Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Bishop: Polls anything but free and fair
- Sedition charge against Sri Muda assemblyman stands
- Step down as PKR state chief, Kamarul told
- Malaysia: Authoritarian Leader Lures Investors With Promise of “Responsible” Dams
- Malaysians among world’s most bigoted, survey shows
- Nik Nazmi charged for Kelana Jaya rally
- MCA may return to cabinet, say NGOs
- Rafizi says Pakatan to press for EC reform ‘in court, in the streets, in Parliament’
| Bishop: Polls anything but free and fair Posted: 16 May 2013 06:29 PM PDT
Bishop Paul Tan explains that while he abstains from partisan politics, he supports electoral watchdog Bersih in its cause for free and fair polls. RK Anand, FMT An outspoken Catholic cleric has cast aspersion on the 13th general election with regard to the battle for Putrajaya being clean and fair. Bishop Paul Tan said this in reference to the report of the Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) and Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS). "IDEAS and CPPS have done an interim report. In it, there is this conclusion: 'GE13 was only partially free and not fair'. I find it difficult to believe that the report could conclude this… "But when it concluded 'only partially free' for the three reasons given that are fraught with irregularities as reported in the said report, the people involved are not objective," he said. "From the multiple examples of irregularities arrived in the report, permit me to use a stronger phrase than that of IDEAS and CPPS: GE13 is anything but transparently 'free and fair'," he added. Tan, who heads the Malacca and Johor diocese, conceded that he could be wrong but stressed that he was morally obliged to speak out at this time because of the immorality practiced before and during GE13. "If I didn't speak up, I would have to answer to my God and my Church," he said. Tan said while he obeyed the Catholic Church's teaching that clerics must not take sides in partisan politics, he noted that the church also taught that clerics must speak out against immoralities and against all that go against human rights. "As a religious person in my role as bishop, I am in a dilemma vis-a-vis to what extent should I allow a certain degree of immorality or infringement against human rights to go on unpunished before denouncing them publicly," he added. For a long time, Tan said, there had not been sufficient action taken against immorality in its widest sense, especially corruption. "Some attempts have been made by related government departments to deal with the matter. In 'grosso modo', it has not been effective. Only a few small fish have been caught, the big fish was left untouched. "The consequence of this 'laissez faire' lifestyle is that it has produced massive corruption, cheating and immoral manipulation of the people to garner votes for one's political party. "Unfortunately, this cuts across the boundaries of all parties. The degree lies in the extent of corruption," he added.
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| Sedition charge against Sri Muda assemblyman stands Posted: 16 May 2013 06:16 PM PDT
Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei has also been implicated in the sand mining corruption scandal (Bernama) - The sedition charge against Sri Muda state assemblyman Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei over alleged blog postings stands. This follows a decision of the Court of Appeal here today to dismiss his appeal to have his sedition charge struck out. Mat Shuhaimi wanted his sedition charge be struck out as he disputed the constitutionality of Section 4(1)© of the Sedition Act 1948, the provision in which he was being charged. A three-member panel led by Justice Datuk Abdul Malik Ishak in their unanimous decision ruled that Section 4(1)© was constitutionally enacted by Parliament. "The section remains a valid enforceable law until today," said Abdul Malik who presided on the panel with Justices Datuk Azhar Mohamed and Datuk Mohd Zawawi Salleh. Justice Abdul Malik ordered Mat Shuhaimi, 45, to appear before the Sessions Court in Shah Alam on June 5 which was set for mention of his sedition case. The panel, however, allowed Mat Shuhaimi's application to stay the trial at the Sessions Court pending his appeal to the Federal Court against today's decision. Justice Abdul Malik had granted the stay order applied by Mat Shuhaimi through his lawyer Edmund Bon and deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud did not object to the application. Mat Shuhaimi, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat assemblyman, was charged in 2011 with posting an allegedly seditious article in his blog, srimuda.blogspot.com on the appointment of Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi as the new Selangor State Secretary. He was accused of committing the offence at Pusat Khidmat Rakyat, Jalan Anggerik Vanilla, Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam on Dec 30, 2010. Mat Shuhaimi can be jailed up to three years or fined up to RM5,000 if found guilty. On April 1, 2011, he filed a notice of motion at the High Court in Shah Alam seeking to have his sedition charge struck out on grounds that the Sedition Act was unconstitutional as it conflicted with Article 10 of the Federal Constitution which guaranteed freedom of speech. On Aug 26, 2011, the High Court in Shah Alam dismissed Mat Shuhaimi's application to strike out his sedition charge. He subsequently lodge an appeal to the Court of Appeal.
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| Step down as PKR state chief, Kamarul told Posted: 16 May 2013 03:57 PM PDT
M Ravi claims that Kamarul won the Teluk Kemang seat because of the excellent service rendered by three assemblymen. Zefry Dahalan, FMT Port Dickson state assemblyman M Ravi has urged Telok Kemang MP Kamarul Baharin Abbas to step down as Negeri Sembilan PKR chairman. He claimed that Kamarul is to be blamed for PKR's defeat in several Negeri Sembilan seats in the just concluded 13th general election. "Kamarul used his power to field candidates as per his wish without consulting with division and grassroots leaders. This is the reason we (PKR) lost many seats, which we should have won. "He must be responsible and must step down as state PKR chairman voluntarily. If he loves the party, it's better to do it now before the 'disease' becomes worse. He should step down from the state chairman post and concentrate on his job as MP for Telok Kemang," he added. Ravi said that Kamarul should make way for young leaders to spearhead the party in Negeri Sembilan. According to Ravi, PKR could have won the state seats of Ampangan, Pilah and Linggi if the party had fielded candidates who worked through various activities including charities and assistance to poor at the respective constituency for the past four years. "These candidates are PKR supreme council member and Seremban PKR deputy chief, Dr Mohamad Rafie Abdul Malek in Ampangan; PKR Kuala Pilah treasurer Kamarul Allaymmy Abdul Kadir in Pilah and Telok Kemang PKR deputy chief Rusli Abdullah in Linggi. "However, Kamarul decided to field 'parachute' candidates including himself in Ampangan, Mohamad Nazaruddin Sabtu in Pilah and Rosman Jonet in Linggi," he added. Kamarul's track record poor Ravi said these three candidates went down to the ground only after the nomination day, and 15 days is not enough for parachute candidates to familiarise themselves with the ground.
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| Malaysia: Authoritarian Leader Lures Investors With Promise of “Responsible” Dams Posted: 16 May 2013 02:19 PM PDT Companies that invest in the Sarawak dams are still exposed to the risk of becoming embroiled in corruption scandals, human rights violations, and conflict. Unfortunately, for some investors, this is not a deterrent. Kirk Herbertson, Southeast Asia Policy Coordinator, International Rivers The Malaysian state of Sarawak is the new star of the global hydropower industry. Located on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, Sarawak is largely unknown around the world. Five years ago, Sarawak's ruler Mr. Abdul Taib Mahmud announced that he will "transform Sarawak into a developed state" by building 12 large dams in the state's remote, tropical forests. He argues that the dams will produce an abundance of cheap electricity, which will attract heavy industry and create jobs. Reuters has called Taib's scheme "staggeringly ambitious," especially since the dams will produce 450% more electricity than Sarawak currently needs. Mr. Taib's scheme has caught the attention of the world's leading hydropower companies. Next week, on May 20-25, Sarawak will host the industry's world congress, which is organized every few years by the International Hydropower Association (IHA). The IHA's mission is to demonstrate that large dams—which are often a source of controversy—can be built in an environmentally and socially responsible way. The IHA is now promoting Sarawak as an example of responsible dam-building that brings profit as well as local development. Sarawak has a dark history of dam building, having completed the disastrous Bakun Dam in 2011 after five decades of delays. The project is widely criticized for displacing 10,000 indigenous people and leaving them in impoverished conditions, while much of its electricity remains unused. However, Mr. Taib says his government has learned lessons from the Bakun Dam and is committed to do a better job on the next 12 dams. IHA is advising the Sarawak government and will showcase its efforts at next week's congress. The Sarawak government will also use the opportunity to reach out to potential investors. Doing business in Sarawak requires buying the favor of Mr. Taib, who has ruled Sarawak since 1981. Corruption is well documented. The government carefully controls the information that reaches the public, and journalists are forbidden from scrutinizing Mr. Taib. This creates serious risks for investors who want to steer clear of corruption and human rights abuses.
The IHA has helped the Sarawak government to make modest improvements in its dams. Yet this has not been enough. To date, IHA's efforts have been largely cosmetic and do not address the real challenges of investing in Mr. Taib's dams. |
| Malaysians among world’s most bigoted, survey shows Posted: 16 May 2013 02:03 PM PDT (TMI) - Malaysians are among the least racially-tolerant people in the world, according to a survey by Swedish economists, who also revealed those from India, Bangladesh and Hong Kong as the most racist. Researchers for the World Values Survey had aimed to determine whether racial tolerance was linked to free-market economics. To gauge a respondent's level of racial tolerance, they posed a simple question. Respondents in more than 80 countries were told to identify whom they would not want as neighbours. One possible answer was "people of a different race". The proportion of people picking this answer from any given country was then used to show the relative tolerance of that society. Up to 29.9 per cent of Malaysians said they would not like living next to a person of a different race, which was approximately the same per centage in Thailand and the Philippines, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, Mali and Zambia. In contrast, only 9.9 per cent of Singaporeans were considered racially intolerant, marking out the republic as among the most open country in the world. The data from the survey by Niclas Berggren and Therese Nilsson was recently mapped by the Washington Post to produce an "atlas of global tolerance". "If we treat this data as indicative of racial tolerance, then we might conclude that people in the bluer countries are the least likely to express racist attitudes, while the people in red countries are the most likely," the Washington Post reported. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysians-among-worlds-most-bigoted-survey-shows/ |
| Nik Nazmi charged for Kelana Jaya rally Posted: 16 May 2013 01:04 PM PDT
The PKR leader was charged at the Sessions Court under the Peaceful Assembly Act for failing to give sufficient notice before holding a rally. G Vinod and K Pragalath,FMT PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad was charged at the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court today, under Section 9 (1) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2011 (PAA), for failing to give the police sufficient notice before holding the rally at the Kelana Jaya Stadium last week. Nik Nazmi is the first person to be charged in relation to the rally as the police are in the midst of questioning others, including speakers at the rally which was called to highlight the alleged electoral fraud. The case was heard before judge Rohana Ayub while the prosecution was done by Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah. Nik Nazmi, who is also Seri Setia state assemblyman, was charged under the PAA for failing to give the police a minimum 10 days notice before holding the rally at the Kelana Jaya Stadium on May 8. If convicted, Nik Nazmi could be fined up to RM10,000, which could disqualify him from public office. Speaking at a press conference later, the PKR leader said that many other leaders who participated in the rally last week may also be charged soon in an attempt to silence the opposition. "In the summonses provided to me last night, there was a sheet that included the names of other Pakatan leaders who gave speeches on the day. "I'm not sure whether they will be charged but that is the signal I'm getting from the statements made by the Selangor police chief (Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah)," he said. Calling it a harassment against Pakatan leaders, Nik Nazmi said that charge was unconstitutional as the Federal Constitution allows Malaysians to assemble peacefully. "All the rallies held by Pakatan were peaceful and patriotic. It shows that we have done no wrong," he said. 'Bad start for IGP, Home Minister' On related matter, Nik Nazmi's defence counsel, Eric Paulsen, said that he would challenge the constitutionality of the PAA in High Court soon. He also alleged that the charge against Nik Nazmi was done in bad faith and was against public policy. "Although the charge only involves a fine but I can see the authorities are trying to turn this into a sort of a traffic offence. "So everytime you don't give proper notice, the person gets fined. I'm sure many other Barisan Nasional supporters hold rallies without giving proper notice but we don't see them getting charged," said Paulsen.
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| MCA may return to cabinet, say NGOs Posted: 16 May 2013 12:22 PM PDT
KLSCAH and Dong Zong say the more crucial question is whether the party can reinvent itself. (FMT) - The exclusion of MCA representatives from the federal cabinet may not be permanent, but the issue is secondary to the question of whether the party can reinvent itself to stay relevant to contemporary politics, according to two NGO leaders. The exclusion of MCA representatives from the federal cabinet may not be permanent, but the issue is secondary to the question of whether the party can reinvent itself to stay relevant to contemporary politics, according to two NGO leaders. Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) chief executive officer Tang Ah Chai and Dong Zong deputy president Chow Siew Hon told FMT the second largest BN component party might make its way back to the government soon, although it has been excluded from the new cabinet unveiled on Wednesday. Tang said MCA's return to the cabinet might happen as soon as it completes party elections slated for the end of the year. He said the new leadership could opt to revoke the pledge made by current president Dr Chua Soi Lek on not accepting any government position. "But the biggest challenge that lies with MCA is they that are without a clear direction," he added. "They hold in hand plenty of resources, for example huge party assets, millions of party members and solid grassroots organisations. But after being hit with the political tsunami in 2008, they appear to have no idea what to do." Chow also said the Chinese might support MCA's return to the cabinet if it could show them that it could reinvent itself. The only two Chinese appointed to the new cabinet are Transparency-International Malaysia chief Paul Low, who is now a minister in the Prime Minister's Department, and Parti Bersatu Sabah's Mary Yap, Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Learning. Tang said Malaysian Chinese seemed to have accepted the reality that they lack representation in the cabinet. "Contrasting with the situation after the 1969 election, when there was a sense of anxiety over the non-appointment of Chinese representative in the cabinet, this time the Chinese community seems okay with it," he said. "That is because the younger generations are embracing diversity and multiracial politics. They are looking out for the authorities to avoid using skin colour as the benchmark for policies. "Besides, there is a perception that MCA failed to perform to a satisfactory level even when they had 10 ministers and deputy ministers before. "They more or less did Umno's bidding. So it makes no difference whether this time they are there or not." Read more at: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/05/17/mca-may-return-to-cabinet-say-ngos/
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| Rafizi says Pakatan to press for EC reform ‘in court, in the streets, in Parliament’ Posted: 16 May 2013 12:20 PM PDT
(TMI) - Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will continue to pressure the government for the Election Commission (EC) to be completely reformed if Malaysia wants to see a clean election the next time around, said PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli. Speaking at a forum on the facts behind PR's win in popular votes for Election 2013 here last night, Rafizi (picture) said the only way was to continuously fight and apply pressure so that the EC will be completely overhauled and replaced with people who are fair and who believe in clean elections. "We need the whole EC to be completely reformed, where the chairman down to all its officers are replaced by new officers that are approved by PR and the public to ensure their impartiality," he said. He said it was only after the EC was fully reformed that re-elections be held for seats that are proven to have irregularities and fraud, especially the 30 marginal seats. He told the audience of several hundreds at Komtar that PKR has already assembled a team to probe electoral fraud into several parliamentary and state seats and once enough evidence was gathered, election petitions would be filed. "We have been told that to file a petition, it would cost up to RM50,000 for each petition per seat and that means the 27 seats we are currently investigating could cost us close to RM1.5 million if we were to file petitions," he said. He said this was why the party has to conduct thorough investigations and scrutinise all irregularities on top of gathering enough resources to file the petitions. |
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