs past the site has been "further modelled and assessed". "The lack of data on these issues (the impact on the river) means the Lynas EIA is well below international standards and insufficient for granting of operational licences," theNTN says; the LAMP temporary licence would never have been granted in Australia. Novel Solutions — But Will They Work? Included among the documents filed for the January 2008 approval was a report prepared for Lynas by technical consultants Worley Parsons which revealed some innovative ideas for dealing with the permanent disposal problem. Worley Parsons worked on the basis that there would more 800,000 cubic metres of the most radioactive WLP waste over 10 years. (The company has stated its mine will last for 20 years and more recently told New Matilda, 50 years). When other wastes were included, there would be 2.7 million cubic meters of waste that need permanent disposal over 10 years. Lynas's preferred option has always been to recycle as much of the waste as possible. If safe, recycling has environmental advantages but Worley Parson also noted that by-product production requires time and investment. It may also have little or no commercial value, although this may change over time. Neither Worley Parsons or Lynas have ever suggested that even if recycling options worked, they would account for all dangerous waste, which under a new Australian law for the disposal of radioactive waste cannot be imported back into Australia. Worley Parsons reported that the WLP residues contain relatively high levels of the nutrients phosphorus and magnesium, which have potential agricultural uses, particularly for palm oil plantations. However, it might be hard to find buyers for fertiliser based on the recycled waste. This option has not been mentioned recently. Instead, the current preferred option is to dilute the radioactive material from 6 becquerels (Bq) to 1Bq and bury it as roadfill and in other civil engineering works. While Lynas says it is confident in the current by-product plans, they are yet to be tested. Dr Peter Karamoskos, who has been a nuclear radiologist for 13 years and represents the Australian public on the Radiation Safety Committee of Australia's nuclear safety agency shares none of that confidence. Read more at:

Screw you, Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim Posted: 18 Dec 2012 09:33 PM PST "As a Muslim I am sad… it is clearly stated in the Quran that this sort of brutality is a crime and should not go unpunished. I trust the inspector-general of police [Ismail Omar] when he said the police are not racists. It has already been three weeks since the incident; more delays will only complicate the issue," National Indian Action Team chairman Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim said. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin You can read the full news item from Free Malaysia Today below. I just want to talk about this part: National Indian Action Team chairman Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim, who accompanied the family, said he sympathised with the family's loss. "As a Muslim I am sad… it is clearly stated in the Quran that this sort of brutality is a crime and should not go unpunished. I trust the inspector-general of police [Ismail Omar] when he said the police are not racists. It has already been three weeks since the incident; more delays will only complicate the issue," he said. Why must these idiots always say 'according to Islam', or 'according to the Qur'an', or 'as a Muslim', and so on? Is Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim trying to say that murder is only a sin in Islam but for all the other religions murder is allowed? Is murder wrong only according to the Qura'n whereas all the other 'holy books' condone murder? Muslims just love to say something and then equate it to their faith or religious teachings. They try to impress us as to how noble and sincere Islam is -- meaning that since they are followers of Islam then this would also mean that they too are noble and sincere. People can see what type of religion Islam is. You do not need to try to impress people by foaming at the mouth telling us what Islam allows and forbids. People will not judge you by the foam spitting out of your mouth. People will judge you by your actions. If you keep reminding people that you do this good thing or that good thing because you are a Muslim and that this is what Islam or the Qur'an tells you to do, then when you do something bad people will also be reminded that you are a Muslim. Why not Muslims stop telling us that they are Muslims? Stop telling us that we must do this or must do that because this is what Islam or the Qur'an tells us we must do. Stop boasting about Islam and about how good the teachings of Islam are and hence since I am a Muslim that means I am a good person. If you stop doing all that then maybe when Muslims do bad things people will stop blaming Islam for it. Murder is wrong. You do not need a holy book like the Qur'an or a religion like Islam to teach us that it is wrong. Can't you just as a human being oppose murder? Why must you oppose murder because you are a Muslim? So why bring Islam into this? If you bring Islam into everything then corrupted people will be identified as corrupted Muslims. But when that happens you do not like it. You do not like Islam being associated with bad deeds. It is the person and not Islam that is at fault, you will say. But then who is the one associating everything with Islam if not the Muslims themselves? ************************************************** 'Police killed my brother' (FMT) - The family of a man who died in custody wants to know why the police did not investigate the cause of his death some three weeks ago.  Sixty-year-old M Supamma broke down in tears in front of the Bukit Aman police headquarters today, demanding an explanation over her son's sudden death while in police custody on Nov 22. "They did not let me see him. When I saw him in court, he could barely speak. He could only raise his hand to wave at me. I asked them [the police], why isn't my son talking to me?" she said. She said a police officer, on duty to watch over her son in court, told her that S Krishnan had a head injury and was weak. "I fainted after seeing my son like that," a sobbing Supamma told reporters. She was at Bukit Aman to hand over a memorandum asking the police to set up a task force to investigate her son's death in custody. Supamma is a mother of three and Krishnan was her youngest. Suppama said she was devastated and was unable to accept that her son had died. Krishnan, 34, worked at a sanitary company at Taman Tun Dr Ismail with his brother Palanisamy, 39. Palanisamy said his brother was first arrested on Nov 8 in front of Block A PPRT Section 8, Kota Damansara. He was on his way back from work when he was asked to perform a urine test for suspected drug use. "He tried to loosen his pants following orders from plainclothes policemen, but accidentally dropped his pants. He was assaulted and beaten up by the policeman for this. "According to witnesses, his shirt was drenched in blood as a result of the beating," he added. Palanisamy claimed the policemen gave him a different shirt before he was brought to the police station. He was then remanded at the Shah Alam police station. On Nov 20, Krishnan was produced at the Petaling Jaya magistrate's court where he was ordered to be sent to Hospital Bahagia in Tanjung Rambutan, Perak, for observation. However, Krishnan was only sent to the hospital on Nov 22, lifeless. 'Can you give me my brother back?' According to the post-mortem report, the cause of death was septicemia. Septicemia is bacteria in the blood caused by infections; in Krishnan's case, it was caused by open wounds to both his wrists. "In the last few months, Krishnan was regularly tested for drugs. At least three to four times each month, but all of the tests proved negative. Also, he has had no previous records of drug abuse," said Palanisamy. He said a police report on Krishnan's death was lodged by the family on Nov 22, urging the authorities to investigate the cause of his brother's death. At this point, Palanisamy started crying hysterically screaming: "The police have killed my brother. Can you give me my brother back? Who is going to take care of my mother now?" National Indian Action Team chairman Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim, who accompanied the family, said he sympathised with the family's loss. "As a Muslim I am sad… it is clearly stated in the Quran that this sort of brutality is a crime and should not go unpunished. I trust the inspector-general of police [Ismail Omar] when he said the police are not racists. It has already been three weeks since the incident; more delays will only complicate the issue," he said. Krishnan's family lawyer, G Sivamalar, said the police can only use reasonable force if the suspect resists arrest. "But in this case witnesses say Krishnan did not resist arrest but was beaten up when he accidentally dropped his pants during the urine test. This is not fair and just," she added. Supamma handed over the memorandum to ACP Jahangir who represented the police force at the gates of the police headquarters. Also present with the family today was PKR leader R Sivarasa.

‘Prove Jeffrey met Daim in KK’ Posted: 18 Dec 2012 09:20 PM PST STAR has challenged Wilfred Bumburing's aide to openly apologise to Sabahans if he lied about Daim Zainuddin's meeting in Kota Kinabalu. Calvin Kabardon, FMT Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) has warned its detractors to show proof that its chief Jeffrey Kitingan had recently met former Umno treasurer Daim Zainuddin, or face legal action. Warning Pakatan Rakyat's "newest" baby Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), STAR Youth chief Azroy Hasmin Abdullah said there was no truth to a report in the local dailies here about the meeting. Dennish Gimpah, a long-serving aide to Tuaran MP and APS chief Wilfred Bumburing, was quoted as saying that Jeffrey had purportedly met with Daim at Nexus Resort recently. Earlier rumours were rife that STAR was being backed by Umno and Jeffrey had also issued threats to sue those spreading these rumours. "We give Gimpah seven days to give proof of his allegation. If he cannot furnish proof in seven days from today, he must apologise openly; otherwise we will consider suing him for fitnah [lies]," Azroy said in a tersely-worded statement yesterday. He said STAR hoped that people will see through Gimpah's line of thinking which was to ensure that his boss (Bumburing) continued to hold a higher position at any cost. "To STAR, it is the people and the Borneo Agenda that matter. We listened to what the grassroots want, what and how they wanted change to be executed in Sabah. "If STAR forms a state government in Sabah, don't tell us that a federal government under Pakatan would also treat us the way Umno-BN treated PBS years back. "If that is so as implied by Gimpah, then both Bumburing and himself should seriously re-examine their supporting Pakatan right now," Azroy said. He also took Gimpah to task for asking how STAR will address the issue of illegal immigrants when it forms a state government, as it was "tantamount to saying Pakatan or even APS would not help address the problem even if Pakatan forms the federal government". "If that line of observation is taken, how would Gimpah take it if BN, instead of Pakatan, really addressed the issue of illegal immigrants? "To STAR, we support good policies openly. But we know now that APS will support any 'good' thing that Anwar [Ibrahim] and Pakatan say. Maybe APS will just support anything blindly. We'll let the people be our judge," Azroy added. 'Do you even care?' He also chided Gimpah for supporting an alliance led by Anwar, who had in the past "signed" away Sabah's future. "Let me ask Gimpah, are you even concerned about Sabah at all? Are you concerned about us being dictated or not? "Do you want Malayan parties to continue over-lording Sabahans? Or do you want to empower Sabah and Sabahans to chart their own future like what Star is doing?" he asked. He also questioned APS' aim in aligning itself with PKR and its role in the upcoming general election. READ MORE HERE

Doomsday Prophecy ‘Haram’: Malaysia Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:57 PM PST   Bolivian priests making offerings on a Tunupa ship to mark the first of six days of celebrations to commemorate the end of the Mayan calendar  (On Islam) - CAIRO – As the world rattles with prophecies of the doomsday on Friday, December 21, based on the Mayan calendar, Malaysia has warned Muslims against following those beliefs, which contradict with the teachings of Islam. "There is no reason for Muslims to believe in the Mayan prophecy," Mashitah Ibrahim, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, told The New Straits Times on Tuesday, December 18.   "It is haram (prohibited) for Muslims to believe in predictions." Texts inscribed on stone tablets by the Maya civilization predict that the doomsday will occur on December 21, 2012. The myth is based on the Mayan calendar which marks the end of a 5,126 year old cycle around December 12, 2012. A chorus of books and movies has sought to link the Mayan calendar to rumors of impending disasters ranging from rogue black holes and solar storms to the idea that the Earth's magnetic field could flip on that date. The disaster movie 2012, released last year, is based on the myth that the world will end with the Mayan calendar in 2012. It sees a series of geological and astrological disasters plunging the world into chaos. But archaeologists say there is no evidence the Maya ever made any such prophesy. Mashitah warned that believing in such a prophecy could undermine one's faith. "In Islam, it is an obligation for followers to believe in the end of the world, or qiamat, as it is referred to in the Qur'an," she said. "But the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad never taught us to forecast the date. "Even the Prophet was not told by God when qiamat would happen and he never tried to predict it." Judgment Day Signs The Malaysian official stressed that Muslims are taught to identify signs of the Last Day to prepare themselves for the hereafter. "The signs of qiamat and that it is nearing should be used by Muslims to strengthen their ibadah (worshipping) or good deeds," Mashitah said. "The Prophet, in his hadith had said as qiamat nears, Muslims should increase their ibadah (worshipping). It was not to instill fear in the people. "The Prophet had said that even when signs of qiamat are right in front of us, we should make use of the time to do ibadah as it would be the last opportunity to do so." Throughout the history of the world, each civilization has believed in a catastrophic event that would befall them. In Islam, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned a few signs of the Last Day. The signs include; barefooted shepherds will compete in owning tall buildings, wine (intoxicants) will be consumed in great quantities and that Arabia will become a land of gardens and rivers. Other signs include increasing earthquakes and bloodshed, women far outnumbering men and power will be in the hands of those who do not deserve it. There are a number of other signs too that come right before the end of time like sunrise from the West and the discovery of talking animals. Allah Almighty has kept that date a secret. Not a human, angel, or prophet has ever been privy to that knowledge. Anyone who promulgates this false message of 2012 as being the end of our world is committing a grave disservice to their own souls as well as the greater community around them.

EC accuses Ambiga, Bersih of partisan agenda Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:47 PM PST   (The Malaysian Insider) - The Election Commission (EC) questioned today the ability of Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan to ensure all 'citizen observers' in her Bersih 2.0 electoral watchdog group obey the law and steer clear of fouling up the polls regulator's work. EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar was reported by a Malay news portal as saying Bersih 2.0 was formed along partisan lines and that it was possible the group may have a certain agenda to protect its partisan interests. He told Sinar Harian Online that while the prominent legal expert who is co-chairman of the electoral reforms group is seen to be familiar with the law, he asked: "But is she capable of taking care of members involved in the Jom Pantau PRU13?" "Not all know the law, with the election closing in, this campaign launch may cause all sorts of problems to arise," Wan Ahmad was reported as saying. The grassroots movement that has been pressuring the government to clean up the election process had earlier this week announced it will be employing thousands more "citizen observers" as their eyes and ears to monitor the election process on polling day. Wan Ahmad said the EC acknowledged the right of citizens to monitor the election process for any possible fraud that may arise, but said they must not disturb the work of the authorities and EC. "We want to remind them so that Bersih 2.0 that launched this campaign will not disturb this election's affairs," he told the news portal. Bersih 2.0 has already launched its "Jom Pantau" and "Jom 100" but Ambiga Sreenevasan said on Monday that these campaigns would be expanded next month to keep up the pressure on the authorities. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ec-accuses-ambiga-bersih-of-partisan-agenda/

DAP's Ubah or Ubah DAP? Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:37 PM PST   What should the DAP delegates have done? Should they have voted for tokenism or for what promises the candidates hold for the party's continuing success, service to the public and the nation's future, based on the candidates  policy declarations during the party election campaign? KTemoc Konsiders  Do you recognize this man? He is Tan Seng Giaw. Just in case you don't know or can't recognize him, I'll leave it to Wikipedia (plus a wee add-ons and where relevant, corrections by me) to provide a glimpse of who he is: Tan Seng Giaw (Chinese : 陈胜尧) is a Malaysian politician from the Democratic Action Party. He was born on 26 May 1942 in Kota Baru, Kelantan. After attending Primary and High School in Kelantan and Penang respectively, he furthered his education at Plymouth College and Leeds University, England. His multi-cultural academic and social background has resulted in Seng Giaw being fluent in Mnadarin, English, Bahasa Malaysia, and competent in the writing of Malay in the Jawi script. Seng Giaw's academic qualifications include a M.B.Ch. B. (Leeds), D. Obs. R.C.O.G, M.R.C.P (UK) and finally a M.D. honours (Leeds) in 1976. [...] His social activities today include the office of Pengerusi Kehormat of Persatuan Murid-murid Tua, Chung Ling for the states of Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and uala Lumpur. Tan's political involvement began in 1976, during which he served the people of Kepong on behalf of Dr. Tan Chee Khoon. He is was the Democratic Action Party's National Vice Deputy Chairman and Member of Parliament for the constituency of Kepong [since 1982. In March 2008 he won by a majority of 23,848 votes]. In 1972, Dr. Tan married Oon Hong Geok, a paediatrician and has two daughters. His wife used to be active in the political scene and represented Taman Aman, Petaling Jaya as a state assemblywoman. In parliament he plays a sterling role, serving on the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) as Deputy Chief (to UMNO's Azmi Khalid) and has been a vigilant watchdog on behalf of the public in scrutinizing government finance and expenditure. Tan Seng Giaw (L) and Azmi Khalid (R) Awesome, isn't he? BUT ... But during the just completed DAP party elections, he was NOT placed in the top 20 for the CEC. Why was he unsuccessful? Well, my easy answer would be 'lots of reasons', wakakaka. But anyway, look at his seniority in DAP (years and then Deputy chairperson), his tenure as a DAP MP since 1982 with his most recent victory in 2008 recording a resounding majority that tsunami-ed his MCA opponent away into the Straits of Malacca, and his contributions to both party and nation, etc etc etc. Yet he was NOT voted into the CEC top 20, but had to be co-opted as one of 10 selected (not voted). We may deem him as not popular enough among the party delegates to be voted in. Hmmm, maybe he didn't campaign enough or effectively on his own behalf among the party delegates? OK, lamentable as the DAP party election result has been for Tan Seng Giaw who is no longer the party's deputy chairperson, hasn't it been democratic? His non-election as one of the top 20 CEC members had been the decision of the voting delegates, and could not be manmanlai-ed a la the style of another party where in its deputy presidential election the total of the votes for 2 candidates at a location exceeded the number of party voters registered, with a party returning officer then questionably declaring a draw wakakaka. As Lim Guan Eng stated: "We do not control who the delegates choose. We accept the results (of the elections). This is democracy." Look also at two other high profile DAP leaders - Teresa Kok and DAP Perak Chief, Ngeh Koo Ham.  Everyone knows the Sassy MP, and I admit I love her (her competency lah, wakakaka). Teresa as Seputeh MP holds the record for the biggest majority for an election victory in any parliamentary constituency. As Kinrara ADUN, she heads the party with the second most number of ADUNs and should have been deputy MB Selangor but for PAS' objections (during the Solar-Powered era) and Khalid Ibrahim's lack of spine in supporting her due status. She's very active and productive and thus very high profile in her parliamentary and state duties and was once ISA-ed. She was also falsely accused by UMNO of criticizing azan calls, an indication of their fear of her immense popularity among her Malay constituencies. But she almost didn't make it into the CEC, being voted at an uncomfortable 18th place. The poor darling sweetie explained that her role as party organizing secretary and some of her difficult and unpopular decisions had affected the voting. But nonetheless, she was placed at 18th when you would have expected her to be among the top 5. Ngeh Koo Ham Now, Ngeh Koo Ham has gained the unfortunate notoriety of controlling a faction within the Perak DAP which is at odds with another DAP stalwart, Kulasegaran. Kula has the last laugh by coming in at 16th for the elected CEC, while Ngeh very nearly didn't make it, and just squeezed into 20th position. Kulasegaran Maybe the 2576 DAP delegates voting at the party election are against certain Chinese, people like Tan who along with 47 other candidates didn't make it? Maybe they have been against Teresa and Ngeh too, though not vigorous enough to cut them out of the top 20? Read more at: http://ktemoc.blogspot.com/2012/12/daps-ubah-or-ubah-dap.html

The transformation of DAP Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:32 PM PST   The nature of a party predicts its destiny. The DAP was formerly lauded as 'the father of hawkers' while the MCA was termed 'the party of boss'. Nonetheless, the MCA is part of the dominant power. The MCA cannot stand abreast with the general public in many occasions; that includes the Clean Elections Campaign, Anti Lynas, Dong Jiao Zong's Peaceful Assembly of Petition. All these alienate itself from the general public and make way for DAP to grab the upper hand politically. Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily  The DAP is the only party which braved to hold its intra-party election before the general elections and proceed to its power transfer as well as younger leader programmes. In this vein, impacts confronted though, it is undeniably a promising matter. Among the 20 elected general committee seats, father-and-son Lim Kiat Siang and Lim Guan Eng were once again elected with the highest votes respectively as ascribed. Karpal Singh came third. But veteran leader Tan Seng Giaw, Penang second deputy chief minister Prof. Dr. P. Ramasamy and Selangor state executive councillor Ronnie Liu were denied mandate. The DAP is a huge political party in capacity. Honestly speaking, the 20 committee seats designate not for all the luminaries within. Umno and MCA have similar mechanism which reserves 25 highest voted seats for both leading committee and general committee. I would highly recommend that DAP expand its force thus provide allowance for leaders from all the thirteen states and federal territories. In yesterday's re-election, eight denied running members were appointed to the general committee. There were two Malay delegates in this new power order. Indian representatives were not forgotten. Teng Chang Khim the maverick was given the power to head the new Pakatan Rakyat Bureau. It is considered perfect in terms of election. Regrettably, there were no Malay delegates elected as general committee members. Umno will toy it as a controversy and it actually backfires Pakatan Rakyat's devoted effort to gain Malay votes as can be foreseen. Lim Guan Eng is to step down after the next election in accordance with the DAP regulations. Probably Lim Kiat Siang and Karpal Singh will make room for the younger delegates. Vote gains and re-election results show Loke Siew Fook is a potential successor. The crux of staying strong for any organisation is its "metabolism". DAP obviously excels in this. It is only fair to say that the DAP persists in the upholding of democracy. They have fought inexorably for the equality of people, social integrity, and economic fairness with their marked consistency over the years. In the memories of the elderly, the DAP is a political party for the general public. The grassroots image of its leaders is expected as they were always ready to stand behind bars for the country's controversial issues and the good for all and sundry. Inevitably, the DAP remains the strongest opposition party though it is outnumbered in members, weak in hierarchical structure and caught in trying period. The nature of a party predicts its destiny. The DAP was formerly lauded as 'the father of hawkers' while the MCA was termed 'the party of boss'. Nonetheless, the MCA is part of the dominant power. The MCA cannot stand abreast with the general public in many occasions; that includes the Clean Elections Campaign, Anti Lynas, Dong Jiao Zong's Peaceful Assembly of Petition. All these alienate itself from the general public and make way for DAP to grab the upper hand politically. The DAP has only a meagre 15,000 members, but it outshines the MCA, which has a 1,115,167 strong membership. The nation's train of development is advancing, the DAP should not remain a grassroots party but put transformation into practice. Lim Guan Eng once remarked that Pakatan Rakyat and the DAP had to aim for four million middle grounded voters if they wanted to earn the mandate to run the country. To realise this, an influx of younger professional new bloods, consolidation of ruling theories, strategic economic plans are sought after. In other words, change of mindset and refinement in practice are the way to their continuous success. The DAP supporters' great expectation, I think, lies strongly in its quantum leap from grassroots party to a party for all the nation.

Perkasa Chief Insults the Malays Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:27 PM PST   Such riots don't happen in Malaysia – at least not on such a major scale – without their being initiated by political beings. And a riot will be all the more powerful if the political beings engineering it also happen to be in power. If May 13 is going to happen again, it will have to be engineered by the people in power. Ordinary Malaysians will not fight without cause. We can be sure of that.   Kee Thuan Chye    To say that Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali has little between his ears because of his recent pronouncements is to say something too obvious. And yet one might be tempted to do it to dispel the misinformation he seems to be spreading.   His point about the Malays being unable to compete with the non-Malays because Islam forbids the former to participate in businesses involving gambling, liquor and entertainment outlets is, to put it mildly, moronic. And terribly misleading.   What's more inexcusable is his statement that the Chinese will become a national security threat if they acquire more political and economic power. It could lead, he warned, to another bloody racial conflict like the May 13 riots. This, I have to say, insults not only the Chinese but the Malays as well.   But there's surely more to Ibrahim's antic than what's on the surface. He has not been in politics this long to appear so simple-minded. His agenda was to strike terror into the hearts of voters. He was employing the scare tactics that Prime Minister Najib Razak and Barisan Nasional (BN) have been resorting to of late as the general election draws near. Coincidentally, at the Umno general assembly last month, Wanita Umno President Shahrizat Abdul Jalil also irresponsibly raised the bogey of May 13.   Ironically, such scare tactics betray a lack of self-confidence on the part of Najib and BN. Ibrahim must have caught on to it and sensed that BN may even lose the elections for the first time. But this does not exonerate him from saying things that are insulting, that could engender hatred. Based neither on fact nor reasoned argument.   After all, the industries that are considered haram to Muslims make up only a small percentage of the total economy. Why is he making a mountain of such a molehill?   He uses the inability of the Malays to make money from these business sectors as a reason for the Government to continue with affirmative action for them. Is that a sound argument?   Malays don't need to rely on these sectors to succeed. Ibrahim only needs to look at Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary's business empire to see how a Muslim can prosper bountifully without touching any of the haram industries. That would be enough to debunk his theory that the Muslims are economically disadvantaged.   More important, when Ibrahim talks about the economic situation of the Malays, why must he invariably compare it to that of the non-Malays? In order to draw the sinister conclusion that the latter are a threat?   That the Chinese are being insulted is obvious. I very much doubt the community has any intentions whatsoever of being a threat to anyone, especially their fellow citizens, so it's not fair to consider them as such. If of late, they have been more vocal in agitating for their rights as Malaysians and calling for better governance for the good of the country, should that be considered threatening?   But what about the Malays? Why do I say that Ibrahim's talk about another May 13 is insulting to the Malays as well?   Because he is implying that they will be envious of Chinese success. He is implying meanness in the hearts of Malays. He is implying that they cannot stand it when others achieve success and, as such, they will clash with them. He is insulting all self-respecting and peace-loving Malays.   May 13 did not happen because ordinary, responsible and peace-loving Malays decided to clash with non-Malays. It was orchestrated, as we now know. People in the ruling party whipped up sentiments to amok point. It was politically engineered, to bring down Tunku Abdul Rahman, the then prime minister.   In a sense, the Chinese were made scapegoats by the plotters, who capitalised on the theme of racial conflict to cover up their own ulterior ambitions.   Such riots don't happen in Malaysia – at least not on such a major scale – without their being initiated by political beings. And a riot will be all the more powerful if the political beings engineering it also happen to be in power. If May 13 is going to happen again, it will have to be engineered by the people in power. Ordinary Malaysians will not fight without cause. We can be sure of that.   Ibrahim completely negates the decency and sense of responsibility of the Malay people.   He also disregards the prospect that the Malays themselves have the ability to succeed.   Why does he clamour for continued affirmative action? Is it not to perpetuate a cause that will serve his political enhancement? Is it not to pander to a market that will buy his rhetoric and vote him in again?   But is it a cause still relevant? Is it viable in today's globalised world of which Malaysia is an integral part?   Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad – who is, incidentally, Patron of Perkasa –  should be well aware of the answer even if he often says the opposite of what he knows. Recently, however, he said that affirmative action for the Malays would have to be phased out in the future. And he seemed to momentarily make sense … until he qualified it by adding, "but only when we are certain that the Malays can compete in the market" without "the crutches".   With his selective memory these days, he has obviously forgotten he said something contrary to that in his interview with The Star in October 2004: "We have tried to tell them if you depend on subsidies, you are going to be very weak. But they don't seem to understand. We tell them if you use crutches, you will not be able to stand up. Throw away the crutches, stand up straight because you still have the capacity." Unfortunately, Mahathir has reverted to being a great advocate of crutches. But the question is, how do "we" decide when the Malays will be ready to throw them away? What are the concrete criteria? When it is as arbitrary and unscientific as "when they are ready", the issue can remain unresolved indefinitely.   At least, the New Economic Policy (NEP) had a quantified target – that of the Malays achieving 30 per cent share of the economy by 1990. But that year has come and gone and the affirmative action still continues. It has, in fact, now stretched to more than 40 years of implementation. Why are the Malays still not ready?   Perhaps they already are. Sometimes, it's just a matter of switching mindsets to accept that one is ready for something. Moreover, some Malays will say, as Mahathir has pointed out, that they don't need crutches. The proof of this is that millionaire Malays are buying multi-million ringgit houses (but they are still getting the 7 per cent discount – do millionaires deserve affirmative action?).   In any case, if we accept that the Malays are not ready, then who is to blame?   Who is responsible for getting the Malays ready? Isn't it the Government? And who has formed the bulk of the Government all these decades? Isn't it Umno?   So why has the Government, headed by Umno, the party for the Malays, not succeeded in getting the Malays ready after all these decades?   Doesn't it mean that Umno has failed?   If Mahathir and his sidekicks, like Ibrahim Ali, still clamour for crutches, Umno must have failed. To all intents and purposes then, the party that claims to serve the interests of the race it represents has failed its own race.   So Ibrahim has no cause to deflect the issue onto the non-Malays, just as no one should make the Chinese scapegoats for May 13.   Mahathir is one to talk. It was under his watch that the NEP got extended when it should have expired. He would never acknowledge it but in 1990, he must have realised that, as the supreme leader of Umno then, he had failed to meet the target.   So what he says now is nothing but political posturing. It's the same with Ibrahim. He, too, knows why he says the dumb things he says, because he can't really be that dumb.   And because all this talk – by both men – is to serve a political cause rather than the people and the nation, their action is all the more insidious. And should be taken with huge doses of scepticism.    They may not know it but they have lost a lot of maruah (dignity) for pursuing this course.   Maruah being an important element of Malay culture, reasonable and self-respecting Malays would surely not want to lose it themselves.   * Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the bestselling book No More Bullshit, Please, We're All Malaysians, available in bookstores together with its Malay translation, Jangan Kelentong Lagi, Kita Semua Orang Malaysia.

Insiden yang sebenar di Sungai Petani Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:18 PM PST   Pergaduhan budak-budak sekolah di Sungai Petani telah diperbesarkan oleh bloger Umno dan Barisan Nasional kononnya sebagai rusuhan kaum sedangkan hakikat  yang sebenarnya adalah kes curi motor. Persoalan kini timbul, siapa yang mencuri motor itu? Adakah motor anak India itu yang dicuri? Atau budak Melayu yang cedera ini mencuri motor itu? Motor siapakah yang dicuri? Siapa berak tengah jalan tidak akan mengaku juga dia akhirnya. Ini pepatah lama. Adakah ini konspirasi Umno dan MIC untuk mencetuskan huru-hara bagi terus mengekalkan kuasa yang semakin menghilang?  Sesuai dengan kata-kata ketua wanita Umno Malaysia bahawa tragedi 13 Mei bakal berulang dan Putrajaya akan dipertahankan walau dengan apa cara sekalipun dari Perdana Menteri Malaysia Najib Razak.  Secara logik kes ini memang dah semakin besar melainkan dengan kehendak Allah Yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Mengasihani. 2 jam dari tadi seorang lagi India di dakwa ditemui mati dibunuh di Taman Bandar Perdana Sungai Petani.  Polis ramai di kawasan terbabit. Jadi minta tolong maklumkan perkembangan semasa. Jumlah kematian setakat ini sebagaimana yang dirisik 3 orang kesemuanya lelaki India.  Hasil risikan lain pula memberitahu bahawa kes ini sebenarnya pergaduhan di antara kumpulan samseng India dengan samseng India yang lain.

Jangan ganggu urusan PRU, SPR ingatkan Bersih Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:05 PM PST (Sinar Harian) - Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) mengingatkan Bersih 2.0 supaya tidak mengganggu urusan pilihan raya walaupun mempunyai hak sebagai rakyat untuk menjadi pemantau Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU13). Timbalan Pengerusi SPR Datuk Wira Wan Ahmad Wan Omar berkata, kempen Jom Pantau PRU13 yang bakal dilancarkan oleh Bersih 2.0 tidak akan membantu kelancaran pilihan raya, sebaliknya akan menimbulkan pelbagai masalah. Menurutnya, SPR tidak menafikan hak rakyat Malaysia untuk menjadi pemerhati dalam pilihan raya, namun mereka tidak boleh mengganggu kerja-kerja pihak penguat kuasa dan SPR. "Kita tak nafikan itu hak rakyat untuk turut menjadi pemantau dalam pilihan raya, namun kita khuatir akan timbul masalah lain kepada SPR dan pihak penguatkuasa sendiri. "Kita nak ingatkan agar Bersih 2.0 yang melancarkan kempen ini supaya tidak mengganggu urusan pilihan raya ini," katanya kepada Sinar Harian Online. Bersih 2.0 akan melancarkan kempen Jom Pantau PRU13 bulan depan bagi memantau PRU13 agar diadakan dengan lancar tanpa sebarang unsur penyelewengan dan penipuan. Beliau berkata, kempen itu akan memastikan rakyat Malaysia yang telah berdaftar sebagai pemilih, keluar mengundi pada hari pemilihan nanti. "Kita akan jemput pengundi untuk keluar mengundi pada hari tersebut kerana jumlah pengundi yang ramai akan membawa perubahan kepada penipuan. "Ia juga akan meminimumkan dan mengurangkan penipuan daripada berleluasa," katanya. Mengulas lanjut, Wan Ahmad berkata secara umumnya Bersih 2.0 ini ditubuhkan atas kepentingan sesuatu parti, jadi mungkin mereka mempunyai agenda tertentu untuk kepentingan parti tersebut. Soal beliau, Pengerusi Bersama Bersih 2.0, Datuk S. Ambiga seorang yang mengetahui undang-undang, "namun mampukah beliau menjaga ahli yang terlibat dalam Jom Pantau PRU13?" "Bukan semua yang tahu undang-undang, dengan keadaan pilihan raya yang semakin dekat, mungkin pelancaran kempen ini akan menyebabkan pelbagai masalah timbul," katanya.

PAS’ stance against supporters slammed Posted: 18 Dec 2012 02:46 PM PST The Star) - Several political party leaders hit out at PAS for turning against its non-Muslim supporters over accusations that they had undermined the party's Islamic stand. One of them accused PAS of trying to impose its values on non-Muslims. DAP chairman Karpal Singh has commended the actions of the National PAS Supporters Congress in defending the rights of the non-Muslims in Kelantan. "What they (congress) did was right. They were defending the rights of non-Muslims. DAP, too, has defended the non-Muslims," he said yesterday. Karpal said PAS assistant secretary-general and state executive councillor Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan should accept congress chairman Hu Pang Chaw's statement in good grace. "It is the duty of the congress to come out and defend when the rights of the non-Muslims are infringed," he said. Karpal was commenting on a report quoting Takiyuddin who accused Hu of having "bad intentions" for bringing to the media cases of action taken against non-Muslims for alleged indecent behaviour. Hu also criticised the issuing of summonses to non-Muslim salon workers cutting the hair of non-Muslim customers of the opposite sex. Takiyuddin, who is State Local Government, Culture and Tourism Committee chairman, had said the congress should play its role as part of the party. It was reported that the Kota Baru Municipal Council had issued summonses to two non-Muslim men for allegedly embracing each other in a car parked near the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport at midnight on Oct 31. The other summons was issued to a 17-year-old teenager for giving a piggy-back ride to his 15-year-old girlfriend at Taman Tunku Anis at 5.30pm on Oct 20. MIC Youth leader T. Mohan said Takiyuddin's statement clearly showed that PAS wanted to impose their Islamic agenda on non-Muslims. He said PKR and DAP should come out strongly to censure PAS for their actions. "I believe PKR and DAP would not want to rock the boat as their dream is to go to Putrajaya at all costs," he said. Taman Chi Liung Indah DAP chairman K. Yogasigamany said some DAP members were unhappy with the actions of PAS representatives for attempting to impose their values on non-Muslims.

Pakatan to win with 118 seats? Posted: 18 Dec 2012 02:38 PM PST The EC is BN's last bastion to cling to power and the only way to curb its shenanigans is for the rakyat to come out in droves to monitor vote tallying  Selena Tay, FMT A neutral Chinese political analyst who is a friend of this columnist has informed that it is possible for Pakatan Rakyat to win the 13th general election by 118 seats, with BN getting 104. The total number of parliamentary seats is 222. However, he also cautioned that hooligans may disrupt the general election campaign or the vote-counting process, thereby making it possible for the Election Commission (EC) to annul the polls results. Certainly, anything can happen in the current political scenario and therefore the rakyat are encouraged to come out in full force to vote besides volunteering their time to monitor the election process, to prevent foreign workers from voting and also to prevent extra ballot boxes from being brought in to sabotage the results. The situation here is such that the rakyat must work hard to usher in the change that they want. Indications are already at hand that Pakatan has enough support to win the 13th general election and the figure of 118 seats had already factored in the phantom/dubious/foreign voters. However, the EC is Barisan Nasional's last bastion in its attempt to hold on to power and the only way to curb the EC's shenanigans is to come out in droves on the night the results are being tallied. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has in fact already lost the general election, in a manner of speaking, and that is why he does not seem to have the sense of urgency to hold the polls. "The rakyat have to be prepared to face any eventuality. Najib has even now lost much of the Indian support," said M Manogaran, DAP's Teluk Intan MP. "Perhaps all this is happening because people are just fed up of BN. The RM500 cash aid can only sustain most of the urban poor for one month but what about the rest of the 11 months?" asked Manogaran. DAP blogger Aspan Alias opined that there are people who are still contented with getting chicken curry without the chicken meat because the chicken curry still has the chicken meat's flavour. In BN's desperation to stay in power, all sorts of tactics will be used. So do not be surprised if your name is missing from the electoral roll on polling day. Klang MP, DAP's Charles Santiago, has already pointed out that 5,000 names have disappeared from the electoral roll in his constituency. BN has lost Malay/Indian support This simply means that BN will do anything and everything in order to stay in power. After its victory at the polls, you can be sure that the price of fuel will go up, GST (goods and services tax) will be imposed and the cost of living will shoot up drastically. Reports from all the grassroots who are friends of this columnist now show that BN has lost much of the Malay and Indian support although still holding on strong in Sabah and Sarawak due to the lack of information in those areas. Many of those who do the groundwork surveys told this columnist that people are now curious and want to see what the new federal government is like. Therefore Umno leaders these days sing the old tune of Malay supremacy by saying that if Umno falls, the Malays will fall, too, while at the same time conveniently forgetting to mention that PAS is also Malay. The battle is on for the Malay vote. It is BN's practice to divide and rule. READ MORE HERE

DAP and its multiracial dilemma Posted: 18 Dec 2012 02:34 PM PST Party's chants about Malaysian Malaysia rings hollow when its members elect only Chinese leaders to top posts. Leven Woon, FMT The DAP has always aspired to be a multiracial party, with its members abiding by the 'Malaysian Malaysia' concept and calling themselves Malaysian first. However, the election results at its 16th National Congress last weekend threw up a stark reality – that after years of sloganeering, it is still far from achieving its dream. There were eight Malay leaders who contested for a place in the 20-member central executive committee (CEC), and all failed to make cut into the top decision making body. Several of the Malay candidates told FMT that they felt the party delegates have yet to truly appreciate the Malaysian Malaysia concept. The question to ask is: Has DAP been using the wrong format to promote diversity in its rank? It has never been close to taking federal power. After the breakthrough in the 2008 GE with Pakatan Rakyat coalition partners, the DAP now wants to see itself transform into a broad based national party. This was evident throughout the two-day convention, especially during DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng's speech where he uttered Kadazan and Iban phrases (umohon and ngat sayop) and announced the ambition to win one Dayak seat in the general election. "We also want to be identified as an attractive party of choice for the Malays, especially urban Malays. "From the establishment of Roketkini.com, a BM daily news portal, and Sekolah Demokrasi, a political education programme in BM, we are making progress," he said in his one-hour speech on Saturday. Malay leaders unhappy While Lim has a grand plan for DAP, grassroots member felt otherwise. The election results showed that most of the 2,500 delegates still want the party to be under Chinese control, as they voted in 17 Chinese and only three Indians into the CEC. The only Malay who secured a place through popular vote in 2008, Ahmad Ton, was booted out this time around. He placed 38th out of 63 candidates, with 347 ballots. DAP senator Ariffin SM Omar came in 37th with 348 votes. Another DAP Malay leader, Zulkifli Mohd Noor, only obtained 216 votes. The party's leadership tried to save the situation by appointing two Malays, two Indians and three East Malaysians into the CEC, but the Malay leaders were clearly unhappy. Zulkifli said it seems the party delegates have failed to accept the Malaysian Malaysia concept. "When Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has already accepted the Malaysian Malaysia concept with 1Malaysia, my party members still do not get it," he said. Future gloomy? The sentiment was shared by Ahmad, who said that DAP would have trouble in the future if they continue to snub the Bangsa Malaysia idea. "What is DAP? What is Malaysian Malaysia? The idea is to form a Bangsa Malaysia. If delegates do not value the idea, the future of DAP is gloomy," he said. DAP dissident Teng Chang Khim was point-blank when he said that as delegates could only elect 20 CEC members, those who are nationally more popular stood a better chance. READ MORE HERE

‘No black or white knight, just truth’ Posted: 18 Dec 2012 02:32 PM PST Ex CCID chief Ramli Yusuff strikes back at his rival, Musa Hassan, for claiming that the former is trying to be the saviour of the police force. Anisah Shukry, FMT Former Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) chief Ramli Yusuff today dismissed claims by former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan that he is attempting to paint himself as the saviour of the police force. "There is no black knight, white knight in the equation at all. It is just an issue of me telling the truth. "If you (Musa) want to attack someone in the police force, we ex-police officers are responsible to say something about it as well," he told FMT. Ramli was referring to Musa's recent allegations that ministers had attempted to interfere with police investigations during the latter's time in the force – a practice which Musa claims continues unabated even under Ismail Omar's current reign as IGP. In response to Musa's "revelations", Ramli told reporters that Musa himself had ties with underworld figures such as Goh Cheng Poh, or Tengku Goh, and this raised Musa's ire. "From the outside, it seems like [Ramli is] the white knight, saviour of PDRM [Royal Malaysian Police]… while I'm the black knight who is destroying PDRM… the picture has been painted as such," Musa had said at a press conference last week. However, Ramli rubbished such a notion and said that his criticism was merely a response to Musa's "open disturbance" of the police force. "When you have retired, your days are over. You don't disturb. Your successors have their own way of doing things. You are gone, so why do you want to disturb?" said Ramli today. He added that if Musa sincerely intended to combat criminal elements and ministerial interference in the police force, he would have met with the IGP personally to discuss this issue, rather than humiliate everyone by turning to the media. "You don't have to say these kind of things in the open. These are internal matters. Musa could have discussed it discreetly with Ismail, meet up with him, tell him nicely. "Or he could have gone through our associations," Ramli pointed out. Instead, Musa had told reporters that Ismail was a "yes-man" and a "snob", and even described how, in 2008, Ismail had allegedly wept by his bedside after obeying then-home minister Syed Hamid Albar's orders to arrest a Sin Chew Daily reporter under the Internal Security Act. "Both Musa and Ismail served under me directly for six years, I know both of them well because I put up their yearly confidential report," said Ramli. "I know how they are, they each have different personalities and own way of doing things. So Musa cannot expect Ismail to follow in his footsteps," he added. READ MORE HERE

May 13, Kg Medan – Never again! Posted: 18 Dec 2012 02:27 PM PST Even though biologically, there is no such basis for a category known as "race", the social construction of race is ever present in this country. By Kua Kia Soong, FMT The launch of "Violence against an Ethnic Minority in Malaysia: Kampung Medan 2001" by S Nagarajan and K Arumugam yesterday is a wake-up call for Malaysians to get wise to the Malaysian state's attempts to portray racist/fascist pogroms against ethnic minorities in Malaysia as so-called "racial riots" that came about "naturally" because of social conditions and dissatisfaction. This is the first book written to put the record straight on the racial violence against ethnic Indian Malaysians at Kampung Medan in 2001. For this racial violence to happen more than 30 years after "May 13" is a scandal and an indictment of Malaysia's modern day institutions which are still steeped in racism and racial discrimination. My 2007 title, "May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969" challenged the official version that the violence (in which the victims were mainly ethnic Chinese) was the result of "riots" between "Malays" and "Chinese" who had been provoked by irresponsible opposition politicians. The official version of the Kampung Medan violence in 2001 was that the "riots" had been sparked by incidents which ignited "naturally" in a neglected urban ghetto. The facts on May 13 point to an orchestrated pogrom in which a complicit state allowed the violence to drag on until July 1969, before the security forces demonstrated their full capacity to restore order. As documented in Nagarajan and Arumugam's new book, the Kampung Medan violence, which started on March 8, 2001, was allowed to continue over a number of days in a relatively small enclave of Petaling Jaya – with the last tragic incident occurring on March 23. This delay in taking action reveals a serious credibility problem surrounding our law enforcement and security forces. How is it that these forces failed in their duty to apprehend the thugs who unleashed the racial violence and also failed to investigate those who had organised the violence? Eyewitness accounts show that in some of the racial attacks there, the police just stood by without stopping and apprehending the thugs. This was the same observation noted during the "May 13" pogrom, namely, the security forces did not play the professional role expected of them. Just as in 1969, these incidents were not "racial clashes" between ordinary Malays and non-Malays. In this record of Kampung Medan, it is clear that the people within this community were of diverse ethnicity and that between them there was the sort of camaraderie evident in Kampung Baru in May 1969. The culprits who were responsible for the violence were fascist thugs from outside these communities who had been brought there by "hidden hands". It is the duty and responsibility of the police and security forces to apprehend the thugs and to unmask the hidden hands and reveal their agenda. After all, our Malaysian Police Force pride themselves on being one of the best in this part of the world, having been trained by the British colonial power to handle the Emergency during the fifties. Note the speed with which they execute ISA operations and their alacrity in breaking up civil demonstrations of thousands! Racism against ethnic Indians The purposeful stereotyping of the Chinese and Indian Malaysians as the "immigrants who should know their place" as distinct from those defined as "bumiputeras" (princes of the soil) by the state and the Malay far-right is intended to justify "Malay dominance". Thus the "May 13 incident" has been frequently used as a deterrent to any challenge to the status quo, whether during a general election or simply a challenge to an unjust Umno policy. In recent years, a pattern has emerged in which ethnic Indians, who are a minority community in this country (of less than 10% of the total population) finding themselves the majority in official statistics on deaths in police custody and victims of police shootings. These shocking facts reflect the racist portrayal of the marginalised Indian community in the state institutions. Through the years, we have also witnessed many cases of racial slurs against ethnic Indians in the mainstream media and school textbooks. Even though biologically, there is no such basis for a category known as "race", the social construction of race is ever present in this country. Racism and racialisation came about during the period when the different communities were under the dominance of British colonialism. In the circumstances of that time, it suited the dominant group to legitimise dominance by a divide and rule strategy that viewed minorities as "non-indigenous" who required assimilation. This legacy of racism, which has been further institutionalised since independence, is not only evident in school textbooks but also in media discourse and everyday conversation. My writings on press coverage of ethnic affairs since the Eighties (eg. "Media Watch: The Use and Abuse of the Malaysian Press", SCAH 1990) have shown that ethnic minority groups tend to be reproduced in the Malay-language press in stereotypical, blatantly racist terms. Thus, minorities are associated with problems and conflict and then portrayed as a threat to the dominant Malay population. Topics tend to focus on "aliens", "them versus us", crime and cultural differences are interpreted negatively. The message is clear: "Immigrants must adapt or else…", "Indians must behave…" Today, this blatant racism has become second-nature to the Malay-language press and media watching is no longer an art in Malaysia! '1Malaysia' forces Umno to outsource racism State complicity is evident not only in the negligent role of the security forces but also in its tolerance of the far-right and their racist taunts. Fascism has a knack for appearing in capitalist crises. At the time when the racial violence happened at Kampung Medan in 2001, the so-called "Malay Action Front" provocatively waved the keris and pledged to defend "Malay ethnic supremacy". Such racist provocation and Umno's manipulation of Malay sentiments serve to ensure Umno's monopoly of political power and their ability to reap the fruits of Malay-centrism. In the process, such racist propaganda serves to divert the attention of the Malay poor from their real problems and the ruling elite responsible for them. Since the 2008 political tsunami and Umno's attempts to win back non-Malay support through such ploys as the "1Malaysia" slogan, it appears that Umno Youth's traditional role of racial breast-beating has been outsourced to the far-right groups. Umno soon learnt that the spectacle of "Kerishamudin" playing the Malay warrior at the 2006 Umno general assembly had cost them too many non-Malay votes in the 2008 general election. The Umnoputras, in their pursuit of political and economic power, are not interested in solving the social problems that have resulted from the neo-liberal and discriminatory policies which they have put in place. The far-right is there to ensure that the Malay working class and middle class are wooed by the "Malay-centrist" ideology in an effort to prevent them from joining the growing movement against the present unjust system. As has happened in the history of capitalism, fascists only offer racism and violence as a solution to people's desperation. Outlaw racism, racial discrimination and hate crimes "Hate crimes" are criminal acts committed as intimidation, threats, property damage, assault, murder or such other criminal offence. The negative impact of hate crimes on the greater community cannot be emphasised enough. In order to nip this tendency in the bud, "Incitement to racial hatred" needs to be made a criminal offence. Under the British Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 for example, publication of materials that incite racial hatred is an arrestable offence. These include deliberately provoking hatred against a racial group; distributing racist material to the public; making inflammatory public speeches; creating racist websites on the internet; inciting inflammatory rumours about an individual or ethnic group, in order to spread racial discontent. The UK Public Order Act 1986 defines racial hatred as "hatred against a group of persons defined by reference to colour, race, nationality or ethnic origins". Section 21 of the Act makes "incitement to racial hatred" an offence to publish or distribute material which is threatening or abusive or insulting if intended to stir up racial hatred…" In Malaysia, the proposed Equality Act and Equality and Human Rights Commission (see below) should likewise specifically deal with hate crimes and incitement to racial hatred. READ MORE HERE

Bar Council: Give us more evidence Posted: 18 Dec 2012 04:23 AM PST Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee has urged anyone with more facts and proof to come forward in regard to the 'Tan Sri lawyer' and son who have been accused of helping draft the SD2.  Teoh El Sen, FMT The Bar Council has expressed its concern over new developments that revealed that a senior lawyer and his son were allegedly behind the drafting of the second statutory declaration (SD2) by private investigator P Balasubramaniam. (The SD2 reversed the first statutory declaration which implicated Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in the murder of the Mongolioan national Altantuya Shaariibuu.) However, the Bar Council stopped short of declaring that it will immediately launch an investigation, saying that more facts and evidence are needed before the disciplinary board can act. "The Bar Council views these circumstances seriously and invites those who have the facts and evidence to come forward openly and officially and, if there is compelling evidence of any professional misconduct, to lodge such evidence together with a complaint immediately with the disciplinary board," its president Lim Chee Wee said. The disciplinary board is an independent body statutorily established and tasked with the responsibility of investigating professional conduct and disciplining of advocates and solicitors. Lim said that while investigation, if there is any, will be rightfully conducted by the disciplinary board, the Bar Council "[will] work together" with the board. "As it stands now, the facts are not clear. We look at what Deepak Jaikishan and Balasubramaniam have said: have they ever alleged that the lawyer represented the private investigator? We have to go through this with a forensic eye," he said Lim said that while the Bar is closely monitoring the situation, he lamented that until today, the identities of the said lawyer (s) have not been established, as a video recording of an interview with Deepak bleeped out the names. Unnecessary speculation "We have also received yesterday a letter from [lawyer-activist] Haris Ibrahim requesting the Bar Council to launch an investigation to identify the lawyer (s) concerned, when it appears to us that Haris may know the identity of these lawyers." "This has caused unnecessary speculation and confusion," he added. Lim also said that the most important person in a complaint against a legal practitioner should be the victim himself, but the apparent "victim" has yet to come forward. "Who is the victim here? Has the victim Balasubramaniam raised concerns about anything at this point? We need more facts, either from the victim or somebody else." "People must come forward with the facts. I'm not going on a fishing expedition… knocking on people's office or doors for facts. This is not a case of clients money disappearing. "This information is revealed by someone whose own background is cause for concern," said Lim, referring to Deepak. Asked if the Bar Council is reluctant to act, he said: "We cannot say we are not doing anything. Those with more facts, come forward. We will do what is necessary. Even at this time, we will look into this further if necessary," he said. Lim said the disciplinary board's job is to determine if there is cause for investigation, but this process will not be disclosed to the public and statements will only come from the Bar Council on the matter. READ MORE HERE

A-G’s Chambers freezes AES summons cases for now Posted: 17 Dec 2012 10:20 PM PST   (The Malaysian Insider) - The Attorney-General's Chambers (A-GC) has ordered a halt to all court proceedings related to summonses issued under the Automated Enforcement System (AES) to study legal issues that have been raised, it said today.   The A-GC statement came today after an outcry over the AES which has issued nearly 300,000 summonses since it began last September 23. "In view of the concerns made by certain quarters on the law and other technicalities, the AGC has decided to look into this matter and directed that all proceedings are to be withheld until the concerns have been addressed. "A decision will be made within the next few days on the above-mentioned issues," the AGC said in a statement today. The statement, however, added that the AES summonses issued by the Road Transport Department were still valid. "In respect of the four AES summons cases that have been discharged not amounting to an acquittal, the AGC will re-study them and will be re-registered if they warrant any prosecution," it added. The Malaysian Insider had reported this morning that Putrajaya was considering holding off the implementation of the system as it appeared to duplicate police speed traps along the highways. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/a-gs-chambers-freezes-aes-summons-cases-for-now/

More than one in three Malaysians to get cash handouts on January 15 Posted: 17 Dec 2012 10:17 PM PST   (The Malaysian Insider) - About 12 million Malaysians, or more than one in three citizens, will receive cash handouts from the government on January 15, in a major boost for barisan Nasional (BN) ahead of elections expected soon after that. Sin Chew Daily reported today that the estimated 12 million people will receive the cash through the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) and student aid schemes. BR1M recipients will get handouts of RM500, while RM100 will be given to students from Standard One to Form Five. Handouts worth RM250 will also be given out to those 21-year-old-and-above who are single and who earn less than RM2000 a month. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/more-than-one-in-three-malaysians-to-get-cash-handouts-on-january-15/

Ariffin’s remarks inaccurate, says PSC Posted: 17 Dec 2012 03:11 PM PST (The Star) - The Public Service Commission (PSC) has chided newly appointed DAP vice-chairman Dr Ariffin S.M. Omar for allegedly saying that corruption could be wiped out from the public service if it was not monopolised by one race. News portal AntaraPos.com quoted Dr Ariffin as proposing a massive reshuffle in the police and civil service if Pakatan Rakyat took control of Putrajaya in the coming general election. He was reported to have said at the recent party congress that corruption could be eradicated more effectively if the two sectors were not dominated by the Malays. PSC chairman Tan Sri Mahmood Adam brushed off Dr Ariffin's re-marks as "inaccurate". "Don't just look at the surface, this is a war of perception we have to fight," Mahmood said at the PSC office here yesterday. He said the commission had embarked on a campaign to encourage more non-Malays to join the civil service and the police force. "For about seven months, we have worked with various non-governmental organisations, as well as Chinese and Indian associations, and we have seen changes. "There has been an increase in the number of non-Malays (interested in the civil sector) this year, probably more than five times (the previous trend)," Mahmood said, adding that he would unveil the figures next week. He said the Malays made up the dominant group in the civil service because out of 1.2 million job applications received each year, 80% were from them.

No tussle in Sungai Siput, says PSM Posted: 17 Dec 2012 02:06 PM PST But the clenched fist logo stays, says secretary general Arutchelvan  K Pragalath, FMT Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has denied that it is tussling with PKR over the Sungai Siput parliament seat. Responding to a news report that a three-corner fight was in the making in the constituency, PSM secretary general S Arutchelvan released a press statement today saying there was no friction between said his party and PKR. The report, which FMT published yesterday, quoted a PKR insider as saying his party might field its own candidate for the seat because PSM was insisting on using its own logo in the campaign for the coming election. "On the ground, there is no real tussle," Arutchelvan said. "People want to see change and PSM is committed to that agenda." He added that PSM would support Pakatan Rakyat candidates in all seats except the four that it is contesting—Sungai Siput and the state constituencies of Jelapang in Perak and Kota Damansara and Semenyih in Selangor. "We hope that PR will not force three-corner fights for these seats," he said, adding that negotiations to avoid this were ongoing. The current MP for Sungai Siput is PSM's Dr D Michael Jeyakumar. He contested as a PKR candidate in 2008 and beat then MIC president S Samy Vellu. The PKR insider said yesterday that PSM's logo, which features a clenched left fist, would put off Malay voters. Arutchelvan rejected claims that voters would reject PSM because of its left-leaning ideology and defended the party's use of its logo in campaigning. He said PSM had been promoting the logo since its inception in 1998 even though it was registered only in 2008. "The fist is now a hit among the young people," he added. "PSM will agree to use a common Pakatan logo if there is one. If there is none, it should be only fair for PSM to use its own logo."

Bumburing and Jeffrey in face-off Posted: 17 Dec 2012 12:44 PM PST   (Free Malaysia Today) - STAR is being accused of splitting the Kadazan, Dusun, Murul (KDM) communities' votes in Sabah and handing BN a measure of confidence that it can prolong its hold. Two Kadazandusun opposition leaders here are going toe-to-toe over who has the more credible solution to what they claim is the great rip-off of Sabah and its people. Maverick Sabah politician Jeffrey Kitingan has taken a hard line on 'Malayan' parties and has accused opposition leaders of being turncoats no better than the all-dominating Barisan Nasional ruling coalition they are castigating for rejecting his Borneo agenda that focuses exclusively on the rights of Sabah and Sarawak. On the other side is Wilfred Bumburing, a MP who has turned independent and is leading Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), a opposition-friendly grouping that sees Jeffrey's brand of Borneo-centric politics as out of touch with reality. APS has not taken Jeffrey's State Reform Party (STAR) all-or-nothing, Sabah for Sabahans and accusations of pandering to 'Malayan' parties lightly in its battle to unite voters in the state under one opposition grouping. Using Jeffrey's own words against him, the APS publicity machine went to work to show how Sabah has always been ruled by the doctrine of divide and rule used by the Barisan Nasional and that the STAR leader's Borneo agenda was like minded. Making the case against Jeffrey, who on Sunday walloped rival Sabah opposition leaders as traitors, was APS information chief Lesaya Lopog Sorudim. Sorudim told FMT today that Kitingan was only making matters worse by not making common cause with the Malayan-based opposition to oust the Umno-led BN coalition. He said that by going its own route, STAR is disregarding the fact that it is also splitting the crucial votes of the Kadazan, Dusun, Murut (KDM) communities of Sabah and handing the BN a measure of confidence that it can prolong its hold on power through the coming general election. He said that contrary to what the STAR leader was saying, Bumburing's movement was established with the aim of restoring the dignity, sovereignty and independence of Sabah as a state within the Federation of Malaysia. "So when Bumburing held that the natives, especially the KDM community should reject STAR's strategy he was basing his opinion on facts," Sorudim said. Pakatan manifesto not Malaya Agenda Last week STAR deputy chairman Daniel John Jambun had lashed out at Bumburing for saying that the natives of Sabah should not pin their hopes on his party, calling it "patently mischievous, misconceived and misleading". Jambun added that "it should be condemned in no uncertain terms by all right-thinking Sabahans, deplored and exposed as the mother of all lies by a political has-been who shamelessly continues to be a stooge of the local proxies of the peninsular masters." Sorudim pointed out that there was nothing 'mischievous, misconceived or misleading' when Bumburing made the statement which he said was reflective of the sentiment of the majority of the natives. "Who would pin their hopes on an organisation that is bent on splitting the Sabah into five regions and moving the state capital from Kota Kinabalu to Keningau should they come to power," Sorudim said of a controversial statement made by Jeffrey which the later claimed was taken out of context.  Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/12/18/bumburing-and-jeffrey-in-face-off/

DAP on damage control Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:38 AM PST   (NST) - UPSET: Thrashing suffered by Malay candidates leaves Guan Eng red-faced GEORGE TOWN: RATTLED by criticisms of not living up to its self-proclaimed multiracial image, DAP went on the offensive yesterday with its secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng, denying his party was anti-Malay. He said DAP could not be labelled as such just because no Malay candidate had been elected to its central executive committee (CEC). Guan Eng spent almost an hour refuting such criticisms following the disastrous showing by Malay candidates at the party polls over the weekend. It was reported that all eight Malay candidates who contested lost and the party later appointed two of them, Senator Dr Ariffin S.M. Omar and Zairil Khir Johari, to the CEC. Guan Eng said the DAP could not be faulted for the outcome of the polls as the party could not control who the delegates choose. "We accept the results, but in terms of projecting DAP's multiracial image, an ideal situation would be to allow a few Malay candidates to be elected," he said. His father, party stalwart Lim Kit Siang, was also present but seemed more composed than his son, who was visibly upset throughout the press conference at the party headquarters here. The media was also not spared by Guan Eng, with national news agency Bernama bearing the brunt of his ire, mainly on its report that Johor DAP vice-chairman Ahmad Ton had not been given appreciation for his services to the party. On DAP loyalist Zulkefli Mohd Noor's comment that the losses suffered by the Malay candidates indicated that the party was not living up to its Malaysian Malaysia struggle, Guan Eng said he would let the former explain that statement himself. Zulkefli was one of the candidates who lost in the party polls. Kit Siang insisted that the DAP was a party for all Malaysians. "Of course, we admit we have our weaknesses and setbacks. "And for not a single Malay leader being elected, it is a setback. That was my immediate reaction, yesterday (Sunday), and it reflects my views and the views of the entire DAP leadership," he said. In Kuala Lumpur, Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu said the party would not interfere with DAP's internal matters. He said Kit Siang had talked about making the party multiracial and Pas would respect "their decisions". Mohamad said the decision to appoint Malay representatives in the CEC had shown DAP's ability to perform as a multiracial party. Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president N. Surendran expressed confidence that DAP Malay leaders would continue to support the party and its leadership despite not being elected into the CEC. "While some were disappointed with the results, they were still committed to the party's struggle," he said.

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