MCLM-backed candidates step down

RPK's attack on Anwar has cost MCLM two of its candidates.

PETALING JAYA: Raja Petra Kamarudin appears to have shot himself in the foot with his weekend of verbal salvos against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Two independent candidates backed by the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) of which he is the chairman today announced their withdrawal from the candidacy and their disassociation with the movement.

The two are prominent lawyer and National Human Rights Society president, Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, and human rights lawyer, Sreekant Pillai.

The duo’s resignation comes barely a day after MCLM’s president, Haris Ibrahim, stepped down. All three attributed their decision to the recent interviews given by Raja Petra, better known as RPK, to selected media.

In the interviews, the popular blogger declared Anwar “unfit” to be the next prime minister, alluded that the latter was guilty of the sodomy charge and expressed certainty that Anwar was the man featured in the sex video.

He also said that MCLM would not be fielding any candidates for the 13th general election, a statement that Haris said had never been discussed within the movement.

In a blog posting this afternoon Malik clarified that while he had never been a MCLM member he had nevertheless committed to working for the the movement to further the reform agenda.

He explained that his agreement to stand as an independent candidate hinged on his satisfaction that there was a cause for it.

Malik also emphasised that he continued to believe that Pakatan Rakyat was pivotal in any campaign reform and had resolved to stand only where there wouldn’t be a three-corner fight.

“Much has occurred since the announcement of the initiative,” he said. “For one, Pakatan appeared to commit to a sustained effort to identify and field quality candidates.”

“For another, Raja Petra felt it necessary to state his personal views as he did, in an interview with TV3 last year and recently in interviews published in the New Straits Times and Utusan Malaysia.”

Undermined MCLM’s credibility

While Malik refrained from delving into RPK’s recent statements, he stated that they had cast a less than positive light on MCLM in so far as its commitment to principle was concerned.

He also added that he did not share RPK’s views which were entirely personal to the latter and not belonging to MCLM.

“Raja Petra had however allowed the impression that he spoke on behalf of MCLM and in his capacity as chairman of the movement,” Malik pointed out. “That is regrettable as it is an impression that has undermined the credibility of the MCLM and its efforts.”

“It has also undermined the tremendous efforts of a number of highly committed and selfless individuals in their untiring efforts to develop various civil society initiatives under the banner of MCLM.”

Malik reiterated that it was for this reason that he and Sreekant had decided to disassociate themselves from the movement and withdraw from the independent candidate initiative.

“I wish to state that my decision to remain independent of any political parties and to stand as a candidate was mine and mine alone,” he said. “It has been some years since Raja Petra and I have spoken and he has not in any way influenced any of my decisions.”

This had left MCLM with only one endorsed candidate, Dr Nedunchelian Vengu, who earlier announced that he would still be contesting the Kapar seat as a Barisan Rakyat Independent Candidate.

Dr Nedu: I’m still contesting in GE13

The MCLM-backed candidate confirms that he will contest in the Kapar seat in the next general election.

PETALING JAYA: The first Barisan Rakyat Independent Candidate (BRIC), Dr Nedunchelian Vengu, has affirmed that he will still be battling it out for the Kapar seat in the 13th general election.

His clarification this morning was a move to clear up the confusion following a recent statement by the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) chairman, Raja Petra Kamarudin, that the movement would not be fielding any candidates for the upcoming polls.

“I have been receiving concerned calls from my team and Kapar residents about my candidacy and I’d like to assure them that I will still be contesting the Kapar seat,” Nedunchelian told FMT.

“I was never an MCLM candidate so even if MCLM isn’t around tomorrow, my election campaign will continue. I started my groundwork before MCLM’s endorsement, so Raja Petra’s statement has in no way affected my decision to stand for elections.”

Last July Nedunchelian was officially introduced to the public as a BRIC and an MCLM-backed candidate.

“I accepted MCLM’s support because the tenets of my personal campaign agenda fit with the movement’s social inclusion agenda,” he had said back then.

MCLM’s former president, Haris Ibrahim, had however emphasised that Nedunchelian would remain independent from the movement.

Haris, who announced his resignation from MCLM yesterday, also said that contrary to Raja Petra’s statement, no decision had been made on the fielding of MCLM-backed candidates.

Nedunchelian was born and raised in Kapar, and opened his first dental practice there. As such he pointed out that it was only right for him to contest in his hometown.

“Of the numerous people who offered themselves as candidates under BRIC, I was one of the few to survive MCLM’s stringent vetting and be acknowledged as a winnable candidate,” he said.

“Part of that reason is because I have been close to the grassroots through my community work. I’ve conducted numerous free medical and dental clinics for the needy and children as well as programmes for single mothers and the underpriviledged.”

Nedunchelian will most likely be facing incumbent, PKR’s S Manikasagam, and acandidate from MIC for the seat.

I have resigned as MCLM president

By Haris Ibrahim,

From the very first post in this blog to this day, my political viewpoint has been the same.

If we are to transform this into a nation of a single, united people, and to finally start to see a just distribution of the nation’s wealth, to offer equal educational and economic opportunities to all our children, and, most importantly, to restore vital institutions of state back to their role as servants of the people, UMNO and BN had to be removed from Putrajaya.

My faith, though, in seeing this realised, has been with an awakening people working with the non-BN political parties who are truly pro-rakyat.

This, too, remains unchanged.

On 30th October, 2010, whilst attending to guests at an SABM dinner, lecture, I received an sms from RPK informing that that very night, in London, at the inaugural meeting of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement, I had been unanimously elected as president.

3 weeks later, I was in Manchester where, after much deliberation with RPK, I agreed to accept the position subject to our agreement on several issues.

I will only mention two here that I believe relevant to the difficult decision I have made today.

First, matters of policy and direction of MCLM were to be determined and made after mutual consultation and consensus between us.

Second, RPK would oversee the administrative affairs of MCLM, in his capacity as chairman, as well as look into all overseas matters. whilst I would drive our operations here at home.

In December, 2010, in London, RPK announced the launch of our Barisan Rakyat Independent Candidate Initiative.

In July, last year, MCLM announced the deployment of our first candidate, Dr Neduchelian, in the Kapar consitutuency.

In December, last year, after conferring with RPK, MCLM joined several other groups in issuing a warning to Najib that should he call snap elections without first carrying through the electoral reforms demanded by BERSIH 2.0, he should brace himself for street rallies that might culminate in his government being toppled. I wish to reiterate here that this was no idle threat.

Again, after conferring with RPK, MCLM had, last month, firmly aligned itself with the many NGOs and several political parties that hve given life to the Asalkan Bukan Umno / Anything But Umno (ABU) initiative.

Yesterday, the New Straits Times published an interview with RPK that was conducted in Singapore last week.

I had been informed by RPK whilst I was with him in Phuket over the Christmas holiday that this interview was to take place. I was not, however, fully appraised of all that was to be said in the course of the interview.

The matters spoken of by RPK have been quite wide-ranging.

I only propose to allude here to the two parts that have led me to the decision I have made today.

Under the heading “Rights group not a third force – RPK” that appeared in the NST and is reproduced in full on Malaysia Today, RPK is reported to have said that “MCLM had decided it would not field any candidates for the coming general election”.

I can confirm now that no such decision has been made after due consultation.

And under the heading “RPK – Anwar may become irrelevant”, also reproduced in full on Malaysia Today, RPK is reported to have said that “the Egypt-style people’s revolution was not an answer for Malaysia due to the delicate racial balance. “They (Chinese voters) don’t want Tahrir Square type of change”.”

These comments just referred to greatly undermine efforts I am making, albeit through MLCM, in the ABU initiative.

It also saddens me that even as initiatives like SABM and so many others continue daily to undo the ill-effects of UMNO /BN’s 40 over years of race-based, divide-and-rule, my friend should continue to see us as Malays, Chinese, Indians, dll.

I remain committed to all efforts to see this a nation of a single people, all equal.

And I am fully committed to the cause of ABU.

In the circumstances, I find it impossible to continue to serve MCLM as its president.

I have communicated my resignation to RPK by email.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the many who have come forward and volunteered their time and energy towards the cause of MCLM. We could not have made it this far without you.

I want to apologise to the funders in UK for this sudden decision of mine and pray that they will understand that my commitment to see change in our country, whether through elections or on the streets, remains unwavering.

To my friends in Sabah and Sarawak, my commitment to your pursuit of the promises of the 1963 agreement and to rid yourselves of the curse that UMNO and BN have become, remain on course.

I am fully committed to the reforms that we have, up to now, been pressing to see introduced by a new pro-rakyat government in Putrajaya.
God willing, we will, together, plant love, tenderness and respect in this land of ours.

MCLM President barred from entering Sarawak

Haris Ibrahim, the President of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM), has been barred from entering Sarawak. He is currently being detained at the Immigration awaiting deportation.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT BY MCLM
MCLM President Denied Entry into Sarawak 

Haris Ibrahim, President of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM), was today denied entry into Sarawak. He was detained at the Kuching airport for 30 minutes before being informed that he was being denied entry by orders from above (arahan atasan).

MCLM Media Team
13th April 2011

MCLM press statement : BN Government Must Heed Calls to Halt Lynas Plant

In July last year, China was selling its processed rare earth metals at US$14,405 on average. In February this year, China’s rare earth exports burst through the US$100,000-per-tonne mark – that’s nine times more.

At such prices any country would want to venture into the rare earth industry but at what risk.

According to a news report in UK’s Daily Mail, the villagers in Inner Mongolia in China, home to the bulk of rare earth metals for the global market, claim that their teeth began to fall out, their hair turned white at unusually young ages, and they suffered from severe skin and respiratory diseases. Children were born with soft bones and cancer rates rocketed.

Official studies carried out five years ago in Dalahai village confirmed there were unusually high rates of cancer along with high rates of osteoporosis and skin and respiratory diseases.

A large lake has been turned into a dumping ground for seven million tons a year of mined rare earth after it has been doused in acid and chemicals and processed through red-hot furnaces to extract its components. The lake’s radiation levels are ten times higher than in the surrounding countryside, the studies found. It has killed farmland, made thousands of people ill and put one of China’s key waterways in jeopardy.

Large amounts of highly toxic acids, heavy metals and other chemicals are emitted into the air that people breathe, and leak into surface and ground water. Villagers rely on this for irrigation of their crops and for drinking water.

Greenpeace China’s toxics expert Jamie Choi said in the news report: “There’s not one step of the rare earth mining process that is not disastrous for the environment. Ores are being extracted by pumping acid into the ground, and then they are processed using more acid and chemicals.”

[Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1350811/In-China-true-cost-Britains-clean-green-wind-power-experiment-Pollution-disastrous-scale.html#ixzz1ITYZTFPV]

This is the kind of future we are looking at if Malaysia goes ahead with the plan to allow Australian mining giant Lynas Corporation Ltd to build the largest rare earth refinery in the world in Gebeng, Kuantan.

Universiti Sains Malaysia toxicologist and occupational health and safety expert Dr Jayabalan Thambyappa has been warning us about the dangers of radiation. He says that any form of radiation is carcinogenic and that the proponents of the Lynas project are using the term ‘low-level radiation’ to allay fear.

And he should know best, as he was one of the scientists who researched on the effects of rare earth operations in Bukit Merah, Perak. At least eight leukaemia cases, with seven resulting in death, have been linked to the plant operations. The plant, operated by Mitsubishi Chemicals from 1985 to 1992, is still carrying out a massive RM300 million clean-up.

Energy policy analyst Mark Humphries said in the report Rare Earth Elements: The Global Supply Chain submitted to the US Congress by in September last year that although the United States had 13 percent of the world’s rare earths, it was not mining them due to environmental concerns.

Local and foreign experts are all saying the same thing – rare earth industry will destroy the lives of people, wreck the environment and leave behind a trail of poison that will linger for billions of years.

Why is the government putting economic gains above the lives of the people?

Have our lives become so cheap that the government wants to go ahead with a deadly industry?

Malaysians in Bukit Merah have suffered enough, we do not want other Malaysians to suffer as well. We want the government to stop Lynas and to stop rare earth industry from ever setting foot on Malaysian soil again.

HARIS IBRAHIM

PRESIDENT

MALAYSIAN CIVIL LIBERTIES MOVEMENT

MCLM severs alliance with Snap

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) today announced that it was severing ties with Sarawak National Party (Snap) due to the latter’s alleged engagement in dubious practices.

MCLM president Haris Ibrahim explained that the objective of the alliance was to end the plight of marginalised Sarawakians by ending Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s 30-year reign, and to establish a pro-rakyat federal government.

“We have received reports that the Snap candidates and some of their ‘privileged’ leaders had suddenly come into significant funds that were being made available by operatives from Kuala Lumpur acting under the directions of BN, ” Haris said in a press conference today.

“There is no absolute conclusive evidence but in situations like these you rarely see conclusive black and white evidence. If this information is true, then it is a betrayal of the worst kind to a people who have been subjected to oppression for the last 30 years,” he added.

In late February, MCLM announced their partnership with Snap, saying that they would assist the party in screening prospective candidates and organise polling and counting agent training for its members.

Haris revealed that early last week “we were informed by Snap that the training was cancelled under further notice”.

MCLM was then told on March 16, 2011 that Snap had chosen 16 candidates without consulting them.

All of these candidates were deemed by MCLM to be “high-risk, integrity-wise”.

One week later, a further 11 candidates were named. “Again, information we have received of these latest candidates is not favourable.”

Haris said that despite seeking an explanation for their actions from Snap, none had been forthcoming.

He promised, however, that MCLM would not be deterred by this unfortunate episode, and continue to pursue the forging of workable alliances with any opposition party who shared common goals.

‘Number 2 enemy’

Yesterday, Sarawak-based Move for Change Sarawak (MoCS) also similarly cut off all ties with Snap, labelling the party as being the ‘number two’ enemy for Sarawakians.

MoCS chairman Francis Siah claimed that Snap had deviated from its original intention with the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

“Snap has deviated from its original intention of working together with PKR, DAP, PAS and MoCS.

“For this reason, we from MoCS will field candidates and fight Snap in Marudi, Bukit Saban, Krian and Machan.

“We will work together with DAP, PKR and PAS to wrest these areas, ” Siah said.

Snap however has denied having a “secret” arrangement with BN or Umno.

Describing the accusation as a “fabrication of the worst order”, Snap secretary-general Stanley Jugol said there was “never” any meeting between Snap leaders and Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan.

I will defend to the end KITA’s right to associate with frogs

By Haris Ibrahim,

Star reports that KITA’s CEC member Firdaus Christopher feels it was unbecoming of me, as an advocate of civil liberties, to have, in my ‘KITA or KITAR?’ post, criticised KITA’s admission of froggie Tee Beng into the party as a member.

For the avoidance of any doubt, let me state here that even as I criticised KITA in that post for admitting a froggie into their ranks, I will be the first to acknowledge and defend their legitimate and constitutional right to keep company with frogs.

Just as I will respect the right of the KITA leadership to say one thing today and quite another the day after.
As such, if my posting left Firdaus with the impression that I was disputing KITA’s right to fraternise with amphibian politicians, I trust that this post will put to rest those concerns.

I have also sent a press statement to The Star in response to Firdaus’s several statements in the news report.
I reproduce the same below.
______________________________________
In The Star article on March 5, 2011, KITA central executive committee member Firdaus Christopher said:
“Some elected representatives have clearly stated they were quitting because they had lost confidence in the leadership. Therefore it is wrong to assume that all those who quit are traitors.”
In my post, I had alluded to KITA’s Zaid Ibrahim having said on 4^th March, 2010, that the excuses given by the three MPs for the reasons behind their departures were merely “made up”, Zaid having first categorically stated:

“… We have enough evidence to show that this was something that was orchestrated some months back. The approaches… the inducements… the meetings… it all happened a while ago …”


Is Firdaus now confirming that there was in fact no such evidence as claimed by Zaid in March, last year, and that Zaid had then unfairly called former PKR member and the present Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng a traitor?

Is that the case also with Zahrain Mohd Hashim (Bayan Baru) and Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri (Bagan Serai)? If so, perhaps Zaid should now do the honourable thing and publicly apologise to both Zahrain and Mohsin.
Perhaps Zaid will do just that if and when KITA admits those two into the party.

Firdaus was also quoted by The Star as saying:
”Haris’ statement was unbecoming of a leader propagating “civil liberties” …”


If Firdaus carefully studies my post, he will find that the criticism of KITA’s admitting Tee Beng into the party as a member was entirely premised on what Zaid had said of Tee Beng’s defection from PKR last year.

Surely it has not escaped Firdaus attention that MCLM was launched in October last year, following growing concerns about defections from PKR and the implications this posed to the possibility of a similar frog festival post the 13th GE if individuals like these defectors were again picked to stand. In this regard, KITA’s admission of Tee Beng as a member without any further clarification has many wondering if we have witnessed an about-turn by Zaid from his statement last year that:
“We promise that in the next round, our candidates will be better. The vetting process will be more strict and we will select only those who are truly there for the purpose of upholding justice and protecting the interests of the people — not those who have no interest in their jobs”.


Firdaus would do well to first scrutinize the statements made by his party leader prior to the latter exiting PKR to lead KITA so as to ensure that the he does not make senseless statements that only serve to embarrass his party leader.

HARIS IBRAHIM
Moderator, The People’s Parliament

SNAP and MCLM form an alliance

MCLM, SNAP join forces: First target Taib

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) and Sarawak National Party (SNAP) have formed an alliance to lay the groundwork for a pro-people and pro-reform federal government.
And the first to fall in the allies’ crosshairs is Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, who has been ruling the state for more than three decades.
Speaking at a press conference here, MCLM head Haris Ibrahim, flanked by SNAP adviser Daniel Tajem and secretary-general Stanley Jugol, said the alliance would work towards ending
Barisan Nasional’s (BN) grip on Sarawak in the coming state polls
Following this, MCLM and SNAP would set their sights on the 13th general election.

MCLM and SNAP would also work with other parties to ensure that the next federal government would honour the 18- and 20-point agreements with Sabah and Sarawak respectively.
Haris stressed that the collaboration was a working alliance in nature, formed for strategic reasons.
“We are also interested in forging an alliance with any like-minded parties, except BN for the upcoming Sarawak election and the general election,” he added.
Sharing his views, Jugol said both parties formed the alliance after agreeing on four agendas – among them being committed to forming the next federal government and honouring the 18- and 20-point agreements.
“We have also come to an understanding that draconian laws such as the Internal Security Act (ISA) should be repealed and the government should institute the Race Relations Act.
“We will also work to restore the integrity of core institutions such as the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the judiciary and the police as well as implement an affirmative action policy which is
need-based,” he added.
Multi-cornered fights
Quizzed on the possibility of multi-cornered fights in Sarawak with DAP and PKR joining the fray, Haris hoped that at some juncture all parties with a common agenda would come together to form an alliance.
“We can’t say anything for sure right now but at the end, our common goal is to unseat BN from the state government,” he said.
Haris added that MCLM was also pursuing a working ground with the Jeffrey Kitingan-led United Borneo Front in order to strengthen the collaboration.
“There are some issues that need to be resolved between us before we can come together,” he said without elaborating.
Jeffrey was also present at the press conference.
Meanwhile, Haris said MCLM would introduce four new candidates for the general election in the next 10 days.
“All I can say now is that two of them are currently overseas and will be back soon,” he said.
To date, MCLM had named four candidates,  human rights lawyers Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and Sreekant Pillai, former Awam president Haslinah Yacob and dentist Dr Nedunchelian Vengu.

MCLM wants a single coalition to oust BN

Raja Petra: MCLM has been hard at work with the Sarawak National Party (Snap) in Sarawak and the United Borneo Front (UBF) in Sabah in trying to build an alliance with forces in Sabah and Sarawak.

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 — The Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) issued a guarantee today that it would work with all opposition parties as a single coalition to oust Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next general election.

MCLM founder Raja Petra Kamarudin said that the London-based movement would first form a pact with opposition parties in Sabah and Sarawak before forming a cooperation with Peninsular Malaysian parties to ensure straight fight with BN.

“Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan have 57 seats in Parliament. As I said in my earlier article, Sabah and Sarawak are critical to our having a chance of forming a reform government in Putrajaya post 13th general election,” said Raja Petra in an article published by Free Malaysia Today.

“MCLM has been hard at work with the Sarawak National Party (Snap) in Sarawak and the United Borneo Front (UBF) in Sabah in trying to build an alliance with forces in Sabah and Sarawak. We hope in the coming days that we will be able to announce the formation of such an alliance,” he added.

Out of the 57 seats in East Malaysia only Kuching, Sibu and Kota Kinabalu are held by the opposition, DAP. The rest are under BN control, which gave BN the majority it needed in the 222-member Parliament to form the government.

“Should a Snap-UBF-MCLM alliance be successfully forged, MCLM hopes to be able, with its alliance partners, to work out a further alliance with the other non-Barisan Nasional parties in Sabah, Sarawak, and Semenanjung with one objective in mind: to forge a coalition to displace Barisan Nasional in the next election and to install a pro-reform federal government in Putrajaya,” said Raja Petra.

MCLM is scheduled to hold a joint press conference with Snap and UBF which was founded by former PKR vice-president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan who quit the party recently.

“It is hoped that with these alliances in place, straight fights in the forthcoming 13th GE will be assured and that any three-corner contests are Barisan Nasional’s own doing,” said the founder of Malaysia Today political website.

Raja Petra also stressed that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) cannot overthrow BN on its own and must with group such as MCLM.

“Realistically, Pakatan Rakyat cannot do this on its own. In fact, no one political party can do this on its own. What is needed is a collective of all pro-rakyat, pro-reform political parties working together with the Third Force, made up of reform-oriented NGOs and the rakyat who are ready to work for change,” said Raja Petra.

The MCLM had offered four candidates to contest against BN in the 13th general election and plans to introduce 30 before the dissolution of the current Parliament.

The movement emerged after PKR lost six of its MPs who became BN-friendly independents following disagreement with the federal opposition leaders.

The MCLM’s initiative however has not been welcomed by PR leaders, with PKR deputy president Azmin Ali saying that the potential candidates would only be accepted if they are willing to toe the party line.

The Raison d’être of MCLM

By Raja Petra Kamarudin

There are some who are puzzled by the sudden emergence of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) and the perceived confrontational stand that MCLM is taking towards the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat.

Maybe it is time I corrected this misconception and make clear what is our Reform Agenda and state MCLM’s Mission and Vision.

First of all, I have always been critical of the opposition since way back in 1999 when the opposition alliance called Barisan Alternatif was first launched and before there even was anything called Pakatan Rakyat.

And my critical articles were published in both Harakah and Berita Keadilan, the opposition newspapers of PAS and PKR (then called PKN) respectively.

So there is nothing ‘sudden’ about my criticisms and the opposition parties even saw fit to publish these articles in their newspapers without any editing or censorship. Maybe people have become more sensitive to criticism now compared to 11 years ago, so they have the impression that only of late have I been critical — whereas I have always been critical of the opposition since there was an opposition alliance or coalition. (We must remember, before 1999 there was no formal opposition coalition, only electoral pacts, which did not quite work anyway).

It could be that the sensitivities arise because prior to 2008 no one imagined that the opposition ever had a chance of forming the new federal government whereas now they do. So now they are more sensitive to criticisms because they feel that this criticism may result in Pakatan Rakyat losing out to Barisan Nasional.

The second point is that MCLM is not ‘sudden’. It emerged as a result of a culmination of events and a progression of developments in the political front that stretched over 35 years (as far as my involvement in politics is concerned).

The move (for me personally) to see changes started back in the late-1970s and the various stages of these events have brought us to what we see today — the emergence of MCLM.

In 1990 it was the Gagasan Rakyat and Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah (APU) loose coalitions between Semangat 46 and DAP and between Semangat 46 and PAS respectively. In 1999 it was Barisan Alternatif, a coalition of PKN, DAP, PAS and PRM. And in 2008 it was Pakatan Rakyat, a coalition of PKR, DAP and PAS.

Wakeup call

So, over the last 20 years, we have seen the emergence of four different opposition coalitions. Therefore, nothing is static and instead we saw a progression and transformation where events dictated changes that were needed to meet these changes of events.

The same thing happened for political activism and the civil society movements. They evolved and transformed, peaking in 1999 when the Reformasi Movement was born.

In the beginning it was a ‘crude’ movement where the focus was merely to oppose a tyrannical government and bring about changes or reforms. But this movement was not so organised and lacked direction.

Worse still, we would not have known what to do had the opposition won the elections back in 1990 or 1999 and had to form the new federal government (which was demonstrated in 2008 when the opposition merely won five states and not even federal power yet).

But the civil society movements have matured since then and are now clearer in their minds as to what is required. 2004 was a wakeup call for the civil society movements although we are not too sure if the political parties have also woken up. And the wakeup call was the disaster suffered by the opposition in the March 2004 general election.

That was when I realised that the opposition and civil society movements must be better equipped to face the next general election due in 2008 or 2009. And to satisfy that requirement I launched Malaysia Today soon after the 2004 general election.

Also in 2004 a few of us also got together to form the Malaysian Civil Liberties Society (MCLS). This was so that we could offer a platform to unite the many rakyat eager to see changes and reforms and so that we could speak as one voice and help the opposition not only avoid another 2004 general election disaster but also prepare itself for the eventuality of forming the new federal government in the event it wins the general elections (or a few states, as the case may be).

So, MCLS was not ‘sudden’. It was in fact something that was started back in 2004 in response to the 2004 general election fiasco that the opposition suffered.

And MCLS was not the only thing that we started. Malaysia Today was another exercise in the many that were started in 2004 in preparation for the general election that would have had to be called at the very latest by 2009.

The general election finally came, but in March 2008 instead of March 2009. But MCLS never saw the light of day. Until today it is still awaiting approval by the Malaysian government.

Realising that after six years of waiting and not getting any response from the government it is futile to continue waiting, we decided to formalise MCLS outside Malaysia instead, in a country that would not block or hinder the formation of MCLS.

Two documents

And that was when we decided to formalise MCLS in the UK and instead of calling it MCLS we decided to call it MCLM by swapping the word ‘Society’ for ‘Movement’. Movement, after all, sounds more proactive than society, which gives the impression that we are merely a ‘talk shop’.

Anyway, let me backtrack a bit prior to the formation of MCLM in 2010.

Realising that 2004 was the worst setback for the opposition and that the opposition really needed to get its act together if it wants its fortunes to change, we launched two documents called The People’s Voice and The People’s Declaration in the run-up to the March 2008 general election.

These two documents were endorsed by six political parties (PKR, DAP and PAS included) in a ceremony organised by the civil society movements.

Even before there was any inkling that the opposition’s fortunes would change we got the opposition to commit itself to a clear and documented reform agenda.

This would be the basis of how the opposition would run the country in the event it won the March 2008 general election.

Unfortunately, the opposition fell short and failed to deliver on a lot of its promises. While Pakatan Rakyat did bring about some changes in the states they ruled, we feel that the opposition could have done more if it had been more focused on the task in hand. But because of the many internal problems the opposition lost focus and even lost one of the states it controlled.

It is no secret that many are disappointed with the opposition’s performance and those who have not swung back to Barisan Nasional have threatened to abstain from voting come the next election.

This does not augur well for the nation and the hopes to see a new reform-oriented government post the much anticipated 13th General Election.

Hence, the birth of MCLM on Oct 30, 2010 in London.

In my next article, I will lay out MCLM’s blueprint to usher in a reform-oriented government post the 13th GE, and the reform agenda that we wish to see that new government implement during its term in office.

Go solo, MCLM and HRP told

A pact with Pakatan to contest in the next polls is 'unnecessary', says an observer.


GEORGE TOWN: Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) and Human Rights Party (HRP) should believe in their own respective merits and strengths to contest in the next general election.

Malaysian Election Observers Network national coordinator Ong Boon Keong dismissed the groups’ plan to establish an electoral pact with Pakatan Rakyat as “unnecessary”.

He instead suggested that both groups finalise the right candidates, earmark the seats for contest, intensify the ground work and campaign on their own from now on to face the next polls.

He said both groups and others should not fear the people’s rejection if they went solo in their election debut because “it was untested political ground”.

If MCLM and HRP can build up and develop strong grassroots rapport and carry out social works in earmarked constituencies, he said both groups can give Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan a run for their money.

“Many voters are fence-sitters who remain unconvinced by Pakatan and BN.

“You never know,” Ong told FMT today.

MCLM has revealed recently that it would choose some candidates and submit their names for Pakatan’s perusal and approval for the electoral contest.

Although HRP has announced that it would contest 15 parliamentary and 38 state seats in the next polls, it is still seeking an alliance with Pakatan.

HRP pro-tem secretary-general and Hindraf legal adviser P Uthayakumar has called on Pakatan not to be spoilers, but to make way to HRP to contest in the earmarked seats.

Both MCLM and HRP have certain common features.

Both are headed by lawyers – Harris Ibrahim (MCLM) and Uthayakumar (HRP) – and advocate reforms in civil liberties, equal rights and good governance.

Ong said that Uthayakumar, for instance, has the political stature and influence to secure a large vote bank for him and his party on his own.

“I am sure if Uthayakumar and his party members were to contest and campaign by applying the correct electoral formula, he and his party can triumph,” he said.

Electoral pact

He criticised MCLM and HRP political approach to forge an electoral pact with Pakatan for the next

polls when the groups were actually capable of scoring upset wins on their own.

He said both groups have fair chances of winning seats against BN and Pakatan by formulating and applying correct and effective strategies.

He cited the US, Britain, India and Australia, among other countries, where candidates from regional and non-aligned smaller parties, and even independent social grassroots movements, have triumphed in elections against all odds.

He said MCLM and HRP’s desire to forge political link with Pakatan could be influenced by the popular myth that “only political pacts can bring about political change in the country”.

“Undercurrent sentiments are generally engulfed by the myth that the current two-party system is the best.

“Therefore groups that want to replace BN at the centre wrongly believe that only a pact with Pakatan can bring about the change.

“But a two-party system has never been adequate to ensure that democracy flourishes,” Ong said.

He cited Pakistan and Bangladesh as two-tiered democracies where competing parties try to outdo each other on bad rather than good governance.

He said democracy has flourished in many countries including in Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan due to the existence of strong grassroots social movements and multi-party systems.

“MCLM and HRP don’t need to seek consent from or beg to Pakatan to contest.

“They should go solo,” he said.

From little acorns grow mighty oaks

A little over two weeks ago, on 18th January, I had dinner in KL with the leaders of the Sarawak National Party (SNAP).

From left : Patrick Saging, Anthony Liman, Stanley Jugol, Dayrell Entrie

I shared with them MCLM’s ongoing efforts in drawing up and crafting the Rakyat Reform Agenda and proposed that SNAP could get involved in the same so that the Reform Agenda could comprehensively take on board the needs of the marginalised communities in Sarawak.

  I also briefed them on MCLM’s impending Citizen Empowerment School and offered to make available to them our training modules to be carried out in Sarawak for their members.

I have also offered to make available MCLM’s candidate evaluation process to help SNAP in their candidate selection process.
The response was positive.
So positive that it culminated in an invitation for me to speak at their symposium in Kuching on 29th January, 2011 which I gladly accepted.
Whilst the symposium was themed ‘The Time Has Come : Unity For A Better Sarawak’, I urged a ‘Unity For a Better Malaysia’.
I urged a better understanding that since the 70′s, politicians from both Semenanjung and Sabah and Sarawak have colluded to enrich themselves leaving so many marginalised, both in East and West Malaysia.
They did this by dividing us and then ruling over us.
If we, the rakyat, are to take this country back from these self-serving politicians, we have to stop dividing ourselves into Sabahans, Sarawakians and Semenanjungites.
I proposed that SNAP needs to think beyond the forthcoming state elections and look to form the necessary collaborations with other like-minded parties to take federal power in the next general election if it is to have chance to bring about real change for the people of Sarawak.
SNAP, I suggested must forge a real working partnership with like-minded parties in Sabah and semenanjung and play a leading role in determining who gets to form the government at Putrajaya post the 13th GE.
Finally, I proposed that SNAP and MCLM work towards forging an alliance, MCLM making available its every resource to help SNAP in the forthcoming state elections and, later, to work together in the 13th GE.
Later that same night, after the SNAP Unity Dinner, I adjourned with several of the SNAP leaders for further discussions that were most productive and left me with the sense that something good will definitely come out of this trip to Sarawak.
Next day, I flew out to Kota Kinabalu for dinner with Jeffrey Kitingan and his team from United Borneo Front.
I took this opportunity to communicate MCLM’s commitment towards working for the honouring of the 18-point and 20-point agreement.
Let me just say that the dinner discussion was as fruitful as my discussions the night before in Kuching.
At the end of dinner I proposed a UBF-SNAP-MCLM alliance. This suggestion was well-received.
I am trying to arrange for a meeting in KL soon with both the SNAP and UBF leadership and if all goes well, we just might see that UBF-SNAP-MCLM alliance become a reality.

Making room for the best candidates

Haris: ‘We urge our candidates to be faithful to the rakyat and not MCLM’

The Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement, launched late last year, does offer some different and interesting ideas but it really cannot be described as a third force in Malaysian politics.
The Star
SOME have described the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) as a third force in Malaysian politics. But politically, it might not really be. It is supportive of Pakatan Rakyat. By offering its “candidates of integrity”, what MCLM is trying to do is force Pakatan parties to be more selective in their choice of candidates to prevent crossovers and a fall of government through defections.
It does offer some different and interesting ideas like allowing a candidate to be independent of a political party, which frees the candidate from needing to toe the party line.
In an interview with The Star, MCLM president Haris Ibrahim explains the rationale of the movement.
Q: Why did you launch MCLM in London. Why not do it from here?
A: We tried to register MCLS (Malaysian Civil Liberties Society) in 2004 or 2005, We had an inaugural meeting for that in KL and submitted the application to ROS (Registrar of Societies) and guess what? The application is still there (it’s not been registered) so that tells you why (we did it in London). We want to move on and it didn’t look like we were getting anywhere with the ROS so we thought ‘ok let’s get it done in London’.
Q: But isn’t there a fear it is elitist because London isn’t really where the man-in-the street goes to?
A: We could have a glitzy launch in Hilton and that’s gonna be seen as elitist. If you look at the launch that we had on the 12th of Dec, it couldn’t have been more low key. There was no fuss and no fanfare. Most importantly, it must seem obvious that while we had established in London that we are working the ground here so this is not a movement in exile. It is very much on the ground.
Q: What is the rationale for office bearers not to contest?
A: MCLM is intended - vis-a-vis the Barisan Rakyat independent candidate initiative - as the structure which we build for candidates and the machinery. We don’t want to see a scramble for position. We didn’t want MCLM to be used as a stepping stone to further one’s self or be seen as a vehicle where any John Doe reckons he can get in, position himself, profile himself, then become a candidate. There may be a perception if you are an office bearer, a president, deputy president - then all things being equal - you will be nominated as a candidate. So we want to neutre that at the outset. That is the rationale. Holding office in MCLM is actually an impediment to any aspiring politician. If you hold office in MCLM don’t even dream of candidacy!
Q: MCLM is planning to field a maximum of 30 candidates?
A: There is no magical figure, no mathematical calculation by which we arrive at 30. That is a figure plucked simply on the basis that the principle that we want is to see a new pro-reform government post the 13th general election. In my calculation. it cannot be Barisan. (Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) Pak Lah gave us a whole host of promises and we haven’t seen any of those reforms like the IPCMC (Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission). So at this juncture, I am not convinced that Barisan can deliver to us the reform government. This means having to work with all other parties. Assuming that we get that reform government in the 13th general election, our biggest concern is a “frog” festival ala Perak crisis (defection). So what we have to do is try to get enough people in there of unquestionable integrity whom we hope will be able to hold the fort.
We can’t really come up with a precise number because if non-Barisan political parties are lackadaisical in their selection, even if we offered 30 candidates of integrity and if they picked 50 who are weak, that 30 is not going to help. But you’ve gotta draw the line somewhere. We reckon that 30 is probably a fairly safe number. If you have 30 whom you are confident will not bite any bait, then there’s very little likelihood of the new government keeling over by reason of crossovers. At the end of the day, even 30 might not be enough. We don’t know.
Q: So MCLM is not really a 3rd force because they are aligned, supporting and working with Pakatan Rakyat?
A: We are working with any and every pro-rakyat pro-reform party.
Q: But not Barisan Nasional?
A: No because we don’t see Barisan as being pro-reform pro-rakyat. I was asked what would you say if (PM) (Datuk Seri) Najib (Tun Razak) asked for your candidate. I’d say ‘very good, repeal the ISA, repeal the OSA, the PPPA’ and put in place a Race Relations Act, and let’s look at an affirmative action program that is not race-based and we’ll work with you. It’s got to show credit. Talk is cheap on both sides of the divide.
Q: The MCLM launch has caused some discomfort and fear that it might split votes if it comes to a 3 cornered fight?
A: Let’s take Batu Sapi. There was no civil society involvement. You had SAPP on one hand and PKR on the other hand taking on Barisan. We urged the two parties to come to the table, sit together, evaluate their respective candidates and pick the better candidate but they didn’t. So even without any civil society involvement, there was a three-cornered fight. (MCLM candidate) Malik Imtiaz has said many time that whichever constituency he gets and as he works the ground, if one of the political parties offers a candidate whom he perceives to be better than himself, he will withdraw. All parties which claim to have this common agenda of seeing a reformed government in place should be prepared to take this position if my candidate happens to be better than yours.
There’s one litmus test that we can adopt. Hear the voters out. We will be conducting polls every 2 months.
Q: The presence of a viable opposition is quite new and the formation of Pakatan Rakyat coming together is something Malaysian saw only in the last election. With MCLM now in the picture, won’t this confuse the people?
A: I think we should give the average man in the street a bit more credit. There was a suggestion put to me in the public forum was that they might get confused with the symbols. Now why do people vote according to symbols? Because both sides of the divide only disclose candidates close to nomination and that means voters haven’t really a chance to know the candidates. We on the other hand are planning to deploy in March. So if Najib is going have elections say on 11/11/11 that gives us 8 months.
That’s 8 months of working the ground, 8 months of working the programs that we’ve planned for our candidates, 8 months of town hall forums, 8 months of inviting the MP to debate. They are going to play the role of shadow MP. I think come nomination day, we are not going to be perturbed with what symbol we’ll have to use if we are going to have to contest as an independent.
We’ve always said we open up to nomination day for any of the non-Barisan parties to say ‘alright we take you’.
We ll leave the doors open till then. If the sense we get from the voters is that we like you and want you then we’ll put you. I don’t see why the common man will get confused. On the contrary, the common man will be asking why isn’t my MP doing what my shadow MP is doing.
Q: How is this MCLM initiative going to work - you identify the candidate then the constituency?
A: There are 140 Barisan and 6 Barisan-friendly independent constituencies. So 146 is up for grabs because those are Barisan seats.
And it’s open for anyone to say ‘I’ve got this candidate’ and ‘he seems suitable here’. In that sense, we are not stepping on any opposition toes. Those aren’t opposition seats. I am also having a briefing for volunteers who are evaluating the 76 opposition incumbents. We are using a criteria developed by someone working for PKR. If any of the 76 fail, we’ll notify the party leadership and individual concerned . That is tantamount to a notice to the party to note that unless we are alerted of an improved candidate, we will be looking at that constituency to deploy.
We want to make sure that the opposition candidates are not an integrity risk and have the requisite MP aptitude.
Q: But you can’t put your candidates in rural seats can you because most of the issues MCLM is pushing for has to do with human rights?
A: Why not? Candidates would be going to the ground, working programs that we design for that particular constituency. Right now, we have a team of consultants doing demographic studies in practically all the peninsular constituencies so that we are able to best identify the candidates that we are coming up with the constituencies we are looking at. I don’t agree that the candidates we mentioned so far are necessarily viable only in urban constituencies. At the end of the day, it is all a matter of the programme you design and the work that you are prepared to do on the ground. I know there is this presumption that ‘ah they are going to target only the urban seats’. But not necessarily so.
Q: How are you going to ‘sell’ the MCLM candidates because they - except for Malik Imtiaz - are unknowns and don’t have a track record?
A: All the better. I don’t think you need a track record. I certainly would like to achieve something like this - let the average Joe who cares (do it).
If you talk about MP duties and what it takes, we will be conducting training sessions. It’s no great mystery. We think with a reasonable amount of intelligence , it can be taught. But integrity is something you can’t teach - either you were born or your family raised you well or they didn’t.
Our priority is integrity and an integrity candidate. The rest we think we can teach.
Working the ground is about understanding the demographics, understanding what they need and tailoring the program accordingly. That is what we are doing.
Q: How much rumblings have you have heard from the PR parties over the MCLM initiative?
A: Raja Petra has been speaking to some of the leaders and I have been speaking to some of the leaders. Their biggest concern is that while they appreciate the intention, they are also concerned about repercussions with the grassroots. and I can understand that. You talk about a division leader who has been waiting in the wings who suddenly has been told that he has to give way to this civil society candidate. Those are problems they will have to deal with.
What I indicated to them it is a problem we understand and we are prepared to work together with them to go to ground to explain. We think it is a necesarry rehabilitative process where the worst possible thing that could happen is that we win with a razor thin majority and see the government collapse on account of crossovers. It is for that reason that we are proposing this.
I have suggested to them I’d be very happy to work with them and go down to the grassroots to explain to them. But there has not been such huge rumblings. Certainly I’ve not had it put to my face.
Q: Why now. Why not before the 2008 election. What was the event that got you all to set up MCLM now?
A: It wasn’t one significant event but certainly when we saw what happened in Perak (the fall of the Pakatan state government to Barisan through defections) and then one realises that last year, with five Pakatan MPs crossovers in a row who declared themselves independent - had another two gone over - Barisan would have its two-thirds majority (in parliament).
When you look at all that, we said we can’t postpone this anymore.
Q: Is MCLM a reaction to PKR candidates. A lot of those who jumped were from PKR?
A: Keshwinder (Singh) was from DAP, Hee (Yit Fong) was from DAP, Hassan Ali who has been causing havoc is from PAS. I don’t think we can pin it entirely on PKR. Last year if you look at the 5 frogs they are all from PKR but it’s overstating the case to say it’s essentially a reaction to PKR.
The party leaders itself too have been fairly candid. In the run up to the 12th general election, they didn’t themselves have enough candidates and have been candid enough to admit it. Anwar himself has admitted he has made mistake. I think that is good of him. We’ve noted that and we also note the politics of partronage on both sides of the divide. That’s a serious problem the politics in Malaysia faces today - the politics of patronage. With all this mind, if you are going to sit back and wait and hope that the political party will up their own standards, it might not happen. We have got to force their hands. We are forcing their hands when we deploy in March and candidates start working the ground. Voters may begin to ask why all these years have they been subjected to the 11th hour introduction to candidates rather than have them made known to them earlier.
If the political parties themselves begin to notice that working 8 months before, gives our candidate a head start - they might begin to think that the days of disclosing at the 11th hour are numbered.
We used to be told the reason they didn’t disclose earlier is because Barisan would come and buy them off. And those are the very ones we want to avoid.
Q: There has been name calling between MCLM and PKR like Raja Petra saying some of the PKR candidates are ‘not fit to walk the dog’. What is that about when you all are on the same side?
A: It’s like a father who takes out a belt and belts his son - it’s because he loves the son. So when Raja Petra hits out at Pakatan, it’s because he cares. When I criticise them, it’s because I still think they are viable. If I didn’t think this, I wouldn’t even bother. When we lash out it’s because we think they are still viable and we are criticising them in hope they will pay heed and give thought to it.
Q: In the event there is a reform-type of government in place whom do you see as PM?
A: All things being equal, assuming there is no change in the current leadership due to any circumstance, then I suppose (Datuk Seri) Anwar (Ibrahim) will rise to that office.
Q: But how much of impact would MCLM have when you are talking about a maximum of 30 seats? The candidates might have integrity but without numbers you can’t push reform through?
A: If you do have 30 in parliament that is a number that cannot be ignored. But if we took 30 and Pakatan is able to able to muster 90 seats, they still don’t have enough seats to form a government on their own. But a coaliton between Pakatan and MCLM gives you 120 seats and a majority in parliament. You may need to take 30 people of integrity on board to form a government. So you can’t say 30 is insignificant and not have any clout. 30 in that case become critical.
Q: What issues appeal to the rakyat most ?
A: Bread and butter issues. We will go down to the ground and help teach him to fish rather than give him the fish.
Q: But MCLM is always talking about liberties like freedom of speech, the judiciary and these don’t resonate with the man-in-the-street?
A: The rakyat reform agenda essentially covers 3 parts. A restoration of the institutions of the state back to the rakyat - this is quite irrelevant to the man who is down-and-out. An independent judiciary, the repeal of so many laws, introduction of laws like the Race Relations Act - it is la-di-da - for the man-in-the-street. The one that would matter most to the man-in-the street is the social inclusion agenda which is the affirmative action program. It’s essentially addressing the needs of the marginalised. That would appeal most to the man in the street who has bread and butter as his issue.
Q: Would candidates be from around the area they are contesting?
A: That would be ideal from so many perspectives. Otherwise logistically it becomes a headache. But I don’t think it’s fatal if you aren’t from the area. We do make a point of asking the candidates if you had a free hand where would you want to contest and why. So at least we have an idea of their own thoughts. At the end of the day, we are working with some very good professionals who are studying the constituencies and we’ll leave that decision till the end. The candidate must have a say. We get recommendations from the consultants and we would like them to share with us why they are matching so and so with that constituency and we’ll share with the candidates the reason.
Q: What do you think of Kita and will you be working with them?
A: Don’t know. We said we’ll be working with anyone who is pro-rakyat pro-reform. I haven’t got time to think of anything else except what we are doing. At their launch, our chairman sent someone from here because we had the invitation and Raja Petra said go find out what it is all about.
Q: What is your response to those who say that MCLM is a bunch of disillusioned Pakatan supporters?
A: I am not going to waste my time even responding. Come March, the candidates will go to the ground and we have to let that initiative do the talking. Personally, I have never been a Pakatan supporter. We’ve always said we’d work with anyone who is pro-rakyat. When I’ve had to I’ve hammered Pakatan - be it DAP, PKR or DAP - in my blogs.
Q: Barisan says they are pro-rakyat but MCLM won’t work with them?
A: The last few days, we’ve heard of the possibility of expanding the Printing Presses and Publications Act to online news portals. That doesn’t sound like reform to me. It sounds like regression. What about the ISA? They are talking about amending it! Where’s the IPCMC? We’ve just had a few more deaths in custody. I just saw the Teoh Beng Hock inquest (outcome). And nothing has come out of the VK Lingam Royal Commission of Inquiry. I rest my case.
We’ve heard a lot about abbreviations - the KPIs and NKRAs and what have you. But ask the man on the street how much a roti canai cost today compared to last year. Bus fares cost more, the quality of canteen food has gone down.
Q: People had high expectation in 2008 when they took a chance and voted for the opposition but Pakatan Rakyat hasn’t deliver its promises?
A: It is not fair to put it that way. Let’s understand that state power and federal power are two different things. Pakatan may have made promises on the basis that if they took Putrajaya. I don’t think Sept 16 (to take over Putrajaya) was Pakatan’s promise but rather one man’s (Anwar) agitation. If you talk about pre-election promises, what they could have delivered is at state level. The media is one thing that I’ve personally been rather unhappy about.
Under Section 25(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act, state governments do not need a permit so the state governments could have come up with a newspaper. Also, they could have had local council election especially in Selangor. There were proposals for simulated local council elections in MPPJ or Subang. We have not seen any attempt at that. I think the other side of the coin is that the public expectation has also been unrealistic.
Pakatan doesn’t have federal power so there is only so much they can do. People want so many things fixed without quite appreciating that they are new and bound to have teething problems and more importantly they don’t have the requisite instrument ie power (at federal level). It is also unfortunate there has been instances of sabotage by the state civil service. And the governments has not made this information available to the public at large.
There was one instance this guy was trying to get his petty trading license and he was lamenting at the counter and the guy at the counter said ‘well those (Barisan) days you pay RM50 and you get the license within a week. But you were the one who wanted the Pakatan government and now everything we have to check and check’. So that chap goes off and thinks ‘oh I made a mistake’ That’s not to say that Pakatan has been perfect but it’s work in progress.
A lot of criticism that has been thrown to them is warranted but we have also got to be fair to them.
Q: Like it or not, support is said to have returned to Barisan when Najib took over as Prime Minister? And that the anger of 2008 has eased.
A: If it’s true, I’ll work harder. There is so much fluidity in all that is happening. A month and a half ago, it was that elections was imminent and then we had the Wikileaks then everything got held back.
There’s another rumour of there’s going to be another round of Wikileaks which is going to hurt some in government so elections is being held held back again. How much of this swing is real. How much is so sound and solidly grounded that it won’t swing back again with the slightest rumour of another crisis. How sustainable is this swing. But if it’s real, I’ll have to work harder.
Q: How would you assess the performance of Pakatan since the 2008 elections?
A: (Lim) Guan Eng has done well in Penang, (short term Perak MB) Nizar (Jamaluddin) never quite had a chance. Selangor leaves much to be desired. Kedah needs a new MB, Kelantan has not changed much and its still same-old same-old (Datuk Seri) Nik Aziz (Nik Mat). As a coalition that is looking to take federal power, a lot of us really wanted to see a shadow cabinet. That would have been good but unfortunately that has not been forthcoming.
It would have been good to see a shadow cabinet come up with its own policies, propose policies. I think that would have augur confidence with a voting public that this is a as a coalition that is readying itself. A lot of people are looking and asking ‘are they really ready?’ Pakatan needs to look at bolstering the confidence of voters.
Q: Is MCLM prepared to put a gay candidate for a seat?
A: Yes. If he’s not a closet gay and is prepared to come out. Our concern is a closetted lifestyle makes you susceptible to extortion and bribery. I really don’t care who you sleep with but you need to be open about it. If you are gay and prepared to tell the voting public that ‘hey, look i am gay” and “I am offering to serve you in parliament and if you’ve cleared all the other criteria, I’ll back you. We will also back a transgender candidate if we get one. It’s also about changing Malaysian mindsets.
Q: But is Malaysia ready for that. Would such a candidate win?
A: It’s a question of finding the right constituency then tailoring the right programme. If you give me a gay, give me a right constituency, I can confident we can go down. I think it’s worth the money even if we don’t win. In those kind of constituencies, MCLM will be going in to make a point. The process is about educating the public.
I’d rather a gay or a transgender who is honest than a heterosexual who’s got his bloody hands on the rakyat’s money! If the voters are left with a similar choice - here’s a transgender who’s got a track record that speaks heaps of his integrity opposing someone who’s got a track record of fraud and cheat and what have you. - you make your choice. I’d vote the transgender.
Q: What about someone who is a womaniser or a Muslim candidate who drinks - would they be candidates?
A: I’ve no issue with this as long as you are not a closet womaniser and you are not going to cave in when someone brings a video and says ‘I’ll shows this to your wife’.
Q: But some would argue a womaniser especially if the person is married is a question of integrity. Wouldn’t people would see this as a lack of integrity?
A: We ourselves know too probably many numerous instances where people stay together when the marriage for all intent and purposes have fallen apart. Even in my our family, aunts have lived with husbands for reasons other than love and that their marriage for all intent and purposes is a sham. I am not going to moralise here because I don’t know what’s going on with that husband and wife and what’s gone wrong.
Should that be part of a matter of integrity that we look into? I don’t think so. At the end of the day our concerns of integrity is this instance is specific. Is there anything in the resume or character of the individual that leaves us suspectible to a crossover. That’s our concern here. So if you happen to be a womaniser and make no secret of it, I think the risk of that is removed.
Q: That makes me think the target group of voters that you are reaching is more liberal middle class type. Are they?
A: If we do offer a gay or transgender, it would be really about making a statement. I do agree with you that it would be hard to sell such a candidate but we will certainly try. I am still the infernal optimist thinking that if you get the right constituency with the right programme that you have fighting chance. Even if we thought we were going to lose, those are contests that we are thinking to have to make a statement. And let’s not forget that we are about Malaysian civil liberties.
Q: But let’s not forget you are working with Pakatan and offering these candidate to those parties?
A: I am dead certain none of the parties are going to take that individual. So in all likelihood that individual would be standing under the kunci, burung or some other symbol. But we will still push it.

Zaid, MCLM offer SNAP support

KUCHING: Two Peninsular-based organisations, Parti Kita and Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) are helping Sarawak National Party (SNAP) to rejuvenate itself into a party that can help bring about a change to the state Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

Said Parti Kita leader Zaid Ibrahim: “The linkage with SNAP and other like minded-organisations may one day lead to the formation of “Barisan Kita”.

“SNAP is a party that has lots of history struggling for the rights of the people.

“Our country needs this sort of political party that has the welfare of the people at heart and a party wanting to give the power back to the people. SNAP is a genuine reformist.”

Expressing his delight at SNAP’s revival, he said in the coming election, Kita would help SNAP in its campaign and talk about issues that affect the people.

“We can do whatever we can to help SNAP. They are our true friends,” said Zaid, who attended a SNAP unity dinner last night where he was the special guest speaker.

During a SNAP symposium earlier in the day, MCLM head Harris Ibrahim said the movement was prepared to help train SNAP’s election and campaign workers.

“We are offering our service to help SNAP in the election.

“We can even help scrutinize the background of its candidates, their life styles, financial background, their attitudes and aptitudes,” Harris said.

Real change

He did not want to see SNAP suffer a similar fate as PKR when one after another of its elected representatives left the party to become independent and BN-friendly.

“This is because PKR did not vet its candidates properly,” he added.

Meanwhile, Zaid told the diners that there are people who either talked about change or changing the prime minister.

“We are not interested in that; we are talking about the real change – the policies that need to be reformed.

“We want to talk about more say in the state; how many Sarawakians are working in the civil service; how to run the state government, and how to manage the revenue from the state.

“These are things that we need to look at and not just change in the general term. We have to be specific about change,” Zaid said.

He pointed out that what Malaysia was grappling with now is that its leaders were still obsessed with petty issues of 1950s and 1960s such as language, religion and control of the civil service.

Addresing real problems

He said that those issues were good when Malaya was struggling for independence and trying to form a nation.

“But now this country needs 21st century vision to solve 21st century problems.

“And if you talk about these issues, then you forget how the country is being raped, the riches of the country have been plundered and billions of dollars have taken out from this country.

“The real problems affecting the country are not being addressed both by the government and the opposition,” he added.

On the question of whether Parti Kita is a spoiler, Zaid said: “You must not say we are spoilers. If you are interested in good politics and good opposition, then you don’t say we are trouble makers.

“You have not listened to us and yet you say we cause trouble.”

He added that the only people who did not like him and Kita were those who want PKR advisor Anwar Ibrahim to become Prime Minister.

“They are the ones who do not like what we are doing.

“What make you think that Kita and SNAP will split the opposition?

“We will be the opposition and make better and a very strong opposition,” Zaid said.

Activist and dentist latest MLCM candidates

The Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) has named former AWAM president Haslinah Yacob and dentist Dr Nedunchelian Vengu as its third and fourth candidates for the next general election.

Haslinah, 49, has been involved in grassroots and advocacy work on women’s rights and empowerment for the past decade.

Nedunchelian, 42, a private practitioner, has served on a Health Ministry committee and is well-known for his social work as well as his efforts to raise industry standards.

On Dec 12, MCLM unveiled prominent lawyer and National Human Rights Society president Malik Imtiaz Sarwar as its first candidate.

Its second candidate, human rights lawyer Sreekant Pillai, was announced at the movement’s first public forum on Dec 21.

Launched on October 30, MCLM is headed by blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin as its chairman and lawyer Haris Ibrahim as its president. The movement aims to pick 30 candidates to be fielded in the 13th general election.

BIODATA Hajjah Haslinah Yacob

Hajjah Haslinah, a Qualified Valuer has been running an established map-making company with her life partner for the last 20 years. She is also the Immediate Past President of All Women’s Action Society (AWAM), a non-partisan independent feminist organisation committed to improving the lives of women in Malaysia. She has been involved in grassroots and advocacy work on women’s rights, empowerment, among others, for the last 10 years.

This 49-year-old from Kuala Lumpur believes that a person should be given the opportunity to compete on an equal basis; taking into consideration the various discriminations impeding this access to opportunity.

Her volunteer work at AWAM and other civil societies has made her emphatic and sensitive to people, and also enabled her to be in touch with the grassroots. These have shaped her thoughts and made her realise that there are still injustices in our country.

Haslinah is determined to do more to affect the lives of those marginalized and victimised. She believes that by becoming a Member of Parliament will give her that opportunity.

“I need to bring the people whose voices are being ignored by the majority, to parliament to make a substantial contribution to the country. I no longer want to stay in the sideline, but to roll up my sleeve now and do something.”

“So that I am not beholden to anyone but the Rakyat and God. I do not wish to waste my time and energy in internal politicking, but to do the work. Three years ago, I had to ensure my children are well taken care of first. Now that they are independent, I have time to concentrate in doing work for the people.”

Hajjah Haslinah is mother to three children, aged 25, 23 and 17, and is married to Haji Ho Chin Soon, a Fellow of the Institution of Surveyors Malaysia and a Registered Valuer with the Board of Valuers, Appraisers & Estate Agents Malaysia.

BIODATA Dr Nedunchelian Vengu

Dr Nedunchelian Vengu, a 42-year-old dentist, has been actively involved in social work since his primary school days giving free tuition to younger children and cleaning and painting temple hall.

This father of two children, aged 13 and five, had served as the President of The Malaysian Private Dental Practitioners Association for three terms, and other posts in numerous other dental organisations.

Dr Nedu, a private practitioner, had served as a member of a Ministry of Health committee to formulate guidelines for dental healthcare professionals on blood borne disease infection and was the dental practitioners association spokesperson in all meetings in Malaysia concerning private dental practitioners from 2005 to 2008.

He was a fellow of three institutions – the Academy Dentaire Internationale, International College of Dentists and International College of Continuing Dental Education. In 2009, he was awarded the Outstanding Service Award by the Malaysian Private Dental Practitioners Association and bestowed Ahli Mahkota Selangor(AMS) by DYMM Sultan Selangor, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah.

At this while, Dr Nedu has been offering his services in countless medical and dental camps organised by non-governmental organisations.

He has also given talks at gatherings and schools and organised seminars on dental care, motivation for students, among others. Dr Nedu is a much sought after speaker by RTM and Astro having appeared on Selamat Pagi Malaysia and Tamil programmes.

Dr Nedu is the second of five children to his father who is a technician and housewife mother. He grew up in Jalan Kapar in Klang and now resides in Shah Alam.

His wife, Nyanambikai Velagri, who was previously a finance manager in a logistics firm, has devoted her life to taking care of the family to allow Dr Nedu to devote time to his private practice and social work.

Sreekant Pillai on BFM Radio

Sreekant Pillai, lawyer and a political candidate for the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement, tells why he decided to go into politics, the challenges he anticipates, causes he would fight for, and about his father, MGG Pillai, prominent journalist.

GO HERE TO HEAR THE PROGRAM 

Activist and dentist latest MLCM candidates

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) has named former Awam president Haslinah Yacob and dentist Dr Nedunchelian Vengu as its third and fourth candidates for the next general election.

Hajjah, 49, has been involved in grassroots and advocacy work on women’s rights and empowerment for the past decade. She is also MCLM’s first woman candidate.

“I’ve been doing social work for a long while now and it’s only the tip of the iceberg,” she said during a press conference today. “I no longer want to stay on the sidelines but roll up my sleeves and do something.”

“The two issues closest to my heart at ethnicity – because my husband is Chinese – and women empowerment. So I will push for substantive equality and a safe space for all,” she added.

Nedunchelian, a 42-year-old private practitioner, has served on a Health Ministry committee and is well-known for his social work as well as his efforts to raise industry standards.

“I’m not anti-establishment,” he clarified. “I just see things that are not done correctly. And I told myself that the change I want has to start with me.”

“There is a Tamil saying that those who are educated will be seen everywhere,” he added. “This will be the crux of my message. I grew up in the middle income group and understand the challenges they face.”

On Dec 12, MCLM unveiled prominent lawyer and National Human Rights Society president Malik Imtiaz Sarwar as its first candidate.

Its second candidate, human rights lawyer Sreekant Pillai, was announced at the movement’s first public forum on Dec 21.

Launched on Oct 30, MCLM is headed by blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin as its chairman and lawyer Haris Ibrahim as its president. The movement aims to pick 30 candidates to be fielded in the 13th general election.

‘Longer it takes, stronger we get’

MCLM was meant to deploy its candidates during the last week of this month but the Tenang by-election threw it off schedule. However, Haris assured that full deployment would take place by early March.

“We plan to hold a roundtable session with non-Barisan Nasional parties at the end of February,” he said, but declined to disclose the parties that were expected to be present.

“The MCLM agenda is to push for the eradication of marginalisation of all human beings by the taking of federal power in the 13th general election,” he continued.

“There is marginalisation in all communities including that of the migrant community. We mustn’t forget them,” he said.

While Haris predicted that the general election would be held in the third quarter, he added that it would not affect MCLM.

“BN and Pakatan Rakyat have a practice of only deploying their candidates a few weeks before the election. We are deploying our candidates in March.

“So the longer that (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) takes to announce a date, the stronger our candidates will be because they will have time to work the ground,” he said.

Haris also clarified that while the purpose MCLM was to help political parties field better candidates, it was not necessary for the independents to belong to any party in order to contest.

He reasoned that if they had already become household names then association to a particular political party would not be a priority.

MCLM would announce three more candidates after Chinese New Year.

It was also in the final stages of setting up its Citizen Empowerment School which would offer training programmes in collaboration with the NGO, Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia.