TV3 chopped interview with me: RPK

(Malaysiakini) Self-exiled blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) has refuted a TV3 report that he 'no longer believes' the claim that Rosmah Mansor was at the scene during the grisly murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006.

After the two-part bulletin was aired by the private station, some quarters immediately labeled the blogger a turncoat for having 'retracted' certain claims included in a statutory declaration (SD) that he had filed.

RPK admitted that he said the words, Saya rasa mustahil kot (I felt it may be impossible) in the interview conducted by TV3 group editor Ashraf Abdullah in Australia, but claimed that he had been cut off in mid-sentence in the segment aired on April 13.

“It was a (90-minute) interview, quite a bit of it was on my SD. Can you not only take one sentence but take the whole paragraph?” he posited in a Skype video interview with Malaysiakini from Bangkok last Sunday.

He was there to speak at a forum organised by political watchdog Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement of which he is chairperson. The group has dismissed the broadcast as having been doctored.

RPK attributed the misrepresentation of his statement to editing of his interview by the broadcaster, saying this had skewed the real meaning.

“Maybe TV3 should be asked to air the whole paragraph,” he said pointedly, also saying the onus is on the broadcaster to explain the matter.

He claimed that what he said in its entirety was: Apabila saya diberitahu saya tak percaya lagi, saya rasa mustahil kot, Rosmah masuk hutan panjat bukit tengah malam, jadi saya tak percaya lagi, sehingga saya mendapat pengesahan.

(When I was told I did not believe it at first, I felt it may be impossible, for Rosmah to go into the jungle and climb the hill at night. so I did not believe it until I got confirmation.)

His initial disbelief was that an individual of Rosmah's physical proportions could have made it to the scene of the crime, but dismissed his skepticism after seeking clarification from other parties.

This, he said, was the missing ingredient in the TV3 broadcast.

RPK also rubbished claims in the same bulletin that he had said the Altantuya saga had no real links to Najib Abdul Razak and his wife Rosmah, and was an attempt to prevent Najib - then the deputy premier - from becoming prime minister.

“If they said it, then it's not me saying it. Ask me about what I said and then I'll reply. Don't ask me about what other people said. I don't get TV3 in Manchester by the way. I don't care what they say. They can say the world is flat, but I say the world is round.”

In the SD filed before he left Malaysia, RPK said he had received information from several persons that Rosmah had been present at the place when Altantuya was murdered.

In his blog on Monday, he reiterated that he had never made the accusation but only conveyed what he believed to be reliable information so that the police could take action, and those involved could come forward to testify.

'One of many interviews'

He denied that he had an ulterior motive in agreeing to an interview with the Malaysian electronic media, well known for their pro-government slant.

“It was one in a series of about 10 interviews I did within that one-and-a-half months. TV3 was just one of 10 or so interviews I did. TV3 asked to interview me, and I said 'yes'.

“I do interviews even with hostile agencies, like Malaysiakini for example, (which has) been hostile (to) me and not always fair in reporting.”

He said he has never refused to give interviews to any news outlet, recalling his 'live' interview on Blog, a programme on national broadcaster RTM's TV1 channel several years ago.

“Why are you trying to say there is anything mischievous when it was one in a series of interviews?” he asked.

Altantuya, a Mongolian national, was killed and her remains disposed of via military grade C4 plastic explosives in a secluded spot in the jungle near Shah Alam in 2006.

Three SDs were attested to in connection with the case, one by RPK and the other two by private investigator P Balasubramaniam.

Khir Toyo: ‘1Melayu, 1Bumi’ not racist

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 — The “1Melayu, 1Bumi” movement is not racist for wanting to unify Malays politically, Dr Khir Toyo has said.

Calling the movement spearheaded by Malay rights group Perkasa as “legitimate and noble”, the former Selangor mentri besar questioned why Malays were seen as racist when speaking of Malay unity while other races could speak of their respective unity without objection from the Malays.

“I always wonder why when Malays speak of their native rights it is seen as racist but not when the Chinese speak of their Chinese schools, Chinese language and Chinese economic power,” he said on his blog yesterday.

Dr Khir said it was not wrong or racist for Malays to propose a concept like “1Melayu, 1Bumi” as a response to Chinese voters who increasingly voted for opposition parties like the DAP.

He pointed out that Malays saw Chinese support for DAP’s “anti-everything to do with Bumiputeras and Islam” policies as a clear indication that the community now want more political power after successfully controlling the economy.

“Many non-Chinese, especially the Bumiputera, see Chinese support for Pakatan (Rakyat) as support for the empowerment of Chinese political power through the Democratic Action Party (DAP) to erode and eventually eliminate Bumiputera privileges provisioned in the Malaysian Constitution,” he said.

Dr Khir, however, warned that “1Melayu, 1Bumi” should be opposed “to the very end” if it was a racist movement that wished to unify Bumiputeras for the purpose of “oppressing and destroying” the Chinese.

“I, myself, will not agree to any concept that oppresses and destroys other races’ standing,” the Selangor opposition leader said.

He added that whether the concept, first mooted in Utusan Malaysia by assistant chief editor Datuk Zaini Hassan, was racist depended on its execution, demands and wants.

Utusan Malaysia had called on its owners Umno to spearhead a “1Melayu, 1Bumi” movement involving all Malay parties, claiming that the DAP was intent on toppling the country’s Malay leadership.

Former prime minister and Perkasa patron Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad spoke out against the idea, saying it would be “disastrous” if it came to fruition.

The elder statesman said such a movement would eventually result in a two-party system dominated by the Malays and the Chinese on opposing sides of the divide.

Despite their patron’s statement, Perkasa has said it would be willing to lead such a “1Melayu, 1 Bumi” movement.

Some government leaders had sought to distance themselves from Utusan Malaysia’s clarion call last week, claiming it was the personal opinion of the newspaper’s editors.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak assured that the Malay-language daily would not deter the government’s commitment to his 1 Malaysia brainchild.

Malaysian ‘drug mules’ nabbed in New Zealand

A group of 10 Malaysians were arrested at Auckland airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs hidden in their shoes.

WELLINGTON: A group of 10 Malaysians were arrested attempting to enter New Zealand with methamphetamines hidden in their shoes, customs officials said today.

The alleged smugglers, eight men and two women ranging from their early 20s to late 60s, were intercepted at Auckland airport yesterday after arriving with a tour group on a flight from Malaysia, New Zealand Customs said.

Customs drug investigations manager Mark Day said the arrests represented the most drug couriers ever caught in a single bust at the New Zealand border.

“By embedding themselves in what appear to be legitimate tour groups, these criminals are trying to assume normal travel patterns so that they will not be targeted as high risk,” he said.

Day said each of the alleged couriers were carrying between 800 grams and 1.0 kilograms (1.8-2.2 pounds) of methamphetamine in their shoes and put the estimated street value of the haul at around NZ$10 million (RM24.1 million).

All 10 were charged with drug offences and are due to face court later today.

-AFP

Momentum desak Pengetua sekolah ditukar meningkat

Pengetua sebar fitnah berunsur perkauman untuk menutup tembelangnya, kata guru sekolah

SHAH ALAM: Ibu bapa dan bekas pelajar sebuah sekolah menengah kebangsaan di Seksyen 25 di sini meningkatkan momentum untuk mendesak pengetuanya ditukarkan dengan segera.

Mereka memulakan petisyen dengan mengumpul minimum 500 tandatangan sebagai usaha mahu meminta Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah (PPD), Jabatan Pendidikan Selangor (JPS), Kementerian Pendidikan dan kerajaan memberi perhatian serius terhadap pengetua yang memanipulasi keadaan yang wujud di sekolah.

“Kami mahu pengetua sekolah ditukarkan dengan kadar segera,” kata salah seorang ibu pelajar yang menunjukkan salinan petisyen tersebut.

Petisyen itu menyebut,”kami kecewa dengan cara pentadbiran Puan Megawati Hasbullah selaku Pengetua SMK Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam. Dia tidak adil, tidak bertanggungjawab dan tidak layak menjadi pengetua.

“Banyak masalah timbul sejak dia menjadi pengetua di sekolah ini hampir empat tahun lalu. Sikap lepas tangan dan tidak bertanggungjawab wanita ini menyebabkan nama sekolah tercemar, pelajaran anak-anak terjejas dan sekolah ini tidak lagi selamat.”

“Ibu bapa berkenaan kecewa kerana pengetua itu cuba mengalihkan perhatian dan meletakkan kesalahan kepada orang lain terhadap segala kelemahannya sebagai pentadbir di sekolah itu.

“Beliau menyalahkan guru, pelajar, polis, ibu bapa serta Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru-Guru (PIBG),” menurut petisyen itu.

“Usaha mengumpul tandatangan dimulakan pada jam 3:00 petang semalam. Sehingga 5:00 petang semalam, hampir 200 tandatangan sudah diperoleh,” kata salah seorang ibu yang menjadi penyelaras bagi mengumpulan tandatangan ini.

Sementara itu, 12 ibu bapa para pelajar sekolah menengah di sini yang menerima undangan untuk menghadiri mesyuarat melahirkan rasa kecewa terhadap pihak pengurusan sekolah apabila mesyuarat di antara pengetua, JPS, PPD, polis dan Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru-Guru (PIBG) tidak menjadi kenyataan.

“Selepas menunggu sejam kami menyedari pengetua, wakil JPS, wakil PPD dan wakil parti politik mengadakan perbincangan berasingan.

“Kami sangat kecewa dan sedih kerana diperlakukan seperti orang bodoh kerana menunggu selama lebih sejam untuk mencari jalan penyelesaian tetapi perbincangan tertutup diadakan di bilik lain tanpa pengetahuan kami,” kata salah seorang bapa pelajar yang enggan namanya disiarkan.

Pengetua sebar fitnah

Dalam pada itu, beberapa guru di sekolah tersebut mendedahkan bahawa pengetua sekolah itu mula menyebarkan fitnah dan khabar angin berbaur perkauman mengenai guru-guru lain di sekolah itu.

Guru-guru itu yang tidak mahu nama mereka didedahkan berkata, pengetua memberitahu mereka secara terbuka bahawa punca pergaduhan di sekolah pada 20 April lalu adalah akibat perbuatan guru-guru kaum India.

“Walaupun kami guru kaum Melayu, hubungan kami bersama guru-guru kaum India di sekolah ini sangat rapat dan tidak ada sebarang masalah. Tetapi kini pengetua cuba menanam bibit-bibit perpecahan dan perkauman dalam kalangan guru dan pelajar.

“Tindakan pengetua bertentangan dengan niat murni kerajaan dan rakyat
yang cintakan perpaduan dan keamanan.

Kami percaya, pengetua berbuat begini kerana terdesak selepas ibu bapa berani mengadakan perhimpunan aman, membuat laporan polis serta menuntut pengetua menjelaskan punca segala masalah di sekolah sejak 4 tahun lalu,” kata beberapa guru Melayu di sekolah tersebut.

Guru-guru tersebut berharap segala masalah segera selesai secara baik dan tidak ada mana-mana guru, pelajar dan ibu bapa menjadi mangsa manipulasi yang dibuat demi menyelamatkan seorang individu yang bersalah.

Mereka tidak mahu nama dan identiti mereka didedahkan kerana takut dikenakan tindakan atau menjadi mangsa pihak tertentu.

Innocents abroad

Some heart-rending stories from children sold into sex slavery.

FEATURE

Children are especially vulnerable to human traffickers because they may be uneducated and easy to overpower and convince. They are duped by strangers and sometimes even by the people they know. They are kidnapped, whisked away, never again to be seen by their families. They are sold to recover a family debt.
Their only crime is their desire to make life better for themselves and the ones they love.
Their stories are harrowing, their voices lost in the cesspool of sexual exploitation and bonded labour.
Consider the story of Ah Thien (not her real name). She was recruited at the age of 15 by someone she met at a café in Vietnam. He told her she could make a fortune in Malaysia. To her, it was a ticket out of poverty. Her journey was arduous, by road through Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and finally Malaysia.
She was housed in a home just outside Kuala Lumpur along with other girls. They were shuffled to different parts of Malaysia, forced into the flesh trade against their will. Ah Thien was a minor in a strange land that spoke a different language. When she refused to comply, she was threatened with rape, deportation, and hunger.
So she complied, for three years. And she became pregnant when she was still a minor. She got the courage and strength to escape one night when she overheard a conversation in which someone said her baby would be taken away from her and sold.
She and her friend ran away in the dead of night, seeking the assistance of a sympathetic client. He put them in a taxi and sent them to the Vietnamese Embassy. They were referred to Tenaganita, a human rights organisation that provides shelter for rescued victims.
Psychological trauma

Ah Thien was five months pregnant. With the information she gave to police, she saved another victim and had the traffickers arrested. She has since been safely repatriated to Vietnam and has given birth. She is now married to a man who helped her deal with her trauma and see past the shame and indignity. Her family, who had suffered for years with the pain of not knowing whether their daughter was alive or dead, were ecstatic when she returned home.
Ah Thien’s story has a happy ending. But there are 120 million other stories and counting, all with the same stomach-churning and blood-curdling details of degradation and humiliation. Most of them don’t end so well.
In 2006, 19 Malaysian girls were rescued when the British Metropolitan Police raided two brothels in London and Birmingham. Two of those girls were referred to Tenaganita because they were brave and willing to be witnesses in the trial. Liza (not her real name) became pregnant when she was still a minor.
Her crime? Poverty. Her father had walked out on them leaving her to feed, clothe and sustain her family. She was just a teenager.
She borrowed money from a loan shark and soon chalked up a debt of RM7,000 that she could not settle. So the loan shark forced her to go to London to work in brothels. If she refused, they would not hesitate to harm her younger sister. She knew they would see through their threat and she left home, never to be the same girl again.
“The state of these girls when they come to our shelter is horrific,” explains a caregiver. “They have been subjected to the most degrading of acts, beaten, forced to drink alcohol and even take ecstasy pills to keep them addicted.
“The psychological trauma and scarring is so deep it takes them a long time to trust and talk to us. The girls have been violated at several levels. Many carry the stigma of shame and guilt because of what their perpetrators have forced them to undergo – botched abortions, anal sex, being made to service a minimum of eight men a day, confined to the brothels with threats of violence.”
Long road to recovery
The road to recovery is a long and arduous one, often with dismal results. “Even when we repatriate these girls, it has to be done with great care”, she adds. “Often, the perpetrator has informed their counterparts in the girls’ home country and they are waiting for them, ready to re-traffic them.”
Listening to the caregiver’s first-hand account of the trauma these young girls live through is chilling. “One girl told us that she was not given a rest even when she was menstruating. She had to insert a sponge into her vagina and continue to have sex.”
“How do you begin to understand what they have been through? A young girl from India kept talking about worms crawling in her body, for she felt dirty and tainted. No matter how much she scrubbed her body, she was unable to see herself as clean.
“Many have nightmares, they wake up screaming and some have been so used to waking up in the middle of the night to put on their make-up and get into their work clothes because of habit.”
Their scars run deep like the veins that course through their bodies. The violation of their body and mind is vicious, cruel and often irreparable. These are children who should be singing nursery rhymes and playing in the rain, watching movies or hanging out with friends.
They have families and dreams, and sometimes their biggest regret is to have dreamt to break free from poverty and abuse. But their yellow brick road was fraught with danger, agony and misery. We must listen to the stories they tell and not turn the page until we have done something to help them turn their lives around.

Warkah di ambang maut: Saya dan hidup saya

Yong Vui Kong rakyat Malaysia berasal dari Sabah sedang merengkuk di penjara Singapura. Beliau menunggu hukuman bunuh ke atasnya dilaksanakan kerana kesalahan mengedar dadah.

Malaysiakini akan menyiarkan surat-surat terakhir Yong sepanjang 12 minggu ini kepada Yetian, seorang anggota kempen Selamatkan Vui Kong pada saat-saat beliau menghadapi kematian.

Yetian,

Yun Leong membawa surat awak apabila dia melawat saya pada hari Isnin. Katanya, surat pertama telah disiarkan.

Terima kasih dan terima kasih juga kepada mereka yang tidak saya kenali tetapi sudi membantu saya. Terima kasih juga kepada mereka yang membaca surat saya. Saya berharap lebih ramai dapat membacanya. In sahaja cara yang dapat saya berhubung dengan dunia luar.

Yetian, awak kata hidup ini amat berharga.

Bagi saya, hidup atau nyawa adalah perkara terpenting dalam dunia. Banyak benda lain yang amat berharga bagi diri saya. Malah jika awak mempunyai wang yang banyak ataupun memiliki harta kebendaan yang tidak terkira, awak cuma mempunyai satu nyawa.

Pada masa lalu, saya tidak menghargai kehidupan saya. Kemudian, baru saya sedari mereka yang tidak menghormati kehidupan mereka sendiri tidak boleh mengharapkan orang lain bagi menghormati mereka.

Selepas mendekati ajaran Buddha, baru saya sedar saya mempunyai tanggungjawab dalam kehidupan ini.

Saya menyaksikan seorang demi seorang tahanan hilang nyawa mereka kerana mereka jahil ataupun dengan senang terpedaya. Saya sedari saya juga akan menjadi seperti mereka. Justeru, saya ingin menggunakan sisa hidup ini untuk menceritakan kisah saya kepada orang ramai.

Saya ingin gunakan falsafah Buddha untuk beritahu orang ramai supaya tidak melakukan kesalahan dan tidak tercampak menunggu hukuman mati seperti saya kerana kesalahan dadah. Saya ingin nasihatkan awak supaya jangan mengambil dadah kerana ia menjahanamkan kehidupan.

Mengimbas kembali hari Yun Leong datang melawat saya di pusat tahanan, saya menangis seperti anak kecil. Saya begitu takut. Tangan dan kaki saya menggeletar semasa saya menangis teresak-esak dan saya sedari segala keberanian dan ketabahan selama ini ranap begitu sahaja.

Saya takut menghadapi kematian. Saya tidak tahu apa yang akan berlaku kepada saya selepas mati.

[Baca surat penuh]

YONG VUI KONG, dijatuhkan hukuman mati pada November 2009 kerana mengedar dadah. Beliau hanya berusia 19 tahun. Pada 4 April lalu, beliau gagal dalam rayuan terakhirnya bagi mengelakkan hukuman mati mandatori.

Dia akan digantung dalam tempoh tiga bulan kecuali diberikan pengampunan oleh presiden Singapura.

Liwat II: Anwar ulangi ia konspirasi politik

(Malaysiakini) Ketua pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tetap mempertahankan dakwaannya bahawa kes liwat II yang sedang berlangsung adalah satu konspirasi politik bagi memuaskan kehendak Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak dan isterinya Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

Tiada asas bagi pihak pendakwaan untuk meneruskan kes, kata Anwar kecuali bagi memuaskan kehendak tuan politik mereka.

“Kita tahu sistem pornografi Umno, Datuk Seri Najib akan terus guna ini utk mencela kita seolah-olah beliau dan isterinya Rosmah dan yang lain adalah orang yang baik-baik, kekuatannya adalah tunjukkan moral Anwar kurang baik... mereka akan menang.

“Saya nak jelaskan sedikit bahwa ini fitnah jahat ... awal kita nafikan dan Peguam Negara Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail dan (Peguam Cara Negara II) Datuk Yusof (Zainal) diperalatkan sekadar kuatkan hujah.

Menurut Anwar lagi, media arus perdana yang dikawal oleh Umno berdendam dengannya dan berulangkali melaporkan sperma dan air seperti yang diperkatakan oleh Yusof di mahkamah bagi memuaskan tuan politik mereka.

Dalam mengemukakan bukti di mahkamah, pihak pendakwaan berkata air mani dan sperma dijumpai oleh ahli kimia.

“Terbukti mani yang dikatakan 97 jam yang diambil itu tidak (disimpan) dalam freezer dan dlm mana dokumen sains mengatakan ia tidak boleh bertahan. Jadi ini jadi isu politik murahan yang jelas dalam keterangan mahkamah,” kata Anwar.

Sabah Gerakan: ‘LDP not welcome in BN anymore’

Chinese-dominated Liberal Democratic Party, Sabah Barisan Nasional's oldest ally stands at a crossroad facing calls from its rivals within the coalition to quit following its public criticism of Chief Minister Musa Aman.

KOTA KINABALU: An all out war has been declared within the Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition under Chief Minister Musa Aman against the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Gerakan Sabah is the latest BN coalition partner to have joined in the LDP-bashing spree following the senior coalition party’s outspoken criticism of the chief minister who is also the state BN chairman.

Gerakan Sabah chairman Gordon Leong urged Musa to seriously consider issuing a showcause letter and to take necessary disciplinary action against LDP for disrespect.

Leong in a statement issued here today said its fellow BN coalition member was undermining the integrity and stability of the State leadership.

Describing LDP’s criticism as “uncalled for childish behaviour that reflects their political immaturity and such an attitude is misleading the public,” he said LDP was not welcome in the BN any longer.

“Their constant uncalled for public outcries contradict themselves by not respecting our PM’s decision and strong support of the State BN leadership of Sabah, in particular Musa Haji Aman,” said Leong.

He rubbished the LDP leadership’s claim that they have been sidelined by the State BN leadership despite being a long standing component party of BN.

Leong pointed out that after the shock resignation of former LDP president Chong Kah Kiat as the Minister of Tourism and Environment,one of its leaders Liew Yun Fah was made the Minister of Youth and Sports only to be dropped by the LDP leadership at the following general election who later revoked of his membership.

Public outburst

He said after the 12th General Election, Peter Pang was appointed Minister of Youth and Sports and later appointed Deputy Chief Minister following the departure of SAPP from BN, while Pang Yuk Ming was appointed Assistant Minister of Infrastructure Development.

“Unfortunately, last September Pang quit LDP as he could not agree with the party’s public outburst that it could not work with the Chief Minister.

“Hence, no prize for answering the question “Who sidelined who?”.

“LDP should know full well that they cannot have their cake and eat it. One cannot help wondering if LDP is with the opposition or with BN.
“We are especially puzzled when the DAP Sabah chairman Jimmy Wong voiced its support for LDP’s stand,” he added.
He suggested the LDP leadership should consider quitting the coalition if they really can no longer commit to the political struggles of BN.
“They should be brave enough to take the next course of action, which is to quit the coalition to prove that they can get and enjoy the support of the people,” he said.

“LDP should not cry foul and be a sour grape simply because their opinion differs from that the majority of the other BN component parties.

“After all we live in a democratic country. Let us be reminded that there is no room for personal grudges within the BN.

“The BN component parties should instead close ranks and concentrate on how to serve the rakyat diligently under the umbrella of BN so as to guarantee a landslide victory for BN in the coming general election,” he added.

Leong poured praise on Musa, who has favoured the peninsula-based party with key appointments in his cabinet, and said Gerakan would “continue to give its fullest unequivocal support for his capable and able leadership”.

Orang Asli suing Kelantan government over land dispute

The Orang Asli of Pos Belatim in Gua Musang is seeking legal action to stop the Kelantan government from contracting out their land to a private corporation for development purposes.

PETALING JAYA: The Orang Asli of Pos Belatim in Gua Musang is seeking a court order to stop the Kelantan government from carrying out a project on their land.

The Centre for Orang Asli Concerns said in a statement that the Kota Baru High Court will hear an application for a judicial review sought by the Orang Asli today.

The Temiar-Orang Asli recently discovered that their traditional lands have been contracted out by the Kelantan government to be developed by a private company as an oil palm plantation on a 99-year lease.

Such a practice is already widespread in Kelantan as part of the state’s effort at land reform and agricultural development under the Ladang Rakyat concept, the statement said.

The majority of the Orang Asli in Kelantan, however, do not agree with this project as it means they will lose much of their land and even of their identity.

According to the statement, the Temiars of Pos Belatim are seeking, among other declarations, a certiorari order from the court to stop the Kelantan government from carrying out the project and from giving their land to the private corporation.

Representatives from the community are travelling from their interior homeland and will be in court today.

My exchanges of e-mails with Kee Thuan Chye

If the opposition is not capable of winning the elections, then that is their failure. If the voters are confused with what I say, then the opposition has failed to do a good job. And if what I say and a simple TV3 interview can cause the opposition to lose the election, then this means the opposition is so weak it does not deserve to win.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin
From: Fugitive Blogger
To: Kee Thuan Chye
Date: Wednesday, April 20, 2011, 12:10 PM

She has forwarded your message about my ‘serious loss of credibility’.

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

From: Kee Thuan Chye
To: Fugitive Blogger
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2011 08:14:33 -0700 (PDT)

I was hoping you would be responding to it through this e-mail. A lot of people have been asking me if you have done a U-turn and I cannot answer them. Not even after the reports of your "clearing the air".

The people who used to support you are confused. And they don't seem convinced by your explanations. Some of them are really saddened by it all.

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

From: Fugitive Blogger
To: Kee Thuan Chye
Date: Monday, April 25, 2011, 5:24 PM

Define 'U-turn'.

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

From: Kee Thuan Chye
To: Fugitive Blogger
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2011 05:40:25 -0700 (PDT)

I don't want to get into a semantic argument over this. It is what people who followed you have said to me. They feel let down. They think you have done Najib and Rosmah a favour. And what you said helped the BN cause, especially the negative things about Anwar. One just SMSed me to say he's lost confidence in you. I can't convince them otherwise. I don't know how you can win them back.

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

From: Fugitive Blogger
To: Kee Thuan Chye
Date: Tuesday, April 26, 2011, 12:50 PM

I'm not going to bother to 'win anyone back'. I am not trying to win a popularity contest. I am not running for office or contesting the elections. If they are unhappy with me that’s their problem, not mine.

What, these people are paying for my food or what? I'm employed by them that I must take orders from them or what? No one owns me. I do what I want. They don't like it, tough.

Do I sound arrogant? I hope so. Arrogant is my middle name. Kamunting can tell you that. Sungai Buloh Prison can tell you that. Bukit Aman can tell you that. They hate my guts and that makes my day.

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

From: Kee Thuan Chye
To: Fugitive Blogger
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2011 06:22:11 -0700 (PDT)

Yeah, but your voice is needed to bring about the change at the next GE. And they need to believe you when they hear you. They need you to provide leadership in opinion. They're feeling lost now.

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

From: Fugitive Blogger
To: Kee Thuan Chye
Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:15:27 +0000

I thought that this was a job for the political parties. My job is to tell the truth. It’s the political parties who have to win the elections, not me.

The opposition does not need and does not desire 'my voice’, as you have put it. They just need me to help them win the elections, by hook or by crook.

That is not my job. If the opposition is not capable of winning the elections, then that is their failure. If the voters are confused with what I say, then the opposition has failed to do a good job. And if what I say and a simple TV3 interview can cause the opposition to lose the election, then this means the opposition is so weak it does not deserve to win.

Syria extends military crackdown

Syria has sent more troops to the southern town of Deraa where activists say a deadly crackdown against pro-democracy protesters has entered a second day.

The developments in the volatile city, near the border with Jordan, come despite mounting international pressure on Bashar al-Assad's government to end the violence.

Security forces have shot dead 400 civilians since mid-March, Sawasiah, a Syrian human rights organisation, said on Tuesday. Up to 500 people had been arrested in the last two days, it said.

"We've been listening to live ammunition. Some snipers are working as well, but we don't know from where," a resident of Deraa told Al Jazeera on Tuesday.

"The snipers are on all the roofs. I'm now on my stomach, on the ground - I am really in a panicked situation. The city is quite in danger."

Al Jazeera's Rula Amin, reporting from Damascus, said the government has reiterated that the troops are in Deraa to protect residents.

"What we are hearing from activists in Damascus is fear and concern that what the government is trying to do is crush the protests to create fear among people to stay at home," she said.

"Then [the government will] come up with its own plan of reforms, but people won't be able to stand up and defy these reforms. That is how the government wants to move forward."

The Syrian government insists the army was invited in to rid Deraa of armed men.

But witnesses said soldiers began opening fire on civilians indiscriminately after arriving, sparking panic in the streets.

Activist's account

Abdullah Abazid, an activist in Deraa, told the AFP news agency: "New army troops and security reinforcements have entered Deraa and a tank was deployed in the central Kaziat al-Balad square."

He said troops were firing on residents and a mosque and had laid siege to the home of Deraa's chief religious leader, Mufti Rizk Abdulrahman Abazid, who quit last week in protest at the crackdown.

"The bullets continue against the people, but we are resisting," he said.

Abdullah Abazid said the shooting continued well into the afternoon. The Abu Bakr Assidiq mosque, schools and reservoirs were hit and shops looted, he said.

He said "tanks and roadblocks are deployed at the entrance to the town", preventing anyone from entering.

Residents complained that water and electricity had been cut throughout Deraa since dawn on Monday, when 3,000-5,000 government troops backed by tanks and snipers rolled in.

Verifying information on the military operation in Deraa has become extremely difficult after what appears to be the deliberate jamming of mobile phone signals across large parts of the city and the cutting of landlines and internet access.

Neither Syrian nor Jordanian mobile phone numbers have been reachable in most parts of Deraa since Monday.

Sawasiah, the Syrian rights group, said on Tuesday it had received reports that at least 20 people had been killed in Deraa.

"Witnesses managed to tell us that at least 20 civilians have been killed in Deraa, but we do not have their names and we cannot verify," a Sawasiah official told Reuters.

Douma and Baniyas crackdown

The group said that two more civilians were confirmed dead after government forces entered Douma, a suburb of the capital, Damascus.

A huge crackdown began on Monday in Douma and nearby al-Maadamiyeh, according to activists and residents reached by telephone.

By Tuesday afternoon Douma had become a "ghost town and the presence of security forces decreased", one resident told the AFP news agency.

A witness said three doctors were arrested from Douma's Hamdan hospital and security forces made patients leave the facility, even those in intensive care.

Another massive demonstration took place on Tuesday afternoon in Baniyas, an oil-refining port on Syria's Mediterranean coast, in defiance of a reported military build-up around the city.

A protest organiser said up to 5,000 people began the demonstration at about 5pm, which quickly grew to an estimated 10,000, chanting "With our soul and blood we sacrifice to Daraa" and "The people want to topple the regime."

In a riposte to government claims that the protests are sectarian in nature, the demonstrators chanted: "Syrian people are one, no sectarian division."

"This is not a sectarian movement," said the protest organiser. "I know officers in the army from different sects who refuse to shoot at protesters and are being executed. I have spoken to soldiers who told me that they will not open fire and that they will run away when the time is right."

A second protest leader said security forces had deployed on Tuesday in the hills around Baniyas in preparation for a possible attack to crush the popular uprising there.

"Forces wearing black and carrying AK-47s deployed today in the hills. Armoured personnel carriers passed by the highway adjacent to Baniyas at night," Anas al-Shaghri told Reuters from the city.

"We are expecting an attack any moment. We will receive them at the gates with our bare chests."

The first protest leader told Al Jazeera he had taken count of between 35 to 40 tanks stationed around Baniyas.

"I don't think the army will enter Baniyas like they did in Deraa because there is an oil refinery which they could hit," he said. For activists like himself and al-Shaghri, he said, the effort to bring down the Syrian government had become a zero-sum game.

"Before we knew that when they arrested people they would put them in prison. Now when they arrest people, we never see them again." he said.

Dissident arrested

In addition to blocking phone signals, authorities referred Mahmud Issa, a prominent dissident, to military court for owning a satellite phone, a week after his arrest and an interview he gave to Al Jazeera, according to a leading activist.

"Mahmud Issa will be tried by a military court for owning a Thuraya phone and a high-tech computer," Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Syrian rights group, said.

Issa was twice jailed in Syria for a total of 11 years.

Abdel Rahman said another activist, Qassem Azzawi, was arrested on Tuesday for taking part in an anti-government protest last week, and that 43 people were rounded up since Monday in raids across the country while 11 others were freed on Tuesday.

Wissam Tarif, director of the Insan human rights organisation, told Al Jazeera on Tuesday that his website has been left hacked into and more than 2,000 spam messages left on it, effectively crippling the site.

Tarif said his Facebook and Twitter accounts had also been hacked into and hundreds of threatening and abusive messages left.

"The messages said that I am history, that they will kill me and they want to drink my blood," he said. "They also seem to have a big problem with my mother and other members of my family."

Hacking into activists' social media accounts using "phishing" operations has been a tactic other governments in the region have used to try to prevent news of uprisings in their own countries from reaching the outside world.

Last week Assad lifted Syria's 48-year state of emergency and abolished a hated state security court. But the next day 100 people were killed during protests across the country.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Perkasa recruits Rela members, forms special unit

There is concern that members recruited by lobby groups will not reflect the broad membership envisioned by the People's Volunteer Corps, and may form its de facto para-military groups.

Perkasa has moved to take a wider role in its political struggle by forming a subgroup within the People's Volunteer Corps (Rela) that is exclusively for its members.

Perkasa coordinator, Zainuddin Salleh, revealed to Komunitikini that a Rela subgroup called 'Briged Setia Negara' had been established by Selangor Perkasa chief Abdullah Mansor in December last year.

“An approval was granted by the Home Ministry in December last year for the establishment of the brigade," claimed Zainuddin. "The brigade is formed exclusively for Selangor Perkasa members.”

He said those who join Perkasa will be offered the option to enrol in Briged Setia Negara.

A screenshot (right) of Selangor Perkasa's website shows that the brigade was announced to its members at a recent event.

The brigade, according to him, is no different from Rela's other units except in its membership condition.

“The uniform and duties given are still the same,” he added.

Asked if an Umno member who is not a Perkasa member is allowed to join the brigade, Zainuddin said such a person should join Rela directly.

A check on the Selangor Perkasa website confirmed that Perkasa has conducted a briefing on the said brigade during a recent event, with Perkasa's Abdullah dressed in Rela uniform.

For full story, please visit KomunitiKini. 

Barat Maniam’s office torched

The recently reinstated veteran alleges arson attack was the work of disgruntled MIC youth leader T Mohan.

PETALING JAYA: MIC Petaling Jaya Selatan division chief V Subramaniam’s service centre at PJS 1was badly damaged by a fire believed to have been caused by arsonists.

Subramaniam, better known as Barat Maniam, said he received a call from the police at 6.30am this morning about the incident.

Maniam, who is currently in India, said: “Police suspect the incident happened about 4am this morning. The padlocks on the main gate on the ground floor were cut by some persons.

“They then made their way up to my office on the first floor and lit up several tyres near the main door.”
Asked if he suspected anyone, Subramaniam alleged that MIC Youth leader T Mohan was behind the attack.
“And I’m sure some members from MIC Petaling Utama played a part in this as well,” claimed Maniam, who said he had also received death threats via his phone last Friday.

Subramaniam said that Mohan and his faction were unhappy with him over the fact that he had supported party president G Palanivel’s move to reinstate former MIC members into the party.

“Mohan’s faction is unhappy that we are bringing back former members into the fold. Some of the Youth wing members are trying to be gangsters,” he said.

I’ll sue him, says Mohan


Contacted later, Mohan rubbished Maniam’s allegation. “I feel sorry for him. I have no vendetta against this person, and even if I did, I will take him on directly and not go behind his back and set his office on fire.

“There is a political game going on, and this is probably part of their strategy, I don’t know. The bottom line is, I will not do something so stupid,” said Mohan.

Asked if he would consider taking legal action against Subramaniam, the MIC Youth chief said since he was implicated, replied: “Of course.”

“This is too much, he must prove his allegation. Even if someone sets my office on fire, and if I suspect an individual, I will not name him without having sound proof,” he said.

A check by FMT revealed the reception area of the first floor and its surroundings were badly damaged. However, two rooms near the main window of the first floor were slightly damaged.

An office-bearer of the PJ division, who claimed anonymity, said a tenant living on the second floor called the fire department after noticing smoke billowing from below.

He also said the CCTV on the ground floor had captured the entire incident despite the arsonists’ attempt to destroy the camera.

Subramaniam was reinstated by Palanivel in February after being sacked by former party president S Samy Vellu last year for tarnishing the party image.

Ku Li Made Second Attempt to Become Prime Minister?

Najib knows how to play his cards. He knew if Dr Mahathir was to endorse Ku Li, he will be left high and dry by the Umno veterans. It’s like playing chess – if you moved the wrong pawn, you will forfeit your territory, in this case, your post.


by Haider Yutim, Malaysian Digest   

Blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin finally came out from ‘solitude’ after two years of hiding away from controversy but only to create more controversy. It was an interview he did with TV3 about two months ago that was ‘conveniently’ released on April 13 and 14 (a couple of days shy of the Sarawak polls) by the TV station that enlightened (or confused) Malaysians on the whole statutory declaration episode in 2008.

In the interview that was aired on Buletin Utama, he pretty much said he did not make allegations against the prime minister and his wife, linking them to the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu. He said that it was a military intelligence personnel called ‘Bul’ (Nik Azmi Nik Daud) who had told him of the alleged involvement of Najib Razak and Rosmah Mansor in June 2008, and the SD only mentioned that the allegations should be investigated. He pretty much gave the impression that he was played out by some military intelligence personnel and that he was somehow entangled in a political undertaking of those from the higher echelon who, at that time, was attempting to prevent Najib from succeeding Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as prime minister. He even dropped more than several names and among those he mentioned were bloggers Din Merican, Adlan Benan Omar, Rafizi Ramli, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s aide John Pang and Tengku Razaleigh himself. Yes, he alluded that it was the Kelantanese prince and former finance minister better known as Ku Li who could have been partly or entirely behind the “exercise” to impede Najib from becoming premier so that

“The whole objective of this exercise was to block Najib Tun Razak from taking over as Prime Minister. If Abdullah Ahmad Badawi can be forced to resign, and if Najib can be blocked from taking over, then Tengku Razaleigh could become the next prime minister,” wrote Raja Petra in his portal Malaysia Today.

The Great Political Tsunami


Rewind back to 2008, the year of the historical political tsunami of the 12th General Election (GE12). Compared to its record win in GE11, GE12 was a big boo-boo for Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN). Pak Lah, as BN chairman and prime minister had no choice but to take the blame for party’s dismal performance then. If Pak Lah did not step down soon enough after losing two-thirds majority, Malaysians would have been compelled to tell him to do so. But the problem was, at that time, there was no one in his new cabinet who is capable of inspiring a comeback from the slough of desponds the party had fallen into. The ruling party was in dire need of a leader who can restore people’s confidence towards BN or it could risk falling in a downward spiral.

The ‘Chosen’ One

At that time (2008) Ku Li was viewed as a vehement politician. Strong and noble, he was and still is the opposite of Pak Lah. He is a blue-blooded Umno man has the desire to take over the presidency of the party and he nearly did when he challenged Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1987 (Dr Mahathir won by a margin of 43 votes). Umno’s poor show in GE12th was a window of opportunity for Ku Li to shine. He has been waiting for so long and now was the time for him to take the power back. At that time many Malaysians felt that Ku Li was outspoken enough to ask Pak Lah to quit or be voted out in the next Umno Supreme Council election that was to be held at the end of 2008.

The reentry of former premier Dr Mahathir into Umno created a lot of buzz among the Umno members at that time. The discontented Umno grassroots were rejoicing at the exciting possibilities Dr Mahathir could bring to the party. However, on the other hand, certain sections within the powers that be are recoiling in abject horror. The likeliest candidate that could provide the highest chance of success then was none other than Ku Li. Many did not foresee this potential turning of event.

And then, it all started – the ongoing rumors on who’s backing who and who will come out a winner. Another rumor was Pak Lah was said to have approached Najib and offered him the presidency in June 2009. But the offer came with a condition. Najib must help him win the Umno general election in December. Najib knows how to play his cards. He knew if Dr Mahathir was to endorse Ku Li, he will be left high and dry by the Umno veterans. It’s like playing chess – if you moved the wrong pawn, you will forfeit your territory, in this case, your post.

At that point of uncertainty, the Opposition wanted Pak Lah to stay at the top as Pak Lah was the weakest link in BN. Muhyiddin Yassin had announced that he had successfully requested Dr Mahathir to rejoin Umno who subsequently endorse Ku Li as a potential candidate for the party’s presidency and this didn’t sit too well with the Opposition. This is because Dr Mahathir was endorsing the likeliest candidate to topple Pak Lah.

The Opposition leaders didn’t want any changes at all in Umno as they wanted Pak Lah to remain as leader of Umno-BN. But there was no way the party could evade changes after a disastrous aftermath of GE12. The opposition had foreseen this and they are willing and ready to accept the challenge of going toe-to-toe against a leader by the likes of Ku Li at the helm of Umno/BN/government. This reason the Opposition holds such notion is because they were convinced that Najib was going to give them a tougher fight in the many battles to come.

‘Politricks’ and the Struggle for Power


Political gossips are fun and talking about who can or would challenge the current leaderships and who will prevail from it is always exciting. But, in 2008, it's already pretty clear that, barring an unlikely government crackdown, the transition of power will somehow take place peacefully. The only question is when. Will it be from Pak Lah to Ku Li or to Pakatan or will it be from Pak Lah to Najib or to Pakatan?
The Opposition knew their wish wouldn’t come true. The Prime Minister’s office was ready to welcome Najib. So the numerous scandals and cases linked to Najib were nothing but frail attempts to bring him down to his knees. These are all a dirty politics deployed by Najib’s rivals to topple him. As for Ku Li, I guess the aspiring prime minister has to wait for yet another window of opportunity.

RPK Statement Must Include In Investigation Paper, Says Ghani Patail

(Bernama) -- Police probing blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin must include a statement from him in their investigation papers, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Patail said today.

He was responding to reporters asking him to comment on the investigation on Raja Petra Kamarudin, also known as RPK, who allegedly gave false information on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

"I do not know yet what the investigation is exactly about. I can only comment after police hand over the investigation papers," he told reporters here.

In any case, a statement from Raja Petra must be included in the papers since he was the subject of the investigation, Abdul Ghani said.

Bernama reported yesterday that RPK was being investigated under Section 203 of the Penal Code for allegedly giving false information in connection with his statutory declaration linking Najib and Rosmah to the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibu four years ago.

Raja Petra has since denied implicating Najib and his wife in the murder.

Meanwhile, police said that they had not taken any statement from RPK although they met him in Bangkok recently.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Datuk Kalid Abu Bakar said that police officers met RPK at the hotel where he was staying.

He said that his men could only interview Malaysians within the embassy.

They were thus constrained and the meeting with Raja Petra was "ordinary".

"At the time, RPK agreed to come to the embassy another day to give a statement," he told reporters.

He said that Raja Petra was at first willing to cooperate with the police but "suddenly changed his mind for one reason or another," he said.

"We are still discussing with RPK for him to give an explanation on the case."

Oh yeah? Wait till I drag up your shit!

Okay, I tell you what, ask Chua Jui Meng to bring forward witnesses to testify that I have been bought and I will also bring forward witnesses to testify that he tried to extort money from Pfizer and that when they would not pay him he attacked Viagra.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin
At the PKR 11th anniversary dinner on Tuesday (April 19) in Ipoh, party vice president Chua Jui Meng alleged that Raja Petra Kamarudin had been bought. Chua said that money could do wonders as indicated by the recent Sarawak election result.

That was what was reported in Lim Kit Siang’s Blog in an article entitled ‘Behind the scenes of Raja Petra’s TV3 interview’.

The article was actually written by Koon Yew Yin and initially published in CPI Asia (READ MORE HERE: http://english.cpiasia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2167&catid=211&Itemid=193)

Hmm…it looks like the Chinakui are ganging up on me. Okay, Chua Jui Meng said that money could do wonders. So let’s talk about what wonders money can do. First, read the news item below from The Straits Times of Singapore of 6th November 2001:

Malaysians 'don't hold the Viagra record'

Pfizer rejects the reported claim by Health Minister Chua Jui Meng and says Malaysia is not even in the top-20 list

KUALA LUMPUR - The makers of Viagra yesterday rejected a statement by the Malaysian Health Minister that Malaysians take more Viagra per capita than any other men.

Pfizer Malaysia's managing director Radzmi Rahmat said Malaysia was not even in the top 20 countries of Viagra users.

'We are not aware of any such study to point out that Malaysia is the highest consuming country of Viagra on a per capita basis,' he said.

On Sunday, Health Minister Chua Jui Meng had reportedly said that Malaysian men are the world's largest consumers of Viagra on a per capita basis.

He said the finding was 'a cause for concern and not a cause for celebration'.

He also said that Hospital Kuala Lumpur's Institute of Urology had recently carried out a study in Perlis on the high incidence of erectile dysfunction (ED) among rural men.

However, Mr Radzmi said Pfizer had not conducted any study showing that Malaysians were among the biggest users of Viagra.

Referring to the ED prevalence in Perlis he said: 'There is also no evidence to suggest that Perlis is a big buyer of Viagra; and these patients had not resorted to Viagra, according to their sales report.'

In the study by the Institute of Urology, 70 per cent of the 743 men surveyed had ED with 36.6 per cent having clinical enlargement of the prostate and two thirds suffering from symptoms such as frequent and difficult urinating.

Mr Radzmi also referred to a 1997 survey in the Klang Valley which discovered that there were about 1.6 million men suffering from ED. Forty per cent of the cases were mild while 20 per cent were severe.

'Not all these people are using Viagra or have been prescribed the drug,' he said.

'According to our records from doctors, only about 40,000 Malaysian men use Viagra on a regular basis since it was made available two years ago.'

He estimated that ED sufferers used one pill once a week.

Dr Tan Hui Meng, chairman of the Malaysian Erectile Dysfunction Association Council for Training (Medact), said past surveys showed that ED was a serious problem among Malaysians.

'The root cause of the high incidence of erectile dysfunction among Malaysian men needs to be studied further towards improving men's health.

'There is a need to further carry out research and studies on the high incidence of ED among Malaysians. We need to find out why Malaysian men suffer from ED,' he added.

Dr Tan said it was difficult to assume that Malaysians demanded more Viagra because they had several sexual partners in the form of more than one wife, mistress or girlfriend.

'Another study on the sociological implications for the demand of Viagra has to be studied,' he said.

'It is difficult to make assumptions as it could distort facts and only a properly conducted survey could be conclusive.'

Dr Tan, who is also the chairman for the Asia-Pacific Council of Ageing Male, said that the abuse of Viagra was not significant because men also did not want to endanger their health.

Viagra, he said, was the harbinger.

Those who sought Viagra were found to have other disease when examined.

In a study on the ageing male, it was discovered that those seeking Viagra had other diseases such as diabetes, blocked blood vessels and high cholesterol, said Dr Tan. -- The Star/ Asia News Network

Now, why is Chua Jui Meng so against Viagra and Pfizer? Simple, he wanted them to pay him a handsome commission and they told him to go fuck himself. So he retaliated as what The Straits Times of Singapore news item above shows.
“Now, now, now, Raja Petra,” you may say. “How can you make an allegation like that without any witnesses?”

Oh, sorry, I did not realise that witnesses are required.

Okay, I tell you what, ask Chua Jui Meng to bring forward witnesses to testify that I have been bought and I will also bring forward witnesses to testify that he tried to extort money from Pfizer and that when they would not pay him he attacked Viagra.

Hah! I just love this. So, Mister ex-Health Minister, how about it? Want to play? Let’s play!
Mampuslah PKR! Macam ni lingkuplah! Mantan Menteri Barisan Nasional Bapak Rasuah jadi pemimpin parti. Macam mana nak hapuskan rausah macam ni?

Ibans storm SUPP office asking ‘election reward’

Malaysiakini

More than 100 Ibans stormed the Sibu headquarters of the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) yesterday, demanding the balance of RM400 a person as their reward promised for backing a party candidate who won in the recent state election, an election watchdog has revealed.

Sibu Election Watch (SEW) in a press statement released in the Sarawak town late yesterday evening said the Ibans were upset that they did not get the “balance”, despite being promised by SUPP election agents as well as the tuai rumah (longhouse headman) before polling day.

The incident was first reported by the web portal Sarawak Indigenous Community News and tweeted by DAP Sarawak chairman and Bukit Assek assemblyperson Wong Ho Leng (left), who was present at the site yesterday.

Soon after the news broke out, SEW sent two representatives to the Sibu SUPP headquarters to check out the situation.

Its probe, SEW said, showed that the Ibans were promised an upfront payment of RM100 before voting day on April 16 and if the SUPP candidate won, they would each be paid another RM400 after the election.

SEW said its representatives have witnessed Ibans from at least two longhouses being paid the “balance” of RM400 each.

The election watch said the Ibans were from Rumah Chandi, Rumah Pasang and Rumah Ujang.

When the SEW representatives were leaving the scene, it said, only the residents from Rumah Chandi and Rumah Pasang had collected the money from SUPP.

“One of the residents from Rumah Chandi even distributed a stack of RM100 bills to the longhouse folk holding their identity cards in front of us,” SEW said.

Quarrel with tuai rumah

SEW said it interviewed one Iban voter from Rumah Ujang, who revealed that the Iban folk had a quarrel with their tuai rumah for not getting their RM400 even a week after polling day.

“However, the tuai rumah hit back that some people had voted for DAP and did not deserve to get the RM400 balance,” said the young Iban man SEW quoted in its press statement.

However, he blamed the tuai rumah for being unfair, since the BN had no way of proving which person did not vote for BN in the election.

SEW said another Iban man, who only wanted to be known as “Robin”, gave them a letter and expressed the residents’ anger against their tuai rumah, Mador Anak Rendah.

In the letter signed by ‘Disgruntled Voters’, the Sg Rasau voters said they felt deep regret that BN and SUPP failed to deliver their election promises.

“During the election eve, we were given RM100 each voter and later promised RM400 if the candidate wins in the election,” reads the letter.

However, when approached by SEW and Wong, these Iban voters refused to lodge police reports on the matter.

The reason they gave was “no point doing so”, since the police did not take any action despite some police reports lodged before.

BN retained its power in Sarawak in the April 16 state election with a two-thirds majority, while the opposition increased its seats from seven to 15. The Sarawak legislature has 71 seats.

ADUN BN MENCARUT KETIKA PERBAHASAN TITAH DIRAJA

By Chegu Bard

Hari ini 26 April 2011, sesi perbahasan titah DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Besar N.Sembilan telah dicemarkan dengan tindakan seorang ADUN BN bergelar Datuk yang bangun menjerit dan mencarut dengan melaungkan perkataan "PUNDEK"

Ini berlaku ketika YB Teo Kok Seong (DAP-Bahau) sedang membahaskan titah Di Raja. Gagal berhujah Adun Bn-Sungai Lui Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad bangun mencelah dan menjerit perkataan lucah yang membawa maksud 'alat sulit wanita dalam bahasa Tamil'.

Apabila diminta diambil tindakan oleh speaker yang juga seorang ADUN Bn dengan selamba mengatakan yang dia tidak dengar apa-apa perkataan lucah yang dijeritkan ADUN Sungai Lui sedangkan satu dewan mendengar jeritan carutan itu termasuk wartawan dan semua yang hadir dalam mengikuti persidangan pagi tadi.

Ini bukan kali pertama Zainal menimbulkan kekecohan dalam dewan kerana mencarut, tahun lepas dia juga melakukan benda yang sama dengan bangkit dan mencarut menggunakan perkataan tamil kepada salah seorang ADUN dalam berbangsa India.

Ini semua membuktikan

• ADUN Bn Negeri Sembilan derhaka terhadap DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Prtuan Besar N.Sembilan kerana mencarut dan mempermainkan perbahasan titah di Raja dalam dewan yang mulia.
• ADUN Bn gagal berhujah dengan baik sebaliknya membazirkan masa dan wang rakyat melalui persidangan dewan dengan mencarut, tidak serius dan speaker dewan juga tidak mampu mengendalikan sidang dengan berkesan.
• ADUN Bn bukan sekali mencarut dengan menyebut alat sulit wanita dalam bahasa India, jelas ADUN Bn tidak sensitif dan menghina wanita lebih lagi secara sengaja mencarut dengan menyebut alat sulit wanita dalam bahasa Tamil dalam dewan yang mulia dan dilindungi dari tindakan boleh dilihat dengan sengaja menghina orang India. Tindakan ini dilihat disengajakan untuk menghina orang India, jika tidak sengaja termencarut tidak mungkin dengan senagaj guna perkataan Tamil yang jelas bukan bahasa ibundanya.

Selaku anak muda dan warga Negeri Sembilan saya merasa amat sedih dan kali ini merasakan benar - benar ADUN Bn sudah melampau dan mempermainkan rakyat.

Saya juga melalui Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) merafak sembah agar DYMM Yang Di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir dapat mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap penghinaan dewan khususnya ketika membahaskan titah di Raja.

Ini membuktikan juga kemunafikan Umno, media dan organisasi kononya pembela raja dan Melayu. Jika kejadian seperti ini berlaku di negeri bukan diterajui Bn sudah tentu heboh dan kecoh, tetapi oleh kerana ia negeri dibawah cengkaman Bn maka ia ditutup sahaja. Makin jelasnya sebenarnya mereka hanya bertegas berdasarkan kepentingan politik semata.

In Malay vote, Umno sees path to polls win

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 — Utusan Malaysia’s increasingly strident, pro-Malay tone is a sign the ruling Barisan Nasional’s (BN) senior party has written off support from the Chinese community and is banking on Malay votes to win in the coming 13th general election, said political analysts.

They told The Malaysian Insider today the Malay-language daily’s latest call for a “1 Melayu, 1 Bumi” movement reflects Umno’s — or at least that of an influential portion within the party — decision to return to a tried-and-tested formula that has kept it politically afloat over the years since even before independence.

Political analyst Dr Abu Hassan Hasbullah called the Umno-owned paper’s latest campaign a mark of “neo-conservatism”, which shows it was returning to its pre-independence position as defender of Malay rights because that was the only space open to it.

“This space is being used by Utusan to tell the Malays they still need political strength to protect their rights from being further eroded,” he said.

The Universiti Malaya senior lecturer in media and communications studies observed that even as political parties embraced a more liberal and pluralistic approach to draw voter support, there will always be those who push a singular racial rhetoric, which resounds with the hardcore conservatives.

Abu Hassan noted that since the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact has seized “control” of the plural platform, championing better socio-economic opportunities for all, regardless of racial background, the only avenue open to Umno was the protection of Malay rights, and it was milking it for all it was worth.

Merdeka Center’s Ibrahim Suffian shared the same view.

The director of the independent research house said that the strident pro-Malay tone adopted by Umno and its owned newspaper Utusan Malaysia lately was caused by the loss of the popular vote in the recently-ended Sarawak state election.

He added that the racial formula has been proven to work, time and again, so the leadership likely figured it can pull it again for the next election.

“Perhaps in their calculation, they see it as less likely that Umno and BN can gain much in the next general election, so they’re doing this to mitigate the problem and maximise Malay support,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

“Umno knows it is the party of independence and Malay nationalism, so they’re harping on what they perceive to be their strength,” he said, noting it has been the party’s position since the landmark election in 2008 when a massive wave of Chinese and Indian support deserted the BN.

However, Ibrahim doubted the Malay electorate will be moved by this approach, noting they are have moved on from the mindset of the 1950s and 1960s and are more aware of current issues and politics.

“Nuances matter. The slight variations play a role. It’s now about the quality of the debate. This is where many players, including the opposition politicians, fail,” he said.

“It’s a question of whether the people trust the messenger. In this case, Utusan appears to be a paper trusted by party loyalists,” he said, adding that Umno does not appear to have realised that.

Tony Pua, DAP publicity chief, did not quite share the analysts’ views.

“I don’t think they have written off the Chinese vote entirely,” he said.

“In their mind, they are not thinking about the Chinese vote. They are so fearful that the revolt among the Chinese constituencies is so big it will infect the Malay community,” he explained to The Malaysian Insider.

“What they are doing now is an attempt to protect the Malay votes from being infected, no matter what the cost,” he added.

He also said the DAP has not benefited from Utusan’s shift to a hardcore stand as the opposition party was being dragged into a race debate against its will.

“We are not winning among the community that relies on mainstream media as their source of information... We will definitely have limited gains if GE called this year,” he said, admitting that it will have an uphill battle outside of the urban areas where Internet access is limited by poor broadband infrastructure, which curtails access to alternative views.