Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- General assembly will be a show of unity and discipline, says Najib
- Spike in new voters for Selangor ‘normal’, EC chief says
- Najib: Pilihan raya umum ke-13 Disember ini?
- Najib garis lima sebab Umno/BN perlu diberi mandate besar dalam PRU13
- A game of chance
- Najib: Anwar's call for Australia to intervene in GE shameful
- Theocratic 3 P's - prohibit, persecute & punish
- BN Bosses Fight Over NCR Landgrab! – EXCLUSIVE
- The mark of a mature leadership
- Kelantan's hair dressing laws unlawful, says Karpal Singh
- MCA kesal tindakan Anwar minta bantuan Australia
- Mohd Isa denies sexist remarks to Eli Wong
- PRU13: Kerusi 'selesa' BN hanya 120?
- Karpal Singh: Peaceful Assembly Act ultra-vires to Federal Constitution
- Maintain Constitution to preserve peaceful ethnic ties, says USM don
- Musa calls PKR ‘political bankrupts’, insists ICAC exonerated him
- Muhyiddin: Brace for Pakatan’s ‘psycho’ attacks in GE13
- Rakyat M’sia mesti berani pertahan perlembagaan
- Pakatan’s battle for PM must take backseat
- Making way for the president
- Sabah Umno could lose ‘birthplace’
- Can Pakatan weather the Hadi storm?
- Pakatan must do more for Penang Malays
| General assembly will be a show of unity and discipline, says Najib Posted: 24 Nov 2012 12:33 PM PST
(TMI) -- The 2012 Umno General Assembly is set to give a signal that the party is thoroughly prepared for the general election, that it has risen stronger, more disciplined, more solid and capable of assuring a better future for all Malaysians under the Barisan Nasional (BN).
Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the gathering of 5,447 party delegates should portray a party which was prepared in the true meaning of the word. "Whether in terms of the image of our party, direction of the party, unity in the party, organisation, right up to the grass root, (the assembly) should portray a party which is already firm, strong and has a high fighting spirit and motivation to ensure a major victory for Umno and BN," he said. In a special interview with editors of Bernama and Utusan prior to the general assembly next week, the Prime Minister also stressed the importance of organisational discipline towards giving strength in ensuring the success of the party. Najib said, "If we have organisational discipline, I believe it will give us strength, a very great strength because we have the number which must be buttressed with the strength of party discipline. "If we do not receive an order following the chain of command, it means we have gone against discipline and as a consequence we can lose in a war." He said the focus of the debate must lead towards the positive attitude of Umno on its direction and confidence in the leadership, and subsequently to provide answers to accusations thrown by the opposition at the Umno and BN leaderships. Taking PAS as an example of a party hiding behind its Islamic image, Najib said, "This must be discussed by Umno and if possible we come up with strong arguments, so we can emerge as the main party among the Malays". The prime minister said Umno's situation was better compared to a year ago and "surely is better than the pictures which we see in the opposition pact which show parties not sharing the same aspirations, fragile ties and much of what they tried to hide all these while have been exposed". He said the difference in directions and opinions among the opposition was becoming obvious with the issues of who should be prime minister, views on freedom to change religions and opinions on practices not in line with Islam. "If we look between the two, Umno and BN had boosted confidence while the opposition parties had raised more question marks and controversies which can be questioned by voters," he said. Asked about his effort to revive Umno after BN's poor performance in the general election in 2008, Najib said, "I hold on to the principle of getting up after falling down and continuing to work hard after being successful". As such, he said when he took over the leadership of the party and government, he was committed to do whatever possible to revive Umno and BN, starting with the 1 Malaysia concept: People First, Performance Now as a master philosophy of his administration. He said his administration policies were inclusive by upholding social justice and forwarding new ideas which were more creative. "I truly understand, in this 21st century, supremacy can be obtained by those parties who win in contests of ideas. "This is why many programmes which we implement today were never thought of before. From 1 Malaysia People's Shop, 1 Malaysia Clinic, Urban Transformation Centre, Rural Transformation Centre, 1 Malaysia People's Taxi, 1 Malaysia People's Aid, et cetera," he said. — Bernama | ||
| Spike in new voters for Selangor ‘normal’, EC chief says Posted: 24 Nov 2012 12:30 PM PST
(TMI) -- The controversial huge jump in first-time voters for Selangor is regular and to be expected as the country's richest state is a magnet for Malaysians seeking better jobs and lives, Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof has said.
Abdul Aziz credited the spike to Selangor's status as a very popular state among Malaysians, saying that many voters are attracted by the job opportunities available to work and stay there. He was responding to the Selangor government's doubts and suspicion over the spike in the number of voters in its state assembly (DUN) and Parliamentary constituencies. "Throughout Malaysia, from 2008 up to 2012, three million new voters have been registered. "Out of the three million, 400,000 are from Selangor, because Selangor is a very popular state, so many people like to work (and) live in Selangor and they use (an) address in Selangor," he told The Malaysian Insider in a phone interview when contacted yesterday. The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government had recently carried out a study which showed the figures of newly-registered voters in constituencies held by one of the three political parties within its alliance — PKR, DAP and PAS — had steadily increased with every passing quarter this year, at 563,471; 600,406; and 625,210 respectively. Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said in a statement on Friday that the state could not trace 28 per cent of its 497,084 voters who were registered in last year's fourth quarter. The PKR man also pointed to the incomplete electoral maps of five state assembly areas as justification for Selangor's worries. But Abdul Aziz said that a big chunk of Malaysia's newly-registered voters in the past four years use addresses in Selangor when registering with the EC. When registering voters, the EC has to follow the address as recorded in identity cards (IC) — now called MyKads. Voters can change their voting address if they change their MyKad address and inform the EC. Abdul Aziz said Selangor's popularity made it natural for some Parliamentary areas in Selangor to have an increase of new voters by 30 to 40 per cent. Other places like Ipoh, Johor Baru and Malacca have a percentage increase in new voters that is more or less like Selangor's, he said. "The increase of voters in Selangor, Parliament or ADUN (areas) in Selangor, are also happening in other places, other states. Not only in Selangor. "This is normal," he said. The commission chief also attributed the significant jump to the hard work of both the EC and political parties in registering those who are eligible to vote. "PKR, DAP, PAS are very active in registering voters in Selangor...They contribute a lot in terms of (registering) new voters in Selangor," he said, referring to the parties in PR. He said another 600,000 people in Selangor are eligible to vote, but have yet to register. Political parties have been working to get more citizens registered as voters, ahead of the 13th general elections that is expected to be the country's most intensely-contested polls. In the 12th general election, the three federal opposition parties had swept a total of 36 seats, with PKR taking the lion's share of 15 seats; and the DAP and PAS taking 13 and eight respectively. Selangor is said to be a state with hot seats because of its large number of newly-registered voters, as well as being the country's wealthiest state. The Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is said to be eyeing the country's wealthiest state in the upcoming elections, with its chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak recently pledging to cancel a controversial condominium project in the Batu Caves area if BN wins back Selangor. Najib, who is also Umno president, has repeatedly vowed to win back Selangor for his BN coalition by all means necessary. | ||
| Najib: Pilihan raya umum ke-13 Disember ini? Posted: 24 Nov 2012 12:22 PM PST
(TMI) -- Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak berkata pilihan raya umum ke-13 (PRU-13) boleh diadakan pada Disember ini, walaupun negara dilanda musim tengkujuh.
Beliau yakin walaupun musim tengkujuh, jentera parti politik yang bertanding mampu menghadapi sebarang kemungkinan. "Kalau hujan atau banjir, boleh naik sampan, naik bot," katanya dengan nada berseloroh ketika ditanya sama ada PRU-13 akan diadakan dalam masa terdekat atau Parlimen akan dibiarkan terbubar dengan sendirinya. Beliau berkata demikian dalam temubual eksklusif bersama para pengarang Bernama dan Utusan Malaysia sempena Perhimpunan Agung Umno 2012 di pejabatnya di Parlimen baru-baru ini. Najib, yang juga Presiden Umno, bagaimanapun tidak menolak kemungkinan pilihan raya boleh diadakan pada tahun depan jika ia tidak diadakan pada bulan depan. "Kalau bulan Disember tak ada pilihan raya umum, tahun depanlah. Melainkan kita buat bulan Disember ini," katanya. Najib mempunyai masa hingga 28 April tahun depan untuk membubarkan Parlimen bagi memberi laluan kepada PRU-13 sebelum Parlimen terbubar dengan sendirinya, dan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya wajib menetapkan tarikh pilihan raya dalam tempoh dua bulan selepas itu. — Bernama | ||
| Najib garis lima sebab Umno/BN perlu diberi mandate besar dalam PRU13 Posted: 24 Nov 2012 12:15 PM PST
(TMI) -- Visi, wawasan dan hala tuju Barisan Nasional (BN), termasuk Umno, yang jelas dalam membangunkan negara adalah antara lima sebab yang digariskan oleh Perdana Menteri mengapa parti komponen itu perlu diberi mandat besar dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13 (PRU-13).
Datuk Seri Najib Razak, yang juga Pengerusi BN dan Presiden Umno berkata sebagai sebuah parti berpengalaman, Umno selaku parti tunjang dalam BN sentiasa memacu dan menggerakkan pelbagai idea dan transformasi ke arah masa depan negara yang gemilang berbanding pakatan pembangkang yang masih kabur mengenai perkara itu. Selain itu, Umno dan BN turut merupakan satu pakatan yang terikat kepada dasar-dasar yang disokong secara bersama dan tidak ada percanggahan sama ada dari segi dasar mahupun ideologi, dan ini berbeza dengan parti lawan yang seringkali mengeluarkan pendapat yang bertentangan walaupun atas soal-soal asas dan fundamental, katanya. "Ketiga, kita mempunyai 'track record' pencapaian yang terbukti dan tidak boleh disangkal dalam mengurus negara di mana kita juga telah dapat meyakinkan rakyat bahawa peta jalan ke hadapan adalah berdasarkan kemampuan kita untuk melaksanakannya selama ini. "Maknanya, keyakinan rakyat bahawa kemampuan kita untuk melaksanakan agenda negara iaitu transformasi besar yang ingin kita perlihatkan," katanya dalam temubual eksklusif bersama para pengarang Bernama dan Utusan Malaysia sempena Perhimpunan Agung Umno 2012 di pejabatnya di Parlimen baru-baru ini. Najib berkata sebagai sebuah kerajaan, Umno dan BN memiliki kekuatan moral yang kukuh dan sentiasa berpegang kepada janji di mana setiap janji yang dibuat dipastikan supaya ditunaikan serta tidak akan membuat janji yang tidak mampu dipenuhi. Beliau berkata janji kerajaan BN adalah jelas untuk kepentingan rakyat dan sentiasa ditunaikan berdasarkan prinsip janji ditepati berbanding janji pakatan pembangkang yang bertujuan memperdaya pengundi demi memenuhi matlamat untuk menakluki Putrajaya. Pengerusi BN berkata sebab terakhir yang perlu diberi perhatian ialah rakyat tidak perlu menggadai masa depan dengan menyerahkan negara kepada parti yang tidak boleh menjanjikan masa depan lebih baik ketika kredibiliti mereka juga dipertikaikan. "Masa depan kita, masa depan anak-anak kita terlalu mahal untuk diperjudikan, sebaliknya dengan Barisan Nasional tahap keyakinan lebih tinggi... ini dapat dilihat dari segi prestasi pasaran dengan kemasukan pelabur-pelabur dari dalam dan luar negara," katanya. Mengenai mengapa orang Melayu tidak menggunakan agama sebagai asas penyatuan seperti yang dilakukan kaum lain, Najib berkata: "Orang Melayu telah dikelirukan dengan hasutan dan fitnah yang bertalu-talu terhadap pemimpin Umno dan Umno itu sendiri, walaupun dakyah-dakyah tersebut merupakan serangan politik dan tidak ada asasnya." Najib berpendapat orang Melayu juga terpedaya dengan imej luaran seperti label parti yang dikatakan parti Islam dan rupa pemimpin yang mereka anggap lebih Islamik. Beliau berkata sepatutnya sesebuah parti itu dinilai dari segi pengisian dan agenda yang boleh meninggikan perjuangan dan syiar Islam, dan Umno telah membuktikan parti itu dapat memperjuangkan tuntutan Islam berdasarkan Maqasid Syariah. "Sejak dulu lagi kita perjuangkan Islam, bermula dengan Perlembagaan, pembentukan institusi-institusi Islam serta program-program Islam yang kita telah wujudkan dan martabatkan seperti perbankan Islam," katanya. Ditanya harapan beliau kepada para perwakilan selepas tamat perhimpunan kali ini, Najib berharap seluruh warga Umno yang hadir dapat menghayati mesej yang diterapkan seterusnya menterjemahkan dalam bentuk tindakan serta sikap masing-masing. "Umpamanya, banyak penegasan akan dibuat tentang bagaimana mereka harus mendepani cabaran PRU-13 dan bagaimana kita harus meletakkan persediaan kita secara mantap bukan sahaja dari segi persiapan fizikal seperti bilik gerakan, bantuan material dan sebagainya tetapi juga dari segi semangat dan sikap untuk meletakkan kemenangan pilihan raya sebagai yang perlu diutamakan dan tidak ada apa-apa perhitungan yang lain meskipun sesuatu itu memang sangat dihajati oleh kita," katanya. Beliau juga berharap perwakilan yang berbahas mampu mengupas, menjawab dan menangkis sebarang isu nasional serta tohmahan yang dihalakan kepada parti. — Bernama | ||
| Posted: 24 Nov 2012 01:23 AM PST
Hence, since we are the ones who are going to pay for this mistake, should we not be the ones to decide what is true and what is false? Hence, also, should we not be allowed to decide what we wish to believe in since at the end of the day we are the ones who will suffer the consequences? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Let's say, before your parents got married, your father was a Muslim and your mother a Christian. Then, when they got married, your mother converted to Islam and a year later you were born. What religion do you think you would be following now? Let's say, before your parents got married, your father was a Christian and your mother a Muslim. Then, when they got married, your mother converted to Christianity and a year later you were born. What religion do you think you would be following now? Let's say both your father and mother were Christians. Then, after they got married, they went to Tibet for their honeymoon where they visited a monastery. They were so impressed with how the Buddhist monks lived their lives that your parents converted to Buddhism. One year later you were born. What religion do you think you would be following now? Today, there is more than a 99% chance you would be following the religion of your parents. There would be less than a 1% chance you would leave the religion of your parents to follow a new religion. So are you 100% absolutely sure the religion you are following today is the correct religion? It is 'correct' only because you have been brought up in the religion of your parents. What if your parents never cared much for any religion and brought you up in an environment where there was no religion. Would you not probably be an atheist today? How many of you have pondered on this question? Are you not what you are or who you are because of your parents? What if your parents had made a mistake and left the 'true' religion they were born into to embrace a 'false' religion? The religion you were brought up in would now become the 'true' religion while the earlier religion that your parents abandoned would be the 'false' religion. Hence which is 'true' and which is 'false'? Is 'true' the new religion of your parents that you were brought up in or their old religion which they abandoned? Hence, also, is true and false subjective and merely an opinion based on what you have been raised to believe? Or is true and false real and tangible? Today we fight and argue about what we perceive as true and false. We uphold what we believe to be true and oppose what we believe to be false. However, if our parents had 'changed course' some time in their life by abandoning their old religion in favour of a new one, and they had exposed us to what they believe to be true, then our interpretation of true and false would be what we have been taught to believe to be true and false. So are we really fighting for the truth or are we fighting for what we have been taught to believe to be true? And are we really confident that God has blessed us with the truth or has Satan misled us into believing that we are following the truth when actually we are following something false? I suppose one day we will all know the answer to that question. But we will first have to die to get the answer to that question. In the meantime, while we are still alive, we want as many people as possible to follow us down this path of the truth. But what happens if we are not on the path of truth and we end up leading others down a false path? While we will pay for this error of our ways, are we also going to pay for the error of the others we misled down this same false path? Or will each person pay for their own errors even if that error was made because others misled us? Yes, there are those who would like to force their beliefs upon us and compel us to follow what they believe to be the right path. But if that so-called right path is actually the wrong path then we who followed them down this wrong path would end up paying for this mistake. Hence, since we are the ones who are going to pay for this mistake, should we not be the ones to decide what is true and what is false? Hence, also, should we not be allowed to decide what we wish to believe in since at the end of the day we are the ones who will suffer the consequences? | ||
| Najib: Anwar's call for Australia to intervene in GE shameful Posted: 23 Nov 2012 10:53 PM PST
(THE STAR) - Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has described Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's request for Australia to intervene in the general election as a shameless act. The Prime Minuster questioned Anwar's lack of confidence in Malaysia's electoral process when the opposition won five states in the last elections. "Now they say there are 12-year-olds in the electoral roll. If so, show us the proof so we can address the problems, don't ask a foreign country to intervene, don't bring shame upon our country," Najib told a gathering of 1,500 NGOs at the Putra World Trade Centre. Anwar had petitioned for Australia to intervene in the elections but foreign minister Bob Carr rejected the request. In an interview, Anwar said people who are ineligible to vote, some of whom were 12-years old, were in the electoral list. Commenting on Australia's rejection of Anwar's request, Najib said: "Luckily the Australians are wise and said no way, not our business', because they know they have good relations with us and they know Malaysian leaders. "But he (Anwar) goes here and there to cucuk (provoke), his cucuk is never-ending." Najib said Malaysia was now becoming an example to many nations and in fact, some were jealous of its success and achievements but certain parties in the country were finding fault with the government and making a hue and cry abroad. "Don't talk about inside the country, the Bangsamoro also looked up to Malaysia (to end the conflict in the southern Philippines; (for) 40 years, more than 100,000 had died," he said. Malaysia facilitated the peace process between the Bangsamoro and the Philippine goverment which culminated in a peace accord being signed by the conflicting parties last month. "Here, people look for fault in us, (whilst) others are worse. "In the Unites States, even the presidential election had problems, voters could not find their names at voting booths, late decisions, but nobody said there was big cheating going on, or the selection of (Barack) Obama for the second term was not valid, none..," he said. Blasting the opposition who often questioned and disputed the government, Najib said they, however, kept quiet when the opposition wrested five states from the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the last general election in 2008.
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| Theocratic 3 P's - prohibit, persecute & punish Posted: 23 Nov 2012 10:48 PM PST
KTEMOC KONSIDERS The lamentable incident (or incidents, since there have been more than one case) of municipal authorities in Kota Bharu applying Islamic laws and/or regulations on non-Muslims has been in some ways a blessing at this particular point in time, when many non-Muslims particularly Chinese are just about to vote overwhelmingly for PAS, an unusual voting trend even far greater than the one in March 2008 or in the several by-elections since.  Two factors have influenced the unusual non-Muslims' change of political preference for an Islamic party, one which they had previously feared (prior to the last general election). These factors have been: (a) Their revulsion, particularly by Chinese Malaysians, for UMNO's utter corruption and unabated greed, vile, frightening and hurtful racism and, most of all, the sheer unabashed feral and teflon-ized arrogance, combined with total disgust for the sycophantic effeminate ineffectual political voice/influence of MCA, MIC and Gerakan, and  (b) PAS presentation of itself with a softer face, a party more concerned with combating corruption than religious proselytization, one that will promote social welfare and justice, and an antagonist, antithesis and antidote to the monstrous UMNO, as exemplified by the attractive personalities of Nik Aziz, Mat Sabu, Khalid Samad and most of all, Nizar Jamaluddin. Recently, even anti-Valentine Day's Nasrudin Hasan, the Chief of PAS Youth, has moderated his right-wing stance to assume a more affable persona.
But from time to time there have been slips by PAS where we caught glimpses of their true face, even of/from the leaders we had deemed very tolerant, those whom we could trust, respect and even love. In August 2010, the frail grandfatherly-looking Pak Haji Nik Aziz showed his hard face when he called for the death sentence for those who dumped their babies born out of wedlock, but without mentioning or considering the social, cultural and yes, religious circumstances which left those young and probably teenage mums no or very little other choice.  The treatment by a secular state would have been diametrically opposite to Nik Aziz's cruel crushing capital punishment for those very much frightened 'mums', already suffering from desertion, desperation, and deprivation of love, support and compassion. We should be placing emphasis on education, guidance and counselling rather than stoning people to death. And if society has been more understanding, and parents or families of the unfortunate young women provide support in accepting and caring for the unwanted babies, we would have less of 'baby dumping'. As if that was not cruel enough, he shocked us further by demanding that illicit (unmarried) lovers be stoned to death.  It's bad enough to have capital punishment without that barbarous Middle-Eastern atrocity, which is best left to the Arabs and Israelis (recall in which country was this first said "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her"?). In Malaysiakini's Karpal locks horns with Nik Aziz over baby dumping, Karpal Singh commented that Nik Aziz's proposal was far too harsh, when more should instead be done to study the root cause of the baby dumping.  Bhai stated: "I am somewhat disturbed by the statement of Nik Aziz, who not only supports the use of capital punishment for those found guilty of dumping babies but has also asked for those committing illicit sex to be stoned to death. "Nik Aziz should realise we do not live in primitive times. In the present time and age, the punishment of stoning to death, which is a cruel and unjust punishment, does not, and cannot have a place." Mind you, UMNO couldn't claim any high grounds on the baby dumping tragedy, because Malaysiakini also told us that: Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil had previously called for cases of baby dumping to be filed as attempted murder or murder cases. According to the Penal Code, anyone convicted of murder carries a mandatory death sentence.  Datuk Paduka Marina Mahathir had once lamented in her Star column (as best as I can recall, in my own words) that one of Malaysia's deficiencies in its Islamic programs and implementations has been the poor educating of the government's Islamic clerics. Now, if PAS' learned Mursyidul Am (spiritual advisor) could be so ferociously cruel in his outlook towards some Islamic 'crimes' (instead of being compassionate), what hope then is there for balanced and compassionate considerations from those less educated and less learned than him, plebes like those intrusive Kota Bharu municipal officers.  Then to add chillies to the sad tragedies, as reported by Malaysiakini's Valentine's Day blamed for baby dumping PAS Youth Chief Nasrudin Hassan bizarrely blamed celebrations on Valentine's Day and New Year's Day as the root cause, where these celebrations encourage free sex that has led to ... yadda yadda yadda ... culminating in baby dumping.  Nasrudin claimed: "It's an indication that the 'mating season' occurred during the New Year's Day celebrations." My dear Nasrudin, New Year's Days and Valentine's Days have been celebrated all over the world, yet other countries haven't had our kind of baby dumping. Why?  'Coz their societies are far more humane, compassionate, caring, supportive and less misogynistic. And we could certainly do with less of such nonsensical PAS self-interests-driven pronouncements. Quite frankly, I have never heard of any theocratic state which was tolerant, balanced or compassionate, not even in medieval theocratic (Buddhist) Tibet. Invariably, lowly educated or/and young clerics or religious enforcement officers, given almost unrestrained powers, would sense an uncontrollable compulsion to prohibit, persecute (not prosecute, though that'd come subsequently), and punish - if anything, just to show their powers, and to invoke fears (which they possibly mistake for respect).
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| BN Bosses Fight Over NCR Landgrab! – EXCLUSIVE Posted: 23 Nov 2012 07:30 PM PST
Fighting over NCR land – Taib's sister Raziah Mahmud (right) and Taib's BN MP Aaron Dagang SARAWAK REPORT NCR landowners in Sampadi have learnt the hard way how nothing can be trusted in the hands of BN, with party top dogs now fighting with each other to get hold of their lands. In July a group of 12 villagers from Kampung Gerunggang had decided to sell some of their NCR (Native Customary Rights) land to a keen buyer. That purchaser, no surprise to learn, was none other than a BN politician. Aaron Dagang is the PRS MP for Kanowit, who will be standing again for office in the up-coming federal elections. Dagang seems to think that his salary for serving his constituents is not enough for his needs and had set about parting this poor community from their birthright lands for what is doubtless a good price that will give him a good profit. The agreement shows he planned to buy the 77 acres, not far from Kuching, for RM231,000, which is then to be converted to yet more oil palm. Given that Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's brother Onn Mahmud has been touting his own oil palm plantation at RM31,000 per acre, this land should eventually be worth ten times the price that the villagers have agreed to sell it for.  From the agreement drawn up between the PRS MP Aaron Dagagang to buy 77 acres of Native Customary Rights Land from villagers in Sampadi So, Dagang must have been pleased at the way he was 'looking after the interests' of the trusting people, who had voted for BN and were then selling him their heritage for what to a poor person might seem a life-saving amount. Encouraged by the prospect of the sale and following the advice of the Land & Survey Department, the villagers spent a considerable sum of money to get their land properly mapped and surveyed and they were informed by the Land & Survey Department that their plot was 155 Block 8 Sampadi District.  'Block 154′ – expensive mapping that was to prove a waste of money! Raziah got there first! However, as the parties set out to finalise their transaction concerning the purchase of Lot 155 Block 8 Samapadi Land District, they made a discovery that was shocking to both sides.  'Replaced' by Lot 154 – the Lot 155 which used to belong to the villagers has been absorbed without notification or of course payment! It seemed that Lot 155 had suddenly disappeared from the records! After much research and many weeks it emerged that the lot had somehow become "replaced". According to a note in the Land Registry, this meant it was now part of the neighbouring Lot 154. And it turned out that this very much larger Lot 154 had already been granted by the Land & Survey Department to another company in 2010. This meant that the villagers are no longer the officially registered owners of their NCR land. Yet they had never been told a thing about it and had even been encouraged to go ahead spending money on useless plans! So, who was the influential person that was able to achieve such an alteration to the Land Registry without even a notification being made to the rightful owners?  "Replaced" – the scribbled alteration in the Land Registry that removed these people's land and gave it to Raziah Mahmud! A search of the Land Registry shows that in 2010 Lot 154 (now including the old Lot 155) was sold by the Department in the guise of 'state owned land' to the company Saradu Plantation, which grows bananas. The company used to be named Emerald Discovery:
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| The mark of a mature leadership Posted: 23 Nov 2012 07:03 PM PST
And unless Malaysian politicians are able to make statements that can prove to us that they know what Malaysians need, then it really does not matter whom you vote for. At the end of the day, whether women are or are not allowed to cut men's hair, your life is not going to be any better other than you will not suffer the indignation of a Bad Hair Day. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin While our top political leaders in Malaysia -- from both sides of the political divide -- talk about whether Muslims should be allowed to leave Islam, whether the Prime Minister should be from PAS or PKR, whether women barbers should be allowed to cut men's hair, and all those other issues that are not going to change our life one bit anyway, the top leaders in the UK are discussing issues more important to the British man-on-the-street. Read the letter below, which I received from my party leader, Nick Clegg. Yes, I know, I may be too idealistic and should not expect the same level of maturity from Malaysian leaders. Maybe I have been living in the UK too long (actually it has been only less than four years since March 2009) and have lost touch with what is happening in Malaysia. Maybe I am getting old and senile now that I am 62 years old. Whatever it may be, there are certain things we need in life and we should make it known to the aspirants in the coming general election that these are what we are looking for. No, this article is not about whom you should vote for. Voting is the right of every Malaysian who has come of age. So vote whosoever you want to vote for, be it Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional. Just make sure you do come out to vote. I suspect, however, only 50% or so of eligible voters will be voting in the coming general election. And more than half of these 50% are not even registered to vote. Nevertheless, whether you do or do not vote and regardless of whom you vote for, Malaysians must be assured of three basic things -- a roof over our heads, a good education, and good healthcare. Of course, there are many other things we need as well. We need an assurance of our safety and security, a job so that we can put food on the table and clothes on our backs, and so on -- all basic needs for humankind and to ensure that we can not only live but also can enjoy a certain quality of life as well. Is there corruption and abuse of power in the UK? Of course there is. Even as you read this more cases of abuse of power are being dug up all over the UK. When we talk about corruption and abuse of power, the UK and Malaysia are no different. We even have racism here in the UK, though not 'institutionalised racism' like in Malaysia. The only difference between the UK and Malaysia is that in the UK the press is allowed to korek as deep as they want all these cases of corruption and abuse of power. And once they are exposed, all hell will break loose. In Malaysia…well, need I say more? I don't blame the politicians. I don't blame those in power. I blame the voters who do not know what they should be asking for and what (not who) they should be voting for. As what Dato' Ambiga Sreenevasan of Bersih said last week. She is not concerned whether you vote for Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional. She is just concerned that the general elections are clean and fair. I can also say the same thing as what Ambiga said. I am not concerned whether you vote for Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional. I am just concerned whether Malaysia can offer Malaysians a decent quality of life. And unless Malaysian politicians are able to make statements that can prove to us that they know what Malaysians need, then it really does not matter whom you vote for. At the end of the day, whether women are or are not allowed to cut men's hair, your life is not going to be any better other than you will not suffer the indignation of a Bad Hair Day. ***************************************** Dear Petra, I'm writing this as we come to the end of an incredibly hectic week in politics. The negotiations over the budget in Europe, securing of a much needed ceasefire in Gaza, rising speculation about the upcoming Leveson report, and Ed Davey's important announcement of a landmark coalition deal on low carbon energy that will deliver billions of pounds of investment in clean technology and create thousands of jobs. But in this letter I want to focus on an issue that wasn't so high on the radar screen, but matters enormously to me: housing. I gave a speech to the National House Building Council (the people who issue guarantees for new homes) on Thursday, which brought the numbers into focus for me and made me determined to step up our efforts. As a country, we have built too few homes for far too long - and the economic and social consequences are massive. Prices out of reach of too many young families. Our economy vulnerable to boom and bust in the housing market. The housing benefit bill spiralling. Homelessness and overcrowding. All these problems are solvable but only if we think big. We've been talking about housing in the coalition for well over two years. At every budget and autumn statement we've brought forward new measures. We've reduced red tape and regulation for house builders. We've supported mortgage lending with products to help first time buyers. We're backing housing associations with £10 billion of treasury guarantees. And yet it isn't enough. This year we will probably build just 110,000 homes. If that sounds like a lot to you let me put you straight: it's one of the worst years since the Second World War. When you realise that the population grew by about 270,000 households it's clear it's nowhere near enough. No wonder prices are out of reach for so many families. The average first time buyer is now 35, and home ownership is falling for the first time in a generation. The only way out of this crisis is to build our way out. This week I announced funding of £225 million to kickstart development at eight sites, each with plans for over 5,000 new homes. But I want to think bigger - much bigger. We can't go on building a home here and a home there and hoping it's enough. I want us to go back to some of Britain's proud heritage of urban development and build a new generation of "garden cities" - places that will grow, thrive and become part of the fabric of the nation. Of course, development is always controversial. It's right to protect our precious rural landscape and not let England be concreted over. But the point I've been making in government (and there have been some lively debates) is that planning big new settlements is the best way to protect our countryside because the alternative is endless urban sprawl. Instead of eating away at the green belt, we can build big and even designate new green belt around new towns and cities. I think that's why even the Telegraph was supportive of the plans I outlined this week (READ HERE). We could easily build new garden cities totalling a million new homes in the next ten years without building on any green belt, National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. And by doing it we could deliver homes people can afford in places they want to live. We can't do this overnight. Scale and ambition take time. But I believe if we put aside partisan politics and think collectively about the housing needs of the next generation, we could set Britain on track for a major wave of new development, new jobs, and new hope. Best wishes, Nick Clegg | ||
| Kelantan's hair dressing laws unlawful, says Karpal Singh Posted: 23 Nov 2012 06:06 PM PST
(The Star) - The DAP wants the Kelantan government to intervene in the municipal council by-laws prohibiting women from cutting men's hair in the state. Chairman Karpal Singh said he was surprised that the state decided to enforce such a ruling on non-Muslims. "The state government has publicly declared that Islamic laws will not be extended to non-Muslims. PAS has also stated hudud will only be applied to Muslims. "There's a lot of concern among the public on what has happened in Kelantan. If hudud is allowed to be applicable to Muslims, there will come (a time that it will) be extended to non-Muslims," he told a press conference in Air Itam on Saturday. He was responding to reports that hair salon operators in the PAS-ruled state were being fined for breaching the by-laws which prohibit a woman from cutting the hair of a man and vice versa. Karpal Singh said the ruling was unconstitutional and could be challenged in court. "In fact, it should be challenged in court. Those concerned should not pay the fines. It is unlawful. "I hope that the PAS leadership will intervene and do something about it as soon as possible," he said adding that Barisan Nasional should not be presented with issues that it can exploit now that the general election is looming.
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| MCA kesal tindakan Anwar minta bantuan Australia Posted: 23 Nov 2012 04:55 PM PST
(Bernama) - MCA kesal dengan tindakan Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang cuba mendapatkan bantuan daripada kerajaan Australia untuk memastikan pilihan raya umum berjalan secara bebas dan adil di Malaysia. Timbalan Presidennya Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai berkata, tindakan itu bukan sahaja membelakangi negara malah akan mencemarkan nama baik Malaysia di mata dunia. Katanya apa yang cuba dilakukan Anggota Parlimen Permatang Pauh itu adalah sesuatu yang serius dan sudah pasti rakyat tidak mahu melihat mana-mana pihak menggunakan unsur luar untuk campur tangan dalam hal politik dan pentadbiran di negara ini.
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| Mohd Isa denies sexist remarks to Eli Wong Posted: 23 Nov 2012 04:27 PM PST
(The Sun Daily) - Batang Kali assemblyman Mohd Isa Abu Kasim today denied he had uttered sexist remarks towards Bukit Lanjan assembly person Elizabeth Wong during yesterday's state assembly sitting. "I did not make any such statements. Hansard (the transcript used during assembly sittings) can prove that I did not say it when it is released," he said during the afternoon sitting of today's assembly. He also claimed that Hannah Yeoh (DAP - Subang Jaya) was oversensitive over the remarks he said. "I only commented on Wong's work in maintaining our forest reserves. I don't have any other intentions," he said. He was responding to Yeoh's appeal to Rodziah Ismail (PKR -Batu Tiga) to send Selangor state assembly persons to undergo gender sensitivity training, adding that Mohd Isa needs "an emergency crash course". According to news portal Malaysiakini, Mohd Isa told Wong, who is exco member in charge of tourism, consumer affairs and environment, to take care of her own forest even as she takes care of the forest reserves around Selangor's vicinity yesterday. Rodziah, who is chairperson for welfare, women's affairs and science, technology and innovation committee, then replied that the state government has viewed gender discrimination seriously. , there has been allocation of provisions to conduct gender sensitivity training, including the programme "Ada ada dengan gender?" that was launched this year.
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| PRU13: Kerusi 'selesa' BN hanya 120? Posted: 23 Nov 2012 04:03 PM PST
G Manimaran, Sinar Harian Barisan Nasional (BN) yang kehilangan majoriti dua pertiga di Parlimen empat tahun lalu dijangka memperoleh dalam lingkungan 120 kerusi jika Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU13) diadakan hari ini, manakala 24 kerusi masih dalam keadaan 'kelabu'", kata Profesor Ulung Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin. Timbalan Pengerusi Majlis Profesor Negara ini mengakui bahawa walaupun keputusan kali ini akan memperlihatkan majoriti mengecil tetapi kemenangan masih akan memihak kepada BN. "... mereka akan dapat minimum 120 kerusi. Sekarang 140 kerusi, 24 kerusi kelabu, baki 70 kerusi Pakatan Rakyat... (pada keseluruhan) majoriti tipis," katanya dalam satu temu bual menjelang Perhimpunan Agung Umno 2012, di pejabatnya di Bandar Baru Bangi. "Ia sangat penting untuk Najib sebab populariti Najib ini 70 peratus, Anwar 43 peratus sahaja lebih kurang, dia kelihatan lebih munasabah dari hari ke hari, persepsi orang ialah apa yang beliau tak buat, semua dia bagi," katanya.
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| Karpal Singh: Peaceful Assembly Act ultra-vires to Federal Constitution Posted: 23 Nov 2012 03:49 PM PST
(Bernama) - Lawyer Karpal Singh, acting for applicant Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, told the High Court here Friday that the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 had completely prohibited the right to assemble, by way of street protest. The senior lawyer said the provision under Section 4(1)(c) was not intended to "restrict" but more to "prohibit" the right to assemble. "Any street protest, actually, was a moving assembly and the Act should not completely prohibit it," contended Karpal by pointing out on the provision of Section 4(1)(c) of the Act, which he argued, was inconsistent and contravened with the provision of Article 10 (1)(b) of the Federal Constitution. He said the Act defined a street protest as an assembly that was in movement. "Even Article 10(1)(b) clearly stated that all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably, without arms," he noted. He further submitted that the word, 'restriction', should be interpreted as reasonable restriction as stated in Article 10, and the constitution was the supreme law of the country. "Any law passed after Merdeka Day, which is inconsistent with the constitution, should be declared void," said Karpal, who urged Justice Kamardin Kashim to allow Anwar's application with costs. Kamardin set Nov 30, for respondent (prosecution) to reply to the applicant's submission Friday. In a related development, Anwar's co-counsel, Ram Karpal Singh, said if the court ruled in Anwar's favour, one of the charges under the Peaceful Assembly Act would be dropped, leaving only two charges still pending at the Sessions Court. Anwar, 64, together with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali, 48, and Rembau PKR branch chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin (third accused), 34, were charged last May 22, with taking part in street demonstrations which allegedly led to chaos in the city. The three also faced a second charge of conniving with Tangam Raju, Rajesh Kumar Gejinder and Farhan Ibrahim, by inciting them to remove steel barricades at Jalan Raja here on the same day. They are the first to be charged under Section 4(2)(c) of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, which carries a fine of up to RM10,000, upon conviction. Last July 2, the trio were charged with conspiring with Tangam, Rajesh, Farhan and five or more supporters of 'Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih 3.0)' to defy a magistrate's court order dated April 26, against holding a rally at Dataran Merdeka from April 28 until May 1, this year.
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| Maintain Constitution to preserve peaceful ethnic ties, says USM don Posted: 23 Nov 2012 03:34 PM PST
In his presentation earlier, Sivamurugan had referred to Articles 3, 152, 153, 18, 18 (3) of the Federal Constitution, saying that these articles have to be preserved. Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider The Federal Constitution should be kept as it is because the country's supreme law is a core part for the preservation of ethnic relations in multi-racial Malaysia, Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, a Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) professor, said today. "The Constitution and the Rukun Negara have to continue to be a reference... in the process to preserve ethnic relations," Sivamurugan said in a presentation at the Barisan 1 Malaysia gathering at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) today. He acknowledged that there may be different interpretations of the Federal Constitution. "But we have to preserve what has already been agreed under the Constitution. The Constitution is not based on each individual's comfort, when we like we follow; when don't like we don't follow," he said. In his presentation earlier, Sivamurugan had referred to Articles 3, 152, 153, 18, 18 (3) of the Federal Constitution, saying that these articles have to be preserved. "Don't we ever try to change because that is the foundation of the management of ethnic relations," he said. Last week, The Malaysian Insider reported that a UK-based study on discrimination and equality in Malaysia showed that the country should repeal or amend two constitutional provisions protecting the special rights and land of the Malays to avoid discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity. The study was jointly conducted by international charity organisation Equal Rights Trust (ERT) and local rights group Tenaganita. The four-part study said the existence of Articles 89 and 153 of the Federal Constitution were among the strongest causes behind racial discrimination in Malaysia as both had purportedly failed to meet the original intention for positive action. Instead, the provisions had "violated international law standards", it was said in the executive summary of the "Washing the Tigers: Addressing Discrimination and Inequality in Malaysia" study published on the ERT website last Monday.
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| Musa calls PKR ‘political bankrupts’, insists ICAC exonerated him Posted: 23 Nov 2012 03:29 PM PST
Leslie Lau, The Malaysian Insider Datuk Musa Aman accused the opposition of "rehashing the same old story" and called them political bankrupts for trying to press Hong Kong to reopen a graft probe for which he said he had already been cleared. "From the very start, I had the greatest confidence in the integrity of the ICAC and that I would be exonerated. Now the ICAC has cleared me. That brought an end to the pain and suffering my family has to endure for the past years," he said in a statement last night, referring to Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption.  Musa said PKR was using the same complaint to gain political mileage. — File pic Rafizi Ramli, who led the party's four-member fact-finding mission there, said it was not immediately clear what the ICAC plans do with the new evidence but expressed confidence that the case would likely be reopened. In PKR's report to Hong Kong's graftbusters, three reasons were listed to encourage the world-renowned ICAC to reopen the RM40 million graft probe against Musa and Chia — separate claims from two Sabah MPs that the money was not a political donation to Umno as claimed; and the receipt of a luxury vehicle from Chia by Umno minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz, possibly for corrupt reasons. Chia's alleged link with Musa first exploded in the media following an April article by whistleblower site Sarawak Report, which had claimed that the former was caught trying to leave the Hong Kong International Airport with the RM40 million in Singapore currency. At the time, Chia had allegedly told the authorities that the money was meant for Musa. The issue hit the headlines again last month when Nazri told Parliament that Musa had been cleared of corruption in the matter after Malaysian and Hong Kong anti-graft authorities found that the money was a "political donation" to Sabah Umno and was not meant for Musa's personal use. Musa said he did not understand why PKR could not accept the truth. "What more do they want? They are trying again to use the same complaint to gain political mileage. "They are rehashing the same old story. I think I am entitled to conclude that the opposition is a political bankrupt. We are entitled to treat their recent rehashed allegation with the contempt it so richly deserves. "I remain humble, but surely there is a limit to one's humility and patience." he said in the statement.
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| Muhyiddin: Brace for Pakatan’s ‘psycho’ attacks in GE13 Posted: 23 Nov 2012 03:26 PM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - Umno members must brace themselves and be more aggressive to counter the opposition's psychological attacks if they want to ensure the party and the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) remain in power at the next general election, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin warned in an interview published today in Utusan Malaysia. The ruling coalition's No. 2 told Umno delegates, who will be attending the party's annual general assembly next week here, not to rest on their laurels but raise the ante because the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition pact has stepped up its game in its quest to wrest Putrajaya at the 13th general election (GE13) due soon when the BN's mandate expires next April. "They want to psycho the rakyat's thinking, they are ready to take over and topple the government. As an Umno leader, we cannot just listen and be silent," Muhyiddin told the Umno-owned daily. "We know Anwar Ibrahim is campaigning. He takes the plane. DAP takes the bus, goes from corner to corner one by one. They have arranged their strategies, we know," he pointed out, referring to the PKR de facto leader and its political partner in the three-party alliance set up four years ago after Election 2008 to counter the BN machinery. Muhyiddin, who is also deputy prime minister, said the federal opposition has become "power mad" in its bid to take control of Putrajaya, alleging that it has permitted things that are considered "haram", or forbidden by Islam, but did not specify the acts. He said the PR will use all kinds of tactics, such as swearing oaths and making all sorts of allegations against the Election Commission (EC), notably claiming that the voter roll is "not right", in its attempt to "condition the people's mind that if BN wins, it's through fraud". The opposition parties have taken part in two controversial public rallies in the capital city over the last two years, backing the independent electoral reform group Bersih 2.0 in pushing for the voter roll to be cleaned up of dubious entries ahead of the next national polls. Yesterday, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim highlighted the PR state government's doubt over a 28 per cent spike in registered voters in PR-controlled areas, which he claimed could not be traced by the state's audit. Khalid, who is from PKR, said he would be writing in to the EC for an explanation soon. "This is a war from a strategy aspect and others," Muhyiddin told Utusan in a message to Umno delegates ahead of the party's assembly, which begins next Tuesday. The powerful Umno politician hoped his message will reach Umno members and fire them up so they will not relax their guard until the elections are over. "There is not time to rest, we must rise all the time until our task is complete after the elections," he said.
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| Rakyat M’sia mesti berani pertahan perlembagaan Posted: 23 Nov 2012 03:16 PM PST
(Bernama) - Setiap individu yang mengakui diri mereka warganegara Malaysia mesti berani mempertahankan Perlembagaan Persekutuan, kata penganalisis politik Prof Madya Dr Sivamurugan Pandian (gambar). Timbalan Dekan Pusat Pengajian Sains Kemasyarakatan, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) itu berkata perlembagaan negara perlu terus menjadi rujukan dan sandaran semua rakyat dalam mengekalkan perpaduan serta mewujudkan hubungan etnik di kalangan masyarakat pelbagai kaum di negara ini. "(Penghayatan) perlembagaan bukan ikut suka. Bila kita suka kita ikut, tak suka tak ikut. Kita mesti berpegang kepada perlembagaan pada setiap masa," katanya. Beliau berkata demikian semasa berucap mengenai "Masa Depan Hubungan Kaum dan Perpaduan" pada Himpunan Barisan 1Malaysia yang menghimpunkan ribuan anggota pelbagai badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) untuk berkongsi pandangan mengenai dasar negara di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC) di sini, hari ini. Beliau berkata perkara-perkara yang termaktub di dalam perlembagaan terutama berkaitan kontrak sosial tidak harus dipersoalkan. "Soal agama Islam, Bahasa Melayu, keistimewaan orang Malayu dan institusi Raja-raja Melayu harus dipertahankan sebagai satu kepelbagaian. Jangan sama sekali cuba diubah," kata Sivamurugan dengan disambut tepukan gemuruh para hadirin. Beliau juga berkata corak hubungan etnik di Malaysia mesti ditentukan oleh rakyat negara ini sendiri dan bukannya bergantung kepada negara luar. Bagi memastikan hubungan etnik yang berkesan, beliau menegaskan sensitiviti setiap masyarakat harus dijaga dengan mencari titik keseimbangan dan konsep menerima satu sama lain harus dipakai, dan perlu juga melihat kepada keadaan menang-menang untuk semua pihak. Beliau berkata mentaliti rakyat negara ini juga harus berubah seiring dengan perubahan fizikal yang dikecapi negara dalam usaha Malaysia untuk muncul negara maju menjelang 2020. "Tiada guna perubahan fizikal hebat seperti di negara maju lain, tapi mentaliti kita masih di takuk lama. Perubahan harus seimbang antara perubahan fizikal dan minda," katanya. Tambah nilai Rektor Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) Datuk Prof Dr Zaleha Kamaruddin yang berucap mengenai 'Masa Depan Pendidikan Negara' berkata ramai masyarakat di negara ini menganggap universiti adalah seperti sebuah kilang, dan ini adalah pandangan yang salah dan perlu diubah. "Ini adalah kerana universiti adalah tempat di mana kita menambah nilai seseorang individu supaya ia berguna dalam segala segi, bukan sekadar tempat untuk hasilkan graduan," katanya. Untuk itu, paradigma pemikiran semua pihak, khususnya golongan pendidik di negara ini perlu diubah daripada hanya mementingkan kuantiti maklumat yang diterima kepada nilai maklumat itu sendiri, dan ini perlu dalam memastikan proses transformasi pendidikan negara mencapai kejayaan, katanya. Zaleha juga berkata masyarakat, terutama golongan muda, juga perlu mengubah persepsi yang menganggap semua maklumat yang didapati daripada internet adalah pengetahuan. Golongan ini terlalu bergantung kepada internet untuk mendapatkan maklumat, dan mereka ini telah terpenjara dengan era maklumat dan malangnya segala informasi yang ada di internet tidak boleh dianggap sebagai ilmu pengetahuan kerana informasi itu perlu ada nilai sebelum menjadi ilmu pengetahuan yang bermanfaat dan meluas, katanya. Beliau berkata dalam era globalisasi dan teknologi maklumat yang mencabar ini, rujukan maklumat kepada internet semata-mata tanpa pengesahan boleh mendatangkan implikasi terhadap kesahihan fakta sesuatu ilmu.
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| Pakatan’s battle for PM must take backseat Posted: 23 Nov 2012 03:12 PM PST It is wise for Pakatan to focus on the many tasks at hand and put 'who best be PM' speculations to rest Jeswan Kaur, FMT The on-going debate in the Pakatan Rakyat camp on who can best lead the country should the opposition win in the coming 13th general election is a disaster in the making. For one, there is no consensus among the Pakatan members on who is deserving of the premiership mantle. PAS believes its president, Abdul Hadi Awang, meets the pre-requisites of a prime minister while DAP says it backs former deputy prime minister-turned-Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. To have dissenting voices in the Pakatan fold on who is the preferred choice to helm Malaysia is giving its arch-rival Barisan Nasional the much-needed fodder to further discredit the opposition in the eyes of the rakyat. The people have in the aftermath of the 2008 general election learned to be more selective in their choice of who really is deserving of their trust and support to call the shots from Putrajaya. But for now, it is important that Pakatan pulls the brake and puts a stop to the "Abdul Hadi Awang vs Anwar Ibrahim as PM" speculation. What is more urgent is the need to stay united and leave no room for BN to infiltrate and subvert Pakatan's efforts in staying in the good books of the people. Whether it is Hadi or Anwar or Lim Guan Eng, for that matter, is not the issue; the point that needs to be driven home is that the premiership is not for the popular but instead is an arduous responsibility that requires the right aptitude. Hence, the need for Pakatan to take a good and hard look at who is the right candidate for the job. Does Pakatan have the answer as to which candidate is the perfect pick? Are the names that are being mentioned truly deserving or is it a case of "popular appeal"? Pakatan needs to think hard Should Pakatan outdo BN in the 13th general election and land in Putrajaya, the rakyat will in no way tolerate any BN-like shenanigans by the opposition. With that in mind, Pakatan must be very sure whom it wants to place in the premier's chair. Is Anwar the right candidate, despite the many controversies surrounding him? Or is it the scholarly Hadi whom the rakyat can depend on to navigate the nation to greater heights? For now, with time still on its hands, the opposition has to double up efforts in sustaining the rakyat's trust in it, instead of politicking and appearing disinterested and disunited. Maybe that is why former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad seized the opportunity to take a swipe at Pakatan and its over-enthusiasm in name-dropping for the premiership. As usual, taking liberty with his words, Mahathir says even the former Tiger of Jelutong and DAP chairman and no-nonsense lawyer Karpal Singh will be gunning to become the next prime minister. Sounding callous as ever, Mahathir, who thus far holds the record for being Malaysia's longest- serving premier, is implying that greed for power has become the order of the day in Pakatan's fold. "Let Karpal be the PM. He, after all, has fought for so long. And when he retires, Karpal will receive the Tun title," was how Mahathir put it.
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| Posted: 23 Nov 2012 03:09 PM PST MIC president G.Palanivel wants to contest in the safe Cameron Highlands seat while incumbent Devamany has to step aside and contest in Sungai Siput Humayun Kabir, FMT MIC vice president S K Devamany seems to be the unwilling candidate chosen by party president G Palanivel to contest in Sungai Siput in the coming general election. A party insider confirmed to FMT today that Devamany is MIC candidate who has also been endorsed by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. Devamany has been reportedly reluctant to step down from MIC's safe parliamentary seat of Cameron Highlands which he had won for two terms, to contest in Sungai Siput. However, Palanivel flexed his political muscles and is set to contest in Cameron Highlands while sending Devamany to Sungai Siput. Devamany could not be contacted while his office staff declined to comment on this speculation, saying only Premier Najib knows the chosen one. Since 1974, former party boss S Samy Vellu had kept an iron grip for 34 years on this MIC strong hold but lost the parliamentary seat to Parti Socialis Malaysia Dr Michael D Jayakumar in 2008 . After Samy's defeat, a few MIC leaders were reluctant to contest in Sungai Siput. Among those were MIC information chief and Samy's son S Vell Paari who cited that he does not want to step into his father's shoes but had kept his options open to serve the party in other ways. Another reluctant candidate was MIC secretary-general S Murugesan whose wife is believed to be a native of Sungai Siput but the ambitious MIC leader had set his political sights on Selangor . Another name mentioned was fomer party state chief S Veerasingam but he was sidelined by the new state chief. Another party hopeful was former deputy minister T Murugiah who had set his sights on this former party stronghold but party veterans were unwilling to give this new kid a chance. In the Sungai Siput parliamentary constituency, the Chinese voters hold the majority percentage with 40.2 while Malays form 36.3% and Indians 22.6%. Sungai Siput has two state seats of Jalong and Lintang and in the 2008 polls, the former seat was won by DAP Leong Mee Meng while the latter seat was retained by Umno incumbent Ahmad Pakeh Adam. Meanwhile, MIC's proposed party candidates for the other parliamentary seat of Tapah is incumbent M Saravanan while the state seat of Hutang Melintang may go to state party deputy chief and state speaker R Ganesan.
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| Sabah Umno could lose ‘birthplace’ Posted: 23 Nov 2012 03:04 PM PST Iranun, which is considered as Umno's first 'child' in Sabah, may see a tough fight from opposition STAR Calvin Kabaron, FMT KOTA BELUD: Opposition State Reform Party (STAR) has penetrated Umno's bastion in the state – the Iranun and Bajau kampungs – which incidentally is the birthplace of Sabah Umno. STAR's Sabah chairman, Jeffrey Kitingan, was elated to see about 150 senior citizens and the young who thronged to his ice-breaking "ceramah" at two kampungs here recently. One session was held in Tempasuk Tamau, an Iranun kampung, not very far from Umno's Pandikar Amin Mulia's home. The ceramah was hosted by a local ustaz who recently joined STAR. The other function, attended by some 170 individuals, was in Usukan's Lebak Moyoh at the residence of a local Umno leader and well-known Bajau political activist, Ridzuan Sikah. Ridzuan's entry into STAR is a signal that Umno in Kota Belud is not invincible and that change is coming. In fact, in the last 2008 general election, through manipulations by local political warlords, Umno did lose votes in some of the Muslim kampungs in this district, especially in Iranun areas. At that time, Kota Belud's Umno members were humiliated when the party chose outsider Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who is from adjacent Tuaran, to contest under the Barisan Nasional banner, dropping popular Salleh Said Keruak. The decision was seen as discrediting a pool of many local talents. Abdul Rahman went on to win Kota Belud parliamentary seat, nevertheless, but with a much reduced majority as compared with his predecessor Salleh who won the seat for Umno in the 2004 general election. Salleh, in a three-cornered fight, then retained Kota Belud with a thumping 10,227 vote majority. Abdul Rahman in 2008 won it in a straight fight with a PKR candidate, Saidil Simoi, but with only a 3,020 majority. Divided Tempasuk According to Umno insiders, disgruntled party leaders and members in Kota Belud are still licking their wounds from the humiliation and their angst will resurface and be magnified if again the incumbent, an "outsider", is retained at the coming polls. And, STAR is cashing on the still disgruntled local community. Its Tempasuk coordinator, Suwah Buleh, is a personal friend of the young ustaz who is affectionate to many people. According to local observers, Suwah is gaining ground there already. STAR flags have begun coming up much to the frustration of Umno local leaders. Businessman Suwah, who is active in his SIB church, is poised to be STAR candidate for mixed-seat Tempasuk. He is set to attract the bulk of the votes from the Dusun community.
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| Can Pakatan weather the Hadi storm? Posted: 23 Nov 2012 02:57 PM PST All issues raised by BN leaders pertaining to the 'breaking-up' of Pakatan is pure nonsense and must be treated as such At the end of the day, even if one million PAS members want Hadi to be the prime minister, the decision is at the hands of the CWC which has 35 decision-makers. Unlike Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim who has already been endorsed by both the Syura Council and the CWC, Hadi has yet to obtain the endorsement of both the Syura Council and the CWC. Selena Tay, FMT The suggestion by a PAS delegate that Abdul Hadi Awang be the seventh prime minister of Malaysia should Pakatan Rakyat succeed in winning the 13th general election is actually not a big deal. As far as knowledge of the workings of PAS is concerned, this columnist dares to say that a Hadi candidature will only get as far as the PAS central working committee (CWC). This is how it works. The Dewan Ulama will propose Hadi's name to the Syura Council consisting of religious leaders/ulama headed by Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the PAS spiritual adviser. After obtaining the endorsement of the Syura Council, Hadi's name will then be submitted to the PAS CWC which has members consisting of both ulama and professionals. At the end of the day, even if one million PAS members want Hadi to be the prime minister, the decision is at the hands of the CWC which has 35 decision-makers. Unlike Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim who has already been endorsed by both the Syura Council and the CWC, Hadi has yet to obtain the endorsement of both the Syura Council and the CWC. In fact, there are others in PAS with economic expertise who are more suited to the prime minister's post compared to Hadi but let us not get into that. Moreover, Anwar has sound economic knowledge and thus the PAS CWC will stick with Anwar and therefore even if PAS wins more seats than its coalition partners, Anwar will still be the prime minister. So the polemics of this matter can be put to rest although it must be said that that particular PAS delegate who raised this issue at the PAS muktamar (national conference) is unwise to do so at a time when the 13th general election is just around the corner. As usual, the Barisan Nasional-controlled mainstream media will play up the issue to the hilt by saying that there is no unity or harmony among the Pakatan component parties. According to a PAS MP, who wished to remain anonymous, the conservatives in PAS have fallen into the trap laid by ex-PAS man Dr Hasan Ali (state assemblyman for Gombak Setia) and the present Bachok MP, Nasharuddin Mat Isa. "These two men keep harping on PAS' so-called deviation from its Islamic struggle and this caused the conservatives to try to promote a more Islamic image for PAS. The exuberance displayed by the conservatives no doubt has spilled over into the muktamar," said this MP. "However, we adhere to the principle of 'tahaluf siyasi' which is the principle of co-operation with our Pakatan allies and this principle has already been endorsed by both the Syura Council and the CWC. This simply means that Anwar will be the prime minister in the event that Pakatan wins the 13th general election," added the same MP, who is also a member of the high-powered PAS CWC. Thus this simply means that Hadi's name will be stuck at the CWC assuming that the Syura Council will endorse him but even this has yet to happen.
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| Pakatan must do more for Penang Malays Posted: 23 Nov 2012 02:51 PM PST The Malays in Penang want a Malay Deputy Chief Minister to look after their interests To this, the congress' president Rahmad Isahak said it was becoming clear that both PKR and PAS have failed to maintain Pakatan Rakyat's hold on the Malays. Hawkeye, FMT The Penang Malay Congress has called on DAP to consider appointing a Malay to become the next Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) I if the present leader, PKR's Mansor Othman, relinquishes the post in favour of contesting a parliament seat. The rumour mill is working overtime in Penang now since PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim announced last week that Mansor, a party vice-president, will contest the Nibong Tebal parliament seat. The seat is presently held by Tan Tee Beng who had won the seat under the PKR banner in 2008 but has since become an Independent. Anwar declined to comment on whether Mansor will be allowed to defend his present Penanti state seat on the mainland. To this, the congress' president Rahmad Isahak said it was becoming clear that both PKR and PAS have failed to maintain Pakatan Rakyat's hold on the Malays. Moving Mansor out of Penang, stengthens the congress' belief that Pakatan is concerned about the Malay ground here and confirms that the Malay electorate is disappointed with them, Rahmad said. Mansor has been underfire for the last three years for failing to champion Malay issues well, and he is often seen as being subservient to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. To arrest an alleged decline in Malay support, Rahmad said Pakatan needs to revamp its present leadeship allocation. A Malay DAP candidate, who wins in the next election, should instead be made the DCM I as this will demonstrate to the people that the party is committed to the Malays, Rahmad said. Talk is that Penang DAP will consider fielding at least two Malay candidates here to challenge the perception among the Malay community that it is a Chinese party. DAP's failure to field any Malays may also give rise to a number of independent candidates – sponsored by Malay civil groups where 23 organisations have sprouted up in Penang since 2008. Rahmad said the Malays in Penang have become restless due to the inability of the DAP-led state government to effectively address their socio-economic issues. The community's grouses are over the lack of affordable housing, erosion of their heritage and culture values, made worse by the demolition of traditional villages on the island and the lack of quality jobs despite a record number of fresh investments. "If you ask a critically minded Malay if they support Pakatan, they remain speechless. It is not because Pakatan failed them, it is because the issues of the community has gone unnoticed by the inexperienced government for the past four years." The Malay dilemma The Malays are now venting their anger on PKR and PAS for failure to convince DAP over the critical need to look at the community's issues. Even during Barisan's era, the Malay community here has been stirring up issues and expressing their anger, Rahmad said in an interview. The Malays are in a dilemma here because if they support Pakatan, there is a preception out there that their issues will not be effectively resolved unless a strong-willed Malay leader is appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister I, Rahmad said. On the other hand, it is pointless to support Umno as the party is part of the Barisan Nasional coalition, which is finding it increasingly difficult to regain acceptance in Penang, he said.
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