Jumaat, 8 Februari 2013

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News


Bringing up children

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 04:45 PM PST

Let's not talk about politics today and instead look into the mind of an innocent toddler and how he perceives religious teachings, which sometimes do not make sense to small minds that can think better than mature minds.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Dad!

Yes, son.

How did I get here?

Err…hmm…why don't you ask your mum? I want to read the papers.

I did and mum said to ask you, dad.

Ah…well…the stork brought you.

Oh. But my Sunday school teacher said we all came from Adam and Eve.

Well…that is also true.

You mean we all came from Adam and Eve?

Yes. Now run along and play. I want to read my papers.

My Sunday school teacher said Adam and Eve were the first two people on earth.

Yes, that's right.

So who married them then?

What do you mean?

Aunty Sara and Uncle Bill got married by the priest. So who married Adam and Eve if they were the only two people on earth?

Err…no one.

So Adam's and Eve's children are all bastards then?

Hoi…where did you learn that word from? You must never use that word.

I heard you saying that, dad.

Me?

Yes, you said that your boss is a bastard. I asked Mike what bastard means and he told me. How do you know that your boss is a bastard like Adam's and Eve's children?

That was merely a figure of speech. I did not mean it literally. Oh never mind. No. Adam's and Eve's children are not bastards even though Adam and Eve never got married by a priest.

Oh, okay.

Now run along son.

But who did Adam's and Eve's children marry?

They married each other, son. You see, there were no other people on earth other than just Adam and Eve and their children.

So does that mean I can marry Kate when we grow up?

No, son, you can't. Kate is your sister.

Oh. But Adam's and Eve's children were also brothers and sisters.

Yes they were. But at that time it was okay for brothers and sisters to get married. Now go outside and play.

We were also told the story of Noah and his yacht.

That's good son. But it was called an ark, not yacht. Now go and play.

Did you know that Noah got all the animals onto the ark before the great flood and he saved all the animals? If not there would be no animals around today.

Yes, I know that, son.

But how did he feed those animals, dad?

I suppose he also had food on the ark, son.

But lions and tigers eat other animals. Won't they eat up all the other animals on the ark?

No they won't, son.

Then how did they stay alive for so long without food if the lions and tigers did not eat up all the other animals?

I don't know, son, but I am sure that Noah had figured all this out before he took all those animals onto the ark.

My Sunday school teacher said that every animal alive today was on that ark.

That is true son.

Even penguins?

Yes, even penguins, son.

But there are no penguins living in the desert, dad. Where did Noah find penguins?

I am sure there were penguins in the desert at that time or maybe Noah found a way to get some from the North Pole.

But penguins live in the South Pole, dad.

Whatever.

Did Noah have a freezer on the ark?

Freezer?

Yes, penguins need the cold. They cannot live in the hot desert.

MARTHA!

Yes, John.

We have to stop sending Tim to Sunday school. I don't think they are teaching him the right things.

Thanks, dad. Can I go outside and play now?

 

When white is not white

Posted: 06 Feb 2013 08:01 PM PST

So why is white good while black is bad? Why do we say 'we have seen the light' when something good happens to us, such as we have 'seen' God? And why is everything bad associated with black? Black-hearted. Black market. Black death (the plague). Black period in history. Black Friday. Black sheep of the family. Black eye. Black out. Pot calling the kettle black. Black mark. And so on.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I never know how my days are going to start or end. In fact, while I know how my life started, I really do not know how and when it is going to end either. I suppose that is the spice of life. If everything is laid before us in clear and precise details then there is really no more point in continuing, is there?

It is like how I am going to start this article. I am not even sure if I do want to write any article today. I just opened my Microsoft Word and stared at this blank sheet of paper. Of course, it is not really a piece of paper in the physical sense. It is more like an electronic paper. But then is this not where the world is heading -- towards an electronic world?

I have probably four or five bookshelves of books, physical books printed on paper. Since mid-last year, though, I have stopped buying physical books. If I continue buying books I will also have to buy a new house, as there is no longer any room to store all my books. My books from merely two months detention in Kamunting alone are already one van-load. 

Anyway, paper-based books are so yesterday. Today we read electronic books and I have already accumulated almost 1,000 electronic books, which I store on my Kindle, of which I have thus far read maybe only 25 or so. Hence I have a long way to go and I was told there are millions of e-books available. So I am going to run out of breath before I run out of books to read.

The same goes for my music. I am constantly 'surrounded' by music, even when I read or write. I start my day quite predictably by booting up my Mac. Then I go to my favourite radio station, Magic 105.4, London's favourite radio station -- or at least that's what the sweet voice of the DJ keeps telling us.

In a way music influences my mood for the day. Sometimes, when I am in an aggressive mood, I want to listen to rock music. When I feel slightly mellow I listen to Magic 105.4. I mainly listen to the rock stations that play 1960s music by Grand Funk, Uriah Heep, Santana, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Iron Butterfly, Jethro Tull, and the 200 or so bands and singers of 'my generation'. And to make sure I get the best in sound, I play them on my Bose speakers and turn my workroom into a disco minus the flashing lights and fog machine.

Anyway, here I am facing a blank sheet of white paper and still not sure what I am going to write about today. Okay, the 'paper' is not quite paper in the dead tree manner of speaking but more like a plain page of my Microsoft Word. Nevertheless, it is still a plain white page.

And why do we call it a plain white page? Well, that is because there is nothing on it. If it were filled with letters, words, numbers, or graphics, then it would no longer be a plain white page. So what does 'plain white' mean then? What do we understand by the phrase 'plain white'?

Plain white means absence -- the absence of letters, words, numbers, graphics, etc. When things are absent then we call it plain white. Hence when there is nothing we call it plain white. Hence, also, plain white is what is meant by nothing.

And white can only be seen when there is light. If there is no light we cannot see white and white would become black.

Hence white is white only because of the presence of light. In the absence of light white will turn to black. If you were put into a pitch-dark room with zero light penetration where you cannot even see your hand in front of your nose and you were given a plain white sheet of paper could you see that white paper? The plain white sheet of paper would become invisible although it exists and you are actually holding it.

Hence white does not exist. White is only what you see when there is light. What exists is black. And light also does not exist. Light is merely the absence of darkness. Hence when darkness is absent then light exists and because light exists then white would also exist, which would not exist otherwise if the darkness does not allow the light in.

White, therefore, is what you see in the absence of darkness. Therefore, also, darkness exists while white does not.

So why is white good while black is bad? Why do we say 'we have seen the light' when something good happens to us, such as we have 'seen' God? And why is everything bad associated with black? Black-hearted. Black market. Black death (the plague). Black period in history. Black Friday. Black sheep of the family. Black eye. Black out. Pot calling the kettle black. Black mark. And so on.

Honestly, black is not ugly. Black is beautiful. So why associate everything bad with black?

Black is beautiful

Anyway, yesterday an insurance agent phoned me and asked for a minute of my time but took 30 minutes instead. This agent wanted to discuss the prospects of me buying life insurance. I am 62 so he suggested I should start thinking of my family's future in the event I suddenly died.

That got my thinking. What if I bought a RM1 million policy so that if anything happened to me my wife would be taken care of? But then, if I were worth RM1 million dead, would that not tempt my wife to bump me off because I would then be worth more dead than alive? And one should never tempt one's wife with such notions.

No, maybe a RM250,000 policy should suffice.

The insurance agent then worked out the cost of the premium and because I sometimes smoked cigars the premium would come to quite a bit (even with the one or two cigars a month that I smoked). It seems the brand and quality of the cigars did not affect the premium at all. Now that is downright unjust.

I asked him how much I would need to pay, say, if I took a 15-year policy -- and over that 15 years I would need to fork out almost RM150,000 in all. What happens if I survived till way past 77? Well, then that RM150,000 would be money down the drain. I get nothing. My wife can only collect RM250,000 if I died before 2027. And I must not die within the first year. I can only die from the second year onwards.

In other words, if I died next year, then will we make a gross profit of RM250,000 on an investment of only RM9,000. If I did not die, then we lose RM150,000. So the profit would be in dying quick and not in living long.

Hmm… you lose when you win and you win when you lose. I told the insurance agent I would need to think about it first. He then told me they can insure me until age 90 and that there would be a very good chance I will die before I am 90 as most people in England never live past 90.

Ah, yes, but this insurance agent has probably never heard of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Anyway, I if I take a 28-year policy that expires at age 90 and I still do not die till past 90 I would have to blow about RM250,000 or so on a RM250,000 insurance policy.

This was starting to become even more unattractive. Anyway, I decided instead to allow fate to decide what happens and jumped into my car to drive to Liverpool to join my friends for a jam session and to pick up my new (second-hand) drum set.

The problem, now, though, is that I do not feel like writing anything today because I can't wait to whack my drums to Santana playing in the background.

Sigh…why is life so complicated? Well, never mind, maybe I can go drumming and write my article tomorrow instead. At least today you do not need to read any cheong hei article from me.

My 'new' second-hand drum set

The jam session in Liverpool last night

 

Guilty as charged

Posted: 04 Feb 2013 08:10 PM PST

Selangor, at that time, was a territory of Perak. And it was the Sultan of Perak who crowned Raja Lumu as the Sultan of Selangor. The ceremony was conducted in Lumut. Hence Raja Lumu did not invade Selangor and illegally occupy the state, as you are trying to imply, Simon. He was legally crowned as the Sultan of Selangor by the ruling house of Perak -- that was in existence for more than 200 years and came into existence soon after the Portuguese invaded Malacca in 1511.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Dear Simon, I thought instead of publishing your comment I would reply to it point-by-point so that we can engage in a mature and civil discourse. I know your comment was meant to insult me and probably provoke an equally insulting response from me. However, such a low-class response to a low-class comment will not get us anywhere, don't you think so? Hence bear with me as I respond to what you have said.

First of all, with regards to your allegation that I am a coward who dares not return to Malaysia. Now, Simon, you posted your comment using what I can only assume is a false name. Even if 'Simon' is not a false name there must be millions of Simons all over the world. Hence why did you not use your real or full name and prove to me that you are not a coward.

I mean, only someone who is brave has the moral right to call someone else a coward. It is like a prostitute calling a woman a prostitute. Calling a woman a prostitute is supposed to be an insult. But if you yourself are a prostitute how can you consider calling another woman a prostitute as an insult? I trust you understand what I mean.

Furthermore, the e-mail address you used is a fake e-mail address. I tried e-mailing you this response but the e-mail bounced. Hence not only is your name false (or at the very least incomplete), even your e-mail address is false as well.

This can only mean you lack the courage to reveal your true identity -- or, to put it a bit more crudely, as you have done: you are a coward. And you call me a coward? Can you now see the irony in this whole thing? Maybe you do not see it this way because I realise you need to be of a certain intellectual level to possess the ability to apply reasoning.

If you were to take a course in philosophy you will appreciate how crucial the ability of reasoning is to be able to understand what you are studying. Without that ability you will never be able to grasp the fundamentals of philosophy. And that was the whole purpose why I took a course in Philosophy of Religion in Oxford back in 2010 although I was already 60 years old and really did not need to do so. I wanted to sharpen my skills in reasoning, especially with regards to religion.

You then referred to my family background and said that I come from a family of pirates. Actually that is very true and I have never denied that fact. In fact, I have written about this so many times if you had been following my writings since back in the mid-1990s. I even set up a website, which you can see here: http://www.tun-uda.com/. Not only have I never denied that I am a descendant of pirates, I am in fact even proud of it, so proud of that fact that I even set up a website.

Yes, my family were pirates back in the old days around 400 or 500 years ago. But then 'pirate' is the reference made only in the context of today's value system. Back in England, Spain, Portugal, Holland, France, etc., that is 400-500 years ago, piracy was a noble profession.

The government, in fact, licensed 'pirates' back then and they were called 'privateers' -- such as what governments do today: privatisation of certain services. And you had to be favoured by the government to be given the licence to become a privateer. People like Walter Raleigh and Francis Drake were even knighted by the Queen because of their tremendous success in attacking and plundering enemy ships (plus, of course, for sharing the 'spoils of war' with the government).

Today, many of the millionaires and nobility of Europe are descendants of privateers who, if measured by today's value system, were nothing short of pirates.

But then such was the value system of those days. What was considered acceptable back in the old days may not be seen in that same light today. I mean, girls aged ten could get married even as late as 150 years ago, and even in countries like America. Do you know that America abolished slavery 150 years ago but they did not abolish the practice of ten-year-old girls getting married? Today, if you married a ten-year-old girl you will get sent to jail, as would you if you attacked and plundered ships on the high seas.

I have always said that the victors, not the vanquished, write the history books. Hence Raja Haji, the son of Daeng Chelak bin Daeng Rilaka (or sometimes called Rilaga) of Riau is called a pirate. But that is only because Raja Haji fought the Dutch in Malacca (now Melaka) and lost due to treachery.

Hence Raja Haji and not the Dutch is the pirate. But the Dutch also attacked the British ships in the Straits of Melaka that sailed from India to Hong Kong carrying opium. Is this not also piracy? All Raja Haji did was to attack the Dutch ships that attacked the British ships. But Raja Haji is the pirate while the Dutch are 'good Christians'.

Okay that is what the western history books tell us: that Raja Haji was a pirate (and hence I am a descendant of a pirate). Now read what the Malay language history books have to say about Raja Haji:

Raja Haji Fisabilillah ibni Daeng Celak (1727 - 18 Jun 1784) atau lebih dikenali sebagai Raja Haji adalah seorang pahlawan Bugis dan Yang Dipertuan Muda Kesultanan Johor-Riau-Lingga (1777 - 1784). Dilahirkan di Ulusungai, Riau, Raja Haji meninggal dunia di Teluk Ketapang, Melaka, dan dimakamkan di Pulau Penyengat Indera Sakti, Kepulauan Riau, Indonesia.

Now, note the following key words: Fisabilillah and pahlawan. Do you know what these two words mean? The first word means 'to fight in the way of Allah' and the second word means 'patriot'. In short, according to the Malay version of history, Raja Haji is a Mujahideen warrior and died a mujahid (martyr). There is no mention of lanun (pirate) in that version of history.

I suppose this is how the Chinese would look at Chin Peng compared to how the British look at him. Does that now begin to make sense?

Now, Daeng Chelak, the father of Raja Haji, also had another son called Raja Lumu. And Raja Lumu became the First Sultan of Selangor in 1742 and he took on the name of Sultan Sallehuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Daeng Chelak.

Selangor, at that time, was a territory of Perak. And it was the Sultan of Perak who crowned Raja Lumu as the Sultan of Selangor. The ceremony was conducted in Lumut. Hence Raja Lumu did not invade Selangor and illegally occupy the state, as you are trying to imply, Simon. He was legally crowned as the Sultan of Selangor by the ruling house of Perak -- that was in existence for more than 200 years and came into existence soon after the Portuguese invaded Malacca in 1511.

In case you have forgotten your history, Simon, the Portuguese invaded Malacca in 1511 and sacked Sultan Mahmud Shah, who then retreated to Kampar in Sumatra. One of his sons, Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah II ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Shah, became the Sultan of Johor, while the other son, Sultan Muzaffar Shah I ibni Almarhum Sultan Mahmud Shah, became the First Sultan of Perak.

Hence, Raja Lumu, a.k.a Sultan Sallehuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Daeng Chelak, was crowned the First Sultan of Selangor by the legitimate heir of Sultan Mahmud Shah of Malacca -- a Sultanate which was founded in 1400, and which originated from the Srivijayan Empire of the 600s, which was around the time of the birth of Prophet Muhammad 1,400 years or so ago.

So you see, Simon, I can trace my roots in great detail up to about the year 600 or so (and if I really wanted to I could even trace it to earlier times). And I know who my ancestors are. And, yes, some of them were pirates or privateers or mujahideens or pahlawan -- depending on which side of history you stand. However, can you trace your ancestry?

Simon, I do not know whether you are Malay, Chinese, Indian, or one of the natives of East Malaysia, because you have not revealed your true identity. But I bet you do not know where you came from. Hence to insult my ancestors the way you have could actually backfire on you. Could you, in fact, be a descendant of one of those 'comfort women' whom Yap Ah Loy brought in from China to work in his brothels in Ampang Road back in the late 1800s?

We will never know, will we?

Anyway, do keep in touch and do continue to post comments. I shall be most pleased to engage you in further discourse if you feel there are more issues we need to thrash out. In the meantime, keep safe and stay healthy. Oh, and do try to lose some of that hate because hate is not too good for the state of your mental health.

 

Sudah jatuh ditimpa tangga

Posted: 03 Feb 2013 04:20 PM PST

The story of these Vietnamese boat people is a sorry tale indeed that must shame many governments. If these boat people did not die at sea, they were attacked by the Thai pirates. If they survived the pirates and death at sea, they were robbed when they reached Malaysia. And after all that, they faced the risk of being pushed back to sea where they would certainly die in that wide, open, and killer South China Sea.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

"138 rescued from 'Malaysia-bound' boat," said the Asia News Network today.

The news report went on to say:

"The Sri Lankan Navy rescued 138 Bangladeshi and Myanmar nationals on Saturday from a sinking vessel 50 miles off the island's eastern coast. Of them, 127 are Bangladeshis and the rest are Myanmar nationals, according to a press release of the Sri Lankan Navy. However, in a statement late last night, Bangladesh High Commission in Colombo said most of the survivors are Myanmar nationals."

"The boat was heading to Malaysia. It ran out of fuel on the way and drifted to Sri Lankan waters. According to a Sri Lankan newspaper, citizens of the country pay as much as $3,000 to travel across the sea." (Read more here).

The news report above reminds me of my early days in Terengganu. I lived there for 20 years from 1974 to 1994. This was soon after the fall of Saigon in 1975 when we woke up one morning and found a boat beached along Batu Burok in Kuala Terengganu. It was a boatload of Vietnamese.

THE FALL OF SAIGON: 1975

From that day on the boats kept coming, sometimes more than one a day. And they came mostly during the year-end monsoon when most boats that size would stay in port due to the strong winds and treacherous seas. But they chose this particular time so that the wind could blow their boats to Terengganu. This ensured that they reached Terengganu, and in a faster time as well, plus they could avoid drifting into the Gulf of Thailand where they would be prey to the Thai pirates (who were fishermen and Thai navy/marines moonlighting as pirates).

The story of these Vietnamese boat people is a sorry tale indeed that must shame many governments. If these boat people did not die at sea, they were attacked by the Thai pirates. If they survived the pirates and death at sea, they were robbed when they reached Malaysia. And after all that, they faced the risk of being pushed back to sea where they would certainly die in that wide, open, and killer South China Sea.

THE MISERY OF THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

They soon learned to puncture their boats just before they touched land and then swim the rest of the way so that they cannot be pushed back to sea. But the undercurrents of the South China Sea along Terengganu were treacherous, especially during the monsoon period. You would get swept out to sea and drown unless you were a strong swimmer. And most of the boat people were very weak and near collapse. Hence many drowned. Even one Olympic swimmer medallist who was snorkelling in Terengganu drowned once. And he was an Olympic medallist, mind you.

Elizabeth Becker, who wrote 'When the War Was Over, 1986', cites the UN High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) statistics as 250,000 boat people died at sea while 929,600 reached asylum. Rummel, however, says that 500,000 Vietnamese boat people died. It is estimated that for every two who reached dry land one died trying.

Trying to reach land was one issue. It is after they reached land was when the real nightmare started, as if the journey itself was not a nightmare enough. Then we realise how cruel humans can be to fellow humans.

SWIM OR DIE

The early group that came in the mid- to late-1970s were mainly Vietnamese who had worked for the South Vietnamese government (some of them in the secret police and hit squads -- even one colonel in the army who had murdered many VCs). In fact, one boat was a boatload of soldiers in uniform armed with M16s and rocket launchers.

This early group could be considered as political refugees, those who would be punished and/or killed if they remained in Vietnam. The later group were mainly economic refugees. These were people who had money and just wanted to leave and migrate to the west for a better future. They only wanted to go to a 'white' country. They refused to stay in Thailand or Malaysia.

This second group had money. And they paid an expensive bribe to be allowed to leave Vietnam -- just like what the Jews had to do to leave Nazi controlled Europe during the Second World War. And many in this second group were Chinese.

They had stacks of US Dollars, gold and diamonds on them. Hence everyone wanted to rob them -- the Thais, the Malaysians, the army, the navy, the fishermen, the pirates, the civilians, the shopkeepers who sold them bread and Maggi Mee at 10 or 20 times the normal price, and the middlemen who helped exchange their US Dollars, gold and diamonds for Malaysian Ringgit.

I remember Chinese traders coming to see me to offer US Dollars at a discount. The local banks would not accept them because of the serial numbers. It seems these notes were 'special' and were printed in Vietnam by the Americans to finance the war. So the banks would not touch them. Hence they had to sell them privately. And that was why we were approached.

I did not touch the US Dollars though. But I did buy some of the diamonds after they had been verified as real diamonds and not fakes. I am still in possession of some of them until today, those I bought 35 years or so ago back in the 1970s/1980s.

Looking back now, these Vietnamese boat people were given a raw deal. The early batch of Vietnamese boat people was not so badly treated. They were real refugees and mostly poor. It is the later batch of rich Chinese who brought in loads of cash, gold and diamonds that suffered.

In the beginning, the west was quite happy to take these refugees. Later, because these refugees were not considered real refugees but economic refugees, the west was not so quick to absorb them. So they were left to the mercy of the vultures that stripped them clean.

Anyway, this article has nothing to do with the RCI hearing going on in Sabah. It is just that talk of refugees brought back memories of Terengganu of the 1970s and 1980s when we would wake up every morning and find boats with Vietnamese who had arrived in the middle of the night waiting to be screwed -- both literally and figure of speech.

The Malays have a saying for this: sudah jatuh ditimpa tangga. This means after you fall down the ladder falls on you -- what the English would say: being kicked in the teeth after you are down.

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

Vietnamese Boat People

The 'Boat People of Vietnam' seemed to encapsulate all the suffering Vietnam had suffered from 1965 to 1975. Despite the end of the Vietnam War, tragedy for the people of Vietnam continued into 1978-79. The term 'Boat People' not only applies to the refugees who fled Vietnam but also to the people of Cambodia and Laos who did the same but tend to come under the same umbrella term. The term 'Vietnamese Boat People' tends to be associated with only those in the former South who fled the new Communist government. However, people in what was North Vietnam who had an ethnic Chinese background fled to Hong Kong at the same time fearing some form of retribution from the government in Hanoi.

In late 1978, Indo-China degenerated into wholesale confrontation and war between Vietnam and Kampuchea (Cambodia) and China. In December 1978, Vietnam attacked Kampuchea while in February 1979, Vietnam attacked Chinese forces in the north. These two conflicts produced a huge number of refugees.

Many in what was South Vietnam feared the rule of their communist masters from what had been North Vietnam. Despite the creation of a united Republic of Vietnam in 1975, many in the South feared retribution once it was found out that they had fought against the North during the actual war. The rule exerted in Ho Chi Minh City (formally Saigon) was repressive as this was seen as a bastion of 'Americanisation'. Traditional freedoms were few. It has been estimated that 65,000 Vietnamese were executed after the end of the war with 1 million being sent to prison/re-education camps where an estimated 165,000 died.

Many took the drastic decision to leave the country – an illegal act under the communis government. As an air flight out of Vietnam was out of the question, many took to makeshift boats in an effort to flee to start a new life elsewhere. Alternately, fishing boats were utilised. While perfectly safe for near-shore fishing, they were not built for the open waters. This was coupled with the fact that they were usually chronically overcrowded, thus making any journey into the open seas potentially highly dangerous.

No one can be sure how many people took the decision to flee, nor are there any definitive casualty figures. However, the number who attempted to flee has been put as high as 1.5 million. Estimates for deaths vary from 50,000 to 200,000 (Australian Immigration Ministry). The primary cause of death was drowning though many refugees were attacked by pirates and murdered or sold into slavery and prostitution. Some countries in the region, such as Malaya, turned the boat people away even if they did manage to land. Boats carrying the refugees were deliberately sunk offshore by those in them to stop the authorities towing them back out to sea. Many of these refugees ended up settling in the United States and Europe. The United States accepted 823,000 refugees; Britain accepted 19,000; France accepted 96,000; Australia and Canada accepted 137,000 each.

History Learning Site: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/vietnam_boat_people.htm

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

The boat people of Pulau Bidong

(Sin Chew, 6 Oct 2012) - The federal government decided in 1978 to borrow Pulau Bidong from the Terengganu state government to temporarily house the increasing number of boat people arriving in the country.

From that year on, Pulau Bidong was isolated from the rest of Peninsular Malaysia and outsiders were barred from visiting the island.

Similarly, these boat people were also prohibited from leaving the island while waiting for a third country to pick them up.

During its peak Pulau Bidong accommodated as many as 250,000 boat people, who were gradually sent to third countries in batches.

At the same time, the Malaysian government was also under mounting pressure from the fishermen in Terengganu.

For many fishermen, Pulau Bidong has indeed been a safe haven for generations. Even with the massive storms in South China Sea, this tiny island remains the fishermen's safest refuge.

However, the island became out of bound to the fishermen ever since the government started housing boat people there for over a decade. The irate fishermen rose up in protest.

After the Terengganu state government assured the fishermen, the federal government finally announced on March 14, 1989 a deadline for the boat people to leave, and return the island to Terengganu.

Nevertheless, the number of boat people flooding into the east coast of Malaysia continued to rise, averaging 65 people a day and forcing the government to defer closing the refugee camp.

On November 30, 1991, Pulau Bidong was finally closed down by the federal government, with then Deputy Prime Minister Tun Ghafar Baba returning the island to the Terengganu state government on behalf of the federal government.

Prior to the closure of the Pulau Bidong refugee camp in 1991, the remaining 12,000 boat people on the island were transferred to the refugee camp outside KL awaiting repatriation to Vietnam.

The training centre and other facilities constructed at a cost of RM170 million with UNHCR funds were all handed over to Terengganu.

While they were here, the boat people called the island the "Island of Sorrows," as though they wanted to leave all their grievances behind on this island.

As the Vietnamese government celebrated the 30th anniversary of Liberation, 142 former boat people from around the world returned to Pulau Bidong to pay respect to their late relatives and compatriots.

These Vietnamese, now living in third countries, were youngsters in their twenties when they left their homeland in search of freedom and better life. They now returned to the island as middle-aged people in their fifties and sixties.

This transitional "home" of theirs has changed completely and many of the buildings on the island have gone into disrepair following years of abandonment and neglect, as the graves of their bereaved relatives and friends are now run over by overgrowth.

During the visit of these former boat people, they erected a concrete monument with the following inscriptions:

Front: "In remembrance of millions of Vietnamese boat people who sacrificed their lives in search of freedom (1975-1996). Eternal peace be with those suffering from starvation, thirst, violence, physical exhaustion and all causes of death. Their sacrifices will be remembered forever -- Overseas Vietnamese boat people community, erected 2005."

Rear: "Our heartfelt thanks to the UNHCR, the Red Cross Society, the Malaysian Red Crescent Society and other relief organisations from around the world, the Malaysian government and all Malaysians who offered us their most valued assistance. We also wish to thank thousands of volunteers who once helped the boat people -- Overseas Vietnamese boat people community, erected 2005."

So what?

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:31 PM PST

Hence do you think the majority of the Malays, like my family, are too concerned whether the stock market goes up or down? The government will make sure that those who invest in Amanah Saham will not lose. The government will guarantee that the returns will be higher than the bank interest. Boom or bust, those who invest in Amanah Saham do not face any risk. (We also have that secured investment scheme here in the UK).

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Chua: Bursa will plunge if PR wins

(The Star) - Bursa Malaysia will drop 500 points if Pakatan Rakyat wins the coming general election, said Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

The MCA president said any change in the government would bring political uncertainty and would have a direct impact on the national economy.

He said the impact of Pakatan Rakyat rule would be adversed as its dominant partner, PAS, had little or no interest in the economy.

He said PAS was bent on implementing its brand of hudud law and setting up an Islamic state.

"PAS has also mentioned that it will close Genting (Highlands) and the Bursa. All these will frighten investors, be they locals or foreigners," he said after opening the 64th anniversary celebrations of the Federal Territory MCA here yesterday.

Dr Chua urged voters to assess the country's situation in a rational manner, taking into consideration its future before making a decision.

He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the national economy experienced an upward trend with foreign direct investments at RM34bil in 2011 against RM5bil in 2009.

Dr Chua, who is a member of the National Economic Council, said Pakatan's populist policy of pledging to abolish tolls and PTPTN loans, providing free education and a RM4,000 minimum monthly household income for 3.8 million families, would cost the government RM200bil a year.

"If and when this is implemented, it will bankrupt the country within two years," he cautioned.

Dr Chua thanked Najib and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for the mutual recognition for 157 tertiary institutions in Taiwan and 121 tertiary institutions in Malaysia as announced by the Higher Education Ministry on Thursday.

"This has opened up more avenues for Chinese-educated students to further their studies and return home to serve the country," he said.

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

Chua Soi Lek was probably targeting a Chinese audience when he made that prediction above.

I am not going to generalise and speak for all Malaysians. I am not even going to speak for all the Malays. I will just speak for my immediate family. And when I say immediate family I mean my wife, my five children, my son-in-law and daughter-in-law, and my five grandchildren. That would make 14 of us altogether.

If I were to include my entire family then it would probably run into tens of thousands considering my great-grandfather had ten wives and scores of children, my grandmother being one of them. So allow me to speak on behalf of just the 14 of us.

Would it concern us if the stock market collapsed? Not likely. You see, we do not speculate or gamble on the stock market. What we do is we invest in unit trusts, specifically the government backed and government run Amanah Saham.

Each of us can invest RM250,000 or RM500,000 if we include both Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) and Amanah Saham Nasional (ASN). And that would mean our family can invest a total of RM7 million, if we happen to have that much money in our pocket.

Even if we did not have that much money it does not matter. We can always borrow the money from the bank -- and considering the interest we will be charged is lower than the dividends and bonus we will receive, it becomes viable to borrow the money to invest in Amanah Saham.

And we do not need any security, as the Amanah Saham itself is good enough as collateral. Hence we can practically borrow for nothing and the Amanah Saham can help pay back what we owe, at least after the third year or so. Hence we only need to worry about repayments for, say, the first three years of that, say, 15-year loan period.

Hence do you think the majority of the Malays, like my family, are too concerned whether the stock market goes up or down? The government will make sure that those who invest in Amanah Saham will not lose. The government will guarantee that the returns will be higher than the bank interest. Boom or bust, those who invest in Amanah Saham do not face any risk. (We also have that secured investment scheme here in the UK).

And if the government changes it will still be the same. Whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat runs the federal government it is not going to change anything. Amanah Saham will still guarantee a good return no matter which government is in Putrajaya.

Do you think Pakatan Rakyat can afford to let millions of Malays lose their pants? There will be riots on the streets. There will be a revolution. Blood is going to flow. The government, no matter which government it is, must make sure that Amanah Saham stays profitable and pays at least 8% or 9% (or at the very least 7%) returns every year until the end of time.

Of course, if you were Chinese, then the collapse of the stock market would probably hurt you and hurt you bad. And that is why this statement is coming from the President of MCA and therefore targeted to a Chinese audience. Chua Soi Lek knows that the Chinese would vote based on financial and economic considerations. The Chinese would never vote for any government that will mess up the economy even if that government is the most democratic government in the entire world.

I first met the current Selangor Menteri Besar, Khalid Ibrahim, back when he was the CEO of PNB about 30 years ago. In fact, the first Amanah Saham was launched about 32 years ago, three months before Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad took over as Malaysia's Prime Minister. Hence it was Tun Hussein Onn who mooted this idea.

It was actually a brilliant idea, from the political angle, of course. According to the 2012 financial figures, PNB has assets of about RM120 billion. It also manages a total of ten unit trusts comprising 79 billion units of shares and involving nine million investors, Malays and non-Malays included.

ASB, for example, earned about RM6 billion in 2010 and paid out about the same to the nine million investors. In 2011 it saw a 21% increase in gross income. And it has consistently paid an average of 6%-7% every year for more than 30 years, in good times or bad.

If I were Malay, and if the economy was the factor that influences my decision who to vote for, then I would vote for the government that can ensure I will continue to receive a good payback every year for the rest of my life, as it has been doing since the days before Dr Mahathir became Prime Minister.

And I would not worry about the 'danger' of changing governments and whether this change of government is going to trigger a collapse of the stock market because the government, whoever it may be, will ensure that my Amanah Saham investment will stay secure and will continue to pay good dividends and bonuses every year -- even if DAP, PAS and/or PKR takes over the federal government.

But that would be something Chua Soi Lek can't say because he is talking to a Chinese audience and to the Malays that type of talk does not carry any weight.

 

The long and the short of it

Posted: 24 Jan 2013 06:34 PM PST

But what will happen, say, in 2057, 100 years after Merdeka, when the children and grandchildren of those three million pendatang -- who by then may number five million and hold Malaysian identity cards because they were born in Malaysia -- all want to vote as overseas voters although they had left the country a long time ago and never once went back to Malaysia?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

There are those who oppose the Islamic criminal law of Hudud. When we ask them as to why they oppose Hudud they will reply that it is because under the Hudud law they cut off the hands of thieves. Hence Hudud is a very barbaric law. Rather than cut off the hands of thieves they should instead be killed with a bullet in the head like what they do to highway robbers and other thieves in China, corrupt officials and female robbers included.

Well, I suppose a bullet in the head is less barbaric than having to live with only one hand.

Let's say for argument's sake I argue: so what if they cut off the hands of thieves? Why are you so worried about that if you are not a thief? Aren't you the ones who are complaining about the extremely high crime rate in Malaysia? Aren't you the ones alleging that the police are not doing their job? Maybe we need a law such as Hudud to solve the serious crime problem that appears to be spinning out of control.

Only thieves should be worried about and oppose Hudud. If you are so opposed to Hudud then that can only mean one thing -- you are a thief. If you are not a thief then why are you so opposed to Hudud? And it appears like more non-Malays than Malays oppose Hudud. This can only mean that there are more non-Malay thieves than Malay thieves.

I suppose this statement makes as much sense as the statement that if you do not support Pakatan Rakyat then you must be a Barisan Nasional supporter (if you do not support Hudud then you must be a thief). There can be no other logical reason for you to not support Pakatan Rakyat just like there can be no other logical reason for you to not support Hudud.

Can you see that when we apply your same logic to another situation your logic no longer sounds logical?

And that is the problem with many of you. Your logic is not universal. It can be used only to support your prejudiced view but when applied to another argument it sounds real silly.

The Sedition Act and the Internal Security Act are draconian laws. Why are they draconian laws? Well, because these laws are used against the opposition, to stifle dissent, and to deny Malaysians their freedom of speech. Hence the Sedition Act and the Internal Security Act must be abolished. And if Pakatan Rakyat ever takes over the federal government this is one of the first things they must do -- abolish the Sedition Act and the Internal Security Act.

However, before they abolish these laws, they must first be used against those on the 'other side'. Once those from the 'other side' have been dealt with only then should these laws be abolished.

In fact, if Pakatan Rakyat takes over, we should implement Hudud and use that law to cut off the hands of those crooks from the ruling party. Once all their hands have been cut off we can then abolish the Hudud law.

What are we fighting for? We are fighting for justice. And how do we get justice? We get justice by abolishing bad laws and by reforming the system. Should we do all that now? No, we do that only after we have taken revenge on our enemies. Is revenge justice? Yes, but only if taken against the other side, not if taken against our own people.

It is not fair that Malaysians who have left the country for longer than five years and have not returned to the country for at least 30 days over those five years are not allowed to vote as an overseas voter. Even if those Malaysians left the country 30 or 40 years ago and never once went back to Malaysia they should still be allowed to vote (as long as they still have an identity card, of course, because you need this to vote).

What happens if one million of the three million foreigners who now possess Malaysian identity cards go home to their original countries? Can they be allowed to vote as overseas voters? Your entitlement to vote depends on you possessing a Malaysian identity card. Hence if you have a Malaysian identity card then you are entitled to vote.

And what happens if these people had left Malaysia more than ten years ago and never once came back to Malaysia? Should they still be allowed to vote?

You may argue that they should not be allowed to vote because although they possess Malaysian identity cards they were not born in Malaysia. Ah, but then their children were. Their children possess Malaysian identity cards that show they were born in Malaysia although they left Malaysia ten years ago and now live in another country. So why can't they be allowed to vote?

Back in 1957, when Malaya first gained independence, the Chinese and Indians came from China and India and were given Malaysian citizenship. Subsequently, the children of those 'pendatang' were born in the country. Hence the descendants of these pre-1957 immigrants are Malaysian born and should not be called 'pendatang'.

Agreed, it is wrong to call the present generation Malaysians of Chinese and Indian descent 'pendatang'. Their parents or grandparents may have been pendatang back in 1957. But the present crop of Malaysian-born Chinese and Indians are not pendatang and should not be treated as pendatang or called 'pendatang'.

But what will happen, say, in 2057, 100 years after Merdeka, when the children and grandchildren of those three million pendatang -- who by then may number five million and hold Malaysian identity cards because they were born in Malaysia -- all want to vote as overseas voters although they had left the country a long time ago and never once went back to Malaysia?

Sometimes we need to look short term, such as over the next two months leading to the coming general election. Sometimes we need to look long term, say 30 years down the road. And sometimes we need to balance between short-term and long-term goals.

When the government came out with its education policy it looked short term and not long term. And now, many years down the road, we are paying for this short-sighted and short-term strategy.

But the damage has been done. It is not going to be that easy to rectify things. It may take a whole generation to correct our mistakes of the past -- and even then only if we are prepared to bite the bullet and are prepared to suffer the high casualty rate.

Are we prepared to allow the Malays to become casualties in the interest of a better education system based on meritocracy? Neither Najib Tun Razak nor Anwar Ibrahim would dare say 'yes' to this question.

Things are going to get worse before they become better. The cure may be as painful as the disease. But I am sure neither Barisan Nasional nor Pakatan Rakyat would be prepared to take the risk of a political fallout out if they try to change the education system and see Malays fall by the wayside because they are just not good enough.

It is like promising no taxation and promising to give all the oil money back to the states. How would we finance the country? No doubt that type of promise is going to help win votes. But what do you do after you win the votes?

To make money we need to plant oil palm trees. To plant oil palm trees we need to burn down the forests. When we burn down the forests we create an ecological problem. So we don't burn down the forests to prevent an ecological problem. But since we don't burn down the forests we can't plant oil palm trees. And because we can't plant oil palm trees we can't make money.

Life is full of vicious cycles. And Malaysia can win the gold medal in vicious cycles if that happened to be an event in the Olympic games.

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

Use of Sedition Act is wrong

Yin Shao Loong, The Malaysian Insider

Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee stated that the Sedition Act should be used on Ibrahim Ali because the latter had advocated the burning of bibles.

Even though Lim acknowledged that the Bar holds that the law should be repealed, it should nonetheless be used against Ibrahim if the government is charging opposition leaders such as Karpal Singh under it.

Burning any book as a political act is vulgar, uncultured and should be condemned. Invoking the use of a draconian law to punish book burning, or incitement to burn books, is a capitulation to authoritarianism.

By taking this stance, Lim and the Bar he leads have undermined any claim to principled opposition to the Sedition Act. Their rationale is akin to those who proposed maintaining the Internal Security Act (ISA) so it could be used one last time against the puppet master of Operation Lallang.

Even if Lim's intent was to underline how the present government selectively enforces the law, his argument was poorly chosen because it was based on the logic that two wrongs would make a right.

The Sedition Act has been a convenient and objectionable tool of authoritarian power in Malaysia due to its broad applicability against anything that could be construed as raising ill-will or hostility within society or against the authorities.

Anyone can claim they had feelings of ill-will or hostility raised by someone's statement or action, proceed to file a police report, and have someone investigated for sedition. Of course, the odds of successful prosecution would improve if the accused happened to be someone not favoured by the government.

Historically, sedition was associated with absolutist monarchies. Undemocratic governments criminalise sedition because they fear dissent will destabilise authority based on force, heredity or property. The rule of the few over the many requires some form of institutionalised discrimination, fear and suppression of criticism.

Democracies incorporate criticism into their system of government and allow the many to use their votes to initiate peaceful, orderly changes in government.

As long as I have known it, the Bar Council has stood for the principled movement towards full-fledged constitutional democracy in Malaysia. Supporting the use of the Sedition Act is a backward step contrary to human rights.

Lim has already noted that any book-burning act or incitement to such act can be prosecuted under those sections of the Penal Code that deal with abetment and trespass.

Additionally, sections 298 and 298A of the Penal Code deal with acts designed to cause hurt on religious grounds, section 504 covers intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace, and section 505 refers to statements promoting public mischief.

It is reasonable to file a police report, or call for laws to be employed, where the actions in question are criminal, excluding those legitimate forms of dissent criminalised by the Sedition Act, ISA, Printing Presses and Publications Act, and so forth.

One group of citizens is opposing the barbaric act of book burning by inviting people to join in reading holy books — any books, in fact — under the trees at KLCC park on Sunday.

Others have filed a police report against Ibrahim, citing many of the Penal Code sections referred to above, but without recourse to the Sedition Act or any of its repressive bedfellows.

These are civilised means of opposing an uncivilised act.

If we want to move Malaysia out of the shadow of authoritarianism we cannot condone the very methods of authoritarianism. This means that race-baiting, repressive laws and impunity must be abandoned in favour of principled debate, peaceful protest, accountability and reform.

 

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

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Opposition leaders urged to retract decision on use of 'Allah'

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 08:06 PM PST

(Bernama) - Some 30 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and PAS members today held a rally urging opposition leaders to retract the decision allowing use of the word 'Allah' in the Malay version of the Bible.

Jaringan Melayu Pulau Pinang spokesman Arif Ibrahim said the opposition's persistence in defending their stance had turned the issue into a polemic among the people.

"We also appeal to the Conference of Rulers that will meet at the end of this month to issue a decree prohibiting the use of the word 'Allah' in the Malay Bible to immediately stop debate on the issue," he told reporters after Friday prayers at Masjid Kampong Rawa here.

During the rally lasting 30 minutes, the group also trampled on banners that read 'January 8 decision brings woes' while chanting words of protest against the decision.

They also distributed stickers that read 'Save Kalimah Allah' to Muslims after Friday prayers. Some 10,000 stickers were printed for distribution to Muslims in Penang.

On January 8, the Opposition Leadership Council decided that the word 'Allah' can be used in the Malay bible provided it is not misused. The decision was announced after a meeting of top opposition leaders attended by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang and PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

 

Whitney Houston, died 11th February 2012, hit voted best love song in US poll

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 05:45 PM PST

(Reuters) - With Valentine's Day just a week away, singer Whitney Houston's classic ballad "I Will Always Love You" has been voted the most popular love song in a US poll.

The signature song of the Grammy-award winning singer, who died suddenly a year ago, scored 38 per cent of the vote among all adults in the Harris Interactive survey, and was the top pick among all divorced, separated or widowed Americans.

Houston's hit from her 1992 movie, "The Bodyguard" was a cover of a 1974 song written and recorded by country singer Dolly Parton.

The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody," Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman," Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful," and the Bees Gees' "How Deep is Your Love" rounded out the top five songs.

"Romance is about making an emotional appeal to the senses, and to the heart," Aaron Levine, of Sony Electronics Home Audio, which commissioned the poll, said in a statement announcing the results. "So, turn down the lights and turn up the sound."

More than 2,000 adults who voted in the online poll were asked to pick their favorite love songs from a list of more than 40 tunes spanning several decades.

Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" came in sixth, followed by Patsy Cline's "Crazy", Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is," Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" and "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye.

To mark the first anniversary of Houston's death on February 11, organisers of the Grammy Awards said they will honour the singer with an hour-long TV special entitled "The Grammys Will Go On: A Death in the Family" that will air tomorrow, the day before the 2013 Grammy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

yDhxKVuVYaY

SEE ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDhxKVuVYaY

 

PKR bimbang dengan cara MB Selangor menyelesaikan krisis air

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 05:32 PM PST

Md Izwan, The Malaysian Insider

Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim ditegur dalam mesyuarat Biro Politik PKR Rabu lalu supaya mengambil langkah lebih proaktif dan pantas dalam menangani isu air, menurut satu sumber yang juga merupakan ahli biro politik PKR.

The Malaysian Insider difahamkan, perbincangan dan perkara yang dibangkitkan dalam mesyuarat kebanyakannya menjurus kepada isu air memandangkan kehadiran Abdul Khalid (gambar) dan juga lanjutan pengumuman bantuan tambahan kewangan RM120 juta oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak kepada Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (SYABAS) baru-baru ini.

"Semalam (Rabu) MB Abdul Khalid hadir sama, jadi banyak perkara yang dibincangkan semalam adalah melibatkan isu krisis air di Selangor.

"Isu air ini akan menjadi modal utama Umno dan Barisan Nasional dalam berkempen di Selangor. Malahan langkah Najib baru-baru ini mengumumkan bantuan kewangan jelas menunjukkan isu air ini akan dimainkan mereka hingga pilihan raya," kata sumber.

Menurut sumber itu lagi, Abdul Khalid dianggap kurang proaktif dan lembab bertindak dalam menangani krisis air yang berlaku di Selangor menyebabkan ia memberi laluan mudah kepada media arus perdana mudah menghentam pentadbiran PR.

"Beberapa inisiatif dibincangkan supaya MB mengambil langkah yang lebih proaktif dan cepat bagi mengelak masalah ini berulang lagi.

"Antara cadangan yang dikemukakan ialah supaya kerajaan negeri mengambil inisiatif sendiri menyediakan lori tangki air untuk menyalurkan bantuan selain pam-pam tambahan bagi menangani bekalan terputus air," kata sumber itu lagi.

Dalam pada itu, sumber juga memberitahu ahli biro politik membayangkan syarikat air SYABAS bersama kerajaan pusat berkemungkinan bersekongkol untuk sengaja mencipta sabotaj besar-besaran pada pilihan raya nanti dan menggesa Abdul Khalid untuk berwaspada dengan ramalan tersebut.

"Kami jangkakan dan mendapat maklumat akan berlaku sabotaj besar-besaran pada pilihan raya nanti.

"SYABAS dan kerajaan pusat mungkin akan sengaja merancang bekalan air putus," tambah sumber lagi.

Selain isu air yang dibangkitkan, mesyuarat itu juga menyentuh tentang perbincangan persediaan jentera menjelang pilihan raya yang dijangka akan diumum dalam tempoh terdekat ini.

Kerajaan negeri Selangor masih lagi bergelut dengan kerajaan pusat dalam isu pengambilalihan air di negeri tersebut, malahan permohonan kepada Menteri Tenaga,Teknologi Hijau dan Air Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui juga masih belum menerima jawapan muktamad sehingga kini.

Minggu lalu, Abdul Khalid mengumumkan Selangor bercadang mengambil alih perkhidmatan air dari syarikat konsesi air di negeri itu dalam tempoh 14 hari dan menghantar surat bertulis kepada kementerian berhubung perkara tersebut.

READ MORE HERE

 

Don’t boycott postal votes, Nurul Izzah tells overseas citizens

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 05:20 PM PST

Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar today asked overseas voters not to boycott postal voting despite disagreeing with its implementation.

She reminded voters that they may risk their suffrage if they do not return home to cast their votes, or at least register to become postal voters.

"Malaysians who have for so long been deprived the right to vote must take this opportunity to return the principle of one citizen, one vote," Nurul Izzah (picture) told reporters here.

Despite that, the Lembah Pantai MP shares the same position as election watchdog NGOs Bersih and My Overseas Vote that changes to the postal voting regulations by the Election Commission (EC) are unconstitutional, discriminatory and arbitrary.

Nurul Izzah however declined to state which part of the changes is unconstitutional, asking reporters to refer to Bersih instead.

According to her, the EC has informed PKR that as of Wednesday morning, only 1,574 voters have registered to become postal voters.

She put the number of voters residing overseas at around one million people, with 400,000 in neighbouring Singapore alone.

READ MORE HERE

 

Bringing up children

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 04:45 PM PST

Let's not talk about politics today and instead look into the mind of an innocent toddler and how he perceives religious teachings, which sometimes do not make sense to small minds that can think better than mature minds.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Dad!

Yes, son.

How did I get here?

Err…hmm…why don't you ask your mum? I want to read the papers.

I did and mum said to ask you, dad.

Ah…well…the stork brought you.

Oh. But my Sunday school teacher said we all came from Adam and Eve.

Well…that is also true.

You mean we all came from Adam and Eve?

Yes. Now run along and play. I want to read my papers.

My Sunday school teacher said Adam and Eve were the first two people on earth.

Yes, that's right.

So who married them then?

What do you mean?

Aunty Sara and Uncle Bill got married by the priest. So who married Adam and Eve if they were the only two people on earth?

Err…no one.

So Adam's and Eve's children are all bastards then?

Hoi…where did you learn that word from? You must never use that word.

I heard you saying that, dad.

Me?

Yes, you said that your boss is a bastard. I asked Mike what bastard means and he told me. How do you know that your boss is a bastard like Adam's and Eve's children?

That was merely a figure of speech. I did not mean it literally. Oh never mind. No. Adam's and Eve's children are not bastards even though Adam and Eve never got married by a priest.

Oh, okay.

Now run along son.

But who did Adam's and Eve's children marry?

They married each other, son. You see, there were no other people on earth other than just Adam and Eve and their children.

So does that mean I can marry Kate when we grow up?

No, son, you can't. Kate is your sister.

Oh. But Adam's and Eve's children were also brothers and sisters.

Yes they were. But at that time it was okay for brothers and sisters to get married. Now go outside and play.

We were also told the story of Noah and his yacht.

That's good son. But it was called an ark, not yacht. Now go and play.

Did you know that Noah got all the animals onto the ark before the great flood and he saved all the animals? If not there would be no animals around today.

Yes, I know that, son.

But how did he feed those animals, dad?

I suppose he also had food on the ark, son.

But lions and tigers eat other animals. Won't they eat up all the other animals on the ark?

No they won't, son.

Then how did they stay alive for so long without food if the lions and tigers did not eat up all the other animals?

I don't know, son, but I am sure that Noah had figured all this out before he took all those animals onto the ark.

My Sunday school teacher said that every animal alive today was on that ark.

That is true son.

Even penguins?

Yes, even penguins, son.

But there are no penguins living in the desert, dad. Where did Noah find penguins?

I am sure there were penguins in the desert at that time or maybe Noah found a way to get some from the North Pole.

But penguins live in the South Pole, dad.

Whatever.

Did Noah have a freezer on the ark?

Freezer?

Yes, penguins need the cold. They cannot live in the hot desert.

MARTHA!

Yes, John.

We have to stop sending Tim to Sunday school. I don't think they are teaching him the right things.

Thanks, dad. Can I go outside and play now?

 

Muslims told at Friday prayers to ‘hate’ Valentine’s Day

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 04:42 PM PST

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/images/uploads/2013/february2013/0802khutbah.jpg 

(The Malaysian Insider) - "Create a feeling of anti-Valentine's Day in your hearts and minds, start hatred of celebrating it," Jakim's sermon told Muslims nationwide. 

Federal religious authorities today warned Muslims against celebrating Valentine's Day next week, in a message that consistently crops up annually in February, by pointing out that it could lead to pre-marital sex.

Today's Friday sermon by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), read out at mosques nationwide, comes amid a campaign called "Mind the Valentine's Day Trap" launched together with about 250 non-governmental organisations last month.

"Create a feeling of anti-Valentine's Day in your hearts and minds, start hatred of celebrating it," Jakim's sermon told Muslims nationwide.

Jakim expressed its worry that Muslims celebrating the day will go dancing and organise candlelight dinners, which will then lead to "kissing in gardens" and pre-marital sex to prove their romantic loyalty.

The religious department referred to an oft-quoted writing of a Ken Sweiger (sic) who allegedly said that "Valentine" was a Latin term, meaning "The Mightiest, The Strongest, and The Most Powerful", used to exalt Nimrod and Lupercus, the deities of ancient Rome.

Therefore, Jakim warned that by asking someone to "be my Valentine" is tantamount to idolatry by glorifying a mortal to the same level as God.

In his online article "Saint Valentine's Day: Should Biblical Christians Observe It?" a pastor called Ken Swiger warned his congregation called the Seventh Day Christian Assembly of the celebration.

Swiger linked Valentine's Day celebration to a pagan celebration of intimacy dedicated to a primitive deity called Lupercus, who might refer to the biblical Nimrod the great hunter, the great-grandson of Noah.

He wrote that the name Valentine came from the Latin word "valens", meaning "the strong, powerful or mighty one", in reference to Nimrod, thus making the celebration "blatant idolatry".

Muslims were also told in Jakim's sermon that the directive against the celebration should not portray the department as killjoys who are against the latest trends, but it was just following the Quran and the Prophet's teachings.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/muslims-told-at-friday-prayers-to-hate-valentines-day/ 

 

Chinese New Year and the Worlds Between This One

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 04:27 PM PST

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQf1XPhzqpbb7QJEODOmTYDcHHVySrA8AIxnaHXOz-G_2YErUAX 

Ang pows, like everything about Chinese New Year, remind us that forms and rules cannot be ignored. Just because those dancing lions aren't real, it doesn't mean they don't matter for what's real.

Alwyn Lau 

This Sunday the Year of the Snake begins and getting an ang pow is the only time people love to see red. These flaming packets though, come with rules. For example, you never give an ang pow if you're not married and for those who tied the knot less than a year ago, it's two packs per pax. It totally isn't cool to give cheques or coins. Don't ever give an empty packet; like most symbolic gestures, the thought isn't the only thing that counts. Don't ever commit the Ibrahim Ali boo-boo of giving a white packet thus turning a family celebration into a death in the family. Never give ang-pows before the first day of CNY or after the fifteenth day; kick-off begins on the dot and there is no extra time.

Also, always accept the ang pow with two hands; the giver isn't a TESCO cashier handing you change. Never send or receive electronic ang pows; 'virtual' ang pows makes as much sense as virtual air. Finally, no matter how much the Chinese talk about wealth and prosperity, one does not simply give CNY cash to people without the red packet (it's safer to walk into Mordor naked).

 

'Pointless' Yet Productive

Ang pows, like everything about Chinese New Year, remind us that forms and rules cannot be ignored. Just because those dancing lions aren't real, it doesn't mean they don't matter for what's real.

Firecrackers, the Mandarin oranges, not sweeping the floor for fifteen days, winning at Black Jack - and even the colour red – they mirror a world (of spirits, of convention, of the virtual) co-existing with our 'everyday' world (of cheese-burgers, traffic jams and Windows crashes).

The 'fiction' of giving money in a shiny crimson paper envelope upholds our being 'wrapped up' in roles and identities not quite our own. This is a game of Pretend at its communal best – it may be 'fake' (or so we think), but it still 'works'.

For isn't it true that every day we play pretend and it's not all fun? We pretend to care, to bother, to know, to be thinking. We pretend to be more than we know we're not. Every hour we struggle with roles like 'parent', 'spouse', 'leader', 'activist' - even 'human'. We're wearing so many hats we sometimes wear another hat simply to minimize the trauma of hat-wearing.

What's more, we also need to be pretended to - life would be unbearable if everyone was completely honest with us. Our world would shatter if people smiled at or greeted us only 'if they felt like it'. The financial world would collapse if bank brochures told the truth that everybody pretends they don't already know: that the only thing worse than robbing a bank is starting one (i.e. one makes thievery an anti-social felony, the other makes it a politically protected privilege). The social world would be in disarray if 'pointless' statements like "How are you?", "What's up?", "Hi/Bye" (or our all time favourite, "I love you") were probed too deeply for their essences and sincerity.

We're all in this together. Yet by feigning, we commit ourselves to each other even if we 'really' don't want to. We help others create fantasies for their world even as we rely on everybody else acting as if they believe what we do. These are the worlds 'in between' this one: The mutually constructed yet non-negotiable holograms we need in order to exist socially.

They are pseudo-realities everyone makes and half-breaks every day and moment. They appear through our words, his façades, her cries, their hand-shakes, those emails and everybody's silences. We survive by pretending and we cannot live if others don't. Occasionally, our fragile veils are taken off and we detect strange things in others but also - thankfully - the desire to be loved and to contribute despite having had their innermost lives exposed (or status-updated).

 

Worlds Dark and Divine

Of course, the worst kind of feigning – and thus the blackest of realities produced - is by leaders who make it a point to deceive or incite all in order to strip society of its resources and values. This is the most insidious sort of masquerade because it hides the wilful exclusion of others, especially the least of the least.

Thus, Tun Dr Mahathir can pretend to care about the citizenship status of immigrants to Sabah whilst hardly pretending to care about the living conditions of the orang asli and the poorest in that very same state. Our dear PM himself can pretend to care about Chinese and Christians whilst he allows folks like Ibrahim Ali to continue being entirely honest about how much he hates them. The only good news from all this is that the veils can't hide the darkness anymore. In such a rot, the people are forced to throw off all pretenses, not to mention the gloves (think HINDRAF, BERSIH).

And then there is a more sublime kind of unveiling, showing off a better kind of world. It's the kind that Michelle Ng alluded to in her Feb 5th essay, written in the context of the on-going 'Allah' controversy. She, a Christian, declared to her Muslim friends that:

"(Even if) the day comes when Christianity is prohibited in Malaysia, when our churches and bibles are forced to cease to exist, I can assure you that we will still welcome you into our homes with open arms; we will feed you when you're hungry and we will care for you if need be; and we will pray for you every day."

That's our new world right there. An in-breaking imaginary which not only brings hope to the country's politics but also redefines the political. Ng's promise to forgive and pray for those who persecute her is undoubtedly too Christian for many Christians; we should only hope it's not too un-Malaysian for Malaysia. Her remarks proclaim another world so blindingly beautiful that most folks can't deal with the shock of taking Ng seriously. Maybe this proves that the best kind of world is that which has to remain obscure for now, and presented to us in drama, sign, gesture and spectacle - like a wooden lion turned on by cymbals and drums, suddenly needing to gyrate and eat oranges and lettuce.

Chinese New Year is not only a celebration of a new twelve months under the Lunar calendar, but it can also be a declaration that enjoyable fiction begets new realities. The noise, the food, the colours - they all point to the casting out of evil and the inviting in of the good. It's a 15-day nation-wide concert to ask the universe to do it again – better this time. Red storm rising, new worlds coming.

Happy Chinese New Year, Malaysia.

 

Ronnie Liu's aide resigns, citing dissatisfaction

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 03:57 PM PST

Edmund Lee, The Sun Daily

The Selangor exco Ronnie Liu's special assistant Jafrei Nordin has announced his resignation with immediate effect after voicing his dissatisfaction towards his boss Ronnie and the DAP party.

Jafrei made the announcement with the presence of Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng at around 10.50am at the latter's residence in Silverton today.

When asked why he chose Penang to announce his resignation instead of in Selangor, the shaken Jafrei pointed out that he was worried about his family's safety as it would be a big implication after his resignation.

"That's why I contacted my friend (Tan) and ask for his permission to hold a press conference in Penang today," the nervous-looking Jafrei told a press conference early this morning.

Jafrei added that he will be submitting his resignation letter in a couple of days.

Throughout the press conference, Jafrei who was appointed by Liu in 2008, said his resignation was due to loss of confidence towards Liu and that he has a deep disappointment after Liu had failed to explain the various allegations of graft and misuse of power against him.

Jafrei claimed that Liu and Selangor DAP had no respect over PAS and PKR in the state as he alleged there were intentions by certain quarters inside the party to unseat the two parties, which as a result, the state DAP could hold on as a dominant party in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

He also alleged that he knows every single plan by Liu and state DAP to undermine PAS and PKR, including plans to persuade Malay leaders such as prominent lawyer Datuk Zaid Ibrahim to contest under DAP ticket in the upcoming 13th general election.

"This will ensure that DAP could form a new state government in Selangor and sideline PKR candidate to become Mentri Besar."

Jafrei who is also DAP activist since 2004 claimed that Liu and other DAP leaders had even labelled current Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as "Khalid Gagap" (Nervous Khalid).

He also claimed that DAP had been using their "election specialist" in shifting their target from UMNO to PAS as the party believes Barisan Nasional (BN) would lose up in the election battle anyway, therefore makes PAS the more relevant target for now.

Meanwhile, Liu has denied that Jafrei was his special assistant as he had already terminated one who was holding the position under his portfolio.

"He is talking nonsense and a liar," Liu said when contacted today questioning why Jafrei held a press conference in Penang if he was indeed Liu's special assistant.

He alleged that Jafrei had secretly printed a business card to prove that he was Liu's assistant.

Liu added that he had also maintained a very good relationship with the state PAS members and even with the Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.

 

The decline and fall of Najib

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 03:40 PM PST

The prime minister had the perfect opportunity to act, but he neglected to do so. Consumed by greed and power, like many politicians in Malaysia, he looked the other way.

Mariam Mokhtar, FMT

As soon as Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announces the date for 13th general election, it will probably sound his political death knell.

For the benefit of the rakyat, and in front of the television cameras and news photographers, Najib and his Cabinet present a united front; but behind the scenes, another story emerges.

Damaging leaks about the shortcomings of his leadership continue to undermine Najib. His grip on the party is tenuous. His strongest ally, the self-styled First Lady Rosmah Mansor, will do her utmost to ensure he succeeds.

Last month, the independent organisation, the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research, found that Najib had high popularity ratings of 63% among voters in Peninsular Malaysia.

For the sake of "completeness", why not a survey among voters in Sabah and also, Sarawak? It would have been interesting to gauge Najib's popularity in Sabah, before and during the proceedings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) for Sabah.

If the same survey had been conducted among ministers in Najib's own Cabinet, the results would be a good gauge of their confidence in his leadership.

The war that is being waged against Najib is on two fronts – he has to defend himself against the opposition and fight off guerrilla raids from invisible enemies, within Umno.

Najib, the son of Malaysia's second prime minister, has had a poor grounding in life. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he is only exposed to the suffering of the rakyat, in the months before election. To alleviate their pain, Najib distributes bags of rice and food, and tars their roads, rather than sorting out the issues which have plagued the people, over the past five years.

The prime minister's privileged schooling is denied to the ordinary Malaysian. Najib may have been a product of a mission school, but mission schools are dying a slow death, deprived of money and support from the Education Ministry.

In his secondary schooling at Malvern College, a Church of England school, Najib would have attended daily chapel services, compulsory Sunday service, Remembrance Sunday, and Carol services in the Christmas term.

Najib has remained a Muslim despite attending these services, but he would have gained a thorough understanding of Christianity. Despite that, he has said nothing to persuade the extremists in Malaysia to practise tolerance and moderation.

He missed the chance

What can one expect from a career politician? When he defended his father's seat, which had become vacant on his death, he won, presumably because of the sympathy votes.

How can a man who has not experienced the perils faced by the unskilled worker, the struggling graduate, working man and father know what it is like to live in Malaysia, where house prices are beyond most people's reach, where car prices are jacked up, where justice is sold to the highest bidder and where most services require a sweetener? Najib's education has not been put to good use to help his fellow Malaysian.

READ MORE HERE

 

‘BN to win election but no two thirds’

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 03:25 PM PST

The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts Barisan Nasional as likely winners because of Pakatan Rakyat's costly promises. 

Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has predicted Barisan Nasional (BN) as the likely winner in the upcoming general election.

However, analysts predict the ruling coalition will probably fail to attain the two-thirds parliamentary majority to make constitutional changes unchallenged.

The Economist Intelligence Unit is part of London's Economist, a weekly global news magazine.

In a recent report on their website, EIU claims Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have been making "costly promises" to gain power.

However, the opposition alliance's efforts have attracted less attention than the generosity of BN, which had spent lavishly in two consecutive budgets to please voters.

"In addition, the government is offering many local incentives to ensure the return of BN representatives at federal and state level," it said, elaborating that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak recently offered Penang's Pakatan-controlled state assembly 20,000 affordable houses and a monorail to ease traffic congestion.

"The next election is likely to be a tight race, but we do not expect the outcome to lead to a dramatic improvement in the public finances," it added.

The EIU also said it is "clearly not feasible" for Pakatan to implement all of its campaign promises in one go.

"For example, providing free secondary education would cost the government RM43 billion, while abolishing car duty would cut tax revenue by RM4.6 billion a year," it explained.

It also pointed out that Pakatan had been accused of breaking its promises that include financial assistance for pre-school education, and for university students, senior citizens and the disabled; free healthcare for those over 65; lower property taxes; and assistance for home buyers.

Citing Malaysia's richest state Selangor as an example, the report quotes BN as claiming Pakatan had implemented only 15 per cent of the RM2.4 billion-worth of its 31 election pledges made in its 2008 manifesto.

"Selangor's Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, commented that a manifesto is not a promise but conceded that voters may think otherwise," it then said.

The report also quoted latest opinion polls which showed Najib's approval rating of more than 60 per cent, but noted 47 per cent ofthose surveyed saying that they were satisfied with the government.

READ MORE HERE

 

Yazid’s wife denies terrorist links

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 03:21 PM PST

The 48-year-old mother of four says that her husband was with her all the time.

K Pragalath, FMT

Former Internal Security Act detainee Yazid Sufaat's wife Chomel Mohamad has denied that her husband has contacts with a Malaysian terrorist shot dead in the Philippines as alleged by the police.

Speaking about Yazid's arrest yesterday, the mother of four said she returned from the market at 11.30am and saw their assistant Mohd Hilmi Ahsin being handcuffed.

"There was a huge crowd at the canteen and I even spotted the arresting officer who arrested my husband previously, Inspector Ravi," said the 48-year-old mother of four.

"Yazid said the police mentioned someone by the name of Fikrie.

"We were never in contact with Fikrie and my husband doesn't go anywhere. He only helps me to operate my business from 7.30am to 4pm. I know his activities. We don't even know who Fikrie is," she added.

According to The Philippine Star, Mohammad Noor Fikrie Abdul Kahar is a suspected Jemaah Islamiyah bomber who was killed in Davao City in December last year.

Yesterday Yazid, Hilmi and Halimah Hussein were detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (SOSMA) for promoting terrorism.

Under SOSMA, police could detain anyone for 28 days without trial, and deny access to lawyers during the first 48 hours.

Yazid an ex-ISA detainee was formerly detained in 2001 and released seven years later for alleged involvement in an Indonesian-based terrorist movement called Jemaah Islamiyah since 1993.

Hilmi is Yazid's worker. Both were detained at the Jalan Duta High Court canteen where Yazid's wife operated a cafetaria. Halimah was detained in Taman Sutera, Kajang at noon.

National news agency Bernama yesterday reported that the trio were believed to be active members of Jemaah Islamiyah attempted to recruit more than 50 students from institutions of higher learning.

Quoting police sources, the report stated that the recruits were trained in a neighbouring country for specific missions such as suicide missions in Europe.

The sources also believed that there were training grounds within the country.

'Deeply flawed law'

Meanwhile, Chomel also told the press that after Yazid's arrest, the police raided their house in Taman Bukit Ampang.

READ MORE HERE

 

Yazid charged with promoting terrorism

Posted: 07 Feb 2013 03:07 PM PST

Yazid Sufaat, a former ISA detainee, is facing a 30-year jail sentence after being accused of promoting acts of terrorism in Syria. 

K Pragalath, FMT

Yazid Sufaat was not charged under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act. He was instead charged under Section 130 G (a) of the Penal Code for promoting acts of terrorism.

He was accused of promoting acts of terrorism in strife-torn Syria.

The section provides for a maximum prison sentence of 30 years for inciting, promoting or soliciting property for the commission of terrorist acts.

The charge sheet stated that Yazid committed the offence between Aug 1 and Oct 20 last year at his house in Ampang.

Meanwhile, housewife Halimah Hussin, 52, was charged under the same section as well as Section 109 of the Penal Code for abetting Yazid during the same period of time.

The pair were charge at the Ampang magistrate's court this afternoon.

Earlier, the defence counsel for both Yazid and Halimah argued on the legality of Section 130 G (a) of the Penal Code.

"The section was amended on Dec 25, 2003 but there are no gazetted dates for the enforcement of this section," argued Amer Hamzah Arshad.

"This proceeding cannot proceed and this court has no jurisdiction to hear this case," he added.

The prosecution team led by deputy public prosecutor Hanafiah Zakaria countered that the gazette date cannot be given but it is still enforced before magistrate Zulyana Zollkapli.

This prompted Zulyana to adjourn the court for 30 minutes.

Following this, Hanafiah clarified that the section in question had been gazetted in March 2007.

Hanafiah also requested for both cases to be transferred to the Shah Alam High Court which Zulyana allowed.

After the hearing, Yazid, a former Internal Security Act detainee, was sent to Sungai Buloh Prison whereas Halimah was sent to Kajang Prison.

The date for the hearing in Shah Alam High Court has not been fixed.

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net
 

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