Wednesday 24 April 2013
Rock Terror Attack on Children's Bus in Samaria
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The rock, in Ahikam's hand
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No one was hurt. Attack took place near the place where Adelle Biton was gravely hurt.
Arabs carried out a rock terror ambush against a bus carrying children to school in Samaria Tuesday morning. No one was hurt.
The attack took place on the Nahal Kana road, between Revava and Yakir. The bus was driving down a major road, not far from where a toddler, Adelle Biton, suffered grave wounds in a rock ambush five weeks ago.
Adelle is still in grave condition at the Intensive Care Unit of Schneider Children's Hospital.
The head of the Samaria Regional Authority, Gershon Mesika, reacted with rage to the attack and demanded that the Prime Minister and Defense Minister act to stop the what he termed as the "rock terror."
"Despite the determined speeches by the Prime Minister and the bellicose declarations by the heads of the defense establishment, the policy on the ground has not changed, and the chaos on the roads continues," he said.
The terrorism on the roads is a direct result of the "limp policy and lack of determination in the face of "a fully fledged terror campaign organized by the Palestinian Authority," he accused.
"When rocks are thrown at children who being driven to school – the IDF is supposed to take immediate counter-action," he said.
A vote for BN is a vote for blueprint, says Hindraf
During the event, Hindraf national adviser N Ganesan blamed critics of the new pact with BN as trying to divert from the “true significance” of the event, and urged his members to “stop Pakatan from getting anywhere near Putrajaya”.
According
to Hindraf’s statement, its chairperson P Waythamoorthy reminded that
Hindraf’s activities were not meant to support any party’s election
chances.“We did not do it to make any individual a prime minister or a deputy prime minister or to make any particular political party go to Putrajaya or to the state assemblies.
“We are an organisation committed to promoting and protecting the interests and rights of our members only,” Waythamoorthy was quoted saying.
However Hindraf vice-chair W Sambulingam contradicted his chief in urging Hindraf members to work hard to keep BN in power.
“You and all the people in your districts are voting for the future of your children. That future is here at hand.
“We have just to get BN re-elected to realise the new deal promised in the blueprint,” he was reported as saying.
On April 18 BN chief Najib Razak agreed on Hindraf’s MOU to address four out of its six areas of concern that was original contained in their blueprint.Hindraf had attempted to get Pakatan Rakyat to endorse its blueprint in full, complaining that the opposition was not doing enough to help the community.
Its members were upset when DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang DAP unveiled a 14-point ‘Gelang Patah Declaration' aimed at alleviating the socio-economic status of the Indians, accusing Lim of “plagiarising” their blueprint.
Exclusive rights to Hindraf name
Yet apart from the new deal with Najib not being the blueprint per se but a MOU that has left out two key Hindraf issues, racism and death in custody, the full details of the deal have also not been made public.
Among those shocked at the sudden about turn from calling BN “long gone” and denying that a pact with BN was in the cards, was Waythamoorthy’s brother and Hindraf founder P Uthayakumar, now head of the splinter group Human Rights Party.
Uthayakumar (right) scorned his brother's move saying the latter was aiming to be the "next Samy Vellu", former MIC chief.Waythamoorthy slammed his critics, saying, “Selfish politicians are instigating Hindraf members to continue in a warlike mode.”
Claiming exclusivity for the Hindraf brand name, he warned other Hindraf splinter leaders, “They do not belong to Hindraf any more. They do not represent Hindraf.
“They will be committing a criminal act if they pose as representatives of Hindraf.
“Hindraf is a legally instituted organisation now, and not an informal grouping any more.
"If they say they represent Hindraf, and they really do not, they are committing a criminal act and Hindraf will take action on them,” said Waythamoorthy.
Dr M: Pakatan rule will herald 'failed Islamic state'
Speaking
to about 2,000 navy personnel at the Lumut naval base, Mahathir said
Malaysia is internationally recognised as a successful Islamic state
because 60 percent of the population are Muslims.He said voters have the right to choose, but should not be swayed by emotions or hatred, or they risk electing those who can't run the country.
“If we fail to rule our country properly, it’s for certain that the public as well as the international community will think that Malaysia is another failed Islamic state,” he said.
Disappointment expressed
The former premier expressed his disappointment that of the 50 countries recognised as Islamic states, not one is seen as a developed nation despite being some being rich in oil.
Fortunately, he said, Malaysia is seen as a model of a developing nation in the Islamic world.
Thus, he said the BN government must be given credit for being able to provide peace, justice and development to the country.
However, if the country is not governed properly, the Muslims who run the country will be blamed and this will tarnish the image of Islam, he added.
Mahathir also warned that Muslim Malays will become the minority in this country, just like in Singapore and Thailand, if the community is split due to political differences.
He said that once Muslim Malays are aligned to different political parties, they will be unable to defend their wellbeing from the majority in the country.
"If
we unite, our strength is 60 percent in the country as a whole, but if
we split, our percentage definitely will split as well, it won't be 60
percent."The Malays will become a small party, but under the democratic system it's impossible for a small party to rule the country alone. So they will be forced to ask for help from others," he said, adding that the welfare of Muslims in this country will be jeopardised by the majority.
Identity lost
Citing Singapore and Thailand as examples, Mahathir said that the Malay minority in both countries had lost their identity and culture as they don't know how to speak the Malay language.
"If we don't govern our own race in our own country, trust me, our language, customs and identity will be gone," he stressed.
Hence, he defended the system practiced by BN, saying that the 14 component parties, representing each of the races in the country is to take care of their own community.
"Although the people in our country are different in terms of race, language, culture and political understanding, our country is peaceful and happy.
"This is because the rulers are not greedy. We don't want to grab all the power.
"As our country has different races, we decided to share the power and wealth in the county, that's why we established a political party named Barisan Nasional, formerly known as the Alliance," he said.
When
asked what would happen should the opposition win the general election
with a two-third majority, Mahathir said maybe they will amend the
constitution to the disadvantage of the people.He claimed that they will implement meritocracy and those who are not good enough will be sidelined.
"They will not get any chance at all. (You) don't hope to be the navy or air force chief or a vice chancellor in a university in Malaysia.
"We are not against meritocracy, but we also consider giving chances to those who are good, but not the best, this is our way," he added.
In GE13, Indian votes remain up for grabs, say analysts
Analysts feel more Indians are likely to vote for BN in this general election compared to 2008. — File picKUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — Malaysia’s significant Indian community remains a key demographic in Election 2013, with analysts saying Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) are in a tight race to get the better part of their nearly one million votes.More Indians are likely to vote for BN this time compared to 2008, analysts said, with 52 per cent of Indians surveyed in favour of the ruling BN in a private poll taken by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research before Parliament was dissolved last month.
“BN shouldn’t take the Indian vote for granted though,” Merdeka Center executive director Ibrahim Suffian told The Malaysian Insider, adding the survey was done before BN named controversial Malay rights campaigner Datuk Zulkifli Noordin as its election candidate.
The Malay rights group Perkasa vice-president had courted protest over remarks made in a video clip
Ibrahim says BN should not take the Indian vote for granted.that were seen as insulting to the Hindu religion. He has apologised for the remarks, blaming it on his former colleagues in Pakatan Rakyat (PR).BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak defended Zulkifli’s candidacy for the Shah Alam federal seat, saying yesterday the lawyer had championed Indian issues such as the construction of a Tamil school and a Hindu temple in the mainly middle-class Selangor state capital.
Zulkifli’s candidacy has outraged a number of groups, including Najib’s Umno ally MIC, the Indian party in BN but he remains on the ruling party’s slate for the May 5 general election.
“The opposition Indian parties are weak, and exploitation of Zulkifli’s candidacy has been poor unlike that done by the civil service organisations,” said Ibrahim.
The pollster also noted that BN has worked on various initiatives to get the Indian vote that deserted the coalition in the 2008 general election after a rare protest about their social and economic plight was violently put down.
Several leaders of the protest organisers Hindraf were detained without trial in the aftermath of the 2007 protest. But all have been released and a few are now with BN in Election 2013, including Hindraf leader P. Waythamoorthy who signed a pact with Najib several days ago to improve the community’s conditions.
“BN has been working harder for the Indian vote, unlike Pakatan which has been battling the past few years to get the Malay ground,” said Ibrahim, explaining BN’s slight edge in the survey.
Ambiga says the Indian vote is not guaranteed for either BN or PR in Election 2013.Bersih co-chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, who has toured the country and met a fair number of the community, also said the Indian vote is not guaranteed for either side in Election 2013.“I don’t think any side should take the Indian vote for granted,” she told The Malaysian Insider when commenting on the Merdeka Center poll results.
“I don’t think the Indians are a fixed deposit. I know Bersih gets a lot of support from the Indians because they are more empowered,” she added, referring to the movement for clean and fair elections by its acronym.
The former Bar Council president also noted the survey was done before Zulkifli was named as a BN candidate and the pact between Hindraf and the ruling coalition.
“Zulkifli is a non-starter with the Indians. By fielding Zulkifli, many Indians feel it shows utter contempt for them as the Indians are the people that get belittled,” Ambiga said.
She also said the conversations she has had with a number of Indians revealed their anger over the pact made by Hindraf’s Waythamoorthy with BN, especially its timing before the polls.
“They are angry with the memorandum of understanding. It went down like a lead balloon,” she said, adding the Indian community felt betrayed by the pact which deviated from what Hindraf set out to do in 2007.
Both coalitions are fielding a number of Indian candidates in Election 2013 in the nearly 60 of the 222 federal seats where the community is a significant minority. Buntong in Perak is the largest Indian-majority state seat, where they make up 48 per cent of the 22,907-strong electorate, followed by the Chinese at 44 per cent and Malays at six per cent.
Indians make up just about 950,000 of the 13.3 million voters eligible to cast their ballots in the May 5 general election.
Hong Kong, France join forces on Scorpene case
Terasasi, the Hong-Kong based firm owned by Abdul Razak, is now in the international spotlight as two countries probe it for kickbacks and money-laundering, says Suaram.
VIDEO INSIDE
PETALING JAYA: French and Hong Kong authorities are working together to expose corruption by Malaysian-owned firm Terasasi, which is involved in the multi-billion purchase of Scorpene submarines.
Human rights NGO Suaram said that a list of those who received kickbacks from Terasasi would be disclosed soon by the French courts.
Terasasi is based in Hong Kong and owned by Abdul Razak Baginda, who was acquitted in 2008 of the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.
“No one ever really knew the role Terasasi played, nor that it was owned by Abdul Razak Baginda and his father. Now Hong Kong is working with the court in France to come up with a list of recipients of kickbacks,” Cynthia Gabriel, who is Suaram director, told a packed press conference here today.
“It’s not just kickbacks and bribery, but it also involves money laundering. That is what is being investigated, although we can’t disclose who exactly the investigating authorities are,” she added.
Lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, meanwhile, said that she believed they would learn of the recipients
within one week.
Fresh from her trip to France with Gabriel, Fadiah revealed that the judges probing the alleged corruption in the Scorpene deal were also keen to investigate the circumstances involving Altantuya’s death.
“Apart from the corruption and scandal [in the Scorpene deal], they are also looking into the [caretaker] Prime Minister [Najib Tun Razak’s] involvement in the murder of Altantuya. So this is going to answer a lot of questions,” she told FMT.
Altantuya, who was Abdul Razak’s lover, was said to have helped the political analyst secure the Scorpene deal with French naval company DCNS.
She was allegedly murdered after demanding millions in payback for her services, according to Abdul Razak’s private investigator, the late P Balasubramaniam.
Balasubramaniam had implicated Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor in the murder in his statutory declaration in 2008, only to reverse his claims a day later before fleeing the country.
But he then told the media that he had made the second statutory declaration under duress, before he died from a heart attack last month.
Balsubramaniam’s lawyer, Americk Singh Sidhu, had then alleged that Cecil Abraham was the senior lawyer behind the drafting of Balasubramaniam’s second statutory declaration.
“So we proffered these two names [Americk and Abraham] to the judges and it has been accepted and we expect them to be called soon to testify,” said Fadiah.
VIDEO INSIDE
PETALING JAYA: French and Hong Kong authorities are working together to expose corruption by Malaysian-owned firm Terasasi, which is involved in the multi-billion purchase of Scorpene submarines.Human rights NGO Suaram said that a list of those who received kickbacks from Terasasi would be disclosed soon by the French courts.
Terasasi is based in Hong Kong and owned by Abdul Razak Baginda, who was acquitted in 2008 of the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.
“No one ever really knew the role Terasasi played, nor that it was owned by Abdul Razak Baginda and his father. Now Hong Kong is working with the court in France to come up with a list of recipients of kickbacks,” Cynthia Gabriel, who is Suaram director, told a packed press conference here today.
“It’s not just kickbacks and bribery, but it also involves money laundering. That is what is being investigated, although we can’t disclose who exactly the investigating authorities are,” she added.
Lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, meanwhile, said that she believed they would learn of the recipients within one week.
Fresh from her trip to France with Gabriel, Fadiah revealed that the judges probing the alleged corruption in the Scorpene deal were also keen to investigate the circumstances involving Altantuya’s death.
“Apart from the corruption and scandal [in the Scorpene deal], they are also looking into the [caretaker] Prime Minister [Najib Tun Razak’s] involvement in the murder of Altantuya. So this is going to answer a lot of questions,” she told FMT.
Altantuya, who was Abdul Razak’s lover, was said to have helped the political analyst secure the Scorpene deal with French naval company DCNS.
She was allegedly murdered after demanding millions in payback for her services, according to Abdul Razak’s private investigator, the late P Balasubramaniam.
Balasubramaniam had implicated Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor in the murder in his statutory declaration in 2008, only to reverse his claims a day later before fleeing the country.
But he then told the media that he had made the second statutory declaration under duress, before he died from a heart attack last month.
Balsubramaniam’s lawyer, Americk Singh Sidhu, had then alleged that Cecil Abraham was the senior lawyer behind the drafting of Balasubramaniam’s second statutory declaration.
“So we proffered these two names [Americk and Abraham] to the judges and it has been accepted and we expect them to be called soon to testify,” said Fadiah.
‘Taib is resorting to blackmail, bribery’
Announcement of generous salary increments to local Sarawak community leaders days before the general election has upset the state opposition.
UPDATED
KUCHING: Sarawak opposition fears that the generous salary increases announced by Chief Minister Taib Mahmud could affect the results of the May 5 general election in the state.
Accusing Taib of bribery, Sarawak PKR vice- president See Chee How said: “This is really a corrupt practice committed by Barisan Nasional.
“Such an increase of salaries of community leaders just before the general election can also affect the results of the general election. ”
See said they had lodged a formal complaint regarding the announcement with the Bersih committee in Kuala Lumpur.
Taib had announced yesterday that community leaders will receive a salary increase of between RM400 and RM650 each.
A Temenggong, which is the highest-ranked community leader, will see his salary increased from RM850 to RM1,500 per month, a Pemanca from RM700 to RM1,200 and a Penghulu from RM600 to RM1,000.
Tuai Rumah (longhouse chiefs) and Ketua Kampung (village chief), meanwhile, will have their salary increased from RM450 to RM800.
Taib said that all salary increases would take effect from Jan 1, 2013.
Responding to the announcement, See reminded that Taib had made similar promises prior to the 2006 state polls but failed to keep his word.
Intimidating voters
On a related matter, See, who is the Batu Lintang assemblyman, accused BN campaigners of threatening to terminate the services of community leaders if they were seen supporting the opposition candidates.
“We will stand behind them if they are victimised by the BN government. This was what happened in the last state election.
“We brought the case to court and won a judicial review,” he said.
See said that terminating the services of community leaders on the grounds that they supported the opposition was not a good reason.
“You cannot ask them to support BN. It is their choice.
“It is not only a corrupt practice, but blackmail if you say that you will raise the community leaders’ salaries if they support BN, and terminate their services if they are seen supporting opposition candidates,” he said.
PKR, which is part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, is contesting in 14 parliamentary seats and is expecting to do well, although BN intelligence has dismissed its enthusiasm as sheer bravado.
The party, together with its coalition partner DAP, is expected to give BN tough fights in 11 constituencies considered to be “hot seats”.
In the 2008 general election, Taib-led BN swept all but one seat – Bandar Kuching – which went to the DAP.
Don’t vote for racism
In another matter, See also said that a vote for BN is a vote for racism as it means supporting the likes of Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin.
“By voting for PBB, SUPP, SPDP, PRS and even BN-friendly parties, you are voting for Umno and Perkasa which are racists,” said See.
He said Umno had nominated Ibrahim in Pasir Mas and Zulkifli in Shah Alam knowing that their were racists and despited by the public.
Ibrahim became an ‘unofficial’ Umno candidate after the actual candidate Che Johan Che Pa failed to file his papers.
See said that Zulkifli had angered the Indian community after he called them ‘keling’ while Ibrahim was noted for his ‘burn the Bible’ call.
See was responding to a statement by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that the Indian community had accepted Zulkifli as a BN candidate.
Najib said that Zulkifli had apologized to the Hindus and had admitted to making a mockery of their religion, but said it was a mistake he made 10 years ago.
“By voting for candidates in Barisan Nasional, we are actually voting for these racists,” See stressed.
UPDATED
KUCHING: Sarawak opposition fears that the generous salary increases announced by Chief Minister Taib Mahmud could affect the results of the May 5 general election in the state.Accusing Taib of bribery, Sarawak PKR vice- president See Chee How said: “This is really a corrupt practice committed by Barisan Nasional.
“Such an increase of salaries of community leaders just before the general election can also affect the results of the general election. ”
See said they had lodged a formal complaint regarding the announcement with the Bersih committee in Kuala Lumpur.
Taib had announced yesterday that community leaders will receive a salary increase of between RM400 and RM650 each.
A Temenggong, which is the highest-ranked community leader, will see his salary increased from RM850 to RM1,500 per month, a Pemanca from RM700 to RM1,200 and a Penghulu from RM600 to RM1,000.
Tuai Rumah (longhouse chiefs) and Ketua Kampung (village chief), meanwhile, will have their salary increased from RM450 to RM800.
Taib said that all salary increases would take effect from Jan 1, 2013.
Responding to the announcement, See reminded that Taib had made similar promises prior to the 2006 state polls but failed to keep his word.
Intimidating voters
On a related matter, See, who is the Batu Lintang assemblyman, accused BN campaigners of threatening to terminate the services of community leaders if they were seen supporting the opposition candidates.
“We will stand behind them if they are victimised by the BN government. This was what happened in the last state election.
“We brought the case to court and won a judicial review,” he said.
See said that terminating the services of community leaders on the grounds that they supported the opposition was not a good reason.
“You cannot ask them to support BN. It is their choice.
“It is not only a corrupt practice, but blackmail if you say that you will raise the community leaders’ salaries if they support BN, and terminate their services if they are seen supporting opposition candidates,” he said.
PKR, which is part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, is contesting in 14 parliamentary seats and is expecting to do well, although BN intelligence has dismissed its enthusiasm as sheer bravado.
The party, together with its coalition partner DAP, is expected to give BN tough fights in 11 constituencies considered to be “hot seats”.
In the 2008 general election, Taib-led BN swept all but one seat – Bandar Kuching – which went to the DAP.
Don’t vote for racismIn another matter, See also said that a vote for BN is a vote for racism as it means supporting the likes of Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin.
“By voting for PBB, SUPP, SPDP, PRS and even BN-friendly parties, you are voting for Umno and Perkasa which are racists,” said See.
He said Umno had nominated Ibrahim in Pasir Mas and Zulkifli in Shah Alam knowing that their were racists and despited by the public.
Ibrahim became an ‘unofficial’ Umno candidate after the actual candidate Che Johan Che Pa failed to file his papers.
See said that Zulkifli had angered the Indian community after he called them ‘keling’ while Ibrahim was noted for his ‘burn the Bible’ call.
See was responding to a statement by caretaker Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that the Indian community had accepted Zulkifli as a BN candidate.
Najib said that Zulkifli had apologized to the Hindus and had admitted to making a mockery of their religion, but said it was a mistake he made 10 years ago.
“By voting for candidates in Barisan Nasional, we are actually voting for these racists,” See stressed.
Ku Li and the ‘third force’ intrigue
Sabah's Tuaran division PKR chief Ansari Abdullah's rantings on his Facebook have re-opened an old theory of an Umno conspiracy.
KOTA KINABALU: In the war of words between rebel Sabah PKR supreme council member Ansari Abdullah and former Barisan Nasional-Upko MP-turned-defector Wilfred Bumburing, the most intriguing reminder is that the latter is the deputy president of Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah).
Way back in 2011, Amanah was linked to the rise of a “third force” within Malaysian politics, vis-a-vis Umno.
Amanah was set up by Umno stalwart Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Ku Li) in 2011.
Amidst a racially divided Malaysia, Razaleigh had called for Umno to return to the party’s original struggles as envisioned by Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Amanah was his platform to “unite” Malaysia by “reaffirming and reigniting a sense of togetherness and true family spirit that prevailed among Malaysians during our struggle for national indepedence”.
Razaleigh’s move to form Amanah further fuelled talks of him having identified independents who would then be fielded in the 13th general election. These would be candidates who were Umno at heart but who “disagreed” with the way the party had morphed under Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Razaleigh, 75, an Umno stalwart and Gua Musang incumbent MP, had once led Semangat 46 after Umno was declared illegal in 1988 following a failed bid to wrest the party presidency from Mahathir. He returned to Umno and laid low until rumours started surfacing in late 2010.
There were all kinds of rumours floating about, including speculation that he had held secret talks with opposition leaders and was eyed as the replacement leader for Anwar Ibrahim in the event Pakatan Rakyat wrested Putrajaya.
There was no hard denials from PAS spiritual head Niz Aziz Nik Mat and PKR de facto leader Anwar. Anwar, when asked, had merely said that “he was not in the know” of such meetings.
If past reports and alliances are any measure, then Razaleigh is well accepted by Pakatan as an alternative leader.
In Sabah, he is a “hero” of sorts, having thrown light on the haunting “Double Six” air tragedy that killed Sabah chief minister Fuad Stephens and his ministers hours after they allegedly disagreed with the terms of the oil agreement on June 6, 1976.
61 ‘independents’
Ansari’s rantings on his Facebook on nomination day have brought the speculations back in focus. In his posting, Ansari demanded to know why Bumburing and men were allocated seats under the PKR banner when they were aligned to Umno’s Razaleigh, via Amanah.
Additionally interesting is the fact that a staggering 61 Umno members had filed their nomination papers on April 20 to contest in the general election as independents.
They are contesting in parliamentary and state seats across the country, raising the possibility that a “pseudo-third force” is available to partner any which side that wins.
In Sabah alone, just under 30 Umno members were sacked for allegedly sabotaging or undermining Umno-BN’s bid to retain Sabah. Sabah and Sarawak are crucial to Umno and BN in its battle to keep Putrajaya.
In the last election, the Musa Aman-led government swept all seats in Sabah, except for one state and one parliamentary seat. A similar feat in Sarawak saved Umno-BN which had lost five states in the 2008 election.
But that comfort is no longer available to Musa and BN chairman Najib Tun Razak.
Sabah, like the rest of the country, is a ticking time bomb that could blow in Umno’s face.
Political blogger MarGeeMar wrote in December last year that Mahathir and Najib were no fools.
He said there is every likelihood that Razaleigh is “in cahoots with Mahathir”.
“How else can you explain Ku Li’s recent statement that he would remain loyal to Umno and help ensure BN remains in power after the next 13th general election? They know the groundswell is tilted against the super corrupt, evil and racist Umno-led BN government.”
He claimed that to turn the tide against Anwar-led Pakatan, Mahathir and Najib had to conspire a plan strong enough to drive a wedge in Pakatan’s foundation.
And who better to use than Razaleigh, who is publicly acceptable.
“As long as the split is good enough for BN to win a simple majority to govern or remain in power, their [Mahathir's] first phase of their agenda is realised.”
It remains to be seen if these so-called independents, and candidates representing NGOs, especially in Sabah, are who they claim to be and represent.
KOTA KINABALU: In the war of words between rebel Sabah PKR supreme council member Ansari Abdullah and former Barisan Nasional-Upko MP-turned-defector Wilfred Bumburing, the most intriguing reminder is that the latter is the deputy president of Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah).Way back in 2011, Amanah was linked to the rise of a “third force” within Malaysian politics, vis-a-vis Umno.
Amanah was set up by Umno stalwart Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (Ku Li) in 2011.
Amidst a racially divided Malaysia, Razaleigh had called for Umno to return to the party’s original struggles as envisioned by Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Amanah was his platform to “unite” Malaysia by “reaffirming and reigniting a sense of togetherness and true family spirit that prevailed among Malaysians during our struggle for national indepedence”.
Razaleigh’s move to form Amanah further fuelled talks of him having identified independents who would then be fielded in the 13th general election. These would be candidates who were Umno at heart but who “disagreed” with the way the party had morphed under Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Razaleigh, 75, an Umno stalwart and Gua Musang incumbent MP, had once led Semangat 46 after Umno was declared illegal in 1988 following a failed bid to wrest the party presidency from Mahathir. He returned to Umno and laid low until rumours started surfacing in late 2010.
There were all kinds of rumours floating about, including speculation that he had held secret talks with opposition leaders and was eyed as the replacement leader for Anwar Ibrahim in the event Pakatan Rakyat wrested Putrajaya.
There was no hard denials from PAS spiritual head Niz Aziz Nik Mat and PKR de facto leader Anwar. Anwar, when asked, had merely said that “he was not in the know” of such meetings.
If past reports and alliances are any measure, then Razaleigh is well accepted by Pakatan as an alternative leader.
In Sabah, he is a “hero” of sorts, having thrown light on the haunting “Double Six” air tragedy that killed Sabah chief minister Fuad Stephens and his ministers hours after they allegedly disagreed with the terms of the oil agreement on June 6, 1976.
61 ‘independents’
Ansari’s rantings on his Facebook on nomination day have brought the speculations back in focus. In his posting, Ansari demanded to know why Bumburing and men were allocated seats under the PKR banner when they were aligned to Umno’s Razaleigh, via Amanah.
Additionally interesting is the fact that a staggering 61 Umno members had filed their nomination papers on April 20 to contest in the general election as independents.
They are contesting in parliamentary and state seats across the country, raising the possibility that a “pseudo-third force” is available to partner any which side that wins.
In Sabah alone, just under 30 Umno members were sacked for allegedly sabotaging or undermining Umno-BN’s bid to retain Sabah. Sabah and Sarawak are crucial to Umno and BN in its battle to keep Putrajaya.
In the last election, the Musa Aman-led government swept all seats in Sabah, except for one state and one parliamentary seat. A similar feat in Sarawak saved Umno-BN which had lost five states in the 2008 election.
But that comfort is no longer available to Musa and BN chairman Najib Tun Razak.
Sabah, like the rest of the country, is a ticking time bomb that could blow in Umno’s face.
Political blogger MarGeeMar wrote in December last year that Mahathir and Najib were no fools.
He said there is every likelihood that Razaleigh is “in cahoots with Mahathir”.
“How else can you explain Ku Li’s recent statement that he would remain loyal to Umno and help ensure BN remains in power after the next 13th general election? They know the groundswell is tilted against the super corrupt, evil and racist Umno-led BN government.”
He claimed that to turn the tide against Anwar-led Pakatan, Mahathir and Najib had to conspire a plan strong enough to drive a wedge in Pakatan’s foundation.
And who better to use than Razaleigh, who is publicly acceptable.
“As long as the split is good enough for BN to win a simple majority to govern or remain in power, their [Mahathir's] first phase of their agenda is realised.”
It remains to be seen if these so-called independents, and candidates representing NGOs, especially in Sabah, are who they claim to be and represent.
Despite Zul factor, MIC division backs BN
The Shah Alam MIC division will work on the ground for BN, not because of Zulkifli Noordin but for Najib Tun Razak.
PETALING JAYA: Shah Alam MIC division chairman K Suppaiah today pledged to support Barisan Nasional despite Indians being upset over the choice of candidate for the parliament seat, Zukifli Noordin.
“We are working on the ground not for Zulkifli but for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s leadership,” he told FMT.
Suppaiah said that although MIC and other BN-friendly Indian-based parties supported Najib’s administration, the decision to support Zulkifli is still in the hands of the Indian community.
“From the beginning, we (Shah Alam MIC division) tried to avoid Zulkifli from contesting in our constituency. We even sent a letter to the PM’s Office as well as to the MIC national body.
“However, the PM already made his decision and MIC’s top leadership instructed us to support the PM’s choice of candidate,” he added.
He also pointed out that PM personally promised him to build a hall for the Indian community in Shah Alam and to allocate RM1 million for a local temple.
“Thus, we are not concerned about Zulkifli as we have direct access to the Prime Minister’s Office,” he added.
The division chairman also said that he was not surprised that his division vice-chairman had quit from MIC as a sign of protest against Zulkifli’s candidacy.
“It is his own decision which does not reflect the division’s stand,” he added.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Indian Progressive Association (MIPAS) was disappointed with Najib ‘s decision to defend Zulkifli’s candidacy.
Najib had asked the Indian community to forgive the Perkasa leader for insulting the Hindu religion.
MIPAS leader S Barathidasan said a mere apology from Zulkifli would not suffice.
“We want police to investigate Perkasa for causing disharmony, feelings of hostility and hatred among religions,” he added.
Zulkifli, who won the Kulim Bandar Baharu parliamentary seat as a PKR candidate in 2008, became a BN-friendly independent in 2010 after he was sacked from the party for criticising Pakatan Rakyat leaders.
This time around, Zulkifli would stand as a BN direct candidate against incumbent Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad of PAS, with whom he had a much publicised feud over the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims.
Shah Alam is an urban parliament constituency comprise with 100,076 voters where 69.9% are Malays following Chinese and Indians are 14.9% and 14.2% respectively.
PETALING JAYA: Shah Alam MIC division chairman K Suppaiah today pledged to support Barisan Nasional despite Indians being upset over the choice of candidate for the parliament seat, Zukifli Noordin.“We are working on the ground not for Zulkifli but for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s leadership,” he told FMT.
Suppaiah said that although MIC and other BN-friendly Indian-based parties supported Najib’s administration, the decision to support Zulkifli is still in the hands of the Indian community.
“From the beginning, we (Shah Alam MIC division) tried to avoid Zulkifli from contesting in our constituency. We even sent a letter to the PM’s Office as well as to the MIC national body.
“However, the PM already made his decision and MIC’s top leadership instructed us to support the PM’s choice of candidate,” he added.
He also pointed out that PM personally promised him to build a hall for the Indian community in Shah Alam and to allocate RM1 million for a local temple.
“Thus, we are not concerned about Zulkifli as we have direct access to the Prime Minister’s Office,” he added.
The division chairman also said that he was not surprised that his division vice-chairman had quit from MIC as a sign of protest against Zulkifli’s candidacy.
“It is his own decision which does not reflect the division’s stand,” he added.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Indian Progressive Association (MIPAS) was disappointed with Najib ‘s decision to defend Zulkifli’s candidacy.
Najib had asked the Indian community to forgive the Perkasa leader for insulting the Hindu religion.
MIPAS leader S Barathidasan said a mere apology from Zulkifli would not suffice.
“We want police to investigate Perkasa for causing disharmony, feelings of hostility and hatred among religions,” he added.
Zulkifli, who won the Kulim Bandar Baharu parliamentary seat as a PKR candidate in 2008, became a BN-friendly independent in 2010 after he was sacked from the party for criticising Pakatan Rakyat leaders.
This time around, Zulkifli would stand as a BN direct candidate against incumbent Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad of PAS, with whom he had a much publicised feud over the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims.
Shah Alam is an urban parliament constituency comprise with 100,076 voters where 69.9% are Malays following Chinese and Indians are 14.9% and 14.2% respectively.
Hindraf MOU with BN a quantum leap for Malaysian Indians
Wong Mun Chee
It is fascinating the amount of articles that has surfaced, condemning the move in a typical Goebbels mindset.
Practically all these articles talks about Waytha and the typical personal accusation, just another hate mongering method exercised by or for those interested parties.
I am pretty sure that HINDRAF would have expected this as they appear to be very cool and collected about it to show their maturity that speaks volume for the grassroots movement that they represent.
HINDRAF is aware of the summer soldiers and sunshine patriots who occasionally arise but rather take a nonchalant attitude about it because they will never bring real change for the people that they represent, like what HINDRAF had done.
None of those articles talks about the issues at stake and how they were able to coerce BN to agree, at least in principle, but merely an unsubstantiated assumption to feed into their frustration for their own needs.
Whether BN is going to honor it or not is a secondary question, but PR wouldn’t even bother to look at it.
Nobody has fought so hard for the Malaysian Indians like HINDRAF had and that is a fact. We can write as much as we want under the ministry of falsehood, feel disappointed with the direction taken by HINDRAF but nevertheless the hard truth is that they have brought forward national issues involving the Malaysian Indians unlike anyone else, without any precedent.
For those detractors who continue to write on personal character assassination, dumbfounded logic without any tangible evidence, please carry one because most fools can criticize and condemn because there is no fool so great a fool as a purported knowing fool for the aforesaid reasons. Did you know that false knowledge is more dangerous than ignorance?
I think HINDRAF has mastered that with knowledge as wisdom plays a bigger role for the community; opting for the issues that concerns the alienated community. Who else would come forward to acknowledge and address such paramount issues?
Another five (5) years in the doldrums for the Malaysian Indians if BN does not honor it is not going to change anything but at least they took the liberty to come forward and engage them and that is something that needs to be recognized, unlike PR, who had all the opportunity yet squandered it for their own selfish reasons.
I am sure I am going to get our typical heroes and heroines whacking me on this. Sure enough those are your prerogatives, but let me ask you an honest question, are you honest to yourself or do you need to be honest for the community and their issues?
When I say honesty, don’t run me the Goebbels theory for the political divide, what it should be and how it should, but rather something tangible to make a difference for the community in honesty for their well being rather our keyboard based artificial altruism.
It is like what Confucious says, “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps” I think HINDRAF is on the right path
Think about it.
Thank you
Mat Taib, Tamrin gesa 61 ahli Umno yang dipecat sokong Pakatan
Bekas
Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib menyeru ahli Umno
yang dipecat supaya menyokong pembangkang pada pilihan raya ini. – Foto
oleh Choo Choy MayKUALA LUMPUR, 23 April — Dua bekas pemimpin Umno Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib dan Tamrin Ghafar menggesa 61 ahli Umno yang bertanding sebagai calon bebas untuk menyokong pembangkang dalam pilihan raya 5 Mei.Kedua-duanya, sekarang merupakan ahli PAS, mendakwa penyingkiran 61 orang itu daripada senarai Pilihan Raya 2013 Umno mencerminkan budaya naungan parti Melayu itu masih kuat walaupun cuba untuk memprojekkan imej reformis.
“Kami diyakinkan tiada masa depan dalam Umno. Dengan corak dan pendekatan politik sedia ada. Umno ketinggalan dari ombak perubahan negara dan global.
“Langkah 61 orang ahli Umno untuk bertanding sebagai calon bebas membuktikan ini. Kami yakin kamu adalah sebahagian dari mereka yang berani mengatakan tidak kepada kepimpinan tertinggi Umno,” kata kedua-dua pemimpin itu dalam satu kenyataan bersama.
Muhammad, bekas menteri besar Selangor dari 1987 hingga 1997, hadir ke sidang akhbar itu sebentar dan kemudian meninggalkannya tanpa bercakap kepada pemberita disebabkan terdapat urusan yang tidak dapat dielakkan.
Tamrin yang membacakan kenyataan di ibu pejabat PAS di sini mendakwa angka besar tidak dijangka melawan parti dengan bertanding sebagai calon bebas menunjukkan kemarahan meluas dalam parti itu.
Anak kepada bekas timbalan perdana menteri itu mendakwa pergolakkan dalam parti Melayu tunjang Barisan Nasional (BN) itu akan melemahkan kempen gabungan itu dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13.
"Di atas nama ‘calon boleh menang" semuanya boleh dilakukan. Mereka yang tidak layak, bermasalah dan mempunyai kepentingan semuanya dipilih kerana kepentingan sesetengah kem atau fraksi," katanya.
Semalam lembaga disiplin Umno mengumumkan pemecatan 61 orang ahli kerana mensabotaj parti menjelang pilihan raya 5 Mei.
Di antara yang berada dalam senarai adalah Naib Ketua Wanita Umno Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim dan bekas ahli majlis tertinggi Datuk Seri Shariff Omar yang mencalonkan diri mereka sebagai calon bebas di kerusi Parlimen Kuala Kangsar dan Tasek Gelugor.
Tamrin mengatakan pemecatan Kamilia dari Umno adalah mengejutkan akan tetapi tidak memeranjatkan oleh kerana beliau mengkritik kepimpinan parti semasa skandal "lembu" yang melibatkan Ketua Wanita Umno Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil heboh.
"Beliau adalah naib ketua Wanita tetapi tidak dicalonkan. Mengapa? Kerana beliau kritikal kepada kepimpinan parti di mana ianya memang patut dilakukan," katanya.
Bekas ahli Parlimen dari Melaka itu mendakwa, seorang bekas ahli majlis tertinggi Umno telah memberitahunya, mereka yang dipecat semalam mungkin akan menyertai PAS dan akan menyokong pembangkang pada 5 Mei.
"Bekas ahli majlis tertinggi Umno memberitahu saya mood tidak baik sama sekali."
Semalam, PAS mengumumkan keahlian Muhammad dalam langkah yang dilihat meningkatkan peluang PR untuk mempertahankan Selangor pada pilihan raya akan datang.
India's anti-rape law judge JS Verma dies
Justice Verma criticised the way India is governed and said the public had been failed
Mr Verma died of liver failure and abdominal problems at a hospital in the suburb of Gurgaon late on Monday.
He recently headed a government-appointed panel to recommend legal reform and other ways to reduce sexual violence after the fatal gang rape of a student in Delhi in December.
Mr Verma was India's 27th chief justice and served from 1997 to 1998.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described Mr Verma as a "man of vast understanding and knowledge of law" and said he would miss his "generous advice and guidance on matters of public importance".
Justice Verma's three-member panel to beef up anti-rape laws received 80,000 recommendations, held wide consultations and referred to laws and research from around the world.
'Face of judicial activism'
Its report, submitted to the government in January, paved the way for India's tough new anti-rape laws containing harsher punishment for rapists.
As a top judge he was known for his landmark rulings, including one relating to sexual harassment.
Mr Verma also headed India's National Human Rights Commission, during which he travelled to the western state of Gujarat, where Hindu-Muslim riots left over 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, dead.
Riots erupted after 60 Hindu pilgrims died in a train fire in 2002 and Muslims were blamed for starting the blaze.
The Indian Express newspaper called Mr Verma the "face of judicial activism" in India, saying that he was associated with "many verdicts, campaigns and events".
"He was a colossus among judges. He set very high standards of integrity, which he never digressed from and never permitted anyone else to digress from," former judge Mukul Mudgal wrote in the newspaper.
Mr Verma is survived by his wife and two daughters.
Zul’s shallow apology — Kunjuraman Karuppan
APRIL 22 — Does Datuk Zulkifli Noordin think his shallow apology to the Indians helps his cause in Shah Alam?
Does the Perkasa vice-president standing on a Barisan Nasional (BN) ticket think he can blame the Pakatan Rakyat for his congenital racism?
How does he imagine all this will help him go against Khalid Samad in Shah Alam and win “101 per cent” in the May 5 general election?
Khalid was the one MP who stood side by side with the Indian community after the cow-head protest in Shah Alam even when it was not the politically smart thing to do.
What did Umno do? They got the cow-head protesters to pose for pictures with their vice-president after explaining the protest against a Hindu temple in Shah Alam.
So, who’s the one hell-bent on demolishing or preventing Hindu temples from coming up in Shah Alam?
Zulkifli Noordin’s candidacy is an insult to 1 Malaysia, particularly the Indian community.
This man has the audacity to blame his former colleagues for insulting Indians but won’t take responsibility for it himself. What a character, what a “transformative candidate”.
Put him where he belongs, in the garbage bin of history.
* Kunjuraman Karuppan 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.
Does the Perkasa vice-president standing on a Barisan Nasional (BN) ticket think he can blame the Pakatan Rakyat for his congenital racism?
How does he imagine all this will help him go against Khalid Samad in Shah Alam and win “101 per cent” in the May 5 general election?
Khalid was the one MP who stood side by side with the Indian community after the cow-head protest in Shah Alam even when it was not the politically smart thing to do.
What did Umno do? They got the cow-head protesters to pose for pictures with their vice-president after explaining the protest against a Hindu temple in Shah Alam.
So, who’s the one hell-bent on demolishing or preventing Hindu temples from coming up in Shah Alam?
Zulkifli Noordin’s candidacy is an insult to 1 Malaysia, particularly the Indian community.
This man has the audacity to blame his former colleagues for insulting Indians but won’t take responsibility for it himself. What a character, what a “transformative candidate”.
Put him where he belongs, in the garbage bin of history.
* Kunjuraman Karuppan 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.
GE13 Crucial To Determine Sabah, Malaysia's Destiny - Najib
BONGAWAN, April 23 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has described the coming general election as "not like any election" because it would determine the destiny of Sabah, as well as Malaysia.
Therefore, he said, it was vital for the people to ensure a big win for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the May 5 general election to enable the coalition to form a strong and stable government.
"Whether we want a peaceful, prosperous and independent Sabah, or the opposition, which has brought many situations of uncertainties which make us doubt their stand, we have to make a wise choice.
"Let us together, determine that the decision which we will make on May 5 will ascertain a government which is strong and stable.
"Datuk Seri Anifah Aman as foreign minister, knows that Malaysia is respected because we have a strong and stable government," he said in his speech at the meet-the-people session at Padang Bongawan near here Tuesday.
Najib, who is also BN chairman, said foreign heads of government, including US President Barack Obama, respected Malaysia because the country was seen as peaceful, stable and strong.
He said foreign investors also came to Malaysia "because they believe we have a stable and strong government".
"Our shares rise drastically because of the confidence in the existing government. When we are able to have more investments and increase the country's wealth, our shares rise, revenue increases and we give back to the people.
"We give the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) to the people. Not only BR1M 1, BR1M 2, but next year, BR1M 3 and 4, increase to RM500 for the people's well-being. This is the government for the people and the opposition wants to abolish BR1M.
"BR1M is better than reducing oil price. Reduction in oil price only benefits those who own big cars. It's the people who sell oil at the border who make profit, but by giving BR1M, all the people will benefit. This is BN government, we do what is best for the people," he added.
Najib said the federal government enjoyed good ties with the Sabah Government and praised Datuk Seri Musa Aman's leadership.
"I am impressed with his report card. The people should read it because it is the state government's success," he added.
He said sports facilities for the young people would be constructed in Kiwanis.
"Anifa said there is no bank, so we will have a Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) here," he added.
Najib said the people of Sabah, especially BN members, should unite and work hard to ensure victory for the coalition.
Meanwhile, Najib's visit to Kota Belud, where he was scheduled to arrive in a helicopter, had to be cancelled due to heavy rain.
The prime minister, who was scheduled to arrive in Kota Belud at 4pm, was only able to talk to scores of people who had gathered to welcome him, via telephone.
He expressed confidence in BN winning in Kota Belud and called on the BN machinery to work harder.
Therefore, he said, it was vital for the people to ensure a big win for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the May 5 general election to enable the coalition to form a strong and stable government.
"Whether we want a peaceful, prosperous and independent Sabah, or the opposition, which has brought many situations of uncertainties which make us doubt their stand, we have to make a wise choice.
"Let us together, determine that the decision which we will make on May 5 will ascertain a government which is strong and stable.
"Datuk Seri Anifah Aman as foreign minister, knows that Malaysia is respected because we have a strong and stable government," he said in his speech at the meet-the-people session at Padang Bongawan near here Tuesday.
Najib, who is also BN chairman, said foreign heads of government, including US President Barack Obama, respected Malaysia because the country was seen as peaceful, stable and strong.
He said foreign investors also came to Malaysia "because they believe we have a stable and strong government".
"Our shares rise drastically because of the confidence in the existing government. When we are able to have more investments and increase the country's wealth, our shares rise, revenue increases and we give back to the people.
"We give the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) to the people. Not only BR1M 1, BR1M 2, but next year, BR1M 3 and 4, increase to RM500 for the people's well-being. This is the government for the people and the opposition wants to abolish BR1M.
"BR1M is better than reducing oil price. Reduction in oil price only benefits those who own big cars. It's the people who sell oil at the border who make profit, but by giving BR1M, all the people will benefit. This is BN government, we do what is best for the people," he added.
Najib said the federal government enjoyed good ties with the Sabah Government and praised Datuk Seri Musa Aman's leadership.
"I am impressed with his report card. The people should read it because it is the state government's success," he added.
He said sports facilities for the young people would be constructed in Kiwanis.
"Anifa said there is no bank, so we will have a Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) here," he added.
Najib said the people of Sabah, especially BN members, should unite and work hard to ensure victory for the coalition.
Meanwhile, Najib's visit to Kota Belud, where he was scheduled to arrive in a helicopter, had to be cancelled due to heavy rain.
The prime minister, who was scheduled to arrive in Kota Belud at 4pm, was only able to talk to scores of people who had gathered to welcome him, via telephone.
He expressed confidence in BN winning in Kota Belud and called on the BN machinery to work harder.
Michelle Yeoh supports Najib as PM (Video)
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