Isnin, 30 September 2013

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Lawyers question criteria for promoting judges

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 06:29 PM PDT

V Anbalagan, TMI

Six top judges are slated to be promoted to the Federal Court and Court of Appeal today against a backdrop of unhappiness in Malaysia's Bar Council for not being consulted on the latest judicial appointments.

The Bar Council is unsure whether these judges are being promoted on merit or seniority. In today's promotion, Court of Appeal judges Datuk Seri Abu Samah Nordin, Datuk Ramly Ali and Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali will be elevated to the Federal Court.

High Court judges Datuk Seri Zakaria Sam, Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Datuk Umi Kalthum Abdul Majid will be promoted to the Court of Appeal.

The council, which covers all lawyers in West Malaysia, also feels it should have been consulted as it is an important stakeholder in the administration of justice in the country.

One view is that it harked back to 1988 when the dismissal of then Lord President Tun Salleh Abas sparked a judicial crisis.

"There was no communication due to bad relationship between the (Bar) council and the judiciary then," past council president Ragunath Kesavan told The Malaysian Insider.

Current council president Christopher Leong when contacted said neither his nor the council's views were sought this time.

"I am only invited to attend the oath taking ceremony for the judges at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya tomorrow (Monday)," he told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

In previous years, the chief justice made it a point to consult the council on the appointment of federal and appellate court judges.

Leong's immediate predecessor, Lim Chee Wee, who held the post from 2011 to 2013, said the chief justice had sought the council's feedback when appointments and promotions were made.

Ragunath (left), who was council president between 2009 and 2011, said then chief justice Tun Zaki Azmi consulted him before the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) discussed the elevation of judges.

"Whatever reservations some may have about Zaki, he displayed respect for the council and did not ignore us even after the JAC was set up in 2009," he said.

"This time around the legal fraternity is wondering whether judges were promoted based on merit or seniority," he added.

Ragunath also wondered if the failure to obtain the views of the council was a return of the practice soon after the judicial crisis in 1988 following the dismissal of Salleh.

In today's ceremony, the promoted judges will receive their letters of appointment from Yang di Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah prior to taking their oath of office before Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria and Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Raus Sharif.

Two senior Court of Appeal judges Datuk Abdul Malik Ishak and Datuk Mohd Hishamuddin Mohd Yunus have been overlooked in the current promotion exercise.

Abang Iskandar and Umi Kalthum have leapfrogged several High Court judges to become Court of Appeal judges.

READ MORE HERE

DAP’s Liew Chin Tong is going places

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 05:03 PM PDT

Eileen Ng, TMI

No one was more shocked than Liew Chin Tong (pic) himself when he found out that he topped the list in DAP's central executive committee (CEC) election last night.

The 36-year-old could not fathom why he beat bigwigs like Karpal Singh, Lim Kit Siang and even fiery Lim Guan Eng.

"I'm not sure. It is the decision of the delegates, and I thank them for the honour," a stunned Liew told reporters when asked the reasons for his popularity.

In the December party polls, Liew only garnered 984 votes, which gave him the 14th spot in the 20-member CEC.

Last night the youngest CEC member received 1,438 votes.

Modesty aside, Liew zoomed to the top partly because of his work as party strategist and his down-to-earth demeanour.

Many credited the DAP tactician's work in the run-up and during the 13th general election when his secular, Chinese-dominated party had its best showing.

DAP also penetrated the southern state of Johor, which was deemed to be a BN fortress all this while.

In the May national polls, DAP won 38 parliamentary and 95 state seats.

"It's a reflection of his success in Johor and the good work that he has done," notes Liew's party colleague, Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari.

Liew's talent, age and affable nature make for an attractive package to members who see him as a second echelon leader who can take over the reins of the party when the older leaders step down.

The second-term MP, described by many as "hardworking" and "humble", earned the admiration of members, especially those from Johor, when he gave up his previous parliamentary seat of Bukit Bendera - a safe seat - to contest in Kluang.

He unseated MCA's Dr Hou Kok Chung, a former deputy minister.

READ MORE HERE

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

King hands letters of appointment to seven judges
Malaysia faces backlash over push for tough new laws
Leave Pakatan, Pas urged
Guan Eng shrugs off comments on reduced votes
In the Chinese Press: DAP delegates want check and balance
Was Attorney-General sidelined during PCA amendments? Bersih asks at Suaram protest
Historian says citing historical facts, unaware of race-themed forum
Anti-PCA protest amid strong police cordon
In Umno battle, Ali Rustam joins list of saviours protecting Malays from others
Lawyers question criteria for promoting judges
Malaysia’s compromised electoral system

King hands letters of appointment to seven judges

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 07:46 PM PDT

(Bernama) - The Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, today handed letters of appointment to three Federal Court judges and four Court of Appeal judges at the Istana Negara.

The Federal Court judges are Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali, Datuk Seri Abu Samah Nordin and Datuk Ramly Ali and the Court of Appeal judges are Datuk Seri Zakaria Sam, Datuk Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim, Datuk Umi Kalthum Abdul Majid and Datuk Varghese George Varughese.

The judges took their oath of office in the Small Throne Room.

Also present at the ceremony were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri; Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria; Chief Judge of Malaya Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin; Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum and Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif.

Malaysia faces backlash over push for tough new laws

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 07:37 PM PDT

Members of non-government organisation (NGO) SUARAM (Suara Rakyat Malaysia) hold up placards during a protest against the new amendments in the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA) which resurrects back the detention without trial, outside the parliament house in Kuala Lumpur

Stuart Grudgings, Reuters

Malaysia's bid to bring back detention without trial and toughen a range of other laws has triggered a backlash from civil society groups who call the move politically motivated and a major step back for human rights.

Home Minister Zahid Hamidi was due to debate the proposed changes in parliament on Monday, justifying them as necessary to battle a rise in violent crime, as the government tries to push through the controversial bills this week.

The proposed amendments appear to mark a reversal of Prime Minister Najib Razak's steps in recent years to repeal draconian security laws, such as the Internal Security Act (ISA), that were sometimes used to jail government critics.

They come weeks ahead of a ruling party assembly where Najib faces pressure to make concessions to hard liners, following a weak election result in May that cut the ruling coalition's majority, undermining the prime minister's moderate agenda.

"After the election they are showing their real colours," said Nalini Elumanai, executive director of human rights group Suaram. "It's not because they want to curb crime. They want to stop the civil society movements, that's the real motive."

The tougher laws come as Najib's dominant United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) struggles to retain its traditional grip on the multi-ethnic Southeast Asian nation in the face of growing demand for more freedoms.

Najib attempted to rebrand UMNO after a dismal election showing in 2008, liberalizing security laws and pledging to phase out privileges for majority ethnic Malays.

But he is widely seen as having been pegged back by UMNO traditionalists, particularly after May's election, in which minority ethnic Chinese and most urban voters rejected the ruling coalition.

"WIDE OPEN TO ABUSE"

The changes to the 1959 Prevention of Crime Act provide for a board made up of three members and headed by a judge to issue detention orders for up to two years that can later be renewed.

The suspect has no right to legal representation, according to a copy of the bill seen by Reuters, and lawyers said there would be limited scope to appeal against decisions.

In addition, the government is proposing amendments to the country's penal code, mandating prison terms of 5 to 15 years for promoting a false national flag and up to three years for "vandalism", which includes the display of banners or placards without proper permission.

Judges' powers of discretion in sentencing are curtailed in favour of minimum mandatory sentences.

The new laws could be so broadly interpreted that they were "wide open to abuse," said Andrew Khoo, co-chairman of the Malaysian Bar Council's Human Rights Committee. The Bar has said the changes are "repugnant to the rule of law".

Leave Pakatan, Pas urged

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 05:54 PM PDT

ALL FOR IT: Pas Ulama chief's call for the party to review ties with DAP and PKR should be considered, says Pas member

(NST) - A CALL for Pas to review its collaboration with the opposition, Pakatan pact, continues to gain momentum despite being ridiculed by the party's deputy president Mohammad Sabu (pic).

Permatang Binjal Pas branch member Mahzan Zahid defended the party's Dewan Ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib, who had made the call, following a drop in the support for the party in the last general election.

"I do not agree with the opinion that the call (for Pas to review its ties with DAP and PKR) is not a brilliant idea.

"Harun is a visionary leader and respected by many people in the party.

"The call made by Harun is sincere. All he wanted to do was for Pas to gain more support from its allies and adversaries," he said yesterday.

Mohammad, or fondly known as Mat Sabu, who failed to gain prominence after he lost the Pendang parliamentary seat in the 13th General Election, told a news portal recently that the call for Pas to review its partnership in the opposition as "satu tindakan kurang bijak" (not a brilliant action).

Mahzan claimed there was "mild tension" between Pas and its opposition allies in several states and all these must be put to a stop.

"It is a high time for Pas (leaders) to look into this idea for the party's political survival."

Cracks within the opposition fold started to emerge after Harun initiated the call two weeks ago.

He said Pas had compromised on its principles to please its partners in the coalition, resulting in the party's poor performance in the GE13.

Since then, several party members at the branch level had come out in support for Harun.

Guan Eng shrugs off comments on reduced votes

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 05:25 PM PDT

The party secretary-general says the rise or drop in the number of votes is part of the electoral process, and that he respects the delegates' decision.

Anisah Shukry, FMT

DAP Secretary General Lim Guan Eng today downplayed the reduced votes he received in yesterday's party polls, saying that it was all part of the electoral process.

"We respect the decision of the delegates. Whether we receive more or less votes is part of the process. We are willing to listen to the delegates," he told reporters at a press conference at the Parliament lobby today.

"But (despite the reduced votes) my style of leadership will remain. We will continue to fight the Registrar of Societies (ROS)."

The Penang Chief Minister, who held the number two spot in the first Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections in December last year only managed to secure the fifth spot this time around with only 1,304 votes.

According to Lim, by voting in the same 20 members into the Central Executive Committee (CEC), the delegates had shown they were unanimous in believing that the party had been victimised by the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

"The delegates have spoken. They are saying "no" to the ROS," reiterated Lim.

The ROS had ordered the DAP to hold a re-election after disgruntled members reported they had not received notice of the CEC elections last year.

Last year's party polls also invoked controversy when a tabulation error was discovered where a recalculation of the results saw Zairil Khir Johari entering the CEC, making him the only Malay in the party's highest committee.

"I don't know what the ROS wants. Maybe they want to cause trouble in a bid to cripple us so that we are unable to carry out our main function, which is to topple BN and Umno in the next general election," Lim said today.

He also deflected criticism that the re-election of the party's highest council again saw delegates voting in only one Malay leader.

Lim instead turned the tables on his critics by saying that Barisan Nasional component parties Umno, MIC, MCA and Gerakan only have leaders from one race.

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 05:19 PM PDT

Chan Wei See, fz.com

The results of the DAP re-election suggest that the delegates wish to have check and balance of power in the central executive committee (CEC), China Press said.

Its writer Yu Pei Ni opined that the change in ranking in the 17 CEC members sends out a clear message that the delegates want to provide check and balance to the party leadership – which is still very much intact.

DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang who is also party adviser, dropped to number two from previously being at the top with reduced votes (171) while secretary-general Lim Guan Eng dived from the second position to number five ranking with 272 votes – down from the previous election.

National deputy chairman Tan Kok Wai had the sixth highest number of votes in the 2012 election but this time he dropped out of the top-10 chart to be ranked 16th, Yu wrote.

It was the total opposite for Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong who was at 14 before as he rose to the top with the highest votes this election.

This was an unexpected outcome as he is not a senior member, Yu observed. DAP national legal bureau chairman Gobind Singh Deo, Tanjong MP Chow Kon Yeow and Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari also won the election with a surge of votes.

Yu also noted that the result evidently showed an anti-Lims sentiment.

"Of course, it is a mission impossible to topple the Lims (Kit Siang and Guan Eng), the delegates can just tell the secretary-general with their ballots that DAP's success cannot happen with one or two persons' effort alone, it is rather a collective achievement of all grassroot members nationwide throughout the last few decades," she said.

Looking at the "menus" distributed at the DAP Special Congress, China Press further reported an alternative fraction in DAP Penang disapproving of Guan Eng and his team members namely national vice-chairperson Teresa Kok, Liew, deputy secretary-general Anthony Loke, Zairil, Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching and Gobind who is also Puchong MP.

Meanwhile, it pointed out a split in the Perak DAP in which the fraction led by former DAP election publicity chief Hew Kuan Yew wished to bring down Perak leaders Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Nga Kor Ming in the re-election.

Hew, widely known as 'Superman', openly criticised Ngeh and Nga on Facebook and urged the delegates to vote them out prior to the re-election.

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 04:57 PM PDT

(TMI) - Bersih co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan led a group of human rights activists in protest outside Parliament this morning against the amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act being debated this week.

The lawyer questioned if the Attorney-General was sidelined when Putrajaya formed the amendments.

She said Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail had recently voiced out that he was in a disagreement with preventive detention.

"Did the government not take the AG's advice? I want to know whether the AG was consulted, as he has made it clear he does not agree with this," she said to about 50 protesters during the rally.

The protest was organised by non-government organisation Suaram to stop the amendments to the PCA being passed.

While holding placards stating "Take PCA back", the group also labelled the PCA as the Internal Security Act 2.0.

"We don't need such acts to curb crime. We have facilities for the police to fight crime," Ambiga said.

"We celebrated the repeal of ISA but not more than a year later, the ISA seems to have returned in different forms."

She said the worst aspect of the bill was that Malaysians were "misled".

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 04:50 PM PDT

(MM) - Under the spotlight for a presentation on a "southbound invasion" from China, a historian insists she was only referencing historical data and was unaware of the race-based theme of the conference where it was delivered.

Writer and historian Zaharah Sulaiman was one of the speakers in the Facing Foreign Agenda (MEGA) symposium on Saturday organised by Muslim groups Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA) and Pembina, which was themed "Malays in Leadership Crisis".

According to her, she only decided to highlight the "Nam tien" event as she sympathised with the untold plight of the Malay stock, such as the Cham people who were the victims of ethnic cleansing by the Khmer Rouge.

"I did not really present about 'Nam tien' ... I took it as universal," Zaharah told The Malay Mail Online in an interview here.

"There was no defence for the Cham people, no defence against the Khmer Rouge for 30 years, there was no defence at all.

"The world could not be bothered with these deaths. Unfortunately, the dead are Malays, of Malay stock," the Malaysian Archaeology Association writer added.

Zaharah's presentation in the MEGA symposium was titled "Memahami Maksud Nam Tien Menjajah Terselindung dan Direstui Dunia" ("Understanding the meaning of Nam Tien, a hidden invasion sanctioned by the world").

The historian said she had left the event early, and was not aware that she had been part of a dialogue session that discussed other "foreign threats" towards Muslim Malays, including Shiah teaching, free trade agreements and the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), Americanisation, and Christianisation.

Zaharah said she had no racial agenda, and was only presenting historical facts in her allotted time.

"Nam tien", a Vietnamese term literally meaning "South march", generally refers to a southward expansion of Vietnamese territory from its original heartland in the Red River Delta between the 11th and 18th century.

The Cham are remnants of the ancient kingdom of Champa of people who now live in parts of Cambodia and Vietnam, and are related to the Malays through a common lineage.

Hundreds of thousands of them were reportedly killed during the genocidal rule of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s.

Zaharah had mentioned Khmer Rouge as one of the transgressors of the so-called "southern invasion" against the Malay stock, which also included the earlier Dai Viet, a Vietnamese dynasty which came from South China.

Other groups involved in the "invasion" and mentioned by her were the Tai people against the Funan Kingdom, and the Thai people towards the Malay peninsula.

Zaharah said the portions of her presentation on "Nam tien" were based on a paper by a Professor Yang Baoyun from Peking University, called "Contribution à l'histoire de la principauté des Nguyên au Vietnam méridional, 1600-1775" (Contribution to the history of Nguyen Principality in Southern Vietnam, 1600-1775).

She said other parts of her presentation were derived from scholarly works of authors such as British navy officer Sherard Osborn, and Yale University history professor Ben Kiernan.

Last year, Zaharah had been part of a conference on the origin of the Malay race, where she presented findings from an archaeological and genome study showing that ancient Proto-Malays who lived in the Sunda Shelf were the ancestors of the human race.

A book on the topic, co-written by several historians including Zaharah, is expected to be published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) by the end of this year.

Anti-PCA protest amid strong police cordon

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 04:41 PM PDT

Suaram looking to handover memorandum to home minister protesting amendments to the PCA, which will be tabled for its second reading today

P Ramani, FMT

A group of 20 Suaram demonstrators marched towards parliament to protest the amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA) 1959 which is expected to go for its second reading today.

About 20 policemen formed a human barricade near the parliament gate to prevent the group which is hoping to hand over a memorandum to Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi protesting the amendments.

The group are waiting for a parliament rep to take them in to handover the memorandum to the home minister.

The protestors were joined by Pakatan Rakyat reps as well as other NGO leaders. Also present were Bersih 2.0 co-chairperson S Ambiga and MIPAS sec-gen S Barathidasan.

Civil liberties groups say the provisions on detention without trial in the PCA violates fundamental human rights values enshrined in the Federal Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The PCA (Amendment and Extension) Bill 2013 went through its first reading on Sept 25, 2013 in the Dewan Rakyat.

Suaram says the amendments proposed in the bill harkens back to the days of the Internal Security Act which was repealed by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on Sept 15, 2011 along with three Emergency Declarations.

The demonstration was organised by a coalition of NGOs, among who were Suaram, Gabugan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI) and Malaysian Indian Progressive Association (MIPAS).

At about 11am, the group was taken inside parliament by Opposition MPs Nurul Izzah Anwar (Lembah Pantai), Wong Chen (Kelana Jaya), G Manivannan (Kapar), Fuziah Salleh (Kuantan) and N Surendran (Padang Serai).

The NGOs were led by GMI chairman Syed Ibrahim Syed Nor who initially met a representative from the Home Ministry but insisted on meeting either the Home Minister or his deputy to receive the memorandum.

Since either minister failed to turn up, the representatives sat at the parliament lobby in protest. PKR deputy president Azmin Ali joined in as a sign of support.

After 20 minutes, Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar met the representatives and received the memorandum.

Syed Ibrahim wanted the PCA Amendment Bill to be withdrawn and urged the Home Minister to consult legal fraternities such as the Bar Council before it is tabled for a second reading.

According to the GMI chairman, there are several irregularities in the PCA which contravenes Human Rights values and will be detrimental to the public.

The Deputy Home Minister promised to bring the memorandum to the attention of the Home Minister and revert to the protestors and the NGOs.

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 11:21 AM PDT

(TMI) - He said the biggest problem facing the country at this time was intolerance, and certain quarters were raising questions pertaining to equality and making comparisons with the special privileges for the Malays. "Some people just do not learn or respect. The Constitution lists in detail the Malay rights mainly, so stop questioning and respect the rights of the Malay,"

Add Umno vice-president aspirant Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam to the growing list of party officials who believe that the best way to win big in the party polls next month is to play the role of saviour to Malays under siege.

The former Malacca chief minister, who blamed Chinese voters for his defeat in Election 2013, has been making the rounds to meet party delegates, using that loss and the current antipathy in Umno towards non-Malays to boost his chances of emerging as one of the three party vice-presidents in the October 19 elections.

Other candidates in Umno such as incumbent vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Umno Youth chief aspirant Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi have also been playing the Malay rights card in this year's race.

In an interview with The Malaysian Insider, Ali said his mission was to strengthen Umno against groups such as DAP and Chinese educationist group Dong Zong as only through political means can the Malays be kept safe.

"Groups like DAP and Dong Zong are out to sideline Malay rights... they want to remove them from the Federal Constitution because they do not like it. But the Malays don't do such things towards other races," he said in a telephone interview.

Ali said the demands of these groups were "unconstitutional".

"This was what was feared before independence and it has now come true," he added.

Asked if he intends to turn Umno into a right-wing Malay group akin to Perkasa, Ali said, "I do not want to refer to anyone, but we (Umno) have our own way of doing things."

He said it was not necessary for Umno to emulate any Malay right-wing group or those calling for stern action to be taken against the alleged anti-Malay groups.

"I will do things according to the Constitution, unlike some who have been very inconsiderate in their demands."

Lawyers question criteria for promoting judges

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 10:18 AM PDT

(TMI) - Six top judges are slated to be promoted to the Federal Court and Court of Appeal today against a backdrop of unhappiness in Malaysia's Bar Council for not being consulted on the latest judicial appointments.

High Court judges Datuk Seri Zakaria Sam, Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Datuk Umi Kalthum Abdul Majid will be promoted to the Court of Appeal.

The council, which covers all lawyers in West Malaysia, also feels it should have been consulted as it is an important stakeholder in the administration of justice in the country.

One view is that it harked back to 1988 when the dismissal of then Lord President Tun Salleh Abas sparked a judicial crisis.

"There was no communication due to bad relationship between the (Bar) council and the judiciary then," past council president Ragunath Kesavan told The Malaysian Insider.

Current council president Christopher Leong when contacted said neither his nor the council's views were sought this time.

"I am only invited to attend the oath taking ceremony for the judges at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya tomorrow (Monday)," he told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

Malaysia’s compromised electoral system

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 10:13 AM PDT

The EC is listed under the Prime Minister's Office on the PMO website.

It's not the "foreigner watch", which I personally think is racist and problematic, that Malaysians should be most concerned about. The truth is that much of the election was already won before polling day. And what we should be most concerned about are the numerous amendments that have systematically opened up the electoral system to manipulation. These worrying amendments have also placed the Election Commission (EC) under the ruling party's control.

Ding Jo-Ann, The Nut Graph

OUR electoral system is in a mess. This I got from attending and volunteering with the recently concluded Bersih People's Tribunal on the 5 May 2013 general election.

Many have touted the 13th general election since independence (GE13) to be the most hotly contested in our nation's history. That's a fair assessment. Tensions rode high amidst talk of illicit ballot boxes and "foreigners" impersonating voters.

However, it's not the "foreigner watch", which I personally think is racist and problematic, that Malaysians should be most concerned about. The truth is that much of the election was already won before polling day. And what we should be most concerned about are the numerous amendments that have systematically opened up the electoral system to manipulation. These worrying amendments have also placed the Election Commission (EC) under the ruling party's control.

What are some of the most damaging provisions in these amendments, and how did they come about?

EC's independence

A crucial element in ensuring a fair election is an independent EC. This has been under threat from the very start even before independence was attained. EC members are appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. In our constitutional democracy, that means that the prime minister advises the monarch on who gets selected as an EC member.

The Reid Commission originally proposed that these appointments enjoyed "the confidence of all democratic political parties and of persons of all communities". This specific wording, however, was watered down by a working group of British officials, rulers' representatives and Alliance members. It now reads that EC members must "enjoy public confidence"[1].

This broad and vague wording dilutes the EC's independence because it reduces the standard of acceptability for an EC member. The original wording would have ensured that an EC member must have the confidence of both government and opposition parties, and also that of Malaysia's multiethnic community. The current phrase in the law in fact makes the standard of appointment much lower.

Indeed, there have been accusations that the EC now functions as a government department and not as an independent, impartial body. Currently, all seven EC members are retired civil servants. To compound matters, the EC is in fact listed under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on the PMO website. The EC's deputy chair, Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, has also described himself as a government servant "to this day".

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

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Towards world-class education

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 07:52 PM PDT

Here, one hopes that the leaders who take such steps will have the grit and wherewithal to bite the bullet when necessary, even at the risk of appearing unpopular in the short run.

But whatever decisions Malaysia may take in the near future, the fact is that the world is not about to slow down for Malaysia to catch up.

Farish Noor, NST

Malaysia, with an emerging youth sector that will soon be demanding access to higher education as a means of attaining upward social mobility, cannot take higher education for granted, and in time to come, may also realise that an improved higher education system would also add to the country's pull factor if and when Malaysia is seen as a destination for foreign scholars as well.

However, as has been noted by myself and many other academicians, the major stumbling block Malaysia faces at the moment is the lack of access to the global academic arena and the relatively low profile that our institutions have in relation to better-known universities and colleges in the developed Western world.

That it has come to this is a sad reflection of how our standing has fallen of late, though it was not always the case: Universiti Malaya was once regarded as among the best universities in Asia, and among its alumni are many academics, technocrats, businessmen and leaders of other countries in Asia today.

It has been argued by some that one factor that may have contributed to our relative decline was and is the phenomena of linguistic nationalism that ultimately led to the shift to Bahasa Malaysia, perhaps at the cost of English.

Though this shift did not necessarily erode the standard of teaching and knowledge production in our institutions of knowledge, it did mean that fewer and fewer academics and students outside Malaysia were able to access, and appreciate, whatever developments and discoveries were being made in our universities.

The pressing question at the moment is this: how can we raise the profile of Malaysia's universities in as quick a period as possible, without compromising standards of teaching, knowledge production and academic integrity?

There are no simple answers to the question here, for the matter at hand extends beyond mere epistemic concerns and spill over into the domain of the political as well.

Yet political decisions can be made if there is enough political will and mettle to address the realities of the day. The linguistic-nationalists among us may balk at the idea that English is the dominant language in global academic circles at the moment, but that is the reality one has to swallow.

If they are dismayed by the sad realities of the age we live in, they might find comfort among French, German, Japanese and other academics who likewise have come to accept the fact that the world does not speak those languages.

Pragmatism has to be the order of the day here, and I have witnessed first-hand how practical steps can be taken to resolve the question of how to raise the profile of a country's education sector.

During my last years as an academic in Germany, I noted that even Germany's hallowed halls of learning have come to accept the necessity of making room for English: Berlin's Graduate School project was aimed at luring non-German students to pursue their higher studies in the country and it was a school where the mode of instruction was in English.

Prior to that, the biggest problem faced by foreign students in Germany (where education costs are surprisingly reasonable, even relatively cheap by comparison) was the need to take a two or three-year course in academic German.

Then we have the Indonesian model next door to consider as well. Indonesia happens to have a large, lively and, I would argue, exceptionally well-appointed higher education sector.

Its universities are among the most diverse and progressive I have ever taught and researched in, but again the major drawback is that almost all of the courses offered are in Bahasa Indonesia -- which is a negative push factor if you happen to be a prospective student from India, China or elsewhere.

Of late, however, efforts have been made to improve the standard of English in universities. The Indonesian government has earmarked a number of university journals -- ranked as the best in the country -- for special consideration and has made it necessary for them to publish in English. (I know this to be true as I happen to sit on one of the editorial boards.)

Compelling Indonesian scholars to write and publish in English also means that the journals would have editorial boards made up of foreign academics, raising the standard of peer review and thus raising its standing among other journals as well.

Thus, after decades of linguistic nationalism, Indonesia's universities are now slowly but surely making their entry into the arena of international academia, which is highly competitive.

Interlok membara di Aswara

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 10:35 AM PDT

Kontroversi novel Interlok: Edisi Murid yang hangat mulai Disember 2010 nampaknya dihangatkan kembali. Bagaimanapun, pada kali ini, diberikan "twist" atau fakta dimanipulasi sesuka hati untuk menyampaikan gambaran yang tidak betul kepada khalayak.

Uthaya Sankar SB, MMO

Perkara ini berlaku semasa Seminar Sastera Pelbagai Kaum di Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan (Aswara) pada 24 September 2013.

Seminar dijadikan tempat untuk menegakkan benang yang basah.

Pada mulanya, saya memilih untuk tidak mengulas mengenai perkara itu kerana tidak mahu "luka lama berdarah kembali".

Akan tetapi, memandangkan isu sebenar dimanipulasi dan disajikan dalam versi "tidak benar" – sepertimana filem Tanda Putera (2013) – maka saya merasakan amat perlu untuk membetulkan fakta.

Dr Lim Swee Tin yang menyampaikan ucaptama pada seminar bertema "sastera kebangsaan pemangkin perpaduan kaum" menyebut mengenai novel Interlok – tanpa menyatakan sama ada beliau merujuk pada versi asal (1971-2008), versi pelajar (2005) atau versi murid (2010).

"Novel Interlok karya Sasterawan Negara Datuk Abdullah Hussain (Pak Lah) … novel yang mengambil kaedah realisme ini membuatkan orang kadang-kadang keliru bahawa ia sebuah teks sejarah.

"Mengapakah karya sebaik Interlok yang telah ditolak keluar dari pagar sekolah tidak berani pula dibawa ke universiti-universiti dalam kalangan mereka yang boleh berfikir dengan matang dan dewasa?"

Demikian kata-kata Dr Lim yang sudah dicalonkan oleh wakil Kumpulan Sasterawan Kavyan (Kavyan) sejak 2010 bagi Anugerah Sastera Negara yang membawakan gelaran Sasterawan Negara.

"Berpolitikkah Dr Lim?" Demikian pertanyaan seorang rakan yang hadir sama ke seminar di Dewan Orkestra Aswara.

"Eh, tidaklah! Saya setuju Interlok: Edisi Asal masuk IPTA. Wajar. Saya sokong," saya menjawab menerusi SMS sementara Dr Lim masih menyampaikan ucaptama dengan penuh bersemangat.

Tentulah saya kurang bersetuju dengan kata-kata "ditolak keluar dari pagar sekolah" yang digunakan oleh Dr Lim tetapi saya setuju dengan persoalan "tidak berani pula dibawa ke universiti-universiti".

Menyalak tanpa tahu fakta

Dalam kertas kerjanya yang lebih lengkap, Dr Lim berhujah: "Jika kabinet memutuskan ia (Interlok) perlu dikeluarkan dari sekolah, ia masih boleh digunakan di IPG-IPG, kolej dan universiti."

Sewajarnyalah begitu! Dalam isu novel Interlok: Edisi Murid (2010), Kavyan sejak awal sudah menegaskan bahawa edisi asal yang terbit pada 1971 dan diulang cetak beberapa kali – terakhir pada 2008 – perlu dikekalkan dalam versi asal.

Maknanya, tidak disunting, dicantas, dibuang dan "diperelokkan" bahagian-bahagian melibatkan watak-watak kaum tertentu sementara gambaran buruk melibatkan kaum lain dibiarkan; atau dijadikan lebih buruk!

Saya menulis puluhan makalah berkaitan kontroversi novel Interlok: Edisi Murid sejak Januari 2011 dan boleh dibaca di blog saya.

Sayangnya, puak yang bising dan menyalak ternyata adalah puak yang tidak (tahu) membaca.

Malah, realiti yang melucukan dan amat menyedihkan adalah bahawa puak-puak yang kononnya mempertahankan novel Interlok adalah puak yang tidak tahu perbezaan antara Interlok edisi asal, edisi pelajar dan edisi murid.

Sehari selepas seminar di Aswara, seorang kenalan berkongsi di Twitter bahawa "Dr Lim Swee Tin terkilan dengan drama yang dilalui Interlok. Uthaya sendiri mengakui, Interlok wajar dibaca di IPTA."

Memandangkan hanya judul "Interlok" digunakan tanpa menjelaskan versi mana yang dimaksudkan, saya membalas dengan penjelasan berikut:

"Harap maklum: Interlok Edisi Asal; bukan edisi yang disunting/dibuang sebahagian (oleh editor di DBP). Bukan juga edisi yang dibuang 20 halaman seperti dicadangkan Dr Lim."

Untuk rekod, individu yang mula-mula sekali mengadu kepada saya betapa novel Interlok: Edisi Murid "tidak layak" dijadikan teks Komponen Sastera Dalam Mata Pelajaran Bahasa Malaysia (Komsas) ialah Raja Rajeswari Seetha Raman (20 Disember 2010).

Pada Seminar Sastera Pelbagai Kaum (7 September 2012), penulis Bukan Melayu itu diangkat sebagai "satu-satunya penulis yang mewakili masyarakatnya" serta disarankan "masuklah Islam cepat-cepat dengan suami" berikutan kehebatannya menulis "sajak-sajak bertema Melayu dan Islam".

Buang 20 muka sebab novel tebal

Dr Lim yang pernah digelarkan oleh Salbiah Ani sebagai "musang berbulu ayam" (Berita Harian, 3 Mac 2011) pula merupakan individu yang pernah mengemukakan cadangan supaya "penyuntingan berhemah" dilakukan ke atas novel Interlok: Edisi Murid dengan alasan novel itu "terlalu panjang" untuk dijadikan teks Komsas.

"Penyuntingan yang dilakukan adalah amat minimum kerana ia hanya melibatkan pembuangan 20 halaman. … Novel Interlok: Edisi Murid didapati terlalu panjang, iaitu sebanyak 426 halaman," katanya dalam suatu cadangan rasmi (bertulis) yang dikemukakan pada Februari 2011.

Berbalik kepada paparan menerusi Twitter pula, seorang wartawan sebuah akhbar arus perdana mengemukakan pertanyaan: "Yang edisi pelajar pun nak kena ubah/buang 100 perkara. Kalau edisi asal, berapa ratus perubahan pula?"

Ya, memang susah melayan "orang bodoh yang menyangka dirinya pandai".

Puak jahil seperti inilah yang sering menggunakan kehebatan serta kelebihan kebodohan mereka untuk mengelirukan orang ramai.

Pada Januari 2011, Gabungan Persatuan Penulis Nasional Malaysia (Gapena) pernah membuat resolusi bahawa walau sepatah perkataan pun tidak mereka izinkan disunting dalam novel Interlok.

Pertanyaan logik yang saya dan Kavyan kemukakan adalah "tidak boleh membuang walau sepatah perkataan dalam Interlok edisi asal atau edisi murid?"

Kami berani bertanya kerana hanya golongan yang memahami isu sebenar serta sudah membaca ketiga-tiga versi (edisi asal, edisi pelajar dan edisi murid) tahu hal sebenar.

Semasa kontroversi Interlok: Edisi Murid sedang hangat pada 2011, beberapa pensyarah tampil mengatakan bahawa pelajar-pelajar sarjana di universiti pernah mengkaji novel berkenaan.

Ya, Mak Cik dan Pak Cik! Perkara itulah juga yang ditegaskan berkali-kali oleh saya dan Kavyan. Jadikan Interlok: Edisi Asal sebagai teks kajian sastera, sosio-budaya, politik, etnik dan sebagainya pada peringkat sarjana muda, sarjana dan kedoktoran di universiti.

Pada masa yang sama, tolong jangan memalukan pangkat "pensyarah" dengan tidak tahu membezakan antara edisi asal, edisi pelajar dan edisi murid. Bolehkah, Mak Cik dan Pak Cik?

Semasa Seminar Sastera Pelbagai Kaum di Aswara, Dr Ding Choo Ming yang berkali-kali mengaku dirinya hanya pakar kajian teks tradisional, turut tidak melepaskan peluang memperkatakan mengenai novel Interlok. Tentunya tanpa menyebut edisi mana yang dimaksudkan!

Dalam kertas kerjanya, Dr Ding memetik pandangan Neil Khor dan Mohd Khaldun Malek yang disiarkan dalam jurnal Malay Literature: Interlok Special Issue (Vol. 24, 2011):

"… if there are some passages in Interlok that some segments of Malaysian society finds offensive, the answer is not the wholesale rejection of the novel or the censoring of the so-called 'offensive' passages, but an intelligent conversation or critical appraisal of the novel. There is nothing wrong for teachers or students to disagree with the writer."

Jangan buka cerita sekerat sahaja

Semasa membentangkan kertas kerjanya, Dr Ding – yang suka membuat lawak "bodoh" untuk mengundang tawa berpanjangan daripada hadirin – menekankan frasa "jangan ditolak, jangan disunting" untuk mempertahankan novel Interlok dijadikan teks Komsas.

Hujah-hujah yang dikemukakannya sangat tidak relevan kerana tokoh sastera tradisional itu ternyata tidak sedar bahawa novel Interlok: Edisi Murid (2010) sudah pun disunting daripada Interlok: Edisi Pelajar (2005) dan sangat berbeza dengan edisi asal (1971-2008).

Lebih melucukan dan memalukan apabila Dr Ding memetik hujah Neil dan Khaldun dari halaman 194 jurnal Malay Literature.

Malangnya beliau gagal membaca fakta yang dipaparkan oleh mereke berdua di halaman 191 pada makalah dan jurnal yang sama:

"To fit into the reading capacity of Malaysian high school students, the novel had to be 'edited' to a suitable length. … these editors also decided to expunge what they considered the more controversial bits out."

Gambaran yang masih cuba diberikan puak tertentu – dan ternyata disokong secara membuta-tuli oleh Dr Lim dan Dr Ding – adalah seolah-olah kaum India, Kavyan dan saya yang mendesak novel Interlok disunting.

Mereka "menyembunyikan" fakta sebenar. Atau mereka tidak tahu fakta sebenar.

Saya tidak pasti sampai bilakah manipulasi fakta akan dilakukan untuk memberikan gambaran seolah-olah "kaum tertentu" yang bersalah dalam peristiwa novel Interlok: Edisi Murid disunting.

Kepada Dr Lim, Dr Ding dan pakar-pakar lain, usah dilupakan bahawa arahan yang disampaikan kepada Panel Bebas Mengkaji Pindaan Novel Interlok (Februari 2011) adalah supaya "buatlah seberapa banyak suntingan yang perlu, asalkan novel ini kekal sebagai teks Komsas".

Usah lupa bahawa Kavyan yang mendesak secara berterusan supaya nama Pak Lah dicetak pada kulit novel Interlok: Edisi Murid – lihat edisi kulit biru (2011). Kavyan juga yang memperjuangkan supaya hak cipta (copyright) novel Interlok: Edisi Murid tetap dipegang oleh Pak Lah.

Usah pula lupa bahawa pada Januari 2011, Pak Lah sudah memberikan izin agar perkataan sensitif dalam novel Interlok: Edisi Murid dibuang; tetapi pihak tertentu mendesak izin itu ditarik balik "demi mempertahankan maruah pengarang Melayu".

Kepada Mak Cik dan Pak Cik yang budiman, kalau mahu membuka kembali kisah kontroversi novel Interlok, sila buka sepenuhnya. Bukan dibuka sekerat-sekerat. Buruk padahnya!

* Uthaya Sankar SB pernah dilantik oleh Menteri Pelajaran menganggotai Panel Bebas Mengkaji Pindaan Novel Interlok.

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

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PM Saves the World
Mind Your ‘Transformation’, Please!
Making Corruption History – Cakap Kosong Je, ‘Jib!
EC must call for GE13 re-election
Malay History, Inferiority, and a Theory of Jealousy?

PM Saves the World

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 10:46 AM PDT

The Malaysian Prime Minister on the weekend called for an end to international violence and conflict. Speaking at the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) he addressed a captivated audience of foreign dignitaries.

"What we all need to start doing," he explained solemnly, "is to try being nice to one another for a change. You know, just try overcoming our differences and getting along."

The PM's wise words spread through the room and across the troubled earth like a healing balm. This message from a man on an unnecessary foreign junket, was the exact one the whole world needed to hear.

"Allahu Akbah! The Malaysian Prime Minister is correct. Extremism isn't the answer!" said terrorists plotting in their caves and spontaneously disbanding.

"We must change our ways." said the Jews controlling the money supply via the US Federal Reserve, "we must give Palestine their own sovereign state immediately and stop running the world by proxy!"

"He is truly visionary" said the world's corrupt dictators and despots before stepping down, returning stolen assets to the people and calling fair elections.

"Malaysia has lead the way!" said Russia, China and the US, disarming their nuclear weapons and agreeing to a harmonious future.

"He is a bold man the Malaysian PM," a UN delegate told FMN, "I heard he tweeted in front of the Facebook CEO, then updated his Facebook status with the Twitter CEO. Now that takes cajones! It's a shame we don't have more technology savvy, astute leaders like him!"

Mind Your ‘Transformation’, Please!

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 10:27 AM PDT

"Transformational" is getting to be a hollow word. And the Cabinet ministers who brandish it at will don't seem to understand its meaning. Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi just showed he doesn't when he said the bringing back of detention without trial in the newly proposed Prevention of Crime (Amendment and Extension) Bill was "transformational". Was he using it simply to be in fashionable sync with the Government Transformation Programme?

Is something retrogressive transformational? Is a return to the provisions of the repealed draconian Emergency Ordinance (EO) and Internal Security Act (ISA) transformational? If it is so, then Malaysians are in for a big surprise. And a nasty one too.

Both acts were considered reprehensible to the public, and therefore the Government was forced to remove them. But that was before the 13th general election was called. Now that it's over, the Government apparently sees no more need in appeasing the public. Pre-election pledges have gone out the window.

A government that is transformational would not hark back to the dark days of Mahathir Mohamad's reign, when fear was the instrument used to keep people in line. It should instead be demolishing Mahathirism and restoring the damage done to our institutions. No wonder Mahathir is applauding the Bill and blaming the public for "not (being) that developed or educated to appreciate that the law is for their own good". But then, that's Mahathir. Always blaming other people. And always asserting that might is right.

The new Bill proposes detaining a suspect for an initial two years, after which period if a review finds that the suspect should be detained further, he will be held for a further two years. This could go on indefinitely in a series of two-year periods. In this sense, it is no different from the EO and the ISA.

The difference is that the detention order will now be decided by a three-member Crime Prevention Board headed by a judge. It will no longer be the decision of the home minister. The board's members will be appointed by the King – of course, at the recommendation of the prime minister.

The unjust part about it is that the suspect will not be allowed legal representation during the inquiry to decide whether he should be detained. And if the board decides to detain the suspect, he will not be provided the grounds for the detention.

Worse, the newly proposed Section 7C(a)(i) provides that one of the things the board shall consider when deciding on detention is that the suspect has previously committed two or more serious offences. It, however, would not matter if the suspect had been convicted of those offences or not. This gives immense power to the officers handling the inquiry, and subjects the suspect to their mercy.

If you consider that even criminals are human beings and should have rights, you would think twice about condemning them to such a bleak situation, especially when they are not even allowed to have a lawyer to represent them.

But Zahid assures us that despite all this, the Bill provides for a judicial review, i.e. if the suspect feels he has been wrongly detained, his lawyers "are given a chance to bring their case to court for a review".

This sounds good on paper, but in real-case situations, it would still disadvantage the suspect. First, the act of detention without trial takes away his right to being considered innocent till proven guilty. Second, if he were truly innocent and got hauled in by mistake, he would still have to spend time in detention while his case was being brought to the High Court. Nobody relishes such an ordeal.

Third, and perhaps most important, if the suspect is not provided the grounds for his detention, and the board is granted the option to decline providing any information to the court because it would be against the public interest to do so, how will the review be made?

Making Corruption History – Cakap Kosong Je, ‘Jib!

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 10:21 AM PDT

In San Francisco recently, Prime Minister Najib confidently declared "to make corruption part of Malaysia's past, not its future." The man's delusion never ceases to amaze me. The reality is of course far different; corruption defines the Najib Administration.

Nonetheless if Najib is serious, then he should heed Tengku Razaleigh's call for Najib to declare his assets. Otherwise it would be, to put it bluntly in the vernacular, "Cakap kosong je 'Jib!" (Empty talk only!)

Tengku Razaleigh's suggestion, if implemented, would do far more good than all of Najib's lofty declarations of "changing organizational as well as business cultures" or creating "a new governance and integrity minister" and "elevating the anti-corruption agency." Malaysians have heard all those ad nauseum, not only from Najib but also his predecessors.

If after doing what Tengku Razaleigh had suggested Najib still aspires higher, he could begin by getting rid of those tainted individuals in his administration. Then if he is really committed to clean and effective governance, he should select only those with unquestioned integrity and solid accomplishments to be his new ministers and advisors.

As Najib is slow to grasp concepts, let me elaborate on those three simple suggestions.

Consider asset declaration. Najib does not need yet another highly-paid consultant advising him how to do it. There are plenty of effective models out there, including one recommended by the OECD. The simplest is the one used by American officials including the president, cabinet secretaries, and Supreme Court judges. It covers their spouses and all dependent children.

Here is President Obama's, available publicly at: docstoc.com/docs/156786412/Obama-Financial-Disclosure. The simple eight-page report lists his assets and income, transactions during the year, gifts received (he had none), liabilities (his home mortgage), and contracts he is a party to (his old faculty appointment).

Simple yet effective! As the declaration is filed annually, citizens could tract any sudden ballooning of assets, income, or extra-generous gifts that could prompt further enquiry, as well as monitor contracts and activities that could pose as potential conflict of interest.

Obama and his senior officials go further; they release their full income tax returns annually.

If Najib were to do likewise, rumors of his wife buying million-ringgit rings and getting extravagant gifts would not have arisen, indeed they were baseless.

If Najib's ministers were also to declare their assets, then we would not have the silly specter of a cabinet minister feigning ignorance of her husband's quarter-billion ringgit government-funded business, as Shahrizat tried to do recently. The pathetic part was that she truly believed that the public would buy her swiftly-concocted story.

Beyond publicly declaring his assets, if Najib aspires for a clean administration, then he should remove those tainted individuals in his administration. Since Najib is blind to reality, I will help him identify such proven shady characters.

EC must call for GE13 re-election

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 10:05 AM PDT

Which is more important and critical in a democratic nation, a General Election or a political party election? From what we observed in this nation, political party like Umno and its component BN parties have been postponing their party elections due to an impending GE13 hovering between last quarter of 2011 to 2013. This indicates that General Election is more important and critical that over rides any matters in a political party.

The overwhelming perception is that the laws of this nation can be manipulated, misrepresented and realigned to suit those in power. As they are only perceptions we will not take them as face value and assume that no one is above the law and those in power are acting accordingly and abide by the law.

"RoS acted on the complaints of several disgruntled members who claimed the December election was not properly conducted after the party announced that a tabulation glitch had resulted in the wrong candidate being elected to the CEC." reported by The Malaysian Insider

Accordingly, RoS must have investigated the matter and came to the conclusion that DAP must hold a re-election. Their conclusion is not transparent without providing what exactly DAP has done wrong to insist that they hold a re-election but just base on complaints from a handful of members and an unverified anonymous handbook.

Malay History, Inferiority, and a Theory of Jealousy?

Posted: 28 Sep 2013 11:46 PM PDT

Interesting proposition although I did giggle silently uncontrollably reading it.

Seriously i thought this is coming from a new paradigm of looking history form a school of thought that will certainly or at least challenge or replace Braudel's The Annals Schools, Structural Functionalists, Social-Darwinists, Marxists, and even post-structuralism of Foucault proposing power/knowledge matrix ...

Get serious Malaysian historian who made that claim. there is no point joking about interpretive modes in historicizing and making the next generation believe that the traditional rulers had no part at all in this "colonial-jealousy" theory.

Let us get serious about your perspective on the nature of colonialism and imperialism and the interplay between technological dominance, cultural change, control over resources, and human motivation in history. better still, read the classic texts on the philosophy of history and the relationship between colonization and class structure within the colonies.

What Malaysians need is not more and more watering down and trivialization of themes in the study of history but on understanding of the conditions within the kingdom, principality, country, etc. that made it ripe for colonization and on the entire deep-analytical inquiry of the innerworking of feudalism and the nature of the "kerajaan' (traditional statehood) and the different concepts of power (homogenous, heterogenous, carnivalesque, etc.) that made kingdoms rise and fall, and later the nature of globalization both in ancient and modern times that necessitate the advancement of merchatilism, colonization, imperialism, and lastly modern-day globalization. That's what we need as a way to look at history from alternative perspectives.

I don't know what is ailing the scholarly field of study of history in Malaysia these days --- from the claims of a special Malay gene, Tanda Putera, forced and awkward construction of Bumiputraism and even Malayness, and now a paradigm of "Jealousy in History". This sounds like a romance of the three Malay Kingdoms, of Srivijaya-Kelana Jaya-Putrajaya; of a love triangle set in Taman Johor Jaya.

But seriously folks and historians, get serious. Respect the bodies in the field of knowledge by first mastering the basics and the classics and when you get to the frontier of these, by asking more and more questions, so that you may try to break paradigms with intellectual rigour, grace, and dignity --- as how others like Ibnu Khaldun. EH Carr, Marx, Braudel, or even Howard Zinn have done Do this rather than use Dr. Phil's talk show to construct a theory of jealousy in the march of history. Honesty in historicizing requires one to firs juggle as many viewpoints of an idea or a field as it by "standing on the shoulders of giants", and not by some fear and favour coming from the paradigm of political paymasters.

I don't know. Never a dull moment in Malaysian academia and politics these days.

But how do we approach this argument on the "South Invasion" that led to the "inferiority of the Malays", as claimed? In other words, how do we "historicize Malaysia"? Below might be a plausibe narrative most often let abandoned in the Malaysian academia.

Malaysia's history is written by those who are paid by the feudal lords or the sultans and the bourgeoisie class who have become an appendage to the modern neo-feudalistic Malay state.

Malaysian history, a basis of the violently disseminated idea of Ketuanan Melayu, as an apology to the idea of economic dominance of the Malay-dominated National Front, favours the powerful and the wealthy as heroes of history.

READ MORE HERE

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

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Jawatan Presiden PKR: Azmin mula ‘kempen’

Posted: 29 Sep 2013 04:33 PM PDT

Menurut sumber dalaman parti, sebuah kumpulan yang menyokong Azmin Ali menjadi Presiden PKR telah memulakan program yang dikenali 'Bertemu Pemimpin Akar Umbi' bermula di Perak minggu lepas.

Perak mempunyai paling banyak cabang dengan jumlah 24 cabang yang mempunyai ahli antara kira 70, 000 hingga 80, 000 orang.

Turut kelihatan dalam program jelajah Perak itu ialah Dr. Xavier Jayakumar , Adun Seri Andalas, (dijangka bertanding jawatan Naib Presiden), Amiruddin Shaari, Adun Batu Caves (jawatan Ketua AMK), Suhaimi Shafiei, Adun Sri Muda (ahli MPP), Hee Loy Sian MP Petaling Jaya Selatan (MPP) dan Khalid Jaafar (MPP) serta beberapa pemimpin pusat dan negeri.

Pemimpin-pemimpin cabang di Perak dari Bagan Datoh, Lumut, Parit, Pasir Salak, Beruas, Batu Gajah, Gopeng, Kampar telah kelihatan dalam program tersebut.

Beberapa program yang sama juga sedang diatur ke beberapa buah negeri lain menjelang pemilihan parti yang dijangka akan diadakan pada bulan April atau Mei tahun hadapan.

Sebelum ini Azmin telah bergerak dengan mengadakan beberapa program wacana 'Laksana Satu Nyawa' dalam usaha mendekati golongan muda dalam parti dan sayap AMK di Lembah Klang.

Pemilihan kali bakal menyaksikan Azmin mencabar Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail bagi jawatan Presiden PKR sekiranya Wan Azizah mengambil keputusan untuk tidak melepaskan jawatan yang disandangnya sejak 14 tahun yang lalu.

Ada desas desus mengatakan bahawa Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Ketua Umum sendiri akan menawar diri bagi jawatan Presiden bagi menghalang Azmin mencabar jawatan tersebut.

READ MORE HERE

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Isnin, 30 September 2013

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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