Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Toll Contracts
- Unreasonable Ban of “Allah” among non-Muslims
- The urgent issue of the deplorable state of the private sector stage bus operators in West ...
- Hindraf Blueprint Needs Amendment
- Can the Malays trust Anwar Ibrahim?
- Dispelling the LIES made by MP Kula Segaran (Free Malaysia Today, 05-02-2013)
- Sugumar: Political exploitation of a family's grief?
- The Philippines 'Crocodile'
- Anwar’s stance on Sabah’s autonomy wrong – Jeffrey
- The PM is Demeaning Himself
- It wasn’t a negotiation but an order
| Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:39 AM PST
Tony Pua It is an open secret that the 13th general election has been postponed multiple times because the Prime Minister Dato' Seri Najib Razak fears losing power to Pakatan Rakyat. However it is now clear that the other reason for continuously postponing the election is to ensure that he is able to dish out all the lucrative privatisation and procurement deals to favoured parties to commit any new incoming government to these contracts. Hence it came with little surprise that the Prime Minister's Department awarded a new RM1.55 billion East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE) concession via direct negotiation to Ahmad Zaki Resources Bhd (AZRB) on Wednesday this week. We would of course question the "privatisation" contract which involves the Government forking out RM635 million in soft loan to AZRB, despite the 50-year concession being the second longest awarded in Malaysia's history. The obvious question is, if the Government is already able to fork out nearly half of the required investment to build the highway, why is there a need to privatise it in the first place? Is it so that certain companies can bleed the rakyat for multi-billion ringgit profits in the future? However, of even greater concern is the urgency at which these contracts are being dished out by the Prime Minister's Department itself. Just 4 weeks ago, another record RM5.2 billion West Coast Expressway was finalised, giving the concessionaire Kumpulan Europlus up to 60 years to reap its profits, despite a RM2.24 billion soft loan as well as the land acquisition cost of RM980 million borne by the Government. Earlier last year, the Government also awarded a RM2.2 billion Kinrara Damansara Expressway (KIDEX) project to companies linked to UMNO lawyer Datuk Hafarizam Harun and recently retired Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi, who was also formerly UMNO's Discliplinary Committee Chairman. MRT Corp which oversees Malaysia's largest infrastructure project in history, announced in November last year that RM19.8 billion of contract works have been awarded, with 45% or RM8.82 billion going to "bumiputera" companies. Last week just before the festive break, another RM322 million worth of contracts were awarded. In August last year, Najib also awarded the controversial RM1.2 billion Ampang LRT Extension contract to water meter manufacturer George Kent Bhd. Despite having no experience in the rail industry, the local company with known links to the Prime Minister beat other experienced global players, including Balfour Beatty which submitted its tender at a significantly lower price. A month later, another RM1.33 billion contract was awarded to MRCB for other works on the same LRT line. The above are just a shortlist of the billions of ringgit of contracts and privatisation agreements which have been signed by the Government in the last 12 months alone. The rate at which these contracts are being dished out points to 2 things. Firstly, there is a never seen before urgency to award large contracts before the general elections, clearly out of fear that there is a real likelihood that Barisan Nasional will lose power, hence the "Sapu Malaysia" mentality. Secondly, in dishing out these lucrative contracts, it is certain that BN is also desperately raising funds from their cronies in return, to fight their "life and death" mother-of-all-elections to ensure its survival. There is hence no question that the possibility of a new Pakatan Rakyat federal government is very real. However, we will have to first overcome the dirtiest of all elections as BN will spare no expenses to "buy" victory in the polls with the massive war chest it would have raised.
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| Unreasonable Ban of “Allah” among non-Muslims Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:29 AM PST
Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Taoism & Sikhism (MCCBCHTS) released a proclamation on 5 February 2013, highlighting through the clauses in the Federal Constitution, proving that the ban of using the word "Allah", as proposed by the Selangor Islamic Religiuos Council (MAIS), is against the constitution, and urges the organisations to continue using the word "Allah". The Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia (YBAM) supports the proclamation made by MCCBCHTS.
Under the Malaysia Social Contract was drafted during the formation of the country, and the contract ensures that people and government understand their rights and responsibilities1. The Malaysia Social Contract was included in the Federal Constitution, where it is stated in article 3(1) that "Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation". In the Reid Commission Report, it was mentioned that "The religion of Malaysia shall be Islam. The observance of this principle shall not impose any disability on non-Muslim nationals professing and practising their own religion, and shall not imply that the State is not a secular State."
The drafted version of the constitution does not affect the continuance of the present position in the States concerning the recognition of Islam or to prevent the recognition of Islam in the Federation by legislation or otherwise in any respect which does not prejudice the non-Muslims in terms of their civil rights.
Majority of the members in the Reid Commission felt that it was best to leave the matter on this basis, as they were informed by the Counsel for the Ruler that Their Highness considered the point of view that they do in favour on the declaration of the suggestion of Islam to be the established religion of the Federation. However, Justice Abdul Hamid, a member of the Reid Commission from Pakistan disagreed and felt that since it is the unanimous suggestion from coalition parties, and hence it should be accepted.
Initially the Malay Rulers objected the addition of such insertion into the Federal Constitution, as the Counsel of the Ruler told them that if there is an official religion in the Federation, and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the Federation will also be the leader of the official religion, and this contradicts with the position of the State Rulers as the Religious leader in the states2. The coalition parties then explained that this was not to interfere with the position of the State Rulers as the Religious Leader in the states, but as for the Federal liturgical purposes. The explanation was accepted, and the Article 3(1) of the Federation Constitution stated that "Islam is the religion of the Federal", which the phrase "but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation" in the later stage.
In order to follow the revelation of the Rulers, the Article 3(2) states that "In every State other than States not having a Ruler the position of the Ruler as the Head of the religion of Islam in his State in the manner and to the extent acknowledged and declared by the Constitution, all rights, privileges, prerogatives and powers enjoyed by him as Head of that religion, are unaffected and unimpaired; ..." In order to ensure that the rights of non-Muslims are not affected, the phrase "Nothing in this Article derogates from any other provision of this Constitution" was added in Article 3(4). Hence, it can be seen that the addition of "Islam is the religion of the Federation" is for the liturgical purposes, and observance of this principle allows non-Muslims to have the freedom to practice other non-Islam religions3.
The religious freedom among the people is secured by the Article 11 of the Federal Constitution. It is also stated in Article 11(3) that each religion is also responsible for their own management of religious affairs, with the exception in Article 11(4) non-Muslims are restricted from the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam.
The use of "Allah" in the non-Muslim doctrines which is only circulated among non-Muslims, and not to propagate the doctrines to the Muslims, is permitted in the Federal Constitution. Hence, the act of MAIS to ban the use of word "Allah" is against the Federal Constitution and the Malaysia Social Contract.
The Federal Constitution is the supreme law of the Federation, and according to Article 4, any inconsistency with this Constitution is void. In other words, the ban ordered by MAIS is invalid.
Furthermore, looking from the perspective of the religious freedom and overlap between religions, the ban is extremely unreasonable, and would possibly lead to religious confusion. Among the religions, it is unavoidable to have certain overlaps and re-definitions in the respective doctrines. In addition to the word "Allah", other words, including "Moses" also appears in the Monotheism doctrines, and hence there is no reason to ban other religions the use of the word just because the word appears in one's doctrine.
When the Buddha propagated the Dharma, he had new definitions to the Vedas so as to let the devotees understand the truths. If the Buddha was banned to re-define the Veda, then the sentient beings would lose the chance to be enlightened from the Dharma. Also, when Buddhism was propagated to China, the Chinese folk beliefs absorbed the concepts of Buddhism leading to the fact that Buddhas and Boddhisattvas had become the objects for worship. Then, it would be unreasonable not to ask the Chinese not to worship the Buddhas and Boddhisattvas, as they belong to Buddhism.
Hence, YBAM holds the stand that the ban of word "Allah" in the religious doctrine is unreasonable and create confusion among religions.
1Report of the Federation of Malaya Constitutional Commission 1957, no. 169 p. 73. 2Report of the Federation of Malaya Constitutional Commission 1957, p. 100. 3Ahmad Ibrahim "the Position of Islam in the Constitution of Malaysia", in Mohd Suffian "The Constitution of Malaysia, its Development : 1957-1977" p.48-49
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| The urgent issue of the deplorable state of the private sector stage bus operators in West ... Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:07 AM PST
The dysfunctional stage bus industry and the affected public transportation system are the inevitable outcome of years of misguided forced amalgamation exercise and poorly executed transport policies, that have insidiously undermined a once vibrant private sector stage bus industry. Datuk Mohamad Ashfar Ali (President) Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association It is now common knowledge to industry players, regulators, and policy makers that the whole stage bus industry is in the doldrums despite massive amounts of public capital outlay and mounting public subsidy (see NST,04-01-2013, p9.81,82,'Prasarana plans RM6b sukuk to fund projects'). The dysfunctional stage bus industry and the affected public transportation system are the inevitable outcome of years of misguided forced amalgamation exercise and poorly executed transport policies, that have insidiously undermined a once vibrant private sector stage bus industry. PMBOA notes the existence of the following: (1) The lack of a level playing field between state-owned and government-linked companies (GLCs) such as Prasarana/Rapid and MARA, and the private sector operators; PMBOA feels that private sector stage bus operators have lost economic freedom due to a lack of a level playing field, the encroachment of its corridor from predatory public backed stage bus operators, and the arbitrary operational rules and regulations. The true cost of lost of economic freedom is not only slower economic growth but also poorer performance on social indicators such as health, poverty eradication, environmental protection, and loss of many productive hours due to traffic gridlock. The government can no longer feign ignorance of the decimation of the private sector stage bus operators, and the entailed economic, social and political costs. The private sector stage bus operators are under mounting financial and public pressures to its shareholders and the public commuters, respectively, to improve on its fare collection through the expansion of new buses so to provide world-class service to the public commuters. This comes down to a fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders and taxpayers, as well as the exercising of public trust (amanah) when utilizing public subsidy. As a positive step forward - which is to create a freer national economy that is better to achieve such progressive social goals than economies that rely more on government regulation and centralized control - PMBOA recommends the followings: (1) The riqht to exit from the staqe bus industrv bv private sector operators staqe bus. The private sector stage bus operators who do not or cannot continue to operate economically should be given the right to exit the stage bus industry. This must be accompanied by fair compensation to be paid by the government based on "the Melaka formula". The collective appeal for the right to compensation is not a form of veiled threat of economic boycott by the private sector stage bus operators, as it is undertaken on a case-by-case voluntary basis. lt no longer makes any business sense for the government to continuing bankrolling Rapid, MARA and other state-owned stage bus companies, to compete head-on with partially subsidized private sector stage bus operators. The end result is financial hemorrhaging for both set of players, and increasing the ire of taxpayers and voters in an election year; (2) The rationale of "the Melaka formula" "The Melaka formula" (adopted by the Melaka State Government when it recently acquired all private stage bus operations in the State of Melaka) is based on the market valuation of operational buses of the existing private sector stage bus operators + retrenchment compensation for all its employees + a lump sum payment to help the operator wind up its affairs. The government has over the last decade gradually expanded the network of Rapid nationwide unilaterally (from Kuala Lumpur to Penang and now Kuantan) for social and increasingly, political considerations, such as the recent BN campaign promise to introduce Rapid service to Kota Baru, once Kelantan is wrestled from the current PAS-led government and the announcement by the Prime Minister during the 2013 Budget that Rapid will be expanded to lpoh and Seremban. Since the intention of the government is abundantly clear that Rapid, (despite Rapid KL's operating cost of RM280 million against a bus revenue of RM180 million last year), is to nationalize the stage bus industry, then it is only fair to compensate the private sector stage bus operators who do not/or cannot continue to operate economically and want to cease operations. Failure to compensate private sector stage bus operators is tantamount to backdoor nationalization without compensation, which is another by-word for outright expropriation. (3) A level playing field For those private sector stage bus operators wanting to continue operating, there must be a restoration of the corridor system so that each well-demarcated corridor is served solely/jointly by Rapid and/or the private sector operators. Any form of fair and healthy competition is good for the consumers, the industry, and the national economy. There must be no favoritism in the allocation of corridor and all players must be genuine operators; no rent-seekers who operate on the pajak-system are to be allowed. PMBOA (founded in 1951) consists of responsible members that have operated for as long as three generations (some since the 1930's). Many of these privately owned stage bus companies have been owned and managed by a succession of capable individuals in the "can do" spirit of "Malaysia Boleh": they have steered their bus companies through the Great Depression of the 1920-30s, the Japanese Occupation 1941-45, the communist insurgency 1948-60, the tumultuous events of May 13, 1969, and the endless business cycle of boom and bust. PMBOA members have been speaking collectively and diffidently for a fair deal, whether to continue in the business on a level playing field, or to exit in an equitable and dignified manner. For a popularly elected government, and one that has undertaken the lslamization of the administration, its management of economic affairs must be based on the inclusive spirit of mushawarah (mutual consultation), and compassion. Mushawarah means greater transparency and inclusiveness for all stakeholders, big or small; compassion means compensating hardworking rakyat for their 'blood, sweat, and tears" justly, whether in a small and medium enterprise or a government-linked company. lt is the duty of any responsible government of the day to show that it is acting in good faith - after years of unilaterally and surreptitiously encroaching on the routes of the private sector stage bus operators by declaring it as a public policy to compensate those loss-making private sector stage bus operators that may decide to exit from the stage bus industry. It is not for PMBOA to submit a list of members/operators, who may plan to curtail their losses and exit from the industry, a priori to the declaration of a policy of compensation by the government. For doing so would again be misconstrued by public policy makers as another veiled threat by PMBOA members to mount a stoppage of an essential public service, and taken by publicly owned companies such as Rapid as a pretext to further expand their route coverage which is the case of Rapid's expansion to Kuantan and the announced expansion to Kota Baru, lpoh and Seremban. PMBOA's members deserve due recognition, in whatever and which-way they are being evaluated, for their contribution in nation-building, and as taxpaying corporate citizens. An amicable solution can only bring about greater accountability to public finance, an end to the sclerosis of the stage bus industry, and the promotion of greater economic freedom for all economic players, big or small, and the restoration of good faith in the government. PMBOA members have their legal right to demand for fair compensation if it is the government's intention through Rapid to take over the entire or partial stage bus industry, or any industry, that it deems of national interests. lt is about the right to the protection of individual and property right, which is the essence of liberal democracy, as much as living up to our shared Asian cultural value of repaying gratitude for those who have made sacrifices for the local community, the local economy, and the well-being of our nation.
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| Hindraf Blueprint Needs Amendment Posted: 14 Feb 2013 11:02 AM PST
SUARAM has also been approached to endorse Hindraf's blueprint. Now, while the blueprint has some good policy proposals, there are contradictions with its own professed "multi-ethnic paradigm" and human rights assertions. Consequently, Hindraf has neglected certain fundamental demands that we would have expected the movement to stress especially in the coming general election. Dr Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser I have all along been supportive of the Hindraf movement because I believe that Malaysian Indians are a marginalized minority and are victims of state racism, often resulting in their forming the majority in statistics on deaths in police custody and police shootings. The marginalized Indians in this country are a specially oppressed section of the working class - it is an oppression that has taken on a racist character through the years. SUARAM has also been approached to endorse Hindraf's blueprint. Now, while the blueprint has some good policy proposals, there are contradictions with its own professed "multi-ethnic paradigm" and human rights assertions. Consequently, Hindraf has neglected certain fundamental demands that we would have expected the movement to stress especially in the coming general election. Racism or more specifically, "Bumiputeraism" has been the dominant ideology of the UMNO ruling class ever since May 13, 1969. It has been practiced under the guise of the "New Economic Policy" and that racism has been covertly disseminated through state institutions such as the Biro TataNegara and other "bumiputeras only" institutions all these years. Thus, it is in the common interest of all communities at this 13th general election to call for an end to this institutional racism and Pakatan Rakyat must commit to this before they get our vote. In this day and age, affirmative action is not justifiable for any ethnic community which has undergone class differentiation. Thus, neither the Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazanmurut nor Iban communities can justify any affirmative action for their own community. The best non-racist approach to progress is still affirmative action based on class or sector. Thus, if the affirmative action is for the plantation poor, clearly the beneficiaries will be Malaysian Indians, and so on.
Eradicate Institutional Racism Despite their efforts in recent years highlighting the entrenchment of racial discrimination in the Constitution, I am surprised that the Hindraf Blueprint does not call for the abolition of the "New Economic Policy". Any corrective action in all economic and education policies must be based on need or sector or class and not on race with priority given to indigenous people, marginalised and poor communities. Since their blueprint extols human rights, Hindraf should put forward their demands for all minorities and not just the Indian community. Thus we find a gaping "disconnect" between Hindraf's noble challenge to racial discrimination entrenched in the Constitution and their "Indians Only" proposals in the blueprint. And to be consistent in their human rights stand, Hindraf should also call for: · the repeal of Amendment (8A) of Article 153 that was passed during the state of emergency in 1971 and was not in the original 1957 federal constitution; · institutionalizing means testing for any access to scholarships or other entitlements; · implementing merit-based recruitment in civil & armed services; · enacting an Equality Act to promote equality and non-discrimination irrespective of race, creed, religion, gender or disability with provision for an Equality & Human Rights Commission; · institutionalising equality and human rights education at all decision-making levels, including state and non-state actors/ institutions; · ratifying the Convention on the Eradication of Racial Discrimination (CERD).
Ministry of Minorities' Affairs Such a ministry is a good idea in a government that is committed to equality, justice and human rights. This point is not clear in Hindraf's blueprint. At the moment, the Hindraf leadership is even contemplating talking with BN leaders while voicing impatience with PR. Do they believe UMNO will commit to such reforms before the 13GE? If they can allow an "Orang Asli Department" and "Ministry of Women's Affairs", why should another cosmetic "Ministry of Minorities' Affairs" be a problem for them? And when they do, would Hindraf be prepared to accept a BN government? The crucial question is: Which is the priority for Hindraf? Do they prioritise the demands for reforms or the demand for a ministry post? If it is the latter, then it is out and out opportunism of the elites in the movement which should be condemned by all progressive Malaysians.
Does Hindraf Believe in Consultation? A critical principle in human rights and democracy is respect for others. The rights of minorities in any society mean just that – all minorities have rights and no minority group has more rights than others. That being the case, why does the Hindraf blueprint insist that the post of Minister of Minorities' Affairs HAS to be filled by Hindraf? Surely, all the minorities in the country have to get together and decide who should be nominated for such a post? This is called consultation. Hindraf must also work alongside other campaigns for justice, democracy and human rights. Besides "eradicating institutional racism", Malaysian civil society has at least nineteen other demands in the 13GE for the political parties to commit to. The point is, we can only mobilize all the people if we fight on all fronts, against all oppressions and against the divisions within the masses. As the Black Panthers said in the sixties: "We do not fight racism with racism…We fight racism with solidarity".
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| Can the Malays trust Anwar Ibrahim? Posted: 14 Feb 2013 10:52 AM PST
Muhyiddin Yasin
I don't think so. Anwar Ibrahim as the de facto leader of the opposition appears to be just another politician who continues to maneuver to ensure that his own ambition to be the Prime Minster of Malaysia is fulfilled.
Most in the Malay community felt sorry for him during his incarceration in 1998 when he ambitiously tried to overthrow Dr Mahathir Mohammed similar to how he had toppled Tun Ghafar Baba for the Deputy President post in UMNO with his American style campaign within the UMNO faction. The rest is of course history. Although the Malays were split during the 1999 election he realized that without the support of the Non Malay it would be an uphill task to bring a strong and viable opposition and the platform fell on his lap in GE12 with the rise of HINDRAF where his loosely held coalition was able to win over 5 states in Malaysia.
Thereafter he proved to be truly the chameleon extraordinaire in enticing the public especially the Non Malays with his moderate and liberal stance with chauvinist DAP and Islamic based PAS as and when it was convenient.
Today the anchoring chauvinists DAP (different from the yesteryear DAP) with a hate agenda against the Malays and the ever condescending PAS are ready to twist and turn to fulfill the ugly political aim of Anwar and their own without any actual solutions for Malaysians.
The latest series of conflicting issues such as the Syura Council issue within PAS, the reluctance to accept the Borneo based parties as part of the coalition and the latest in the series being HINDRAF with the blueprint to uplift fellow Malaysian seems to be not one that concerns the public in general but rather how the public will be able to fulfill the ambition of Anwar Ibrahim.
I have nothing personal against Anwar Ibrahim as a Malay leader, but as a leader he should be assertive without political suaveness if he is principled enough to stand for any Malaysian besides being there for typical rhetoric when the situation warrants for situation like what BORNEO & HINDRAF seeks for the well being of the community.
The Malay population is now savvier in their approach with their inclusiveness as Malaysians when the real cause for fellow Malaysians is there rather than running a political agenda divided and decided with hate mongering agenda based on political survival like what the opposition is doing.
The slogan, the grandeur is not relevant as Malays are intelligent enough to understand when political objectives defeat its purpose for fellow Malaysians and their cause.
So Anwar, how can the Malays trust you when you wink and wank as and when it suits you like with the issue with the BORNEO states and HINDRAF?
Muhyiddin Yasin, P.S. not the bodoh punya Melayu TPM
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| Dispelling the LIES made by MP Kula Segaran (Free Malaysia Today, 05-02-2013) Posted: 13 Feb 2013 09:34 AM PST
Here we have listed out the seven promises that were made and met by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Barisan Nasional and MIC for the Indian community since the last election. More efforts are being undertaken to improve on the current initiatives. Team Nambikei In a statement to the press, Opposition MP M Kula Segaran said, "MIC promised equitable participation in the share market, increased Indian intake at public universities, better employment opportunities, increase in the number of government scholarships, greater access to entrepreneurship training and micro-credit loans, an effective urban poverty eradication programme, and the establishment of a dedicated mechanism to monitor and evaluate the delivery of public sector services in a just and fair manner." He added that MIC and BN have not fulfilled these seven promises made to the Indian community prior to the last general election. That these statement are baseless are undeniable. Here we have listed out the seven promises that were made and met by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, Barisan Nasional and MIC for the Indian community since the last election. More efforts are being undertaken to improve on the current initiatives. The question remains on the efforts being undertaken by Pakatan controlled state Governments. What are they doing for these 7 sectors? Promise No.1: Equitable participation in the share market. The efforts were undertaken when shares worth almost RM2 Billion reserved for the Indians through Amanah Saham Malaysia & Amanah Saham 1Malaysia was fully subscribed. Skim Amanah Rakyat 1Malaysia (SARA) has an allocation of 15% shares only for Indians earning between RM500 and RM3000 per month. A total of 5,703 The Indians have become investors SARA 1Malaysia up to now. Promise No.2: Increased Indian intake at public universities. The number of matriculation seats which was initially limited to 509 for Indian students has been increased to 1509 seats after Najib took office. The PM has also expanded the Special Units under the Cabinet Committee for the Indian Community to ensure the increase Indian intake at public university. Promise No.3: Better employment opportunities RM50 million has been allocated in the 2013 budget to train 3,200 students from the estates. The training would be for skills that are in demand in order to help increase employment opportunities. More efforts are being undertaken in private partnership and in the civil service sector itself. The appointment of Datuk R. Segarajah as the deputy chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC), the number 2 position in one of the most important arm of the civil service is expected to open a new gateway for the Indian community to enter the civil service and put to an end arguments on the declining intake of Indians into the public sector. Promise No.4: Increase the number of government scholarships 100 Indian students with a first class honours and above were given a full scholarship to do their Masters and PhD studies starting in 2012. Besides that, 175 Indian students who excelled in SPM were provided a grant of RM15, 000 each by 1MDB since 2010. Promise No.5: Greater access to entrepreneurship training and micro-credit loans A special allocation in term of business loans in total of RM150 million was tabled specifically for Indian SME entrepreneurs through the Endowment Fund of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). Furthermore, RM30 million was allocated to finance loans to Indian entrepreneurs by TEKUN Indian Community Entrepreneur Development Scheme. An additional RM50 million for SPUMI was allocated in the 2013 budget. In addition to that, AIM has allowed RM100 million allocation for micro-credit loans to Indian entrepreneurs and the '1 Malaysia Entrepreneurship Development Programme' has been in place since March 2011 to increase revenues and grow the business entrepreneurs of Indian society. Under the stewardship of Suria Cooperative, 2 programmes called ATOM and TUKAR was carried out. The programme called ATOM (Automotive Workshop Modernisation) was adopted to assist in the transformation of automotive workshops, specifically to Indian owned workshops around Malaysia. As for TUKAR (Sundry Shop modernization), was adopted to assist in the transformation of sundry shops to a more modern with up to date inventory and stock keeping advisory. This help is extended to Indian owners who have trouble getting loans because of not having a systematic financial management, as well as being blacklisted by the banks. Promise No.6: Effective urban poverty eradication programme In efforts to helping the needy and the poor, the KAR1SMA Children programme was incorporated. Since 2009, 70,648 Indian children have benefited from the fund KAR1SMA Children and a total of RM85, 817.292 were spent by the federal government for this program. Under the KAR1SMA OKU programme, 17957 benefitted from total of RM47, 960, 850 since 2009. Through the Kebajikan Warga Emas, 34220 Indian senior citizens have benefitted from total of RM83,939,950 since 2009. In addition to these programmes, other government subsidies such as the Klinik 1Malaysia, Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia and so on have managed to ease some of the burdens of the Indian community in terms of healthcare, daily provisions and medication. Even Institute Jantung Negara, which subsidizes the cost of cardiac surgeries for the poor has aided many Indians who have been suffering from heart problems. And for small business owners, the '1 Malaysia Entrepreneurship Development Programme' has been in place since March 2011 to increase revenues and grow the business entrepreneurs of Indian society. Furthermore, The Special Secretariat for Empowerment of Indian Entrepreneurs (SEED) was established to coordinate, facilitate and monitor the loan applied by Indian Entrepreneurs for funding small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and community development scheme Indian (SPUMI) which RM180 million is reserved for the Indians Promise No.7: Establishment of a dedicated mechanism to monitor and evaluate the delivery of public sector services in a just and fair manner Special Implementation Taskforce (SITF), Cabinet Committee on the Indian Community, Prime Minister's Department was established in June 2010 to monitor and strengthen delivery and implementation of public sector services and programs. MyDaftar was one of the succesfull programs carried out with the partnership of National Registration Department in overcoming stateless Indian issue in Malaysia.
The Special Secretariat for Empowerment of Indian Entrepreneurs (SEED) was established to coordinate, facilitate and monitor the loan applied by Indian Entrepreneurs for funding small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and community development scheme Indian (SPUMI) which RM180 million is reserved for the Indians .[ http://www.seed.org.my ] Action Plan for Future of Tamil Schools was formed officially on May 2012 with the appointment of Prof Dr. N. S. Rajendran as the coordinator. The role of this action plan committee was to produce a comprehensive blueprint for the total and continuous development of Tamil Schools in Malaysia. [http://www.tamilschooledu.org.my/ ]
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| Sugumar: Political exploitation of a family's grief? Posted: 13 Feb 2013 09:26 AM PST
Ranesa Jegatheesa The sudden retraction by Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand to do a second post-mortem on C.Sugumar is a slap in the face of people like N. Surendran of PKR. These are the people who have come to premature conclusions as to the cause of death and then make allegations. Dr Pornthip had agreed to take on the task but made an abrupt about-turn immediately afterwards, citing personal reasons. Sugumar had died after he ran amok in Taman Sri Nanding in Hulu Langat on 23 Jan. Some quarters have since alleged that the police had beaten him up. PM Najib then ordered a forensic report be submited to the Cabinet. Dr Pornthip, a high profile pathologist, must have made some preliminary inquiries before declining the brief. Could she have concluded that she did not wish to be embroiled in a political blame game? And could she have concluded that Malaysians are up to the task of doing a professional job themselves? Let's wait and see. Until then, will Surendran and his cohorts please stop capitalising on a family's grief?
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| Posted: 12 Feb 2013 06:47 PM PST
Fifty years later, it's clear that it's Malaya which turned out to be the real crocodile, and a big one too, in the region. The sovereignty of Sabah rests with its people, not in Putrajaya, Manila, Sulu, Brunei or elsewhere. Joe Fernandez There's a comment in Malaysia Today that if Sabah opts for freedom, the Philippines is waiting (meaning to swallow Sabah). |
| Anwar’s stance on Sabah’s autonomy wrong – Jeffrey Posted: 12 Feb 2013 06:41 PM PST
Let's be very clear about the fact that in the case of Sabah and Sarawak, the central government, the Malayan political parties, nor the state political parties decide or determine autonomy. This is because autonomy for Sabah and Sarawak has already been decided and determined by the various documents.
Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan
The stand expressed by PKR advisor, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, on the matter of Sabah's autonomy within Malaysia is totally wrong, said Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan.
The STAR Sabah chairman said this in response to Anwar's statement yesterday in which he said, "Autonomy is politically adopted. And who can decide to give autonomy? It is the federal government. Not a local based party… Hence, the suggestion that a local-based party would determine autonomy is not true."
Jeffrey said he was taken aback that a former federal leader such as Anwar would still be so ignorant about the roots and meaning of Sabah's autonomy in the federation.
"His statement on the matter is clearly misplaced, incorrect and shows he doesn't know what he is talking about," said Jeffrey. "He deliberately ignores the agreements and the assurances made by the founding fathers of Malaysia.
"The issue of autonomy for Sabah and Sarawak is not a matter of federal policies as indicated by Anwar but a special condition agreed to at the time of the formation of Malaysia. This is specifically spelt out in the 20 Points, the IGC Report, as well as under Article 8 of the Malaysia Agreement!" Jeffrey pointed out.
Jeffrey also regretted that Anwar could still have such an attitude with regard to Sabah and Sarawak, which clearly shows his old Malay supremacy mentality and attitude towards the East Malaysian states.
"Let's be very clear about the fact that in the case of Sabah and Sarawak, the central government, the Malayan political parties, nor the state political parties decide or determine autonomy. This is because autonomy for Sabah and Sarawak has already been decided and determined by the various documents.
"In view of this historical fact any argument about the definition of autonomy is irrelevant, because what is required now is simply compliance and implementation, and this is what STAR is fighting for.
And in response to PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, Jeffrey said Azmin is confirming Anwar's refusal to understand Sabah's crying need for rights and autonomy which are promised in the highest forms of documents, and that PKR is still in denial mode about historical facts.
"With this attitude I don't see how PKR will ever be different from Umno if PR takes over the federal government," Jeffrey said. "It will always look down on Sabah and will never appreciate our feeling that we are really being colonized by Malaya."
He told Azmin that STAR had long given up any hope of negotiating with PKR mostly because PKR takes on the role of decider in the whole negotiation process, treating local parties as subservient to it. Jeffrey explained that because of this STAR has already decided to go on its own in the coming election, to contest the majority of the parliamentary and state seats. "If we were to depend on PKR or PR to give us seats, we would end up with only about four of five state seats," he said. "Under such a scenario, we might as well close shop!
"Azmin needs to understand the local sentiments of Sabahans who are now very much educated in the genesis of Malaysia. They now know that when we formed the federation the Tunku promised in no uncertain terms that we will be an equal partner with Malaya and Sarawak. This meant we were not supposed to be subservient to Malaya in any way. But by what PKR is trying to do it wants to perpetuate our subservience to a Malayan lord by wanting to control local parties. By the look of it PKR will be our overlord if PR takes over the federal government, just like Umno is the overlord to all today.
"With this arrangement there will never be any new deal for Sabah, no increased rights and no wider autonomy. That is why I have always believed that local parties need to unite under the United Borneo Front (UBF) so that with enough seats won, we will be able to make our own decisions because we will have enough strength to force the federal government to respond positively to our demands.
"At this moment what we want to hear from Anwar is whether under his government he would be willing to sit down and review the Malaysian Agreement and to comply with all the assurances agreed to prior to Sept 16, 1963, including the possibility of drafting and passing a new constitution of Malaysia," Jeffrey said. "If Anwar is not willing to do these, he is not really interested in real reform but only in capturing Putrajaya.
"A reform for Sabah, including good governance, would only be beneficial to Sabah if it was under Sabah's own leadership which will not repeat the mistakes of the past or continue to let Sabahans be fooled by Malayan political propaganda," Jeffrey said.
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| Posted: 12 Feb 2013 06:27 PM PST
One really wonders why his advisers did not pay attention to detail. And why they did not caution him that performing in this advertisement might bring him lower in public esteem. Kee Thuan Chye It looks like Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional (BN) chief Najib Razak has outdone himself at self-debasement. His appearance in the now much-talked-about Chinese New Year advertisement has not only shown his desperation to win Chinese votes in the soon-to-be-held general election; it has also elicited responses from viewers full of derision and contempt. I showed it to someone who is non-partisan, sensible, well-educated and who exercises good judgment, and these were her reactions as she watched it: "Hak sei ngor! (Shocking)" ... "Unheard of" ... "Eeyer! Geli! (Makes my skin crawl)" … "Trying too hard". Her remarks are uncannily similar to those that have been expressed on Facebook by many other Malaysians. In the advertisement, as Chinese New Year preparations are under way, a little girl brings out a small drum to play. A figure suddenly appears. To instil a sense of mystery, the video shows only his legs. He asks the girl, "Do you know how to beat a drum?" Then we see the man for the first time, but only the lower part of his face. Najib's famous pink lips and moustache are instantly recognisable! It is at the recognition of Najib that my friend gasped, "Hak sei ngor!" The girl gives Najib her drum. But why? We don't know. Going by her question, wasn't he supposed to show her how to beat a drum? The scene changes, and the lyrical background music gives way to drum beats. We then see a close-up of a pair of hands beating a large Chinese drum with sticks. A lion's head appears. The girl gasps. Firecrackers are set off. A lion dance is on. More drummers join in. A crowd watches the dance with awe. But after a while, their expressions change to curiosity. One or two crane their necks to get a better view of the drummers. More firecrackers explode. Then an elderly man lets out a cry of surprise. No wonder! The drummer is revealed in full glory. It is – lo and behold! – none other than Najib! Wearing a red Chinese costume, Najib beats the drum once, twice, then flings both arms out like an eagle to signify the end of the performance with a cry of "Hah!". At this point, my friend exclaimed, "Eeyer! Geli!" The smiling crowd applauds. More firecrackers explode. Next we see the girl whispering something in Najib's ear. A smiling Najib says something back to her. This is followed by a shot of a Chinese word on a piece of red paper and then of Najib, hands clasped together, wishing everyone, "Gong Xi Fa Cai." My friend had a good laugh. "He's trying too hard," she remarked. On Facebook, those who know Chinese criticised the writing of the Chinese word and pointed out it should have instead been written as "吉", with the upper horizontal line being longer than the bottom one. In the advertisement, it is rendered the other way around, which apparently connotes bad luck. And since the word denotes an approximation of "Jib", which Najib has come to adopt as his Chinese name (Ah Jib), it doesn't forebode well for him. One really wonders why his advisers did not pay attention to detail. And why they did not caution him that performing in this advertisement might bring him lower in public esteem. To be sure, there were some Netizens who expressed appreciation for the advertisement and his role in it, but far more were full of ridicule. "Oh, gosh! This ad actually made my mind go blank for a good five minutes … that's before I burst into laughter. Stupidest ad ever!" wrote one. And this was among the milder ones. On Najib's performance, many said it was "lawak" (clownish). One called him "an absolute clown", another called him "Maharaja lawak" (king of clowns). A kinder critic wrote, "We do not need a PM who can play drums, we need a PM who can stop corruption." In almost the same vein: "Dear PM, we would like to see you spend more time managing the country rather than carry out a PR exercise like this." And of course, some demanded to know how much of the people's money was spent on this "desperate act by a desperate PM". Also, because the advertisement endorsed the burning of firecrackers, which is actually banned in Malaysia, one Netizen summed up the sentiment surrounding this issue by commenting, "Sejak bila kaum Tiong Hua dibenarkan membakar mercun? Janji tidak ditepati!" (Since when has the Chinese community been allowed to burn firecrackers? Promise unfulfilled!) A most telling comment was the one that echoed my friend's: "Aiyer … geli!" And the one that sought to predict the near future: "Hahahaha … jawatan baru lepas kalah PRU13 … Ketua Ketuk Gendang Tarian Singa!" (Hahahaha … new job after losing GE13 … Head Lion Dance Drummer!) Najib's public relations advisers have truly mucked up. Strategies such as putting out this advertisement to try and win votes can, in fact, have the reverse effect. They annoy people. It's the same with the letters, postcards, SMSes that BN has been sending out wishing people Happy Chinese New Year or Happy Birthday or greeting them during other festivals. It freaks people out that BN is privy to their private particulars, like their birthdate or their mobile phone number. The recent Chinese New Year letter is accompanied by ang-pow packets with Najib's face on them. What a waste of money printing them! Who is going to use ang-pow packets with his face on them? For some Chinese, it could mean bad luck! Normally, ang-pow packets carry symbols of happiness, luck, prosperity or the image of the animal of that year. Never the face of a person. A person steeped in Chinese culture said to me, "Even Mao Zedong never had his face on a red packet!" Obviously, Najib's advisers are not well-versed in Chinese culture. They were also not smart in getting the Korean K-Pop sensation Psy to perform his 'Oppa Gangnam Style' number at the BN Open House in Penang on the second day of Chinese New Year. Obviously, the event was meant to attract a mammoth crowd so that BN could boast that it and Najib had the support of Penangites. But as it turned out, most of the people who went for it were not there for Najib but for Psy. And once Psy's performance was over, many left in droves. That took the thunder away from Najib. More than that, cynical questions were raised about the astronomical cost of bringing Psy in for such a brief performance. Even though the organisers said that a private sponsor underwrote it, the gesture showed a penchant for extravagance that starkly contrasted the difficult economic times, especially for common Malaysians coping with the rising prices of essential goods. As for winning votes, one doubts Penangites would be fooled into siding BN just because it brought Psy in to perform for them. However BN may underestimate their intelligence, Penangites are not stupid. Sure enough, just before Psy was about to appear, Najib asked the crowd three times, "Are you ready for Psy?" and each time the crowd shouted, "Yes!" But when he followed that with the ill-advised question, "Are you ready for BN?", the crowd replied with a resounding "No!" And he foolishly asked it three times as well, each time getting the same negative reply. Frankly, he looked stupid. So much for Malaysia's prime minister. One Netizen summed it up aptly on Facebook: "The irony for BN is they spent close to RM3,000,000 for a publicity stunt that backfired, and it became a people's forum to say NO to BN." In his desperation to ensure victory for BN at the coming general election – and especially the two-thirds majority that he may need in order to keep his job – is Najib aware that he is losing his self-respect? Well, the way he's been going around begging the people to keep BN in power for another term; the lack of confidence he exhibited when he said on Jan 5 that he hoped he would still be prime minister to have the opportunity to open KLIA2 on June 28; the cash handouts he's been throwing out to win the people's favour; and now the Chinese New Year advertisement and Psy circus, he seems willing to do anything to attain his desperate goal. Even if it means losing his dignity. Perhaps he thinks that if he keeps doing it, people will kesian (pity) him and give him sympathy votes. But any way you look at it, that's really pathetic. Especially for the person who holds the nation's highest office. What he needs to understand is that people will not respect him if he doesn't respect himself. And without respect, he has no business being PM. * Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the bestselling book No More Bullshit, Please, We're All Malaysians, and the latest volume, Ask for No Bullshit, Get Some More!
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| It wasn’t a negotiation but an order Posted: 12 Feb 2013 06:11 PM PST
The administration of Sabah State must be by Sabahans without a push button. If Kelantan, Selangor and Penang (opposition-held States) can administer their own states then we ought to be asking ourselves why can't we? Hj Amde Sidik, Deputy President of SAPP When PKR - Azmin Ali and Tian Chua - said the door is closed to SAPP and no more talks, it was a kind of ultimatum not to even come close to Pakatan Rakyat (PR). Its a surprise such quick finishing for some people was followed up later by the usual statement that SAPP is unreasonable if not stubborn. SAPP has been deliberately responding only mildly or merely mimed unfriendly statements made in the media by fellow oppositions in the past few weeks. The idea behind the silence was to avoid giving conflicting signals to Sabah's voters. SAPP leaders have been accused of being arrogant and uncooperative lots but those who have been following the struggle of the party are unlikely to be perturbed by such remarks. At the same time, SAPP leaders have been going left to right all along for the purpose of seeking ways to consolidate teamwork with other oppositions, both PKR and Star, while firmly maintaining the principle of the struggle for Sabah Autonomy with reference to the Malaysian Agreement signed in 1963. SAPP believes this is the opportune time for Sabahans to change the government which has been ruling the State for the past 50 years resulting in massive abuse of state resources, in particular in land. The administration of Sabah State must be by Sabahans without a push button. If Kelantan, Selangor and Penang (opposition-held States) can administer their own states then we ought to be asking ourselves why can't we? Only yesterday, PKR advisor Anwar Ibrahim said talks are still open, meaning SAPP and PR can still talk about party seats allocation. Does it mean that the duo (Azmin Ali and Tian Chua) made a mistake in closing the door too soon? Earlier, SAPP Youth Chief Edward Dagul asked PR leaders to spell out how many seats do they (Pakatan) want SAPP to field in the forthcoming GE? The idea behind the question was so that we could respond quickly as we have in fact a ready line-up. Our planning had been in place more than three years ago, long before any other opposition party announced or even existed. SAPP has been making statement after statement about fielding simple majority seats. SAPP would field where we have candidates and infrastructure ready. Two days later, Azmin Ali and Tian Chua came out with the mathematics. They said 60 divided by 6; that means Party Keadilan will take 10, PPPS 10, APS 10, DAP10, PAS 10 and SAPP 10. There is no consideration on allocation of seats for Star, another opposition Borneo-based political party. Now let's see, if this number is agreeable to the people of Sabah, when SAPP has been talking all along about State Autonomy, would this mathematical arrangement make sense to SAPP supporters? Let me recall my little experience watching this roller coaster kind of decision-making. Sarawak is the case in hand, negotiations between Sarawak National Party SNAP and PR during the Sarawak State General Election of 2011. I was SAPP's representative to observe SNAP and Pakatan negotiations. SNAP was proposing to field 27 seats mainly at the Iban majority area but was rejected by the same PR Chief negotiator, Azmin Ali. Instead, SNAPP was offered only 3 seats and later revised to 4 seats of 71 the total number of seats in Sarawak DUN. Now just think about it. Negotiation failed. The result of the State General Election SNAP lost very badly of 27 candidates fielded, and PKR who fielded 49 won only 3. Baru Bian designated to be Chief Minister won only by a whisker in Bekakalan DUN. The SNAP disaster was due to lack of preparations and no machineries as the party was just reactivated after a long absence. The onslaught from all corners was unbearable to them. SAPP has to be on safeguard all the time not to fall into this trap again where it isn't really a negotiation but rather an order, whether you're in or you're out. Sabahans have been informed of SAPP's eight point declarations and autonomy is the threshold of the party struggle, which is not exchangeable with anything less.
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