Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- “Thank you for sucking away our dirt,” Rafizi tells Najib
- Selangor State Govt is Taking People for Granted
- Bujang Valley - A shame for Malaysian
- Malays need well-rounded leaders in PAS
- Time to abolish Malay reserves
- Leaving Petronas gives Dr M more leeway
- Wither Umno and the Malays?
- Ustaz Kazim quits PAS
- Rumblings of rebellion in MIC Youth may spoil Palanivel’s party
- Doubts about the "unity plan"
- TPP draft reveals surgical strike on public health
- A-G, 11 others bid to dismiss suit by former CCID director
- Mat Zain: Form RCI to probe Batu Puteh loss
- Anwar seeks to disqualify Shafee again
- Election petitions: Dec 12 deadline for settlement
- IGP, What is Seditious in Mariam’s Article?
- Abdullah Something
| “Thank you for sucking away our dirt,” Rafizi tells Najib Posted: 02 Dec 2013 01:01 PM PST Yes, Rafizi, that was my exact point. The opposition has a lot of dirt. The only thing is I called them dirt when they were still with you and before they crossed over. You call them dirt only after they leave you and cross over to the other side. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
Over the last two years or so (pre- as well as post-GE13) there has been quite a bit of infighting in PKR, PAS and DAP. Earlier to that (around 2010), I had already said that this was going to happen when I gave that talk in London and pointed out why I was criticising the opposition. If you can remember, I explained that we should have about 30 or so independent Wakil Rakyat (Members of Parliament and State Assemblypersons) to 'balance' the 800 or so Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat representatives in Parliament and the various State Assemblies. And I also said that the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) volunteers to help find these 30 independent candidates if Pakatan Rakyat can agree to that. After all, 30 would come to only about 3.5% or so of the total so it is not like the MCLM is going to be in control of the government (or the opposition). Pakatan Rakyat not only did not agree with the idea but also accused the MCLM of trying to become the Kingmaker or the Third Force a la Lib Dem of Britain. That was not what we had in mind at all. MCLM was not intending to contest the general election. MCLM is not a political party. MCLM was not going to field any candidates in the election. MCLM just wanted to help source candidates on behalf of the parties that would be contesting the general election. In other words, these candidates would be contesting the general election under the banners or flags of one or more of the three Pakatan Rakyat parties and not under the banner of MCLM. Somehow this point was misunderstood -- or they pretended to misunderstand this point so that they could reject our offer and make it seem like they did so because the offer was made with malice and with evil intent. Anyhow, because of this very vocal opposition to our idea, we had no choice but to back off and drop the whole plan. To add insult to injury, MCLM was even accused of being a Barisan Nasional mole meant to deny Pakatan Rakyat victory in the 13th General Election. If you think the idea of independent candidates is bad then well and fine. We were quite prepared to abandon the whole thing and leave Pakatan Rakyat to manage its own affairs without any interference or suggestions from what they viewed as outsiders. However, why the need to declare war on the MCLM just because you do not like what we are saying? Does Pakatan Rakyat not realise that it is doing exactly what it is accusing Barisan Nasional of doing -- not respecting the right of the people to speak freely and not allowing the people to criticise the politicians when they do wrong? The decision we made was that the MCLM would stay out and not get involved in matters involving politics. We would just focus on matters involving civil liberties such as those involving religion, sexual preferences and so on. Nevertheless, that does not exclude our right to comment on matters regarding politics or the way that political parties conduct themselves since what they do also affects our civil liberties.
"Thank you for sucking away our dirt," said Rafizi Ramli to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. This was Rafizi's response to the many members and leaders from PKR, PAS and DAP that over the last two or three years have abandoned the opposition and some have even crossed over to Barisan Nasional. Rafizi admits that the opposition has a lot of dirt, as we too have said back in 2010. And Rafizi has thanked the Prime Minister for taking all this dirt (meaning those who left the opposition), as we said would happen back in 2010. In 2010, we said that the opposition has a lot of dirt. And, in 2010, we also said that this dirt is going to become a problem to the opposition in time to come. But when we said all this back in 2010 they said a lot of nasty things about us and accused us of all sorts of things. It is quite funny that Rafizi now says the same thing as what we said three years ago. But when we said it back then, before this matter became a problem, they were not very happy about it and responded in a most abrasive manner. We said that Pakatan Rakyat has a lot of dirt and that this dirt should be cleaned up. But when we said that we were treated as pariahs. Now Rafizi, too, is calling all these people dirt while he thanks the Prime Minister for taking the opposition's dirt. Am I just too early for my time and can see things before they happen or are these other people just too slow and can only see things after they happen? Well, I suppose I can have the satisfaction of being able to say that I was right and scream, "I told you so!" Yes, Rafizi, that was my exact point. The opposition has a lot of dirt. The only thing is I called them dirt when they were still with you and before they crossed over. You call them dirt only after they leave you and cross over to the other side. Everyone can be an expert with the advantage of hindsight. I had the foresight to see that this was going to happen and had the guts to tell you so even though what I said was not received well. If I were Rafizi I would keep my mouth shut and not talk so much lest I prove that what Raja Petra Kamarudin said in 2010 was true after all.
|
| Selangor State Govt is Taking People for Granted Posted: 02 Dec 2013 12:32 PM PST
With this salary increase, Selangor state representatives will at a stroke, be getting a monthly salary (excluding allowances) of more than RM15,000 that puts them in the top 10 per cent income earners in our society! When that happens, will they still be seen leading the 90% to OCCUPY Dataran Merdeka to protest against the 10% who lord over us?
Dr Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser
By arrogating such an obscene pay increase to the MB, Speaker and other state representatives – ranging from 100 to 370 per cent - the Pakatan Rakyat-run Selangor State Government has taken the peoples' goodwill for granted and betrayed the principles they have claimed to uphold as ethical representatives of the people.
When the people voted in the Pakatan Rakyat to run the Selangor state government, they had expectations of a government that would radically reform economic, political, social and cultural life, along egalitarian and democratic lines, in sharp contrast with the self-interested style of the pro-rich Barisan Nasional.
And now we behold the spectacle of the BN Prime Minister accusing the PR-run Selangor state government of hypocrisy by enriching themselves, and so soon after the 2013 election.
Isn't it indeed hypocritical when the Mentri Besar gives himself a salary that is higher than the Prime Minister's?
No attempt to justify
What's appalling is that the Selangor state government has not even tried to justify this scandalously high salary increase to the people whose hard earned money will be footing the bill, i.e. the tax payers. Instead, their first response was to wash dirty linen in public by pointing out that the Mentri Besar's party rival, Azmin Ali should have opposed the enactment in the state assembly instead of speaking out after the event.
If Pakatan Rakyat was to be true to it's stated principles, their de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would have apologised to their constituents for the Selangor state government's shameless self-enrichment enactment. He would also assure us that this was some wild aberration of a state government that is inconsistent with "reformasi". Instead, he missed the point by asking PR representatives to donate a small portion of their self-arrogated wealth to charity, money that rightfully belongs to the tax payers in the first place!
Workers have always had to justify any pay increase by referring to percentage points in productivity levels and inflation rates, so how do these state representatives justify such an exorbitant salary increase?
Social equity – the first pillar of 'Reformasi'
How often have we heard PR leaders decrying BN policies and actions that have caused greater and greater social inequity in Malaysian society? And how often have we heard PR leaders berating their members to lead by example by serving the people as Yang Berkhidmats?
Yet, what has PR done to ensure the implementation of the minimum wage in Selangor, Penang and Kelantan in the face of opposition from employers? Given that the government and employers tell the underpaid workers in this country that they cannot afford to pay a minimum wage of RM900, how can Pakatan Rakyat arrogate such an obscene pay rise in such a cavalier manner?
With this salary increase, Selangor state representatives will at a stroke, be getting a monthly salary (excluding allowances) of more than RM15,000 that puts them in the top 10 per cent income earners in our society! When that happens, will they still be seen leading the 90% to OCCUPY Dataran Merdeka to protest against the 10% who lord over us?
Is PR aping Lee Kuan Yew's plutocracy?
Lee Kuan Yew has tried to justify the PAP's fabulously paid government officials by saying: "Low salaries will draw in the hypocrites who sweet talk their way into power in the name of public service, but once in charge will show their true colour, and ruin the country."
With the Selangor state government's attempt to follow this PAP logic, one could well turn LKY's dictum around into: "High salaries will draw in the hypocrites who sweet talk their way into power in the name of public services…" There is no evidence anywhere in the world that corruption is prevented by awarding large salaries to government officials.
Spend state surplus on public health and social services
If the Selangor state government justifies its fabulous salary increases for government officials by pointing to the surplus in its coffers then it is out of touch with the social conditions in the state:
- Inadequate infrastructure – roads, water pipes and sewerage systems in critical need of upgrading; - Overwhelmed public health care system with medical professionals needing improved conditions; - Lack of elderly care centres and support services, including access to mobile health care; - Low cost housing for the poor and marginalized with adequate space for community activities, recreation and green areas; - Effective public transport system for the people ; - State assistance for the unemployed; - Free/ affordable healthcare for the poor and low income earners.
In conclusion, the PAP government's volte face of slashing its officials' ridiculously high salaries after their humiliating losses in the 2012 general election, should have served as a warning to PR… |
| Bujang Valley - A shame for Malaysian Posted: 02 Dec 2013 12:21 PM PST
We have lost a major historical site in the name of development. We are nothing but a country that has very little respect for our own heritage yet our government insists History is a mandatory subject to pass.
Natesan Visnu
Bujang Valley or Lembah Bujang is part of Malaysian heritage. The historical complex has an area of 227 square.km and is the richest archeological site in Malaysia. The site consists of ruins dating circa 2000 years ago. The tomb or 'chandi' reflects the influence of Indian culture in Kedah. The site is the oldest man-made structure in South East Asia. On 1st December 2013, Candi No.11 was demolished by an irresponsible developer. Candi No.11 is a 1200 years old temple. (Source: Wikipedia)
Many scholars and politicians have criticized the Federal and State government for not taking any action on the developer. We only realize the value of the ruins when it is demolished. Despite being a major historical site, the government has not done any major program to promote the Bujang Valley as a key tourism location in Malaysia. We are known for KLCC, F1 Sepang, Pulau Tioman, Mount Kinabalu, etc. Is Lembah Bujang a major tourist attraction? Did the government play the role of promoting Lembah Bujang as part of Malaysia's tourist attractions? The answer is NO.
Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat have failed miserably in preserving the Lembah Bujang. It's a shame for a state that produced two Prime Ministers could not save a major historical site. Government or opposition, the elected leaders have failed to save Lembah Bujang. All past and present leaders should be ashamed of themselves for not preserving a major history site of our country. We spend millions to promote tourism but nothing much to develop Lembah Bujang. Lembah Bujang is supposed to be our very own 'Angkor Wat'.
Our leaders have failed us again. We are a forgiving nation. After a few months, no one will talk about Lembah Bujang. Lembah Bujang will be remembered as a Wikipedia page, photos from the past, and stories from people who have visited the place. The government has made History a mandatory subject to pass, but the same government could not save a 1200 years old historical site.
We Malaysians have contributed to the demolition of the temple. How many of us have visited Lembah Bujang? If we supported it by fueling the economy of Kedah by local tourism, maybe the income earned from the tourism industry would have saved the temple. For corporate companies that spend millions on branding and advertising, none of the corporate companies came forward to preserve the temple. If Air Asia or MAS came up with some tourism campaign and promoted Lembah Bujang heavily, we could have saved the temple.
Talk is cheap. I'm ashamed I could not do anything to save the temple. I wish I had the millions to buy over the entire site and convert it to a major tourist destination. I wish I had the power to transform Merbuk into a tourist town and the income from tourism could sustain the livelihood of the Merbok folks. We could have built hotels, resorts, backpackers lodges, a modern museum, etc to generate revenue and jobs for the local economy. How I wish I had the money or power to do so.
Temple building is a lost art. The artifacts from Lembah Bujang kept the secrets from the past for architecture and engineering. The stone carvings are a challenge for modern construction. With proper research on the ruins, stone carving could be reintroduced into the Malaysian modern construction industry. The architects could use the ruins as inspiration for new age buildings that combine the past and present. Lembah Bujang would have been a catalyst for revolution in Malaysian architecture.
Whatever said and done, there is nothing much we can do about the temple. We have lost a major historical site in the name of development. We are nothing but a country that has very little respect for our own heritage. It's a dark day in our history. |
| Malays need well-rounded leaders in PAS Posted: 02 Dec 2013 11:59 AM PST
In the case of PAS, the party wants to establish a system of government based on Islamic laws and practices, or alternatively to establish a welfare state for the betterment of Muslims and the nation. However, ideals and reality are two different things. Leaders may have the ideals but it is the people who live with reality.
Awang Abdillah
Any organization such as a political party is formed by groups of people who share the same ideals, objectives and cause, and has its own means to achieve its vision. Hence, every political party is formed for reasons of its own. The call by a veteran DAP politician that all parties should go multi-racial is definitely not practical and not in tune with reality. Any party can pursue its own cause and chooses its own means to attain its objectives as long as it acts and operates within the perimeters of the law and the norms of democracy. In the case of PAS, the party wants to establish a system of government based on Islamic laws and practices, or alternatively to establish a welfare state for the betterment of Muslims and the nation. However, ideals and reality are two different things. Leaders may have the ideals but it is the people who live with reality. Hence a party should pursue its idealistic objectives within the environment of the real world.
Expectations in an election
In the 5th May 2013 GE, the unimpressive performance of PAS was below expectations compared to its two partners where it managed to grab only 21 parliamentary seats out of 73 seats contested. The big question is, what had gone wrong? In any GE there would be different expectations for the respective contesting parties -
1) Some expect a victory then win, in which case they are likely to continue with their winning strategy. For those who expect a victory but lose, have to do the 'muhasabah' - a general and self appraisal on the mistakes/weaknesses that derailed their expected performance.
2) Those who anticipate defeat then lose have to rectify their weaknesses before and after the GE. But for parties that expect to lose but instead win, need to look at the mistakes of their opponents.
3) There are those who cannot accept defeat. They will use all means available to avert the anticipated unacceptable course of reality. Reality is very much related to Qadha' and Qadar (fate and destiny). A political organisation that cannot accept reality is one that believes in and practices the power of dictatorship and extremism which are both detrimental to the nation. It will sabotage the electoral process by resorting to a long list of cheating tactics in order to change the election outcome to its favor. This was UMNO's strategy to win the 13th GE at all costs by manipulating the election process of the 13th GE to it's advantage. The same modus operandi is expected to be adopted in the next 14th GE. UMNO dirty tactics was partly responsible for PAS' unexpected failure to gain more seats.
4) A third force could upset the anticipation of victory of certain contestants. In a concocted faulty election system, the disadvantaged parties are fighting against the partisan election body and contesting against the favoured opponents! Even if the Pakatan Rakyat could have performed better, the massive fraud in the 13th GE strategized by the Election Commission in tandem with UMNO subversions would trounce Pakatan Rakyat and give victory to UMNO. Hence, the people should realize that the defeat of PR is not so much by UMNO/BN itself but rather in the hands of the Election Commission! The latter only awarded the victory to UMNO/BN. A party can rectify it's own weaknesses but how do you rectify a faulty election system that was engineered by the election agency and the executive government themselves? The options left are to go after the EC relentlessly, use the might of people's power and apply the mechanism of check and balance of parliamentary democracy.
Muhasabah
PAS needs to carry out the 'muhasabah' (general and self-appraisals) of its mistakes and strategies. The party has failed on three counts -
i) Too idealistic PAS' struggle is more on the ideals of Islam but overlooks real issues affecting the daily lives of all Malaysians. It failed to present a practical comprehensive Islamic system of government and could not provide proposals and solutions to tackle economic and national issues. Instead, PAS continued to harp on the hudud. Being part of the Syariah Law, it is in essence a religious matter rather than a religious issue, thereby not so much related to the day-to-day problems of the people. Furthermore, it is limited to acts of crime which many young people are less interested in. PAS should have presented a realistic comprehensive Islamic system that covers many issues namely the Islamic banking and finance system, the zakat/Islamic taxation system and others, and to tackle many social, national and economic issues that are related to the religion.
ii) Well-rounded leadership traits The three great qualities of a leader are wisdom, intellectualism and learnedness. These virtues cannot be acquired through academic knowledge alone, but rather through experiences in life as one goes through it's trials and tribulations. Common sense (akal) is the foundation of wisdom that leads to logical thinking thereby enhancing one's reasoning power to enable him to attain the virtue of wisdom. A wise man is one who understands an issue/problem and makes the right decision. Intellectualism comes from the on-going process of learning and understanding important matters making him an expert in those fields. A learned person has an in-depth knowledge of certain/various disciplines, thereby he is often consulted on these matters. Leaders with these 3 virtues can lead the people and nation to greater heights. A cleric with academic religious knowledge, but without these virtues would not make a good leader. The display of the well-rounded good leadership qualities by the party was not convincing enough.
iii) Religious matters and issues There are differences between religious matters and issues. Religious matters are specific and relate to the Muslim community while religious issues affect the ummah and related to national issues. Hence, using religious matters to gain support is not right. PAS should not use religious matters such as the hudud law to gain popularity. There are many religious issues that are related to national issues such as the Islamic system of banking and finance, the Islamic taxation system and the role of religious institutions such as Tabong Zakat and Baitulmal to redistribute the nation's wealth. Even national issues like poverty and crime, employment, housing, infrastructure, moral issues, etc. that need to be tackled are related to the religion too. The people want to see how PAS leaders can tackle these issues. But if PAS dwells on religious matters only, then the people will lose confidence in the party and eventually regard the party as not relevant with reality. PAS should revamp the role of Islamic institutions such as the Islamic banks and other finance bodies, Tabong Zakat and Baitumal to enhance the ummah economic position in terms of promoting redistribution of wealth, investment, savings, etc. The standard zakat tax rate of 2.5% (rates could vary) yearly on all kinds of profits, incomes and assets (domestic and abroad) on the rich/well-to-do Muslims, if managed efficiently according to the syariah law could hit more than one billion ringgit per year!
iv) DAP the cause of PAS' failure? Many PAS supporters felt that PAS' close association with DAP was one of the causes of poor support from the Malays. Thereby, many are calling for the party to leave the Pakatan partnership. However, judging by the voting trend, PAS candidates received good support from non-Muslim voters meaning the latter had no problem with Islam. However, the Malays had hoped that PAS being a Malay and Muslim based party could be the alternative to UMNO, able to lead the coalition like UMNO leading the BN, but it failed to take that crucial role.
We may conclude that unlike PKR and DAP who received strong support from voters of all races, the Malay voters' confidence in PAS took a dip. If PAS chooses to go it alone in the 14th GE , it would be a disaster! |
| Time to abolish Malay reserves Posted: 02 Dec 2013 11:15 AM PST
Zaid Ibrahim, TMI This week, all eyes and ears will be on the Umno General Assembly. I have no doubt that many far-reaching proposals, especially those dealing with how to bring about more economic prosperity and security for the Bumiputera, will be tabled and discussed. Umno President Datuk Seri Najib Razak will probably give a firm undertaking that Malays and other Bumiputera will be "taken care of" by the party, and that the "great Malay race" will emerge from the shadows of the past despite the unending attempts of various enemies to deprive them of their rightful place in the country. Expect a soul stirring speech from the Prime Minister. We've already heard ideas floated around by economic experts about how Malay Reserved Land can be developed using taxpayers' money. The idea is that Khazanah Nasional is a bottomless pit of ready cash (according to these experts) which can be used to develop Malay Reserves so owners can sell them to other Malays. The argument is that once these properties are developed, they'll fetch better prices and the Malays will make good money when they sell them to other Malays who somehow also have a lot of money to spend. My response is that this is an old chestnut that's only good for speeches. In reality, it's neither practicable nor at all feasible. Many Umno assemblies have come and gone and, without fail, we've been given proposals that look good on paper but are utterly impossible to implement. There's such a thing as "the market" which these chaps haven't yet accepted or even understood. Malays are not exempt from market value and market forces (supply and demand). Take Kampong Baru for example. It's probably the most valuable piece of Malay Reserve Land in the country but the development plans mooted by Datuk Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin, who was Federal Territories Minister at the time, were rejected .Why? To make it economically viable the plan envisaged some of the lands had to be available to non-Malays and this was not an acceptable idea. Some people would rather see Kampung Baru undeveloped, just to brag that these lands belong to the Malays. For any property development to be successful that expected revenues from the development must be more than the cost of such development. If the properties were available strictly to Malays only; or that the selling prices had to be much lower to "assist" Malay purchasers, then the economics will not work. How was Khazanah (or even Petronas) to recover its costs? And what hope could there be for other Malay Reserves in the country if prime land near KLCC couldn't be developed? To help the Malays realise the value of their land, Umno must be prepared to do one simple thing: Remove the restrictions and make them freehold lands; and tell the Malays in exchange for that; they no longer need the protection of Malay Reserve Land. It's after all a false protection that they have it now; a false protection that involves an artificial sense of security and ownership. Today, the Tropicana-Kota Damansara area, for example, contains some of the choicest property in the Klang Valley. Not long ago, they were classed as Reserve Land or owned by Government agencies. Despite this "protected" status, the land eventually went into private hands and ordinary Bumiputera didn't have the opportunity to own much of it. There are countless other examples but the point is this: protectionist laws and policies don't help anyone except the powerful and well connected. Here's another example from the other side of the world: Native Americans were also given land "reserves" by the US Government but these have not progressed in the intended way. Today, many function as ghettos that do not generate economic benefits at par with the rest of the country. In fact, the quality of life in some reservations has been compared to that of the developing - not the developed - world. At the other extreme, many reservations are home to casinos, generating wealth at some serious social cost. Anyway, the idea of Malay Reserves in Malaysia wasn't an Umno brainchild. The Kampung Baru area was gazetted by the British long before Independence. In my own state of Kelantan, all land is reserved for Kelantanese. This was a British idea too, which came with the 1931 state land enactment. In those days, the idea had some merit because Malays were poor and uneducated. They borrowed heavily from chettiars for non-productive purposes. Today, Malays form the bulk of the middle class in the country, thanks to Umno (it did get some things right, after all) but the protection of Reserve Land has become a burden to Malays. Maybe it's difficult to tell Malays that the idea of a reservation was useful a century ago but no longer. That the fact is Malays today don't need this kind of false protection. They need a Government that isn't in open competition with them in real estate. Moreover, no Malaysian needs a Government that spends too much time worrying about doing business for itself and making commercial profits.
|
| Leaving Petronas gives Dr M more leeway Posted: 02 Dec 2013 11:02 AM PST
A Kadir Jasin, The Malaysian Insider Told by his doctors "to slow down", (Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad stepped down as adviser to Petronas effective December 1. Why Petronas? Isn't he not also the adviser to Proton? Petronas is way larger and more glamorous than Proton. "I have been with Petronas for 10 years, I feel that Petronas has performed well and made a huge profit. "I hope Petronas will continue to play its role in nurturing young entrepreneurs," The Star quoted him saying. That bit about continuing to nurture young entrepreneurs is loaded because he was recently embroiled in a tussle of sorts with Petronas management over allegations that the national oil company was not doing enough to help Bumiputera businessmen. I will take the doctors' advice at face value. They treated him and should know better. But what I know is, he does not have to climb 88 floors to get to his office at Petronas and the job was not 9 to 5, seven days a week. He can even advise without being there. But he often said that he was a Malaysian adviser. Unlike a British adviser during the colonial days, being a Malaysian adviser he has no power and his advice was not always accepted. My own diagnosis of the malady that led to his resignation as Petronas adviser is this. He is better off letting go of the Petronas job than hanging on to it and risk suffering the heartache of being spurned by The Power that now controls the national oil company. Everybody knows that the single most influential person in Petronas board member Omar Ong and everybody knows that Dr Mahathir objected to his appointment.
|
| Posted: 02 Dec 2013 10:51 AM PST Affirmative policies that favour one race is no longer tenable and given the excesses of the past and the greed of its present leaders, there's a dire need for a change in the Umno hierarchy CT Ali, FMT For the Malays the next few years before the next general election will be a time for reflection. It has been one hell of a ride since Merdeka. May 13, 1969 jolted the Malays out of their malaise. It was no longer acceptable that they are disadvantaged socially and economically in their own country and Umno took the bull by the horns with the introduction of the New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1971. It came up with affirmative policies that have since coloured Malaysia's political, racial, social and economic landscape in the hues of the Malays, the Malays and the Malays! Education was used, without apologies to the purist, as a means to an end – the same end as envisaged by the NEP. Higher education quotas for non-Malays effectively forced many to go overseas. Like every other government functionaries under Umno's control, education was skewered to favour the Malays and this Umno did without fear, for political power was theirs to use for that purpose. After four decades the Malays have achieved honour and dishonour, fame and infamy, greatness and notoriety in almost everything that they have attempted to do for themselves, with or without Umno. Today the biggest banks, the largest insurance companies, the most diverse of corporate endeavours, the most successful of business undertakings, the most powerful of political organisation, the most astute of politicians and the most dominant of race are all Malays. The Malays are also the most arrogant, the most corrupt of civil servants, businessmen and politicians, they have the most horrendous of lost and abused business opportunities, the least honest of leaders, the most adept of practitioners at cronyism, nepotism and money politics. They are committed to the maxim that the ends justify the means, and their use of race and religion to advance their ethnic interest is legendary – fueled no doubt by the abundance of political power at their disposal. That is the price the Malays have paid for their dominance of all things Malaysians. For some Malays, that price has been bearable but for some, they think it is too much for any race to bear. So wither the Malays today? The times we now live in no longer tolerate affirmative policies that favour one race. The NEP is no longer tenable simply because the idea of racial superiority (ketuanan Melayu) went out with Hitler, the Ku Klux Klan and Apartheid. If Umno does not understand this reality, then the fault lies with its leaders. If the Malays do not accept this reality then four decades of the NEP has failed. Malay parents in the kampungs did not know then the effect of sending their children to college. Now they do. Their college graduate children no longer want to till the land, fish for a living or live in a house without electricity and running water. And with the change in their children, the change in their parents' lives have also started and both parents and siblings have to come to terms with the change and adjust accordingly. If the parents are not for change then the children will wait for the end of their parents' generation and make the move to the urban areas anyway. In the meantime trips to and fro from kampung to the urban areas are the order of the day. Not an Umno problem Umno finds itself in the same position as the parents of these rural children who have been sent to college. Everything has changed and yet Umno does not. While the parents of these children have a limited life span, Umno does not. And when those that Umno has changed through the NEP and other attendant legislations ask that Umno change with them, Umno will not! So wither Umno's direction now? This is just not Umno's problem. This is a Malay problem and dare I say it…a Malaysian problem. This is a good time for taking stock of what is happening around us. Today in Malaysia everyone has one vote each. Mahathir has one vote to cast, Najib one, Anwar one, Hadi one and Kit Siang and Karpal Singh also one. Politically we are equal..are we not? What other manner of political equity do we want or can we have other than one vote each? There have been no violent revolutions to talk of in Malaysia. No coup, no bloody rampage, no terrorising of one race or religion, no complete economic meltdown – the May 13 racial riot is a school boy fight during recess compared to what Indonesia, Thailand and our neighbours have gone through. We have been different because Umno leaders are of a different ilk from those of our neighbours. Umno leaders prefer to preside and most times take part in and actively encouraged massive corruption in every facet of government and also indulge in money politics.
|
| Posted: 02 Dec 2013 10:48 AM PST
(Bernama) - Independent Islamic preacher Mohammad Kazim Elias or better known as Ustaz Kazim today announced his decision to quit PAS as he was deeply disappointed with the condemnation and slander hurled at him by the party leaders and members. He said the attacks had become even more relentless after he was offered a seat in the Umno supreme council recently, although he had not stated his stand on the offer.
|
| Rumblings of rebellion in MIC Youth may spoil Palanivel’s party Posted: 01 Dec 2013 08:15 PM PST
So will Najib's united MIC be just a pipe dream? Sonia Ramachandran, The Ant Daily MIC president Datuk Seri G Palanivel must be heaving a huge sigh of relief with the new line-up of vice-presidents and central working committee (CWC) members voted in at the party's annual general assembly on Nov 30. After all, two of the vice-presidents and 17 of the 23 elected CWC members are believed to be the president's men. He has yet to appoint another seven CWC members, which will surely be his men, effectively putting decision-making control in his hands. But Palanivel might not want to be overly jubilant just yet for he might have underestimated the power of the Youth wing in the party. A party insider, who spoke to theantdaily on condition of anonymity, said the Youth wing is not going to keep quiet about its former leader Datuk T Mohan being ousted in his bid for the vice-presidency. Mohan was one of eight candidates who vied for the vice-presidency in the election, which saw former vice-president Datuk S Sothinathan, incumbent Datuk M Saravanan and Johor Baru division chairman Datuk S Balakrishnan elected as the three vice-presidents. The other candidates were Perak State Legislative Assembly Speaker Datuk SK Devamany, former Youth chief Datuk SA Vigneswaran, MIC treasurer-general Datuk Jaspal Singh and Bukit Bintang division vice-chairman James Selvarajah. The elections drew the ire of many delegates as a Tamil daily, regarded as Palanivel's "mouthpiece", had splashed photographs of Sothinathan, Jaspal, Vigneswaran and Balakrishnan as the president's preferred choice of candidates a week before polling. "It's no longer fighting behind closed doors and presenting a united front to the public, it's now outright war. The fight is now personal and public," said the party insider. This is also due to the fact that newly elected MIC Youth chief C Sivarraajh is closely aligned to Mohan. The party insider said MIC elections had always been determined by two factors, namely the party president and the caste-based system. "This is the reason factions are created within the party. Sothinathan's win is proof of this. Usually the whole contest will be determined by the combination of the above two factors," he said. Saravanan and Mohan are believed to be in Team B who are said to be aligned with former MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu and who also happens to command huge support within the party. Those aligned to Palanivel's camp are said to be in Team A. How will the election results affect party unity? |
| Posted: 01 Dec 2013 08:02 PM PST
Many people believe that if they really have a "unity plan", it is because both the factions have no full confidence in winning the election and thus, they can only compromise. Lim Mun Fah, Sin Chew Daily While everyone is waiting for the three-corner fight for the MCA president post, there are some inside voices claiming a sharp turn for the situation as the Chua and Liow factions have reached a preliminary "unity plan" to avoid an internecine outcome. Indeed, there is neither permanent enemy in politics, nor permanent friend. In politics, outsiders can never see through the situation before it is finalised. Therefore, whether the saying is true or not, I can only say that truth can never be falsified. Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is still the wily party president who neither admits or denies the rumour. He said that he is willing to negotiate and it is now neither too early nor too late to negotiate. However, he also said that no MCA leader has talked about "unity plan" with him so far. With a sloven and noncommittal attitude, he leaves it to the people to continuously guessing. The only thing he said is, the MCA has no condition for infighting. However, the rumour has even included a preliminary lineup. It seems to indicate that it is, after all, not totally groundless. There must be negotiations but it is a different matter whether it brings a positive or negative outcome. At first glance, the "unity plan" seems to have involved equal numbers of leaders from both factions, leading towards a check and balance situation. However, if Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong are to become the party president and deputy president, and two more from the Liow faction are going to fill two of the four vice-president posts, isn't it mean that the Liow faction will be in complete control? Would the Chua faction compromise so easily? I really doubt it. And I believe that even if they are having a negotiation over compromises, the possibility of changes is still great. It is noteworthy that if the "unity plan" can really be implemented, would the MCA be more united, continue the fight or become more chaotic? What are the differences between a new team with equal numbers from two factions who check and balance each other and the existing chaotic team? Many people believe that if they really have a "unity plan", it is because both the factions have no full confidence in winning the election and thus, they can only compromise. Although the extraordinary general meeting has proven that Chua has nearly 900 of iron votes, the Chua faction is still facing a dilemma of lacking in suitable candidates in the evenly matched battle. Although they have roped in Gan Ping Sieu, many in the Chua faction are still worried as he used to be a follower of Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat. The lack in experience is another weakness. In other words, fielding Gan made the Chua faction have no full confidence to win and they are worried that it might end up in another failure, just like the motion to censure Liow. However, they cannot just throw Gan out of the new leadership lineup either, could they? |
| TPP draft reveals surgical strike on public health Posted: 01 Dec 2013 07:58 PM PST
On 13 November, WikiLeaks released a secret draft text of the Intellectual Property Chapter of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The text reveals substantive proposals for expanded protection in respect of copyright, patent, trade mark and trade secrets law, and intellectual property enforcement. Across this, there is much cause for concern. In particular, the IP Chapter poses worrying challenges for patient care, access to medicines, and public health across the Pacific Rim. As WikiLeaks Editor-in-Chief Julian Assange warned, '[i]f you're ill now or might one day be ill, the TPP has you in its crosshairs'. With the drafting notes intact in the leaked TPP draft, the text reveals a fierce battle amongst the Pacific Rim nations over patent law, public health, and the objectives and the principles behind the TPP's IP Chapter. New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Chile, Malaysia and Vietnam have proposed thatthe agreement should 'support each Party's right to protect public health, including by facilitating timely access to affordable medicines'. As an additional clause, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, Chile and Malaysia have proposed the agreement should recognise that countries can 'adopt measures necessary to protect public health and nutrition'. The US and Japan opposed such recognition of the importance of public health in the agreement's objectives, with Peru, Brunei Darussalam and Mexico withdrawing their names from the proposal to include public health in the TPP objectives. In contrast, Australia has reserved its position on the scope of the objectives — a disappointing stance given that Australian leaders have publicly emphasised the importance of public health measures, such as access to medicines and the plain packaging of tobacco products. The TPP contains a raft of measures designed to boost the position of patent holders in the fields of pharmaceutical drugs, medicine and biotechnology. The US has proposed a broad approach to patent law — demanding that plants, animals and medical procedures be subject to patent protection by Pacific Rim members. This could result, particularly for medical procedures, in greater patent litigation against doctors, surgeons and medical professionals. In addition, the US has argued for extensions of the patent term in respect of pharmaceutical drugs, including extensions where there have been regulatory delays — something which could result in skyrocketing healthcare prices. A review of pharmaceutical drug patents in Australia, for example, found that patent term extensions were exceedingly expensive in Australia. There has also been concern about the problem of patent 'ever greening' — that the TPP will impose low patent standards 'likely to lead to a proliferation of secondary patents being granted … preventing fair competition for long periods'. This would be an undesirable outcome, creating excessive opportunities for the extension of monopoly protections. |
| A-G, 11 others bid to dismiss suit by former CCID director Posted: 01 Dec 2013 05:15 PM PST
(The Star) - Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and 11 others will file an application to strike out a suit by former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Ramli Yusuff (picture) against them for wrongfully bringing two charges against him. Senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan, acting for Abdul Gani and 11 others, informed Judicial Commissioner Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera about the matter at case management Monday. Shamsul said the court had given them until Dec 16 to file the application. "The hearing of the application has been fixed for Feb 19," he said. The court later fixed Jan 16 for the next case management. In the suit filed on Nov 1, Ramli is suing Abdul Gani, former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan and 10 others for wrongfully bringing two charges against him. Other than Abdul Gani and Musa, Ramli also named Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) head of prosecutions Datuk Nordin Hassan, deputy public prosecutor Kevin Anthony Morais, Dept Supt Chew Kam Soon and ACA investigating officers Chew Kam Soon, E. Sok One, Saiful Ezral Ariffin, Azmi Ismail and Wan Abdul Rahman as the defendants. The other three defendants named were the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), police and the Government. In his statement of claim, Ramli said he was appointed as the CCID director on May 2, 2006 and was indicted on Nov 1, 2007 on charges under the Penal Code and Anti-Corruption Act 1997. Ramli said between Dec 1994 and Dec 2001, he and Musa served as officers in the Criminal Investigations Department in Bukit Aman, where he was Musa's immediate superior officer. Ramli alleged that in or about 1998, Musa and Abdul Gani were implicated as having fabricated medical evidence in the "black eye" incident involving the assault and injury while in police custody of the then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. He said at the same time Musa, Abdul Gani and Nordin were also involved in the investigation and prosecution of Anwar, which became infamously known as Sodomy 1. The plaintiff said these individuals forged a relationship with each other in the face of allegations that they had colluded to fabricate evidence and manipulate the course of justice with regard to the charges brought against Anwar in which Musa became dubbed as the "mattress carrier". He said in or about 2001, he was directed by the then IGP Tan Sri Norian Mai to issue several show cause letters to Musa concerning breaches of discipline, procedure and protocol. Ramli claimed that since Sodomy 1, Musa had a mecurial rise in the police force and went on to become deputy IGP in 2005 and in September, 2006 became the IGP while he (Ramli) became CCID director. He alleged that in 2007, Abdul Gani and Musa enlisted Nordin, Kevin, various MACC officers and the police to cause investigations to be made against him and subsequently caused him to be charged with various offences. The plaintiff alleged that when he was acquitted of all the charges, Abdul Gani in bad faith appealed against the acquittals at the High Court and Court of Appeal. He claimed that subsequent to his acquittal and vindication by the Sessions Court, High Court and Court of Appeal, he met government leaders and requested the Government to restore his various rights and privileges. Ramli said he also notified his intention to file legal suits against the defendants for his wrongful prosecution but he was asked to withhold his suit. He claimed various promises were made to him if he were to withhold his suit until after the 13th General Election, which was held in May. He said after the elections, various promises that were previously made to him were not fulfilled. The plaintiff sued the defendants, among others, for conspiracy, false and malicious investigation, abuse of power, abuse of prosecutorial discretion, malicious prosecution and prosecutorial misconduct, claiming they had acted with ill-will, recklessly or intentionally, to injure him. He said the defendants or any two or more of them also conspired with several mainstream newspapers - namely Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, The Star and New Straits Times - to defame and destroy his reputation and integrity. Ramli is seeking special damages amounting to RM1.5mil; punitive damages of RM50mil; aggravated damages of RM50mil; exemplary damages of RM27mil; general damages; costs on solicitor-client basis and such further or other order or relief which the court thinks fit and proper.
|
| Mat Zain: Form RCI to probe Batu Puteh loss Posted: 01 Dec 2013 04:09 PM PST Mat Zain insists that his statutory declaration is more than sufficient to initiate investigations under prevailing laws. (FMT) - Retired Kuala Lumpur CID chief, Mat Zain Ibrahim today pressured the government to initiate a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the loss of Pulau Batu Puteh to Singapore and also urged the Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar to probe the matter thoroughly. The former top cop also responded to calls made by the Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali for him to lodge a police report in order for the police to start investigating; by explaining that the IGP had the power under Section 107 (3) (a) (b) & (c) of the Crime Procedure Act to accept his earlier statutory declaration (SD) as a police report. "On Oct 10 2013, I have forwarded my SD to the IGP, Chief Secretary to the Government and to the Attorney General," he said in a statement today. "I have also urged IGP Khalid Abu Bakar to accept my SD as a police report as stated under the Crime Procedure Act. He has the powers to do so," he added. "Based on past experience, the Prime Minister had advised the Yang Dipertuan Agong to establish an independent tribunal in accordance to the Federal Constitution as in the case of former Chief of Justice Salleh Abbas in 1988. "As well as the cabinet's decision to set up a RCI under the Commission of Inquiry Act 1950 that did not depend on any police report," Mat Zain said. Mat Zain who recently sued the police and the government over alleged abuse of power, then referred to several articles published in newspapers and blogs where he deemed to be mischievous. To clear the air, he added that he has already sent out emails to various news portals and several assemblymen in order to avoid any misconception and doubt among the public, especially in his claims of alleged misconduct in the part of Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail in the Pulau Batu Puteh case at the International Court of Justice. "There have been numerous reports carrying my SD which I made on Oct 7. I find the reports very misleading. "There is even one report specifically describing that my SD was a conspiracy to bring down the AG," he said.
|
| Anwar seeks to disqualify Shafee again Posted: 01 Dec 2013 03:51 PM PST
Anwar Ibrahim claims Shafee was concealing evidence of attorney-general's wrongdoings, thus making Shafee unreliable to lead the prosecution in the sodomy appeal case Leven Woon, FMT PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim will once again seek to disqualify prominent lawyer Mohamad Shafee Abdullah from leading the government's prosecution team in the sodomy II appeal case on grounds of the latter's alleged past deeds of concealing evidences. This is following former KL criminal investigation department chief Mat Zain Ibrahim's statutory declaration recently that accused Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail for corruption, which led to the loss of Pulau Batu Puteh island to Singapore in the international court. According to Mat Zain's statement, Shafee has also claimed in a private meeting that he allegedly procured information that Gani received large sums of money credited into the latter's account in Hong Kong. During a media conference at the Parliament's lobby today, Anwar criticised Shafee for not lodging report with the anti-corruption commission despite having information that is of national interest. "How can a person with such credibility of concealing evidences about the bank account of the AG be entrusted by the government to lead the prosecution against my appeal case? "I will discuss it with my lawyer to immediately initiate a motion with the federal court to disqualify him," he said.
|
| Election petitions: Dec 12 deadline for settlement Posted: 01 Dec 2013 03:48 PM PST
(Bernama) - The Federal Court has given the Barisan Nasional (BN) and opposition parties until Dec 12 to reach settlement on the appeals in 19 election petitions. Court of Appeal president Md Raus Sharif, chairing a three-member panel comprising also justices Ahmad Maarop and Abu Samah Nordin, said the court would hear the appeals on that day if the parties failed to reach settlement. Earlier, counsel R Sivarasa, representing PKR, informed the court that there had been no settlement yet but the parties had made some progress in the matter. "The parties also need more time to discuss the settlement," he said. BN's counsel Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin said they were optimistic of a settlement. The court had set today for case management for the parties to update the court on the outcome of a global settlement of the 19 election petitions nationwide. The 19 appeals included those for the parliamentary constituencies of Machang, Ketereh, Batu, Lembah Pantai, Bagan Datoh, Sungai Besar, Kuala Selangor and Titiwangsa and the state constituencies of Selising, Selama and Manong. All the election petitions were struck out by the Election Courts with costs on preliminary objection of non-compliance with Rule 9 and Rule 34 of the Election Petition Rules 1954. The appellants are appealing to the Federal Court to have their election petitions reinstated and remitted back to the Election Court for determination on its merits, by way of a full trial.
|
| IGP, What is Seditious in Mariam’s Article? Posted: 01 Dec 2013 03:12 PM PST
What makes his remark deserving of censure is what he added: "She had better watch out or we will go after her." That comes across, undoubtedly, like a threat. And it's inappropriate coming from someone like the IGP. Kee Thuan Chye I cannot see a fellow writer being threatened by someone in public authority for what she writes and not stand up for her. I'm therefore saying that the recent warning issued by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to political commentator Mariam Mokhtar against writing articles that could be deemed seditious is highly unwarranted and deserves to be censured. Now, if the IGP was giving her friendly advice in saying she should not write articles that were seditious, he might have good cause to do so. Even if the articles she has written so far have not proven to be so. But that does not seem to be the tone and tenor of what he said a few days ago. What makes his remark deserving of censure is what he added: "She had better watch out or we will go after her." That comes across, undoubtedly, like a threat. And it's inappropriate coming from someone like the IGP. I don't know Mariam personally and have never met her. (Sorry for sounding like Najib Razak talking about a different person – I think you know who.) I also can't say I've read every article she's written. But those I have do not strike me as being seditious - certainly not as is spelt out in the Sedition Act. In fact, her writing impresses me as that of someone who cares about her country and wants it to be better. She criticises wrongdoing by people in power, exposes their foibles and points out the contradictions between what they say and what they do in order to make Malaysians aware of right and wrong. She provides a much-needed public service by highlighting issues of pressing and immediate concern to Malaysians, giving voice to thoughts that many of her fellow countrymen and women may share but are unable to articulate. She has written about racial discrimination, social injustice, domestic violence, child abuse, the rise in crime, political scandals, the 'Allah' issue, the ineptness of Najib as prime minister, the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the illegal immigrants in Sabah, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's attempt to muzzle the media, the disservice to the Malaysian electorate done by the Election Commission … and many, many more topics of public interest. She should not be intimidated for creating awareness and putting issues in perspective. She should not be shut up. IGP Khalid Abu Bakar is reportedly displeased with her article 'One ideology, two reactions' that appeared on the online news website Free Malaysia Today on November 29. In it, she asked why the Government was willing to welcome home Siti Aishah Abdul Wahab from London when it had been dead against allowing even the ashes of the late Malayan Communist Party leader Chin Peng to be brought back from Thailand. After all, Siti Aishah was also a left-winger. She was on the Malaysian police's 'wanted' list in the 1970s for being considered an extremist. When she went to study at the London School of Economics, the police kept her under surveillance. Subsequently, she was allegedly held as a "slave" in London by a Maoist sect for 30 years, until she escaped several weeks ago. Khalid said Mariam's article was "highly seditious". I have since read it a few times, but I cannot in all honesty find anything in it that is seditious. Mariam states the facts about Siti Aishah and Chin Peng. She asks a pertinent question: "Malaysians must wonder why Aishah is considered safe but Chin Peng's ashes are deemed a national threat." Indeed, that has been in the minds of many people this past week. Read more at: http://news.malaysia.msn.com/community/blogs/blog-igp-what-is-seditious-in-mariam%E2%80%99s-article#page=0 |
| Posted: 01 Dec 2013 01:09 PM PST
He grew angry when he thought of how he, a retiree with no pension, had to juggle the small amount of FD he had in the bank, shifting it from bank to bank just to catch that extra half a percent interest rate here and there. Yussof Condred When he, of another faith, told his mother he wanted to convert to Islam, she cried for 3 days and 3 nights. On the fourth day, she relented and gave her consent, for even in her unschooled mind she knew that all religions are good. Not bad, for one who never attended school or any interfaith dialogue. So it was that Abdullah Something became a muslim-convert . The reason Abdullah wanted to be a muslim was not that he fell in love with a beautiful Malay girl. It was because he admired Tok Guru Nik Aziz of PAS, who actually lived the life of a good muslim. To quote the other Abdullah's slogan : Tok Guru walks the talk. He is humble and most of all honest and frugal." "Which MB or CM lives in a timber house today?" Abdullah habitually asked his friends. And that was also why he voted Pakatan in GE13. He thought that the Pakatan government would be as honest and frugal as Tok Guru. So it came as a rude shock to him that the Selangor state had decided to raise the salaries of his Aduns by massive amounts. It was, to him, betrayal, deceit and hypocrisy all rolled into one. He grew angry when he thought of how he, a retiree with no pension, had to juggle the small amount of FD he had in the bank, shifting it from bank to bank just to catch that extra half a percent interest rate here and there. Even then he knew he was drowning in Inflation. He worried about the huge increase in quit rent for 2014. Then there was this impending hike in TNB's rates, also in 2014, which would cause a further round of inflation. It used to be that when politicians from both sides of the divide asked him to tightened his belt, he would dutifully do so. "How naive I was" he thought querulously. There was no choice now but to try and get a job again. It looked like his wasteful governments won't allow him to retire. Come GE14, he decided he will vote Pakatan out. He would cut his nose to spite his face and sleep with the devil he knew. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan