Hindraf 'very disappointed' with Pakatan manifesto

Hindraf has expressed “extreme disappointment” with Pakatan Rakyat’s manifesto, saying that it has neglected the interests of the Indian Malaysian community.

“Our disappointment is deep and distressing - caused not so much by what it says, but by what it does not say.

“Pakatan has chosen to completely ignore the needs and interests of the Indian community in the country in its election pledges and, in that one stroke, has said so many things,” said chairperson P Waythamoorthy in a press statement today.

PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim had previously rebutted similar complaints about the manifesto by saying that its promisestranscend racial boundaries.

However, Waythamoorthy pointed out that the manifesto makes promises specific to the Malays, Chinese Malaysians, Orang Asli communities, armed forces veterans, and Felda settlers.

“The provisions there do not seem to transcend racial groups and subgroups. Enough has been said of Pakatan moving away from racial politics, but that is more a statement of their intent than the frame for their policies.

“They have been using this once too often as a cover to ignore the problems of the Indian poor and marginalised,” he said.

Waythamoorthy also lamented that Pakatan has not endorsed Hindraf’s five-year blueprint, which he said offers a “permanent, practical and comprehensive” solution to the problem of marginalised Indians for a “mere” RM4.5 billion a year.

“This sum should be seen as a reinvestment on human capital which would bring about progress and development in the lives of these marginalised people,” he said.

This was despite numerous meetings with Anwar and Pakatan leaders, during which verbal agreement was expressed ‘in principle’ with the demands in the document.

While acknowledging that it is Pakatan’s prerogative whether or not to endorse the blueprint, Waythamoorthy said: “What we are more concerned about is the loss of a historic opportunity to actually get the process of change rolling, if it continues in this vein.”

Indian M'sians are nobody's 'fixed deposit'

ADUN SPEAKS We live in interesting and monumental times. Not a day goes by without some prediction on the outcome of the 13th general election.
As widely acknowledged, premier Najib Abdul Rahman has lost much ground with his dithering and flip-flop actions. He had started out in 2009 with great promise and bravado, telling his audience of the BN’s determination to reverse the losses of 2008.

He would be extremely happy if he scrapes through with a win if elections are called now.

In his desperation, Najib has ‘bought’ every vote he can garner. Some of his latest antics border on the ridiculous.

Beating drums, speaking in Mandarin on radio and wearing a red traditional Chinese costume to convey Chinese New Year greetings, as well as wearning the traditional Indian jippa and exhorting Indian Malaysian voters to have nambikei (trust) in him are most recent examples.

If only someone would give him a good knock on his head and remind him of his job specs as prime minister!

It is not his job to generate ‘likes’ by shaking hands and handing out goodies, as if he were Santa Claus.

At the top of his priorities should be to ensure that the country is managed efficiently, so that citizens enjoy a rising standard of living and in a safe, just and secure environment.

But I digress.

The BN believes that the Indian vote is there for the taking. This was true in the past, particularly, pre-2008. However, the present is a different story. The Indian electorate has wised up.

Despite the claims by MIC, IPF and the PPP that the Indian vote is showing strong signs of returning to the BN fold, it is increasingly clear that the community is weary and feels let down by these parties.

Take, for example, the recent outburst by Vel Paari, MIC strategy director and son of former party president S Samy Vellu, that the MIC is just too intimidated by Umno to speak up for the community.

This is a more accurate description of the pathetic state of the BN parties claiming to represent Indian Malaysians.
Fallacy packaged as strategy

So, why the deception that Indian Malaysians have returned to the BN fold?

It is a fallacy packaged as a strategy to create a herd mentality in BN’s favour. Such a move is also aimed at undecided voters that their lot is better served if they vote for the eventual winner.

It also attempts to convince the ‘not so well informed ones’ that Najib must be doing a good job for so many Indian Malaysians to view BN favourably. It would be the case of a self-fulfilled prophecy.

Personally, I have faith in Indian Malaysian  voters - that they will exercise their vote judiciously in GE13. 
Those who I meet regularly say that they can see the dramatic change that has been wrought by the Pakatan Rakyat-led governments in Penang and Selangor.

They are no longer easily fooled. They want to be convinced that election pledges have a realistic chance of being implemented.

Mere slogans and acronyms that are hardly matched by realities on the ground are being viewed with scorn and derision and, I believe, will be ultimately rejected by the rakyat.

Najib must be told that Indian Malaysians will not support BN based on sweet promises and pledges.

They must see real and meaningful changes that can undo the wrongs of the past and bring genuine prosperity, opportunities and quality into their lives.

---

M MANOHARAN is the DAP’s Kota Alam Shah assemblyperson.

Anwar: Indians not left out of manifesto

Anwar Ibrahim said the Pakatan Rakyat manifesto transcends racial groups as well as various subgroups including the Indian community, which is not neglected.

Giving the examples of schools, the PKR de facto leader said all Chinese and Tamil schools as well as missionary schools would be assisted.

“It is not directed at a particular community. This is an assurance that every citizen - Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan or Dayak - is accorded the respect and given the attention.

“I met leaders of the Indian community last night in Hulu Selangor and generally, they are very receptive as education is a major problem, issues of marginalisation of the community and crime had been raised. However, these issues are addressed in our national thrust in the Pakatan Rakyat policy which is not addressed to the subgroups,” he said.

“This is the manifesto of the rakyat where we address issues of rising prices, commodities, lodging, good governance and support for all types of schools.”

He emphasised this is not a BN manifesto as the Pakatan manifesto transcends racial boundaries.

Anwar had been asked why there were no specific policies addressed to the Indian community in the Pakatan manifesto.
‘Lahad Datu shows weak enforcement’

On the issue of the incursion in Lahad Datu, Anwar said the federal government has been extremely soft in dealing with this and it is compromising the people’s security in Sabah.

He said Sabah joined Malaysia with the expectation that there will be security.

“The premise of legitimacy of any government is to protect the security of the country. I can understand there have been negotiations but the authorities have been exceedingly soft on the militant activity.

“I have received a lot of calls from friends in Lahad Datu and they express a lot of concern why the government is taking so long. There is no clear position or tough stance taken and this is certainly a cause for concern,” he said in commenting on the incursion by 30 armed Filipinos there since Feb 9.

Earlier, Anwar announced that an International Conference on Malaysia’s 13th general elections would be held on March 4 and 5, where he said there are serious concerns over the integrity of the election process as highlighted in the reports of the parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms.

“The conference will be held even if Parliament is dissolved and it will see the participation of a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, the speaker, members of Parliament, non-governmental organisations like Bersih, and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamed.”

There will also be international speakers from Brazil, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, India and Australia.

Asked whether there is a possibility the international participants being deported as had happened to Australian lawmaker Nick Xenophon, Anwar said there is no guarantee under this semi-authoritarian regime.

“We hope this will not happen and the speaker has agreed to give his cooperation in participating in the conference,” he said.

Anwar also questioned the BN’s sincerity in signing the integrity pledge as some of those who signed have questionable integrity following allegations of corruption, and other scandals like the Port Klang Free Zone, Scorpene submarine and the National Feedlot Corporation.

Anwar: Pakatan's choice for PM is non-issue

Wanted by Interpol, Iran’s Ex-Intelligence Minister To Run For President

Former Iranian Intelligence Minister Ali Fallahian seems to be in favor of dropping the country's nuclear program and improving ties with the United States.

One of the most feared figures of Iran’s Islamic establishment has announced his candidacy in the country's June 14 presidential vote.

Ali Fallahian, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts who served as intelligence minister under former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, has been accused of involvement in the killings of Iranian dissidents and is on Interpol’s wanted list for alleged participation in the 1995 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people.

He announced his candidacy on February 19 in Birjand. “People’s requests to me have reached a threshold; my candidacy in the presidential vote is definite,” Fallahian said.

Fallahian, who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2001, said his campaign slogan will be “Advanced Islamic Country,” and that stabilizing prices and fighting inflation will be among his priorities.

READ NEXT: Who Will Be Iran's Next President?

Fallahian seemed to suggest that if he were elected he would halt Iran's controversial uranium-enrichment program. "Enough of nuclear. We don't want nuclear enrichment, we have already mastered its knowledge," he said.

He also appeared to suggest that he would seek improved ties with the United States. "Given the many offers made by the Americans at different occasions, and the U.S. need for Iran’s support to create stability in the region -- including in Afghanistan, Iraq, Tunisia, and Egypt -- I see a bright horizon for the ties between Iran and the U.S," he said during his announcement.

But Interpol would like to see Fallahian in custody. And he is the second Iranian official on Interpol's wanted list to announce presidential aspirations.

The other is Mohsen Rezai, secretary of Iran’s Expediency Council and a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Rezai said on February 19 that he will officially announce his candidacy in the coming days.

Like Fallahian, Rezai is suspected of playing a role in the Buenos Aires Jewish center bombing.

Associated With Several Murders

For many Iranians, Fallahian’s name is closely associated with several murders and disappearances of Iranian intellectuals while he was serving as intelligence minister from 1989 to 1997.

Rights groups and a German court have linked the 68-year-old to several such murders, both inside and outside the country, and he has also been implicated in the 1992 assassinations of three Iranian Kurdish opposition leaders.

After Fallahian left office his senior deputy, Said Emami, and several other Intelligence Ministry officials were arrested for the murders of four dissidents in 1998 and 1999. Emami subsequently died in prison and the authorities described his death as a suicide.

Fallahian finished sixth in the 2001 presidential election that kept reformist Mohammad Khatami in power. He received 0.2 percent of the vote.

Some observers have suggested that the cleric knew he didn’t have a chance of winning and only ran to try and clear his name.

In his bestselling book, “Dungeon of Ghosts,” Iranian journalist Akbar Ganji connected the series of dissident murders to leading figures, including former President Rafsanjani and Fallahian, who was identified as "The Master Key."

In a recent interview with the "Tejarat Weekly," Fallahian told a reporter he didn’t want to be asked about things that happened while he was intelligence minister. "I want to become president, ask me economic questions," he said.

Oxford exploitation trial: Man 'prepared girl for gang rape'

The nine men, from Berkshire and Oxfordshire, are accused of 

sexually exploiting six girls, aged between 11 and 15

 

A teenager has told the Old Bailey a man carried out a brutal sexual assault to "prepare" her to be gang-raped.

The girl, who was 12 at the time, said Mohammed Karrar used sex toys and numbing cream used by dentists during the incident at an Oxford flat.

Sobbing during her evidence, she said five or six men then came to the flat and all raped her on the kitchen table.

Mr Karrar is one of nine men who deny a total of 51 offences including rape and trafficking from 2004 to 2012.

The latest witness was asked if the attack had caused discomfort and uttered the word "much" in reply, before breaking down in tears.

She said the men who attacked her drank alcohol and took drugs before taking it in turns to rape her.
Men 'swarmed around'

"I just wanted it to stop," she said.

But she told the court the men produced a gag to stop her cries.

She also said Mr Karrar and his brother Bassam took her to sex parties in Wycombe where groups of men would "swarm around" her.

As many as 10 men would come to the parties, she said, playing out sexual fantasies including handcuffing her, horse whipping her and dripping hot wax on her.

"Forgive me," she said. "I feel stupid.

"At the time I thought he (Mohammed Karrar) loved me."

The trial is now expected to last until May. .

The defendants, all in custody, are:

• Kamar Jamil, 27, formerly of Aldrich Road, Oxford
• Akhtar Dogar, 32, of Tawney Street, Oxford; and his brother Anjum Dogar, 30, of Tawney Street, Oxford
• Assad Hussain, 32, of Ashurst Way, Oxford
• Mohammed Karrar, 38, of Kames Close, Oxford; and his brother Bassam Karrar, 33, of Hundred Acres Close, Oxford
• Mohammed Hussain, 24, of Horspath Road, Oxford
• Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, of Palmer Road, Oxford
• Bilal Ahmed, 26, of Suffolk Road, Maidenhead

Majority of voters unhappy with ‘Project IC’ as Sabah RCI continues

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 – Nearly nine out of 10 voters disagree with Putrajaya’s past moves in granting
An independent poll shows that 86 per cent of voters in Peninsular Malaysia disagreed with the government’s past action that has seen the foreign population boom in the Borneo state and earned it the moniker ‘Project IC’. – Reuters pic
citizenship to Indonesians and Filipinos to live and vote in Sabah, according to the latest voter survey amid an ongoing royal investigation into the flood of foreigners there for the past 20 years.

Independent pollster Merdeka Center For Opinion Research, which surveyed 1,021 voters in Peninsular Malaysia at the end of January, reported today 86 per cent saying they disagreed with the government’s past action that has seen the foreign population boom in the Borneo state and earned it the moniker “Project IC”.

The survey also found 60 per cent of voters saying they believed a large number of foreigners were still getting the blue-coloured identity cards marking their status as citizens.

The longstanding issue of illegal immigrants that has continued unchecked for decades has turned emotive among Sabah natives like the Kadazandusun and Murut communities, many of whom feel that the state has been robbed of its sovereignty through the massive influx of foreigners from neighbouring Philippines and Indonesia.

More than a quarter of Sabah’s population are foreigners, totalling a staggering 889,000 out of the 3.2 million-strong population in Sabah, or about 28 per cent, based on a 2010 census.

Sabah has 926,638 voters, according to a June report in English-language daily The Star.

The large number of foreigners has also worried Sabah natives, who often blame them for the rise in crime and for stealing job opportunities.

More than 100 armed Filipino gunmen intruded into Lahad Datu on February 9, claiming ties with a Sulu sultanate that gives them ownership of Sabah. They have since refused to leave.

Recognising the political significance of Sabah’s illegals problem, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had agreed to form a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to look into it.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s longest-serving prime minister who was in power from 1981 to 2003, has been accused of spearheading the so-called “Project IC”, in which citizenship was allegedly given to immigrants for their votes.

But former Sabah Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh, who administered the state from 1976 to 1985, has denied at the RCI of the existence of “Project IC”.

Dr Mahathir told a press conference last month that foreigners in Sabah had indeed received citizenship, but stressed that it was “within the law”.

The inquiry before a five-member panel led by former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong resumes on March 5.

The January 23 to February 6 survey, which was funded internally by the Merdeka Center, aimed to gauge voters’ perceptions of issues in the run up to the 13th general election due soon. It had a margin error of three per cent.

The research house said the survey took place after the January 12 People’s Uprising rally backed by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders in the national capital here as well as the ongoing media coverage of the Sabah citizenship-for-votes royal inquiry.

It noted that other issues that formed the talking point to its survey included carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan’s and former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan’s statements controversial statements against the government, and the “Allah” religious dispute.

Seeking Najib’s help to solve Indian woes

Hindraf Makkal Sakti says it will side with whoever is willing to help the Indian community.

GEORGE TOWN: After fruitless meetings with Pakatan Rakyat, Hindraf now wants to meet Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to endorse its blueprint for the Indian community.

Hindraf Makkal Sakti chief P Waythamoorthy said the decision to meet Najib was made after much deliberations at all levels of the leadership and with the Indian community.

He said the meeting was to secure Najib’s written assurances and endorsement for its blueprint designed to improve the Indian working class community.

“After a long deliberation on the issue, we have decided to meet the prime minister to resolve Indian problems.

“We are not interested in politicking,” he said today.

Hindraf has already held a series of meetings with Pakatan leaders, notably from PKR, to get the coalition’s written assurances and commitment for its blueprint if Pakatan were to capture Putrajaya.

He said, as expected, Pakatan was more interested in using Hindraf to garner Indian votes than looking into the predicament of the Indians.

Waythamoorthy brushed aside criticisms by pro-Pakatan supporters and bloggers that the movement was playing both sides of the political divide for the best deal.

Stressing that Hindraf was not interested in political mileage, he said Hindraf cannot afford to be topsy-turvy, partisan and partial when dealing with Indian problems, which have existed for decades.

He said Hindraf had to meet Najib because it did not want its struggle for the Indian community to hit a snag after the general election if Barisan Nasional retained the federal government.

“What if Pakatan loses the general election? What should Hindraf do then? How is it going to deal with a BN government to resolve Indian issues?

“It will be a Catch-22 situation for us then,” he said.

To contest in the GE?

He said that Hindraf had written letters to Najib and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim on Aug 29 last year requesting for meetings.

“We stated clearly that we want to meet them in their respective capacities as the prime minister and prime minister-in-waiting,” he said.

Minister in Prime Minister in charge of parliamentary affairs Mohd Nazri Aziz said on Nov 7 last year that the government was willing to talk with Hindraf on the Indian issues.

On Jan 26, this year, the government lifted the ban on Hindraf.

During Hindraf roadshows on its blueprint, Indians have openly called on the movement to hold talks with both BN and Pakatan to resolve the community issues.

They have also openly backed Hindraf to contest in the coming election even as independent candidates.

No date has been fixed for Hindraf’s meeting with Najib.

Dividing the divided

A forum organised to foster closer relations between Tamils in Malaysia, further divides the already fragmented Malaysian Indian community.

PETALING JAYA: Last Saturday, the Tamilar Action Force (TAF), made up of mostly Indian opposition state assemblymen and members of parliament held a forum entitled “Our Community, Our Strength: The future of Tamilargal (Tamils) in Malaysia?”

The forum brought forward speakers like Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga, Penang Deputy Chief Minister P Ramasamy, Teluk Intan member of parliament M Manogaran and activist A Rajaretinam, among others.

But it was a speaker from Tamil Nadu, India, who stole the show with his “shallow” reasoning that Malaysian Indians should first identify themselves as Tamils before saying that they were of Indian origin living in Malaysia.

Malaysian Tamils make up at least 75% of the total 1.8 million Indians in this country. The remainder 25% are Telegus, Malayalees, Sikhs and other ethnic Indian communities.

S Seeman, an opposition leader in Tamil Nadu from the Naam Tamilar party, stirred up the event with his provocative and ill-informed speech which was meant to rouse up sentiments among Tamils to love their lineage.

Just a day before the event, Seeman held a press conference where he said his visit to Malaysia was to unite the fragmented Malaysian Tamils and instil the spirit of “Tamil-centric” among the Tamils here.

He was totally against the Malaysian government’s initiative to unite the Malaysian Indian community.

“Tamilians in Malaysia should be proud to recognise themselves as Tamils and not Indians,” said Seeman at the forum.

Clad in pants and shirt, compared to the other male speakers who were all wearing dhotis (a sarong- type white attire for men) and jippas, a traditional shirt-like attire for Tamil men, Seeman said Malaysian Tamils should be thankful that all the privileges are bestowed on them but not the other Indian communities in the country.

He said Malaysian Tamils should be proud that festivities and privileges in Malaysia are focused on the Tamils.

He cited the public holiday for Thaipusam, and allocations given to Tamil schools as examples.

These statements, among others, definitely will not go down well with the other Indian communities in Malaysia.

Alarming comments

Seeman also said it was “stupid” for one Tamil to wish another “Good Morning”.

“Instead you should wish in your own mother tongue which is Tamil… that is the Tamil way,” he said to applause from about 1,000 Malaysian Indians at the forum.

A check on TAF’s Facebook page was even more alarming.

It resembles a “racist” page with people bashing the other Indian communities.

“This forum is for Tamils,” said one comment while the following comment read: “Don’t let the Telegu and Malayalee [in]“, followed by other statements.

Although TAF’s aim is to unite the Tamils in Malaysia, it seems to be dividing the already splintered Indian community.

This is even more dangerous when its office-bearers are made up of political leaders, who might even be in the next federal government.

But they must bear in mind that Indians are a minority in Malaysia and that they should not be divided further as this could lead to their extinction in Malaysia.

Probe pro-Ramasamy rallies, DAP told

Grassroots members say the party must sack the mastermind and his minions.

GEORGE TOWN: Several DAP grassroots members here have called on their leadership to investigate the series of protests organised by several groups against the party polls held last December.

Bagan Luar branch chairman G Asoghan, its secretary V Krishamurthy, Penang DAP Indian bureau secretary S Sukumar, life members R Vanoo of Taman Alma and K Dayalan of Datuk Keramat want the party to find out who has been masterminding the protests and kick him and his minions out.

Speaking on the behalf of the group, Asoghan said many grassroots leaders and members were astonished by the protests and the press statements issued about them.

He said many were asking why the demonstrations involved only Indians whose main concern appeared to be the defeat of Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy in last December’s central executive committee (CEC) polls.

Asoghan and his group are curious over why the protestors portray Ramasamy’s defeat as a “defeat to the Indian community” when he was not the only Indian candidate who failed to make the grade.

They pointed out that Tronoh assemblyman and former Perak assembly speaker V Sivakumar were also defeated even though he garnered more votes than Ramasamy.

Other Indian candidates who lost were former Senator S Ramakrishnan, Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran and Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M Manoharan.

“Victory and defeat are common in politics,” Asoghan said, “but they seem to suggest that Ramasamy’s defeat was due to some technical glitch.

“The party leadership has already explained it. But they are still harping on it.

“The party leadership must probe to the bottom of the issue and flush out the culprits.”

In early January, DAP officials admitted that a technical glitch had forced a review and alteration of results of the CEC polls held in Penang on Dec 15.

Following the rectified vote tabulation, Zairil Khir Johari, political secretary to party secretary general Lim Guan Eng, was elected to the CEC with 803 votes to secure the 20th spot. He was initially at the 39th spot, with only 305 votes.

Vincent Wu, who was originally elected at fifth spot with 1,202 votes, dropped to the 26th spot with 669 votes. He was later reappointed to the CEC as a co-opted member.

The fiasco triggered protests across the country by Indian groups, some claiming to be party members, calling on the party to hold fresh polls.

They have consistently attacked the party leadership, especially the secretary general, and expressed disappointment over Ramasamy’s defeat.

Ramasamy has, however, been co-opted into the CEC and retained as the party’s deputy secretary general.

Last week, party chairman Karpal Singh said DAP would provide an explanation to the Registrar of Societies with regard to complaints made by some of its members concerning the vote tabulation fiasco if the need were to arise.

CWC men defend Palani as transformer

They say it’s not true that he lacks support among MIC’s policymakers.

PETALING JAYA: Two members of MIC’s central working committee (CWC) today rejected allegations that party president G Palanivel lacked support from the policy making body.

Madhu Marimuthu and A Sakthivel denied that Palanivel was losing his grip on the party, as suggested in an FMT article that appeared yesterday.

Madhu said the president had always been open to points raised by party members, whatever level they came from.

“Listening and accepting dissenting viewpoints has been part of Palanivel’s agenda of transforming the party,” he said. “He is willing to go to the ground and listen to the pulse of the people.”

Madhu, who also worked under Palanivel’s predecessor S Samy Vellu, said the two had different leadership styles and personal characteristics.

“Different individuals have different ways of communicating their opinions,” he said.

“When I had differing views with either president, I would call him and meet him personally or highlight the issue at the party’s highest level, the CWC.”

Sakthivel said his faith in Palanivel had never wavered.

“He is always open to feedback from all levels of membership,” he said. “He is in fact getting stronger.”

Sakthivel claimed that Palanivel’s work had benefited not only the Indian community, but other members of Malaysian society as well.

“Since he took over, he has worked very hard in increasing temple funds and even funds for TEKUN, which helps the agricultural society to grow,” he said.

TEKUN is the Malay acronym for Amalgamated Fund for Commercial Ventures, which is administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry.

Sakthivel called on MIC members to unite and to focus on ensuring the party’s success in the 13th general election instead of fanning disagreements.

“Elections are around the corner,” he said. “If we want to do well, then we have to work hand in hand with each other and put our personal differences aside.”

Madhu made a similar call and also urged BN coordinators at MIC’s parliamentary and state constituencies to continuously engage Palanivel to ensure that the party perform better than it did in 2008.

‘A question of moral authority’

Like most Malaysians, S Ambiga's patience is also wearing thin over the prime minister's feet-dragging in dissolving Parliament.
VIDEO INSIDE

KUALA LUMPUR: At one point when the prime minister’s rating was up, speculation was rife about a snap polls. But now, the nation is left wondering if the general election would ever be called.

Like most Malaysians, S Ambiga’s patience was also wearing thin. And she warned that each sunset further eclipsed the present administration’s moral right to govern.

The Bersih co-chairperson, without the slightest hesitation, pointed to a lack of confidence when quizzed on the reasons behind Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s feet-dragging.

“We have been waiting for this election for the longest time and Malaysians are truly fed up.

“As I have said before, this ongoing delay would work against the present government, simply because you cannot keep people guessing for so long,” she told FMT in an exclusive interview.

Stressing the importance of the March 8 date, which five years ago witnessed Barisan Nasional suffering its worst ever electoral setback, Ambiga said Malaysians had expected the 13th general election to be held before or around that period.

“We know now that is not going to happen, timing wise,” she added.

Ambiga said that the date was an important aspect despite the prime minister and his Cabinet having until April 28 to remain in office.

“Of course, under the Federal Constitution, Parliament carries on for five years from the date of the first meeting… so they can carry on until April 28, at which time it [Parliament] dissolves automatically.

“But my own view is whether this government has the moral authority to carry on for a long time after March 8… there is a psychological factor with Malaysians in relation to that date,” she added.

Ambiga said she was aware of the reports which claimed that the delay was due to the government transformation programme, candidates list, issues in relation to the manifesto and so forth.

“I am sorry, none of that washes with me. You have been preparing for this election for two years, you cannot say now that you are not ready. That too is not a very good sign.

“So I can only attribute the delay to a lack of confidence… and I think they should get on with it. A lot of Malaysians would be relieved when the date of the dissolution is announced because it means that we can get on with our lives,” she added.

Ambiga also cautioned the Election Commission against pushing the polls further using the 60-day window period from the date of the dissolution as provided by the law.

“I think it would be unwise. We don’t know what operates in the mind of the EC. I hope they would be independent about this, they have not been independent about much before this,” she said.

Najib must stand firm

As for Najib inking the Election Integrity Pledge, Ambiga said while it was commendable that the prime minister had set the tone, he however needed to consider the wordings in the document, especially with regard to ethical conduct.

“Ethical conduct also means the way you run your campaign, the things that you say. Recently, there had been utterances by certain members of Parliament… it looks to me as if they are not really practising ethical conduct.

“So I think this is something that they really need to think about. I was happy when the prime minister signed it [the pledge] because I thought ‘fine,we would now see an end to political violence and we would now see a more professional way of handling the elections, where members of parliament behave better’… but I am not seeing it happening,” she added.

Therefore, the Bersih leader called on Najib to issue a strong statement on political violence, which had become a common occurrence in the run-up to what was considered to be a pivotal general election.

“So for me, signing this pledge is one thing. There are actually many things which the prime minister can say and do from now to show that he means what he says in the pledge,” she added.

In the document, under the words “I am signing this Election Integrity Pledge because”, Najib wrote: “I believe that as the BN leader, I have to set a strong tone. Only a candidate who is deemed to have fought a clean and fair election would lead to a trustworthy government respected by the people.”

Reject racist and sexist politicians

Ambiga also urged Malaysians not to allow racist and sexist politicians to walk though the doors of Parliament as elected representatives.

“I have sat in Parliament and heard the level of the debates, it was extremely low, people shouted at each other a lot. I remember in one session, schoolchildren were there to observe the process. I was thoroughly ashamed that schoolchildren were watching that,” she said.

Although the former Bar Council president did not advocate using the Sedition Act against those who stoked racial and religious flames, she however noted that the law seemed to be invoked on a selective basis and even used against lesser evils.

Once again, she called on the prime minister to stand firm on this as well.

Responding to a question, Ambiga also shared her personal views on Najib’s endorsement of Abdul Taib Mahmud, the controversial Sarawak Chief Minister accused of numerous misdeeds.

“Going by the [integrity] pledge, issues of transparency, good governance, no corruption, I would have thought you would have to choose all your candidates very carefully.

“I think we all know what is in the public domain and if the chief minister stands up to scrutiny on the issues of corruption and abuse of power,” she added.

Anger brewing in Sabah

Commenting on the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the issuance of identity cards to foreigners in Sabah, Ambiga said it was nothing new but the revelations on the process was spine-chilling.

“I understand that people are now trying to suggest that the whole IC issue in Sabah was a result of corrupt immigration officials who were out to make money, and that was all there is to it.

“I would be very careful to draw that kind of conclusion because ultimately we need to answer the question why were they on the electoral roll instantly as well. Clearly there was a plan,” she added.

Ambiga said that the officials were aware of this issue even before the RCI started probing the matter.

“So my question is, what were they doing all these years when they knew the electoral roll had these issues. There appears to be evidence coming out that people were voting with red ICs,” she added.

Reiterating that it was not something new, Ambiga however pointed out that Sabahans were becoming increasingly vocal, despondent and disillusioned over the issue.

“So whether the tipping point has arrived and whether they want to make a difference in this election, is something that we have to just wait and see,” she said when asked if the RCI findings could tip the scales in favour of the opposition.

Poll: Eight in 10 Malays say Allah solely for Muslims

(The Star) - Eighty-three percent of Muslims interviewed in a recent poll agree that the usage of the word “Allah” is their absolute right, a survey here says.

The poll by the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research showed that 52% “strongly disagreed” with Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali's alleged call to seize and burn copies of the Bible which contain the word “Allah.”

The results were part of the poll titled “Public Opinion Survey No. 1/2013 Peninsular Malaysia Voter Survey,” which was conducted between Jan 23 and Feb 6.

A total of 1,021 registered voters were interviewed via telephone for the survey, which was aimed at gauging voters' perceptions of issues in the lead-up to the general election.

The survey revealed that 48% of the respondents were “happy with the Government” while 45% reported that they were “happy with Barisan Nasional.”

Some 61% of the respondents expressed satisfaction with the performance of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Participants also rated fighting corruption as the top issue that required attention from the Government, followed by fighting inflation, improving the police and public safety, providing affordable housing, expanding public infrastructure in rural areas and improving government efficiency.

Who has been funding Bala for the past 5 years?

(Perak Today) - After about 5 years private investigator, Balasubramaniam Perumal (Bala) went to hiding in India, last Sunday, February 24, he came back to KLIA, welcomed by about 50 PKR supporters.

The welcoming ceremony confirmed that the party does have its involvement in running an evil plot to manipulate the murder case of Mongolian model, Altantuya to be linked to Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The first thing Bala did when he got to KLIA was being under oath while holding onto a Bhagavad Gita and said that the first Statutory Declaration (SD) which links Najib in Altantuya's murder was true, but the SD2 was forced onto him, which proves PKR’ role in this case.

Instead of denying SD2, wouldn’t it be better for Bala if he simply denies the third SD, he did already make false SDs, why not make up to 10 SDs?

It is interesting to see how Malay Muslims in PKR accept Bala’s action with the Bhagavad Gita, perhaps they are exited to see it considering that even PKR General Leader is not confident over the oath made witnessed by Allah S.W.T.

During an interview with the media in KLIA, Bala had announced his preparedness to help Pakatan Rakyat’s campaign by travelling across the country exposing the truth behind Altantuya’s murder case.

This does not shock people, because everyone knew that Bala’s SD1 had links with PKR main leaders as they hope that manipulations and speculations on Altantuya’s murder case could bring Najib down.

PR’s effort did not give any positive result after Bala denied Najib’s involvement, added with Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s statement saying that he did fabricate Altantuya’s story by manipulating everything, and admitted that PM and his wife did not have anything to do with the case.

Instead, it was exposed that PKR’s General Leader, Anwar Ibrahim’s role, which was involved in an effort trying to convince the murder suspects, Azilah and Sirul to mention Najib’s name in this case.

Any of Bala’s move after this would not help PR in any way because people no longer believe in the credibility of this private investigator hired by Razak Baginda.

People are more interested to know why Bala would steal the RM50,000 given by Razak Baginda which is supposed to be handed to Altantuya, and if Bala did not mean to steal it, people want to know where did the money go?

And most importantly, people want to know who has been funding Bala for the past five years.

That should have cost more than the RM50,000.

Obviously the fund came from PKR leaders, because the party even sponsored Elizabeth Wong’s secret lover, Helmi Malik in Indonesia as part of their efforts to put a stop on their scandal from public eye.

The question here is, who is the leader and where did the money come from?

Who still cares about the third voice?

This time, we are in fact in an urgent need to listen to the third voice outside the two coalitions. Unfortunately, due to the need of political correctness, today's society has become more and more intolerant of voices and views outside the BN and Pakatan Rakyat.

Lim Mun Fah, Sin Chew Daily

It is believed that the BN and Pakatan Rakyat are now ready for the general election and their full-fledged campaigns will be launched on the nomination day. It can be foreseen that it will be an unprecedented season that floods new media with wars of words.

It is a season for politicians to show their eloquence, literary talent, wisdom and ideologies. Their words and deeds will be fully exposed through the media. After a rapid fermentation process, they will dominate the people's thinking and affect the future of the society, as well as the country.

It is also a season of the emergence of differences. Different views, different perspectives, different ideas and different ideologies will emerge and bring controversies, discords and debates. All of a sudden, we will realise that there are actually so many differences, in terms of race, religion, culture, education, economy and other areas, in the society. All of them seem out of place and the serious misunderstanding and deep contradiction seem to have split us in half, surprising and worrying us.

Election is not a carnival in which everything will restore calmness after a spree. Election has its greater significance and impact. A major election can even play the role of a historical turning point. Some remarks and ideas made by important politicians during election period will also leave traces and bring continuous or even dominant influences to the post-election society.

After the 2008 political tsunami, we seem to have been living in an unimaginable political ocean, suffering from endless provocations, including political language and behaviours, almost everyday. In just about five years, changes to the country's political ecology are actually shockingly great.

If the political game between the ruling and alternative coalitions can make our society more democratic, free, fair and clean, it will be a blessing for the people and the country. However, if the political game turns into a malicious battle, causing the rights and wrongs of public affairs can only be divided according to the boundaries of political parties, and makes ballot the only truth while trapping the society in a confronting binary impasse, it is then an absolute crisis of sinking democracy, instead of a turning point.

This time, we are in fact in an urgent need to listen to the third voice outside the two coalitions. Unfortunately, due to the need of political correctness, today's society has become more and more intolerant of voices and views outside the BN and Pakatan Rakyat. All people, regardless of media practitioners longing for neutral or scholars claiming themselves objective, once they start talking, they will be labelled as lackeys of the BN or hired thugs of Pakatan Rakyat, making them to immediately shut their mouths to avoid causing more troubles.

A society that cares only about votes and neglects reasoning will always force those who wish not to take side to remain silent, or even indifferently keep a distance from political parties. If this happens, the rational third voice will be absent and the direction of social values and public opinions will then be completely manipulated and dominated by politicians. If a so-called democratic country does not allow the presence of diverse voices, it will be a bad omen for the rise of political violence. It is definitely not a good thing for the country's progress of democracy!

The police farce in Lahad Datu — Donald Pinto

FEB 26 — How incredible can this be? The police treat some 100 armed militants with kid gloves but accuse a Filipino reporter with Al Jazeera's English service of being a spy with the "Royal Sulu Sultanate Army".

The media reported today Jamela Alindongan was accused several times of working with the self-styled army while being questioned by unidentified Special Branch officers.

Despite Alindongan showing them her employee ID, she was questioned for two-and-a-half hours, the longest among the three Al Jazeera crew detained in the sea off Tanjung Labian village, near the Lahad Datu standoff between Malaysian security forces and Sulu sultanate supporters, on February 20.

Can the police explain this? How do you treat one unarmed person this way but give almost-royal treatment to this rag-tag bunch of armed men.

At best, they are invaders, at worst just a bunch of pirates who have been treated too well too long.

This is embarrassing for Malaysians. We have a police force which can't tell the difference between what is dangerous and what is harmless.

How much more do the police want to shame us with this farcical behaviour?

They can't chase a group of men from Malaysian territory but they will play rough with a journalist.

We need a higher standard for our police force, not this farce of a police who can't keep peace and security in every part of Malaysia.

* Donald Pinto reads The Malaysian Insider.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Understand the role of Rulers

The Star
by By Datuk Salehuddin Saidin

The Malaysian public generally still lacks proper understanding as to the role and powers of a Ruler in the administrative function of a country practising a Consti­tutional Monarchy system.

As a result, unsavoury comments have surfaced in blogs, online portals and websites which scorn and ridicule the institution of Rulers.

The country is on the verge of a general election which will be held in a matter of weeks. As the political temperature shoots up, leaders and those in the political circle are busy campaigning by raising issues related to the rakyat, Government and Rulers.

Many issues, whether current or old, are being intensely debated. Political statements, announcements, pledges and promises are being voiced out almost daily by politicians. This highly intense political contestation sometimes crosses the boundary of our civilised people, reaching to an extent whereby the ends justify the means.

This is primarily due to the attitude of certain groups who have the strong desire to achieve their aim of holding the reigns of power, and also due to the lack of knowledge on the basic principles of the law of the country.

Among the issues that are always highlighted each time elections are held are those relating to the dissolution of Parliament at the Federal level as well as the State Legislative Assemblies.

The question of when Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies would be dissolved and who will take the lead has often been discussed. In recent times, there have been questions raised on which party has the power under the law in dissolving a State Legislative Assembly or the Parliament.

Recently, the Selangor Mentri Besar had made a statement that he would consider announcing the date of the dissolution of the Selangor Legislative Assembly after Chap Goh Meh. It is interesting to note whether the Selangor Mentri Besar has consulted his party leaders and the legal adviser before making such a statement, which has drawn flak from various quarters.

In light of the statement, it is appropriate to discuss and analyse the provisions of law as stipulated in the Laws of the Constitution of Selangor, 1959, (Constitution of Selangor) and also to look at other States’ Constitution and of course the supreme law of the land being the Federal Constitution.

Article 52 (2)(b) of the Constitution of Selangor provides the Sultan of Selangor (His Royal Highness) with absolute discretion to consent or withhold consent to a request by the Mentri Besar to dissolve the State Legislative Assembly.

Article 52 (2)(b) of the Constitution of Selangor provides as follows:

(2) His Highness may act in His discretion in the performance of the following functions (in addition to those in the performance of which He may act in His discretion under the Federal Constitution) that is to say:

(a) the appointment of a Mentri Besar;

(b) the withholding of consent to a request for the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly.

The above provisions, in particular (2)(b), clearly state that His Royal Highness has absolute discretion in deciding whether or not to give consent to a request by the Mentri Besar to dissolve the State Legislative Assembly. The literal meaning of the provision is that in exercising the discretionary power vested in him, His Royal Highness does not act on the advice of the Mentri Besar or the Executive Council.

It is of course not disputed that in the exercise of His executive functions under the Constitution of Selangor, His Royal Highness shall act in accordance with the advice of the Mentri Besar or the State Executive Council.

In exercising His functions on the advice of the Mentri Besar or the State Executive Council, His Royal Highness is entitled to receive any information concerning the Government of the State. This is provided for under Article 55(1) of the Constitution of Selangor.

Nevertheless, it is important to note that the Constitution of Selangor itself provides some functions which His Royal Highness exercises in his absolute discretion such as the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly as mentioned earlier.

The above position of law is supported by the Federal Court decision in 2010 in the case of Datuk Seri Nizar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin vs Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir (2010) 2 CLJ. The Federal Court had deliberated at length on the issue whether the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly is within the absolute discretion of His Royal Highness.

This case was initiated at the High Court before it was brought at the appellate stage to the Court of Appeal and was finally deliberated in the Federal Court.

Looking at the extent of arguments raised by both parties and the presence of experienced lawyers from both parties, in addition to the panel of five experienced Federal Court judges presided over by the then President of the Court of Appeals who heard the matter, we can rest assured that the issues were well deliberated by all parties before the apex court reached its finding.

The Federal Court went on to state:

“In this regard we would, however add that the power to dissolve the LA is vested in HRH by art.

XXXVI(2) no matter in what circumstances it was made. This is clear from our reading of the said article which provides :

(2) His Royal Highness may prorogue or dissolve the Legislative Assembly.”

The decision in this case has no doubt put an end to any dispute, doubts or questions on who actually has the authority in deciding whether or not to dissolve the State Legislative Assembly.

Although the Mentri Besar can make a request to His Royal Highness for the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly before the expiry of the five-year term or in a situation where the Mentri Besar ceases to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly, it is pertinent to note that the final decision is vested in His Royal Highness who has absolute discretion. In this regard, we are guided by the decision of the highest court on the land.

Until and unless the State Consti-tution is amended, the said decision stands and is applicable to the respective states which have similar provisions on the issue in question.

Hence, when the Sultan of Selangor recently stated that the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly must follow rules and procedures, we can appreciate that what His Royal Highness meant is that the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly must adhere to the provisions of the law.

In other words it must be presented before His Royal Highness to request for consent before any announcement is made.

The Sultan of Selangor has absolute discretion and prerogative to accede to the request of dissolving the State Legislative Assembly.

Generally, Federal and State elections are held simultaneously to save time and costs and in considering the request to dissolve the State Legislative Assembly, time and cost factors could well be taken into consideration by His Royal Highness.

At the Federal level, similar provisions can be found in the Federal Constitution.

Article 40 (2) of the Federal Constitution states that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may act in His discretion in withholding of consent to a request for the dissolution of Parliament.

Article 40 (2) of the Federal Constitution states that:

(2) The Yang di-Pertuan Agong may act in his discretion in the performance of the following functions, that is to say:

a) The appointment of a Prime Minister;

b) The withholding of consent to a request for the dissolution of Parliament; and

c) The requisition of a meeting of the Conference of Rulers concerned solely with the privileges, position, honours and dignities of Their Royal Highnesses, and any action at such a meeting,

And in any other case mentioned in this Constitution.

Looking at the Selangor Constitution and Perak’s Constitution and provisions in the Federal Constitution together with the ruling by the Federal Court in 2010, we must accept the fact that the States’ Constitution and Federal Constitution confer absolute power to dissolve the State Legislative Assembly and Parliament upon the Rulers of the State and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

The role of the Rulers is very much relevant in our country which practises a system of Constitutional Monarchy, and will remain relevant for so long as the Federal Constitution remains the supreme law of the country.

The rakyat must be provided with a clear understanding of the basic principles of law with respect to the powers of the Rulers and the Executive.

Every Malaysian, including political leaders and those providing explanations to the rakyat while campaigning during this elections season, must be responsible to state the actual position of the law and to explain to the rakyat the decision of the Federal Court.

This is essential for the preservation of a peaceful elections and to prevent the rakyat from getting confused and in turn giving rise to feelings of unhappiness towards the institution of Rulers.

The writer would like to invite Malaysians to adhere firmly to our Constitution and to respect the decision of the Federal Court on the issue.

The writer believes that although in the upcoming general election, seats can be expected to be keenly contested, the polls can be held in a civilised and orderly manner if all of us are responsible enough to conform to the law and regulations.

Let us prove to the world that as Malaysians, we are united although we may have different political ideologies.

World Bank Recognises Malaysia As Regional Leader In Corporate Governance

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has received strong ratings from the World Bank in its Corporate Governance Report on Observance of Standards and Codes 2012, said the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC).

In a statement Tuesday, the SC said the bank also reported that Malaysia has been recognised as a regional leader in corporate governance, and has made substantial progress in improving the legal and regulatory framework in relation to corporate governance.

"According to the report, Malaysia's overall scores are higher than the average scores of countries within the Asian region.

"The bank also acknowledges that Malaysia has a large capital market, strong institutions, sophisticated participants and high quality accounting practices," it said.

SC chairman, Datuk Ranjit Ajit Singh, said it was important to have in place a strong corporate governance eco-system in order to sustain active investor interest and growth in the capital market.

"We are highly encouraged by the strong endorsement by the World Bank on the collective efforts by the regulators and the industry in strengthening corporate governance in Malaysia," he said.

The report, which is an independent assessment carried out by the World Bank, examines the country's corporate governance framework benchmarked against the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Principles for Corporate Governance.

This is the third time that Malaysia has participated in the assessment.

The first was in 2001, and subsequently in 2006.

Out of the six OECD Principles for Corporate Governance examined in the report, Malaysia scored highest in terms of equitable treatment of stakeholders, enforcement and institutional framework, as well as disclosure and transparency.

Writing on the wall for MCA as crowd yells “No! No!” to Yen Yen

Undaunted by the Gangnam embarrassment in Penang, Ng Yen Yen had to endure more humiliation in Malacca when a crowd shouted “No! No! No!” to whatever she was offering or suggesting.

This is also what happens when BN parties ‘hijack’ cultural occasions and entertainment events for political gain.

The writing is on the wall for the MCA. The party can expect to be all but wiped out in the general election.

Pakatan short changes Indians- so what difference are they from BN?? Please disseminate this info.

PKR manifesto provides for all so it seems. The Orang Aslis are mentioned, Islam is mentioned as the official religion, Chinese education had been mentioned, Monopolies will be disbanded and indirectly which community has been prepared for open competition in business to take advantage? One community has been totally disregarded in most aspects under the pretext of open non discriminatory society wonder which one it is. Any implementation of policies need to consider discriminated community first to bring it with the rest of malaysian society.Policies implemented immediately will only favor the business community greatly because of their lead and acumen.This will only favor one community and its no brainer.DAP must be laughing all the way to the polls.Overall it means it will give one community religion and another community all the money they can make and the discriminated class scraps under the table.He ha!

The PR manifesto may appear to be good but if you look deeper into it, it shows a gross injustice particularly the marginalized Indian community. I shall put it up one by one for discussion and hopefully HINDRAF can bring this up to the masses. PR's manifesto seems very targeted especially to the Malays. Of course it is even targeted to reach the Sabah/Sarawak communities, Orang Asli and the Chinese. But to the most affected marginalized community (Indians), the PR manifesto is at best on a trickle down approach ( the Romney way).

Pointed and targeted for Malays: 1) Abolishing PTPTN loans and as such billions of taxpayers money will be wiped out from existing loans taken but not paid up by irresponsible Malays. 2) Justice for Felda settlers. 3) RM 500 mil allocated for Military Veterans. Increasing govt contribution to Armed Forces Fund Board from 15% to 20% and an addition 5% to a special fund for them. Introducing a soldiers Divident - RM 2k per year. 4) Dissolving 1MDD so that Khazanah remains sole state investment body but Khazanah has been years run in a shady manner benefiting exclusively for Malays primarily. 5) GLC's to be tuned to produce more viable Bumiputra entrepreneurs. 6) Going to double Tabung Haji Fund 7) More allocations for Islamic religious depts 8) adding value to wakaf land

Pointed and targeted for Sabahans/Sarawakians : 1) Raising oil royalty from 5% to 20%. 2) Appointment of Sabahans and Sarawakians to lead and hold office in the Govt. 3) Cleaning up citizenship registry list. 4) Recognition of customary land rights. 5) Raising the level of infrastructure development.

Pointed and targeted for Orang Asli's : 1) Preserving orang Asli customary land rights and welfare. 2) 141k hectares of land reserved. 3) Water and Electricity supplied to Orang Asli settlements. 4) 5000 educational scholarships for Orang Asli students ( dunno what this means when PR claims Education will be Free ?)

Pointed and targeted for Chinese : 1) PR will recognize the certificate for Combined Chinese Secondary Schools for the purpose of furthering academic admission to higher education institutions. Now pray tell me or spell out what has been introduced in the PR election manifesto that is pointed and targeted to the marginalized Indian community???

To add further salt to the wound... PR is prescribing to introduce a social safety network but guess what these PR bandits are suggesting... They are planning to use 'information that is currently located in separate agencies and bodies' . What does that mean ? PR are going to use existing UMNO's data to recreate another social safety net that will only benefit the Malays. The true statistics data of the marginalized Indians that have been systematically been 'cleansed' will never see the light of day under PR ! Cunning little fox aren't they !

From PR's manifesto, the marginalized Indians stand to gain at the most through trickle down economics and not through pointed and targeted mode as what the HINDRAF blueprint had prescribed

Policing. Still no IPCMC despite the most recent demands by Tenaganita, Hindraf, Suaram, Lawyers for Liberty, Komas, KLSCAH, and SSVM? This means more dead Indians (mostly). Looks like PR is fine with that. Additionally, Pakatan says it will increase remuneration by 15 percent in stages. This means PDRM will be paid more for carrying out extra-judicial killings. Bravo, Pakatan!

141K ha land to be returned to the Orang Asli and 5K educational scholarships for their children but no mention of needs-based assistance to any other marginalised minority.