Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

---

• Water war spills onto Selangor streets
• Dispelling the LIES made by MP Kula Segaran (Free Malaysia Today, 05-02-2013)
• Indians in a spot in any Islamic Revolution after 13th GE
• Sugumar: Political exploitation of a family's grief?
• Mounting anger
• MACC chief: Blame the purchasing system
• The problem with self-hypnosis
• Sabah shows way in religious harmony
• 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
• Having Faith in Malaysians
• Hindraf-Pakatan courtship souring
• The kingmakers of Borneo
• Courtesy, decorum and Psy
• Not all said ‘no’ to PM, says Penang BN of open house jeers
• Ulama Kelantan dakwa undi PAS haram
• Anwar’s ‘Huguan Siou’ debacle draws flak
• Mandela Vs Mahathir - Statesman & Man of Distaste
• Indian capacity to ‘create trouble’ endless
• Red faces after Psy’s no-show for yee sang tossing (Video)
• More Penang voters sitting on the fence
• Gerakan: DAP peddling hate politics
• Najib and Rosmah must respond to Deepak
• Deepak’s Open Letter to Dr Mahathir
• Deepak wants Najib out, Muhyiddin in
• Deepak immunity: One month for AG to respond

Water war spills onto Selangor streets Posted: 13 Feb 2013 09:49 AM PST   (The Star) - The "water war" between Syabas and the Selangor Government has been dragged onto the streets with booklets containing point-by-point rebuttals of the state leaders' explanation being distributed. Titled Selangor Water Crisis! – Don't Get Misled – Get The Facts, but without attribution to any source, the eight-page A4-sized coloured booklet were seen in several public areas. Syabas corporate communication and public affairs general manager Priscilla Alfred denied that the water company was behind the booklet. Several prominent figures in Selangor were named in the booklet, which rebutted 15 allegations over the unscheduled water supply disruption in the Klang Valley due to the failure of the Wangsa Maju pumping station. The massive disruption reportedly affected about 500,000 people in Gombak and Kuala Lumpur when the pumphouse broke down on Dec 29 and again on Jan 1, prompting Syabas to make remedial works and declaring the crisis over by Jan 18. Two days later, Syabas placed full-page advertisements in major newspapers to rebut Selangor's claims over the water crisis. Those named in the booklet were Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, state executive councillor Xavier Jayakumar, Ampang MP Zuraidah Kamaruddin and Teratai assemblywoman Janice Lee. Priscilla said: "We will be placing several more advertorials next week." She said the distribution of the booklet was not an isolated incident. "We were alerted that two-page flyers with similar wordings were also being distributed. "We believe some of the materials were taken from our earlier advertorial." In SHAH ALAM, Khalid said the state government had decided on the amount it would offer to buy over Syabas' water assets. He, however, declined to give details on the offer, expected to be made public next week. Khalid said he would ask the central government to speed up the process. "I have written to Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui about the state's intention to restructure the state water industry but there has been no reply," Khalid said. "Therefore, I will inform him again because this is not a normal takeover. It involves three parties (Syabas, the Federal Government and the state)," Khalid said after chairing the state exco meeting yesterday. In 2009, the state government made a bid of RM5.7bil but was rejected by water concessionaries. A subsequent offer of RM9.2bil was made last year and rejected byPuncak Niaga and Syabas. Meanwhile, Khalid said a meeting among Pakatan Rakyat leaders this week would discuss the dissolution of the Selangor legislative assembly. The Mentri Besar had earlier said the state assembly would be dissolved after Chap Goh Mei, which falls on Feb 24, even if the Federal Government had still not called for elections.

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 [http://www.nambikei.com/2013/02/dispelling-the-lies-made-by-mp-kula-segaran-free-malaysia-today-05-02-2013/] 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/ ]

Indians in a spot in any Islamic Revolution after 13th GE Posted: 13 Feb 2013 09:28 AM PST   If the Malays want to divide themselves politically it's not the Dap's business. The Dap should focus on the 45 per cent strong non-Malay minorities and forget the 55 per cent strong Malay majority. Let the Malays settle their politics on their own. Joe Fernandez  Given the looming 13th General Election, the minority Indian Nation in Malaysia must keep in mind the tragic fate of the Christian minorities in the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring -- valid as its other reasons are -- which chose to ignore the fact that the only majority that matters is that in the legislature, not in demography. And that dialogue, not necessarily to agree, is the best way forward politically in any civilised nation wedded to democracy, human rights and freedom. Consider the fact that Obama, a Black American, became US President. The Blacks number only ten per cent of the US population. In Iraq, Washington put the "Shite majority in power" after invading the country and hanging Saddam Hussein, a Sunni. The Christians, who supported Saddam, continue to suffer i.e. if they had not already fled the country. The so-called Sunni-Shite divide is a creation of the West obsessed with Islamic terrorism and a militant Islam. If Muslims are busy killing each other, the West feels safe, albeit for the moment. They don't want to think too far beyond their noses. In Syria, the West is arming the Sunni majority to seize power by force. The Christians, who chose to back the Alawite minority led by President Assad, continue to suffer at the hands of the so-called Syrian Free Army and flood into the refugee camps. In Mali, in a hypocritical about-turn, the West led by France took military action to reverse the forcible seizure of power by Islamists in the country's north. I hope that I don't have to write an "I told you so" comment piece on the Indians after the 13th General Election. It's pointless for any Indian to talk to Barisan Nasional (BN) or Pakatan Rakyat (PR). Why is PR reluctant to endorse the Hindraf Makkal Sakthi Plan for Indians? The lack of sincerity on the part of PR is all too obvious. De Facto Chief PKR Anwar Ibrahim has never been known to say what he means and mean what he says. Granted that Anwar can deliver a good speech and like Pas draw Malay votes away from Umno but that's about all that he's good for. He has been a notable failure in Government. Every Ministry this Pass Degree in Malay Studies graduate led has been a failure, from Agriculture and Education to Finance, the last the most spectacular in the wake of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. God help Malaysia if Anwar, the least qualified ever, becomes Prime Minister. We would need a Revolution to drive him out from power. Anwar continues to remain a court jester of sorts who has carried his act too far this time and, being too full of himself, is in great danger of getting carried by it. Mahathir Mohamad once shamelessly rode on the ignoramus Anwar's sham Islamisation. Pas is now doing the same thing with Dap in tow for the sake of tasting power. Dap is riding a tiger (Anwar/Pas) which will return with it inside and the smile on the face of the animal. Logically, the Dap should reach out to the Indians and other minorities, instead of banking on PKR and Pas so much, but it has failed to do this. The Chinese can only weaken themselves politically by not capitalising on the one million strong Indian votebank. If the Malays want to divide themselves politically it's not the Dap's business. The Dap should focus on the 45 per cent strong non-Malay minorities and forget the 55 per cent strong Malay majority. Let the Malays settle their politics on their own. Meanwhile, there's some talk that Dap is engaged in secret talks with Umno to form a coalition Government, good for five years only, after the 13th GE. It won't be a two-third majority Government as Dap would not want BN in Peninsular Malaysia as part of the picture. Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak is picking the BN candidates in Sabah and Sarawak himself to rule out defections there and ensure that he leads the biggest block of seats in Parliament after the GE. Dap is expected to emerge the next largest. It's better for community leaders to encourage Indians to vote for candidates, not parties or coalitions. This is to avoid them being persecuted, prosecuted and/or victimised by police brutality and the like. The police represent the ugly face of racism in sick societies. If Indians root for PR, and BN still comes in after the 13th GE, they will continue to suffer after the GE. If Indians root for BN and PR wins the GE, they will suffer even more after the GE. Indians don't have even one seat in any legislature in the country. So, there's no point at all in Indians voting along party or coalition lines. If a candidate has been holding a seat for two terms or more, vote him or her out, even if he or she has been performing as far as the Indians are concerned. As regards other candidates, vote them out if they have not been performing as far as Indians are concerned. Generally, this means that Indians will be voting against all incumbents, both BN and PR. The winners will come in by default. All this means we have to drop Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy's idea of abstinence and his elder brother P. Uthayakumar's idea of Indians contesting 15 parliamentary seats and 38 state seats. Also, Indians should not vote for Indians. They will only function as political mandores and window dressers a la MIC. This approach by the community will shake up the political system, the Chinese and the Malays and will far reaching repercussions in Sabah and Sarawak. The Indians have nothing to lose but their chains. The Government of the Day can be expected to appoint Indians, as the 3rd largest in the country. to the Senate, Federal Cabinet, Local Councils, GLCs, and the Government sector. They don't need parties and coalitions for such representation. The Government of the Day can be expected to set up the Hindraf proposed Ministry of Orang Asal and Minority Affairs (MOAMA), also endorsed by Jeffrey Kitingan, the De Facto Orang Asal Chief. Left to themselves, Indians are likely to be equally divided in the PR states and vote more for PR in the other states. Indians will get nothing by taking this divided approach. Still, it can be deduced that the Opposition, if the Dap agrees, will not allow the BN to take power even if it (BN) wins the 13th GE. This would be on the grounds that the BN has been in power in Malaysia since 1957 by hook or by crook. Another reason would be that 56 years is too long for any party/coalition to be in power. Thirdly, the Opposition would claim, and not without substantial proof, that the BN cheated to win the 13th GE. These are all legitimate reasons to forcibly drive the BN from power. The international community will endorse this as elsewhere particularly in the Arab and Muslim World. This is what happened in Egypt. Mubarak clung to power for 33 years by means foul and fair. Nevertheless, it must be noted that the Christians, protected by Mubarak, suffer under an Islamist Government which took power. Should the Indians be prepared to help the Opposition to occupy Dataran Merdeka after the 13th GE and march on Putrajaya to force the BN to step aside for an Interim Government of National Unity to act as a Caretaker Government until the electoral rolls can be cleaned up for fresh elections to be held? Or should the Indians oppose the seizure of power by unconstitutional means? What if there's an Islamic Revolution? In any Revolution, there must be a new Constitution since the old one would be torn up by the revolutionary process. We cannot have Pas and PKR dictating a new and Islamic Constitution. Surely, the Dap will not be a party to such a treasonous act even if Pas/PKR are bolstered by defections from Umno. Indians must consider carefully whether they are in a position to oppose any attempt to create a Tahrir Square-style situation in Malaysia after the 13th GE for an Islamic Revolution. Revolution okay but not an Islamic Revolution. Sabah and Sarawak will be in agreement on this and hopefully the Dap as well. Any Revolution in Malaysia after the 13th GE must be secular. All non-Muslims including the Dap must be firm on this. If there's an Islamic Revolution in Peninsular Malaysia in the aftermath of the GE, tainted as it will be, Sabah and Sarawak must have no part in it whatsoever and must exit the Federation, something they should have done in 1965 in the footsteps of Singapore. Now when the 13th GE will be held is something that only God knows. If Najib calls Parliament into session before April 28, it can only mean the GE will be held just before Oct 28. The law is clear. Not more than six months must lapse between one Parliament and another, meaning one parliamentary sitting and another and one Parliament and another. The GE only needs to be held within two months if Parliament is dissolved. If Parliament is not dissolved but expires automatically on April 28 at the end of its five year life span, the GE can be held within six months. Najib, to ensure political stability, should bring the Opposition into the Caretaker Government which will run Malaysia from April 28 to Oct 28. Let's see what the Ponnusamy Brothers, Jeffrey, Karpal, Kit Siang, Hadi and Nurul can contribute! Joe Fernandez is a mature law student, among others, who loves to write. He feels compelled, as a semi-retired journalist, to put pen to paper -- or rather the fingers to the computer keyboard -- whenever something doesn't quite jell with his weltanschauung (worldview). He shuttles between points in the Golden Heart of Borneo formed by the Sabah west coast, Labuan, Brunei, northern Sarawak and the watershed region in Borneo where three nations meet.

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?

Mounting anger Posted: 13 Feb 2013 09:18 AM PST   (NST) - SACRED AWARD: Conferment of 'Huguan Siou' title on Anwar riles Sabahans KOTA KINABALU: VOICES of anger and disgust at the conferment of the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) title of "Huguan Siou" on Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim continue to ring loud in Sabah. Leaders of political parties, non-governmental organisations and academician said it was inappropriate for Anwar to be given and to accept the title considered sacred and exclusive to the community. "Anwar should apologise to the community," said Sabah Umno deputy chief Datuk Seri Salleh Tun Said, adding that the opposition leader's decision to accept the title was proof that he was ignorant of the culture of the ethnic groups in Sabah. Salleh, who is also United Sabah Bajau Organisation president, said Anwar was interested only in power politics and insulting Sabahans.   "How does he (Anwar) expect Sabahans to trust him?"   Liberal Democratic Party president Datuk V.K. Liew said, to the people of Sabah, there was only one "Huguan Siou", and that was Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who is Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) president.   "It will be a total humiliation for that person who wants to be 'Huguan Siou' as people will reject him, not accept him."    Suman Yasambun, the KDCA secretary-general, demanded that Ranau PKR and Anwar apologise for infringing on the sensitivity and sacredness of the customs of the Kadazandusun.   "It must be understood that the title 'Huguan Siou', which means paramount leader, is reserved and conferred only on a Kadazandusun leader. It insults and hurts the feelings of the Kadazandusun (when it's given to others).   "'Huguan Siou' is an institution that embodies the Kadazandusun and Murut spirit of unity, courage and self determination.    "He is the guardian of the customs, norms, artifacts and traditions of the  Kadazandusun, which is celebrated every year through the Kaamatan celebration (harvest festival)."   It was reported that Anwar was given the title by Ranau PKR at a political gathering in Kampung Paginatan on Sunday.     He drew flak from Sabahans after photographs of him wearing a headgear and sash bearing the words "Huguan Siou" were posted by Ranau PKR chief Jonathan Yasin on his Facebook account.   Yasin, however, defended Anwar, saying the presentation of the headgear and sash was a symbolic gesture on the part of former native chief Paulus Kimpuang.   The title was first conferred on the late Tun Fuad Stephens, one of the state's founding fathers.     The post remained vacant after Fuad's death in 1976 until Pairin was chosen as the leader in 1984.   Centre for Orang Asli Concerns coordinator Colin Nicholas said Anwar  should not have accepted the award as it was exclusive to Kadazandusun people who had made contributions to the community.   "I think Anwar was either badly advised or the person who bestowed the title on him was overzealous. I don't think Anwar knew what he was getting into," Nicholas told the New Straits Times yesterday.   Gerakan Suara KDM Bersatu demanded an explanation from  PKR about what had  happened in Kampung Paginatan.   "We seek a clarification from those involved on whether there is truth to an allegation, which is hotly debated on Facebook, that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was declared 'Huguan Siou' by Ranau PKR," said its chairman, Lesaya Lopog.   He said the position could be filled by a person who belonged to a political organisation but only if he was respected by the Kadazandusun.   "This title was conferred on someone who is not part of the community. Why was it carried out in a political gathering and why were other KDM community leaders not consulted?   "This latest episode is an insult to our already injured pride."   Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Ahmad Maslan said the conferment of the title on Anwar was an insult to the community.  "The title should be bestowed on someone who is either from the community or someone who has done a lot for their advancement.   "Anwar does not fulfil either criterion. It's just a cheap publicity stunt that has offended Sabahans," he said during a visit to Balai Berita.   Anwar yesterday reportedly denied that he had received the honour.   "It's not true. I am not aware of it. There was never a public announcement of it," Anwar was quoted as saying in Miri where he was attending a talk. Tuaran MP Datuk Wilfred Bumburing, who has been one of those blamed for the "coronation" of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the "Huguan Siou", denied that such a ceremony had taken place in Kampung Paginatan in Ranau on Sunday.    Bumburing, who is Angkatan Perubahan Sabah president, said the issue of the  sash with the inscription of "Huguan Siou" which was presented to Anwar had been blown out of proportion.   He said he hoped Ranau PKR would explain the incident, adding that he believed it was a case of the community leaders being overzealous when welcoming Anwar.

MACC chief: Blame the purchasing system Posted: 13 Feb 2013 09:17 AM PST   (fz.com) - It's the same story every year. The Auditor-General's (AG) Report is released, the glaring irregularities fill the news and an indignant public demands that the culprits be investigated.  At this point, the heat begins to rise around the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).     The MACC has faced strong pressure to open cases highlighed in the AG's reports, especially after the much-debated 2006 report found that the government had spent RM224 for a screwdriver set worth a mere RM40.    In 2010, the pressure intensified when the AG reported that the Marine Parks Department had spent astronomical sums for some equipment. Among other things, the department paid RM56,350 for a pair of night vision goggles worth RM1,940 and another RM56,350 for a pair of Bushnell binoculars worth RM2,827.    That year the MACC opened 36 files on, among other things, non-compliance and falsification of documents involving government agencies.    As time passed and too few cases were hauled to the Corruption Court, the MACC came under fire for its inability to pursue the culprits.    However, MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed defends the authority. He said his organization cannot press charges for irregularities that the AG points out if the cases stem from flawed procurement procedures and criminal intent cannot be proven.    "When five suppliers submit a bid, the company with the lowest overall price will get the contract," Abu Kassim explained in an interview with fz.com.    "But if you really study the list, you'll find that the company has tremendously inflated the cost of one item - like the screwdrivers - and reduced the cost of the rest."    "Yet that company has still offered the lowest overall price. That is the system and I can tell you that (these irregularities) will keep recurring every year," he said.    Abu Kassim has advised the government to modify its purchasing procedures by requiring procurement officers to review an itemised checklist and conduct proper market surveys so they could then negotiate prices with their chosen supplier.   "So you see, it's not because we don't want to bring them to court, it's because we can't," Abu stressed. "They have followed procedure."    He pointed out that the MACC had in fact charged former Deputy Director of Customs, Zameri Ibrahim, with falsifying claims in the purchase of digital cameras.   In the case that was highlighted in the AG's Report 2011, Zameri was found to have submitted a false invoice to his superior for 40 DSLR cameras at RM9,000 each.    However, the cameras that were supplied to the Customs Department were prosumer digital cameras valued at RM6,000 each.   "We found an element of fraud and we charged him," Abu said. "So where there is a clear criminal act, we can charge them. But most of these cases are disciplinary cases, so we can't go further than that."    Read more at: http://fz.com/content/macc-chief-blame-purchasing-system

The problem with self-hypnosis Posted: 12 Feb 2013 07:57 PM PST I did not see that happen in Kuala Terengganu. In fact, the reverse happened. In areas where there are a high percentage of Chinese voters, the opposition did better in March 2008 than it did in January 2009. And in January 2009, the Tsunami was supposed to have been bigger than in March 2008, as what we are being told. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Penang has more Malays than Chinese (The Star) - The number of Malays in Penang is increasing, and they now outnumber the Chinese by 0.7%. In 2009, the population of Malays was at 654,300, just ahead of 651,600 Chinese or just a 0.1% difference. In 2010, it widened to 0.7% with 41.6% or 670,100 of the estimated 1.6mil Penang population being Malays while 658,700 or 40.9% were Chinese. According to statistics, the two races were followed by 9.7% Indians (155,600), 7% non-Malaysians (112,200) and 0.8% others and other bumiputras (13,300). The statistics, obtained from Department of Statistics, is part of a 32-page Penang Statistics (Quarter 1, 2010) report submitted to the state government by the Socio-Economic and Environ­mental Research Institute (Seri), which is the state government's think-tank. The report can be viewed at Seri's website at www.seri.com.my. Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong of DAP (picture above) said the trend was not surprising or unusual. "It's a national trend. It is not that the Chinese population didn't grow but the Malay population is growing faster." "We have been expecting this to happen since the 1980s because of the 70 million population policy announced by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad," he said yesterday. However, Liew, who is Seri executive director and DAP strategist, said the trend was a good opportunity for DAP. "To me, it's not about the declining number of people from a certain race, but more about quality of life," he said. ************************************************ The most often heard remark since the aftermath of the March 2008 general election is that 80-90% of the Chinese all over Malaysia -- even in Sabah and Sarawak -- will be voting opposition in the coming general election while the Indians and Malays are split 50-50. The second most often heard remark being bandied about is that Penang will, without a doubt, remain with Pakatan Rakyat because Penang is majority Chinese. Mainly, the assumption is, in March 2008, Malaysia saw a political Tsunami and in the coming general election this Tsunami is going to get even bigger. Hence, while Pakatan Rakyat managed to sweep five states and 82 Parliament seats in March 2008 -- and in that same process denied Barisan Nasional its two-thirds majority in Parliament -- this time around Pakatan Rakyat is going to do even better and will send Barisan Nasional into retirement. The issue is: is this an educated guess, a conclusion based on research, or mere wishful thinking and self-hypnosis into seeing what is not there? There are some who consider my articles on history boring and a total waste of time. "Why talk about the past?" they ask me, "the past is not important." That depends, of course, on what your purpose of learning history is. If Hitler had learned from the past, then he would not have made the same mistake that Napoleon made and hence Germany might not have lost the war, or maybe would not have lost the war so fast. And while on the subject of Napoleon, some historians say that Napoleon was a military genius. Now, this is merely their opinion. What is the basis of classifying someone as a military genius? If it is on the basis that he moved his army across Europe so fast (Blitzkrieg) that he caught the enemy sleeping, then probably he is a military genius. But if based on the estimated 5 million-6.5 million people who were killed in the Napoleonic Wars, would one still consider Napoleon a genius? How can someone who resulted in 5 million or more deaths be a genius? Hence, how you perceive things would influence your conclusions. And history is certainly not an exact science because history is not merely about reporting the events but about interpreting the events as well. Hence, also, Osama Bin Ladin can be both hero and murderer depending on what yardstick you apply. Statistics normally do not lie -- unless you doctor those statistics. But how you interpret those statistics can differ depending on what colour lenses you are using to look at them. For example, no one will dispute the existence of the Qur'an. But whether you regard the Qur'an as God's word or not would depend on how you look at things. The bottom line is: one fact, but two different interpretations of that one fact. Okay, let's get back to the March 2008 Tsunami being bigger in the coming general election. For someone like me who wants to see a strong two-party system where we give one group the government for, say, two terms, and then switch to the other group for, say, another two terms, the strong Tsunami that everyone says we will see is certainly a most welcome scenario. The adage that absolute power corrupts absolutely is certainly true and you need not be a student of history to understand that. Hence we need a balance, and that balance can only be achieved when we have two strong political parties (and not one strong one and one weak one). Nevertheless, is this even bigger Tsunami than the one in March 2008 for real? And what do we base our conclusions on? Let us look at the Kuala Terengganu Parliamentary by-election (P036) that was held in January 2009, about ten months after the March 2008 Tsunami. You can look at the details or statistics below. The turnout in that by-election was slightly lower than in the general election ten months before that. And this was because the turnout for Chinese voters was greatly reduced. I spent that entire period in Kuala Terengganu together with a few other Bloggers such as Haris Ibrahim (Sam), Bernard Khoo (Zorro), etc. Even Zaid Ibrahim, who was not in PKR yet at that time, came up to join us for three days. And we campaigned door-to-door, not once, but three rounds in all -- even Zaid Ibrahim. We even went to all the pubs and clubs to meet the Chinese voters. Hence, we obtained feedback from the 'horses' mouths', so to speak. And what we were told was this. Many of the Chinese voters (mainly the younger ones who work outside Kuala Terengganu) would not be coming home to vote because they want to reserve their leave for Chinese New Year. (That's what I call 'commitment'). Most Chinese would be voting Barisan Nasional because they worry that if they vote PAS they may get punished by Umno (especially those from Kampong Cina whose homes sit on TOL land). The Chinese feel that the majority of the Malays would be voting PAS so it does not matter if the Chinese vote Barisan Nasional. (PAS can still win even though with a reduced majority). Sam and Bernard can tell you about this 'survey' that we did because they too were there and they too heard what the Chinese had to say. Understandably, this upset us and we were worried that if the Chinese did what they said they were going to do, and if the Malays do not swing to PAS like we hoped, then Umno was going to win that by-election. (It was, after all, an Umno seat, which they won in March 2008). And that was when I decided to change tactics. Initially, I only campaigned amongst the Chinese voters. But when I discovered that the Chinese would not all be voting opposition, I started campaigning amongst the Malay voters as well (who I had 'ignored' in the beginning). Come Polling Day and what we were told was going to happen really did happen. Many younger Chinese who work outside Kuala Terengganu did not come home to vote. The fact that we were monitoring the polling stations and we saw mostly senior citizen Chinese coming out to vote confirmed this. Next, the areas or UPU that were predominantly Malay went to the opposition while the areas that had a fair number of Chinese voters went to Umno. And the voter turnout was lower than for the GE, in particular amongst the Chinese voters. Plus, also, the majority that PAS won was 2,000 less than we had hoped. (And note the high 'spoilt' votes -- considering that the voters were urban and not rural). Pakatan Rakyat is supposed to win the coming general election on the strength of the Chinese support. And the Chinese support this time around is supposed to be bigger than in March 2008. I did not see that happen in Kuala Terengganu. In fact, the reverse happened. In areas where there are a high percentage of Chinese voters, the opposition did better in March 2008 than it did in January 2009. And in January 2009, the Tsunami was supposed to have been bigger than in March 2008, as what we are being told. Is the story that, today, more Chinese have swung to the opposition compared to March 2008 a fallacy? What evidence are we using to come to this conclusion? I worry that we are merely fooling ourselves and are subjecting ourselves to self-hypnosis. The statistics do not appear to support what we say. Another point of importance is: if we depend on just Chinese votes for the opposition to win the election, then we are going to create a situation where 'opposition' means 'Chinese' and 'government' means 'Malay'. Now, do I need to spell out in graphic details the danger of such a thing happening? And if you still do not get what I am driving at then you should not be reading Malaysia Today because you are not clever enough for Malaysia Today. Oh, and yes, I know, those of you who find what I just wrote extremely unsettling are now going to accuse me of spinning for Barisan Nasional. Well, that is called denial syndrome, an ailment of people who refuse to accept reality. If I was helping Barisan Nasional then I would just keep quiet instead of warning you that you need to do your maths again. ************************************************ Kuala Terengganu Parliament Seat (P036) 80,229 registered voters 63,993 came out to vote 32,883 voted for PAS 30,252 voted for Umno 665 spoilt votes   The four State Assembly seats under Kuala Terengganu 1. Wakaf Mempelam (Umno) 2. Bandar (MCA) 3. Ladang (PAS) 4. Batu Buruk (PAS)   Voter breakdown according to ethnicity Malays: 88.14% Chinese: 10.94% Indians: 0.65% Others: 0.27%   In the Kuala Terengganu by-election on 7th January 2009, PAS did well in the Malay-majority seats of Wakaf Mempelam and Batu Buruk while it did badly in Ladang and Bandar, which has a higher percentage of Chinese voters.

Sabah shows way in religious harmony Posted: 12 Feb 2013 07:55 PM PST As Father Francis says: 'In our family, one thing that is meaningful to me is that religion is not the cause of disunity but to bring us closer. After all, we are just one family.'  For Francis bin Dakun, a 44-year-old Catholic priest, Hari Raya celebrations are a family affair: "I take leave to spend time at home. I'm from a family of twelve: seven of my brothers and sisters are Muslim. My father, who became a Catholic, ended up building two kitchens in the house." Karim Raslan, The Star  At a time when our public discourse is seething with resentment and distrust, the quiet but very dignified mutual respect of the Dakun family is so refreshing, if not uplifting. IN Sabah, the line between religions often runs through the middle of a family. Needless to say, many West Malaysians with our black-and-white way of viewing the world might fine such proximity a little disturbing. Still, as I discovered a few weeks ago when I was shooting my Astro Awani show Ceritalah Malaysia in the former timber boom town of Keningau, issues of identity are all the more fluid and less divisive the further away you are from Kuala Lumpur. For Francis bin Dakun, a 44-year-old Catholic priest, Hari Raya celebrations are a family affair: "I take leave to spend time at home. I'm from a family of twelve: seven of my brothers and sisters are Muslim. My father, who became a Catholic, ended up building two kitchens in the house." "We are Dusun and in the past, we had no religion. We followed the traditional beliefs. My father (he's passed away now) was a bobohizan. "He was like a kampung doctor and when we were sick he would take care of us since he understood the various herbs and medicines." "I became a Catholic when I was 14. It was a personal choice and the family respected it. "I did not hear God's voice calling me to be a priest. However, I was 25 years old at the time and working in a shipping company in Kota Kinabalu, I saw that the there was a great need: that the Church lacked priests. It took me seven years of training in Kuching to become a priest and further two years study in Rome. "We use Bahasa Malaysia in our religious ceremonies," (indeed we filmed a wedding he presided over in a small church outside the town). "The use of the word 'Allah' is normal and acceptable in our community. "We have been using it from well into the past. We are so comfortable with the word and cannot help but use it during the service." Father Francis' elder sister Nooridah Hidayah bte Dakun is a Muslim and an ustazah. She is also extremely active in the community giving regular talks on Islam and the Quran as well as a surprisingly innovative multi-faith discussion last year between Muslim, Christian and Buddhist religious figures. Listening to Ustazah Hidayah as she talks about her childhood, it's clear that she was sensitive and very spiritual from an early age: "I was close to my Atok, my grandmother and each year they had a ceremony to guarantee the family's safety – the 'menerebung'. However, I would feel worried. I was afraid that the 'menerebung' didn't really protect us, didn't cover everything. "I had doubts and was uncertain. I began questioning everything: where did the rain come from, the storms at night? "It was then that I came across the word 'Allah.' At the time I was a Christian and I found the word in Christian books. Finally, I managed to find the Syahadah itself and the sentence made me feel at ease and at peace. "When I was 14 I went to a residential school. "There and with the help of an elder sister who'd converted and married a Muslim, I, too, became a Muslim. It was a difficult time. "The family was unhappy and it took five years for my father to accept my choice of religion. Then one day as I was about to pray, he called me by my Muslim name, Hidayah." Her initial struggle for acceptance by her family has given Ustazah Hidayah a greater degree of empathy and warmth: "We must accept others for their faith. We must have hikmah. "We should approach others respectfully. There is no need to speak harshly." Both brother and sister are soft-spoken and diffident and there is a slight aura about them, especially when they are together. As a West Malaysian Malay I can't help but find the Dakun family's history and their respective personal journeys to Christianity and Islam enormously instructive. Moreover, at a time when our public discourse is seething with resentment and distrust, their quiet but very dignified mutual respect is so refreshing, if not uplifting. As Father Francis says: "In our family, one thing that is meaningful to me is that religion is not the cause of disunity but to bring us closer. After all, we are just one family."

The Philippines 'Crocodile' 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). This is the same bogeyman story that we were told in 1963 by the Malayan Government and the British: that the Philippines and Indonesia are the big crocodiles in the region, waiting to swallow Sabah and Sarawak after the British leave. This story was concocted when Sabah and Sarawak hesitated --- after they had exercised their self-determination for independence and obtained it on 31 Aug 1963 and 22 July 1963 respectively --- to enter Malaysia on 16 Sept 1963 to facilitate Singapore's independence via Malaysia through merger with Malaya. Sabah, like Sarawak, was promised security through Malaysia. Where's the security promised to Sabah through Malaysia? No security as the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) makes it abundantly clear. By 2005, 1.7 million foreigners had not only swamped the 1.5 million locals in Sabah, they had also entered the electoral rolls to marginalise and disenfranchise the locals especially the Orang Asal. 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. That's under international law, the UN Charter, our history, Adat and the constitutional documents which make up the unwritten Constitution of Malaysia. The self-determination of the people of Sabah is an option and initiative to be exercised solely by them.

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.

The PM is Demeaning Himself 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!

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.

Having Faith in Malaysians Posted: 12 Feb 2013 06:06 PM PST   Some have claimed that Malaysia's pluralism is also its weakness. I happen to disagree. I believe that the plural and complex nature of Malaysian society serves as an effective means to temper the tone and tenor of our national political discourse, and that as a result of this complexity all the parties of the country – from both BN and PR – will have to settle to a moderate median line in the long run. No party can run Malaysia alone, without being in a coalition and without abiding by the general will of such a coalition.  Farish A Noor A few years ago, a Malaysian diplomat who also happens to be a friend of mine asked me: "After living abroad for more than two decades, were you ever tempted to give up your citizenship?" It was a question that was easy to answer, and I immediately said, "No. I remain a Malaysian because I happen to love my country very much." It was true then, and it remains true today. I have, since the age of 18, lived in Britain, France, Holland, Germany and now Singapore. For the benefit of those who may be curious, I will also point out that I studied abroad at the cost of my mother, after we sold our land and house to pay for it, and not by the grace of a government scholarship. I chose the life of an academic because I love learning and teaching, despite the fact that I knew I would never be rich – unlike so many of my schoolmates whose luxurious lifestyles I can never hope to emulate.   But I happen to love my country and its people, and despite the doom-mongering of the naysayers I still believe that Malaysia – despite its size – is a country that deserves its place on the stage of world history. My faith rests not in the institutions of the state, for institutions are but empty structures that need to be filled by people who give it meaning and purpose. My faith lies in Malaysians and their ability to judge and think wisely when it matters most. The reasoning behind this faith of mine comes from my experience as a teacher of history, and Southeast Asian history in particular. I have noted in my lectures and writings many times over that whenever Malaysia has come close to the brink, it has always been saved by the Malaysians themselves. Note the lessons of history that we can learn from: At the elections of 1986, the Malaysian public showed that they would not endorse radical or violent politics by punishing the party that articulated it, PAS. Likewise in 2004, after PAS's ill-advised support for the Taliban, it was trounced at the elections again. Then in 2008, the Malaysian public likewise expressed their distaste for communitarian politics by robbing the BN of its two-thirds majority in Parliament. In fact, if there is one consistent variable in Malaysian politics, it is that the Malaysian public has rarely, if ever, rewarded extreme religious-conservative or sectarian-communitarian parties and politicians. Perhaps this is due to the simple fact that as Malaysians we realise that we are bound together and will share the same fate, despite the antics of some elected representatives. Some have claimed that Malaysia's pluralism is also its weakness. I happen to disagree. I believe that the plural and complex nature of Malaysian society serves as an effective means to temper the tone and tenor of our national political discourse, and that as a result of this complexity all the parties of the country – from both BN and PR – will have to settle to a moderate median line in the long run. No party can run Malaysia alone, without being in a coalition and without abiding by the general will of such a coalition. My hope is that in the long run all the parties of Malaysia will learn that they have to appeal to Malaysians as a whole, as a plural and complex nation, rather than to their respective racial, ethnic, religious and/or linguistic vote bases. Read more at: http://www.ukeconline.com/CEKU/having-faith-in-malaysians/

Hindraf-Pakatan courtship souring Posted: 12 Feb 2013 05:55 PM PST The romance between Pakatan and Hindraf appears to be fizzling out as the numerous dates since last November have failed to see a progress in the relationship. K Pragalath, FMT On the eve of Valentine's Day, Hindraf reveals that its courtship with Pakatan Rakyat is on the brink of failure due to lack of progress in the relationship. Blaming the Pakatan Rakyat leadership, Hindraf secretary P Ramesh said the break-up appeared imminent "Unfortunately after more than three months of trudging through these meetings there is nothing to show in the form of progress," he added in a statement. Six meetings were held involving top guns from both Pakatan and Hindraf such as Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and P Waythamoorthy. There were also an additional 15 informal meetings since last November. Ramesh also blamed Pakatan's failure in forming an electoral pact and its delay in endorsing Hindraf's five-year blueprint to include Indian poor in mainstream development as a factor. "Hindraf has made it clear to Pakatan from the outset that any support from Hindraf in the coming 13th general election is incumbent on Pakatan endorsing the blueprint. "Hindraf has been extremely accommodating to facilitate the endorsement and adoption of the blueprint programme by Pakatan," he said. "However we are deeply concerned by the inordinate delay on the part of Pakatan in endorsing the blueprint and forming an electoral pact with Hindraf. This will cause serious setbacks to all parties wanting to see a change in the political landscape of Malaysia," he added. In November last year, Hindraf national adviser N Ganesan made six demands while unveiling the five-year blueprint at the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall. The six demands were: 1) Stop displacing Indian plantation workers and provide reasonable compensation as well as offer skills training to them; 2) Resolve Indian stateless issue; 3) Provide equal education opportunities to all Indian students via meritocracy; 4) Provide equal job and business opportunities to Indians; 5) Stop police brutality and death in custody, and set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC); and 6) Stop institutionalised racism and ratify the United Nations convention against racial discrimination. Ganesan had also suggested the setting up of a Minority Affairs Ministry after the 13th general election and said that Hindraf should be allowed to operate the ministry. READ MORE HERE

The kingmakers of Borneo Posted: 12 Feb 2013 05:32 PM PST In 1962, the Cobbold Commission that heard HALF A PERCENT (0.5%) of the total population of North Borneo and Sarawak decided that this represented an affirmative decision to proceed with the signing of the Malaysia Agreement, even though a significant proportion of the 0.5% who bothered to respond to the Cobbold Commission had expressed reservations to the idea of forming Malaysia and requested more time. By Nilakrisna James In 2011, the late Datuk Amar James Wong Kim Min, former Minister of the State Government of Sarawak, handed me an autographed copy of his book, "The Birth of Malaysia". Despite the United Borneo Front's proposal to have this coveted piece of literature as part of the history textbooks in the national curriculum for Secondary Schools, many are still deprived access to this book and are completely unaware that the contents of this book merely includes the essential reports prior to the formation of Malaysia in 1963. Within these reports are essential viewpoints and insights into what the people of North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak wanted from the Central Government of the proposed Federation of Malaysia, now known as the Malaysian Federal Government. There is no point harping on racial or religious grounds about the consequences of the IC issue in the RCI if we do not remember that these issues were the very fears expressed in the reports that were made and drafted over 50 years ago. I consider it my duty to the nation as an ordinary citizen to now progressively work through these reports and summarise the key points of these reports prior to the election so that we will make an informed decision about who we really want as the masters of our economic fate in Borneo. I am writing this in response to the illegal IC debate which I believe goes to the very root of the issue of a breach of Sabah's territorial integrity and the heart of our future political security. The Malaysia Agreement 1963 The Malaysia Agreement was signed on the 9th July 1963 between the United Kingdom, the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo (now Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore. Without the Malaysia Agreement, Malaysia would not exist. Without the Malaysia Agreement, Sabah and Sarawak would not be part of Malaysia. The Malaysia Agreement therefore stands as the most important document in the history of Malaysia. Unlike the Federal Constitution, it can NEVER be amended by anybody unless the territories that originally signed it decide once more to return to the negotiation room and determine a new future.   The Malaysia Agreement is also an agreement that has no time limit and not bound by any limitation. If the Malaysia Agreement had a time limit, then the territories which signed the Agreement will no longer be bound to one another upon expiry of that time limit. So, logically, the Malaysia Agreement stands timeless. If this was an ordinary Agreement, breach of any of its clauses could be challenged. If it was an ordinary Agreement, it would have stipulated what must be done if there was a breach of the clauses. The Malaysia Agreement remains silent on the issue of breach. This is deliberate. The Malaysia Agreement was drafted deliberately in its simplest form to allow the maximum loopholes and flexibility so that the territories which signed the Malaysia Agreement will have no unreasonable restrictions in determining their fates in the Federation of Malaysia. With top lawyers as signatories to the Malaysia Agreement, it would be inconceivable that the Agreement was drafted without careful thought and arrangement. Some of the signatories were educated and could have had access to the best legal advisers in the UK. The Malaysia Agreement therefore was calculated to be silent on some issues and loud on others. When Singapore exited the Malaysia Agreement in 1965, there was much debate in parliament which is well recorded. No matter how much discussion went on there, they knew full well that nobody could challenge Singapore based on the Malaysia Agreement. Indeed they could not challenge Singapore based on any other legal document either. So it was all talk amongst Malaysian politicians with no impact on Singapore. Singapore went on to become the richest of the territories that entered into the Malaysia Agreement and Singapore was neither sued for their exit nor legally challenged. Lee Kuan Yew had one of the best legal minds in the East and he was no fool. If he wanted to continue leading Singapore, he knew he could not screw up his decision for Singapore in 1965. Nearly fifty years on, the guy is still standing tall with no regrets except his admission to me of "deep collateral guilt" for the people of North Borneo and Sarawak. To understand the gravity of this situation therefore, all Malaysians must understand that the Malaysia Agreement was not a unilateral decision made by the Government of Malaya. Malaysia was formed because the British had to decide how best to dispose of their two colonies, Sabah and Sarawak. Before they could form Malaysia and sign the Malaysia Agreement therefore the British proposed that a Commission of Enquiry be carried out in North Borneo and Sarawak in 1962 to determine how the people of the Borneo territories felt about the proposal. The idea had already been discussed between the British and Malayan Governments in 1961 and on principle, Singapore and Malaya had by then agreed to merge and it was merely a question of seeking the views of the people of North Borneo and Sarawak and also the Sultan of Brunei, as to whether Brunei would also wish to join the new Malaysia. Brunei, which was far smaller than the territories of Sabah and Sarawak, and yet in view of its proximity would have been subjected to the very same fears of communism at the time, somehow had a far better excuse not to enter into the Malaysia Agreement, which the British Government seemed to have fully respected. The Malaysia Agreement was eventually signed after a Commission of Enquiry was carried out in North Borneo and Sarawak and two reports were presented to the British Government. These two reports were:- 1.    Report of the Commission of Enquiry, North Borneo and Sarawak 1962 (Cobbold Report) 2.    Report of the Inter-Governmental Committee 1962 (IGC Report) The Commission of Enquiry Appendix B of the Cobbold Report shows the Census Abstract for North Borneo and Sarawak in 1960. In North Borneo, the population in 1960 was 454,421. They had 304 graduates, which was about 0.07% of their population. In Sarawak, the population in 1960 was 744,529. They had 548 graduates, which was also about 0.07% of their population. The Cobbold Commission sent out open invitations to the people of North Borneo and Sarawak to give their views both orally and in written form. Of a combined total population of 1,198,950 people in North Borneo and Sarawak, the Cobbold Commission received 2,200 written letters and memoranda (0.183% of the population) and 4000 or so people appeared to give their views orally (0.334% of the population). In 1962, the Cobbold Commission that heard HALF A PERCENT (0.5%) of the total population of North Borneo and Sarawak decided that this represented an affirmative decision to proceed with the signing of the Malaysia Agreement, even though a significant proportion of the 0.5% who bothered to respond to the Cobbold Commission had expressed reservations to the idea of forming Malaysia and requested more time. With only 852 graduates in total, it is unclear how many of these graduates bothered to give their views. In any event, North Borneo and Sarawak did not have the intellectual capacity to form a pool of educated leaders to decide their political destiny in 1962. Like schoolboys in a sandpit, a parody of 'Lord of the Flies' was inevitable as power struggles developed between people who were selected based on their popularity and political leanings rather than their intellectual prowess. For men who had only known subservience and wars, our forefathers were expected to develop democracy and political structures with civilisations that were centuries ahead of us. In 50 years, we are expected to develop the intellectual capacity of nations that began developing these political structures in the 16th century. Barely a hundred years ago, we were considered merely savages and uncivilised people. It is no wonder to me that in 2013, we are still sweeping the mess under the carpets. The arrogance is more than evident, the greed glaring in the face of the nation and the vast majority of us, nearly all of us, stay silent, as we did in 1962, still somewhat savage and uncivilised in the way we attack each other politically. The Cobbold Commission must therefore, posthumously, take full responsibility for a premature recommendation that has on hindsight led to more devastating consequences than could have possibly been predicted by even 0.07% of the population in 1962. We have lost all sense of harmony as documented in the Cobbold Report and we have become angry with each other, with foreigners, with our fingers pointing in all directions so that everybody has a part to play in the chaos and hatred. This is, by all accounts, tragic and devastating and, as a nation, we have lost our humanity. We no longer have faith in our system because we have stopped trusting anybody. We assume first and foremost that our neighbour has a bone to pick with us. A small proportion of the population cares about the weak, the animals, the refugees and those who seek shelter in our country. A huge proportion of this population feel disenfranchised and cheated of their rights: their voting rights, their racial rights, their religious rights, their native rights, their territorial rights, their economic rights, their political rights, their freedom rights, their civil rights, their marching rights, their union rights, their welfare rights, their medical rights, their educational rights, and it goes on. They will get to the cause of this disenfranchisement and someone must take the blame: those who lead, those who benefit, those who are related, those who are more well-off, those who try to stop the chaos, those who are simply in the way of these arguments. The rights can easily be negotiated within reasonable parameters but we still have savages who can never get it right. We are simply, in the eyes of all developed civilisations, pathetic and ridiculous. By all accounts, it is still perhaps only 0.07% of the nation that can reasonably lead this country. Yet, the nation will stay silent, as they did in 1962. Our votes will never be enough to make a sizeable representation of what we feel as a nation and what we want as our future political destiny. We vote not by logic but by sentiments and so it is easy for us to be manipulated and fooled. The security of Sabah and Sarawak And so, in Borneo, we have no choice. To be known as the Borneo Kingmakers, to be the one who could hold the Federal Powers to reason and harness the security of our borders and immigration status, to be in a position to secure our 60 State seats and 25 Parliamentary seats in Sabah, to be in a position of phenomenal wealth and power so as to never have to bow and say yes to Malayan Federal orders, and more importantly to be able to hold Malaya to its Malaysia Agreement promises, the leaders at the helm of Sabah and Sarawak must be the type of leaders that common ordinary folk commonly describe as a dictator and a tyrant; men accused typically of rising to the top through corruption and raping of resources and holding the populace at bay with enough to keep them financially stable. Such leaders would belong to 0.07% of the population of Sabah and Sarawak and they stand out as leaders who are charismatic enough to secure the forests and immense oil and gas reserves that are offshore and onshore the island of Borneo. We need these leaders to secure our rights in Borneo and ensure that every nominated Sabah and Sarawak minister at the State and Federal level will be taken seriously enough to hold immense portfolios and corporate positions so that the reality of Borneonisation is observed without having to say so. They secured these realities through ways which we can never agree with and yet, there is no other way than to go through the coffers of our immense resources. They needed a form of silent mandate from the silent majority of people in Borneo to gather enough wealth to put them in a position of power that makes them more powerful than any other leader in the other 11 States of Malaysia. They know full well they can never secure the mandate of the public to reach the top and so they did what they felt they had to do before any other leader from the other 11 States got there first. Any man or woman with the ambition of being powerful enough to sit on the same level playing field as the Prime Minister of Malaysia would have done exactly the same thing as such leaders in Sabah and Sarawak without a shred of remorse. We are too small to be significant and so we simply cannot afford to be sentimental and idealistic. We have to be ruthless, bold and follow the path of fierce logic to achieve our part of the bargain in 1963 when we signed the Malaysia Agreement. Neither you nor I, if we qualified as 0.07% of the brains of Borneo, would have done it differently. It comes to mind therefore that even if I were ever given the mandate to lead Sabah as the Chief Minister, I would have probably followed in exactly the same footsteps as Musa Aman and Harris Salleh before him, with one exception. I would have amalgamated with Taib Mahmud and ensured the victory of whichever coalition we wish to negotiate with in West Malaysia but I would not allow Taib to take Sabah for a ride. It does not matter who the next Prime Minister of Malaysia is because at this point, by whatever means they took to achieve it, both Musa and Taib are the only two leaders in Sabah and Sarawak who would have the tenacity, the money and the balls to stand to the end like Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein and Robert Mugabe: big guys in small places who wrapped big guys in big places around their little fingers, while the rest of the world complains. Copyright 13 Feb 2013 and published with permission from writer. Note: Nilakrisna James is a lawyer, writer and activist who co-founded the apolitical NGO, United Borneo Front, in 2010 with politician, Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan. They parted ways at the end of 2011 when Dr. Jeffrey assumed the Chairmanship of STAR as an oppositional leader independent of any Federal led coalition. Nilakrisna remains a member of UPKO, a native component party of the ruling Barisan National alliance.

Courtesy, decorum and Psy Posted: 12 Feb 2013 04:36 PM PST Let's get it clear. We are Malaysians. And we are polite and courteous and we do treat our guests well. Let's not allow politics to sour us up into grumpy, crazed extremists out to commit violence for the sake of making a point or embarrassing those we hate. The Malaysian Insider If one were to read Korean rapper Psy's Facebook page, one would assume that some Malaysians out there are extremists or psychopaths who cannot accept another person's point of view. There are threats, praises and everything in between over Psy's "Oppa Gangnam Style" performance in Penang during the second day of this year's Chinese New Year celebrations. Let's get this straight. Psy is a professional singer who was paid to sing his hit song in Penang's Han Chiang school field. He and his back-up group performed the song twice. That was what he was paid to do. So where is the love for the South Korean whose hit song has seen some 1.3 billion views on YouTube? Where was the usual Malaysian courtesy accorded to a guest of the country? Why do we need to vent our spleen about his performance, threaten him to stop him from performing, or condemn him later for not going the extra mile to do something else beyond singing his song? When did we Malaysians become so rude? When did we become so opinionated and passionate about our politics that we watch a live performance and make a big deal about it? Psy came to perform. People came to watch, dance and sing along. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with him gracing Barisan Nasional's Chinese New Year do if he was paid for it. Nothing wrong for anyone else to hire him later, too. What was wrong was the way we treated him on the social networks. Do these social networks bring out the worst in us and unveil our baser instincts? Or do we want to disprove the hype that we are the happiest people, with the most dazzling smiles and courtesy in the world, simply because that is what our government says we are? Let's get it clear. We are Malaysians. And we are polite and courteous and we do treat our guests well. Let's not allow politics to sour us up into grumpy, crazed extremists out to commit violence for the sake of making a point or embarrassing those we hate. That's not being Malaysian; that's lunacy that no one should tolerate. Instead of celebrating Chinese New Year with entertainment, some Malaysians have made it their cause to rant and rave and show their dark side because of politics. You shame yourself as a Malaysian for doing so. And you so shame your parents and your country in the process that it will be a wonder if anyone else will ever perform in Malaysia, no matter the fee.

Not all said ‘no’ to PM, says Penang BN of open house jeers Posted: 12 Feb 2013 04:28 PM PST Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Penang Barisan Nasional (BN) believes rivals sent saboteurs to heckle the prime minister and his entourage during its Chinese New Open House event on Monday, Sinar Harian reported today. State BN chairman Teng Chang Yeow said he suspected it was this group that yelled "No!" when Datuk Seri Najib Razak asked the crowd, "Are you ready for BN?", purportedly to offer the impression that Penang residents did not support the ruling coalition. "Not everyone present had yelled 'No'. We have video records showing a large segment of the audience had yelled 'Yes' when the PM asked that question several times. "I believe there were those sent to sabotage the open house that we organised and we also found that there were those who wore colours that DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had asked them to wear as a sign of protest," he was quoted as saying today in the Malay daily. He added that it would only have been worrying if those who had shouted "No" were BN members or supporters. Global pop sensation Psy, the Korean singer who shot to stardom for his viral "Oppa Gangnam Style" hit, drew rapturous applause from the crowd during his appearance. Videos of the hoots, boos and "No" shouted to Najib, and the "Yes" to the prime minister's question of whether the crowd was ready for Psy, have been posted on the Internet, attracting observations that BN was unlikely to win back voters in Penang during the coming polls. Penang, which was held by BN's Gerakan for some four decades, fell to the opposition's hands when the ruling coalition recorded historic losses in Election 2008. DAP's Lim Guan Eng was then installed the state's chief minister, and since then, the state has been seen as PR's sturdiest fortress against its political foes in BN.

Ulama Kelantan dakwa undi PAS haram Posted: 12 Feb 2013 04:16 PM PST Nomy Nozwir, The Malaysian Insider Beberapa orang ulama di Kelantan berkata mengundi PAS dalam pilihan raya akan datang adalah haram kerana kerjasama parti tersebut dengan DAP yang mahu kalimah 'Allah' dibenarkan dalam kitab Injil Bahasa Melayu. Menurut pengasas Pondok Geting, Abdullah Sa'amah, kegagalan PAS mempertahankan Islam terutamanya penggunaan kalimah Allah bagi orang bukan Islam tidak boleh dimaafkan sama sekali, malah demi politik pemimpin PAS dilihat seolah-olah jahil agama. "Membiarkan kalimah Allah digunakan seperti itu berdosa dalam hukum. Maknanya kita mesti mempertahankan kalimah Allah dan akidah orang Islam. "Dalam pilihan raya umum kita mahu perdana menteri dan timbalannya orang Islam, maka disinilah kita berjihad, kita jangan undi PAS," kata Abdullah yang dipetik kenyataannya dari akhbar Utusan Malaysia hari ini. Menurut Abdullah, PAS perlu ditolak kerana menyokong kenyataan Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang turut menyatakan sokongan ke atas hasrat DAP meskipun bertentangan dengan Majlis Syura Ulama PAS. "Orang seperti Anwar ini kami orang pondok tak boleh terima kerana terlalu nyata kepada kami satu daripada itu, adalah membenarkan kalimah Allah digunakan untuk bukan Islam," katanya lagi. Ahli jawatankuasa Minda Pondok, Mohd Syamsul Mohd. Yusof al-Hafiz berkata, kerjasama PAS dalam Pakatan Rakyat (PR) kononnya atas tahaluf siyasi sebenarnya atas nama semata-mata, sebaliknya apa yang berlaku ialah PAS adalah kuda tunggangan DAP. "Tahaluf siyasi PAS adalah haram, maka wajib kita menolak mereka atas beberapa fakta, antaranya PAS bukan parti dominan, sebaliknya kerjasama itu dibuat dengan DAP yang jelas menolak penubuhan kerajaan Islam. "Tahaluf siyasi yang sebenar kita lihat jelas dalam Barisan Nasional, dimana Umno adalah 'imam' manakala MIC dan MCA adalah 'makmum' yang akan bersama-sama berjuang atas arahan imam," kata Mohd Syamsul lagi. Seorang lagi ulama di Kelantan, Mohd Zawawi Awang berkata, permintaan DAP supaya kalimah Allah digunakan orang bukan Islam sama berlaku di Indonesia apabila ramai masyarakat Islam negara itu menyokong pemikiran sekular. "Gerakan ini sebenarnya bermula berpuluh tahun lalu dan masuk ke Malaysia secara senyap-senyap tanpa kita sedari," kata Zawawi, yang juga ahli jawatankuasa Ikatan Cendikiawan Islam Kelantan (ICIK). Isu penggunaan kalimah Allah timbul kembali pada Disember lalu apabila Setiausaha Agung DAP Lim Guan Eng yang juga merupakan ketua menteri Pulau Pinang mendesak kerajaan membenarkan kalimah digunakan dalam bible versi Bahasa Melayu. Pakatan pembangkang PAS, DAP dan PKR kemudiannya membuat ketetapan bahawa kalimah Allah boleh digunakan oleh penganut semua agama tetapi dengan syarat tidak disalahgunakan. Walau bagaimanapun, Majlis Syura Ulama PAS memutuskan kalimah Allah adalah kalimah khusus Islam dan oleh itu tidak boleh diterjemahkan kepada mana-mana bahasa di dunia kerana tidak menepati kehendak sebenar kalimah itu.

Anwar’s ‘Huguan Siou’ debacle draws flak Posted: 12 Feb 2013 04:02 PM PST A PKR branch's decision to name the opposition leader as the paramount chief of the Kadazandusun people has backfired.  Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Three days ago, PKR's Ranau branch conferred upon its supremo Anwar Ibrahim the "Huguan Siou" or paramount chief title. Anwar accepted it but soon the matter became the talk of town. The event was held while Anwar was on a whirlwind visit to Ranau and Keningau during Chinese New Year and so it was not reported in the newspapers as the media were on on a break. It surfaced online, complete with a photograph of the opposition leader wearing a sash with the words Huguan Siou, a title normally reserved by the Kadazandusun for their paramount chief who is currently Joseph Pairin Kitingan. Proclaiming Anwar as the Huguan Siou was Ranau PKR head Jonathan Yasin, a Kadazandusun lawyer who is also the brother-in law of Sabah PKR senior leader Ansari Abdullah. Today, the State Reform Party (STAR) took Ranau PKR to task for "selling" Sabahans' pride by playing with the honorific title normally bestowed on a fellow Kadazandusun. STAR state deputy chairman Daniel John Jambun said PKR was in a mode of "surrendering" and "submission" and that explained why Jonathan chose to give Anwar the title. "While it is within Ranau PKR's right to honour whoever it wanted, it is insanity to play with a title that is already established for some purpose. "Can you imagine someone conferring on a leader the title 'Yang Dipertuan Agong' or even just 'Agong?'" Jambun opined. An activist from Kota Marudu, Felix Kain, who is a campaign director of NGO, Gindol Initiative for Civil Society Borneo, said while it was an internal affair of PKR, the act was tantamount to an insult to the Dusun community who must only have a fellow Dusun as Huguan Siou. "This event brings memories of 1981 when Dr James Ongkili refused the conferment of Huguan Siou but instead counter-proposed that the title be given instead to then chief minister Harris Salleh, who is not a Dusun. "The Dusun abhorred such a gesture by Ongkili, later causing him to lose in Tamparuli, followed by a complete depletion of any respect for his leadership. But that was for the real Huguan Siou title, perhaps Jonathan meant well but it was still out of place," he said. READ MORE HERE

Mandela Vs Mahathir - Statesman & Man of Distaste Posted: 12 Feb 2013 04:02 PM PST   South Africa is made up many indigenous peoples. Add to that, the migrant Asians, white settlers and other neighbouring African states. Today, they celebrate their diversity and are called the Rainbow Nation. Here, we threaten Pendatangs with revocation of citizenship. Even the word PENDATANG which I never really heard in my school days in the 70's has gained considerable currency so much so I am quite nonchalant to define myself as a Pendatang even though I am GENPENTIGA. Ice Cream Seller  The last few weeks, I have been prodded enough to awaken my few and far between bouts of commenting on issues here. The bile and venom that spews out of one man is enough to awaken a bear from hibernation As I thought about it, I also thought of Nelson Mandela (can someone please tell Ibrahim Ali that he is not a footballer playing in the African Nations Cup?). How blessed South Africa is to have such a statesman and what did we do to have a cat among the pigeons? Then I thought back to the days towards  the end of apartheid when I first set foot on the African continent and what it was like then and now. At that time, Mandela was the rage. Also at the time, our then PM was also riding high - but somehow, it always seemed that hands down, Mandela was it. The man. The hero.  Now both are past leaders - one is revered in retirement and the other, working feverishly as a DALANG. Lets examine some aspects of each of their actions, qualities and achievements and from there, a reader ought to distinguish the one with the broad shoulders and the one with a chip on his shoulder: Jail One spent a considerable time in jail in Robben Island. The other - sent a considerable number to jail all over the country. Revenge & Separation After apartheid (can someone please tell Ibrahim Ali that it is not the name of some kuih?), Mandela worked tirelessly for reconciliation. A truth and reconciliation commission was set up. At the televised proceedings, white police personnel and army officers broke down and wept when confessing their misdeeds. Likewise the black community - whether they were from the ANC or not. They sought forgiveness and forgiveness was largely given. The price of the terrible acts they committed was the weight of their conscience. Here, we can't even allow Chin Peng to return home. Unlike the Malaysian Bali bombers, Chin Peng fought for independence though his ideology was different in terms of what we felt should be post Merdeka. On the contrary, our exported terrorists have their bodies brought home in RMAF aircraft and we are so humane as to fly their relatives or spouses to accompany the bodies home. Whilst apartheid was dismantled, our NEPartheid grew and flourishes till today - separate schools, separate examinations, university placements, civil service intakes, promotions in the various government agencies and bodies, separate mutual funds,separate plates, separate cups, scholarships, housing discounts, loan schemes, set apart cities (Putrajaya, Shah Alam, Bangi) etc etc. Forgiveness Vs Revenge Mandela was able to forgive those who put him in jail - even the wardens became his friends. He EARNED their respect and made them see the error of their ways and value system. He could sit and talk with De Klerk (the then leader) and De Klerk - though a political opponent, could see the larger picture through humane eyes that apartheid was wrong. He could also see the measure of the man in Mandela.  A white Afrikaneer (please tell Ibrahim Ali that it is not a type of cheese) that I knew told me that he was so proud of what he referred to as MY PRESIDENT. To come from someone of the opposite divide and to say so with such pride was something to hear and behold Here we are being taught and brainwashed against the perils of imaginary enemies. And our enemies are everywhere - Jews, Christians, pendatangs, gays, lesbians, Singapore, Valentine's Day, Bibles, etc etc.  Odium & Disdain One is a revered statesman and hugely popular - even amongst past political opponents. The other - looked upon in utter contempt and disdain bar the life members of the NGO where he is patron. Rugby World Cup Years back, South Africa hosted the rugby world cup. At that time, it was almost entirely played by the whites and the challenge was to get the best team to play for the new Rainbow nation. Mandela realised that this was something that would help cement the nation's peoples. He called for the captain- a white and had tea with him in the Presidential Palace. It didnt matter to the President that he was white and that nearly all the team would be white. The equivalent of PERKASA was screaming that the black players should be the majority. Mandela reasoned that they should not take away what was so important to them (the white population) - Rugby - and his view prevailed. Bottom line - they won the world cup with nearly all their players white and sweating blood and guts to bring glory to their country and the event was a great advertisement for their country. Here, what were multi racial teams for soccer, hockey, rugby that represented the nation are reduced to mono ethnic whimps. Almost every spots association has been politicised and consequently, the spirit of the nation has been crushed under the tidal wave of NEPartheid. Our best years in soccer had the likes of Chin Aun, Mokhtar Dahari, Choon Wah, Santokh Singh, Chandran, James Wong,Arumugam, Chow Chee Keong etc. The hockey team that came out 4th in the 75 World Cup was only unusual in that every race was present except a Punjabi!! Where have all the so called PENDATANGS gone in team sports? Diversity South Africa is made up many indigenous peoples. Add to that, the migrant Asians, white settlers and other neighbouring African states. Today, they celebrate their diversity and are called the Rainbow Nation.  Here, we threaten Pendatangs with revocation of citizenship. Even the word PENDATANG which I never really heard in my school days in the 70's has gained considerable currency so much so I am quite nonchalant to define myself as a Pendatang even though I am GENPENTIGA (Generasi Pendatang Tiga). PRIBUMI, BUMIPUTRA (all imported words from India by the way) are singled out at the expense of people of migrant descent. Unfortunately, the singular defining factor of separation in our land has been for sometime now along the lines of religion - diversity can be accepted provided religion is the same. Genuine Warmth When Madiba (as Mandela is affectionately known), the smile radiates warmth. There is no venom in his smile. When Madiba laughs, it is a hearty laugh. Madiba does not snigger. Confidence Vs Insecurity When Mandela speaks or walks, there is an air of authority, presence and confidence. Despite all the years spent in jail, he never thought of payback time by clinging on the reins of power. Equally, he was able to entrust his political foes with the reins of power.  On one occasion, he appointed a political opponent, a tribal chief - Mangosuthu Butolezi as the President whilst he was away from office. Mangosuthu Butolezi was a Zulu chief. Can we envisage a situation where a Karpal Singh or a Lim Kit Siang is given the reins even for a few hours?  Chiefs of National Institutions During Mandela's tenure (though not necessarily during its entirety), he showed he could govern with a robust opposition, a judiciary and police force headed by whites. Compare that to the situation here - where they were either sacked or retired off. Magnanimity, grace, compassion and leadership compared to deceit, lust, jealousy, greed and insecurity all rolled into one. Post Retirement Madiba does a lot for charity and in his early years of retirement, was a sought after peace maker throughout the African continent. He lives is a relatively modest residence and does not involve himself in the pits and gutters of politics. He does not promote his children to higher office - certainly not at the expense of and detriment to others. More than anything, he is a powerful symbol of unity despite there being no such thing as "1 South Africa". Noble Peace Prize South Africa can stand proud and tall as a nation that two of its leaders - from opposite sides of the political divide- were recognised for their efforts in forging peace and dismantling apartheid by the award of the Noble Peace Prize.  Unfortunately, here, opponents are ostracised and those who are not - get awards from PERKASA To the younger readers you will note that in many parts above, I only allude to Mandela. To elucidate on our equivalent situation will only add to your despair and grief. So I will spare you that.

Indian capacity to ‘create trouble’ endless Posted: 12 Feb 2013 03:56 PM PST Joe Fernandez Carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan has now let on that Rosmah Mansor, the wife of Bugis-origin Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak told him once that "90 per cent of all problems in Malaysia are created by ten per cent of the Indian community". Call it either super efficient utilization of human resources or not enough trouble being created. The last time we heard any such thing, it was Adolf Hitler blaming the Jews in Nazi Germany, "for creating trouble", before sending the scapegoats to the gas chambers. Sabahans must be heaving a sigh of collective relief to learn that the 1.7 million (2005 figures) illegal immigrants in their midst, except for the MyKad-seeking minority from the Indian sub-continent, are a figment of their imagination. Any perception of trouble-making in their nation by other illegal immigrants is mere hallucination. The statistics cited by Rosmah must be "true" since the Indian Nation in Malaysia has been given the short end of the stick for the last 56 years. Even so, ninety per cent of the Indians in Malaysia, in the reassuring words of the Prime Minister's wife, are meekly accepting their miserable lot and are not trouble-creators. This is the peaceful crowd led like lambs to slaughter by MIC leaders since 1957. There are no prizes for guessing who are among the ten per cent of Indians who are considered trouble-creators by Rosmah. It's not about crying wolf once too often It's simple for an Indian to make it to Rosmah's List of Indian Trouble Creators in Malaysia: "just fight back against anyone -- usually not an Indian -- who creates trouble for them". Rosmah, in taking it personal, no doubt has entered private eye and former Special Branch operative P. Balasubramaniam in her List since he reportedly had the temerity, like murdered pregnant Mongolian wannabe model Altantuya Shaariibuu, to keep asking for monies allegedly promised to him for whatever reason. In the first place, she probably chose him for whatever task she had in mind in her mistaken belief that "no one will believe an Indian". It's not about crying wolf once too often. Apparently, Indians are not known to be into the Gospel Truth unlike others who are congenitally incapable of telling lies. Then there's the little matter, as age-old wisdom holds, of sparing the snake momentarily and killing the Indian first. Rosmah herself is Truth Personified. Of course, dead Mongolians tell no lies either. Now, Deepak has certainly been added as well to Rosmah's List of Indian trouble- creators in Malaysia and no doubt at the very top just next to Bala, the one "who no one will believe". The shocking Statutory Declaration I vs the infamous Statutory Declaration II. We can rest our case. Rosmah's List, obviously drawn up when she was not too busy pronouncing impotency in cases referred to her for expert medical opinion, might be a little too biased. Police work really hard to keep the peace in the country We can concede that Indian gangsters can sometimes be real trouble-creators and especially if they inconveniently make off with a luxury car or two which belong to a Datuk and sell them for a song to the Triads. Then the Police would have to take it really personal and beat the you-know-what out of the first Indian they meet near the scene of the crime in order to get at the truth. We have to hand it to the Police. They work real hard to keep the peace in the country. Still, the Indian gangsters are not bigger criminals than the white collar types -- not Indians of course -- and the still drinking mother's milk Datuk -- again not Indians --who routinely put their hands in the National Cookie Jar at our expense. Just take a look at the burgeoning National Debt Burden. Meanwhile, Rosmah's List of Indian Trouble-Creators reportedly excludes the real trouble-creators like former Prime Minister and Huguan Siou of the Illegal Immigrants Mahathir Mohamad: May 13, the killing of Indians in Kampung Medan by illegal immigrant mercenaries from Madura, doing a number on the Indians, Sabah illegals, electoral rolls, Forex losses, Maminco, mispricing of government contracts, Danaharta, Sodomy I, Sodomy II etc etc Surely Mahathir, whose family hails from Kerala, southwest India, should top her List. He's the architect of institutionalized discrimination over 22 years to give the Indians in particular and Malaysians in general, the short-end of the stick. All Malaysians will be on accord that Mahathir's capacity to create trouble is infinite.   In order to lay the groundwork for his trouble-creating activities, Mahathir wrote "The Malay Dilemma". The on-going Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) in Sabah has revealed that Mahathir tried to steal the country from the Orang Asal – Dusuns including the Kadazan or urban Dusun and the Muruts – and hand it over to the riff-raff from neighbouring countries and even from as far away as the Indian continent, his grandmotherland, in exchange for votes. Hindraf Makkal Sakthi, run by P. Waythamoorthy and his elder brother P. Uthayakumar, may be removed from Rosmah's List soon if they are willing to play ball, whatever it means. The ad hoc apolitical human rights movement was even outlawed until recently on the grounds that it was functioning like a terrorist organisation and probably was either inspired by or was in cahoots with the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. This romantic notion of terrorism a la the PRDM (Polis Raja Di Malaysia) falls apart once we realise that there's really no love lost between the Sri Lanka Tamils and the Indian Tamils whether in Sri Lanka or Malaysia. Of course, to the Malaysian Police, a Tamil is a Tamil no matter where he comes from. Waytha in the habit of playing with fire Still, it can't be denied that Uthaya looks like a trouble creator all the same but not everyone will agree that Waytha is in the same boat as his brother in Malaysia. The younger brother is more noted for creating trouble for the country abroad by drawing unwelcome attention to the country's shoddy human rights record. This includes the overwhelmingly Malay police asking Indian policemen to join them in beating up Indian youths in custody. He's also in the peculiar habit of "playing with fire", to quote the Home Ministry's favourite phrase, by pointing out that Article 153 in the Federal Constitution makes no mention of any Special Privileges, is confined to only a reasonable proportion in four areas – civil service, institutions of higher learning, scholarships, business opportunities – and besides covers non-Malays as well. Uthaya has the annoying habit of demanding to know why local authorities are denying even cendol licences to Indians. Uthaya must be racist if he wants to enjoy cendol sold only by Indians. He has also been pointing out that 5,000 Indian scrap metal dealers, all unlicensed, are at the mercy of the local authorities who keep fleecing them over their status. If only Uthaya could accept that it's not nice to throw sand in the rice-bowl of others. If the scrap metal dealers are all licensed, it would indeed be difficult for those in enforcement at the local authorities to keep their families in the style they have become accustomed to ever since the advent of scrap metal. In the case of the straight A Indian students denied government scholarships and places in local universities, Uthaya should know that there are "too many Indian lawyers and doctors in the country". He should accept that there are others who want to be doctors and lawyers as well even if they are not straight A students. Indians love their MIC leaders too much to let them suffer It's strange that only ten per cent of the Indians are fighting back and that the rest, including 350,000 stateless people, are living in the hope that "some nice things will happen to them someday with no effort on their part". Meanwhile, they want to keep a good distance from the Hindraf trouble creators especially since they love their MIC leaders too much despite these gutless wonders squatting on them all these years. MIC leaders are human beings too and could do with the scraps and crumbs that come their way now and then from the powers-that-be in return for delivering Indian votes en bloc. It's no coincidence that the Hindraf brothers are lawyers, noted trouble-creators from among Indians. In any case, this bad habit among lawyers will soon be a thing of the past since the Certificate in Legal Practice (CLP) has been ingeniously designed to weed out future trouble-creators. The Indian lawyers are kidding themselves if they take others for fools. Any Tom, Dick and Harry can be a lawyer – the thrust of the CLP -- as long as trouble-creators can be weeded out. Therein the challenge facing the ten per cent of Indians in the country addicted to trouble-making as the nation heads towards the 13th General Election.   Joe Fernandez is a mature law student, among others, who loves to write.  He feels compelled, as a semi-retired journalist, to put pen to paper -- or rather the fingers to the computer keyboard -- whenever something doesn't quite jell with his weltanschauung (worldview). He shuttles between points in the Golden Heart of Borneo formed by the Sabah west coast, Labuan, Brunei, northern Sarawak and the watershed region in Borneo where three nations meet.

Red faces after Psy’s no-show for yee sang tossing (Video) Posted: 12 Feb 2013 03:53 PM PST VmemYrrSPY4  Najib and other BN leaders were left embarrased after repeated invitations by the emcee for Psy to join in the tossing of the Lunar New Year salad failed to prompt the global superstar to come on stage. Check out the video. Anil Netto  An eye-witness at the scene said the crowd at the back was not sure what exactly was going on on stage as all they could make out were people walking around during the tossing of the yee sang, but it seemed obvious that Psy was not there at the time. The video above provides a clearer account. The BN leaders' look of anticipation and excitement slowly turned to embarassment. Is it my imagination or did their faces assume the same hue as their attire? Even the cajoling by asking the crowd to join in the clapping to pile on pressure on Psy to appear on stage failed to persuade him. Read more at: http://anilnetto.com/malaysian-politics/red-faces-after-psys-no-show-for-yee-sang-tossing/

More Penang voters sitting on the fence Posted: 12 Feb 2013 03:51 PM PST With all the developments taking place in BN and Pakatan, these voters cannot decide who has the right to lead the country. Hawkeye, FMT The number of fence-sitters (undecided voters) in Penang has grown in the past few months with the general election around the corner, says an academician. Universiti Science Malaysia's political scientist Sivamurugan Pandian said this is largely because of developments in Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. He said that on the BN side, the ruling coalition has been dangling many "carrots" such as handing out RM500 to those who qualify under the BR1M aid scheme. It has also been making promises to solve socio-economic problems such as resolving housing woes and traffic congestion. Other "carrots" dangled include building a monorail (public transport), reviving the free port status for the under-performing Penang Port and new incentives to boost healthcare, tourism and manufacturing. On the Pakatan side, the opposition has been hit by a series of controversies such as the Allah issue, and the nomination of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to be the prime minister if Pakatan wins. On the Allah row, PAS took a different stand from PKR and DAP when its Syura Council ruled that Christians cannot use the word Allah in the Malay-language Bibles. Then came reports that PAS was not in favour of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim becoming the next prime minister, which Hadi has since denied. Do all these developments mean that BN has an edge over Pakatan? Or that Pakatan is crumbling? Sivamurugan said nobody can predict for now, but the fact remains that more people are now undecided over who deserves to lead the country. Act of desperation In one corner is BN led by the "1Malaysia" campaign founder and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and in the other, is his nemises, Anwar, who continues to "sell" the storyline that the country is on the wrong track because of corruption, nepotism and cronism. BN is trying hard to endear itself to the people with some initiatives that it hopes will translate into favourable "ratings" for its popularity. For example, Sivamurugan said BN brought over South Korean online rap superstar, Psy (Park Jae-sang), here to usher in the Chinese New Year. It was part of the state BN's Lunar New Year open-house celebration. It was reported that a crowd of some 100,000 jammed the Han Chiang Private College ground here to watch Psy perform his "Gangnam" style song and dance. READ MORE HERE

Gerakan: DAP peddling hate politics Posted: 12 Feb 2013 03:48 PM PST DAP is forcing people to take sides and wants partisan politics to be the order of the day, says a Gerakan leader.  Hawkeye, FMT Politics in Malaysia has taken a turn for the worst now compared to the last decade, said a state Gerakan leader. Malaysians have generally entered a phase where hatred reigns over rational thinking or national unity, according to Penang Gerakan vice-chairman Wong Mun Hoe. And he blames DAP for encouraging such hatred by instigating people to disrespect their political rivals through the distortion of facts and by adopting partisanship at all times. "DAP is forcing people to take sides. They want partisan politics to be the order of the day. This is unhealthy in a country as diverse as Malaysia where different races and religions or value systems are trying to co-exist," he said. Wong said that one cannot practise politics of "either you are with us or against us" and must understand that some people (fence-sitters) take a longer time to decide and some may not want to decide at all. Essentially, he added, politics in Malaysia should be about nation building and uniting the people, not the opposite of fueling hatred at every corner. Unity is democracy at its best and its roots can only be strengthened if everyone learns to respect each other's opinion and ways in a constructive way, Wong said. He added that politicking is essentially about furthering one's own causes and beliefs but not to an extend of imposing one's belief on others. If one wants to impose things then it is tantamount to becoming a dictator or advocating communism, he stressed. "Real support comes freely from those who accept it. Those who are forced to accept it, would only do so insincerely," he pointed out. READ MORE HERE

Najib and Rosmah must respond to Deepak Posted: 12 Feb 2013 03:42 PM PST FMT LETTER: From Sivarasa Rasiah, via e-mail Yesterday, Malaysia Chronicle carried an article by Deepak Jaikishan.  The article stated some very serious allegations against Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Deepak alleged in writing that an unnamed person had actually prepared a statutory declaration stating that he had been instructed to kill Altantuya by his immediate superior, and, that that immediate superior had taken instructions from Najib. He also said that the unnamed person changed his mind after seeing private investigator Balasubramaniam's second SD. In so saying, Deepak had finally belled the cat by actually speaking in writing for the first time the whispers that have been circulating in this country from the time of the murder in October 2006 regarding the alleged involvement of Najib and his spouse in the high profile murder of Altantuya. His statements are sufficient for the relevant agencies, the Attorney General's office and the police to immediately re-open the murder investigation and record a full statement from him. No action from them will mean a continuing conspiracy to hide the truth. It is also in the Prime Minister's interest that his name is cleared if Deepak's statements are indeed false. Secondly, Deepak again reiterates the involvement of Rosmah Mansor in the process of the making of the second SD done by Bala.  He repeats, amongst other things, that he was instructed by her to remove "certain facts and certain spicy details in (sic) the affair between Najib and Altantuya". The Malaysian public will need to hear from Rosmah what her riposte is to this. Thirdly, Deepak alleges that he made payments to Najib and Rosmah from "the proceeds of Glomac Tower to a subsidiary of Kuwait Finance House" and this evidence was recorded by one Dato Jamidan, a senior director with MACC in 2011. MACC has to explain immediately to the Malaysian public whether this allegation of payment to Najib and Rosmah is true, and if so, was it for any corrupt purpose. We also await the response of the MACC on Deepak' allegations supported with documents that he had made expensive presents in diamonds and jewellery to Rosmah. A serving Prime Minister going to the public for an electoral mandate to govern cannot be the proverbial ostrich with its head in the sand in respect of these very serious issues. Deepak's statements are specific. Malaysia needs specific answers. Silence will be taken to mean that Deepak's allegations are credible and with basis. READ MORE HERE

Deepak’s Open Letter to Dr Mahathir Posted: 12 Feb 2013 03:35 PM PST FMT LETTER: From Deepak J Tekwani, via e-mail Tun, I refer to your statement 'Ignore Deepak' as your advice to Najib Tun Razak and Rosmah Mansor. I also take heed of your advice to me to seek the courts' involvement and not use political channels to claim my rights and remedies. For your kind information, this is exactly what I have been doing the last two years from 2010 till to date and the courts have been fair and granted judgment in my favour. However, Najib's administration is "ignoring" these judgments and evidence produced in courts and almost all the government institutions have either swept Rosmah's dirt under the carpet or just not replying to our various written testimonies and court's judgment; as such I would like to seek Tun's advice. What would Tun do in my place? Being of similar paternal ancestral background, I am sure what I put forward in this letter would be exactly what Tun would have done in my situation or already done under different circumstances when Tun wrote the "historic June 17, 1969″ Open Letter to Tunku Abdul Rahman. I was raided by Bank Negara Malaysia in 2010 for foreign currency exchange through money changers amounting to substantial sum of Singapore and US dollars. The investigation was for a period of six (6) weeks and we divulged that the foreign currency was delivered to Najib and Rosmah as payments for various deals that I had acted on as their conduit including Bangunan Angkasa Raya, Bukit Raja Land and Glomac Tower (now known as Wisma Prestige). The matter was not pursued any further. I was also asked to be part of an investigation by MACC into the sale of an office building at KLCC to an international Islamic Bank, for which we had proved through payment slips, video statements and written testimony that I was merely acting as a conduit for Najib and Rosmah and monies were given by hand to both of them on various occasions over a period of two (2) years. Now why is it that after such clear incriminating evidence, till to date there has been no investigation on Rosmah, Najib or Nazim (Najib's brother)? This takes selective prosecution to an entirely different level doesn't it? How does Tun suggest I seek duress then? Let's talk about my court experience now. I had bought a 200-acre piece of land from Senator Raja Ropiah Raja Abdullah in 2007. She is now Selangor Umno Wanita chief and the state's BN Wanita chief. We paid her RM13,000,000.00 in cash and issued a Land Bond (Bank Guarantee) of RM72,500,000.00 to complete the purchase consideration. Raja Ropiah after collecting the money, purposely delayed the issuance of the land title to us by completely neglecting her responsibilities to deliver this land title and on the sly by committing CBT, sold the land to another company at a higher price and also collecting close to RM90,000,000.00 in cash and bank guarantees from them, this too while our "Land Bond" was still valid and collecting RM13,000,000.00 from us in cash. We also paid as disclosed in open court RM8,000,000.00 to Najib's family. I have lodged police reports and to date zero action has been taken on Raja Ropiah and the other "R". Instead I had to go through a harrowing experience of receiving a foreclosure notice called a "16 D" by none other that Najib brother's, throught his law firm exactly 24 hours after my press conference informing the media of the corruption and malpractice of this couple. Tun, pray advice me which bank does a foreclosure without even going through the legal process involved? Anyway by sheer "coincidence" their foreclosure was for RM30,000,000.00 and Boustead Holding suddenly appears out of nowhere to agree to purchase our company that owns this 200 acre land under the name of Asta Canggih Sdn Bhd for the same RM30,000,000.00! Wonders of wonders right ? The best part is Boustead also paid us in "advance" before signing the agreement on condition that we withdraw the case from the courts immediately as the open court date was in the same week. Now Tun, please advice me what you would have done in this circumstances? The best part is that Raja Ropiah was paid a further RM29,000,000.00 as her "sentence" for the CBT. We had sold a building to a subsidiary of an international Islamic Bank in 2008 and they defaulted in the payment to us in 2010 when the new shareholders came in. Now we won this landmark case in court via a judgment on Nov 7, 2012 and the court judgment found that the international Islamic Bank: a) used unlawful means to conspire against us with the predominant purpose of injuring us, b) committed breach of the Letter of Undertaking they issued to us, c) involved in the issuance and release of fraudulent letters to injure us and our business The bank was also exposed in open court of: i) Cheating its depositors by purchasing assets using an "associate" company where they initially claimed ownership of 19% but in actual fact owned 100% through a "Declaration of Trust Deed" which they later were forced to admit in open Court upon the presentation of the "Declaration of Trust Deed" ii) Cheating the various statutory bodies like Bank Negara Malaysia, SC, FIC and ROC by using these Malaysian nominees' shareholders to circumvent foreign ownership declarations and Approvals required. iii) Cheating Bank Negara Malaysia by showing loans exceeding its own Paid up Capitalat the material time as loans to third party companies when in fact it was loans to its own subsidiary. We had written to Bank Negara Malaysia to take necessary action against this international Islamic Bank as per the banking laws: a) Removing the CEO immediately b) Limiting or revoking the bank's license to prevent the bank from taking depositors c) Having the bank announce this unlawful conspiracy and breach to depositors and shareholders in Malaysia and the middle east where it is a public listed company and also governed by a Board of Trustees. My numerous letters to Zeti Akhtar and the Board of Directors of Bank Negara Malaysia till to date have remained unreplied. Why? Because Bank Negara knows that Rosmah and Nazim were involved in the building sale. READ MORE HERE

Deepak wants Najib out, Muhyiddin in Posted: 12 Feb 2013 03:29 PM PST In an open letter to Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the carpet dealer is asking the former premier to call on Najib Tun Razak to quit and allow his deputy to take over. G Vinod, FMT Who is behind Deepak Jaikishan? This has been the burning question since the carpet dealer decided to spill the beans on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor. Speculations abound, with some claiming that he is working for the opposition while there are also those who believe that he is linked to Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Deepak, however, claims that he is acting on his own in order to protect the dignity of the nation. But in an open letter to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the carpet dealer's remarks have strengthened the suspicion that Muhyiddin is pulling the strings. In the letter, Deepak expressed his disappointment with Mahathir's statement that Najib should ignore the allegations levelled against him. Pointing out that Mahathir himself has described Najib as a weak leader, Deepak called on the former premier to urge Najib to resign before the 13th general election. "I'm just concerned that there might be chaos after the 13th general election. "So it's best for deputy prime minister (Muhyiddin) to lead a rejuvenated Barisan Nasional for the general election," he added. Deepak also denied having links with the opposition and described himself as a nationalist just like Mahathir. "We are both defending the nation's dignity. Mahathir may think that I'm working for the opposition but it's not true. I'm a nationalist and we will never allow anyone to compromise our nation's dignity," he said. READ MORE HERE

Deepak immunity: One month for AG to respond Posted: 12 Feb 2013 03:27 PM PST Deepak Jaikishan has given the Attorney General one month to respond to his request for immunity in return for "the truth" about the prime minister. Anisah Shukry, FMT Controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan submitted his letter for immunity to the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) today, and has challenged Abdul Gani Pattail to respond within a month. "The country's last bastion of justice lies with the AGC…if no justice is served, then it is clear that we need a change of government," Deepak told reporters after handing his application to a representative. "One month is more than enough for them to respond. If by March 11 the AGC has not made any decision, then clearly they are useless and should cease to even exist," he added. Deepak stressed that it was the AG's responsibility to ensure necessary action was taken against those responsible for the 2006 murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu. "If they can't settle even this small thing, then how can we rely on them to settle other criminal cases?" Deepak asked. "If the AGC doesn't address this issue, we might as well just shut down the courts," he added. In his letter to the AG, Deepak claimed that the details he had given to the media on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor's role in the gruesome murder was merely a smidgen of what he truly knew. "I am willing to cooperate with any authoritative bodies in the country to provide further information on the prime minister's involvement in the abuse of power involving his family, on the condition that I am given protection from any possible criminal prosecution…" he wrote. But he told reporters today that even if the AGC refused to take action, he was optimistic that the truth would eventually come out. "I will just hope that a change of government happens and they (Pakatan Rakyat) would take action." He added that he would do "all that is necessary" to ensure truth would prevail. READ MORE HERE

You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net