Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Transgenders are born, not made
- Sudah Lah ‘Jib! You Are Just Another Pak Lah!
- Debunking the Myth of a Revolution and the Gen-Y Mindset
- All abuzz over salary hike
- “Malay unity” is Umno’s code to win over PAS, says Singapore daily
- Ex-cop must lodge police report on Gani, says Abu Talib
- PAS-Umno ‘akad nikah’
- Umno assembly - expect the expected?
- Three slaps on DAP's wrist
- DAP working the ground to realise Pakatan’s Sabah, Sarawak dreams
- DAP usaha realisasi “mimpi Pakatan”, gempur Malaysia Timur
- Illegitimacy of elections since 1984
- Former CID chief Fauzi Shaari dies
- Bersih 4.0 ‘guaranteed’ if reform demands unmet, new chairman vows
- Shocking results at Penang DAP polls
- Penang councillors get pay hike
- Anwar cadang gaji ADUN Selangor dipotong
- Selangor ‘showing off’ with pay hike, PAS ulama chief suggests
- PKR stands at the crossroads
- Khalid will survive as MB because he knows Anwar’s secrets, says Utusan
- Jeff Ooi apologises over “kucing kurap” remark after getting earful from Karpal
- Don’t give in to calls to snub the Chinese, Umno leaders told
- Karpal: Criticism fine, but don’t attack party
- "Meditations on the ruins of Bujang Valley"
- Chow warns party against complacency
- DAP mahu PR NS kenalpasti calon MB
| Transgenders are born, not made Posted: 01 Dec 2013 12:38 PM PST
I would at least expect that the editor would have done some background check on this person before publishing such a discriminating article which would give the readers a wrong impression about transgenders in Malaysia. Sharan Suresh, FMT On Nov 29, I came across an article written anonymously in the Malay language which was published on the blogs of Bernama and Astro Awani. The title of the article is "Bekalan ubat murah dorong kegiatan Mak Nyah", which means 'Supply of cheap drugs induces transgender activities'. The content was written based on quotes made by a certain individual named Mohd Khariri Ramli, 36, who was "so called" self-acclaimed an ex-transsexual woman who goes by the name of Erin. I would at least expect that the editor would have done some background check on this person before publishing such a discriminating article which would give the readers a wrong impression about transgenders in Malaysia. Transgenders are born, not formed. They are individuals born with Gender Identity Disorder or Gender Dysphoria. They know for a fact that their gender is the opposite from their anatomical sex. And related psychiatrist, psychologists and medical professionals can back them up. There have been researches done about transgender children and adults over 50 years and the conclusion made is that it is even deeper than hormones and chromosomes, because it is related to the brain since the baby is in the mother's womb. For a fact, most male anatomical babies receive male gender identity, and female anatomical babies receive female gender identity since they are an embryo in their mother's womb. But transgender babies have a female gender imprinted in their brains if their anatomical sex was male, and vice versa for those born with female body and a male brain. Gender is not a binary. It is a spectrum. There is no complete man or woman in this world. Every male have certain female attributes and every female have certain male attributes. They are called sexual characteristics. These characteristics can be adopted developed through surroundings and environment, or it could be inert since birth. Not all birth defects can be identified at birth. You will not know if your baby is deaf, blind, or even autistic until they grow to a certain age. Just the same, you wouldn't know the gender of your baby until he/ she reaches a certain age. And their gender is not based on their anatomical sex (what is between their legs). Your genitals define your anatomy's sex, not your gender. That is why in the growing process, you do not have to teach your baby boy or your baby girl which parent's sex to follow as they grow. They follow their inert instinct which is told to them by their brain, and you cannot reverse that. You can only suppress the person from being their true identity by tormenting them and creating fear and that is what society does to them. But people forgot that the more wrong information about them is published and circulated, the more hate crimes and violence it contributes. People don't need a reason to hate someone, so they have to find a reason, and thanks to publishers like Astro Awani, they get their reason to brutalize and injure transgender people, like Lily who was slashed by a gang of Malay men a few months back in Pahang. A transgender woman who was mute from birth (couldn't speak) and who was living off the streets and also with the little money she got from sex work had been kidnapped by a group of men, molested, raped, stabbed five times at her back and thrown in a river in Setapak few years back. News like this you don't see being published in the media. Why? Why do you pick and choose the news you write about transgenders? Have they caused pain and injury to you? All the pain is being suffered by them since the day they realize their true Gender. There are many transvestites like Erin too in this world. They are men who simply would like to associate with transsexuals to look and be like them, but the fact is they are not them at all. This group of people is not born with Gender Identity Disorder. If anyone calls Erin a Mak Nyah, I challenge them to take him for psychiatrical evaluation from only a non-biased specialist who has experience with transgender individuals. Has Erin firstly been diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder or Gender Dysphoria? If he has, then why did he "reverse" himself since the fact that you cannot reverse gender? If you are going to talk about Islam, what is being practiced here is very hypocritical. I have my reasons to state this. Why? Because first of all, Malaysia is NOT an Islamic country. Malaysia is a Circular Country which is indeed a Muslim majority country. To begin with, the only enactment being implemented in the Syariah Law, which is NOT a legislative law in Malaysia, is the one that says "a man or woman impersonating the other sex for illicit or immoral purposes in public will be fined a minor sum or be put to jail or both". This enactment varies from state to state and is not consistent. So why isn't Islam, a religion that believes in one god, having contradicting methods of practice? Also another thing I would like to point out. The Federal Constitution is the Supreme Law of the federation, but the Syariah Law is only to govern the morality of the Muslims of the country. In this case, why are the non-Muslim transgender affected as well? Post-operative transsexuals who are Hindus are not given Female identity or even name change on their identification cards. Transgenders are accepted and venerated as a higher gender in the Hindu religion, but why are they not being allowed to propagate their religious rights in Malaysia which is allowed in the federal constitution? In Islam, transgenders who are indeed born with Gender Identity Disorder is accepted by the religion and is not counted as a sin. The term mukhannathun describes gender-variant people, usually male-to-female transsexuals. Neither this term nor the equivalent for "eunuch" occurs in the Quran but the term does appear in the Hadith, a secondary text collecting the sayings of Muhammad. Moreover, Islamic tradition endorses using scholarship to elaborate, refine, and extend religious doctrines. Scholar and Hadith collector An-Nawawi so extends doctrine by a passage containing a trans-positive message. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/12/02/transgenders-are-born-not-made/ | ||||
| Sudah Lah ‘Jib! You Are Just Another Pak Lah! Posted: 01 Dec 2013 12:19 PM PST
Mariam is not the first writer to be intimidated by the authorities. She does not need to be reminded of the horrible experiences of Kassim Ahmad, Syed Hussein, and Raja Petra, among others. M. Bakri Musa Sudah lah 'Jib! (You are finished, Najib!) You are just another Pak Lah! Malaysia cannot afford two consecutive incompetent leaders as it enters the 21st Century. The precious and critical first decade is already lost. Najib's latest "Pak Lah moment" came when his Chief of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar, threatened to arrest Mariam Mokhtar for sedition over her article, "One Ideology, Two Reactions," posted on Freemalaysiatoday.com on November 29, 2013. Mariam dared to highlight the highly favorable treatment Aishah Wahab, the woman allegedly held as a slave by her Marxist master in London, received from the Najib Administration versus the visceral contempt it heaped upon Chin Peng, leader of the defunct Malayan Communist Party. Mariam suggested that the Najib Administration's generous gesture to Aishah was more on exploiting the favorable publicity surrounding that London slavery case. "She had better watch out," the Chief warned, "or we will go after her!" The "her" is of course Mariam. Jantan kampung betul! (a real village bull!), as we say in the village when referring to such petty bullies. The Chief of Police should display his manhood where it would really count, as with confronting the Singaporeans spying on Malaysia, those intruders at Lahad Datu, or the alleged treachery with the loss of Pulau Batu Puteh. Those are the real and menacing threats to the nation's security and stability, not the eloquent writing of a young woman! Clearly Najib and his officials are threatened by Mariam's ideas. Najib is stuck in the time warp of the old feudal ways, unable to grasp the new reality of a porous digital age. He and Khalid should be complimenting Mariam for her ability to write well, and in English, as well as her courage to express her views. If Najib and Khalid have a better grasp of English, they would have discovered that Mariam's earlier essay in Malaysiakini.com, "Three Slaves and the Rakyat," on the same case had more punch. In that piece she noted that while the three London women were imprisoned for three decades, Malaysians have been "metaphorically imprisoned for the most part of 56 years," adding that the three women were shackled by "invisible handcuffs," just like Malaysians. "It is doubtful," Mariam continues, "if many Malaysians realize the similarities between themselves and those three women." Now that's powerful stuff, but Najib and Khalid missed Mariam's well-chosen metaphor and imagery! Congratulations Mariam! Your voice is being heard at the highest level, and widely too as judged by the outpouring of comments both articles elicited. Keep writing! I hope the police chief and Najib's other top officials would continue widening their reading repertoire beyond the UMNO newsletters The New Straits Times and Utusan Melayu. Mariam is not the first writer to be intimidated by the authorities. She does not need to be reminded of the horrible experiences of Kassim Ahmad, Syed Hussein, and Raja Petra, among others. I have nothing to offer Mariam except my best wishes, and I wish her that, and much more, as with her continued success in writing. I can however, pass on the advice from that great Indonesian writer, the late Ananta Prameodya Toer, a man who had endured much from his government. "Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit," Pramoedya wrote in Rumah Kaca (The Glasshouse), "tapi selama ia tidak menulis, ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah." (Your intellect may soar to the sky but if you do not write, you will be lost from society and to history." Rest assured that when the collective "invisible handcuff" gets unshackled, as ultimately it will, Malaysians owe a huge debt of gratitude to brave individuals like Mariam Mokhtar. As for that police chief, only his family would remember him, or if remembered by others, he would prefer not to be. Look at his many 'illustrious' predecessors; one jailed for punching Anwar Ibrahim, another a defendant in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit, and a third rewarded by being chairman of a casino. That character apparently gambled right!
Najib's Ultimate Pak Lah Moment Back to Najib's other Pak Lah moments, the supposedly pious and humble Pak Lah squandered millions of taxpayers' funds to renovate Sri Perdana before he deemed it livable. This from a man who only a decade earlier did not even own a house! Najib however, bested Pak Lah on this front. Najib burned over two million ringgit a year just on electricity. When citizens complained, he haughtily defended his wasteful ways by suggesting that his official guests should not have to dine by candle light! He must have the whole United Nations delegates as his guests, and every day too! More likely Najib must have really turned down the thermostat and then had the fireplace roaring to simulate the English ambience of his student days so he could cuddle up to Rosmah. Najib should remember the advice he received from his prime minister father when he (Najib) and his brothers were clamoring for a swimming pool at the old Sri Perdana. "What will people say," Najib quoted his old man as saying in turning down their request. Read more at: http://www.bakrimusa.com/archives/sudah-lah-jib-you-are-just-another-pak-lah | ||||
| Debunking the Myth of a Revolution and the Gen-Y Mindset Posted: 01 Dec 2013 12:04 PM PST
The point is, 1) Revolution doesn't have to be aggressive, 2) It takes a whole lot of time to do, 3) A movement leader is not actually needed, and 4) All these examples are actually reformations happen throughout the time, where we could say it's more like hundreds of reformations pilling up to be a revolution. But what do these have to do with Gen-Y? Abdul Rahman Shah
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| Posted: 01 Dec 2013 11:35 AM PST
I was under the impression that the Opposition was more interested in putting more money into the rakyat's wallet than their own. Then came the salary increase for assemblymen in Selangor. My perception of Opposition politicians is that they are a bunch of frugal people who take buses, fly economy class and stay in three-star hotels when they go out of town for a ceramah. That's the impression I got when I read some of their tweets. Moreover, whenever I attended their ceramah, they were always asking for donations. Philip Golingai, The Star If I was given the opportunity to have my salary increased to RM11,250, I would – in the blink of an eye – shout "sokong" (support). That, according to a report in The Star, will put me (and anyone earning above RM10,000 a month) among the top 4% of Malaysian households and I would have reached the highest 26% tax bracket. That would put me in the same group as the country's CEOs, millionaires and billionaires.  Last Wednesday, Selangor YBs (Yang Berhomat) approved a salary increase that saw the Mentri Besar earning RM29,250 a month from RM14,175 while an assemblyman's pay rose from RM6,000 to RM11,250 a month. My first thought on the issue is that the salaries of assemblymen (except those in the Sarawak assembly) and MPs are too low. A few years ago, I was shocked to discover that an MP's basic salary was RM6,508.59. (With allowances, an MP's salary come up to about RM13,000, including the allowance to hire a driver.) If you are an elected representative of a semi-urban constituency like Penampang, RM6,508.59 is not enough to pay for a wedding, funeral, baby's first month of life celebration ang pows and "emergencies" your constituents encounter. In Penampang, which is my parliamentary constituency in Sabah, a YB is expected to attend all these events, otherwise he'll be branded "sombong" (proud). With that in mind, I'm supportive of a pay hike for elected representative. That's why I was not too excited when Sarawak assemblymen voted in May to increase their salary from RM4,500 to RM15,000. Still, the Selangor move came as a big surprise. My perception of Opposition politicians is that they are a bunch of frugal people who take buses, fly economy class and stay in three-star hotels when they go out of town for a ceramah. That's the impression I got when I read some of their tweets. Moreover, whenever I attended their ceramah, they were always asking for donations. To be fair, there are Opposition politicians who are into luxury such as those who Instagrammed themselves on board of a private jet for a frog hunting expedition in Sabah and Sarawak before GE13. In general, except for the ultra-rich Opposition politicians who smoke RM300 cigars as one would with keretek cigarettes, I thought the Opposition was more interested in putting more money into the rakyat's wallet than their own. It was also a big surprise because I always thought that the Opposition was against salary hikes for elected representatives. Perhaps I had this false impression when the Barisan Nasional government had to withdraw its proposal to increase MPs' salaries and allowances in October 2011. The then Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said he had to withdraw his proposal in Budget 2012 after it was shot down by Opposition bigwigs like PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub. In his typical sarcasm, Nazri said the Opposition leaders should be considerate to their junior MPs who were not as financially independent as them. "Anwar, Azmin, Lim Guan Eng are wealthy men, but they are not taking into consideration their junior MPs who are struggling to pour petrol to visit their areas," he said. This flip-flop is best summarised by Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan's tweet. On Thursday, @mpkotabelud tweeted: "Mdm Speaker, point is your own MPs criticising BN in parliament for proposing the same idea. The stench of hypocrisy is nauseating." His tweet was in reference to the rather "defensive" tweets by Selangor Speaker Hannah Yeoh a day after the salary hike (including hers which was increased from RM6,109.29 to RM22,500). It was quite funny to see a rather uncommon situation on Twitter where the Opposition was in the defence. My favourite tweet was from Stephen Doss. @stephendoss tweeted: "was raising the salaries of PR assemblymen one of the promises in its election manifesto presented before GE13?" Interestingly, I'm not sure whether it was the spillover of the Team Azmin vs Team Khalid fight, when Azmin told Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to reduce the salary hike to a more reasonable quantum. "We do not reject the need for a salary increase, but what was decided on is too high," said Azmin, who is Selangor Pakatan Rakyat Backbenchers Club chairman. A poll survey conducted by The Star Online revealed that most respondents echoed Azmin's opinion. It asked people if the salary should be increased and 44% of the 726 respondents said "it should be but at a reasonable quantum". This was followed by 18.7% who claimed "the representatives were already getting paid enough" while 18.6% said, "yes they deserve every cent they get". The remaining 18.1% said, "the pay did not matter as long as the representatives carried out the tasks assigned to them". The Star Online also received about 215 mostly intelligent comments. My favourite is: "They are there to serve the people. While you do not muzzle the oxen's mouth, you should not allow it to guzzle the owner's (rakyat's) corn either."
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| “Malay unity” is Umno’s code to win over PAS, says Singapore daily Posted: 01 Dec 2013 11:30 AM PST
(TMI) - This week's Umno general assembly will see more calls for PAS and Umno to come together for "Malay unity", a phrase which the Singapore Straits Times today described as "code for trying to win over PAS". The paper reported that such calls from Umno conservatives were to solidify its Malay support, as majority of non-Malays have long abandoned Barisan Nasional. The paper however noted that the open invitation from Umno to PAS to join talks on fostering Malay unity could be a tough call for the Islamic party. It quoted one analyst as saying that spurning the offer from Umno would have negative consequences to PAS. "If PAS does not respond positively to an invitation to hold talks, it implies that PAS as a party does not want Malay unity," said Abdul Ghapa Harun from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. PAS currently holds 21 seats in the Parliament, while PKR has 30 and DAP has 38. BN holds the remaining seats in the 222-seat Parliament. As such, any break-up in the opposition coalition would mean a huge win for Umno, as this secures for the BN a two-third majority in Parliament, the daily added. "The right wing of Umno wants to push for a stronger Malay coalition. So if the party feels it can work with PAS to achieve this, why not?" asked Professor Faisal Hazis of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.
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| Ex-cop must lodge police report on Gani, says Abu Talib Posted: 01 Dec 2013 11:27 AM PST
V. Anbalagan, TMI A former police detective will not see any investigation into his allegations of wrongdoings by the Attorney General unless a police report is lodged, a former top government lawyer said when commenting on the explosive claims. Former AG Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman said that retired Kuala Lumpur CID director Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim must lodge a police report if he has evidence of criminal wrongdoings by Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail (pic, left). "He was a senior police officer and must have evidence against Gani (the current AG) before making a report and stand by what he alleges. "I am saying this not in support of Gani but to protect the public office of the AG," he told The Malaysian Insider. He was responding to Mat Zain's insistence that police could investigate Gani based on the contents of his statutory declaration (SD) without lodging a police report. Mat Zain drew attention to Sections 107 and 107A of the Criminal Procedure Code related to information given to the police and their powers to investigate. He refused to comment further but said "more will be revealed in due time".
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| Posted: 01 Dec 2013 11:21 AM PST The time is ripe for Umno and PAS to close ranks and 'marry' for the sake of Islam and in the name of Muslim brotherhood; it will be a union made in the heavens. Narinder Singh, FMT The mating game is played by birds, bees and many others from the animal kingdom. Some go to extreme lengths to execute bizarre courtships, exhibiting rare moves and character to attract the opposing mate. In similarity, political parties are not far off the mark of playing mating games; and the best analogue is Umno and PAS. There has been bad blood between the two leading Malay centric parties and representative of the majority Muslims collectively, but there have been some dancing opportunities explored lately. PAS has always claimed to be more Islam than Umno as their core values have been for long gyrating around the religious nucleus. They have vehemently championed hudud laws and syariah way of lifestyle. According to PAS, those who oppose them may well be ticketing themselves to the gates of hell come judgment day. Since the divorce between PAS and Umno decades ago, reconciliation has taken a back seat until the recent two past general elections. Wings have flared and the great walls between PAS and Umno are witnessing some porosity on the lines of Islam. In the just concluded PAS polls, there was a sudden change of hearts and tone in the closing remarks by their leaders. They extended an olive branch to Umno, something not extremely extraordinary in the name of Islamic brotherhood but could be construed as giving a small jolt to their other allies in Pakatan Rakyat. There is no doubt that Umno and PAS have only one thing common and that is Islam. There cannot be two types of Islam in a country that has only about 18 million Muslim who are citizens. Can a common aspiration to uphold Islam be the binding factor between PAS and Umno soon? Lately there have been clarion calls from both that it is time to close ranks and bury the hatchet that has caused a prolonged and continuous rift between them. The trend is indeed leaning quite significantly towards a 'muzakarah', thus fueling speculations that soon Malaysia will have syariah laws implemented since the majority are Muslims. And rightfully too in the eye of many Muslim scholars and experts that since the government has declared Malaysia as an Islamic nation, there is no big deal in stamping it further. Though the Federal Constitution states Islam as the official religion currently, whilst others can practice their own faiths, there is no prohibition to amend it to "Malaysia is an Islamic country" if there are two thirds majority agreeing for it in Parliament.
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| Umno assembly - expect the expected? Posted: 01 Dec 2013 08:30 AM PST
Needless to say, the "Malay agenda" will surely come into play prominently at the assembly. Umno will remind all and sundry that the party "must be strong" (hence must be supported) to ensure the Malays are not "slaves in their own country". Also on the need for Malays to be united. Mohsin Abdullah, fz.com WILL the Umno general assembly be "mundane" and "boring"? Now that the general election and party polls are over. Yes to some. No to others. So if "no" is the answer then what will the assembly's agenda be? Just what is the focus? Top Umno vice-president (according to the number of votes obtained at the Umno polls last month) Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi somehow did not respond when asked via SMS about the assembly agenda. So too secretary-general Datuk Tengku Adnan Mansor. Even regular contacts at the Umno HQ are keeping mum this time. Perhaps they were (and are still) busy preparing for the assembly scheduled to kick off tomorrow with the opening of Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings by the deputy president. The assembly proper will take place Thursday. With no Umno official version forthcoming, it is left to political pundits, observers and commentators (including yours truly) to say what they expect the assembly to focus on. With no crystal ball at hand (who needs one anyway), many see lots of back-slapping and self-congratulatory for the party's achievement in GE13. Expect also lots of Pakatan Rakyat bashing - the DAP for being "anti-Islam, anti-Malay," PKR for "abetting the DAP agenda" and PAS for "being led by the nose by the DAP and PKR". Already former party president Tun Mahathir Mohamad is seen as showing delegates the way by saying in Mingguan Malaysia that "PAS will never lead Malaysia even if Pakatan captures Putrajaya as it will be a junior partner and a puppet of the DAP." And the "best attack" at the assembly will be reserved surely for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. In between, delegates can be "counted on" to give the "ungrateful" Chinese an earful, to put it mildly. But even Umno-linked newspaper Berita Harian has deemed it fit to advise party leaders not "to demonise the Chinese" or risk losing Chinese support forever. The newspaper's former group editor Datuk Mior Kamarul Shahid, still given the responsibility of writing its editorial, expects delegates to push the leadership to come up with a stern stand "whether to continue working with the Chinese or to abandon them for supporting the opposition in GE13". Needless to say, the "Malay agenda" will surely come into play prominently at the assembly. Umno will remind all and sundry that the party "must be strong" (hence must be supported) to ensure the Malays are not "slaves in their own country". Also on the need for Malays to be united. Speaking of which, the onslaught on PAS can be expected to be toned down. Effort for an Umno-PAS muzakarah will be highlighted for the "sake of Islam and its ummah". So too the recent meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yaakob. Incidentally, former Kelantan MB Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat was said to have described the meeting as "unexpected," going on to say (as quoted by Malay daily Sinar Harian) that throughout the 20 years he was MB, an official meeting such as that was never organised. And a point to note also – Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng being "baffled" that his requests since June to meet Najib in his capacity as CM has fallen on deaf ears. With Najib meeting Ahmad "easily," Lim can't help but ask if the PM "is playing the racial card?" Meanwhile, sources quoting several Umno division leaders said religious issue will take centre stage. "Yes, the proposed muzakarah will be brought up by the delegates as they want to know more. Also, things viewed as threats against Islam, the Syiah issue and cult culture," said the source, adding that "the Umno transformation, especially the successful new election, will be aired. Also GST perhaps". By the way, fz.com's application for media passes to cover the assembly has been rejected by Umno HQ. Meaning, our journalists are not allowed access to the convention halls, the media centre or attend the official press conferences by the party president and his deputy. But rest assured, we will cover the assembly. As the idiom goes, "there are many ways to skin a cat". As to why we are not given media passes, only Allah knows. Now before anybody gets excited, I am a Muslim and I am allowed to use the word "Allah".
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| Posted: 01 Dec 2013 08:21 AM PST
KTemoc Konsiders Time for me to criticize my fave political party wakakaka, yes, a bit of yang and yin to my lambasting of politicians. This time it is DAP who will be receiving a slap on their wrists from their supporter, kaytee, wakakaka.  There is a saying that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. We know that BN component parties, especially UMNO, have reached the latter stage, that of absolute corruption. I fear that unless we supporters of DAP give those DAP politicians, especially the ones in power, those in Penang and Selangor a kick in their bloody arse from time to time, they might unconsciously and unwittingly drift towards, and be susceptible to the first level of corruption which comes with a taste of nascent power. I'm not suggesting that the list of my dissatisfaction with DAP has anything to do with corruption, but it has given me much disquiet. Okay then, first slap on wrist - The current issue of Jeff Ooi's regrettable 'kucing kurap' has troubled me greatly, more so because I have supported Jeff in his odyssey from blogger to DAP MP. Jeff has been the person who inspired me to become a blogger, and someone I consider as a friend.
I am not entirely blind to his 'weakness' wakakaka, where I know he likes, nay, loves to tweak others' noses and would really 'push' their envelope of tolerance to his insults and/or sarcasms. With his rather acerbic mouth, wakakaka, sometimes his antics have not been commendable, such as the 'kucing kurap' insult at civil servants. It shows a lamentable arrogance and disrespect to those public servants. When his own party leaders started squirming at his faux pas, he should have taken note of their discomfort instead of defiantly saying he won't apologize. I have to say it has been Anwar Ibrahim who, while criticizing him for using the naughty phrase, also gave him a way out, by suggesting that Jeff might not have realized the severity of the insult due to lack of awareness of Malay cultural nuances. Anwar even went to the extent of giving an example of this cultural misunderstanding by confessing he had once misused a Hokkien word which he subsequently was made aware that the word was a no-no. I believe Anwar has been extraordinarily gracious in providing Jeff a face-saving way out, an excuse to apologize.
Though Jeff has apologized for that silliness, I'm not all that happy with him for what I see as his rather stubborn and silly defiance in grudgingly and ungraciously asserting he had apologized only because of Karpal Singh. He stated: "I will not retract or apologise but when Karpal Singh tells me to do so, I will follow." "I can't retract as it has already been uttered. I sincerely apologise if it hurt the people's feelings. Thank you very much." One should apologize for one's mistake and not because Bhai told one to do so. If that's the case then it's not an apology at all but only a favour or mark of respect or obedience to Bhai. I hope Jeff will consider my advice as from a sincere friend and loyal supporter, that he should apologize sincerely and full-heartedly. Second slap on wrist - Recently there was a brouhaha about Lim GE's official visit to Xiamen and Hainan, China, in early November to boost trade and bilateral ties. The criticism was that some wives, including his, accompanied members of his entourage.
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| DAP working the ground to realise Pakatan’s Sabah, Sarawak dreams Posted: 01 Dec 2013 08:08 AM PST
Another risk, said Faisal, was that DAP could scare off more Malay and Melanau voters, Sarawak's third largest ethnic community, by going into the rural areas alone. "Before the 2011 state elections, there was a decrease in support among Malays towards BN," says Faisal. But when DAP dominated the urban areas in 2011 and was perceived as being a Chinese party, support dropped. Sheridan Mahavera, TMI Instead of handing out flyers, holding ceramah and spewing propaganda against the ruling Barisan Nasional, DAP is now trying a different tack to win the hearts and minds of voters in rural Sabah and Sarawak. It is on a building spree. Not highways or electricity grids. But small water systems, (kindergartens and micro-hydro projects) that help improve the lives of remote villages somehow overlooked by BN. The new venture, called Impian Sabah and Impian Sarawak respectively, aims to break the psychological hold BN has over rural Sabah and Sarawak folk. It is an approach to show that DAP or any opposition party is not the demon that it is made out to be. By making a real difference in the lives of rural Sabahans and Sarawakians, said DAP assemblyperson for Kapayan Edwin @ Jack Bosi, the party hoped to convince them that it was a party of action and not rhetoric. But a Sarawak-based academic pointed out the DAP risked playing the same patronage game that Sarawak and Sabah BN had mastered. In the end, its successes could be used against the party in an election. Building rural and deepening urban networks This is the brainchild of DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang after the party and its allies in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) failed to make as much inroads as they had hoped to in the two states in the 13th General Election. Lim, who is now party parliamentary leader, said the coalition has to redouble its efforts to penetrate the rural areas of Sarawak and Sabah. "Although Sabah is among the richest states in terms of natural resources, it still has the highest poverty rate in the country. Until 2010, 43% of households in Sabah had no access to clean water and 20% did not have electricity." The campaign involves identifying villages that need and are willing to allow volunteers come in to provide assistance, said party rural outreach coordinator Tam Kar Lye. "We identify what they really need like water or electricity and then we do a proposal for the project. After that, we source for funds from either the public or corporate sponsors." It has built gravity feed-water systems in two villages in Sarawak since September. For the Impian Sabah initiative that was launched on November 27, it is also going to build a gravity feed-water system in a village in Kota Marudu and in Tenom. The initiative relies entirely on volunteers. Not just party activists but non-party people who want to give back to society. These are people like Zi Xiyang, who got tired of being a keyboard activist and a few months ago, plunged into the wilds of Sarawak to build a gravity feed water-system in a remote Bidayuh village near Bengoh. "The villagers did not even get compensation after they were moved out to make way for a dam. They lost their native customary rights lands. "We built ties with the villagers and now, some of the volunteers are helping to organise a fund drive to help them build a community hall," said the 28-year-old. Zi is still not a DAP member. But the goodwill that comes out of participating ensures that programme helps the party continue to deepen its appeal among urban youth like him. To date, DAP has registered 300 volunteers for these projects. Can't fight fire with fire But the initiative is also fraught with risks, said Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) political scientist Dr Faisal Syam Hazis. He said DAP risks perpetuating the patronage politics of Sarawak BN that has kept the ruling coalition in control of rural Sarawak. "It is the type of politics that BN is very good at and for which it has unlimited amounts of money. Once they catch on, they will go in and splash more money and projects and say that they are better at serving the people than DAP." That has occurred, admits DAP publicity chief Tony Pua. In Impian Sarawak's third project, the state government came in to finish a water supply system the DAP was building in a village in Betong. "But it is (state government's involvement) a good thing, because it spurred the state government to do what it was supposed to in the first place," said Pua. Another risk, said Faisal, was that DAP could scare off more Malay and Melanau voters, Sarawak's third largest ethnic community, by going into the rural areas alone. "Before the 2011 state elections, there was a decrease in support among Malays towards BN," says Faisal. But when DAP dominated the urban areas in 2011 and was perceived as being a Chinese party, support dropped. "In the 2013 general election, support for BN among Malay-Melanaus was at 80%."
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| DAP usaha realisasi “mimpi Pakatan”, gempur Malaysia Timur Posted: 01 Dec 2013 08:03 AM PST
Pakar sains politik dari Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Dr Faisal Syam Hazis, berkata inisiatif tersebut juga mempunyai risiko kerana DAP dikhuatiri meneruskan politik naungan yang memastikan BN Sarawak terus berkuasa di kawasan pedalaman. Sheridan Mahavera, TMI Setelah hanya memenangi segelintir daripada kerusi yang disasarkannya di Sabah dan Sarawak, kini parti DAP memulakan satu inisiatif baru untuk memenangi hati penduduk di pedalaman Malaysia Timur. Tidak lagi dengan hanya berceramah dan mengutuk kepimpinan Barisan Naisonal (BN), DAP kini bertungkus-lumus membawa projek pembangunan di kampung-kampung terpencil yang terlepas pandang oleh kerajaan negeri BN. Projek kecil ini, seperti sistem bekalan air berasaskan graviti dan penjana elektrik mikro hidro, bertujuan meningkatkan kualiti hidup kampung-kampung tersebut. Inisiatif yang dinamakan Impian Sabah dan Impian Sarawak itu juga bertujuan memecah kekangan psikologi BN terhadap orang kampung di Sabah dan Sarawak. Ia memberi peluang kepada DAP untuk memberi sentuhan peribadi kepada penduduk pedalaman bagi membuktikan parti itu atau parti pembangkang lain, bukan petualang seperti yang dimomok BN. Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Kapaya, Edwin @ Jack Bosi, berkata dengan memberi kesan terhadap kehidupan orang kampung Sabah dan Sarawak, DAP mahu meyakinkan mereka yang ia parti yang mampu berkhidmat dan bukan sahaja pandai bercakap. Bagaimanapun, seorang ahli akademik Sarawak berkata, inisiatif tersebut berisiko dan boleh makan diri sendiri kerana ia mirip pendekatan politik BN, iaitu politik naungan. Di dalam permainan politik naungan, hanya parti yang paling berkuasa dan kaya akan muncul juara. Membina jaringan di masyarakat bandar dan luar bandar Kedua-dia inisiatif tersebut diilhamkan oleh pemimpin veteran DAP, Lim Kit Siang selepas parti itu dan gagasan Pakatan Rakyat gagal mencapai sasaran mereka di dalam kawasan pendalaman pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13). Lim, yang sekarang merupakan Ketua Parlimen DAP, berkata PR harus melipat gandakan usaha untuk menembusi kawasan pedalaman di Malaysia Timur. "Walaupun Sabah adalah antara negeri yang terkaya daripada segi sumber alamnya, ia juga mempunyai kadar kemiskinan tertinggi di Malaysia. "Sehingga 2010, 43% daripada isi rumah di Sabah tidak mempunyai bekalan air mentah atau air terawat. Sebanyak 20% tidak ada bekalan elektrik," katanya. Dalam inisiatif tersebut, satu pasukan akan turun ke bawah untuk mengenal pasti kampung-kampung yang mempunyai masalah kritikal. Penyelaras perhubungan luar bandar DAP, Tam Kar Lye, berkata kampung tersebut juga mesti terbuka terhadap pertolongan daripada DAP dan kemasukan orang luar yang akan melaksanakan projek itu. "Kami mengenal pasti apa keperluan mereka yang kritikal seperti bekalan air atau elektrik. Kemudian sebuah kertas cadangan akan dihasilkan sebelum kita cari dana bagi projek tersebut. "Dana dikutip daripada sumbangan awam dan penaja korporat," kata Tam.
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| Illegitimacy of elections since 1984 Posted: 01 Dec 2013 07:53 AM PST
The three delineation exercises were carried out in 1984, 1994 and 2003. As these were carried out in violation of the direction of law as contained in schedule 13 of the Constitution, it follows that all the seven (7) General Elections since 1984, i.e. in 1986, 1990, 1995, 1999, 2004, 2008 and 2013 which were conducted based on the three unconstitutional delineation exercises, are also unlawful and as such void. Ravinder Singh, The Malay Mail In his speech at the 26th convocation of Universiti Utara Malaysia His Royal Highness the Yang Di Pertuan Agung expressed his concern about people challenging the laws of the country, including the Federal Constitution. He is reported to have said "The people should always respect and uphold the law."
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| Former CID chief Fauzi Shaari dies Posted: 30 Nov 2013 10:58 PM PST
(TMI) - Former Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief and PAS election candidate Datuk Fauzi Shaari passed away tonight in Kuala Lumpur from kidney and liver disease. He died at the Hospital Selayang in the city at 8.17pm. "It is confirmed that Datuk Fauzi has died," a PAS member told The Malaysian Insider. Fauzi was one of a few senior uniformed officers to join PAS before the 13th general election and was the party's candidate for the Larut parliamentary seat in Perak.
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| Bersih 4.0 ‘guaranteed’ if reform demands unmet, new chairman vows Posted: 30 Nov 2013 10:53 PM PST
(MM) - As the list of unmet demands continued piling up, newly-appointed Bersih chairman Maria Chin Abdullah warned that another mammoth street rally was "guaranteed" if the Election Commission (EC) did not deliver the electoral reforms sought. Already dubbing it "Bersih 4.0" after the series of street rallies that first took place in 2007, Maria Chin rattled off a list that has since grown from the original demands for free and fair elections the polls watchdog had started with in 2011.
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| Shocking results at Penang DAP polls Posted: 30 Nov 2013 10:43 PM PST Incumbent state secretary Ng Wei Aik and national deputy secretary-general Chong Eng fail to get elected into the 15-person state committee. Athi Shankar, FMT Penang DAP polls today produced shocking results when incumbent state secretary Ng Wei Aik and national deputy secretary-general Chong Eng failed to get elected into the 15-person state committee. Tanjung MP Ng, also the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's political secretary, could only garner 267 votes from the 675 delegates who cast their ballots at the party state ordinary convention held at George Town City hotel. Pakatan Rakyat government executive councillor and Padang Lalang state representative Chong Eng only got 202 votes. Seri Delima assemblyman and incumbent committee member RSN Rayer also failed to make the cut, getting only 289 votes in another surprise result. Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi Chuan Aun, who made headlines recently with his infamous "kucing kurap" remark, could only secure 120 votes. Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow proved to be most popular leader among the delegates when he come tops with 621 votes, 146 more than runners-up Jagdeep Singh, who got 475 votes. Chow, as usual showing humility and composure, was moved by the strong support from the delegates. But he also knew that the delegates have given him a mandate to lead the party to greater heights in Penang.
"I'm humbled by the overwhelming support. "But with greater mandate comes greater responsibility to lead the party to victory," Chow told newsmen after the polls results were announced. Incumbent vice-chairman Lim Hock Seng finished third with 372 votes, followed by Guan Eng's blue-eyed boy and Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari (362), Lim Hui Ying (361), Teh Yee Cheu (358), Phee Boon Poh and Yeoh Soon Hin (both 336). Deputy Chief Minister II and party national deputy secretary-general P Ramasamy secured 331 votes to finish ninth, ahead of Koay Teng Hai (330), Wong Hon Wai (323), Gooi Seong Kin (314), Harvindar Singh (314), A Tanasekharan (306) and Teh Lai Heng (297). A total 675 votes cast, with 661 valid votes and 14 spoilt.
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| Penang councillors get pay hike Posted: 30 Nov 2013 10:41 PM PST The allowance adjustment will take place when the current councillors' term of office ends this month. Athi Shankar, FMT Following elected lawmakers, now municipal councillors in Penang will enjoy a 100% hike in their salaries from next year. State executive councillor in charge of local government Chow Kon Yeow said that the Pakatan Rakyat state government was in the process of formulating new salary structure for councillors in both island and mainland municipalities. "The allowance adjustment will take place when the current councillors' term of office ends this month," said Chow, the Penang DAP chairman, in his winding-up speech during debate at the Penang DAP ordinary convention here today. Currently councillors get RM700 monthly allowance besides RM60 per meeting for maximum 10 meetings. Last Friday, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng told the legislative assembly that the elected state assemblymen and women would enjoy an increase of nearly 46% in their monthly allowances from January. The elected representatives' current pay of RM4112.79 will be raised to RM6,000. The Opposition Leader's allowance has also increased from current RM1,000 to RM2,000. Lim made the announcement when he unveiled the state budget for 2014 at a state assembly session.
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| Anwar cadang gaji ADUN Selangor dipotong Posted: 30 Nov 2013 03:39 PM PST
(UM) - Selepas dikritik pelbagai pihak berhubung kenaikan gaji dan elaun Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Selangor yang dilihat terlalu tinggi, Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hari ini mencadangkan supaya Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim memotong kenaikan tersebut. Katanya, cadangan itu dibuat memandangkan kenaikan berkenaan telah diluluskan di peringkat Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dan pemotongan tersebut merupakan antara mekanisme terbaik yang boleh dilakukan setakat ini. Bagaimanapun tegasnya, pemotongan itu hanya akan melibatkan ADUN-ADUN dari Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) yang akan diputuskan dalam mesyuarat parti minggu hadapan. "Saya telah mencadangkan kepada Menteri Besar supaya dipotong RM1,000 atau 20 peratus dari jumlah kenaikan itu dan disalurkan kepada Tabung Pendidikan negeri. "Melalui perbincangan awal ini, Abdul Khalid menunjukkan persetujuan, namun kita akan mengadakan perbincangan lanjut terhadap isu ini dalam menentukan mekanisme terbaik yang boleh digunakan," katanya. Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan Pusat Dialisis CAT Kerajaan Negeri di Pasar Awam Balik Pulau di sini hari ini. Anwar dalam pada itu menambah, cadangan pemotongan berkenaan buat masa ini tidak melibatkan ADUN-ADUN lain dalam pakatan pembangkang iaitu Pas dan DAP. "Kita mulakan dengan ADUN PKR dan selepas ini perbincangan lanjut akan diadakan bersama pimpinan Pas serta DAP," jelasnya. Rabu lalu, Sidang DUN Selangor meluluskan kenaikan gaji kesemua 56 ADUN di negeri itu berkuat kuasa 1 Januari depan dengan Timbalan Speaker DUN bakal menerima kenaikan tertinggi iaitu sebanyak 373.3 peratus. Selain Anwar, Timbalan Presiden PKR yang juga ADUN Bukit Antarabangsa, Azmin Ali turut menyuarakan pandangan sama dan meminta supaya kenaikan itu dinilai semula. | ||||
| Selangor ‘showing off’ with pay hike, PAS ulama chief suggests Posted: 30 Nov 2013 03:32 PM PST
(MM) - As criticism continued to pour in over Selangor's generous pay raises for its lawmakers and administrators, PAS ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib has labelled the state government's move as "showing off". But the head of the Islamist party's cleric conceded that the decision, which will see some in the Selangor state assembly take home 300 per cent more in salaries before allowances, was not wrong if the government had excess in funds.
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| Posted: 30 Nov 2013 03:27 PM PST
The recent call for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to go for the PKR presidency is loaded with political implications for the party election taking place in a few months' time. Joceline Tan, The Star TIMING is so important in politics and the Selangor Mentri Besar's timing has been way out. Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is still battling the political storm kicked up by the sensational jump in salaries for the Selangor assemblymen. It could not have come at a worse time for him. Khalid's own party leaders have publicly criticised his state budget over the last few weeks and there have even been furtive moves to replace him as Mentri Besar (MB). The pay increase for some of the office-bearers is so huge that those on his team have been left struggling to justify it. Some of the main beneficiaries, instead of offering a rational argument, resorted to taking potshots about private jets and diamonds. It was the most unprofessional way to deflect calls for an explanation. The one that took the cake was Khalid saying that the pay hike for the Sarawak representatives was much more. It was quite bizarre that Pakatan Rakyat, which has condemned everything about the Sarawak government, was now using it as a benchmark. Khalid is on shaky ground and, this time, he has largely himself to blame. His party boss Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is said to have received lots of text messages asking him to step in and do something. As the ketua umum or principal leader, Anwar has wide-ranging say on party matters. But he is unlikely to do anything radical with the PKR election just another three months' away. Besides, Anwar has problems of his own. The appeal on his sodomy case is coming up and he is under pressure to end his days as the ketua umum. Last Sunday was the party's special congress to amend the PKR constitution to enable it to function more effectively. But the buzz coming from the congress was not over the amendments but the surprise call by one of the speakers for Anwar to contest the presidency of PKR. The person making the call was Batu Caves assemblyman Amirudin Shari who is a loyalist of deputy president Azmin Ali. Azmin is also the Selangor PKR chairman and Gombak division chief. Amirudin, on the other hand, is the party secretary in Selangor and deputy Gombak chief. It was as good as Azmin himself saying it. Anwar may or may not have seen that coming but it was the sitting president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail who was caught blind-sided. It could not have been too comfortable for her to sit up there and listen to calls for her husband to take over from her. As expected, he side-stepped the matter when he made his winding-up speech at the end of the congress. It was classic Malay politics at play and was a masterful move. Azmin had cast one stone and struck four objectives. The first objective was to do away with the ketua umum post. The chain of command in the party has become rather confusing with a ketua umum and a president up there who are husband and wife. "We are never sure whether a decision comes from the president or ketua umum. When things go wrong, he says I am just the advisor but his advice is like an order. It was okay in the beginning but our party is growing and there is no place for a ketua umum in a democratic party. It's time for Anwar to move up," said a Youth wing leader from Johor. The father, mother and daughter configuration has also become an issue. "We cannot stand this papa and mama thing anymore. All roads lead to Anwar after passing through Kak Wan, and that causes problems," said a Selangor leader. The second objective was to signal to Dr Wan Azizah that it is time to move on, and what better way to say it than to suggest that her husband take over. Next year will be the 14th year with Kak Wan, as she is known to all, at the top and the Azmin faction thinks that it is timely for her to make way. Many in the party were quite content to have her as president while her ketua umum husband called the shots. But everything changed when she also started flexing her muscles on major party matters. She has been accused of using her presidential clout to get Khalid reappointed as Selangor MB without going through the party process. Kak Wan and Azmin have a civil relationship but it is very formal and does not extend beyond the party. They are not on a "I phone you, you phone me level". But Azmin would be able to do that with Anwar because their ties go back a long way. The third objective was to checkmate Nurul Izzah. If Anwar is the president, Nurul Izzah would have to stay put as vice-president. The party would become a laughing stock if papa is president and daughter is deputy president. Nurul Izzah is very ambitious. She would have contested the deputy president post in the last party polls if her father had not put his foot down. Since then, she has been toying with the idea of going for the presidency. Her rivalry with Azmin goes down to a very personal level and she wants to stop him at all cost. But most people in the party think that she is no match for him – yet. She is only 33 and her learning curve has not been as sharp as it should be. She defeated two big-guns from Umno in Lembah Pantai largely on the strength of her family name and personal charisma. She is very popular in the party but even her fans admit that while her charisma is 10/10, her intellect and grasp of issues is only 6/10. She shines on the ceramah stage but has not impressed many in Parliament. She still has some growing up to do because, as the above Johor Youth leader put it, "the future president is more than just being binti Anwar". "I'm in this party because I believe in something. I did not join to keep the family up there. We're sending the wrong message to the public. We say we are the new politics but we put up with nepotism," said the Youth leader. The fourth objective was Azmin's camp testing the waters to see if Anwar is interested in the presidency. If he is, then they will support him 100%. If he is not, they will push their man to go for it. "I don't know about camps but the party needs Anwar to be up there. The ketua umum post was a stop gap measure decided at the Seremban congress because the ROS (Registrar of Societies) did not let him contest for president. It's time to reverse the Seremban decision," said supreme council member Fariz Musa. Azmin, despite his ambitions, is actually quite a cautious politician. But he has been pushed to the wall and he is fighting for survival. He has used the special congress to spark off discussion about who should be the next president of PKR. He is challenging what used to be a taboo subject – questioning Dr Wan Azizah's claim to the top post. Nepotism Shortly after the general election, he came out in the open on the "N word", namely the awkward issue of nepotism in the party. He had mentioned it in the context of the way Dr Wan Azizah had endorsed Khalid for the MB post without consulting the Selangor PKR body. He did not mention names but it was like he had unlocked a secret door and many of the younger members are now talking about it. He is beginning to emerge from under the shadow of his mentor and starting to take political risks. Azmin's problem in recent years is that he has been unsure whether Anwar is still 100% with him. He felt that Anwar let him down over the MB appointment and he can see Anwar cultivating new faces in the party. For instance, academic expert on Constitutional law Dr Aziz Bari was for a while seen as a potential MB candidate. Anwar had wanted Dr Aziz to contest a state seat but he ran into some trouble with the Palace for his comments on a religious matter. Khalid tried but failed to bring him to meet the Sultan to resolve things and Dr Aziz eventually contested and lost in the Sabak Bernam parliamentary seat. Anwar is always on the lookout for professional and moderate Malays to bring pulling power to the party and minimise the impact of DAP. A party insider said that the new Ijok assemblyman, Dr Idris Ahmad, is also a potential MB and that Azmin cannot take things for granted. "It signals his desire to give PKR a different image, not just the one displayed by Azmin and gang," said the insider. But Anwar aside, very few can match Azmin in terms of grassroots support and organisation at this point in time. He has his people everywhere and they are real politicians in contrast to the wishy-washy NGO types who talk a lot and do little. Selangor and Sabah are the two biggest states for PKR. They can make or break a candidate. But with the Sabah side in shambles, the leading state is now Selangor where Azmin is king of the hill. Kota Raja in Selangor is also the biggest division or cabang in the entire country. It has more than 11,000 members, about half of whom comprise the Youth wing. It is one of those king-maker divisions and most candidates want to be carried by Kota Raja. In the 2010 party polls, those vying for the top Youth post made a beeline for Kota Raja to seek the endorsement of its Youth chief Azmizam Zaman Huri who is also the Selangor Youth chief and a loyalist of Azmin. The question from now until the party congress in March is whether Anwar will go for the presidency. It is his for the asking but some have suggested that he does not relish being tied down with presidential chores. Being ketua umum suited him beautifully – the post did not have much responsibility but carried lots of power. "What we don't want is a contest for the president post because it will be difficult for us on the ground," said deputy secretary-general Steven Choong. If Anwar declines, it will likely be a fight between Dr Wan Azizah and Azmin. One is his wife and the other is like his kid brother, and they have stood by him through his ups and downs. Life for the ketua umum is about to get more interesting than that of the Selangor MB.
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| Khalid will survive as MB because he knows Anwar’s secrets, says Utusan Posted: 30 Nov 2013 03:21 PM PST
(TMI) - Despite mounting criticism from party colleagues, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim (pic) will keep his job as he knows too many secrets of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, said Utusan Malaysia. "Khalid would remain as menteri besar. His influence is getting stronger and according to rumours, he's no longer afraid of Anwar," said Awang Selamat, the Umno mouthpiece's pseudonym for its editors, in the paper's weekend edition, "Mingguan Malaysia". Last month, talks were rife that Parti Keadilan Rakyat wanted its deputy president, Azmin Ali, to replace Khalid as menteri besar, as members were unhappy with Khalid's way of running the state. "It's all right. I'm not bothered by such rumours. I come from the corporate sector and the bottom line is to deliver," Khalid had responded. Khalid again was criticised by Anwar following the recent salary hike for Selangor assemblymen and executive councillors. Saying Anwar favoured Azmin and that there was an internal feud between them and Khalid's supporters, Awang Selamat, however, was confident that Khalid would be in the saddle for a long time. "Besides, he has kept many of his boss's secrets," he remarked. In the column today, the paper again took a swipe at DAP over the recent controversy involving its MP from Penang, Jeff Ooi, who reportedly called the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) staff as "kucing kurap" (small fry, or literally, "sick cat"). According to Awang Selamat, the insult was directed at Malays who formed the bulk of council staff.
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| Jeff Ooi apologises over “kucing kurap” remark after getting earful from Karpal Posted: 30 Nov 2013 03:16 PM PST (TMI) - In an about-turn, Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi today publicly apologised to employees of Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) for his "kucing kurap" remark. The surprise apology came after DAP party national chairman Karpal Singh said in his speech at the Penang DAP convention today that Ooi should take the chance to openly apologise for the offensive remark. The former blogger then walked up the stage, grabbed the microphone from the emcee and said he was sorry. "No one can ask me to apologise except Saudara Karpal Singh! What he says, I will follow. "I will not retract or apologise unless the Tiger of Jelutong says so. The new Tiger of Jelutong will listen to the Tiger of Jelutong," said Ooi, referring to the popular nickname for Karpal, who once represented Ooi's constituency. "I cannot retract what I had already said but I sincerely apologise if I have hurt the people's feelings," he said. There was applause, as well as sounds of booing, from some 1000 delegates attending the convention. In his speech, Karpal said that no MPPP staff including its lowest ranks should be called "kucing kurap". "The new Tiger of Jelutong Jeff Ooi should take the opportunity here, and he has to take the opportunity, to openly and unconditionally apologise to the council officers who had been insulted by his remark," said Karpal, who was once "All officers high and low (of rank) must be respected. Nobody can be considered low," he said. Karpal, who is the DAP national chairman, said while he could not instruct Ooi to issue an apology, the party's central executive committee (CEC) could issue such an order. "But I want to make it clear that if Ooi persists in not apologising, the CEC should take up the matter," he said.
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| Don’t give in to calls to snub the Chinese, Umno leaders told Posted: 30 Nov 2013 03:11 PM PST
(MM) - With displeasure towards the Chinese community expected to bubble over at Umno's general assembly beginning tomorrow, Berita Harian today told the party's leaders they must consider the nation's interest and not succumb to emotions. In an editorial published in its weekend edition today, Datuk Mior Kamarul Shahid, the group editor of the Malay language newspaper, predicted that the palpable support of the Chinese community for the opposition would take centre stage in debates at the party's annual gathering.
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| Karpal: Criticism fine, but don’t attack party Posted: 30 Nov 2013 03:06 PM PST
(MM) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh today warned party members that open attacks against the party will not go unpunished. Speaking to 689 delegates at the party state convention here, the "tiger of Jelutong" reminded the delegates that they may criticise the party but not openly attack it.
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| "Meditations on the ruins of Bujang Valley" Posted: 30 Nov 2013 03:00 PM PST Azly Rahman Melaka should no longer be considered the first Malay kingdom in the history of Malaysia; reportedly there was a Hindu-Buddhist kingdom called Kota Gelanggi in Jerantut, Pahang 1000 years old that was a Malay city-state of Hindu-Buddhist influence. Lembah Bujang is a testament of the great influence of Srivijaya, Majapahit, and other Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms. Melaka was not as great as Malaysian history textbooks painted it to be. Instead of pushing this or that hegemonic history agenda and called it an Islamic history of the Malay states, the Malay colonial states and the Malay sultanate, right up to the Islamized Malaysian state, national pride and dignity and lies as well in the influence of the Hindu-Buddhist tradition that has worked very well in the form of syncretism ala present-day Indonesia re; the Panca Sila. | ||||
| Chow warns party against complacency Posted: 30 Nov 2013 01:44 PM PST Comfortable political environment can lure DAP into complacency and arrogance, says its state chief Chow Kon Yeow. Athi Shankar, FMT Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow has warned his party and Pakatan Rakyat of facing future intra-party political problems if they were to take for granted the massive mandate given by people in the last general election. Chow warned DAP and Pakatan leaders and members against becoming complacent and resting on their laurels. He said the DAP and Pakatan currently enjoyed strong people support. But he cautioned that the comfortable political environment can lure the party into complacency and arrogance. He warned that the absence and incompetence of political foes to pose strong challenge to Pakatan may trigger inter-party problems among DAP, PKR and PAS, and even intra-party problems within each party. He indeed reminded that the 2013 general election was actually an opportunity for a new beginning to capture Putrajaya. "It's an opportunity to bring real change to Malaysia," said Chow in his chairman speech at the Penang DAP ordinary convention in George Town City Hotel here today. The convention theme is "Staying Ahead Embracing the Future." Present were party national chairman Karpal Singh, secretary-general and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, state PKS leaders Abdul Malik Kassim and Law Choo Kiang. DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke also made a cameo appearance at the convention before leaving for Perlis. Before he began his speech, Chow called on convention delegates to applaud and thank Penangites for giving a massive mandate to DAP and Pakatan once again in the last polls. "With this second mandate, the people's expectations have soared even higher and we need to live up to these expectations," said Chow. DAP announced that 689 delegates had registered as party voters at the convention. Chow also fired a broadside at DAP main rivals, MCA and Gerakan, of being unable to come back to Penang mainstream politics despite change their leaderships. He said the parties defeat was due to strong public sentiments against their brand of politics. However, he reminded Umno remained the force to be reckoned in Penang politics despite it was not able to lead Barisan Nasional back to state power. Umno won 10 state and three parliamentary seats in Penang in last May polls.
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| DAP mahu PR NS kenalpasti calon MB Posted: 30 Nov 2013 01:41 PM PST Saya mengulangi pendirian DAP bahawa kita tidak menolak kuasa politik Melayu Zefry Dahalan, FMT Pengerusi DAP Negeri Sembilan, Loke Siew Fook mahu Pakatan Rakyat Negeri Sembilan memulakan langkah awal dan mengenalpasti siapakah bakal Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan sekiranya Pakatan Rakyat berjaya membentuk kerajaan negeri pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 (PRU-14) nanti. Bercakap dalam Konvensyen DAP Negeri Sembilan penggal ke-16 di Seremban, lewat petang semalam, Loke berkata pada PRU-13, Pakatan Rakyat telah berjaya menyakinkan majoriti pengundi di kawasan bandar seperti yang ditunjukkan dalam keputusan yang kita perolehi. "Namun, kami menerima hakikat bahawa faktor ketakutan yang dibangkitkan oleh Umno terhadap masyarakat Melayu melalui isu perkauman yang dimainkan masih begitu berkesan di kawasan luar bandar sehingga PAS dan PKR sukar menembusi kerusi-kerusi yang ditandingi oleh Umno. "Umpamanya, ada di kalangan masyarakat Melayu di Negeri Sembilan yang termakan dengan propaganda Umno kononya orang Melayu akan kehilangan kuasa politik sekiranya Pakatan Rakyat berjaya membentuk kerajaan dan pemimpin bukan Melayu DAP akan merampas kuasa Melayu termasuk saya akan menjadi Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan sekiranya Pakatan Rakyat menang. "Sebelum PRU-13 pun telah berkali-kali saya mengulangi pendirian DAP bahawa kita tidak menolak kuasa politik Melayu. "Yang DAP dan Pakatan Rakyat ingin tolak ialah kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) yang rakus kuasa dan rasuah. DAP akan tetap mendokong peruntukan dalam Undang-Undang Tubuh Negeri Sembilan bahawa jawatan Menteri Besar akan disandang orang seorang Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Melayu yang beragama Islam. Pendirian DAP dalam hal ini tetap sama dan tidak berubah. "Untuk menangkis tohmahan dan penipuan yang terus dilemparkan oleh Umno dan BN, Pakatan Rakyat perlu mengorak langkah dan strategi yang lebih berkesan untuk menyakinkan masyarakat Melayu bahawa masa depan seluruh rakyat Malaysia akan lebih baik dan terjamin di bawah pentadbiran Pakatan Rakyat kerana dasar yang kita perjuangkan ialah untuk kesejahteraan rakyat dan bukannya untuk sebilangan kecil golongan yang terpilih. "Justeru itu, saya menyokong penuh cadangan oleh Ketua Ahli Parlimen DAP, Lim Kit Siang, supaya sebuah Majlis Strategik Pakatan Rakyat ditubuhkan segera untuk memulakan langkah untuk persiapan menghadapi PRU-14. "Satu strategi yang sangat penting untuk Negeri Sembilan ialah Pakatan Rakyat perlu mengenalpasti, memutuskan dan menampilkan calon Menteri Besar kita sekurang-kurangnya dua tahun sebelum PRU-14," kata Loke.
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