Ahad, 20 Januari 2013

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How capitalism breeds social problems

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 05:53 PM PST

So, if we want to reduce the three million 'foreign population' of Malaysia then the plantations, construction companies, SMI factories, etc., should stop employing them. And to do that we need a minimum wage of at least RM1,200-RM1,5000 (or thereabouts) a month. With that salary level Malaysians would be prepared to work and hence you do not need to employ foreigners and then give them Malaysian citizenship.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Subra: Minimum wage to avoid unnecessary hiring of foreigners

(The Star) - The minimum wage policy, which came into effect this year, is to avoid the unnecessary hiring of foreign workers, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.

For example at petrol stations, he said, people have to accept the idea of self-service when filling up their cars.

Petrol dealers have implemented the minimum wage as of January 1, throwing some 50,000 foreigners out of work.

"The change that we are looking for will not happen overnight," Dr Subramaniam said adding that the minimum wage policy was also implemented to channel workers to other sectors which are in need of labour.

He said there were no provisions in the current law to allow companies to delay implementing the policy.

"Employers need to deal with the new policy but if they have problems, they can forward their concerns to us and we will try and help them," he said.

The minimum wage policy requires companies to pay a minimum wage of RM900 in the peninsula and RM800 in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.

Subramaniam said the ministry was also discussing with employers on issues relating to levy and allowances for housing and transportation of the foreign workers.

"Employers want the levy and allowances to be born by the workers. The issue is up to the Cabinet to decide on what action to be taken," he said on Sunday.

*****************************************

I used to live in Bukit Rahman Putra (BRP5) in Sungai Buloh, Selangor -- from end-December 1996 to end-February 2009. One day we noticed that around midnight or so there would be a foul smell in the air. We spent days trying to track the source of this smell but failed to do so.

We then met up ('we' meaning the residents' committee) with the officers from Jabatan Alam Sekitar (the Department of the Environment) to discuss this matter and to explore what they could do about what was apparently a bad case of air pollution -- and we suspected most toxic as well since this happens only past midnight and not in the daytime when it could be detected easily.

What the officers told us surprised us. Most of those factories at the bottom of the hill where we live are not licensed, they told us. Hence, since they are not licensed, the Department of the Environment cannot do anything about them. They can only take action against licensed factories. They have no jurisdiction over illegal factories and businesses.

Who then can take action? Well, this comes under the jurisdiction of the land office and the local council. So we need to raise this matter with the land office and the local council. However, since these two agencies are amongst the most corrupted agencies (and they still are even though Pakatan Rakyat has been ruling Selangor for almost five years now) we should not expect any action to be taken.

The Department of the Environment should know because they too have faced problems in trying to solve this matter. The factory owners just pay 'under-the-table' money to the officers from the land office and local council and they can practically get away with murder. (In fact, you can literally also get away with murder in Malaysia the same way).

I then did a tour of the area from the Sungai Buloh KTM railway station right up to the old leprosy settlement/new Sungai Buloh Hospital. I discovered that the area was 'infested' with foreign workers, mostly from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc. And the majority of these people were either illegal immigrants or were holding Malaysian identity cards, which means they are Malaysian citizens.

From my rough estimate I concluded that the ratio of 'foreign' population to locals was probably two-to-one -- though since they owned Malaysian identity cards they would be regarded as Malaysian citizens rather than foreigners. It seems it is not that difficult for these 'foreigners' to become Malaysian citizens. All it needs is money, which their employers would gladly pay and then deduct the amount from their salaries later.

I then did a 'census' of the many Sungai Buloh factories at the foot of Bukit Rahman Putra (next to the Hong Leong Yamaha factory) and I found that all these factories are Chinese-owned. There are no Malay- or Indian-owned factories (except for one Indian carpet dealer, which is not a factory but a warehouse). And all their workers are foreigners (except for the managerial postions, who are Chinese), but not necessarily illegal workers, as most owned Malaysian identity cards.

I also discovered that not only is the area from the KTM railway station up to the old leprosy settlement/new Sungai Buloh Hospital 'infested' with 'foreigners'. When I drove in the opposite direction towards Tasek Biru, it is the same thing, although the ratio there is not as high as two-to-one. Nevertheless, there is a huge 'foreign' community there as well.

Why is there such a high foreign community (both illegal as well as those with Malaysian identity cards) in Sungai Buloh? Well, that is because the many Chinese-owned factories and construction companies pay low wages and only foreigners would want to work at these pathetically low wages. No Malaysians want to do a labourer's job in the factories and on the construction sites.

And that is why the SMIs and construction companies are opposed to the minimum wage. If you can remember, last year they spoke up against the implementation of the minimum wage. If there is no minimum wage and salaries are kept low then these businesses make more money. But that would also mean only foreigners from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc., would want to do such work. Malaysians would not want to work for a mere few hundred Ringgit.

The same goes for plantation companies. They employ foreigner workers because Malaysians do not want to do backbreaking work at such low wages. And many of these plantations are multi-national companies, some even GLCs (government-linked companies).

In fact, I spoke to one GLC oil palm plantation company (state government-owned) to confirm this. They employ foreigners because they can't get Malaysians to work at those low wages. And for sure no Malaysian Chinese would want to work in plantations for RM700 a month. They would rather sell pirated CDs and DVDs (they even do so in Manchester, surprisingly).

Today, we complain about the millions of 'illegal immigrants' in Malaysia. Actually they are not illegal immigrants since they have been given Malaysian identity cards. And the reason this estimated three million 'foreigners' are in Malaysia is because we employ them at very low wages. And because of the very low wages only these 'illegals' would want to work. Malaysians are not interested to suffer at such low wages.

I have bumped into many Malaysian Chinese here in the UK working as chefs and waiters/waitresses. Why do they work here in the UK and not back in Malaysia? That is because in Malaysia then can't even earn RM1,000 a month whereas in the UK they earn more than RM5,000 a month. And you can survive in the UK with RM5,000-RM6,000 a month but not in Malaysia with a mere RM800-RM900 per month.

So, if we want to reduce the three million 'foreign population' of Malaysia then the plantations, construction companies, SMI factories, etc., should stop employing them. And to do that we need a minimum wage of at least RM1,200-RM1,5000 (or thereabouts) a month. With that salary level Malaysians would be prepared to work and hence you do not need to employ foreigners and then give them Malaysian citizenship.

And the only people who can do this would be the Chinese construction companies and SMI factory owners plus the GLCs and multi-national plantation companies. It is no use screaming about the problem when we are the source of that problem.

The capitalists want to make more money. So they underpay their workers. And because they underpay their workers the jobs go to the foreigners. And these foreigners bring their families to Malaysia and their children school in Malaysia. They also tax Malaysia's health system.

It is the capitalists who are the cause of Malaysia's social problems involving foreigners. And because we need cheap labour we need to bring in three million foreign workers from the neighbouring countries.

Yes, many of these workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc., are Muslims. However, do you think the Christian Filipino girls would want to work for RM700 a month on a construction site when they can earn RM2,500 or more as a maid in Singapore (food and lodging free as well)?

Capitalism works on the law of supply and demand (just like prostitution). When there is a demand for cheap foreign labour then the supply would emerge. And the people creating this demand are the SMI factories, construction companies and plantations. And who are the owners of these SMI factories, construction companies and plantations?

Then you blame the government for this. And when I point out the reality of this situation you get angry. And this is because of the Malaysian culture of…what do you call it…kiasu, is it?

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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Malaysian First Indians, Against BN, PKR, DAP & PAS (new Facebook page)

Posted: 20 Jan 2013 01:01 PM PST

https://fbexternal-a.akamaihd.net/safe_image.php?d=AQDEedMMWat-s4DM&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffbcdn-profile-a.akamaihd.net%2Fhprofile-ak-snc6%2F211077_273121182814184_836404475_n.jpg 

I am sure many Malaysian Indians and even those from other ethnicities, see both sides for who they really are, and how bad both BN and PR are, or have become. How, in their desperation for power, they will resort to telling you all sorts of lies, give false promises and have also failed to deliver and fix themselves.
 
(A new Facebook page)
www.facebook.com/MalaysianFirstIndiansUnite
Enough with all their BS! Teach them all a lesson and look elsewhere! Any person of integrity who is still a member of these parties, should resign in protest. Note: We (the admins) are non-religious secular humanists, socialists and rationalists Malaysians.

Shall we spoil our votes? Who, but more importantly what causes and policies should we be supporting instead of all these corrupt, greedy, authoritarian (not tolerant of criticism and dissent), self-centered and power hungry despots & their hot air?

We would like Malaysians and especially Malaysian First Indians (MFI) to comment and join the discussion on this new page. Original articles and regular commentator's writings, might/will be added in time, if there is enough response and contributions. We don't expect you to agree with our stand of course, only to contribute to the discussion, and of course democracy and empowerment of the rakyat - ultimately, a better Malaysia.

I am sure many Malaysian Indians and even those from other ethnicities, see both sides for who they really are, and how bad both BN and PR are, or have become. How, in their desperation for power, they will resort to telling you all sorts of lies, give false promises and have also failed to deliver and fix themselves.

We are angry that we have no parties currently that can truly represent us MFI - who and what we stand for. We will not sell out and support either BN or PR any longer! Many will & have already adopted this stand, and as the GE approaches, more will.

We also feel that both sides, and sadly many Malaysians we feel, are not truly willing to "sacrifice" for a better Malaysia, as RPK highlights here:
http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/51680-talk-is-cheap
http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/52362-do-you-know-what-sacrifice-means

I'm more concerned with what happens after the GE and not before or during the campaign. When they walk the talk. All will be revealed in time. But even then, we must be careful where we get our info from & who we trust... "We won't get fooled again"
 

 

The Plot To Dump Taib! MAJOR EXCLUSIVE

Posted: 20 Jan 2013 12:40 PM PST

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/awang-tengah.jpgTengah is planning to betray his boss – but is he KL's man? 

The high-level defectors will maintain a pretence of unity during the coming federal election, expected in March, but have collected enough supporters to supplant Taib with the Planning Minister, Awang Tengah, say loyalists, who include members of Taib's own close family.

Sarawak Report 

Sarawak Report has received an explosive dossier from sources close to Taib, detailing a powerful conspiracy to depose the Chief Minister at the next PBB Party Convention, due in May.

The high-level defectors will maintain a pretence of unity during the coming federal election, expected in March, but have collected enough supporters to supplant Taib with the Planning Minister, Awang Tengah, say loyalists, who include members of Taib's own close family.

They have passed the information to Sarawak Report "in desperation", it is alleged, to publicise what they call an advanced plot, which the ageing Chief Minister has yet to take seriously:

"Currently, Tengah has control over 14 PBB Aduns (including his own seat), 6 PRS Aduns, 5 Former SPDP Aduns (BN 5 Club) and 5 SUPP Aduns; and until today he still trying to influence other Aduns that are loyal to Taib Mahmud and Abang Jo to join his camp. He controls these Aduns by giving them lands, permits, contracts, cash and promising position in the next Tengah new government."[inside source]

Betrayal by a key henchman threatens Taib from within

Tengah has 'promised' Speaker Mohd Asfia the position of Governor

The leader of the plot is none other than Taib's own protege Awang Tengah, say the whistleblowers, who claim he has been using his key position of Second Minister for Planning, Resources and Environment (after Taib) to build up a huge war chest and power base.

Tengah, who has held his lucrative ministerial brief for the best part of the last 20 years, is acknowledged to be immensely rich and he has exploited his position to extract concessions and kickbacks as well as to distribute favours, including contracts and concessions.

Through this method it appears he has won over other key Taib loyalists, including the Speaker, Mohd Asfia Awang Nassar, to whom he has promised the coveted position of Governor of Sarawak, and the Sarawak State Secretary,

Mohd Morshidi Abdul Ghani

Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani, who is the top civil servant in the state.

Even more alarming is the evidence that Tengah has been disbursing enormous sums to build up a 'Blue Army' of PBB Youth, whom he plans to use as a show of strength at the time of his internal coup.

The leader of these growing ranks of thousands of paid male supporters is the thuggish Radin Kadri Radin Budiman, of the PBB Youth Executive Wing, who has allegedly received  RM10million from Tengah to recruit PBB Youth leaders in all levels throughout Sarawak.

"Many people have witnessed Radin entering and exiting Tengah's office at Wisma Sumber Alam many times. And recently, Tengah has given Radin RM10 Millions to recruit PBB Youth leaders in all levels throughout Sarawak. Radin, who is seen as a mole in Taib group, has been recently behaving so arrogant and boastful, because he has many youth boys in Sarawak behind him. He feels that he is strong in PBB youth movement because he knows Tengah is politically and financially behind him"[inside source]

The writers also express concern at perceived links between this growing strong arm group and Sibu based gangsters, who are known to create widespread fear and intimidation in Sarawak.

New face of BN ? – Radin's 'Blue Wave troopers' marching in Sibu September 2011 (Radin centre front)

The list of defectors

The compilers of the dossier, which has so far been handed exclusively to Sarawak Report, have also provided a comprehensive list of the 30 BN defectors, who they say have entered into the plot with Awang Tengah to vote Taib out at the Party Convention.

Many of them, who were all once considered ultra-loyalists like Tengah himself, are said to be motivated by ambition, greed and the obligation for services rendered. The list includes PRS leader James Masing, who appears to have been promised the position of Deputy CM 1 in return for bringing his 6 PRS Assemblymen over to Tengah; the so-called 'BN 5 Club' and Lee Kim Shin, the Senadin YB who has brought with him members from the declining SUPP in return for being DCM 2.

Read more at: http://www.sarawakreport.org/2013/01/the-plot-to-dump-taib-exclusive/ 

 

Bersihkah Daftar Pemilih Sebelum PRU!

Posted: 20 Jan 2013 12:26 PM PST

IUsC3SMubDk 

Dijumpai dalam YouTube satu rakaman yang merakamkan proses orang ramai beratur untuk mengundi ketika PRU 1995 di Sabah. Tahun 1995 inilah dikatakan begitu teruknya penyalahgunaan kuasa iaitu kegiatan memberikan status warganegara kepada orang asing berluasa hanya untuk memastikan kemenangan Barisan Nasional.

che'GuBard, Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia 

(LINK YOUTUBE klik http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUsC3SMubDk)

Rakaman ini cukup memperlihatkan bagaimana susuk , wajah – wajah bukan Sabah berpusu beratur sebagai pengundi. Ini berlaku di hampir semua tempat mengundi ketika itu. Keadaan ini muncul semula apabila dalam proses RCI mengenai warga asing yang diberi warganegara di Sabah menyatakan bahawa bahawa sememangnya wujud kemasukan dalam jumlah yang luar biasa warga asing yang didaftarkan sebagai warga negara ketika pilihanraya hampir menjelang untuk didaftarkan sebagai pemilih. Di Sabah lebih setengah pengundi berdaftarnya kini merupakan warga asing yang dibawa masuk.

Dr. Mahathir yang dikaitkan dengan kegiatan penjualan kedaulatan negara ini dengan selamba membela diri tidak menafikan sebaliknya dengan mengaitkan Arwah Tunku Abdul Rahman, Perdana Menteri Malaysia yang pertama telah memberikan lebih banyak warga negara. Mahathir bertindak bacul dengan mengaitkan orang yang telah mati, Tunku memberikan warga negara semasa hendak membentuk negara, sebaliknya Mahathir memberikan warga negara hanya untuk nyawa politik semata. Jika ia proses betul kenapa dua orang warga India Aziz dan Hussien yang menjadi saksi dalam RCI menyatakan mereka dilahirkan di Tamil Nadhu tetapi untuk melicinkan proses mendapat kad pengenalan dan daftar pemilih tempat kelahiran mereka ditukar kepada Kunak dan Tawau.

Memetik semula kata – kata Bobby, Penyelaras SAMM Sabah ketika mempengerusikan sidang meja bulat anak muda Sabah di Kota Kinabalu dua bulan lepas, dia  menyatakan Sabah kini sudah tergadai, bukan sahaja masalah tetapi hasil pemberian keistimewaan warga negara kepada Pakistan dan India dalam projek Dr. Mahathir akhirnya politik Sabah juga dikawal kini oleh keturunan India Pakistan. Contohnya Musa nama sebenarnya ialah Musa Aman Khan bersama saudaranya Anifah Aman Khan. Bukan sahaja politik malah ekonomi juga dikawal oleh keturunan India Pakistan ini.

Ini bukan isu perkauman tetapi isu kedaulatan. Bahana dari kemasukan pendatang ini juga kecelaruan sosial muncul seperti lambakan penganggur, jenayah tidak terkawal dan seumpamanya.

Kini strategi yang sama disalin pakai oleh Najib Razak, ratusan ribu sudah dibawa masuk diberi kad pengenalan dan didaftar sebagai pengundi. Kali ini bukan sahaja Sabah tetapi di semenanjung juga khususnya negeri dibawah PR seperti Selangor. Lihatlah kerana mendiamkan Sabah terjerumus selama ini tergadai kedaulatan kini Bn mula rakus demi kekal berkuasa mula menjual kedaulatan seluruh negara.

Bayangkan berapa banyak hasil negara tergadai, subsidi yang berbilion seharusnya dikongsi mewah bersama anak tanah air ini tetapi malangnya turut disedut oleh pendatang yang diberi laluan karpet kuing oleh regim untuk kekal kuasa.

Regim sering melaungkan politik ras dan perkauman. Orang Melayu disuruh bangkit memusuhi cina dan india contohnya. Tetapi kita jangan lupa Wong atau Ravi itu neneknya lahir dan mati di sini. Mereka lahir di sini maka sinilah tanah air mereka. Sebaliknya kini Umno dan regim Bnlah yang mengkianati negara dengan menjual warga negara pada orang asing yang belum tentu setia.

Kepada pendatang asing, kami ucap terima kasih kerana memilih untuk bekerja dalam negara ini, kami hargai anda mencari rezeki di tanah air ini tetapi ingat bila kamu mula campur urusan politik negara kami, anak muda Malaysia pasti akan bertindak balas.

Gerakan gabungan ABU dan SAMM akan mencetak sebanyak 200,000 keping risalah peringatan kepada pendatang asing agar menjauhi politik negara khususnya menjelang PRU nanti. Cetakan ini dalam 7 bahasa antaranya ialah bahasa benggali, myanmar, inggeris, indonesia dan tagaloq sebagai peringatan dan usaha menggagalkan usaha regim menggunakan khidmat pendatang untuk terus berkuasa.

SAMM juga menyeru secara serius, dalam angin PRU makin kuat ini. Jika regim ini mahu terus dihormati maka sewajarnya tampil membersihkan senarai pemilih dari kekotoran penjualan kedaulatan negara dengan kemasukan pendatang sebagai warga dan pengundi sebelum PRU. Jika tidak kamu akan dikenang sebagai pengkhianat dalam kebangkitan rakyat yang sudah tidak boleh dielakkan lagi. Jangan berdolak dalih lagi. Bukti sudah terbentang didepan mata, negara ini sedang digadai.

Bangkit, Bangkit, Bangkit ! Selamatkan negara.

 

 

Wife of YB Wong Ho Leng blasts own party for failure to provide financial support for brain ...

Posted: 20 Jan 2013 12:22 PM PST

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/wong-ho-leng-DAP-SWAK.jpg 

Irene Chang, the wife of YB Wong Ho Leng, the DAP MP for Sibu as well as the DAP Sarawak Chairman blasted her own party, the DAP for failing to provide or even offer any form of financial support to her husband in respect of his current medical treatment for brain tumour. Irene Chang was incensed and agitated when after reading the DAP's media statement on January 13 (reproduced here below) issued by Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng which merely expressed the party's moral support for the ailing MP.

DAP Insider 

pic1

Irene is upset because she related that the family spent over AUD 40,000 (equivalent to RM124,000) in the initial treatment and diagnosis for Wong last month.

The current treatment regime of radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment in Singapore for the next six weeks is expected to cost at least SGD 60,000 (equivalent to RM150,000) and if brain surgery by way of the latest cyber knife surgery is performed to remove the brain tumour, then the cost  per surgery session will be an additional SGD30,000 (equivalent to RM70,000). This does not include the costs of lodging, subsistence and transport for the family, especially Irene who will be with her husband throughout the entire treatment period in Singapore.

The first phase of treatment is for a period of six weeks and thereafter after an intermission period of 3 weeks for review and evaluation, Wong may be required to undergo second phase treatment for another six weeks.

The total cost of related to the medical treatment for Wong may easily hit SGD 200,000 (equivalent to RM500,000) over the next three months.

overallpics

"Wong is only 53 years old and we have 5 children – 4 of them are still in school and college and universities and hence our financial resources are already very strained. His legal practice suffered after he was elected as the MP for Sibu because he is unable to concentrate full-time on his legal practice which is our main source of income for the family. As a DAP MP, he is expected to contribute a portion of his allowance to the party and more of often than not, the allowance itself is not sufficient to pay for all the related expenses of serving the people as an MP. Every month we have to top up another RM10,000 as additional expenses for serving the people and maintaining our Service Centres," Irene said.

She further said, "During the Sibu by-election and the Sarawak State election last year, we used up almost all of our personal savings of RM700,000 for campaign expenses as there was very little support from DAP HQ. Then we begged the Foo Chow clansmen and businessmen for donations and financial aid and we managed to raise over RM10 million from friends, relatives and well-wishers…I think we probably spent about RM4 million from that amount but the rest seemed to have been transferred from DAP Sarawak and disappeared into the party coffers in DAP HQ and we have no access to the funds…And now Wong is sick and we need money for his medical treatment and all that Guan Eng can say or do is that the party will support us morally and help service the constituency…Where is the humanitarian support to us in this time of difficulty? Not a single sen coming out from the party after all that we have done and achieved for the party. Shame on you Guan Eng."

pic6"I heard from Wong complaining to me that the party gave Tony Pua RM1.3 million to produce the stupid Gangnam video for the recent National Convention…my God, they can spend RM1.3 million on videos but they cannot find it in their hearts to give a single sen to us for Wong's medical treatment. The party leadership is truly heartless…"

 

'Fenomena Listen': Sharifah Zohra Mohon Maaf

Posted: 20 Jan 2013 12:10 PM PST

rb5_avuagPk 

(mStar) - "Saya maafkan gadis muda (Bawani) dalam video itu di atas apa jua tindakannya sebelum, semasa dan selepas forum tersebut. "Saya juga memaafkan pihak-pihak yang melemparkan kata-kata kesat terhadap saya tanpa usul periksa dan mendapatkan fakta yang tepat," katanya. 

Or watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb5_avuagPk 

Pengerusi Suara Wanita 1Malaysia (SW1M), Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin pada Ahad tampil memohon maaf kepada Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) berhubung kontroversi 'fenomena listen' yang menjadi perhatian banyak pihak baru-baru ini.

Menurut Sharifah Zohra, beliau kesal apabila pusat pengajian tinggi itu dikaitkan dengan kontroversi berkenaan.

"Saya sangat kecewa apabila UUM diheret sama secara langsung dalam isu ini. Dalam kes ini, UUM merupakan pihak yang paling layak untuk saya memohon maaf secara ikhlas.

"Saya dengan ini mohon maaf kepada UUM kerana perkara ini benar-benar berada di luar kawalan saya apabila ada pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab menjadikannya sebagai sesuatu yang dianggap malapetaka," katanya menerusi satu kenyataan di sini, Ahad.

Selain itu Syarifah Zohra turut melahirkan kekesalahan di atas tindakan pihak tertentu yang mensensasikan isu berkenaan hingga menimbulkan kebencian orang ramai terhadapnya.

"Tindakan individu tertentu ini berjaya mewujudkan 'tsunami fenomena listen' menjadi lebih beremosi dan serius hingga menimbulkan kebencian di kalangan pelajar-pelajar dan rakyat Malaysia terhadap saya tanpa alasan yang kukuh," katanya.

Syarifah Zohra menjadi topik hangat apabila klip video sepanjang 24 minit yang memaparkan insiden pertikaman lidah antara beliau dan pelajar undang-undang UUM, KS Bawani ketika Forum Suara Mahasiswa pada Disember lalu mendapat kritikan banyak pihak.

Menerusi kenyataan tiga muka surat itu, Sharifah Zohra bagaimanapun turut memaafkan Bawani dan pihak yang didakwa mengecamnya tanpa usul periksa.

"Saya maafkan gadis muda (Bawani) dalam video itu di atas apa jua tindakannya sebelum, semasa dan selepas forum tersebut.

"Saya juga memaafkan pihak-pihak yang melemparkan kata-kata kesat terhadap saya tanpa usul periksa dan mendapatkan fakta yang tepat," katanya.

Mengulas lanjut Sharifah Zohra berkata beliau turut menerima ugutan daripada banyak pihak pihak termasuk parti politik.

"Video sensasi yang bermotif politik ini telah menyebabkan saya dan keluarga tertekan, terutamanya anak saya.

"Saya bimbang dengan keselamatan keluarga saya kerana saya telah menerima uguran SMS (sistem khidmat pesanan ringkas) tidak bertanggungjawab daripada individu, kumpulan serta parti politik," katanya.

 

Najib promises seven projects if Barisan retakes state from PAS

Posted: 20 Jan 2013 12:05 PM PST

http://fz.com/sites/default/files/styles/mainbanner_645x435/public/Najib%20at%20Pasar%20Siti%20Khadijah_Kelantan_Bernama_2.jpg 

(The Star) -  "All you need to do is give us the mandate and you will see progress happening in Kelantan"

A highway, a spanking new stadium and an end to the people's water woes.

The people of Kelantan can expect all these and more should the Barisan Nasional retake the state from PAS in the next general election,Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

The Prime Minister announced at a Janji Ditepati (Promises Fulfilled) programme here yesterday that the Barisan would undertake seven major projects if it forms the next state government in Kelantan.

Najib pledged that Barisan would build a highway linking Kuala Krai and Kota Baru, build a spanking new stadium and resolve the people's water woes if it is given the mandate to rule the state.

Barisan will also build 3,000 houses under its people-friendly housing scheme, set up a Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) campus for 5,000 students, start a Rapid Kota Baru bus service and build a RM50mil mosque that will be the biggest in Kelantan.

"This is only part of our manifesto. It is not yet complete. There will be other things to be announced later. This is Barisan's promise," he said, adding that the people of Kelantan had tremendous potential and Barisan could provide the catalyst for them to excel through systematic development.

Taking a dig at the state government now run by PAS, the Prime Minister said transformation, progress and a strong ummah (community) could not happen merely "through slogan chanting and having the house painted green."

Close attention: Najib speaking with a pupil of SK Sri Wakaf Baru in Tumpat, Kelantan. — BernamaClose attention: Najib speaking with a pupil of SK Sri Wakaf Baru in Tumpat, Kelantan. — Bernama

On the other hand, he added, Barisan had shown it was capable of bringing transformation to the state. "All you need to do is give us the mandate and you will see progress happening in Kelantan," he said.

Later, in a "live" interview with KelantanFM, Najib said the people here have a strong determination to succeed and, as a responsible government, Barisan would be able to provide more opportunities.

"When the state and federal governments come from the same party, all development policies can be easily streamlined for the benefit of the people," he said.

 

Oxford College, St Hugh's, being sued for 'discriminating against the poor'

Posted: 20 Jan 2013 12:40 AM PST

oxford

The Radcliffe Camera at Oxford University

The Huffington Post UK

An Oxford college is being sued for allegedly discriminating against poor students after it rejected applications from postgraduates who couldn't prove they had £21,082 for tuition and living costs.

Damien Shannon, 26, is taking St Hugh's college to court claiming the policy amounts to "selecting by wealth" and bars all but the wealthiest of students.

Shannon had successfully applied to take an MSc in economic and social history but was told his place was conditional on meeting Oxford's financial requirements.

According to the Guardian, Shannon's submitted legal papers state: "It is my contention that the effect of the financial conditions of entry is to select students on the basis of wealth, and to exclude those not in possession of it.

"In particular, the requirement for evidence of funds for living costs has a discriminatory effect."

Shannon was only able to raise £10,000 through a loan but could not secure the remaining £11,000.

Former Labour cabinet minister and Salford MP, Hazel Blears, has taken up the case with a parliamentary debate on postgraduate costs being heard on Wednesday, reports the Telegraph.

She said: "Oxford University's demands for a guarantee on living costs are deeply unfair.

"They will price gifted students out of doing these courses and our country will lose out on some really talented individuals."

The case will be heard next month.

A St Hugh's college spokesman said: "The requirement that postgraduate students provide a financial guarantee in order to take up their course place at the University of Oxford is made clear to potential applicants.

"The university and college have both made fundraising for postgraduate scholarships a key priority."

 

Why is Dr Mahathir such an idiot?

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 08:31 PM PST

Many argue that Dr Mahathir was the architect. While this may be true (and Dr Mahathir, in fact, did not deny it), the 'man-on-the-ground' in charge of executing the plan was Anwar. And while you may argue that Anwar had no choice but to do what Dr Mahathir wanted, how do you explain Zaid Ibrahim resigning from the Cabinet because he did not want to do what the Prime Minister wanted?

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Why is Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad such an idiot? Does he not know that his statements, plus those of the other 'independent' MPs and 'Umno-friendly' people such as Ibrahim Ali, are going to hurt Barisan Nasional in the coming general election expected over the next two months or so? Does Dr Mahathir have a death wish for Umno and Barisan Nasional on the eve (almost) of the 13th General Election?

I would expect someone of Dr Mahathir's political acumen and savvy would be smarter than that. He is, after all, 'The Grand Old Man' of Malaysian politics and very Machiavellian at that too. But what he has been saying and doing of late gives the impression that he is getting senile or is losing it.

Actually, Dr Mahathir is just being, as the Malays would say, bodoh sepat. Which means he is cleverer than many of us suspect. He knows exactly what he is doing and why he is doing it. And those of us who are unsuspecting are being dragged into Dr Mahathir's game plan, which he is playing to achieve the end game of winning the coming general election.

But how do you win the general election by insulting and antagonising the voters? Should you not instead be apple-polishing the voters? Should you not instead be shaking hands and kissing babies? Do you win the general election by making an enemy of the voters?

Ah, this is what separates the men from the boys. Dr Mahathir knows which side his bread is buttered. And he is just making sure he touches the right side of that buttered bread so that he does not get sticky fingers. And all his political life he has made sure that other people get their fingers dirty while he keeps his as clean as a whistle.

Okay, we all know that Dr Mahathir is or was the architect in most of the controversies and scandals to hit Malaysia. However, while he may be the architect, he makes sure that others are the engineers. Hence he designs things but he lets others carry out the dirty work. And he makes sure he insulates himself so that he can do what the US Presidents would do: deniability.

You may suspect he is the architect. You may even know for a fact that he is the architect. But you will never catch him with his hands in the cookie jar. The engineers would be those caught with their pants down. And if you try to bring him to book you will lack the evidence to gain a conviction because there will be no tangible evidence to speak of.

And that was why Nixon was caught while all the others were not. Deniability and insulating the top -- that is how it is done in the US. The architect must not also be the engineer. Hence the engineer would fall while the architect would remain protected.

May 13 is one example that comes to mind. The engineer gets caught while we can only suspect the architect behind the event. As much as we may feel we know who the architect is there is not enough evidence to hang him from the highest tree.

The Sabah illegal immigrants issue now under the investigation of the RCI is yet another example. The entire country knows the architect behind that. They even call it 'Projek M'. But do you have Dr Mahathir's fingerprints anywhere? Where is the smoking gun? What you do have are the fingerprints of various Sabah Chief Ministers, Political Secretaries and Ministers. Is there enough tangible evidence to arrest and try Dr Mahathir?

To be fair, the findings of the RCI is not complete yet as the inquiry is still ongoing. Nevertheless, I strongly suspect that when they complete the inquiry and publish the findings of the RCI there would not be enough evidence for legal recourse to be taken against Dr Mahathir.

The testimony of the witnesses thus far appears to show that this scandal had been going on since the 1960s and 1970s. Dr Mahathir became Prime Minister only in the 1980s. Hence this started one or two decades before Dr Mahathir's watch.

Now, in 1985, four years after Dr Mahathir became Prime Minister and three years after Anwar Ibrahim joined Umno, Sabah fell to a 'Christian' government. In 1991, Anwar became the Finance Minister and in 1993 the Deputy Prime Minister after ousting Tun Ghafar Baba.

Tun Ghafar thereby lost his position as head of Umno Sabah and Anwar took over as the Director of Operations of Barisan Nasional Sabah. And Anwar's job was to take back Sabah, which they did the following year in 1994. And how did Anwar succeed in taking back Sabah? He did so by 'diluting' the Christian voters, who had given Sabah to PBS, with an estimated one million 'new' Muslim voters.

Many argue that Dr Mahathir was the architect. While this may be true (and Dr Mahathir, in fact, did not deny it), the 'man-on-the-ground' in charge of executing the plan was Anwar. And while you may argue that Anwar had no choice but to do what Dr Mahathir wanted, how do you explain Zaid Ibrahim resigning from the Cabinet because he did not want to do what the Prime Minister wanted?

This means you do not have to do what the Prime Minister wants, especially if it is something illegal or immoral, and then argue that you had no choice. You can always resign on principle like what Zaid Ibrahim did.

Let us look at another issue, the Constitutional Crisis of the 1980s. Again, Dr Mahathir was the architect for this crisis. That much we know for a fact. But the engineers were Tun Ghafar and Anwar. It was Tun Ghafar and Anwar who we saw on TV back in the 1980s driving in and out of Istana Negara at the height of the crisis. It was Tun Ghafar and Anwar who met the Rulers to quarrel with them. It was Tun Ghafar and Anwar who spoke to the press and kept us updated every day with their press statements.

Yes, Dr Mahathir is a Republican and is anti-Royalty. I can confirm that because I have personally heard Dr Mahathir utter anti-Royalty statements. I heard that with my own ears. But I have also personally heard Anwar whack the Rulers. That, too, came from Anwar's own mouth.

My conclusion, made almost 30 years ago back in the 1980s, was that both Dr Mahathir and Anwar are Republicans and are anti-Royalty. And, more importantly, the Rulers also know that Dr Mahathir and Anwar are anti-Royalty. And that is why the Rulers don't like Dr Mahathir and Anwar.

But Dr Mahathir is no longer in power. He is no longer the Prime Minister (maybe only the de facto Prime Minister like Anwar is the de facto PKR leader). Najib Tun Razak is. And Najib, without a doubt, is pro-Royalty while the man who wants to oust Najib and take over as Prime Minister, Anwar, is anti-Royalty. Hence, between Najib and Anwar, the Rulers would rather have Najib as the Prime Minister and they will do anything they can to ensure that Najib stays on and Anwar never takes over.

We can argue that Malaysia is a democracy and it matters not what the Rulers want because, in the end, it is the people who will decide. True, but which people? And this brings us back to my opening statement regarding Dr Mahathir's 'stupidity'.

The Chinese have made it very clear that they are going to vote ABU -- anything but Umno. The Indians, to a certain extent, have said the same thing, although not as high a percentage as the Chinese. In the last general election, MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP won a total of only 20 seats (PPP zero) out of 222 Parliamentary seats. That was less than 10%.

This time around, they may be reduced to just 10 seats in total, or less than 5% of the seats in Parliament. Never mind what Barisan Nasional, Umno or Najib does, this is not going to change things one bit. MIC, Gerakan and PPP are going to get totally wiped out while MCA may be reduced to just 10 seats.

This means they need to depend on just Umno and the East Malaysian members of Barisan Nasional to stay in power. Even then they may be able to do so with only 110-120 seats.

Hence Umno can forget about the non-Umno parties in West Malaysia (MCA, MIC, Gerakan and PPP). Whatever they say and do is not going to save the day. The only thing that can save Umno would be the Malay votes -- that determine roughly two-thirds of the seats in West Malaysia.

And that is why what they are doing/saying is not to win the hearts and mind of the Chinese and Indian voters. It is too late to win the hearts and minds of the Chinese and Indian voters. They need to win the hearts and minds of the Malay voters. And to do that they need to do and say what they are currently doing and saying.

While this may upset the Chinese and Indians, who are not going to vote for Umno anyway, it pacifies the Malays. And it is the Malays they want to pacify, not the Chinese and Indians, who have made it very clear they are not going to vote Barisan Nasional or Umno come hell or high water.

Dr Mahathir may not be such an idiot after all. It could be that he knows exactly what he is doing. Whatever it may be, in two months time or so we will know if Dr Mahathir is an idiot or actually a Machiavellian political genius. Two months more, that is all, and we will know.

 

Dr M: Melayu serah banyak hak atas nama perpaduan

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 06:53 PM PST

Mohd Idros Mohd Ali, Sinar Harian

Melayu sudah menyerahkan banyak hak mereka kepada kaum lain di negara ini semata-mata untuk mewujudkan perpaduan dan suasana yang harmoni.

Bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad berkata, Melayu suatu ketika dahulu mempunyai 80 peratus daripada jumlah keseluruhan penduduk negara ini tetapi sanggup berkorban dan menyerahkan sebahagian hak itu kepada kaum lain.

"Selepas itu, jumlahnya berkurangan kepada 60 peratus. Tiada penduduk di mana-mana negara di dunia ini yang mahu berbuat demikian.

"Hanya orang Melayu yang sanggup melakukannya. Kita banyak menyerah dan berkorban hak untuk orang lain.

"Segala-galanya kita serah kepada orang asing. Kita sanggup tukar nama Persekutuan Tanah Melayu kepada Malaysia. Tiada lagi unsur Melayu yang ada. Orang Melayu tidak marah tetapi merelakannya," katanya ketika menyampaikan ucaptama Program Transformasi Ekonomi dan Pelajaran MelayuPulau Pinang di Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) di
sini, semalam.

Selain itu, orang Melayu memberi hak warganegara atau kerakyatan kepada orang asing walaupun ia tidak berlaku di negara lain sejak dahulu lagi.

"Walaupun kita penduduk majoriti tetapi orang Melayu hanya menguasai 30 peratus ekonomi.

"Berbanding penduduk kaum lain berjumlah 40 peratus, mereka menguasai 70 peratus dari ekonomi negara ini.

"Orang Melayu masih menyerah dan merelakannya.

Tetapi apabila peluang 30 peratus yang ada pun masih mahu diganggu orang lain, orang Melayu mulai gusar dan menjadi marah," katanya.

Sehubungan itu katanya, penduduk kaum lain di negara ini perlu bersyukur dan berterima kasih kepada Melayu yang sanggup melakukan apa sahaja untuk mewujudkan keamanan di Malaysia.

Mahathir turut membidas sikap sesetengah kaum di negara ini yang masih belum puas, sebaliknya mahu pula menguasai politik tanah air, yang selama ini didominasi orang dan parti politik Melayu.

"Tak cukup lagikah dengan penguasaan 70 peratus dalam ekonomi selama ini. Apa matlamat mereka untuk menguasai politik pula,"
katanya.

Menurutnya, Melayu perlu sedar keadaan itu dan memberi sokongan padu kepada Barisan Nasional (BN) dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang untuk memastikan nasib mereka terus terbela hingga generasi akan datang.

 

How capitalism breeds social problems

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 05:53 PM PST

So, if we want to reduce the three million 'foreign population' of Malaysia then the plantations, construction companies, SMI factories, etc., should stop employing them. And to do that we need a minimum wage of at least RM1,200-RM1,5000 (or thereabouts) a month. With that salary level Malaysians would be prepared to work and hence you do not need to employ foreigners and then give them Malaysian citizenship.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Subra: Minimum wage to avoid unnecessary hiring of foreigners

(The Star) - The minimum wage policy, which came into effect this year, is to avoid the unnecessary hiring of foreign workers, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.

For example at petrol stations, he said, people have to accept the idea of self-service when filling up their cars.

Petrol dealers have implemented the minimum wage as of January 1, throwing some 50,000 foreigners out of work.

"The change that we are looking for will not happen overnight," Dr Subramaniam said adding that the minimum wage policy was also implemented to channel workers to other sectors which are in need of labour.

He said there were no provisions in the current law to allow companies to delay implementing the policy.

"Employers need to deal with the new policy but if they have problems, they can forward their concerns to us and we will try and help them," he said.

The minimum wage policy requires companies to pay a minimum wage of RM900 in the peninsula and RM800 in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.

Subramaniam said the ministry was also discussing with employers on issues relating to levy and allowances for housing and transportation of the foreign workers.

"Employers want the levy and allowances to be born by the workers. The issue is up to the Cabinet to decide on what action to be taken," he said on Sunday.

*****************************************

I used to live in Bukit Rahman Putra (BRP5) in Sungai Buloh, Selangor -- from end-December 1996 to end-February 2009. One day we noticed that around midnight or so there would be a foul smell in the air. We spent days trying to track the source of this smell but failed to do so.

We then met up ('we' meaning the residents' committee) with the officers from Jabatan Alam Sekitar (the Department of the Environment) to discuss this matter and to explore what they could do about what was apparently a bad case of air pollution -- and we suspected most toxic as well since this happens only past midnight and not in the daytime when it could be detected easily.

What the officers told us surprised us. Most of those factories at the bottom of the hill where we live are not licensed, they told us. Hence, since they are not licensed, the Department of the Environment cannot do anything about them. They can only take action against licensed factories. They have no jurisdiction over illegal factories and businesses.

Who then can take action? Well, this comes under the jurisdiction of the land office and the local council. So we need to raise this matter with the land office and the local council. However, since these two agencies are amongst the most corrupted agencies (and they still are even though Pakatan Rakyat has been ruling Selangor for almost five years now) we should not expect any action to be taken.

The Department of the Environment should know because they too have faced problems in trying to solve this matter. The factory owners just pay 'under-the-table' money to the officers from the land office and local council and they can practically get away with murder. (In fact, you can literally also get away with murder in Malaysia the same way).

I then did a tour of the area from the Sungai Buloh KTM railway station right up to the old leprosy settlement/new Sungai Buloh Hospital. I discovered that the area was 'infested' with foreign workers, mostly from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc. And the majority of these people were either illegal immigrants or were holding Malaysian identity cards, which means they are Malaysian citizens.

From my rough estimate I concluded that the ratio of 'foreign' population to locals was probably two-to-one -- though since they owned Malaysian identity cards they would be regarded as Malaysian citizens rather than foreigners. It seems it is not that difficult for these 'foreigners' to become Malaysian citizens. All it needs is money, which their employers would gladly pay and then deduct the amount from their salaries later.

I then did a 'census' of the many Sungai Buloh factories at the foot of Bukit Rahman Putra (next to the Hong Leong Yamaha factory) and I found that all these factories are Chinese-owned. There are no Malay- or Indian-owned factories (except for one Indian carpet dealer, which is not a factory but a warehouse). And all their workers are foreigners (except for the managerial postions, who are Chinese), but not necessarily illegal workers, as most owned Malaysian identity cards.

I also discovered that not only is the area from the KTM railway station up to the old leprosy settlement/new Sungai Buloh Hospital 'infested' with 'foreigners'. When I drove in the opposite direction towards Tasek Biru, it is the same thing, although the ratio there is not as high as two-to-one. Nevertheless, there is a huge 'foreign' community there as well.

Why is there such a high foreign community (both illegal as well as those with Malaysian identity cards) in Sungai Buloh? Well, that is because the many Chinese-owned factories and construction companies pay low wages and only foreigners would want to work at these pathetically low wages. No Malaysians want to do a labourer's job in the factories and on the construction sites.

And that is why the SMIs and construction companies are opposed to the minimum wage. If you can remember, last year they spoke up against the implementation of the minimum wage. If there is no minimum wage and salaries are kept low then these businesses make more money. But that would also mean only foreigners from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc., would want to do such work. Malaysians would not want to work for a mere few hundred Ringgit.

The same goes for plantation companies. They employ foreigner workers because Malaysians do not want to do backbreaking work at such low wages. And many of these plantations are multi-national companies, some even GLCs (government-linked companies).

In fact, I spoke to one GLC oil palm plantation company (state government-owned) to confirm this. They employ foreigners because they can't get Malaysians to work at those low wages. And for sure no Malaysian Chinese would want to work in plantations for RM700 a month. They would rather sell pirated CDs and DVDs (they even do so in Manchester, surprisingly).

Today, we complain about the millions of 'illegal immigrants' in Malaysia. Actually they are not illegal immigrants since they have been given Malaysian identity cards. And the reason this estimated three million 'foreigners' are in Malaysia is because we employ them at very low wages. And because of the very low wages only these 'illegals' would want to work. Malaysians are not interested to suffer at such low wages.

I have bumped into many Malaysian Chinese here in the UK working as chefs and waiters/waitresses. Why do they work here in the UK and not back in Malaysia? That is because in Malaysia then can't even earn RM1,000 a month whereas in the UK they earn more than RM5,000 a month. And you can survive in the UK with RM5,000-RM6,000 a month but not in Malaysia with a mere RM800-RM900 per month.

So, if we want to reduce the three million 'foreign population' of Malaysia then the plantations, construction companies, SMI factories, etc., should stop employing them. And to do that we need a minimum wage of at least RM1,200-RM1,5000 (or thereabouts) a month. With that salary level Malaysians would be prepared to work and hence you do not need to employ foreigners and then give them Malaysian citizenship.

And the only people who can do this would be the Chinese construction companies and SMI factory owners plus the GLCs and multi-national plantation companies. It is no use screaming about the problem when we are the source of that problem.

The capitalists want to make more money. So they underpay their workers. And because they underpay their workers the jobs go to the foreigners. And these foreigners bring their families to Malaysia and their children school in Malaysia. They also tax Malaysia's health system.

It is the capitalists who are the cause of Malaysia's social problems involving foreigners. And because we need cheap labour we need to bring in three million foreign workers from the neighbouring countries.

Yes, many of these workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, etc., are Muslims. However, do you think the Christian Filipino girls would want to work for RM700 a month on a construction site when they can earn RM2,500 or more as a maid in Singapore (food and lodging free as well)?

Capitalism works on the law of supply and demand (just like prostitution). When there is a demand for cheap foreign labour then the supply would emerge. And the people creating this demand are the SMI factories, construction companies and plantations. And who are the owners of these SMI factories, construction companies and plantations?

Then you blame the government for this. And when I point out the reality of this situation you get angry. And this is because of the Malaysian culture of…what do you call it…kiasu, is it?

 

Deepak asked to delay interview, says MACC

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 04:13 PM PST

Syed Jaymal Zahiid, The Malaysian Insider

Controversial carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan claimed he was "not in the (right) state of mind" to be questioned over his claims last week and asked for a postponement, says the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

MACC's response was issued yesterday, a day after Deepak said he was told on Friday to return at a later date with documents pertaining to his allegations surrounding private investigator P. Balasubramaniam's second sworn statement in 2008. 

The second statutory declaration, was in relation to the 2006 high-profile murder of Mongolian Altantuyaa Shaariibuu. 

"Deepak was greeted by one MACC officer (yesterday) and he subsequently told the officer that he was supposed to be at the MACC office because he had made an appointment with a reporter. 

"When asked if he was ready to give his statement, Deepak told the officer that he was 'not in the state of mind' to have his statement recorded and requested that he does so on January 22, 2013, at 5pm," the commission's Deputy Chief Commissioner, Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull, said in a statement. 

Deepak had told The Malaysian Insider on Friday that he expects to reveal everything to the MACC after he had recently admitted that he helped to get Balasubramaniam to repudiate his earlier statutory declaration on the matter, including finding two lawyers to draft the new statement. 

The Bar Council is currently investigating the identity of lawyers and possible misconduct in the drafting of Balasubramaniam's second sworn statement about the murder of Altantuya. 

A cloud of mystery has hung over the identity of the lawyer who drew up Balasubramaniam's second SD, dated a day after his first on July 3, 2008, regarding Altantuya's 2006 murder, for which two elite police commandos have been convicted and are facing death sentences. 

Balasubramaniam's lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu had previously said M. Arunampalam's role as the lawyer who had drafted the investigator's second SD had been dispelled by well-connected businessman Deepak, who is also in the centre of the controversy surrounding Balasubramaniam's two SDs.

READ MORE HERE

 

Stop Perkasa or lose votes, warns MIC

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 04:06 PM PST

The ruling coalition must take immediate steps to curtail Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa if it wants to win over the non-Muslims voters, says Vell Paari.

(FMT) - A furious MIC leader today lashed out at Malay nationalist movement Perkasa's chief Ibrahim Ali for fanning religious and communal tension by provoking potential violence against non-Muslims.

MIC strategic director S Vell Paari said the government must take criminal action against Ibrahim immediately to stop the situation from getting out of hand.

"He should not be allowed to go on saying what he wants and wherever he wants and in the presence of whoever it may be to intimidate and threaten any Malaysian, let it be Muslims or non Muslims," Vell Paari said today.

"To incite a criminal act against a fellow Malaysian due to religious difference is criminal in nature and action should be taken against him."

He also urged the Barisan Nasional leadership to immediately clarify it's stand on Perkasa.

"First and foremost he is a nobody and not a decision or policy maker in BN. He can't be allowed to  go on pretending that he is speaking on behalf of the BN.

"And to see him making such provocative remarks in the presence of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad is not going to look good on BN, especially with elections just around the corner," he said.

He said people like Ibrahim should be isolated and made known that Malaysia has moved forward, and not stuck in a time warp.

He also said that he would be urging his party leadership to clearly state their stand against Perkasa to the BN leadership.

Vell Paari was responding to Ibrahim's call earlier today for Muslims to seize and burn copies of Bibles which contain the term "Allah" or other Arabic religious words.

READ MORE HERE

 

We’ll end all race-based policies such as the NEP

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 04:00 PM PST

Pakatan's strategy is to implement a slew of people-centric fiscal policies that will ease the financial burden of the people, via both economic and education measures. 

By Chua Jui Meng, FMT

All race-based policies will end when the rakyat gives Pakatan Rakyat the mandate to govern in the coming 13th general election.

Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has promised to do away with all such policies, like the New Economic Policy (NEP), when he is sworn in as prime minister.

This is because the NEP has only benefited a small percentage of Malays – the Umnoputras and their families and cronies.

How else can you account for the super rich current and former Umno leaders.

Policies that benefit all Malaysians and Malaysia, as outlined in Pakatan's Buku Jingga (Orange Book), will be implemented to fasttrack socio-economic growth for the people and country, not political leaders and their cronies.

Poverty eradication will feature significantly in Pakatan's rule and the mammoth KL112 (Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat Kuala Lumpur) is proof of Malaysians, especially Malays, wanting change in the government.

Petronas and its oil are Malaysia's largest billion-ringgit revenue earner. But only the Umno president, who is traditionally the prime minister, has access to Petronas accounts. Not even Parliament.

Why the secrecy and zero transparency?

Why is Singapore's per capita income 500% higher than Malaysia? When Sabah joined the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, it was the richest state in Malaysia. Today, the people of Sarawak are the poorest in Malaysia. Why?

One word is the answer – greed! Unmo's greed is insatiable.

That is why the majority of rural and urban Malays are living in poverty or are trapped in the middle and lower-income group.

Pakatan government will focus on caring for the poor and to lift the living standards of all Malaysians.

Our target is to eradicate poverty within Pakatan's first term as federal government, if given the mandate in GE13.

This can be achieved by raising the household income of those with RM1,500 and below a month to RM4,000.

The strategy is to implement a slew of people-centric fiscal policies that will ease the financial burden of the people, via both economic and education measures.

Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor state chief. He is also a former MCA vice-president and an ex-Cabinet member.

 

Will Najib survive after GE13?

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 03:55 PM PST

The question is if Umno will allow Najib to continue to helm the party and country if BN only wins with a smaller majority or without parliamentary two-thirds.

Athi Shankar, FMT

Can Najib Tun Razak survive as prime minister after the country's 13th general election?

This was the biggest political question today as Malaysians await the forthcoming dissolution of the parliament, said DAP's Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong.

Of course, he said Najib would sure to lose power if Barisan Nasional was defeated.

But, he said the question was whether Umno would allow Najib to continue to helm the party and country if BN won the election with a smaller majority or without parliamentary two-thirds.

"As the nation waits for the next polls, a new question emerges – can Najib survive as prime minister?" asked Liew in his article in the latest edition of DAP mouthpiece, The Rocket.

Najib took over the reins of Putrajaya on April 3, 2009 from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, to become the country's sixth prime minister.

Liew claimed that Umno undercurrents were now troubled by the reality that Najib was no game changer in winning extra Malay supports and securing more non-Malay support with his "1Malaysia" slogan for Umno and BN.

Although Najib appeared not to be a racist in a vulgar way, Liew said the Umno president was unable to stem racist campaign by his own party, Malay supremacist organisation Perkasa and Malay daily, Utusan Malaysia.

Liew fired a broadside against Najib for his failure to work with Pakatan Rakyat state governments, especially after the malicious "coup" in Perak in February 2009.

He said Najib's attempt to stamp his mark on Umno by fielding winnable candidates had also backfired.

"After vacillating on when to dissolve parliament for the last three years, the immediate question now is will there be a person by the name of Najib leading BN into the next election?" asked Liew.

The Altantuya factor

He also recalled his brief 10-minute conversation with Najib, then deputy premier and defence minister, when they first met during Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore some three months after the last general election on March 8, 2008.

He claimed Najib has promptly told him three things, firstly that he had nothing to do with the murder case of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

READ MORE HERE

 

KL112 and a new Malaysian identity?

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 03:49 PM PST

Greg Lopez, New Mandala

The symbolism of the Malaysian peoples uprising on January 12, 2013 or KL112 cannot be underestimated for its importance in myth-making. In facilitating this 'peoples uprising', Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has not only created new myths that would solidify its presence in the memories or 'imagery' of Malaysians in a positive manner, but more importantly, PR has also moved decisively in dismissing myths created by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and its subordinates in the Barisan Nasional (BN) that have been the grand narrative/s in Malaysia for the past 55 years.

Myths – stories, memories and symbols – provide the basis for the narratives that create, forge or reaffirm identities. These are especially crucial in periods of critical transformation and/or when societies are undergoing a crisis of identity. Jose Luis Borges noted that the past and the future inhibit the present. In the context of the KL112, PR is representing the present by connecting to a more glorious Malaysian past and the promise of a more glorious future.

But why is PR now the purveyor of hope, a realm that was firmly in the hands of UMNO with visions of grandeur and Malaysians, Malays and Muslims being world beaters. The reasons are multifaceted and many are known with incompetence, mismanagement and corruption by the ruling regime being often touted as the main reasons. It could also be that Malaysia and Malaysians are undergoing an identity crisis.

This crisis of identity came to surface with the twin economic and political crisis: the East Asian Financial Crisis (EAFC) of 1997/98 and the political and social fall-out as a consequence of the sacking and the subsequent brutal and humiliating treatment of then Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. While the May 13, 1969 pogrom scarred Malaysians in the way the different races – especially between the [older] Malays and Chinese – related to each other, many Malaysians, especially Malay-Muslims saw UMNO and the government in a different light after these twin crises. The popular Deputy Prime Minister who was to many Malay-Muslims, an icon of how Islam (and Muslims) can co-exist, even thrive in and with modernity felt terribly bitter in the manner he was treated. To the Malays, it was argued that a sacred feudalistic social contract had been breached. More importantly and pragmatically, the EAFC brought down to earth UMNO and Malay-Muslim pride that were then running on a can-do attitude captured through slogans such as 'Malaysia Boleh', 'Melayu Baru','Melayu Korporat' and rising bank balances (let alone the sole right to lead Malaysia). A cataclysmic crisis to an artificially created race that was always insecure and unsure of themselves.

Difference between opposition public demonstrations and BN's and the creation of identities

Several simple but important observations can be made of the public demonstrations by PR in contrast to the ruling regime.

A united message – While the BN is in disarray with its 1Malaysia slogan that has lead to a series of debacles, ridicules and outright rejection at the highest levels of administration, PR through a series of broad based public demonstrations either in supportive or leading roles, have been instrumental in forging a new identity focusing on what is wrong in Malaysia. What this identity is precisely remains unclear and subject to different interpretations, but nevertheless it is bringing Malaysians genuinely together, united in opposing the regime.

People and issue focused – Another important difference is that the mass gatherings manufactured by the BN are always about support of or for its leader/s and its leadership. The public demonstrations organised by PR and civil society are about issues that matter to Malaysians. Personalities do matter, but primary importance is to the issues. Malaysians are not spending their money, braving retribution from the government, risk limbs and jobs just to hear leaders of PR and/or civil society talk – they are there to make a point about issues that matter to them. And these issues are serious enough for Malaysians often characterised as docile and lackadaisical to come out of their comfort zones.

A sense of purpose – this is possibly the most important point in the creation of identities. While BN organises events which do not have any meaningful sense of purpose for its participants, the public demonstrations are driven by a sense of purpose. This is critical in validating the myth. Broad sections of Malaysians – whole families, young and the old, workers and students, blue and white collar, Peninsular and East Malaysians, conservatives and progressives, leaders and followers – all have a sense of purpose. And when they're sprayed with chemically-treated water, tear-gassed or baton-charged, there is now a badge of courage, a shared myth, ridiculed by the mainstream media and elected leaders, a story is to be told. The story becomes a myth and a shared identity. It does not matter if they are a Keadilan, a PAS, a DAP, a PSM supporter or the various civil society and grass-roots movements, or the different races, or Malaysians making a stand on a myriad of issues. There is a story – a same story to be told.

No BN member has anything that comes close. The last time was in 1946, when UMNO marched against the Malayan Union.

A nation of equals – And remarkably, there is an air of egalitarianism. Among the speakers at the KL112 other than the political party leaders, were two women from minority races, representative from East Malaysia and grassroots leaders. The time given for each speaker were almost equally distributed. PR leadership did not have exclusive rights to the speeches but was shared with civil society and grassroots leaders. There was no emphasis on any particular party – PAS, DAP, PKR or PSM had almost equal time, with Anwar Ibrahim of PKR, designate Prime Minister, having the last word. BN's events in turn are always focused on the leaders and on one particular individual (and often on his wife). Whether it's a walk-about, or a teh-tarik session, or a mass rally – it is and always is – about the leader.

Myths created, question and shattered

Operasi Lalang catalysed civil societies in Malaysia but it was Reformasi that provided Malaysians opposed to the ruling regime with a shared myth that was different from the existing grand narrative. While many Malaysians lost their innocence (or belief) in UMNO, BN and their government, many Malaysians were also given the opportunity to work together to form a new 'identity' against the existing narrative.

This grand narrative is two-fold: that Malaysians due to their racial and religious differences are incapable of managing themselves; and that only UMNO through BN can managed these differences.

Since the time of Alliance, even the much loved Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia's Father of Independence, had used this narrative. Many Malaysians believe in this myth, and to a large extent, the BN had delivered on this myth – not only managing competing racial and religious demands, but delivering growth, peace and stability.

READ MORE HERE

 

RCI proceedings: Facing up to the truth of where Malaysians come from

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 03:44 PM PST

malaysia-population

Dr Mahathir's response has drawn widespread derision since his remarks have appeared in the Internet media. His was not only a shallow attempt to divert attention away from his role in this unconstitutional operation by playing up to the chauvinistic feelings of the Malay audience. He also chose to malign a deceased prime minister in his attempt to get off the hook for masterminding the massive influx of illegal immigrants into Sabah.

Dr Lim Teck Ghee, CPI

The pro-Umno author and blogger Syed Akbar Ali, in a post critiquing the Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants in Sabah, has argued that it would not be out of place to have a Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate why one million immigrants who were mostly Chinese and Indians were given citizenship in Malaya in the 1950s (see his post of 17 Jan 2013).

According to him, "surely there must be at least five million Malays on the Peninsula today who may be wondering why or how that particular incident happened? Were they consulted? Was there a public referendum?"

He also asserted that "Let's not argue about the fairness. Let's have a RCI first on the issue – how and why 1.0 million Chinese and Indians (including my mamak gang of course) were given citizenship."

He may have made his proposal provocatively or tongue-in-cheek but a variant of it has appeared as one of the lines of defence used by the former prime minister in justifying the distribution of identity cards to foreigners and their registration as voters in Sabah. According to Dr Mahathir Mohamed , "One should also look back and remember that Tunku Abdul Rahman was worse than me, he gave one million to citizenships to people who are not qualified and not even tested".

"Why is it when he does it, it is not wrong, and when I do it, it's wrong?" he asked.

Dr Mahathir's response has drawn widespread derision since his remarks have appeared in the Internet media. His was not only a shallow attempt to divert attention away from his role in this unconstitutional operation by playing up to the chauvinistic feelings of the Malay audience. He also chose to malign a deceased prime minister in his attempt to get off the hook for masterminding the massive influx of illegal immigrants into Sabah.

There is no comparison between the widely-publicized citizenship deal for non-Malay residents who became citizens of the country based on the principle of jus soli and the surreptitious citizenship-gifting racket that Mahathir and his gang ran.

One was open, transparent and agreed to by all the major political stakeholders in the country, including the Rulers. The other was underhand, opaque, known to only a small group of conspirators and objectionable to the citizens of Sabah and the country as a whole.

For anyone to suggest that this recent (and other similar) political gifting of citizenship is equivalent to that which was carefully negotiated to secure our independence is to scale new heights of political expediency, if not idiocy.

It is necessary amidst the scorn poured on Dr Mahathir to note that he is correct in pointing out that the inflow of people from the southern Philippines into Sabah is not a recent phenomenon. The free movement of people in that region is indeed part of a long historical trend.

But this free movement was ended by the establishment of the two new nation states –Malaysia and the Philippines. As a key figure in protecting our national interest – a responsibility which he swore to uphold when he accepted the position of prime minister – Mahathir should be the first to recognize the difference between the unrestricted movement of people during the pre-colonial and pre-Independence period and the illegal influx that he authorized.

The RCI hearing may yet bring out new discouraging disclosures on the way the former prime minister abused his power to ensure a decisive electoral advantage for the Barisan Nasional and how he sought to prolong his rule over the country by unfair means.

While we may not be able to do anything to revoke the illegal citizenship papers provided to non-Malaysians by the Mahathir regime, amidst all the gloom however, there is perhaps one positive development that we might console ourselves with. This is that we are indeed a nation of migrants with the latest large scale influx of Indonesians, Filipinos and other non-Malaysia migrants – illegal or otherwise – adding to the diversity of the country.

Nearly 80 years ago, R. Emerson, in his classic work, Malaysia: A Study in Direct and Indirect Rule, noted the large size of alien communities as "an admirable index of the extent to which the Malayan way of life has been superseded by the new economy" (Pustaka Ilmu edition, University of Malaya Press, 1964, p.195)

READ MORE HERE

 

Dr M, we don’t need your racist rants

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 03:39 PM PST

Unlike the 200,000 Sabah immigrants, the pre-independence immigrants were not illegal immigrants. Our forefathers worked and many gave their lives to the building of Malaysia. Our forefathers fought along the Malays to gain independence. Unlike in Sabah where the immigrants were given citizenship for your political agenda.

By S Vell Paari, FMT

PETALING JAYA: MIC strategic director S Vell Paari responds to former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's recent claims on citizenship rights.

Mahathir's claim: If the government can form a commission to probe the citizenship given to some 200,000 Sabah immigrants, he asked "why not on those pre-independence immigrants?"

Vell Paari's response: Unlike the 200,000 Sabah immigrants, the pre-independence immigrants were not illegal immigrants. Our forefathers worked and many gave their lives to the building of Malaysia. Our forefathers fought along the Malays to gain independence. Unlike in Sabah where the immigrants were given citizenship for your political agenda.

Mahathir's claim: He said the Malays generously allowed the immigrants to be citizens, speak their languages and practise their respective cultures, something that even neighbouring Thai and Indonesian natives failed to do.

Vell Paari's response: Like Malaysia there are also immigrants in Thailand and Indonesia from China and India who are allowed to practice their respective culture and languages. Unlike your discriminating views, a Chinese became PM of Thailand and the current PM of Thailand is of the same non-Thai bloodline. In Indonesia I have Indian friends who are either second or third generation Indonesians and they speak in Tamil. In Indonesia they even had a picture of Lord Ganesha on their currency. Hinduism and Christianity are also practiced. They have greater freedom of religion. Would you have allowed that under your prime ministership? Please do not create tension for our country with Indonesia and Thailand to justify your lame excuse.

Mahathir's claim: He added that those who can't use the brain to think wisely were equivalent to animals.

Vell Paari's response: Just because you have a warped process of thinking, don't insult others. On the same point, don't also insult animals. Unlike you, they were not evil enough to send Anwar Ibrahim to jail to rid of a political opponent. For your political survival for six years, you denied him to his family. Don't mistake me, I am a BN politician and it's in my DNA to make Pakatan Rakyat look bad and it's in Pakatan's DNA to do vice versa but they are my political opponents and not enemy. Sometimes political agenda must be set aside to do what is right for Malaysia as a whole.

Unlike you, they are not evil enough to attack a man who was going throught a personal issue as in the case of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. A man who during his prime ministership was going through the pain of his wife suffering from a terminal  illness. A man who was torn between the duties to his wife and country. If you were in his shoes, would you been able to cope? I doubt it. During the Bosnian conflict, you broke out in tears and could not speak. You cried as they were of your faith but in the case of Tun Badawi, knowing his personal grievous, you still hounded him with no emotion and humanity. And you still do.

Mahathir's claim: He lamented that the immigrants were now plotting to remove the Malay privileges.

Vell Paari's response: Well what did you do in Sabah by giving 200,000 illegal immigrants citizenship. Were they Malays? More like Pakistanis and Filipinos. You plotted to remove the rights and privileges of the Sabah people. Let's be frank and say that this was done to reduce the majority of Christians in Sabah.

You gave citizenship to a MNLF commander and his fighters. You jeopardised the national security of the country. You have sent people to ISA on lesser charges. You committed treason in playing with the country's national security for your political agenda.

READ MORE HERE

 

Temple gets noise warning

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 12:19 PM PST

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(The Star) - The Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) has ordered the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple committee in Pekan Bangi Lama to reduce its level of noise and cease religious activities after 6pm.

In the Jan 8 compound notice issued to the temple, the council claimed that the noise from the temple and its religious activities had disturbed the neighbourhood.

Temple Chairman R. Pannirselvam said MPKj enforcement officers ordered the temple to adhere to the notice, failing which he could be fined RM1,000 or jailed six months or both under Section 82(5) of the Local Government Act.

He said the notice had caused uneasiness among the thousands of Hindus who congregate for prayers at the temple every Tuesday and Friday and also for other festivals.

"Prayers are conducted between 6pm and 9pm and we ring bells during the prayers. How can we stop the ringing of the bells," he asked?

MPKj councillor Senator S.T. Chandramohan however said the notice was rescinded late Friday following reports in a Tamil paper.

Pannirselvam had sought the assistance of MIC Youth chief T. Mohan who assured them that the council did not have the right to impose such conditions.

"This is a breach of the constitution which allows everyone to practise his own religion," Mohan said.

He urged Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Selangor exco member Dr Xavier Jayakumar to publicly apologise to the Indian community.

Explaining the notice, Chandramohan said it was issued without the knowledge of council president Datuk Hassan Nawawi and other councillors.

"We have asked the council's audit and good governance committee to look into the matter because there is a standing instruction that any action against religious places has to be referred to the council's full board meeting," he said.

Meanwhile, Hassan clarified that the notice urging the temple to reduce the level of noise had nothing to do with the ringing of bells.

 

Pakatan Rakyat Is Sending A Message That They Do Not Need The Indian Votes

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 12:02 PM PST

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We must understand that Barisan Nasional is bad but in this case Pakatan Rakyat is actually worst than Barisan Nasional. If they do not bother to take care of our rights and sensitivity then why in the first place should they deserved our votes and support? 

Shen Yee Aun, Malaysian Youth Rights Movement 

 

1.  Pakatan Rakyat Banggi district council impose a ruling that after 6 pm the Hindu Temple in Banggi cannot ring the bell !

2. Why must Pakatan Rakyat fail to understand the significance of ringing the bell in the Hindu Temple ?The Bell, known in Sanskrit as the Ghanta/Ghanti is used in all poojas for invoking the Gods. The ringing of the bell produces what is regarded as an auspicious sound. It produces the sound Om, the universal name of the Lord. There should be auspiciousness within and without, to gain the vision of the Lord who is all-auspiciousness.Another significance of ringing the bell is that they help drown any inauspicious or irrelevant noises and comments that might disturb or distract the worshippers in their devotional ardor (dedication), concentration and inner peace.

3. It is the Hindu culture and ritual that is practise all around the world. Why must Pakatan Rakyat be so rude and be disrespectful to the Indian community?

4. Just about some time ago Pakatan Rakyat in Kedah is trying to be funny with our Malaysian Chinese Chinese New Year Celebration and now in Selangor they are trying to do the same to the Indian/Hindu community? We must not forget that earlier Pakatan Rakyat in Sepang also had went into a private property and snatch people Hindu shrine and now with this latest rude and disrespectful ruling are they actually sending a  message that they do not need our votes ?

Read more at: http://1sya.com/?p=4497 

 

If you're given the bible ...

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 11:58 AM PST

if people give you the bible ... read it ... 
don't lodge a police report .. . it's not a bomb in an envelope ... is it?

A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE

Dr Azly Rahman

IN FEAR THEY TRUST ...

some of these malay-muslims ...

if people give you the bible ... read it ... 
don't lodge a police report .. . it's not a bomb in an envelope ... is it?

if you're give the quran ... read it
if you're given the torah ... read it
if you're given the bhagavad gita ... read it
if you're given the analects of kung fu tze ... read it
if you're given the granth sahib ... read it
if you're given karl marx's das kapital ... devour it ...

you've already been given your life ... read it 
you' ve been given your mind, use it ...

 

**********************************

OUR USUAL REMINDER, FOLKS: 
While the opinion in the article/writing is mine, 
the comments are strictly, respectfully, and responsibly yours; 
present them rationally, clearly,  politely, and ethically.

 

AND - VOTE WISELY!

https://www.facebook.com/#!/azly.rahman

http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/

 

 

At odds over sacred word

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 11:47 AM PST

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Hadi has become known for his flip-flops but this particular issue has cast more doubts on his ability to lead the party. It is clear he cannot be relied upon to defend the party's interests and he will be lucky if PAS retains him as president at the party polls due this year.

Joceline Tan, The Star 

PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu was walking on cloud nine after the success of his Stadium Merdeka rally. He had pulled off something big and his supporters claimed the event had raised his profile in PAS.

Mat Sabu, as he is known by all and sundry, is aware that not everyone in PAS thinks highly of him because he lacks the religious credentials demanded of top PAS leaders. He knows that party members call him "Raja Lawak" (king of laughs) but they would have to take him more seriously after this.

But the bubble burst on Sunday night when news trickled out that the Syura Council of Ulama, the party's highest decision-making body, had ruled that the word "Allah" is sacred to Islam and cannot be used to describe God in any non-Muslim religious books.

Alwi: 'Road to paradise lies in Islam, and not in PAS'Alwi: 'Road to paradise lies in Islam, and not in PAS'

The Syura Council said the "kalimah Allah" could not be used as the translation for the word God from any other language.

The Syura Council overturned what Mat Sabu along with his party's two top leaders, Mursyidul Am Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Matand president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, had been telling the media just days earlier that non-Muslims can use the term "Allah" as long as they do not misuse it against Islam.

Mat Sabu's stand even won praise from Dr Paul Tan, the controversial Catholic Bishop who has raised many an eyebrow with remarks that have made him sound more like a politician than a man of the cloth.

But Mat Sabu has since done a U-turn, saying that "my stand is the same as the Syura Council"; and the Bishop who has been waltzing with PAS is now dancing solo.

Everyone in PAS has fallen in line because the Syura Council is the most powerful body in PAS and the decision was pushed by the party's leading scholar in usuluddin (Islamic faith) Datuk Dr Haron Din. He is the sort who speaks softly but carries a big stick, and he has used the stick to great effect.

It was an embarrassing blow to Hadi and Nik Aziz because they are big names.

Dr Haron had been deeply disturbed by the compromises made on the "kalimah Allah" issue since 2010. Everyone has noticed how he has scaled back on political activities in the party but he has held his tongue.

He was also furious that Hadi had given the go-ahead for the use of "kalimah Allah" without first going through the Syura Council.

Nik Amar: 'Muslims sensitive about sacred word'Nik Amar: 'Muslims sensitive about sacred word'

Hadi had appeared at a press conference together with DAP's Lim Kit Siang and PKR's Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the same day the Sultan of Selangor released a stern reminder to Selangorians that there is a state fatwa on the usage of the term.

Many in PAS were shocked by Hadi's action. They thought it showed poor judgement and some claimed he was manipulated by the Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

Hadi has become known for his flip-flops but this particular issue has cast more doubts on his ability to lead the party. It is clear he cannot be relied upon to defend the party's interests and he will be lucky if PAS retains him as president at the party polls due this year.

Some claimed this is what happens when the top leadership of PAS is made up of non-ulama figures apart from Hadi, the deputy president and the three vice-presidents are non-ulama.

PAS Dewan Ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib, also a member of the Syura Council, told people he could not understand why the party was so concerned about pleasing people on the west coast when it should be looking after its traditional supporters in Terengganu and Kelantan.

Mohamad: Went from cloud nine to a burst bubble.Mohamad: Went from cloud nine to a burst bubble.

People like Harun are convinced the faith would be in serious jeopardy without strict control over the "Allah" term.

"Muslims are very sensitive with the usage of certain sacred words. I am very relieved and I thank the Almighty for the decision of the Syura Council," said Kelantan state exco member Datuk Nik Amar Nik Abdullah.

Nik Amar is normally quite a jovial person but he has been in a grim mood over the issue. He admitted that he is upset with DAP leader Lim Guan Eng for raising it.

"He should not touch on it," said Nik Amar who is also the deputy state PAS commissioner.

Read more at: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/1/20/nation/12581443&sec=nation 

 

Tensions can flare if Sabah RCI sensationalised, Musa Aman tells newshounds

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 11:43 AM PST

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(The Malaysian Insider) - "In a sensitive situation such as the RCI, sensational coverage will not bring any positive results or effects for the state of Sabah or the country as a whole"

Sensational coverage of the ongoing royal inquiry into Sabah's foreign population explosion could spark unnecessary tension, its chief minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman reminded journalists as witness testimonies of illegal immigrants being fast-tracked for citizenship is raising the mercury ahead of Election 2013. 

Questions are being asked of the ruling Barisan Nasional's (BN) role over the last two decades in failing to stem the flood of illegal immigrants into Malaysia's easternmost state, which has seen its population grow from just over 630,000 in 1970 to over 3.1 million in 2010 — more than double the national standard. 

"Many sensitive issues have been raised by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants that is currently being held. 

"We cannot interfere in the deliberations and the testimonies in the continuing hearing. We also should not rush into any conclusions while the Inquiry is proceeding," said Musa(picture) in a brief six-paragraph media statement to The Malaysian Insider last night. 

The state's longest-serving chief minister urged reporters to be mindful of their coverage of the RCI, "to avoid bringing about any kind of unnecessary tension among the public". 

"The government has no control over editorial content. We believe in the freedom of the press," said the 61-year-old, who has been in office since March 2003. 

"At the same time, in a sensitive situation such as the RCI, sensational coverage will not bring any positive results or effects for the state of Sabah or the country as a whole," he added. 

Musa had also made a similar request last week at a closed-door meeting with state English-language media representatives from New Sabah Times, Daily Express, The Borneo Post, andBN-controlled newspapers New Straits Times (NST) and The Star, as well as national news agency Bernama. 

The issue of illegal immigrants has turned emotive among Sabah natives like the Kadazandusun and Murut communities, many of whom feel that the state has been robbed of its sovereignty through the massive influx of foreigners from neighbouring Philippines and Indonesia. 

It is no secret that Sabahans are angry and want these foreigners shipped back to their home countries in one way or another. They also often blame the immigrants for robbing them of job opportunities and for the rise in the state's social, economic and security problems. 

Recent statistics from a 2010 census of Sabah's population showed an extraordinary 390 per cent increase from 636,431 citizens in 1970 to 3,120,040 citizens in 2010, more than double the national population growth of just 164 per cent. 

About 28 per cent of Sabah's 3.2 million-strong population are foreigners, numbering at 889,000 people. 

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/tensions-can-flare-if-sabah-rci-sensationalised-musa-aman-tells-newshounds/ 

 

‘Pakatan all set to take away people’s rights’

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 11:40 AM PST

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(The Star) - "We will have to change our lifestyles as well as dress code, and probably even our choice of food. In fact, you will also be barred from lining up in the same queue with your wife after shopping at a supermarket."

People will have their freedom curtailed and be subjected to harsher laws if Pakatan Rakyat were to rule the country in the coming general election.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the people should take note of recent developments in Kedah and Kelantan to see for themselves what was in store for them should Pakatan form the next Federal Government.

"To put it simply, lipstick will not be allowed and women will not be allowed to cut men's hair at the salons," he said.

"There will be no high heels, no short sleeves, no cheongsam and certainly no live music or other forms of entertainment.

"We will have to change our lifestyles as well as dress code, and probably even our choice of food. In fact, you will also be barred from lining up in the same queue with your wife after shopping at a supermarket," he said at the 52nd anniversary dinner of the Negri Sembilan Moral Uplifting Society on Friday night.

Dr Chua said the rights of all Malaysians, which were clearly enshrined in the Constitution, would also be infringed upon as PAS, which would take on a dominant role in Pakatan, would call the shots as was evident in Kedah and Kelantan.

"The DAP says this is a small matter, but let me remind you that the party can only be a taikor (big brother) in Penang. Elsewhere, it will have tokowtow (give in) to PAS," he said.

Dr Chua said it was an open secret that PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang would be elected as Prime Minister as the party would have more influence over Parti Keadilan and the DAP.

Dr Chua said the fact that PAS had never endorsed PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as their Prime Minister-elect if Pakatan were to win the next general election was also testimony to this.

"Anwar will be left with only Selangor. So, you decide if you want Abdul Hadi as your Prime Minister," he told the crowd.

Likening the DAP to a political eunuch, Dr Chua said it was only good at criticising the Barisan Nasional government, particularly the MCA.

Dr Chua said the country would prosper if Barisan continued to lead the country.

"Malaysia is the only country whose economic outlook was revised upwards last year by international bodies at a time when many other developed economies were facing downturns," he pointed out.

"We are forecast to do even better this year but you must have leaders who are able to steer this nation to success and not those who will be busy taking away the rights of its people."

 

Call to ban politically incorrect terms like ‘ah pek’

Posted: 19 Jan 2013 11:35 AM PST

(The Star) - Terms like ah soh (aunty), ah pek (uncle) and orang asing (foreigner) should be banned in government departments and state agencies, said a Barisan Nasional leader.

Kota Melaka Parliamentary Supporters Club chairman Datuk Mohammad Ahad said he would propose to the Chief Minister to direct civil servants to refrain from using such terms to address the people.

"From what my close friends told me, even bank staff address the non-Malays with such terms," he said, adding that many people, especially pensioners, felt offended.

His friends, Mohammad said, were professionals who had once served in senior positions in government departments and felt upset that the younger civil servants would sometimes converse with them in colloquial Malay.

The younger civil servants, he added, should realise that these pensioners were from the "baby boomer" generation with good education and experience.

"They are knowledgeable about any issue and don't need to Google' to get information. Therefore, younger civil servants shouldn't look down on these older folk as being ignorant," he said, blaming the social media for perpetuating such terms to refer to certain ethnic groups.

Mohammad, who is also Sg Putat Umno branch chairman, said he would propose to the Chief Minister that guidelines be drawn up on etiquette and customer service.

"We have to do something to label such terms as dirty words' because, in a way, civil servants who continue to address people this way can derail the noble intention of the Prime Minister's 1Malaysia concept," he said.

Malacca MIC deputy chairman Datuk M.S. Mahadevan said many grassroots leaders felt that Barisan would be at a disadvantage if civil servants continued to address non-Malays with such terms.

"We have those who are in their late 60s venting their frustrations whenever they are described as orang asing," he said.

 

‘Probe pre-independence immigrants’

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 06:24 PM PST

If the government can form a RCI to probe citizenships given to about 200,000 Sabah immigrants, why not on those pre-independence immigrants? asks the former PM

Athi Shankar, FMT

Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed cynically suggested the federal government form a royal commission of inquiry to probe if the one million "foreigners", who were given citizenship during independence, were entitled to it.

He suggested for the commission to probe ancestral backgrounds of the "foreigners" to determine on whether they deserved their citizenship.

If the government can form a commission to probe the citizenship given to some 200,000 Sabah immigrants, he asked on "why not on those pre-independence immigrants?"

He told this at a crowded hall when officiating a Perkasa convention on "Penang Malays Economic and Education Transformation" in UiTM campus here today.

Nonetheless he said he was not seriously demanding for such commission, but only wanted certain amount of fair play in such inquiries.

"I'm not serious about it. But they must be fair," the country's fourth premier told a press conference later.

Dr Mahathir seemed clearly frustrated by mounting criticisms against him over allegations of a citizenship-for-votes scheme in Sabah that occurred in the 1990s during his premiership.

He said Sabah's illegal immigrants deserved their citizenships given that the law allowed for it if a person had stayed in the country for more than 10 years.

"It was a co-incidence that they were given citizenship during election time," Mahathir told newsmen.

Earlier in his keynote address, he said pre-independence immigrants should be grateful to the Malays for their citizenships,  given by first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Unlike natives of Myanmar and some African nations, he said the Malaya natives, both pribumis and bumis, did not chase out the immigrants when then Malaya got its independence from the British colonial masters.

Ungrateful immigrants plotting to remove Malay privileges

He said the Malays generously allowed the immigrants to be citizens, speak their languages and practise their respective cultures, something that even neighbouring Thai and Indonesian natives failed to do.

Although Malays constituted 80% of Malaya's voting population during independence time, he claimed that they willingly shared power with the immigrants even though it would reduce their vote bank to 60% and weaken their own political strength.

"We allowed the immigrants to flourish among us and let them even to dominate the economy. We also did not stop their language and cultural growth," said Mahathir.

READ MORE HERE

 

Burn ‘Allah’ Bibles, Perkasa chief to Muslims

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 04:52 PM PST

Proclaiming he is not instigating communal tensions, Ibrahim Ali, says it's the only way to stop non-Muslims from stirring sensitivities

Athi Shankar, FMT 

PERMATANG PAUH: Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali has called on Muslims to seize and burn copies of Bibles which contain the term "Allah" or other Arabic religious words.

Stressing that he was not instigating communal tension, the Pasir Mas MP insisted that it was the only way to stop non-Muslims from stirring the sensitivities and sentiments of the majority of population in the country.

He said certain non-Muslim groups were out to provoke the Muslims by using the term "Allah" or any other Arabic religious words in the Bible.

Under the Non-Islamic Religion (Control on Expansion Among Muslims) Act 1988, he said non-Muslims are prohibited from using several Arabic religious terms, including Allah, in their prayers or scriptures.

"Muslims must unite to protect their religion. They must seize those Bibles, including the Malay editions, which contained the term Allah and other Arabic religious terms, and burn them.

"This is the way to show our anger against disrespect to our sensitivity," he told a press conference after delivering his presidential speech at a Perkasa convention here today.

'Pre-election tactic'

Held at UiTM campus, the convention was on 'Economic and Education Transformation of Penang Malays'.

READ MORE HERE

 

Budak diherdik dengan panggilan ‘keling bodoh’

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 03:27 PM PST

http://english.cpiasia.net/images/2013/tanpa-prejudis.jpg 

Budak-budak lelaki Melayu yang saya perhatikan di taman permainan beberapa minggu yang lalu itu adalah salah satu hasil daripada rantaian interaksi pemimpin dan masyarakat ini. Adakah ini sikap bangsa Melayu yang ingin dipupuk pemimpin-pemimpin Umno, Perkasa dan pertubuhan-pertubuhan Melayu yang lain?

Zaki Samsudin, CPI 

Beberapa minggu yang lalu, saya telah membawa anak-anak ke taman permainan berhampiran tempat tinggal kami. Taman permainan itu agak luas. Di satu sudut, terdapat alatan permainan kanak-kanak – gelungsur, buaian, jongkang-jongket dan sebagainya – manakala di satu sudut lain terdapat tanah lapang yang walaupun tidak begitu luas, cukup untuk kanak-kanak lelaki bermain bolasepak.

Saya memang minat bolasepak dan suka melihat telatah kanak-kanak cuba mempamerkan skil masing-masing. Tatkala asyik memerhatikan mereka, saya baru sedar dalam kumpulan budak-budak lelaki sekitar 20 orang itu, terdapat seorang budak lelaki berbangsa India. Yang lain semuanya budak-budak Melayu.

Situasi sebegitu bukanlah ganjil sebenarnya. Memang kawasan perumahan itu majoriti penduduknya orang-orang Melayu. Yang ganjil dan amat memeranjatkan saya adalah sikap budak-budak Melayu terhadap budak India tunggal itu. Hampir kesemua mereka memanggilnya "budak keling".

Bila dia tersilap tendang, diherdik pula dengan panggilan "keling bodoh". Budak India itu walau bagaimanapun, tetap bersemangat mahu terus bermain. Malangnya dia dipinggirkan. Tidak ada yang mahu menghantar bola kepadanya. Dia cuba juga mengejar sedaya-upaya namun terus dibuli budak-budak yang lain. Tidak cukup dengan itu, tidak putus-putus dia diherdik dengan kata-kata kesat dan menghina.

Budak-budak lelaki yang saya perhatikan hari itu semuanya masih kecil. Pada amatan saya, semuanya berumur bawah 15 tahun. Kerana itulah saya terperanjat dengan sikap mereka terutamanya kata-kata kesat yang keluar daripada mulut mereka. Persoalannya, bagaimana mereka mampu bersikap sedemikian?

Dalam bidang sosiologi, setiap kelakuan manusia dikaji berdasarkan rangkaian interaksi antara agensi-agensi masyarakat daripada yang paling kecil hingga yang paling besar. Individu itu sendiri adalah agensi yang paling kecil, diikuti dengan ibubapanya, adik-beradik, sanak-saudara, jiran-jiran, guru-guru, tokoh-tokoh dan idola masyarakat, dan akhirnya sesebuah masyarakat itu sendiri secara am.

Sukar untuk kita tentukan adakah budak-budak Melayu yang saya ceritakan di atas, sikap dan kelakuan menghina yang mereka tunjukkan itu adalah hasil pengaruh ibubapa atau ahli-ahli keluarga terdekat. Itu hanya boleh ditentukan melalui kajian mikro psikologi personaliti dan psikologi sosial.

Namun kita boleh melihat kepada beberapa contoh kelakuan dan sikap di kalangan tokoh-tokoh masyarakat yang jikapun tidak banyak, pasti ada memberi pengaruh dan kesan.

Tingkah laku pemimpin masyarakat

Pada tahun 2007, ketika menghadiri sebuah program bersama pelajar-pelajar Malaysia di California, Amerika Syarikat, seorang menteri kabinet berbangsa Melayu telah dilaporkan mengeluarkan beberapa ungkapan yang dianggap menghina seorang pelajar berbangsa India. Dalam ucapannya, beliau menerangkan bagaimana pihak penjajah British membawa buruh India ke Tanah Melayu. Seraya berkata demikian, beliau memandang tepat ke arah seorang pelajar India di dalam dewan tersebut lalu berkata "that's how we got Indians in Malaysia" ("kerana sebab itulah di Malaysia ada orang-orang India").

Kemudian, pada tahun 2010, timbul pula laporan bagaimana seorang pengetua sekolah menengah kebangsaan di Johor, ketika berucap dalam perhimpunan khas sempena perayaan Hari Kemerdekaan, dengan lantang berkata pelajar-pelajar Cina tidak diperlukan di sekolah itu. Dicanang beliau agar pelajar-pelajar Cina berpindah ke sekolah Cina atau pulang sahaja ke negara Cina. Kepada pelajar-pelajar India beragama Hindu pula beliau berkata, tali sembahyang yang dipakai di lengan dan di leher umpama tali yang dipakai seekor anjing!

Dua contoh di atas adalah contoh kelakuan dan manifesti sikap yang ditonjolkan secara terbuka di khalayak ramai. Bayangkan apakah kata-kata yang mereka hemburkan dalam percakapan harian bersama ahli-ahli keluarga dan rakan-rakan?

Pengetua sekolah menengah itu misalnya, kalau begitulah sikap beliau ketika berucap dalam perhimpunan, bayangkan sikap beliau ketika berbual bersama guru-guru (yang majoritinya berbangsa Melayu) atau ketika memarahi pelajar-pelajar berbangsa Cina dan India di pejabatnya? Bayangkan juga bagaimana sikap beliau ini boleh mempengaruhi guru-guru lain yang masih muda dan pelajar-pelajar Melayu di sekolah berkenaan?

Read more at: http://english.cpiasia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2470&catid=230&Itemid=193

 

'Don't equate Merdeka with Sabah IC project'

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 03:18 PM PST

http://fz.com/sites/default/files/styles/mainbanner_645x435/public/20130114_PEO_TUN%20MAHATHIR%20VISIT%20CYBERJAYA7_MSY_3.jpg 

The national consensus on citizenship brokered before Malaya's independence cannot be equated with the controversial move to grant citizenship to foreigners in Sabah, policy thinkers say.
 
Chua Sue-Ann, fz.com 
 
This view is being aired as former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has sought to justify his administration's "Project IC" in Sabah by comparing it to first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra's push for Chinese and Indians in Malaya to receive citizenship.
 
Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, director of think tank Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI), said the comparison was wrong as the two citizenship exercises were carried out for different reasons.
 
"This is not a fair comparison. One was for independence whereas the other was for votes. The motive for granting them citizenship (in Sabah) was to fish for votes and purely political. Citizenship was one of the negotiation points for Merdeka.
 
"The British would not have given independence so easily if the non-Malays were denied citizenship. They had been there for many generations and had toiled to develop the country," Navaratnam told fz.com in a phone interview.
 
Malaysia should stop harping on the citizenship agreement made during the struggle for independence and focus on the road ahead, Navaratnam added.
 
"There are so many challenges that we as a nation face today like corruption, cronyism, declining competitiveness and poor education policies. Mahathir's remarks are contrary to the 1Malaysia concept," said Navaratnam, who had served the government for three decades.
 
Mahathir had on Thursday admitted to granting citizenship to foreigners in Sabah but maintained it was done lawfully.
 
But Mahathir sought to justify his administration's move by alleging that Tunku Abdul Rahman dished out citizenship to one million people who were "not qualified and not even tested".
 
Although Mahathir did not specify who these one million people were, his remarks were seen as a reference to the many Malayans of Chinese and Indian descent who were given citizenship when independence was being negotiated with the British powers.
 
Pre-independence, the proposal to give citizenship to non-Malays was a contentious and arduous process that took several years of multi-party negotiations.
 
Malaya in 1957 had a population of 5.2 million people comprising 2.2 million Malays and indigenous people and, three million non-Malays, according to a book entitled Malaysia: The Making of A Nation by Cheah Boon Kheng.
 
In similar vein, Centre for Policy Initiatives director Dr Lim Teck Ghee said Mahathir had no basis to compare the two historical situations.
 
"What Tunku Abdul Rahman did was open, transparent and with the support of key stakeholders when he agreed to the citizenship clause.
 
"What Mahathir did was opaque, hidden, known only to a few plotters and basically unjustifiable at the time, today and in the future," Lim said in an e-mailed response.
 
Lim added that Mahathir's remarks was typical of the latter's "diversion strategy" aimed at shoring up Malay support by stoking racial sentiments.
 
Sabah's large influx of foreign nationals has been a contentious issue for many years as locals fear an altering of local demographics.
 
Foreign nationals make up over 27% or 889,000 of Sabah's 3.2 million population, according to witness evidence during the current royal commission of inquiry to investigate the issue of undocumented immigrants in the state.
 
Aside from altering the state's demographics, Project IC in Sabah was also alleged to be an exercise to give foreign nationals, mostly from the Philippines and Indonesia, citizenship in exchange for votes.
 

 

Reflections on democracy and populism

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 03:13 PM PST

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IF the government were to devise a scheme where a grandparent could "borrow" future earnings from his grandchild, would the grandparent consent to such an unusual plan? 
 
Khaw Veon Szu, fz.com 
 
Yet, the various popular cash handouts that are now being offered, if continued indefinitely, are akin to intergenerational borrowings that threaten the well-being of future generations with massive financial obligations incurred from the benefits received by today's generation.
 
A recent statement by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has set alarm bells ringing. According to the media, the deputy prime minister said Putrajaya may double the RM500 cash aid distributed under its Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) programme.
 
He added that the federal government may even make it a permanent policy should the national income and tax revenue exceed RM125 billion and Barisan Nasional wins the general election. 
 
The first BR1M, paid out to nearly five million families at a cost to taxpayers of RM2.6 billion earlier last year, saw Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's approval rating hit 69%, largely due to a surge among lower-income households. BR1M 2.0's coverage has been extended to unmarried youths.
 
More than 2.3 million applications had been received as at Dec 17, 2012, with more than 1.6 million from unmarried youths and more than 720,000 from households. 
 
Under the programme, Malaysians with a household income of less than RM3,000 a month are eligible for a one-off cash aid of RM500 while unmarried individuals aged 21 and above and who earn not more than RM2,000 a month are eligible for one-off aid of RM250. BR1M 2.0 is expected to benefit 4.3 million households and 2.7 million unmarried individuals. 
 
An additional RM300 million has been set aside for the Youth Communication Package that offers a oneoff rebate of RM200 to youths aged 21 to 30 with a monthly income of RM3,000 and below for the purchase of a 3G smartphone. 
 
Make no mistake. The Pakatan Rakyat state governments are equally guilty as they pioneered such cash aid programmes after taking over several states in the last general election. These included the Senior Citizens Appreciation Programme, the Single Mother and Disabled Person Programme and the Golden Students Programme, under which eligible recipients receive RM100 each annually.
 
That is what we fear most about populism. What initially starts out as one-off or ad hoc cash aid measures to win elections might eventually end up as a fixture in our national annual budget. 
 
No wonder many now worry that the battle to win the hearts and minds of the rakyat is fast descending into a mindless competition to put cash into the pockets of voters. 
 
The natural tendency in a democracy is for politicians to promise more and more to fulfil a multitude of the rakyat's incompatible desires. To meet these everincreasing promises, politicians are left with no alternative but to resort to print-ing money or borrowing in epic proportions. 
 
Hence, it is not surprising to learn that Aristotle was of the view that political regimes may be divided according to the number who rule and what kind of rule — good or bad. And here comes the shocker. 
 
If the many, the majority, rule for the sake of true common good, the regime is called a polity; if the many, the majority, rule for their own advantage rather than the common good, the regime is a democracy. This probably explains why our great institutions — the judiciary, Parliament, civil service, free press and the family — have such profound importance. They provide a system of checks and balances against the populism that is such a po-tent force in a democratic system. 
 
They stand for values — decency, fairness, protection of minori-ties, freedom under law — that inevitably come under strain in a democracy. Actually, an obsession with politics is dangerous. 
 
It is factually and patently wrong to assume that democracy is the same as liberty, tolerance and fairness because these values were embedded in public service long before universal suffrage and the emergence of what we think of today as democracy. 
 

 

Misleading take on Star in Sabah by complainants

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 03:04 PM PST

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The Daily Express front page lead, "Cloud still hangs over Star ops" (Sat 19 Jan, 2013), is a misleading take by complainants based on a litany of half-truths. The State Reform Party (Star), to the best of my knowledge, is a Kuching-based national party and hence can field candidates throughout the country. The emphasis is on fielding candidates. The only authority on Star fielding candidates is its president, not ROS or the EC.

Joe Fernandez, Bandar Seri Begawan

The EC has already made it's stand clear in the local media: Star can field candidates in Sabah come the 13th General Election under its symbol and flag. Star is a registered name, symbol and flag with the EC. All that a candidate needs to stand under Star is a letter from the party president to lodge with the EC.

Whether Star is registered or otherwise in Sabah with the ROS Sabah is irrelevant and immaterial.

In fact, the question of registering Star with ROS Sabah does not arise since a party cannot be registered twice. Branches can be registered in Sabah with the ROS, not the party again.

Likewise, it's irrelevant and immaterial whether Star has any branches in Sabah, registered or otherwise. There's no law which states that Star should have registered branches in Sabah before it can field candidates in the state. The ROS does not decide who stands in an election conducted by the EC.

There's no law which states that Star should have registered branches in Sabah before it can carry out political activities in the state. Branches are meant for party elections and not to carry out political activities or field candidates in a General Election.

Anyone can carry out political activities in Malaysia without a political party or even an unregistered NGO or ad hoc body.

The ROS Sabah should not plan to make a song-and-dance act about Star in Sabah. (It did not sort out CASH, the Sabah consumer body, and instead took the easy way out and deregistered it and/or declared it unlawful).

Instead, ROS Sabah and Sarawak should focus on disallowing the parti parti Malaya from setting up branches in Sabah and Sarawak. It should be guided by the safeguards, by way of constitutional documents, for Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia.

The ROS Putrajaya should not allow parti parti Malaya to register as national parties in defiance of the safeguards provided to Sabah and Sarawak at the time of Malaysia. Peninsular Malaysia, under these safeguards, should have one seat less two-thirds in Parliament, at the very maximum.

The parti parti Malaya can achieve their maximum quota in Parliament without crossing the South China Sea.

Indeed, they collectively hold 165 seats from Peninsular Malaysia alone in Parliament. This is more than their maximum quota. To add insult to injury, the parti parti Malaya have seats in Sabah and Sarawak and this further weakens the politics and voice of the Borneo people in Parliament. To add further insult to injury, the parti parti Malaya are planning to steal even more seats in Sabah and Sarawak, not only in Parliament but the respective state assemblies, come the 13th General Election.

The EC and the ROS are parties to weakening the politics and voice of the Borneo people in Parliament.

The Attorney General and the Sabah and Sarawak Attorney-Generals can make their stand clear on this burning issue and not play the role of the proverbial three monkeys: see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil or bury their collective heads in the sand like the ostrich.

Neither should they behave like the three blind men who described different parts of an elephant -- the tail, the ear, the trunk -- when asked to describe the animal.

The parti parti Sabah and Sarawak, like Star, would have to cross the South China Sea as national parties to achieve the same maximum -- one seat less two-thirds -- in Parliament for the Borneo Nations in Malaysia.

The Election Commission should not allow parti parti Malaya to field candidates in Sabah and Sarawak. The ROS, the Attorney General and the Attorney Generals of Sabah and Sarawak should facilitate the EC's work on this.

Umno is rotten to the core – it seems!

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 03:02 PM PST

http://i0.wp.com/aliran.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/mahathir-and-sabah-IC-for-votes-scam.jpg?resize=500%2C333 

The cat is out of the bag – at last! Tun Mahathir and all his cohorts from his era cannot plead ignorance or amnesia. It is out in the open how they cheated and stole elections to remain in power.

P Ramakrishnan, Aliran executive committee member

Shamelessly they plotted and subverted the democratic process in their greed to remain in power. What they did is tantamount to treason.

They stole our elections and cheated our voters. They made a mockery of our elections and the democratic process consciously and deliberately.

To think that this diabolical scheme was hatched by people from the Prime Minister's Department, the Home Ministry, the National Registration Department, the Election Commission, etc. It clearly establishes the fact that there was massive official fraud to ensure the two thirds majority, win the election and fool the public that the Barisan Nasional came into power through legitimate means.

To think that two of the then PM's closest confidantes – Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin, Mahathir's political secretary, and Megat Junid Megat Ayub, the deputy home minister under Mahathir – were actively involved in cheating and stealing elections exposes the very possibility that one can remain as prime minister in Malaysia not only for 22 years but forever!

The Royal Commission of Inquiry in session in Sabah has exposed some startling revelations that are sending shock waves across the nation. What has been revealed during the session really stinks – perhaps that is the reason this scam was so aptly code-named Ops Durian Buruk!

  • 40,000 blue identity cards were signed within a month for Muslim immigrants, mostly Indonesians and Filipinos, for the purpose of voting for Umno in the 1994 Sabah state election;
  • Mohd Nasir Sugip, a former National Registration Department official, was handed over a list of 16,000 names to be made into 'bumiputera Islam' voters. The 'operation involved providing the immigrants with new identity card numbers based on the date of birth, photographs and names provided by the EC';
  • Kee Dzulkifly, a member of the special unit dubbed G17 which operated out of the Sabah NRD headquarters, testified that the unit processed 100,000 blue identity cards for immigrants;
  • This special unit "was also responsible for issuing letters of approval for birth certificates, which he estimated the unit had processed some 200,000 for the children of immigrants".

The election scam, according to many, irrefutably proves there there is an ongoing plot – which the federal government, the NRD and the EC are actively engaged in – that exists right up to today, making the electoral process a meaningless farce.

Based on what is revealed – which proves that the various apparatus and functionaries of government have become the pliant subservient agents of the BN – it is no wonder that ruling coalition politicians can confidently declare that they can capture Selangor and take over Penang in the 13th GE. Having perfected the art of massive fraud in the past, the possibility that the BN will use similar schemes again is not unthinkable.

The BN's victories have never been honourable ones won on a level playing field.

It is, as revealed at the RCI, within their means to easily create new voters, as has been alleged, give them MyKads or temporary receipts, round them up in a house to teach them how to vote for the BN, bribe them and then transport them into constituencies which are marginal to carry out the dastardly deed. This is apparently their perfected modus operandi to win elections.

This was how they defeated the PBS government in Sabah; this was how they denied the Gagasan Rakyat their victory; this was how they prevented Pakatan Rakyat from forming the federal government in March 2008.

Under these circumstances, it would be terribly wrong – even immoral – for the present Election Commission to conduct the 13th General Election. The present members of the EC have forfeited their right to conduct the election by implication. Their integrity is suspect; their neutrality cannot be trusted and their fairness is not beyond question.

What the so-called 'trusted and respected leaders' of our country have done is unforgiveable. They have sacrificed the security of our country and the sacredness of our nation for their selfish greed to hang on to power by whatever means it takes.

It is Umno, as it were, that has been behind this conspiracy to corrupt the electoral process which is unprecedented and mind-boggling. It has always been Umno that has been dictating terms and deciding policies. It must be held responsible for the electoral fraud.

We must liberate ourselves from this sordid affair that has nullified our sacred vote. It is said, "The first step toward liberation for any group is to use the power in hand…And the power in hand is the vote." Let's remember that!

 

MACC asks Deepak to return with documents, no statement recorded

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 02:07 PM PST

Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today did not record controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan's statement in relation to P. Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration in 2008 on the 2006 murder of Altantuyaa Shaariibuu.

Deepak said the MACC today asked him to furnish a long list of documents, including those of a financial nature.

"He asked me to give him a lot of documents. So I've agreed. We're going to meet early next week," he told The Malaysian Insider after the meeting at the anti-graft body's Putrajaya office.

Deepak claimed that three men came to his office earlier to ask a lot of "unneccessary questions".

Earlier today, Deepak told The Malaysian Insider that he expects to reveal everything to the MACC, saying: "Yes, I believe I'll be revealing everything in writing, the entire facts".

"They want me to give a statement on the SD2," he had said, referring to private investigator Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration, which contradicted his first sworn statement.

Deepak had recently admitted that he helped to get Balasubramaniam, a private investigator, to repudiate his earlier statutory declaration on the matter, including finding two lawyers to draft the new statement.

The Bar Council is investigating the identity of lawyers and possible misconduct in the drafting of Balasubramaniam's second sworn statement about the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.

A cloud of mystery has hung over the identity of the lawyer who drew up Balasubramaniam's second SD, dated a day after his first on July 3, 2008, regarding Altantuya's 2006 murder, for which two elite police commandos have been convicted and are facing death sentences.

READ MORE HERE

 

KJ John, You do Yourself an Injustice

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:41 PM PST

Stop The Lies

I am not surprised to read Malaysiakini columnist and shareholder, USCI lecturer and church leader KJ John's "Why I Will Vote Pakatan…".

This is not surprising to those who are familiar with his writings in Malaysiakini and elsewhere.

His political leanings and his anti-government stance are common knowledge.

So, this article was written as an attempt to influence others also to follow suit. I don't think anybody would deny KJ John's right to do that. But when he bends the truth to support his arguments, somebody must correct him so that others are not misled.

KJ John must stop passing off prejudices as Gospel truth. He must know it is unChristian not to tell the whole truth. It is unChristian not to be grateful for the many blessings he has received as a citizen of Malaysia.

I submit the following facts and observations for KJ John to consider.

First, KJ John says that if the government had listened to him in 2007, it would have fared better in the 2008 general election.

This statement is highly presumptuous. By what stretch of the imagination does he think he is an expert on the complex mix of Malaysian politics?

His father was a MIC party leader but KJ John has never been a member of any political party.

Second, he says his reason for wanting to vote Pakatan was because BN handled the 'Allah issue' badly.

KJ John must have been sleeping these past few months if he has not witnessed the flip-flop stand by Pas (in the PR coalition) over the issue.

Get your facts right, KJ John, it was not BN that handled the 'Allah' issue badly, but Pas and DAP.

Why is KJ John so obsessed with this issue anyway? What is the real issue here?

KJ John, does God not answer you if you do not call him Allah? You know you can call him Elohim, Yahweh, Adonal, Theos, or Kurios, and he listens. Indeed, would God be offended if you just called him Father?

God will not be confined to just a few names that have been included in the lexicons of the world's languages.

Is there only one word in every language to which God will answer ? The written language is a human construct, not a divine revelation.

Would God eventually judge you by your words rather than my your deeds?

KJ John, why are you allowing the 'Allah issue' to blind you to all the blessings you have received?

You have all the fundamental freedoms to worship as you please, where you please–in your home or in your Church. Indeed you can worship him without restriction.

You can worship him, not confined by place, language, sentiment, mood, understanding, vocation, affiliation, inclination, education level, sentiment, clothing, mood, or physical attributes.

God listens to everyone who prays to him. Pray tell, KJ John, how have you been deprived, living as you have been in a Malay-majority, Muslim-majority nation all your life?

The non-Malays are assured of their rights and privileges as enshrined in the Federal constitution which is a very carefully and cleverly crafted document.

The rights and privileges accorded to one race or adherents of one faith are balanced by the rights of other races and religions.

Since independence in 1957, the Constitution has been amended about 40 times, but not a single amendment was made to these core provisions.

That must prove how the ruling government staunchly protects and upholds the freedoms of the people which they have enjoyed uninterrupted these past 57 years.

Third, KJ John, you said in your article, and I quote: "The federal government is still heavily dominated by Malays …(and the government has) been abusing the Malaysians of Sabah and Sarawak, much worse than the White Rajah has ever abused them!"

Come on, come on KJ John, a little learning is a dangerous thing, as they say. You don't even know the White Rajahs never ruled Sabah. Also, you have no idea how the White Rajahs treated the people of Sarawak. You were not born then, and were not even a glint in your father's eye.

Again, you say, and I quote: "Why is it that after almost 50 years of this willing and voluntary merger (with Malaysia), their position and placement (with rights and privileges) as the bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak, is not better or equal to even the middle 60 percent of the Malay bumiputeras or even in the same category of non-Malays?"

KJ John, you are woefully ignorant of the nation's history, of how the Federal Constitution was framed, nor do you have any in-depth knowledge of the events that led to the formation of Malaysia.

Please get off your blinkered horse and mix with the people in Sabah and Sarawak. They will enlighten you and fill the gaps in your knowledge.

READ MORE HERE

 

For Pakatan, Election 2013 not a stroll in the park

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:33 PM PST

Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider

As it stands now, the fight for the new voter is split down the centre with Merdeka Center's latest survey showing half of Election 2013 virgins supportive of Datuk Seri Najib Razak, contrary to perception that first time voters are likely to be Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters.

Nearly one in two Malaysians polled between last November and December in the "First-Time Voters Public Opinion Survey" said they were happy with the prime minister's performance even though only four in 10 said they were satisfied with the Barisan Nasional (BN) government since Najib took over the wheel from Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in April 2009.

The latest findings appear to corroborate the independent pollster's earlier studies on public rating for the ruling coalition were lagging behind its leader's despite the slew of cash handouts and a raft of economic and legal reforms introduced over the past four years. In effect, BN would be worse off without Najib's popularity.

The independent research house had polled 826 newly-registered voters in Peninsular Malaysia aged 21 and above and found Najib being most popular among Indians at 64 per cent compared to six out of 10 Malays and lowest among the Chinese, with six out of 10 saying they were upset with the PM.

In contrast, the BN coalition trailed the PM's ratings by eight percentage points, with 41 per cent of first-time voters approving it compared to the 49 per cent that backed Najib.

The ruling coalition was even rated one percentage point lower than the first-time voter's satisfaction with the federal government, which stood at 42 per cent.

Political analysts have suggested that the BN cash in more on Najib's personal popularity to endear themselves to first-time voters.

The survey also showed a marked split in the issues considered important to each ethnic group, with the Chinese saying they were most concerned about corruption while emotive issues touching on race and religion trumped livelihood issues for the Malays.

More than half of the 561 Malays polled said they wanted more to see politicians debate Malay and equality rights than talk about living costs or corruption.

READ MORE HERE

 

Anwar: Exorcising The Ghost of His Umno Past

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST

A Kadir Jasin

SHOULD we be curious that Parti Keadilan Rakyat's deputy president, Mohd Azmin Ali, is so worried about the so-called attempts to implicate his boss, (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim, in the Sabah immigrant issue or is there something more than meets the eye?

After all, the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) had just started its work.

Or is there something intimate that he knows about Anwar's alleged involvement in the Sabah's immigrant issue that many young Malaysians are not aware of?

Older Malaysians who know Anwar from his student days may be less surprised about his many political and social involvements and the evolution that he went through before, during and after his Umno days.

Azmin had alleged that the PKR had received information about a plot to implicate Anwar in the on-going inquiry.

The Malaysiakini news portal quoted him as saying: "[And] I also received information (the) ultimate goal will relate to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also.

"All the problems in this country is burdened on the de-facto leader and we also expect (this)."

I would not dare advise Anwar and Azmin, although I knew both of them well during the years that they were the power duo in the Barisan Nasional administration, to acknowledge that they were responsible for some of the key decisions that took place during that period or, at the very least, admit that they were fait accompli.

I Know They know What I Know

 

I was there for all of the 16 years that Anwar was the crown prince of Umno and Azmin, as his principle private secretary, was the envy of many ambitious civil servants and political operators. The braver ones called him names and the gung-ho ones mishandled him. I salute him for his undying loyalty to his boss.

In the case of Sabah politics, in which the immigrants play a major socio-economic and political role, Anwar was for many years its key handler. Because he was one of the most trusted and ambitious allies of then Prime Minister, (Tun) Dr Mahathir 'the Wizard' Mohamad , he got to handle not only Sabah politics but also money that went with it – government as well as party money.

Being the young leader most closely identified with Dr Mahathir, Anwar was in the thick of all things important and strategic – things that earned him juicy political dividends. Let us not pretend.

Since Anwar continues the dream of becoming Malaysia's Prime Minister and has the best shot at it in the coming general election, and Azmin surely would not want to be left far behind, perhaps it is time for them to face the ghost of their Umno and BN past. What is so terribly wrong about it?

Anwar would not be where he is today had he remained an Abim leader or opted to join Pas as some of his Abim's contemporaries did. For good or evil, the 16 years that he was in Umno, he gained premium political branding so much so he is today able to sell it to Pas and the DAP.

Immigrant Issue Is As Old As the Country

Let us be brave and frank. In a way or another, we are all implicated in all issues pertaining to immigration and citizenship. So we should not politicise the work of the RCI for short-term political gains, more so if we are interested to solve the issue once and for all.

I remember discussing the issue of Filipino immigrants in Sabah back in 1981 with then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs, (Tun) Musa Hitam, while flying with him in a government jet from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Terengganu and back.

READ MORE HERE

 

Ex-MNLF leader tells RCI how he came into Sabah in the 1970s

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:15 PM PST

(The Star) - KOTA KINABALU: A former leader of an armed group involved in a civil war in southern Philippines some 40 years ago told the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) that it was easy to slip into Sabah in the mid 1970s.

Abdul Halil Aramil said that he and six other Moro National Libe­ration Front (MNLF) leaders, who were based in Basilan province, Philip­pines, arrived at an island near the east coast town of Sandakan sometime in 1975 without any problem.

He told the inquiry that the group came to Jampiras Island, near Sabah, after their fighters in Basilan started running low on ammunition and food.

"We sought help in Sabah," said Abdul Halil, who calls himself Com­mander Janggut.

He added that he and the other MNLF leaders eventually settled in Sabah, with most of them securing employment in the oil palm plantations.

Abdul Halil told the inquiry that he and several hundred Filipino refugees eventually set up a settlement in the interior Nabawan district, which they called Kampung Minsupala in reference to their homeland – Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan.

He said that while they yearned for autonomy in southern Philip-pines, they now considered Malaysia as their home.

"I have never gone back to where I came from and I do not wish to return there because it is not safe even though the war has ended," he said.

Abdul Halil added that the situation there was unsafe as almost everyone owned a firearm.

On June 1, 2012, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announ­ced the setting up of the RCI to investigate the long-standing problem related to illegal immigrants in Sabah, as the Government was committed to resolving the matter which could adversely affect the well-being of the state's people.

Najib had insisted on the setting up of the RCI and had, on Sept 21, handed over appointment letters to the RCI chairman, former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong and the commission's other members.

The Prime Minister reportedly told the commission members that he wanted the inquiry to be completed before the general election.

 

PAS council: Azmin can say what he wants, he is disrespectful

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:12 PM PST

(The Star) - The PAS Syura Council, not happy with Azmin Ali's remarks that its decision on the kalimah Allah issue isn't the stand taken by Pakatan Rakyat leaders, said the PKR deputy president was being disrespectful to the council.

PAS ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib (picture) said: "PAS stands by the Syura Council, as it is the supreme body responsible for policies and major decisions in the party.

"Let him (Azmin) say whatever he wants. I do not want to comment about him. That is his matter."

Azmin had reportedly said at a press conference on Thursday that the Opposition pact was sticking to its decision that non-Muslims can use the word "Allah" despite the council stating otherwise.

He added that Pakatan was bound by the policies that were discussed during a Jan 8 meeting and that the council was not related to it.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, Opposition Leader Da­­tuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang were at the meeting that arrived at the decision.

But the council said on Monday that non-Muslims should be prevented from using the word "Allah" in translations of their religious texts.

Azmin was adamant that Paka­tan's stance on the issue had not changed and that the council's "afterthought" did not hold water with the Opposition pact.

Meanwhile, sacked Selangor PAS chief Datuk Dr Hasan Ali also chided Azmin on his remarks, saying the PKR deputy leader had failed to understand the sentiments of PAS members and supporters on matters concerning Islam.

 

From boast to downright disgrace

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:05 PM PST

The modus operandi to ensure Sabah remained Umno's "fixed deposit" bordered on "treason" at the highest level and was a state-sponsored organised crime. 

(FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: It used to be Umno's and the Barisan Nasional's claim, made with some swagger, that Sabah is their "fixed deposit" state. The boast was meant to convey the message to the opposition that they were untouchable. As it turned out, it was true.

The ruling coalition had indeed stuffed the ballot boxes in the state sufficiently, but not in the usual way, to ensure Sabah would always be in their corner in their bid to hang on to reins of power. But that boastful expression is coming back to haunt them.

The first week of evidence gathering by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the massive presence of illegal immigrants in the state emphasised this.

The narrative so far is that what started as a refugee problem morphed into an illegal immigrant problem and then became a policy to re-engineer the population of the state to reflect Muslim dominance from its native Christian majority origins at the founding of Malaysia in 1963.

From there it again changed shape and became an alleged illegal citizenship-for-votes project to prop up a shaky coalition government that has ruled Malaysia for more than 50 years and Sabah for almost two decades.

The modus operandi that was used to ensure Sabah became Umno's "fixed deposit" state,  bordered on state-sponsored organised crime while some would put it as "treasonous" activity at the highest government levels.

Witness after witness stated as much over the last week.

Dr M: Project IC legal

Former prime minister Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, under whose watch the hitherto Christian state became populated by a Muslim majority, had finally come out to admit that Project IC was true but that everything was done legally.

However, former civil servants who served during his time in power, illegal immigrants and refugees seem to contradict his statement by telling the commission of the clandestine nature of the issuance of Malaysian identification papers that led to them gaining citizenship and right to vote.

Top Sabah National Registration Department (NRD) officers spoke of an operation codenamed 'Operation Rotten Durian' and by all accounts this operation reached into the highest offices including those of Mahathir's trusted aides and indeed Mahathir himself.

He seems to confirm this when he said last week: "When I was prime minister, I was in power to determine the implementation of government policies.

"The government received foreigners to be citizens if (they) fulfilled certain conditions, furthermore those who are there are not one, two days but already 20 to 30 years and they speak in Bahasa Melayu, have the right to be Malaysians.

"So the problem is when there are people who are unhappy when there are some who become Malaysians although those individuals have already long resided in Malaysia, that is what causes problems."

Speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, as the stunning nature of the RCI witness statements sank in, he repeatedly stressed that this giving of citizenships to foreigners was "within the law".

"I never deny it (citizenships) were given. What I deny is that I did something against the law, that I will deny," he was reported as saying.

READ MORE HERE

 

Jeffrey: Postpone polls in Sabah

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:02 PM PST

Given the revelations at the RCI, Sabah STAR believes electoral rolls are tainted and needs to be cleaned up before the general elections.

Queville To, FMT

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) chairman Jeffrey Kitingan has called for the suspension of the forthcoming 13th General Election until the electoral rolls in Sabah are cleaned up.

Commenting on the series of sensational revelations made by witnesses in the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on issuance of Malaysian citizenship to both legal and illegal immigrants in Sabah, he said the current electoral rolls are tainted and should not be used.

He stressed that the revelations on phantom voters and illegitimate voters enabling fraudulent wins for Umno-BN candidates in the past is a clarion call for all Sabah leaders to join hands to oust the illegitimate government and to call for the suspension of the forthcoming general elections in Sabah until the electoral rolls are cleaned up.

"It distresses genuine Sabahans and Malaysians to hear the revelations at the RCI. It is confirming that even the worst of our nightmares on the poor governance of Sabah are nothing compared to what we are hearing," said Jeffrey.

"We hear of illegal immigrants being given registration receipts and used as voters for hire to ensure wins for Umno/BN candidates including a former chief minister who would have lost if not for these voters for hire."

He was referring to witnesses testimony that between RM10 and RM20 was paid to these voters to be bussed around to various constituencies in the state that were deemed opposition leaning areas to prop up the BN candidates in those areas.

In Friday's public hearing, the RCI was told of foreigners who were born in India and had travelled to Sabah using Indian passports ended up as Malaysian citizens by making false claims of being born in Sabah. They were given Malaysian ICs and passports despite not living in the state or country for the rehired period and have since voted up to five times.

Present Sabah govt 'illegitimate'

The witnesses, who are now voters told, the commission they were merely asked to sign forms while their place of birth, which was neither Sabah or any other part of Malaysia, was filled in by others and the ICs hand-delivered to them.

READ MORE HERE

 

Bank Islam’s Azrul a PKR mole, says blogger

Posted: 18 Jan 2013 04:49 AM PST

The pro-Umno Rocky's Bru says the suspended economist had "frequent, passionate and discreet" communications with several PKR leaders.

(FMT) - A pro-Umno blogger has alleged that suspended Bank Islam chief economist Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajuddin was a mole who supplied Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim with sensitive information.

Ahirudin Attan, who runs a blog called Rocky's Bru, said this was the reason why Anwar, his daughter and Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah and PKR chief strategist Rafizi Ramli were "visibly and terribly upset" over Azrul's suspension from the bank.

Azrul hit the limelight recently for outlining three possible post-GE scenarios at a regional forum in his capacity as Bank Islam chief economist. One of the three scenarios included Pakatan Rakyat winning the next general election.

Bank Islam sought to distance itself from its chief economist after the news broke out, and shortly afterwards suspended his service indefinitely, citing breach of internal policy.

PKR has questioned the propriety of the suspension.

"If you are wondering why Anwar Ibrahim, his daughter Nurul Izzah, and PKR chief strategist Rafizi Ramli are visibly and terribly upset over the suspension of Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajuddin – to the point of calling for a boycott of Bank Islam – it's because they have a lot to lose. And I mean a lot," Ahiruddin said in his latest posting.

"In their tweets… the trio may not have admitted to knowing Azrul. Very soon, however, they will have to own up to the fact that they not only know the Bank Islam chief economist but know him intimately."

He claimed that Azrul was fondly known as "Wawa" by the three and that he was not a "regular bank employee they are making him out to be".

"Wawa and the PKR leaders communicate frequently, passionately and discreetly. Anwar, Nurul Izzah and Rafizi will admit that they have been in regular contact with the Bank Islam chief economist for quite a while. They have been using him over and over and over again.

"Wawa has been their insider, their fly on the wall at highly classified internal meetings and meetings with Bank Negara, and the spy who has been leaking to his handlers, including to Anwar Ibrahim directly, confidential information of the Bafia (Banking and Financial Institutions Act) kind, from board papers to correspondence between the central bank."

He said the bank acted against Azrul because as a bank officer he had contravened the law.

"And this was not his first offence.

"Wawa was suspended pending a domestic inquiry. The investigation, however, has brought to surface affairs and conduct more sinister than just political over-zealousness.

READ MORE HERE

 

This is no conspiracy theory

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 04:57 PM PST

The important thing is, while Dr Mahathir may have been guilty of 'reversing' what Tunku Abdul Rahman did, he did not act alone. This was not one man's plan on how to ensure that Barisan Nasional and Umno do not lose power. It was a GOVERNMENT plan, with Dr Mahathir as head of that government, of course. And we must remember that in 1991 Anwar was Malaysia's Finance Minister and in 1993 he became the Deputy Prime Minister. And the 'Christian' government of Sabah was toppled in 1994.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Over the last two years my studies in British and European history has been able to help me look at events from a fresh perspective. When we studied history back in our school days in Malaysia it was merely a study of dates and events, and maybe the personalities behind those events.

Later they changed the syllabus to objective and you just marked the correct answer: A, B, C, D or E. That brought the level of education down drastically and sometimes you passed your exams by just making a lucky guess at what the right answer is.

Here in Oxford we need to look at the broader picture to understand why what happened, happened. And if we apply the Oxford module rather than the 'Pendidekan Malaysia' module (I am not even sure of the 'modern' Malay spelling any more) then the Sabah 'illegal immigrants given Malaysian citizenship' issue can be better understood.

Many of you reading this are probably quite young, born after Merdeka of 1957 or after 'May 13' of 1969 -- or maybe you were still a kid then and did not know what was happening around you. Hence you will look at the 'Sabah issue' from today's perspective. And hence, also, you just want to know who the guilty person is in what you consider a most heinous 'crime' -- in your opinion tantamount to treachery.

Now, I am not saying what they did in Sabah is legal or illegal, or even moral or immoral. This piece is not about right and wrong. Historians do not pass judgement about events in history. They just analyse what happened and what, in their opinion, were the causes of that event.

First let us go to back to 1946, the year Umno was formed.

In 1946, the British Colonial government introduced the Malayan Union, which reduced the powers of the Raja-raja Melayu (Malay Rulers). This, in turn, meant that the Malays would lose some of their powers. Hence the elite and intellectuals amongst the Malays opposed the Malayan Union.

Yes, it was the Malay elite class and the intellectual community -- and not the fishermen and farmers -- who opposed the Malayan Union. The kampong people did not really care because their lives would remain the same never mind who ran the country.

Because of this opposition to the Malayan Union, in 1948 the British abandoned the idea and instead introduced the Federation of Malaya or Persekutuan Tanah Melayu.

Next came the idea of Merdeka or independence. And this took many years of negotiations (no blood on the streets, as what Umno tells us). One issue of concern to Britain was what to do with the more than one million Chinese and Indians after Malaya was given Merdeka. They can't be sent back to China and India so an independent Malaya had to absorb them by giving them citizenship.

Now, note what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday. He said that Tunku Abdul Rahman was worse. The Tunku gave citizenship to more than one million foreigners. Maybe Dr Mahathir is trying to say that he gave citizenship to less than one million foreigners.

What Dr Mahathir did not explain is that the Tunku had to agree to the granting of citizenship to more than one million Chinese and Indians, which was the British term and condition for agreeing to Merdeka for Malaya. If the Tunku did not agree then the British would probably disagree to Merdeka for Malaya mainly because they had to 'protect' the more than one million Chinese and Indians who would otherwise become stateless.

It was a sort of trade off. Malaya would absorb the more than one million Chinese and Indians. The Chinese and Indians, in turn, must agree to special privileges for the Malays (plus Malay becomes the national language and Islam the religion of the Federation). And then Britain would grant Malaya independence.

In 1955, two years before Merdeka, the first elections were held in Malaya and the Alliance Party (a coalition of Umno, MCA and MIC) won 51 of the 52 seats. That meant the Alliance Party was 'stable' and could rule an independent Malaya with a clear mandate from the voters. Two years later, in 1957, Malaya gained independence.

But that 'honeymoon' was short-lived. Twelve years later, in 1969, the Alliance party received a beating in the Third General Election. It garnered less than 50% of the popular votes and lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament.

The Alliance Party (meaning all three: Umno, MCA and MIC) knew that it was losing power. Hence Barisan Nasional was formed to replace the Alliance Party so that the opposition parties could be brought into the ruling coalition. And that was how the Alliance Party got back control of the country -- by forming a new coalition with the opposition parties (what we could call a 'unity government', I suppose).

But that was not enough and they needed to do more. Selangor, the jewel in the crown, was in jeopardy (it still is today). So they created new 'Malay' cities, such as Shah Alam, and 'flooded' these cities with Malays to 'dilute' the Chinese voters.

Then they created a separate Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur so that the majority Chinese in Kuala Lumpur could be 'kicked out' of Selangor. Thus the ruling party can afford to lose Kuala Lumpur but they would not also lose Selangor.

By then, of course, Malaysia had been created with the agreement that 25% of the Parliament seats would come from Sabah and Sarawak. This would mean that Sabah and Sarawak would be the ruling party's 'fixed deposit' and there was no way 1969 could be repeated as long as Sabah and Sarawak remained under the ruling party.

But that soon changed in 1985 when PBS, seen as a Christian-based party, kicked out the 'Muslim' government and replaced it with a 'Christian' government.

This meant, yet again, the ruling party was in danger of losing power like what happened in 1969. And they were in danger of losing power because the Muslims, who used to be 85-90% of the population, pre-Merdeka, had been reduced to a mere 50% or so -- in the first instance when more than one million Chinese and Indians had been given citizenship in 1957 and in the second instance when Sabah and Sarawak became part of Malaysia and the Muslim population was diluted even further.

Hence Barisan Nasional (in particular Umno) needed to dilute the non-Muslim population, in particular in their 'fixed deposit' states in East Malaysia which control a very critical 25% of the seats in Parliament and where the Muslims are not the majority like in West Malaysia.

And that was when the idea was mooted to 'create' an additional Muslim population of at least one million. And they could not wait for this to happen gradually over 50 years by encouraging Malays to have more children. They had to 'fast track' this exercise, which means they had to 'import' the population.

The first step was for Umno to get into Sabah. The next step was to 'import' one million Muslims into Sabah and give them citizenship. In 1994, this exercise over those few years proved successful when the 'Christian' government got kicked out and a 'Muslim' government took over the state and has held it ever since.

Now, certainly Dr Mahathir was Prime Minister of Malaysia at that time. But it was the Barisan Nasional government (which means it was more than just Umno) that came out with this game plan on how to grab back and/or retain power by diluting the non-Muslim population by importing a large Muslim population.

In 1957, they granted citizenship to one million 'foreign' Chinese and Indians and 30 years later they 'balanced' this by granting citizenship to one million foreign Muslims. There was nothing illegal about what they did but whether it was moral or not is another thing altogether.

The important thing is, while Dr Mahathir may have been guilty of 'reversing' what Tunku Abdul Rahman did, he did not act alone. This was not one man's plan on how to ensure that Barisan Nasional and Umno do not lose power. It was a GOVERNMENT plan, with Dr Mahathir as head of that government, of course. And we must remember that in 1991 Anwar was Malaysia's Finance Minister and in 1993 he became the Deputy Prime Minister. And the 'Christian' government of Sabah was toppled in 1994.

And this happened not because of one man, Dr Mahathir, but because of what the government did. And Anwar was a key person in that government at that time. Hence I would be very careful about how the opposition plays up the Sabah issue because if the truth were to emerge it may cost PKR a lot of votes in Sabah. And if they can't win Sabah then they can't form the next federal government.

 

Manikavasagam issued stern warning over outburst

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 02:55 PM PST

(The Star) - PKR has issued a stern warning to Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam for criticising Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and state exco member Dr Xavier Jayakumar.

An official said the party's political bureau, headed by its president Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, issued the warning on Wednesday following a report from its disciplinary committee.

He said several leaders, including Dr Xavier, had pressed for Manikavasagam's suspension, but were over-ruled by party adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Disciplinary committee head Datuk Dr Tan Tee Kwong confirmed that a decision had been made but refused to give further details, saying these would only be made public after Manikavasagam had been informed.

Manikavasagam was issued a show-cause letter after two video clips in mid-December showed him urging Khalid to resign over the demolition of an altar in Taman Seroja in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi in November.

In another clip, Manikavasagam blamed Dr Xavier for the demolition of temples in Selangor over the last four years. He replied to the show-cause letter on Tuesday.

Earlier, two PKR members, N. Shanmugam of Batu division and K. Samynathan of Kelana Jaya, said Manikavasagam criticised the two leaders as they had failed to resolve problems involving temple demolitions in the state.

"He (Manikavasagam) had promised that the Pakatan Rakyat government will not demolish any temple if it comes to power," Shanmugam said.

"But seven temples have been demolished so far and more notices for demolitions have been received by other temples," Samynathan added.

 

Sharifah Zohra Jabeen, I challenge you to a debate!

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 02:49 PM PST

You were a big bully. You didn't even have the decency to let her finish speaking and then counter her opinions with your own. But then again, you didn't have much to say.

Zan Azlee, The Malaysian Insider

You were way out of your depth. It was obviously clear. And that was the reason why you had to pull the microphone away from KS Bawani when she was speaking.

But you definitely had no awareness of this, I'm sure. You thought you were all that in your sophisticated-looking pantsuit and fancy title of President of Suara Wanita.

Trying to go for a SW1M? Try not to sink instead!

You were at a university, Universiti Utara Malaysia, an institution of learning where people go to (where most of them are actually legally adults) obtain an education.

You were a part of a panel at a forum. A panel forum, which I'm very sure, had an objective to bring forth discourse and intellectual discussion, and to share that with the students.

The forum, which was titled "Seiringkah Mahasiswa dan Politik", had given the panellists a chance to speak, and also had a session that was open to the floor, a chance for the students to speak.

If the panellists were allowed to share their thoughts and opinions, then by all means, the members of the floor should be given that chance too. It is a forum anyway.

What right did you have to stop a person from speaking? What right did you have to pull the microphone away from someone when she is speaking?

Is it because you are older? And this is considering the fact that you said to Bawani that she had to learn to respect her elders.

Respecting elders doesn't mean blindly following what they say. Respecting elders is also feeling the responsibility to correct them when they are wrong and heading down the wrong path.

Or did you feel you had a right to pull the microphone away because you thought it was your forum? And, to you, this meant that only you had a right to an opinion?

I really felt that you were just scared. You were scared because suddenly, there was this young girl dressed casually in a long sleeved T-shirt and jeans who could articulate better than you.

I think you felt threatened because this young girl was sharing opinions that were so well thought out and clear that the rest of the attendees might just have been persuaded by her.

Probably the desperation that you felt was so intense that you couldn't do anything else but force her to keep quiet by pulling the microphone away from her so no one could hear her.

You were a big bully. You didn't even have the decency to let her finish speaking and then counter her opinions with your own. But then again, you didn't have much to say.

You just ranted along about how those who didn't like the state Malaysia is in to leave the country. Come on! How stupid do you think people are? 

And what is it with the animal analogy? I don't even want to comment on that one! Basically, you didn't even have quality rebuttals for Bawani. You just bullied her away from the microphone.

READ MORE HERE

 

Listen, listen, listen! Have we gone overboard?

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 02:37 PM PST

I am reminded of a scene in the film "Les Misérables", when the young revolutionaries whisper the lyrics "do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men? It's the music of a people who will not be slaves again!" Though there will not be a revolution as our country is already a democracy, finally being free after 56 years of a BN government is now the idea of a people's victory in Malaysia.

Douglas Tan, The Malaysian Insider

In this day and age, there are YouTube sensations which catapult little known individuals to fame. The K-Pop star, Psy, went from a virtual unknown outside Korea into an international sensation, with his music video "Gangnam Style", garnering 1.2 billion views on YouTube and setting a Guinness world record and spawning masses of parodies including local favourites such as "Oppa KL Style" and "Georgetown Gangnam style".

On the local scene, 2012 was the year of cows in condos, with Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil being lambasted by political leaders and online media, and most prominently being featured in yet another "Gangnam Style" parody, "Ubah Rocket Style" released by the DAP. In 2013, the word of the month seems to be "Listen".

Respect?

For those who are unaware or oblivious of the background, a little known leader of an NGO called Suara Wanita 1 Malaysia or SW1M was propelled to fame when a YouTube video of a woman berating a student went viral on social media circles.

Sharifah Zohra Jabeen reached notoriety, which is almost unparalleled in local politics in terms of ridicule and attention, from a video made at Universiti Utara Malaysia entitled "Forum Suara Mahasiswa Part 4" (translated into "Voice of the Students Forum Part 4"). This virtually happened overnight when she cut off second-year law student Bawani KS mid-way through her question by saying "Listen" 10 times and "Let me speak" seven times despite Bawani's protests.

The crux of Bawani's question was whether Malaysia would be able to move towards a system where university education could be provided for free. This is reflective of a promise being made by Pakatan Rakyat leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, to abolish PTPTN and provide free tertiary education to Malaysians. What proceeded from Sharifah Zohra's interruption was ludicrous.

She then thanked Bawani for "having the guts" to ask the question, before turning to ask the students whether she had accorded "respect" to Bawani. At this point in the video, I began to feel sick inside because what she proceeded to do was nothing short of humiliating.

She mocked Bawani's attitude, said she is less "pendidikan" compared to her, asked her to leave the country if she is unhappy with the government's policies, and then proceeded to say the now famous "even animals have problems". If there was anyone who was being disrespectful, it was Sharifah Zohra. Her reply was not only "kurang ajar", it was a classic red herring.

For many online netizens who vented their frustrations, she epitomised the Barisan Nasional government: arrogant, out of touch, emotionally cold and vindictive. Bawani, on the other hand, achieved hero status by being the underdog, standing up for her beliefs and daring to question the authorities.

Neitzen's revenge

Although the forum itself took place on December 8 last year, the outpouring of wrath and ridicule only culminated in the past week. The parodies, Photoshopped pictures and even music "re-mixes" have all gone viral, especially on Facebook, with countless "likes" and "shares". There has also been a Facebook page opened dedicated to asking Sharifah Zohra to apologise to Bawani. Eventually this was highlighted on Yahoo! News and then the mainstream media just a couple of days ago.

The controversy has also given birth to a slew of marketing opportunities. Yes 4G, DiGi and Nandos came out with their own "Listen" campaigns to great effect, catching the wave of emotion crashing against Sharifah Zohra. I admit that I also got caught up in all of this, going so far as to order a "Listen, Listen" T-shirt!

There seems to be no end to the scorn poured on Sharifah Zohra and Barisan Nasional from this sordid episode. What is apparent is that there is a lot of pent-up rage which is being poured out, which is far larger than Sharifah Zohra herself.

There is the anger at the BN for attempting to brainwash university students. There is also the arrogance and oppressiveness of the party which is personified in how Sharifah Zohra attacked Bawani. Subsequent to all of this, there is also the unrepentant recalcitrance by Sharifah Zohra not issuing an apology and with the SW1M Facebook page posting updates defending their president.

It may be an understatement to say that this may be worrying to Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his colleagues with the general election looming.

Gone too far?

However, in the midst of all this emotion, there were two of my friends who kept their heads to ask some very logical questions about the situation. Kelvin Yii posted a very meaningful video blog, providing a logical commentary and asking crucial questions as to the state of affairs transpiring from the event. Another friend, Tai Zee Kin, proceeded to ask a very honest question, as to whether all the persistent mocking, joking and parodies would make us any better than Sharifah Zohra herself? Have we gone too far?

Politics, it appears, finds its basis on emotional hyperbole rather than constructive, rational discussion. Taking a step back, are we being excessively harsh on Sharifah Zohra? Perhaps so, especially where there are individuals in high political positions who had made blatantly racist or arrogant statements in the media in the past. Sharifah Zohra perhaps is a victim of circumstances.

Was what she did acceptable then? No it was not. Shall we feel too sorry for her then? Maybe not. But then again, have we as netizens allowed for emotion to usurp logical and pragmatic discussion? Yes, but I believe that it mostly down to the fact that we are guilty of jumping on the "bash Sharifah Zohra" bandwagon.

READ MORE HERE

 

NGO lapor polis dakwa pelajar Islam diberi Bible di hadapan sekolah

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 02:27 PM PST

(Bernama) - Sebuah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan, Persatuan Mukabuku Pulau Pinang, hari ini membuat laporan polis mendakwa dua lelaki mengedar kitab Bible kepada pelajar beragama Islam, di hadapan sebuah sekolah di Jelutong di sini.

Pengerusi persatuan itu, Salleh Ismail, berkata pihaknya mempunyai bukti bergambar dan video dua lelaki itu memberi Bible kecil berbahasa Inggeris kepada pelajar Melayu di sekolah menengah berkenaan.

"Kami harap pihak bertanggungjawab menyiasat kegiatan ini kerana ia melibatkan akidah umat Islam terutama generasi muda," katanya kepada pemberita selepas membuat laporan di Balai Polis Jelutong.

Beliau berkata pihaknya membuat laporan polis kerana aktiviti pengedaran Bible kepada pelajar Islam adalah kegiatan berdakwah agama lain kepada umat Islam dan ia menyalahi Perkara 11 (4) dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan yang melarang agama lain disebarkan kepada orang Islam.

 

Peanuts for landowners, millions for cronies

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 01:47 PM PST

The moment your land is eyed by the greedy Umno cronies, that's it. It will be taken away from you in the name of development.

By Chua Jui Meng

Now the Malays are beginning to see through Umno's 55 years of misleading the community to enrich themselves, their families and cronies.

It sure took a long time for the Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia and several non-governmental organisations to finally see the real problem – the super corrupt and greedy Umno.

Chamber president Syed Ali Alattas lamented that the Malays in Johor are the poorest in Malaysia, with cost of living skyrocketing due to the significant presence of foreigners (Singaporeans) residing in the state.

He also pointed to the fact that 80% of the former Malay-majority owned Iskandar land was now foreign-owned.

Syed Ali said even the Malays in Kelantan were richer because one can buy more with the ringgit in the east coast state.

The Malays can buy a bungalow for RM200,000 in Kelantan but the same would cost RM1.5 million in Johor.

In the past two decades, thousands of acres of Malay ancestral land had been "robbed" by former Menteri Besar Muhyiddin Yassin and now the Ghani Othman-led Johor government is using the Land Acquisition Act 1960.

Just look and tell me what you see in Tebrau, Pasir Gudang, Danga Bay, Iskandar and Nusajaya.

And the latest to benefit from the "seized" Malay land is China's Country Garden (Holdings) Ltd.

It bought 55 acres in Iskandar's Danga Bay for RM900 million for property development. The state government, using the Act, had paid the majority Malay land owners only 64 sen psf or RM1.53 million.

Now, locals just cannot afford the houses and condominiums priced from RM800,000 and above. And these properties are on land previously belonging to Malays.

Blame Dr Mahathir

In fact the land grabs in Johor have been going on the past two decades, starting with Muhyiddin, and now with Ghani and his government using the Act to acquire land to be alienated to cronies for property development.

And the person Malaysians have to thank for such an opportunity to abuse and grab land is Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

It was Mahathir, using Barisan Nasional (BN)'s overwhelming majority in Parliament in 1991, who passed the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill.

The rephrasing of sections of the Land Acquisition Act 1960 basically gave incontestable power to state governments to seize private land for development by private companies and individuals. Lands originally acquired for public purposes can also be used for private development.

Before the amendments, land could only be acquired for public purposes or for public utilities like building of roads, schools, hospitals, pipelines, water or power plants, etc.

With the addition of "…for any purpose which in the opinion of the State Authority is beneficial to the economic development of Malaysia", no land is safe.

The term "beneficial to the economic development of Malaysia" is as subjective as you can get. A piece of land can be acquired to build a posh five-star hotel, an amusement park or a golf resort because in the opinion of the government it would bring in the tourist dollar and create jobs for locals, not to mention enriching the private companies which would, of course, be paying taxes.

That was Umno and Mahathir's "killer" and is the cause of land grabs everywhere today. This has actually rendered all land in Malaysia as unsafe investment.

The moment the land you own is eyed by the greedy Umno cronies, that's it. In the name of development (read Umno's pockets), you will be paid peanuts but Umno and its cronies will develop and reap millions or billions of ringgit.

READ MORE HERE

 

RM23m for Umno company to play middleman

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 01:44 PM PST

DAP claims the Puteri Umno leader's company charged RM23,000 to train a PE teacher when in fact a similar programme conducted by UiTM costs only RM6,000. 

Jared Pereira and G Lavendran, FMT

A Puteri Umno leader was awarded a contract worth RM22.9 million by the Education Ministry in 2012, and there are doubts that the company awarded the contract had the capability to do the job, DAP claimed today.

DAP election strategist Dr Ong Kian Ming said the ministry had awarded a contract to the Puteri Umno leader to act as a middleman in a sports arrangement between the Education Ministry and the United States Sports Academy (USSA).

USSA conducts a programme called the 'International Diploma in Physical Education and Scholastic Sports' (IDPESS) and the Education Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, had sought its services to retrain 1,000 physical education teachers here, especially those without proper qualifications.

The alleged company, claimed Ong, was headed by Kedah Puteri Umno deputy chief Hisham Suhaili Othman, who is also Langkawi Puteri Umno chief.

The company is Syarikat KH Sports World Sdn Bhd, who is the authorised agent in Malaysia for USSA, and the contract was awarded via a direct negotiation, said Ong

.

The purpose of this arrangement was to train these teachers to complement Muhyiddin's 'Satu Murid Satu Sukan' initiative which was to enhance physical education in nation building.

According to its website, USSA is an online academy which provides sports degree programmes to about 1,300 students annually.

Ong said the training of the teachers began last June but the duration of the program nor the number of teachers that have been trained was unknown.

READ MORE HERE

 

Radio stations very naughty, says Chief Minister

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 01:23 PM PST

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(Borneo Post) - "The relevant authorities must find out who the sponsors or owners of these radio stations are. We cannot allow them to continue broadcasting lies upon lies because at the end of the day, many people would think that what they say is true.

 

Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud describes Radio Free Sarawak (RFS) as a 'naughty one' who has no respect for the truth.

 

Taib, who is also state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said a lot of people have heard RFS' broadcast and were angry because they knew the radio station was spreading lies.

 

He, however, believed that only very few (people) were misled by the lies.

 

"The fact that they illegally broadcast from a foreign country shows that the broadcasters have no pure motive in what they are doing," he said after receiving tithe on behalf of Tabung Baitulmal from Pelita Holdings Sdn Bhd and Magna Focus Sdn Bhd at Menara Pelita here yesterday.

 

On Radio Kenyalang, Taib believed that its establishment was prompted by the impending general election.

 

On possible jamming of the radio broadcast, the chief minister said the matter was best left to the relevant authority to decide.

 

Parti Rakyat Sarawak president Tan Sri Dr James Masing was reported to have said on Wednesday that he wanted Radio Free Sarawak and Radio Kenyalang to be stopped on their tracks as the 'illegal entities' are poisoning the minds of the rural populace, especially the Ibans, and running down the BN government.

 

Masing, who is also Land Development Minister, urged the authorities concerned to act against those distributing free radio sets in the rural areas as they were agents of the two radio stations.

 

He added that if their operations could not be halted, the relevant authorities should at least jam their transmissions so that they would become inaudible to listeners.

 

Masing added that Radio Free Sarawak and Radio Kenyalang must be stopped to prevent others from following suit.

 

"The relevant authorities must find out who the sponsors or owners of these radio stations are. We cannot allow them to continue broadcasting lies upon lies because at the end of the day, many people would think that what they say is true.

 

"This is bad because both radio stations are running down the BN government," he said.



 

RCI revelations could drown Musa, Umno

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 12:55 PM PST

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(Free Malaysia Today) - The disclosures in the current RCI hearing in Sabah may lead to more damaging testimonies implicating the state's top leadership.

Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman, who is also the state's Umno chief, could be in for some uncomfortable moments soon as those involved in handing out Malaysian documents to illegal immigrants in Sabah continue to expose the high and mighty.

So far, one ex-chief minister, Osu Sukam has been implicated by the testimony of a former director of Sabah's National Registration Department (NRD) at the ongoing investigation by Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants problems in Sabah here.

Ramli Kamaruddin, in his testimony said Osu was present with then federal deputy home minister Megat Junid Megat Ayob at a hotel here in 1994 when he was given instruction "to issue NRD receipts using the name and identity card numbers of voters already in the electoral roll, with the sole purpose of allowing them to vote to help ensure that a state government endorsed by the federal government would win" in Sabah.

A former right-hand man of ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Abdul Aziz Shamsudin, was also mentioned at the RCI hearing which, going on current disclosures, promises to expose one of the biggest scandals in Malaysia's history involving members of the ruling Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government.

Another former chief minister, Harris Salleh, who testified before the five-member RCI, tried to shield himself from the scandal by saying that it was the federal authorities that gave immigrants Malaysian documents like IC, and not him or even the state government he led.

He also denied any knowledge of a project to parcel out ICs in exchange for votes.

Musa was dragged into the scandal after his name was mentioned many times in books by blogger Mutalib M.D.

The blogger had implied Musa's involvement in recruiting illegal immigrants in Sabah to become Umno operatives and also voters to defeat Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) state government in the 1994 election.

Mutalib, who did his own research and interviews with people directly involved in or in the know of the security scandal, has written prolifically on the hiring of Muslim illegal immigrants from the Philippines and Indonesia by Umno.

Musa's involvement is based on his being the chairman of an alleged special task force set up by Sabah Umno to recruit immigrants. A former Umno member, Jabarkan Napi, has also repeatedly named Musa in the scam.

Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/18/rci-revelations-could-drown-musa-umno/ 

Did Tan Sri Muhyiddin’s honorary doctorate cost the Malaysian taxpayer RM23m?

Posted: 17 Jan 2013 12:41 PM PST

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Tan Sri Muhyiddin needs to explain why a contract worth RM23m to retrain Physical Education (PE) teachers was given to a UMNO leader via direct negotiation

Ong Kian Ming, DAP Election Strategist, 

Our education minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was awarded an Honorary Doctorate on the 17th of January by the United States Sports Academy (USSA), which is based in Daphne, Alabama, for his efforts 'to enhance physical education to help in the building of a nation' through the creation of the 'One Student – One Sport' initiative.

For a 6 month period starting from June 2012, USSA trainers were in Malaysia to provide retraining for PE teachers and training for other teachers interested in PE through an "International Diploma in Physical Education and Scholastic Sports (IDPESS)" program. This pilot program to retrain 1000 teachers cost the Malaysian government RM22.9m and the contract was awarded to a Syarikat KH Sports World Sdn Bhd (who is the authorized agent in Malaysia for USSA) via a direct negotiation.

According to KH Sports World website (http://www.kh-ussa.com/management-team/), its chairwoman is Hisham Suhaili Othman whose list of titles includes 'Naib Ketua Puteri UMNO, Negeri Kedah', 'Ketua Puteri UMNO, Bahagian Langkawi', 'Ahli Jawatankuasa Perhubungan UMNO, Negeri Kedah', 'Bendehari Biro Sukan & Kecergasan Puteri UMNO, Malaysia' and 'Ahli Lembaga Pelawat Hospital Langkawi'.

While the intention of providing retraining to PE teachers, especially those without the proper qualifications, may be a good one, we question why this contract was given, via direct negotiation, to a company which was founded in 2008 'to venture into the sports equipment and product market' in Malaysia.

We also call into question the decision to appoint a US based college whose method of teaching is almost exclusively via distance and online learning. Such a college would certainly not have sufficient teaching faculty and resources to deliver face to face teaching programs, especially for the 1000 teachers who were supposed to enrol in this program. For comparison, the estimated current number of students at USSA is less than 600!

We also call into question the high cost of this program. RM22.9m for 1000 students translates into RM22,900 for every 'diploma' earned. This is more than 4 times what it costs to obtain a 'Diploma in Pengajian Sukan' from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), which costs about RM5709 for 6 semesters.

The awarding of this contract is yet another example of the BN's 'Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin' where the Prime Minister preaches transparency on the one hand while members of his cabinet does the complete opposite by awarding contracts to cronies at vastly inflated prices. Is this the price the Malaysian taxpayer has to pay so that our Minister of Education can obtain an honorary doctorate?

Did Tan Sri Muhyiddin's honorary doctorate cost the Malaysian taxpayer RM23m?

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net
 

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