Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Yes, Hindraf Sold Out ... But to the Indian Poor!
- Memorandum of Understanding between Barisan Nasional and Hindraf – Part 1
- Sabah 2013: Opposition making same mistakes
- The mother of all battles
- Buying support - Najib's 'commercialisation' of GE13
- YouTube a way to spread ‘new politics’
- Parties woo Sabah’s Chinese ‘kingmakers’
- "No one single race can rule Malaysia by itself: Tun Mahathir
- Petrol bomb believed thrown at Sg Leman BN ops centre
- Explosion rocks BN operations centre
- Kiram clan expect more Sabah clashes after GE13
- Hourly updates of haze situation now available on NEA website
- Malaysia Needs to Get Off the Road to Mediocrity
- Over 28,000 'foreign' voters on electoral roll
- Redberry takes over The Malaysian Insider?
- Credible BN rebels can still help Pakatan run Putrajaya, says Rafizi
- Media shocked over death of RTM cameraman
- Vote to ensure a better Malaysia
- Pakatan sudah ada calon PM, kata Mahfuz
- PAS: We’ll teach Ibrahim Ali a lesson
- Ku Li and the ‘third force’ intrigue
- Ahli PAS desak pertahan kerusi DUN Sg Acheh
- Read between the lines (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
- Kenyataan Media KAMI : Hadi jangan kadi macam Mahathir
- Despite Zul factor, MIC division backs BN
- Najib’s job expected to be safe even if BN does not improve in GE13
- Mat Taib: Umno has lost its potency, Pakatan better
- BN out to keep iron grip on Selangor rural base
- In GE13, Indian votes remain up for grabs, say analysts
- Manchester United become Premier League champions after beating Aston Villa
- BN win forecast by foreign diplomat
- Hindraf MOU with BN a quantum leap for Malaysian Indians
- BN sees opportunity in urban fringe
| Yes, Hindraf Sold Out ... But to the Indian Poor! Posted: 23 Apr 2013 12:27 PM PDT
All these programs are pointed and targeted to cater to the Malaysian Indian poor and greatly contrasts trickledown economics methodology. Paraman Subramaniam April 18th 2013 will go down in the books of the marginalized Indians as a truly historic moment where the PM of Malaysia humbly apologized to the Indian poor for past lapses and the BN coalition signed on the dotted lines to correct the effects of those lapses. This has set the stage for a new era for the Indian poor. It was a culmination of their struggle that began with the November 25th 2007 uprising that brought almost 100,000 Indians to the street and made HINDRAF a household name. BN is waking up to the fact that there had occurred a transition of the vast majority of Malaysian Indians from plantation estates to towns and cities over a period lasting 4 decades as a result of the Government's development policies and that this had not been directly and adequately addressed by other necessary Government policies to avoid the negative socio-economic effects on them. BN now desires to correct the chronic socio-economic problems that have resulted, in a comprehensive and permanent manner, recognizing that the program of intervention should be based on a focused and targeted approach with commensurate commitment of Government resources. They have decided the best route to that was with a partnership with Hindraf. The MOU signing by the BN Secretary General, on behalf of the BN coalition with HINDRAF leadership was the result of this commitment. No Malaysian Government, caretaker or not, has ever signed anything like this in full public view. The MOU document lays out the specific Government interventions necessary for the improvement of the socio-economic status of the Malaysian poor over the period of the next 5 years of the next Parliament from 2013 to 2018. These 4 major areas are: 1. Uplifting Displaced Estate Workers (DEW), synonymous with low income Indian households. 2. Addressing Statelessness among the Malaysian Indian poor. 3. Increasing Educational Opportunities from Pre-school to University. 4. Increasing Employment and Business Opportunities.
Programs to uplift DEW: a) Double the mean monthly family income of all Malaysian Indian families earning less than RM 3000 by 2020. b) Providing 100,000 affordable houses for 100,000 households with taking into account the socio-cultural needs like places of worship, burial grounds, community halls and playgrounds shall also be provided as part of this infrastructure. c) Programs to retrain and re-skill DEW youth like providing easy and attractive placements with pre-requisite preparations and appropriate financial support to draw these youth into 176 GIATMARA Centres and 78 Community Colleges as well as other skill training institutes across the country. Thereafter TEKUN program itself can be extended to provide to support newly retrained and re-skilled Malaysian entrepreneurs. A budget of RM 100 million shall be allocated over a 5 year period in aiding these measures. d) An official Government recognized Council of Hinduism and Hindu Temples comprising religious elders shall be set up to address challenges related to DEW places of worship and burial grounds and to permanently eliminate the problem of land for temples and burial grounds by 2018.
Statelessness among the Malaysian Indian poor shall be addressed by the following programs: i) Identify all Stateless ethnic Indians as ethnic Indians without Birth Certificates and Blue Identification cards and those with Red Identity Cards. ii) Develop Common Sense and transparent proposals to address the problems of Malaysian Indians who claim to have been born and raised in Malaysia but who do not have any documentary evidence whatsoever of their birth and residency. iii) Develop policies including those that may allow defined local persons of repute who are given official standing to issue Statutory Declarations conveying their opinion that a said stateless person was indeed born and raised in their locality in Malaysia. iv) Develop streamlined and transparent policies to resolve the large problem of all persons who only hold Red Identification Cards. v) Differentiate a system that can differentiate legitimate from non legitimate citizenship applications from ethnic Indians in Malaysia. vi) Ensure that the common sense and transparent proposals developed should strictly adhere to the provisions of the Federal Constitution.
Programs to increase educational opportunities from pre-school to University: a) Allocate adequate funding to relocate, upgrade and build new facilities towards ensuring that all Tamil schools are brought up to the standard of National Schools by 2020. b) Convert all Tamil Schools, that are willing, to be Fully-Aided Government Schools. c) Establish specific programs of improvement for the performance of SJK (T) s. d) Reserve 7.5% of places in specific courses for IPTA and other Public Tertiary Institutions and to achieve 7.5% overall admissions in 5 years. e) Reserve 10% places in Government Polytechnics for Malaysian Indian students. f) Reserve 7.5% places in existing Residential Schools as well as in Government Matriculation and Skills Training Institutes. g) Setup 9 new mixed residential schools with a minimum Malaysian Indian enrolment of 20%. h) Reserve 7.5% of JPA as well as other Federal & State Scholarships for Malaysian Indian students. i) Setup a new scholarship fund amounting to RM 25million annually to fund tertiary studies of Malaysian Indians based on academic excellence and socio-economic need.
Programs to increase employment and business opportunities: 1) Allocate RM 500 million towards achieving a Malaysian Indian equity ownership target of 3%. 2) Develop quotas for Government funded small business loans and micro-credit allocations of up to 7.5%. 3) Develop quotas for Malaysian Indians in terms of Government licenses and permits of up to 7.5%. 4) Develop quotas for Malaysian Indians in terms of Government controlled franchises of up to 7.5%. 5) Reserve 7.5% of all jobs created and or required by the Civil Service and Statutory Bodies for qualified Indians. 6) Reserve 7.5% of all jobs created and or required by GLCs for qualified Indians. 7) Commit an additional RM 200 million in TEKUN loan funding reserved for Malaysian Indians over the next 5 years. 8) Reserve Government micro credit allocations for Malaysian Indians.
The methodology of how it would be planned and eventually implemented from Jan 2014 onwards is outlined in the MOU. Interesting to note that all these programs are pointed and targeted to cater to the Malaysian Indian poor and greatly contrasts trickledown economics methodology.
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| Memorandum of Understanding between Barisan Nasional and Hindraf – Part 1 Posted: 23 Apr 2013 12:21 PM PDT
Much has been said about the signing of the MOU, and a lot of what was said has been in the realm of conjecture as well as emotional reactions to the signing. Hindraf finds the reactions understandable, though it does not share them, which should be just as understandable to the reader. Hindraf Economic Unit This is the first of a series of articles which will be released heading up to the Polling day and beyond. The articles are targeted towards Malaysians in general and Indian Malaysians specifically. The main purpose of these articles will be to set a standard of reference for what needs to be done to uplift the Indian poor. Along the way, the articles will also try to give Hindraf's perspective on why the MOU has been chosen as the way forward. Much has been said about the signing of the MOU, and a lot of what was said has been in the realm of conjecture as well as emotional reactions to the signing. Hindraf finds the reactions understandable, though it does not share them, which should be just as understandable to the reader. Indians make up 7.3% of Malaysia's population according to the Department of Statistics. We all know that except in crime statistics, Indian Malaysian do not have a 7.3% share of any cake in this country, be it as a part of the annual budget for education, or job opportunities or business licenses. If the fact that Indian Malaysians are usually allocated about 1% of the total annual education budget (excluding higher learning) seems fair to you, then read no further. But if it seems a tad unfair, then ask yourself this question: How can this be challenged, and changed? The same applies to all areas where the Indian Malaysian citizen has been excluded from, or has been deprived of. How can this unfair state of affairs be challenged, and changed? This does not only apply to the areas which fall under the control of the federal and state governments, but also in the private sector. As a quick exercise, imagine yourself to be an Indian Malaysian youth, of between 19 to 22 years of age, who is looking for some suitable part time or temporary employment. Now go to a popular job site like asiaparttime.com and see for yourself what percentage of the hundred odd new jobs advertised on that site daily will even accept an application from an Indian Malaysian like you. The only area where an Indian Malaysian is automatically an equal to any other citizen in this country is when it is time to vote. An Indian vote is counted as one, just as a Malay or a Chinese vote is. And it is from that position of equality, namely the vote, that Hindraf challenges and changes what is wrong, to what is right. Now, some of you may say that it is the individual that determines his or her success in life, and not the circumstances that surround the individual's particular race. To this, we ask you to do another simple mental exercise. Give away all your possessions, empty your bank accounts and liquidate your investments, sell your properties and start from zero. But before you start, also burn your birth certificate and diplomas and degrees, destroy your passport and mykad and driving license. Once you are standing there with no document which identifies you as so and so, with no money or wealth, with no right to apply for a bank account or a driving license, to make a police report when someone assaults you and leaves you for dead, no means to obtain medical care in even a government clinic, no right to marry or have children, unless you want your children to share your fate, no way to enroll in school or apply for a job, with no right to property or security. Once you stand there just like a stateless Indian Malaysian does, please show us how you will achieve everything you have achieved so far in life. Even Einstein would have become a beggar, if he had been born as a stateless Indian Malaysian in this country. This brings us to the first point from the MOU which we will address. Statelessness among the Malaysian Indian poor shall be addressed by the following programs: i) Identify all Stateless ethnic Indians as ethnic Indians without Birth Certificates and Blue Identification cards and those with Red Identity Cards. ii) Develop Common Sense and transparent proposals to address the problems of Malaysian Indians who claim to have been born and raised in Malaysia but who do not have any documentary evidence whatsoever of their birth and residency. iii) Develop policies including those that may allow defined local persons of repute who are given official standing to issue Statutory Declarations conveying their opinion that a said stateless person was indeed born and raised in their locality in Malaysia. iv) Develop streamlined and transparent policies to resolve the large problem of all persons who only hold Red Identification Cards. v) Differentiate a system that can differentiate legitimate from non-legitimate citizenship applications from ethnic Indians in Malaysia. vi) Ensure that the common sense and transparent proposals developed should strictly adhere to the provisions of the Federal Constitution. Point number three simply means this. A retired headmaster, or some other figure of local repute, can make a Statutory Declaration, which can lead to the stateless Indian Malaysian being released from the nightmare that is his nameless condition. Now, we issue a real challenge to the reader who believes that Pakatan Rakyat is the salvation for Malaysia. Can you guarantee that Pakatan will at least match the criteria listed above, and eradicate the problem of the stateless Indian Malaysian once and for all? We in Hindraf are not interested in your curses or your personal attacks. The people that lead and make up Hindraf are fighters, and we will take full responsibility to hold Barisan Nasional to what has been agreed in the MOU. What we are interested in is whether all of you who believe that there exists both the political will and moral backbone within the Pakatan Rakyat coalition to address the question of statelessness among the Indian Malaysian, to hold Pakatan Rakyat to the same standards by which we in Hindraf now hold Barisan Nasional. If you cannot see the pragmatism that is the basis for the question above, then let it be forever beyond you. But if you understand the import, are you then prepared to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring that Pakatan does what is right? If your answer is no, then please find other matters to occupy you, and leave the task of bringing the Indian poor to the mainstream development of Malaysia, to those that can.
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| Sabah 2013: Opposition making same mistakes Posted: 23 Apr 2013 12:16 PM PDT
Sabah politics is, as I keep repeating, complicated. But as the next general election comes around, Barisan Nasional's "fixed deposit" seems secure as the Opposition has learnt nothing about winning the state during the last few elections. There is one key demographic that has changed the tide for Sabah before and one that PKR has wilfully ignored, every single time. That group is the non-Muslim Bumiputeras. Sabah was an opposition state before, under Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) headed by maverick leader Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan. Pairin is often rubbished by PKR and opposition leaders in west Malaysia because they do not understand how he works or how the tribal elements in Sabah have an influence, especially among rural voters. Pairin is perhaps the last of the few visionary politicians Sabah has produced in the last 50 years, among them the late Tun Fuad Stephens. Both Pairin and Fuad were conferred the title "Huguan Siou" or paramount leader, by the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA), an organisation that is the de facto body that upholds the cultural traditions and spirit of a people. It is a title not given easily; one that, unlike datukships, cannot be bought but must be earned by deed and merit. Unlike Fuad, however, Pairin has struggled to appeal across voter factions as BN has consistently used religious sentiments to paint Pairin as a threat to Muslim influence in the state. But Pairin achieved something extraordinary with PBS ― he managed to capture most of the non-Muslim Bumiputera vote while swaying over the fickle Chinese demographic. The Chinese in Sabah are a group that, unlike the Chinese in the Peninsula, are not as alienated from the local Bumiputera. Intermarriage between Chinese and local natives is so prevalent, they have become their own demographic ― the "sinos" or half-Chinese. This demographic is one that can swing either way as unpredictable as the winds that gave Sabah its nickname of "land below the wind." Only in Sabah, should a Chinese man marry a Bumiputera woman, his child will still be entitled to Bumiputera status on condition that the parents apply for a Sijil Anak Negeri for the child. As long as one parent has native rights, the child retains those native rights. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/article/sabah-2013-opposition-making-same-mistakes/
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| Posted: 23 Apr 2013 12:13 PM PDT
Although it's a high stakes game for both, in the final analysis, Ghani probably has more to lose. Oon Yeoh, The Sun Daily IN the months leading up to the polls, the general sense that everyone had was that the Lembah Pantai battle between PKR's Nurul Izzah and Umno's Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin would be the one to watch. Nothing would be more exciting. Even when DAP's Lim Kit Siang announced he would be contesting in Johor, of all places, that in itself would not have eclipsed the Lembah Pantai contest. However, when Umno decided to field former Johor mentri besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman to defend Gelang Patah, it became THE contest to watch. This is, to borrow a phrase from Saddam Hussein, "the mother of all battles" in GE13. No other contest involving any other national level leader would be this exciting. Not even close. Most of us probably had not heard of Gelang Patah before this. Like many constituencies in Johor, it's a Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold. Despite the fact that it has a slight Chinese majority demographic, it managed to withstand the political tsunami that swept through most of Peninsular Malaysia in 2008. Gelang Patah was firmly in MCA's grip through four election cycles. In 2004, its candidate Tan Ah Eng had a whopping majority of more than 30,000 votes. Although her majority was decreased to slightly under 9,000 votes in 2008, it was still a comfortable margin. So, why is Kit Siang doing this? There are multiple reasons. One very basic one is to win a new parliamentary seat for DAP. This is something he has done throughout his career, moving from one constituency to another and establishing new strongholds for his party. He stumbled once, in 1999, when he tried to win a new seat for DAP in Penang and lost. But he came back and managed to take a new seat for DAP in Perak in 2004. Overall his track record is pretty impressive. But going to Johor is not just about winning an additional seat for his party. There is some psychological warfare at play here. It's about striking into the heart of BN country, much like how PAS's Datuk Husam Musa is contesting in Putrajaya. It does wonders to boost the morale of his party and the Opposition coalition. When Kit Siang chose Gelang Patah, he probably thought he would end up going against Jason Teoh, a relative lightweight next to him. Even if MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek had taken up his challenge to contest there, Kit Siang probably figured he could win rather easily. BN responded with a shock-and-awe strategy by fielding Ghani, without question the biggest name in Johor politics. And he's not some divisive figure like Ibrahim Ali or Zulkifli Noordin, but rather a leader with a genuinely moderate image who is seen to have done a good job as mentri besar. This surely would have taken Kit Siang by surprise but it's not something that will rattle him. He's battled big names before. In 1986, he took on then rising star Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, and won. Then in 1990, he took on the legendary Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu and won. Will he be able to score a hat-trick? To analyse the odds, one has to look at the demographics. About 53% of the electorate is Chinese, 34% Malays and 13% Indian. A lot of different voting configurations have been bandied about but there seems to be general sense that Kit Siang has to win at least 70% of the Chinese votes, 50% of the Indian votes and 20% of the Malay votes to defeat Ghani. Will he be able to garner at least 70% of the Chinese votes? Most political observers seem to think so. Whether he can get at least 50% and 20% of the Indian and Malay votes, respectively is another thing. That's the big unknown. Next, let's look at the prospects for these men. Both Ghani and BN have to win in order for Ghani to still have any political career to speak of. If Ghani wins but BN loses, he doesn't have much to look forward to as an opposition MP. If Ghani loses but BN wins, his career is over as he probably won't be made a minister via senatorship in a BN cabinet. In contrast, if Kit Siang wins but Pakatan Rakyat (PR) loses, he would be regarded as a hero who's set the stage for a further onslaught into BN territory in the next election, much like what he did in Perak (he won in 2004 and by 2008, PR was able to win that state). If Kit Siang loses but PR wins, it's almost certain he would be made a senator in a PR cabinet. So, although it's a high stakes game for both, in the final analysis, Ghani probably has more to lose. One thing's for sure though, the whole nation will be watching the outcome of this most exciting contest in Gelang Patah. Oon Yeoh is a columnist for theSun and editor of the book Tipping Points – Viewpoints on the reasons for, and impact of, the March 8 election earthquake.
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| Buying support - Najib's 'commercialisation' of GE13 Posted: 23 Apr 2013 12:08 PM PDT
Bridget Welsh, Malaysiakini The billion ringgit question of this campaign is how much is being spent in the 2013 general election campaign and who is paying for it?Throughout the country, voters are already reporting early efforts to woo the electorate such as special grocery vouchers of RM300 in Sandakan and handouts of RM50 to attend a Umno meeting in Tanjong Malim, among many others.  The promise of more goodies on the way is being repeated over and over, from the symbolic extension and increase of BR1M (Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia) to more general 'assistance'.The use of electoral incentives is well-known and honed, but there is a fundamental shift in the overall pattern this time round. Scholars such as Universiti Sains Malaysia emeritus professor Francis Loh have described the electioneering pattern as from one of patronage to 'developmentalism', where voters have moved from relying on everyday personal ties and relations with politicians to the promise of development projects. In this election, a new pattern of commercialisation has emerged, where the 'You help me, I help you' and 'Let's make a deal' mantras are framing the campaign in what is crassly an economic exchange. The base money flows, materialism and expensive brand marketing in GE13 cannot be understated, as they represent the dominant strategic mode of BN's campaign. Najib's RM58bil election primer Incumbent Prime Minister Najib Razak has systematically adopted this strategy since taking office in April 2009. He knew he inherited a difficult terrain, and more importantly, he would need to win seats. In the four years before he dissolved parliament to get his own mandate, he engaged in arguably the most expensive election primer in Southeast Asia, and by far the most expensive in Malaysian history. Gleaned from over 4,000 news reports since April 2009 and a study of the three budgets/supplemental budgets (2010-2013), I conservatively estimate that his administration has spent a total of RM57.7 billion from after he took over as PM to just before the dissolution of parliament on election-related incentives. (The primary sources of these electoral-related pledges are from national news agency Bernama.) The two main components of this largess are politically targeted distributions and 1Malaysia spending. These measures are inherently political as not only are they framed as political tools, they are being openly been touted as a reason to support the BN at the voting booth.  As shown in the table, the main share of the election primer is not BR1M in the overall 1Malaysia programmes - this only amounted to RM5.6 billion - but other measures including salary increases and targeted populist initiatives in areas such as school construction from money administered through the PM's Office.Targeted items include money to taxi drivers, repeated allocations for fisher folks, special allocations for the Danga development project in Johor, a rice subsidy for Orang Asli, special settlement for housing in Hulu Selangor, tricycle 50 percent subsidy support for those in agribusiness, subsidised discounts for students on trains, solar energy subsidies and so much more.  The estimate excludes money spent on special infrastructure projects, which have the spillover of government contracts. These have increased, especially in the defence sector.Please note that this spending only captures public spending, and excludes the non-transparent donations of mass dinners, entertainers and use of jets provided free by government-linked private businessmen. I also exclude the repeated announcements of treating different communities to a meal and drink, as the reports are only the tip of the iceberg for this funding. This estimate, and this is only what it can be seen to be an estimate, also does not fully capture the spending by the BN-linked 1Malaysia NGOs, whose funding sources remain ambiguous. Read more at: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/227713 |
| YouTube a way to spread ‘new politics’ Posted: 23 Apr 2013 12:03 PM PDT (TMI) - In the video, Sim and Zairil discussed the values of "new politics" where it is no longer about criticising different views by different people but to celebrate the difference in views as this could bring about new ideas. As the election campaign on the ground heats up, several politician have taken to putting their message on the YouTube video-sharing site to reach a wider audience in Election 2013. The MCA's Frankie Gan Joon Zin has uploaded video clips of him singing songs with his electoral team apart from distributing video CDs in Kuala Lumpur's Bukit Bintang federal seat where he is the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate. Then, there's the plethora of video clips of various ceramahs and skits that either praise or mock the parties contesting the May 5 general election. But two young DAP candidates have taken a different approach to appeal to the new generation of voters by espousing the values of "new politics" through a recently released candid video. Read more and see the videos at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/youtube-a-way-to-spread-new-politics |
| Parties woo Sabah’s Chinese ‘kingmakers’ Posted: 23 Apr 2013 11:58 AM PDT
(Today Online) - "Long before the 2008 'political tsunami' took place in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah has already experienced three changes of government ... and the Chinese votes were at the heart of it all." While they make up only about an estimated 15 per cent of the 980,000-strong electorate in Sabah, Chinese voters could play a pivotal role in the coming elections — a fact underlined by Prime Minister Najib Razak's presence at a dinner organised yesterday by the Federation of Chinese Associations of Sabah, on the first day of his visit to Malaysia's third most populous state. Despite a marked decline in the number of Chinese in Sabah over the last few decades, the Chinese community — the majority of whom live in the urban centres of Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau — remains the largest non-indigenous group in Sabah, making up about 9 per cent of the three-million population. Politicians here said they are going all out to win over the Chinese voters, who have been dubbed as the "kingmakers" in Sabah politics. Parti Keadilan Rakyat candidate Roland Chia, who is contesting in the Chinese-majority state seat of Inamam, said: "Long before the 2008 'political tsunami' took place in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah has already experienced three changes of government ... and the Chinese votes were at the heart of it all." Sabah is currently held by the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. Former Chief Minister Yong Teck Lee of the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) pointed out that including himself, Sabah has had three Chinese chief ministers. "That's proof that the Chinese have played a major role in the politics of Sabah," he said. But he added that Sabah's social fabric is "not quite the same" as compared to that of Peninsular Malaysia. "There is not much racial polarisation here and to take your political fight along racial lines here won't take you far," he said. Indeed, inter-ethnic marriages among the 32 officially recognised ethnic groups are rampant here. To win their hearts and minds, Chinese Sabahans TODAY spoke to want concerns such as cost of living and security to be addressed. There is also unhappiness about the large droves of illegal immigrants who are purportedly given identity cards. Read more at: http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/parties-woo-sabahs-chinese-kingmakers |
| "No one single race can rule Malaysia by itself: Tun Mahathir Posted: 23 Apr 2013 11:54 AM PDT
(NST) - "No one single race can hope to rule Malaysia by itself," said Tun Mahathir Mohammad here yesterday. In his speech at a private dinner with Perak's businessmen, the 87-year-old former Prime Minister said neither Malay, Chinese or Indian could single-handedly steer the country's leadership. "It has to be ruled by all three (major races) together with the people in Sabah and Sarawak. "Only then, this country can be peaceful, grow and develop for everyone to enjoy its wealth," he said. He said despite being a nation of different race and religion, peace was still maintained due to the spirit of togetherness. He pointed out that the country had progressed and was considered to have reached developed status because all three races as well as the people in Sabah and Sarawak were willing to work together in a coalition to form government. He said Barisan Nasional was formed on this concept. "There is a willingness to share and the voice of each race can be heard for decision to be made for the well-being of all parties," he said. He said the opposition parties, DAP, Pas and Parti Keadilan Rakyat ( PKR ), tried to copy by forming a coalition. "But theirs is a fake coalition. "Pas is aiming to impose Hudud laws in the country, including on non-muslims but DAP cannot accept this. "While PKR is only aiming to make their de facto leader (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) Prime Minister," he said. Mahathir said it was not easy to govern a multi-racial nation and expressed hope that the public would not fall for the opposition's attempts to "demonise" BN. "I hope this time, the people would choose BN," he said.
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| Petrol bomb believed thrown at Sg Leman BN ops centre Posted: 23 Apr 2013 11:52 AM PDT
(NST) - SEKINCHAN. Fire almost broke out at the Ops centre for Barisan Nasional (BN), at Parit 9, Sungai Leman early today. It is believed that a petrol bomb was thrown at the centre at 4am this morning. (Utusan) - Bilik Gerakan Barisan Nasional (BN) Parit 9, Sungai Leman di sini nyaris hangus dijilat api setelah dilempar bom petrol dalam kejadian kira-kira pukul 4 pagi ini. Kejadian itu disedari oleh salah seorang penduduk kampung yang kemudiannya bertindak menghubungi Jawatankuasa Kemajuan Kampung Kerajaan Persekutuan (JKKKP) setelah melihat api mula menyambar kain rentang BN. Pengerusi JKKKP Parit 9, Sungai Leman, Zulkefli Hassan berkata, kebakaran itu berjaya dipadam oleh para petugas parti sekali gus dapat menyelamatkan bilik gerakan itu daripada hangus. Premis tersebut merupakan sebuah balai raya yang berusia lebih 30 tahun itu. Ekoran kejadian itu, satu laporan polis telah dibuat di Balai Polis Sekinchan awal pagi ini |
| Explosion rocks BN operations centre Posted: 23 Apr 2013 11:50 AM PDT (Bernama) - An election campaign talk attended by about 3,000 people today was marred by an explosion at the Nibong Tebal Barisan Nasional (BN) operations centre in Jawi, seriously injuring a security guard, and causing panic among the people. The explosion was believed to have triggered off at the rear area of a stage that was set up for campaign talks, situated next to the operations centre. During the explosion at 10.15pm, about 3,000 people were gathered to listen to a political talk by Penang Gerakan chief Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan. Police have not ruled out foul play. A witness who wanted to be known as Micheal, 39, said he had arrived at the location about 10 minutes before the explosion and was listening to the talk when the blast occurred near a pile of rubbish. He added that he and his wife ran as fast as they could to leave the scene of the blast. "The blast sounded just like a bomb and everyone was caught by surprise. The situation turned chaotic and I saw an injured person being carried away," he said. Another witness who only wanted to be known as Ahmad, 58, said he was standing close to the stage when the incident happened. "The impact of the explosion saw rubbish strewn all over the place. Fortunately I was not hit by the flying debris," he told reporters at the scene. Penang deputy police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar said the security personnel, in his 30s, was injured in his right leg and was sent to the Sungai Bakap Hospital for treatment. He was reported to be in stable condition. "We have called in the bomb and forensic unit to investigate the explosion and determine what was used for the explosion," said Abdul Rahim adding that a thorough probe would be carried out. Meanwhile, state BN chief Teng Chang Yeow said the blast had tarnished democracy and expressed hopes that political campaigns would not be marred by similar incidents in the future. Among those present at the centre were Penang Umno liaison chief Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman, MCA Wanita Chief Tan Cheng Liang and People's Progressive Party (PPP) Liaison chief Datuk Dr Loga Bala Mohan. |
| Kiram clan expect more Sabah clashes after GE13 Posted: 23 Apr 2013 11:48 AM PDT
(TMI) - The Sulu Kiram clan expects clashes with defence forces in Sabah to resume soon, noting that Datuk Seri Najib Razak is afraid of offending the state's Suluk population in view of the May 5 general election, a Philippines daily reported today. The Philippine Star quoted Kiram clan spokesman Abraham Idjirani as saying that clashes will resume soon after some 1,000 Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fighters allegedly land in Sabah to reinforce the sultanate's forces in Lahad Datu. "At the moment, the Malaysians are very busy with their upcoming election and do not want to disturb Sabah where there are more than 600,000 Bangsa Suluk residents and voters," he was quoted as saying by the newspaper. Idjirani said the Bangsa Suluks in Sabah have kept strong ties with the people of Sulu. "Prime Minister Najib (Razak) is afraid of offending them," he said. "It might cost him votes." Idjirani added the Sulu commander in Lahad Datu, Agbimuddin Kiram, confirmed the arrival of the fully-armed MNLF fighters who have brought anti-tank weapons but said they have yet to link up. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/kiram-clan-expect-more-sabah-clashes-after-ge13/ |
| Hourly updates of haze situation now available on NEA website Posted: 23 Apr 2013 11:46 AM PDT
(Today Online) - SINGAPORE — Hourly updates of the haze situation here are now being made available by the National Environment Agency (NEA) — more than a month ahead of the traditional dry season when the region's burning activities are more pronounced. The service, which began yesterday, comes after forest fires in Sumatra over the past few days. Air quality remained good yesterday, as the three-hourly Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings between 7am and 7pm fluctuated between 40 and 46, reaching the peak at 2pm. As at 7pm, the reading was 44. Readings below 50 are classified as "good", higher than 50 is "moderate" while anything above 100 is "unhealthy". The level of PM2.5, or very fine particulate matter, was between 24 to 28 micrograms per cubic metre, yesterday.Although air quality has mostly remained good since the beginning of this year, the smoggy conditions and burning smell experienced across the island last Friday led to many concerns that the haze was back. According to the NEA yesterday, Singapore is "unlikely to be affected by significant trans-boundary haze" as the increase in rainfall over the last few days which has "helped to suppress hotspot activities" is expected to continue "for the next few days". However, it added that "brief slight haziness" is possible, especially during the mornings. "This is due to the accumulation of particulate matter and/or mist as the low-level winds are forecast to be light and variable," said the agency. The NEA also said that while the region's burning activities occur throughout the year, these will be more pronounced during the traditional dry season, which typically lasts between June and October. Read more at: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/hourly-updates-haze-situation-now-available-nea-website |
| Malaysia Needs to Get Off the Road to Mediocrity Posted: 22 Apr 2013 10:54 PM PDT
Change through the ballot box in a democracy should never be disruptive or chaotic, and rhetoric suggesting otherwise is disingenuous. Najib likes to say: "The time has come for Malaysians to make a decision." Actually, the time has come for Malaysia's government to grow up. William Pesek, Bloomberg In his bid for re-election, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has dispensed with all shame. Vote for me, he has essentially declared, or Malaysia will suffer "catastrophic ruin" and an "Arab Winter" of the kind that has undone economies from Egypt to Libya. Both warnings are ludicrous -- signs of how worried Najib's National Front coalition is of losing power for the first time since 1957. They speak to the desperation of a government that has come to serve itself, not Malaysia's 29 million people. And they are emblematic of a leader whose talk of bold change hasn't been matched by action. Najib's claim is this: Giving the opposition, led by former Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim, a chance to lead on May 5 would reverse all the gains Malaysia has made since the 2008 financial crisis. The economy would crater, stocks and the currency would plunge, and chaos would reign. Change through the ballot box in a democracy should never be disruptive or chaotic, and rhetoric suggesting otherwise is disingenuous. Najib likes to say: "The time has come for Malaysians to make a decision." Actually, the time has come for Malaysia's government to grow up. Najib's scaremongering, some of which came out of an April 17 Bloomberg News interview, smacks of the re-election campaign run almost a decade ago by then U.S. President George W. Bush. Instead of this vote-for-me-or-you're-in-danger appeal, Najib should scare up some headline-grabbing reforms that leave Malaysia better off in the future. Read more at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-23/malaysia-needs-to-get-off-the-road-to-mediocrity.html |
| Over 28,000 'foreign' voters on electoral roll Posted: 22 Apr 2013 10:51 PM PDT
(Malaysiakini) - There are at least 28,593 voters of foreign origin on the electoral roll, most of them concentrated in the hot states of Selangor and Sabah, said the Malaysian Electoral Roll Analysis Project (Merap). This is the sum of all persons who have registered as voters in the 2012 fourth quarter electoral roll, and had identified themselves as from one of four countries in the registration forms. These Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia, and Pakistan - all which are main sources of migrant labour for Malaysia.
Read more at: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/227757
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| Redberry takes over The Malaysian Insider? Posted: 22 Apr 2013 10:48 PM PDT
(fz.com) - Redberry Media group is a subsidiary of listed Ancom Berhad with Datuk Siew Ka Wei as its group managing director and chief operating officer, while Datuk Johari Razak is a non-Independent and non-executive chairman on the company's board. Johari is the elder brother of Datuk Seri Najib Razak. The Redberry Media Group is understood to have become a major shareholder of popular news portal The Malaysian Insider. The announcement of the deal is expected after the general election. Sources within Redberry have confirmed that the deal has already been concluded and it is part of the group's plan to expand its media empire. However, employees from both Redberry and The Malaysian Insider have been told to be tight-lipped regarding the takeover. When contacted, The Malaysian Insider's executive editor Leslie Lau denied that the news portal has been sold to Redberry. The Malaysian Insider staff have been briefed on a new management and are expected to move into Redberry City together with the group's paper, The Malay Mail by July. The group is also considering if it will continue its deal for syndicated content from Malaysiakini, rival to The Malaysian Insider, for The Malay Mail. Read more at: http://fz.com/content/redberry-takes-over-malaysian-insider |
| Credible BN rebels can still help Pakatan run Putrajaya, says Rafizi Posted: 22 Apr 2013 10:25 PM PDT
Clara Chooi, TMI Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will offer roles to credible Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders who turned rogue this general election to help carry out its reform agenda and forge a "national reconciliation" process, PKR's Rafizi Ramli said today. The party strategy director cited examples like the MCA's Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and Umno's Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim, saying both leaders were credible in their own right and had abilities that PR may need to drive its policies forward. "If we were to win, the task of carrying out reforms and to forge national reconciliation for both BN and PR parties is going to be humongous. "We cannot continue with the political contest after the elections. If we win, it is our wish to hit the ground running and we need all support, including from the good politicians in BN. "We need them to convince everyone to put aside partisan politics and focus on reforms," he told a press conference here. Rafizi (picture), however, said he was in no position to state what kind of role or position PR could offer to these rebels from BN parties, but said that in any respected government, even these politicians should have opportunities to share in the process of democracy. "Leaders like Kamilia and Ong Tee Keat... they are high standing, formidable, respected... and they are clean. "They are part of the hope that even after losing, BN can continue to play the role of a formidable and competent opposition," he said. The "last thing" that PR would want, Rafizi added, was for BN to implode and destroy itself should it lose federal power. He said both coalitions, PR and BN, must co-exist for the sake of pushing through non-partisan policies and create a healthy democratic environment in the government.
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| Media shocked over death of RTM cameraman Posted: 22 Apr 2013 10:10 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The National Press Club (NPC) Malaysia today expressed shock over the death of a Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) cameraman following a scuffle with a political party supporter in Gua Musang. Its president, Mokhtar Hussain, said it was sad that a journalist had to pay with his life during the ongoing campaign for the 13th General Election. The cameraman, Mohamed Yaakub, 61, died of a heart attack at his home in Bandar Lama in Gua Musang at 12.45 am. He had earlier been involved in a scuffle with a political party supporter whose car had blocked the path to his house, located close to a PAS base. Mokhtar said that all parties involved in the election campaign should keep their emotions in check and not vent their anger on others, including journalists. Its president, Anwar Aminuddin Hussin, called for an investigation, saying that the assault of a journalist which resulted in his death was a serious matter. In KUALA TERENGGANU, the Terengganu Journalists Club (Kawat) said such an incident should not have happened. Its president, Ayob Mamat, advised all media practitioners to exercise caution when covering the general election campaign. |
| Vote to ensure a better Malaysia Posted: 22 Apr 2013 09:40 PM PDT Press statement of Group of Concerned Citizens on the General Election Malaysians need a better government and good governance, especially in these tumultuous times of heightened racial discord and religious hatred and extremism. click on picture to enlarge
click on picture to enlarge Civil society leaders endorsing this message: Ahmad Farouk Musa
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| Pakatan sudah ada calon PM, kata Mahfuz Posted: 22 Apr 2013 09:25 PM PDT
Mohamad Fakhri Mohd Ali, Sinar Harian Pakatan Rakyat (PR) telah memutuskan calon yang layak menjadi perdana menteri jika berjaya menawan Putrajaya pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13) 5 Mei ini. Naib Presiden Pas, Datuk Mahfuz Omar berkata, sungguhpun begitu, ia masih tidak dapat diumumkan kepada orang ramai buat masa ini.
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| PAS: We’ll teach Ibrahim Ali a lesson Posted: 22 Apr 2013 08:56 PM PDT
Ibrahim Ali convinced Che Johan, who is his prodigy, to quit the race knowing that the latter would face the wrath of Umno Hawkeye, FMT PASIR MAS: Kelantan PAS has vowed to end the political career of maverick politician Ibrahim Ali during the 13th general election. Accusing Ibrahim of being a "backstabber", state PAS deputy commissioner Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said that this will be Ibrahim's last outing. Ibrahim had contested on a PAS ticket in the 2008 general election. But within three months he had started criticising the party. Nik Amar said it became obvious to many that Ibrahim had just used PAS for his own personal agenda. "This time PAS will teach him a lesson. We will reclaim back the seat," Nik Amar said. According to Nik Amar, Ibrahim cannot win on his own strength in Pasir Mas although he regarded the constituency as his personal stronghold. Ibrahim is up against PAS spiritual adviser Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's son, Nik Abduh in a straight fight after Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Che Johan Che Pa failed to file his nomination papers on April 20. 'Be lenient on Che Johan' The battle for the Pasir Mas seat is expected to be a battle royale. Similar fights will take place for the Kota Baru parliamentary seats between BN's Mohd Fatmi Che Salleh who is one of Najib Tun Razak's political secretary and Takiyuddin Hassan who is PAS deputy secretary general. While, Che Johan faces Umno's disciplinary czars for his unsung action, Ibrahim has called on his former party to be lenient on him. Ibrahim claimed that Che Johan had resorted to such a tactic to ensure that the seat did not easily go to PAS. In Kelantan, where PAS has an edge compared to BN because it has been in power for 22-years, every seat and vote counts. Nik Abduh's setback in Pasir Mas is that he is not a local candidate. When introducing Nik Abduh to the constituents earlier, Pasir Mas area head Hanipa Ahmad said the 13th general election is a "payback time" for PAS. Hanipa said in the last election Ibrahim's victory was due to the efforts of the PAS grassroots. "But now he has become a turncoat and probably associated with BN," he said.
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| Ku Li and the ‘third force’ intrigue Posted: 22 Apr 2013 08:49 PM PDT
Free Malaysia Today In the war of words between rebel Sabah PKR supreme council member Ansari Abdullah and former Barisan Nasional-Upko MP-turned-defector Wilfred Bumburing, the most intriguing reminder is that the latter is the deputy president of Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah). Way back in 2011, Amanah was linked to the rise of a "third force" within Malaysian politics, vis-a-vis Umno. Amanah was set up by Umno stalwart Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Ku Li) in 2011. Amidst a racially divided Malaysia, Razaleigh had called for Umno to return to the party's original struggles as envisioned by Tunku Abdul Rahman. Amanah was his platform to "unite" Malaysia by "reaffirming and reigniting a sense of togetherness and true family spirit that prevailed among Malaysians during our struggle for national indepedence". Razaleigh's move to form Amanah further fuelled talks of him having identified independents who would then be fielded in the 13th general election. These would be candidates who were Umno at heart but who "disagreed" with the way the party had morphed under Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Razaleigh, 75, an Umno stalwart and Gua Musang incumbent MP, had once led Semangat 46 after Umno was declared illegal in 1988 following a failed bid to wrest the party presidency from Mahathir. He returned to Umno and laid low until rumours started surfacing in late 2010. There were all kinds of rumours floating about, including speculation that he had held secret talks with opposition leaders and was eyed as the replacement leader for Anwar Ibrahim in the event Pakatan Rakyat wrested Putrajaya. There was no hard denials from PAS spiritual head Niz Aziz Nik Mat and PKR de facto leader Anwar. Anwar, when asked, had merely said that "he was not in the know" of such meetings. If past reports and alliances are any measure, then Razaleigh is well accepted by Pakatan as an alternative leader. In Sabah, he is a "hero" of sorts, having thrown light on the haunting "Double Six" air tragedy that killed Sabah chief minister Fuad Stephens and his ministers hours after they allegedly disagreed with the terms of the oil agreement on June 6, 1976. 61 'independents' Ansari's rantings on his Facebook on nomination day have brought the speculations back in focus. In his posting, Ansari demanded to know why Bumburing and men were allocated seats under the PKR banner when they were aligned to Umno's Razaleigh, via Amanah. Additionally interesting is the fact that a staggering 61 Umno members had filed their nomination papers on April 20 to contest in the general election as independents. They are contesting in parliamentary and state seats across the country, raising the possibility that a "pseudo-third force" is available to partner any which side that wins. In Sabah alone, just under 30 Umno members were sacked for allegedly sabotaging or undermining Umno-BN's bid to retain Sabah. Sabah and Sarawak are crucial to Umno and BN in its battle to keep Putrajaya.
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| Ahli PAS desak pertahan kerusi DUN Sg Acheh Posted: 22 Apr 2013 08:41 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Anggota akar umbi PAS Pulau Pinang mendesak pucuk pimpinan parti itu mempertahankan kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Sungai Acheh dan meminta Ketua Dewan Pemudanya Mohd Yusni Md Piah tidak menarik diri daripada bertanding. Bekas Ketua Pemuda PAS negeri Mohamed Hafiz Mohamed Nordin berkata kepimpinan tertinggi PAS perlu bertegas dalam mempertahankan kerusi itu dan tidak menjadikan parti itu mangsa kepada sekutunya Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). "PAS hanya bertanding di enam kerusi DUN dan dua Parlimen di Pulau Pinang sedangkan PKR 16 kerusi DUN dan empat Parlimen. "Memang inilah sikap tamak haloba yang ada pada PKR dan selalunya yang jadi mangsa PAS negeri Pulau Pinang, calon-calon PAS Pulau Pinang. Bayangkan dulu PAS ada 16 kerusi sekarang hanya tinggal enam dan masih nak diambil daripada PAS," katanya pada sidang akhbar di sini hari ini. Beliau berkata demikian sebagai mengulas kenyataan calon PKR Badrul Hisham Shaharin atau dikenali sebagai 'CheguBard' bahawa PKR tetap bertanding di kerusi itu dan calon PAS telah diminta menarik diri. Pada PRU12, penyandang kerusi itu Datuk Mahmud Zakaria dari BN mengalahkan calon PKR Dr Azhar Ahamad dengan majoriti 250 undi. Mohamed Hafiz berkata keputusan yang dibuat oleh kepimpinan tertinggi pakatan itu bukanlah situasi 'menang-menang' kepada PAS sebaliknya ia menggambarkan seolah-olah PAS 'dibuli' oleh PKR. "Sebelum ini apa juga yang dibuat oleh PKR terhadap PAS, Pemuda PAS tetap meneruskan gerak kerja terutama pada musim pilihan raya, tetapi kali ini ianya akan berlaku sebaliknya…kerana kalaulah PKR dan pemimpin PAS pusat mengatakan ini 'win-win situation' (situasi menang-menang) sebenarnya ahli akar umbi menganggap ia 'win-lose situation' (situasi menang-kalah)," katanya. Ditanya sama ada PAS perlu keluar daripada pakatan pembangkang, Mohamed Hafiz berkata: "Itu yang kita minta (PAS keluar daripada pakatan)…hentikan berpakat dan tidak sepakat." Sementara itu, Mohd Yusni berkata beliau terpaksa akur dengan keputusan Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang untuk memberi laluan kepada PKR sebagai rakan dalam pakatan pembangkang. Katanya, beliau tidak akan turun berkempen untuk CheguBard dan akan membantu calon tunggal Pemuda PAS negeri Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamuddin yang bertanding di kerusi Parlimen Kepala Batas. "Fokus saya sekarang adalah turun berkempen bagi memastikan kemenangan calon tunggal Pemuda Pulau Pinang Ustaz Afnan di Kepala Batas," katanya menerusi khidmat pesanan ringkas.
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| Read between the lines (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 22 Apr 2013 07:29 PM PDT Then, in 1974, they turned Kuala Lumpur into Federal Territory so that they could 'kick out' the Chinese from Selangor and regain their Malay majority in Selangor. Then, in 1978, they turned Shah Alam into the new Selangor State Capital and 'Malay city' and from thereon injected Malays into Selangor so that the Malays will always be the largest population in Selangor and the opposition could never again capture that state. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak thinks that just because the Barisan Nasional candidate for Shah Alam, Zulkifli Noordin, has apologised to the Hindus that makes it all okay. Maybe Najib is underestimating the outrage by the Hindus. There are those who are trying to water down Zul's crime by arguing that what he said he said when he was in the opposition and not when he joined Umno. Hence it was an 'opposition crime' rather than a 'government crime', they say. And they further ask as to why Zul was not whacked back then, when he was still in the opposition, and why whack him only now when he joins Umno? They also argue that Anwar Ibrahim too has insulted the Hindus when he was in the government and he never did apologise until today and they further argue that some of the Hindus have never forgiven him for that insult. I think this is a weak argument and saying that Anwar also did the same thing does not make what Zul did right. Two wrongs do not make a right, as the saying goes. In fact, some Hindus say that Anwar's six-year incarceration is his punishment or karma for making fun of the Hindus. This is terribly unfair and a statement not based on facts or tangible evidence. Anyway, Anwar was never charged for insulting the Hindus but for abuse of power. Furthermore, in the first place, can you even prove that karma does exist? MIC Shah Alam has made a statement that they will still support Barisan Nasional in spite of the party fielding Zul to contest that seat. It is not Zul they support, said MIC, but Najib. Hence they will still support Barisan Nasional. Is that the right thing to do? Where are their principles? You mean just to win the general election they are prepared to support Barisan Nasional even though they do not support or like the candidate that Barisan Nasional is fielding? These MIC people really lack morals. No wonder the Indians are always being given a raw deal. And this is what separates the opposition supporters from the government supporters. The government supporters lack principles. The opposition supporters have very strong principles. For example, if you do not like Azmin Ali, Tian Chua, R. Sivarasa, and so on, you will not be expected to support PKR or Pakatan Rakyat. If you support PKR or Pakatan Rakyat in spite of you hating some of the leaders in the party you would be seen as someone of no principles. This is how the opposition supporters will look at things, unlike how the MIC Indians look at things. Would you ever see the opposition supporters demanding that you support the opposition, or condemning you if you do not support the opposition, if you do not support the opposition due to many people in the opposition whom you do not like and who you regard as scumbags and slime-balls? Definitely you will not support the opposition if you disagree with many of the people in the opposition and/or you despise the actions of these people. To do otherwise would open you to condemnation and you will be called a hypocrite. But these are not the same values that these MIC Indians possess. And that is a downright shame. In fact, it shames all Malaysian Indians. Last night, Muhammad son of Muhammad spoke about his dream of seeing Shah Alam as the only Malay city in the world. He then lamented about Shah Alam's 'lack of spiritual character', and said that this is his 'failed ambition'. The man with two Muhammad's in his name also explained that 'Islam is a religion of cities'. I do not quite know what that means but I assume he meant that Islam is a religion of the ummah, which translates to community. If you can remember, I once wrote that Islam could be equated to communism. That statement upset many people mainly because they do not understand what communism means. To most Muslims, communism means atheism and anti-God. That, of course, is not what I meant. The word communism is derived from the word commune. And a commune is a place where people live while the people in that commune are what we would call a community. Community in Bahasa Malaysia is masyarakat and in Arabic is ummah. Islam is about the ummah. The Muslim community is called Ummah Islam. And Islam makes it mandatory that everything is done as an ummah (even eating if possible where you gain more pahala than eating alone). And Islam encourages you to select your leader from your community (even when you travel where you are supposed to select a leader from amongst the travellers). Now, is this not what communism also is? Communism has nothing to do with believing or not believing in God. It is about organising everyone into a community within a commune. And this is what the man who eloped with His Highness the Sultan of Selangor's daughter was trying to say but did not know how to explain it mainly because his knowledge of Islam is very weak (if not he would not have secretly married the Sultan's daughter and then lie about it). Okay, so now you understand what one of the most corrupt Menteri Besar of Selangor in history meant by that statement. And he was telling the truth. And I have, in fact, written about this before -- about five years ago back in 2008. The idea to turn Shah Alam into a Malay city was mooted soon after the 1969 general election to make sure that Selangor never again falls to the opposition. First, in 1973, they created a new coalition called Barisan Nasional so that they could 'swallow' all the opposition parties and gain back their two-thirds majority in Parliament. Then, in 1974, they turned Kuala Lumpur into Federal Territory so that they could 'kick out' the Chinese from Selangor and regain their Malay majority in Selangor. Then, in 1978, they turned Shah Alam into the new Selangor State Capital and 'Malay city' and from thereon injected Malays into Selangor so that the Malays will always be the largest population in Selangor and the opposition could never again capture that state. This, of course, can work only as long as 'opposition' means 'Chinese' in the West Coast and the Malay opposition party in the East Coast never gains a foothold in the West Coast. However, that all changed in 2008 and it was because of a 27-year exercise that started back in 1981 -- and which I have already written about before regarding how we 'exported' Tok Guru Abdul Hadi Awang into Selangor. So you see, there was a reason why the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and the State Capital of Shah Alam were created. I know because the late Sultan had to consent to this move and His Highness cried when he had to sign the document to hand over Kuala Lumpur, and later Putrajaya (then called Perang Besar), to the Federal Government. In fact, many of us from the Selangor Royal Family opposed this move and I actually wrote an article expressing my opposition to it. The late Sultan spoke to my late Uncle, Raja Datuk Redzwa Tun Uda, about what I wrote and His Highness told my Uncle that they would be summoning me to the Palace to scold me for that article. My Uncle plus many other members of the Royal Family supported what I wrote. They too did not agree to the annexation of Selangor territory and were very unhappy about the whole thing (just like Sabahans are angry about Labuan). Nevertheless, the late Sultan called the family for a meeting to explain what was happening and His Highness told the assembly that the whole matter is a fait accompli and there is to be no more discussion or protest. Subsequently, I was summoned to the Palace for a 'meeting' with the Acting Sultan who is now the Sultan of Selangor. And that is how I came to know the story about the creation of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, the creation of the State Capital of Selangor, Shah Alam, and the creation of Malaysia's Administrative Capital, Purtajaya. So our man from Selangor, the ex-Menteri Besar, told us only part of the story when he mentioned his 'failed dream' of the 'Malay city' of Shah Alam. What he did not add was the fact that this whole thing was to dilute the Chinese in Selangor and isolate them in Kuala Lumpur. And I have written about this before. Muhammad son of Muhammad just confirmed what I wrote as true. **************************** 言外之意 1974年，他們把吉隆坡規劃為聯邦直轄區以便可以把華人踢出雪蘭莪來保住馬來人的多數權。1978年，他們把莎亞南升級為雪州首府然後開始'注入'馬來人以確保馬來人永遠是雪州的多數民族而反對黨沒有可能奪得雪州。 原文：Raja Petra Kamarudin 譯文：方宙 納吉以爲只要莎亞南候選人ZulkifliNoordin向印裔道歉那事情就會告一段落，可能他低估了印度人的憤怒吧。 很多人想要為Zul漂白，他們爭辯說那是Zul還是反對黨員時的言論而現在他是巫統黨員了，所以這是個'反對黨'而不是'政府'的錯。他們進一步的問到爲什麽儅Zul還在反對黨時沒有人站出來干屌他，而現在他跳槽了那些人才站出來呢？ 他們也爭論說安華還是為政府做事時他也侮辱印度人且從未道歉。他們指出有些印度人到現在爲止都還沒原諒他。 我覺得這個爭論是站不住腳的，安華曾作過不代表Zul作了就是對的。正如諺語所說的，别人错了不等于你对了。 事實上，有些印度人把安華被関進監牢六年看成是他對印度人不敬的報應。這是很不公平且毫無證據的。安華是因爲濫權而被捕，不是因爲侮辱印裔同胞，再者，你能證明報應的存在嗎？ 莎亞南囯大黨經已聲明他們會支持囯陣，雖然說候選人是Zul。他們表示他們支持的是納吉而不是Zul，所以他們還是會支持囯陣。 這對嗎？他們的原則呢？你的意思是只要能贏得大選他們甘願支持囯陣雖然他們並不喜歡/支持囯陣的候選人？囯大黨真的很沒道德，難怪印度人一直被不公平地對待。 這就是反對黨支持者和執政黨支持者的不同；執政黨支持者是沒有原則的，但反對黨支持者則反之。 打個比方，如果你不喜歡Azmin Ali, Tian Chua, R. Sivarasa等你將不會支持民聯，如果你支持民聯，那你就是沒有原則的。這就是民聯支持者看待事情的方法，跟囯大黨很不一樣。 儅你討厭民聯内的某個人，認爲他是個混蛋人渣時，你曾經看過民聯支持者跳出來強迫你支持民聯嗎？ 如果你不認同反對黨的某個人或你不苟同他們的做法，那你肯定不會支持反對黨。如果你沒這麽做的話，那你將迎來詛咒和駡名，別人會稱你為僞君子。但這些並不是囯大黨黨員的價值觀，所以這對他們來講是個絕對的侮辱。事實上，這對所有印度人來講就是個侮辱。 昨晚，泰益談及他的夢想，他夢想中的莎亞南是全球唯一一個'馬來城'。他過後哀嚎莎亞南是'缺乏精神/靈魂的'，這是他'失敗的志向'。他進一步解釋到'回教是城市的宗教'。我其實不大明白那是什麽意思，但我猜想他的意思是回教是Ummah的宗教（Ummah的翻譯是'社區'） 如果你還記得的話，我曾經寫到伊斯蘭就像共產主義一樣。我的説法令很多人不高興，因爲他們都不懂共產主義到底是什麽。對很多穆斯林來講，共產主義就是無神主義。那根本就不是我要表達的。 共產主義communism這個詞原自'公社commune'。公社的意思是指一個人們生活的地方，而生活在公社的人們我們稱爲'社會community'。社會的馬來文為masyarakat而阿拉伯文為ummah。 回教是圍繞ummah的，穆斯林社會被稱爲Ummah Islam。回教進而強制所有東西必須以ummah的方式來執行（就連吃飯也應該一起吃，那樣你得到的福報pahala將會比你獨自一個人吃飯更多）。回教教條也鼓勵從你的社會裏選出一個領導者（就連你在旅行時你也應該從一群旅行者當中選出一名領導）。 這不就是共產主義推行的嗎？共產主義根本就跟信不信上帝沒有關係，它是跟管理社會裏的人群有關係。這就是那個跟雪蘭莪公主私奔的人想表達的，但他無法很清楚地解釋，因爲他對回教的認知很弱。（如果不是的話他就不會跟蘇丹女兒偷偷結婚而且還不承認） 好了，現在你明白史上最貪污的雪州大臣想要表達的東西了。他其實講的都是真理，而我早在5年前就寫下來了。其實要把莎亞南變成'馬來城'這個想法早在1969年就有了，原因是有某些人不想雪蘭莪落入反對黨手裏。 第一步，在1973年，他們組成新囯陣來'吞併'所有反對黨和重拾2/3多數席位。 1974年，他們把吉隆坡規劃為聯邦直轄區以便可以把華人踢出雪蘭莪來保住馬來人的多數權。1978年，他們把莎亞南升級為雪州首府然後開始'注入'馬來人以確保馬來人永遠是雪州的多數民族而反對黨沒有可能奪得雪州。 這裡的反對黨當然是指西海岸華人，而他們預測東海岸的馬來反對黨永遠也不能在西海岸立足。但是，這些計劃在2008年失敗了，就僅僅是因爲1981年的一個舉動----我之前已經寫到我們如何把Tok Guru Abdul HadiAwang'出口'到雪蘭莪來。 你現在明白吉隆坡和莎亞南存在的原因了嗎？我很清楚這一些，因爲前蘇丹被迫同意這些計劃。他在簽署這些文件把吉隆坡和布城'割'給聯邦政府時還落下了男兒淚。 事實上，我們很多雪蘭莪皇室都反對這個念頭，我甚至還寫了篇文章來表達我的不滿。蘇丹跟我的皇叔談及我的文章，他親口跟我叔叔講說他要把我招進宮來大罵一頓。 我的皇叔和其他人都很支持我所寫的。他們很不贊同割地和對整件事情都很不高興（就像沙巴居民很不滿納閩島一樣）。無論如何，蘇丹都把我們招入宮來解釋到底發生了什麽事。他告訴我們，這是fait accompli，我們全家人都不能再談及和反對。 爾後，我再次被招入宮，和代理蘇丹（即現任蘇丹）來個'會議'。這就是爲什麽我清楚了要組成吉隆坡，莎亞南，和布城的來龍去脈。 所以說我們的'哥們'前州務大臣只跟我們講了故事的一半。他只談到了'破滅的夢想'和莎亞南的'馬來城'，他並沒有談及此事的目的是爲了要分散華人和把他們聚集在吉隆坡。 這些都是我曾寫過的。而默罕默特的兒子默罕默德 泰益證實了我所講的都是真的。
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| Kenyataan Media KAMI : Hadi jangan kadi macam Mahathir Posted: 22 Apr 2013 05:08 PM PDT
Hadi sepatutnya meraikan kepelbagaian idea dalam negara demokrasi ini, bukan memaksa orang lain berfikir dalam satu acuan sahaja. Islam sendiri meraikan kebebasan berfikir apabila dalam al-Quran berulang kali menyebut 'Afala Taqqilun' (tidakkah kamu menggunakan aqal?) dan 'afala tatafakkarun' (tidakkah kamu berfikir?) 1. Kumpulan Aktivis Mahasiswa Independen (KAMI) begitu terkilan dengan kenyataan Presiden PAS, Abdul Hadi Awang berkenaan dengan kenyataannya semalam yang seolah mahu menghancurkan tahaluf siyasi yang dibina selama ini. 2. Tindakan yang kononnya mahu menyelamatkan Pakatan Rakyat itu sebenarnya tidak berasas. PAS tidak sepatutnya melakukan perkara yang menghancurkan persefahaman. 3. Sekiranya ada calon yang menjadi 'pengedar dadah', buat sahaja laporan Polis dan kemukakan bukti. Tak molek sekiranya bercakap kosong dan bertindak sebegini. 4. Hadi juga seharusnya menghormati dan tidak menghina fahaman orang lain, Islam menyebut bahawa 'tiada paksaan dalam beragama' malah dalam alkafirun, allah menggesa umat islam menghormati pegangan orang lain. 5. Berkenaan dengan isu gambar Karl Marx, Stanlin dan Lenin di dalam bilik gerakan, kami tidak rasa ada sebarang masalah kerana kesemuanya merupakan tokoh dalam perjuangan menegakkan negara yang berlandas kebajikan sosial. 6. Tindakan ini sama sahaja seperti menggantung gambar Tuan Guru Nik Aziz dalam bilik gerakan, apa bezanya? 7. Kalau pun ada calon yang menganut fahaman komunis, Hadi sepatutnya rasa 'bangga' kerana Islam sendiri meletakkan kesamarataan dan keadilan di tempat yang tinggi. Mungkin Hadi patut buka sejarah semula mengenai gerakan komunis di malaysia dalam usaha kemerdekaan negara. 9. Hadi sepatutnya meraikan kepelbagaian idea dalam negara demokrasi ini, bukan memaksa orang lain berfikir dalam satu acuan sahaja. Islam sendiri meraikan kebebasan berfikir apabila dalam al-Quran berulang kali menyebut 'Afala Taqqilun' (tidakkah kamu menggunakan aqal?) dan 'afala tatafakkarun' (tidakkah kamu berfikir?) 10. Jika perkara ini terjadi, memang sah Malaysia tidak akan ubah seperti zaman pemerintahan Dr. Mahathir Mohamad bila mana rakyat dikekang daripada berfikir dan bercakap sehingga wujud budaya takut atau 'culture of fear' sehingga tercipta istilah Mahathirisme. 11. Kami mohon supaya Hadi menarik balik kenyataannya sebelum terlambat bagi menjamin kesejahteraan bersama. KHALID ISMATH, PRESIDEN, KUMPULAN AKTIVIS MAHASISWA INDEPENDEN (KAMI)
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| Despite Zul factor, MIC division backs BN Posted: 22 Apr 2013 04:59 PM PDT
The Shah Alam MIC division will work on the ground for BN, not because of Zulkifli Noordin but for Najib Tun Razak. B Nantha Kumar, FMT Shah Alam MIC division chairman K Suppaiah today pledged to support Barisan Nasional despite Indians being upset over the choice of candidate for the parliament seat, Zukifli Noordin. "We are working on the ground not for Zulkifli but for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's leadership," he told FMT. Suppaiah said that although MIC and other BN-friendly Indian-based parties supported Najib's administration, the decision to support Zulkifli is still in the hands of the Indian community. "From the beginning, we (Shah Alam MIC division) tried to avoid Zulkifli from contesting in our constituency. We even sent a letter to the PM's Office as well as to the MIC national body. "However, the PM already made his decision and MIC's top leadership instructed us to support the PM's choice of candidate," he added. He also pointed out that PM personally promised him to build a hall for the Indian community in Shah Alam and to allocate RM1 million for a local temple. "Thus, we are not concerned about Zulkifli as we have direct access to the Prime Minister's Office," he added. The division chairman also said that he was not surprised that his division vice-chairman had quit from MIC as a sign of protest against Zulkifli's candidacy. "It is his own decision which does not reflect the division's stand," he added. Meanwhile, Malaysian Indian Progressive Association (MIPAS) was disappointed with Najib 's decision to defend Zulkifli's candidacy. Najib had asked the Indian community to forgive the Perkasa leader for insulting the Hindu religion. MIPAS leader S Barathidasan said a mere apology from Zulkifli would not suffice. "We want police to investigate Perkasa for causing disharmony, feelings of hostility and hatred among religions," he added.
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| Najib’s job expected to be safe even if BN does not improve in GE13 Posted: 22 Apr 2013 03:46 PM PDT
(TMI) - Datuk Seri Najib Razak's 2009 move to open up Umno's leadership selection will likely secure his future as prime minister even if Barisan Nasional (BN) fails to do better in the May 5 general election, Bloomberg reported today. The rule change, aimed to stop any one Umno leader from buying votes to boost support within the party, increased by 60-fold the pool of members in choosing their head. It also allows the 59-year-old to bypass any party insiders who seek his ouster if the 13-party BN wins by a narrower margin in Election 2013, the international business news wire reported, citing analysts and Umno politicians. "Because of the opening up of the party election process to a larger number of voters, the personal popularity of a particular candidate becomes even more influential," Joseph Chinyong Liow was quoted as saying. "This might translate into support within Umno if his position is under threat," the associate dean of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore told Bloomberg. Najib's predecessor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, was pressured into resigning from office following the BN's dismal showing in the 2008 polls which lost the ruling coalition its two-thirds parliamentary supermajority and five states. Najib's deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, had started the move against Abdullah, Bloomberg reported Umno supreme council member Saifuddin Abdullah as saying. But the deputy minister of higher education was also reported as saying Muhyiddin was unlikely to repeat the ouster move as Najib's position is stronger than Abdullah's.
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| Mat Taib: Umno has lost its potency, Pakatan better Posted: 22 Apr 2013 03:30 PM PDT
Earlier, Muhammad spoke of his dream of seeing Shah Alam as the only Malay city in the world, but lamented its lack of spiritual character, calling it his failed ambition. Zurairi AR and Md, Izwan, TMI Hours after officially joining PAS, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib went on the campaign trail last night and said he had jumped parties because Umno had lost its potency to work for the people. Standing right in the middle of the state capital that he helped develop, the former Selangor mentri besar said PAS could help make his vision of Shah Alam as the crown jewel city of Malay and Muslim culture come true. "It is time ... Umno has lost its potency," Muhammad said as he joined Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders on stage in the rally in Shah Alam. "I believe PR has the ability, and it can carry on the continuity of BN's rule to a higher level," he added to cheers from the predominantly Malay crowd. The former Umno strongman, popularly known as Mat Taib, appeared nervous in front of the crowd last night, his first public appearance after losing his Cabinet post in a 2009 reshuffle by Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak. Muhammad was not spared from being teased for his former affiliation as PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu mentioned jokingly Umno and BN's misdeeds during his time in the ruling coalition. Earlier, Muhammad spoke of his dream of seeing Shah Alam as the only Malay city in the world, but lamented its lack of spiritual character, calling it his failed ambition. He described Islam as a "religion of cities", a point that was also made by PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa in his campaign to capture the administrative capital Putrajaya.
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| BN out to keep iron grip on Selangor rural base Posted: 22 Apr 2013 03:27 PM PDT
The Straits Times reported that for now, neither side has an overwhelming advantage. The BN has been marred by corruption, with its former mentri besar convicted of fraud. But the PR has been sullied by internal quarrels between Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's right-hand man, Azmin Ali. The Malaysian Insider DAP candidate Ng Suee Lim knows he has a tough fight on his hands in defending his Sekinchan state seat in the coastal farming and fishing belt in Selangor. His majority in the 2008 general election was a wafer-thin 190 votes. "People here want to see you face to face, and we need to build relationships day by day," Ng, who speaks Javanese, having grown up in Sekinchan, a village of Malays of Javanese descent, told the Singapore Straits Times. To make sure people know him, he carries a giant replica of a ballot paper with an "X" next to his name and the rocket symbol on his campaigns. According to the daily, Ng is literally going from house to house, in between phone calls to the local council to get street lights repaired in response to residents' complaints. It is a far cry from urban campaigns, which rely on mass rallies and the Internet. The report said this was the main reason the federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has found it hard to make inroads into the rural areas, even in Selangor, Malaysia's most urbanised and industrialised state. Other than PAS, the opposition does not have a grassroots network to rival the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), which has built up its ground since the 1950s. This has helped it maintain an iron grip over its rural base. In 2008, PR surprised everyone by winning Selangor, taking 36 of 56 state seats, though one later turned independent. The Straits Times reported that other than Ng's seat, PR seats are in a tight urban swathe near Kuala Lumpur. It said the densely urban areas may stay with the PR. Since last Saturday, when the campaign kicked off, urban opposition rallies have drawn the crowds, it added. The BN has not bothered with these hardcore opposition areas but is aiming to hold on to its rural seats while trying to snatch PR's seats on the fringe of urban areas, the daily said. Subahan Kamal, BN candidate for Templer, which sits on the outskirts, believes the BN can do better in such areas. "We have promised welfare payments for the disabled, elderly, single mothers, and also aid for students. We are going to build 15,000 affordable houses," the daily quoted him as saying. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak spent a full day in Selangor yesterday, whizzing through 16 stops on the outskirts to woo voters. The Straits Times reported that for now, neither side has an overwhelming advantage. The BN has been marred by corruption, with its former mentri besar convicted of fraud. But the PR has been sullied by internal quarrels between Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's right-hand man, Azmin Ali.
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| In GE13, Indian votes remain up for grabs, say analysts Posted: 22 Apr 2013 02:55 PM PDT
Jahabar Sadiq, TMI Malaysia's significant Indian community remains a key demographic in Election 2013, with analysts saying Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) are in a tight race to get the better part of their nearly one million votes. More Indians are likely to vote for BN this time compared to 2008, analysts said, with 52 per cent of Indians surveyed in favour of the ruling BN in a private poll taken by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research before Parliament was dissolved last month. "BN shouldn't take the Indian vote for granted though," Merdeka Center executive director Ibrahim Suffian told The Malaysian Insider, adding the survey was done before BN named controversial Malay rights campaigner Datuk Zulkifli Noordin as its election candidate. The Malay rights group Perkasa vice-president had courted protest over remarks made in a video clip that were seen as insulting to the Hindu religion. He has apologised for the remarks, blaming it on his former colleagues in Pakatan Rakyat (PR). BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak defended Zulkifli's candidacy for the Shah Alam federal seat, saying yesterday the lawyer had championed Indian issues such as the construction of a Tamil school and a Hindu temple in the mainly middle-class Selangor state capital. Zulkifli's candidacy has outraged a number of groups, including Najib's Umno ally MIC, the Indian party in BN but he remains on the ruling party's slate for the May 5 general election. "The opposition Indian parties are weak, and exploitation of Zulkifli's candidacy has been poor unlike that done by the civil service organisations," said Ibrahim. The pollster also noted that BN has worked on various initiatives to get the Indian vote that deserted the coalition in the 2008 general election after a rare protest about their social and economic plight was violently put down. Several leaders of the protest organisers Hindraf were detained without trial in the aftermath of the 2007 protest. But all have been released and a few are now with BN in Election 2013, including Hindraf leader P. Waythamoorthy who signed a pact with Najib several days ago to improve the community's conditions. "BN has been working harder for the Indian vote, unlike Pakatan which has been battling the past few years to get the Malay ground," said Ibrahim, explaining BN's slight edge in the survey. Bersih co-chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, who has toured the country and met a fair number of the community, also said the Indian vote is not guaranteed for either side in Election 2013. "I don't think any side should take the Indian vote for granted," she told The Malaysian Insider when commenting on the Merdeka Center poll results. "I don't think the Indians are a fixed deposit. I know Bersih gets a lot of support from the Indians because they are more empowered," she added, referring to the movement for clean and fair elections by its acronym.
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| Manchester United become Premier League champions after beating Aston Villa Posted: 22 Apr 2013 02:33 PM PDT
At the final whistle, as Manchester United's victorious players celebrated on the pitch, Rio Ferdinand ran across to Robin van Persie and turned the Dutchman around so his back pointed to a television camera. Ferdinand grabbed the striker's shirt by the sides, stretching it so the number filled the lens: No 20. (The Telegraph) - United's 20th title was settled by the unerring finishing of Van Persie, whose first-half appropriation of the match-ball took him to 24 goals in the Premier League. Sir Alex Ferguson kept his promise to respond to Sergio Agüero's last-minute goal for Manchester City against QPR that defined last season's race. He bought the Footballer of the Year for £24 million from Arsenal, a guaranteed source of goals, the most precious currency in the game. It was the move that decided the title. It will be with a broad smile that Van Persie returns to the Emirates next Sunday, when Arsenal players are expected to form a guard of honour for the new champions. Later that evening in London, in elegant surroundings on Park Lane, the PFA will announce their Player of the Year. It could be Gareth Bale. It should be Van Persie. Voting for the football writers' Footballer of the Year opened yesterday and Van Persie could pip the popular Bale for the award. United's striker has combined a successful pursuit of the title with individual brilliance. He was sensational for 33 minutes as United tore Villa apart. Van Persie's first arrived in the second minute, created by Wayne Rooney with a sweeping pass from his central midfield role to Antonio Valencia on the right. The winger was offside but the assistant referee, so close he could almost have touched Valencia, somehow did not see the offence. Valencia dummied this way and that, looking to wrong-foot Joe Bennett, before cutting the ball back to Rafael. The Brazilian crossed deep to the far-post, where Ryan Giggs turned the ball back across for Van Persie to poach his first. Rafael hit a post, Christian Benteke almost equalised before the Van Persie Show soon resumed. Rooney again played a part in the creative work, this time a particularly magnificent part. Rooney was enjoying a ludicrous amount of space in midfield, as if Fabian Delph and Ashley Westwood were too in awe to get close. Rooney simply drilled the ball through for Van Persie, whose response from the edge of the area was breathtaking. Images from the history book of great goals filtered through. Never taking his eyes off the incoming delivery, echoing Paul Gascoigne against Scotland at euro 96, the Dutchman met it with a left-footed volley that flew past Brad Guzan. "That's why we're champions" chanted the Stretford End. Why? Partly because of Rooney's technique, vision and willingness to play anywhere for the team. He was occasionally careless in possession, and Ferguson was out of the dugout to gesture disapproval, but Rooney has contributed considerably to United's title campaign; his 12 goals included important ones against City. But it was the finish of Van Persie that gave such thrilling substance to United chants. It was a volley worthy of comparison with the best in the game, not in the class of his compatriot Marco van Basten in the euro 88 final, but carrying shades of Zinedine Zidane's Champions League final strike for Real Madrid against Bayer Leverkusen at Hampden Park in 2002. It was the type of clinical finish that City's manager, Roberto Mancini, had hoped to bring to the Etihad. Mancini was deeply frustrated at the club's failure to seal a deal for Van Persie last summer. United will be favourites next season, but City and others will surely react. City will invest again, probably in another centreforward. Chelsea's trident of Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar will be even more of a force. Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will also play a part, perhaps not in the decisive stages, but definitely in certain matches. If there can be legitimate debates about whether Ferguson's best starting XI now can compare with those of the Treble in 1999 and the 1994 Double-winners, there can be no doubt that this squad is one of his deepest. No Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand? Phil Jones and Jonny Evans step in at centre half. Jones proved what a powerful figure he will be in United's future. Evans has done well this season. To his right, Rafael has matured markedly, shedding some of his puppyish indiscipline. The youngsters giving Ferguson so much confidence for the years ahead shared a pitch with the 39-year-old Ryan Giggs. Even at 2-0, Giggs was fighting as hard for his 13th title as a teenager hunting a first contract. That example inspires all, reminding them of the demands of being a United player. New signings such as Shinji Kagawa quickly become acquainted with the standards required. The Japanese international has contributed this season, showing his class against the likes of Fulham and West Ham, and was involved with Giggs in creating Van Persie's third. On receiving the ball, Van Persie calmly dribbled past Guzan and shot past Ron Vlaar. "Champions, champions,'' was now the United song of choice. Van Persie's 24th league goal of the season puts him in pole position for the Golden Boot, with second-placed Luis Suárez, who has 23, unlikely to play again this season because of an anticipated FA ban. As Villa fans chanted: "We're going to win 4-3,'' Paul Lambert made a good change at the break. He inserted Karim El Ahmadi in midfield and removed Charles N'Zogbia. It gave Villa some control in the centre. Even when Villa thought they had scored through Andreas Weimann, Van Persie cleared off the line. Another reason behind United's title could be found in their technical area, in the sight of Ferguson standing there. Leading 3-0, and with the league sealed, Ferguson was still furious at any little mistakes. He will doubtless be in at Carrington early today, plotting for next season. It is the failed title attempts that stay with Ferguson, driving him on, rather than the memory of the many glorious times. El Ahmadi attempted to give Villa some hope with a strong shot that De Gea tipped over. The young Spaniard has been criticised earlier this season, notably for a moment of hesitancy at White Hart Lane, but this save was another reminder of his capabilities. Soon the final whistle came and the cameras were focusing on Van Persie, on No 20.
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| BN win forecast by foreign diplomat Posted: 22 Apr 2013 01:51 PM PDT
Diplomatic evaluations this should never be underestimated. By Syed Nadzri Syed Harun, FMT "And when it was announced [last week] that Zulkifli Noordin was to use a BN ticket, the prospects shrunk even more. But still BN will pull through." The ambassador shall remain unnamed but that was a loaded observation about BN's move on controversial independent candidate and Perkasa vice-president Zulkifli Noordin for the Shah Alam parliamentary seat. There would be some people around the chosen candidate who would want to dismiss the presumptuous comment. They might even get angry. But I think diplomatic evaluations such as this should never be underestimated. Over the years, I have always taken assessments by foreign missions very seriously because, with their far-reaching feelers and regiments of deep-throats, they can be deadly accurate as the 2008 election had shown. I must note, however, that the above appraisal came before Perkasa leader Ibrahim Ali, even more abrasive than Zulkifli, had managed to elbow out the anointed BN candidate on nomination day and got his way to contest the Pasir Mas parliamentary seat in a straight fight against PAS' Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz. As with Zulkifli, the diplomat did not have good feedback about Ibrahim, saying the vote swings related to the two could be crucial or even fatal. A couple of other diplomats I chatted with last week had similar reservations although they gave a lot of plus points for Malaysia's business climate and the long list of bantuan (aid) handed out to the rakyat by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak over the last four years. But nearly all of them pointed out to the first-time voters and fence-sitters as being the determining force in this round, and that was why the intelligence report cited above, brought in the part about Zulkifli dropping points for BN. Despite top Umno leaders coming to his defence as him being a "principled politician", it was the views he held and expressed which could be deemed counter-productive to BN's effort to attract the fence-sitters, said the ambassador. I suspect the intelligence report from the embassy would be further adjusted as a result of Ibrahim's latest foray in Pasir Mas.
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| Hindraf MOU with BN a quantum leap for Malaysian Indians Posted: 22 Apr 2013 01:40 PM PDT
Wong Mun Chee It is fascinating the amount of articles that has surfaced, condemning the move in a typical Goebbels mindset. Practically all these articles talks about Waytha and the typical personal accusation, just another hate mongering method exercised by or for those interested parties. I am pretty sure that HINDRAF would have expected this as they appear to be very cool and collected about it to show their maturity that speaks volume for the grassroots movement that they represent. HINDRAF is aware of the summer soldiers and sunshine patriots who occasionally arise but rather take a nonchalant attitude about it because they will never bring real change for the people that they represent, like what HINDRAF had done. None of those articles talks about the issues at stake and how they were able to coerce BN to agree, at least in principle, but merely an unsubstantiated assumption to feed into their frustration for their own needs. Whether BN is going to honor it or not is a secondary question, but PR wouldn't even bother to look at it. Nobody has fought so hard for the Malaysian Indians like HINDRAF had and that is a fact. We can write as much as we want under the ministry of falsehood, feel disappointed with the direction taken by HINDRAF but nevertheless the hard truth is that they have brought forward national issues involving the Malaysian Indians unlike anyone else, without any precedent. For those detractors who continue to write on personal character assassination, dumbfounded logic without any tangible evidence, please carry one because most fools can criticize and condemn because there is no fool so great a fool as a purported knowing fool for the aforesaid reasons. Did you know that false knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance? I think HINDRAF has mastered that with knowledge as wisdom plays a bigger role for the community; opting for the issues that concerns the alienated community. Who else would come forward to acknowledge and address such paramount issues? Another five (5) years in the doldrums for the Malaysian Indians if BN does not honor it is not going to change anything but at least they took the liberty to come forward and engage them and that is something that needs to be recognized, unlike PR, who had all the opportunity yet squandered it for their own selfish reasons. I am sure I am going to get our typical heroes and heroines whacking me on this. Sure enough those are your prerogatives, but let me ask you an honest question, are you honest to yourself or do you need to be honest for the community and their issues? When I say honesty, don't run me the Goebbels theory for the political divide, what it should be and how it should, but rather something tangible to make a difference for the community in honesty for their well being rather our keyboard based artificial altruism. It is like what Confucious says, "When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps" I think HINDRAF is on the right path Think about it. Thank you
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| BN sees opportunity in urban fringe Posted: 22 Apr 2013 12:19 PM PDT Malaysian Premier Najib Razak's daughter, Ms Nooryana Najwa (left), and her brother, Mr Nor Ashman (centre), sharing a light moment yesterday with party supporters as their father campaigned ahead of the GE in Selayang. BN has not bothered with densely urban areas, which are hardcore opposition areas, but is aiming to hold on to its rural seats while trying to snatch PR's seats on the fringe of urban areas. Carolyn Hong, ST WHEN Mr Ng Suee Lim campaigns in the small town of Sekinchan in Selangor's farming belt, he carries a giant replica of a ballot paper with an "X" next to his name and the rocket symbol. The Democratic Action Party (DAP) candidate is taking no chances as he defends the opposition's sole seat in this coastal farming and fishing belt. His majority last time was a wafer-thin 190 votes. "People here want to see you face to face, and we need to build relationships day by day," said Mr Ng, who speaks Javanese, having grown up in a village of Malays of Javanese descent. His campaign is literally going from house to house, in between phone calls to the local council to get street lights repaired in response to residents' complaints. It is a far cry from urban campaigns, which rely on mass rallies and the Internet. This is the main reason the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has found it hard to make inroads into the rural areas, even in Selangor, Malaysia's most urbanised and industrialised state. Other than Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), the opposition does not have a grassroots network to rival the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), which has built up its ground since the 1950s. This has helped it maintain an iron grip over its rural base. In 2008, the PR surprised everyone by winning Selangor, taking 36 of 56 state seats, though one later turned independent. Save for Mr Ng's seat, PR seats are in a tight urban swathe near Kuala Lumpur. The densely urban areas may stay with the PR. Since last Saturday, when the campaign kicked off, urban opposition rallies have drawn the crowds. Mr Tony Pua, the DAP candidate for Petaling Jaya North, said they collected donations of RM45,000 (S$18,300) on the first night alone. The BN has not bothered with these hardcore opposition areas but is aiming to hold on to its rural seats while trying to snatch PR's seats on the fringe of urban areas. Mr Subahan Kamal, BN candidate for Templer, which sits on the outskirts, believes the BN can do better in such areas. "We have promised welfare payments for the disabled, elderly, single mothers, and also aid for students. We are going to build 15,000 affordable houses," he said. "These are our strengths that the people will see." Prime Minister Najib Razak spent a full day here yesterday, whizzing through 16 stops on the outskirts to woo voters. For now, neither side has an overwhelming advantage. The BN has been marred by corruption, with its former Menteri Besar convicted of fraud. But the PR has been sullied by internal quarrels between Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's right-hand man, Mr Azmin Ali. One swing seat may be Ijok, an oil palm area which is seen to be in play because of reported neglect by the state government. Indeed, Mr Khalid has left it for the urban Port Klang seat. The BN's advantage is a close-knit, risk-averse, rural Malay electorate. Sitting at a food stall decorated with flapping party flags at the edge of a padi field, farmer Ismail Harun, 41, said life was hard but he dared not take the risk. "I do not dare to go for change as we do not know what we will get with other people ruling us," said Mr Ismail, who lives in the village of Simpang Lima, about 130km from Kuala Lumpur. PR leader Anwar was in the area yesterday trying to convince voters that they had nothing to fear. He spoke of an anonymous leaflet circulating which said that if the PR won federal power, Islam would no longer be the official religion of the country and the monarchy would be abolished. "Do they think people are stupid?" he asked, speaking from a mobile stage at a commercial area in Kuala Selangor. "I am a Malay. Do you think that I would want to get rid of the King and Islam?" Dr Aziz Bari, a former International Islamic University law professor, said the PR may improve in some rural areas this time because it is fielding more local candidates. Dr Aziz himself is competing in the farming area of Sabak Bernam, his hometown. "I grew up here, I have friends and family here," said the former professor, who now lives in a wooden house in the village of Tebuk Pulai. "It's not impossible." A foreman, 25, who wanted to be called Ah Lun, said he registered as a voter six months ago because he wanted change. Mr Mohd Desa Ramli, 51, a farmer, also said he believed people wanted change. |
"Very surprisingly, when you look at their (MyKad) numbers, most of them (80 percent) are given the Malaysian 'state code', meaning that according to the document, they were born in Malaysia," said Merap research assistant Lee Wee Tak (right).
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