Rabu, 20 Februari 2013

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Why are Malays so otak sempit?

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 04:12 PM PST

The film's 52-year-old writer, Bacile, said that he wanted to showcase his view of Islam as a hateful religion. "Islam is a cancer, period," he said in a telephone interview from his home. "The movie is a political movie. It's not a religious movie."

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Do you remember last year the brouhaha the Malays (meaning also Muslims) made about the movie that Jew produced insulting Prophet Muhammad? And earlier we had the brouhaha about the threat by the pastor to burn the Qur'an.

There were many comments posted in Malaysia Today regarding the stupidity and backwardness of the Malays in protesting such a non-event -- and quite rightly so. The Malays give the impression that they are so otak sempit (small-minded).

In this day and age of globalisation, the borderless Internet, and the information revolution, you really can't stop people from exercising their freedom of opinion and expression. And we have to learn to live with this without screaming and foaming at the mouth every time someone says something we do not like.

If, for example, a Malay were to produce a movie that the non-Malays do not like, do you think the non-Malays will scream and foam at the mouth? Or, say, a Malay threatens to burn the Bible? Do you think the non-Malays would take any notice of that threat?

The Malays have to learn to be like the non-Malay Malaysians and not rant and rave every time you do not like what someone says. And this was what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad lamented about when he said that the Malays are too emotional and feudalistic and should be more pragmatic like the Chinese. And Dr Mahathir is right. The Malays are too emotional, unlike the Chinese and Indians.

Will you ever find non-Malays cursing and screaming about a movie? If they don't like the movie they will just not watch it. Simple! Why get so upset? This, the Malays have to learn to do if they do not want to be accused of being small-minded.

And if you threaten to, say, burn the Bible, the non-Malays would not get upset. After all, it is just a book, like the Qur'an. Ignorant people have been burning books for thousands of years and life still goes on.

And if the Bible, just like the Qur'an, is God's book, then surely God can take care of His own book. Does he need us mere mortals to help protect His book?

When we say that the Malays are otak sempit they get angry. But how not to call the Malays otak sempit when they get so emotional and upset about a mere movie and a book?

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

Israeli Citizen Living in California Behind Film Insulting Islam

An Israeli filmmaker, Sam Bacile, based in California went into hiding after a YouTube trailer of his movie attacking Islam's Prophet Muhammad sparked violent demonstrations in many Muslim cities around the world including Egypt and Libya where the US ambassador to and three American members of his staff were killed.

The release of the film coincided with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington during which he leveled what The Wall Street Journal said the "sharpest attacks in years by an Israeli leader against Washington, over differences on how to address Iran's nuclear program,"

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal by phone Tuesday from an undisclosed location, writer and director Sam Bacile remained defiant, saying Islam is a cancer and that the 56-year-old intended his film to be a provocative political statement condemning the religion.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "tensions had so escalated that President Barack Obama spent an hour on the phone with the Israeli leader in a hastily arranged call hours after both governments said the White House wouldn't agree to an Israeli request for a meeting between the two leaders at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York this month."

Protesters angered over Bacile's film opened fire on and burned down the US consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. Four Americans were killed Tuesday night including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

The film's 52-year-old writer, Bacile, said that he wanted to showcase his view of Islam as a hateful religion. "Islam is a cancer, period," he said in a telephone interview from his home. "The movie is a political movie. It's not a religious movie."

Bacile said he raised $5 million from about 100 Jewish donors, whom he declined to identify. Working with about 60 actors and 45 crew members, he said he made the two-hour movie in three months last year in California.

The film has been promoted by Terry Jones, the Florida pastor whose burning of Qurans previously sparked deadly riots around the world. He said he was planning to show the trailer for Mr. Bacile's movie to his congregation.

 
Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

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History, not theology

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 06:14 PM PST

The Puritans wanted England cleansed of Catholics, who they regarded as deviant heretics who should be put to death. Amongst others they also wanted Christmas banned and shops ordered by law to stay open on 25th December. Parliament was also not happy that Mass was being said in the Royal Court since Mass or Eucharist is the central act of worship for the Roman Catholic Church.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

It is interesting to note that my article titled 'The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter' attracted 167 comments at the time I am writing this. And it would have been more than 200 had I not deleted all those copy-and-paste comments of verses from the Bible.

And do you know why it attracted so many comments? Well, because most readers took it as an article regarding religion and whenever we talk about religion all the loonies and weirdoes would crawl out of the woodwork to argue and defend their God.

It never fails each and every time. However, what they fail to see is that I am talking about history, not theology. But these people just cannot grasp the spirit of my article.

And these are the same people who try to interpret what I say and do and usually would misinterpret it and take the opposite of what I said (remember the TV3 interview in Perth that I did?) And these are the 'thinkers' of the Malaysian public who will be voting for the 'right' government come the next general election in the next month or two.

Heaven help Malaysia when we put the lunatics in charge of the asylum.

I have noticed that most Malaysian Christians (at least those who post comments in Malaysia Today) normally argue that there is a distinction between the Old and New Testaments and that Christians follow the New and not the Old Testament.

In other words, the New Testament has abrogated the Old Testament. But this is not what I find in England, strangely enough.

Anyway, let me emphasis, yet again, that today I am talking about history, not theology. And I will try to equate the history of Christianity in England (mainly the 1500-1600 period: which was a period of religious turmoil) with that of Islam so that you can better understand how both religions went down the same historical path.

You see, in Islam, there are those who interpret the Qur'an literally and there are those who take it as allegorical. Then there are those who accept the 'Scriptures' (in this case the Hadith) as authentic and those who reject them completely. Then there are those who accept some Hadith but not all while others accept different versions of Hadith.

Then, the most puzzling part of all (to those not schooled in the Qur'an, that is) would be the history of the Qur'an verses and which verse abrogates which verse. Then again, there are those who reject the 'science' of abrogation and argue that all verses still stand and none have been abrogated.

And that is why when non-Muslims copy-and-paste verses of the Qur'an and then try to interpret it the way they see it (meaning literally) they are terribly off the mark. Which verses, if any, are taken as literal and which ones as allegorical? Even Muslims are divided and sometimes confused on the matter so what more the non-Muslims who think they know what they are reading but actually do not know a thing.

Now, Christianity, too, suffers from this same ailment (such as literal versus allegorical). And that was what happened over more than 150 years from the early 1500s to the late 1600s in England. And because of this, England erupted into a Civil War from 1642 to 1651 and which resulted in the first time in English history that a monarch lost his head.

To study the history of the English Civil War you need to also understand the reigns of Henry VIII, Mary I and Elizabeth I, a prelude to the reign of Charles I.

We all know that Henry broke from Rome and declared himself the head of the church, the Church of England. Soon after that he purged England of Catholics. Cathedrals and churches were burned to the ground, Catholics and their priests were executed, and all symbols of Catholicism (even the crucifix) were destroyed.

When Henry and then Edward died, Mary took the throne and, being a Catholic, she reversed what her father did. This time, Protestant cathedrals and churches were burned plus Protestants and their priests were killed (even burned alive). In fact, she did worse than what her father did and for that she earned the title of Bloody Mary.

Then Elizabeth took the throne and she, in turn, reversed what Mary did. This time Catholics were put to death and their houses of worship and symbols destroyed. They also passed a new law that prohibited Catholics from sitting on the throne of England.

Now, we come to the reign of Charles I.

Charles was not a Roman Catholic but he believed that the Church of England was more Catholic than the Church of Rome itself. And there were many Catholics within Charles' own family -- such as his mother, Anne of Denmark; his wife, Henrietta Maria; etc. In fact, later on, his eldest son Charles became a Roman Catholic on his deathbed while James II, who also became a Roman Catholic, lost his throne because of that.

Hence England takes this 'No Catholic' rule very seriously.

The problem with Charles was that he was surrounded by those suspected of being 'closet' Catholics plus known Catholics. Hence Parliament wanted Charles to remove his advisers whom many Members of Parliament suspected were misleading Charles and giving him the wrong advice in favour of Catholicism.

Parliament, in fact, even forced Charles to sign death warrants for some of his close friends and although at first Charles resisted, he later had no choice but to sign these documents while crying as he did so.

The quarrel between Charles and Parliament was about two issues. One was regarding money (Charles bypassed Parliament when he imposed new taxes: in fact, Charles suspended Parliament five times during his rule) and the other was regarding religion.

The Puritans wanted England cleansed of Catholics, who they regarded as deviant heretics who should be put to death. Amongst others they also wanted Christmas banned and shops ordered by law to stay open on 25th December. Parliament was also not happy that Mass was being said in the Royal Court since Mass or Eucharist is the central act of worship for the Roman Catholic Church.

Parliament suspected that there was a secret agenda to turn England into a Catholic state. Hence the Catholics needed to be destroyed and England retained as a Secular State with separation of State and Church. Charles, however, refused because he wanted to retain Episcopacy.

And with that the Civil War broke out with the Puritans on one side and the Royalists on the other. Later, after Charles was defeated, a bloody war broke out between Parliament and the Catholics in Ireland, so bloody and brutal that until today the Irish have never forgotten or forgiven the English.

Charles was eventually pronounced a traitor and executed. The English Catholic Church, however, has canonised Charles as a martyr, more or less confirming that Charles was Catholic 'at heart'.

So you see, not all Christians regard Catholics as real Christians (just like not all Muslims regard Wahhabis and Shias as real Muslims). The Catholics even up to these modern times are viewed as deviant heretics who bring affront to the religion of Christ.

No, I am not talking about theology here. I am talking about the history of England (at least of 500 years ago) and how many in England view the Catholics as sesat (misguided) Christians.

 

TIMELINE

Henry VIII: 21 April 1509 to 28 January 1547

Edward VI: 28 January 1547 to 6 July 1553

Mary I: 19 Jul 1553 to 17 November 1558 (a.k.a. Bloody Mary)

Elizabeth I:  17 November 1558 to 24 March 1603 (a.k.a. the Virgin Queen)

James I: to 24 March 1603 to 27 March 1625

Charles I: 27 March 1625 to 30 January 1649

England then temporarily became a Republic upon the death (execution) of Charles I until Charles II took the throne on 29 May 1660.

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

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Anwar Ibrahim has a Hand in the Lahad Datu Invasion

Posted: 20 Feb 2013 01:01 PM PST

http://stopthelies.my/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/malikmnlf.jpg 

Listen, listen, listen …..Stopthelies has information that Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has a hand in the invasion of Lahad Datu by heavily armed Sulu terrorists recently.

Apparently the pro-Jewish leader and China doll expert had gone to Philippines a week before the armed intruders stormed Kampung Tandau, Lahad Datu, east of Sabah on Feb 9.

The sources said that Anwar was said to have held secret talks at an undisclosed place with the head of the terrorists on the plot to invade Lahad Datu.

Calling themselves the Royal Sulu Sultanate Army, the 100 over armed terrorists are reportedly headed by Raja Muda Azzimudie Kiram, a descendent of the Sultan of Sulu.

It has been almost two weeks since they landed in Kampung Tandau and the stand off does not seem to see any signs of the terrorists backing off.

What is interesting here is that the armed invasion was under a foreign flag. It is somewhat unusual for the insurgents to use a Philippine flag.

Coincidentally when Anwar was walking the corridors of power in Putrajaya, he enjoys close rapport with Southern Philippines. And he has played a vital part in negotiations with insurgent groups there.

The timing of the invasion, with the general election around the corner, is too close for comfort and arouses great suspicion on who is all behind it.

Read more at: http://stopthelies.my/?p=2507 

 

Investigate Malaysia's debts now

Posted: 20 Feb 2013 12:42 PM PST

http://english.cpiasia.net/images/2012/mahathir-building.jpg 

Pak Sako, CPI 

Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad claimed last week that Malaysia's current debt level is "healthy" compared with Greece's.

But the debt-to-GDP percentage Mahathir relied on tells next to nothing about the full extent of Malaysia's debts; the nature of these debts; or what can happen next.

The real devil lies in the details, namely:

(i) the trend in the debt level.

How has it changed in the recent past? Is there momentum in a certain direction? The federal government's debt had doubled in just four years from 2007 and 2012. Will it stop growing, or will the trend and absolute totals continue their upward rise?

In the last decade, our finance ministers have repeatedly pledged to reduce the budget deficits. This has not happened. Instead, deficits have ballooned and the federal government's debt has mounted.

(ii) the causes of debt.

For what are the borrowings and for whom? Are these borrowings for worthwhile investments that benefit the public? Are these liabilities being used to cover government operating costs or to prop up failing crony companies or the stock market? Is the use of costly loans for projects with low or no rates of return justified?

Almost a trillion ringgit was recently whisked out of the country in the form of illegal outflows. This is capital flight. It is conclusive evidence that our economy is 'leaking out' wealth.

Capital flight explains what the crony private sector and other rent-seekers are doing with their ill-gotten gains: they are squirreling these away in offshore accounts in Swiss banks and tax havens such as the Cayman Islands.

It is no wonder that private-sector investment in Malaysia is dismal. To make up for foregone domestic investment and job creation, environmental standards and taxes are lowered to lure foreign investors such as Lynas.

(iii) the types of debt, both known and "hidden".

How much of the debt is borrowed from the savings of citizens (internal debt)? How much is borrowed from foreign lenders (external debt)? How much of these debts is government debt, and how much is private?

ringgit-debtA big chunk of Malaysia's debt, RM467.4 billion as of September 2012, is internal debt (Bank Negara Malaysia, Quarterly Bulletin, Third Quarter 2012).

This is the portion of debt that is popularly spoken about — the debt-to-GDP percentage of 53% involves almost entirely this debt.

This is money borrowed domestically from the savings of citizens. It is money belonging to individuals taken from the Employee Provident Fund (EPF), Tabung Haji, pension funds and other social security organisations and institutions (see 'Debt growing but manageable, says MOF', The Malaysian Insider, 28 September 2012).

At what rates of return are Malaysians being compensated for this borrowing? Will they recover their savings at all? Will they be fraudulently 'compensated' with funds coming from the liquidation of oil and forest assets; in other words, from the public's own pockets? Or will a Ponzi scheme be devised to borrow more to honour commitments that come due?

Wholly separate from internal public debt is private external debt — money borrowed from foreign lenders. This is a portion of debt that is hardly spoken about.

The government's external debt is RM17.3 billion as of last September, according to Bank Negara. But this is the tip of the iceberg.

We should also be very interested in the private sector's external debt.

Because when private companies borrow from foreign lenders, the government is obliged to pay off these debts if the companies fail to do so. Simply put, citizens might have to pick up the tab. That is what happened in the debt crises in the West.

That is why this category of external debt is called 'publicly guaranteed debts'.

Beyond these, there is the 'non-guaranteed' debt obligation of the private sector. These affect the overall creditworthiness of the nation and also cannot be ignored.

Bank Negara says Malaysia's total external debt was RM257.8 billion at the end of September 2012.

How much of this is publicly guaranteed debt held by private corporations?

Read more at: http://english.cpiasia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2483:investigate-malaysias-debts-now&catid=219:contributors&Itemid=189 

 

Difficult to fix a ‘broken bracelet’

Posted: 20 Feb 2013 12:28 PM PST

http://www.mole.my/sites/default/files/images/mole-Chua-Jui-Meng-PKR-Boo-Cheng-Hau-DAP-JOHOR.jpg 

Chua's problem boils down to credibility and baggage. The DAP side does not respect him because of his history. 

Joceline Tan, The Star 

The quarrel between DAP and PKR in Johor is centred around the parliamentary seat of Gelang Patah which means broken bracelet' in Malay an apt description of the ties between the two parties in the state.

THE war of words between DAP and PKR in Johor has grounded to a stop for now, at least. Or as Johor reporters put it, Johor DAP chief Dr Boo Cheng Hau has been "zipped up".

DAP called for a ceasefire between Dr Boo and PKR's Johor chief Datuk Chua Jui Meng but as some say, the "rice has turned to porridge" the situation is beyond repair.

The slanging match between them the last few weeks has been quite astonishing and it is hard to see how the two of them can work together in the general election.

The last time there was this much tension between DAP and PKR was when Datuk Mansor Othman was caught calling Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng a "cocky, arrogant Tokong".

The name-calling between Dr Boo and Chua has been worse. Chua has referred to his DAP counterpart as "amateurish" and "ridiculous" whereas Dr Boo has gone as far as calling for the PKR "overlord" to be replaced in Johor.

But the most amazing part about the heat and fury between Dr Boo and Chua is that it is centred around a single seat, namely, the parliamentary seat of Gelang Patah.

The Pakatan Rakyat thinking these days is that any seat with a sizeable number of Chinese voters is winnable and every one of them wants to contest in a Chinese-majority seat.

Gelang Patah, near Johor Baru, is one of those so-called winnable seats because it is 54% Chinese, 34% Malay and 12% Indians.

This is despite the fact that MCA had defeated PKR in 2008 by almost 9,000 votes.

Dr Boo's argument is that DAP has a better chance of winning the seat than PKR. One version has it that he wants the seat for his party colleague Liew Chin Tong who is looking for an exit plan from Bukit Bendera in Penang.

The other version is that Dr Boo is eyeing the seat for himself because he is already the assemblyman for Skudai, one of the two state seats located in Gelang Patah.

The tension between the two Johor big guns had simmered for months before it boiled over.

For instance, everyone had noticed that Dr Boo and his clique did not show up for Pakatan's Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat in Johor two months ago.

Dr Boo first highlighted it on his Facebook page a couple of weeks ago. Then, he issued a press statement to the Chinese media where he bared his frustrations about Chua whom he labelled as "arrogant" and accused of "turning PKR into another MCA".

Chua is very sensitive about his history as a former MCA leader and he is furious about the attacks.

But his aides have projected their boss as the victim. They said he has never issued any statements about seats in Johor because the decision lies with the top Pakatan leadership.

"Google it, check his Twitter. Jui Meng has not said a thing about contesting in Gelang Patah. These DAP people are greedy for seats. We told our boss to focus on the campaign because Dr Boo is acting like a small boy," said an aide.

The PKR side also accused DAP of being too possessive about the Chinese vote.

They said DAP wants to monopolise the Chinese vote because it wants to be the "tai kor (big brother) of the Chinese".

But a DAP insider has suggested that the quarrel may be more than just the Gelang Patah seat or the clashing egos of Dr Boo and Chua.

He pointed to the way DAP leaders have directly or indirectly defended Dr Boo on the issue.

DAP chairman Karpal Singh did not hold his punches in putting Chua in his place, whereas Lim, who ordered the ceasefire, had commiserated with Dr Boo regarding his "frustrations on being dictated to" in Johor.

Another DAP leader Tan Kok Wai said no disciplinary action would be taken against Dr Boo because what he said "is true".

The Johor dispute basically reflects the discord over seats in several other states, including Penang and Perak, which, as many have noted, used to happen only in Barisan Nasional.

Read more at: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/2/21/nation/12737246&sec=nation

 

Will Selangor go for early dissolution?

Posted: 20 Feb 2013 12:24 PM PST

http://fz.com/sites/default/files/styles/1_landscape_slider_photo/public/ge13-selangor_2.jpg 

Exertion of will or pressure on Najib?
 
Meena Lakshana, fz.com
 
For the past month, tongues have been wagging over the Selangor government's announcement of a possible early dissolution of the state assembly ahead of national polls.
 
It all started when Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim disclosed that the state may dissolve the assembly after Chap Goh Mei – if the 13th general election was still not called by then.   
 
He spoke of a general fatigue over the anxiety of waiting for the federal government to call for the election.
 
And yesterday, the menteri besar announced, after an audience with Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, that the state ruler has no objection to an early dissolution of the state assembly. 
 
Certainly, a sizeable portion of the electorate is disconcerted by the wait for the general election. 
 
Many people had to withhold vacation plans. Or worry about career engagements – as they would have to travel back to their hometown to vote – and a host of other problems, just in case they are caught unawares by a general election.
 
But the question is, why dissolve the state assembly after Chap Goh Mei, which falls this Sunday?
 
The Election Commission had been quick to point out the financial and logistical burdens of having separate polls. 
 
The EC also stressed that even if the Selangor assembly was dissolved earlier, it was the commission that will decide on the polls date. It has 60 days to do that from the date of dissolution, and so it can still ensure that the state polls are held simultaneously with the general election.
 
Pointless move?
 
Talk is that the general election will be held in March or April after major programmes initiated by the Barisan Nasional government, like the distribution of the BR1M handout, are completed.
 
If the speculation about the national polls is true and if the Selangor government were to proceed with an early dissolution, the state election will fall close to national polls, which renders the state government's move futile.
 
Abdul Khalid obviously knows this as he has said that he would accept state elections being held simultaneously with parliamentary elections. 
 
Universiti Malaya law lecturer Azmi Sharom feels an early dissolution of the state assembly would probably not occur.
 
"It will probably come to time with national polls," he told fz.com.
 
However, the state government has the legal prerogative to dissolve the state assembly whenever it wished, provided it has the consent of the sultan, said Azmi.
 
"I don't see a problem with it because it is within their rights.
 
Indeed, the Selangor government should not have any problem now that the sultan has said he would not oppose an early dissolution.  
 
Universiti Sains Malaysia political analyst Dr P Sivamurugan said the sultan's consent is very  important.
 
This is because a perception that the state government is at odds with the sultan would be disastrous for Pakatan Rakyat in its efforts to woo the Malay electorate.
 
"Among Malays, loyalty to the palace is important, although some liberal ones would think otherwise," he said.
 
Although Abdul Khalid has received the green light from the palace, the Pakatan supreme council has not signed off on his proposal for early dissolution.
 
In fact, the menteri besar said he has only spoken to some Pakatan leaders on this matter.
 
Azmi said the only advantage Pakatan can reap from an early dissolution is to be able to concentrate all its machinery in Selangor.
 
However, the same can be said for Barisan Nasional, which has more of an advantage with its wealth, strong machinery and a legion of campaigners to carry out its plans.
 

 

Tee Keat dropped from Pandan

Posted: 20 Feb 2013 12:23 PM PST

http://starstorage.blob.core.windows.net/archives/2013/2/21/nation/ong-tee-keat-pandan-n6.jpg 

(The Star) - Incumbent Pandan MP Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat is not listed as a possible candidate under MCA to defend the parliamentary seat.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said Ong did not have the support from Barisan Nasional component parties in the constituency that he has held for five terms.

"Ong doesn't have the support from his own division," Dr Chua said after attending a Chinese New Year open house organised by Pandan MCA here yesterday.

"Ong's name is not in the list prepared by the division and I am dependent on the list prepared by the division," he added.

He also introduced 39-year-old lawyer Gary Lim to reporters as MCA's choice of candidate for the constituency.

"Gary is a new face and he does not have any baggage.

"All politicians have enemies and over time you accumulate more," said Dr Chua.

At the same time, he said he could not stop Ong from contesting as an independent, and that it might even benefit Barisan Nasional to split votes for the Opposition.

PKR has announced that its director of strategies Rafizi Ramli would be contesting in the parliamentary constituency.

At the function, Dr Chua also warned that people especially those in Selangor would be hampered with a host of problems including a water shortage if they were to re-elect Pakatan Rakyat for state government.

 

The Sabah standoff

Posted: 20 Feb 2013 12:17 PM PST

http://news.asiaone.com/A1MEDIA/news/02Feb13/20130218.094411_sulu.jpg 

Heaven forbid that any harm should befall them. For, that will play right into the hands of those who, for some reason or other, wish to derail the current peace effort in Mindanao and foment a rift between Malaysia and the Philippines. 

Randy David, Philippine Daily Inquirer  

There is more to the ongoing standoff between Malaysian forces and some 300 armed men holed up in a coastal village in Sabah than meets the eye. The latter are Filipino nationals, though they identify themselves as members of the "Royal Security Forces of the Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo." They have announced that they sailed to Sabah to reclaim their rightful homeland.  Heaven forbid that any harm should befall them. For, that will play right into the hands of those who, for some reason or other, wish to derail the current peace effort in Mindanao and foment a rift between Malaysia and the Philippines.

The relations between the two countries have significantly improved after Malaysia began hosting the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.  Malaysia has a clear interest in the political stabilization of neighboring Muslim Mindanao.  In the past, Muslim rebels routinely sought sanctuary in Malaysian territory, and their presence there not only strained relations with the Philippines but also posed the danger of locally spreading a politicized Islam.  Of course, beyond all this, the Malaysian investment in goodwill, properly acknowledged as a Filipino debt of gratitude, serves to undercut any move to activate a long-standing irritant in the relations of the two countries.

The Sultan's heirs have been pressing the Philippine government to actively pursue its sovereign claim to Sabah.  Keeping the issue alive will greatly bolster their demand to be justly compensated as the rightful private owners of the territory. The Philippine claim is solely anchored on the property rights asserted by the descendants of the Sultan of Sulu. This claim was formally advanced by President Diosdado Macapagal in 1962.  That was the year before the British formally relinquished their colonial hold on Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, and the straits settlements (including Singapore), paving the way for the establishment of Malaysia as an independent state. Singapore subsequently left the Malaysian federation.

"North Borneo," writes the historian Onofre D. Corpuz, "was crucial to the new Malaysia; without it, the latter would have an overriding Chinese majority in its population, because Singapore was to be part of Malaysia.  The United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan had interests in the new state based on global strategic considerations.  The claim would be pursued, if at all, in diplomatic isolation.  The future of the Philippine claim, into the 1980s, was not bright."  Sure enough, the keen desire of the Philippine government to forge strong regional ties with its major Southeast Asian neighbors thereafter consigned the issue to the margins of Philippine foreign policy.

It has been a long time since the Sabah claim has been openly discussed in the media or, even less, officially taken up by any administration.  Yet, no Philippine president has dared to categorically renounce the country's claim to this territory. The young generation of Filipinos, who are unaware of the historic claim of the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu, may thus be forgiven if they perceive the group of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III as no different from those syndicates who now and then invade expensive real estate in Metro Manila waving fictitious royal titles.  But, this particular claim is by no means founded on fantasy.

Read more at: http://opinion.inquirer.net/47323/the-sabah-standoff 

 

Malaysia, Sabah & Sarawak

Posted: 20 Feb 2013 12:07 PM PST

MG6v9_b7NGE

Joe Fernandez 

This legal issue was staring at every lawyer in the face but its takes a Thai girl to post it on the Net and open up the questioning of what was done to force through Malaysia formation. 

Sabah & Sarawak were still colonies when Britain signed them up in the Malaysia Agreement (aninternational Treaty) to become part of Malaysia!

Sabah (31/08/63) and Sarawak (22/07/63) were only given "independence" after the signing of the Malaysia Agreement on 09/07/63. Was it an afterthought? Or did they realise they put the cart before the horse?

So how can there be any exercise of free will as independent countries?

Was it just purely window dressing exercise to transfer colonial power to Malaya? 

 

A hasty annexation of territories to Malayan rule? 

 

SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG6v9_b7NGE


* Malaya, North Borneo(Sabah), Sarawak, and Singapore.
* The necessary 2/3 majority decision to expel Singapore on 1965 look weird.
* The first election for parliament seat in Sabah & Sarawak only been held on 1969.

31st of August is not Malaysia's National Day.
16th of September should be celebrated as the National Day: the formation of Malaysia.

The date of the 31st of August is still important because it is the date when Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak achieved their independence from the British.

Unfortunately, but technically, MALAYSIA was officially born on the 16th of September 1963 and not the 31st of August. Prior to that it was not "Malaysia", it was "Malaya". Politically and geographically they are two different entities.

As per The United Nations proposal, to meet the Declaration on Decolonization 1960 requirement, then North Borneo [Sabah] become an Independent country after regained its independence from The United Kingdom on August 31, 1963. Sarawak also become an independent country after regained its independence from The United Kingdom on July 22, 1963. This occur after the Malaysia Agreement been signed on July 9, 1963 and before joining together of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore to form Malaysia on September 16, 1963. 

The Parliament of Malaysia then on August 9, 1965 voted 126-0 in favour of the expulsion of Singapore, with members of Parliament from Singapore not present. This decision also been made without the consent of North Borneo [Sabah], Sarawak, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland representatives who involve in signing the Malaysia agreement dated on July 9, 1963. The necessary 2/3 majority decision to expel Singapore from Malaysia on 1965 look weird because, it is been made without knowing the total seat in the Parliament of Malaysia yet, because the first election for parliament seat in North Borneo and Sarawak only been held on 1969.

References:

1 Malaysia - Mahathir, Mubarak, Gaddafi, & Assad 2 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcDs7k...

Mahathir Malaysia Political Satire, Caricatures & Cartoon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKDas5...

1 Malaysia - A Civil Society or Satu Toilet?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ircxlx...

1 Malaysia Najib, Muhyiddin & Mahathir Twisted Justice & Corruptions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw__Tu...

2050 - Malaysia Tranformations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovjWVR...

1 Malaysia Najib's Two-Face Scam
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JzU1E...

2050 - Designing The Future
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qh0S0...

Borneo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borneo

A lesson on Sept 16
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?...

Malaysia celebrates 55 years of Independence
http:///blog/2012/07/31/malaysia-cele...

Truly Malaysian
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?......

Singapore in Malaysia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapor...

1 Malaysia - Fantasy or for Real
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np9kYs...

Hitler's Reaction to Lynas Rare Earth Plant in Malaysia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ0Qo2...

Corruptions Index Ranking South East Asia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Et6Tn...

Yingluck Shinawatra Thailand - Meeting World Leaders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lIOWg...

FAIR USE NOTICE: This film may contain copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Fair use of this film is under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. 

 

Where’s the logic, Hisham?

Posted: 20 Feb 2013 12:00 PM PST

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/home-affairs-minister2-300x170.jpg 

If the current soft 'handling' of the incursions by armed Filipinos into Lahad Datu is any measure, then it is clear that Sabahans' safety is inconsequential to the federal government.

Calvin Kabaron, Free Malaysia Today 

It is an irony how promptly Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein ordered the arrest and deportation of Australian Senator Nick Xenophon while 100 armed Filipinos in military fatigue were being handled with kid gloves by the police and Special Branch officers because they had "links" in Sabah.

Xenophon arrived solo and unarmed but was considered a security threat. But in Lahad Datu, some 100 "soldiers" from the alleged Royal Sultanate of Sulu Army who were armed with "M-14, M-16, M203 and Armalite assault rifles" were considered friendly, "not militants" and "not a threat".

These armed Filipino bandits landed in Sabah claiming ownership of the land on behalf of their Sulu Sultan.

In any other country, the Home or Internal Security Minister would have been at the site of the incursion the moment it was known.

But not Hishammuddin.

He saw it fit to arrive in Kota Kinabalu only yesterday, seven days after the police and the "militant army" – holed up in a oil palm plantation in Lahad Datu – faced a standoff after failing to come to an agreement over their demands.

When Hishammuddin held a press conference in Kota Kinabalu, flanked by military and police top men here, he had yet to visit the incursion site.

He just rolled off what he was told. Hishammuddin said everything was under control and that the federal forces would not compromise the security of Sabahans.

"The armed group are not militants or terrorists but since they had guns, it is important our action does not lead to bloodshed," he said in defence of the militant Muslim group from the southern Philippines.

Hishammuddin also categorically denied speculations that the intrusion had anything to do with Manila's claims, albeit indirectly, on Sabah, and fear of repatriation of Filipinos after the federal appointed Royal Commission of Inquiry's (RCI) devastating witness testimonies.

In the January RCI sitting, witnesses revealed details of a high level agenda to neutralise Sabah's Christian population by offering citizenship-for-votes to arriving Muslims from the Philippines, Indonesia, Pakistan and India. The ICs were issued by the National Registration Department (NRD) under instruction from top level federal Umno leaders.

"The issue is not political, not racial; [it has] no connection with the stand on sovereignty but in our context this is our land and this is something that can jeopardise the nation's security," Hishammuddin said.

The minister must think Sabahans and Malaysians are stupid.


'Sabah is our home'

The Philippine media, meanwhile, has gone to town with the news that the Malaysian government may send back hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Filipino illegal immigrants, many of whom had in their possession dubiously-acquired Malaysian documents.

In Manila, the Sulu group leader SuItan Jamalul Kiram asserted that his followers – some 400 men – were resolute and would stand their ground in Lahad Datu for "however long it takes".

"Nobody will be sent to the Philippines. Sabah is our home," so proclaimed Jamalul, who is one of the many claimants to the elusive throne.

But unlike the other claimants, Jamalul's position as Sultan of Sulu is recognised by Manila and President Benigno Aquino was reportedly "informed of the incursions since Day One".

Jamalul had even proudly announced that if his army in Lahad Datu was armed, then the weapons did not come from the Philippines but were already available in Sabah.

In an interview with the Philippine media, Raja Azzimudie Kiram, the leader of the group and brother to Jamalul, said his men in Lahad Datu were equipped with "all kinds" of weapons including "M-14, M-16, M203 and Armalite assault rifles".

This can only mean that the Sulu "army" could have been stocking arms in Sabah for quite sometime.

Now isn't this a serious offence? In Malaysia being in possession – illegally – of a normal firearm is a fatal crime punishable by death; what more when we are talking about combat guns.

Remember the Al-Maunah group caught hauling modern guns some years back? Remember how the authorities quickly rounded them up and dealt the harshest possible blow.

The authorities said the Al-Maunah groups were waging a war against the Malaysian Yang di-Pertuan Agong and as such the offence was punishable by death.


'Imbecile' Hisham

So why is the federal government being tentative about this band of militants who wants to "seize" or "reclaim" Sabah?

Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/02/21/wheres-the-logic-hisham/ 

Filipino 'army' lays claim to Malaysian state

Posted: 20 Feb 2013 11:57 AM PST

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQGgeibkPfvBsLjrkapakAOn0wn-QCLZwPfnYsf33UevoH_0LkTuQSteve Chao among those arrested 

(Al Jazeera) - Self-proclaimed Royal Sultanate army land in eastern state of Sabah, saying ancestors once ruled area.

Watch video at: http://m.aljazeera.com/story/2013220182943625413 

 

More than 100 people have been left homeless by what has, until now, been a little-known armed Filipino group.

The self-proclaimed Royal Sultanate army sailed across the Sulu Sea to lay claim to Malaysia's eastern area of Sabah.

The group say they say are descendants of an ancient Sulu sultan who once ruled the land they are claiming.

Both the Philippines and Malaysia have called for the army to put down its weapons.

Al Jazeera's Steve Chao reports from Tanjung Labian, Malaysia.

 

Police chief confirms arrest of seven at Labian

Posted: 20 Feb 2013 11:52 AM PST

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSM4D9BZIHPU3WjaYHdqAzCJOS2FBIX43UwC9guYbNp2l4rkM4_JQ 

(Borneo Insider) - Three Al-Jazeera journalists, three SAPP youths and boatman detained while attempting to head to Tanduo, later 6 released with a warning

Three Al-Jazeera journalists were among seven people detained by police off waters at Tanjung Labian, near here Wednesday morning in an apparent bid to attempt a landing at Kampung Tanduo, the hideout of hundreds of followers of the Sulu Sultanate.

The others caught early this morning were three Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) youths as well as the boatmen.

The news was first broken by SAPP Tungku Central Liaison Committee (CLC) Chairman Suaib Mutalib, who in a statement disclosed the arrests.

Later in the afternoon Sabah police chief, Datuk Hamza Taib confirmed the arrests saying the seven were spotted in a boat by a General Operations Force (GOF) team at about 8.00am.

Six were later released by police after their particulars were taken down and given a stern warning not to repeat their 'ill-planned' adventure.

The seventh person, presumably the boatman was detained further as his travel documents were not in order.

Hamza said the three journalists and the youths had earlier tried to enter Tanduo by a land route but had failed.

Hamza reminded all journalists, local and foreign, as well as all other parties, not to even try and enter the said area for security reasons.

"Please let us do our jobs. Our focus is to ensure the safety of the people and we do not wish to see any unforeseen incidences happening," he said.

Read more at: http://borneoinsider.com/2013/02/20/breaking-news-al-jazeera-journalists-sapp-youths-detained-near-standoff-point/ 

Najib sets the tone for clean elections

Posted: 20 Feb 2013 11:48 AM PST

http://i4.ytimg.com/vi/LwNLT428PqU/0.jpg 

(The Star) - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has set the tone for a clean and fair general election by making a public declaration to uphold integrity and reinforcing his commitment to fight corruption in the upcoming polls.

The Prime Minister signed the Transparency International (TI) Election Integrity Pledge, which carries this objective, at a brief ceremony at the Perdana Putra building here yesterday.

TI Malaysia president Datuk Paul Low and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull witnessed the signing.

Also present were Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and Barisan Nasional component party leaders.

They included MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, PBBpresident Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel.

The TI Election Integrity Pledge is a voluntary social contract, where candidates who will be standing for the general election pledge to promote integrity, good governance, transparency and accountability in government and to uphold the rule of law.

Candidates who sign the pledge agree to adhere to the Election Offences Act 1954 and its regulations and give an assurance that their actions and decisions are for the benefit of the general public and not self-serving.

In signing the pledge, Najib declared that he would observe principles of truth, integrity, ethical conduct and accountability, including not accepting or giving bribes or being involved in any way in corrupt practices.

<b>Joyful meeting:</b> Najib shaking hands with teachers and other staff members after launching SJK (C) Chung Hua Tudan in Kuala Bertam, Miri.Joyful meeting: Najib shaking hands with teachers and other staff members after launching SJK (C) Chung Hua Tudan in Kuala Bertam, Miri.

The pledge also committed him to uphold and give priority to the interests of the rakyat, good governance and transparency, and compliance with the country's laws and regulations.

Meanwhile, a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said that once the Barisan nominees for the general election are announced, he will ensure that they all sign the pledge.

"Nominees from the Barisan and component parties have gone through a review process with the MACC. It is fitting that they now take their commitment for clean and fair elections a step further by signing this Election Integrity Pledge.

"The responsibility of fulfilling the pledge lies with the signatories of the pledge and it is the prerogative of the general Malaysian public to hold them accountable to it.

"Let us work together towards strengthening the election process," the Prime Minister said.

TI Malaysia commended Najib for signing the pledge.

"He had ensured his political nominees would be screened by the MACC.

"Now, taking this step further, he is encouraging them to make a public commitment for clean and fair elections," TI Malaysia said in a statement.

 

A quick reaction to Malaysia’s RGDP growth for the fourth quarter: it is ironic and there is ...

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:48 PM PST

http://www.bangkokpost.com/media/content/20130220/474432.jpg 

The high 6.4% growth hides something worrying 

Hafiz Noor Shams 

So, the Malaysian economy grew by 6.4% from a year ago in the final quarter of 2012. [Malaysia's economy grew 6.4% in Q4, 2012, fastest in 9 quarters] 

When I first saw the headline figure, I was pleasantly surprised. Upon closer inspection however, the whole growth figures appeared weird. After I figured out why it was weird, I became uncomfortable with the high growth rate.

Domestic demand growth slowed significantly (it slowed by 3.9 percentage points in fact from the last quarter). That was the first sign that something was not right. The private demand growth figure is particularly worrying. I had expected its growth to moderate slightly but it slowed by 2.4 percentage points. That is a lot.

Here comes the ultimate irony: trade saved Malaysia.

Despite the bad trade numbers we saw throughout the quarter, the one that pushed growth way above market consensus was net exports. This is where the weirdness comes in: both exports and imports contracted.

How was that possible?

Read more at: http://maddruid.com/?p=11287 

 

Sabah untuk orang Sabah?

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:44 PM PST

http://roketkini.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/mount-kinabalu-summit-borneo-300x197.jpg 

Pada tahun 1970-an, Sabah berada di kedudukan kedua, di belakang Selangor (dan Kuala Lumpur) sebagai negeri paling kaya di Malaysia. 30 tahun kemudian, Sabah adalah negeri paling miskin dengan pertumbuhan KDNK sebanyak 2.4 peratus sahaja, di bawah Kelantan. 

Izmil Amri, Roketkini

SAYA belum pernah jejak kaki ke Sabah. Apa yang saya tahu tentang Sabah adalah hasil dari pembacaan dan pergaulan dengan orang yang arif tentang negeri Sabah. Maka mudahnya saya tidak tahu banyak tentang Sabah, sama seperti anda juga yang bukanlah tahu banyak tentang negeri itu. Anda rasa macam tahu banyak tetapi sebenarnya tidak.

Adalah lebih mudah sebenarnya untuk kita semua diam dan mendengar, daripada cuba bersuara tentang perkara yang kita tidak faham. Kita juga yang akan kelihatan bodoh.

Namun demi segala yang benar, bersuara tentang Sabah adalah tanggungjawab yang mesti dilakukan.

Justeru sebagai permulaan, saya harus meminta maaf kerana telah menyebut Sabah itu sebagai sebuah negeri. Saya mana lah tahu rupa-rupanya Sabah adalah sebuah negara. Sama halnya dengan Sarawak.

Anda mungkin keliru dengan apa yang saya sebutkan ini. Mari saya cerahkan.

Pada tahun 1957, bulan Ogos hari ke 31, sebuah negara di Asia Tenggara telah diisytiharkan bebas daripada menumpahkan taat setia kepada Ratu England. Namanya Malaya, hasil gabungan negeri-negeri yang bersekutu dan tidak bersekutu serta dua daripada negeri-negeri selat kecuali Singapura.

Pada 16 September 1963, sebuah persekutuan lahir daripada gabungan Malaya, Singapura, Sabah dan Sarawak. Singapura kemudiannya merdeka sekali lagi setelah 'meninggalkan' Persekutuan Malaysia pada tahun 1965.

Maka mudahnya Malaysia pada tahun 1963 adalah persekutuan hasilan empat buah negara, yang setiap satunya menyertai persekutuan dengan hak dan kelebihan yang tersendiri. Itu antara sebabnya kenapa pihak eksekutif Sabah dan Sarawak dibahasakan sebagai menteri dan bukan Ahli Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri (EXCO) seperti di negeri-negeri di Semenanjung.

Itu juga sebabnya kenapa undang-undang imigresen Malaysia Borneo sedikit berbeza, dan anda memerlukan paspot untuk masuk ke sana. Macam masuk Singapura juga kaedahnya, kerana itu secara teknikalnya bukanlah negara anda. Boleh ikut setakat ini?

Kedaulatan Sabah
Sebagai sebuah 'negara anggota' dalam Persekutuan Malaysia, adalah amat menyedihkan apabila fakta menunjukkan bahawa Sabah mempunyai kadar kemiskinan paling tinggi.

Erna Mahyuni dalam tulisannya di The Malaysian Insider melaporkan bahawa pekan Nabawan di Sabah itu adalah pekan termiskin di dalam negara, dengan kadar kemiskinan setinggi 70 peratus. Saya sangkakan Kelantan negeri paling miskin. Berkesan betul propaganda UMNO ke atas saya.

Tulisan Erna itu lah yang buat saya terdiam sejenak dan betul-betul memikirkan tentang Sabah yang tidak pernah saya jejaki itu.

Menyulap kekayaan rakyat Sabah

Anda juga mungkin menyedari bahawa industri pelancongan negara adalah terjual dengan modal yang datang dari Malaysia Borneo. Sabah terutamanya menyumbang ikon Gunung Kinabalu dan populariti Sipadan serta segala tarikan yang menjadi sandaran kepada 'betapa Asia-nya' Malaysia ini.

Ini di samping ikonologi sumbangan Kelantan dan Sarawak, setiap satunya dengan wau bulan, burung enggang, serta tarian-tarian dan tradisi-tradisi yang tidak ada di Kuala Lumpur yang hanya ada tradisi membeli belah dan kesesakan lalulintas.

Maka, ya; Malaysia menjual ikon Sabah, Sarawak dan Kelantan (antara lain) sebagai pusat pelancongan untuk sekalian mat saleh yang menyampah dengan cuaca sejuk. Kebetulan, ketiga-tiganya negeri miskin. Satu daripadanya sudah puluhan tahun ditadbir PAS. Senang betul jadi kerajaan Barisan Nasional ini. Jual populariti negeri-negeri miskin, rompak pula harta kekayaannya, royalti minyaknya juga tak diberi.

Berbalik kepada Sabah.

Pada tahun 1970-an, Sabah berada di kedudukan kedua, di belakang Selangor (dan Kuala Lumpur) sebagai negeri paling kaya di Malaysia. 30 tahun kemudian, Sabah adalah negeri paling miskin dengan pertumbuhan KDNK sebanyak 2.4 peratus sahaja, di bawah Kelantan.

Bagaikan jatuh ditimpa tangga, bukan sahaja pertumbuhannya kecil, kos sara hidup di Sabah juga amat tinggi bahkan kian meningkat gara-gara polisi kabotaj yang secara langsung meningkatkan harga barang lantaran syarikat perkapalan mengenakan caj tinggi untuk penghantaran barang.

Itu belum dikira royalti petroleum sekadar 5%. Brunei masih ketawa barangkali dengan nasib Sabah yang menerima royalti ciput sedangkan sumbangannya besar sekali..

Malang yang berlarutan

Barisan Nasional selesa di Sabah disebabkan beberapa faktor termasuk kemasukan pendatang asing secara pukal yang kemudiannya diberi kerakyatan sepertimana yang telah diakui oleh mantan Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir.

Sudahlah rakyat asal terbiar miskin melarat, dibenarkan pula warganegara asing masuk dan diberi kerakyatan sesuka hati demi kemandirian politik pihak-pihak tertentu. Inilah dia dosa besar Barisan Nasional terhadap Sabah secara khusus yang pastinya tidak akan dapat diampunkan sampai bila-bila.

Dalam satu persidangan politisi muda di Manila dua tahun sudah, saya bertemu beberapa politisi muda Filipina menceritakan kisah rakyatnya yang berulang-alik ke Sabah seakan-akan negeri itu sebuah hotel. Mereka bebas masuk keluar mencari rezeki dan kemudian pulang ke Filipina dengan duit berkoyan-koyan, kebanyakannya dengan meniaga rokok seludup.

Sekotak Marlboro di Filipina harganya baru RM2.90. Jual di Malaysia mesti RM10. Cukup untung setahun, sudah boleh bikin rumah batu tiga tingkat. Itu belum dikira imbuhan tolong mengundi Barisan Nasional dalam pilihanraya. Itu juga fakta popular di kalangan politisi Filipina yang saya sendiri tidak begitu arif waktu itu.

Barangkali Barisan Nasional di Sabah dan ketaatannya kepada pimpinan di Putrajaya sudah tidak lagi peduli dan merasakan adalah 'okay' untuk rakyat negeri itu dilayan seolah-olah warganegara kelas rendah dikeranakan keterasingannya dan ketidakfahaman Putrajaya ke atas kehendak dan keperluan masyarakat Sabah secara khusus.

Sabah tidak perlu 1Malaysia. Sabah sudah lebih dahulu makmur dengan persefahaman dan toleransi antara kaum tanpa memerlukan simbol 1Malaysia. Yang lebih penting ialah ia sudah cukup menderita di bawah tadbir Barisan Nasional untuk jangkamasa yang terlalu lama dan melampaui had sabar. Sabah tidak lagi mampu untuk duduk angguk dan menerima penindasan berterusan secara berlapang dada.

Suruhanjaya DiRaja hanya kini membongkar hakikat-hakikat yang sudah lama menjadi rahsia terbuka di kalangan orang Sabah.

Militan bersenjata yang singgah berdiam di Lahad Datu juga tidak menerima layanan sepak terajang seperti yang dialami demonstran di perhimpunan Bersih.

Angin perubahan sudah semakin menderu-deru di Sabah; meski politisi Barisan Nasional negeri itu sampai kiamat tidak akan mahu mengaku. Orang Sabah tidaklah bodoh seperti yang mereka sangkakan.

Semoga satu hari nanti saya akan dapat menjejak kaki ke negeri Sabah yang bersih dari jelaga Barisan Nasional. Ini kali-lah!

 

Mining Firm, Ex-Teacher Battle Over Rare Earths

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:39 PM PST

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/MI-BU209_LYNASc_D_20130218160102.jpg

Protesters from the Save Malaysia Stop Lynas group demonstrated outside a hotel in Sydney, Australia, in November.

(Wall Street Journal) - In the Internet era, even a 64-year-old retired math teacher can become a threat to a large company.

That, at least, is the experience of Lynas Corp. For over a year, the Australian rare-earths mining company has come under fire from Tan Bun Teet and his band of tech-savvy campaigners on Malaysia's South China Sea coast.

The group, called Save Malaysia Stop Lynas, has disrupted Lynas's plans to open a refinery with a nimble, Internet-based campaign, drawing nationwide support through regularly updated blogs, Twitter feeds and a Facebook page. In a recent interview, Chief Executive Officer Nick Curtis said Lynas underestimated the extent to which the protesters had enlisted the organizing power of the Web, forcing the company to delay the opening of the plant until this past November, a full year behind schedule, and to raise money it didn't initially plan for.

Sydney-based Lynas, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange with a market value of 1.2 billion Australian dollars ($1.24 billion) appeared to be onto a winner when it broke ground for a new plant in Kuantan nearly five years ago. Global demand for materials such as lanthanum and neodymium was surging as the world's appetite for hybrid cars, wind turbines and ever-faster phones with better screens increased.

The prospect of weakening China's chokehold on 95% of the world trade in these critical elements helped convince Malaysia's government that the project would be a success. It offered the firm a 12-year tax holiday to set up shop in Pahang, the home state of Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Instead, construction of the $800 million Lynas refinery kicked off a debate with local residents about how to handle the low-grade radioactive waste that comes from processing rare-earth elements. The company and the Malaysian government say the plant is safe.

The clash is also now spilling over into national politics, as opposition firebrand Anwar Ibrahim incorporates the cause in his bid to topple the coalition that has governed this predominantly Muslim nation since independence from Britain in 1957. Elections are expected to be called this spring.

"If we can't challenge the government in the courts, then perhaps the election will change the game," says Mr. Tan, a wiry, methodical 64-year-old.

Rare earths are a group of 17 elements valued for their magnetic and conductive properties. While harmless by themselves, they are frequently found mixed with potentially dangerous radioactive ores such as thorium. Separating and refining them can be complex and messy.

http://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/MI-BU207_LYNASj_D_20130218180358.jpgJames Hookway/The Wall Street Journal

Tan Bun Teet, center, at the Palace of Justice in December.

That has raised alarm among Malaysians who fear the government hasn't done enough to ensure the safety of the Lynas plant. "We can't trust them to do what's right," said Yu Siew Hong, a young mother who lives near the new facility.

Last month, Lynas secured a victory when the High Court in Kuantan dismissed protesters' allegations that Malaysian authorities improperly awarded the firm an operating license. The company's stock is also regaining interest among investors: J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. upgraded its recommendation on the shares to "buy" from "hold" in recent weeks.

The company's stock has continued to drift south, underscoring the difficulties still facing Lynas's plans to become a breakthrough player in the global rare-earths market. Lynas's shares fell 2.4%, to 61 Australian cents, on Monday.

Among other things, the company still faces another judicial review sought by Mr. Tan's group.

The upshot: Lynas's outlook "is still very uncertain," said Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Terry.

Mr. Tan, who serves as Save Malaysia Stop Lynas's spokesman, isn't your common variety of eco-warrior. He and the other protesters hadn't taken much of an interest in environmental issues until Lynas began building its plant at the Gebeng industrial estate near Kuantan. Unlike groups such as Greenpeace or Friends of the Earth, the group didn't have experience in organizing protest campaigns.

Read more at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323764804578310070165067986.html 

 

Sultan Mizan Stadium roof collapses, five injured

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 09:37 PM PST

http://www.thesundaily.my/sites/default/files/imagecache/photo_gallery//thesun/Catalogue/TR04_200213_c4328508_13220_240.jpghttp://www.thesundaily.my/sites/default/files/imagecache/photo_gallery//thesun/Catalogue/TR02_200213__c618026_13220_406.jpg

Stadium collapsed again

(Bernama) - Five workers were injured, three seriously, when steel structures supporting the roof of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Gong Badak that is currently undergoing re-construction work, collapsed at about 11.30am today.

The five local workers who were trapped under the rubble were later pulled out and sent to the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital.

Terengganu deputy police chief Datuk Hamzah Mohd Jamil said workers were dismantling the old roof structure when the incident happened.

"About 137m or two thirds of the old structure collapsed when eight workers were carrying out work at the site," he told reporters here today.

Hamzah said the three who were seriously injured are Mohd Nazirul Nizam Marzuki, 22, Mohd Saidi Ismail, 21, and Safian Abdul Manaf, 21, while Wan Mohd Fajrulazmi Wan Ahmad, 26, and Mohd Syukri Jusoh, 31, only sustained light injuries.

On June 2, 2009, part of the roof collapsed at the stadium's grandstand a year after it opened for the Malaysia Games (Sukma) in 2008, but no one was hurt then.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said when met at Seri Iman here said the incident was due to negligence by the contractor who was responsible for the reconstruction work.

He said the repair work on the stadium that cost RM292 million was being carried out at a cost of RM15 million.

Meanwhile, a worker who witnessed the incident, Ahmad Faizan Ramli said he heard a loud noise and was shocked to see steel pillars collapse and pin down the workers. 

 

Sarawak: Pakatan confident of winning 13 parliamentary seats

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 07:40 PM PST

Baru (left) says 'there are 5 or 6 overlapping seats' where both PKR and DAP want to contest. With him is PKR Wanita vice-chief Voon Shiak Ni.

Ng Ai Fern, fz.com

Pakatan Rakyat is confident of delivering 13 parliamentary seats in Sarawak in the 13th general election amidst a gridlock in seat negotiations at the state level. 
 
"My personal observation is that we (Pakatan Rakyat) can win 11 seats, or even up to 13 seats if the message goes to the ground. Anything beyond that is a bonus," Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian told a press conference today.  
 
Baru added that that there were five or six overlapping parliamentary seats, and it will be decided by the party's national leaders. It is learnt that both PKR and DAP want to contest these seats which include two semi-rural seats Mas Gading and Sri Aman and two urban seats Stampin and Miri. 
 
"The overlapping (claims) is an ongoing thing. We have done our best at the state levels, and we push up to the federal level (to decide)," he explained. 
 
He stressed that the principle remains unchanged on choosing the best winnable candidates. In addition, Pakatan Rakyat is committed to field only one candidate for a straight fight with BN candidates.
 
The tussle over Mas Gading worsened recently after PKR national vice-president Datuk John Tenewi openly asked DAP to stay away from this Dayak-majority seat and focus on urban areas instead.
 
Meanwhile, BN is also having internal political squabbles over the seat after its incumbent Mas Gading MP Dr Tiki Lafe was sacked by SPDP for insubordination in November 2011.   
 
SPDP president Tan Sri William Mawan has nominated Sarawak Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (Salcra) deputy general manager Anthony Nogeh Gumbek to defend the seat.
 
Tiki, who is now partyless, had joined four other former SPDP leaders to form the Sarawak BN Club or more popularly known as the SPDP Five. He appeared hopeful to be fielded as BN's direct candidate with his popular grass roots' support.
 
Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud had said he would leave it to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to decide on the candidates.
 
On whether Pakatan Rakyat will accept anyone from the BN Club, the state PKR leader said: "As long as they agree with our manisfesto, whether they are former BN or not, we can work together. Realisation or enlightenment can be last minute." 
 
Also present at the press conference was Wanita PKR vice-chief Voon Shiak Ni. PKR will be launching its election manifesto on Monday, Feb 25.
 
In the 2008 general election, Sarawak BN swept 30 out of the 31 seats, losing only Bandar Kuching to DAP's Chong Chieng Jen. BN subsequently lost another seat to DAP during the Sibu by-election when DAP's state chairman Wong Ho Leng narrowly defeated Robert Lau Hui Yew of SUPP.
 
Of the 29 parliamentary seats held by BN, PBB has 14, SUPP, five, PRS, six, and SPDP, four.

 

History, not theology

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 06:14 PM PST

The Puritans wanted England cleansed of Catholics, who they regarded as deviant heretics who should be put to death. Amongst others they also wanted Christmas banned and shops ordered by law to stay open on 25th December. Parliament was also not happy that Mass was being said in the Royal Court since Mass or Eucharist is the central act of worship for the Roman Catholic Church.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

It is interesting to note that my article titled 'The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter' attracted 167 comments at the time I am writing this. And it would have been more than 200 had I not deleted all those copy-and-paste comments of verses from the Bible.

And do you know why it attracted so many comments? Well, because most readers took it as an article regarding religion and whenever we talk about religion all the loonies and weirdoes would crawl out of the woodwork to argue and defend their God.

It never fails each and every time. However, what they fail to see is that I am talking about history, not theology. But these people just cannot grasp the spirit of my article.

And these are the same people who try to interpret what I say and do and usually would misinterpret it and take the opposite of what I said (remember the TV3 interview in Perth that I did?) And these are the 'thinkers' of the Malaysian public who will be voting for the 'right' government come the next general election in the next month or two.

Heaven help Malaysia when we put the lunatics in charge of the asylum.

I have noticed that most Malaysian Christians (at least those who post comments in Malaysia Today) normally argue that there is a distinction between the Old and New Testaments and that Christians follow the New and not the Old Testament.

In other words, the New Testament has abrogated the Old Testament. But this is not what I find in England, strangely enough.

Anyway, let me emphasis, yet again, that today I am talking about history, not theology. And I will try to equate the history of Christianity in England (mainly the 1500-1600 period: which was a period of religious turmoil) with that of Islam so that you can better understand how both religions went down the same historical path.

You see, in Islam, there are those who interpret the Qur'an literally and there are those who take it as allegorical. Then there are those who accept the 'Scriptures' (in this case the Hadith) as authentic and those who reject them completely. Then there are those who accept some Hadith but not all while others accept different versions of Hadith.

Then, the most puzzling part of all (to those not schooled in the Qur'an, that is) would be the history of the Qur'an verses and which verse abrogates which verse. Then again, there are those who reject the 'science' of abrogation and argue that all verses still stand and none have been abrogated.

And that is why when non-Muslims copy-and-paste verses of the Qur'an and then try to interpret it the way they see it (meaning literally) they are terribly off the mark. Which verses, if any, are taken as literal and which ones as allegorical? Even Muslims are divided and sometimes confused on the matter so what more the non-Muslims who think they know what they are reading but actually do not know a thing.

Now, Christianity, too, suffers from this same ailment (such as literal versus allegorical). And that was what happened over more than 150 years from the early 1500s to the late 1600s in England. And because of this, England erupted into a Civil War from 1642 to 1651 and which resulted in the first time in English history that a monarch lost his head.

To study the history of the English Civil War you need to also understand the reigns of Henry VIII, Mary I and Elizabeth I, a prelude to the reign of Charles I.

We all know that Henry broke from Rome and declared himself the head of the church, the Church of England. Soon after that he purged England of Catholics. Cathedrals and churches were burned to the ground, Catholics and their priests were executed, and all symbols of Catholicism (even the crucifix) were destroyed.

When Henry and then Edward died, Mary took the throne and, being a Catholic, she reversed what her father did. This time, Protestant cathedrals and churches were burned plus Protestants and their priests were killed (even burned alive). In fact, she did worse than what her father did and for that she earned the title of Bloody Mary.

Then Elizabeth took the throne and she, in turn, reversed what Mary did. This time Catholics were put to death and their houses of worship and symbols destroyed. They also passed a new law that prohibited Catholics from sitting on the throne of England.

Now, we come to the reign of Charles I.

Charles was not a Roman Catholic but he believed that the Church of England was more Catholic than the Church of Rome itself. And there were many Catholics within Charles' own family -- such as his mother, Anne of Denmark; his wife, Henrietta Maria; etc. In fact, later on, his eldest son Charles became a Roman Catholic on his deathbed while James II, who also became a Roman Catholic, lost his throne because of that.

Hence England takes this 'No Catholic' rule very seriously.

The problem with Charles was that he was surrounded by those suspected of being 'closet' Catholics plus known Catholics. Hence Parliament wanted Charles to remove his advisers whom many Members of Parliament suspected were misleading Charles and giving him the wrong advice in favour of Catholicism.

Parliament, in fact, even forced Charles to sign death warrants for some of his close friends and although at first Charles resisted, he later had no choice but to sign these documents while crying as he did so.

The quarrel between Charles and Parliament was about two issues. One was regarding money (Charles bypassed Parliament when he imposed new taxes: in fact, Charles suspended Parliament five times during his rule) and the other was regarding religion.

The Puritans wanted England cleansed of Catholics, who they regarded as deviant heretics who should be put to death. Amongst others they also wanted Christmas banned and shops ordered by law to stay open on 25th December. Parliament was also not happy that Mass was being said in the Royal Court since Mass or Eucharist is the central act of worship for the Roman Catholic Church.

Parliament suspected that there was a secret agenda to turn England into a Catholic state. Hence the Catholics needed to be destroyed and England retained as a Secular State with separation of State and Church. Charles, however, refused because he wanted to retain Episcopacy.

And with that the Civil War broke out with the Puritans on one side and the Royalists on the other. Later, after Charles was defeated, a bloody war broke out between Parliament and the Catholics in Ireland, so bloody and brutal that until today the Irish have never forgotten or forgiven the English.

Charles was eventually pronounced a traitor and executed. The English Catholic Church, however, has canonised Charles as a martyr, more or less confirming that Charles was Catholic 'at heart'.

So you see, not all Christians regard Catholics as real Christians (just like not all Muslims regard Wahhabis and Shias as real Muslims). The Catholics even up to these modern times are viewed as deviant heretics who bring affront to the religion of Christ.

No, I am not talking about theology here. I am talking about the history of England (at least of 500 years ago) and how many in England view the Catholics as sesat (misguided) Christians.

 

TIMELINE

Henry VIII: 21 April 1509 to 28 January 1547

Edward VI: 28 January 1547 to 6 July 1553

Mary I: 19 Jul 1553 to 17 November 1558 (a.k.a. Bloody Mary)

Elizabeth I:  17 November 1558 to 24 March 1603 (a.k.a. the Virgin Queen)

James I: to 24 March 1603 to 27 March 1625

Charles I: 27 March 1625 to 30 January 1649

England then temporarily became a Republic upon the death (execution) of Charles I until Charles II took the throne on 29 May 1660.

 

Why are Malays so otak sempit?

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 04:12 PM PST

The film's 52-year-old writer, Bacile, said that he wanted to showcase his view of Islam as a hateful religion. "Islam is a cancer, period," he said in a telephone interview from his home. "The movie is a political movie. It's not a religious movie."

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Do you remember last year the brouhaha the Malays (meaning also Muslims) made about the movie that Jew produced insulting Prophet Muhammad? And earlier we had the brouhaha about the threat by the pastor to burn the Qur'an.

There were many comments posted in Malaysia Today regarding the stupidity and backwardness of the Malays in protesting such a non-event -- and quite rightly so. The Malays give the impression that they are so otak sempit (small-minded).

In this day and age of globalisation, the borderless Internet, and the information revolution, you really can't stop people from exercising their freedom of opinion and expression. And we have to learn to live with this without screaming and foaming at the mouth every time someone says something we do not like.

If, for example, a Malay were to produce a movie that the non-Malays do not like, do you think the non-Malays will scream and foam at the mouth? Or, say, a Malay threatens to burn the Bible? Do you think the non-Malays would take any notice of that threat?

The Malays have to learn to be like the non-Malay Malaysians and not rant and rave every time you do not like what someone says. And this was what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad lamented about when he said that the Malays are too emotional and feudalistic and should be more pragmatic like the Chinese. And Dr Mahathir is right. The Malays are too emotional, unlike the Chinese and Indians.

Will you ever find non-Malays cursing and screaming about a movie? If they don't like the movie they will just not watch it. Simple! Why get so upset? This, the Malays have to learn to do if they do not want to be accused of being small-minded.

And if you threaten to, say, burn the Bible, the non-Malays would not get upset. After all, it is just a book, like the Qur'an. Ignorant people have been burning books for thousands of years and life still goes on.

And if the Bible, just like the Qur'an, is God's book, then surely God can take care of His own book. Does he need us mere mortals to help protect His book?

When we say that the Malays are otak sempit they get angry. But how not to call the Malays otak sempit when they get so emotional and upset about a mere movie and a book?

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

Israeli Citizen Living in California Behind Film Insulting Islam

An Israeli filmmaker, Sam Bacile, based in California went into hiding after a YouTube trailer of his movie attacking Islam's Prophet Muhammad sparked violent demonstrations in many Muslim cities around the world including Egypt and Libya where the US ambassador to and three American members of his staff were killed.

The release of the film coincided with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington during which he leveled what The Wall Street Journal said the "sharpest attacks in years by an Israeli leader against Washington, over differences on how to address Iran's nuclear program,"

Speaking to The Wall Street Journal by phone Tuesday from an undisclosed location, writer and director Sam Bacile remained defiant, saying Islam is a cancer and that the 56-year-old intended his film to be a provocative political statement condemning the religion.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "tensions had so escalated that President Barack Obama spent an hour on the phone with the Israeli leader in a hastily arranged call hours after both governments said the White House wouldn't agree to an Israeli request for a meeting between the two leaders at the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York this month."

Protesters angered over Bacile's film opened fire on and burned down the US consulate in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. Four Americans were killed Tuesday night including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

The film's 52-year-old writer, Bacile, said that he wanted to showcase his view of Islam as a hateful religion. "Islam is a cancer, period," he said in a telephone interview from his home. "The movie is a political movie. It's not a religious movie."

Bacile said he raised $5 million from about 100 Jewish donors, whom he declined to identify. Working with about 60 actors and 45 crew members, he said he made the two-hour movie in three months last year in California.

The film has been promoted by Terry Jones, the Florida pastor whose burning of Qurans previously sparked deadly riots around the world. He said he was planning to show the trailer for Mr. Bacile's movie to his congregation.

 

Khalid Ibrahim: Sultan consented to dissolution, date to be known later

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 03:39 PM PST

(The Star) - The Sultan of Selangor has consented to the dissolution of the state assembly but the date will be announced at a later date, said Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim after an audience with Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah on Wednesday.

Khalid said the dissolution of the state assembly was among several matters he discussed with the Sultan.

"We discussed a few matters, including the strategy on the dissolution of the state assembly," he told reporters after chairing the state exco meeting.

The press conference was attended by the entire state executive council fueling speculation that he might announce the date of the dissolution.

Normally, only two or three exco members would accompany Khalid at the weekly press conference.

"Tuanku does not object to the dissolution of the state assembly. Tuanku has agreed that I will announce the dissolution at the right time. He wants it to be done in a proper, civil and organised manner," Khalid said.

Last month, Khalid said he may dissolve the state assembly after Chap Goh Meh if there is no indication by the federal government on the dissolution of Parliament.

The Selangor state assembly will automatically dissolve on April 22.

 

Infighting in Pakatan Rakyat?

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 03:20 PM PST

The PKR is the weakest component party of the Pakatan Rakyat and it has to rely on the DAP and PAS. Therefore, the party's interests should be prioritised, instead of personal interests. If Johor PKR loses the support of its allies, it will still fail to achieve anything even though if it is able to maintain its safe constituencies. 

Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily

Cracks emerged between Johor DAP and PKR on the same day when the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) offered each other the hand of unity, reflecting that changes can take place at any time in politics, and the relationships among component parties of the Pakatan Rakyat are not as good as they claimed.

If the above three political parties in Sabah are just uniting on the surface, at least they still know how not shout at each other. The Johor DAP and PKR, however, have failed to do so. If the contradictions are not eliminated before the general election, the Pakatan Rakyat might not even be able to achieve the target of winning 10 parliamentary seats, let alone to seize the Johor state power.

There are a few factors behind the hostility between Johor DAP and PKR, including the state has been neglected by the DAP due to the party's factional problem, and the PKR has been eyeing on Chinese votes amidst the wind of anti-ruling due to the lack of grassroots support, leading to the conflict with the DAP.

The Pakatan Rakyat has classified Johor as a front-line state. However, the DAP's concern for Johor is far less compared to Selangor, Perak, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak.

It has been confirmed that PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub will return to contest in Johor and due to the lack of talents, former MCA vice-president Datuk Chua Jui Meng, who joined the PKR only in 2009, is appointed to lead the team in Johor. Many DAP central leaders are from Johor, but it was only heard recently that Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong might be fielded to contest in Kluang, Johor.

DAP Parliamentary Leader Lim Kit Siang has announced in June 2011 that Johor has been classified as a frontline state, and a special team headed by the party's Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng was set up to assist the Johor DAP in achieving the dream of seizing Johor.

However, Johor DAP Chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau is not a mainstream leader. It might be the reason why the special team has not been taking great actions. Also, it is rumoured that some central leaders would help out in Johor, but no move has been made so far.

If the DAP central committee really attaches importance to Johor, the state's seat apportionment problem should be resolved through negotiations as soon as possible, instead of letting Boo to repeatedly express dissatisfaction publicly without taking any actions. Obviously, the party is facing internal communication and coordination problems.

Only DAP Chairman Karpal Singh has expressed support to Boo on that day after the statement accusing Chua of being behind "vicious attacks" against Johor DAP was issued. The contradictions of the two parties in Johor have surfaced and it seems unlikely to be solved within the state and thus, has to be submitted to the party's central leaders.

The Pakatan Rakyat is ambitious in seizing the federal power, but it lacks a drastic determination. It should follow the example of Negeri Sembilan DAP chairman and Lobak state assemblymen Anthony Loke, who volunteered to contest in the Chennah state seat to seize the only remaining seat of the MCA in Negeri Sembilan. Only such a fighting spirit can boost the morale of the grassroots.

Similar situation has taken place in another frontline state, Pahang. The situation there is favourable to the Pakatan Rakyat thanks to the rare-earth refinery plant issue. However, the DAP does not have a prominent leader to lead the team.

How is the Pakatan Rakyat going to beat its enemy in Johor, which is a BN's bastion, with a poor battle array led by no prominent candidate?

The PKR is the weakest component party of the Pakatan Rakyat and it has to rely on the DAP and PAS. Therefore, the party's interests should be prioritised, instead of personal interests. If Johor PKR loses the support of its allies, it will still fail to achieve anything even though if it is able to maintain its safe constituencies.

Those who do great things must carry the spirit of sacrificing for the greater goal. Nothing will be achieved if Pakatan Rakyat leaders lack such kind of spirit.

 

Aliens in the land – Indian migrant workers in Malaysia (part 1)

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 03:07 PM PST

Amarjit Kaur, New Mandala

In the past 130 years, the number of foreign migrant workers in Malaya has grown from about 84,000 in 1880 to more than three million in 2010. Originally, foreign workers were predominantly from China and India and most were locked into semi-permanent "labour circulation" arrangements through their employment contracts. Currently, foreign workers originate from a range of South and Southeast Asian countries, and Indonesians dominate labour flows.

These workers migrate to Malaysia because they and their governments believe that temporary labour migration is a pathway to development. Predictably, most have also become trapped in circulating contract labour regimes. The debate on the developmental impacts of migration meanwhile continues to exclude discussion on the risks involved and the longer-term consequences of temporary migration. There is no conversation either on integration of earlier cohorts of migrant workers in society, let alone recent migrant workers who are increasingly referred to as aliens. The outlook is particularly gloomy for Malaysia's marginalised South Indian plantation workers who became "orphans of empire" when hardliners in the ruling United Malays National Organisation legislated to deny them citizenship rights.

Commodities of empire and migrant labour, 1880s – 1970s

Britain's 'forward movement' in Malaya after the 1870s resulted in the country's greater integration into the international economy and facilitated the production of mineral and agricultural commodities. Concurrently, labour migration became a fundamental component of Malaya's economic growth model and related social structures. Malaya's main's commodity exports were tin, coffee and sugar. Chinese entrepreneurs monopolised tin production, recruiting workers from China for their mines. European planters were chiefly involved in coffee and sugar cultivation and they relied on indentured labour from India for their enterprises. In the early 20th century, the planters switched to rubber and it subsequently became the main agricultural commodity. However, they lacked the capital to establish large properties and British trading (agency) houses in Singapore consequently played a vital role in bringing together planters and overseas financial interests (mainly in Britain), to convert the estates into joint-stock companies through flotation on the stock market in London. The 1909-10 rubber boom led to further changes and the proprietary estates largely disappeared, with their former owners often taking up shares in the new corporate entities as part of the sale price. These events foreshadowed major changes in the industry since rubber production necessitated the development of a distinctive agricultural 'complex' with inter-connected operations and a particular cultural milieu. Moreover, the development of the rubber industry reinforced the connections between Indian labour mobility and capital and both the Indian and Malayan colonial administrations strategically planned and organised Indian labour migration to Malaya.

The plantation production system effectively established the Indian workers' subsequent employment circumstances and contributed to their marginalisation in Malaysia. The plantation system has since continued into the 21st century and has been adapted for oil palm production. Analogous to colonial frameworks, the Malaysian government and labour-sending states presently organise inter-state labour mobility. Additionally, since the 1980s Indonesian and Bangladeshi migrant workers have mostly replaced the former Indian workforce on plantations. These new migrant workers face a similar marginalisation progression. This paper compares past and present plantation labour regimes in Malaysia and frames the subject in the broader context of the plantation complex to suggest the larger, wider significance of the plantation management system and its institutional frameworks.

Indian workers and rubber    

The rubber production system that was developed in Malaya was centred on cultivation of a single crop– rubber; an imported workforce mainly from India; and capital for the enterprise came from Britain, the United States and Europe. By 1910, rubber plantations covered approximately 225 000 hectares, rising to 891 000 hectares in 1921. This accounted for 53 per cent of the total land under rubber in South and Southeast Asia; and Malayan rubber exports also rose from 6500 to 204 000 tonnes between 1910 and 1919. As stated previously, rubber cultivation necessitated recruitment of a large, cheap and "disciplined" workforce that had be settled and organised to work under pioneering conditions in the country. British India with its teeming poverty-stricken millions and caste-ridden society was the preferred provider for this labour. The state and planters (as employers) essentially regarded the Indian labourer headed for Malaya as another tradable commodity in the production cycle. All the essential arrangements for his sojourn abroad – recruitment, transport and employment – were made by four parties: the sub-imperial Indian Government (or India Office); the Colonial Office in London; the Malayan (Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States) Government; and the employers. Since most Indian emigrants lacked the funds for spontaneous mass migration, Indian labour recruitment was managed by the India Office and sponsored by the Malayan administration. Governance arrangements for the plantation labour regime rested on two pillars – the mobilisation of a largely migrant labour force that facilitated the use of economic and extra-economic measures to maintain low wage bills; and an ethnic (and gender) differentiation of the labour force that enabled the manipulation of both workers and wages.

READ MORE HERE

 

Selangor MB to seek Sultan’s view on dissolution

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 03:00 PM PST

Amin Iskandar and Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider

Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim will today discuss the possible dissolution of the state assembly during his weekly meeting with Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, sources from his office have confirmed.

Khalid's political secretary, Faekah Husin, told The Malaysian Insider that although the first-term mentri besar met with the Selangor Sultan every Wednesday before chairing the state executive council meeting, this morning's discussion includes a discussion on the proposal to dissolve the state legislature ahead of federal polls.

"MB meets with Tuanku every Wednesday. I think [in this meeting], one of the agenda is the dissolution of the state assembly," Faekah said in a message this morning.

When pressed for further details, however, she pointed out that she was not directly involved in the meeting.

Malay language daily Sinar Harian today reported rumours that Khalid may seek the Sultan's consent for dissolution during this morning's meet.

The paper also cited a confirmation from the Sultan's private secretary, Datuk Munir Bani, that one of the matters to be discussed today will be the dissolution of the state assembly.

But The Malaysian Insider understands that Khalid only intends to seek the Sultan's opinion on the matter and will not press for dissolution yet.

When contacted this morning, however, state executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar said he has no knowledge of the mentri besar's plans.

"No, we (the exco) do not know of this. MB meets every week with the Sultan before out exco meeting. He will brief us later on what happened during the meeting," he said.

READ MORE HERE

 

BN blasts PKR’s theory on Lahad Datu affair

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 02:43 PM PST

Backbenchers say Tian Chua's statement has no basis in fact.

Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT

Barisan Nasional MPs today dismissed a PKR allegation that the government may be using the Lahad Datu incident to divert the public's attention from the royal inquiry into illegal immigration into Sabah.

Labis MP Chua Tee Yong said the statement that PKR vice-president Tian Chua made yesterday had no basis in fact and likened it to other opposition claims that, according to him, have since been debunked.

He referred specifically to the allegation that Japan had compensated the families of those who died in the infamous Death Railway project and to the claim that the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) was losing money.

"The opposition always has a lot of claims and a lot of these claims have turned out to be unsubstantiated," Chua told FMT.

"These are not just grassroots leaders, but the main leaders, announcing these claims without checking."

He said the opposition would "do anything necessary to make themselves look good" and to evoke the public's sympathy.

Hulu Selangor MP P Kamalanathan said it was irresponsible of Pakatan to politicise the Lahad Datu affair.

"We have an issue and the government is doing its best to resolve it," he said. "People should not make statements irresponsibly."

Nothing to do with politics

Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan said it was "very unbecoming" for Pakatan to politicise an incident involving national security.

"This has nothing to do with politics," he said. "It is about a bunch of foreigners coming into the country and the government trying its best to deal with it while hoping no lives are lost.

READ MORE HERE

 

Candidates selection: PKR courting trouble

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 02:40 PM PST

A former PKR Youth leader claims that the party is sidelining senior members in favour of junior ones. This is brewing discontent.

Hawkeye, FMT

PKR is courting trouble if it continues to sideline its senior members and incumbents when it finalises its list of candidates for the general election.

Former Kedah PKR Youth head Zamil Ibrahim claimed he was informed that PKR will be opting for a topnotch line-up of personalities to avoid defections, moles or overly ambitious characters.

But on the same note, there are now fresh accusations of cronyism in the selection process, he alleged.

"I am overhearing accounts that this person's friend was selected as he is rich, or that leader's uncle was chosen because he arranged ceramah sessions. The only problem is, such persons have only joined PKR three years ago. What about the senior ones?" he asked.

He said professionals and the young are being selected to contest at the expense of some incumbents, who are viewed as meek, or senior members, who have been with PKR for more than a decade.

It is believed that these professionals ranging from doctors to technocrats also enjoy the financial leverage to help the party in an event that Pakatan Rakyat only secures a simple or slim majority in the parliament or state levels.

Candidates who are not easily "tempted" are highly sought by PKR.

To this, Zamil urged Anwar Ibrahim as the de facto leader of PKR not to compromise on loyalty and seniority in selecting the candidates.

"While it is laudable to field professionals, at the same time PKR must give recognition to senior members, who have proven their capabilities and loyalty in the last five years when PKR was strong.

"Do not repeat the same mistakes of Barisan Nasional, which once advocated cronyism or nepotism in selecting candidates," he declared.

Zamil, who is pursuing the prospect of contesting on a Kita party ticket, claimed that in Kedah, most of its incumbents could be replaced by individuals seen by the leadership as "more refined" compared to the present batch.

PKR, he said, was not born in 2008, it was formed 10 years ago from the ashes of Anwar's controversial sacking from Umno.

"Many average folks including me rushed to join Anwar's party then because we felt that an injustice was committed towards him. Later, we found out that we are the ones who are being mistreated," he added.

Loyalty is ignored

PKR's top leadership has simply ignored seniority and loyalty, thus the defection of several leaders since 2008, he added.

Zamil dismissed claims that those who left PKR were engineered by Umno, saying the latter would be bankrupt if it has to buy every single disgrunted member of PKR.

READ MORE HERE

 

‘Under fire’ Ridhuan keeps mum

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 02:38 PM PST

The Muslim academic, who has drawn flak over his article, says that he is responsible for what he wrote. 

K Pragalath, FMT

Muslim academic Ridhuan Tee Abdullah has refused to react to the stinging criticism against him over an article in which he has been accused of making derogatory remarks against Hindus.

"I am an academic. I have no comments. I am responsible for what I wrote," he told FMT.

Ridhuan is an associate professor at the National Defence University who also pens a column in Malay daily, Sinar Harian. He is also a member of an Islamic civilisation and politics research group at the university's language and general studies centre.

Aside from being in the academia, he is also active in Islamic activities.

Ridhuan is a committee member of the Islamic Consultative Council at the Prime Minister's Department, the Malaysian Islamic Chamber of Commerce secretary-general, vice-president of the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (Macma), national council member of the Muslim Welfare Organisation (Perkim). He is also the executive facilitator at the civil service integrity enhancement unit in the Islamic Development Department.

Ridhuan whose Chinese name is Tee Chuan Seng, has a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in strategic studies. Both the degrees were obtained from UKM. He also has a PhD in politics and government which he obtained from UPM. Apart from that he has a diploma in Islamic studies from the International Islamic University

Ridhuan came under fire over the article titled "The patience of Muslims has limits", which was published on Monday.

The article begins with a criticism of MIC for seekingto lift the temporary ban on the Tamil film Vishwaroopam.

READ MORE HERE

 

Kit Siang throws a ‘piss’ dare to Najib

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 02:36 PM PST

The DAP veteran wants the PM to reveal historical evidence of an alleged urinating incident which provoked the May 13 racial riots.

RK Anand, FMT

With tension and desperation mounting as the clock ticks down to the still elusive general election, the battle between the ruling coalition and the opposition has descended to the groin level.

An enraged Lim Kit Siang issued a 48-hour deadline to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to unzip historical proof to substantiate, what the DAP veteran termed as an incendiary and seditious figment of the imagination.

He was referring to the controversial movie Tanda Putera, which reportedly contained a scene of a group of Chinese youths urinating on the flagpole bearing the Selangor flag of the then menteri besar's residence and thus provoking the May 13 racial riots in 1969.

"I challenge Najib to produce the historical evidence…. The prime minister must assume full responsibility for this most racist and unhistorical slur in the May 13 film as it was Najib, according to Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Ahmad Maslan, who instructed that the film be exclusively screened to some 3,000 Felda settlers during a meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre on Monday.

"Only the Felda settlers were allowed to watch the film, which was screened after the journalists present in the hall were asked to leave," he said.

Lim noted that Tanda Putera's spokespersons had claimed that the movie was based on exhaustive research such as studying documented materials and photographs, to ensure that the scenes were backed by historical facts.

"Where are the documented materials and photographs of such an urination incident?" he asked.

'I was not even in KL'

The veteran politician said he was defamed by the movie's publicists and Umno cybertroopers as the person urinating on the flagpole.

This, Lim added, was a "dastardly and contemptible lie as no sane, rational or responsible person would have committed such an irresponsible and unthinkable deed."

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JK III prevents more followers from entering Sabah

Posted: 19 Feb 2013 12:58 PM PST

http://borneoinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/sultan-JK20-300x205.jpg

Filipino Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III gestures as he talks on a mobile phone during a news conference in Alabang, south of Manila, Philippines. Kiram said his younger brother and about 500 relatives and followers, including at least 20 armed escorts, recently travelled from the southern Philippines to resettle in eastern Sabah state in Malaysia, which he said his royal clan owns, and not to sow violence in the region. Malaysian police surrounded the Filipinos in a Sabah coastal village. 

(Borneo Insider) - They decided to revive the sultanate's claim over Sabah after it became apparent that the issue was placed on the back burner following the signing of the framework agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government in October. 

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines: The followers of the Sultanate of Sulu, who are locked in a standoff with Malaysian security forces, said they are unharmed and would continue to stay in Lahad Datu, which is part of the area in Sabah claimed by the sultanate as their homeland.

Abraham Idjirani, secretary general to the Sultanate of Sulu under Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, said they have just communicated with the group on Tuesday and that the latter said they are in good condition.

"They have not been moved or harmed by the Malaysian security forces," Idjirani said.

Kiram has no intention of pulling out his followers, the secretary general said, adding that "there is no intention of sending additional people to assert our rights."

"In the meantime, we will prove to them that the intention in going there is to bring peace," Idjirani said.

According to Idjirani, "sending additional people will give different meaning" and Kiram is avoiding precisely that.

The sultanate secretary general said they do not want to impress upon the Malaysian government that sending people to Sabah is a form of aggression, adding that those who are engaged in the standoff are unarmed.

Idjirani disclosed that Kiram has even prevented more people from the Sultanate of Sulu to proceed to Sabah to claim the island.

Read more at: http://borneoinsider.com/2013/02/20/jk-iii-prevents-more-followers-from-entering-sabah/

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net
 

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