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• Star, Is the Current Government in Sabah Illegal or Not?
• Malaysian Agriculture – Among the Best in the World
• If BN loses it does not mean Malaysia does not have a government
• Taib, Can You Hear the Deafening Silence All Around You?
• Africa's tax haven
• The stars favouring Pakatan
• When govt ‘hands are tied’
• Anwar says 'moving strategy' needed to make inroads
• Umno akan menang percuma di 10 kawasan keselamatan khas?
• The principle of the unprincipled (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
• Pakatan to fight Sabah BN alone
• Address minority issues, BN and Pakatan told
• Stop picking own candidates, Anwar told
• The consistency of inconsistency
• Chua Soi Lek & his MCA Merajuking Manoeuvre
• ‘Umno plots ‘sex attacks’, targets Nurul as well’
• Rafizi: Raja Petra is telling tales
• Malaysia’s social media election is already over
• More voter excitement for GE13 as Bersih targets 85pc turnout
• Wira Perkasa bidas pemimpin Gerakan
• I am not for sale, tweets Saiful
• Kulasegaran’s exit causes concern
• Unreliable leaks and flawed intelligence
• Identifying Malaysia's Enemies & Appropriate Weaponry
• Anwar’s hand in Lahad Datu isn’t credible theory!
• “Ajaran Sesat” by the Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya
• Squatter-Gate vs. Ming Court 2.0: Don't Shift the Blame, Old Man!
• Thank God Malaysia is not Korea?
• I need MRT Campaign - Waste of Public Funds
• Big Spending PMO
• Candidate dilemma dogs MCA
• Police's deeds will be remembered
• A heartfelt choice
• Sarawak NCR defender’s attacker walks free
• The human dimension
• GE13: Malaysians who choose not to vote
• Anwar no show, ordered to pay RM3,000
• Are Kula and Fong the sacrificial lambs?
• PBS leader tells Mahathir to ‘shut-up’
• 70 years later and still the same (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
• GE13: ‘Victory’ at any cost?
• CHINESE swing likely
• GE13: Many unhappy over parachute candidates
• Pakatan shaky at the home of oldest civilisation in Malaysia
• Hisham must condemn ‘Kill Tian Chua’ threat, says Ambiga
• Daim denies being alleged ‘chief conspirator’ in ousting Anwar
• BN leaders criticised for joining Perkasa demo
• Malaysian Private Eye's Last Case
• ‘Anwar sought Misuari’s help to win GE’
• ‘Anwar met Misuari several times’

Star, Is the Current Government in Sabah Illegal or Not? Posted: 26 Mar 2013 12:32 PM PDT   The press release was made October 20, 2012. It is now 27th March 2013. This gives me the impression that he has all the ideas but it remains just that. Ideas. No actions.  Borodungal Borneo  I am impressed with the boldness of Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, who did a Press Conference on 21 January 2013 at the Sabah Oriental Hotel, Kota Kinabalu. He voiced out the illegitimacy of the current government of Sabah as a result of 'Project IC'. However, pray tell why was it only released in March?  27dBP3WeyJ0  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27dBP3WeyJ0 Also, confessions on the alleged Mahathir's Project namely 'IC Project' aka 'Ops Durian Burok' by En. Hassanar who used to be the District Officer of Sandakan claiming that the said project went as far back as 1981. Tweeted about this and a certain minister replied. Disputed it, of course.  oj6dyodFI_I   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oj6dyodFI_I Confessions of an ex District Officer of Sandakan about IC giveaways since 1981 in Sabah   and this lady, Puan Siti Aminah TrUgLObm3DM    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrUgLObm3DM In the matter of the first video, Datuk Dr Jeffrey G Kitingan said that he was not doing the Press Conference to show the current local leaders what to do. He is merely initiating a discussion process with all the local leaders to get them to unite and acknowledge the illegitimacy of the current government in Sabah and to become a pressure group to oust them and replace them with a 'national non-partisan' group comprising of the current local leaders as a temporary measure.   Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan also suggested that the GE13 for Sabah be postponed until the electoral roll is cleaned up. Nevertheless, until today, I haven't heard anything on any 'initiation process', 'discussion' or any of the sort mentioned by Datuk Dr Jeffrey. Was all he said in the video only hot air?  This reminded me of another Press Conference he did somewhere in Kota Kinabalu as well (see here: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/10/20/jeffrey-maps-out-sabah-oil-battle-plan/). In this statement, Jeffrey mentioned that should the State Government ignore this issue, STAR Sabah would consider taking legal action. The press release was made October 20, 2012. Now is 27th March 2013. Until today, not even a whisper of the so-called legal action is heard anywhere be it cyberspace or the local dailies. This gives me the impression that he has all the ideas but it remains just that. Ideas. No actions. OR are they actually in the process of (still?) executing all these 'ideas'? Curious indeed. To be fair, all of STAR's 'warriors' (as they call themselves) are working voluntarily. Even up to the point of forking out their own money to finance most of the activities done all over Sabah. It was even reported that some of these people are currently facing 'financial' problems due to the fact that all their monies have been sacrificed 'demi perjuangan'. I am sad when I came about to know this because it seems to me that so many people are depending on this party to win. What if they don't? What will happen to these 'warriors'? Back to square one? STAR Sabah should start a fund-raising campaign to help these warriors out. In fact, this is plain common sense because the party really does not have much funds to distribute all over.  As a true Sabahan, this is my advice to STAR Sabah - please 'Walk the Talk'! If you mean it, then by all means DO it! The amount of people believing in the struggle escalates every day. I would like to quote from an article I read a few months ago which amused me in so many ways. It said, "We are fed-up of being governed by BOYS in Sabah ... this time around we want MEN to do it!".  Sincerely, Borodungal Borneo I am a Sabahan who is fighting for what's true. Not a politician. A realist, if you prefer. Some of the things that STAR Sabah voiced out are true ie No referendum prior to the formation of Malaysia, No compliance mechanism to the pre-conditions agreed upon to protect Sabah's safeguards, loose ends in the MA63 that was violated through the Federal Constitution and many more. However, not many of the issues brought up were properly explained. My truth, once revealed, will be the people's truth ... for I too seek justice for Sabahans ... through the eyes of a Sabahan, NOT a Sabahan politician. Stay tuned for more revelations of the political on-goings in Sabah.

Malaysian Agriculture – Among the Best in the World Posted: 26 Mar 2013 12:08 PM PDT   We have five million hectares of oil palm. If, like the Thais, we are able to produce their fruits and not grow oil palm, 10,000 hectares of each type would saturate the country. What are we going to do with the rest of our land? Yet, it is true that we do not grow much food. Is it Malaysia's fault? I don't think so.  KC Chang  Many brickbats have been thrown at Malaysian agriculture - at how bad it is not being able to produce food. As an agriculturalist, I would like to defend it as I think that it is amongst the best in the world. Basically, Malaysians are quite competent people and will do a good job if left to it e.g., look at how good the country was before UMNO messed it up. And agriculture in Malaysian is the least messed up economic sector by the politicians because if they want money, better and simpler to get shares in, say, Public Bank than a plot in the jungle which they'll then have difficulty selling to realize the cash ... and get into trouble for doing so as did the cousins of Taib in Sarawak. Whatever crop the country deigned to grow has produced just about the highest yield in the world - rice, jagung, cocoa, rubber, oil palm. Yes, including the food crops. In our granary areas, we get 7 t/ha for rice, while the Thais get only 1 t/ha, and yet they get the kudos of having better agriculture in being able to produce more food crops – rice, jagung, mango, longan, etc. What is not said is that the Thais have about 100x our area in rice and produce only about 5x as much. I think that if God were to offer the Thais a choice of Malaysian vs Thai agriculture, they would choose ours without blinking an eye. We have five million hectares of oil palm. If, like the Thais, we are able to produce their fruits and not grow oil palm, 10,000 hectares of each type would saturate the country. What are we going to do with the rest of our land? Yet, it is true that we do not grow much food. Is it Malaysia's fault? I don't think so. The agriculture of every country is constrained by its climate and, of course, economics. In Form 3 basic geography, we learn that there is no discernible drought at the equator although some times of the year are wetter/drier than others. As we move away from the equator (both N and S), more and more marked wet/dry periods occur, culminating in the great deserts on the Tropics of Cancer/Capricorn. Even in Penang/Kedah (only about 4o – 5o N), there is already an annual dry season in January/February, although not very serious. This hot and humid clime throughout the year is ideal for plant growth (although some, like apples and pears, will not fruit because there is no cold stimulus to trigger their flowering process). Thus, all the crops we have tried have given very high yields, but we settled on oil palm, rubber, cocoa and coffee because they give the highest returns and are the least bother, e.g., tree crops, plant once in 30 years; annual crops, plant 2x or 3x a year. Thus, all the world over, in the humid tropics (say, 10oN - 10oS), the agriculture is tree crops, which is technically horticulture. Our continuously hot and wet climate is ideal for oil palm which cannot stand drought for high yields although the palm will survive very harsh conditions. Thus, Thailand cannot grow oil palm (economically) except in the very south, and even then their yields are generally not high. In the middle and north country, where the dry season is 6 or even 9 months, it can only grow 'drought-escape' crops – in the 3 or 6 months of the rainy season, the country is as wet as any other so any crop can grow; but the crop must start and finish during the rains to escape the drought. Hence, their high production of rice and jagung ... because they can't grow anything else. Another, possibly even more important, reason for tree crops is potential environmental damage. In Malaysia, it rains, on average, every 2 – 3 days, and the rainfall is often heavy and very erosive. In the 1980's there was a housing boom, and there were so many (uncovered) construction sites that there were complaints throughout the country of the environmental damage wrought – rivers turning brown from sediment loss, landslides, blocked drains, etc. Now, at any one time, what would be the national area of uncovered building sites? I don't know, but suspect only about 1,000 hectares (about 4 square miles). To grow any meaningful food crops for the country, say jagung, there would need to be 500,000 hectares, and this land would be uncovered (during in-between crops and the young crops) for half the year, every year. In contrast, tree crops, once established, will protect the soil for the next 30 years. They'll also have to be replanted eventually, of course, and it may take a year to establish full ground cover from felling the previous crop (by cover crops/weeds, not by the tree crop itself which will take longer for full canopy cover), or about 12 days in the year. All this talk about insurance is fine, which is what food security is all about. But the insurance can be overdone. In the extreme, it can be like a person spending all his money on insurance, and having nothing to live on. Of course, it will be Happy Day (for his family, not him) when he dies and the millions flow in. But the logic of this is clearly dubious. I think the 60 – 70% self-sufficiency in rice seems reasonably sensible. In a war, we suffer a bit by having to eat some sweet potato which won't kill us. Even tapioca with its cyanide content shouldn't do us in! In peace, which is most times, we get to buy our Ferraris. Actually, the food insecurity goes further than rice. We also cannot produce protein. Officially, we produce only 10 - 20% of our beef, mutton and milk, but are 'self-sufficient' in chicken, eggs and pork. But the 'self-sufficiency' is predicated on a 'screwdriver plant' operation - we bring the chicks/piglets and (imported) feed to one place and 'screw' them together. If in war we cannot import rice, we would equally likely not be able to import jagung (the base for most animal feed) too. So, there goes our protein ... which may not be a bad thing, actually. If all we have is plain rice, then arguably, plain sweet potato tastes better. We cannot produce beef/mutton/milk because we are too hot. If we are too hot we don't want to eat – can you eat immediately after playing badminton? – and if we don't eat we can't grow. Cattle are large animals, and by their sheer bulk and lower surface area (= skin) compared to humans, have difficulty dissipating heat. The naked human is comfortable at 80oF, but the equilibrium temperature of a cow is about freezing. So the continuously hot cattle won't eat much and grow in Malaysia. Under 'good' management in Malaysia, a cow/bull will put on 0.25 kg/day. The run-of-the-mill equivalent in a temperate country, grazing roadside grass will put on 1 kg/day. It is a physical problem, and I don't know why the government agricultural authorities are wasting their time seeking biological solutions – testing new breeds. It'll never work unless the cattle are human size. Sheep and goats are smaller, but have thick coats so the heat problem remains. Pigs are about the size of humans (slaughter at 100 kg liveweight), so ideal size-wise, but we cant produce their feed. Poultry are smaller and also ideal for our climate, but again we cant produce their feed. There are a lot of myths in Malaysian agriculture, and to formulate policy, we first have to see through the fallacies. For example, Sarawak is reputed to grow the best pepper because of its suitable soils and climate. I pondered this for 30 years before finding out that it grows pepper because it has no roads! Same reason why the Golden Triangle is so hooked on growing opium.

If BN loses it does not mean Malaysia does not have a government Posted: 26 Mar 2013 12:00 PM PDT   If that is the whole truth and nothing but the truth, then for Malaysia's sake dismantle all opposition parties; arrest all opposition politicians; and cage all those who support these parties lah.   J. D. Lovrenciear   What are our politicians from the BN quarter teaching our young and old these days? Each time they open their mouths the scream is all about 'Malaysia will be destroyed if opposition comes to power' and 'do not go against the government' and 'vote for the government'.   With the general elections' fever rising to unprecedented notches, such rubbish distortions and nonsensical misrepresentations are becoming a generously daily diet dished out in all our mainstream media. Now let us get this nonsense straightened out once and for all Mr., Miss. and Mrs. politicians of Malaysia from the BN fortress. BN or UMNO, MIC and MCA is not the government. When Parliament is dissolved, the governing of the nation continues without the ministers and their band-wagon of party fries. Next, to vote BN is not patriotism. Likewise to vote opposition is not treason against the nation. Get it! It is not only shocking but even beats the daylight out of any dimwit to keep hearing from all the BN entourage and loyalists that the rakyat must think Malaysia; must safeguard Malaysia; must this and that for Malaysia; and therefore they must vote for BN. Hello, what rubbish are we frothing these days? If that is the whole truth and nothing but the truth, then for Malaysia's sake dismantle all opposition parties; arrest all opposition politicians; and cage all those who support these parties lah. Just have BN only for Malaysia and Malaysians. Stop even claiming to label the country as moderates. Stop even having a Parliament lah. Then it makes sense to all that the BN leaders and their paid stooges are clamouring these days. And let the PM and all his other comrades in arms be told too - including the Home Minister: You are a minister on the government's service. Not the government on your service. So when you speak - for as long as Parliament is not dissolved, cut your party allegiance and serve all Malaysians. If you want to speak of party matters and in defense of your political party, go by all means to your party events and speak, scream, or raise a mile-long sword before your political party members. But when you address the nation on matters that are of importance to all citizens, like in the case of national security and defense and public safety, don't you dare segregate the nation along party politics and allegiance. Can the professionals, the learned, and the heads of clear thinking organizations please tell our salaried public servants who are wearing the hats of ministers and leaders about the stark difference between political parties that win an election to form a government and that of governing a nation.  Right minded citizens, please rise from your cloisters and tell it to these politicians loud and clear before we sink deep into the recess of a politically immature and incapacitated mental block, not knowing the difference between politics, governance and leadership or nationhood. Otherwise, let us all remain as the proverbial frog-in-the-well and bury the much sought after crown of 'developed' status. Then we must accept the trophy of 'The Laughing Stock of South-east Asia'.

Taib, Can You Hear the Deafening Silence All Around You? Posted: 26 Mar 2013 11:52 AM PDT   being Vernon Today is EXACTLY one week after the Global Witness exposé video hit the news and rocked the world of Malaysian politics – a game-changer, as the Americans say. The Chief Minister is denying the existence of the mammoth elephant in the room, the lawyers have allegedly left the country, and the famous sisters have gone missing. The whole of Sarawak is in uproar, coffee-shops and secluded private rooms in expensive restaurants are bustling with the talk of "tax evasions" and "squatters", BN's Dayak leaders are dumbfounded and have lost their tongues (and dare we hope silently fuming at the audacity of some cousins of the Chief Minister?), the rest of the country is asking questions and the spin-doctors from BN are in overdrive trying to shift the blame. What a week! Besides fingering his cousins, Taib has also pointed the finger at Anwar Ibrahim, suggesting that the Opposition Leader has worked with Global Witness to "frame" him. So Taib, are you saying that Uncle Rahman Yakub sat down with Anwar Ibrahim and the environmental chaps from Global Witness and concocted this complicated story to "frame" you? Alvin Chong, who is one of the legal representatives of the Lands and Survey Department, substantiated all that the sisters had said and more. His cock-sure confidence caught on camera was an award winning Oscar performance. Then there is the Hii family. The Hii family representative, lawyer Huang, admitted more than he should have. Best Supporting Actor award goes to him, if we are to believe the spin doctors. So why would these lawyers want to "frame" the hands that feed them, kill the golden goose that lays the golden eggs and destroy their respective reputations all at the same time? Were all these different people, political opponents and NGOs and cronies and cousins and lawyers working together to "frame" Taib? Would it not be simpler to just accept the truth which is that his cousins, the lawyers and the businessmen were all indiscreet towards a person they thought they were doing a business deal with and in their bloated over-confidence spilled the fat beans, lifted the lid on Taib's Pandora's Box and opened his platinum coated can of worms?  My simple mind says YES. My political mind which attempts to deconstruct Machiavellian plots says MOST DEFINITELY YES. Now that the whole world knows and Taib and his lawyers are desperately trying to pick up the pieces as they go into crisis management mode, one cannot but be intrigued by the apparent lack of public support that other Barisan Nasional leaders are expected to show him. Should they not be closing ranks and falling over themselves to come to his defence? In the past, sycophants would be competing with one another to come up with the most credible counter-spin to protect their lord and master, but a week has come and gone and all we hear is TOTAL SILENCE. Except for some yelps from insignificant politicos and the youth wing of PBB condemning reports on the internet (and not an outright defence of their Chief Minister, mind you) in the last two days.  Where is Taib's Chief Political Secretary, the ever-faithful Karim Hamzah? Is it not his first duty and responsibility to immediately rally the troops and sound the trumpet and lead the charge and demonise Global Witness in every newspaper in Sarawak? Not a squeak from him. Where is Awang Tengah, the supposed right hand man and heir apparent? Well, he did squeak a bit today in the Star but in no way was his whimper an outright rebuttal of the exposé and in defence of the Old Man; just a passing comment on how foreign NGOs are not to be trusted and how Sarawak will be re-forested. Political analysts would read his statement as more a personal defence, almost like a manifesto promising Sarawakians that under his watch, Sarawak would be re-forested. Where is Jabu, the most loyal Dayak devotee there has ever been and ever will be of the 'beloved' Old Man? Absolute silence from Jabu of all people? What has this self-proclaimed 'Paramount Chief' of the Dayak has to say about being called a squatter by his beloved's cousins? Both factions in SUPP are also withholding their tongues. Smart. Read more at: http://beingvernon.blogspot.com/2013/03/taib-can-you-hear-deafening-silence-all.html

Africa's tax haven Posted: 26 Mar 2013 11:45 AM PDT   (Foreign Policy) - A new report from the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development shows that the picture of who is investing the most in the continent is a bit different than you might expect.  Discussion of BRICS investment in Africa tends to conjure up images of Chinese-built superhighways and controversial mining projects. On his first trip to Africa, President Xi Jinping has defended his country's growing influence on the continent ahead of a BRICS summit meeting in South Africa.  But a new report from the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development shows that the picture of who is investing the most in the continent is a bit different than you might expect. For one thing, China isn't even East Asia's top investor in Africa -- that would be Malaysia:  A 2010 article from Consultancy African Intelligence described Malaysia's investment in Africa as "dispersed both in terms of the countries and the industries targeted" and noted that "Malaysian firms – such as Petronas and Telekom Malaysia - accounted for more than 1/2 of mergers and acquisitions between Asian and African multinational corporations (MNCs) between 1987 and 2005, with the largest recipients having been Mauritius and South Africa." Reuters reports that "Malaysia sent 24 percent of its outward FDI to Africa in 2011, mainly to Mauritius in that year." What's so attractive about Mauritius? Well apart from a stable democracy and what are apparently lovely beach resorts, it's also an emerging tax haven -- though the governmentobjects to the label -- as the Wall Street Journal reported last year:  Read more here

The stars favouring Pakatan Posted: 26 Mar 2013 11:41 AM PDT   There are so many wrong-doings practiced by the powers-that-be that all who favour good governance should vote in Pakatan Rakyat. Selena Tay, FMT  Of late, many political observers, analysts, economists and corporate figures have predicted that Barisan Nasional will win big in the coming 13th general election. Logically, if one looks at the political scenario, the odds are heavily stacked against Pakatan Rakyat due to two major factors: the BN federal government's control of the mainstream media and the dirty electoral roll. It is as if Pakatan is in a boxing match with hands tied and being blindfolded at the same time. Concerning the mainstream media, this has been fully utilised to portray that it is good for the rakyat for BN to stay in power as many economists and corporate figures opine that "BN's continuity will bring peace, stability, progress and economic prosperity for everyone" whereas Pakatan has been painted as being in total disarray with daily bickerings among its top leaders. Other current major issues purposely ignored by the mainstream media and the pro-BN economists and analysts include the video expose on land grabs, the second statutory declaration of the late private investigator P Balasubramaniam and the actual cash handout of RM1.35 a day to the BR1M recipients (which has always been highlighted as the RM500 gift of the generous BN federal government). Therefore everyone is urged to vote for BN because a change in government will herald disaster and doom for the nation. However it is also common knowledge that although Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak seems to command large crowds at his functions, many of those who attend had to be ferried to the event by buses sponsored by BN. But if Pakatan has enough support, then it will be possible to overcome the votes from the civil servants, pensioners, teachers, police, armed forces, Felda and Felcra settlers and the phantom/alien voters. Really it does seem to be a tall order for Pakatan! Nevertheless, this columnist is convinced that Pakatan will win the 13th general election and had in October last year predicted in Facebook that the new Pakatan federal government will come into power in April/May 2013. It would be too long to go into details here but suffice to say that the metaphysics formula going into the calculation of Pakatan's victory is similar to the formula of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's ascendancy into the papal office as Pope Francis I. Cardinal Bergoglio has had his turn and soon it would be Pakatan's turn to ascend the heights of power. We will have to wait and see. Clean ballot paper Even with the stars favouring Pakatan , it is still incumbent upon the rakyat to vote wisely and one of the things that every sensible voter should do is to look out for the dot by making sure that the ballot paper handed to us is really, really clean, not torn nor marked with dots nor smudged. This is because if there is a dot anywhere near or on the column of XYZ party for example, then that is considered a vote for XYZ. If we then vote for our preferred ABC party, then a problem may arise during the vote-counting process. Therefore this little piece of information here is for everyone to know so that we can have as close as possible to a fair voting process. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/03/27/the-stars-favouring-pakatan/

When govt ‘hands are tied’ Posted: 26 Mar 2013 11:39 AM PDT   (The Sun Daily) - "Najib has no direct authority to order Taib to step down. It (the decision to resign) depends on him (Taib) alone." The government's hands are tied when faced with the moral predicament of asking elected leaders to vacate their post while under investigation for graft-related charges, said Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president Datuk Paul Low. Low noted that this is the "political reality" in Malaysia as compared to the ideal situation of an elected leader voluntarily stepping down to facilitate investigations. As an example, he cited recent reports of Indonesia's Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum's decision to resign from his position last month after being named by the republic's anti-graft body as a suspect in a case involving the construction of a multimillion-dollar sports complex in the city of Bogor, West Java. Indonesian media had also reported that all Democratic Party officials had, prior to Anas' resignation, signed an "integrity pact" to give up their posts if named as a corruption suspect similar to a mechanism introduced by TI-M and signed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak recently. Low said that unlike the situation in Indonesia, there is no written legislation or moral compulsion for any person holding office in Malaysia to take such steps as in the most recent case involving an ongoing probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) against Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud based on a recent video exposed by London-based NGO Global Witness. The video, which has been making its rounds on social media since last week, allegedly showed members of Taib's family explaining to a "foreign investor" the mechanisms to circumvent existing laws to obtain logging licences and how to profit from such deals. The licences are issued by Sarawak's Ministry of Resource Planning and Environment which is headed by Taib. "In Indonesia, the lawmaker involved (Anas) reports directly to the president. In this case (Sarawak), the chief minister (Taib) is not appointed by the prime minister (Najib), but by the people who voted for him. "Therefore, Najib has no direct authority to order Taib to step down. It (the decision to resign) depends on him (Taib) alone," Low told theSun. Taib, in response to the video, had reportedly denied all allegations against him, insisting instead that he was "framed" by quarters who may be out to tarnish his reputation and implicate his family members who were featured in the 16-minute clip. During a press conference at TI-M's headquarters here yesterday, Low also called for the Sarawak state government to initiate an independent probe into the allegations raised and for its findings to be made public.

Anwar says 'moving strategy' needed to make inroads Posted: 26 Mar 2013 11:37 AM PDT   (fz.com) - PAS and Keadilan have also agreed to field some strong and formidable candidates in Johor    Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim defended the move of Pakatan Rakyat heavyweights to contest in different parliamentary constituencies, saying that it is necessary in order to make inroads.   At a press conference this evening, Anwar said that the parachuting of DAP's parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang (Ipoh Timur) and strategist Liew Chin Tong (Bukit Bendera) to Johor, is to shore up support for the opposition.   Similarly, suggestions for Anwar to contest in a parliamentary constituency in Selangor or Perak were aimed at expanding Pakatan's base.   Asked if the move will backfire on Pakatan, he said that on the contrary, it is expected "increase participation" and contradict Umno's claim that DAP is unable to entice Malay voters.   "At the same time, PAS and Keadilan have also agreed to field some strong and formidable candidates in Johor," he added.   "The suggestion that I go to Perak is of the same strategy to generate interest although Umno would say that I'm afraid of losing in Permatang Pauh," he said.   Anwar's announcement that he may contest in other constituencies had generated fiery criticism, particularly from former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who said that it indicated his former deputy was running away from defeat.   Read more at: http://fz.com/content/anwar-says-moving-strategy-needed-make-inroads

Umno akan menang percuma di 10 kawasan keselamatan khas? Posted: 26 Mar 2013 11:30 AM PDT   Mungkin ramai yang tidak sedar didalam 10 daerah itu ia merangkumi tujuh kerusi Parlimen dan 15 kerusi DUN Sabah. Kerusi-kerusi Parlimen yang termasuk dalam zon keselamatan khas ini ialah, P167 Kudat, P168 Kota Merudu, P183 Baluran, P187 Kinabatangan, P 189 Semporna dan P190 Tawau.  Mohd Sayuti Omar, The Malaysian Insider Semalam Najib Razak mengistyharkan 10 daerah di Timur Sabah menjadi kawasan Selamat di Sabah. Sepuluh daerah itu ialah Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Baluran, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna dan Tawau. Pemilihan kawasan itu sebagai kawasan keselamatan khas yang membawa kepada penubuhan satu jawatankuasa menurut Peraturan-Peraturan Pemeliharaan Keselamatan Awam 2013 yang digubal oleh Menteri Dalam Negeri. Jawatankuasa berkenaan akan dipengerusikan oleh Ketua Menteri manakala Najib selaku perdana menteri akan menjadi pemantau. Jawatankuasa lain akan diumum perlatikannya nanti. Menurut Najib beliau sendiri telah memohon perkenan Yang di-Pertuan Agong supaya Ordinan Pemeliharaan Keselamatan  Awam 1962 dikuatkuasakan bagi memastikan keselamatan rakyat di Sabah terus terjamin. Sememang tidak siapa dapat menyangkal hasrat kerajaan untuk mewujudkan keadaan selamat dan damai di Timur Sabah itu waktu ini. Sewajarnya kalau kerajaan mengambil langkah-langkah perlu seperti mengistyharkan atau meletakkan 10 kawasan itu dalam zon yang diberi kawalan keselamatan khas. Tindakan itu diambil semuanya gara-gara meletusnya tragedi pencerobohan yang menelan lebih 50 korban termasuk sembilan orang anggota keselamatan kita manakala ratusan yang ditangkap. Namun betapa suci usaha kerajaann itu ia tetap akan disuluh dengan berbagai maksud kerana ianya dibuat dalam edah pilihan raya umum akan menjelang tiba bila-bila masa saja. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/rencana/article/umno-akan-menang-percuma-di-10-kawasan-keselamatan-khas-mohd-sayuti-omar/

The principle of the unprincipled (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 25 Mar 2013 09:15 PM PDT I remember back in the days of Semangat 46, which was basically a party of ex-Umno members and leaders. They, too, toured the country singing like a canary. Even the most respected and revered 'Bapak Merdeka', Tunku Abdul Rahman, and the most cursed and hated 'Bapak May 13', Datuk Harun Idris, allied with Semangat 46 and went all over Malaysia to whack Umno kau-kau. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Tunku Aziz: DAP a political circus (Bernama) - "They are a political circus," said Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim of DAP when asked what he thought of the party's intention to field advisor Lim Kit Siang in the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat in the coming general election. "You go to one place and you pitch your tent and, when the circus is over, you take down your tent and move to another circus. This is what they have been doing," said the former vice-chairman of DAP. The DAP had announced recently that the 73-year-old veteran politician and Ipoh Timur MP would be fielded in the hot seat, also eyed by Johor DAP chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau and Johor PKR chairman Datuk Chua Jui Meng. The DAP stalwart had previously contested in several parliamentary seats since the 1969 General Election, among them Bandar Melaka, Petaling, Kota Melaka, Tanjong and Bukit Bendera. Speaking to Bernama, Tunku Abdul Aziz, the former president of Transparency International-Malaysia, said the DAP's practice had negative implications for the voters and the nation. "You elect them and they do not do anything at all for the constituency and then they move ... this is not good. ""If you watch Lim Kit Siang's progress ... political progress ... it has been the same story, election after election and after election," he said. Tunku Abdul Aziz cautioned voters to vote with their heads and not their hearts when exercising their rights. Shaking his head, he said the party should have advised its elected members of parliament to serve the people who had voted for them through thick and thin. ******************************************** According to a friend in the Finance Ministry, 90% of the success of the Income Tax and Customs Departments depend on information from insiders. These are people who once were part of the gang (or working for the 'gang' -- such as the accountants) and have now turned informer or 'state witness'. I was told the rewards are pretty lucrative, 50% of whatever the government succeeds in recovering. Sometimes the government uses deception to rope in informers. For example: say a gang got away with a bank robbery to the tune of RM1 million. The police would then announce that the robbery amounted to RM1.5 million. This would turn the bank robbers against each other because they think that the others in the gang have cheated them. Hence they end up becoming police informers to get revenge on those who have cheated them. I, too, depend on Deep Throats, people who were in one way or another involved with whatever was going on. And, of course, you need to trust your Deep Throats because not always are there documents to support what they say so you need to depend on their word. The track record of these Deep Throats also counts. They may have been giving you information since the last few years and thus far all the information they have given has never been wrong. One Deep Throat I depended on regarding information about the night Altantuya was murdered was someone I had known for 50 years since 1963. That is longer than I have known my wife. Nevertheless, in spite of knowing this chap for 50 years, I still found the information he gave quite incredible until I counter-checked the story with Anwar Ibrahim and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and both of them confirmed the reliability of the information. Only then did I decide to run with it. Anyway, the point is, who better to know about what is going on inside a certain gang or organisation if not some insider? We on the outside can only hear stories. Those on the inside were part of what was going on. Hence it is not surprising that Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim is able to sing like a canary. He was once one of the 'gang members' of DAP plus he sat in the top leadership and was privy to the most inner secrets of that party. Hence he would know what many of us would not know. The question is: is it ethical and noble for Tunku Aziz to now sing like a canary when he used to be one of the birds flocking with the other birds of that same feather? The opposition supporters, in particular the DAP supporters, would definitely say no. They would regard him as a traitor who should not be kissing and telling. Nevertheless, if it is principles that we worry about, then how principled are people like Anwar Ibrahim, Lajim Ukin, Wilfred Bumburing, Aspan Alias, Ariff Sabri Aziz, and many more of those other ex-Umno leaders who have now joined the opposition and are singing like a canary to reveal what went on in Umno at the time they were in Umno? And who better to reveal what went on and is still going on in Umno than these ex-Umno leaders? I remember back in the days of Semangat 46, which was basically a party of ex-Umno members and leaders. They, too, toured the country singing like a canary. Even the most respected and revered 'Bapak Merdeka', Tunku Abdul Rahman, and the most cursed and hated 'Bapak May 13', Datuk Harun Idris, allied with Semangat 46 and went all over Malaysia to whack Umno kau-kau. And we must not forget that Tunku Rahman was very hurt and upset about May 13 and never forgave those from Umno who he blamed for May 13 -- Datuk Harun being one of the major players with blood on his hands. Yet Tunku Rahman and Datuk Harun could join forces in Semangat 46 to whack Umno. And did not DAP and PAS enter into an alliance with Semangat 46 (called Gagasan Rakyat and Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah respectively), a party where some of the leaders had the blood of May 13 on their hands? And was not DAP and PAS excited that the Semangat 46 ex-Umno leaders were now whacking Umno, the party they were once part of? Principles are one thing. I am all for principles. But how can we say it is unprincipled for ex-DAP leaders to whack DAP but extremely principled for ex-Umno leaders to whack Umno? This is where Pakatan Rakyat supporters lack principles and hide behind their lack of principles to talk about principles. Let us not hide behind the word 'principle' to deny others their right to free speech, even if what they say upsets us. We can tell Tunku Aziz to shut the fuck up and not talk about DAP if we also tell Anwar Ibrahim, Lajim Ukin, Wilfred Bumburing, Aspan Alias, Ariff Sabri Aziz, etc., to shut the fuck up and not talk about Umno. ************************************************* The principle of the unprincipled 没有原则者的原则 我想起了当年的64精神党，一个充满了前巫统会员的政党。他们也一样，周游全马大暴巫统内幕。就连我们最尊重的国父东姑阿都拉曼也和最讨厌的'513之父' Datuk Harun Idris 与64精神党联手'厚厚'地给巫统扒了一层皮。 原文：Raja Petra Kamarudin 译文：方宙 东姑阿都阿兹：行动党就像是政治马戏团 （马新社）---- "他们就像是政治马戏团，"东姑阿都阿兹对行动党党魁林吉祥有意在振林山竞选的看法。 "他们去一个地方搭帐篷，当马戏团表演结束后，他们收起帐篷搬到别处，这就是他们的所作所为。" 前行动党副主席如此表示。 行动党日前宣布73岁的林吉祥将会出征这个热席。振林山之前也是柔佛行动党主席巫程豪和柔佛公正党主席蔡锐明有意竞选的国席。 林吉祥从1969年开始在不同地方竞选国席，包括马六甲市，八打灵，丹绒，升旗山等。 也是马来西亚透明国际前主席的东姑阿都阿兹表示，行动党的做法将对选民和国家带来负面影响。 "你选了他们，但他们没有为选区做些什么就去了其它地方。。。这是不好的""如果你观察林吉祥的政治路途。。。都是一样的故事，一个又一个又一个的选举，" 东姑阿都阿兹告诫选民们，应该用他们的头脑而不是心情来履行他们的权力。他摇头的说，行动党应该劝告党内中选的议员们，无论时好时坏，都应该服务那些把票投给他们的选民 ******************************************** 根据我一个在财政部的朋友，90%税务局的成功行动都是靠线人所提供的消息。那些曾经是'集团'其中一员的（或曾经为'集团'工作的，如会计师）会变成线人，或者是'国家证人'。我听说线人的回报是满吸引人的，大约是政府成功收回的50% 有时候政府会设局来套住那些线人。例如，一帮抢匪打劫了银行100万，那警方就会放出打抢了150万的风声。那些匪徒就会互相猜忌，因为他们会认为被彼此给坑了，然后总会有一些成员为了要报复而成为警方的线人。 而我当然也很依靠我的'深喉'（即线人），那些跟事情有挂钩的一员。你当然必须很相信你的'深喉'，因为有时候他们所透露的消息都是没有证据的。 那些'深喉'的过去表现当然也很重要。他们可能给你放消息放了几年，而他们的消息都是正确的。关于阿丹杜亚（Altantuya ）谋杀案的'深喉'，我已经认识了他50年，那是比我认识我老婆还要久！ 虽然说我认识了他50年，我还是认为他的消息是匪夷所思的。直到安华和登姑拉扎利（Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah ）跟我确认那消息的可靠性，我才决定接受它。 我在此要表达的是，有谁比内幕人还更清楚那个'集团'所发生的事情呢？我们这些外人只有听故事的份儿。那些内幕人才真正的清楚所发生的东西。 所以，东姑阿都阿兹对行动党内部消息的掌握进而大暴消息不应该是个很惊奇的状况。他曾经是党内的一员，而且身居高职，知道很多高层秘密。他当然知道很多我们不知道的东西。 问题是，东姑阿都阿兹，之前曾经是那'集团'的一员，如今站出来大暴内幕，此举有违道德操守否？反对党支持者，尤其是行动党支持者，肯定认为这是有违操守的。他们会列东姑为一个永远应该闭嘴的叛徒。 话虽如此，如果我们现在谈及的是原则上的问题，那请问，那些前巫统会员如安华，Lajim Ukin, Wilfred Bumburing, Aspan Alias, Ariff Sabri Aziz, 等等在加入了民联以后就站出来大暴巫统的内幕时，他们又有原则吗？然而，如果他们不说的话，又有谁又会更清楚揭出巫统内幕呢？ 我想起了当年的64精神党，一个充满了前巫统会员的政党。他们也一样，周游全马大暴巫统内幕。就连我们最尊重的国父东姑阿都拉曼也和最讨厌的'513之父' Datuk Harun Idris 与64精神党联手'厚厚'地把巫统给扒皮。 我们必须记得国父对于513事件是多么的伤心。他从来没有原谅过那些应该为513事件负责的人，而Datuk Harun Idris 就是其中一个双手沾满了鲜血的幕后操手。然而，国父还是和Datuk Harun Idris 联合64精神党来对抗巫统。 当年64党某些领导者还是513事件的操纵者，但行动党和伊斯兰党不是也曾经和64党联合过吗（当时分别被称为Gagasan Rakyat 和 Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah）？当64党狠狠地大暴巫统内幕时，行动党和伊斯兰党难道不感到高兴吗？ 原则就是原则，我就是个很有原则的人。但我们能够说前行动党员站出来大骂行动党就是没有原则的，而前巫统党员站出来大骂巫统党就是很有原则的？ 这就是民联支持者没有原则的地方；他们躲在没有原则里大谈原则。我们不应该打着'原则'这个幌子来妨碍他人的言论自由，虽说他人讲的可能不是对我们有利的。当我们够胆叫安华，Lajim Ukin, Wilfred Bumburing, Aspan Alias, Ariff Sabri 等人闭上他们的狗嘴别再扯巫统后腿时，我们才有资格叫东姑阿都阿兹也闭上他的狗嘴别再扯行动党的后腿。

Pakatan to fight Sabah BN alone Posted: 25 Mar 2013 07:46 PM PDT Sabah Pakatan will not engage in any more talk with local parties and will focus instead on solidifying its agenda with Lajim Ukin and Wilfred Bumburing's groups.  KOTA KINABALU: Pakatan Rakyat will walk alone in Sabah and that means no more discussions or negotiations with local parties. It also means that Sabah will once again see multi-cornered fights in almost every constituency in the state. In the 2008 general election, Sabah had the most number of constituencies with multi-cornered fights. Many had hoped that this time round the situation would be different. Disclosing Sabah Pakatan's decision, its chief Anwar Ibrahim said the coalition will not engage in any more talk with local parties and will focus on solidifying its agenda in Sabah together with its new allies Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPPS) and Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS). PPPS is led by Beaufort MP and former Umno warlord Lajim Ukin and APS by Tuaran MP William Bumburing. Bumburing was formerly the deputy president of UPKO, a partner in Barisan Nasional. Both Lajim and Bumburing and some of their key supporters quit BN in July last year throwing their support behind Anwar. Since then there have been reports of trouble within Sabah PKR as a result of Lajim's 'incursion'. But Anwar has balked at such talk. With the increasing influence of Lajim and Bumburing in the picture, negotiations with local parties have also been slowly but surely sidelined. Yesterday, following a Sabah Pakatan coalition meeting, Anwar told reporters that Pakatan will take on Sabah BN on its own. "Our meeting is to solidify our stand and agendas in Sabah, all three member parties and our alliances, APS and PPPS are on same page. "There are no other parties. Many of their (other parties') statements conflicted with our stand in Pakatan so we will continue with our agendas for changes (alone)," he said. SAPP and STAR alone Anwar is believed to be alluding to both Sabah Progressive Peoples Party (SAPP) led by former chief minister Yong Teck Lee and State Reform Party (STAR) chairman Jeffrey Kitingan. Both parties have been, from time to time, rumoured to be 'in negotiations' or 'being financed' by BN or its agents. Both have denied these rumours saying that the speculations were engineered by PKR, a Pakatan member. SAPP and STAR have refused to budge from their Sabah for Sabahans and Borneo Agenda stand. READ MORE HERE

Address minority issues, BN and Pakatan told Posted: 25 Mar 2013 07:41 PM PDT Neither coalition has shown any genuine interest in tackling their plight, say two Hindu American right groups. Athi Shankar, FMT Two Hindu American right groups called on Malaysia's main coalitions of political parties to urgently address minority rights issues ahead of the 13th general election. In a joint statement, Washington-based Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and California-based Malaysian American Foundation (MAF) pointed out that neither Barisan Nasional nor Pakatan Rakyat have initiated any pro-active steps to resolve inequality in Malaysia. Despite its portrayal as a model Muslim democracy with a highly successful economy, HAF-MAF alleged that Malaysia had instituted deeply divisive policies that institutionalised discrimination against the country's ethnic and religious minorities. "The Indian-Hindu minority, in particular, faces systematic inequality, but neither political coalition has shown any genuine interest in addressing their plight," said HAF director Samir Kalra Kalra, who is also a senior fellow for human rights. Posted on the HAF website, the joint statement stated that Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy's ongoing hunger strike was to draw national and international attention to the disparaging conditions facing the majority of the Indian-Hindu community in Malaysia. Local Hindraf branches are currently holding candle light vigils across the country calling on either BN or Pakatan, or both to endorse Hindraf's five-year blueprint, which outlines permanent solutions to end marginalised Indian plight. "Ahead of the upcoming election in Malaysia, the hunger strike renews focus on religious discrimination in Malaysia," stressed the HAF-MAF statement. "Waythamoorthy's effort is a means to bring world attention to the suffering of the Indians." Article 153 of Federal Constitution MAF co-founder Muralitharan Samy said that since independence in 1957, successive Malaysian governments had refused to provide basic civil rights to the Indian population. Most of them who were originally brought to Malaysia as indentured labourers by British colonialists since early 1800s, remained politically silent until 2007 when they first challenged the Malaysian government's discriminatory policies. READ MORE HERE

Stop picking own candidates, Anwar told Posted: 25 Mar 2013 07:38 PM PDT PKR division leaders say wrong candidates picked by Anwar Ibrahim to contest in the general election may result in sabotage. B Nantha Kumar, FMT PKR's preparation for the 13th general election has hit a snag with several party division leaders complaining that they were not consulted before the potential candidates were picked and made public. They also claim that party de-facto chief Anwar Ibrahim was making unilateral decisions in picking candidates and this would lead to a "major problem" after nominations. "There would be factions after nominations. Those not picked but promised seats would pull back. I do not rule out sabotage. If the candidate does not meet expectation of members then, members will refrain from campaigning and this is trouble for PKR," said a party division leader who declined to be named. He claimed that Anwar was not picking candidates based on their track record but was giving out seats to those close to him. "Anwar is very talented, he is a good orator but his judgement on the selection of candidates is flawed," said a division chairman from Selangor who did not want to be named. "Just look at Hulu Selangor. It is speculated Anwar would field his close friend Khalid Jaafar as PKR candidate in the constituency. The chances of Khalid winning the seat is slim because he is not well liked by the locals," he added. The source said Khalid, Anwar's former speech writer, was defeated in the tussle for the Bukit Katil parliament seat in Malacca during the 2008 general election. "Now, he is trying his luck in Hulu Selangor," said the party insider, adding that PKR was capable of taking back the seat from MIC if it fields a strong candidate. In 2008, PKR won Hulu Selangor when Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad defeated MIC president G Palanivel with a 198 vote majority. However, the seat returned to BN in a by-election following the demise of Zainal in 2010. The source said another example of a wrong PKR candidate was in the Pasir Salak parliamentary seat. "Party members are not happy with Anwar naming Musthapa Kamil Ayub as the candidate. So why pick him? Anwar should talk to grassroots leaders before making announcements on candidates," he added. READ MORE HERE

The consistency of inconsistency Posted: 25 Mar 2013 06:46 PM PDT Let me explain it this way. I make an allegation that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad once told me that he has evidence that Anwar Ibrahim is gay. I then ask the police to investigate Dr Mahathir. The police then arrest and charge for the crime of defaming Anwar. Did I make an allegation against Anwar or did I make an allegation against Dr Mahathir? And are Dr Mahathir and Anwar government officers? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin A-G has no power, desire, guts or clearance? Ravinder Singh, The Malaysian Insider What rubbish is the Attorney-General talking "I have no power to investigate Bala's SD2"? So who has the power, or has nobody such power? Are we to believe that feudalism still holds sway in Malaysia? The case is about the two police officers Sirul Azhar and Azilah Hadri who were sentenced to death. Has the case against them been proven beyond doubt? SD2 casts a very serious doubt on their guilt. They may have pulled the trigger, wrapped the corpse in C4 and ignited it, but all this by itself does not prove their guilt. It must be shown that they had a motive to do what they did. If the intention to annihilate all traces of Altantuya Shaariibuu was not theirs, then they cannot be sentenced to death even though they pulled the trigger. It was mandatory for the court to find the motive for their doing so. This the court did not do. Instead it came out with a novel argument that MOTIVE was not relevant. This was to camouflage its refusal to find the motive, not that motive is no longer relevant in all criminal proceedings in this country. Why? Did the court have the power to take it upon itself to overrule the requirement to discover the motive for the crime before passing sentence? Do courts not have to adhere to all the principles of justice in carrying out their duties? Could the learned A-G please explain to Malaysians why MOTIVE is not relevant in this particular case while it is all-important in all other criminal cases? Please show us where is the court's power to overrule the requirement to discover the motive, the basic ingredient of a criminal case. The confession by the senior lawyer who prepared the SD2 is new evidence. Any new evidence coming to light, even decades later, must be investigated. That is the hallmark of a justice system that upholds justice. In the murder case of Jean Perera Sinnappa, a witness who gave false evidence confessed to it a few days later. Why could that case be re-opened and re-investigated? As a result, the person sentenced to death was freed and the confessor jailed for giving false evidence. Is the A-G saying that the power which the A-G or the court had at that time has been removed by some amendment to some law? And if so, please tell us the rationale for removing that power to re-open cases (especially involving the death penalty) when new evidence, in any form, surfaces? Of all people, the A-G should know and uphold the adage that justice must not only be done, but it must be seen to be done. The court's ruling that MOTIVE was irrelevant in this case only shows that justice was not seen to have been done. Now the A-G's refusal to take cognizance of the senior lawyer's confession and re-open the case is further evidence that justice is not seen to be done. There is a Malay saying: "Jika hendak seribu daya, jika tidak seribu dalih". So, dear A-G, if you want it you can do it! When lives are at stake, should our justice system be so cruel as to arrogantly shut the door to justice by giving all manner of excuses which are aptly described in Malay as "tak masuk akal"? ******************************************** Ravinder Singh's letter to The Malaysian Insider makes interesting reading indeed. I am not sure whether this chap is a lawyer and not being a lawyer myself I can't comment on his legal arguments. What I do want to comment about, however, is regarding the inconsistency between how the Attorney-General (AG) handled P.I. Bala's Statutory Declaration (SD) and how he handled mine, which were both more or less about the same matter. When I signed my SD the month before Bala signed his, the AG reacted very differently from the way he reacted (and is still reacting) regarding Bala's SD. Bala was also treated differently. Bala was given a Malaysian passport and was allowed to leave the country and later allowed to return to Malaysia many times -- and eventually for good -- while I am not being allowed a Malaysian passport. Anyway, that could be because Bala left the country 'legally' while I did not -- I sneaked out. Hence I committed a crime while Bala did not -- which means he can be allowed a passport and also allowed back into Malaysia while I cannot. I can understand that. Anyway, that is not the point. The point I want to discuss is that the very next day after an Umno Blogger revealed that I had signed the SD (which was supposed to be confidential and hence I do not know how the Umno Blogger got his hands on it) the AG announced that I had signed a false SD and that they (the AG's office) will be taking action against me. First of all, this was what the Blogger reported. The AG had not even seen a copy of that SD yet. Hence he did not know at that time whether such a SD even existed. Nevertheless, he already announced that the SD was false and that they would take action against me for signing a false SD. The AG's office had also not started any investigation yet -- not only whether this SD existed or not but whether what was mentioned in that SD was true or false. However, even without confirming the existence of this SD and, if it did, whether the contents were true or not, he announced that they would be taking action against me for signing a false SD. The very next day, without investigating whether the SD did or did not exist and whether the contents were true or not, the IGP also announced that the SD is false and that the police were going to charge me for signing a false SD. How did both the AG and IGP know I had signed a false SD? They had not even started any investigation yet. It was not until the following week that the police called me in for my statement to be recorded. And my statement was recorded based on a so-called police report made against me. Now, according to the AG and IGP, my crime is for signing a false SD -- a SD that they had not even seen yet and which they did not know whether it existed or not since it was supposed to be confidential and for the eyes of only the Prosecutors in the Altantuya murder trial. However, when they brought me to court to charge me, they did not charge me for the crime of signing a false SD. They charged me for the crime of criminal defamation. First of all, how did they know I had committed criminal defamation? They never interrogated or took the statements of those people mentioned in the SD. How could they come to the conclusion that I had defamed those three people I was charged with defaming? Are they clairvoyant? Secondly, criminal defamation applies only when you defame a government officer in the execution of his/her duties. Is Rosmah Mansor, the wife of the then Deputy Prime Minister, a government officer? Even now, as the so-called 'First Lady', she is not a government officer. So how could I be charged for criminally defaming her? As for the husband-and-wife Lt. Col. team, they may be government/army officers, but were they on duty at the time I alleged that they were at the site of Altantuya's murder? Isn't it damaging to the government to admit that after midnight on the night of Altantuya's murder they were still on duty? What were their 'duties' after midnight on the night Altantuya was murdered? Hence, if the government thinks that I had signed a false SD, then why not charge me for that crime rather than for some other crime that I did not commit? I mean, if I robbed a bank then charge me for the crime of robbing the bank. Why charge me for the crime of fraud and say that I misled the bank teller into handing over the money that does not belong to me. The crime is robbery, not fraud. And the third and more troubling part of this whole thing is that I was alleged to have defamed Rosmah and the two Lt. Cols. Even if I am guilty of defaming someone, it is not Rosmah and the two Lt. Cols. I had defamed. I defamed a fourth person -- who I was never charged for defaming. I defamed the number two of the military intelligence that I alleged had made that allegation against Rosmah and the two Lt. Cols. Hence, even if I did commit a crime of criminal defamation, it is not Rosmah and the two Lt. Cols. I defamed but the number two in the military intelligence, who I was never charged for defaming. Let me explain it this way. I make an allegation that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad once told me that he has evidence that Anwar Ibrahim is gay. I then ask the police to investigate Dr Mahathir. The police then arrest and charge for the crime of defaming Anwar. Did I make an allegation against Anwar or did I make an allegation against Dr Mahathir? And are Dr Mahathir and Anwar government officers? And that was why when they charged me in court I refused to reply to the charge, which took the court by surprise. I told the court that the charge was defective plus mala fide. Charge me for criminal defamation if you wish but not for defaming Rosmah and the two Lt. Cols. Charge me for defaming the number two of the military intelligence. I refused to stand trial on a bogus charge. Hence I refused to answer to that charge. The court can, if it so wishes, then send me to jail. I was prepared for that. However, the court refused to accept my refusal to answer to that charge and instead insisted that they take that as a plea of not guilty. I was furious. I shouted at the judge and told him that I did not enter a plea of not guilty. The judge ignored me and set bail. I refused to accept bail and instead walked out of court and headed straight for the lockup below with the police officer chasing after me while trying to persuade me to stay in court and accept bail. For two years I tried explaining that I never made any allegation against Rosmah and the two Lt. Cols. Instead, I had made an allegation against the number two of the military intelligence. Why, therefore, was I arrested and charged for something I did not do? Why not charge me for a crime I did commit -- if the government is of the view that I had committed a crime? But all this fell on deaf ears. Finally, I went on TV3 to explain exactly as I had written above. This interview was done in Perth, Australia, after consultation with a few friends who were in Sydney together with me. These friends thought it was a good idea that I go on TV and explain the details. Of course, today, that TV3 interview has been interpreted as me having done a U-turn. I don't know in what way I did a U-turn. In fact, a copy of that SD was shown in that TV interview. So we are still talking about the same SD, not a new SD or SD2 like in Bala's case. What TV3 wanted to know is what were the circumstances and reasons behind me signing that SD. So I explained what happened and the reason why I signed the SD. This, however, has been interpreted as me withdrawing that SD. I did not withdraw the SD. Instead, I explained the story behind that SD. And when the Malaysian police met up with me in the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, soon after that TV interview to record my statement, I repeated what I had said in that TV3 interview without changing one bit of my story and I signed that police statement. The AG says he has no power or authority to take action on Bala's SD2. But he did take action on my SD. And the action he took was against me. Bala, no doubt, has since died. But Bala was in the country a few weeks before he died. Yet the AG did nothing. And if Bala had not died the AG would most likely still do nothing. Why is that? And why was Bala allowed back into the country and allowed to travel all over the country to give talks all over the place? I would never have been allowed the same. Why? Is it because they had made a deal with Bala? In that case, what deal did they make with him? I am beginning to suspect that they are not giving Bala the same treatment that they are giving me. Okay, you can say that my SD is based on hearsay. You can argue that what I said was what someone told me and not what I saw with my own eyes. But was not Bala's SD also based on hearsay? His SD was about what Razak Baginda and Altantuya told him, not what he personally saw. That is also hearsay, just like what I said. When Bala signed his first SD he was considered a hero. Even Anwar Ibrahim gave him red carpet treatment at the PKR headquarters. When he signed his second SD, he was called an Indian Pariah, a turncoat, a traitor, etc., and was nicknamed 'Bala U-turn'. Then he again did a U-turn and said that SD1 is true while SD2 is false. And, again, he became a hero and was given red carpet treatment and garlanded. Signing two contradicting SDs is a serious crime. Why does the AG say he has no power and authority to do anything? And if the AG is powerless to take action until and unless a police report has been made, many police reports have already been made. The AG can pick and choose from the many police reports to take action against Bala. Why did he not do this? And if the AG really has no power or authority to take action, why then did he take action against me and announce that he is taking action against me even before he could confirm the existence of the SD and confirm the authenticity of that SD, if it did exist? Many people, especially those from the opposition, scream about justice, good governance, selective prosecution, and whatnot. Actually, these people do not even know what that means. If they really mean what they say then they can clearly see that the manner the AG handled Bala and the manner he handled me are glaringly based on two different standards of justice. And if you were really a believer in justice, then you would focus on what I said in my SD and not what you imagine I said or wish I had said. And because of this I no longer believe that the opposition people are true proponents of justice. They twist what I had said and allege I had said what I did not say. And this makes the opposition exactly like the government we are trying to kick out. If you believe that a lie is okay as long as we lie about the government and not lie about the opposition, then your fight is not my fight. That is the plain and simple truth of my perjuangan. Some of you say I have turned. Of course I have turned. I have turned against those in the opposition who behave just like those in the government. And being a victim of these untruths I, of all people, should know this.

Chua Soi Lek & his MCA Merajuking Manoeuvre Posted: 25 Mar 2013 04:16 PM PDT KTEMOC KONSIDERS Lee Hwa Beng (MCA) was Subang Jaya's state assemblyman for three terms from 1995 to 2008, and guess what happened in 2008, wakakaka. He was appointed Port Klang Authority chairman from 2008 to 2011 to investigate the PKFZ scandal; he was also the author of 'PKFZ: A Nation's Trust Betrayed'. Alamak, can't see Tee Keat lah, wakakaka In an article he wrote for TMI titled How will MCA fare in the coming election? he predicted MCA could well lose up to 2/3 of its current 15 federal parliamentary seats, though he refused (said it would be inappropriate) to identity which seats MCA will lose. Needless to say, the current focus of keen political observers (both professional and amateur) is on Johor and the MCA-held parliamentary seats like Gelang Patah. That DAP's Lim Kit Siang will be the Pakatan Rakyat's candidate in Gelang Patah is no longer the question, though many Pakatan supporters revel in the possibility of Uncle Lim standing there as a candidate under the PAS banner in the event the Registrar of Societies (RoS) decides to suspend or de-register DAP. In fact I dare say they fantasize and hope for that possibility which in one fell swoop would destroy UMNO's demon-ization of DAP as an anti Malay-Muslim political party. In what we suspect to be UMNO possible plan to 'persuade' ROS to suspend DAP just prior to the election, so as to save its subordinate, MCA, UMNO could well be digging for itself a far deeper cesspool than it currently wallows in, and which its plummeting into may be non-salvageable. The picture of a pro Malay-Muslim DAP to the Heartland may just make UMNO think twice, unless it's so monumentally stupid, a state of mind most unlikely but which we mustn't completely discount. Dare CSL confront Lim KS in Gelang Patah? However, the question of the MCA candidate in Gelang Patah, purportedly Tan Ah Eng, continues to intrigue political observers and KPCs (kay poh chnee or busybodies, like kaytee, wakakaka). Will CSL step in a la Lee San Choon in Seremban in 1982, to put his leadership 'money' where his mouth is, to re-enact a second MCA vs DAP Clash of the Titans, which Lee San Choon won for the MCA in the 1982 general election when he defeated Dr Chen Man Hin (DAP). 'Twas then a historic event in what the Chinese would term an MCA leader courageously entering the DAP's haw siew (tiger lair, meaning stronghold) - a case of dare to say, dare to do! Lee also mentioned Chua Soi Lek's (CSL) merajuk tactic as follows: Two years ago, MCA president Chua Soi Lek announced that the MCA will not accept any Cabinet positions if the party obtains fewer than the existing 15 seats. This statement was made nearly two years ago when he first became MCA president but has not been repeated since. Was he trying to blackmail the Chinese community into considering carefully before voting against the party? Was he more confident of a better performance then? His subsequent silence may mean he has either regretted his statement or that he is less confident of his party's performance in the upcoming elections two years later. CSL's merajuking reminded me of Koh Tsu Koon who told Penangites pretty much the same thing, that he won't enter government if he lost his bid for the Batu Kawan federal seat, and which he did to Dr Rama (DAP), ... but which nonetheless saw him subsequently and shamelessly accepting a ministerial position via the Senate back door, to become the Assistant (disgracefully only an assistant) Headmaster of Report Cards for BN ministers and officials. Anyway, 'nuff of Koh TK and back to CSL and MCA, for the story of MCA is also the story of Malaysians of Chinese ancestry, and perhaps vice versa We'll consider Gerakan as nothing more than a splinter group of MCA in the way PKR is a splinter group of UMNO. The genes, DNA and chor-kong (political ancestors) are the same for MCA and Gerakan, as are for UMNO and PKR. The questions we want to ask are: (a) Will CSL stand in Gelang Patah? (b) Will his merajuking tactic convince the Chinese, especially those in Johor, to give the MCA a 'second-illionth' chance in GE-13 or suffer no Chinese representation in the new Malaysian cabinet? - A threat we may describe as the 'MCA Merajuking Manoeuvre'. Only CSL can answer the first, but for us to obtain an answer to the second query, we need to revisit the history of the MCA, in particular that of its leaders - and I'll try not to be tng k'ooi (chong hei) wakakaka. The leadership tussles in MCA The MCA was formed on 27 February 27 1949 with support from the British colonial government who hoped for the Chinese association to manage the social and welfare concerns of the rural Chinese interned (not unlike Japanese POW's) under the Briggs' Plan in the 'new villages' during the Malayan Emergency. Chinese forcefully 'moved' to new villages Two years later, MCA transformed into a formal political party under the leadership of a Straits-born Malacca baba Tan Cheng Lock, father of Tan Siew Sin. Among the top leaders were Kuomintang  (Guomindang) Party people, wakakaka. Presumably it found favour with the Brits and UMNO because it was undoubtedly anti Communist. Chiang Kai Shek in Kuomintang military uniform, wakakaka Even Penang-born Lim Chong Eu, a King's scholar who studied medicine in Scotland holds a Kuomintang army medical (honorary) rank of Colonel. Yes, do look at the emblem of the MCA and see in it its association with the emblem of the Kuomintang Party of Chiang Kai Shek. Kuomintang emblem MCA Right from its very start, MCA has been a party rife with leadership tussles. Lim Chong Eu who became its President after defeating Tan Cheng Lock in 1958 demanded that Tunku treated the MCA as an equal partner, and demanded 40 seats instead of the 28 it was allocated. Lim also wanted Chinese recognized as another official language of Malaya. Tunku went as far as increasing MCA's allocation from 28 to 31 but rejected Lim's other demands. Then, in what was alleged as a political war by Tunku against Lim Chong Eu using a surrogate, pro UMNO Tan Siew Sin, he applied both external pressure (by UMNO) as well as internal pressure (by Tan Siew Sin's pro UMNO faction in MCA) until he manoeuvred Lim Chong Eu into resigning from MCA. Tan Siew Sin took over as MCA president and became and remained UMNO's favourite and respected partner. READ MORE HERE

‘Umno plots ‘sex attacks’, targets Nurul as well’ Posted: 25 Mar 2013 04:01 PM PDT PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution claims that he was shown footages by several Umno agents purportedly aimed at implicating several senior party leaders.  G Vinod, FMT Umno agents are planning to reveal more videos on senior PKR leaders, purportedly linking them to sexual misconduct, said PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution. Speaking at a press conference held at the party headquarters, Saifuddin said that the Umno agents are now targeting four PKR leaders. "They are targeting Anwar (Ibrahim) and Nurul (Izzah Anwar). The other videos supposedly implicating other leaders such as Khalid (Ibrahim) are still being manufactured," said Saifuddin, who was flanked by PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad. Saifuddin said he received a call from some people about three days ago and was told about the videos and photographs. The Machang MP, together with other leaders, said that he met the agents in Kuala Lumpur, and was shown two videos and photographs. "I don't know who these people are but they seem to be in the know of production work. It looks like they want to inflict maximum damage on us nearing general election," said Saifuddin. Recently, pro-Umno blogger Papagomo, or his real name Wan Muhd Azri Wan Deris, released a video, purportedly showing Anwar engaging in homosexual activity. The Permatang Pauh MP later filed a RM100 million defamation suit against the blogger. Game of perception Saifuddin dismissed the allegations levelled against the PKR leaders, saying the agents were attempting to perpetuate the culture of slander nearing the 13th general election. Asked on what demands the agents made, Saifuddin refused to divulge details, saying the agents employed the carrot and stick approach. When asked if he was rattled by the video clips shown, Saifuddin said, "We don't feel threatened at all. It's part and parcel of politics." Saifuddin said that he believed that the agents merely wanted PKR to know that they have such material, which may be published during the general election. "It's a game of perception. They just want us to fall in their trap," he said. He later criticised Umno and Barisan Nasional for employing dirty tactics in order to win the general election. "When we ask for debate, you reject our request. When we launch our manifesto, you launch a (sex) video," he said. Saifuddin also urged Malaysians to reject the slanderous attacks and not to be tricked by the ruling government's dirty tricks. "All this attacks only make us stronger and propel us to move forward. The people will definitely make a wise choice for a better Malaysia by voting for Pakatan Rakyat," he said. READ MORE HERE

Rafizi: Raja Petra is telling tales Posted: 25 Mar 2013 03:17 PM PDT PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli dismisses the blogger's claims that PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim had sought Nur Misuari's help to win parliamentary seats in East Malaysia. G Vinod, FMT PKR today dismissed blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin's allegation that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim had sought the help of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) to win Muslims votes in Sabah and Sarawak. "I have read his article but not a shred of evidence was produced. Dia cerita ikut kepala dia saja (He is just telling tales)," said PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli. Yesterday, Raja Petra, in his article titled 'The Untold Story of the Lahad Datu Incident', alleged that Anwar had sought MNLF founder Nur Misuari's help to win at least 30 parliamentary seats in East Malaysia. The former deputy prime minister claimed to have urged Nur Misuari to convince Filipino Muslims in Sabah to vote for Pakatan Rakyat. In return, Anwar promised citizenship and jobs for non-Malaysian Filipino Muslims residing in East Malaysia. READ MORE HERE

Malaysia’s social media election is already over Posted: 25 Mar 2013 03:01 PM PDT Since the last general election in 2008, Malaysia's Internet penetration has risen by over 300 per cent in 2012. Total Internet penetration had increased from 1,718,500 in 2008 to 5,839,600 in 2012, an increase of as much as 4,121,100.  James Gomez, TMI The upcoming general election is not a "social media election". The so-called "social media election" is already over. Observers are just waiting for the results. Let me explain.  Social media in Malaysia has been influential in keeping important political issues in the forefront in the last five years. Hence, when evaluating the social media-related outcomes of the next general election, it is the net impact of social media's political influence in the last five years and not just the campaign period that analysts need to consider.  In Malaysia, broadcast media, like elsewhere, has over the years evolved into a fragmented viewership base. Viewers switch easily between free-to-air, subscription TV and videos on-demand mostly for their entertainment needs, leaving those interested in alternative local political news to look elsewhere.  Meanwhile, Malaysian newspapers, particular the Malay- and English-medium ones that have traditionally reported on local political news, have seen a drastic drop in circulation since the last general election held in 2008.  The two main Malay-language newspapers, which are Berita Harian (weekend edition Berita Minggu) and Utusan Malaysia (weekend edition Mingguan Malaysia), have suffered a decline in circulation from 1,147,126 in 2008 to 890,446 in 2012. Similarly, English-language newspapers such as the New Straits Times, The Star and The Edge saw their combined circulation drop from 936,664 in 2008 to 813,994 in 2012.  But this fragmentation in broadcast media and slack in print media circulation is being taken up by the Internet.  Since the last general election in 2008, Malaysia's Internet penetration has risen by over 300 per cent in 2012. Total Internet penetration had increased from 1,718,500 in 2008 to 5,839,600 in 2012, an increase of as much as 4,121,100.  According to the Malaysian Digital Association's (MDA) February 2012 report, websites of the mainstream media, such as thestar.com.my, utusan.com.my and bharian.com.my, attracted 2,221,763, 1,171,578 and 769,772 unique browsers respectively. Alternative news websites such as malaysiakini.com and themalaysianinsider.com attracted 1,858,649 and 1,117,124 unique browsers respectively in the same period, demonstrating strongly their comparative strength.  However access to social media sites is the highest according to the same MDA report. Sites such as facebook.com and youtube.com attracted 6,467,257 and 4,238,824 unique browsers while twitter.com attracted 926,874 unique browsers in the same period from Malaysia. READ MORE HERE

More voter excitement for GE13 as Bersih targets 85pc turnout Posted: 25 Mar 2013 02:55 PM PDT Boo Su-Lyn, TMI Voters are getting more enthusiastic over Election 2013 compared to the last general election as Bersih 2.0 aims for an 85 per cent voter turnout to mitigate electoral fraud. Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, co-chairman of the electoral reform group, told The Malaysian Insider today that Bersih's "Jom 100" campaign has seen greater awareness about the upcoming national polls among people of all races and ages in both urban and rural areas.  "People are raring to go and raring to vote," said Ambiga (picture). "There's a lot of enthusiasm on the ground... people are getting more aware about their voting rights. I also ask the question, did you vote in 2008? They say no. Are you gonna vote this time? And they say yes," added the former Bar Council president. Election 2013, which will be held in weeks, is expected to be the most keenly contested election in recent times, with analysts saying that the outcome is in doubt for the first time in Malaysian history after the historic 2008 general election that saw Barisan Nasional (BN) lose its two-thirds parliamentary majority. There are 13.3 million registered voters, or 83 per cent, out of 16 million eligible voters, according to the Election Commission (EC). In Election 2008, 76 per cent out of 10.7 million registered voters turned up to vote, amounting to about 8.16 million voters. Ambiga said she hoped for at least an 85 per cent voter turnout, pointing out that five to 10 per cent could make a difference. "Any increase will help reduce or mitigate the fraud," she said. The lawyer said Bersih told Malaysians that they should not assume that their favoured candidates would win and that voting would help reduce electoral fraud.  "We don't want people to think there are no solutions to the fraud. There is in fact a very effective, not complete solution, but an effective way of reducing it," said Ambiga. READ MORE HERE

Wira Perkasa bidas pemimpin Gerakan Posted: 25 Mar 2013 02:36 PM PDT Kenyataan Baljit Singh boleh diklasifikasikan sebagai isu sensitif dalam ambang pilihan raya.  Muda Mohd Noor, FMT Wira Perkasa  membidas kenyataan ahli politik Gerakan Baljit Singh yang melabelkan Perkasa sebagai rasis terbesar Melayu dan rasis dan dibenci oleh bangsa bangsa lain. Ketuanya, Irwan Fahmi Ideris  berkata,  sayap Perkasa itu  merasakan kenyataan tersebut tidak patut keluar daripada seorang ahli politik yang bijak kerana boleh diklasifikasikan sebagai isu sensitif dalam ambang pilihan raya. Wira Perkasa membantah keras kenyataan Baljit  dalam  isu pembabitan pemimpin BN berdemonstrasi bersama Perkasa dan mahu beliau memohon maaf dan menarik balik kenyataan tersebut. Baljit dilaporkan mengeluarkan kenyataan bahawa pemimpin pemimpin BN yang menyertai Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu Pulau Pinang bersama sama Perkasa di Padang Esplanade pada Ahad lalu sebagai mengiktiraf dan mengakui bahawa Perkasa adalah sebagai kuasa yang disegani dan meminjam kredibiliti pertubuhan tersebut. Bajlit merupakan ketua biro undang-undang hak asasi manusia  Gerakan Pulau Pinang. Irwan Fahmi berkata, sepatutnya Gerakan perlu memainkan peranan sebagai 'pembangkang' yang aktif di Pulau Pinang  kerana kekuatan awal parti tersebut bermula di negeri itu. `Gerakan mudah patah semangat' "Bukan membangkitkan isu isu yang tidak releven dan menjadi hero keadaan. Sikap yang ditunjukkan oleh Parti Gerakan yang dilihat mudah patah semangat, terlalu selesa  dan menerima apa sahaja tanpa ada usaha yang lebih dan bersunguh sunguh. " Adalah terlalu sukar untuk BN menawan kembali Pulau Pinang," kata pemimpin muda Perkasa itu dalam kenyataan media hari ini. "Di sini kami ingin menegaskan bahawa beliau dan Parti Gerakan perlu berusaha dan bekerja lebih berkerja keras  membantu jentera BN dalam usaha menawan semula Pulau Pinang. READ MORE HERE

I am not for sale, tweets Saiful Posted: 25 Mar 2013 02:30 PM PDT The tweet message comes in the wake of claims from Datuk T that there were attempts to buy them over to retract allegations that Anwar was the man in a sex video released two years ago. K Pragalath, FMT Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's ex-aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan has claimed that he cannot be bought over, reported Utusan Malaysia. Anwar was charged in in 2010 for allegedly sodomising Saiful and was acquitted last year. The prosecution team had appealed against the acquital. In a Twitter message to Anwar, Saiful wrote: "I'm not for sale. Even if you are the prime minister, I will not bow to you. The truth will prevail, the false will fall. That is Allah's promise." Last Thursday, Risda chairman Rahim Thamby Chik claimed that businessman Shazyl Eskay Abdullah was offered a blank cheque to retract allegations that Anwar is the individual in a sex video. Rahim, Shazryl and Shuib Lazim, known as the Datuk T trio revealed the video in 2011. Saiful also claimed that Anwar was using his father, Azlan Mohd Lazim, to counter the alleged sodomy. "Anwar's move to use my father is wrong and would backfire. May Allah continue to give me the strength and patience," he said. On March 8, Azlan claimed that Anwar did not sodomise Saiful and the sodomy episode was a political conspiracy. Saiful through his lawyers refuted Azlan's claims. Three days later, Azlan joined PKR. READ MORE HERE

Kulasegaran’s exit causes concern Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:57 PM PDT   (Free Malaysia Today) - Perak DAP members are pinning for the return of their unsung hero Kulasegaran to once again be their vocal voice but the party veteran might not return. The departure of DAP veteran leader M Kulasegaran from Perak to Johor has cast doubts on the bargaining and political clout of the 20% Indian members in the state party. Some Indian party leaders have expressed fear that their political voice may not be heard in DAP as their "Indian Godfather" moves his base to Johor. Kulasegaran was instrumental in ensuring that the voice of Indian members was heard in the silver state after the 2008 political tsunami. According to a DAP source, it was Kulasegaran who brought in Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran, Sungkai assemblyperson A Sivanesan, Tronoh and Buntong lawmakers V Sivakumar and A Sivasubramaniam respectively, into the Perak political arena. The source said Kulasegaran, who is close to party superemo Lim Kit Siang, ensured that an executive post be given to Sivanesan and that the state speaker post goes to Sivakumar by the newly minted Pakatan Perak state government in 2008. Kulasegaran also advocated that the post of Ipoh City mayor should be given to an Indian but it failed to materialise. The Ipoh Barat MP also ensured that Indian representation in the DAP silver state had at least a minimum of two parliamentarians and four state lawmakers. One party leader even opined that the Ipoh Barat MP might come back to Perak to defend his seat as Kulasegaran only wanted to challenge Segamat incumbent cum MIC deputy chief Dr S Subramaniam in Johor. However, with the PKR Gelang Patah parliamentary seat given to Kit Siang and in the exchange the DAP Segamat seat was instead given to Johor PKR chief Chua Jui Meng. Perak DAP members are pinning for the return of their unsung hero Kulasegaran to once again be their vocal voice but the party veteran might not return as the bad political experience of Perak still remains in his mind. Team A vs Team B It was smooth sailing between Kulasegaran and party secretary Nga Kor Ming before the 2008 general election as they were united in their political standing. But after the win of the silver state, cracks appeared in the friendship which saw DAP being divided into two camps with Nga and Ngeh Koo Ham in Team A and Kulasegaran in Team B. What was disheartening to Kulasegaran was that two of the three Sivas (Sivanesan, Siva Kumar and Sivasubramaniam) that he had groomed had betrayed him and crossed over to Team A. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/03/26/kulasegarans-exit-causes-concern/

Unreliable leaks and flawed intelligence Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:52 PM PDT Singapore officials believed Anwar Ibrahim was involved in Sodomy II but the facts today have proven otherwise, calling into question the reliability of US intelligence cables. Amir Ali, Free Malaysia Today  WikiLeaks has been used by the ruling government on several occasions to blame or tarnish Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. First came the "leak" about Singapore's diplomatic officials linking Anwar to Sodomy II against Saiful Bukhari Azlan. Now we have accusations that Anwar is the man behind the Lahad Datu intrusion, and all because he had close ties with Nur Misuari, the troubled former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Let's look at the reliability of the diplomatic leaks by WikiLeaks and the accuracy of these sensational stories. Last year, Anwar, in a "live" dialogue-cum-interview with WikiLeaks boss Julian Assange, answered Assange on critical issues. They did not touch on the "leaked" diplomatic documents. Now what about the diplomatic comments revealed by WikiLeaks? Or let's ask the crucial question: How reliable are the diplomatic cables? The declaration by Saiful's father (that Anwar was not guilty of the sodomy) has not only tarnished those who accused Anwar of sodomy, it has also exposed the flagrant dishonesty of the Singaporean "officials" who claimed Sodomy II was real. The Jakarta Globe (quoting an AFP report) screamed: "Singapore leaders believe Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim had sex with a male aide in a honey trap set by his enemies, according to leaked US cables published by WikiLeaks." The Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI), in its article on the "Singapore leaks", reported that the US Embassy had recorded the opinions of Singapore officials in Malaysia, adding that their comments were blunt and none was complimentary. Slap in the face CPI cited the Sydney Morning Herald report on Dec 12 which quoted WikiLeaks as having stated that it (sodomy) was a "set-up job engineered by Anwar's enemies, and that Anwar did engage in sodomy". But the statement by Saiful's father (that Anwar was innocent) and his decision to join PKR are a big slap in the Singaporean officials' face. It also cast doubts on the trustworthiness of WikiLeaks' cables. There are two major aspects in the WikiLeaks' cables on Sodomy II. One is the report about Singaporean officials giving their views to US officials on the sodomy trial, and two, is the source who disclosed the "intelligence" to the Singaporean authorities. If the intelligence came from Malaysia, it is clear that the Singaporeans were duped into believing that the story was true. This shows how the "diplomatic" circles in this region can easily be deceived about national, regional and international issues. Singapore believed Anwar was involved in sodomy when the facts today proved otherwise. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/03/26/unreliable-leaks-and-flawed-intelligence/

Identifying Malaysia's Enemies & Appropriate Weaponry Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:34 PM PDT   So, exactly how are decisions made in the ministry of defence to purchase the submarines, the corvettes, the frigates (costing billions) instead of more effective patrol boats to guard our coastlines?  Dr Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser As the Global Day of Action on Military Spending, GDAMS 3.0 (15 April 2013) approaches, it is time for Malaysians to ask: Who are Malaysia's enemies and what appropriate weaponry do we need? One would think this is the first question the Ministry of Defence should ask in the multi-billion decisions to procure armaments now that the arms merchants are here again for LIMA 2013. Yet our National Defence Policy has never even been properly debated in parliament. Just a few months ago, the defence ministry would not have said that Malaysia's enemies were among the Suluks who have been coming back and forth between southern Philippines and Sabah all these years. After all, hadn't we helped to train MNLF fighters there against Marcos in the seventies? Wasn't this the reason why the Home Minister Hishamuddin said that the invaders at Lahad Datu were "neither militants nor terrorists" during the two or three weeks that they were already there? And haven't we got a "Rapid Deployment Force" (10 Paratrooper Brigade) ready to be dispatched to any flashpoint? One wonders what flashpoint scenarios they are trained for? Are they ready to be deployed only when there are secessionists fighting to take East Malaysia out of the federation? They certainly hadn't been prepared for the Sulu sultan's army to "turn".  Don't be surprised if the "defence analysts" in the ministry have now shredded all their previous analyses about Malaysia's perceived "enemies". With the new-found enemies of the Malaysian state, the arms lobby has at last found a raison detre for their fabulous arms procurements. Heck, didn't we finally get the chance to use our F18 fighter bombers and Hawk 208 fighter jets against this so-called "rag-tag army"?  Wouldn't armoured cars and tanks and mortars have sufficed in that four square kilometer area of land against that motley crew? In the end, were Malaysians given a clear picture of the efficacy of those fighter jet sorties? Whatever the reasons for sending in the fighter bombers and jets, the international arms merchants have now come to town to peddle their wares. The French have started advertising their 'Rafale' fighter jets in our mainstream newspapers, alongside bargains by 'Giant' and 'Tesco' for the attention of Malaysians. BAE are also desperately trying to flog their 'Typhoon' jet fighters in a RM10 billion deal they hope to clinch with a "Buy 1 - Get 1 free" gambit. They lost out recently to the French when the Indian government opted to buy 126 Rafale fighter jets instead, and are still fuming. But do we need any fighter jets at all, considering their cost is spiraling way out of control and they so quickly become obsolete? They will be even more obsolete when future air wars are fought using drones (Unarmed Aerial Vehicles)! Malaysians should be aware that the latest (US) F35 fighter jets cost at least half a billion ringgit a piece? Can we keep up with the race? What race? Who are we racing against? Who are our enemies?   The appropriate vessels for RMN When the bombardment finally began at Lahad Datu, it was mentioned that the navy had formed a cordon to prevent the intruders from getting away. It became clear that there has never been a cordon to prevent any intruders from getting INTO Sabah all these years. Looking at the geography of the area, it is evident that our two submarines (costing more than RM7 billion) sitting pretty in Sepanggar Bay and our six New Generation Patrol Vessels (costing RM9 billion) were not the most suitable vessels in such circumstances. This mismatch raises the question of the need for our navy to prioritise the deployment of appropriate alternative vessels. As part of the RM5 billion arms deal signed between Dr Mahathir and Margaret Thatcher in 1989, we procured two corvettes built by the Yarrow shipbuilders costing RM2.2 billion. (NST, 11.11.91) At the time, the Royal Malaysian Navy said they required sixteen offshore patrol vessels but due to financial constraints, the RMN could only afford four or five of these locally-built OPVs. Mindef had budgeted RM85 million per OPV. (NST, 25.11.91) Now, in the light of the latest incident at Lahad Datu, Malaysians will be in a better position to see the appropriate vessels that would be more suitable to secure the Sabah coastline. Before the Lahad Datu incident, the main "enemies" testing the capacity of our armed forces were the pirates in the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca. There were no bigger "enemies" than those seafaring marauders. Are state-of-the-art fighter jets and submarines the appropriate defence equipmenty against pirates? These would likewise be inappropriate if "international terrorists" and suicide bombers choose to target Malaysia. So, exactly how are decisions made in the ministry of defence to purchase the submarines, the corvettes, the frigates (costing billions) instead of more effective patrol boats to guard our coastlines?   ASEAN needs to take ZOPFAN more seriously There is no end if we choose to embark on an arms race with our neighbouring countries. We simply cannot afford such an arms race and it is time ASEAN countries seriously talk about disarmament and joint defence agreements instead of an arms race within ASEAN. Our economic priorities need to be diverted away from military production toward production for human needs, and public expenditure diverted to more and better social services throughout ASEAN. Any disputes over territories should be settled through international arbitration as was done over Pulau Batu Putih with Singapore. The dispute of the Spratly Islands should be resolved the same way.   The Malaysian People are NOT the Enemy The Lahad Datu incident should act as a wake-up call for the Malaysian government that seems pre-occupied with treating its own people as the enemy. When we bear in mind that throughout the career of the Internal security Act since 1960, more than 10,000 people have been incarcerated for being "threats to national security". But hardly any have been charged for any crimes involving violence against the state. Then again, there have been at least two cases of Malaysians who have been killed in neighbouring countries for alleged terrorist activities. Yet, none of them were ever arrested under the ISA! This goes to show that our intelligence service has been focusing on the wrong suspects. As a former ISA detainee who was incarcerated for being a "threat to national security", I can vouch for the wanton wastage of security personnel on Malaysians who are simply not "enemies of the state". When I think of the number of state operatives who had been spying on me, arresting me, guarding me, interrogating me, accompanying me on family and hospital visits, I immediately wonder how they could be better deployed to prevent crimes being committed and watching out for the real enemies of the state. And when we multiply the cost 10,000 times since 1960, we will realize the enormous waste of human resources that could be better put to use! It was recently reported in the New York Times (13.3.2013) that Malaysia is among 25 countries using off-the-shelf spyware to keep tabs on citizens by secretly grabbing images off computer screens, recording video chats, turning on cameras and microphones, and logging keystrokes: "Rather than catching kidnappers and drug dealers, it looks more likely that it is being used for politically motivated surveillance," security researcher Morgan Marquis-Boire was quoted by NYT as saying. This is what I mean when I say our intelligence service is not focused on the job but wasting valuable resources spying on and apprehending the good guys! Indeed, if the Malaysian state had only focused on the job of catching the real criminals, Malaysia would be a much safer place instead of being the "nation of guarded communities" it has become today.   Militarism serves the ruling class Apart from the huge commissions that can be creamed from multi-billion arms contracts, the ruling class requires militarism to contain the oppressed and disgruntled sections of the population. A strong military is necessary to prop up the ruling class. At the same time, the military-industrial complex promotes the development of a specially favoured group of companies engaged in the manufacture and sale of munitions and military equipment for personal gain and profit. These armaments companies have a direct interest in the maximum expansion of military production.   Arms production is a green issue Military spending and arms production are very much green issues. The military- industrial complex not only produces toxic products, they produce weapons that kill indiscriminately. LIMA and other defence fairs are certainly not congruent with Malaysian leaders' stated commitment to peace and spiritual values. The green movement has a responsibility to work toward an end to the culture of war. This involves re-ordering our financial priorities away from wasteful and destructive arms production and procurement to the social well-being of the people. Ultimately, working towards a culture of peace is a vision that is only attainable in a society that respects human dignity, social justice, democracy and human rights.

Anwar’s hand in Lahad Datu isn’t credible theory! Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:27 PM PDT   No Suluk in his right mind in Sabah would ever want the state to be part of the Philippines or even Sulu. The Suluks fled the Philippines to get away from the Manila Government.  Joe Fernandez There is quite a bit of material in the mainstream and alternative media hinting, suggesting and even accusing Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim as the arch villain behind the Lahad Datu intrusion and subsequent standoff. As the various conspiracy theories go, this is the weakest of them all. We can only await the proposed Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on Lahad Datu with bated breaths. Anwar may have met Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari in Jakarta and Manila, as reported by several sources including Malaysia Today. However, such meetings by themselves tell nothing. Both men were longtime friends. The MNLF Leader may have wanted to catch up with the Opposition Leader because he's also the Prime Minister in Waiting. Moreover, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was then facilitating a peace process in the Philippines south without the MNLF. That could have been the only serious issue featured in the two reported Anwar-Nur Misuari talks. When Nur Misuari found that the Prime Minister of Malaysia had turned his back on him in the wake of the peace process, he could turn nowhere else but the Prime Minister in Waiting. This is akin to visiting western leaders not only calling upon the head of state and head of government of a country but also making time to meet with the Opposition Leader. Any suggestions that the Lahad Datu intrusion happened because Anwar wanted to swing the Suluk votes his way simply doesn't add up. It's Umno which has immediately added 12,000 postal votes in eastern Sabah in the wake of Lahad Datu. Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein Onn said his ministry would build seven new police stations in Pulau Bum Bum, Pulau Banggi and Pulau Gaya, and five integrated customs, immigration and quarantine complexes under the Eastern Sabah Security Command. The ministry would also enhance its agencies, including the Marine Police, VAT69 Commando, General Task Force and Special Action Unit,.   Suluk, Bajau betrayed after supporting Malaysia Anwar may not have been banking on winning any Muslim seat in Sabah. He can only favour Sabah Umno crossing over en bloc if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) can seize the reins of power in Putrajaya. If the Suluk seats were shaky for Umno before Lahad Datu – they may still be -- it will be more due to the pro-tem United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) which has been making inroads in the 20-odd Muslim seats once held by the party before it was deregistered to make way for Umno. The Registrar of Societies (ROS), for all practical purposes, has refused to re-register Usno and this has caused considerable anger among the community. It's viewed as a kind of betrayal. Ironically, the Suluk and Bajau community leaders were the only ones who agreed to the formation of Malaysia. The Orang Asal community – Dusunic and Murutic groupings -- leaders wanted a period of independence before considering the idea of Malaysia again and asked for further details to be used for future reference. The Chinese leaders were against Malaysia. In Sarawak, the Sarawak United People's Party (Supp) even backed the local communists who operated from their jungle hideouts against the inclusion of their state in Malaysia.   Classification of voters in Sabah not acceptable There was No Referendum on Malaysia. The people were not consulted. The Suluk and Bajau communities have been complaining about being marginalized and disenfranchised ever since 1963 by the increasing influx of illegal immigrants from Celebes and other places. The response of the Umno leaders, according to Usno vice president Abdullah Sani, is that the influx of illegal immigrants was okay since they were all Muslims. This is unacceptable to the Suluks and Bajau. The Suluk in particular are against the continuing Bugis influx. There's no love between these two groups. The reason why the complaints of marginalisation and disenfranchisement by the Suluks have been ignored so far lie in the Election Commission delineating the voters in Sabah into four categories i.e. Muslim Bumiputera, non-Muslim Bumiputera, Chinese and Others. This means that the Suluks and other Muslim groups have been submerged, with one stroke of the pen, under the larger Muslim Bumiputera category. It may make perfect sense to self-serving Umno leaders' sitting in air-conditioned comfort in Putrajaya but it comes across as not practical and realistic to Sabahans. In Malaya, the Malay-speaking communities viz. Bugis, Javanese, Minang, Acehnese, Arab Muslims, Indian Muslims and the like are all classified as Malay in the electoral rolls. In Sabah, Putrajaya decided that the equivalent was Muslim Bumiputera. Again, it may be a convenient and politically expedient label to the Umno Government but the consensus of the man in the street is that it masks problems within the Muslim communities.   Jamalul Kiram III could only be after more money The Suluks, like other Sabahans, would have preferred voters in the state being classified, as reality on the ground dictates, into Orang Asal including Muslim; Suluk; Bajau; Other Muslims; Chinese; Others. The Other Muslims include the Brunei Malays or Barunai, Irranun and Banjar, among others. Orang Asal Muslims cover the Bisaya, Orang Sungei and Ranau Dusuns. The majority of the Orang Asal are Christians. The Suluks also can't understand why they cannot have their own political party, Usno, and why it was deregistered when Umno came to Sabah. The unhappiness of the Suluks in particular is the only thing that makes sense in view of the Lahad Datu intrusion but not that they are involved. The so-called Sulu Sultan, Jamalul Kiram III, obviously knew that sentiments among the Suluks were against Putrajaya and Umno in particular. He may have then decided that it was time to strike for more money from Putrajaya by using the moribund Sabah claim as the fig-leaf. The news along the political grapevine is that Jamalul Kiram had been engaged in on and off talks with Putrajaya for over a year until they were called off sometime last year before the peace process in the southern Philippines was put together. Jamalul apparently wanted more money against the measly RM 5,300 per annum that he has to share with the descendents of the other eight heirs of the Sulu Sultanate.   Mopping up in Lahad Datu fast turning into a farce If Jamalul had expected the Suluks in Sabah to rise up and rally to his cause, he was sadly disappointed. No Suluk in his right mind in Sabah would ever want the state to be part of the Philippines or even Sulu. The Suluks fled the Philippines to get away from the Manila Government. It makes no sense now for them to root for a Government which they despise. Patently, the odds are that other conspiracy theories on Lahad Datu are more credible than that linking Anwar with the bloody intrusion in recent weeks which is fast turning into a farce in the mopping up stage. It remains to be seen how all this will be spelt out in the forthcoming long-delayed 13th General Election. If the security forces even suspect that Putrajaya has blood on its hands in Lahad Datu, there are no prizes for guessing which way the additional 12,000 postal votes in eastern Sabah are going.   Further Reading: http://www.kinabalutoday.com/index.php/opinion/480-is-lahad-datu-stand-off-a-conspiracy http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/55331-the-untold-story-of-the-lahat-datu-incident http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/from-around-the-blogs/55336-agenda-besar-anwar-ibrahim-a-misuari-di-sabah-terbongkar   Joe Fernandez is a mature student of law and an educationist, among others, who loves 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.

“Ajaran Sesat” by the Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:18 PM PDT   Tindak Malaysia    For the past one month, the EC Chairman and Deputy Chairman have been flogging the meme 'ajaran sesat' . See The Borneo Post 20th Feb 13 and The Star 22nd Mar 13. It has clearly become a pattern that should not be left unchallenged as it appears designed to mislead the public. Having accused unnamed NGOs of confusing the public with "ajaran sesat", the SPR continues its program of confusing the public even more by making public pronouncements that come apart upon careful scrutiny. The most recent is the "clarification" published in the media (TheMalaysianInsider 23rd Mar 13) which claimed that, even with double registration, it is impossible to vote twice. Let us see how much that clarification is worth. First, they are implicitly admitting that there is double registration! Second, will the indelible inkprevent double-voting as claimed by the EC? The UNDP Procurement Guide For Post-Conflict Electionshas recommended that indelible ink has a reliable lifetime of 3 days! [By the way, indelible ink is used for post-conflict elections. That is how bad our electoral system has become.] We have no idea what kind of indelible ink will be used by the SPR. Independent parties have not been given any demonstration of the durability of the ink nor have they been given any samples of the ink for testing. In the absence of other evidence, we have to take the UNDP recommendation as valid. Regulation 3 (1A) of Elections (Conduct of Elections) Regulations 1981requires that the "advance polling day shall be fixed not less than seven days after the day of nomination and not less than 3 days from the date or dates of the polling day". There is a window for Advance Voting, 7 days after nomination and 3 days before polling. This is very strange. The indelible ink for Advance Voting cannot meet the minimum recommendation of the UNDP unless they use very high quality ink and have stringent procedures to prevent fraud. Thus the SPR cannot guarantee that indelible ink applied on Advance Voters will remain visible on polling day. There are additional factors that the SPR chooses to ignore although these factors have been publicly discussed during the alleged "ajaran sesat", some of which sessions were attended by persons suspected of being SPR officers and even Special Branch members: 1.      What measures are being taken against a voter coating the finger with a transparent substance such as transparent nail polish to prevent the indelible ink from sticking? 2.      What solvents has the SPR tested on the indelible ink to ascertain the indelibility of it? How certain are we that a person who knows the chemistry of the ink cannot devise a way to reduce, if not remove, the ink stain? 3.      Has the indelible ink been tested on a variety of skin types to ensure that its indelibility applies effectively across all skin types? 4.      Polling Agents are currently positioned where it is very difficult for them to inspect the fingers of voters. There is a comedicvideo circulating on You Tube that demonstrates this. Comedy notwithstanding, there is a very real fear that voters who have voted before can be allowed to vote again, especially given that the SPR itself stands accused of colluding with the incumbent leadership. 5.      In a training video released by the SPR, the KetuaTempatMengundi (Presiding Officer) is given instructions on how to cope with a long queue at the Polling Station by processing voters two-by-two. If this were to happen, how effectively can the Polling Agents screen fingers for indelible ink? If collusion is suspected, the double processing can be expected to be implemented just when voters with stained fingers come to vote, thereby ensuring that specific persons succeed in voting twice. 6.      Even if the identity inspection is conducted one voter by one voter, we must remain aware of the time constraint – in each Polling Station (Saluran),700 voters need to be processed in 9 hours.  This means each voter has to be processed in just over 46 seconds. In those 46 seconds, the following need to be done: a.       The voter's finger needs to be inspected and verified. b.      The voter's identity document needs to be inspected and the photograph matched with the face. c.       The voter's record needs to be located in the Electoral Roll d.      The voter's name and identity number need to compared between identity document and Electoral Roll e.       The voter's name and identity number need to be read out for the Polling Agents to verify. f.       Time must be allowed for the Polling Agent to raise any objections g.      If there are any objections, the time remaining for the remaining voters will become even less. How effective can the screening by the Polling Agent be? Yet the Deputy EC Chairman dare to publicly claim (TheStar 22nd Mar 13) "It only takes three minutes for a person to vote, unless he or she creates chaos and refuses to follow instructions," he told reporters after chairing a special session with election and police officers in the state here yesterday. To date the SPR has done nothing to assure Civil Society that the implementation of indelible ink is expected to be effective. All we have seen are potentially chaotic situations and no credible answers to the questions that have been raised. There is one other very significant factor that has conveniently been ignored by the SPR – there is a class of voter on whom indelible ink will not be applied! Yes, there is no provision for indelible to be used on Postal Voters. We understand the impracticality of applying indelible ink on persons who could be anywhere when they vote. But most of the local postal voters can vote as Advance Voters! But they are not assigned as such. This is why it is critical that any person eligible to be a Postal Voter must be scrupulously removed from the Electoral Roll of regular voters. Otherwise indelible ink CANNOT guarantee that double registration does not mean double vote. Remember that any member of the Police and Military forces can, at any time, opt for postal voting. This means the infamous Papagomo could have used both his military and civilian identities to vote. So let us not be fooled and lulled into complacency. There is a massive loophole in the system. Postal voting is also available for all EC officials –some 300,000 of them. This potentially creates 300,000 double votes.This is no trivial number considering that sometimes seats are won or lost by a margin of a few hundreds or even tens. It only takes a majority of one to win! Journalists on duty are also eligible to be Postal Voters. We can expect that, if the suspected collusion turns out to be real, those journalists allowed the double vote would be selective and dependent on the political alignment of their parent organisation. We are not suggesting that this will happen. We are simply saying that this loophole in the system has not been plugged effectively. We should not be so naive as to depend on the honesty of the people involved. Systems should be designed to be secure. There is one other element that many people remain blissfully ignorant of – with the use of a Borang717, an SPR officer can cast his Postal Ballot at any Polling Station. This is even provided for in the Conduct of Election Regulations 15(1)! Provided that where an elector for any constituency is employed as a presiding officer or in any other official capacity at a polling station within that constituency and it is inconvenient for him to vote at the polling station to which that part of the electoral roll which contains his name has been assigned, the returning officer may authorize such elector to vote at any other polling station in the constituency. Such authorization shall be given under the hand of the returning officer and shall state the name of the elector and his number in the electoral roll, and the fact that he is so employed as aforesaid and shall specify the polling station at which he is authorized to vote. Since the issuing of such Ballot Papers is not witnessed by any independent agent, any number of such Ballot Papers can be issued to the officers. And these Ballots can be cast in any Saluran so long as they are accompanied by a Borang 717. If there is no validation system in place, SPR officers can vote any number of times. And this is why NGOs teaching about Election Laws and the Electoral Process are accused of "ajaransesat" – too many of the SPR secrets are being exposed. We have said this before and we will say it again – WE HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE CURRENT SURUHANJAYA PILIHAN RAYA. Article 114 of the Federal Constitution provides that an Election Commission be appointed "which enjoys public confidence". The public has lost confidence in this Election Commission and calls upon His Majesty the Yang di PertuanAgong to sack this Election Commission. We can only have democratic elections if the body charged with conducting the elections is capable of acting in a fair and impartial manner. The present Election Commission has shown time and again that it is both biased and incompetent. Enough is enough!   More here: http://www.tindakmalaysia.com/showthread.php/5508-Indelible-Ink-UNDP-Guide?p=15312#post15312

Squatter-Gate vs. Ming Court 2.0: Don't Shift the Blame, Old Man! Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:08 PM PDT   I refer to a classic piece of spin doctoring on the recent Global Witness exposé by a blogger calling himself/herself The Benchmark entitled "Global Witness on Taib: Was it really a sting operation?" Click on http://thebenchmark0.blogspot.com/2013/03/global-witness-on-taib-was-it-really.html to read this rather lame attempt at shifting the blame. Being Vernon  The piece by The Benchmark desperately tries to deflect, distract and 'turn the tables' on Global Witness, which is why I call it a classic text-book case of Spin-Doctoring 101. In a nutshell, the writer is saying that the exposé is "a well crafted conspiracy against Taib by his own kin," and supports his/her conspiracy theories by resurrecting the old and tired story of the Tun Rahman Yakub versus Taib Mahmud 'feud' of the 80s. Whether or not the 'feud' was real or simply a 'sandiwara' (shadow play) is beside the point. It was a very public spat, and Taib made a big show of withdrawing licences issued by his uncle to drive home the point that the fight was indeed genuine.  Then, after Taib had allegedly identified and neutered his enemies (per kindness of the dramas that unfolded at a certain Ming Court Hotel in Kuala Lumpur many years ago), consolidated his position and solidified his political strength, this happened: A heart-warming and tearful reunion of uncle and nephew was carefully choreographed and publicised, and the dynasty was intact. Nevertheless, in a very recent video interview by Taib, he retorts, "Are you trying to frame me?" suggesting that hidden hands are now at work to undermine him. Classic Taib! Before we fall into this trap of being distracted by the conspiracy theories being espoused by The Benchmark, let us first examine the facts before us, and deconstruct the arguments advocated by The Benchmark one by one.   Read more at: http://beingvernon.blogspot.com/2013/03/squatter-gate-vs-ming-court-20.html

Thank God Malaysia is not Korea? Posted: 25 Mar 2013 01:03 PM PDT   The grass is greener where we water them. Let's water the grass in Malaysia.  Anas Zubedy  My recent article "Why it is kinda stupid to compare Malaysia with Korea" attracted many interesting reactions. There are many Malaysians who have lost our ability to think straight as a result of extreme partisanship and the politics of hate. This easy and direct article has a simple purpose; to help us Malaysians learn a simple fact. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I am not interested in making South Korea look bad. As stressed in the earlier article, each nation has their unique challenges and must rise to the occasion. Here are some hard facts from polls done in South Korea. Korea the OECD's Most Unhappy Nation Considering the state of the economy and how much Koreans work, the results of this poll are not surprising: However, the country ranked at the bottom in terms of life satisfaction. In a survey of career interest, pride and annual leave among 1,000 people aged 15 or older in each member state in 2008, Korea finished 24th with 23.1 out of 100 points, much lower than the average of 54.3 points. In a negative index survey of pain, hypochondria, and sadness the same year, the country averaged 61.5 points, far above the average of 35.6. As of 2007, a Korean worked 2,316 hours, the longest among member states and 548 hours more than the average of 1,768. In terms of eight-hour work days, this means that Koreans worked 69 days more than their counterparts. The Dutch worked the shortest hours with 1,392. The Japanese (1,785 hours) and Americans (1,794 hours) also worked fewer hours.    Source: http://rokdrop.com/2009/04/07/korea-the-oecds-most-unhappy-nation/ If You're So Rich, How Come You're So Miserable? Korea's per-capita income now rivals New Zealand's, Israel's, and Greece's, and the economy is growing about 3 percent a year even as Europe crashes. South Korean companies are chipping away at Apple Inc.'s global smartphone domination; the nation is a world power in automobiles, shipbuilding and steel; and its soft power is being advanced by "K-pop" bands, movies, and television dramas as the population nears the 50 million mark. Why, then, are South Koreans the second most unhappy people?   Read more at: http://letusaddvalue.blogspot.com/2013/03/thank-god-malaysia-is-not-korea.html

I need MRT Campaign - Waste of Public Funds Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:56 PM PDT   Even the total cost of the MRT line has not been finalized or revealed. And here in typical fashion, we spend money on some contest advertisements that I am sure no one can even recall now. Teoh  The MRT was first introduced to the public at the open day held in February 2011. Since then, it has conducted many community engagement sessions to explain the need for the MRT, rationale for its alignment and adherence to environmental guidelines, all to obtain community support. However, the recent 'I need MRT' campaign seems to be frivolous and a waste of public funds. The campaign ostensibly seeks Malaysians to post photos and a short description of why they need the MRT. Now, let us be absolutely clear here - Malaysians want, nay, clamor for better public transportation. The MRT received overwhelming public support during its public engagement, with MRT being quoted as saying over 90 percent of comments were in favor of the MRT. In fact, it was said that an independent survey confirmed this with over 85 percent saying it was good for the country. Was it then necessary to run a TV, radio, digital advertisements on the rakyat's money for 3 months, when the money and effort could be put to better use? The construction of the MRT is in full swing, with many concerns and frustrations from affected residents and communities that the MRT contractors are flouting the construction and other guidelines to meet timelines. Questions regarding early notification of disruptions to these directly impacted parties and public safety have yet to be adequately addressed. Even the total cost of the MRT line has not been finalized or revealed. And here in typical fashion, we spend money on some contest advertisements that I am sure no one can even recall now. Can we get the cost of this advertisement campaign and the results? Can anybody even recall a logo contest that was run last year? For a RM10,000 prize money, I hope the winning logo was used. The MRT is a good 3 years away from completion and I am sure Malaysians can't wait for it to be operational. But I am sure we are not ready yet to accept low impact advertising when there are bigger, more important issues to spend the rakyat's money on.

Big Spending PMO Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:43 PM PDT   The PMO alone accounts of 7 percent of total gross advertisement expenditure for that month. And that is not all. Supposedly, BN also made it into the top 20 list, spending RM4.9 billion in that month alone.  As I See It  Can you believe that the Prime Minister's Department (PMO) was the biggest spender in advertisements for the month of February 2013? It's bloody ridiculous! According to Maybank Investment Bank Research note on March 19, the PMO spent RM36.1 million, leaving consumer products giant Unilever Malaysia a distant second at RM13 million. The PMO alone accounts of 7 percent of total gross advertisement expenditure for that month. Not surprisingly, the main beneficiaries were Media Prima and Astro's TV and radio stations. And that is not all. Supposedly, BN also made it into the top 20 list, spending RM4.9 billion in that month alone. "We expect ad spend by both PMO and BN to sustain ahead of the 13th general election, which is now widely expected to be called in April 2013," read the note. Just another example of how the present government treats the public coffers as its own private kitty.  Read more at: http://helpvictor.blogspot.com/2013/03/big-spending-pmo.html

Candidate dilemma dogs MCA Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:37 PM PDT   (fz.com) - MCA's candidate conundrum over the Pandan parliamentary seat foreshadows similar headaches awaiting the party in other constituencies, particularly its traditional power base of Johor.   The dilemma for MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who is responsible for drawing up the party's proposed candidate list, was laid bare for all to see in February.   Over Chinese New Year festivities, Chua announced that Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, his predecessor as party president, will not be fielded to defend the Pandan parliamentary seat for Barisan Nasional. Instead, Ong will be replaced by 39-year-old lawyer Gary Lim whom Chua said represented the party's young talents without political baggage.   Ong however insisted on remaining Barisan's candidate.   In selecting MCA's candidates, Chua has to weigh the merits of offering "fresh faces" or incumbent candidates who are either big names in their own right or more familiar to voters.   There is no sure-win formula to that given the unique political dynamics and needs of each constituency.   Johor Umno leader Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed weighs in on the dilemma MCA faces in fielding candidates in Johor, where the party won half the 15 parliamentary seats it holds.   Validating the views of political pundits, Nur Jazlan notes that Chua may be reluctant to field Ong for a parliamentary seat in order to thwart a potential challenge for the party's top job later on.   The record shows that Chua and Ong have been bitter rivals during the protracted MCA leadership crisis of 2008 which ended with Chua ousting Ong from the presidency.   MCA is due to hold party elections six months after the 13th general election. Aside from Tee Keat, Chua will also have to decide what to do with the "Ong brothers", former MCA president Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting and the latter's brother Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan.   Ka Ting and Ka Chuan are members of parliament for Kulai in Johor and Tanjung Malim in Perak, respectively.   Although Ka Ting is not keen to stand as a candidate, factions aligned to the former minister are said to be adamant on nominating their own candidate instead of endorsing Chua's choice.  "Soi Lek wants to put his man in Kulai so there is a [disagreement], so for nothing they may lose the seat. Read more at: http://fz.com/content/candidate-dilemma-dogs-mca

Police's deeds will be remembered Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:34 PM PDT   (Bernama) - Your good deeds will be remembered for all time. The government will continue to look after the welfare of members of PDRM and the armed forces.  AN INSPIRATION TO EVERYONE: Transcript of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's speech at the 206th Police Day celebration yesterday FIRSTLY, let us together raise our thanks to Allah SWT, for with His blessings, we are able to gather at the guard of honour and parade in conjunction with the 206th Police Day celebration this morning. I would like to take this opportunity to convey my appreciation and gratitude to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) for inviting me and wife to join this glittering and meaningful ceremony. Indeed, our beloved Malaysia will not be in the present state -- a country that is becoming more and more successful, a modern industrialised country with medium-high income -- without peace and stability made possible by the noble sacrifice of patriots from the Royal Malaysia Police and the Malaysian armed forces. Since the eras of Emergency until the confrontation, your good selves and predecessors have been loyal and relentless in answering the clarion call of the beloved motherland. We hold in high regard the 10 fallen national warriors, eight of them members of the PDRM, who had made the ultimate sacrifice for the country. Let us make their sacrifice the example of an absolute sacrifice and an inspiration to us. Indeed, your service will not be in vain as mocked by certain quarters. On behalf of the government, the people and the country who are indebted to you, I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all of you who are still adorning and had adorned the security forces' uniforms. Your good deeds will be remembered for all time. The government will continue to look after the welfare of members of PDRM and the armed forces. The government's commitment to the welfare of PDRM officers and men cannot be denied. The government of the day has always fulfilled its promises. We walk the talk. As announced at the Civil Service Premier Gathering, or MAPPA, recently, effective Jan 1, 2013, the government has agreed to harmonise the ranks in PDRM to match the structure in the civil service in line with the levels of posts or salary grades. This entails changes in the scope of job functions, rank structure and qualification in the PDRM. For example, an assistant commissioner of police (ACP) on Grade 48 will have the post harmonised to the civil service Grade 52, while a superintendent on grade 41 will have the post harmonised to Grade 48. As for the harmonisation of other ranks, firstly, a corporal on Grade 17 in PDRM will have the post harmonised with Grade 22 in the civil service. Secondly, a sergeant on Grade 17 will have the post harmonised with Grade 20 in the civil service. The government has also streamlined the rates of PDRM allowances, such as the housing, entertainment and fixed allowances. In the quest to improve the welfare of PDRM officers and men, I would like to announce that the government has agreed to approve the implementation of a group insurance scheme that will benefit 112,145 police officers and men. NKRA to reduce crime The government would also like to congratulate PDRM for its success in reducing the crime rate by 27 per cent in the past three years since the implementation of the National Key Results Areas (NKRAs). Hence, the government will ensure that PDRM's capacity is upgraded and restructured to meet the demands of crime-fighting. Indeed, we cannot be complacent. Instead, we should redouble our efforts and cooperation with various quarters to ensure that the crime rate can be reduced to a minimum level by 2020. Thus, the police will be transformed from a security force to a people-oriented police service. This is because the police service will not succeed without the support of the people. PDRM's era as a paramilitary police has ended. Today, PDRM should change to a community-service policing service endowed with high professionalism and integrity. Thus, I would like to urge the people to work hand in hand with the police and authorities, for the security and stability of the country is a joint responsibility. The government will always give support and encouragement to PDRM in ensuring the rule of law, and that peace and public order are maintained. Declaration of Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (Esszone) To provide a legal basis for the setting up of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) and to protect the democratic rights and process for the people of Sabah and to strengthen security, public order and prosperity in eastern Sabah, I would like to announce that I have received the consent of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, as enshrined under the Preservation of Public Safety Ordinance 1962, to declare the setting up of the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone, comprising 10 districts -- namely Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Beluran, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau -- effective today. The 10 districts will be administered by a committee that will be formed under the Public Security Regulations 2013 promulgated by the home minister. The committee, which will also be known as the Eastern Sabah Safe Zone Committee, will be headed by the Sabah chief minister and assisted by a chief executive officer and members who will be named later. The chief executive officer, who will be a member of the public, will be responsible for coordinating and safeguarding the functions and activities of the security forces and government departments and agencies in implementing all initiatives in Esszone. The committee, which will be based in Lahad Datu, will be responsible to a steering committee headed by me as the head of government. I would also like to inform you that, today, three cabins that will be used to serve as the headquarters of the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) have arrived in Lahad Datu. This means that Esccom will become functional in several days. Apart from this, seven police posts will be set up in eastern Sabah. All these have been verified by the chief secretary to the government, which I have discussed the matter with, the home minister and the inspector-general of police. The seven posts will be in Pulau Bum Bum, Pulau Gaya, Pulau Banggi, Pulau Mabul, Tambisan, Tanjung Labian, and Cenderawasih in Felda Sahabat, while the Sandakan police headquarters will also be beefed up. It is anticipated that the areas will get cabins that will be used for the posts in early April. This means the implementation is very fast by capitalising on pragmatic methods. By setting up the Esszone Committee, the government is adopting a holistic approach and not purely a military approach to protect eastern Sabah and find a solution to the intrusion issue. Let me reaffirm that the declaration is not an emergency declaration under Article 150 of the Federal Constitution. Secondly, it will not deter a fair, transparent and democratic general election process at all. Thirdly, the regulations imposed under the ordinance will not give additional powers to the police. The police's existing authority is adequate to deal with the situation. Fourthly, anyone who feels that his rights have been undermined can take the government to court through legal process. And finally, life will go on as usual in the designated areas but with heightened security to ensure the people's wellbeing. Hence, I would like to explain that the Security Offences Act (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma), which is applied to conduct investigations and make arrests in all cases involving the terrorists in Sabah right now, is merely procedural. It was not enacted as an act to give power to declare a security area like the Internal Security Act 1960. People arrested under Sosma will be charged under ordinary laws and subjected to trial just like in other criminal cases. The Attorney-General's Chambers will hold a news conference today to answer questions pertaining to the legal aspects. Resettlement Realising that the vulnerability of several settlements to the easy infiltration of illegal immigrants and stateless persons was the primary cause of the Sulu terrorist intrusion into Lahad Datu and other parts of eastern Sabah, I would like to announce that the government will launch an initiative to resettle people living in several locations in eastern Sabah to maintain public safety. The initiative, under Part III of the Preservation of Public Security Regulations 2013, will enable the government to resettle any individual or a group of people, particularly any individual or a group of people who are illegal immigrants or stateless persons, in a safe and suitable area determined by the government. It must be emphasised here that the decision to resettle any individual or a group of people is for the sake of maintaining public security. In undertaking this resettlement, the government will take into consideration the safety and wellbeing of not only the people to be relocated but also the people living in the designated area of resettlement. Apart from this, the government will consider all resettlement aspects, including the sources of income of the people involved, and hold discussions with district, native or village chiefs of the community living in the designated area of resettlement. The need to discuss with district, native or village chiefs is to ensure that the interests of the people already living in the area of resettlement are protected. As I have mentioned earlier, in pursuing the government's goal of ensuring the people's fundamental rights and the rule of law will be preserved and protected, the government will ensure that the resettlement: WILL not prevent any aggrieved citizen in the designated area from challenging the government's decision on the resettlement; and, WILL not prevent any citizen from exercising his right as a voter in any parliamentary or state election. Realising that the resettlement will involve Malaysians, either as those to be resettled or those already living in the area of resettlement, the government will help those citizens whose rights under the Federal Constitution have been undermined by the relocation. Under the resettlement initiative, the government will provide a place to live and ensure the safety of the people relocated. This is because the government is aware that the relocation decision will give a major impact on the future of those involved. Migration to a new place involves adapting to a new environment. On humanitarian grounds and to ensure that the people involved can benefit from the relocation initiative, the government will ensure that public healthcare, medical services and sanitation will be provided to the people living in the area of resettlement, besides opportunities for basic education and employment. The government will provide training and equipment, if necessary, to the people living in the area of resettlement to start life anew. Towards this end, the government will request for cooperation, assistance and contribution from organisations or bodies locally or abroad. I would like to announce that the resettlement initiative is not only to benefit those to be relocated but also those living in the surrounding areas, for the government will carry out programmes for their welfare and wellbeing. Although the initiative is confined to eastern Sabah for the time being, it does not mean that western Sabah is being neglected. For the time being, the need for safety is now more pressing in the east. The initiative will be extended to the whole of Sabah at a suitable time. On the whole, I would like to stress that the government has never doubted the loyalty of Malaysian citizens of Suluk descent. They are citizens who enjoy the rights provided for by the Federal Constitution and the other laws of the country, and the government will continue to protect their legitimate rights and champion their welfare. I would like to praise the people of Kampung Senalang in Semporna for their bravery and sacrifice in overcoming a terrorist on March 3. In their attempt to defend themselves and the country, the terrorist was killed. Their deed and bravery are most appreciated. Conclusion To conclude, I would like to congratulate the Royal Malaysia Police on the 206th anniversary celebration. It culminates a long journey for a towering organisation. Let us join hands to chart a better future for us, and our children and grandchildren. The people of Malaysia and I dream of having a professional, effective and exemplary police service. A service endowed with exemplary police officers and men, equipped with adequate and latest equipment, and a well-trained force having world-class skills to implement the 21st-century policing service. We dream of a high-income developed country where the streets, housing areas and public places are free from crime to ensure that Malaysians and their families throughout the country do not fear that their safety is at stake. Let us come together to make this dream a reality. Thank you.

A heartfelt choice Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:24 PM PDT   The incumbent government continues to be dismissive about these legitimate concerns, characterising them as misperceptions brought about by parties intent on undermining the government. So much so that the incumbents are growingly being described as having lost the plot.    Malik Imtiaz  Going by the talk about town, this may be my last column before the next General Election. It may therefore be opportune to consider what this General Election means to some, if not all, of us. I thin it is safe to say that many of us are tired of how politicking appears to have become the raison d'etre of government. It appears to me that somewhere along the way, the politicians lost sight of the truth that no matter what the politics of the situation were, the end objective had always intended to be the due governance of the nation, be it in accordance with one set of policies or the other. And once they lost sight of that truth, it seems that it was simply put of their minds; political brinksmanship became the cause in itself. I believe that this was more evident in the period since the last General Election, and that this was partly due to the fact that for the first time in a very long while, there was a credible opposition that, to the extent that they were capable of, presented a different perspective on how things are and where things might be headed. The incumbent parties have had to increasingly address policies, issues and practices that have come to be questioned by voters. This was a radical shift from a political landscape defined exclusively by the incumbents. Simply put, the world is no longer as the Barisan Nasional says it is; as the Prime Minister unfortunately found out during the Barisan Nasional Open House in Penang, a growing number of Malaysians now see a world beyond that construct.  Fundamentally, they want to live in a society grounded in social justice and one in which they believe that their interests are being looked out for.  An objective consideration of the state of the country would give any reasonable voter basis for a belief that that is not currently the case. The standard of public services is questionable, be it in healthcare or education. The cost of living has increased in a way that is not commensurate with the earning potential of many Malaysians. Corruption appears to be unbridled. Public institutions do not enjoy the confidence of the people in a way they did two decades ago.  As scandal after scandal is left without response or reaction by the relevant authorities, the Rule of Law appears to be nothing more than a catchphrase employed to rally a flagging crowd.    Read more at: http://malikimtiaz.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-heartfelt-choice.html?spref=tw

Sarawak NCR defender’s attacker walks free Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:20 PM PDT   "How could the content of the police report lodged and the testimonies of the victim be blatantly ignored and overlooked by the police officer in charge of the investigation?"  Keruah Usit Iban native customary rights (NCR) defender Surik anak Muntai, 66, has expressed his anger and concern that the oil palm "company executive" he identified to police as one of his assailants has been freed on police bail, after three days in remand. Surik, a farmer from Melikin in Serian, suffered horrific injuries on his right forearm and both knees as a result of a ruthless assault by four men on March 15. Serian police have declared that police are unable to identify any of his assailants. District police chief DSP Mohd Jamali Umi told local daily The Borneo Post on March 21 that the four attackers wore masks and Surik could not identify them. "What we have so far is that the four attackers were in a white Proton Perdana and the car did not have a number plate. As they were wearing masks, no one could tell their races," The Borneo Postquotes Jamali as saying. "The victim does not know the attackers. He could not identify them. He however did mention the name of a plantation company. So, we held a staff member of the company to assist us in the investigation." A reliable police source, and Surik himself, said the man identified to the police was a top "executive" and spokesperson for a prominent Sarawak oil palm producer. This company and its partner are battling 16 Iban communities for 7,300 hectares of land awarded to the companies by Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud's government under a 'provisional lease'. The villagers hold claim to the land under the NCR. Companies Commission of Malaysia records show that the company is closely linked to members of the ruling state cabinet, according to whistleblower website Sarawak Report. Surik: I definitely saw assailant's face In an interview, Surik insisted that he had clearly identified to the police the company executive who assaulted him. and is withholding the name of this executive. The thugs attacked Surik, an elderly father or apai, as he waited for his seven-year -old son outside Sekolah Sungai Menyan at 11.30 on the morning of March 15. "I definitely saw his face," Surik said, speaking in Malay. "(He) was not wearing a mask when he got out of his car outside the school. There were four of them, they were carrying parang and sticks. "Some of them wore masks, some did not. They tried to cut my throat,but I put up my arm to stop them, so they cut my arm. There were other witnesses there." Surik recalled that earlier the same morning, that very person waved him down and stopped him when he was on his way to a mill to deliver oil palm fruits. "He said his car had broken down and he was standing in front of his car, with his hands on his car battery. I didn't stop because there were other people in his car, and the car had no (number) plates. These people are definitely bad, they have brought evil to the (Melikin) villagers," Surik said. As he drove off, he said, the man got into his white Proton car and followed him. "If I had got down before reaching the mill, I would surely have died there, for there was nobody around to help me." The case investigating officer is Inspector Mohd Azlan Ab Wahab of the Serian police station. The Melikin NCR plaintiffs are wary and uneasy about Azlan after he barged into the homes of five villagers in a late night raid last October and arrested them. The villagers were handcuffed, locked in cells and charged with "criminal intimidation", an accusation levelled at them by Surik's attacker and other employees of the oil palm company. The deputy public prosecutor's office eventually dropped the charges, without explanation. Read more at: http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/43845/

The human dimension Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:14 PM PDT   The question of how judges treat litigants, and their counsel, is one that directly relates to their respective litigation experiences. And it has struck me that somewhere along the way the process appears to have veered off course. In the rush to decide cases, it sometimes feels that the expectations of the litigant no longer matter.   Malik Imtiaz  I have said before that the push for efficiency within the courts is something to be lauded. I have at the same time argued that administrative changes introduced to reduce the backlog of cases in the superior courts should not come at the price of the quality of justice. Numerous comments by lawyers at the recent Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Bar about the litigation experience, none of them complimentary, have prompted me to revisit the subject. Before turning to what I consider to be the possible reasons for what we are facing in the courts, I wish to underscore a fundamental aspect of the subject that seemingly has been lost in the tumult of reform. The Judiciary is there to mete out justice to parties who turn to it in search of the same. Though it seems to be an obvious point, the need to do justice is pivotal to the resolution of disputes. It is not enough for courts to adjudicate if one party goes away feeling that justice has not been served, a state of mind that one cannot brush away as the feelings of a disgruntled client. Litigants go to court expecting that due consideration be given to the facts of the case, the points of argument made by counsel for the parties, the relevant legal principle and the competing interests of the parties.  These are fair expectation on their part. Unlike those of us who are directly involved in the legal profession, either as lawyers or judges, and as such are exposed on a daily basis to the process as we move from one case to the next, the litigant is someone who has been forced into the process by circumstance. He is not there by choice, there are those who have not in their lifetimes needed to go to a court for a judicial determination, and his involvement engenders an experience that is altogether different from that experienced by lawyers and judges. The litigant is personally, and is therefore emotionally, invested in his case.  Having said that, in my experience a losing litigant does not necessarily walk away feeling resentful if he feels he has been given a fair hearing. It is his experience of the process that defines this outcome. It is for this reason that one of the legal maxims that has come to most characterise the judicial process is "justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done." Judging by the comments at the Bar meeting, a number of judges seem to have forgotten this in their rush to complete their caseloads. The complaints ranged from judicial temperament, with lawyers lamenting the fact that judges were acting injudiciously, to judges not having spent enough time with their files to fully appreciate the nature of the matters before them or the issues in contention, to judges not affording counsel the opportunity to present their cases to the fullest. Underscoring this were comments that pertained to the competency, or lack thereof, of some of the judges.   Read more at: http://malikimtiaz.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-human-dimension.html?spref=tw&m=1

GE13: Malaysians who choose not to vote Posted: 25 Mar 2013 12:12 PM PDT Lai Voon Loong refuses to vote because he is cheesed off with politicians. He will vote 'only if someone like Mahatma Gandhi' is contesting.  (The Star) - Even with most of the country gripped by election fever, some people still have various reasons – or perhaps excuses – for not voting. PROBABLY all of us have friends or relatives who choose not to exercise their right to vote, for what they think are very good reasons. Voting is often seen as a responsibility, and sometimes lauded as a privilege, for it allows citizens to have a say in the future of their country. All Malaysian citizens above the age of 21 have the right to vote under Article 119 of the Federal Constitution. Yet well over two million people have neglected or refused to register as voters. Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof was quoted as saying there are a total of 16 million eligible voters in the country, yet there were only 13.34 million registered voters as of December, as reported recently by Bernama. If voting means having a (small) say in how the country will turn out, does it follow that those who decline to exercise their right, should have little or no right to complain about things? Despite such logic, there are still many who have all kinds of reasons not to vote. A 2008 study on voters' attitudes by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, available on the EC website, found that the main reasons for eligible voters not to register include "not wanting to queue and wait to register", and also, "not having time away from work". However, all the respondents in that study did not believe that they "did not care". Is that a self-contradiction? Not MY concern – yet Musician Izal Azlee, 28, says even though he does care about what's happening in the country, he feels disillusioned by what he has been seeing. He believes that no matter who he votes for, things will never change. "For example, piracy is so blatant, and even though every state has its own state government, you can still get pirated goods everywhere," says Izal. Law professor Dr Azmi Sharom says the fear that one's vote can be 'traced' and 'punished' is not realistic because an 'astronomical' amount of time, money and effort would be needed to do that. "So to me, if they can't even overcome such small matters, then how can they overcome other bigger issues like corruption? Whatever they implement, even though there are laws, people will still do whatever they want to do." Izal is one example that shatters the prevailing stereotype of people who do not vote because they are apathetic or apolitical. He asserts that he does follow current issues and keeps himself updated on the goings-on in the country. But he also says that as long as these issues do not affect him personally in his daily life, he is fine with them. "But of course, I'm married now, and when I have a child, I would fight for free education which I think everyone deserves," says Izal. "As I get older, I'm becoming more aware of these things. I do want change, but to me, it's more about my everyday life." He also cites one more example of why he remains disillusioned. "Whenever elections are near, you will get all kinds of goodies," says Izal. "Suddenly you find that there are no more potholes in the roads. But after the elections, things will go back to the way they were for another four years." 'Politics is bad' Photographer Lai Voon Loong does not care about politics or politicians. But isn't politics important to decide on the future of the nation? "Yes, I am definitely concerned about my future, and even more for my kid's future," he says. "But I haven't seen anything useful coming out of politicians' mouths except empty rhetoric." He believes politicians are "power hungry, money grabbing and untrustworthy megalomaniacs" (plus some other unprintable adjectives) who "don't give two hoots about what's going to happen to my kid." Lai used to work as a press photographer and has attended many political events on the Barisan as well as the Pakatan side. "I have attended enough political events to see for myself the rhetoric that they spew. It's always us versus them, and who gets caught in between? The rakyat!" On the Barisan side, he hears about how leaders always say, "I did this and did that and the rakyat should be thankful". Whereas, on the Paktan side, he hears, "It's always BN's fault, never their fault." Yet, shouldn't responsible citizens try to evaluate what both sides are saying and then decide which is a better choice among imperfect politicians? Or is Lai expecting politicians to be saints? Lai replies, "I wish there were more Mahatma Gandhis in this world. He is someone I will definitely vote for." But at present, he feels that he has no real choice. "I am plain disgusted with both sides." Fear and faith There are other reasons for not voting too. When one of us asked our friends on Facebook why people were not voting, the answers were: > My friend's place only got bulan vs keris (PAS vs Umno) ... so recently she (a Chinese) told us she might draw X on both sides... sigh... > My place (in Petaling Jaya) sure win one ... my vote will not make any difference, just adding another vote... places that will need those votes are Johor, Pahang, Terengganu, Malacca and Negri Sembilan. > Find the REAL politicians with integrity, who put their COUNTRY before their own pockets, their own egos and their own race and religion, whatever their political affiliations, and vote for them. There must be some who are not crooks ... > I think I might want to reserve my vote due to my job as a political journalist. >Personally, I don't get the sense that my political party is working for me; perhaps they're more active in the rural areas or their presence is felt more by the poor. As such, the middle to upper classes don't feel the love and therefore don't feel the obligation to love them back. > I don't feel very patriotic. I am tired of the way religious fundamentalism seems to be increasing on both sides. I am dreaming of freedom, of migrating overseas. Kamala N, a Malaysian based in the Middle East, wants to vote but has doubts about the system. "The government said that those overseas can vote by registering at the embassies. But the announcement to register was apparently sent out on Jan 2 only, when most people were away, and the closing date was on Jan 4! "Many Malaysians here were unhappy, and they decided against voting because (the) system does not seem transparent. The word is that the votes will be flown back to Malaysia and used at certain areas rather than an individual's registered voting area." Another reason that people don't want to vote is that they fear their votes can be "traced", resulting in some kind of punishment. However, law professor Azmi Sharom (who has a column in The Star) says that such fear is not a good excuse for not voting. "People have to get real," he says. "The amount of time, money and effort needed to trace who each person voted for would be astronomical. Truly, the fear is all in the mind," says Azmi, who believes it is all just a case of apathy. "We have had the same Federal Government for over 50 years and they look immovable, so some people may say 'Why bother?'," he says. "But if we look at the 2008 elections, the jubilation that came after it was not so much because there was a new Federal Government – there wasn't – but because people felt that their votes counted (in making a difference)." Azmi adds that this is why a fair and clean election process is of absolute importance, to ensure that every vote counts. People will be able to accept the results if they believe the process is fair. "If you lose faith in the election process, it will lead to apathy and worse, the eventual downfall of a peaceful democratic system," he says.

Anwar no show, ordered to pay RM3,000 Posted: 24 Mar 2013 06:57 PM PDT (Bernama) -- The High Court here today ordered Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to pay RM3,000 in cost to Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin, following the postponement of a RM10 million suit filed by the former. Judge Rosilah Yop made the ruling after dismissing an application by Anwar's lawyer, R. Sivarasa, for hearing of the case, which was scheduled for today, to be postponed as his client was in Sabah. Sivarasa said his client was in Sabah since yesterday for various activities for the coming general election. Rosilah set May 2 for hearing. Anwar had filed the suit on Aug 22, 2008 over Hamzah's allegation that he (Anwar) had harassed his (Hamzah's) wife in 1998 which was published in a Chinese daily, Kwong Wah Jit Poh, on Aug 19, 2008, with the title 'Anwar Harassed My Wife'. Earlier, Rosilah dismissed Anwar's application to bring a compact disc which he claimed was relevant to the case to the forensic for analysis before the trial began. Rosilah said that could be done during the trial.

Are Kula and Fong the sacrificial lambs? Posted: 24 Mar 2013 06:11 PM PDT DAP sources say that Ipoh Barat MP and Batu Gajah MP are being sent away to their political doom because they oppose the Perak DAP leadership. G Vinod, FMT While many laud the move by DAP to send its top guns to contest in Johor, several members felt that there is more to the decision than what meets the eye. Several DAP insiders told FMT that the decision was a calculated move to finish off Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan and Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran's political careers. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a DAP insider from Selangor said that all those who opposed Perak DAP chairman Ngeh Koo Ham and secretary Nga Kor Ming are being sidelined or moved to other places to strengthen their grip on the state. "All those opposed to the cousins are being targeted. Kulasegaran and Fong are being sent away to Johor as they fell out of favour with the state leadership," said the DAP leader. The DAP insider also said that the Ngeh-Nga faction had effectively sidelined the outspoken Fong in Perak. "Fong is a very good MP but she is also quite vocal in the party, which displeased the duo," said the DAP insider. The DAP insider added that it is highly possible that the Fong and Kulasegaran would be told to contest in tough seats in Johor, to ensure that they would not get re-elected to Parliament. On why the DAP national leadership is not doing anything about it, the DAP insider said," They feel the people will support any candidates chosen. They are intoxicated by the massive support." Another DAP source,from Perak, echoed the same sentiments and said those aligned to the Ngeh-Nga faction felt they have no need for Fong in the state any longer. Fong isolated However, the source felt otherwise and defended the vocal MP. "In 1999, Fong was the only DAP candidate that won a parliamentary seat in Perak. Even veterans Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh were defeated in Penang . "She was only in her 20s then but she was an effective MP . However in 2008, Fong almost quit due to the pressure from Ngeh-Nga faction but Lim persuaded her to stay on. "Just because DAP candidates won big in the 2008 general election, some leaders in the state feel she is no longer important for Perak," said the source. READ MORE HERE

PBS leader tells Mahathir to ‘shut-up’ Posted: 24 Mar 2013 06:08 PM PDT The more Dr Mahathir defends Project IC, the closer the opposition gets to usurping Barisan Nasional in the coming polls. Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad may be the best thing that has happened to the opposition in Sabah, according to a state Barisan Nasional coalition member. Mahathir's continued comments on the clandestine 'Project IC' that was in operation during his tenure is only serving to rile up voters in the state against the BN, said Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) supreme council member Chin Tek Ming. Chin fears his party could suffer at the polls because the former premier's unguarded comments justifying the granting of citizenship to immigrants in the state was only angering Sabahans more. He urged the 87-year-old Mahathir to think carefully before he gave his opinions on such a sensitive subject as he was only spurring the hatred of Sabahans since he was the prime minister at the time tens of thousands of ineligible immigrants were granted citizenship. "Think to yourself, who was the prime minister at the material time. And who was the deputy prime minister then? Don't comment and incur the wrath and hatred of Sabahans," he urged. Chin, who is also Luyang PBS division chief, said Mahathir cannot just absolve himself of blame by saying that a few government servants had acted illegally but he was unaware of it at the time. He said senior government officers would not dare to do such things as getting involved in the distributing of Malaysian identity cards to foreigners if not given orders by someone senior in government. "Don't treat Sabahans as fools. We were and still are victims of this misfortune. Look at what is happening in Lahad Datu that had cost the lives of our enforcement team who also have families." READ MORE HERE

70 years later and still the same (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 24 Mar 2013 05:14 PM PDT Millions of Malaysians could go hungry as unpredictable weather in rice -producing countries is likely to affect our supply of rice. Unpredictable weather in rice-producing countries, spurred by Malaysia's rising population, could mean less food on the table, warned Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan. "If they have major flooding in rice-producing countries, such as Vietnam or Thailand, or assuming they go to war, where are we going to get our rice?" he asked. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin More than ten years ago, before Malaysia Today was launched, I wrote about the low food production in Malaysia -- in particular rice, which is the staple food of most Malaysians -- and said that if war ever breaks out Malaysians would go hungry; just like they did 70 years ago when the Japanese invaded Malaya and Malayans had to eat tapioca. After 70 years since the Japanese occupation and more than ten years since I wrote that article, nothing much has changed. Today, Indonesia, which has a population about ten times that of Malaysia, has announced it is now self-sufficient in rice production. Maybe Malaysia should do what Cambodia did -- send the people from the urban areas to the rice fields to plant padi. And that is why I should not be in politics. If I were and if my party were to win the general election, I would impose a one-year national service program and send school-leavers, plus those who are about to enter university, to the rice fields to serve their country by planting padi. And if you have not done this national service you cannot enter university or get a job -- unless you 'run away' to a foreign university without doing your national service (which means you will have to stay and work overseas after you graduate). What is the focus of most Malaysians? Well, our focus is whether Najib Tun Razak or Anwar Ibrahim makes the better Prime Minister. And those who will be voting in the coming general election are going to vote with this in mind -- which person is going to make a better Prime Minister. Basically, the main factor is going to be whether Najib is guilty of involvement in Altantuya's murder and whether Anwar is bi-sexual and guilty of homosexual activities. If you think Najib is guilty then you will vote for Anwar (meaning Pakatan Rakyat) and if you think Anwar is guilty then you will vote for Najib (meaning Barisan Nasional). No doubt some of you are going to say that you will not vote for Barisan Nasional because it is a racist and corrupt party. If Pakatan Rakyat is not also racist and corrupt then I would agree with this argument. However, when it is pointed out that Pakatan Rakyat is also racist and corrupt, many will reply that that may be so but Pakatan Rakyat is not as bad as Barisan Nasional. In other words, Pakatan Rakyat may be just as bad but Barisan Nasional is worse. So you are prepared to accept the lesser evil over the bigger evil. That, of course, is your prerogative and in a democracy you have a right to your choice, whatever the reason may be for you making that choice. But there are other factors we also need to consider. And we should be very concerned that the government we choose is in tune with what is happening in the world. All countries are moving towards self-sufficiency in food supply. And many countries have already achieved self-sufficiency. Malaysia, however, has been talking about self-sufficiency since the time of Tun Razak Hussein back in the 1970s and after 40 years is still just talking about it. Food and water are crucial to life. And these are two things that in time are going to become scarce -- food and water. If, say, one day those countries selling us food decide to stop exporting food to Malaysia for whatever reason -- be it war, natural catastrophe, food shortage in the exporting countries, crop diseases, etc. -- where will Malaysia get its food supply from? Golf courses, holiday resorts, shopping complexes, more cars on the road, high-rise condos, etc., are fine and allow Malaysia to project an image of success and progress. But at the end of the day we need to import our food to stay alive. And if another country wants to bring Malaysia to its knees it need not send in its army. All it needs is to stop sending food to Malaysia. In just a few weeks we will have to surrender without a single shot being fired. So let's up the election fight one step. Whether Najib is involved in murder or Anwar in homosexual activities are certainly important points to consider. But this is not going to put food on the table. What is would be a government that has a clear program on how to make Malaysia self-sufficient in food, say in the next ten years, and not merely talk about it over 40 years and still be far from achieving self-sufficiency. Yes, I know many of you are going to say that this is the whole reason why we need to change the government. But then I have not heard what this new government is going to do to guarantee us food on the table. And note that Anwar was once the Agriculture Minister and his policies as Agriculture Minister actually regressed things rather than progressed it. In fact, many people were actually unhappy with Anwar's policies and thought that he was undoing the good things that the Ministers before him did. No, this is not an anti-Anwar article. This is about hearing what Anwar plans to do if he becomes Prime Minister to ensure Malaysians do not one day starve. And please do not give me political talk. Give me concrete and workable plans. And once this is addressed then we can talk about the other issues. But without enough food and water the other issues become meaningless. **************************************** Indonesia declares rice sufficiency, no more imports (Jakarta Post) - Indonesia's State Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan said Sunday that Indonesia would not import rice in 2013 as local farmers could produce sufficient rice to meet the domestic demand. He said that as of December 2012, the existing rice stock inventory in state logistics agency PT Bulog's storehouses across the country reached around 2.5 million tons. Bulog should procure 3.5 million tons of rice during harvest periods this year. "If Bulog can procure 3.5 million tons of rice during harvest periods this year we will not need to import more rice, as we did last year," said Dahlan, as quoted by Antara news agency. He spoke on the sidelines of a rice harvest event in Jati village, Jaten district, Karanganyar regency, on Sunday. He said that from last year's rice imports, Bulog reaped Rp 800 billion (US$82.1 million) worth of profit. However, the profit was returned to the farmers so that the price of rice did not decline. "To procure such a large amount of rice, from now on Bulog should use its full capacity to achieve the target. And if Bulog is willing to work hard, I'm optimistic that this can be achieved," Dahlan said, adding that in 2012, Bulog procured 2.6 million tons of rice from local farmers. The Minister said that state run agribusiness firm PT Pertani planned to buy 100 units of rice dryer machines to distribute in several regions across the country. The machines would help farmers to dry their unhulled rice properly. Dahlan said that obtaining fertilizer was no longer a problem for farmers and there was no more accumulation of fertilizer by traders. "I haven't heard any more about traders accumulating fertilizer, which means that fertilizer distribution has been continuing under a mechanism requested by the farmers," said Dahlan. **************************************** Rice Consumption in Malaysia Domestic consumption increased 3.8 percent to 2.7 million tons in 2011. Malaysia is about 62 percent self-sufficient. Consumption is forecast to increase about 4 percent in 2012 as demand is bolstered by an in-flow of foreign workers and tourists. While rice consumption per capita shows an increase from 81.6 kg in 2006 to 95 kg in 2010, the figure does not account for foreign workers and tourists. In reality, the domestic consumption per capita is about 72 to 75 kg, and it has been on the slide vis-à-vis the consumption of wheat over the last two decades. http://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/Grain%20and%20Feed%20Annual_Kuala%20Lumpur_Malaysia_2-15-2012.pdf **************************************** Experts: Rice production vital Malaysia is 72 per cent self sufficient in rice production, Science adviser Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Zakri Abdul Hamid said yesterday. "Malaysia is progressing steadily. Ten years ago, we were 60 per cent self sufficient and in the next 10 years, we are aiming for 90 per cent," he said at the launch of a strategy meeting workshop on rice security. "The global population is expected to swell to 9.3 billion by 2050, hence food security is critical. "We need to find a way to accelerate our food production because Malaysia is one of the most import-dependant countries in the world," he said. READ MORE HERE: http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/experts-rice-production-vital-1.188410 **************************************** 'Not enough rice to eat' A rice shortage and a worsening self-sufficiency on food could force many Malaysians to go hungry. Millions of Malaysians could go hungry as unpredictable weather in rice -producing countries is likely to affect our supply of rice. Unpredictable weather in rice-producing countries, spurred by Malaysia's rising population, could mean less food on the table, warned Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan. "If they have major flooding in rice-producing countries, such as Vietnam or Thailand, or assuming they go to war, where are we going to get our rice?" he asked. Citing the 2008 global rice shortage as an example, he added: "If the crisis then lasted for another five or six months, we would all have had to learn to eat tapioca." "This is no laughing matter. Our national rice stockpile was being consumed very rapidly, and we couldn't buy rice quickly." Abdul Rahman said this in response to concerns raised by the World Bank over the country's worsening food self-sufficiency levels. According to the Malaysia Economic Monitor (Smart Cities) report, the country's self-sufficiency in rice shrunk to 62% in 2007 from 71% in 1970. READ MORE HERE: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/01/04/not-enough-rice-to-eat/ **************************************** Rice Supply Channel Needs Improvement Problem and implications of low rice production growth that is not able to match the higher growth rate of the population of the world are the subject of a workshop on 'Sustainable Rice Production' here last week. The workshop organised by the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) of The National University of Malaysia (UKM) deliberated on solutions to overcome the escalating problem which include the growing of high yielding and quality rice while ensuring safety of the rice farmers. Tan Sri Dr Mohd Noor Ismail, Corporate Advisor to Tradewinds Malaysia Berhad in his key note address at the workshop said the rice business has to be looked at wholistically from farm to shelf. He said finding ways to grow rice better and faster is all well and fine but attention must also be given to the issues that goes beyond research so that whatever findings and innovations made will not be undermined. READ MORE HERE: http://www.ukm.my/news/index.php/en/extras/1199-rice-supply-channel-needs-improvement.html *********************************************** 70年过去了，一切还是没有改变。 近期在稻米盛产国变化无常的天气很有可能会影响我国的稻米入口，进而导致数以百万的马来西亚人民挨饿。哥打贝鲁（Kota Belud）国会议员阿都拉曼（Abdul Rahman Dahlan）指出，他国的无常天气，加上我国的人口暴涨，会导致我们人均食品量的减少："如果大水灾发生在那些稻米盛产国，如泰国，越南等，抑或爆发战争，那请问我们应该去哪儿购买稻米呢？" 原文：Raja Petra Kamarudin 译文：方宙 大约十年前，在今日大马还没开网以前，我曾经讨论过有关大马国内食品供应——尤其是稻米（我国主要主食）供应——过低的隐忧。我甚至还提过如果战争爆发马来西亚人民将会挨饿，就如70年前二战期间日本入侵马来亚时，我们必须依靠木薯糊口度日。 70年过去了，我那篇文章也写了十年，一切还是没有改变。印尼的人口多于我国十倍，但日前他们早已宣布他们已拥有足够的国内稻米供应。或许大马应该多向柬埔寨学习——把城市居民带回乡间种植稻米。 这就是为什么我不应该参政的原因：如果我执政的话，我将会强制那些刚离开中学或即将进入大学的学生们参与一年制的国民服务计划——我会派送他们去种稻米。那些不愿意的人将不被允许进入大学和申请工作。当然你可以'逃离'到他国留学，但是毕业后你将会在国外生活和工作。 马来西亚人民最关注的是什么呢？我们关注的是，纳吉抑或安华，哪个会是比较好的首相？那些即将去投票的人都是这个思想模式的——哪个会是比较好的首相，他就会投哪个。 基本上，投票的因素会是：纳吉是否牵涉在阿丹杜亚(Altantuya)谋杀案中，而安华又是否是双性恋且牵涉在鸡奸案中。如果你认为纳吉是有罪的你就会投给安华（即民联），而如果你认为安华是有罪的你就会投给纳吉（即国阵）。 你们当中当然会有人跳出来讲说你们不投给国阵是因为国阵是腐败兼具有种族歧视的。如果民联是廉政且一视同仁的话我当然赞同你这个理由。事实上，当有人站出来指出民联的腐败和种族歧视时，很多人会认为这些指责可能是对的，但他们会说民联还没有国阵这么糟糕。 换句话说，民联是有问题的，但国阵更糟糕，而你愿意从两个烂苹果中挑一个比较不烂的。当然，这是一个民主社会，无论背后的原因是什么，你都拥有绝对的选择权。 我必须提醒你，我们还是应该参照其他因素。我们应该考虑到我们所选的政府是否能够跟上国际社会的步伐。所有国家都设法在食品供应上自给自足，很多国家都已经达成目标了。我国早在敦拉萨时期就提起了自给自足方案，但40年过去了，我们还是停留在'讲讲'这个阶段。 食物与水源是生活的首要必需品，而这两样东西在未来可能会面临短缺。若有朝一日我们的食物入口国因某些原因——战争，天灾，农作物歉收等——而拒绝继续供应我国粮食，那我们应该去哪儿买食物？ 高尔夫球场，度假村，购物广场，高楼大厦。。。等等，都显示出马来西亚的发展与成功，但终究我们现今还是得入口食品以存活。如果他国想要我们俯首称臣的话，他们根本都不必发兵来袭，他们只需要停止供应我们食物。不出几个星期，也不用打出一枚子弹，我们就会投降了！ 所以，让我们来为这次大选增添'看头'。虽然说阿丹杜亚案和鸡奸案都是重要的考虑因素，但毕竟这些都是不能拿来吃的。重要的是，政府必须提出有效方案以解决国内食品不足问题，而这个方案必须是要有事时间性的（比如说我们定制10年为限期）而不是有如上述40年的空谈。 是的，我知道你们当中会有人告诉我这正好是我们应该改朝换代的原因。但是，我并没有听说过这个所谓的新政府就食粮课题上做出任何承诺。你们应该知道，安华曾经当过我国的农业部长，而他当时的农业政策是开倒车的。是的，当时确实很多人对他的政策不满，认为他把前任农业部长的良好政策给搞砸了。 不，这不是一篇反安华的文章。我是要听听安华在当了首相后，他会怎样做以确保人民不会有朝一日挨饿。还有，麻烦你们别在给我上政治课；给我一个实在的，可行的计划。当我们解决这个课题后，我们才能解决其他的；没有了食粮水源，其他问题都是扯淡的。

GE13: ‘Victory’ at any cost? Posted: 24 Mar 2013 03:45 PM PDT The DAP strategy of targeting MCA candidates could make the Chinese community the unwitting victim. Bunn Negara, The Star THE 2008 general election was significant as a "political tsunami" – the Opposition achieved its best ever gains, with the promise of an emerging two-coalition system. That election would have been even more historic had it also achieved what many thought it would: end communal politics for good. But it failed miserably, with no political party blameless. Perhaps it was too much to expect qualitative change in addition to quantitative change (seat numbers in state assemblies and Parliament). Communal politics has been a bane of this country for as long as there have been elections. That remains a fundamental reality into the foreseeable future. For Barisan Nasional (and its predecessor the Alliance) as well as the Op­­p­o­sition, race-based politics is practised if not always acknowledged. It takes far more to turn that around than many have imagined. Whether party membership is defined by ethnicity or not, one race or another dominates and characterises each party. Parties that are multiracial in theory are just less transparent in their ethnic politics. However, what turns an unfortunate situation tragic is when those parties most vehement about having "turned the corner" of communal politics are also doing the most to perpetuate it. PAS as the Islamist party has set new standards in trying to ram Islamist-style restrictions down the throats of all Malaysians – Muslim and non-Muslim. It now does so with more gusto and less hesitation. PKR as another Muslim and Malay-majority party chooses indifference and complacency in the face of the PAS onslaught. It has even supported the idea of turning Kelantan into an Islamic state. The DAP prefers silence and inaction amid PAS' swagger. Elsewhere it would wield its non-Muslim credentials, sometimes to the point of playing the Christian card. None of this helps to tone down Malaysia's sweltering communal politics. And since this reinforces the problem in Pakatan itself, it could prompt more of the same in Barisan as well. The DAP's latest move sees party adviser Lim Kit Siang contesting the Gelang Patah seat in Johor. It would be the latest "stop" in a long and roving parliamentary career. MCA, which has half (seven out of 15) of its parliamentary seats in the state, sees Johor as its stronghold. MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek condemned this as DAP's strategy of "Chinese killing off the Chinese". Both Chinese-based parties are natural rivals whose mutual rivalry has now reached a new high. DAP leaders may dismiss this alarm as predictable melodrama, but it contains a hard kernel of truth. The DAP's drive for power is not above pitting Chinese candidates against other Chinese candidates, which is likely to reduce further the number of ethnic minority MPs. Johor is also Umno's home state. There is virtually no prospect of the DAP snatching the state from Barisan. However, DAP efforts to unseat MCA parliamentarians in Johor could produce a strong Malay-based Umno in the state government contending with a Chinese-based DAP in the Opposition. That would be bad and dangerous for politics, race relations and the Chinese community's representation in governance. It would be a regression, precariously setting an unhealthy precedent. In recent years Malaysian political discourse became more multiracial as both Government and Opposition coalitions became more racially mixed. With both Barisan and Pakatan led by Malay-majority parties, political differences were distanced from racial differences. In the absence of thoroughly multiracial politics, that seems the next best option. The prospect of political fault lines coinciding with ethnic fault lines, raising the possibility of an ethnic conflagration as in 1969, has thus become more remote. But the risk of returning to such political volatility remains. Respon­sible leaders of every party need to be cognizant of these realities. Besides, the cause of shedding the racial element in party politics cannot be furthered by recourse to more racial politics. Under a veneer of multiracial rhetoric, the DAP has been known to practise communal politics in its seat choices and allocations. Lim's foray into Gelang Patah to battle the MCA incumbent there is the latest example of this approach. Instead of creating a more multiracial two-coalition system, this communal cannibalism could promote an unhealthy and perilous two-race system. Apparently, the DAP's objective is simply to unseat MCA candidates, seen as soft targets since 2008, regardless of the cost to the people. That can only come at the expense of deepening racial politics in electoral outcomes. Perhaps the DAP's Chinese candidates are thought to have better chances in challenging MCA's Chinese candidates than Umno's Malay candidates. But that is still a tricky calculation depending on the circumstances at the time. Thoughtful and responsible leaders may not consider that a risk worth taking, much less a cost worth paying.

CHINESE swing likely Posted: 24 Mar 2013 03:31 PM PDT CHANGING TRENDS: As the general election looms, Najib, Lahad Datu and the economy are proving to be major influencing factors in Chinese votes Yiswaree Palansamy and Hariz Mond, NST WITH Parliament expected to be dissolved by the first week of next month for a late April general election, political commentators are detecting encouraging signs of shifting attitudes of Chinese voters towards the government. Many view this as a direct outcome of the government's deep commitment to win back the trust and confidence of the Chinese community by meeting some of their needs. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself is making a strong push to rally their support. The results are quite telling. Take the case of the SM Chong Hwa's fundraising dinner in Kuantan on Saturday attended by Najib and other Barisan Nasional leaders. Around 20,000 of the predominantly-Chinese crowd filled Stadium  Darul Makmur to raise RM13 million to build the school, which the Chinese here had long fought for. Sharing the stage with Hua Zhong president Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah and Hong Kong movie superstar Jackie Chan, Najib introduced himself as "Ah Jib Gor" to the crowd, drawing huge applause. He then announced an additional RM3 million allocation from the government for the school project and reaffirmed the government's commitment to allow students of the school to sit the Unified Examination Certificate and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinations. Pheng heaped praise on Najib's commitment to the cultural values of the Chinese. Hua Zhong is the umbrella organisation for  7,000 Chinese guilds and associations.  Kuantan MCA chief Datuk Ti Lian Ker said the prime minister was being viewed by the Chinese community as "someone who walks the talk".  The second trend is the sign of known opposition voters migrating to the "undecided" column ahead of the nationwide polls expected to be held by end of next month. Ti said people who were opposition supporters before were now on the fence, which was a positive sign.  The third indicator was articulated by Universiti Sains Malaysia political analyst Associate Professor Sivamurugan Pandian. He said the Lahad Datu intrusion had been a "game-changer". "Many had initially criticised the authorities and security forces over the handling of the incident, but they have managed to handle the crisis well, including pursuing pro-active measures to prevent further problems. "The Chinese community is observing this. And they might have seen that it is important to have a government that can ensure stability in the country. This should be considered as a turning point." Economics is the fourth indicator.  "Economically, Malaysia is doing very well. During the recent World Economic Forum, Malaysia was seen as one of the nations that investors are highly attracted to.   "This is a sign that the Economic Transformation Programme brought by the PM is working, and is another good point for BN." With Najib leading BN for the first time into a general election, a strong shift in Chinese support is expected to cement his fresh five-year mandate.

GE13: Many unhappy over parachute candidates Posted: 24 Mar 2013 03:13 PM PDT (The Star) - The move by PKR to field parachute "strategic candidates" in Johor has created rumblings among local leaders and grassroots in the state. At least three seats are expected to be contested by outsiders namely Johor Baru, Batu Pahat and Pasir Gudang. Several PKR leaders in Batu Pahat have even set up a Facebook page "Support Syed Hamid Ali for Batu Pahat" after talk surfaced that an NGO leader Datuk Idris Jauzi may be fielded there. Syed Hamid is the Batu Pahat PKR chief. PKR Johor Baru division chief Tan Poh Lai is expected to be snubbed for the Johor Baru parliamentary seat in favour of former army chief Tan Sri Hashim Hussein while Johor PKR deputy chief Dr Ahmad Faidhi Saidi is likely to be overlooked for the Pasir Gudang seat with former army deputy chief Datuk Ghafir Abdul Hamid tipped to contest there. In their Facebook postings, Syed Hamid's supporters said they would reject a parachute candidate. "Macam mana boleh potong jalan? (How can you cut queue?) Syed Hamid has been serving the people in Batu Pahat for years," Tan Leok Soo posted on the page. A large poster stating that Batu Pahat PKR rejected parachute candidates was also posted on the page with a long thread of supportive comments and likes for the post. Tan, who is also the state PKR treasurer and deputy Wanita chief, confirmed that she has been asked to step aside for Hashim due to "strategic reasons". "I do not mind that the leadership wants to field another candidate for this seat but I hope they will allocate a seat for a woman candidate," she said. Her elder brother Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong has been slotted by PKR to contest the Wangsa Maju parliamentary seat in Kuala Lumpur.

Pakatan shaky at the home of oldest civilisation in Malaysia Posted: 24 Mar 2013 03:07 PM PDT The general election is expected to be the closest fight to form the new Malaysian government. And several seats across the nation are likely to be heated battles with the slimmest of majorities. The Malaysian Insider takes a look at some of these hot seats in what will be an intense election for control of Malaysia. Opalyn Mok, TMI Largely rural with just the one small town next to Sungai Petani, the constituency of Merbok is mostly known for being home to the historical Lembah Bujang where the remains of a Hindu-Buddhist kingdom dating back to fifth century AD is located. Even the name "Merbok" is derived from the Sanskrit word to mean "place" and not a reference to the Merbok bird as commonly assumed. But the constituency of Merbok with its lush greenery, small villages, plantations, padi fields and fishing villages saw a sea change back in 2008 when the people voted in a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) MP. Long considered a Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold, the last two elections prior to the last one saw BN win with a strong majority of more than 15,000 votes. But Election 2008 saw the constituency, including its two state seats, Bukit Selambau and Tanjung Dawai, fall into the hands of PR. PKR's Datuk Rashid Din had wrested the seat in 2008 from Datuk Tajul Urus Md Zain with a 3,098-vote majority. Datuk Zainuddin Maidin (BN) was the previous MP after he won the seat in 2004 with a 15,162-vote majority. Yet Merbok with about 65,000 registered voters and a voter breakdown of about 66 per cent Malays, 17 per cent ethnic Indians,16 per cent Chinese and one per cent other races is not going to be a sure thing for PR this time round. Merbok consists of a mix of rural and suburban areas including wide expanses of padi fields for which Kedah is noted for.In the past five years, constituents have kept a close watch on their "new" PR leaders and have come away unimpressed. "They promised us so many things in 2008, from providing housing and giving aid to us but after they won, we don't even see their shadow, much less giving us any aid," said a fisherman in Tanjung Dawai. The constituency, due to its start as a fishing settlement, has more than 2,000 fishermen and many are unhappy with the lack of service by their representatives and in particular the Merbok MP. "Where is Rashid? He never comes around and the last I saw him was in 2008," claimed another fisherman who only wanted to be known as Ali. "We have given PR a chance in 2008 but they didn't perform and instead, it is the BN leaders who have been going around helping us and even providing housing for us," said Ali. BN has been working hard to win back the people in Merbok as Tajul, who is now the Merbok BN parliamentary co-ordinator, has been going down to the ground since 2009. "He is very hard working and instead of lamenting over losing the seat in 2008 to Rashid, he had taken up his co-ordinator role seriously by serving the people here," said a Kedah MCA Youth leader. He said Tajul had focused on visiting the people in the constituency regularly and going from house to house. "Initially the reception was not that good but now, people are more receptive towards him and BN," he said. READ MORE HERE

Hisham must condemn ‘Kill Tian Chua’ threat, says Ambiga Posted: 24 Mar 2013 02:55 PM PDT Boo Su-Lyn, TMI Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has urged Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to censure Umno supporters for threatening to kill PKR's Chua Tian Chang, or risk being blacklisted by polls watchdog Bersih 2.0 for condoning political violence. Party workers shouted "Kill Tian Chua" when the Umno vice-president urged them to rally behind Barisan Nasional (BN) and "eliminate traitors" like PKR vice-president Chua, better known as Tian Chua, whose allies in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have been accused of instigating the Sulu invasion of Sabah. "He (Hishammuddin) should come out and make amends and put things right, and confirm that he does not support the crowd's response," Ambiga (picture) told The Malaysian Insider today. "He should come out strongly against political violence of any sort... failing which, he will go on our list of politicians who encourage political violence," said the Bersih co-chairman. Ambiga said last Saturday that any Election 2013 candidate deemed responsible for violent incidents during political events would be "named and shamed" by Bersih 2.0 on social media sites like Twitter. Hishammuddin admitted yesterday that political violence in the country was worsening, but accused PR of exploiting the situation to sow hatred for the government and the police. He also noted that more incidents of violence might occur during the campaign period of Election 2013, which is expected to be held in weeks, due to the shortage of policemen. Ambiga said today that Hishammuddin should have stopped the crowd immediately when they threatened Tian Chua, pointing out that the Umno vice-president had control over his party supporters. "It is intimidation. When it's a threat to kill, that is an offence under section 503 of the Penal Code that deals with criminal intimidation. He, above all people, should know that," said the former Bar Council president. "This goes for all those who are out there campaigning, speaking to their supporters. They have to make it very clear they will not countenance any form of violence or violent behaviour. I expect those who are running for the elections to behave like leaders and to set the right example," added Ambiga. The lawyer also called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to condemn the kill threat against Tian Chua, pointing out that Najib had pledged ethical conduct in Election 2013. "This is all part of ethical conduct in campaigning. It's important for a statement to be made that all those who are campaigning must do so responsibly and ethically," said Ambiga. READ MORE HERE

Daim denies being alleged ‘chief conspirator’ in ousting Anwar Posted: 24 Mar 2013 02:46 PM PDT Ida Lim, TMI Former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin has denied claims that he was the "chief conspirator" in getting his then successor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim removed from the Cabinet in 1998. Daim also denied that their relationship had turned sour at any point. "There was no fallout between us until he started accusing me of being a chief conspirator. "When Anwar claimed that I was the conspirator, he knows the truth that I played no part, no role whatsoever. I knew nothing about the case until I was told about it," Daim (picture) told the New Straits Times in an interview published today. Daim also brushed off speculation that his motivation for allegedly ousting Anwar — then the finance minister — was to secure his business interests. "That was his line, that he was this super hero fighting crime and corruption and, therefore, had to be brought down. If you know the things about him that I know, that line of his is hilarious, and the cheek of it all, to claim righteousness. "I had then retired and what business interests did I have? I had to sell all my assets before joining the government in 1984," the former Umno minister said. Daim, who was the country's finance minister from 1984-1991 and 1999-2001, also told the English-language paper that he sold a local bank owned by him when he joined the Cabinet for the second time. He had played a crucial role in steering Malaysia out of the 1998 Asian financial crisis. Later in his reply on the same issue of business interests, Daim claimed that his former colleague in Umno had falsely accused him of trying to procure contracts, before asking for proof that he had received contracts from the government. "Anwar, through his accusations, repeated the lie that I wanted this contract and that contract, and that because he was in the way, I got rid of him. A lie repeated many times, unfortunately, becomes a truth." When asked again if there was a fallout between him and Anwar, Daim said: "There was no particular fallout, I was his scapegoat, among many other scapegoats. I was his friend, Dr Mahathir defended him..." READ MORE HERE

BN leaders criticised for joining Perkasa demo Posted: 24 Mar 2013 02:22 PM PDT A Gerakan politician says that by joining the demonstration, the BN leaders are acknowledging that Perkasa is a force to be reckoned with. Athi Shankar, FMT GEORGE TOWN: Barisan Nasional leaders are lending credibility to Perkasa by joining a demonstration in Esplanade organised by the Malay supremacist group yesterday. Baljit Singh, who heads the state Gerakan legal and human rights bureau, said participation of BN leaders would give a wrong perception that the coalition was collaborating with Perkasa. Among those present were state BN chairman Teng Chang Yeow, state Umno's deputy chairman Musa Sheikh Fadzir and secretary Azhar Ibrahim, state MIC deputy chief L Krishnan and Teluk Bahang assemblyman Dr Hilmi Yahaya. Baljit said BN leaders should have realised that they cannot be seen standing side-by-side with leaders and members of an organisation that espoused racial supremacy. He said Perkasa's Malay agenda contradicted BN concept of 1Malaysia, recalling that BN leadership had on countless occasions denied links with the Ibrahim Ali-led NGO. Moreover, he told FMT that Perkasa was despised by non Malays. "Public perception is important in politics. By joining a protest that included Perkasa, BN leaders are lending support to the group. "BN may just lose more non-Malay votes," warned Baljit, who boycotted the event as a protest against Perkasa participation. Themed "Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu Pulau Pinang", thousands of NGO members gathered at the Speaker's Square as early as 3pm yesterday to demonstrate against the Pakatan Rakyat government. Earlier the crowd walked for nearly two kilometres from Masjid Kapitan Keling to the Esplanade, carrying banners and chanting slogans against the state government and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. Arguably the biggest demonstration held by NGOs to date against Lim's five-year leadership, the protest included a long convoy of youths on bikes waving BN and NGO flags. Penang Perkasa chairman Yusoff Suhaimi, who was in thick of action, claimed that some 120 NGOs jointly organised the rally. "The NGOs attending the demonstration are under the Sekretariat Penyatuan Rakyat Pulau Pinang umbrella, which was called by me under the Penang Special Affairs Department (Jasa) secretariat,' he said yesterday. READ MORE HERE

Malaysian Private Eye's Last Case Posted: 24 Mar 2013 02:21 PM PDT (Asia Sentinel) - All of the information - the emails, the deposit slip, the purchase agreement for the flat - were sent to Asia Sentinel.  Tale of murder, bribery, double cross and a plot against Anwar Ibrahim follow private eye to the grave As if the long-running tale of the grisly 2006 murder of a Mongolian party girl wasn't already complicated enough, evidence has emerged that a recently deceased private detective who once tied Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to the crime, was the focus of an attempt in 2011 to blame opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for the allegations against Najib.  The plot almost backfired, however, when the private detective, Perumal Balasubramaniam, who died March 15 of a heart attack, set out on a vain months-long attempt to entrap the prime minister into acknowledging he was personally behind the plot. There is no evidence that Najib participated in the plan to discredit Anwar and he may have not even known of it. In any case, Najib wasn't born yesterday, and he refused to meet Balasubramaniam despite the fact that a number of United Malays National Organization figures including a deputy cabinet minister attempted to intercede on Balasubramaniam's behalf. The story began in 2008 when Bala, as he was generally known, published a sworn statement based on his professional relationship with one of Najib's best friends that Najib had had an affair with the Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was murdered in October 2006 by two of Najib's bodyguards. Bala was almost immediately pressured to reverse his statement on threats of harm to his family, hustled out of Malaysia and promised RM5 million (US$1.6 million) to keep his mouth shut. Bala described the 2011 bribe attempt to the Kuala Lumpur-based website Malaysiakini in August 2012, saying it was carried out by Deepak Jaikishan, then a close friend of Rosmah Mansor, the prime minister's wife. However, Bala's allegations went largely below the radar. Depak has since become a bitter and public critic of Najib and Rosmah.  Well before the meeting with Malaysiakini, however, Bala approached Asia Sentinel through his lawyer, Americk Sidhu, and provided detailed evidence of the bribe attempt, along with a request that publication be held off until he gave his approval while he attempted for weeks to arrange a meeting with the prime minister. Approval was never forthcoming. He went to Asia Sentinel, he said, because he wanted to give the evidence to a regional publication that could not be accused of bias against the government, rather than local websites, which were regarded as allies of the opposition. Read more and download documents at: http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5277&Itemid=178

‘Anwar sought Misuari’s help to win GE’ Posted: 24 Mar 2013 02:17 PM PDT Blogger Raja Petra claims that Anwar promised citizenship and jobs to Filipino Muslims in Sabah, in the event Pakatan Rakyat wins federal power. G Vinod, FMT Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim sought the help of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founder Nur Misuari to win the general election, alleged blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin. In his latest post titled 'The Untold Story of the Lahad Datu Incident', Raja Petra claimed that Anwar had met Nur Misuari and his top military commanders on July 16, 2012 in Indonesia. He also said that Anwar had good ties with Nur Misuari for a long time, since the former's tenure in the government. The meeting, Raja Petra added, took place at the Crowne Plaza Jakarta Hotel and was arranged by an Indonesian MP close to Anwar. The blogger alleged that Anwar had sought Nur Misuari's help to win at least 30 out of the 57 East Malaysian parliamentary seats to wrest federal power from Barisan Nasional (BN). "Pakatan Rakyat was confident of winning at least 82 to 85 of the 165 seats in West Malaysia. It is the 57 seats in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan that Anwar was not confident [about]," said Raja Petra. Therefore, the blogger claimed that Anwar urged Nur Misuari to convince Muslims in East Malaysia, particularly those from Sabah, to vote for Pakatan in the 13th general election. He was claimed to have made the request as there are many Filipino Muslims in both states, holding Malaysian citizenship and voting rights. In return, Raja Petra claimed that Anwar had promised that Sabah and Sarawak would be given autonomy, once Pakatan wins federal power. "The states will be given 20% oil royalty which will ensure that Sabah and Sarawak become wealthy, with an estimated RM4 billion a year for each state. "Anwar also promised that the non-Malaysian Filipinos in East Malaysia would be given Malaysian citizenship, or at the very minimum permanent resident status so that they could seek employment in Sabah," alleged Raja Petra. The blogger claimed that Nur Misuari had agreed to Anwar's terms and appointed Ibrahim Omar as his coordinator, or "unofficial ambassador" to Sabah to help Anwar garner the support of the Filipino Muslims in the state. READ MORE HERE

‘Anwar met Misuari several times’ Posted: 24 Mar 2013 02:12 PM PDT Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein confirms rumours that the opposition leader met the Moro National Liberation Front chieftain several times. Leven Woon, FMT Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein today revealed that Opposition Leader and PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim met up with Philippines' Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari several times before the Lahad Datu incursions. "I was told that he has met with (Nur Misuari) several times, but I cannot confirm how many times they have met," he said. "But whether it was Anwar or third parties who wanted to take advantage of the situation, I would like to remind them that the people, especially those in Sabah, are with us," he told reporters after launching the Gombak BN Youth machinery today. He said this when asked to comment on reports, especially in pro-Umno blogs, that suggested that Anwar's meetings with Nur Misuari allegedly had links with the invasion of Lahad Datu by followers of the self-claimed Sultan of Sulu in February. Hishammuddin said the government's upcoming measures to get to the bottom of Lahad Datu incursions, be it in the form of a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) or a white paper, would provide a platform for the authorities to investigate individuals and third parties over their roles in the invasion. "It could be an RCI, it could be white paper, we must decide on this because the incursion is a very complex issue. "And when I say third parties, it does not only involve individual like Misuari who has been making comments, but also organisations like (Philippines Islamic militant group) Abu Sayyaf and (regional terrorist group) Jemaah Islamiyah," he said. A group of self-styled Royal Sulu Army, claiming to be the followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, landed in Lahad Datu village of Kampung Tanduo on Feb 9 to lay claims over Sabah. They clashed with Malaysia's security forces earlier this month after a month of futile negotiations. Since then, 63 Sulu gunmen have fallen while 408 of them have been arrested. Misuari first came into media limelight over the incident when he offered to mediate between the Sulu gunmen and the Malaysia forces. Since then, he had been accused of instigating the Sulu siege in a bid to slow down the Southern Philippines peace deal, of which he denied. Umno bloggers have suggested that a timeline showing Anwar's meetings with Misuari, as well as his mentions of Sabah in his ceramahs, indicated that he had prior knowledge of the Sulu invasion. The bloggers also mentioned a leaked intelligence report from the Philippines which mentioned the Anwar-Misuari meetings. Anwar however has denied any such knowledge although he admitted meeting Misuari. Earlier this week, he told a ceramah that the BN government would be targeting him over the Lahad Datu issue for political purposes. READ MORE HERE

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