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• ‘Prove Jeffrey met Daim in KK’
• Doomsday Prophecy ‘Haram’: Malaysia
• EC accuses Ambiga, Bersih of partisan agenda
• PAS’ stance against supporters slammed
• DAP and its multiracial dilemma
• ‘No black or white knight, just truth’
• Bar Council: Give us more evidence
• A-G’s Chambers freezes AES summons cases for now
• More than one in three Malaysians to get cash handouts on January 15
• Kapar MP’s aide murdered
• Ariffin’s remarks inaccurate, says PSC
• Zainuddin article on Habibie improper and unethical, says Indonesian president
• No tussle in Sungai Siput, says PSM
• Bumburing and Jeffrey in face-off
• Indonesia-Malaysia Border Spat Lingers
• Explain Umno leaders’ claims, DCM Yee told
• China leads in illicit outflows, M’sia 2nd
• DAP on damage control
• Kelantan PAS turning on its non-Muslim supporters
• Supporters Congress is PAS’ third bid to reach out to non-Muslims
• Putrajaya mulls freezing AES to avoid duplicating police speed traps
• Outcome of general election will have impact on economy, says expert
• Malaysian Psephology: Lembah Pantai
• Expect 'dirtiest elections' in Malaysia: Reform group
• Cop's son gunned down by police
• Judge ticks off senior cop for putting interest of police before public
• Questions over MACC-lawyer link to Bala’s second SD
• ‘MIC boss deprives 145 Tamil schools of aid’
• PSM, PKR at loggerheads in Sg Siput
• DAP to field more Malay candidates in GE
• Dr M interfered in police probe on Anwar sex scandal, alleges ex-cop
• Batu Caves condo: What they’re not telling you
• PKR, Umno share same DNA
• DAP adopts one candidate-one seat policy
• ‘DAP not mature enough’
• DAP CEC results shows racism: Puad Zarkashi
• Guan Eng defends CEC appointments

‘Prove Jeffrey met Daim in KK’ Posted: 18 Dec 2012 09:20 PM PST STAR has challenged Wilfred Bumburing's aide to openly apologise to Sabahans if he lied about Daim Zainuddin's meeting in Kota Kinabalu. Calvin Kabardon, FMT Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) has warned its detractors to show proof that its chief Jeffrey Kitingan had recently met former Umno treasurer Daim Zainuddin, or face legal action. Warning Pakatan Rakyat's "newest" baby Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), STAR Youth chief Azroy Hasmin Abdullah said there was no truth to a report in the local dailies here about the meeting. Dennish Gimpah, a long-serving aide to Tuaran MP and APS chief Wilfred Bumburing, was quoted as saying that Jeffrey had purportedly met with Daim at Nexus Resort recently. Earlier rumours were rife that STAR was being backed by Umno and Jeffrey had also issued threats to sue those spreading these rumours. "We give Gimpah seven days to give proof of his allegation. If he cannot furnish proof in seven days from today, he must apologise openly; otherwise we will consider suing him for fitnah [lies]," Azroy said in a tersely-worded statement yesterday. He said STAR hoped that people will see through Gimpah's line of thinking which was to ensure that his boss (Bumburing) continued to hold a higher position at any cost. "To STAR, it is the people and the Borneo Agenda that matter. We listened to what the grassroots want, what and how they wanted change to be executed in Sabah. "If STAR forms a state government in Sabah, don't tell us that a federal government under Pakatan would also treat us the way Umno-BN treated PBS years back. "If that is so as implied by Gimpah, then both Bumburing and himself should seriously re-examine their supporting Pakatan right now," Azroy said. He also took Gimpah to task for asking how STAR will address the issue of illegal immigrants when it forms a state government, as it was "tantamount to saying Pakatan or even APS would not help address the problem even if Pakatan forms the federal government". "If that line of observation is taken, how would Gimpah take it if BN, instead of Pakatan, really addressed the issue of illegal immigrants? "To STAR, we support good policies openly. But we know now that APS will support any 'good' thing that Anwar [Ibrahim] and Pakatan say. Maybe APS will just support anything blindly. We'll let the people be our judge," Azroy added. 'Do you even care?' He also chided Gimpah for supporting an alliance led by Anwar, who had in the past "signed" away Sabah's future. "Let me ask Gimpah, are you even concerned about Sabah at all? Are you concerned about us being dictated or not? "Do you want Malayan parties to continue over-lording Sabahans? Or do you want to empower Sabah and Sabahans to chart their own future like what Star is doing?" he asked. He also questioned APS' aim in aligning itself with PKR and its role in the upcoming general election. READ MORE HERE

Doomsday Prophecy ‘Haram’: Malaysia Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:57 PM PST   Bolivian priests making offerings on a Tunupa ship to mark the first of six days of celebrations to commemorate the end of the Mayan calendar  (On Islam) - CAIRO – As the world rattles with prophecies of the doomsday on Friday, December 21, based on the Mayan calendar, Malaysia has warned Muslims against following those beliefs, which contradict with the teachings of Islam. "There is no reason for Muslims to believe in the Mayan prophecy," Mashitah Ibrahim, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, told The New Straits Times on Tuesday, December 18.   "It is haram (prohibited) for Muslims to believe in predictions." Texts inscribed on stone tablets by the Maya civilization predict that the doomsday will occur on December 21, 2012. The myth is based on the Mayan calendar which marks the end of a 5,126 year old cycle around December 12, 2012. A chorus of books and movies has sought to link the Mayan calendar to rumors of impending disasters ranging from rogue black holes and solar storms to the idea that the Earth's magnetic field could flip on that date. The disaster movie 2012, released last year, is based on the myth that the world will end with the Mayan calendar in 2012. It sees a series of geological and astrological disasters plunging the world into chaos. But archaeologists say there is no evidence the Maya ever made any such prophesy. Mashitah warned that believing in such a prophecy could undermine one's faith. "In Islam, it is an obligation for followers to believe in the end of the world, or qiamat, as it is referred to in the Qur'an," she said. "But the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad never taught us to forecast the date. "Even the Prophet was not told by God when qiamat would happen and he never tried to predict it." Judgment Day Signs The Malaysian official stressed that Muslims are taught to identify signs of the Last Day to prepare themselves for the hereafter. "The signs of qiamat and that it is nearing should be used by Muslims to strengthen their ibadah (worshipping) or good deeds," Mashitah said. "The Prophet, in his hadith had said as qiamat nears, Muslims should increase their ibadah (worshipping). It was not to instill fear in the people. "The Prophet had said that even when signs of qiamat are right in front of us, we should make use of the time to do ibadah as it would be the last opportunity to do so." Throughout the history of the world, each civilization has believed in a catastrophic event that would befall them. In Islam, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned a few signs of the Last Day. The signs include; barefooted shepherds will compete in owning tall buildings, wine (intoxicants) will be consumed in great quantities and that Arabia will become a land of gardens and rivers. Other signs include increasing earthquakes and bloodshed, women far outnumbering men and power will be in the hands of those who do not deserve it. There are a number of other signs too that come right before the end of time like sunrise from the West and the discovery of talking animals. Allah Almighty has kept that date a secret. Not a human, angel, or prophet has ever been privy to that knowledge. Anyone who promulgates this false message of 2012 as being the end of our world is committing a grave disservice to their own souls as well as the greater community around them.

EC accuses Ambiga, Bersih of partisan agenda Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:47 PM PST   (The Malaysian Insider) - The Election Commission (EC) questioned today the ability of Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan to ensure all 'citizen observers' in her Bersih 2.0 electoral watchdog group obey the law and steer clear of fouling up the polls regulator's work. EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar was reported by a Malay news portal as saying Bersih 2.0 was formed along partisan lines and that it was possible the group may have a certain agenda to protect its partisan interests. He told Sinar Harian Online that while the prominent legal expert who is co-chairman of the electoral reforms group is seen to be familiar with the law, he asked: "But is she capable of taking care of members involved in the Jom Pantau PRU13?" "Not all know the law, with the election closing in, this campaign launch may cause all sorts of problems to arise," Wan Ahmad was reported as saying. The grassroots movement that has been pressuring the government to clean up the election process had earlier this week announced it will be employing thousands more "citizen observers" as their eyes and ears to monitor the election process on polling day. Wan Ahmad said the EC acknowledged the right of citizens to monitor the election process for any possible fraud that may arise, but said they must not disturb the work of the authorities and EC. "We want to remind them so that Bersih 2.0 that launched this campaign will not disturb this election's affairs," he told the news portal. Bersih 2.0 has already launched its "Jom Pantau" and "Jom 100" but Ambiga Sreenevasan said on Monday that these campaigns would be expanded next month to keep up the pressure on the authorities. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ec-accuses-ambiga-bersih-of-partisan-agenda/

PAS’ stance against supporters slammed Posted: 18 Dec 2012 02:46 PM PST The Star) - Several political party leaders hit out at PAS for turning against its non-Muslim supporters over accusations that they had undermined the party's Islamic stand. One of them accused PAS of trying to impose its values on non-Muslims. DAP chairman Karpal Singh has commended the actions of the National PAS Supporters Congress in defending the rights of the non-Muslims in Kelantan. "What they (congress) did was right. They were defending the rights of non-Muslims. DAP, too, has defended the non-Muslims," he said yesterday. Karpal said PAS assistant secretary-general and state executive councillor Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan should accept congress chairman Hu Pang Chaw's statement in good grace. "It is the duty of the congress to come out and defend when the rights of the non-Muslims are infringed," he said. Karpal was commenting on a report quoting Takiyuddin who accused Hu of having "bad intentions" for bringing to the media cases of action taken against non-Muslims for alleged indecent behaviour. Hu also criticised the issuing of summonses to non-Muslim salon workers cutting the hair of non-Muslim customers of the opposite sex. Takiyuddin, who is State Local Government, Culture and Tourism Committee chairman, had said the congress should play its role as part of the party. It was reported that the Kota Baru Municipal Council had issued summonses to two non-Muslim men for allegedly embracing each other in a car parked near the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport at midnight on Oct 31. The other summons was issued to a 17-year-old teenager for giving a piggy-back ride to his 15-year-old girlfriend at Taman Tunku Anis at 5.30pm on Oct 20. MIC Youth leader T. Mohan said Takiyuddin's statement clearly showed that PAS wanted to impose their Islamic agenda on non-Muslims. He said PKR and DAP should come out strongly to censure PAS for their actions. "I believe PKR and DAP would not want to rock the boat as their dream is to go to Putrajaya at all costs," he said. Taman Chi Liung Indah DAP chairman K. Yogasigamany said some DAP members were unhappy with the actions of PAS representatives for attempting to impose their values on non-Muslims.

DAP and its multiracial dilemma Posted: 18 Dec 2012 02:34 PM PST Party's chants about Malaysian Malaysia rings hollow when its members elect only Chinese leaders to top posts. Leven Woon, FMT The DAP has always aspired to be a multiracial party, with its members abiding by the 'Malaysian Malaysia' concept and calling themselves Malaysian first. However, the election results at its 16th National Congress last weekend threw up a stark reality – that after years of sloganeering, it is still far from achieving its dream. There were eight Malay leaders who contested for a place in the 20-member central executive committee (CEC), and all failed to make cut into the top decision making body. Several of the Malay candidates told FMT that they felt the party delegates have yet to truly appreciate the Malaysian Malaysia concept. The question to ask is: Has DAP been using the wrong format to promote diversity in its rank? It has never been close to taking federal power. After the breakthrough in the 2008 GE with Pakatan Rakyat coalition partners, the DAP now wants to see itself transform into a broad based national party. This was evident throughout the two-day convention, especially during DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng's speech where he uttered Kadazan and Iban phrases (umohon and ngat sayop) and announced the ambition to win one Dayak seat in the general election. "We also want to be identified as an attractive party of choice for the Malays, especially urban Malays. "From the establishment of Roketkini.com, a BM daily news portal, and Sekolah Demokrasi, a political education programme in BM, we are making progress," he said in his one-hour speech on Saturday. Malay leaders unhappy While Lim has a grand plan for DAP, grassroots member felt otherwise. The election results showed that most of the 2,500 delegates still want the party to be under Chinese control, as they voted in 17 Chinese and only three Indians into the CEC. The only Malay who secured a place through popular vote in 2008, Ahmad Ton, was booted out this time around. He placed 38th out of 63 candidates, with 347 ballots. DAP senator Ariffin SM Omar came in 37th with 348 votes. Another DAP Malay leader, Zulkifli Mohd Noor, only obtained 216 votes. The party's leadership tried to save the situation by appointing two Malays, two Indians and three East Malaysians into the CEC, but the Malay leaders were clearly unhappy. Zulkifli said it seems the party delegates have failed to accept the Malaysian Malaysia concept. "When Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has already accepted the Malaysian Malaysia concept with 1Malaysia, my party members still do not get it," he said. Future gloomy? The sentiment was shared by Ahmad, who said that DAP would have trouble in the future if they continue to snub the Bangsa Malaysia idea. "What is DAP? What is Malaysian Malaysia? The idea is to form a Bangsa Malaysia. If delegates do not value the idea, the future of DAP is gloomy," he said. DAP dissident Teng Chang Khim was point-blank when he said that as delegates could only elect 20 CEC members, those who are nationally more popular stood a better chance. READ MORE HERE

‘No black or white knight, just truth’ Posted: 18 Dec 2012 02:32 PM PST Ex CCID chief Ramli Yusuff strikes back at his rival, Musa Hassan, for claiming that the former is trying to be the saviour of the police force. Anisah Shukry, FMT Former Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) chief Ramli Yusuff today dismissed claims by former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan that he is attempting to paint himself as the saviour of the police force. "There is no black knight, white knight in the equation at all. It is just an issue of me telling the truth. "If you (Musa) want to attack someone in the police force, we ex-police officers are responsible to say something about it as well," he told FMT. Ramli was referring to Musa's recent allegations that ministers had attempted to interfere with police investigations during the latter's time in the force – a practice which Musa claims continues unabated even under Ismail Omar's current reign as IGP. In response to Musa's "revelations", Ramli told reporters that Musa himself had ties with underworld figures such as Goh Cheng Poh, or Tengku Goh, and this raised Musa's ire. "From the outside, it seems like [Ramli is] the white knight, saviour of PDRM [Royal Malaysian Police]… while I'm the black knight who is destroying PDRM… the picture has been painted as such," Musa had said at a press conference last week. However, Ramli rubbished such a notion and said that his criticism was merely a response to Musa's "open disturbance" of the police force. "When you have retired, your days are over. You don't disturb. Your successors have their own way of doing things. You are gone, so why do you want to disturb?" said Ramli today. He added that if Musa sincerely intended to combat criminal elements and ministerial interference in the police force, he would have met with the IGP personally to discuss this issue, rather than humiliate everyone by turning to the media. "You don't have to say these kind of things in the open. These are internal matters. Musa could have discussed it discreetly with Ismail, meet up with him, tell him nicely. "Or he could have gone through our associations," Ramli pointed out. Instead, Musa had told reporters that Ismail was a "yes-man" and a "snob", and even described how, in 2008, Ismail had allegedly wept by his bedside after obeying then-home minister Syed Hamid Albar's orders to arrest a Sin Chew Daily reporter under the Internal Security Act. "Both Musa and Ismail served under me directly for six years, I know both of them well because I put up their yearly confidential report," said Ramli. "I know how they are, they each have different personalities and own way of doing things. So Musa cannot expect Ismail to follow in his footsteps," he added. READ MORE HERE

Bar Council: Give us more evidence Posted: 18 Dec 2012 04:23 AM PST Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee has urged anyone with more facts and proof to come forward in regard to the 'Tan Sri lawyer' and son who have been accused of helping draft the SD2.  Teoh El Sen, FMT The Bar Council has expressed its concern over new developments that revealed that a senior lawyer and his son were allegedly behind the drafting of the second statutory declaration (SD2) by private investigator P Balasubramaniam. (The SD2 reversed the first statutory declaration which implicated Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in the murder of the Mongolioan national Altantuya Shaariibuu.) However, the Bar Council stopped short of declaring that it will immediately launch an investigation, saying that more facts and evidence are needed before the disciplinary board can act. "The Bar Council views these circumstances seriously and invites those who have the facts and evidence to come forward openly and officially and, if there is compelling evidence of any professional misconduct, to lodge such evidence together with a complaint immediately with the disciplinary board," its president Lim Chee Wee said. The disciplinary board is an independent body statutorily established and tasked with the responsibility of investigating professional conduct and disciplining of advocates and solicitors. Lim said that while investigation, if there is any, will be rightfully conducted by the disciplinary board, the Bar Council "[will] work together" with the board. "As it stands now, the facts are not clear. We look at what Deepak Jaikishan and Balasubramaniam have said: have they ever alleged that the lawyer represented the private investigator? We have to go through this with a forensic eye," he said Lim said that while the Bar is closely monitoring the situation, he lamented that until today, the identities of the said lawyer (s) have not been established, as a video recording of an interview with Deepak bleeped out the names. Unnecessary speculation "We have also received yesterday a letter from [lawyer-activist] Haris Ibrahim requesting the Bar Council to launch an investigation to identify the lawyer (s) concerned, when it appears to us that Haris may know the identity of these lawyers." "This has caused unnecessary speculation and confusion," he added. Lim also said that the most important person in a complaint against a legal practitioner should be the victim himself, but the apparent "victim" has yet to come forward. "Who is the victim here? Has the victim Balasubramaniam raised concerns about anything at this point? We need more facts, either from the victim or somebody else." "People must come forward with the facts. I'm not going on a fishing expedition… knocking on people's office or doors for facts. This is not a case of clients money disappearing. "This information is revealed by someone whose own background is cause for concern," said Lim, referring to Deepak. Asked if the Bar Council is reluctant to act, he said: "We cannot say we are not doing anything. Those with more facts, come forward. We will do what is necessary. Even at this time, we will look into this further if necessary," he said. Lim said the disciplinary board's job is to determine if there is cause for investigation, but this process will not be disclosed to the public and statements will only come from the Bar Council on the matter. READ MORE HERE

A-G’s Chambers freezes AES summons cases for now Posted: 17 Dec 2012 10:20 PM PST   (The Malaysian Insider) - The Attorney-General's Chambers (A-GC) has ordered a halt to all court proceedings related to summonses issued under the Automated Enforcement System (AES) to study legal issues that have been raised, it said today.   The A-GC statement came today after an outcry over the AES which has issued nearly 300,000 summonses since it began last September 23. "In view of the concerns made by certain quarters on the law and other technicalities, the AGC has decided to look into this matter and directed that all proceedings are to be withheld until the concerns have been addressed. "A decision will be made within the next few days on the above-mentioned issues," the AGC said in a statement today. The statement, however, added that the AES summonses issued by the Road Transport Department were still valid. "In respect of the four AES summons cases that have been discharged not amounting to an acquittal, the AGC will re-study them and will be re-registered if they warrant any prosecution," it added. The Malaysian Insider had reported this morning that Putrajaya was considering holding off the implementation of the system as it appeared to duplicate police speed traps along the highways. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/a-gs-chambers-freezes-aes-summons-cases-for-now/

More than one in three Malaysians to get cash handouts on January 15 Posted: 17 Dec 2012 10:17 PM PST   (The Malaysian Insider) - About 12 million Malaysians, or more than one in three citizens, will receive cash handouts from the government on January 15, in a major boost for barisan Nasional (BN) ahead of elections expected soon after that. Sin Chew Daily reported today that the estimated 12 million people will receive the cash through the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) and student aid schemes. BR1M recipients will get handouts of RM500, while RM100 will be given to students from Standard One to Form Five. Handouts worth RM250 will also be given out to those 21-year-old-and-above who are single and who earn less than RM2000 a month. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/more-than-one-in-three-malaysians-to-get-cash-handouts-on-january-15/

Kapar MP’s aide murdered Posted: 17 Dec 2012 04:00 PM PST Police say C Nachimuthu, 53, was involved in a quarrel with the man who killed him but a motive has yet to be established Teoh El Sen and K Pragalath, FMT An aide to Kapar MP S Manikavasagam was bludgeoned to death today about a kilometre from his home. C Nachimuthu, 53, was riding his motorcycle this morning when the suspect hit him on the head with a gardening tool. Bleeding from his wounds, he died on the spot. The suspect was arrested soon after. Nachimuthu had been Manikavasagam's personal assistant and driver for the past two years. He lived in Puncak Alam, Shah Alam and was also the Sri Kayangan Resident Association's chairman. He is married with four children. According to Manikavasagam (photo), there were previous reports lodged by Nachimuthu against the suspect. "Nachimuthu had lodged about four police reports but they did not take any action. I want the suspect charged under section 302 of the Penal Code for murder," said the PKR leader. Motive yet to extablished Nachimuthu's body is currently at the Klang general hospital, said Manikavasagam. A post mortem is expected to be done today. Meanwhile, a police source close to the investigations told FMT that the suspect was a 43-year-old gardener and was arrested in the area within half an hour. He said that initial investigations revealed that the two men were involved in a quarrel earlier this morning. "Insults and vulgarities were apparently hurled. But we're still trying to ascertain the cause of the fight," said the source, who did not rule out a possible political motive. Police said the suspect has confessed to the crime.

Ariffin’s remarks inaccurate, says PSC Posted: 17 Dec 2012 03:11 PM PST (The Star) - The Public Service Commission (PSC) has chided newly appointed DAP vice-chairman Dr Ariffin S.M. Omar for allegedly saying that corruption could be wiped out from the public service if it was not monopolised by one race. News portal AntaraPos.com quoted Dr Ariffin as proposing a massive reshuffle in the police and civil service if Pakatan Rakyat took control of Putrajaya in the coming general election. He was reported to have said at the recent party congress that corruption could be eradicated more effectively if the two sectors were not dominated by the Malays. PSC chairman Tan Sri Mahmood Adam brushed off Dr Ariffin's re-marks as "inaccurate". "Don't just look at the surface, this is a war of perception we have to fight," Mahmood said at the PSC office here yesterday. He said the commission had embarked on a campaign to encourage more non-Malays to join the civil service and the police force. "For about seven months, we have worked with various non-governmental organisations, as well as Chinese and Indian associations, and we have seen changes. "There has been an increase in the number of non-Malays (interested in the civil sector) this year, probably more than five times (the previous trend)," Mahmood said, adding that he would unveil the figures next week. He said the Malays made up the dominant group in the civil service because out of 1.2 million job applications received each year, 80% were from them.

Zainuddin article on Habibie improper and unethical, says Indonesian president Posted: 17 Dec 2012 02:24 PM PST (Bernama) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the article written by former Malaysian Information Minister Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin on Indonesia's third President BJ Habibie was improper and unethical. The article, he said, could jeopardise the good ties between Indonesia and Malaysia.  "We have worked it out, the foreign minister will take diplomatic notes both here and in Kuala Lumpur," Yudhoyono (picture) was quoted by Antara news agency as published by English daily the Jakarta Post today.  Yudhoyono, who is leaving today for Malaysia to attend the annual consultation, the highest forum in Malaysia-Indonesia in bilateral ties, said Indonesia would raise the issues of mutual respect and tolerance during the meeting so that similar incidents would not recur to obstruct friendship between both countries.  Zainuddin's article is considered by many in Indonesia as offensive towards Habibie.  Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said the president would also raise priority issues including protection for Indonesians working in Malaysia, the boundary, trade and investment at the meeting.  Yudhoyono will have a private, face-to-face meeting with Najib before leading the Indonesian delegation at the ninth annual consultation.  Universiti Utara Malaysia is scheduled to confer the president with an honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership of Peace.

No tussle in Sungai Siput, says PSM Posted: 17 Dec 2012 02:06 PM PST But the clenched fist logo stays, says secretary general Arutchelvan  K Pragalath, FMT Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has denied that it is tussling with PKR over the Sungai Siput parliament seat. Responding to a news report that a three-corner fight was in the making in the constituency, PSM secretary general S Arutchelvan released a press statement today saying there was no friction between said his party and PKR. The report, which FMT published yesterday, quoted a PKR insider as saying his party might field its own candidate for the seat because PSM was insisting on using its own logo in the campaign for the coming election. "On the ground, there is no real tussle," Arutchelvan said. "People want to see change and PSM is committed to that agenda." He added that PSM would support Pakatan Rakyat candidates in all seats except the four that it is contesting—Sungai Siput and the state constituencies of Jelapang in Perak and Kota Damansara and Semenyih in Selangor. "We hope that PR will not force three-corner fights for these seats," he said, adding that negotiations to avoid this were ongoing. The current MP for Sungai Siput is PSM's Dr D Michael Jeyakumar. He contested as a PKR candidate in 2008 and beat then MIC president S Samy Vellu. The PKR insider said yesterday that PSM's logo, which features a clenched left fist, would put off Malay voters. Arutchelvan rejected claims that voters would reject PSM because of its left-leaning ideology and defended the party's use of its logo in campaigning. He said PSM had been promoting the logo since its inception in 1998 even though it was registered only in 2008. "The fist is now a hit among the young people," he added. "PSM will agree to use a common Pakatan logo if there is one. If there is none, it should be only fair for PSM to use its own logo."

Bumburing and Jeffrey in face-off Posted: 17 Dec 2012 12:44 PM PST   (Free Malaysia Today) - STAR is being accused of splitting the Kadazan, Dusun, Murul (KDM) communities' votes in Sabah and handing BN a measure of confidence that it can prolong its hold. Two Kadazandusun opposition leaders here are going toe-to-toe over who has the more credible solution to what they claim is the great rip-off of Sabah and its people. Maverick Sabah politician Jeffrey Kitingan has taken a hard line on 'Malayan' parties and has accused opposition leaders of being turncoats no better than the all-dominating Barisan Nasional ruling coalition they are castigating for rejecting his Borneo agenda that focuses exclusively on the rights of Sabah and Sarawak. On the other side is Wilfred Bumburing, a MP who has turned independent and is leading Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), a opposition-friendly grouping that sees Jeffrey's brand of Borneo-centric politics as out of touch with reality. APS has not taken Jeffrey's State Reform Party (STAR) all-or-nothing, Sabah for Sabahans and accusations of pandering to 'Malayan' parties lightly in its battle to unite voters in the state under one opposition grouping. Using Jeffrey's own words against him, the APS publicity machine went to work to show how Sabah has always been ruled by the doctrine of divide and rule used by the Barisan Nasional and that the STAR leader's Borneo agenda was like minded. Making the case against Jeffrey, who on Sunday walloped rival Sabah opposition leaders as traitors, was APS information chief Lesaya Lopog Sorudim. Sorudim told FMT today that Kitingan was only making matters worse by not making common cause with the Malayan-based opposition to oust the Umno-led BN coalition. He said that by going its own route, STAR is disregarding the fact that it is also splitting the crucial votes of the Kadazan, Dusun, Murut (KDM) communities of Sabah and handing the BN a measure of confidence that it can prolong its hold on power through the coming general election. He said that contrary to what the STAR leader was saying, Bumburing's movement was established with the aim of restoring the dignity, sovereignty and independence of Sabah as a state within the Federation of Malaysia. "So when Bumburing held that the natives, especially the KDM community should reject STAR's strategy he was basing his opinion on facts," Sorudim said. Pakatan manifesto not Malaya Agenda Last week STAR deputy chairman Daniel John Jambun had lashed out at Bumburing for saying that the natives of Sabah should not pin their hopes on his party, calling it "patently mischievous, misconceived and misleading". Jambun added that "it should be condemned in no uncertain terms by all right-thinking Sabahans, deplored and exposed as the mother of all lies by a political has-been who shamelessly continues to be a stooge of the local proxies of the peninsular masters." Sorudim pointed out that there was nothing 'mischievous, misconceived or misleading' when Bumburing made the statement which he said was reflective of the sentiment of the majority of the natives. "Who would pin their hopes on an organisation that is bent on splitting the Sabah into five regions and moving the state capital from Kota Kinabalu to Keningau should they come to power," Sorudim said of a controversial statement made by Jeffrey which the later claimed was taken out of context.  Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/12/18/bumburing-and-jeffrey-in-face-off/

Indonesia-Malaysia Border Spat Lingers Posted: 17 Dec 2012 12:42 PM PST   (Jakarta Globe) - If the Malaysian claim prevailed, that would result in Indonesia losing 4,800 hectares of land.  Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. A senior military officer in East Kalimantan revealed on Sunday that the Indonesian and Malaysian governments were still haggling over the exact location of their shared border along five points between Nunukan district and Sabah state.  Brig. Gen. Wiyarto, chief of staff at the Mulawarman Military Command, which oversees military operations across East and South Kalimantan, said that the points of contention included the location of the border across the Sinapad and Sumantipal rivers, as well as across Sebatik Island.  Wiyarto said the issue with the Sinapad was that a small section of the river, which flows from west to east, dipped south. Malaysian authorities, he said, deemed the entire river to fall within their territory, whereas Indonesian authorities argued that the southern section crossed over into Indonesian territory.  He added that if the Malaysian claim prevailed, that would result in Indonesia losing 4,800 hectares of land.  "This issue still hasn't been resolved, but we have strong grounds for our claims based on GPS data," he said.  The standoff over the Sumantipal River is similar in nature, with Wiyarto saying that Malaysia wanted to declare the entire river as falling within its territory. He said that this would result in the commonly agreed-on border being pushed south, farther into Indonesian territory.  On Sebatik island, where the border is simply marked by a series of concrete blocks and there are no border posts set up by either country, the border issue has been around for almost a century.  Wiyarto said that the currently recognized border, drawn up in 1913 by the Netherlands and Britain — the respective colonial powers in Indonesia and Malaysia at the time — was no longer applicable because of the spread of communities from both countries throughout the island.  "We're in constant communication with the Malaysian authorities on resolving all these border questions," he said. "Our hope is that we can find a mutually agreeable solution to end all the bickering. In the meantime, we will continue to guard the border region for illegal logging, fishing and drug and human trafficking."

Explain Umno leaders’ claims, DCM Yee told Posted: 17 Dec 2012 12:40 PM PST   (Free Malaysia Today) - Allegations of a group enticing voters in Sepanggar to switch their voting address to Kota Kinabalu have been linked to Sabah DCM Dr Yee Moh Chai. The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) wants Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Dr Yee Moh Chai to explain allegations by two Umno politicians that Sepanggar residents are being enticed to register as voters in the Kota Kinabalu parliamentary constituency where he is the elected representative at state level. The opposition party said it was strange that Yee who is also State Resource Development and Information Technology Minister, had remained silent about something that was said to be happening in his own constituency. "The latest allegations of a voter relocation scheme are serious ones. They were made by senior Umno leaders who have publicly called for the police to investigate the matter. "As deputy chief minister of Sabah and a state cabinet minister, it is only appropriate that Dr Yee come forward to clear himself," said Wong Yit Ming, the party's point man in the city. He was commenting on renewed allegations that the political operatives who appeared to be linked to Yee were offering RM500 cash to Malay voters in Sepangar parliamentary constituency to change their voting address to neighbouring Kota Kinabalu parliamentary constituency. Sepanggar Umno chief Jumat Idris and Karambunai state assembly representative Jainab Ahmad, who is Yee's deputy in the ministry, claimed that many Malay voters in Telipok Ria, Kampung Warisan, Likas and Inanam had reported that a group of Chinese were going round making the offers of RM500 as well as such goodies like bags of rice, water tanks and even laptops, to entice the voters to change their address. Jumat said he was told that the group has an operation base in Likas Square and an NGO office. It is understood that Likas Square is managed and owned by businessmen linked to both Chief Minister Musa Aman and Yee. The property is also the location of the state government's secretive online media office that runs the Insight Sabah website, dedicated mainly to parsing the government especially Musa. The fresh allegations of impropriety matched a SAPP youth wing report in early October that a voter registration drive was being conducted at Likas Square and would-be voters who had gathered there claimed that they were being given cash to register as voters in Kota Kinabalu. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/12/18/explain-umno-leaders-claims-dcm-yee-told/

China leads in illicit outflows, M’sia 2nd Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:47 AM PST   (Reuters) - Malaysia, an export-dominated economy with a wealthy elite, lost US$64.38 billion in 2010 and US$285 billion cumulatively between 2001 and 2010, the report said. Illicit financial flows have grown by 13.3 per cent a year since 2001, robbing countries of wealth and benefiting a handful of corrupt leaders. WASHINGTON- Crime, corruption and tax evasion have cost the developing world nearly US$ 6 trillion over the past decade, and illicit funds keep growing, led by China, a financial watchdog group said in a new report. China accounted for almost half of the US$858.8 billion in dirty money that flowed into tax havens and Western banks in 2010, more than eight times the amounts for runner-ups Malaysia and Mexico. Total illicit outflows increased by 11 percent from the prior year, Global Financial Integrity, a Washington-based group that campaigns for financial accountability, said in its latest report released on Monday.     "Astronomical sums of dirty money continue to flow out of the developing world and into offshore tax havens and developed country banks," said Raymond Baker, director of GFI.      "Developing countries are hemorrhaging more and more money at a time when rich and poor nations alike are struggling to spur economic growth. This report should be a wake-up call to world leaders that more must be done to address these harmful outflows," he said.     All the countries in the top 10, which this year saw India, Nigeria, the Philippines and Nigeria join the ranks, face significant problems with corruption, and in most there are vast gaps between rich and poor citizens as well as internal security problems.      Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies increasingly are focusing on ways to crack down on money laundering, bank secrecy and tax loopholes to prevent funds stolen from public coffers or earned through criminal activity from depleting the budgets of developing countries.      The sums are so huge that for every dollar in foreign direct aid, 10 leaves developing countries.   China lost US$420.4 billion in 2010 and over the decade lost a total of US$ 2.74 trillion. And its losses are steadily rising. In an October report, GFI said another US$602 billion in illicit flows left China in 2011 for a total of US$3.79 trillion between 2000-11.    However, the numbers in the latest report are not directly comparable with earlier data because GFI has updated its methodology, making the estimates somewhat more conservative. It measures illicit flows by calculating the difference between fund inflows from loans and net foreign direct investment, and the outflows from a country to pay for trade, cash transfers and other earnings.      Aware of the destabilizing impact of corrupt money, Chinese leaders are embarking on a crackdown. Outgoing President Hu Jintao recently warned corruption threatens to destroy the communist party and the state. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin last week also put the issue high on his agenda as citizen protests over corruption mount.   "Our report continues to demonstrate that the Chinese economy is a ticking time bomb," said Dev Kar, GFI's lead economist, who compiled the report. "The social, political and economic order in that country is not sustainable in the long run given such massive illicit outflows."     Mexico lost US$51.17 billion in illicit flows in 2010 for a total of US$ 476 billion over the last decade, which does not  even count the billions of dollars in bulk cash that probably left under organized crime and drug dealing. Malaysia, an export-dominated economy with a wealthy elite, lost US$64.38 billion in 2010 and US$285 billion cumulatively between 2001 and 2010, the report said. Illicit financial flows have grown by 13.3 per cent a year since 2001, robbing countries of wealth and benefiting a handful of corrupt leaders. Kar said the worsening picture over the past decade coincides with the globalization of finance and loosening of capital controls, changes that make it easier to transfer funds to Western banks and to tax havens.    "Until governance improves and measures to shrink the underground economy take hold, we will not see a sustained decline in illicit flows," Kar said.      GFI called on world leaders to accelerate efforts to curtail the flow of dirty money by clamping down on secret bank accounts and ownership of shell companies; reforming customs and trade protocols so that export/import payments cannot be used to hide illegal fund transfers; requiring multinational companies to report their profits by country to prevent tax avoidance; and strongly enforcing anti money-laundering laws.

DAP on damage control Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:38 AM PST   (NST) - UPSET: Thrashing suffered by Malay candidates leaves Guan Eng red-faced GEORGE TOWN: RATTLED by criticisms of not living up to its self-proclaimed multiracial image, DAP went on the offensive yesterday with its secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng, denying his party was anti-Malay. He said DAP could not be labelled as such just because no Malay candidate had been elected to its central executive committee (CEC). Guan Eng spent almost an hour refuting such criticisms following the disastrous showing by Malay candidates at the party polls over the weekend. It was reported that all eight Malay candidates who contested lost and the party later appointed two of them, Senator Dr Ariffin S.M. Omar and Zairil Khir Johari, to the CEC. Guan Eng said the DAP could not be faulted for the outcome of the polls as the party could not control who the delegates choose. "We accept the results, but in terms of projecting DAP's multiracial image, an ideal situation would be to allow a few Malay candidates to be elected," he said. His father, party stalwart Lim Kit Siang, was also present but seemed more composed than his son, who was visibly upset throughout the press conference at the party headquarters here. The media was also not spared by Guan Eng, with national news agency Bernama bearing the brunt of his ire, mainly on its report that Johor DAP vice-chairman Ahmad Ton had not been given appreciation for his services to the party. On DAP loyalist Zulkefli Mohd Noor's comment that the losses suffered by the Malay candidates indicated that the party was not living up to its Malaysian Malaysia struggle, Guan Eng said he would let the former explain that statement himself. Zulkefli was one of the candidates who lost in the party polls. Kit Siang insisted that the DAP was a party for all Malaysians. "Of course, we admit we have our weaknesses and setbacks. "And for not a single Malay leader being elected, it is a setback. That was my immediate reaction, yesterday (Sunday), and it reflects my views and the views of the entire DAP leadership," he said. In Kuala Lumpur, Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu said the party would not interfere with DAP's internal matters. He said Kit Siang had talked about making the party multiracial and Pas would respect "their decisions". Mohamad said the decision to appoint Malay representatives in the CEC had shown DAP's ability to perform as a multiracial party. Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president N. Surendran expressed confidence that DAP Malay leaders would continue to support the party and its leadership despite not being elected into the CEC. "While some were disappointed with the results, they were still committed to the party's struggle," he said.

Kelantan PAS turning on its non-Muslim supporters Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:36 AM PST   (The Star) - Kelantan PAS is turning on its non-Muslim supporters, accusing them of undermining the party's Islamic stand with their criticisms of the recent action against non-Muslims. But the National Pas Supporters Congress insisted that it was only looking out for the rights of non-Muslims, especially over the "khalwat" controversy. PAS assistant secretary-general and state executive councillor Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan accused congress chairman Hu Pang Chaw of having "bad intentions" for bringing to the media cases of action taken against non-Muslims for alleged indecent behaviour. Hu had also criticised the issuing of summonses to non-Muslim salon workers cutting the hair of non-Muslim customers of the opposite sex. During a visit to his Bunut Payong constituency here, Takiyuddin disputed Hu on the "khalwat" issue. "He told the press that the municipal council had no power to issue summonses because the officer was not an enforcement officer but an administrative assistant. "It is clear that he made the statement without checking his facts. The council officer has an authority card. If he (Hu) does not believe me, just sue the council. "I would like it if he sues the council for having officers unauthorised to enforce the law. I am willing to defend the council myself," said Takiyuddin, a lawyer. Takiyuddin, who is the state Local Government, Culture and Tourism Committee chairman, had said the congress should play its role as part of the party. It was earlier reported that the council had issued summonses to two non-Muslim men for allegedly embracing each other in a car parked near the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport at midnight on Oct 31. The two said they were watching planes land. The other summons was issued to a 17-year-old teenager for giving a piggy-back ride to his 15-year-old girlfriend at Taman Tunku Anis at about 5.30pm on Oct 20. Hu said that anything said and done by the congress was in the interest of non-Muslims. "I stand by my statement that non-Muslims have the right to voice their grouses when their livelihood or social rights are affected. I will not back out from airing such grouses under principles enshrined in the democratic process," he said. "I want to remind the state government that the party president (Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang) during the recent PAS Muktamar assured non-Muslims that Islamic laws would not affect them," he said. Hu said he was preparing a memorandum to be presented to the Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat soon to clarify the situation.

Supporters Congress is PAS’ third bid to reach out to non-Muslims Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:34 AM PST   (The Star) - The PAS Supporters Congress is the party's third attempt in as many decades to establish a mechanism to woo non-Muslims. Prior to the establishment of the Congress, PAS in the 1980s established a Chinese Consultative Council, followed by an Inter-Racial Department in the late 1990s. Both attempts failed to stir the interest of many non-Muslims, leading PAS decided to set up a supporters club instead. Party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang announced on the eve of the 2004 general election the establishment of the PAS Supporters Club. With the slogan "PAS for all", the club started by conducting dialogue sessions with non-Muslims and focused on reaching out to the Chinese, Indian and Siamese communities. In the 2008 general election, PAS fielded its first non-Muslim candidate drawn from the club, R. Kumutha. Contesting the Tiram State Assembly seat in Johor Baru, Kumutha lost to Barisan Nasional's Maulizan Bujang. In 2010, the club expanded into a Congress through an amendment to the party constitution and was renamed the PAS Supporters Congress. The move was supposed to be given the Congress equal standing to the party's three other wings, namely its Youth, Muslimat (Women's) and Ulama movements. However, although the Congress was empowered to send delegates to represent it at the PAS annual meeting or muktamar, its members are not allowed to vote in party elections, unlike those belonging to the other three wings. The party has since said that it would consider fielding more non-Muslim candidates in the next general election.

Putrajaya mulls freezing AES to avoid duplicating police speed traps Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:30 AM PST   (The Malaysian Insider) - Putrajaya is considering holding back the implementation of the controversial Automated Enforcement System (AES) to avoid duplicating the police summons system that can double the hardship to motorists, sources say. The privatised RM700 million project began in September with a pilot phase of 14 cameras but the Road Transport Department (RTD) has pledged to roll out a total of 831 cameras by end-2013 to catch speeding motorists and prevent more road deaths. The police, who enforce the speeding laws, have said they will continue enforcement and put up mobile speed traps near the AES cameras, raising the prospect of dual fines for errant motorists.   "The government is considering putting on hold the implementation of the AES due to the duplication of the summons system. That will cause hardship," a source told The Malaysian Insider. He also noted that several lawmakers from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) have also asked the government to stop the implementation until all views are considered. Another source said the government wants to ensure the AES will help ensure that motorists follow speed limits throughout their journey rather than just in the areas where the cameras are situated. "This system is to enforce speed limits and ensure road safety," he added. Some 10,000 motorists have paid up their summonses under the AES since it was implemented last September 23. The RTD said it has also issued nearly 300,000 summonses since then. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/putrajaya-mulls-freezing-aes-to-avoid-duplicating-police-speed-traps/

Outcome of general election will have impact on economy, says expert Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:18 AM PST   (The Star) - The outcome of the general election will determine the focus on reform and the intention of the government to pare down debt, and this will have an important impact on the Malaysian economy, said Nomura International (HK) Ltd chief Asia equity strategist Michael Kurtz. He said in that sense, the outcome of the general election would be crucial to the local equity market. "Malaysia is one of those markets where the shape of the government with the reform orientation and the fiscal intentions matter a lot to the economic performance. "So I think as a general answer, yes, the outcome is going to matter a lot for specific stocks or sector emphasis in the second half, but we are not going to go out on a limb to forecast the outcome of the general election," Kurtz said. He said a substantial amount of the country's economic growth in 2012 had been either a direct consequence of or a lateral effect of government investment or policy. Kurtz was relatively cautious on local equities for the first-half of the year based on the "worth" of the market, due to investor concerns about the outcome of the election. "This will keep the market on a backfoot," he said. Furthermore, an improving global environment would have a positive impact on Malaysia's growth, with a pick-up in global demand especially for soft commodities to play into the country's strengths. "We do think that weakness in the Malaysian equity space presents an opportunity to accumulate stocks in anticipation of a better outlook, post-election in the second half," Kurtz said. Specifically, he said the group favoured stocks that were perceived as defensive, in order to provide a downside insurance ahead of the election, like telecommunication stocks. "In the medium term beyond the election, we like a bit more cyclical stocks in the plantation, oil and gas and finance sector," Kurtz said. Recently, several other big names in the financial industry also highlighted the impact arising from the general election. JP Morgan Securities (M) Sdn Bhd executive director of equity research Mak Hoy Kit said the equities market and economic outlook next year would be positive if Barisan Nasional continued to remain in power. Eastspring Investments Bhd chief investment officer (Equities) Yvonne Tan Hong Yean cautioned that foreign funds might opt to stay out of Malaysia if there was a change in the government after the general election.

Malaysian Psephology: Lembah Pantai Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:16 AM PST   (The Sun Daily) - The Lembah Pantai electorate has apparently increased to around 71,000 voters, compared with 56,650 in 2008. This would translate to a 25% increase in registered voters in the four years since 2008, in sharp contrast to the 9% growth over the previous 13 years. BETWEEN 1995 and 2008, the number of registered voters in Lembah Pantai had grown by about 9% from 52,108 to 56,650. Ethnic breakdown: In March 2008, Malays constituted 53.2%, Chinese 25.7%, Indians 20.1% and the rest around 1%. The percentage of voting had grown consistently over the 13 years (from 65% to 73%). Ballot papers issued increased by 21% to 41,289 in 2008 from 33,984 in 1995, indicating that an increasing number of the Lembah Pantai electorate were casting their votes.  Support for Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, from Barisan Nasional, had declined by 20% between 1995 and 2008. Considering the growth of registered voters, the actual decline was around 23%. In 1999, Keadilan fought a close battle with BN, losing the seat by only 1,454 votes. This provided early indications that splits and differential perspectives were arising in the main ethnic group. Malay urban voters were becoming more discerning and considering a wider range of issues beyond basic ethnic priorities. In 2008, PKR wrested the seat with 52.62% of the votes versus 45.61% polled by BN. While the gap in votes polled is only 7%, this seat witnessed a major swing. From losing the seat by 10,542 votes in 2004, PKR worked the ground and connected adequately with at least an additional one-third of the electorate, besides retaining most of its own support base. In the final touchdown, the swing factor was over 15%. Despite the swing factor and breakthrough victory in 2008, incumbent Nurul Izzah Anwar said she is working even harder in 2012-13 to cover a substantial gap, allegedly caused by gerrymandering. The Lembah Pantai electorate has apparently increased to around 71,000 voters, compared with 56,650 in 2008. This would translate to a 25% increase in registered voters in the four years since 2008, in sharp contrast to the 9% growth over the previous 13 years. Nurul Izzah told theSun this was a major concern, along with lack of specific details regarding the identity of the new voters on the electoral roll. She was trying to work with the Election Commission on these issues. She described the constituency as a "microcosm of Malaysia". She has a trusted core team of 50 people plus a wider base of division heads and volunteers. Besides groundwork, the team is also analysing the historical voter turnout trends within the constituency to address any new challenge. Nurul Izzah will most likely face BN's Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin in Lembah Pantai in GE13.

Expect 'dirtiest elections' in Malaysia: Reform group Posted: 17 Dec 2012 01:36 AM PST   (Asia One) - A pressure group calling for free and fair polling in Malaysia warned on Monday that the country could see its "dirtiest elections ever" as it pledged to continue its campaign to prevent cheating. Poll reform group Bersih, a civil society movement which has twice led tens of thousands to rally for electoral reform, said shortcomings such as errors on the electoral roll had been ignored by the government ahead of elections, to be held before the end of June. The group said that the task to ensure fair elections now fell to the people and that it would embark on campaigns to boost voter turnout to mitigate fraud, and enlist citizen observers to prevent cheating. "The 13th general elections will be one of the dirtiest elections ever seen and we should not anticipate any change in the near future," Bersih chairman Ambiga Sreenevasan told a press conference. The group says that despite government assurances that action has been taken, shortcomings in the electoral process have not been ironed out and that it was yet to decide whether to take to the streets for a third protest in two years. One of the major points of contention, Ambiga said, was that there was no clear mechanism for opposition parties to access media coverage in the run up to elections, in a country where mainstream media is controlled by the government. "In the meantime, there are increasing instances of discrepancies on the electoral roll. The Election Commission has shown itself as obstructive and utterly uninterested in implementing the simple reforms needed," she said. The pressure group is pushing the commission - the government body tasked with managing the polls - to invite international observers to ensure clean a fair vote. Bersih, which means "clean" in Malay, has emerged as a major force in Malaysian politics. Its rally in July 2011 was crushed by police who fired tear gas and charged protesters with batons, but the clampdown earned severe public wrath. The protest was widely seen to have pushed Prime Minister Najib Razak to embark on a campaign to soften authoritarian laws in a bid to gain voter support. A raft of reforms included the setting up of a parliamentary panel to examine polling issues such as electoral roll irregularities, allowing Malaysians overseas to vote and equal access to the media for all political parties. But Bersih said the panel's recommendations did not go far enough and held a second rally in April this year. The government and its Electoral Commission, however, have insisted that the voter list is clean, saying only 0.3 per cent of those named are questionable. Najib's mandate expires in late April next year and many observers expect a tight contest after the opposition, led by former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, in 2008 handed the ruling coalition its worst poll showing ever.

Cop's son gunned down by police Posted: 17 Dec 2012 01:32 AM PST (The Sun Daily) - The son of a police corporal was shot dead when he tried to attack police detectives in a botched robbery at a 24-hour convenience store in Wangsa Maju early today. The 19-year-old – with an accomplice – was reported to have held a machete to a worker's neck and demanded the day's takings at the KK store in Taman Sri Rampai at about 4.30am. There were four workers in the store. Luck ran out for the two robbers when minutes later, a police team patrolling the area arrived at the store. On seeing the detectives, the duo dashed out in an attempt to escape. When they were ordered to surrender, the teenage robber charged with his machete at a detective. The police opened fire, hitting him on the chest. He died on the spot. The teenager's accomplice, also armed with a machete, was believed to have suffered a gunshot wound, but managed to escape on foot. Kuala Lumpur deputy CID chief ACP Khairi Ahrasa said police were forced to open fire at the 19-year-old as he had tried to attack a detective. Investigators believe the duo were involved in another robbery, also at a KK store in Danau Kota, Setapak, a day earlier where they escaped with RM900. A total of 31 cases involving 24-hour convenience stores were reported in Wangsa Maju since early this year. In a separate case in Selangor, police solved the Dec 8 murder cum robbery case of a 36-year-old computer engineer with the arrest of five suspects, aged between 17 and 30, in Puchong and Segamat, Johor. Selangor deputy CID chief ACP Rosli Mohd Isa said in a press conference that other than the five suspects, another five men who bought the stolen items were also held last week. He added that police recovered several items, including a TV, smartphone and car belonging to the victim and the murder weapon.

Judge ticks off senior cop for putting interest of police before public Posted: 17 Dec 2012 01:17 AM PST   (TMI) - Khalid had earlier indicated the possibility that Kugan's body had been tampered with while in the custody of his family members, before it was sent for another autopsy. A High Court judge berated Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar today for putting the interest of the police ahead of the public when he did not order an investigation into suspicions that the body of detainee A. Kugan had been tampered with before it was sent for a second post-mortem.   Datuk VT Singham, presiding over a RM100 million suit brought by Kugan's mother, N. Indra, against Khalid, had asked the man who was in 2009 the Selangor police chief why he did not order an investigation or propose an inquest since there was a second post mortem report that conflicted with the first. "So, your evidence is that all the injury on Kugan was caused by someone else? That's your personal view. Why didn't you allow an investigation? "With respect, it seems you are thinking for the police when the public wanted to know (how Kugan really died). This is a very serious accusation," Singham said. Khalid had earlier indicated the possibility that Kugan's body had been tampered with while in the custody of his family members, before it was sent for another autopsy. The Selangor police chief reasoned to the court that this was why the police did not accept the findings of the second post-mortem by the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). "There could be something which happened to the body when it was returned to the family and during the funeral procession. We (police) did not follow the body during the procession or when it was with the family and we do not know. "That is why the police did not comment on or announce the results of the second post-mortem," he said. Khalid concurred with Kugan's family lawyer, R. Sivarasa, that the first post-mortem had found 22 injuries on the youth's body but noted that the report had also concluded that the cause of death was "fluid in the lungs". He later agreed that this was the first time he was voicing the police's belief at the time that Kugan's body could have been tampered with, prompting Singham to berate him. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/judge-ticks-off-senior-cop-for-putting-interest-of-police-before-public/

Questions over MACC-lawyer link to Bala’s second SD Posted: 17 Dec 2012 01:14 AM PST Zaid noted the apparent conflict of the lawyer preparing Balasubramaniam's second declaration to also be on the MACC panel that later reviews it. — File pic  (TMI) - The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was today dragged into a row over questions surrounding a lawyer on its operations panel who is alleged to have drafted private investigator P. Balasubramaniam's controversial second sworn statement on the 2006 death of Altantuya Shaariibuu. Former minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim suggested today that a key member of the MACC's five check-and-balance mechanism responsible for closing the file on the case may have had a direct hand in doing so, fuelling questions on the extent of a possible cover-up into the explosive crime that has put two elite police commandos on death row and sent the private investigator into exile. The lawyer-turned-politician wrote in his blog that both the Attorney-General and the MACC have "conveniently refused to investigate the allegations made by the private investigator P. Balasubramaniam, who apparently got the information from Abdul Razak Baginda, and whose claims have been corroborated by carpet merchant Deepak Jaikishan". He reminded Malaysians that Balasubramaniam ― popularly known as PI Bala ― had made a second statutory declaration (SD) cancelling his first sworn statement made a day earlier that the police had suppressed key evidence. "This second declaration was prepared by a well-known lawyer whom he did not know. Deepak named this famous lawyer in an interview with Harakah. "If one probes a little further, one will find that the same famous lawyer sits as a member of the MACC's operations review panel," Zaid, a one-time de facto law minister during the Abdullah administration, wrote. However, he stopped short of naming the lawyer. "It was this panel that decided there was no evidence to investigate the allegations made by either Bala or Deepak," Zaid added. Lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu, who represents the private detective now in hiding, told The Malaysian Insider when contacted that Balasubramaniam had never told him the identity of the lawyer as the latter was unaware of the person's occupation. However, he said the identity of the lawyer could be found out easily from the MACC's website, which lists eight people as members of its Operations Review Panel. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/questions-over-macc-lawyer-link-to-balas-second-sd/

‘MIC boss deprives 145 Tamil schools of aid’ Posted: 17 Dec 2012 01:10 AM PST   (FMT) - A MIC branch leader alleges that G Palanivel altered a Cabinet list on providing funds to partially-aided Tamil schools. A MIC branch leader has accused party president G Palanivel of depriving 145 partially-aided Tamil schools of allocations this year. SS2 Tengah MIC branch chairman S Padnmanagan said in February, the Cabinet had approved RM100 million for partially-aided Tamil schools nationwide. "In the original list presented to the Cabinet in February, it was stated that the money would be channelled to 369 partially-aided Tamil schools nationwide for three categories, namely maintenance and upgrade, building additional blocks and building new schools. "But in a revision done by MIC in May, the party leadership reduced the number of schools to 224 only. What happened to the rest?" he asked. Although the number of schools in the list were reduced, the allocation remained at RM100 million. In the original list, the money divided for the three categories were as follows: 1) Maintenance and upgrade – RM20,200,000 2) Additional blokcs – RM39,800,000 3) New schools – RM40,000.000 But in the revised list, the fund was divided as following: 1) Maintenance and upgrade – RM16,255,000 2) Additional blokcs – RM39,700,000 3) New schools – RM44,045.000 The revised list also showed that a substantial number of partially-aided Tamil schools supposed to receive aid for maintenance and upgrade were reduced. The schools affected were in Johor (48 to 29), Malacca (11 to 3), Negeri Sembilan (43 to 17), Pahang (23 to 13), Perak (80 to 33), Penang (19 to 8) and Selangor (55 to 29). Padnmanagan urged Palanivel to explain the matter to the public as many students were affected by this. He also claimed that the party leadership only took the funds from the government in September, while aid for other vernacular schools were released early this year. "Palanivel single-handedly deprived allocation for many Tamil schools. I can't blame the party central working committee (CWC) because the party president holds veto power. "Even if the CWC approves something, the party president has the authority to overule the decision. But how can one man decide the fate of Tamil schools in the nation?" he asked. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/12/17/mic-boss-deprives-145-tamil-schools-of-aid/

PSM, PKR at loggerheads in Sg Siput Posted: 16 Dec 2012 04:43 PM PST The two parties are squabbling over the use of PSM logo for the coming general election.  B Nanatha Kumar, FMT A three-cornered fight is likely for the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat at the upcoming general election. This is because Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), which contested the seat at the 2008 general election under the PKR banner, wants to use its own logo to fight for the seat – much to the dismay of PKR. This infighting between PSM and PKR has brightened MIC's chances of winning back the seat, which it lost at the 2008 general election. A PKR insider told FMT that the party could field its own candidate at the next general election since PSM had rejected several attempts by PKR to ensure that its logo is used by PSM candidates at the polls. "It looks like PSM is not keen on contesting under the PKR banner. Instead, it wants to use its own logo at the next election. We are still having discussions with PSM on the matter. If it insists, then we have no choice but to nominate our own candidate. "PKR fears that the PSM symbol will drive away Malay votes due to its leftist significance," said the source. PSM is a socialist political party established in 1998. At the 2008 polls, the party contested one parliamentary and three state assembly seats. Since the party has yet to receive recognition from the Register of Society (ROS), its three candidates contested under the PKR banner while in one state seat (Jelapang, Perak), it contested as an independent. Jackpot for BN The party won the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat when its candidate Dr Micheal Jayakumar defeated former MIC president S Samy Vellu. PSM president Dr Nasir Hashim won the Kota Damansara state seat in Selangor. READ MORE HERE

DAP to field more Malay candidates in GE Posted: 16 Dec 2012 03:25 PM PST Senator Dr Ariffin S M Omar being interviewed after being picked to be a new DAP vice-chairman.  (fz.com) - DAP will field more Malay candidates at the next general election in a bid to boost its multi-racial appeal as party strategists shrug off criticism of its party polls outcome. DAP's multi-racial credentials came under attack after none of its eight Malay contestants were voted in to the party's central executive committee (CEC) in yesterday's elections. DAP election strategist Ong Kian Ming told fz.com that although the uproar could hurt DAP in the short term, public perception on DAP could change once the party unveils its candidate list. Ong said DAP is "very likely" to field credible Malay candidates to "winnable" seats in Peninsular Malaysia. At the 2008 general election, DAP fielded two Malay candidates but both were unsuccessful in their bid to be elected. In Johor, DAP had fielded its long-time member Ahmad Ton in the Tanjong Piai parliamentary and Pekan Nenas state constituencies. Over in Pahang, the party's then state vice-chairman Abu Bakar Lebai Sudin stood against Wanita MCA chief Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen for the Raub parliamentary seat. Ong said almost all of DAP's seats in the peninsula were considered "winnable". This is because DAP's seats are mostly Chinese-majority seats or have high proportion of Chinese voters, with the exception of Raub. Read more at: http://fz.com/content/dap-field-more-malay-candidates-ge

Dr M interfered in police probe on Anwar sex scandal, alleges ex-cop Posted: 16 Dec 2012 03:06 PM PST   (The Malaysian Insider) - Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, had admitted in his memoirs to interfering in police investigations into the alleged sexual dalliances linked to his one-time deputy, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, a former senior policeman said today. In his open letter, ex-Kuala Lumpur CID chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim questioned Home Minister Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein's decision to keep out of an ongoing spat between two former senior crime busters — Tan Sri Musa Hassan and Datuk Ramli Yusuff — which is seen to be jeopardising public confidence in the police force. "If exposed that Tun Mahathir himself had deliberately or otherwise admitted in writing that it was true he had interfered in police investigations related to the '50 Dalil' [50 Reasons] book, what would be the response from Hishammuddin or the prime minister?" Mat Zain said in his letter to incumbent Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar, which was also copied to Hishammuddin and PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak. "It is hoped Hishammuddin will not say that the matter was a personal matter between Tun Mahathir and Musa Hassan and he refuses to interfere too," he added. The retired policeman alleged that Dr Mahathir had revealed in his autobiography, "A Doctor in the House", published last year, that he had a direct hand in police investigations related to a book titled "50 Dalil Mengapa Anwar Tidak Boleh Jadi Perdana Menteri" [50 Reasons Why Anwar Cannot Be Prime Minister] that concerned the then-deputy prime minister's purported sexual liaisons with several men and women, including prostitutes. "He had confidently given a guarantee that he will direct the police to bring the witnesses to Sri Perdana once again, if the chief ministers and mentris besar as well as state Umno liaison chairmen wanted to interview them." Malaysia's fourth prime minister wrote that he had first been told about Anwar's alleged homosexual activities in the early 1990s by then police chief Tun Hanif Omar. Dr Mahathir, who ruled from 1981 to 2003, said he was then given the book "50 Dalil Kenapa Anwar IBrahim Tidak Boleh Jadi Perdana Menteri" but had initially dismissed it as a sensationalist attempt to make money. He said in 1997 Ummi Hafilda Ali, sister of PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, sent him a letter with specific allegations of sodomy against Anwar. The former prime minister said he interviewed the girls who told him they were taken to have sex with his then deputy, who was later charged and jailed for sodomy and corruption. Dr Mahathir wrote that they were persuaded to do so by an Indian man they knew as Nalla, likely to be Datuk K.S. Nallakarupan, then a close associate of Anwar who has since fallen out with the opposition leader. Dr Mahathir said he then called Umno leaders including mentris besar and chief ministers to Sri Perdana to brief them about Anwar's alleged affairs and showed them pictures of the witnesses. Mat Zain said today that the former prime minister's statements in the book were "clear proof that not only did he interfere in investigations, but also gave certain orders that were not appropriate to Musa Hassan, until it is believed influenced the overall outcome of the investigations". Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dr-m-interfered-in-police-probe-on-anwar-sex-scandal-alleges-ex-cop

Batu Caves condo: What they’re not telling you Posted: 16 Dec 2012 02:56 PM PST   (The Nut Graph) - A LOT of accusations and allegations have been made in the recent case of the condominium development near Batu Caves. On one hand, the current Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Selangor government has accused the former Barisan Nasional (BN) government of approving the Dolomite Park Avenue condominium project. This was why, they said, the PR government allowed the project to continue. The BN's response was that they only gave planning approval, which isn't a development order. According to the BN, the Selangor government had every right to stop the project if it wanted to. The BN also noted that approval to build the condominium was given on 26 June 2008, after the PR had come into power in Selangor. Which coalition is telling the truth? What's the difference between a planning approval and a development order? And what else aren't they telling us? Planning permission The approval that the BN government gave is called a "planning permission". The Town and Country Planning Act describes the process in which a planning permission is applied for. The extensive plans that need to be submitted for this planning permission include a geotechnical report and a survey of all forms of vegetation and trees. It also includes a land use analysis and its effects on adjoining land. The developer must also submit "layout plans", which include measures for the protection and improvement of the land's physical environment and the trees in the area, and the allocation of public parks. If the application does not violate any of the automatic rejection clauses, the local council can grant planning permission either absolutely or subject to such conditions as it thinks fit. The council can also consult residents and ratepayers before giving this approval. This entire process only deals with the submission of technical documentation and studies, with proposals based on those submissions. Planning permission is approved when these documents are in order. Hence, approvals given at this stage do not yet constitute permission to carry out development works. Take, for example, the planning permission given by the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) to redevelop the PKNS building in Section 52, PJ. Among the conditions the developer had yet to obtain at the time of approval was: (B) xiv. Merujuk serta mendapatkan kelulusan dari JKR Selangor bagi tambahan satu lorong di interchange bersebelahan PJ Hilton dari arah KL ke Jalan Barat. Land conversion The next step is land conversion, which is covered under the National Land Code. In most cases, land earmarked for development is categorised for agricultural use. Or a land owner with land meant for residential use may want to build something bigger and convert the land use for commercial purposes. At this stage, the prepared and submitted plans detailed above must be presented to the state government's Land Office for further deliberation. If the government denies the land conversion at this stage, the development cannot proceed. Those who protest the condominium's construction claim the work is an environmental risk that will jeopardise the temple grounds (Wiki commons) On the other hand, if the land conversion is approved, the developer must pay a premium for land conversion. This premium is calculated based on the number of units and the type of units that will be built, minus the portion of land that will be surrendered to the government for public use. Land lot numbers for all the units to be built and for designated public spaces are also assigned at this stage. It is important to note here that once this premium is calculated and paid, the development plans cannot change. This is because any attempt to add structures or units would mean that the developer is cheating the government out of the premium it deserves. In the case of the Batu Caves condominium, I am made to understand that the land was originally mining land. So, land conversion had to happen before the development could proceed. Permission to build Once all that is done, the developer needs two things. One, a developer's licence from the Housing and Local Government Ministry as stipulated under the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act. And two, a development order from the local council, as stipulated under the Streets, Drainage and Building Act, to proceed with actual construction. At this stage, details of the buildings to be constructed are submitted to the local council engineers for approval. Control of the construction site, passage of heavy vehicles, and even limitation of construction hours are some of the conditions that the local council can impose on developers. Since the approval to build the Batu Caves condominium was reportedly given on 26 June 2008, this suggests that the double-checking of facts, the project's viability, and land use conversion were already completed at this juncture. Show me your vote From a technical standpoint, if due process had been followed, the PR government would have no problems whatsoever in explaining why they approved the development order for the Batu Caves condominium. They would also not have any need to blame the previous government for the earlier planning permission. A commission to study the matter is also unnecessary if all the technical departments had done their job and were able to provide the justification for their decisions at a moment's notice. (Side rant: if you need an independent commission to check the work of your own staff, you are in serious trouble.) Apart from that, what we also have are both political coalitions promising to cancel the project. Clearly, because the Indian vote matters in what will be a hotly contested impending general election, neither coalition can risk the ire of the Batu Caves temple committee and their supporters. Here's the thing though – both the BN and PR have been coy about how exactly they will cancel the development and what the cost will be to ratepayers. Read more at: http://www.thenutgraph.com/batu-caves-condo-what-theyre-not-telling-you/

PKR, Umno share same DNA Posted: 16 Dec 2012 02:48 PM PST   (Free Malaysia Today) - STAR is clear in pushing its Borneo Agenda for Sabah and Sarawak, saying it's time for Borneo-centric policies, and that the Malayan Agenda is no longer acceptable. State Reform Party (STAR) Sabah chairman Jeffrey Kitingan is adamant that PKR is the opposition's version of Umno and will lord over the people in Sabah and Sarawak if it comes to power at federal level. Jeffrey, who is also the president of the United Borneo Front (UBF), equated both the peninsula-based political parties as Malayan in nature and unsuitable for the two Borneo states. "PKR and Umno are the same like the old colonialists. They come to exploit us to get into power to eventually lord over us. PKR should concentrate on winning the seats in the Peninsula which is already more than 75% of the total seats. "It is their Malaya Agenda to control and colonise Sabah and Sarawak, whereas our Borneo Agenda is just the opposite, to free us from this choking over-lording over Sabah and Sarawak," he said. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/12/17/pkr-umno-share-same-dna/

DAP adopts one candidate-one seat policy Posted: 16 Dec 2012 02:47 PM PST   (The Star) - DAP has adopted its Central Executive Committee's (CEC) resolution on the one candidate, one seat policy. DAP chairman Karpal Singh said one person should contest only one seat, but there could be exceptions on case-by-case basis based on the party's strategy. "The resolution has been adopted," said Karpal, who had wanted such a policy to provide opportunity to candidates of calibre to contest. Other resolutions from branches that were tabled and adopted include calls on party leaders to stop openly attacking the party to the point of jeopardising its image. Perak New Village branch chairman Lim Soo Chong said attacks motivated by personal interest should stop because the party did not belong to any individual. Another resolution adopted called on leaders to attend party functions and not to demand five-star accommodations. Six other resolutions could not be tabled because representatives from the branches that proposed them were not present. On a proposal by Sekinchan assemblyman Ng Suee Lim to impose a direct election system in the party, Karpal said the party constitution needed to be amended for it to be adopted. "It requires a major amendment to the constitution. If the members feel strongly about direct election, then it should be considered." Although Karpal had said the delegates were free to bring up any issue, none of them brought up contentious issues involving Pakatan Rakyat. Issues such as the gender ruling in salons in Kelantan, "khalwat" summonses issued to non-Muslims in Kelantan and the demolition of a religious altar in a private home in Selangor were not touched.

‘DAP not mature enough’ Posted: 16 Dec 2012 02:44 PM PST   (The Star) - DAP is not mature enough to accept other races into its top leadership, say two Malay candidates who lost their bid for the 20 slots in the party's central executive committee (CEC). Johor DAP vice-chairman Ahmad Ton said the delegates had yet to understand the significance of the party's rallying cry of "Malaysian-Malaysia". Ahmad, who has contested six times, winning only once in 2008, said DAP needed time to shed its image as a party dominated by the Chinese. DAP has about 150,000 members, of which 20% are Indians and 10% Malays. The rest are Chinese and other minorities. Penang Malay steering committee chairman Zulkifli Mohd Noor, who also lost, said the party didn't have enough Malay members to show strength. Even the Indians failed to make any impact, he said. None of the eight Malay candidates who contested for the CEC was voted in. Another Malay candidate Senator Dr Ariffin Omar, who was appointed vice-chairman despite losing, said he was satisfied with the number of votes he had clinched during the party election. "I am a newcomer and yet I managed to get a relatively high number of votes (348). The Malays have an unfounded fear about the party." Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, meanwhile, played down the significance of the Malay candidates' failure, saying it had nothing to do with race. "Racial politicking is Barisan Nasional's style. Ours is different," he told the media at the end of the party's annual congress. Lim said every DAP leader must reach out to all communities, irrespective of their race. He said the appointment of Dr Ariffin and Zairil Khir Johari to the CEC was made based on their capabilities and not because they were Malays. Penang Malay Congress, meanwhile, has registered disappointment at what it claimed was an "undemocratic" election of the CEC. Its president Rahmad Isahak said: "The failure of Malay candidates to be elected to the CEC is upsetting. "DAP has failed to transform its-elf into a multiracial party," he said.

DAP CEC results shows racism: Puad Zarkashi Posted: 16 Dec 2012 02:42 PM PST   (Bernama) - "Even though the Malay candidates vying for the CEC posts were not ordinary people, such as Senator Ariffin S. M. Omar, who is an academician and a professor, they still lost because the party practises racism and chauvinism. The DAP's Central Executive Committee (CEC) election results affirms its former vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim's assertions that Malays had no place in the party, said Umno supreme council member Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi. "Even though the Malay candidates vying for the CEC posts were not ordinary people, such as Senator Ariffin S. M. Omar, who is an academician and a professor, they still lost because the party practises racism and chauvinism. "I know that Ariffin was not elected because he was a Malay, and DAP members did not even look at his qualifications," he told Bernama here yesterday. In this regard, Mohd Puad, who is also education deputy minister, urged the Malay community, including PAS members, to open their mind and not ignore reality. "How can you work together, when Malay leaders are not even appreciated in the party; what more, if DAP is given the reins to the country?," he asked. Mohd Puad said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's action to use the congress as a platform to openly insist for the party to contest 13 additional seats in the 13th General Election indicated there was no coordination among the opposition parties where seat allocation was concerned. He said, DAP appeared to belittle PKR and PAS while sending out the message that the two parties were not capable of winning many seats in the general election.

Guan Eng defends CEC appointments Posted: 16 Dec 2012 01:34 AM PST The DAP sec-gen however was coy when asked if the outcome of the party polls would have a bearing in the selection of Malay candidates for the general election. Leven Woon, FMT DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today defended the party's decision to appoint Malay leaders into the centre leadership despite claims that it was merely a window dressing. At a press conference after the party's two-day congress, Lim said political rivals were keen to politicise every DAP's move as political stunts. "It never becomes an issue for parties that don't appoint (Malays to the high post). But we appoint, and it still becomes an issue," he said. Lim's statement came in light of the party polls yesterday that saw not a single Malay leader being elected into the 20-seat centre executive committee (CEC). Only three Indian leaders made the cut while the rest were all Chinese. Although the party today co-opted seven non-Chinese and East Malaysians into the CEC, leaders such as Penang DAP deputy chief P Ramasamy and Penang CEC member Zulklifli Mohd Noor pointed out that the party was still far from being a truly multiracial party. Lim also admitted that there were elements of symbolism when the party appointed Malay leaders to its CEC. He said Ariffin SM Omar was co-opted into CEC because he was an academician and a senator while Zairil Khir Johari was unique because he is the son of the first education minister of Malaysia. Lim dodged an answer when asked whether the party would field more Malay candidates in the upcoming general election, only saying that they would field winnable candidates. He said East Malaysians leaders were appointed into CEC as a result of DAP's inroads to Sabah and Sarawak. "We want to be inclusive, they can play a role in helping us to spread our wing," he described. Meanwhile, the Penang chief minister said that the new Pakatan Rakyat bureau was created to broaden discussion between the coalition parties in the event the Pakatan leadership council failed to reach consensus in certain issue. He said Selangor DAP deputy head Teng Chang Kim was tasked to head the bureau because of his experience as the Selangor speaker and that most of the members were based in Klang Valley.

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The transformation of DAP Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:32 PM PST   The nature of a party predicts its destiny. The DAP was formerly lauded as 'the father of hawkers' while the MCA was termed 'the party of boss'. Nonetheless, the MCA is part of the dominant power. The MCA cannot stand abreast with the general public in many occasions; that includes the Clean Elections Campaign, Anti Lynas, Dong Jiao Zong's Peaceful Assembly of Petition. All these alienate itself from the general public and make way for DAP to grab the upper hand politically. Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily  The DAP is the only party which braved to hold its intra-party election before the general elections and proceed to its power transfer as well as younger leader programmes. In this vein, impacts confronted though, it is undeniably a promising matter. Among the 20 elected general committee seats, father-and-son Lim Kiat Siang and Lim Guan Eng were once again elected with the highest votes respectively as ascribed. Karpal Singh came third. But veteran leader Tan Seng Giaw, Penang second deputy chief minister Prof. Dr. P. Ramasamy and Selangor state executive councillor Ronnie Liu were denied mandate. The DAP is a huge political party in capacity. Honestly speaking, the 20 committee seats designate not for all the luminaries within. Umno and MCA have similar mechanism which reserves 25 highest voted seats for both leading committee and general committee. I would highly recommend that DAP expand its force thus provide allowance for leaders from all the thirteen states and federal territories. In yesterday's re-election, eight denied running members were appointed to the general committee. There were two Malay delegates in this new power order. Indian representatives were not forgotten. Teng Chang Khim the maverick was given the power to head the new Pakatan Rakyat Bureau. It is considered perfect in terms of election. Regrettably, there were no Malay delegates elected as general committee members. Umno will toy it as a controversy and it actually backfires Pakatan Rakyat's devoted effort to gain Malay votes as can be foreseen. Lim Guan Eng is to step down after the next election in accordance with the DAP regulations. Probably Lim Kiat Siang and Karpal Singh will make room for the younger delegates. Vote gains and re-election results show Loke Siew Fook is a potential successor. The crux of staying strong for any organisation is its "metabolism". DAP obviously excels in this. It is only fair to say that the DAP persists in the upholding of democracy. They have fought inexorably for the equality of people, social integrity, and economic fairness with their marked consistency over the years. In the memories of the elderly, the DAP is a political party for the general public. The grassroots image of its leaders is expected as they were always ready to stand behind bars for the country's controversial issues and the good for all and sundry. Inevitably, the DAP remains the strongest opposition party though it is outnumbered in members, weak in hierarchical structure and caught in trying period. The nature of a party predicts its destiny. The DAP was formerly lauded as 'the father of hawkers' while the MCA was termed 'the party of boss'. Nonetheless, the MCA is part of the dominant power. The MCA cannot stand abreast with the general public in many occasions; that includes the Clean Elections Campaign, Anti Lynas, Dong Jiao Zong's Peaceful Assembly of Petition. All these alienate itself from the general public and make way for DAP to grab the upper hand politically. The DAP has only a meagre 15,000 members, but it outshines the MCA, which has a 1,115,167 strong membership. The nation's train of development is advancing, the DAP should not remain a grassroots party but put transformation into practice. Lim Guan Eng once remarked that Pakatan Rakyat and the DAP had to aim for four million middle grounded voters if they wanted to earn the mandate to run the country. To realise this, an influx of younger professional new bloods, consolidation of ruling theories, strategic economic plans are sought after. In other words, change of mindset and refinement in practice are the way to their continuous success. The DAP supporters' great expectation, I think, lies strongly in its quantum leap from grassroots party to a party for all the nation.

May 13, Kg Medan – Never again! Posted: 18 Dec 2012 02:27 PM PST Even though biologically, there is no such basis for a category known as "race", the social construction of race is ever present in this country. By Kua Kia Soong, FMT The launch of "Violence against an Ethnic Minority in Malaysia: Kampung Medan 2001" by S Nagarajan and K Arumugam yesterday is a wake-up call for Malaysians to get wise to the Malaysian state's attempts to portray racist/fascist pogroms against ethnic minorities in Malaysia as so-called "racial riots" that came about "naturally" because of social conditions and dissatisfaction. This is the first book written to put the record straight on the racial violence against ethnic Indian Malaysians at Kampung Medan in 2001. For this racial violence to happen more than 30 years after "May 13" is a scandal and an indictment of Malaysia's modern day institutions which are still steeped in racism and racial discrimination. My 2007 title, "May 13: Declassified Documents on the Malaysian Riots of 1969" challenged the official version that the violence (in which the victims were mainly ethnic Chinese) was the result of "riots" between "Malays" and "Chinese" who had been provoked by irresponsible opposition politicians. The official version of the Kampung Medan violence in 2001 was that the "riots" had been sparked by incidents which ignited "naturally" in a neglected urban ghetto. The facts on May 13 point to an orchestrated pogrom in which a complicit state allowed the violence to drag on until July 1969, before the security forces demonstrated their full capacity to restore order. As documented in Nagarajan and Arumugam's new book, the Kampung Medan violence, which started on March 8, 2001, was allowed to continue over a number of days in a relatively small enclave of Petaling Jaya – with the last tragic incident occurring on March 23. This delay in taking action reveals a serious credibility problem surrounding our law enforcement and security forces. How is it that these forces failed in their duty to apprehend the thugs who unleashed the racial violence and also failed to investigate those who had organised the violence? Eyewitness accounts show that in some of the racial attacks there, the police just stood by without stopping and apprehending the thugs. This was the same observation noted during the "May 13" pogrom, namely, the security forces did not play the professional role expected of them. Just as in 1969, these incidents were not "racial clashes" between ordinary Malays and non-Malays. In this record of Kampung Medan, it is clear that the people within this community were of diverse ethnicity and that between them there was the sort of camaraderie evident in Kampung Baru in May 1969. The culprits who were responsible for the violence were fascist thugs from outside these communities who had been brought there by "hidden hands". It is the duty and responsibility of the police and security forces to apprehend the thugs and to unmask the hidden hands and reveal their agenda. After all, our Malaysian Police Force pride themselves on being one of the best in this part of the world, having been trained by the British colonial power to handle the Emergency during the fifties. Note the speed with which they execute ISA operations and their alacrity in breaking up civil demonstrations of thousands! Racism against ethnic Indians The purposeful stereotyping of the Chinese and Indian Malaysians as the "immigrants who should know their place" as distinct from those defined as "bumiputeras" (princes of the soil) by the state and the Malay far-right is intended to justify "Malay dominance". Thus the "May 13 incident" has been frequently used as a deterrent to any challenge to the status quo, whether during a general election or simply a challenge to an unjust Umno policy. In recent years, a pattern has emerged in which ethnic Indians, who are a minority community in this country (of less than 10% of the total population) finding themselves the majority in official statistics on deaths in police custody and victims of police shootings. These shocking facts reflect the racist portrayal of the marginalised Indian community in the state institutions. Through the years, we have also witnessed many cases of racial slurs against ethnic Indians in the mainstream media and school textbooks. Even though biologically, there is no such basis for a category known as "race", the social construction of race is ever present in this country. Racism and racialisation came about during the period when the different communities were under the dominance of British colonialism. In the circumstances of that time, it suited the dominant group to legitimise dominance by a divide and rule strategy that viewed minorities as "non-indigenous" who required assimilation. This legacy of racism, which has been further institutionalised since independence, is not only evident in school textbooks but also in media discourse and everyday conversation. My writings on press coverage of ethnic affairs since the Eighties (eg. "Media Watch: The Use and Abuse of the Malaysian Press", SCAH 1990) have shown that ethnic minority groups tend to be reproduced in the Malay-language press in stereotypical, blatantly racist terms. Thus, minorities are associated with problems and conflict and then portrayed as a threat to the dominant Malay population. Topics tend to focus on "aliens", "them versus us", crime and cultural differences are interpreted negatively. The message is clear: "Immigrants must adapt or else…", "Indians must behave…" Today, this blatant racism has become second-nature to the Malay-language press and media watching is no longer an art in Malaysia! '1Malaysia' forces Umno to outsource racism State complicity is evident not only in the negligent role of the security forces but also in its tolerance of the far-right and their racist taunts. Fascism has a knack for appearing in capitalist crises. At the time when the racial violence happened at Kampung Medan in 2001, the so-called "Malay Action Front" provocatively waved the keris and pledged to defend "Malay ethnic supremacy". Such racist provocation and Umno's manipulation of Malay sentiments serve to ensure Umno's monopoly of political power and their ability to reap the fruits of Malay-centrism. In the process, such racist propaganda serves to divert the attention of the Malay poor from their real problems and the ruling elite responsible for them. Since the 2008 political tsunami and Umno's attempts to win back non-Malay support through such ploys as the "1Malaysia" slogan, it appears that Umno Youth's traditional role of racial breast-beating has been outsourced to the far-right groups. Umno soon learnt that the spectacle of "Kerishamudin" playing the Malay warrior at the 2006 Umno general assembly had cost them too many non-Malay votes in the 2008 general election. The Umnoputras, in their pursuit of political and economic power, are not interested in solving the social problems that have resulted from the neo-liberal and discriminatory policies which they have put in place. The far-right is there to ensure that the Malay working class and middle class are wooed by the "Malay-centrist" ideology in an effort to prevent them from joining the growing movement against the present unjust system. As has happened in the history of capitalism, fascists only offer racism and violence as a solution to people's desperation. Outlaw racism, racial discrimination and hate crimes "Hate crimes" are criminal acts committed as intimidation, threats, property damage, assault, murder or such other criminal offence. The negative impact of hate crimes on the greater community cannot be emphasised enough. In order to nip this tendency in the bud, "Incitement to racial hatred" needs to be made a criminal offence. Under the British Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 for example, publication of materials that incite racial hatred is an arrestable offence. These include deliberately provoking hatred against a racial group; distributing racist material to the public; making inflammatory public speeches; creating racist websites on the internet; inciting inflammatory rumours about an individual or ethnic group, in order to spread racial discontent. The UK Public Order Act 1986 defines racial hatred as "hatred against a group of persons defined by reference to colour, race, nationality or ethnic origins". Section 21 of the Act makes "incitement to racial hatred" an offence to publish or distribute material which is threatening or abusive or insulting if intended to stir up racial hatred…" In Malaysia, the proposed Equality Act and Equality and Human Rights Commission (see below) should likewise specifically deal with hate crimes and incitement to racial hatred. READ MORE HERE

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• Perkasa Chief Insults the Malays
• Insiden yang sebenar di Sungai Petani
• Statement by Tan Sri Robert Phang on the article by R. ...
• Pergerakan Penyatuan
• Jangan Risaulah Ibrahim Ali

Perkasa Chief Insults the Malays Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:27 PM PST   Such riots don't happen in Malaysia – at least not on such a major scale – without their being initiated by political beings. And a riot will be all the more powerful if the political beings engineering it also happen to be in power. If May 13 is going to happen again, it will have to be engineered by the people in power. Ordinary Malaysians will not fight without cause. We can be sure of that.   Kee Thuan Chye    To say that Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali has little between his ears because of his recent pronouncements is to say something too obvious. And yet one might be tempted to do it to dispel the misinformation he seems to be spreading.   His point about the Malays being unable to compete with the non-Malays because Islam forbids the former to participate in businesses involving gambling, liquor and entertainment outlets is, to put it mildly, moronic. And terribly misleading.   What's more inexcusable is his statement that the Chinese will become a national security threat if they acquire more political and economic power. It could lead, he warned, to another bloody racial conflict like the May 13 riots. This, I have to say, insults not only the Chinese but the Malays as well.   But there's surely more to Ibrahim's antic than what's on the surface. He has not been in politics this long to appear so simple-minded. His agenda was to strike terror into the hearts of voters. He was employing the scare tactics that Prime Minister Najib Razak and Barisan Nasional (BN) have been resorting to of late as the general election draws near. Coincidentally, at the Umno general assembly last month, Wanita Umno President Shahrizat Abdul Jalil also irresponsibly raised the bogey of May 13.   Ironically, such scare tactics betray a lack of self-confidence on the part of Najib and BN. Ibrahim must have caught on to it and sensed that BN may even lose the elections for the first time. But this does not exonerate him from saying things that are insulting, that could engender hatred. Based neither on fact nor reasoned argument.   After all, the industries that are considered haram to Muslims make up only a small percentage of the total economy. Why is he making a mountain of such a molehill?   He uses the inability of the Malays to make money from these business sectors as a reason for the Government to continue with affirmative action for them. Is that a sound argument?   Malays don't need to rely on these sectors to succeed. Ibrahim only needs to look at Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary's business empire to see how a Muslim can prosper bountifully without touching any of the haram industries. That would be enough to debunk his theory that the Muslims are economically disadvantaged.   More important, when Ibrahim talks about the economic situation of the Malays, why must he invariably compare it to that of the non-Malays? In order to draw the sinister conclusion that the latter are a threat?   That the Chinese are being insulted is obvious. I very much doubt the community has any intentions whatsoever of being a threat to anyone, especially their fellow citizens, so it's not fair to consider them as such. If of late, they have been more vocal in agitating for their rights as Malaysians and calling for better governance for the good of the country, should that be considered threatening?   But what about the Malays? Why do I say that Ibrahim's talk about another May 13 is insulting to the Malays as well?   Because he is implying that they will be envious of Chinese success. He is implying meanness in the hearts of Malays. He is implying that they cannot stand it when others achieve success and, as such, they will clash with them. He is insulting all self-respecting and peace-loving Malays.   May 13 did not happen because ordinary, responsible and peace-loving Malays decided to clash with non-Malays. It was orchestrated, as we now know. People in the ruling party whipped up sentiments to amok point. It was politically engineered, to bring down Tunku Abdul Rahman, the then prime minister.   In a sense, the Chinese were made scapegoats by the plotters, who capitalised on the theme of racial conflict to cover up their own ulterior ambitions.   Such riots don't happen in Malaysia – at least not on such a major scale – without their being initiated by political beings. And a riot will be all the more powerful if the political beings engineering it also happen to be in power. If May 13 is going to happen again, it will have to be engineered by the people in power. Ordinary Malaysians will not fight without cause. We can be sure of that.   Ibrahim completely negates the decency and sense of responsibility of the Malay people.   He also disregards the prospect that the Malays themselves have the ability to succeed.   Why does he clamour for continued affirmative action? Is it not to perpetuate a cause that will serve his political enhancement? Is it not to pander to a market that will buy his rhetoric and vote him in again?   But is it a cause still relevant? Is it viable in today's globalised world of which Malaysia is an integral part?   Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad – who is, incidentally, Patron of Perkasa –  should be well aware of the answer even if he often says the opposite of what he knows. Recently, however, he said that affirmative action for the Malays would have to be phased out in the future. And he seemed to momentarily make sense … until he qualified it by adding, "but only when we are certain that the Malays can compete in the market" without "the crutches".   With his selective memory these days, he has obviously forgotten he said something contrary to that in his interview with The Star in October 2004: "We have tried to tell them if you depend on subsidies, you are going to be very weak. But they don't seem to understand. We tell them if you use crutches, you will not be able to stand up. Throw away the crutches, stand up straight because you still have the capacity." Unfortunately, Mahathir has reverted to being a great advocate of crutches. But the question is, how do "we" decide when the Malays will be ready to throw them away? What are the concrete criteria? When it is as arbitrary and unscientific as "when they are ready", the issue can remain unresolved indefinitely.   At least, the New Economic Policy (NEP) had a quantified target – that of the Malays achieving 30 per cent share of the economy by 1990. But that year has come and gone and the affirmative action still continues. It has, in fact, now stretched to more than 40 years of implementation. Why are the Malays still not ready?   Perhaps they already are. Sometimes, it's just a matter of switching mindsets to accept that one is ready for something. Moreover, some Malays will say, as Mahathir has pointed out, that they don't need crutches. The proof of this is that millionaire Malays are buying multi-million ringgit houses (but they are still getting the 7 per cent discount – do millionaires deserve affirmative action?).   In any case, if we accept that the Malays are not ready, then who is to blame?   Who is responsible for getting the Malays ready? Isn't it the Government? And who has formed the bulk of the Government all these decades? Isn't it Umno?   So why has the Government, headed by Umno, the party for the Malays, not succeeded in getting the Malays ready after all these decades?   Doesn't it mean that Umno has failed?   If Mahathir and his sidekicks, like Ibrahim Ali, still clamour for crutches, Umno must have failed. To all intents and purposes then, the party that claims to serve the interests of the race it represents has failed its own race.   So Ibrahim has no cause to deflect the issue onto the non-Malays, just as no one should make the Chinese scapegoats for May 13.   Mahathir is one to talk. It was under his watch that the NEP got extended when it should have expired. He would never acknowledge it but in 1990, he must have realised that, as the supreme leader of Umno then, he had failed to meet the target.   So what he says now is nothing but political posturing. It's the same with Ibrahim. He, too, knows why he says the dumb things he says, because he can't really be that dumb.   And because all this talk – by both men – is to serve a political cause rather than the people and the nation, their action is all the more insidious. And should be taken with huge doses of scepticism.    They may not know it but they have lost a lot of maruah (dignity) for pursuing this course.   Maruah being an important element of Malay culture, reasonable and self-respecting Malays would surely not want to lose it themselves.   * Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the bestselling book No More Bullshit, Please, We're All Malaysians, available in bookstores together with its Malay translation, Jangan Kelentong Lagi, Kita Semua Orang Malaysia.

Insiden yang sebenar di Sungai Petani Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:18 PM PST   Pergaduhan budak-budak sekolah di Sungai Petani telah diperbesarkan oleh bloger Umno dan Barisan Nasional kononnya sebagai rusuhan kaum sedangkan hakikat  yang sebenarnya adalah kes curi motor. Persoalan kini timbul, siapa yang mencuri motor itu? Adakah motor anak India itu yang dicuri? Atau budak Melayu yang cedera ini mencuri motor itu? Motor siapakah yang dicuri? Siapa berak tengah jalan tidak akan mengaku juga dia akhirnya. Ini pepatah lama. Adakah ini konspirasi Umno dan MIC untuk mencetuskan huru-hara bagi terus mengekalkan kuasa yang semakin menghilang?  Sesuai dengan kata-kata ketua wanita Umno Malaysia bahawa tragedi 13 Mei bakal berulang dan Putrajaya akan dipertahankan walau dengan apa cara sekalipun dari Perdana Menteri Malaysia Najib Razak.  Secara logik kes ini memang dah semakin besar melainkan dengan kehendak Allah Yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Mengasihani. 2 jam dari tadi seorang lagi India di dakwa ditemui mati dibunuh di Taman Bandar Perdana Sungai Petani.  Polis ramai di kawasan terbabit. Jadi minta tolong maklumkan perkembangan semasa. Jumlah kematian setakat ini sebagaimana yang dirisik 3 orang kesemuanya lelaki India.  Hasil risikan lain pula memberitahu bahawa kes ini sebenarnya pergaduhan di antara kumpulan samseng India dengan samseng India yang lain.

Statement by Tan Sri Robert Phang on the article by R. ... Posted: 17 Dec 2012 12:03 PM PST   I refer to the said Article wherein R. Nadeswaran attributed various statements and quotes to me. It is amazing that R. Nadeswaran seems to echo everything said by Musa Hassan as if it were the absolute truth. It is more amazing that R. Nadeswaran reported my press conference and quoted me on things I never stated, when he wrote that I "admitted" - "I was the one together with Datuk Ramli Yusoff (former Commercial Crimes Division chief) who helped draft and prepare the document." This is an absolute inaccurate statement. While I can appreciate that Musa Hassan, being the principal lecturer of Media Warfare at UiTM , would try to reinvent his image in the eyes of the public, I find it difficult to appreciate that a senior journalist like R. Nadeswaran could fabricate stories, statements and quotes without even confirming its validity with me. This seems to be the trend with reporters and journalists aligned to Musa Hassan. I do not know their exact motives, but it clearly results in misinformation and confusion to the society at large, such that truth and falsehood become blurred. I am an old man with no interest in partisan politics. With the God given privileges I have as a result of the various positions I held, I have tried to project the truth and speak out against injustice when I see it happening. I have seen men like Musa Hassan who serve their masters regardless of ethics and values, for their own self preservation and benefit. What is unacceptable to me is that Musa Hassan is biting the hand that fed him. Worse than that, he has caused the PDRM to suffer the worst image in the history of the police force. He was the principal actor in various dubious cases, specifically The Black Eye Incident, Sodomy 1 and Sodomy 2. Yet, today, he tries to portray himself as a knight in shining armor. I believe in speaking the truth. Thus, when R. Nadeswaran uses the skills of his pen to make something foul to smell rosy, I have no choice but to assert that he is biased and not being objective as required of a fair journalist. I have today issued a denial to the statements and quotes attributed to me and demanded that The Sun retract the said article. Attached is my letter to the Editor of The Sun." My sincere "THANK YOU" to all my Supporters who have backed me up all these years and also to all those Critics ---- I assure you all , I will not tolerate any fabrication and malicious allegations against me which cannot be supported by evidence. I will certainly act in accordance to my legal rights.

Pergerakan Penyatuan Posted: 17 Dec 2012 11:04 AM PST Muhammad Shahid bin Shahizam, 16 years old Sudah 55 tahun Malaysia mencapai sebuah kemerdekaan, membawa rakyatnya ke arah kemajuan dan kemakmuran tanpa mengira pegangan agama dan bangsa. Selama 50 tahun juga, parti-parti politik di Malaysia bergandingan bahu membangunkan Malaysia menjadi sebuah negara yang maju dan gah di persada antarabangsa. Walaupun berbeza ideologi dan prinsip, itu tidak menjadi alasan bagi mereka sebagai pemimpin untuk memimpin Malaysia dengan penuh keadilan dan kewibawaan. Biarpun bangunan Parlimen yang menjadi medan perdebatan mereka, itu tidak dapat mengusarkan semangat mereka untuk berjuang, mencipta perubahan bukan sahaja kepada diri mereka sendiri tetapi kepada seluruh penduduk Bumi yang digelar rakyat Malaysia. Selepas Pilihan Raya Umum ke-12, segala-segalanya berubah. Sebuah negara yang memiliki parti-parti politik yang saling berkerjasama membangunkan Malaysia, yang saling bantu-membantu ketika ditimpa cabaran sama ada yang kecil ataupun besar hancur berkecai ditelan sifat tamak kuasa, dengki-mendengki, tuduh-menuduh, dan benci-membenci tanpa menghiraukan suara rakyat yang WAJIB didengari oleh setiap parti politik yang wujud di Malaysia. Kini, tajuk-tajuk utama media massa sama ada media kerajaan ataupun pembangkang hanya dipenuhi oleh berita-berita yang penuh dengan kebencian dan permusuhan yang mampu mengajar generasi akan datang untuk saling benci-membenci dan bermusuhan walaupun dengan ahli keluarganya sendiri. Dimanakah sifat saling berkerjasama antara kerajaan dengan pembangkang ketika pemimpin-pemimpin kita yang dahulu kala berkuasa atau ia sudah tidak penting lagi bagi mengaut keuntungan untuk diri sendiri sahaja? Dimanakah semangat 'bagaikan aur dengan tebing' yang wujud dalam kalangan parti-parti politik ketika didatangi oleh gelombang cabaran daripada pelbagai arah mampu menepis cabaran tersebut sebagai sebuah komuniti dan negara atau ianya hanyalah kisah-kisah pari- pari terbang di awan yang membiru yang diceritakan kepada kanak-kanak sahaja? Sungguh pelik melihat tingkah laku pemimpin kita tanpa mengira parti politik hidup mewah, dikelilingi oleh kekuasaan, masih mampu tersenyum sedangkan di luar sana, lebih daripada satu juta rakyat Malaysia sedang hidup dalam kesusahan, memikirkan cara untuk mendapatkan duit bagi membayar cukai untuk menampung hidup para pemimpin kita itu. Apakah mereka sudah berfikir yang semua rakyat yang berada di bawah naungan mereka itu sudah senang-lenang seperti mereka? Ya! Memang mereka sudah pergi ke kampung-kampung melihat warga desa, ke pendalaman melihat orang asli tetapi mereka tidak merasai kesusahan mereka kerana mereka tidak melaluinya, para pemimpin kita tidak melaluinya! Mereka menghantar anak-anak mereka ke sekolah-sekolah yang mempunyai standard dan kualiti yang tinggi tetapi mereka lupa anak-anak rakyat mereka sedang bersekolah di sekolah kerajaan yang masih tidak mempunyai infrastruktur yang baik serta memiliki sistem pendidikan yang berkesan mendidik anak bangsa kita menjadi insan yang berguna walaupun sudah diiktiraf mempunyai standard antarabangsa. Jikalau para pejuang kemerdekaan negara kita dihidupkan kembali, mereka pasti menangis melihat tingkah-laku pemimpin sekarang, mereka pasti sedih dan terkilan dengan apa yang berlaku sekarang di tanah air tercinta ini. Sudah lupakah kita akan kegemilangan yang pernah nenek moyang kita cipta dahulu? Sejarah yang unik tertulis sendiri oleh bangsa kita, Melayu Islam, yang mencipta tamadun yang disegani di serata dunia, menguasai perdagangan antara dunia Timur dengan dunia Barat, menbina kapal layar yang meredah lautan yang luas dan buas sehingga ke benua Afrika, dan mencipta teknologi yang menundukkan bangsa Eropah ke tahap yang paling rendah ketika mereka menjejakkan kaki mereka ke tanah air kita tetapi itu cuma hanyalah tinggalan sejarah, yang ditulis di atas buku-buku sejarah yang tersimpan rapi di muzium, yang dikisahkan kepada kanak-kanak dan apabila tamat diulang, diulang, dan diulang kembali. Kalau begitu, takkanlah mustahil untuk giliran kita pula yang mendatang, tamadun kita yang lama dahulu yang indah gemilang hidup semula, kembali segar bugar, terbentang di bumi Allah yang luas ini. Tidak kisah sama ada kita mempunyai prinsip ataupun ideologi yang berbeza, itu tidak bermakna kita perlu membelakangkan nasib agama dan bangsa kita. Apa salahnya parti-parti politik kita bersatu dan berdiri di atas laluan yang sama? Tidak salah! Jikalau ada terdapat kesalahan di pihak yang lain, pihak yang lain boleh membetulkannya, ini tidak mustahil untuk dilakukan apabila prinsip persaudaraan yang diajarkan Nabi Muhammad s.a.w diterapkan dalam diri masing-masing. Apakah kebaikan yang kita dapat kalau kita bersatu dengan golongan yang terang-terangan tidak mengucap dua kalimah syahadah? Tidak ada! Ini bukan berkenaan dengan kerajaan ataupun pembangkang tetapi ini berkenaan nasib agama dan bangsa yang menguasai bidang politik di Malaysia ini. Jangan hanya disebabkan kuasa dan kemewahan, pemimpin-pemimpin kita, sama ada kerajaan ataupun pembangkang, bergaduh dan menyalak seperti serigala pada waktu malam tanpa ada kebaikan yang tersirat, saling fitnah-menfitnah antara satu sama lain sedangkan suara rakyat diketepikan seperti sampah di tepi jalanan. Jikalau pemimpin-pemimpin kita tidak mahu berubah maka kita yang akan membawa perubahan itu. Serulah kepada bangsa kita, bangsa Melayu untuk bangun dan berdiri bersatu di atas laluan yang sama, menuju ke arah matlamat yang jelas, membina kembali tamadun kita, menjadi bangsa yang gah kembali bukan sahaja di Nusantara tetapi di atas bumi Allah ini! Ini adalah mengenai masa depan negara kita, wahai Melayu Islam! Sudah pasti kita tidak mahu lagi melihat bangsa kita menjadi bahan ejekan dalam kalangan bangsa yang menguasai ekonomi tanah air kita, sudah pasti kita tidak mahu lagi anak-anak kita ketinggalan jauh dalam pelajaran taktala bangsa yang menguasai ekonomi tanah air kita berjaya mencapai menara gading dan menguasai segala-galanya. Sudah sampai masanya kita untuk bangkit dan bersatu menguasai kembali kesemua bidang sama ada dari segi pendidikan sehinggalah ekonomi daripada bangsa yang telah menjadikan kita pengemis di tanah air kita sendiri. Wahai Melayu Islam! Sudah sampai masanya parti-parti politik kita bersatu di bawah satu panji membawa perubahan, mengubah nasib bangsa kita, mencipta sejarah tersendiri, dan membuktikan kepada dunia yang kita pun mampu melakukan apa yang mereka fikir mustahil untuk kita lakukannya! Bangkit dan bersatulah! ------------------------------ Peringatan 'Wahai para pemimpinku, tidakkah kamu bersalah akan dirimu, tidakkah kamu rasa malu terhadap Tuhan yang telah memberi kamu rezeki, yang membenarkan kamu tinggal di bumi-Nya, tidakkah ada satu perasaan menyesal terhadap apa yang telah kamu lakukan itu? Wahai para pemimpinku, aku tidak kisah dari mana parti politik kamu, selagi kamu berkuasa, selagi itu banyak kerosakan akan kamu lakukan. Aku merayu kepada kamu sebagai seorang rakyat yang masih menulis pena di sekolah, yang masih mencari tujuan hidup yang sebenar untuk kembali ke jalan yang mempunyai matlamat hidup yang jelas, untuk kembali menjadi seorang pemimpin yang benar-benar memiliki sifat sebagai seorang pemimpin yang adil dan berwibawa. Aku tidak mampu menentang kamu kerana kamu adalah golongan yang berkuasa tetapi aku juga tidak mampu melihat kamu terus-terusan melakukan dosa-dosa yang mampu menghancurkan hidup kamu, aku sudah tidak mampu lagi melihatnya! Aku tidak mahu harta kamu, aku tidak mahu kekuasaan kamu itu, aku cuma mahu melihat kamu berubah agar negaraku ini selamat daripada sifat-sifat buruk kamu itu. Aku cuma meminta itu sahaja dari kamu, wahai para pemimpinku!'

Jangan Risaulah Ibrahim Ali Posted: 16 Dec 2012 03:36 PM PST UxtVFzj5OnA Ubah Rocket Style  Memang pun Umno dan Perkasa agak terdesak bila lapisan masyarakat majmuk memahami mesej yang dibawa dalam video klip ini. Walaupun video klip ini terkandung ciri-ciri lucu, jenaka, kreatif dan simbolik, tapi tidak membakar isu perkauman. Ia tidak menyebarkan idea-idea benci-membenci.  Or watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxtVFzj5OnA Video klip inilah memang buat Ibrahim Ali, Sharizat terasa tertekan. Video klip inilah buat Ibrahim Ali mengungkilkan tragedi May 13 supaya menakut-nakutkan masyarakat Melayu bersatu kembali. Apa takut sangat Ibrahim Ali??? Bukankah perpaduan rakyat berbilang bangsa lebih baik dari perpaduan Melayu??    Memang pun Umno dan Perkasa agak terdesak bila lapisan masyarakat majmuk memahami mesej yang dibawa dalam video klip ini. Walaupun video klip ini terkandung ciri-ciri lucu, jenaka, kreatif dan simbolik, tapi tidak membakar isu perkauman. Ia tidak menyebarkan idea-idea benci-membenci. Kalau dibandingan dengan video klip yang dihasilkan puak blogger pro Umno, BN nescaya mereka gagal dapat menghasilkan video klip yang setanding dengannya.  Dalam kempen politik, kreativity memainkan peranan penting dalam kesedaran politik. Tidak kurang pentingnya membangkitkan rakyat menentang rhetorik, ciri-ciri jenaka dan lucu dapat merangsangkan rakyat memahami perkembangan politik semasa, ia lebih mudahkan lapisan masyarakat  menyedari matlamat perjuangan sesebuah parti itu.

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• DAP's Ubah or Ubah DAP?
• Rotating parties for better governance
• Putting an end to child marriages

DAP's Ubah or Ubah DAP? Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:37 PM PST Do you recognize this man? He is Tan Seng Giaw. Just in case you don't know or can't recognize him, I'll leave it to Wikipedia (plus a wee add-ons and where relevant, corrections by me) to provide a glimpse of who he is: Tan Seng Giaw (Chinese : 陈胜尧) is a Malaysian politician from the Democratic Action Party. He was born on 26 May 1942 in Kota Baru, Kelantan. After attending Primary and High School in Kelantan and Penang respectively, he furthered his education at Plymouth College and Leeds University, England. His multi-cultural academic and social background has resulted in Seng Giaw being fluent in Mnadarin, English, Bahasa Malaysia, and competent in the writing of Malay in the Jawi script. Seng Giaw's academic qualifications include a M.B.Ch. B. (Leeds), D. Obs. R.C.O.G, M.R.C.P (UK) and finally a M.D. honours (Leeds) in 1976. [...] His social activities today include the office of Pengerusi Kehormat of Persatuan Murid-murid Tua, Chung Ling for the states of Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and uala Lumpur. Tan's political involvement began in 1976, during which he served the people of Kepong on behalf of Dr. Tan Chee Khoon. He is was the Democratic Action Party's National Vice Deputy Chairman and Member of Parliament for the constituency of Kepong [since 1982. In March 2008 he won by a majority of 23,848 votes]. In 1972, Dr. Tan married Oon Hong Geok, a paediatrician and has two daughters. His wife used to be active in the political scene and represented Taman Aman, Petaling Jaya as a state assemblywoman. In parliament he plays a sterling role, serving on the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) as Deputy Chief (to UMNO's Azmi Khalid) and has been a vigilant watchdog on behalf of the public in scrutinizing government finance and expenditure. Tan Seng Giaw (L) and Azmi Khalid (R) Awesome, isn't he? BUT ... But during the just completed DAP party elections, he was NOT placed in the top 20 for the CEC. Why was he unsuccessful? Well, my easy answer would be 'lots of reasons', wakakaka. But anyway, look at his seniority in DAP (years and then Deputy chairperson), his tenure as a DAP MP since 1982 with his most recent victory in 2008 recording a resounding majority that tsunami-ed his MCA opponent away into the Straits of Malacca, and his contributions to both party and nation, etc etc etc. Yet he was NOT voted into the CEC top 20, but had to be co-opted as one of 10 selected (not voted). We may deem him as not popular enough among the party delegates to be voted in. Hmmm, maybe he didn't campaign enough or effectively on his own behalf among the party delegates? OK, lamentable as the DAP party election result has been for Tan Seng Giaw who is no longer the party's deputy chairperson, hasn't it been democratic? His non-election as one of the top 20 CEC members had been the decision of the voting delegates, and could not be manmanlai-ed a la the style of another party where in its deputy presidential election the total of the votes for 2 candidates at a location exceeded the number of party voters registered, with a party returning officer then questionably declaring a draw wakakaka. As Lim Guan Eng stated: "We do not control who the delegates choose. We accept the results (of the elections). This is democracy." Look also at two other high profile DAP leaders - Teresa Kok and DAP Perak Chief, Ngeh Koo Ham.  Everyone knows the Sassy MP, and I admit I love her (her competency lah, wakakaka). Teresa as Seputeh MP holds the record for the biggest majority for an election victory in any parliamentary constituency. As Kinrara ADUN, she heads the party with the second most number of ADUNs and should have been deputy MB Selangor but for PAS' objections (during the Solar-Powered era) and Khalid Ibrahim's lack of spine in supporting her due status. She's very active and productive and thus very high profile in her parliamentary and state duties and was once ISA-ed. She was also falsely accused by UMNO of criticizing azan calls, an indication of their fear of her immense popularity among her Malay constituencies. But she almost didn't make it into the CEC, being voted at an uncomfortable 18th place. The poor darling sweetie explained that her role as party organizing secretary and some of her difficult and unpopular decisions had affected the voting. But nonetheless, she was placed at 18th when you would have expected her to be among the top 5. Ngeh Koo Ham Now, Ngeh Koo Ham has gained the unfortunate notoriety of controlling a faction within the Perak DAP which is at odds with another DAP stalwart, Kulasegaran. Kula has the last laugh by coming in at 16th for the elected CEC, while Ngeh very nearly didn't make it, and just squeezed into 20th position. Kulasegaran Maybe the 2576 DAP delegates voting at the party election are against certain Chinese, people like Tan who along with 47 other candidates didn't make it? Maybe they have been against Teresa and Ngeh too, though not vigorous enough to cut them out of the top 20? Read more at: http://ktemoc.blogspot.com/2012/12/daps-ubah-or-ubah-dap.html

Rotating parties for better governance Posted: 16 Dec 2012 03:00 PM PST IN my last article I wrote about the importance of changing the system of local government that we have. By that I meant we should reintroduce local government elections as well as overhaul the Local Government Act in order to ensure a more transparent and accountable local authority. There are also other institutional changes which are desperately needed in this country. Keeping to local governments, the law which exempts them from any legal action being taken against them is also something which has to be looked at. For example, the Ampang local government was immune to any legal action for supposed negligence in the decision making which led to the Highland Towers tragedy. But, in case I appear to be harping on too much on local government, let us spread our sights a bit further. The Election Commission used to be an independent body and its members had the security of tenure similar to those on the Bench. That was changed in the 60s however. What was also changed was the power of the EC to draw the boundaries for the electoral constituencies. Now the EC commissioners are there at His Majesty's pleasure and the power to delineate constituencies lie in the hands of Parliament. This means that the independence of the EC is questionable as they can be fired at will and whoever has the majority in Parliament will undoubtedly draw the electoral boundaries to suit them and not to ensure a fair representation of the people in this country. There are many other examples of course but I shall not go into them here. Needless to say the system of governance we have now is built around the concept of patronage. Those in authority owe their position to a master. This leads to a feudal mentality as well as the ever present suspicion that work is done not on a professional level with the interest of the nation at heart, but instead it is done to serve a political patron. This systemic malaise that we have can of course be changed by anyone with legislative power and the requisite will to do something about it. But is it possible to find anyone or any group with the nobility of spirit and strong sense of fairness to do so; especially if the status quo suits their own purposes. Read more at: http://azmisharom.blogspot.com/2012/12/rotating-parties-for-better-governance.html

Putting an end to child marriages Posted: 16 Dec 2012 02:31 PM PST The incidence of child marriages is alarming. By child marriages, I mean the marriage of any person under the age of eighteen. This is more so for the fact that it appears that such marriages are significantly more prevalent amongst Muslims. A recent statement by a United Nations agency here indicates that the number of such marriages has increased significantly over recent years. The minimum age of marriage for persons of other than the Muslim faith is eighteen. Muslims girls are permitted by state law to marry at the age of sixteen. In some states, like Kedah, the Shariah Court can sanction the marriage of an even younger Muslim girl. In one such case, the Shariah Court recently granted permissions for a twelve-year old girl to marry a nineteen-year old man (some reports have put the age of the groom at sixteen). According to reports, the father of the bride consented to the marriage to avoid any "immoral activity" on the part of the couple. The husband is quoted as saying that his bride had agreed to shoulder the responsibility of a wife. The reports do not indicate either his view or that of the father as to the ability of the twelve year old to understand the full implications of the situation. It may be recalled that in 2010, a marriage between a fourteen-year old and her twenty-three year old husband sparked some controversy. The Government at that point took the position that if the marriage was permitted under Islam, and as such within the jurisdiction of the State Government, there was no basis to reject the same. Its position does not appear to have changed. The Attorney General has, through his continued silence on the subject, endorsed such marriages.  On my part, I fail to understand how the Federal Government and the Attorney General could have allowed for this self-evidently destructive trend to continue. Such marriages are not only, I say, unconstitutional, they hurt the children concerned and society. Research shows that child marriages have severely adverse consequences on the physical, emotional and mental development of the child. UNICEF has reported that girls who marry young tend to forego formal education, which, not only disadvantages the girls concern, lead to gaps in their knowledge on maternal health and child rearing issues. There is an increased risk of death in childbirth for girls that young. It is for this reason that the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which Malaysia has acceded to, places an obligation on the State to ensure that the "betrothal and the marriage of a child shall have no legal effect" and to take appropriate steps to regulate this.  It is also for this reason that various countries have set to combating child marriages with a view to improving the welfare of children and for the protection of the community. It is generally accepted that the prohibition of such marriages will contribute significantly to poverty eradication and the promoting of gender equality. In some countries, punitive measures against persons who perform, permit, or promote child marriages have been enacted. It is no answer to say that the economic realities of the situation are in favour of such marriages. If poverty is causing such marriages, then poverty should be addressed. We cannot allow the situation to evolve; I shudder at the thought of this process being used to validate trafficking of child brides or, for all purposes intents, validating the pedophilic tendencies of the monsters that prey on young children. Less sensationally, even the thought of young child-divorcees is reason for concern. It appears that rather than dealing with the root problems, the Government would rather sidestep the matter. In this, it would seem that Islam is being invoked to stifle the controversy.  While I can appreciate the need for the State to preserve the integrity of personal law, it is not the case that the personal law of Muslims can be understood as permitting the endangering of Muslim minors. More so for the fact that the legal framework of this nation so evidently gives basis to the Federal Government and the Attorney General to intervene and correct the situation. A question arises as to whether the power of the Shariah Court to validate such marriages is constitutional. The analysis cannot stop at the fact that the Legislative Assemblies of the states enact laws that vest the Shariah Court with the power to validate. Though it is true that the Legislative Assemblies have competence over the legislating of laws for the purposes of the administration of Islam, the discretion to do so is not absolute. It must be appreciated that such discretion is limited to enacting only laws that are constitutional.  As to the question of what is constitutional in the circumstances, several key features of our constitutional framework are material. Firstly, the constitution protects the fundamental liberties of all its citizens. Two of these are highly relevant to the discussion: the right to life, and the right to equal protection of the law.  As to the former, as has been underscored by the Federal Court, the right is not limited to merely concerns over corporeal existence. It extends to the intangible aspects of the right to live one's life, a state of being that hinges on the protection of mental and emotional integrity. As to the latter, it would be wholly repugnant to our system of life to allow for a state of affairs where some vulnerable citizens are protected from physical, mental and emotional abuse while others are not. It is for this reason that while at first glance, some constitutional powers could be read as allowing for violations of these strictures in the interests of some other cause, closer scrutiny would inevitably lead to the conclusion that this could not be the case. Put another way the power of the State Legislative Assemblies to enact law pertaining to the administration of Islam cannot be extended to validating the enacting of laws that defy the constitution. And yet this appears to be what section 8 of the Kedah Islamic Family Law Enactment 2008 does. It vests the Shariah Court with the power to expose Muslim children to the kind of conduct that is proscribed where non-Muslim children are concerned. In doing so, it discriminates against the former category of children. It permits the undermining of the physical, emotional and mental integrity of Muslim children in a way that is wholly inconsistent with their right to life.    Read more at: http://malikimtiaz.blogspot.com/2012/12/putting-end-to-child-marriages.html?spref=tw&m=1

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Jangan ganggu urusan PRU, SPR ingatkan Bersih Posted: 18 Dec 2012 03:05 PM PST Timbalan Pengerusi SPR Datuk Wira Wan Ahmad Wan Omar berkata, kempen Jom Pantau PRU13 yang bakal dilancarkan oleh Bersih 2.0 tidak akan membantu kelancaran pilihan raya, sebaliknya akan menimbulkan pelbagai masalah. Menurutnya, SPR tidak menafikan hak rakyat Malaysia untuk menjadi pemerhati dalam pilihan raya, namun mereka tidak boleh mengganggu kerja-kerja pihak penguat kuasa dan SPR. "Kita tak nafikan itu hak rakyat untuk turut menjadi pemantau dalam pilihan raya, namun kita khuatir akan timbul masalah lain kepada SPR dan pihak penguatkuasa sendiri. "Kita nak ingatkan agar Bersih 2.0 yang melancarkan kempen ini supaya tidak mengganggu urusan pilihan raya ini," katanya kepada Sinar Harian Online. Bersih 2.0 akan melancarkan kempen Jom Pantau PRU13 bulan depan bagi memantau PRU13 agar diadakan dengan lancar tanpa sebarang unsur penyelewengan dan penipuan. Beliau berkata, kempen itu akan memastikan rakyat Malaysia yang telah berdaftar sebagai pemilih, keluar mengundi pada hari pemilihan nanti. "Kita akan jemput pengundi untuk keluar mengundi pada hari tersebut kerana jumlah pengundi yang ramai akan membawa perubahan kepada penipuan. "Ia juga akan meminimumkan dan mengurangkan penipuan daripada berleluasa," katanya. Mengulas lanjut, Wan Ahmad berkata secara umumnya Bersih 2.0 ini ditubuhkan atas kepentingan sesuatu parti, jadi mungkin mereka mempunyai agenda tertentu untuk kepentingan parti tersebut. Soal beliau, Pengerusi Bersama Bersih 2.0, Datuk S. Ambiga seorang yang mengetahui undang-undang, "namun mampukah beliau menjaga ahli yang terlibat dalam Jom Pantau PRU13?" "Bukan semua yang tahu undang-undang, dengan keadaan pilihan raya yang semakin dekat, mungkin pelancaran kempen ini akan menyebabkan pelbagai masalah timbul," katanya.

Izat: Ekonomi Melayu gugat jika DAP diberi kepercayaan Posted: 17 Dec 2012 02:02 AM PST Presiden Persatuan Pedagang dan Pengusaha Melayu Malaysia (Perdasama), Datuk Moehamad Izat Emir berkata, sokongan orang Melayu terhadap DAP akan hanya menyebabkan ekonomi dan masa depan orang Melayu terumbang-ambing. Katanya, perkara ini jelas terbukti seperti apa yang berlaku dalam pemilihan jawatan anggota Jawatankuasa Eksekutif Pusat (CEC) DAP baru-baru ini yang menyaksikan kesemua lapan pemimpin Melayu parti itu kecundang dan tidak mendapat tempat dalam kepimpinan parti.     Beliau berkata, perkara itu jelas menunjukkan bahawa parti itu bukan memperjuangkan hak pelbagai bangsa dan kaum tetapi sebaliknya hanya membela nasib satu bangsa sahaja.     Beliau berkata, segelintir orang Melayu yang menyertai DAP ialah kerana mereka tertarik dengan ideologi sesetengah pihak yang menabur janji manis dengan tawaran memberi jawatan tapi sebenarnya kuasa di tangan orang lain. "Sepatutnya mereka bersatu untuk menjaga kepentingan generasi masa depan orang Melayu dan bukannya berpecah-belah dengan menyertai parti pembangkang," katanya kepada Bernama.     Izat berkata ekonomi orang Melayu kini semakin terancam dengan kedudukan yang berbeza-beza antara satu sama lain hingga mewujudkan perpecahan dan seharusnya situasi berbeza ini perlu dielakkan.     "Kita boleh bekerjasama dan saling menghormati dengan bangsa dan kaum lain. Tapi ketika ini status ekonomi maju dan politik yang kukuh tidak akan dicapai jika kita tidak bersatu padu dan terus berpecah," katanya.

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