Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Kee Thuan Chye and Shen Yee Aun
- 13th GE may reflect ‘fallout’ from Lahad Datu Standoff
- NGO Activists & Political Opportunism
- My political thoughts during the Hunger Viratham Day Four
| Kee Thuan Chye and Shen Yee Aun Posted: 14 Mar 2013 05:41 PM PDT
Anas Zubedy
Kee is a 58 year old Baby Boomer and renowned writer of a best seller. Shen (better known as SYA) a Gen Y and only 26 years of age but is actively writing via his blog and the social media. Kee is proficient in English, SYA in Bahasa Malaysia. But both of them share one common vision – a better Malaysia. While they may share a common Vision, they differ in terms of politics. SYA is obviously MCA and Kee is perceptibly a DAPster (borrowing Helen Ang's categorization). Kee recently wrote an open letter to Chua Soi Lek (click http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/guest-columnists/37380-open-letter-to-chua-soi-lek ) and SYA responded with an article (click http://1sya.com/?p=1720 ). Some say that SYA's counter arguments made Kee's points not only shaky, but on the verge of being 'bullshit' ie the title of the latter's best seller, 'No More Bullshit'. Kee should be given a chance to clear himself.
SYA has challenge Kee for a debate. Personally, I am not into debates among politicians and those who talk politics - unless it is in the parliament. To me debates are good for the academia and academicians. But Kee should at least write back and defend his article. At the least it would be nice to see rationale and mature discussion between someone from the 'old school' and another representing 'the new and the young'. The 'old' and the 'young' should see themselves as 'equals' and face-off each other as fellow Malaysians for the betterment of the nation.
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| 13th GE may reflect ‘fallout’ from Lahad Datu Standoff Posted: 14 Mar 2013 05:27 PM PDT
Someone or some party may want the Suluks in particular out of the 13th GE. Are the loyalties of these people to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) suddenly suspect? Joe Fernandez It cannot be denied that for various reasons the on-going Lahad Datu Standoff may have an effect on the forthcoming 13th General Election results in Sabah. The jury is still out on the question of who stands to "gain" most and who stands to "lose" i.e. if the General Election in eastern Sabah is held at the same time as in the rest of the Territory and country. Judging from former Sabah Chief Minister Harris Salleh's reported appeal letter this week to Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein Onn, the police are seizing the Malaysian personal documents of Suluks in Semporna and Lahad Datu and tearing them up before their very eyes. Apparently, these documents include IMM13 immigration documents issued to refugees and MyPRs or the red-coloured Permanent Residence Identity Cards. If so, someone or some party may want the Suluks in particular out of the 13th GE. Are the loyalties of these people to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) suddenly suspect? Philippine news reports speak only of the Suluk fleeing as "refugees" to the nearby Philippine islands and of the 800,000 Filipinos in Sabah being sent back in the wake of the revelations at the on-going Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the extraordinary rise in the state's population in recent decades. Among the reported demands of one Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, the main figure in the Lahad Datu Standoff, is that the Sulu people in Sabah not be deported to the Philippines "since they were in their own country (Sabah)". Why did Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice president Tian Chua claim, not once, but on several occasions that the Lahad Datu Standoff is a conspiracy hatched by Umno?
Four seditious statements attributed to Tian Chua The sedition charges brought against Tian Chua on Thurs 14 Mar, 2013 attributed four statements to him as follows: 1. The shooting in Lahad Datu is believed to be a planned conspiracy of the Umno government to divert attention and intimidate the people. 2. The incident has raised many questions and doubts as to the drama staged by the Umno government. 3. Described the intrusion in Lahad Datu as only a drama of the government to intimidate the people to make it seem that Sabah is not peaceful. The intrusion in Lahad Datu was only a drama of the government to intimidate the people to make it seem that Sabah is not peaceful. 4. There is a conspiracy by the Umno government to divert the attention of the Sabah people, particularly from the issue of giving identity cards to foreigners. Tian Chua was charged under Section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act 1948 and can be penalized under Section 4(1) of the same act which provides for a maximum fine of RM5, 000 or up to three years in jail, or both, upon conviction for the first offence, and up to five years jail for subsequent offences.
Don's statement should be read together with purported Tian Chua statements Tian Chua's purported statements should be read together with that by, for example, Dr. Gerhard Hoffstaedter of the University of Queensland, Australia, who shared his take on Tues 12 Mar, 2013 with the Voice of Russia "on the armed conflict in the Malaysian state of Sabah, where a ragtag band of fighters from the so-called Royal Army of the Sultan of Sulu clashed with Malaysian troops". "Now, PM Najib's approval ratings have been going down quite rapidly over the last couple of weeks, so he is unlikely to call it (GE) now," according to Hoffstaedter . "A standoff in Sabah could delay elections certainly in Sabah perhaps, maybe even in the entire country, it could show a force on his part, could reassert him, could give him a bounce back in the polls. I mean these are some of the questions being asked - why now?" Hoffstaedter adds that "these claims from the sultanate of Sulu have been there for a very long time and the timing does seem either suspicious or odd at least and raise questions especially because his (Najib's) poll showings are quite bad" The Opposition, noted Hoffstaedter, has worked very hard since already shaking up the establishment in 2008 in the last election when they denied the ruling coalition a 2/3 majority, which it had enjoyed since independence, "and a lot of observers expect the opposition if not to outright win, to cause another major shakeup in Malaysian politics at the next elections". Tian Chua being charged comes amidst speculation that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim may be arrested for his long-standing links with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Leader Nur Misuari and, by extension, his purported links to the Lahad Datu Standoff.
Nur Misuari's about-turn on Lahad Datu interesting Nur Misuari, probably alarmed that Anwar may indeed be arrested, has been singing a different tune in recent days. In a statement on Wed 13 Mar, 2013, MNLF Chairman Muslimin Sema declared that his organization "respects and recognizes the decision taken by the people of Sabah to form Malaysia in 1963". If only it was true! No referendum was held in Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and Malays on Malaysia. Earlier, after Lahad Datu erupted into an armed uprising, Nur Misuari warned Najib not be big-headed, warned him against targeting the forces of the so-called Royal Sulu Army (RSA) in Sabah and further warned that the MNLF would not hesitate to send forces to Lahad Datu to fight alongside the so-called Sulu Sultan's forces. In another bizarre statement, Nur Misuari claimed that Sarawak belonged to him from the time of his great-great grandfather or something to that effect. Now, Nur Misuari is claiming that the MNLF forces in Lahad Datu, apparently disguised as the RSA, went there without his knowledge.
Suluk, Bajau complain of marginalization, disenfranchisement The bottomline is that the pro-tem United Sabah National Organization (Usno) under Badaruddin Mustapha, the son of a former Governor and Chief Minister, has evidently been making some headway in Suluk areas in particular in alliance with the State Reform Party (Star) led by Jeffrey Kitingan. Usno candidates are expected to stand under a common independent symbol and/or under Star. There's also talking of Star "loaning" candidates to Usno, whatever it means. Suluk and Bajau community leaders were the only ones who agreed in 1963 to the formation of Malaysia. Since then, they have been complaining of marginalization and disenfranchisement following the continuing influx of Bugis illegal immigrants – Najib's community -- in particular from Sulawesi in Indonesia. To add insult to injury, the Pala'u or Bajau Laut (sea gypsies) along the eastern seaboard of Sabah continues to remain stateless. The Usno is trying to take up their cause but to no avail, according to Usno vice president Abdullah Sani. It has been estimated that at least 12 state seats were created in the aftermath of 1994, the fall of the PBS Government, based on MyKads issued to those who were not eligible to hold them and not entitled to obtain them. The 12 state seats saw the number of Muslim-majority seats in Sabah increasing to 32 from 20, while the number of Orang Asal seats remained at 20 and Chinese at 8. There are 60 seats in the Sabah Assembly while this Nation in Borneo has 26 seats including Labuan in the Malaysian Parliament. Besides, the 20 original Muslims seats were held by Usno before the party was deregistered and Umno took its place.
Jeffrey admitted meeting a Sulu claimant last year Usno is determined to wrest back these 20 seats and has indicated it has no interest in the other 12 Muslim-majority seats. PKR, it's known, has been working these 12 state seats besides other Muslim and non-Muslim seats in Sabah. It's not known whether Star will be vying for the said 12 seats since the party, under its Plan Z, had previously said to would, together with Usno, go for all 60 state seats in Sabah and the 26 Parliamentary seats including Labuan. Jeffrey has also admitted in a recent press statement that he did meet in mid last year in Kota Kinabalu with a claimant to the Sulu Sultanship – not Jamalul Kiram III -- who wanted him to attend his coronation in the Philippines. He declined the invitation.
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.
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| NGO Activists & Political Opportunism Posted: 14 Mar 2013 05:15 PM PDT
Dr Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser
Wong Tack's decision to enter the political arena under the DAP banner should be respected. I did the same in 1990 with 25 other civil rights activists. There is however, one important difference. Our then leader Mr Lim Fong Seng was the Chairman of Dong Zong. He was also the de facto leader of the civil rights movement. When we decided to enter the political arena, he resigned his post in Dong Zong forthwith and so did the rest of us from our posts in the civil rights movement.
The point we were making was clear. We would be taking civil rights issues into the political arena but the civil rights movement must go on as before as a non-partisan movement, ready to defend civil rights whichever political coalition is in power. This was our declaration at the "818 Democratic Uprising" on 18 August 1990: "…While we have taken this political road, we would like to reaffirm the important role that pressure groups and NGOs have to play in a democratic society for ultimately, the particular pressure group knows best and will be prepared to fight for the issue at hand. Thus, the women's movement is spearheading the struggle for women's rights, the civil rights movement does the same for our civil rights, the unions champion workers' rights, etc….We hope the community will continue to press for the democratic demands and promote inter-cultural understanding based on mutual respect and common values." (Kua Kia Soong, 'The Malaysian Civil Rights Movement', SIRD 2005: 98)
Any Movement or NGO has to be Non-Partisan Political parties and politicians can twist and turn, come and go but movements such as the workers' movement, women's movement, civil rights movement and the green movement must go on forever. Politicians like to spout the platitude that "politics is the art of the possible" but movements must bear pressure on them to make their demands possible.
Now, before Wong Tack has even started his career as a politician, he is already faced with his first dilemma. The Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim has demonstrated the "art of the possible" by declaring that if PR comes into power, Lynas will be given a chance to prove the plant's safety. This is a far cry from PR's previous declaration that they would close the plant down if they come into power and Wong Tack himself vowing to burn the damned plant down himself!
Wong Tack has since backtracked but we have not heard the stand by the Himpunan Hijau committee. Is it because they are so caught up with the political hoopla they have also stepped down a notch from their previous uncompromising stand? It's time they found their own voice now that their erstwhile chairperson has gone on to pursue his political career.
More Turbulence Ahead for Green Movement The wave of activism and awareness about green issues in recent months has been unprecedented and that is a tribute to Himpunan Hijau's efforts in opposing the noxious Lynas plant at Kuantan. It has linked up to the struggles at Bukit Koman, Pengerang and even the uplands of Sarawak. However, the need for a non-partisan movement is underscored by the political values of both BN and PR to suck up to multi-national corporations and the big developers in their race to see which administration can attract more investors. This is fatal to the green movement. Thus, we see the readiness to compromise with Lynas. Then there will the decision about the other toxic industries to be seduced to take up the excess energy from the mega dams in Sarawak. Will the "art of the possible" also result in PR accommodating these other mega dams?
PR has so far not only failed to tell us their defence policy, they have also not elaborated on a sustainable energy policy apart from withdrawing subsidies to the IPPs. These have grave consequences for the green movement.
Then, instead of waiting for a PR takeover of the federal government before implementing people-centred public transport system in Penang, the state government there has gone ahead and signed the contract for the tunnel project and more highways for the island. They have tried to justify this by saying that they do not want to be a "do nothing" administration. If that is the case, their role model must surely be Dr Mahathir they have ravaged all these years.
Furthermore, the green movement has to take up the issue of gross deforestation by the Kelantan and Kedah state governments besides the abuse of our forest lands by the BN government. The movement can only do its work if it is non-partisan.
And talking about land, the green movement has to bear in mind that the recognition and protection of Orang Asli customary land rights is part of their concern if they are truly committed to a green agenda. While the BN government has been tardy in protecting Orang Asli land rights, PR's Buku Jingga and election manifesto are also silent on the Orang Asli land rights. Meanwhile, the Orang Asli are fighting a court battle against the Kelantan state government over their land rights.
Watch out! The Rich are bankrolling both Coalitions! The root of the problem is, the rich and super-rich are smarter than you think. Ever since the political tsunami of 2008, they have been backing both horses, the BN and PR. Thus, apart from getting their mega projects approved in BN-run states, they are also feted in the PR-run states for both coalitions are committed to neo-liberal policies and bending over backwards to attract investments so that they can boast that they are more "investors-friendly"! The rich are laughing all the way to the bank…
Thus, notice that both coalitions do not have any progressive fiscal policy to finance people-friendly public projects such as housing, health, transport and other social policies. Just look at elections in the developed countries – there contending political parties' fiscal policies are the bone of contention. Parties have to tell us where the revenue is coming from and not fling goodies and freebies at us without justifying where the revenue is coming from. Furthermore, can PR tell us if they are going to buy those Typhoons from BAE costing more than 5 billion ringgit if they come into power? Are we purchasing any more submarines? Can these be cut so that we have more money to spend on education, transport and other public expenditure? How much defence expenditure are they going to cut?
It's amazing – in the most capitalist country in the world, viz. the US, Obama is prepared to tax the rich. Even Warren Buffet, one of the richest people in the US, feels the rich should be taxed at a higher marginal rate than the rest of us. But in our country, the rich carry on as usual, whichever coalition is in power!
SOP for NGO Activists Wong Tack is certainly not the first NGO activist to go into the political arena. Ever since the political tsunami in 2008, many NGO activists have been seduced into the glamorous career in government while other lean and hungry YB wannabes are hopefully biding their time.
I say good luck to them. The only standard operating procedure they should bear in mind is that, when they venture into the political arena, they should resign from their posts in the movement or NGO as a matter of course.
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| My political thoughts during the Hunger Viratham Day Four Posted: 14 Mar 2013 05:07 PM PDT
There are six major proposals in Hindraf's 5 year blueprint. The first 5 are specific to programs and recommendations that directly impact the lives of the Indian poor. The sixth proposal is however universal in its implications to all of Malaysian society and is clearly a proposal that when realized will make Malaysia a mature democracy.
P. Waythamoorthy
This is the fourth day of my Hunger Viratham. Today I have begun limiting my talking. I spend my time in prayers, thinking, writing and resting.
In this third part I will be penning my thoughts on the contributions that Hindraf is making and has made to move Malaysia to be a true democracy.
Part 3
Hindraf is moving Malaysia towards true democracy
There are six major proposals in Hindraf's 5 year blueprint. The first 5 are specific to programs and recommendations that directly impact the lives of the Indian poor. The sixth proposal is however universal in its implications to all of Malaysian society and is clearly a proposal that when realized will make Malaysia a mature democracy.
The sixth proposal in the Blueprint reads:
6. Bringing Human Rights Practice in Malaysia up to International Standards
1) To bring the standard of Malaysian law to be consistent with international human rights law and international humanitarian law by signing and ratifying the following International Covenants of the United Nations and then to adjust the Malaysian laws to be consistent with our commitment to these International laws..
· International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR) · International Covenant on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD)
2) To adopt the guiding principles as set forth in the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement by the United Nations.
The implications of the signing and ratification of these UN Covenants obliges Malaysia to the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination. Parties are obliged to not discriminate on the basis of race, not to sponsor or defend racism, and to prohibit racial discrimination within their jurisdictions. They must also review their laws and policies to ensure that they do not discriminate on the basis of race, and commit to amending or repealing those that do.
This sixth demand in our blueprint is clearly consistent with all the Human Rights work that Hindraf has been doing. These Human Rights legislations are protective laws. Malaysia is a multicultural, multiethnic society and is vulnerable to manipulations of greedy elements within.
Just look at what has happened in our country. An institutionalized racist regime has developed since the inception of the nation. Dr. Benjamin Bowling of School of Law, King's College London defines Institutionalized racism thus: Institutionalised racism is the process by which people from ethnic minorities are systematically discriminated against by a range of public and private bodies. If the result or outcome of established laws, customs or practices is racially discriminatory, then institutional racism can be said to have occurred.
The hallmarks of the institutionalized racist regime in our country are: a) The Federal Constitution basically establishes 2 classes of citizens, vide Article 153, the root of the racist system. b) The State sanctions racist and religious extreme laws and policies c) The State controls the Government Administration through one racial and religious group d) The State channels most funds for economic/education/social development programs and licenses, permits etc., to one race e) The State controls Religious freedom to the disadvantage of non-Muslims, imposes of Muslim religious laws on non- Muslims and extends the jurisdiction of the Syaria Courts onto non-Muslims. f) The State sponsors violence and threats of violence both directly and indirectly (outsourced) on the citizens to create fear among the non-Malay non-Muslims. g) The State sanctions draconian, punitive laws and gives blank cheques to the Police to make arbitrary arrests of dissenters. h) The State explicitly and implicitly declares that the Malays are the masters (Malay Supremacy) and the sons of soil.
All of this is in direct contravention to the stipulations of the International laws. Hindraf in including this into the Blueprint is boldly speaking up for all Malaysians.
The Blueprint document that boldly calls for the establishment of a set of laws that will eliminate racism in our country is categorized as a narrow race-centred document by our detractors. Both BN and Pakatan today are not inclined to open their mouths on these issues now or ever. Yet they can call themselves " Beyond Racial Boundaries" and "1Malaysia" and turn around and brand Hindraf as a racist or an extremist organization.
In addition to these demands in the Blueprint, much of what Hindraf pursues relates to changes that are fundamental in nature. It is our belief that only changes that are fundamental can promote the cause of true democracy. Instead what we get today that which is called change and progress towards more democracy are cosmetic changes, one upmanship changes or just simple face changes. What we need are some fundamental changes like:
These are some of the fundamental changes that Hindraf struggles for. In doing this Hindraf is promoting the cause of a more mature democracy in our country, of a more robust and prosperous Malaysia for all. The reality of Malaysia is it is a multicultural and multiethnic nation. The way forward is more fundamental change consistent with this reality. If all we tinker around with is some nominal change at the fringes we are going to be getting more of the same for years to come. Those that wish to see our demise cast us as a narrow racist organization, inspite of the fcat that we struggle to promote democracy boldly. They use a convoluted definition of racism to cast us thus. We we stand up for the victims of institutionalized racism, and in which book of true learning does that constitute racism. The basis for truth cannot be who can shout louder.
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