Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- BN, too, offers free water in bid to recapture Selangor
- Hindraf-BN to ink deal to improve Indians
- Rare-Earth Protesters in Malaysia Forge an Election Alliance
- A strong team to help Najib win big
- GE13: Book running down Mukhriz widely distributed
- DAP’s constitutional crisis
- PKR to contest 19 federal, 43 state seats in Sabah
- Arutchelvan: We’re not the spoilers
- And what are YOUR principles?
- Rumors of riot: Penangites stocking up on food
- The meaning of principles
- GE13: Cyber bullies target Michelle Yeoh for accepting invitation to attend mammoth dinner
- GE13: Kota Baru not for Zaid, says PAS
- A national conversation ― or mere ‘electioneering’? ― Clive Kessler
- GE13: Khalid takes up task of defending Selangor, unfazed by talk of being replaced
- GE13: Khalid denies sending ‘voters don’t want me’ tweet
- Tamil school issue dogs Xavier
- Fate of Malays hanging in the balance
- PKR Kapar `tolak’ G Manivannan, Dr Daroyah Alwi
- Kelantan MP Ibrahim Ali to stand as independent
- Tapah PKR chief to go independent
| BN, too, offers free water in bid to recapture Selangor Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:49 PM PDT
(Malaysiakini) - In its bid to wrest Selangor from Pakatan Rakyat, BN tonight unveiled that it is offering free water for the first 20 cubic metres of usage.
This was in the manifesto launched by state BN chief and caretaker Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak (right in photo) in Shah Alam tonight. - Providing additional cost of living assistance of RM250 to eligible single mothers, the elderly, the disabled and the poor. Read more at: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/227139 |
| Hindraf-BN to ink deal to improve Indians Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:46 PM PDT
(FMT) - Hindraf will be signing a MoU with Najib Tun Razak later this evening in which BN will agree to do more to uplift the lot of the Indian community. Indian rights movement Hindraf will be inking a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak later this evening to put to paper the government's commitment in uplifting the Indian community. Some of the concessions agreed by Najib is said to come directly from Hindraf's five-year blueprint. Hindraf's blueprint, among others, highlights issues related to displaced Indian plantation workers, the need for tertiary-level education for Indian students, job opportunities in the government sector, financial loans to Indian entrepreneurs, and the establishment of a Minorities Affairs Ministry. The MoU today is a result of weeks of meetings and negotiations with Najib on the Hindraf proposal for the Indian community Hindraf had a meeting with Najib on March 25, and following that there had been a series of talks between them. The first indication that Najib was willing to look into Hindraf's proposals came when he included the setting up of a special unit to oversee Indian affairs in the BN manifesto. Though this was a far cry from the ministry which Hindraf sought, it however gave them the belief that Najib was willing to meet them half way to help uplift the Indian community. Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy had previously said that Hindraf would support whichever party that endorsed its blueprint. Alternatively, he had declared that Hindraf supporters would abstain from voting if neither Pakatan nor BN was willing to endorse the blueprint. He had also embarked on a hunger strike on March 10 in order to get either BN or Pakatan Rakyat to endorse the Hindraf blueprint. He ended his hunger strike on March 31. By this stage, the movement and Najib had officially started talks. He had also expressed his disappointment with Pakatan and its leader Anwar Ibrahim for not taking them seriously despite having several meetings. With the MoU being inked today, it looks certain that Najib and BN would be benefiting from Hindraf's support although it is uncertain as to the extent of Najib's acceptance of Hindraf's proposals. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/04/18/hindraf-bn-to-ink-deal-to-improve-indians/ |
| Rare-Earth Protesters in Malaysia Forge an Election Alliance Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:39 PM PDT Save Malaysia Stop Lynas is focusing its campaign on the states of Johor and Negeri Sembilan, two strongholds of the ruling coalition that analysts say could fall in the coming elections. Chuin-Wei Yap, WSJ A group protesting Australian Lynas Corp.'s rare-earth refinery in Malaysia has found common cause with the political opposition ahead of the country's general election. "Save Malaysia Stop Lynas" is the name of the group that is tying its fortunes to a campaign to mobilize the anti-establishment vote on May 5 in two potential swing states. It is based in Kuantan, capital of the eastern Malaysian state of Pahang, and is run by volunteers. For more than a year, Save Malaysia Stop Lynas has kept up an Internet-based campaign to disrupt Sydney-based Lynas' $800 million rare-earth production plant in Pahang. Lynas' refinery would help break China's near monopoly over the global production of the 17 metallic elements crucial to the manufacturing of high-tech products, such as missile systems and iPhones. Save Malaysia Stop Lynas objects to what it describes as potentially dangerous radioactive waste that comes from processing the commodities. The company and the Malaysian government maintain the project is safe. But it is election season in Malaysia, and the ruling National Front is fighting to extend its decades-old rule in what is likely to be a fierce election. The opposition has vowed in its manifesto to review the Lynas project if it is voted into power, and possibly to shut it down, Save Malaysia Stop Lynas Chairman Tan Bun Teet said. "If we want to stop Lynas, one way is to vote for change, so that we have a change of government," Mr. Tan told The Wall Street Journal. Lynas spokesman Alan Jury said the company had no comment on the group. The environmental group has printed 20,000 stickers and 2,000 flags publicizing the Lynas issue for the election, and is distributing flyers by hand and on the Internet, Mr. Tan said. Read more at: http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2013/04/18/rare-earth-protesters-in-malaysia-forge-an-election-alliance/ |
| A strong team to help Najib win big Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:34 PM PDT
PERCEPTIBLE PATTERNS: We now have an idea on the key strategies and missteps Rashid Yusof, NST POLLING is 17 days away. The keener observers would probably be thinking of a quick visit to Gelang Patah to witness this series' biggest fight -- Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman versus Lim Kit Siang. Over the last few days, the DAP's chess-move has morphed beyond a fleeting shimmy as previously suggested. Relocating the "king", Lim Kit Siang, as in chess of course, to Gelang Patah was soon followed by moving another piece, Teo Nie Ching, out of Serdang. This manoeuvre saw her hurtling down the North-South Expressway to Kulai. Does this mean more inter-state movements to follow? As it turned out, DAP's Johor assault must have rattled its allies, Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Pas which had been exaggerating, under the circumstances, its chances in Johor. Unwittingly for DAP, the Ghani-Kit Siang contest will accentuate the battle lines of a doggedly oppositionist culture against a tradition of producing credible policies and accumulating goodwill and a track record. Ghani helped to conceive the South Johor Development Region, the precursor to Iskandar Malaysia, the brightest regional-growth showcase. While it is folly to rush to making mega judgments, it is true that Ghani's task is to defeat Kit Siang. He was making this point yesterday, maintaining that he was no longer the candidate for menteri besar, a post he held since 1995, freeing him to focus on his task. This compares with Kit Siang who will be holed up in Gelang Patah with almost no free time to campaign in Penang, where BN has a distinct strategy. As one tactical detail leads to another, BN is digging in for a protracted battle to regain Penang, which means it is not going to agonise over a narrow miss this time around. Nationwide, the return of Datuk Yap Pian Hon sums up the magnitude of surprises. He is set to campaign feverishly in Serdang, a constituency "vacated" by DAP's Teo. Yap is known for being unaffiliated to any of the teams or factions in MCA, removing the spectre of green-eyed spoilers and screechers derailing his candidacy. Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, the former menteri besar of Terengganu, heads back to a parliamentary constituency. Umno had, in the post-November 1999 elections, turned to Idris to realign its focus after a shock defeat to Pas in Terengganu. Idris had been a deputy minister serving in the same ministry as Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed (Entrepreneurial Development). They are somewhat similar, the two. A think-tanker in mode, Idris went big -- but almost always with minimal fuss -- on education and housing when BN-Umno rode back into power in Terengganu in 2004. In composing the list of candidates, Najib must have taken a multi dimensional outlook. ONE, he knows he must secure a comfortable majority. To help him deliver a big win, Najib who had risen through the ranks since his days as deputy chief of Umno Youth, has redrafted experienced hands. They range from Datuk Osman Abdul (who was a giant killer in 1990, defeating the late Datuk Fadzil Noor in Pendang), Datuk Ishak Ismail (Lenggeng) to Datuk Zubir Embong (Kuala Terengganu). Durable winners like Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad and Tan Sri Shahidan Kassim were assigned new roles. Isa goes to a new parliamentary seat, Jempol, while Shahidan returns to Arau, the parliamentary constituency he first won in 1986. TWO, Najib has at the same time entered into a regeneration exercise, which is why there are 80 per cent of new faces in the key battlegrounds of Selangor and 62 per cent in Penang. Understandably, it has been most adventurous in states under Pakatan rule. A glance at the Kedah selection reveals ambition unfettered by the hold of incumbency. The line-up includes ex-Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital surgeon Dr Zaki Zamani Abdul Rashid, who is fielded in Kuala Kedah, private medical practitioner Dr Mansor Abdul Rahman (Sik) and former Universiti Malaya Perlis (Unimap) deputy vice-chancellor Prof Ismail Daud (Merbok). THREE, this is also about fashioning the likely composition of the cabinet, hence, perhaps the return of personalities such as Idris. At the other corner, Pakatan Rakyat has long promised to parade a cast far more impressive than those fielded in the 2008 general election when some greenhorns and dubious characters had won unexpectedly. The full line-up has not been named. There is indeed space still, and time, for the three parties to produce a blockbuster cast. To plan ahead and bring in fresh young talent, one must be able to persuade those who had been around like forever to make way. Alas, the blustery about capturing Putrajaya has had its impact on the usual suspects within Pakatan, everyone of whom has dug in, in hopes of reaching Putrajaya. With hogging and overstaying a norm, no one dares to think of regeneration or preparing a strong pool of potential cabinet ministers. Granted Tony Pua has his admirers only to be overwhelmed by the size of reservoir of talent BN has accumulated. |
| GE13: Book running down Mukhriz widely distributed Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:31 PM PDT
(The Malay Mail) - In what appears to be a sign of sabotage, a book running down the credentials of Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir (pic), tipped to be the menteri besar if Barisan Nasional regains Kedah, is being widely distributed in Umno circles. It is understood that all committee members of the 15 party divisions in the state have received the 20-page book titled Anak Abah (Daddy's Boy) in their letter boxes since Sunday. Among other things, the book written anonymously and does not carry a publisher's name, compares Mukhriz's political acumen to that of the state liaison chief Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanifah and former state exco member Datuk Mat Lebai Sudin. A committee member who received the book said: "It is well written with good language structure, unlike languages used in poison pen letters or even blogs. "We can interpret it as an attempt to prevent Umno members from supporting Mukhriz, from being chosen as menteri besar or an attempt to even field Mukhriz for a state seat." Another committee member of a division believed that the book originated from within Umno. "It is a well-known fact within Kedah Umno that many are aiming for the post and Mukhriz is an obstacle to their ambitions," he said. Committee members also said it was surprising that the book appeared just a night before BN chairman gave out the candidates' list to the respective state chiefs. Mukhriz, the son of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is rumoured to be fielded for the Kuah state seat under the Langkawi Parliamentary constituency. He is currently the MP for Jerlun. His name has been bandied about as the potential menteri besar since early last year, as BN began its focus to take back Kedah from PAS. BN's effort however, is hampered by lack of unity, as Kedah Umno's 15 divisions have their own preferences. |
| Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:01 AM PDT Further to that, there is a complaint that 753 Indian members who were opposed to Lim Guan Eng did not receive their notice to the meeting and that 300 of the 1,823 delegates who attended the meeting were 'illegal'. Lim Kit Siang got the highest votes followed by Lim Guan Eng and the anti-Lim group says that if the 753 delegates had not been excluded from the party election then the father and son would have come in 5th and 6th respectively. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Yesterday, on 17th April 2013, the Registrar of Societies (ROS) sent DAP a letter saying that a dispute has arisen regarding the legality of the officer bearers of the party that was elected on 15th December 2012. The dispute regards the appointment of Vincent Wu Him Ven to the central committee plus the allegation that 753 members of the party were not given the notice to the congress within the required ten weeks. Hence the ROS is questioning the legality of the party elections plus its elected committee and within a month from 17th April 2013 DAP is to submit to the ROS the list of the central committee members that was actually elected on 15th December 2012. DAP has to also send to the ROS the notices that were sent to all the delegates who were eligible to attend the party congress and if there are any discrepancies then DAP is to hold fresh party elections failing which the ROS can deregister the party. DAP said that a miscalculation caused by a technical glitch was discovered in the 15th December 2012 party election results. In the revised results, Zairil Khir Johari, who initially finished in 39th position with only 305 votes, leapt to 20th position with 803 votes. Vincent Wu Him Ven, who was initially elected to the CEC with 1,202 votes was relegated to 26th position with only 669 votes. He was then re-appointed into the CEC as a co-opted member. Further to that, there is a complaint that 753 Indian members who were opposed to Lim Guan Eng did not receive their notice to the meeting and that 300 of the 1,823 delegates who attended the meeting were 'illegal'. Lim Kit Siang got the highest votes followed by Lim Guan Eng and the anti-Lim group says that if the 753 delegates had not been excluded from the party election then the father and son would have come in 5th and 6th respectively. It would be interesting to see how this whole thing unfolds with only 17 days to go before the general election of 5th May 2013. The ROS letter was copied to the Election Commission (SPR) hinting of a possible constitutional crisis that may affect DAP's status in the 5th May 2013 general election. Will DAP have to contest the general election under the banner of PAS after all? PAS has offered to allow DAP to contest under its banner if DAP gets deregistered. What a twist considering that back in 1999 and 2004 the Chinese voters 'punished' DAP because of its association with PAS. Now, ironically, PAS may be stepping in to help DAP by offering the latter its banner. Maybe this is good for Pakatan Rakyat after all. Then the Chinese may vote for PAS to reward it for helping DAP out of its dilemma. But imagine how much fun Umno is going to have telling the voters that Rocket sudah naik Bulan. What a twist indeed. I suppose PAS will come to DAP's aid just like Umno did to MCA when it, too, faced a constitutional crisis some time back. I just love Malaysian politics. |
| PKR to contest 19 federal, 43 state seats in Sabah Posted: 16 Apr 2013 09:46 PM PDT
The list released by PKR today did not contain the names of Tuaran PKR chief Ansari Abdullah and six of his supporters. G Vinod, FMT Sabah PKR, in collaboration with two state-based NGOs friendly to it, plans to contest for 19 parliament and 43 state seats. Sabah PKR chief Ahmad Thamrin Jaini told a press conference here today that the group had prepared a list of candidates after gathering feedback from the ground. PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim had endorsed the list, he said. He added that DAP and PAS would field candidates in the constituencies not covered by the list. Sabah has 25 parliament and 60 state seats. Thamrin said PKR was eyeing 10 parliament and 20 state seats, adding that he would seek election to the Gum Gum state seat. Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPS) chief Lajim Ukin and Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) chief Wilfred Bumburing also spoke at the press conference. Lajim said PPS was targeting four parliament and 11 state seats. He will defend his Beaufort parliament seat and contest for the Klias state seat as well. Bumburing said he would defend his Tuaran parliament seat and also stand in the Tamparuli state constituency. APS would place candidates for five parliament and 12 state seats, he added. PPS and APS candidates will all contest under the PKR ticket. Thamrin also said there was a possibility that PKR would be involved in three-corner fights against Barisan Nasional and either the Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) or the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP). "But this will not affect the support for PKR in the state," he said. "Sabahans are looking at the bigger picture, which is to capture Putrajaya. And Sabahans are capable of changing the state government as well. "It's a good time to change." Ansari and gang not listed Earlier this month, Ansari, in an attempt to hijack the naming of candidates by party leaders in Kuala Lumpur, had announced seven candidates for Sabah's west coast region.
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| Arutchelvan: We’re not the spoilers Posted: 16 Apr 2013 09:39 PM PDT
We are the incumbent opposition and if PKR does not back out, I will contest the Semenyih state seat using the PSM logo, says secretary-general. Alyaa Azhar, FMT PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan said that a three-cornered fight for the Semenyih state seat is inevitable following PKR's decision to field its own candidate. "We are disappointed with PKR for picking its own man, Hamidi Hassan, although it promised us that if we were to use PKR's logo, it will allow PSM to have a one on one battle with BN. "It's a lose-lose situation, really. However, we will still stand for the Semenyih state seat, using our clenched fist. We have nothing to lose," he said at a press conference here today. Arutchelvan said that on April 15 at a press conference, PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli had announced that a decision for the Semenyih state seat had yet to be made. "On the same day, Batu incumbent MP Tian Chua said that if we were to use the PKR logo in place of our own logo, the problem would be solved. "That night, after listening to the people's sentiments, the PSM national committee decided to contest the four seats using Pakatan Rakyat's logo," said Arutchelvan. PSM is fielding four candidates, Dr Michael Jeyakumar for the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat, M Sarasvathy for the Jelapang state seat, Arutchelvan for the Semenyih state seat and Mohd Nasir Hashim for the Kota Damansara state seat. "Up till yesterday we were told by Tian Chua that the problem will be resolved. However, at 11pm last night, he told us that PKR vice-president Azmin Ali did not want to give way for PSM because he prefers a Malay candidate to contest the Semenyih seat. "We are very unhappy that they've used racial reasons to deny us the seat. In the 2004, the Malay opposition candidate lost Semenyih by an 8,000 majority while I only lost by 1,100 votes. "So the reason they give of needing a Malay candidate, tactically, is not a proper answer," he said. He added that all this while, there had never been a PKR candidate contesting the Semenyih state seat. "We are the incumbent opposition, not PKR, so we are not the spoilers here, PKR should back out or allow us to use its logo. "Azmin choosing his personal assistant, PKR Serdang division chief Hamidi Hassan, to stand in the seat, reflects cronyism and also demonstrates PKR's level of arrogance. "It's time for Anwar to take control of the party and ensure that the best candidate goes against BN in the coming election," he said.
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| Posted: 16 Apr 2013 08:40 PM PDT My stand is very clear. I believe in fundamental rights -- which means every Malaysian has freedom of choice, freedom of opinion, freedom of association, freedom of thought, and so on. Do you also believe in the same thing? And do you also agree that whichever government comes come to power -- whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat -- this government must respect our fundamental rights? THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Okay, now that we have established what my principles are, let us now establish what are yours -- that is, in the first place, if you have any. Let us not talk about corruption because clearly my interpretation of corruption differs from yours. You oppose corruption in Umno and Barisan Nasional. I oppose corruption, PERIOD! So let us agree to disagree on the issue of corruption, abuse of power, mismanagement of the country's wealth, nepotism, cronyism, etc. For example, when Umno and Barisan Nasional are in power, the Umno and Barisan Nasional crony-lawyers get the legal work from the government. When Pakatan Rakyat is in power, the Pakatan Rakyat crony-lawyers get all the legal work instead. And when I point this out you argue that there is nothing wrong with that. It is quite 'normal' and acceptable, you say. Surely Pakatan Rakyat will not give the legal work to the Umno and Barisan Nasional crony-lawyers. It is natural that they will give the work to their own people. The fact that some of these lawyers also happen to be in the government is only coincidental. That is not corruption, abuse of power, nepotism or cronyism. So, with that as but one example, let us agree to disagree on what corruption, abuse of power, nepotism and cronyism, etc., means. Clearly you look at things differently from the way I look at things. And while my perjuangan is to eradicate corruption, abuse of power, nepotism, cronyism, and so on, yours is merely to kick out Umno and replace one corrupt government with another. I have my principles and you have yours and our principles differ by a mile. So we will just leave it at that and move on to the next issue. And the next issue is regarding fundamental rights. What are your principles regarding fundamental rights? Do we share the same principles or do we have different interpretations of what it means? For those of you who do not understand what I am talking about -- which would, therefore, mean most of you -- when I talk about fundamental rights I am talking about freedom of choice, freedom of opinion, freedom of association, freedom of thought, and so on. What is your stand on all these issues that affect fundamental rights? As I said, we will put aside the issue of corruption, abuse of power, nepotism or cronyism. We will agree to disagree on that. Let us confine the discussion to freedom of choice, freedom of opinion, freedom of association, freedom of thought, etc., meaning your fundamental rights. My stand is very clear. I believe in fundamental rights -- which means every Malaysian has freedom of choice, freedom of opinion, freedom of association, freedom of thought, and so on. Do you also believe in the same thing? And do you also agree that whichever government comes come to power -- whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat -- this government must respect our fundamental rights? Of course we do, you will scream. Well, do you? Actually, I have baited you many times and each and every time you walk right into my trap and get snared. You people are fakes and hypocrites. You do not respect our fundamental rights. You deny us our fundamental rights. You are all talk and no action. You do not walk the talk. You are as dangerous as those people from Umno, Perkasa, Pekida, and so on. You too are backward thinking and narrow-minded. You say what you do not mean and don't do what you say. And that, to you, is principles. Let me quote some examples. Some of you whack Anwar Ibrahim because, according to you, he is gay or bisexual. Is that respecting someone's fundamental rights? Doesn't one have the right to his or her sexual preference? I have spoken to many pro-Pakatan Rakyat people who have been supporting the opposition since the days of Semangat 46 in 1990 and these people believe that Anwar is guilty of sexual misconduct as alleged. However, they will not openly say so and they have requested me to not whack Anwar (especially after my mainstream media interview when I said I believe that Anwar is bi-sexual) because, according to them, this will hurt Pakatan Rakyat's chances of winning the coming general election. They do not want me to say what I believe and they want to deny me my right to speak not because they think Anwar is not bi-sexual but because they want to win the general election. In fact, they too believe what I believe about Anwar. They just do not want me to say so. And you call this principle? In 2001 when I was detained under the ISA, the Special Branch officers asked me whether I think Anwar is guilty. They then offered to show me the evidence to convince me that Anwar is really guilty. I responded by saying that I do not wish to see the evidence because I do not care whether Anwar is gay or bi-sexual. To me that is his choice and that does not make him any less suitable to lead the country. They then pressed me further to try to extricate my response and I replied that yes, I do believe he is bi-sexual. Then they asked me why I set up the Free Anwar Campaign if I think that and I replied that the Free Anwar Campaign is about the sham trial that Anwar received. Anwar's guilt was not proven in court, I argued. Hence Anwar is a victim of a sham trial even if he may be guilty of what they call 'sexual misconduct' -- and which I don't regard as so. Hence the principle behind the Free Anwar Campaign is that he should be freed because they failed to prove his guilt and not because he is not bi-sexual. Anwar's sexuality has nothing to do with this. Furthermore, I believe in freedom of choice, which includes freedom of sexual preference. Bi-sexuality, to me, is not a crime even if the Bible says it is and Islam 'borrowed' this from the Bible. Ah, but this has nothing to do with religion, they argued. It is about the law of the land and the laws of Malaysia stipulate that homosexuality is a crime. Well, some of those laws are old British laws, I argued, and that does not mean that the law is right. And if the law is bad then we must oppose it. Don't we also oppose the Internal Security Act, Sedition Act, Printing Presses and Publications Act, Universities and University Colleges Act, and many other bad laws that are draconian and deny Malaysians their fundamental rights of freedom of choice, freedom of opinion, freedom of association, freedom of thought, etc? The principle of the law is bad. Malaysians should be allowed freedom of choice, freedom of opinion, freedom of association, freedom of thought, and so on. And this includes the right to choose your religion, the right to reject the belief in God and to become an atheist, the right to be gay, the right to associate yourself with any political party (and not be compelled to support a certain political party) and much more. So which are you? What is your stand and what are your principles? Are you a libertarian and a democrat? Or do you deny others their fundamental rights? All I need to do is to write an article saying that I do not believe in the Bible, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Trinity, and so on, and watch those Bible-thumpers accuse me of insulting Christianity. You are just like those people who accuse me of insulting Islam merely because I criticise those mosques that spread hate messages in their Friday prayer sermons (kutbah). Just see how many people are whacking the Umno candidate for Shah Alam, Zulkifli Noordin. I despise that bugger but what was it that Zulkifli Noordin said that is so disgusting? Explain what he said. And he said what he was supposed to have said when he was a PAS Member of Parliament. Why did you not whack him then? Why whack him now only when he is an Umno candidate? Can you see how thick your hypocrisy is? It is so thick you can cut it with a knife. And why do you say I have insulted Christianity when I say that I do not believe in the Bible, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Trinity, and so on? Is it not my right to believe what I want to believe? Since when does expressing my beliefs translate to an insult? All Muslims don't believe in the (new) Bible, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Trinity, etc. You say that the Christians are modern, liberal, tolerant, open-minded and so on, unlike those closed-minded and extremist Muslims. You think so? Well, read the news report below. France was one of the first secular countries and became so due to Napoleon Bonaparte's good work. Yet the Catholics in France are foaming at the mouth and threatening violence just like the Talibans. Modern, liberal, tolerant, and open-minded my foot! And it is not only the Christians (and Muslims) who are like this. Even the 'pagan' Chinese are the same. They too are closed-minded and extremist. See what they are saying about Michelle Yeoh just because she wants to attend a MCA dinner. Why did you not also whack and boycott the South Korean singer PSY for attending MCA's function in Penang? In fact, you all attended that function. Why the double standards? I like it when you people talk about principles and ask me about my principles. You do not even understand what the word means. And everything you do and say is not based on principles. ***************************************** French cardinal warns gay marriage law risks violence (Reuters) - PARIS: France's top Catholic bishop warned the government yesterday that legalization of same-sex marriage risked inciting violence at a time the country had more pressing economic and social problems to tackle. Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois told a meeting of French bishops the planned marriage reform, which the government has speeded up amid mounting pressure from opponents, was a sign that society had lost its capacity to integrate different views. Protests against the law, led by lay groups mostly backed by the Catholic Church, have become more agitated in recent days as noisy opponents rally outside the Senate and National Assembly and harass politicians supporting the reform. Vingt-Trois, the archbishop of Paris, said the difference between the sexes was a basic human trait and denying it by legalizing marriage and adoption for homosexuals would weaken society's ability to manage its differences peacefully. "This is the way a violent society develops," he told the spring meeting of the French bishops' conference. "Society has lost its capacity of integration and especially its ability to blend differences in a common project." The Socialist-led government, whose popularity has plummeted amid economic woes and a tax fraud scandal, is expected to pass the law next week to make France the 13th country to allow gays to tie the knot. Uruguay legalized gay marriage last week. (READ MORE HERE)
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| Rumors of riot: Penangites stocking up on food Posted: 16 Apr 2013 06:44 PM PDT
(NST) - Short messaging services (SMS) on a possible riot in the run-up to the 13th General Election are spreading like wildfire in Penang and creating public unease. State Police general election spokesman, ACP Roslee Chik said some families have started stockpiling on food and daily essentials after getting the SMSes. Roslee brushed aside the rumors and said the panic was unfounded as the situation in Penang leading to the polls remained calm. "Everthing is in order here and I advised the public to disregard the allegation in the SMS. "I am also advising the people not to re-circulate the SMS as they can be charged under the Sediction Act," he said Wednesday, adding the police would also act against the culprits. Speaking at a Press conference at the state police headquarters here, Roslee said the police had received 54 reports to-date since the parliament dissolution on April 3 on the vandalism of political party properties such as flags and banners. He said 17 of the cases reported were in Seberang Prai Tengah.
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| Posted: 16 Apr 2013 06:08 PM PDT I mean, look at what happened when I tried to raise money for Nurul Izzah Anwar. All we got was a few thousand ringgit. I then organised a fund raising dinner for Nurul Izzah and even sponsored the entire cost of the dinner and, again, all we managed to raise was a few thousand ringgit. And with this small amount of money how can Nurul Izzah fight against Raja Nong Chik who has hundreds of millions at his disposal? THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin One reader has posted repeated comments demanding to know which of the two coalitions I would wish to see winning the coming general election on 5th May 2013. That is the wrong question to ask and if you want to ask me any question then you had better know how and what question to ask. The correct question to ask me would be: what would you like to see in the coalition that wins the coming general election on 5th May 2013? I mean it is like the issue of not whom I want as my wife but what I would like to see in wife. Hence asking me whom I want as my wife is the wrong question to ask. You should instead ask me what I expect in a wife. Then you will get a reply or else all you will get is my backhand. Okay, I know that sounds arrogant. So I am arrogant. So what? That is what makes me what I am. That's what makes me fight even when the odds are against me. And you do not need to tell me how arrogant I am. The Special Branch has already told me that same thing and they found out how arrogant I can be on both occasions that they detained me without trial. For example when the Special Branch officers whacked me and said that as a Muslim I should not be insulting Islam, I responded with, "In that case I now leave Islam to become an atheist. So, since I am no longer a Muslim, can I now insult Islam?" The Special Branch officer slammed the table and shouted at me and I also slammed the table and shouted back at him. He then got so upset he walked out of the room and I turned to the remaining six Special Branch officers and said, "One down, six more to go. Whose next?" Not a single officer dared open his mouth. They then sent me back to my cell to 'cool off' and after lunch they came back to fetch me. However, I refused to leave my cell and for three days I stayed in my cell and refused to come out. And every time they sent my meals to my cell I threw it back at them. My whole cell was covered with discarded food. On the night of the third day, two senior officers from the Ministry came to my cell (a man and a woman) to ask me to sign some documents. I refused to sign the documents and told these two officers that I am now an apostate. I have announced I have left Islam. So take me outside and cut my head off like what should be done to apostates under the Islamic Sharia law of Hudud. The officers sighed and left my cell without being able to persuade me to sign the documents. They were so exasperated with me they eventually cut my normal 60-day detention short and on the 10th day they ended all attempts to interrogate me and packed me off to Kamunting. They then made me attend religious rehabilitation classes and I gave the ustaz such a hard time he never came back to see me again. I was called to the Director's office who pleaded with me to not embarrass the ustaz in front of so many people (more than 50 other detainees in all) but I still debated the new ustaz they sent and made them look so stupid in front of the other detainees. In fact, the religious rehabilitation classes were the most fun time that I had in Kamunting. I really enjoyed those sessions and would look forward to these religious rehabilitation classes. I made those ustaz look so stupid and left them speechless. So tell me, if I am not arrogant would I do all that? So, yes, I am arrogant and I make no apology for that. I am arrogant and proud of it. (The Chinese would probably call me taufung). So there! Tell me something I do not know. Anyway, for those of you who have limited intelligence and can't understand what drives me, allow me to tell you where I am coming from. But read this next part of my article only if you are stupid. If you are not stupid then you can stop reading now. From 1978 all the way up to 2008, for 30 years, my objective was to oppose Umno. And I opposed Umno over those 30 years because I hated corruption. And I, of all people, should know because during that time I was a businessman and I had to personally indulge in corruption to get ahead. So who better to talk about corruption than someone who had to survive and succeed in corruption? I was just like all you wankers and losers. I hated corruption but I still got involved in it because I had no choice and only by getting involved in corruption could I get ahead. Corruption was necessary. You need to condone it if you want to meet your objectives and achieve what you aspire -- success. And is this not also what all you wankers and losers believe? You oppose Umno and Barisan Nasional because of the rampant and blatant corruption but you will condone and tolerate corruption by Pakatan Rakyat as long as Umno and Barisan Nasional can be kicked out. Corruption is necessary or else how can Pakatan Rakyat raise money to contest in the general elections? General elections cost money, plenty of money, and the only way you can successfully raise that much money is through corruption. I mean, look at what happened when I tried to raise money for Nurul Izzah Anwar. All we got was a few thousand ringgit. I then organised a fund raising dinner for Nurul Izzah and even sponsored the entire cost of the dinner and, again, all we managed to raise was a few thousand ringgit. And with this small amount of money how can Nurul Izzah fight against Raja Nong Chik who has hundreds of millions at his disposal? Hence if we try the moral and legal way we can never raise enough money to finance the cost of the general election. Therefore we need to do it the immoral and illegal way. So corruption is okay as long as it is Pakatan Rakyat that is corrupted and not Barisan Nasional. So what have I achieved over those 30 years from 1978 to 2008? I opposed Umno and Barisan Nasional because I detested corruption. You also oppose Umno and Barisan Nasional because you too detest corruption. But you detest corruption only if Umno and Barisan Nasional are corrupted. You are okay with corruption if it is Pakatan Rakyat that is corrupted. And that is where we part company. I detest corruption by all parties. You detest only Umno and Barisan Nasional's corrupt deeds. You are okay with Pakatan Rakyat's corrupt deeds. So, from 1978 to 2008, we shared the same objectives. After 2008 we no longer share the same objectives. From 1978 to 2008, I opposed corruption in Umno and Barisan Nasional. After 2008 I oppose corruption in both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. I take it you don't like that. Well, then tough. That is your problem, not mine. I have principles. You do not. You talk only. I walk the talk. And I would even oppose my own close friends like Ronnie Liu and Teresa Kok, or whoever it may be who are close to me, if I discover that they are not true to the cause. That, my friend, is called PRINCIPLES, a word you would not understand. |
| GE13: Cyber bullies target Michelle Yeoh for accepting invitation to attend mammoth dinner Posted: 16 Apr 2013 04:22 PM PDT
(The Star) - International actress Datuk Seri Michelle Yeoh is the target of fierce attacks in cyberspace after reports emerged that the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon star has accepted an invitation to attend a mammoth dinner organised by a group of Selangor Chinese businessmen. Netizens took to social networking sites to criticise Michelle after an unofficial Facebook page in Chinese "We Fully Support PKR " highlighted a local Chinese daily report about the event, which would also be attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. The page, which was set up in 2010 and has over 300,000 "Likes", posted a message on April 12 addressed to Michelle, which said: "You were once Malaysian people's pride but now no longer." The anonymous author of the post then went on to ask Michelle if she had "any idea how her fellow countrymen live" before urging the 49-year-old actress to reconsider her decision and "not become a traitor". As at yesterday, the post had received close to 7,000 "Likes" and over 1,300 comments, most of which condemned Michelle. However, others, including her father Datuk Yeoh Kian Tiek, came to Michelle's defence, reminding Netizens that she had the right to support any political party. "We should respect every voter, instead of criticising them and claiming that they shouldn't vote for BN. That's the true spirit of democracy," wrote Jovis Low. Urging people to be more understanding, Kian Tiek said his daughter had the freedom to decide whichever dinner or event she wanted to attend. "It is her decision and they should respect it," said the active Perak MCA politician, who claimed to be unaware of the online criticisms. The event at West Port, Klang, on April 20 is expected to host 55,000 people in a bid to gain entry into the Malaysian Book of Records as the largest sit-in dinner in the country. The dinner was jointly organised by prominent businessmen, including Datuk Philip Siew, Tan Sri Ta Kin Yan, Tan Sri Abu Sahid Mohamed and Datuk Alex Chuah Poh Khiang, together with Gabungan Persatuan Keturunan Cina Selangor. Chuah said Michelle had agreed to attend the dinner because she would be in Malaysia at that time.
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| GE13: Kota Baru not for Zaid, says PAS Posted: 16 Apr 2013 04:19 PM PDT
(The Star) - PAS election director Dr Hatta Ramli said former Umno man and federal minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim will not be fielded as a PAS candidate for the Kota Baru seat. Dr Hatta said the party had its own candidate for the seat "but it is not for him (Zaid)". "We have finalised the candidate list and in fact, we have made several announcements on who they are," he told news portal The Mole. Hatta said news about Zaid contesting under the PAS ticket in Kota Baru was something new to him. He was commenting on a news report stating that Zaid, who is former PKR stalwart, may contest in the Kota Baru parliamentary seat if given the chance by PAS. It was reported that Zaid had confirmed there was an informal discussion between him and PAS on the possibility of contesting the seat on a PAS ticket. The Kota Bharu parliamentary seat is held by PAS' Datuk Wan Abdul Rahim Wan Abdullah who defeated Barisan Nasional's Datuk Mohd Fatmi Che Salleh with a majority of 11,288 votes in the last general election. Zaid was sacked from Umno in 2008. He joined PKR in June 2009 before leaving the party in 2010. He formed Parti Kesejahteraan Tanah Air (Kita) in January 2011 before announcing that the party was dissolved last year. Earlier this year, Zaid reportedly announced that he would quit politics to join the private sector.
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| A national conversation ― or mere ‘electioneering’? ― Clive Kessler Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:59 PM PDT
So neither party, it seems, is ready for, or capable of engaging in, a national conversation of the kind that is needed. Even if they cannot now, they should a least be readying themselves at this time to become engaged in such a national conversation in the not too distant future. That is about the best that, in this connection, one can say about the parties. The Malaysian Insider In a recent commentary ("A Very 'American' Election", The Malaysian Insider April 15) I suggested that what this country now desperately needs, perhaps above all else, is a serious 'national conversation' about itself. About what it is and who its people are, about where they are together headed, and how — following what roadmap. What is the journey? What is the itinerary? What is its logic? Who is to mark out and lead the way? Elections and the 'national conversation' Such a conversation needs, of course, to be sustained, thoughtful and civil. It needs, in any country, be to about 'us', meaning 'all of us together'. About 'all of us here', as one national community of shared fate and common destiny. That is, borrowing a Malay-language distinction, the conversation always needs to be about the 'kita' of the situation — here the Malaysian situation and Malaysian identity — not the 'kami' aspect, the exclusionary and oppositional mind-set, which always poses and pits 'us here' against 'you there', often in face-to-face stand-off. Conversations of this kind generally need to be continuing, a permanent component of national life. What is needed is an unceasing, unfolding and ideally an advancing engagement with a nation's key ideas, a review of its key experiences, an evaluation and reconsideration of its sustaining historical 'narratives' and 'myths'. This engagement takes a number of forms. It is to be found in conversation among citizens, both direct and via their 'new media' gadgetry extensions. In an enlightened and openly accommodating press. In quality television documentaries and debates as well as routine current affairs programming. And in the pages (hard copy or virtual) of high quality weekly and monthly magazines of diverse opinion, political analysis and cultural commentary. In serious scholarly treatises, too, and how they are reviewed, and their implications explained, in the popular press. Conversations of this kind, when they proceed and succeed (as they do in many countries), flow ceaselessly. But they often find focus and gain prominence at certain times, in certain contexts and situations — most notably at the time of national elections. When is there ever a better time? When better than during the 'high political season', as election day approaches and the nation is asked and required to consider its direction and fate seriously? It is then, more than at any other time, that the nation must refresh and renew and also project forward, beyond previously accepted and conventionally received understandings, its own unfolding sense of who it is. That, most fundamentally, is what a nation's citizens are asked to do as they prepare themselves to head to the polling centres to collect and then mark their ballot papers. So when better than at election time to address these questions: to ask 'who are we here?' — and what that 'we' is, on what is it based and how it is to be sustained. How is that key idea, and by whom are we, to be carried forward over the long haul, and over the next political 'term of office', which is the immediate political future? This is what people must consider at election time. Elections serve as the bridge linking present and the immediate future to that longer-term agenda and destiny. Theory and practice. Well, that is the theory anyway. And in practice what happens? In some cases, in the more assured democratic polities and open political cultures, something like this occurs. Reality in those countries approaches and at times even approximates this ideal, even the ideal is never perfectly attained. Here my purpose is not to discuss those political systems or to provide any comparative ranking of which nations arguably comply, and to what degree, with this ideal. My concern is with Malaysia, here, now. With Malaysia today, just ahead of nomination day for GE13 and a little more than two weeks away from the great national festivity that long ago — on seeing how people flocked to the polls in Kelantan in May 1969, and with what enthusiasm and determination and evident pride they did so — I dubbed the third great 'hari raya', Hari Raya Mengundi. Malaysia, I believe, is now really in need that kind of national conversation. That is precisely what these final two weeks of 'full-on' campaigning before election day ought to be. But I do not think that it is going to happen. Why not? Because I fear that the two major parties, or contending power 'blocs' — each in its own way — are unready and unprepared for, or simply incapable of engaging in, any such dialogue or national conversation. I shall be delighted to be proven wrong here. That is a challenge that may be put to both sides, and needs to be. In Malaysia today It seems clear that that challenge is being avoided, by both sides. i. Umno/BN On the side of the long-serving and now outgoing government that is seeking re-election, the entire BR1M strategy, and all that goes with it, serves an important further purpose, I suggested in my previous commentary, beyond its own specific and substantive content. The 'BR1M strategy' is a very convenient way of avoiding these key questions that an open and inclusive national conversation about Malaysian identity and purpose should address. Just consider, if Umno/BN, and especially its guiding elements within Umno, had to provide a straight and direct answer to the question: 'can you affirm now your commitment to the idea of Malaysia as a nation belonging equally to all its citizens?' Challenged in this way to declare how they see and understand the nation, its leaders would find themselves in a difficult position deciding what to say. In a position that they would rather not be in, in short. Here some rescue is now in sight. The 'BR1M barrage' provides, if not a smokescreen or facade then a very useful diversion or distraction, not unlike the magician's trick of 'misdirecting' the audience's attention away from the hand that is doing the work to another hand that is demanding attention. In that way the preferred appearance or illusion is achieved. What is awkward or inconvenient may be shunted aside, hidden from attention in full public view. But if asked or challenged — perhaps by the opposition, or else by some body of serious scholars concerned with national questions — whether or not Umno/BN, and especially Umno itself, stands by the idea of Malaysia as a nation that is equally the possession and birthright, unconditionally, of all its citizens, how would they answer? They would have to answer, if they were being honest, 'no, we do not, that is not our position.' But if they wished to avoid unpleasantness, they might simply affirm their commitment to that idea, saying 'yes, we do — perhaps not now, not yet, but in the long run. But, give us credit where credit is due, we have been trying, we have been working in that direction for 58 years and more.' In which case its challengers might come back and say, "Well, for more than half a century's work, you haven't got very far, have you! 'If that is the best you can do, and why would you not have been doing your best all these many years, why have you not done better?' To which the Umno spokesmen might respond, 'Well, it may not be as far as many of us might have liked to have reached on this journey, but it is a tough road. And what you now see, we can assure you from our own experience, is the best you are ever going to get. It is the best that is realistically attainable. That we know.' They might even want to add, 'It's the best that we are ever likely to get, starting from what we have been given by history. So you, and we all, had better learn to like it. Don't pine for anything more. There can be nothing better. This is Malaysia, like it or leave it!' It is not a very convincing or effective, nor for those who would make it a comfortable, line of argument. So, instead, the Umno leaders might exercise the option of direct truthfulness, or blunt honesty. They might respond by saying, 'A nation equally of all of its citizens? Not really. Umno, to be realistic, is a party that is still, within this socially and culturally complex nation of ours, trying to achieve, even belatedly, as much of the pre-independence agenda of an earlier exclusivist Malay nationalism as can — over time, with patience and with as much political skill as we can muster — be accomplished. 'So what we now stand for is, if not "full-on" and provocative "Ketuanan Melayu", then at least some sort of "Perkasa-lite"'. But this is clearly not what Umno leaders would want to say, not now on the eve of an election where non-Malay sentiments must not be brusquely offended and gratuitously alienated. That is not what Umno leaders want to say out loud. Not yet, anyway. So it would be rather difficult for them to involve themselves in a pre-election 'national conversation' on this subject. To do so even on the basis of an affirmed commitment to the idea of this country as 'Tanah Melayu' — a land inescapably and primarily identified in perpetuity with just one component, the historically longest settled component, of the national population — would not be easy politically. Not at all. Yet that seems to be the basic, minimal position of those Umno supporters who do not embrace the entire Perkasa agenda and outlook. ii. Pakatan Rakyat And what, for their part, about the Pakatan Rayat opposition? How might they proceed? They might well try to say 'Yes, we do affirm and uphold the idea of Malaysia as a nation that is equally the possession and birthright, unconditionally, of all its citizens. We think that all three of our major constituent parties can agree to that. They were ready to do so the last time we checked.' To which the Umno leaders might respond, 'Well, you haven't got very far with it, have you? You haven't been able, for example, to bring yourselves to say so yet unequivocally. To give it prominence by making it the central platform of your manifesto and campaign.' To which the PKR spokesmen might respond, "Well, we are working on it. Not like you for 55 years and more. We are a much younger party. But we are working on it. 'We have no easy answers. We are exploring the question — painstakingly and at times even painfully — not out there in public where everybody can see, but amongst ourselves in our party's leadership councils. We are still working on resolving these questions, finding some workable answers, in the first instance as part of our own internal organizational understandings and basic coalition formula. 'But, unlike you, at least we are committed to the idea in principle,' they might aver. But that, too, is hardly a convincing answer, not one that will persuade the electorate and generate a wave of popular support over the next two weeks.
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| GE13: Khalid takes up task of defending Selangor, unfazed by talk of being replaced Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:50 PM PDT
(The Star) - It was an important press conference by the ruling party in Selangor but Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim left it to a PAS division leader to make the big announcement that the Mentri Besar will be the state Pakatan Rakyat election director. Khalid sat with state executive councillors Theresa Kok and Dr Halimah Ali against a backdrop of a large poster that showed him together with Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali, state PAS commissioner Dr Rani Osman and Kok, who is the state DAP chairman. After Kelana Jaya PAS chief Izham Hashim announced his name, Khalid took over from the emcee and told the media people that his job is to ascertain that the Selangor Government does not fall back into the hands of the Barisan Nasional. Unfazed by speculations that Azmin might replace him as mentri besar if the Pakatan is voted in again, he went on to say he would unveil Pakatan's state-level manifesto at Dataran Kemerdekaan here tomorrow. The names of Pakatan candidates in Selangor will also be announced at that event, which is expected to be at around 9pm. Khalid said the manifesto would, among others, explain the need to restructure the state's water industry. "The people need to know why it is important for the (water) restructuring to take place," he said, referring to the unfinished stand-off between the state and federal governments over the water issue in Selangor. Other than that, he said, the manifesto would include a state government pledge to set aside RM100mil for the Selangor Housing Board to build affordable homes in the state and RM50mil for the development of women and for youths in business. "The manifesto consists of four elements, touching on the economy, well-being, harmony and ties and state-people relations. "The manifesto will also touch on the state government's track record since 2008," said Khalid. On the PKR dispute with Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) over the use of the PSM logo in the elections, Khalid said the Pakatan had agreed that only the party symbols of the PKR, DAP and PAS would be used by the opposition front. "The use of any other logo could confuse the people," he said.
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| GE13: Khalid denies sending ‘voters don’t want me’ tweet Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:44 PM PDT
(The Star) - Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim of PKR appears to have made a boo-boo when he "tweeted" that he is contesting the Port Klang state seat instead of the Ijok state seat because "the voters don't want him". However, he denied this. It is not known whether someone hacked into his Twitter account. In the controversial post on his Twitter handle @khalid_ibrahim at 9.06am on Monday, it said: Ramai yang pertikaikan kenapa saya berpindah ke Dun Pelabuhan Klang, Ini adalah politik, Kita perlu pindah bila pengundi dah tak suka. (Many have disputed my move to the Port Klang state seat. This is politics. We need to move when voters no longer like us.) A screenshot of Khalid's apparent tweet was posted on Apanama2020.blogspot.com. It showed that the tweet was posted at 9.06am on Monday and was re-tweeted 72 times and "favourited" four times. However, Khalid posted another tweet yesterday, denying that he had written the previous statement. The post was missing from his Twitter account. "Tweet ini tidak ditulis oleh saya. Pemalsuan ini berniat jahat (This tweet was not written by me. This is false and malicious)," Khalid tweeted at 9.36am, about 24 hours after the earlier tweet went viral. The media reported Khalid mistakenly urged voters to vote for Barisan Nasional during the Ijok by-election in April 2007.
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| Tamil school issue dogs Xavier Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:23 PM PDT
A PIBG chairman accuses the state exco of abusing power by instructing the transfer of state grants to a private firm. B Nantha Kumar, FMT A document has emerged to show that Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar last month instructed the transfer of funds from Tamil schools to a private firm in Puchong. The chairman of a parent-teacher association (PIBG) sent an email to FMT that had as an attachment a copy of a letter telling PIBGs to transfer to the company the state grants they had received for building science laboratories. The letter, dated March 15, bore Jeyakumar's signature. The email sender, who requested anonymity, claimed this was an abuse of power. Earlier last month, 84 Tamil schools in Selangor received infrastructure grants from the state with the total value of RM2.67 million. The funds ranged from RM10,000 to RM85,000 per school depending on need. Twenty of the schools each received RM50,000 earmarked for science labs. According to the March 15 letter, Jeyakumar instructed the PIBGs to sign a memorandum of understanding with a company from Puchong on the transfer of funds to the company. "What is the basis for this order?" asked FMT's email correspondent. "Why should we in the PIBG pay some private company? Has the state government given the exco so much power that he can direct us to transfer state funds to a private company?" He contended that Jeyakumar had no right to choose the contractor on behalf of the schools. He criticised the state government for its "cheap publicity stunt" of handing over the grants in the glare of press cameras and "taking them away as soon as the crowd disappeared".
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| Fate of Malays hanging in the balance Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:17 PM PDT
Utusan Malaysia claims the split in Malay votes has contributed to the Chinese wielding more political clout. K Pragalath, FMT The fate of the Malays is hanging in the balance because of disunity that can be traced from the political tsunami of the 2008 general election, a Malay daily columnist said. Zaini Hassan wrote in Utusan Malaysia that the present generation of Malays are also not appreciative of the contributions of the people in the past. He quoted former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who said that "many are ignorant of the fact that they are in a dangerous position. They are supporting notions of disunity". Zaini cited the results of the 12th general election where Barisan Nasional only won 140 of the 222 parliamentary seats. At the state level, BN captured 307 out of 505 state seats. "The Malays from my observation have gone their separate ways under labels such as the Umno Malays, PAS Malays, PKR Malays, DAP Malays, Liberal Malays, fence-sitting Malays and NGO Malays with their own agenda," he wrote. He said that the split among the Malays had resulted in the Chinese gaining power through the DAP. The DAP under the Pakatan Rakyat banner controls Penang and has a large political influence in Perak, Selangor, and Kuala Lumpur, he claimed. Under the present circumstances, Zaini also sees the possibility of Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, and Johor falling into the hands of the DAP. But he said the Malays can stop the DAP charge by closing ranks when they head for the ballot box on May 5.
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| PKR Kapar `tolak’ G Manivannan, Dr Daroyah Alwi Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:04 PM PDT
Mereka mahu calon tempatan, Nedunchelian Vengu untuk kerusi parlimen dan Azizi Ayob DUN Sementa. Muda Mohd. Noor, FMT PKR Kapar `menolak' G Manivannan yang akan bertanding di kerusi parlimen itu pada 5 Mei ini. Mereka juga tidak mahu seorang lagi calon luar – Dr Daroyah Alwi – yang diumumkan bertanding kerusi negeri Sementa. PKR Kapar akan membuat bantahan secepat mungkin terhadap pemilihan Manivannan serta Dr Daroyah. Dua calon PKR popular di kalangan penduduk Kapar ialah Nedunchelian Vengu (gambar), Timbalan Ketua Pilihan Raya PKR Cabang Kapar dan Azizi Ayob, Ketua Cabang PKR Kapar. Manivannan merupakan seorang peguam berusia 34 tahun, manakala Dr Daroyah, Ketua Wanita PKR Shah Alam. Nedunchelian memberitahu ada tangan ghaib yang menghantar dua calon itu ke Kapar, walaupun tidak berterus terang ia menjurus kepada Timbalan Presiden PKR, Azmin Ali serta Sivarasa. Katanya, Kapar merupakan cabang yang menyokong Presiden PKR, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail. `Orang baru' "Manivannan adalah calon baru, orang Kapar tidak kenal siapa Manivannan- Dia datang dari Subang tetapi orang Kapar tidak tahu di mana rumah mereka. "Ini kroni S Sivarasa (Naib Presiden PKR), kerana dia bekerja di pejabat Sivarasa," kata Nedunchelian. Kerusi Kapar dimenangi calon PKR, S Manikavasagam selepas mengalahkan calon MIC K Komala pada pilihan raya umum 2008. Bagaimanapun, pada pilihan raya kali ini, Manikavasagam diumumkan bertanding di kerusi dewan undangan negeri (DUN) Bukit Melawati, parlimen Kuala Selangor. Ketika ditemui di Kapar semalam, Nedunchelian berkata," Kita kurang puas hati, saya ditolak, Azizi (Ayob) ditolak. `Mahu calon tempatan' "Kita mahu calon tempatan. Saya sepatutnya bertanding di parlimen manakala Azizi DUN Sementa.
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| Kelantan MP Ibrahim Ali to stand as independent Posted: 16 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT
(ST) - Perkasa chief and Kelantan state MP Ibrahim Ali has announced that he will defend his Pasir Mas seat as an independent candidate in the May 5 general elections. This will mean a three-cornered fight for the federal seat, although Mr Ibrahim insists that he has no intention of "going against BN", according to a Tuesday report by The Malaysian Insider. BN or the Barisan Nasional, the ruling party led by Prime Minister Najib Razak, left Mr Ibrahim out of its list for Kelantan, naming instead Che Johan Che Pa, the deputy division chief for Pasir Mas Umno, although Mr Ibrahim has the support of the coalition's former leader Mahathir Mohamad. "I am not fielded, meaning I am not given a chance for reasons unknown. Perhaps I am not good looking or something," Mr Ibrahim was quoted saying in Kota Baru on Tuesday by Malay satellite channel, Astro Awani, according to The Malaysian Insider. |
| Tapah PKR chief to go independent Posted: 16 Apr 2013 02:56 PM PDT
Ridzuan Bani says he won't quit the party but will contest against its candidate. G Vinod, FMT Tapah PKR chief Ridzuan Bani announced today that he would contest as an independent candidate for the Tapah parliamentary seat. He added, however, that he would not relinquish his PKR membership. "At first I did not want to contest because this seat is reserved for an Indian candidate, but the central leadership has chosen a dubious candidate for Tapah," he said, referring to K Vasanthakumar, a former leader of Hindraf. PKR announced Vasanthakumar's candidacy yesterday. He will fight MIC vice president M Saravanan, who beat PKR's Tan Seng Toh by more than 3,000 votes in the 2008 election. Ridzuan said he had no choice but to offer himself as a candidate to "save Tapah" from Vasanthakumar, whom he described as "a man of bad character". "He has swindled money from Hindraf, an act that cannot be accepted by any Malaysian," he alleged. Asked how many PKR branches supported his move, Ridzuan said: "I don't care about branches or divisions. This is about offering the 5,000 voters in Tapah a candidate with good values." The Tapah electorate is made up of 47% Malays, 32% Chinese, 20% Indians and 1% Orang Asli.
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