Samy sacks MIC sec-gen Murugessan

Besieged MIC president S Samy Vellu has dismissed S Murugessan as the party's secretary-general.

The post will be filled by Negeri Sembilan party chief T Rajagopalu.

This comes a mere two days after Murugessan (right) expressed dissatisfaction with the unilateral expulsion of four other party leaders by Samy Vellu.

Before him, Samy Vellu had sacked MIC central working committee (CWC) members KP Samy and G Kumar Amaan, MIC Youth deputy chief V Mugilan and Petaling Jaya division veteran V Subramaniam.

All four were sacked by Samy Vellu without a disciplinary hearing

In place of Rajagopalu's place as Negeri Sembilan MIC chief, Samy has appointed Jeram Padang state assemblyperson V Mogan, while one A Ganesan is Mogan's deputy.

In an immediate reaction, Murugessan conveys his gratitude to Samy Vellu for allowing him to run for the Subang parliamentary seat in March 2008 under the MIC and appointing him as MIC secretary-general.

"It's the prerogative of the (party) president to appoint or dismiss the secretary-general. I wish to thank the President for giving me the opportunity to contest in Subang and to serve as Secretary General of the party," said Murugessan.

"I stood up for what I believed in and I was ready to face the consequences," he said in a mobile text message to Malaysiakini.

"I congratulte Datuk T Rajugopalu on the apppointment and wish him all the best. Thank you."

Live discussion – GAS or hot air?

By Anil Netto,

The Gerakan Anti Samy protest is due to start at 3.00pm at the Mines Resort, after a one hour delay. We discuss whether it really makes a difference whether Samy Vellu stays or not.

GAS gets off to slow start, but crowd begins to swell

FMT ALERT Seri Kembangan: The Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu (GAS) campaign was launched today, but the crowd at this juncture has failed to meet the organiser's expectations.
Initially, there were between 1,500 and 2,000 people at the Malaysia International Exhibition & Convention Centre (MIECC) here but those at scene now place the figure near 3,000.

Previously, the organisers were expecting some 15,000 or more to turn up to vent their frustration towards the MIC president.

Earlier, sacked MIC Central Working Committee (CWC) member KP Samy apologised for the low turnout, saying that supporters may have not received information on the new venue.

The rally was supposed to be held at the Putra World Trade Centre, but this was cancelled at the eleventh hour.
In a hard hitting speech, MIC veteran V Govindaraju said the time has come for his "protege" to quit the party.
"MIC has gone down the drain because of one fool," he added.

LIVE Anti-Samy GAS rally - Malaysiakini

Thousands of people have started to gather inside the Mines International Exhibition and Convention Centre for the much-anticipated Gerakan Anti-Samy (GAS) rally against MIC president S Samy Vellu. 

5.38pm: Mugilan alleges further that the Indian community no longer supports Samy Vellu and have turned towards the opposition.

He says that GAS will organise for a nation-wide petition to collect 500,000 signatures calling for Samy to resign, since he has become a liability to MIC.

"Who is bigger? The leaders or the people?” he asks, to which crowd responds by shouting “Rakyat!”

Speaking to the media afterwards, Mugilan says he is giving one week to Samy to think thoroughly about whether to step down or not.

He also said he hopes the government considers giving a senior position to Samy Vellu should the MIC chief gives up his position.

5.00pm: Mugilan declares the GAS rally a success after a strong crowd turn out, as it has indicated the extent of the calls for Samy to step down.

He says despite the dirty tactics used by "pihak tertentu" (certain quarters) to stop people from attending the rally, GAS has still managed to make the rally a success.

"GAS has succeeded with this turnout. Although many have been held up, there are still a lot of people who managed to attend.

“This programme has succeeded in pressing Samy to step down.”

4.57pm: Mugilan reveals that RM5 million had been spent to stop people from attending the GAS rally. Buses transporting GAS supporters from Penang, Pahang and other places were stopped. At least one GAS leader has been 'kidnapped' or gone missing, Mugilan alleges further.

Mugilan said that MIC is the only party in the world with two party elections, with the presidential elections due in March and the elections for other posts in June.

Samy, Mugilan says further, will concentrate to win the presidential election and then use his power to remove those he doesn't like before the second party elections are held in order to keep his grip on the party.

4.35pm: Sacked CWC member G Kumar leads the 4,500-strong crowd to chant "Samy step down!" three times. "Samy Vellu Ohika (finished)," declares Kumar.


In his speech, Kumar says a lot of Indian groups have of expected Samy to step down, but he has refused to heed their expectations.


“V Mugilan was determined to bring the changes to the party, and he was sacked by Samy."

4.47pm: The crowd has increased to 4,500 as sacked CWC member KP Samy, addressing the audience, alleges Samy Vellu to be the cause of the downfall and economic depravation of Indians.


He also says that the MIC president is the “liar of the century,” and brings out two documents as proof.


The first is an internal MIC report which KP Samy says shows that the MIC only has 400,000 members as opposed to the 600,000 that Samy has claimed to be MIC's membership.


The second document, KP Samy adds, will be released tomorrow and allegedly proves that Samy Vellu was responsible for forcing former MIC president VT Sambanthan to step down.


He calls on the government to stop 'protecting' Samy Vellu, or it will risk losing Indian support.

KP Samy also says he wants the government to reveal all the government-linked company appointments that Samy Vellu had arranged for his cronies.

3.48pm: To the delight of the crowd, a GAS supporter hits a poster of Samy with a shoe fixed to the end of a broom stick to the delight of the crowd.

The emotional man had to be calmed down and asked to sit down.

3.45pm: Former Petaling Jaya division veteran V Subramaniam, more popularly known by the name Baratmaniam, speaks to the audience, blasting Samy for the loss of RM9 million shares of RM10 Telekom shares that were meant for the Indian community in 1990.

He also raises the scandal surrounding MIC's educational arm Maju Institute for Education Development (MIED), and alleges to have a document signed by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad guaranteeing MIED is body meant for the Indian community and not any one person.

"Samy is power crazy. Chase him out! The Indian community must unite to improve things," says Baratmaniam.

3.33pm: Crowd size has increased to about 4,000.

3.18pm: Govindarajoo apologises to the Indian community for bringing Samy Vellu into politics. He also claims to have evidence of how Samy betray the community.

3.07pm: MIC veteran V Govindarajoo gives the rally's opening speech

3,00pm: The crowd size is now about 3,500. Rally officially starts with the singing of Negaraku and the MIC party song. Many in the crowd do not know the song, suggesting they are not MIC members.

2.50pm: Leaders now present include the sacked CWC members ex-MIC Youth leader V Mugilan and G Kumar, and party veteran V Govindaraju.

Govindaraju (left, centre) is said to have once been a strong Samy ally and who had helped Samy win his 1st contest for MIC president.


2.40pm: The crowd size has built up to 1,500.


2.17pm: Former MIC central working committee member KP Samy arrives and tells the roughly 1,000 people who have arrived to take their seats.

This despite a mere minutes before the event had been scheduled to start with a targeted 10,000 people.


The event will start at 2.45pm, says the Klang-based politician, who apologises for the as yet low turnout. Many supporters may not have gotten the latest directions to the new venue of the rally after the original venue - the Putra World Trade Centre - had to be changed, says Samy.

Is Najib backing off from support for NEM to become an even bigger Flip-Flop PM than Abdullah?

The meek and timid response of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to the ferocious and incendiary rejection of the New Economic Model by the Perkasa-led Malay Consultative Council raises the question whether Najib is backing off from the NEM to become an even bigger Flip-Flop PM than his predecessor Tun Abdullah.

Najib’s statement that the NEM is not the Government’s “final stand” but merely the “trial balloons” of a group of experts making suggestions from the global market’s perspective is a greater commentary on Najib’s leadership qualities than on the NEM proposals.

The NEM was launched by Najib two months ago with great fanfare as a defining moment in the nation’s development path, to take the quantum leap from the nation’s decade-long economic stagnation and escape from the two-decade middle-income trap to become a developed high-income country – but it appears that it may end up more as a defining moment in the grave failings of the year-old Najib premiership.

Right from the very beginning, the NEM courageouslty admitted that Vision 2020 is not possible without economic, social and government transformation – and the NEM was presented as one of the four key pillars to unleash Malaysia’s growth potential, drive change, propel Malaysia to become a high income advanced nation with inclusiveness and sustainability and achieve Vision 2020.

NEM warned that almost all economies of East Asia are poised to achieve high economic growth in this decade but Malaysia runs the imminent risk of a downward spiral and faces the painful possibility of stagnation.

It admitted that the implementation of the NEP, which “has reduced poverty and substantially addressed inter-ethnic economic imbalances”, has engendered rent-seeking, patronage, opague government procurement and “pervasive corruption”.

It warned: “We are not developing talent and what we have is leaving.The human capital situation in Malaysia is reaching a critical stage.”

The NEM delivered the dire warning: “We must act now before our position deteriorates any further”.

But the biggest challenge for the NEM is whether there are “political will and leadership to break the log-jam of resistance by vested interest groups and preparing the rakyat to support deep-seated changes in policy directions”.

Will Najib fail in the first NEM test of political will and leadership as predicted by the NEM itself?

Top students not qualified

Congress slams NEM's neglect of Malays - Malaysiakini

The one-day Bumiputera Economic Congress became the arena for NEM-bashing as experts slammed the New Economic Model for sidelining of Malay interests.

The congress is organised by the Malay Consultative Council, which include Malay NGOs such as the controversial Perkasa.

National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC) secretary Normah Mansur started the ball rolling when she conceded the lack of bumiputera or Malay-specific policies in the proposed economic model soon to be finalised by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Delivering the keynote address, Normah (left) said that NEAC wanted to hear from the congress about the need for a Malay and bumiputera agenda as it has not formulated any in the NEM.

She also stressed that the proposed NEM is not a government document but only a proposal from the economic advisory body, which effectively opened the floodgates of criticisms as panel speakers, one after another, let loose their disagreements.

Academician Kamaruddin Kachar, who chaired the panel, told the panel speakers not to be shy to tear down the NEM because the congress was about defending the “natural rights of the Malays”.

"This is our country, pioneered by our ancestors 2,000 years ago, and defended with their blood in countless battles against invaders. Why should we be afraid? The sultans are our protectors. The Royal Malay Regiment is for the Malays.

"Should we be afraid of Samy Vellu's son? Don't let Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh belittle us. The Malays are not weak," he said.

'Special rights ignored'

To the applause and cheers of the crowd, the four-member discussion panel comprising senator Akbar Ali, former Economic Planning Unit director Hanipah Esa, economic scholar Rajini Ramlan and history professor Ramlah Adam, picked apart the policy which they argued neglected to consider the special rights of the Malays and bumiputera.

Akbar's (left) grouses were more on the technical facets questioning what he said are the flawed basis of the NEM.

In particular, he criticised the economic policy's over-dependence on the free market approach and the use of the single indicator of the gross domestic income, instead of a basket of indicators like household income and human development which he says would be more reflective.

He also mounted a vehement defence of the New Economic Policy and former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whom he said is being disparaged by the apparent attack on the economic policy which the former Umno chief had presided over.

"The attack on NEP is actually an attack on Mahathir. He was the one who implemented it for near 20 years. These people are from the World Bank. The World Bank has always had a beef with Mahathir," he said.

Hanipah recounted the still-fragile state of the Malays, in particular those who still need to be given protection from the other races, who are more well-versed and able in business and economic fields.

"Without clear mechanisms and action plans, the hope (to strengthen the bumiputera) will not see fruition," she opined.

Rajini said that while the NEM may help Malaysia prosper, it will incapacitate the Malays economically.

"I am positive that the NEM is a long-term plan that will develop the economy, but I am pessimist about its ability to uplift the Malays."

'Prosperous Malaysia won't uplift Malays'

Meanwhile, Ramlah took a more historic route, slamming the proposed economic model as breaking the promises made in the agreements signed before Merdeka.

"This is an attempt to destabilise the Malay economic and political establishment," she added, speaking of what she claimed are attempts to question the special economic rights guaranteed to the Malays.

She said that the special rights of the Malays is guaranteed in return for granting citizenship to the non-Malays.

The one-day congress is the culmination of a series of workshops, talks, roundtable discussions and seminars by the Malay Consultative Council to scrutinise the NEM.

A memorandum will be submitted to Najib once the congress concludes later tonight. Najib is expected to close the event later tonigh.

The memorandum will contain resolutions and recommendations passed by the congress to be included in the NEM.

Among notables at the congress were Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali, Dewan Negara president and Malay Consultative Council co-founder Abu Zahar Ujang alongside academicians, NGO representatives and veteran Malays.

Conspicuously absent however were bumiputera representatives from government-linked companies and the corporate world.

BN partners are brothers! DPM: We practice power sharing. But PR refuse to share power with HRP, rather rule using Indian mandores.

BN partners are brothers! DPM: We practice power sharing. But PR refuse to share power with HRP, rather rule using Indian mandores. 

Hulu Selangor was the latest evidence of this power sharing. Come what may and even at the risk of losing when PKR put up a strong Malay candidate UMNO stood their ground, fielded an Indian candidate, took over the election machinery, and made sure he won.
But PKR, DAP and PAS would never share power with the one and only Indian based political party, the Human Rights Party. Because the agenda of these PKR, DAP and PAS does not include the welfare, well being, prosperity and upward mobility opportunities also of the Indians. PKR, DAP and PAS rather use their Indian mandores to continue with the 53 year UMNO tradition of cheating, shortchanging and excluding the Indians from the national mainstream development of Malaysia by using the MIC. These Indian mandores in PR know that they cannot pursue the Indian issues boldly and have to toe the party line, other than mildly making feeble suggestions now and then, which invariably gets shelved.
PKR, DAP and PAS only want the Indian votes. Not their well being, equality, non state discrimination and upward mobility opportunities.
PKR, DAP and PAS knows that the Indians have no choice and having lost hope in UMNO/BN would be left with no alternative but to vote for PKR, DAP and PAS.
Project 15/38 of creating 15 Indian majority parliament and 38 state seats and the Indian political empowerment  strategy is our only way forward. that is the Third Choice we present to them.
P. Uthayakumar

All 9As’ and above in SPM should as of right be given JPJ Scholarships University or Matriculation places. No to UMNO race based higher education policy

NO.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Tel: 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245 Website:www.humanrightspartymalaysia.comEmail:Info@humanrightspartymalaysia
Your Reference :
In Reply :
Date : 28/5/2010
YAB. Dato Seri Najib Razak Perdana Menteri Malaysia, Blok Utama Bangunan Perdana Putra, Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, Fax: 03-88883444 62502 Putrajaya E-Mail: najib@pmo.gov.my Y.B Dato Seri Mohd Khaled Bin Nordin Minister of Higher Education Malaysia, Aras 7, Block E3, Complex E, Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, Fax : 03-8889 1952 62505 Putrajaya. E-Mail : minister@mohe.gov.my
RE: All 9As’ and above in SPM should as of right be given JPJ Scholarships University or Matriculation places. No to UMNO race based higher education policy.
In 2008 the UMNO led Malay-sian government declared that all students securing 9As’ in the SPM in the 2007 exams would automatically get government JPJ scholarships to pursue their higher and tertiary education. But when many especially poor Indian students complained that they did not get the government JPJ Scholarships they were all given scholarships to study at local private Universities as usual as a temporary measure.
However in 2009 the racist UMNO goal post was moved again by UMNO declaring that for students securing 9As’ there is no guarantee of JPJ Scholarships etc. This was when UMNO discovered that many poor especially Indian students started highlighting their plight in the open. The reports we have thus far received for this year (2010) is that hundreds of especially Indian students from the poor and lower income group who have scored 9As’ and above but have been denied their rightful JPA, Scholarships, Matriculation and University placing. But many of their Malay muslim friends who scored even four As’ have either received their JPA Scholarships, Matriculation or University places with great ease. Even Thai students with a mere 7As’ are being reconsidered by MARA in collaboration with UPU. (UM 27/5/10 at page 9). Even (malay muslim students with 1A was reported to have received JPA scholarships (refer to report below). Sugentha Subramaniam the only Indian girl in MRSM Terendak out of 197 (0.5%) students who had scored 10As’ for SPM was denied a place in any of the 40,000 places in the nine Matriculation Colleges (UM 2/11/08 at page 4) University places or JPJ Scholarship.
Another Indian Science stream student who scored 11 A’s is forced to take up an Information Technology at University. We have received scores of complains that Indian student are denied places in critical courses like Medicines, Engineering, Famarsi, Bio-Technology, Accountancy, Business Administration etc.
Why this level of direct discrimination when Article 12 of the Federal Constitution prohibits discrimination in educational institutions which are funded by the government? But for the Indian students they are supposed to appeal to JPA, UPU and the Matriculation colleges through the assigned one Devamany an MIC Deputy Minister Mandore who would as usual do his wayang kulit illusion of securing these higher education places but at the end of the day succeed in probably one out of the hundreds of students and he would publicise it and make it look like the rest of the hundreds also made it after this mandore MIC party intervention. This MIC mandore party will now be targeted by the top Indian students, their family and friends while the real culprit UMNO gets away scott free. This is the mandorist and tuan arrangements between UMNO and MIC and now very conveniently and comfortably beginning to be adopted by PKR, DAP and PAS. We hereby call upon your goodself as the Prime Minister to grant all students especially the poor and underprivileged Indian students securing 9As’ and above to as of right be granted JPA scholarships, Matriculation and University places from this year (2010) onwards and an end to race based meritocracy and racist higher educational policy to prove your goodself’s One Malaysia as opposed to One Malay-sia. Kindly revert to us accordingly. Thank You. Your Faithfully, P.Uthayakumar (pro tem) cc: Y.Bhg.Tan Sri Dr. Zulkurnain bin Haji Awang Ketua Setiausaha, Kementerian Pelajaran Malaysia, Aras 8, Blok E8, Kompleks Kerajaan Parcel E, Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan Fax: 03- 88885124 62604 Putrajaya Email: zulkarnain@mohe.gov.my

Views from a visitor to Malaysia – Is it appealing for the wider community to turn its back on a minority?

Written by Wally,
In response to Helen Ang’s article: To the critics of Hindraf and Uthayakumar ,May 26, 2010 22:10:06  http://malaysia-today.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32054:to-the-critics-of-hindraf-and-uthayakumar&catid=18:letterssurat&Itemid=100129
Helen, speaking as a foreign visitor to Malaysia (although not exactly
a complete outsider), I feel you presented the case well when advising
all Malaysians to listen to the content of Hindraf’s message and to
try to ignore the perhaps unpalatable method of delivery – because you
sure can’t make a problem disappear simply by ignoring the messenger.
As a guest in Malaysia for two years I have to admit I loved it very
much, not just because it is a beautiful country but because the many
diverse cultures living side by side there provided a truly exotic and
enticing environment, plus Malaysia’s people are generally very
gentle, tolerant and polite. I wish I could also say that I saw no
evidence of racial divides in Malaysia but, sadly, it wouldn’t be
true. I was there in that tense period not so long ago when the Indian
community marched through the centre of KL.
 
When I was living in KL nobody seemed to question the validity of the
sort of problems Hindraf highlights today (I wouldn’t know about the
severity or otherwise of the problems, of course). However, no matter
the extent, they are obviously real problems at some level that
negatively impact a large group of people who, because they aren’t
free to go somewhere else any time soon, have the potential to cause a
great deal of internal strife for Malaysia if those problems are not
resolved satisfactorily. It would be true of any neglected minority
group anywhere in the world. Such problems can therefore only be
ignored at great peril to the longer term stability of the country
involved.
 
I can see why it might be appealing for the wider community to turn
its back on a minority that is becoming a pain in the butt, but is
that truly the wisest course of action when the minority group has
valid grouses that have been ignored for a long period?
 
Surely the best option is for an influential group of people in the
wider community to take the lead and listen properly to the grievances
of the minority communities and then, collectively, for everyone to
work together in a new administrative spirit to take real and
constructive steps to redress the problems of all minority groups
deserving of a better deal. Of course, I can hear the hoots of
derision even now before I post this, labelling me as an idealist and
even of being a dreamer. But since the alternative is to bury your
head in the sand and wait for the inevitable kick in the rear, I’ll
happily stick to working towards the fulfilment of a dream any day, no
matter how much hard work it promises to be!
 
It takes two to tango, of course, and if the leaders of a minority
group truly feel that there is no point talking openly to their fellow
countrymen outside of that group because "it would just be a waste of
time", then I really don’t know what the chances are of the Brazilian
concept of ‘one people no race’ taking root for a country faced with
the same problems as those facing Malaysia. So, in Malaysia’s case at
this stage of the game, is this perhaps a bridge too far?
Ends
  
  
  
 
And then in response to Wally’s comments -
written by Stormquest, May 27, 2010 09:47:18
 
Wally,
 
I am grateful for your post, as I am for Helen Ang’s wonderful letter.
Sometimes, it does take a foreign visitor to see things that others
don’t.
 
Everybody wants to complain about how HINDRAF/HRP is going it alone.
But seriously, where were all these Malaysian First-ers, the NGO’s,
and opposition political parties before, during and after the HINDRAF
Rally in 2007? The fact that Indians were left alone for more than 50
years, meant that they walked alone in November 2007. And it wasn’t
just Tamil speaking Hindus who came together, but Indians of all
ethnic groups, religions, and social standing. In the immediate
aftermath of the HINDRAF Rally, Indians started smiling at each other,
even if they didn’t know each other. It wasn’t said. It was
understood. Even enemies became friends. It actually felt good to be
an Indian. There was a sense of unity, a sense of belongingness, and a
sense of pride that was unseen and unheard of amongst the Indians in
this country. The Indians finally stood up for themselves.
 
But now, Malaysian First-ers make out that they are somehow more
Malaysian than HINDRAF/HRP, and by token the Indian community. They
ignore the fact that the Indians came together as Malaysians first
during the March 2008 elections. Overwhelming numbers abandoned MIC.
In terms of sheer scale, there has not been that kind of abandonment
of any other ethnic based parties, like UMNO or MCA in the history of
the nation. It was literally giving up whatever power they had as
community within the MIC, and placing themselves in the hands of other
Malaysians. In this regards, many Indians felt that they were finally
going to be treated as Malaysians, which to them meant that their
issues were going to be addressed at long last. This is after all, the
only reason why people cast their vote…to get their issues addressed.
 
Well, it obviously didn’t turn out that way. Given this, many now feel
that their votes were being taken for granted, as it became
increasingly obvious that their vote only counted as a one-way ticket
for groups, with entirely different agendas, to get to Putrajaya.
 
When Indians complained, they were told that they have to look at the
“bigger picture”. Do others really see the bigger picture? All are
nothing more than blind men and women trying to describe an elephant
to Indians, while being deaf to the cries of Indians that the elephant
is squashing them.
 
So now, Indians, after being ignored for more than 50 years, walk
alone again. But now Malaysian First-ers tell them that they are being
racist for doing so. When Indians choose to be neutral, they are again
told they are being racist. Racist? Isn’t Dong Jiao Zong highlighting
their issues along narrow, communal lines? Isn’t Sister-In-Islam doing
the same thing? No one calls them racist.
 
Indians don’t need to be taught how to be Malaysians through some
idealistic, feel-good, flag-waving, yipeekayay Malaysian First
program. They already know how to be Malaysian.
 
The irony isn’t lost on Indians. Nobody cared about the Indian vote
for decades, but all of the sudden, when Putrajaya is in sight, they
crave for Indian votes. The sad fact is that this is not about serving
the people who voted for them. This is not about bringing justice.
This is about a power trip. It’s like you say, that they are currently
burying their head in the sand and are waiting for the inevitable kick
in the rear. It’s also like you say, that it is wise to “…stick to
working towards the fulfillment of a dream any day, no matter how much
hard work it promises to be!”.
 
Now, there is criticism that HINDRAF/HRP is going is alone. Yet, if
you were there at BUM 2010, as I was, you would have seen Uthayakumar
(HRP), Teresak Kok (DAP) and Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad (PAS) seated
together…as Malaysians! It was an ideal opportunity to break the ice
and get all groups working together again. Unfortunately, the session
was hijacked by people who missed the woods for the trees. Whether
another opportunity like this comes along again, remains to be seen

UMNO welfare department denies poor Indian man (75) welfare help

 UMNO welfare department denies poor Indian man (75) welfare help
This is the height of UMNO’s cruelty. UMNO has denied welfare help to even this 75 year old Marimuthu (SH 26/5/2010 at page S 12). His children who he is living with cannot even afford to pay their electricity bills and have gone without electricity for weeks. Last month alone he applied on two occasions but his forms supposedly got lost.
Most likely the 1,016,799 UMNO’s racist Biro Tatanegara mostly civil service graduates “lose” this and hundreds of thousands of other poor Indians application forms. How come the UMNO RM850 million as the social safety net for the poor, disabled and senior citizens in the 2010 national budget (18/10/09 at page 23) somehow does not reach the hundreds of thousands of the poor Indians.
 P. Uthayakumar

MIC mandore’s one wheelchair politics to keep politically a float

MIC mandore’s one wheelchair politics to keep politically a float  

53 years of the very same wayang kulit MIC mandore politics to keep politically and still going on. (See SH 18/5/10 at page S 25).
What about wheelchairs, monthly welfare help and jobs for thousands of other poor Indians, handicapped, sick and needy Indians?
One wheel chair by this UMNO created mandore Dato to create the illusion that the thousands of others has been solved or are being attended to is no longer tenable especially after the 25th November 2007 Hindraf Rally.
Similarly some UMNO created Dato Indian mandores at Hulu Selangor (SH 16/5/2010 page S 27) and another MIC Mandore Youth Chief celebrating Teachers Day at the Dengkil Tamil school with cake politics (SH 18/5/2010 page S 24).
It is the UMNO led Malay-sian government’s job to take care of the welfare and the Indian poor, or any poor by way of policy. And not getting their Indian and MIC mandores to do this kind of wayang kulit and excluding thousands of other Indians from the national mainstream welfare system and also excluding all 523 Tamil schools from the national mainstream education system.
P. Uthayakumar

UMNO’s 50 poor Indian single parents hampers, saris and punjabi suit kosong politics using MIC Mandore Datuk

UMNO’s 50 poor Indian single parents hampers, saris and punjabi suit kosong politics using MIC Mandore Datuk
One sari, one hamper or one basic necessity food hamper, UMNO Batang Kali tries to do a wayang kulit using an MIC mandore Datuk.
What about a permanent solution like the 10 acre Felda like land ownership scheme for these hundreds of thousands of Indian poor by this very same UMNO.
Why not? After all 420,000 Malay, orang asli, Iban and Kadazan poor have been granted these 10 acre land ownership schemes by UMNO.
S. Jayathas

Six Indian poor and orphaned children from one to fifteen years old denied welfare help by UMNO. Only have rice for one or two days.

Six Indian poor and orphaned children from one to fifteen years old denied welfare help by UMNO. Only have rice for one or two days.
Their single parent and sickly mother V.Veramah (32) is suffering from fits and depression. At what is for most other Malay and Chinese grandmothers is their golden years and playing with their grandchildren, this 59 year old grandmother V.Kannimah is forced to work in a factory earning RM500 per month even with her back pain.
This family has not paid their rentals for three months now and may soon be thrown out on the streets. These children cannot afford to attend school M.Devandran (15) is forced to stop school because of poverty.
But where is the RM400 due to this family as promised by UMNO to all those earning below RM720? (NST 29/3/09 at page 23).
Is it only for Malay muslims?
Why not Welfare help from the RM48 Million Welfare allocation and RM174 Million allocation for the poor which does not reach these poor Indian families. Umno Prime Minister for One Malay-sia announced that RM687 per month as the Poverty Line Index. (NST 24/10/09 at page 10).
But only for Malay muslims?
Similarly the RM2 billion allocation for school children under the poor students project does not reach this poor and hundreds of thousands of other poor Indian families. Why?
Because they are not Malay muslims.
The silence and omission to speak up by PKR, DAP, PAS, Malaysiakini, NGOs, bloggers, and the Indian elite! Why?
Because the victims are merely the soft target Indians?
P.Uthayakumar

GAS rally may be turning point

NST,

REGARDLESS of the success of this weekend's Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu (GAS) rally, observers said Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu will remain as president -- at least, for now. The duly-elected president of a party cannot be ousted by such a display of discontent.

But senior party leaders admitted that the future of the party may well depend on the support GAS receives

"If 10,000 people turn up, I am confident several leaders will also make their stand known.
"As it is now, these leaders are facing tremendous pressure from the community, including prominent figures who are urging them to make a stand on the matter.

"These leaders are now in a dilemma ... whether to stand by Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu or to give in to the pressure from the community," said a party leader. "Is he going to end up sacking the entire CWC if more speak out against him?"

The party leader said the MIC party constitution accorded the president "tremendous power" which many felt was being abused.

"From what we understand, to sack a CWC member, the president must consult his deputy before exercising such powers.

"In this case, it was learnt that the president was not 'consulting' his deputy, but merely informing him after the sacking was done."

Another party leader said the main aim of tomorrow's gathering was to demonstrate the support behind calls for the president to step down earlier than his announced date of September 2011.

"If there is a large crowd tomorrow, the pressure on Samy Vellu will be tremendous. I am sure a strong showing will open the floodgates for more members, including several senior leaders, to speak out."

Kelana Jaya division vice-chairman P. Balasubramaniam offered a solution, Samy Vellu could take a leave of absence as president for six months and hand over the reins to his deputy.

"Give Palanivel six months. If he is unable to prove himself and hold the party together, then the doors would be wide open for Samy Vellu to pick another successor.

"This would be the best compromise solution to diffuse the current turmoil and pacify all conflicting factions."

Balasubramaniam urged the CWC to convene an emergency meeting to stop the president from arbitrarily using his presidential powers.

"Samy Vellu's biggest error was to bring in his son. This has caused plenty of discontentment among party members who fear that he may try to force his son into a strong party position before he leaves."

A party observer pointed out that had the allegations against Umno been made by some other CWC member, Samy Vellu would have definitely initiated disciplinary action against him for attempting to cause disunity among the Barisan Nasional component parties.

"The allegation against Umno was baseless. Where is the proof? Now, Vell Paari has put his father in a bigger fix, with members calling for Samy Vellu to take action against his son (S. Vell Paari) over the statement.

"In fact, Vell Paari's statement has put MIC in a bad light. Now, we are like black sheep in the BN."

Party insiders agreed that the momentum had picked up now that several central working committee (CWC) members had spoken out against the president.

The biggest shock was the defiance of secretary-general S. Murugesan.

Murugesan's move may encourage others to follow suit.

Despite his many perceived shortcomings, Samy Vellu has held the party together for 31 years, albeit through some forceful means.

'Wounded Umno wants to keep Malays in economic bondage'

By Fazy Sahir and B Nantha Kumar - Free Malaysia Today,

KOTA BARU: Pakatan Rakyat’s success in the 12th general election in 2008 brought forth a new dimension with the introduction of a multiracial party system which was attractive to the empowered Malaysians, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said today.
However, with this new political landscape, she said, came Umno-Barisan Nasional’s revenge at its unprecedented loss.
“Pakatan attracted support from the rakyat to the point that it sidelined Umno which had ruled for 50 years .
"In fact, Umno is increasingly losing its powers within its core Malay group,“ she said in her presidential address at the sixth PKR national congress here today.
Still seething from the humiliating defeat, Umno, two years on, had resorted to using lies and every possible strategy to discredit PKR and Pakatan, she said.
"Umno... is now divorced from the true aspirations of the Malays because Umno is busy trying to secure its wealth through and as a result of corrupt practices.
"It is now fear that is driving Umno to focus on attacking PKR in a bid to kill our credibility among the Malay voters. We have been accused of being anti-Malay,” she said, adding that Umno was sending out a dangerous message with its racial polarisation policies and its seditious attempts to fan racial and religious intolerance.
She described the government’s 1Malaysia concept as hypocrisy “because there exist contradictions and conflicts between their sweet promises and their greed”.
Common policy
Azizah also expressed her concerns over the mainstream media’s propaganda which fanned racial discord.
As such, she said, it was important for PKR to explain its policies to the people, especially the Malays, to counter Umno’s claims that PKR had compromised Malay rights and privileges.
“The rakyat must know about PKR’s stand on Malays and Bumiputera. They must be told of the common policy adhered to by the Pakatan coalition, which has openly acknowledged the status of the Malays and Bumiputera as enshrined in the Federal Constitution,“ she said.
She also called on the 2,000 delegates present to also explain PKR's stand on the New Economic Policy (NEP) and the reasons it wants NEP abolished.
"Umno harassed the people when we called for the dismantling of the NEP.
"We must convince the people that PKR is against the NEP because it has failed to achieve its intended aim, which was to uplift the Malays.
“The NEP failed to look after the Malays... Its implementation was targeted at enriching families and cronies of Umno leaders. This has been done at the expense of the people including the Malays, Orang Asli, Dayak, Iban, Kadazan and others,“ she said.
She also said Umno had been duping the Malay and Bumiputera communities for a long time.
“Umno has lied to the Malay and Bumiputera communities all these years.
“Umno wants the Malays to continue depending on the government because it is fully aware that if the Malays rise and become self-sufficient, they will abandon Umno politicians.
"As such, their economic policy is to throw bits of assistance to the rakyat from time to time to ensure that they continuously live in economic bondage,“ she said.

Malay NGOs give NEM the thumbs down

By Zainal Epi - Free Malaysia Today,

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malay Consultative Council (MCC) today passed a resolution urging the government to give Malays and Bumiputera priority in the economic development of the country.
It said the interests of the Malays and Bumiputera must be the main thrust of the New Economic Model (NEM), the centrepiece of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's economic policy.
The resolution was tabled at a one-day Bumiputera Economic Congress organised by the MCC. The MCC is the umbrella body housing 76 Malay NGOs and spearheaded by Perkasa, a right-wing Malay group.
Points four of the resolution stated:
“The congress regretfully concedes that the government have failed to help increase Bumiputera participation, ownership and control in strategic sectors.”
“The affirmative, economic and distribution policy that Bumiputera participation in various economic sectors must be maintained,” stated point five.
The MCC viewed NEM as a fresh and dynamic economic strategy but it had sidelined the interests of the Malays and Bumiputera and thus should be reviewed and remodelled.
It resolved that NEM should continue with the affirmative action of the New Economic Policy (NEP), a model created to strengthen Malay economic participation.
The MCC said the creators of the NEM had failed to take into account the interest of Malays and Bumiputera when they advocated liberalising the economy.
“... even the United States is currently reviewing liberalisation as the country found out that this was the cause of its economic recession,” the MCC said.
It also called on the government to increase the Malay and Bumiputera participation, ownership and control of wealth in the various strategic sectors under NEM.
The three-hour meeting unanimously passed a 31-point resolution, which essentially wants all elements of the NEP incorporated into the NEM.
The resolution will be handed over to Najib later tonight.

Drastic decision needed for Sabah and Sarawak

By B Nantha Kumar - Free Malaysia Today,

KOTA BARU: Delegates from Sabah and Sarawak have called on PKR to make a firm decision on its role and commitment in the Borneo states, saying "this is time".
Referring to its recent success in the Sibu by-election, Paul Raja, a Dayak from Sarawak, said it was imperative that PKR take drastic steps to consolidate its place in Sarawak.
“This is the time for PKR to rise in Sarawak.
“The party already has a foothold in the peninsula. It is not rational for PKR to continue to wait for the right time to initiate change in Sabah and Sarawak,“ he said.
Raja said the Dayaks in Sarawak were enslaved by the ruling regime.
“Dayak are slaves in their own land. Their lands have been confiscated and homes destroyed.
“It’s not just happening to the Dayaks but also to the Ibans and the Muruts and Kadazans in Sabah,” he said.
He said all contracts were squandered by BN cronies, and the Dayaks were not included in mainstream development activities.
“The Dayaks are losing their faith in BN. After 50 years, fundamental issues such as identity cards for them remain a problem.
“To go to court is difficult. They can’t even ask that the issue of their native land rights be raised at the state assembly sitting,“ he said.
He said as long as BN remained in Sarawak it was not possible for Dayaks to progress.
Kingmakers
Sabah’s Dr Jurin Gunsalan urged PKR not to forget the Borneo states which were considered "kingmakers".
He said the biggest problem in Sabah was immigrants who came to the state in search of a livelihood and eventually acquired their permanent residency card and become Umno supporters.
He said since 1994 when Umno took over Sabah, the policy has been "divide-and-rule".
"History notes that Sabah has always changed hands within the BN component parties.
“However, it is not difficult for PKR to take over Sabah and move on to Putrajaya,” he said.
Gunsalan added that if PKR was indeed keen on Sabah, then it must make its presence felt there.
He said the best way was to hold the next PKR congress in Sabah.
"I also urge the PKR leaders to come down and meet the people in Sabah, only then will PKR be able to save Sabah,” he said.

Manikumar ends defection rumours

By B Nantha Kumar - Free Malaysia Today,

KOTA BARU: Bukit Selambau assemblyman S Manikumar today once and for all ended speculation that he would defect.
Speaking to a cross-section of party leaders who were among a 1,000-strong audience at the sixth national PKR convention here, he said he was committed to the PKR struggle.
“Today in Kedah, all you read in the media is about when the state government will fall when a certain assemblyman jumps party.
“Today I wish to state that all those allegations are baseless and lies perpetuated by the Umno-Barisan Nasional.
“I will not budge, not even an inch from PKR. The struggle is already in me, so why would I want to leave the party,” he said, ending months of speculations that he would be the next PKR elected representative to quit the party to become BN-friendly independent.
Manikumar, who admitted to being wooed by "gangs" from the rival camps, hoped that his presence at the convention would allay further fears of his defection.
“I hope my presence here will end speculations of my defection. We as leaders must be professional and principled. We also need to understand the characteristics of the elected representatives.
"I am most disappointed with those who quit the party. But I believe we must now strengthen every corner of our party against political pirates in BN and move ahead with our struggle,“ he said.

The concept of slavery

The Malays and other natives must first break out of the mental slavery that they are in. Only then can they break out of their economic slavery. However, as I see it, the mental and economic slavery of the Malays is too far down the road. I do not see any changes in our lifetime. It may have to get worse before it gets better.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Charting the Malay economic agenda
Some 500 representatives of more than 100 Malay non-governmental organisations met at Putra World Trade Centre today to chart the Malay economic agenda for the New Economic Model (NEM).
The convention themed “Strengthening Bumiputera Economy” is aimed at protecting Malay and Bumiputera interests in the country’s economic development.
Their aim is to ensure that the Malays and Bumiputera will not be left out under the NEM.
NEM, introduced by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak last month, sought to liberalise the economy and put aside Malay privileges formerly enjoyed under the New Economic Policy (NEP).
NEM also aims to give equal opportunities to all Malaysians and eradicate poverty.
The Malay NGOs is grouped under the umbrella body called the Malay Consultative Council (MCC), and spearheaded by Perkasa, a right-wing Malay pressure group.
MCC wants the government to continue handing out privileges enjoyed by the Malays under the NEP so that they could develop alongside other races.
The MCC will hand over its resolutions to Najib when he closes the convention tonight. -- Free Malaysia Today

*************************************************

In the early days, the bigger and stronger tribes would attack the smaller and weaker tribes and take those still alive as slaves (and leave the dead bodies as food for the dogs and vultures). As time went on and tribes became nations, the bigger and stronger nations would attack the smaller and weaker nations and take its people as slaves.
Of course, once in a while, leaders such as Spartacus, Moses, and so on, came along to lead their people out of slavery. Or people like Abraham Lincoln would emerge to champion an end to slavery.
But the general rule of thumb would be that the strong would always try to enslave the weak and exploit the weak for economic benefits. There were also instances when two groups went to war and the losers in that war would be captured and turned into slaves. Invariably, if they served no economic purpose then they would be exterminated. But if they were useful as slaves then they would be captured alive.
Such are the ways of humankind. It is basically a case of the strong exploiting the weak so that the strong becomes stronger and the weak becomes weaker. And that too is basically what politics is all about. It is a game of the strong taking power so that they can rule over the weak. Maybe the graphics below best explains the relationship between the politicians and the voters.

Eventually, slavery, in the form that we knew, ended. But slavery per se never ended. It just transformed into a more sophisticated form. It transformed into mental and economic slavery. No longer did strong nations attack weaker nations with swords or guns. They attacked weaker nations economically and with ideas and concepts.
The current economic system is a creation of the stronger nations. Today, the weaker nations are slaves of this system and there is no breaking out of the system. Either you play according to the system or you do not play at all. And any country that does not practice a system of government that the stronger nations regard as ‘acceptable’ are punished until they abandon their unacceptable system and adopt the western interpretation of governance.
How many times in our youth back in the 1950 and 1960s did we cheer and whistle when the Cowboys won against the Red Indians (now called ‘Native Americans’; the politically correct term)? Was not John Wayne the hero and our idol and the Apaches the baddies? That was the ‘power’ Hollywood had over us. It did not occur to us then that America belonged to the Red Indians while the Orang Puteh (pale face) were the aggressors and robbers of Red Indian land.
Yes, the white skins decide the system and the rules. The red skins, black skins, yellow skins, brown skins, and whatnot, either comply with the system decided by the white skins or else they are the baddies. White is good. ‘Off-white’ is bad. That is the rule of the game.
The white skins, however, have left the shores of Malaysia. Today, Malaysia is run by the brown, yellow and black skins also known as Barisan Nasional. The British colonialists are no longer masters of our land. The masters of our land are our own people.
When the white skins ruled our land they were the masters (tuan) and we were the slaves. Today, the ruling elite is the master and the rest of us their slaves. That is how it worked for 10,000 years. That is still how it works today. But, today, we do not have a Spartacus or Moses to lead us out of slavery. Today, we have two sets of political parties fighting over who should be the masters of this land.
We might see a change of master if Pakatan Rakyat unseats Barisan Nasional and marches into Putrajaya. But that does not mean we shall see our status as slaves change.
Barisan Nasional need not enslave the Chinese and Indians. Well, they do, actually. They enslave the Chinese and Indians but reducing them to a status of second-class citizens and by placing quotas and restrictions on them. Therefore they are not free to flourish. They can only flourish as far as Barisan Nasional would allow them to.
What is more important is to enslave the natives, like how the Red Indians of America were enslaved on the reservations. And the natives here are the Malays and ‘others’ of Sabah and Sarawak. This group of people will decide who gets to form the federal government because they decide more than two-thirds of the seats in Parliament. So they must be the ones who should be enslaved.
And they are effectively enslaved both economically and mentally. Mentally, they are enslaved through culture and religion. Yes, cultural and religious beliefs are a form of slavery and a very effective form at that. And that is why Malays are being led to believe the wrong things about Islam. They are not taught the true and right form of Islam. To do so would mean you would be freeing the Malay mind.
And the most important form of slavery of all is economic slavery. That is what the powerful nations do to the weaker nations. And that is also what people in power do to those they rule over.
Of course, the people must be constantly reminded that they are poor, backward and left behind. But you have to look for a bogeyman to blame. And you offer yourself as the solution although you are actually the cause of the problem.
Today, the Malays, yet again, sat down in an economic convention to discuss their economic future. They have been doing the same for more than 40 years. And they are still doing it until today. But just like over the last 40 or 50 years, no solution will be found. This is because those who walk in the corridors of power do not want to find a solution. They need the natives to remain in poverty. Only when the natives remain as economic slaves can the powers-that-be continue to dominate them.
Just to digress a bit, my late father was involved in the First Bumiputera Economic Congress back in the 1960s, which resulted in the creation of Bank Bumiputera, while my Aunt was involved in RIDA, which later transformed into MARA and saw the creation of ITM and now UITM. So, yes, my family was involved in the ‘Malay struggle’ long before ‘May 13’ and that is why I feel I have earned the moral right to criticise those who walk in the corridors of power.
The Malays and other natives must first break out of the mental slavery that they are in. Only then can they break out of their economic slavery. However, as I see it, the mental and economic slavery of the Malays is too far down the road. I do not see any changes in our lifetime. It may have to get worse before it gets better.
And this is why I worry. There are only two types of changes. One is evolution. The other, revolution. The first takes time while the second can be achieved overnight. But the second can be very destructive in nature.
And there are two routes to achieving change. One is through the ballot and, the other, the bullet. The sad thing is, after people decide that the ballot has failed them, they would resort to the bullet.
And that would be a most tragic thing indeed if it does happen.
Was it not Lim Kit Siang in 1978 who wrote that book called ‘A time bomb in Malaysia’?

Kedah MIC Youth backs Murugesan

By B Nantha Kumar - Free Malaysia Today,

KOTA BARU: Kedah MIC Youth today threw its full support behind MIC secretary-general, S Murugesan, who yesterday became the highest-ranking party official to censure president S Samy Vellu.
L Thiagarajan said Murugesan was right in disputing Samy Vellu’s decision to use his presidential powers to sack four party leaders who had called for his resignation.
"The president should only wield his powers as a last resort and not as and when he feels like it.
‘If this is not checked now, then it will eventually mean that most of our members will be sacked,” he said.
Samy Vellu had sacked deputy Youth chief V Mugilan, central working committee members (CWC) KP Samy, G Kumar Amaan and Petaling Jaya division leader V Subramaniam, better known as Barat Maniam, for calling for his resignation.
Mugilan subsequently set up Gerak Anti-Samy (GAS), which will be holding its inaugural gathering at the Mines Convention Centre tomorrow
Mugilan is expecting 15,000 disgruntled members to turn up.
Said Thiagarajan: "Samy Vellu used to be an asset to the party and was deeply respected.
“Now he has become a liability. He is being hammered by everyone.
‘It’s very disappointing. He should understand the situation and withdraw.”
He said MIC national Youth chief, T Mohan, had made various moves to invite Indian youths to join the party after its disastrous outing in the 2008 general election.
But Samy Vellu’s act of arbitrarily sacking the four leaders had now made it difficult for the Youth movement, especially in Kedah, to support his action.
‘Now we have to explain why he (Samy Vellu) did it… it is going to be tougher to convince young people now,” he said.
Thiagarajan is prepared for the repercussion for supporting Murugesan.
"I’m prepared to accept any disciplinary action against me. But my stand will be the same.
“To me, party and community are more important than the party president.”

Was the tiger food-drunk or doped?

By Haris Ibrahim,

You having a public event or show that involves a tiger close up to the audience?

Well, make sure the tiger has been fed.

So that food is the last thing on its mind when it interacts with the audience.

A’Famosa Animal World Safari general manager Allan Chee, seemingly responding to suggestions by certain quarters that the tiger that was captured on video at one of the Safari’s public shows, appearing drowsy and almost lifeless, might have been drugged, proffered that the tiger “was just drowsy and lazy after being fed” and was being prodded to get into position. You can read about this in Malaysiakini HERE.

I’ve heard of and seen and helped captured pythons that become near totally unresponsive to any sort of prodding after ingesting, but a tiger that has eaten until food-drunk?

View first this video of a tiger at a dinner show. You will note that it appears to be well-fed. Perhaps, even too well-fed, or lacking in enough space to stay in that lean shape it would have in its natural habitat.

Now view the video clip of the tiger at the A’Famosa Animal World Safari that is said to be “just drowsy and lazy after being fed” .


Food-drunk or doped?
And if the latter, I suppose Ali Rustam will insist that doping this tiger to earn a few ringgit is also a God-given right.

Inspector-General of MACC: Have we gone mad?

By Tunku Abdul Aziz

The very idea that the headman of the MACC be accorded a status equivalent to that of the Inspector-General of Police was so hilarious that I, a grown man, was driven to sobbing uncontrollably before I doubled up, laughing my head off. I have, in my lifetime, been through many strange and unusual situations, but I must confess to a sense of incredulity that members of the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board headed by former Chief Justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad were prepared to risk their collective reputation by putting this recommendation forward. It is absurdity personified.

The other recommendations, including the establishment of a statutory commission on appointments, and the need to have interrogation rooms equipped with CCTV cameras, must rank as among the most facile suggestions ever made by a group of people who lay claim to expert knowledge and experience of a level considered sufficient to justify their being appointed to the advisory board.

In the event, by their earth-shattering recommendations, they have confirmed what I have known all along: they know nothing about fighting corruption or, for that matter, the chief commissioner, if he had to be “advised” on what equipment was needed to be put in place to make the interrogation process more open and transparent, then he has no business to be there in the first place. I make no apology for using the word interrogation in relation to the methods adopted by the MACC when dealing with witnesses. The word interview is yet to be part of the MACC’s corruption fighting lexicon.

The recommendation to equate the head of MACC with the Inspector- General of Police not only shows a pathetic lack of understanding on the part of the advisory board of the duties and responsibilities of the Inspector-General of Police and the officers under his command and control in the overall scheme of national security and public order priorities, but also insensitivity to the intelligence of the public. To believe that an untried jumped-up middle-rank public servant barely able to keep his head above water in the job is on par with the head of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is the height of fantasy. This is similar to proposing that the head of Rela be given the same status as the Chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces Staff.

The PDRM is an organisation with a 200-year tradition of public service. Admittedly there have been some hiccups along the way in its long history of protecting life and property, but it has been through several baptisms of fire, and not once has it been found wanting whenever the nation needed it desperately. The makeover from the ACA to the MACC has not resulted in any marked improvement in its performance. It is the same old wine in a brand-new Waterford decanter. The wine is still the same, not fit for the table.

My advice to the MACC chief commissioner, for what it is worth, is not to let his ambition exceed his abilities which have yet to be tested and proven. Until Malaysians are absolutely convinced that the organisation he has inherited by default, not his fault, naturally, can be relied upon to carry out its duties in the public interest, and thereby earn their respect and confidence, he will have absolutely no credibility or clout. A senior member of his staff has been to see me, of his own volition, for some advice. He is not happy with the ethical and moral dilemmas he has had to face under the present leadership, and it appears that unless staff morale is attended to sensibly and quickly, the chief commissioner’s tenure could be problematical.

So, as we have seen, public confidence, without which he might just as well close shop, is not a commodity that can be bought in a supermarket. He has to earn it the hard way; persuading the government to dress him up to look like a poor imitation of the Inspector-General of Police is not going to help him succeed in his job. People have yet to see the colour of his money, in a manner of speaking. He can say what he likes about doing a great job, but people want results. They are his judges, and on present showing he is seen to be long on self-publicity and rather short on productive effort. I know from inside information he has been busy hiring spin doctors to tart up his image and that of his organisation. Don’t throw good money after bad because public trust and confidence will not return no matter how much money is spent on cosmetic surgery.

MACC’s much touted independence is under close public scrutiny. I am told, again on the internal grapevine, that he insists that every MACC function must have a minister present. MACC should not have too much to do with ministers as this could cause embarrassment should it have to arrest them for corruption. But I suppose MACC’s independence stops short of calling corrupt ministers to account, and so everyone is a winner except the nation.

I see that the MACC director of investigation is probing the labyrinth of commercial networks and dealings in search of “elements of corruption”, as he puts it, in the Sime Darby affair. The director of investigation is a fine man, extremely good at preparing slides for Powerpoint presentations but he would not know where to begin. It is a job for trained forensic accountants from the big audit firms with international connections. I know what the outcome will be — there is no evidence of corruption. Remember the Perwaja episode?

DAP: Pakatan perlu adakan kajian prestasi separuh penggal

Oleh G. Manimaran | The Malaysian Insider

KOTA BARU, 29 Mei — Pakatan Rakyat (PR), yang mencipta sejarah dengan menguasai lima kerajaan negeri dan menafikan Barisan Nasional (BN) majoriti dua pertiga di Parlimen dua tahun lalu, perlu mengadakan kajian separuh penggal prestasi mereka.

Justeru, idea agar diadakan kajian separuh penggal itu membabitkan prestasinya sejak Mac 2008 akan diutarakan pada mesyuarat kepimpinan PR
Selasa depan, kata Penasihat DAP Lim Kit Siang.

“Kami akan membincangkan idea agar diadakan kajian separuh penggal kerajaan negeri Pakatan Rakyat selepas dua tahun memerintah,” kata Lim pada sidang media bersama pemimpin-pemimpin PR di sini hari ini.

“Kita sudah memerintah selama dua tahun dan ada baiknya kita melakukan kajian separuh penggal ini… masa yang sesuai untuk menilai prestasi kerajaan negeri… pendekatan, cara… untuk melihat prestasi dari segi aspirasi, harapan rakyat,” kata beliau.

Pandangan itu disokong oleh Setiausaha Agung PAS Datuk Mustafa Ali yang berkata, “kami akan membincangkannya.”

Sidang media itu diadakan selepas majlis perasmian Kongres Nasional Keenam PKR di sini. Presiden PKR Datukn Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail menyampaikan ucapan dasarnya.

Lim berkata kajian separuh penggal itu akan melibatkan keempat-empat kerajaan negeri yang masih diterajui PR iaitu Kelantan, Pulau Pinang, Kedah dan Selangor.

Perak yang dikuasai PR telah jatuh ke tangan BN awal tahun lalu.

Lim yang juga anggota Dewan Rakyat berkata, bagi tujuan itu PR boleh mengambil perkara-perkara yang ditekankan oleh Wan Azizah dalam ucapannya.

“Ucapan Wan Azizah adalah paling komprehensif, tepat pada masanya dan sesuatu yang mengejutkan,” kata Lim.

“Saya rasakan kita boleh mengambil beberapa perkara yang dibawa oleh Presiden (PKR) dalam ucapannya,” katanya.

Mengenai rasa kecewa Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) bahawa PR tidak melaksanakan Dasar Bersama dengan efektif, Ketua Umumnya Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata:

“Angkatan Muda memberikan beberapa cadangan supaya mematuhi beberapa dasar yang telah diputuskan oleh kepimpinan Pakatan.

“Perkara itu sebagaimana dikatakan tadi, akan dibincangkan dalam mesyuarat Selasa ini.”

Mustafa pula berkata, PR perlu diberikan masa kerana baru dua tahun memerintah tiga negeri kecuali Kelantan.

PR yang mengadakan konvensyen sulungnya Disember lalu telah meluluskan Dasar Bersama.

Bagaimanapun Ketua AMK Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin berkata PR gagal untuk melaksanakan kandungan Dasar Bersama dengan efektif dan menyeluruh.

Images from the PKR Congress in Kota Bharu - Anilnetto

Parti Keadilan Rakyat is holding its congress in Kota Bharu over the weekend as it licks its wounds after a spate of defections and a by-election loss. It is a time for soul-seaching – but the party has bounced back before.

Photo credit: Tian Chua

Photo credit: Jonson Chong