Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- PAS, still the same old iron mould?
- Who is the key behind Deepak’s exposé?
- Making one’s hair stand
- Election sloganeering to win Indian votes
- It was an unpleasant weekend for Najib
- Water crisis: Learn from Mahathir’s blunder
- Can MCA deliver for Najib?
| PAS, still the same old iron mould? Posted: 28 Nov 2012 01:08 PM PST
Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily The rivalry in Malaysian politics will very often take the extreme course, banking on the sensitive racial and religious issues. The current Umno general assembly is not expected to be any different. Meanwhile, to appease the emotions of its supporters, PAS is poised to accentuate its religious hues. Coincidentally, in the PAS general assembly earlier this month, some delegates hit out at the party leadership for its softened and wavering stand on the hudud issue, overlooking the fact hat the hudud law forms the core principle of the party. MPKB enforcers slapped summonses to Chinese hair salon operators in Kota Bharu during the raids carried out last Tuesday and Friday. As what we understand, Friday is a gazetted holiday in the state of Kelantan. However, on a rare occasion, the MPKB officers went on plainclothes last Friday to raid the NICE and E-Life hair salons inside KB Mall, accusing the hair salons of operating without a valid permit and a female employee serving a male customer in breach of state regulations. The operation carried out irrespective of race on the eve of the Umno general assembly should help abate the firepower of Umno targeted at PAS. Although Islamic measures have been in force in Kelantan all these years, the state authorities hardly take on hair salon operators. The latest episode, therefore, appears a little eccentric. If the above speculations have been inaccurate, it is essential for the Kelantan state government or PAS to clarify..Unfortunately, state exco Takiyuddin Hassan was resolved to defend the action of the enforcers even after DAP National Chairman Karpal Singh had hit out at the incident. Meanwhile, menteri besar Nik Aziz said the state ulama council would talk about this issue and might bring the matter to the state legislative assembly if warranted. This raises the question whether the ulama council or the state government would have the final say on administrative matters. Similar to Umno, PAS needs to take care of its fundamental support base. PAS is concerned that Umno's racist card could possibly erode its support and would therefore resort to flashing its Islamic policies every now and then to consolidate its hold, especially in Kelantan which Umno is pouncing on and which Muhyiddin has anticipated a political tsunami. Enforcing Islamic decrees on non-Muslims is nevertheless contrary to the party's pledge not to impose such regulations on non-Muslims in the state while contradicting the party's direction of diluting its religious hues in a bid to win over non-Malay voters. Perhaps PAS feels Chinese voters would still lean on the opposition pact with the anti-Lynas, Chinese education, corruption and other issues now diverting their attention, providing an opportune timing for the party to manifest its Islamic laws while not adversely affecting the support of Chinese voters. The party has obviously overlooked the fact that MCA will never let go of this opportunity to hit out at PAS. If this matter is eventually brought to the court, it will sustain for some time and will very likely develop into a heated electoral issue that will have a negative bearing on the opposition pact. It cannot be denied that the Kelantan state government has been fair and unbiased in its governance but their thinking is nevertheless out-of-date. Take the movie theatres for example. How do you expect the audience to enjoy the movie if the lights inside the theatre have to be left on? How many would pay to see a movie that conforms completely to the teachings of Islam? Little wonder that no new cinemas have opened for business in the last ten years. There is an urgent need tor PAS to transform itself, or risk losing the opportunity to grab the helm in Putrajaya. PAS must make an unequivocal choice between clinging on to its fundamental support base and enlarging its political reach.
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| Who is the key behind Deepak’s exposé? Posted: 28 Nov 2012 12:47 PM PST Who has managed to get Deepak to expose Najib and Rosmah? Who stands to gain the most in toppling the Umno president? By Chua Jui Meng, FMT Deepak Jaikishan's shocking and damning revelations of his ties with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and wife Rosmah Mansor is serious and embarrassing to Malaysia. Deepak indirectly exposes Najib and Rosmah's link with the murder case of Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu via his involvement in private investigator P Balasubramaniam (PI Bala)'s statutory declarations. Deepak also said his mistake was to jump in to help friends – referring to Najib, who was then a defence minister, and his wife. The ongoing RM6.7 billion scandalous purchase of two second-hand French-made Scorpene submarines which is being investigated by a French court is also damaging Najib and Malaysia. Deepak's timing to spill the beans on Najib and Rosmah is also very suspicious – coming a day before Najib is scheduled to deliver his presidential address at the opening of an annual Umno General Assembly. The immediate question is: Who has managed to get Deepak to expose Najib and Rosmah? It can be answered with a question: Who stands to gain the most in toppling the Umno president? It will be amazing that Najib is able to face his Umno central delegates without any feeling of embarrassment. How can Najib's conscience not be pricked with all the ongoing scandals exposed is mind boggling. How can Umno members, the enforcers of law and Malaysians in general ignore such strong accusations against this man? The federal administration is certainly undergoing a crisis of sorts, and possibly a breakdown, when it cannot swiftly and confidently resolve wrong doings afflicting the country, especially when it concerns public accountability, corruption and crime. Public confidence is therefore eroded, and the socio-economic fabric of the nation is shaken.
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| Posted: 26 Nov 2012 04:54 PM PST
Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan's recent remarks about salons make us wonder if he has anything 'between the ears'. How then can he not know that PAS is messing things up in a respectable industry. Wong Chun Wai, The Star DATUK Takiyuddin Hassan should be invited by hair stylists for a visit to their shops – the Kelantan state executive councillor has no idea what he is talking about. To put it bluntly, he is talking rubbish. He doesn't need to have a hair cut or a hair wash but simply observe the operations at a hair salon. And sir, it is hair salon and not hair saloon. There is no drinking or entertainment of any kind. A hair salon is different from a girlie barber shop, that's another point you should be aware of. On Sunday, the PAS assistant secretary-general defended the PAS state government's decision to enforce gender-segregation rules on unisex salons, prohibiting women from cutting the hair of men, and vice-versa. He said: "It is a well-known fact that hair salons and unisex establishments are the most convenient places for immoral activities. "They provide a cover for men and women to engage in illicit activities. If I were a Chinese, I will never allow my wife to patronise such salons or even consider allowing my children to work in such places because of their reputation as a hotbed for immoral activities. "And even a Chinese wife will feel uneasy to allow her husband to go to such places. Frequently such places will always lead to scandals." Like many Malaysians who read these remarks yesterday, I really didn't know whether to cry or to burst out laughing. Many of us go to hair salons for hair cuts simply because, unlike barbers, these hair stylists are properly trained. Many invested in diploma courses in famous training schools in London, Paris, Hong Kong and Bangkok. We don't expect Takiyuddin to know what "a layer cut" is. Huge sums of capital have been invested into their hair salons and many well-known hair stylists have turned entrepreneurs by setting up chains of hair salons nationwide. These hair stylists work hard on their reputation, of which PAS may not be aware of, but clients are selective in their choice of hair salons. Takiyuddin has no idea what he is talking about. We wouldn't blink an eye if our family members have their hair cut at hair salons — by a male or a female stylist. And most of us have family members or friends who work at hair salons and we are proud of their skills and creativity. They make many Malaysians look good with their professionalism and abilities. It is even more humorous when Takiyuddin said that "when a woman worker gives upper body massages to a male customer, one thing will eventually lead to another, ending with illicit activities". Hello, the nearest massage one gets at a hair salon is a neck-and-shoulder massage. And from where Takiyuddin is coming from, he and his party leaders will surely shut down spas when they come to power. Since male stylists cannot cut the hair of females and vice-versa, will we see PAS banning women doctors from treating male patients? So if Takiyuddin suffers a heart attack while he is giving a press conference, will he wait for a male doctor to come, even if there is a female doctor nearby? Next, women flight attendants won't be serving Takiyudidin when he is flying because it can lead to many things, what with their smiles and the uniforms they wear. The hair on my hands are already standing on end just reading what Takiyuddin has reportedly said.
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| Election sloganeering to win Indian votes Posted: 26 Nov 2012 04:16 PM PST Wouldn't it be plain daydreaming to expect Najib to suddenly transform himself to be the poor man's champion? By M Manoharan, FMT Apart from a brief stint at Petronas, Najib has always enjoyed privileged positions as the PM's eldest son, Menteri Besar, Deputy Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and currently, Prime Minister. His has been an aristocratic role within an Umno regime whose rule has reduced Indians to an impoverished and marginalised community. Wouldn't it be plain daydreaming to expect him to suddenly transform himself to be the poor man's champion? Najib and other Umno leaders' speeches are tailor-made according to the audience. Ketuanan Melayu and the Malay chauvinistic agenda is a favourite subject of Najib to Malay audiences. However, when he faces an Indian crowd, he transforms himself into the Messiah for the marginalised Indian. However, Najib is known for encouraging the proliferation of Indian-based parties. Recently, at a meeting with KIMMA, he said that the appointment of the new Chief Secretary takes care of the welfare of Muslim Indians and that they should not clamour for KIMMA's membership in BN. In an indirect manner, he was relaying the message that Muslim Indians who consider themselves Malays cannot afford to be disunited but Indians can. Najib is also consistently big on pronouncements but short on delivery. Examples include his announcement of a 1,000 matriculation/ pre-university places for high achieving SPM students, but it required sustained pressure from NGOs, politicians and community leaders before the places were ready and even then doubts persist as to whether the number ever reached the promised 1,000. Another announcement was the RM180 million fund offered ostensibly solely for Indian SMEs. Again this turned out to be a ruse because it was just a small portion of a pre-existing loans portfolio in the banking network. Moreover, applicants had to meet standard stringent documentation and other criteria. Similarly, grandiose figures were dished out on the allocation of funds to Tamil schools post-April 2009. Recently, a colossal figure of RM500 million was bandied about but experts agree that the real disbursement is likely to be a tiny fraction of the publicised amount. 'The Cabinet Committee on Indian Issues' and the 'Task Force on Indians in the PM's Department' are two very high profile teams to be established under the Najib administration, designed to tackle the broad spectrum of problems affecting the Indians. Both teams have proven to be a public relations exercise, more than anything else, with hundreds of thousands of ringgit poured into print, radio and television advertisements with otherwise very little to show for it. Najib comes out tops in sloganeering with terms like 'Nambikei' but there were just mere slogans! There are close to 300 000 'stateless' Indians in the country. 'Stateless' because of the absence of birth registration and MyKad documents. Sadly, Najib chooses to trumpet the miniscule 4,000 odd numbers who have gained citizenship recently, many in their advance years, where a Malaysian citizenship arrives too late and is of little use to them. Again, he chooses publicity over actual delivery/achievement. Mahathir link Perhaps the biggest indication that a future Najib premiership would see Indians falling further behind is his close ties to former PM Mahathir Mohamad. Mahathir's policies shamelessly neglected and discriminated against the Indian community. For instance, at the start of the Mahathir premiership, about 29% of the civil service consisted of non Malays (Indians are part of this figure) but by the end of his tenure, the number had been whittled down to a measly 8%. Many retiring senior Indian civil service members were replaced by Malays at the higher echelons. It is sad to note that the majority of the high ranking Indian civil servants are in the obituary columns of the newspapers.
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| It was an unpleasant weekend for Najib Posted: 26 Nov 2012 04:08 PM PST The rakyat are now vocally airing their demands, their rights and their aspirations. And interestingly they didn't just demonstrate against core issues but also against Umno and Barisan Nasional rule. It was a strong resistance against a corrupt and morally bankrupt government which has continuously ignored the rights of the people for profits. By Charles Santiago, FMT Perhaps those were his chosen moments. The moment when tens of thousands of people turned Dataran Merdeka green. The moment when hundreds of Indians called for the rights of the minority community to be protected. The moment when scores more turned up at the field in Petaling Jaya to demonstrate against the National Education Blueprint. It was a weekend of protest in Malaysia. And interestingly they didn't just demonstrate against core issues but also against Umno and Barisan Nasional rule. It was a strong resistance against a corrupt and morally bankrupt government which has continuously ignored the rights of the people for profits. The people of Malaysia have changed after the 2008 general election which was a slap to the ruling parties, that have governed with impunity over decades. The rakyat are now vocally airing their demands, their rights and their aspirations. This politically maturing society should sit well with the reform agenda of prime minister Najib Tun Razak, who parrots his People First, Performance Now slogan. But that's not the case. Protesters are met with bully-boy policemen who do not hesitate to employ violence against unarmed people. And their demands have gone largely unheeded. And these demands include a clean-up of the electoral system which is ridden with irregularities, a revamp of the education system, a clean and transparent government, independent monitoring of the police force, equal distribution of wealth, the doing-away of race-based policies, a judiciary with integrity… and the list goes on. The Umno-led coalition government has largely turned a blind eye to these demands, gone after the dissidents with a vengeance, accused the opposition of engineering peoples movements or used force to threaten and intimidate the people. Najib, his cabinet ministers and the police, who go to the mat one too many times for the government, have repeatedly failed to realise they are insulting the people by believing opposition politicians are doing the thinking for them. And they have underestimated the power of the people. Dataran Merdeka was cordoned off to the green marchers and the notice by KL mayor Ahmad Phesal Talib screamed "this place is closed for activities". And apparently due to renovation works. The cordon was not breached but the message was sent loud and clear – that the operations of Australian miner, Lynas, must stop immediately. The government and AELB do not seem to learn from tragedies. Severe birth defects, eight cases of leukaemia in five years in a community of 11,000 people are the consequences of allowing the operations of the Asian Rare Earth factory in northern Perak. The clean-up cost of the factory and dump site is estimated to be US$100 million, the largest in the rare earth industry. But 30 years later, the government is once again game to play with the lives of people. The radioactive waste which will be produced by Lynas will be dangerous because it is removed from the ground and concentrated by mechanical and chemical processes. And Australia has said Lynas cannot ship back the waste material. AELB, which initially said it is giving Lynas a temporary operating licence with the view that the waste would be shipped back to Australia has kept mum.
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| Water crisis: Learn from Mahathir’s blunder Posted: 26 Nov 2012 03:54 PM PST The fake water crisis in Selangor, manufactured by BN, features the same blunder that Mahathir made, forcing Singapore to look to technology for water self-efficiency. By Chua Jui Meng, FMT Singapore's $9 billion per annum water industry exposes Barisan Nasional government as incompetent, unable to think out of the box. The island republic is now thanking Malaysia's former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad for its current $9 billion per annum water industry. If not for Mahathir's devious intentions and actions to use the raw water supply to hold Singapore to ransom, the island republic today would not have such a thriving industry. So, Mahathir is, after all, not all that Machiavellian? Only a man without conscience will threaten to deny human beings their right and thirst for water. Let's now look at Selangor's water issues for a parallel comparison. The ongoing Langat 2 dispute between the Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor government and the BN federal government is another inhumane attempt to try and hold the people of Selangor to ransom. The BN's intention to bulldoze the construction of the RM8.6 billion Langat 2 water treatment plant is to realise its share of the gravy train for its cronies which is also linked to the RM60 million annual royalty for raw water supply from Pahang. When completed, the people of Selangor will be burdened with a 100% hike in water rates. The fake water crisis, perpetuated by BN, features the same blunder that Mahathir made, forcing Singapore to look to technology for water self-efficiency. Mahathir's not so Machiavellian move is now a blessing in disguise for Singapore. As it is, all seven dams in Selangor are operating and supplying sufficient raw water. All 34 water treatment plants in the state are also running smoothly to ensure adequate supply of treated water in the state. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had also tried to cow Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim by saying construction of Langat 2 would proceed with or without the approval of the state. That only reflects Muhyiddin's "bully boy" mentality and his utter contempt of law. I reiterate the Selangor government's stand that there is no necessity for Langat 2.
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| Posted: 26 Nov 2012 12:19 PM PST
Is Najib lashing out at DAP because he's frustrated with MCA's inability to sustain Chinese support? The prospect of DAP supplanting and eliminating MCA altogether is the main reason why Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is attempting meek scare-mongering tactic. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz (Free Malaysia Today)Why should any self-respecting Malay support Umno which stands idly by and endorses a party like the MCA? MCA can no longer sustain Chinese support and Umno is absolutely disabled to help. So it has come to this because all this while Umno has turned MCA into a party of honorary Malays. Now Umno reaps what it has sown. The prospect of DAP supplanting and eliminating MCA altogether is the main reason why Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is attempting meek scare-mongering tactic. But people are not buying whatever you say now, Mr PM. Najib says Malays are fed up with DAP. Well, let me tell you this. Those who know Najib well, knows he is playing to the gallery. He is acutely aware that he is speaking among political rejects. MCA's influence over its ethnic group is fast diminishing. Its claim that it's regaining legitimacy among the Chinese sounds so phony and laughable. MCA knows it can only deliver at best three parliamentary seats in the coming general election. The party has been reduced to the status of a neutered Chihuahua. Doing the unthinkable We will humour both Najib and his sleeping partner, MCA. Now why should the Malays be fed up? DAP, after all, has always contested in areas where MCA candidates stand. In which case DAP poses no threat to Umno. So, could it be that Najib is really and actually fed up with MCA for being completely impotent at winning over the Chinese? MCA bends over and does the unthinkable – it articulates issues that alienate them further from Malay votes while at the same time, places Malaysian Chinese as seemingly natural enemies to Malays. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/11/27/can-mca-deliver-for-najib/
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