Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- NOT BULLSHIT
- Pakatan: Game changers without a game plan?
- Bar Council Must First Discuss SD1 at AGM 16 March 2013
- My political thoughts during the Hunger Viratham Day Three 13th March 2013
- Najib’s ‘C’ word designed to insult Indians, Others
- The Perfect Malaysian Leader
- One Pope Does Not a Summer Make
- Indian Voters Advised Not To Give Their Votes For Free
- “My Political Thoughts During The Hunger Viratham”
- UN Needed for Complete Solution to Sabah Problems
- Supporting Wong Tack as the Green Candidate in Bentong
- Pakatan’s Manifesto: The future is here!
- The real story of Anwar’s Sodomy 2 ( Part 1)
- A Solution to the Blueprint-Manifesto ‘spat’
| Posted: 13 Mar 2013 06:37 PM PDT
Americk Sidhu I posed a question to RPK under the comments section of his article which appeared in his blog on the 11th March 2013 under the heading "The Deepak-Bala marriage: in Deepak's own words". I asked him whether he thought the information he was provided by his 'deep throat' in the MACC was credible and whether he believed it, bearing in mind his own involvement in the 'Bala saga', practically from day one. Up to the time I posted this article, I had not received his response. Perhaps it is a little awkward for him to do so as I am sure he cannot possibly have any faith in that information, clandestinely smuggled out of the vaults of the MACC direct to MT. Yet, rather surprisingly, he chose to publish it. I am not sure what he intended to achieve by disseminating mistruths, more so when he personally knows them to be absolute lies. It would have been different had he said he was aware they were lies. But he didn't. This was the spin. RPK knows as much as I do about this matter. He knows what he published is utter rubbish, but I understand the position he has adopted. He quite clearly pointed out that he is entitled to publish hearsay as that is now par for the course. In other words, everyone else is doing it so why shouldn't he? The difference between Bala's 1st SD and what RPK has just published is this. I had categorically emphasized, at the press conference at the PKR headquarters on July 3rd 2008, that parts of Bala's SD was in fact hearsay. I further stressed that Bala was merely repeating what Altantuya and Razak Baginda had told him. He was not alluding to the truth of what had been said but merely to the fact that it was said, to him. In such a situation, it is open to the personalities implicated in that particular hearsay to retaliate with denials. This was never done. Therefore we have to assume that the hearsay referred to by Bala was in fact substantiated by the corroborative evidence of other matters referred to by him, and by the silence of those implicated. This is how the matter has stood for nearly 5 years now. This is the reason why I have chosen to avoid making the same mistake those implicated in the 1st SD made, and instead retaliate immediately with this response, although a reticent silence would have been the easier option. Allow me to start from the very beginning. This is a long story so please bear with me. Puravalen, (or Valen, as he is known to his colleagues), and I studied law together at the Inns of Court London in 1980/81. I have had a long and close relationship with Valen for the past 33 years. He has done nothing in that period of time which would make me suspect that he was anything but a forthright and credible member of the legal profession. I was introduced to Bala and ASP Suresh by Valen at a restaurant (Fogles to be precise) at Plaza Damas sometime in April 2008. It was a chance meeting. Others were present and they can confirm this. Valen had met Bala 2 years earlier when he was engaged to represent Razak Baginda (before he was arrested). Bala and Razak Baginda were actually in Valen's office at 7.30 a.m the day he was arrested. This is when Razak Baginda received an sms from Najib saying "I am seeing the IGP at 11.00 a.m…all will be solved…stay cool" or words to that effect. Razak Baginda showed this sms to both Bala and Valen and informed them it was from Najib. This took Bala by surprise as prior to this incident, Razak Baginda had never referred to Najib. He had only ever referred to 'the VVIP'. In other words, Bala did not realize Najib was actually that VVIP until that sms was received. Back to Fogles. Later in the evening, the subject of Altantuya's murder was brought up. I had no idea of Bala's involvement at that stage. As Bala talked, I became more intrigued as to the background to the entire affair. As the restaurant we were in was closing, we decided to adjourn to the Backyard pub down the road to continue our conversation. This is when Sivarasa turned up and joined us. The discussion continued. Sivarasa felt Bala's story ought to be documented in a statutory declaration as the Altantuya murder trial was still ongoing at that stage. Unfortunately I was nominated as the best person to record all this evidence in the form of a statutory declaration as I was considered the most 'impartial' person at the table. I had never been involved in politics and had no previous interest in the matter. So began the meetings with Bala at my office, mostly done at weekends when it was quiet and there were no distractions. Bala and I went through everything systematically from the time he was engaged to 'protect' Razak Baginda from the persistent demands made by Altantuya until the beginning of the murder trial. As Bala related the unfolding of events to me, I recorded everything in long hand, pausing every so often to 'cross-examine' Bala on certain points to ensure his memory was indeed vivid and that there was no embellishment of anything he was narrating to me. Bala cross checked each detail by reference to the archives he had stored in his lap top, which had remained constantly open before him throughout the entire interviews. After approximately 2 months of painstakingly sifting through all the material, I began composing a formal statutory declaration in a format which would reflect the sequence of events in an easily digestible manner, as they were a little complicated. It should be remembered that Bala had already given evidence in the Altantuya murder trial as a prosecution witness. He was rather surprised that neither the prosecutors nor the defence counsel had bothered to ask him any pertinent and relevant questions which would have thrown some light on the events leading up to the murder, especially the chain of command. What was even more surprising to Bala was the fact that he had provided the police with a lengthy statement similar to that as set out in his 1st SD. This in effect means that the prosecution was aware of his evidence well beforehand, but the 'sensitive' issues were avoided wholesale. This is part of the reason why the SD that I was in the process of preparing was of significance. I pause to point out at this stage that neither myself nor Bala had had any communication whatsoever with Anwar Ibrahim. He did not even feature in the equation. The entire purpose of this exercise was to ensure justice for the murdered Mongolian girl and her family. There was no political angle involved. The opposition at this stage was still suffering from shell shock after having made unprecedented gains in the 2008 elections 3 months previously. The Altantuya trial was probably not as important to them as trying to come to grips with having to, unexpectedly, run 5 states. Sometime at the end of June 2008, there was an inquiry from Sivarasa asking whether the SD was ready. At that time it was almost completed. Siva suggested a press conference to release this SD which we eventually agreed to do at PKR's head office in Merchant Square, Tropicana. I wish to reiterate that no one had offered Bala or me any money to do this. If they had, I would have jettisoned the whole exercise immediately and distanced myself from it in no uncertain terms. I believed what Bala had told me as the detail and coincidences involved could not possibly have been concocted. I am sure Valen will be confirming independently, that he did not receive any money from any party or person for his involvement and neither was he instructed to pay Bala anything, contrary to what has been alleged in RPK's latest article. The night before the press conference (2nd July 2008), I was invited by Sivarasa to drop by Valen's house. Bala, ASP Suresh, RPK, his wife Marina and their daughter and grandchild were there too. This is the first time I had met them. RPK was being briefed by Bala about the SD and the impending press conference was talked about. We then proceeded to dinner at an Italian restaurant at Plaza Damas. Present at the table were RPK and his wife Marina, Valen, myself, Bala, ASP Suresh, a CEO of a large Malaysian company and his wife. After dinner I thought it would be best that Bala stay in a hotel that night as we were a little concerned for his safety as the Special Branch were known to have spies everywhere. I therefore booked a room at the Corus Hotel, Jalan Ampang as it was close to my office and it would be convenient for me to pick Bala up the next morning and drive him to the press conference. The next morning we attended the press conference at the PKR headquarters at Tropicana. After that press conference, most of those present adjourned to the coffee shop downstairs for lunch, including RPK and a number of other bloggers, PKR members and the press. I then drove Bala back to my office in Jalan Ampang. Bala called his assistant Suras Kumar and asked him to meet us there. The intention was to get Suras Kumar to also affirm a SD to corroborate what Bala had stated, as he, (Suras Kumar), had been closely involved in the entire affair involving Altantuya and her demands made to Razak Baginda. When Suras eventually arrived, I was introduced to him and almost immediately he started to demand money. My reply to him was succinct and unequivocal. I told Suras Kumar he was not getting any money and to 'get lost'. Suras Kumar left my office. That was the last I saw of him. While in my office, Bala was continuously receiving phone calls on his mobile phone. ASP Suresh was also with us at that time. I digress to point out that ASP Suresh kept popping up with Bala from time to time. When I enquired from Bala what his relationship with him was, he told me ASP Suresh and he were friends and that ASP Suresh was a policeman in the D9 division at Jalan Hang Tuah but he had been suspended for some reason. Apparently Bala had assisted ASP Suresh in obtaining phone records as he could get these faster than the police could. It was also revealed that ASP Suresh was involved in a pub called 'Madurai' in Jalan Imbi and Bala used to work there as a 'bouncer' when asked. In fact I had some very interesting conversations with ASP Suresh. His job in the D9 division apparently involved apprehending individuals considered to be 'hoodlums', incarcerating them in 'safe houses' and interrogating them for information. Once this information had been obtained, these 'hoodlums' would be executed with a bullet to the back of the head and their bodies disposed of in various ways, not unlike the way in which Altantuya was. Now, one of the phone calls Bala received on his mobile phone that afternoon was from ASP Tonny from the Brickfields police station. He had been involved in the Altantuya investigations and therefore had questioned Bala on a few occasions. From the tenor of the conversation he had with Bala on the phone, I got the impression ASP Tonny was glad that Bala had come out publicly and revealed what he knew as it directly coincided with what Bala had been telling the police all along. The further impression I got from this conversation was that ASP Tonny and his colleagues who had been involved in the investigations, were frustrated by the fact that there appeared to be a cover up in the ongoing prosecution taking place at the Shah Alam High Court. When ASP Tonny suggested Bala meet him at Brickfields at 6.00 p.m. (after he got of duty), at an 'ikan bakar' restaurant to discuss the situation further, I agreed as I felt Bala was in safe hands. This is because ASP Suresh volunteered to drive him there. I did not realize at that stage that ASP Suresh would actually do a flip. So, Bala left my office at about 5.30 p.m. I escorted him to ASP Suresh's car (a grey Proton Waja), parked (illegally of course) outside my office and bid him farewell. That was the last I saw of Bala for over 1 year. The rest is history, so to speak. When Bala surfaced a year later he declared to me all the payments he had received from Deepak. The total amount, including cash, came to approximately RM750K. Bala has disclosed this publicly and has divulged evidence in support in the form of photocopied cheques, for RM50,000.00 each, drawn on Deepak's company account. This money had been used by Bala to pay for his expenses in Chennai, which included expensive International School fees (his children were not Indian citizens and therefore could not attend local schools), expensive condominium rental of RM9,000 per month (Deepak had rented it for Bala), and of course all other necessary payments to keep a family of 5 going in a foreign country and also to pay the monthly mortgage payments on his house in Rawang and his car instalments. Bala emerged from hiding in 2009 and spilled the beans in the video recording he made in Singapore. By that time, all payments from Deepak had stopped. (Actually they had stopped much earlier as Deepak smelt something fishy and had anticipated Bala was going to 'turn'). Therefore Bala has had to survive till the present on the RM750K given to him in 2008. Remember he has been unemployed as he is not an Indian national and is therefore not eligible to work there. To cut costs, Bala moved out of the RM9,000 per month condo and instead rented a small house further out of the city for only RM1,000 per month. He placed some of the funds in a savings account in the HSBC Bank in Chennai to earn some interest. He still has reserve funds. At the beginning of 2010, RPK very kindly arranged a Dato friend of his to help Bala out financially. He paid for a second hand Toyota so that Bala could drive his children to school (which was now quite far away from his downgraded accommodation) and also contributed towards school fees. This arrangement lasted only a few months. Bala has been left to his own devices and has been surviving on Deepak's initial contributions since. This is the correct version of events. Bala was not paid any money by any person to affirm the 1st SD. I have been diligently following everything that has occurred over the past 5 years and have received phone calls and text messages from Bala practically every day, updating me on his situation. I am unable to put it more succinctly than Bala did in his comments on the article written by RPK and recorded by Free Malaysia Today (11.03.2013), that what was produced in RPK's article was utter bullshit. RPK is completely aware of all I have said above. I would have expected him to have, at the very least, expressed his reservations as to the veracity of the information he had received from his 'deep throat'. This he chose not to do. Perhaps the MACC statement ostensibly recorded from Deepak was the one he would have made earlier in connection with the initial 2008 investigations. If that is the case, Deepak's sentiments then, would, of course, have been to exonerate himself and put the blame on others. Deepak has since given audio-visually recorded interviews for Malaysiakini in which he has confirmed that what Bala had alleged in his 1st SD was true. Whilst dust storms are being created to obfuscate matters by allegations of fiscal impropriety on the part of different personalities, the main issue is conveniently being avoided. The question still remains. Who ordered Altantuya's murder? This is what all law abiding citizens of this country want to know. Bala has provided all the clues at great personal sacrifice and yet he is being slandered and castigated by a bunch of armchair eunuchs who have nothing better to do than to pour scorn on his valiant efforts to pursue what is right. Has all this been purposely designed to distract from the real issues at hand? I leave that to you to decide.
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| Pakatan: Game changers without a game plan? Posted: 13 Mar 2013 12:56 PM PDT
Yes, Indians could be king makers in crucial constituencies, come GE-13. But the big question is: Where should they place their trust? Should it be in a person or persons who have a proven track record of helping Indians or in a person or persons who have repeatedly shown their disdain for Indians and their causes? In the latter category are Anwar Ibrahim, leaders in DAP and the Indian leaders in Pakatan. pm.sivalingam Paraman Subramaniam makes some interesting suggestions about how Indians, a minority community in Malaysia, can leverage their vote in the next GE (MT letter, 13 March 2013). Although Paraman did not suggest it, the Indians could take a cue from last year's US Presidential elections in which President Obama's second term was largely secured by record numbers of votes from ethnic minorities. The Hispanics accounted for ten per cent of all voters in the election. Of these, 71 per cent voted for Obama. A record number of Asian voters - three per cent of the electorate - also turned out, with nearly three-quarters backing Obama. He also won a staggering 93 per cent of African-American votes, according to some polls. Paraman estimates that Malaysian Indian voter's number 950,000 and they reside in two thirds of the Parliamentary seats in the peninsula. They could make up 10% – 45% of the total voter makeup of these constituencies. Also, he says Indians in Malaysia have recorded the highest percentage rise in new voters from 2008 to 2012, compared with all other races. Malacca recorded a 46% rise in new Indian voters, Selangor 22% and Perak and Negeri Sembilan 16% each. Yes, Indians could be king makers in crucial constituencies, come GE-13. But the big question is: Where should they place their trust? Should it be in a person or persons who have a proven track record of helping Indians or in a person or persons who have repeatedly shown their disdain for Indians and their causes? In the latter category are Anwar Ibrahim, leaders in DAP and the Indian leaders in Pakatan. The Indian leaders in Pakatan especially have to answer: • Why they didn't come up with a blueprint to bring about permanent solutions for the Indian poor, and • Why they were quiet when PR failed to include 'Indian' issues in the PR manifesto although other races were included Pakatan pretends to be a game changer for Indians, but it does not have a credible game plan. On the other hand, what has BN's record been, especially in the last four years since Najib Tun Razak took over as Prime Minister? Najib has been quick to publicly acknowledge the role played by the Indian community in the development of the nation. In a special media interview published today, he acknowledged the aspirations of the new generation of Indians who wish to leave the estates and move to urban centres in search of new and better opportunities. The Najib's government has, in just four years, rolled out more programmes for the upliftment of Indians than any other administration in the nation's history. That's a fact. Najib has given Indians hope and a brighter future by addressing many longstanding issues of the community and improving opportunities and access for the Indian community in various major sectors such as education, higher education, economic and equity development. And rest assured, this will continue even after the general election should the Indian community gives Najib a new mandate. Indians do not trust dubious game changers. They only trust those who won't play games with them.
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| Bar Council Must First Discuss SD1 at AGM 16 March 2013 Posted: 13 Mar 2013 12:53 PM PDT
TRUTH SEEKER Before SD 2 is discussed at the coming AGM, SD 1 must be discussed. It is now crystal clear that SD1 was not signed voluntarily. Recent events that have unfolded since the return of P Balasubramaniam from India or wherever he was, clearly indicates Bala did not hire the prominent senior lawyer, Americk Singh who verifies information provided to him painstakingly for months, before putting pen to paper. Bala did not seek out Americk Singh on his own volition for the national good. He was propelled there by Pakatan and their promise of RM700,000 and what other inducements is yet to be known. Should Americk Singh have prepared SD 1, knowing monetary inducements have been received and more to be received after the signing of SD 1. Has there been any wrong doing or worse still, professional misconduct on the part of the lawyer who drafted SD 1. Pakatan's complicity in SD1 is clearly borne out the fact that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim flanked Bala at the SD 1 Press Conference. Were the contents of SD 1 the truth? Was concrete evidence given of the alleged part of the First Couple. Or was it a ploy by Pakatan to bring down the Prime Minister and the ruling government. This must be seen against the background of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's grand September 16 plan to topple the government by winning over the elected Barisan Representatives in Sabah and Sarawak. As everyone knows the plan flopped dismally. The 14 brave (or rash?) lawyers should have called for a discussion of both SD 1 and SD 2. Are not lawyers trained to be objective, impartial and to consider all aspects of an issue; particularly when proposing a motion? Discussing SD 2 without discussing SD 1 would not only be lop sided but a travesty of justice. Bar Council, please do the right thing, discuss both SD 1 and SD 2.
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| My political thoughts during the Hunger Viratham Day Three 13th March 2013 Posted: 12 Mar 2013 08:44 PM PDT
Why do the politicians want to kill off Hindraf's 5 year Blueprint? Before I get into discussing the whys of this question, I need to clarify that indeed politicians on both sides of the divide do want to kill off the Blueprint.
P. Waythamoorthy
This is the third day of my Hunger Viratham. I have begun limiting my physical movement so I can conserve the energy for what lies ahead. The Viratham feeds me with spiritual strength that no food can substitute. That is the nourishment I truly need. This period of Viratham is going to be a creative period.
Yesterday in part 1, I addressed the immediate plans for the way forward for the minority Indian poor. Today I wish to discuss why I think the political class wants to kill off Hindraf's 5 year blueprint to bring the Indian poor into the mainstream of national development.
PART 2
Why do the politicians want to kill off Hindraf's 5 year Blueprint?
Before I get into discussing the whys of this question, I need to clarify that indeed politicians on both sides of the divide do want to kill off the Blueprint.
UMNO's first approach has been to completely ignore that any such initiative exists. This is the typical first response. They have not responded to our overtures to them for a discussion on the Blueprint for a good six months now. The next approach (and we are beginning to see traces of that) is to hijack portions of the Blueprint and maybe also the tone of the Blueprint and hope to render Hindraf's Blueprint document redundant in the process. The proof will be in their Election manifesto when comes out. They are hoping to skirt the issue altogether for now and hope to sail through these elections and then in the post election period hope for a natural death to the document. Their pretending is their biggest initiative to kill off the document.
As for Pakatan the situation is a little bit more complex as we have been in discussion with them these last six months. First when the discussions started we were given verbal agreements by the very top and they hoped we would accept that as sufficient commitment and then they take over. But when we insisted on a binding endorsement, then gears began to shift.
Delay tactics of engaging us in meeting after wasted meetings and hoping to drag this process on for as long, to minimize any impact of a breakdown of the talks was attempted. But that has not worked either.
If they could not kill the document, then kill the messenger was what they tried next – so they began to hit at our moral grounds, by insinuating that we were only interested in seats to contest in the elections, attempting to make us out into greedy cheating politicians. Trying to make us look like wolves in sheepskin. They did not have much more to go on, on that count as we made it clear our priorities are the blueprint then the seats. But they persist with this approach.
The next thing they tried was using argument that the Blueprint demand were inconsistent with that sacrosanct Pakatan principle of "beyond racial boundaries". They backtracked on that too because of the backlash. They then resorted to hijacking a clear portion of the Blueprint for inclusion in their election manifesto to get by that difficulty .
Now, the latest attempt has been to cleverly use the Indian leaders within their party to hit out at us - to further divide n rule, something that has been practiced by UMNO all these years.
There probably will be more attempts as they have not succeeded in killing off the Blueprint.
Now let me get to why both parties are so earnest about achieving this goal.
Our theory is that both BN and Pakatan are just puppets. The real power lies with the puppet masters at the back. The puppet masters are the political and economic elite of the country. They are the people who own this country – all the major assets of the country are owned by them. They call the policy shots as far as the allocation of the resources of the country is concerned and they use various devices, methods and processes to achieve this. BN or Pakatan, they are just tools to create an illusion. Of course what I say is advanced political theory. But hold these thoughts and ruminate over them. This is a central theme all common people must become well aware of. This is central to our understanding of how things work in our universe.
Hindraf's political platform is entirely about correcting the historical injustices and gross and serious violation of human rights of the Indian poor since the time the Indian coolie was brought in by the white colonialists into Malaya. The injustice and violations of the rights of the poor continue till today. Our firm belief is that none of this happened as if in a fit of absent mind. They were all results of conscious decisions by the political and economic elite of the country. That is still true today.
So, Hindraf is meeting the elite eye to eye in their Blueprint demands. Hindraf is effectively demanding that the elite accept that they committed these atrocities and demand they atone for it by implementing comprehensive programs of correction. The proposals in the Blueprint are entirely justifiable, no matter which way you look at it. The issue of racism does not arise at all. Only the defenders of the elite –the puppets use this as a convenient argument. We are actually engaging in this conversation with the elite through the political party puppets. And look at how vehemently the political party puppets use convenient and self serving arguments to defend the position of the elite .
The puppets may be two political coalitions, but the puppet master is only one. So, the fundamental policies will be one. In the contention between these political parties one-upmanship becomes their real policy. Remove the chaff and what you get is the same set of policies at the end of the day from the two parties. We got a glimpse of that with Anwar's response to the Australian media when questioned about Lynas the other day. The same policy comes through. You can give any number of reasons to justify and once you are in power a lot more comes into play for you.
Hindraf operates with this model – a model , in our opinion that is devoid of the illusions that the elite want to create to control us and everything else.
That briefly is my analysis of the reasons why both sides of the political divide want to see the Blueprint killed off. They do not think any such transgression has occurred as we insist. In their worldview this is normal. So what we ask is "terlalu".
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| Najib’s ‘C’ word designed to insult Indians, Others Posted: 12 Mar 2013 08:33 PM PDT
How competitive can one be if lacking, for example, in Malaysian personal documents? Joe Fernandez The various "initiatives" for the Indian Nation in Malaysia announced by Prime Minister Najib Mohd Razak was, according to him, designed to make the community "competitive". He wants Indians to place their continued Nambikkei (Trust in Tamil) in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) so that it can carry out even more "initiatives" that will benefit the community. If that's the case, why is Hindraf Makkal Sakthi Supremo, P. Waythamoorthy, on an indefinite fast since Sun 10 Mar to draw the world's attention to the need to dismantle Umno's sick ketuanan Melayuism (Malay political dominance and supremacy)? Ketuanan Melayuism is a combination of Apartheid, Nazism, Fascism, Communism, Political Islam and the evil Caste System of Ancient India which was kept going by superstitious beliefs like Samsara (suffering), Karma (Law of Cause and Effect), Reincarnation (endless re-Births) and Nirvana (Heaven or Eternal Bliss through the end of Existence). Malaysia has been able to get away with the vile philosophy of ketuanan Melayuism for over half a century because the world has no time for countries which aren't considered interesting enough or important by the international media and/or are insignificant in other ways. Tiny Palestine, by comparison, hogs the world headlines because of the perceived Muslim fight over the Holy Land with Judaism and Christianity. The Palestinians will say that they merely want the Jews to stop stealing the land which they had tilled for centuries even before the Jews of Palestine were dispersed into the Diaspora by the Roman Empire in the decades following the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
Stateless a permanent pool of slave labour in the Twilight Zone Indians, if they are thinking right, should feel rightly insulted and humiliated by Najib's usage of the word "competitive" since it implies that it wasn't the fault of the Government, the establishment or the System that the community had been lagging since the British administrators left Malaya in 1957. How competitive can one be if lacking, for example, in Malaysian personal documents? About 350,000 ethnic Indians alone are stateless in Malaysia under a deliberate policy of the Umno Government to ensure a readily available domestic pool of slave labour in the Twilight Zone. Indians aside, many Orang Asal and pockets in other communities are stateless and dare not venture too far from their homes or places where they slave away lest they be arrested by the authorities and remanded in prison for years on end. Keeping such a large number of Indians stateless also keeps them out of the electoral rolls and thereby further marginalizes and disenfranchises the Indian community who don't have even one ethnic-Indian majority seat in any legislature despite having one million voters.
Deviations, distortion of Article 153 must be ended The Director-General of the National registration department (NRD) can exercise his prerogative and discretionary powers to issue Malaysian personal documents to the stateless in Malaysia. He has failed to do so because he, like his predecessors since 1957, has always been from the Malay-speaking communities and probably a secret hardcore card-carrying member of the racist Umno determined to continue violating the Human Rights of several hundred thousand people in Malaysia. The Indian Community, in fact, doesn't need hand-outs from the Government. The 800,000 estate Indians in Malaya may be a class by themselves as defragmentation of the estates has driven these landless people into the shantytowns with no skills to cope with life in urban Malaysia. The Umno Government was not willing to give them land for cultivation or absorbing them into the Felda (Federal Land Development Authority) run plantations in Malaysia which continued to be reserved for the Malay-speaking communities as Umno vote banks. The estate Indians, in contrast, are largely stateless. For starters, what Indians need in general is for the Government to dismantle the deviations and distortions in the implementation of Article 153 of the Federal Constitution. This is what Waytha's fast is all about. The 1st Prong of Article 153 gives a Special Position to the Orang Asal in Malaysia and the Malay-speaking communities – Bugis, Javanese, Minang, Acehnese, Arab Muslims, and Indian Muslims etc – in Malaya, through the King, by way of a reasonable proportion in four areas viz. intake into the civil service; intake into institutions of higher learning owned by the Government; scholarships from Government; and opportunities from the Government to do business.
Non-Muslim Orang Asal bear brunt of discrimination This 1st prong has been observed more often than not in the breach and unilaterally extended to every facet of life in Malaysia by Umno who usurped the power of the King over Article 153 to Sapu Bersih (Clean sweep) anything that it eyes. This usurpation, and subsequent deviations and distortions, contradicts the 2nd Prong of Article 153 which enshrines the legitimate interests of the non-Malays who are not Orang Asal. To add insult to injury, The Government's policy initiatives and directives – administrative laws – are pro 55 per cent Malay majority at the expense of the 45 per cent non-Malay minorities. The result can be seen all around. The Government, Teaching sector and Judiciary is 90 per cent Malay. In the Federal sector in Sabah and Sarawak even the Orang Asal who are non-Muslims are largely left out when it comes to recruitment, increments and promotions.
Racism has crept even into sports None of the vice-chancellors of the 20-odd Government universities is a non-Malay or Orang Asal. If an Orang Asal or two had one time been the vice chancellor anywhere, they had always been Muslim, not Christian, like the overwhelming majority of Orang Asal. The same situation applies in the Police and Armed Forces where except for Admiral Thanabalasingam, the first Malaysian to head the Navy in the early years after 1957, no non- Malay or Orang Asal has ever headed these services. The reason is not due to their lacking in the competitive spirit but due to institutionalized discrimination fuelled by politics, racism, prejudice and opportunism. The system has been deliberately designed to keep the non-Malays out by means fair and foul. Racism has crept even into sports. No longer do we see Indians in any great numbers in various athletic and sporting events.
No salvation for Indians, Others in Nambikkei At one time, except for a Chinese, a Malay and a Eurasian, the rest of the Malaysian Hockey Team was composed of Indians. Then, the present Sultan of Perak Azlan Shah took charge of the Malaysian Hockey Federation in the mid-1970s and Indians were systematically removed from the National Hockey Team. Indians dominated in many other sporting fields too until institutionalized discrimination crept in over the years since 1957. The ultimate in ketuanan Melayuism has been the abolishment of Local Government elections, and the Federal Government chipping away at the powers of the state governments, especially Sabah and Sarawak which are the lands of the great majority of Orang Asal, for the emergence of a unitary state with all political powers vested in the Prime Minister in particular and the Prime Minister's Department in general. The PM's Department, a misnomer, is in fact a Hyper Ministry which dwarfs all Ministries. The Ministers are reduced to being Menteri Jalan Jalan or puppets with no powers. The Federal Cabinet has become a rubber stamp institution under Umno, just like Parliament and the Judiciary which has degenerated into yet another Government Department of glorified clerks. Salvation for the Indian Nation in Malaysia, others too especially the Orang Asal, will not come through placing their continued Nambikkei in the Umno Government. It will only come through them not allowing anyone including their so-called leaders to dictate to them and by taking their destiny in their hands.
Joe Fernandez is a mature student of law and an educationist, among others, wholoves to write especially Submissions for Clients wishing to Act in Person. 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.
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| Posted: 12 Mar 2013 07:22 PM PDT
Unwittingly enough, when we talk about politics and government, there is an underlying issue that invariably becomes the focus of debate, i.e. leadership qualities. But have you ever thought of who might be your role model as the "perfect" Malaysian leader? Jaikol Situn, Barrister-at-Law (Gray's Inn), LLM, LLB, BA (Hons) As the 13th Malaysian General Election looms ever closer on the horizon, party activists, supporters, political sympathisers and ordinary citizens alike are increasingly fixated with the burning question: would BN win again, or would the opposition win enough seats to form a government? Unwittingly enough, when we talk about politics and government, there is an underlying issue that invariably becomes the focus of debate, i.e. leadership qualities. But have you ever thought of who might be your role model as the "perfect" Malaysian leader? If you are an UMNO supporter, quite understandably that leader might be Najib Tun Razak, the current Malaysian Prime Minister; but if you are for PKR, you are forgiven for insisting that Anwar deserves that accolade. Whoever is your choice, do you honestly believe that he or she has ALL the crucial leadership qualities that a leader should possess? If you are in doubt, then let me offer you some personal insight as to what might be your "perfect" Malaysian leader that appeals to most if not all. Past, present and future leaders have never failed to amaze or disappoint us for they have their own strengths and weaknesses. In no particular order, I have listed down several leaders who deserve praise and recognition for their own unique qualities notwithstanding their political allegiance and ideology.
The Vision of Tunku Abdul Rahman As the "Father of Independence", nobody can deny the fact that all Malaysians owe it all to Tunku. Taking over the leadership from Onn Bin Jaffar after the Second World War, he led UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) to greater heights as it later became the main component party of Barisan Nasional (BN), the present ruling coalition. Tunku dreamt of a united nation regardless of religious beliefs, ethnicity and cultural background and for the first few decades since independence, his dreams may have come true, the only blemish being the racial riots in 1969. On balance, he achieved so much. He not only made Malaysia an independent nation but also a respected country paving the way for its modernisation that even Sukarno, the first Indonesian president, was envious of. His vision for Malaysia as a prosperous and harmonious multi-racial society is being craved by all Malaysians until this day whilst the man is still being held in high esteem by many of his subjects.
The Man-Management and Ambitions of Dr Mahathir Mohamed I think it is fair to say that Dr Mahathir never fails to surprise everybody. He still commands credible clout in UMNO despite having retired from active government service or politics. However, during his tenure as Prime Minister, foes, critics and supporters fear him. He would have made a great emperor or general in ancient Rome. If you are to find a leader with sheer man-management quality (or man-nipulation, to his critics), find no further. He "reinforced" or "redefined" the supremacy of the Parliament, "reviewed" the independence of the judiciary and even made royalties eat humble pies. What about his ambitions? He wanted to outdo every country in the Asia Pacific Region by building the tallest, biggest or by being the first in everything. So he built KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Centre) twin towers, the tallest building in the world in the late 1980s, the sprawling futuristic city and new capital of Putrajaya, the F1 racing track, to mention a few. Dr Mahathir man-management skills and ambitions are unrivalled.
The Resolve and Patience of Joseph Pairin Kitingan Across the South China Sea hails a Kadazandusun-Murut leader from Tambunan in the State of Sabah. He is the "Huguan Siou" or Paramount Leader of his community and the current Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah as well as leader of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS). Indeed, his resolve and remarkable patience befits the title of Paramount Leader. He has withstood all forms of challenges and adversities in his political and personal life. Castigated by his allies, and belittled and abandoned by some of his own people, he is a man who is like a bullet proof punching bag that no matter what amount of force you throw at him, he is as serene and calm as the Pagalan River in his hometown. He is not easily drawn into a tit-for-tat tirade over trivial differences. Have you heard him comment or say anything disrespectful or harsh to anybody lately?
The Wealth and People's Loyalty of Taib Mahmud Taib Mahmud is allegedly richer than even the Sultan of Brunei and probably the richest in Malaysia thanks to his more than 40 years in power in the oil and timber rich State of Sarawak. This could only be hearsay as we do not have any concrete evidence to support this allegation but in his case you probably would not need any convincing. His stature speaks for itself. For whatever reasons, support for him seems unwavering. His Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB) returns at least or about half of the State and Federal constituencies in every election. This may be about to change, but we are not certain. What makes him so popular amongst his supporters I do not have the foggiest of idea. The only possible explanation is perhaps a love potion that he sprinkles daily upon his people to ensure their love affair is as passionate as ever.
The Tact and Diplomacy of Lim Keng Yaik When PBS pulled out of BN in 1986, UMNO leaders were so incensed that they branded PBS a traitor alleging "PBS pengecut kerana sanggup menikam UMNO dari belakang"(PBS was a coward for stabbing UMNO in the back). Appearing on prime time TV, the late Lim Keng Yaik said, "Walaupun kena tikam dari belakang, PBS boleh cabut balik itu pisau" (Even if PBS had stabbed UMNO in the back, and if the knife is still stuck in the back, PBS can pull it out). He endeavoured to pacify the ruling coalition as well as cherish the healthy relations between the Gerakan party, of which he was the leader, and PBS. He achieved both. Without him paving the way, PBS would probably not have been re-admitted into BN. On the foreign front, as Minister of Primary Industries in the 1986-2004, amongst others, he successfully promoted and marketed Malaysian oil palm and wood-based products in the face of fierce competitions from soya bean producers and opposition from environmental groups in Europe and the US. Current and would-be Malaysian leaders are well advised to take a leaf from Keng Yaik in the art of tact and diplomacy.
The Charisma of Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah When he was the Malaysian Finance Minister in 1976–1984, he used to take centre stage for more than two hours in tabling the Annual Budget in Parliament. I for one was so spellbound by his eloquence, confidence and panache that although the text of his speech was dry and heavy going, I was glued to the TV for the entire live coverage. Dan Reiland defines charisma as a personal quality that is "more concerned about making others feel good about themselves that you are making them feel good about you". Tengku Razaleigh is pretty close to being such a person. Then again, what can you say, he comes from the royal blood of Kelantan and that is how people view him, in awe of his royal highness, which was both a blessing and a curse. He had a tough act to follow in the form of another royalty, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who succeeded in becoming PM. But who would have thought that he would take the UMNO leadership by storm in 1987 and actually "won" and almost became PM himself, but for a vote count "technicality" or something.
The Business Acumen of Daim Zainuddin Daim was the real brain behind the economic success and prosperity of Malaysia during the tenure of Mahathir. As Finance Minister during the period 1984-1991 he regularised the bank and financial institutions and steered the nation's economy out of trouble during the world recession in the 1980s, amongst others. For long spells, the Malaysian coffers were as sound and solid as one would possibly expect. Due partly to his alleged involvement in various business ventures, corporate leaders and ordinary businessmen look up to him for clues as to the prospects of the nation's economy. He was a quiet and shrewd man yet there was one incident when traders misjudged his casual banter as an indication of what the KLSE trend was likely to be heading. Convinced that he was advising them to take up positions, some bought huge volumes of certain stocks that failed to pick up. When confronted by the media, he clarified: "I said bye, not buy". Hence, if you are looking for a role model as a successful politician and a businessman, Daim should be your man.
The Rhetoric and Boldness of Anwar Ibrahim Some people are resigned to the fact that Anwar may never become the Malaysian Prime Minister. They could be wrong come this forthcoming general election. When I was at college, my friends and I used to mimic his oratory skills. His rather wide range of terminology often makes his speeches sound more prosaic and sometimes bombastic, still, to the common man or those who are melancholic about the era of Martin Luther King, Churchill, and even Hitler, no insinuation, Anwar's speeches are so powerful and awe-inspiring that could wake up the dead from the graves, so to speak. On his other quality, he has always been bold and vocal with his principles and ideology as evidenced during by his early years as a university student and as president of ABIM (Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia). Ibrahim Ali, eat your heart out. Take it from the guru himself.
The Humbleness and Principles of Niz Abdul Aziz While other leaders adorn themselves with expensive designer or specially tailored attire, Nik Aziz is just happy to put on his modest religious slacks and headgear. While others spend a fortune building a palatial mansion, Nik Aziz is just content with a kampong-style residence. He must be that down-to-earth that if he walks around the city of Kota Bharu, he is not instantly recognisable even by his supporters unless they actually bump into him. True to his religious principles, he seems to lead a frugal and mediocre lifestyle in accordance with what his Creator has commanded him. His humbleness and strong principles bring forth his integrity as both a political and religious leader. If there is anybody whom you can call a wise and noble man, he is not far off from that description.
The Public Relations of Najib Tun Razak I cannot remember any Malaysian leader who has gone to great lengths to woo his people by recruiting artists, sportsmen and ordinary people to promote his cause. Najib has been in various adverts, posters and commercials in different roles and attires. His pictures decorate almost every government building and public place. Politics and critics aside, Najib is in fact an amiable gentleman. His acts have not come easy for him though. For instance, a few weeks ago during the performance of the Korean star, Psy, in Penang, a whole crowd disappointed him by saying no to BN, but he carried on with his acts and pretended nothing untoward happened. He must get a lot of support and encouragement from his wife, Rosmah Mansor, who is equally as enthusiastic in aggressive public-relations campaigns to show that they truly care. Do not be surprised that other leaders would try to copy this trendy style. It has been reported that Anwar has also adopted this strategy.
The Wits and Tenacity of Lim Kit Siang Lim Kit Siang's political career as an opposition leader spans over four decades. Always a controversial figure, ridiculed and derided by his foes and critics, he stood by his motto of speaking up without fear or favour in Parliament and in public in the fight for justice and equality. His ISA detention would have broken the will to live of a lesser man, but he persevered and won many of his scoffers. Where he failed, he has more than made up by nurturing his own flesh and blood, Lim Guan Eng, his son, to carry on with the family struggle and becoming Chief Minister of Penang, a feat that may never be replicated, well at least in Penang that is. This father and son partnership epitomises the Malay saying, "Patah tumbuh hilang berganti" (Even if the plant withers, the shoot grows in its place). This makes him top billing ahead of his closest challenger, Karpal Singh. However, it is both of them that make Malaysia more democratic.
The Intelligence and Brain of Dr Jeffrey Kitingan Crossing the great watery divide again, Mahathir confirmed in his book "Doctor in the House" that Jeffrey, the younger brother of Pairin Kitingan, is a clever man or something like that. This is the highest complement you can ever have; from your erstwhile adversary and ISA jailor. Then again, despite spending two years in ISA detention, Jeffrey's brain has never stopped ticking. He may have "wandered in the wilderness" for many years in search of his own dreams, and he seems to have finally found them at long last in what he calls the "Borneo Agenda" (Ask him what it is). I have reliably been informed that he has strings of degrees including a PhD from Harvard University (J F Kennedy, School of Government), a couple of MBAs, a couple of degrees and a diploma. Do you know any Malaysian leader who has got more credible paper qualification than him?
The Style and Looks of Musa Aman You may now be thinking that I am biased in my role models as the perfect Malaysian leader as I appear to be promoting another Sabahan, as I am a Sabahan myself. But can you tell me a Malaysian leader past or present who has got the style and Bollywood looks of Musa Aman, the current Chief Minister of Sabah? I honestly do not think so. If you are looking for someone who "has all the luck", do not go past him. If I were the producer or director of a movie, he would do nicely as the double of Sarukh Khan, anytime. His perfectly trimmed moustache and suave pan-Asian looks are lethal enough to disarm and attract any unsuspecting lady out there. With due respect gents, look after your missus.
The Humour of Samy Vellu What can you say about our old Samy? We not only laugh at him, but laugh with him, with all due respect. His harmless irreverence, honesty and heavy Tamil accent are effective icebreaker for any potentially sticky and tense situation. He could have made a successful career as a stand-up comedian by being himself. Just mention his name, and you cannot help feeling amused and relaxed. Would you want a leader as serious and boring as Kim Jong Ill, the late President of North Korea? I am sure you would not. You would like your leader to be more human and somewhat IMPERFECT after all. No doubt there are so many leaders that deserve some recognition but in my view, the above stand out among the rest on the basis of the era and environment they were or are in as well as the challenges they were or are facing. You may have you own perception as to what makes a great leader but I am sure you would agree with me that no single leader possesses every desirable quality that we can think of. That actually explains why leaders come and go as we constantly search for the mythical and elusive "perfect" Malaysian Leader.
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| One Pope Does Not a Summer Make Posted: 12 Mar 2013 07:17 PM PDT
When the faithful's voice is silenced and the people's rights curtailed, it provides ideal and fertile ground for eruption of scandals and abuse of power which will then be followed by the 'Tradition' of protecting the church's reputation through cover-ups and denials of any wrongdoing or simply by turning a blind eye to these scandals.
Anthony Joseph
The Catholic Church now waits in anticipation for the election of its new Pope. Some pray and believe that the new Pope will inject new life into the Church. Some say there is going to be a revival.
Unfortunately, I, a Catholic of 67 years do not share this optimism. One has to be living in a world of fantasy to believe that daily stories of priestly misconduct, debauchery or corruption at the center of the papal household, as proven by the Vatileaks revelation, will subside with the election of a new pontiff.
Let's assume the conclave picks a historic leader, with courage, charisma and conviction to lead the Church. But what can he alone do if the same casts - Cardinals, Bishops and Priests – continue to occupy the positions all down the line of the Catholic hierarchy? Can we have the same people doing the same thing over and over but expect different results. Scandals have been a part of the Catholic Church for centuries and writers have pointed out the Roman Church has throughout time been a source of sin and scandal for the faithful.
I have been taught that the Catholic Church is not a democracy, and the authority of the Catholic Church should never be questioned. Herein lies the problem. When the faithful's voice is silenced and the people's rights curtailed, it provides ideal and fertile ground for eruption of scandals and abuse of power which will then be followed by the 'Tradition' of protecting the church's reputation through cover-ups and denials of any wrongdoing or simply by turning a blind eye to these scandals.
Until these underlying rules are drastically altered and the Church chooses to join the modern democratic world, nothing will change and the horrific headlines will keep coming.
The Catholic clergy enjoys an aura of invincibility because Church rules are drafted by them to favor them. Thus, we hear the refrain, "Don't question the Church". "Obey your priests".
But then, how can a Catholic remain silent when its leadership advocates a stance that counters basic human rights and tolerates corruption and abuse of power? I was taught to stand up for those who lacked the strength and ability to do so. To stand up for Truth and Justice. But the lay Catholic is shackled. He is silenced. It's seems ironical I find myself speaking out against my own Church today.
A lay Catholic needs to sum up tremendous courage to report a priest's shenanigans, transgressions, misconduct, skullduggery, subterfuge, devilment or chicanery to his superior. Why courage? Because he risks being admonished, humiliated and even ostracized as being a Devil's Advocate. One has to be reminded as to what happened to the Pope's butler, Paolo Gabriele. He was charged with stealing and leaking papal correspondence revealing how the Vatican was a centre of intrigue and infighting. Paola said he wanted to expose the many wolves in sheep's clothing in the Church. But instead he was found guilty and jailed but nothing happened to the "God's Chosen Ones".
I have also learned from personal experience that church leaders will turn a stone-deaf-ear to any complaints, no matter how serious, against the clergy. Complaining to the Church leaders is an exercise in futility. Today I see the Catholic Church as a "Church of the clergy, by the clergy and for the clergy."
There also seems to be an unwritten law within the Church which forbids one priest from reporting to his superior about his brother priests.
Calculated hypocrisy and broken trust are at the core of these scandals confronting the Church. Priests who publicly presented themselves as holy men were secretly abusing children or misusing church funds. Bishops who publicly presented themselves as shepherds of the people were covertly covering up the abuse. Priestly misconduct are viewed by the Church in terms of sin and repentance more than crime and punishment.
The Church seems a hypocrite. Though it preaches holiness, it lives in sin. Though it claims access to divine truths, it wallows in wanton debauchery.
We cannot forget about that secret Papal Dossier called the "Relationem", requested by his Holiness which was presented to him on Dec. 17, 2011. It reportedly names cabals of corrupt power in the Vatican using sex and blackmail to secure and gain control. The Italian papers say he resigned the day he read the report.
If the Pope himself could throw up his arms in surrender, how, then, is the scandalized Christian to respond to a church so clearly comprised of the vilest sinners? What should our reactions be to the rumors of sex and greed and lies and power-mongering and cover-ups?
The wolves in sheep's clothing Jesus Christ warned us of are still alive and active in the Church. And yet, we are expected to accept them as agents of our Salvation?
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| Indian Voters Advised Not To Give Their Votes For Free Posted: 12 Mar 2013 10:19 AM PDT
Indian voters number 950,000 and they are situated in a concentrated manner in 2/3rd of all Parliamentary seats in the country. 99.9% of all Indian voters are in these constituencies and they could form as high as 10% - 45% of the total voter makeup of these constituencies. Paraman Subramaniam We are all well aware that BN has victimized the Indians in this country for more than 5 decades. There is no need to waste any time to further enlighten to all their unpardonable shortcomings. PR after 5 years in coming to power in several states in Malaysia is more interested in appeasing the majority Malay voters and the economically strong Chinese voters. The total disregard of even mentioning 'Indians' in their manifesto is proof of how much respect they have for the Indian vote. After concerted pressure mounted by HINDRAF, Anwar Ibrahim had to backtrack and give lip service that PR will include some 'Indian' issues into their manifesto. Even then it seems it may only be included as a 'cursory' enactment to their original manifesto that is if at all it is even included. We have been fooled many times by these dramas. Currently PR is employing the same methods used by UMNO to silence dissension among the Indian voters clamoring for their legitimate rights to be heard. UMNO used MIC, PR are now using their Indian reps and leaders to go on an attack mode against the HINDRAF blueprint. The HINDRAF blueprint which is based on social justice as its foundation, had proposed a specific, pointed and targeted 5 year program of rehabilitation measures – quite similar to the existing FELDA settlers program – to uplift the poor and marginalized Indian community. Who stands to benefit from this blueprint? HINDRAF or the marginalized Indian poor? As such why should the Indian PR reps be against the implementation of the HINDRAF blueprint? Are they afraid that their positions will be threatened if HINDRAF gets on board PR? Is self preservation their prime motive of allowing themselves to be used by their Tuans and Towkay leaders to attack HINDRAF and belittle the HINDRAF blueprint? Were they not beneficiaries of the November 25th 2007 rally of tens of thousands of poor Indians that took to the streets in demand for permanent solutions to their critical problems? These PR Indian leaders will attempt to belittle the significance of the Indian vote. They will try to do a spin to deflect their incompetence's by claiming that HINDRAF has been bought over by UMNO, that the PR manifesto already encompasses the HINDRAF blueprint, that HINDRAF asking for a lot of seats, that Anwar already had said will implement the blueprint in 100 days and that PR has a lot of 'dedicated' Indian reps to protect Indian interests. What they would not tell you is that today the Indian voters number 950,000 and they are situated in a concentrated manner in 2/3rd of all Parliamentary seats in the country. 99.9% of all Indian voters are in these constituencies and they could form as high as 10% - 45% of the total voter makeup of these constituencies. Indians have recorded the highest percentage rise in new voters from 2008 to 2012 among all other races. Malacca recorded an astonishing 46% rise in new Indian voters, Selangor 22% rise and Perak and Negeri Sembilan 16% rise in new Indian voters. (See "Indian voters are King Makers once again" http://www.hindraf.org/news-statements/839-13-0105-1.html) What PR will not tell you is that they did not have the courtesy to even engage with HINDRAF not even once on decision makings of the Indian poor since 2008. Not a single attempt was ever made by PR after coming to power! What moral grounds are they standing on today? Why didn't the PR Indian reps themselves come up with a blueprint to bring about permanent solutions for the Indian poor? Why were they quieter than a church mouse when PR failed to include 'Indian' issues into the PR manifesto but did so for all other races? Why did it take HINDRAF to do their dirty job? Why is PR dodging to prove their accountability by endorsing the HINDRAF blueprint in a binding manner? If these PR leaders are unable to give the Indian voters crystal clear answers to these questions then the Indians should not give their votes for free to them. It is as simple as that. The Indian voters must leverage their vote to get what is best for their own self interests as what the Malays and Chinese have been doing since independence. To understand the art of leveraging, allow me to highlight a key aspect of the space probe Voyager 2. It was launched in 1977 and was originally planned to just tour the planets Jupiter and Saturn. However soon after accomplishing, it was clear that by utilizing gravity assists successfully, they could tour beyond to the planets Uranus and Neptune while requiring a minimum amount of propellant and shorter transit duration between planets. Gravity assists or better known as gravitational slingshot is the use of the relative movement and gravity of a planet or other celestial body to alter the path and speed of a spacecraft, typically in order to save propellant, time and expense. In layman's term this could be simply called 'LEVERAGING'. (Strategic advantage, power to act effectively, to amplify potential gains, to exert power or influence). The Malays have been leveraging between UMNO and PAS since independence to get their needs and protect their interests. The Chinese community has been leveraging between MCA and DAP having similar interests at heart. Both the Malay politicians as well as the Chinese politicians have been taking advantage of the poor Indians being lumped together with the more affluent Chinese, under the category "Bukan Bumiputra". The Malays benefit in this as by doing so they are able to dilute the impoverished statistics of the Indians with the more affluent Chinese community statistics, so that the demands of the marginalized Indians can be kept at bay and appear shaded when compared to the Malays. The Chinese benefit by successfully leveraging lower statistics of the 'Bukan Bumiputra' (aided by the addition of the impoverished Indians statistics that dilutes the affluent statistics of the Chinese), to lobby for support from the Government for the Chinese community's needs. DAP who traditionally consisted of Chinese and Indian supporters, after hitching on the 2007 Hindraf rally to get to power, are now leveraging their influence by ditching the Indians and trying to woo the majority Malay voters. Indian politicians have been leveraged by the majority by using the carrot and stick approach. How successful is the art of leveraging? In the case of Voyager 2, it recently celebrated its 35th anniversary still cruising in space and transmitting back valuable data to Earth from the outer border of the solar system. It has traveled 24 trillion kilometers in space to date. As such Indian voters are advised to not give your vote for free to anyone!
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| “My Political Thoughts During The Hunger Viratham” Posted: 12 Mar 2013 10:13 AM PDT
There are over 60 constituencies where the Indian vote will determine the winner – that is 60 out of 165 or in a third of the constituencies on the peninsula side. P.Waytha Moorthy, Chairperson of HINDRAF 12th of March 2013 - this is the second day of my Hunger Viratham. The purpose of this Hunger Viratham is to educate and sensitize the people and those in power about the inherent immorality of the socio-political system of our country in relation to minority communities in the country.
I would like to use the occasion of the Hunger Viratham to lay out my political thoughts for a wide audience. We have been shouting ourselves hoarse, but the political class refuses to open their ears and listen. They want to continue the institutionalized racist and oppressive system in different guises. It appears that they will only listen if it starts to affect their positions materially.
The Hunger Viratham gives me the opportunity to focus the attention on the political shenanigans of these politicians and let the people become the masters and ensure they do not get misled by the politicians. I will be writing on a variety of topics in this column titled "My Political Thoughts During The Hunger Viratham".
Here is the first part.
The way forward for the Indian Minority in Malaysia in the short term.
Indians are a minority community in Malaysia, forming around 7.4% of the populace. More than 70% of the Indian community, is made up of present and former plantation workers –and acknowledged to be an economically depressed and marginalized community.
In 1957 when Malaysia got its independence from the Colonial British Government the Indian plantation workers just traded bosses from white skinned bosses to brown and yellow skinned ones. They however continued to be colonized, in substance. White colonialism worked to produce profits through a set of unequal relationships between the colonists who resided in the distant British Isles and the colonized, a significant portion of whom were the Indian plantation workers. Brown and Yellow colonialism replacing it today produces profits, exploits and oppresses these same people for an elite within its own borders and in the name of a moral and sovereign rule of the Malaysian people. For the colonized Indian plantation workers nothing substantial changed. They remain colonized and disenfranchised, just as in the white colonial days.
The main features of today's so called moral and sovereign rule of the people that replaced colonialism are political parties, politicians, periodic elections to the legislatures backed up by a National constitution and a set of laws that institutionalize a new set of unequal relationships. Then "first past the post" political party runs the state. This is our political system today. It does not take much to make out how this system is biased towards perpetuation of the colonization and disenfranchisement of the outnumbered minorities and the tyrannical rule of the majority.
Anyone who cannot not see this, and says Indians are not minorities are engaging in plain self serving polemics. They just do not want to see it this way, as it does not serve their narrow self interest.
The majority (the political party first past the post) will always be the ones at the controls of the resources of the nation and the minorities will always be at their mercy in this system. Oppression and subjugation become natural outcomes in this system.
This system though initially thought to be a morally superior system to colonialism has through its workings shown its inherent immorality. It has led to unjust rule. Oppression and subjugation of minorities cannot be morally justified. What is immoral has to go. This system of tyrannical majority rule has to go. This is our first of our conclusions.
Over the last 56 years we have seen the evolution of this system. The essential ethnocentricity of the political system has not quite changed in Peninsular Malaysia. The monolithic Malay polity has broken up into two major factions and what was faction ridden Chinese polity has consolidated into a monolithic ethnic voting block and the monolithic rural Indian community has moved away from being a monolithic voting block on the side of status quo to something more amorphous and amenable to change.
The net of all this is that we have on the BN side an increasingly defensive Malay faction lined up with emaciated Chinese and Indian partners. On the other we have the smaller estranged Malay faction lined up with the monolithic Chinese block on the Pakatan side. We have a smattering of Indians as window dressing on both sides of the spectrum. The "dacing" hangs in balance in the Peninsula. In Sabah and Sarawak, BN is set to lose some ground. The East Malaysian Chinese and the Sabahans are showing a tendency to move away from BN. The net of all this really will be determined on Election Day.
This situation provides a unique historical opportunity for the minority Indian voice to be heard in spite of the terrible majority bias of the system. Whither goes the Indian vote and the Sabah and Sarawak votes, thither you will find the winner. This is the second of our conclusions. The Indian vote can determine the winner in these elections. There are over 60 constituencies where the Indian vote will determine the winner – that is 60 out of 165 or in a third of the constituencies on the peninsula side.
Since the Indian vote can be the determinant in these elections, it behooves those vying for the Indian vote to take notice of this. We shall not be misled by the 7.4 % minority irrelevance argument. The Indians do have leverage –though not by design but quite by accident. This is the third of our conclusions. So we say if you want those determining votes in large enough quantity, then endorse our 5 Year Blueprint in a binding way and we will help you to win.
If neither of the coalition takes up this offer, we have a couple of options to pursue. One is to make a call to all conscientious Malaysian Indians to abstain from voting altogether in these elections as both coalitions have shown no interest in seeking comprehensive and permanent solutions for the problems of the Indian poor. They do not care. They do not deserve anything in return.The other option is to make a call to vote based on what their conscience tells them is the right thing for them to do. We will decide what we will ultimately do at an appropriate time in the future. The Hunger Viratham will continue and as with all that we engage in, we are a determined lot – we do not give up easy. We will influence the tide of public opinion. In any case our struggle continues after the elections whatever the outcome of the elections.
This is our short term plan.
For the long term what will be needed will be achieved through advanced strategies which I will discuss in subsequent parts. We will be campaigning for a complete dismantling of the institutionalized racist system that underliesMalaysia and that which causes the permanent colonization of the Indian poor.
Thank You.
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| UN Needed for Complete Solution to Sabah Problems Posted: 12 Mar 2013 09:41 AM PDT
"The persistent longstanding Sabah claim by Manila and Sulu and the military altercation in Lahad Datu have clearly demonstrated that Sabah is not safe," he said. "This insecurity is against the promise of security to us before the formation of Malaysia." Datuk Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan, Chairman of STAR Sabah Now that the situation in Sabah has attracted the attention of the United Nations (UN) whose Secretary-General has urged the Malaysian government to find an amicable solution, the Government should take the opportunity to invite the UN to facilitate a total and complete solution of the Sabah issue," said Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
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| Supporting Wong Tack as the Green Candidate in Bentong Posted: 11 Mar 2013 09:41 PM PDT Joint Statement We, the undersigned individuals, support Himpunan Hijau's proposal for its chairperson Wong Tack to stand as the green candidate under Pakatan Rakyat in Bentong, Pahang taking on Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai in the coming general elections. Wong Tack's candidacy signifies the frustrating scene of the green movement. Despite the unprecedented electoral setback in the March 8 political tsunami five years ago, the Government has demonstrated an arrogant and irresponsible attitude towards environmental protection. From the Lynas rare earth processing plant in Kuantan, cyanide gold mining in Raub, the proposed petrochemical plant in Pengerang, aluminum plant in Mukah, to the dams in Inland Sarawak and Cameron Highlands, environmentally harmful projects have been introduced or allowed operation in complete disregard of the well-being and health of the local residents and ecology. Wong Tack's candidacy is a milestone in green politics in Malaysia, which has so far been staying away from direct participation in electoral politics. Rallies and petitions in the past three years over the issues of Lynas, cyanide gold mining, Pengerang and other polluting projects have failed to bring any real policy changes. The angry roaring of communities and citizens has fallen on deaf ears of politicians and bureaucrats, who care more about the interests of foreign capital. It is therefore time to have more green-minded lawmakers in our Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies to scrunitise our laws and policies to keep environmental disasters at bay. Wong Tack, whose team has effectively put Lynas in the minds of the Malaysian public, is certainly one of the most relevant and representative faces. In this regard, taking on Liow Tiong Lai will also be apt since the Health Minister has repeatedly neglected public interests and misinformed the public with regards to the Lynas plant, cyanide gold mining and the firing of tear gas and water cannons at Tung Shin Hospital in July 2011. We call upon that the Malaysian public to throw unwavering support for the candidacies of Wong Tack and hopefully other green candidates. A strong support for the Green candidates may garner enough momentum to bring about a political sea change in this country and send a clear message to all polluting industries in the world: Malaysia is not the world's rubbish dump. Whatever is not safe for other humans is also not safe for Malaysians. Only with the green voters standing up and being counted, can we hope that the green agenda will be taken seriously and upheld by the next Government, whichever coalition may be.
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| Pakatan’s Manifesto: The future is here! Posted: 11 Mar 2013 01:01 PM PDT
This writer is not duty-bound to rationalise how Pakatan would pay for the many reforms that it vouches to undertake as opposed to presenting a budget. Nonetheless this small writing would attempt to allay the anxieties of those who seemed so concern that Pakatan would bankrupt the national coffer in the first year of being in office in Putrajaya. Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Harakah Daily The task for the next Malaysian Government with regard to national transformation is of a different order of magnitude to that witnessed thus far, from the time of Merdeka. Doing more of the same things would not place us on a different trajectory of change and competitiveness.
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| The real story of Anwar’s Sodomy 2 ( Part 1) Posted: 10 Mar 2013 04:41 PM PDT
From Yuktes Vijay, via e-mail I read with anger the news that Saiful's dad has joined PKR. I knew from Day 1 that the party was devoid of any integrity but for it to stoop to this extent is just mind boggling. I was working with one of Anwar's long-time lawyers during the whole course of Sodomy 2 and was involved in A-Z of the trial itself. When I say A-Z, it means from meeting the forensic and DNA experts to reviewing of the documents to finding case laws for his submissions. I was involved in everything. I do not wish to mention the name of the lawyer here as I revere him as my mentor and I do not wish to drag him into this frustration and anger pouring of mine. Why Anwar never took the stand? Anwar claimed that he was never offered a fair trial. The truth is he was never brave enough to take the stand. He was never going to withstand the questions that were about to be put forward to his now ally Datuk Yusof. If you Pakatanians have doubts, why not ask him these questions and get valid, acceptable and not logically challenging answers for it.
Fearing that Anwar will not be able to withstand the onslaught by the Prosecution, the defence team then decided to ask him not to take stand uder the pretext that he was not offered a fair trial. Anwar excelled in conning, deceiving and cheating the public by assuming a Mandela like persona. He is no Mandela, merely a good con artist. Fund for the overseas experts The surprising factor here is why no one has ever questioned the fees that were involved in paying the forensic experts, Dr Brian Macdonald and Dr David Wells. Contrary to what the general public have been made to believe, they were paid hefty sums to defend him. When they were here, they stayed in Shang-ri La Hotel for a number of days. Where did the money to pay the hotels come from? Did Anwar pay from his own pocket? No, he does not even pay his lawyers. So, he had very rich Datuks funding him. I do know the name of the Datuk, but for the reasons known close to me I will not disclose the name. The problem is if PKR can throw questions as to the wedding expenditure of the Prime Minister, why not question where the money to pay these experts came from? If a former convict and a mere Opposition Leader can have Datuks funding his legal expences, what is wrong in having Datuks funding the wedding of the PM's daughter? Saiful I don't know much about Saiful. The only thing I can say is that the reason he was denied justice is that the Investigating Officer, Jude Perreira, ignored the protocols told to him by Jabatan Kimia and decided to do his things his own way. There were traces of Anwar's DNA in his rectum. The only thing that stopped the judge from convicting Anwar was the "break in the chain of evidence". I will write a full piece on this soon. This drama itself deserves a full piece write up. In a nutshell, there was evidence of Anwar's semen in Saiful's rectum. However, due to a break in chain of evidence and the question mark over the integrity of the samples, the evidence was not used. So the judge had no other way of corroborating Saiful's evidence. Conclusion for Part 1 Anwar is a consummate liar. He is using Saiful's dad to play up his victim role in order to garner votes. We all know for a fact that since he got acquitted he has lost that bit of "charm" about him as he has nothing to yell about anymore. I really hope he sues me so that I can prove in Court what I have just mentioned. Remember Anwar Ibrahim, I grew up adoring you. I know your modus operandi and I aspired to be you. Sue me please. Let the public watch Anwar vs Anwar clone (which is me) in action. And remember the e-mails, Astroboy? I have all of them saved. Come get me! The writer, a former Anwarista, worked in Anwar's Sodomy 2 trial for the defence
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| A Solution to the Blueprint-Manifesto ‘spat’ Posted: 10 Mar 2013 12:19 PM PDT
It is also very evident that pre-election promises are seldom kept by politicians from both sides of the political divide. As such HINDRAF feels that it is all the more important that a binding agreement is in place so that history does not repeat itself. Paraman Subramaniam There has been much heated debate going on in the reluctance of PR to have a binding endorsement with HINDRAF regarding its 5 year blueprint. The HINDRAF blueprint which is based on social justice as the foundation had proposed a specific, pointed and targeted program of rehabilitation measures, quite similar to existing Felda settlers program, to a specific group of community, Displaced Estate Workers (DEW). This covers proposal for intervention in 6 major problem areas that transcends racial and religious barriers: 1) 800,000 internally displaced estate workers. PR leaders had agreed in principle to the blueprint but fell short of giving a binding agreement citing certain wordings and languages need to be reviewed. HINDRAF had reciprocated by not only agreeing to go through with the PR team to review these issues but were even willing to debate allocations of the necessary budget to be allocated for the realization of the various programs in the blueprint proposal. Ironically PR till date has failed to come forward to iron out these details with HINDRAF. Recently Anwar Ibrahim had to do a damage limitation exercise of claiming that PR will include specific details of the Indian community's needs into the PR manifesto. This was in response to pressure from mainly HINDRAF leaders who slammed the manifesto for leaving out specific concerns of the Indian community while mentioning almost all other races. Anwar claims that PR will now include 5 points into the manifesto: 1) Resolving the 'long standing issue of stateless people' in Malaysia, without excluding Indians, in the first 100 days of Pakatan's administration. These points appear to have been taken in part from the HINDRAF blueprint but are not comprehensive in nature. It also does not explain how it will be implemented considering the huge 'BTN brain washed UMNO bureaucracy' hurdle that it will need to overcome to do so. On the other hand the HINDRAF blueprint spells out clearly how to overcome this. Both PR and HINDRAF are not willing to give in regarding the requirement of a binding agreement of the HINDRAF blueprint to bring about a political electoral pact in the coming General Elections. HINDRAF particularly are aggrieved that for the Tsunami that they created for PR in 2008, there has not been even a single attempt by PR in the past 5 years to engage with them into drawing up plans for the grouses of the 1.5million marginalized Indians that they represent. It is also very evident that pre-election promises are seldom kept by politicians from both sides of the political divide. As such HINDRAF feels that it is all the more important that a binding agreement is in place so that history does not repeat itself. A solution to this predicament lies within the PR's Buku Jingga itself which PR claims is their comprehensive and holistic policy document. It proposes a set of policies to lead the nation to a new and better future. A clause under the heading 'Prosperity, solidarity and social justice with PR' clearly states that PR will 'set up a council of experts to formulate and change existing national policies with regard to key economic, political and social challenges'. The HINDRAF blueprint falls well within this jurisdiction and as such PR must activate the clause within the Buku Jingga and accept it as after all PR leaders have already claimed to have accepted it in principle. Failure to do so may invite doubts of credibility on the very foundations of the Buku Jingga. PR will also be able to prove to the nation that it has raised the bar in its credibility to its election promises.
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Although many wouldn't doubt that Malaysia is at a cross road, many others would also not doubt that the UMNO-BN's formula of socio-economic development has failed us to achieve the socially just development that all the rakyat cherished and dreamt of. The long deferred reform agenda must be now addressed.
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