Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Cyberspace - Out of Control?
- WIKILEAKS: PROMINENT BLOGGER FLEES SEDITION TRIAL
- Now do you understand the difference?
- You need brains to do it (UPDATED)
- Guan Eng: US economic woes could prompt snap polls
- A morning session with The Oracle of Syed Putera-Part 2
- None like Malaysia in Asia today
- Karpal to MCA: Stop Chinese political opera
- After church aid to Muslims, Asri questions zakat funds for poor
- Our MP cheated us, claim natives
- BERSIH 2.0 SUPPORTERS UK WELCOME DATO' AMBIGA SREENEVASAN
| Posted: 07 Aug 2011 04:00 AM PDT MASTERWORDSMITH A Bernama statement on how the Internet has become the Malaysian political battlefield has set cyberspace ablaze with much indignation and fury. Among the concerns highlighted include:
Raja Petra Kamarudin has responded to these issues in his latest No Holds Barred post called You need brains to do it (UPDATED)  What the authorities do not seem to realize is that there is a new nation in existence sporting a diverse populace with its own unique and varied culture. However, its boundaries are defined by silicon wafers, fiber optic cables, and dancing electrons. This nation is not a physical entity but rather, one of the mind and certainly a force to be reckoned with. Its name is cyberspace. And it is powerful in its pervasive influence with defining qualities that give this body of people its singular identity. Despite claims that ours is a democratic society, we ironically lament our limited opportunities to voice our discontent about issues that concern and affect us. Since the importance and effectiveness of the MSM is declining drastically, we have to depend on online oppositional power if we intend to effect any change in our country. Many write about a broad range of public issues to express their dissent. Whenever major events or crises occur such as in the Teoh Beng Hock inquest, readers can invariably turn to blogs and online news portals for the latest information and more importantly, critical commentaries which are virtually absent in MSM. Fully aware of the expectations of their audience, activist-bloggers have to keep abreast with their critical comments and observations. Blogosphere culture requires bloggers to write for their audience with specific objectives in mind. Online activism hardly happens out of the blue, but has found a social basis, especially in Malaysia, because of the many structural flaws in society. Furthermore, online activism has succeeded in sustaining its power because it fills the void that has been created by the failure of mass media to play its role in society. In democratic societies, despite whatever rights we may pretend we have, many people do not have an opinion about major issues such as the "non-attitudes" problem or political ambivalence. Judging from the messages in both mainstream and online websites, the different styles of framing of questions can solicit and mould public opinion. Such a situation certainly raises questions about the ability and competence of ordinary citizens to play the expected roles in a democratic society. However, the Internet has changed all that for us - for the better! Recently, if not for Tweeter and global cable networks, protests in Iran would not have become so widely known and influential. In the same vein, online protests about the "Green Dam" software in China gained momentum when even some official media stories questioned the policy. A little closer to home, we saw how news about Bersih 2.0 rally spread like wildfire via Tweets and updates in various social media. All this goes to show that we cannot underestimate the pervasive power of the Internet. Those who decry the positive influence of cyberspace have failed to realize how the constant updates of news feeds from tweets, blogs and Facebook have fuelled news reporting in online mass media. The fact is clear - web power has become an integral part of mainstream media power. And the authorities are losing ground in cyberspace and they are afraid. In their fear, they choose to breed fear by spinning all kinds of yarn. From my observations, it appears that the "old" and "new" media are converging and, whether we like it or not, the variety of media channels has vital connections, each of which enhances and strengthens the links in the chain. And the authorities are definitely NOT happy that these links are growing in number and in strength!
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| WIKILEAKS: PROMINENT BLOGGER FLEES SEDITION TRIAL Posted: 07 Aug 2011 01:00 AM PDT
Poloff met with one of Raja Petra's lead lawyers on April 23. The lawyer disclosed that following Raja Petra's last appearance in court in February Raja Petra's legal team concluded their client would be found guilty and imprisoned under the sedition charges, and informed Raja Petra accordingly. The lawyer claimed that the ruling coalition's political influence over the court proceedings precluded a fair trail. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
C O N F I D E N T I A L KUALA LUMPUR 000323
SIPDIS
FOR EAP/MTS AND DRL
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2019 TAGS: PHUM, PINS, PGOV, KJUS, KDEM, UK, MY SUBJECT: PROMINENT BLOGGER FLEES SEDITION TRIAL
REF: A. 08 KL 990 - RAJA PETRA RELEASED FROM ISA B. 08 KL 846 - UPDATE ON RAJA PETRA DETENTION C. 08 KL 806 - JOURNALIST DETAINED UNDER ISA
Classified By: Political Counselor Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b and d).
Summary and Comment 1. (C) Prominent blogger and government critic Raja Petra Kamarudin, who was jailed for two months in 2008 under the Internal Security Act (ISA), failed to appear for his sedition trail on April 23, and the court subsequently issued a warrant for his arrest. A member of his defense team informed poloff that Raja Petra, along with his wife, fled to the United Kingdom about two months ago on the belief that he would face eventual imprisonment for sedition. 2. (SBU) Comment: Raja Petra, Malaysia's most controversial on-line voice, will continue to be a nuisance to Prime Minister Najib's administration. Not expecting to return to Malaysia anytime soon, we can expect Raja Petra to ratchet up his criticism and purported exposes during his self-imposed exile. End Summary and Comment. Where is Raja Petra? 3. (SBU) Raja Petra Kamarudin, an outspoken blogger and member of the Selangor state royal family failed to appear at Sessions Court for the continuation of his sedition trial on April 23. The court subsequently issued a warrant for his arrest. Raja Petra faced charges under the Sedition Act for articles he posted on his website, Malaysia Today, regarding the high-profile Altantuya murder case and the victim's alleged ties to Prime Minister Najib and his wife. If convicted of sedition, he faces a maximum sentence of three years in jail. 4. (U) On April 23, Raja Petra posted on his website his reasons for not appearing in court. He claimed Malaysian authorities intended to detain him under the ISA, as the Government had done in September 2008 (ref A-C). He also stated the courts were unable to provide him with a fair trial and noted the government was using sedition charges and criminal defamation charges, in addition to detaining him under ISA, for linking the Prime Minister to the murdered Mongolian national Altantuya. Raja Petra also mentioned that he had angered the Selangor royal family with his criticism of the Sultan of Perak related to the ruling coalition's takeover of Perak state government from the opposition, and therefore could not return to Selangor. Lawyer Confirms Departure for UK 5. (C) Poloff met with one of Raja Petra's lead lawyers on April 23. The lawyer disclosed that following Raja Petra's last appearance in court in February Raja Petra's legal team concluded their client would be found guilty and imprisoned under the sedition charges, and informed Raja Petra accordingly. The lawyer claimed that the ruling coalition's political influence over the court proceedings precluded a fair trail. He said that Raja Petra, who holds both Malaysian and British passports, along with his wife had left for the UK some two months ago and remained there. His departure was kept closely guarded with Raja Petra's closest friends remaining in the dark. The lawyer said it was unclear if the Attorney General's Office realized Raja Petra had left Malaysia, as the prosecutor's public statements indicated he was still in the country. After the court's issuance of an arrest warrant for Raja Petra, and a "show cause notice" for his wife as bail guarantor, some on-line articles suggested Raja Petra was in the UK. KEITH
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| Now do you understand the difference? Posted: 06 Aug 2011 07:30 PM PDT
More than 1,000 Malaysians have lost their lives in extra-judicial killings over the last decade or so. Only one man is shot dead by the police and London erupts and transforms into chaos. Yes, it is not so easy for police to take people's lives here in the UK compared to in Malaysia. And this is why we need a civil society movement -- to teach Malaysians not to accept shit from their government. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
Riot hits London after police shoot father of four (Associated Press) -- The gritty north London neighbourhood of Tottenham exploded in anger Saturday night after a young man was shot to death by police. Two patrol cars, a building and a double-decker bus were torched as rioters clashed with officers in front of the Tottenham Police Station, where people had gathered to demand "justice" for the death of a 29-year-old killed in an apparent gunfight. "It's really bad," said local resident David Akinsanya, 46. "There are two police cars on fire. I'm feeling unsafe." Sirens could be heard across the city as authorities rushed reinforcements to the scene. In Tottenham shop windows were smashed as residents looted the stores, pushing shopping carts full of stolen goods down the street. Officers in riot gear and on horseback pushed up against the demonstrators. Akinsanya put the number of demonstrators at between 400 and 500. Police said there were about 300 people gathered. Miles from the tourist hotspots of central London, Tottenham is one of the most deprived areas in all of England, with nearly half of all children living in poverty, according to campaigners. In 1985, Tottenham was the scene of a deadly riot after a local woman suffered heart failure when her home was raided by the police. The Tottenham riots were among the most violent in the country's history, with one officer stabbed to death as he tried to protect firefighters and nearly 60 others were hospitalized. *******************************
London rioters battle police after shooting protest (REUTERS) -- Rioters throwing petrol bombs battled police in a economically deprived district of London overnight, setting patrol cars, buildings and a double-decker bus on fire in some of the worst disorder seen in the British capital for recent years. About 200 people rained missiles and bottles on riot officers near Tottenham district police station after a street protest over the fatal shooting of a man by armed officers earlier in the week turned violent. Mounted police and riot officers on foot in turn charged the crowd to push them back. Eight officers were taken to hospital, one with head injuries, as rioters smashed windows and looted buildings including banks, shops and a supermarket and torched three police cars in the main road near the local police station. The trouble broke out on Saturday night following a peaceful demonstration over the shooting of Mark Duggan, 29, who was killed after an exchange of gunfire with police on Thursday. Duggan had been in a taxi when it was stopped by armed officers as part of a pre-planned operation. One policeman escaped unhurt after a bullet struck his radio. Duggan's death is being investigated by the independent police watchdog. Although there have been riots in other European countries linked to austerity measures to tackle large national debts, London police and local community leaders said anger at Duggan's shooting was the cause of the riot. Tottenham has a large number of ethnic minorities and includes areas with the highest unemployment rates in London. It also has a history of racial tension with local young people, especially blacks, resenting police behaviour including the use of stop and search powers.
NOTORIOUS RACE RIOT IN 1985 The disorder was very close to where one of Britain's most notorious race riots occurred just over 25 years ago. In 1985, police officer Keith Blakelock was hacked to death on the deprived Broadwater Farm housing estate during rioting in which around 500 mainly black youths rampaged through the streets, assaulting police, looting and setting fires. Classford Stirling, a youth worker from Broadwater Farm, said there had been growing anger recently over stop and search practices by police. "It wasn't just black kids. It was the youth in general who are frustrated at the way the police are treating them," he told BBC TV. "Everybody's now thinking of the way Mr Duggan was shot and they want answers. It's very difficult to turn round and say to them this is the wrong way because they believe this is the only way that they're going to get attention." Television pictures showed a blazing bus surrounded by rioters and hooded youths pelting an abandoned police car with rocks and missiles. Media reported some locals had to flee their homes to escape the violence. While the bulk of the disturbance had been brought under control early on Sunday, pockets of trouble were still erupting nearby. Buildings were smouldering with plumes of smoke billowing across the skyline. "The rioting in Tottenham last night was utterly unacceptable," a spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron said. "There is no justification for the aggression the police and the public faced, or for the damage to property." Police Commander Stephen Watson said the scenes were "very distressing" for Londoners and perpetrators would be brought to justice. "Our intention ... is to bring things to as swift a conclusion as we can. Our absolute aim is to restore normality." Local member of parliament David Lammy said: "The Tottenham community and Mark Duggan's family and friends need to understand what happened on Thursday evening when Mark lost his life. To understand those facts, we must have calm." London also saw riots at the end of last year when protests against government plans to raise tuition fees for university students in the centre of London turned violent with police and government buildings attacked. During the most serious disturbances last December, rioters targeted the limousine belonging to heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, kicking its doors, cracking a window and reportedly jabbing Camilla with a stick.  |
| You need brains to do it (UPDATED) Posted: 06 Aug 2011 06:14 PM PDT
If they want to fight us they need to employ people with brains, not unemployed and unemployable Malays. You need to fight brains with brains. You can't fight against brains by mere spitting and cursing like what the Umno Cyber Troopers are doing. Let's face it, we are winning the Cyber War. And the next general election is going to prove this, like it was proven in March 2008 during the last general election. NO HOLDS BARRED
Bernama has declared the Internet as Malaysia's political battlefield (you can read the article below). Finally, the government has awoken to this reality. It has taken the government sixteen years to realise what I had pointed out way back in 1995. My first website in 1995 was called 'Raja Petra's Homepage'. In this website I published my articles, many of them uncomplimentary to the government and Anwar Ibrahim -- who was then the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. One article that was published in both Harakah and on my website was about the possibility of Anwar Ibrahim being killed off by Dr Mahathir Mohamad. And I wrote this a couple of years before it actually happened in 1998. I gave my reasons as to why I said that. Basically, it was because of the people surrounding him (hmm...come to think of it, this has not changed much). I explained that the people surrounding Anwar were getting impatient and they wanted him to take over as Prime Minister immediately. The problem with this, though, is that Dr Mahathir was still Prime Minister and to do that Anwar would have to oust the old man. Knowing Dr Mahathir, if you go for his jugular he would turn the hunter into the hunted and hang you upside down by your balls. And, true enough, a couple of years later when Anwar made his move, Dr Mahathir finished him off. That, amongst the many articles I wrote, was what I said 15 years or so ago back in the days when Anwar was still part of the system and touted as Dr Mahathir's anointed successor. Two weeks after I launched Malaysia Today in 2004, the BBC interviewed me about my future plans -- seeing that Anwar is now free from jail and he would no longer need a Director of the Free Anwar Campaign. This was on 2nd September 2004, the day Anwar was released from jail. I told the BCC that it took six long years to free Anwar from jail. And in the fight to free Anwar we launched the Free Anwar Campaign and a website called www.freeanwar.com to conduct an Internet campaign. Now that Anwar is free, I told the BBC, we are launching a Free Malaysia Campaign, which may take longer than six years to see results. And that is what Malaysia Today is all about, a Free Malaysia Campaign. "What is the Free Malaysia Campaign?" the BBC asked. My response to that was the Free Malaysia Campaign is a campaign to teach Malaysians how to think, teach Malaysians not to accept just any crap from the government, teach Malaysians to oppose, teach Malaysians to dissent, teach Malaysians to question, and much more. And we will use Malaysia Today as the platform to teach Malaysians all this, I told the BBC. In 2007, the government said that the Internet is not a threat. People use the Internet for entertainment and to purchase cheap airline tickets, said the Minister of Information. After the 2008 general election, the government admitted that they had underestimated the power of the Internet. They also announced that anyone who wants to contest the next election must first have their own website or Blog. If you are not Internet-savvy you will not get selected to contest the elections.
Just to digress a bit, Pakatan Rakyat has been the state government for more than three years and the next general election will soon be upon us. However, Selangor is yet to complete its state-wide free wireless Internet project. Penang has made better progress although there are still some parts of the state where the free wireless Internet is still unavailable. But at least Penang is far ahead of Selangor. In view of the pervasive influence of the Internet, why is the Selangor government yet to show results in its state-wide free wireless Internet project? Are there moles from within who are deliberately sabotaging the project so that the state can go back to UMNO? I am worried that Pakatan Rakyat Selangor may face a tough election so we need every little bit of help we can get. And the Internet would be the best and most powerful weapon we can use. Even Umno admits this. So why are we still sleeping?
Let's be clear about one thing. Selangor is the jewel in the crown. And if Selangor falls into Umno's hands you are NEVER going to get it back again. NEVER! So you better protect Selangor. And one way would be to exploit the Internet to the fullest. Anyway, I must admit that there are some good pro-government or pro-Umno sites. Some of those postings are even published here in Malaysia Today. But the majority of pro-government or pro-Umno sites are pure crap. All they do is spit and curse (ludah dan maki-hamun). I myself am the target of much of this spitting and cursing. They don't know how to respond to what we say so they respond by cursing. That is the best and only thing they can do. That is the problem the government faces. While we in the opposition are doing this for the love of the cause, those government-employed 'Bloggers' are doing it for money. They are being paid to counter what the opposition Bloggers are saying. Many opposition Bloggers are very intelligent, highly educated, well-read, articulate, and so on. The government-paid Bloggers, however, are mostly unemployed people. These people may have gone to school, maybe even to university. But they are not good enough to get a job. No one will employ them even as dogcatchers. So the government employs these unemployed and unemployable people as Umno Cyber Troopers. And that is why they lack class and quality. You can see from their postings that many of them are Malays. And this makes sense because Malay graduates face a problem of getting employment -- mainly because of the poor quality education they have received. Talk to some of the PhD graduates and see what I mean. In our days, in the 1960s, a form five or MCE student was of a higher standard than some of today's PhD graduates. Some of the so-called Doctors and Professors sound so stupid I sometimes wonder whether they got their degree from the back of a Cornflakes box. And these are the people employed by the government and Umno to fight against us opposition Bloggers. But they are no match for us. It is like taking candy from a baby. It is so easy that I don't know whether to laugh or cry. If they want to fight us they need to employ people with brains, not unemployed and unemployable Malays. You need to fight brains with brains. You can't fight against brains by mere spitting and cursing like what the Umno Cyber Troopers are doing. Let's face it, we are winning the Cyber War. And the next general election is going to prove this, like it was proven in March 2008 during the last general election. ************************************* Internet, the Malaysian political "battlefield" (Bernama) -- It has undoubtedly become the Malaysian political "battlefield". The Internet, of course. Almost everyone is using the web to disseminate political information. Has the situation gone out of control? Well, some media observers think so. "There is no way one can censor the flow of information, either on Twitter, Facebook or YouTube," said MCA central committee member Ti Lian Ker. Messages can be conveyed to readers around the world at the click of the computer mouse, and there is no control over content, he said. "This is definitely a cause for worry for most of the regulators and the government as the identity of the users and message senders can be concealed," he added. Ti felt that many of the problems associated with the Internet have not been properly handled. Said Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) senior lecturer Dr Jeniri Amir: "The move by the government to tighten control over the traditional media has prompted more people to pursue the so-called 'truth' online, enabling the minor online media to dominate public opinion." He said that even the Barisan Nasional (BN) has appointed some bloggers to balance the one-sided voice on the Internet but added that this has not been as effective as desired because the arguments of the group against the authorities are more appealing. "Also, the online attackers of the government seem to be a more concerted group that works for the opposition parties, harping on specific issues, truths or untruths aside," he told Bernama. This, he said, raised an alarm because the trend was for some of the young Internet users to just blindly accept and believe what they read online, thus making it difficult to put forward a rational and civilised debate. The "battlefield" has extended even to the Malay voters in the villages who, despite not being Internet-literate, are easily kept informed by their IT-savvy children of what is going on online, including all sorts of rumours, half truths and even made-up stories tarnishing the government's image. Jeniri cited the July 9 illegal rally in Kuala Lumpur as a case in point. "Stories and visuals of ordinary citizens participating in the rally have been spread widely as heroic deeds while mocking video clips have been posted on YouTube. These have proven to be a great challenge for the BN," he said. He said that while the Internet can be a tool to disseminate information, the majority of Malaysians still needed to learn how to use the web properly, particularly in relation to conveying political messages as there was a need for rational discussion and balanced viewpoints. "If some netizens continue to distort the concept of democracy, the authorities will not listen to their abusive remarks while mature voters will also reject them after some time, upon realising that they are already so horrible before they have even come to power," he said. The Internet "battlefield" can also lead and mislead, he pointed out, saying that given the vast amount of information, many still opt to simply follow the herd whenever they fail to distinguish right from wrong. "Like having got lost in an ocean, they can only trail others in the hope that they can eventually reach land or, at least, not feel lonely in their swim to shore. This shows that there is a lack of independent judgment and thinking," he said, adding that many mistake information for knowledge. Some politicians argue that many people still blindly accept whatever is put up on the Internet without giving much thought, and they regard it as the truth and share the information with their peers. As Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan said, the "truth" becomes increasingly intense, and people gradually find it difficult to accommodate other views and approaches and cannot tolerate any grey areas. "In this age of information, people must train themselves to think and analyse before actually accepting the information presented to them. "Before we fully believe it, we must raise some doubts, thoroughly identify the nature of the message and, if possible, verify it," he said. |
| Guan Eng: US economic woes could prompt snap polls Posted: 06 Aug 2011 05:52 PM PDT
By Lisa A Ariffin, The Malaysian Insider The weak US economy and last week's downgrade of Malaysia's credit ratings could prompt the Najib administration to call for snap polls as early as November, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today. He said the US debt crisis "will not only have impact on the economy but also the date of the next [general election]". "If the impact continues, we will see early elections as early as November because it is very important for the economy," Lim told a press conference at the party headquarters here today. "After Bersih, this seems more likely because of a contagion effect," Lim added. When asked if he sees any possible recession in Penang economy, the state's chief minister said "it is too early to tell". In 2010, Penang received RM12.2 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI), making it the top investment destination in the country. This year, Penang chalked up an impressive FDI figure of RM2.3 billion in April, the highest among all states. Following the US credit downgrade by ratings agency Standard & Poor's, a global market sell-off wiped out an estimated RM26 billion from Bursa Malaysia as investors took the cue from the regional meltdown following the rout on Wall Street on Thursday. Lim said DAP was already preparing for the general election to be held within the year. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has up to 2013 to dissolve Parliament for a general election. "In fact, we will be having election training today," Lim said. Today, Lim also announced the admission of renowned history professor Professor Dr Ariffin Omar into DAP. Critically-acclaimed for his thesis on Malay concepts of democracy and community, "Bangsa Melayu", Ariffin said he chose to join DAP as the party was not race-oriented and represented all races. "The security of the country is guaranteed if (racial politics is rejected). That is why I choose this party.
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| A morning session with The Oracle of Syed Putera-Part 2 Posted: 06 Aug 2011 04:23 PM PDT
SAKMONGKOL AK47 I am repeatedly asked about the identity of the Oracle. I shall have to decline the request to reveal his identity. The identity of the oracle is not important. It should remain anonymous as long as it can be. Then I will be able to share information which is spoken candidly and in full candor. I had a good laugh when someone suggested that the Oracle is Sanusi Junid. That someone commented I was lucky to be an intimate acquaintance of the illustrious Sanusi. That is not possible. Sanusi as many of us know has just survived a quite serious heart attack. The Oracle recounted the day Daim receiving a text message a few weeks ago informing that Sanusi was critically ill. Happily he is doing well now. We wish him a speedy recovery. He is an estimable combatant and a worthy opponent. The Oracle told me, he and Daim rushed over to the hospital to see how Sanusi is faring. I am happy to be told by the Oracle- Sanusi is Sanusi, weakened but indomitable in his unrelenting criticisms on how Najib is handling this country. Here is the problem says the Oracle. The low estimation of Najib as PM and UMNO president is no longer just confined to the man in the street whose opinions may be justifiably dismissed as idle talk of the chattering class. The same opinions are being said and repeated, by UMNO luminaries, people of some significance indicating a very serious perception problem. Opinions of people of influence can snowball into a movement. And Sanusi is also a committee member of the PENAWAR NGO whose members are made up of previous UMNO MPs. It's led by a former political secretary of Tun Mahathir and a Mahathir loyalist, Aziz Shamsudin. But the Oracle isn't ready to concede any consequence to the group led by Aziz Shamsudin. Precisely because it's led by Aziz Shamsudin. I thought Aziz is a Mahathir major domo? Mahathir's dogsbody? No, you are not quite correct, said the Oracle. Aziz has proven himself to be a man of all seasons. He was with Tengku Razaleigh then switched allegiance to Mahathir. After Mahathir to Pak Lah. And now? Penawar hasn't got the impact potential. Not at the moment anyway. Unless the Old Man throws his weight into the ring. I haven't updated myself on this Penawar grouping having just come back from overseas following Tun Daim. I will know more when we meet up with Dr Mahathir. The Oracle wasn't even aware that the PAS Ttiwangsa MP, Dr Lo' Lo' has passed away. Many of us have fond memories of Sanusi for 1001 reasons. He can be comical at one time, deadpan serious at another. Sanusi used to regal many of us with his caustic remarks aimed at disarming Najib or discrediting Najib as it were. He related his many conversations with Tun Razak and how Tun Razak was sighing about how Najib can't cut his teeth into politics. Sanusi would let out a half smile when he tells us of the moment when he cheekily asked- why Tun? Too much skirt chasing, came the answer. Look, say the Oracle- there is a growing divide between the UMNO president and UMNO and the Malays. What is he doing now? He's seen as busy finding ways to find money for Chinese National Type schools and that alienates the Malay voters farther. He's seen as appeasing non Malays more and more. It seems to me his way of solving problems is by paying his way through. Yet the UMNO warlords from which UMNO and its president depend for political power are not amused. They are NOT receiving projects for their areas. The UMNO leaders in Kedah are complaining for example. They are asked to set the agenda to retake Kedah , yet they are not given resources to go into battle. Speaking about Kedah, I interjected- what's your take on the 3 M grouping of Mahathir, Muhyidin and MUkhriz? I wouldn't give much credence to the 3M thing. For what purpose? For Muhyidin to ascend to the PM post? He can do that by other means at his disposal. He is enjoying better credibility with his Malay first, Malaysia second attitude with the Malay hoi poloi. To prop up Mukhriz so that Mahathir will lend his weight to Muhyidin? That, possibly. But how long can Mukhriz survived in politics by hanging on the coattails of the father? It's like you said about Najib being cornered to come out with his last resort defense when attacked on his policies. All he could muster was- He is Tun Razak's son. How long can you sell that? We all have to admit Dr Mahathir somehow refashioned Malaysia after his dynamic personality. But that is soon going to be history as the new generations of voters are more comfortable at accepting the general level of development which we are now enjoying, for granted. Who was behind our country's drive to modernization isn't as significance as we of the older generation holds it. So no, Mukhriz isn't going to last long banking on the popularity of his father which is beginning to diminish now.
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| None like Malaysia in Asia today Posted: 06 Aug 2011 03:38 PM PDT By J. Di' Lovrenciear Today, going by the race and religious dichotomies that threatens to split and tatter the social framework of a nation that has hardly flown to a developed plateau, Malaysians are being watched with great concern by our neighbors. Today, travelers will tell you that Malaysia is even being regarded with a tinge of suspicious worry considering how the country is increasingly being bludgeoned with Islam verses Christianity attacks. Today, while our neighbors are well on the highway of calling themselves after their national band, i.e. Indonesians, Thais, Singaporeans, Kampucheans, Vietnamese and Filipinos, we on the other extreme are after the Malay, Chinese and Indian throats as we are even into debating vehemently whether we are Malaysians first or race first. While political parties in Asia – especially within our close neighborhood nations, are progressing along the bandwidth of championing humanitarian and democratic values, we are screaming full throttle for race preservation fueled by race annihilation battle-cries. While our neighboring countries – Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Philippines are forging ahead, courting with religious harmony and co-existence, we are sharpening our axes for the resurrection and crucifying of one religion at the expense of another. Now for how long more can we continue to deceive ourselves by claiming that Malaysia is a unique country and therefore its race and religion wars have to be fought by the hair and throat? For how long more will Malaysians be able to endure these vexatious moments that have been dragging for over three decades and seem set to go overdrive anytime soon? Lest we also forget, whatever comes out on the main stream media is also being filtered by our neighbors. Their citizens are also riding the numerous forums on the cyber loop. Hence is it any surprise if Malaysians are being watched with immense concern and suspicion by the neighboring and global community? It is not going to serve us all any better if we deny all of these tips of the icebergs while preaching that the going is great in the country. We do not have to use the yardstick of the first-world. Just by humbly comparing us with our third-world brothers and sisters, we will know the harsh and frightening truth. In none of these countries do we hear their citizens being shouted at within the august House of Parliament 'Balik Cina-lah; balik-India lah!" Nowhere do you hear of their citizens wanting to run away from their homeland for good. They only leave short-term and temporarily merely to bring back greater wealth to their loving and inseparable home nations. But we have to set up engines at great cost to go out into the diasporas to woo and entice ex-Malaysians to return. Why? What does it tell us? We need not even philosophize. Just take the case of flying the national flag. How many times each year do we have to issue advisories, appeals, and even stern directives to fly the symbol of hope – the Malaysian flag, only to be met with cold response. But this is never the case with other nations. Thailand is a classic example. Truly, Malaysia despite all the blessings of rubber, tin, palm, oil, good soil and climate, and seas all around – is a spoilt and wasting child, politically. We have squadered our blessings simply because the powers that be propagated, nurtured and fueled race and religious divisiveness. And so today painfully the awakened and weary cry despite still having millions living in self denial – that infamous 'semuanya ok' mentality in Malaysia. Indeed Malaysia risks being turned from a rising tiger to an injured tiger; meanwhile the rest of the region will be well poised to ride the next wave of the Long Tail given the countries' loyal and united citizenry with zero race and religious blinkers. Unless we wake up, face the truth in the eye and say enough is enough there is going to be none to heal this nation. But to do that we have to ask ourselves honestly, "are we capable and do we have what it takes to save this nation for a future in history?" And who shall be our leaders to march us onward before all else is too late? |
| Karpal to MCA: Stop Chinese political opera Posted: 06 Aug 2011 03:13 PM PDT  By Athi Shankar, FMT GEORGE TOWN: The DAP today slammed MCA for attempting to become 'Chinese champion' just as the next general election is around the corner. DAP national chairman Karpal Singh chided MCA's criticism that DAP had been quiet on the recent religious raid on a multi-faith dinner held at a church last week. He said DAP had has always refrained from commenting prematurely on such incidents until proper investigations have been carried out to disclose the truth. "We won't comment or blame anyone without evidence," Karpal stressed. He hit back at MCA for saying that DAP had been quiet due to fear of backlash from Pakatan Rakyat ally, PAS. He blasted MCA of being interested only to fish votes by playing the ethnic card and staging Chinese political opera. "MCA should stop trying to champion the Chinese cause due to pending elections," he told newsmen during routine rounds in his Bukit Gelugor parliamentary constituency. Karpal was refering to Selangor Islamic Religious Department's (JAIS) raid on a dinner last Wednesday at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) in Petaling Jaya. Selangor exco Dr Hasan Ali of PAS justified the raid claiming there was evidence of proselytisation towards Muslims during the church event. The raid saw JAIS and Hasan coming underfire from various quarters. MCA was among the first to jump in to criticise the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government, and the party took the chance to hit out at DAP for not being vocal against JAIS and Hasan. Hasan overreacted Karpal today slammed the overzealous attitude of Hassan, who is in charge of charge of the state Islamic religious affairs. He said Hassan had obviously overreacted to justify the raid without first finding out the truth. |
| After church aid to Muslims, Asri questions zakat funds for poor Posted: 06 Aug 2011 03:09 PM PDT By Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider Influential cleric Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin questioned today if red tape and the lack of state alms have forced impoverished Muslims to seek help from Christian churches. The former Perlis mufti said it was not a sin for destitute Muslims to receive aid from non-Muslims, pointing out that the blame lay with practitioners of Islam who were supposed to help their fellow believers. "Where have all our wang zakat (alms) gone? Collections of hundreds of millions of ringgit are announced every year," said Asri in an essay sent to The Malaysian Insider today. "Is it not enough to help the poor get out of their poverty without them having to ask others for help?" he questioned. Pro-Umno newspapers Berita Harian and Harian Metro have highlighted since yesterday allegations that Christian organisations are secretly trying to convert impoverished Muslims through welfare aid. The Malay dailies also reported today a Muslim woman claiming that she was forced to accept cash and free food from a church, after failing to get aid from Baitulmal or the state fund for the poor, which is generated from tithes collected from mosques. The reports came after the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) and the police raided a multiracial dinner at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday night, based on an allegation that Christians were proselytising to Muslim guests. "Why is there so much red tape blocking the poor from getting alms? There is so much red tape just to get even RM100 to RM200. This is despite the zakat offices looking opulent, the high salaries for officers and bosses, and advanced equipment," Asri lamented. "Is the high cost meant only to find donors, but without sufficient willpower to find suitable recipients?" he asked. The Muslim cleric queried how the zakat administration could fail to help destitute Muslims, so much so they longed to leave their faith.
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| Our MP cheated us, claim natives Posted: 06 Aug 2011 01:28 PM PDT By Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA BELUD: Natives in Kampung Rampayan Ulu near here, who had placed their trust in a local MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan, recently learnt that he had allegedly 'sold' their land to a private company. The Muslim natives, known as the Iranuns, claimed that Umno parliamentarian Rahman had 'supported' a local company's bid to takeover 1,200 hectares of their native customary rights (NCR) land in the village. The villagers' disclosure has shocked many quarters, who until now thought that only the KadazanDusun community's NCR rights, were being trampled on by companies with powerful links to the state's powers-that-be. According to the villagers, Rahman was at the land office when the company's bid was approved. "We have a copy of his letter supporting it and we found out that the MP was there when the district's Land Utilisation Committee (LUC) approved, in August 2010, a plan to give the land to the company, over our NCR claims. "This case is now on the table of our Chief Minister, as land matters are state jurisdiction. "We are now waiting for CM's action to solve this fast," said Akim Salleh, deputy chairman of a joint villages action committee, Jawatankuasa Bertindak Tanah Warisan Kg Rampayan. Akim told FMT that the villagers might also write to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak soon because it involved government leaders. Akim also said that he had received a letter signed by Suhakam secretary Jasmih Selamat on Friday assuring the villagers that the human rights commission would investigate the issue as it concerned their NCR rights and the human rights of natives. More 'deals' Self-employed Akim, 54, said he was saddened by the fact they had trusted Rahman and asked him to be the middleman to solve their problem. Rahman, Akim said, had agreed to help but never really took steps to seek a solution to it. "He (Rahman) said one thing in front of us, but did different things behind us…I am sad," Akim lamented. According to Akim the company is helmed by two women entrepreneurs from Putatan. |
| BERSIH 2.0 SUPPORTERS UK WELCOME DATO' AMBIGA SREENEVASAN Posted: 06 Aug 2011 01:00 AM PDT
Supporters of BERSIH will host a dinner/dialogue in conjunction with a visit to London by Dato' Ambiga Sreenevasan, Chairperson of Bersih 2.0. All are welcome to attend the fundraiser in support of electoral reforms in Malaysia. 1. Fund Raising / Networking Event - Sat 13 Aug 2011; 2. Open Dialogue with Dato' Ambiga Sreenevasan - Sun, 14 Aug 2011
1. Fund Raising / Networking Event - Sat, 13 Aug 2011 Supporters of BERSIH will host a dinner in conjunction with a visit to London by Dato' Ambiga Sreenevasan, Chairperson of Bersih 2.0. All are welcome to attend the fundraiser in support of electoral reforms in Malaysia. Date : Saturday, August 13th, 2011 Time : 7:15 PM - 11:00 PM (Halal Buffet Dinner will be served after Buka Puasa) Location : Shannon Suite at Copthorne Tara Hotel (Kensington) , Scarsdale Place, London W8 5SR Nearest Tube : High Street Kensington Price: £30 (All profits will go towards supporting Bersih 2.0 in Malaysia) Please register at here or contact 07738 557888 / 07956 670696 Payments via UK internet banking : Account Name : BERSIH Account No : 52357321 Sort Code : 40-04-01 2. Open Dialogue with Dato' Ambiga Sreenevasan - Sun, 14 Aug 2011 Hosted by MyOverseasVote and the Solicitors International Human Rights Group(SIHRG) Date : Sunday,14 August 2011 Time : 2pm - 4.30pm Admission free Location: BPP Law School (Holborn) 68-70 Red Lion Street London WC1R 4NY Nearest Tube station : Holborn Please register at here
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