Sodomy II postponed to Oct 31

By Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 - Sessions court judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah has lifted the media gag on the contents of nine "exhibits" referred to by the defence team in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Sodomy II hearing.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Yusof Zainal Abiden clarified that he had not asked the court to impose a total "gag order" on the media.

Instead, he had merely requested that the court instruct the press to temporarily refrain from revealing the information contained in documents referred to when Anwar filed his affidavit until the prosecution could submit their arguments.

When judge Komathy asked Yusof which documents he objected to, he said it was the newspaper reports from national news agency Bernama, local English daily New Straits Times and the International Herald Tribune.

The other documents were the two statements of claim filed by Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim who was the investigating officer handling Anwar's trial 10 years ago, and who recently sued the opposition leader for defamation.

Yusof contended that the documents included statements that needed to be sworn in court first and were not admissible at this stage even if they were already available in the public realm.

The judge ruled in favour of admitting the exhibits.

Defence counsel Sulaiman Abdullah then asked Judge Komathy for a postponement of today's hearing.

He said his client had to attend parliament from Monday onwards as he was the opposition leader and was only free on Fridays.

Judge Komathy then adjourned the hearing to 9am on Oct 31.-themalaysianinsider

Abdullah not worried about legacy

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi said today he does not care how people remember him after he quits in March, insisting his goal now is to speed up the economic and administrative reforms he started four years ago.

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose term expires in 2013, announced Wednesday he will step down before time to prevent a split in his United Malays National Organisation party.

The party is facing its worst crisis in history after a dismal performance in a general election in March. Abdullah, who was blamed for the losses, initially resisted pressure from party members to resign but gave in when it became clear that he could be ousted during party leadership elections in March.

“I don’t think I need to talk about people remembering me,” Abdullah told reporters when asked if he was concerned about his legacy. “If they want to remember, they will remember. If they don’t, they don’t. I am not working with the view ... that I am doing this because people will remember me.”

Abdullah said he will not defend his position as Umno president in the party elections. Instead, the post will be contested by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is expected to win unopposed. The party’s president automatically becomes the prime minister.

Abdullah said his mission during the next five months is to continue with the reforms he started with much fanfare when he took office in late 2003. But his pledges to eradicate corruption, improve the bureaucracy and restore confidence in the judiciary have borne little fruit.

“I believe my mission is to provide dynamic movement to emphasize on development and human capital,” he said, adding that he wanted to improve educational standards, reduce the income gaps and establish a mechanism to resolve religious disputes that break out frequently in this multiethnic nation.

Abdullah said he also wants to provide more democratic space for divergent views to be heard openly.

His record on this is mixed. Although Abdullah is credited with allowing taboo subjects like race and religion to be discussed openly, his administration recently jailed a prominent anti-government blogger under a law that allows indefinite detention without trial.

The same law has been used to jail five ethnic Indian activists who led a massive anti-government protest last year.

Abdullah refused to say if he will take on any advisory role in the government after resigning, but said he will remain the chief of a party division in the northern state of Penang. - AP

One down: Now for Khairy

Dr Mahathir is now gunning for Khairy.

COMMENTARY

OCT 9 — Having witnessed the forced exit of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is now training his guns on his other nemesis: Khairy Jamaluddin.

His sarcastic comments on his blog about the PM’s son-in-law mark the beginning of what is likely to be a campaign to make sure that the latter fails in his attempt at becoming the Umno Youth leader, and becomes a political footnote.

There is an added impetus for Dr Mahathir to succeed – Khairy’s failure could clear the path for Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir’s rise up the ladder in Umno.

In the former prime minister’s eyes, Abdullah and Khairy have been responsible for dismantling parts of his legacy and encouraging many Malaysians to equate his tenure with the destruction of institutions such as the judiciary, and excesses in the system.

His anger against both of them has been stewing for more than four years. Indeed, several weeks after Abdullah took over as prime minister on Oct 31, 2003, Dr Mahathir started having second thoughts about his successor, complaining that the PM was scratching several mega projects conceived by him.

He was also upset that several initiatives announced by Abdullah – the move to rehabilitate the judiciary; improve the public delivery service; tackle corruption and shore up the country’s police force – appeared designed to put his years in office in unfavourable light.

Troubling to him also were reports that Abdullah’s special officers, especially Khairy, were lamenting that Dr Mahathir’s profligacy in his last 12 months in office has resulted in a depleted treasury.

The former prime minister and his circle of supporters could not accept that Abdullah – in their estimation a simpleton – could put together a reform agenda and put the brakes on spending. They believed that he was influenced by Khairy and other advisors, later to be called the Fourth Floor.

From then on, it only became a question of when. When would Dr Mahathir publicly attack Abdullah and Khairy?

He could not do so in 2004 because the PM had just led the Barisan Nasional to a resounding victory in the general elections and was very popular inside and outside Umno. Indeed, the size of the victory and the fact that some politicians were attributing it to the Abdullah factor created some resentment in the Mahathir camp.

Malacca Governor Tan Sri Khalil Yaakob seemingly innocent observation that 99 per cent of the victory was due to Abdullah did not go down well with Dr Mahathir. Two years later, the former prime minister still remembered that statement.

Khairy’s run at the number two position in Umno Youth and his election to the position unopposed in 2004 angered Dr Mahathir further. In a posting on his blog this week, Dr Mahathir wrote: “He won it uncontested. Apart from Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein, who gave other possible candidates a tongue lashing – telling them in no uncertain terms that they must not contest the position because it was reserved for the Prime Minister’s son-in-law, others suspected of having ambitions to contest for the post received phone calls from family members of the PM and other influential supporters not to do anything to spoil the ambition of this first-time Umno member, with absolutely no track record, from winning uncontested.’’

Like an open sore, the anger against Abdullah and Khairy festered. In 2006, sensing that Abdullah’s honeymoon was over and there was growing impatience among Malaysians over his indecisiveness, Dr Mahathir declared war on Abdullah, his family, Khairy, the Fourth Floor and anyone else who dared to defend the Prime Minister.

He accused the PM of nepotism and cronyism, alleged that he had abdicated decision-making to Khairy and his advisors and lashed out at him for stopping the project to build a crooked bridge to Singapore. This campaign ebbed and flowed over two years, depending on Dr Mahathir’s health, but it had a significant impact on Abdullah’s reputation and Khairy’s public image.

Abdullah’s supporters believed that if he led the BN to another strong victory in the general election in 2008, he would be able to silence Dr Mahathir for good. Conversely, they knew that if the Opposition made some gains on March 8, the PM would face calls for resignation from the former prime minister.

They were wrong. Dr Mahathir did not wait for the outcome of the polls to launch another volley. A few days before voting, he said that Malaysia needed a stronger opposition and questioned Abdullah’s fitness to lead. The loss of two-thirds majority in Parliament and four states to the Opposition gave Dr Mahathir and his supporters more ammunition and a much more receptive audience in Umno.

His calls for Abdullah’s resignation and framing the election results as the sole responsibility of the PM found strong support in a party stunned by the loss of territory and fearful of the resurgent Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Despite Abdullah’s efforts to stay in office until 2010, it became increasingly clear – especially after the loss of the Permatang Pauh by-election in August – that he had lost the support of many supreme council members. There was genuine fear that if Abdullah stayed in office, the Anwar-led Opposition would roll over the BN at the next polls.

There is genuine concern among Dr Mahathir and his supporters on what the return of Anwar would mean for them. In September, Dr Mahathir played his strongest card. He gave an ultimatum to Datuk Seri Najib Razak: continue supporting Abdullah as the leader and be prepared for your dirty linen to be washed in public.

That warning seemed to have some effect. A flurry of activity and meetings between Abdullah and Najib followed and it culminated in the March transition plan. Under this plan, Abdullah would remain in office until March but would not contest the Umno elections.

Abdullah’s fidelity to the plan yesterday marked a victory for Dr Mahathir and he was in no charitable mood. Asked by Bernama what Abdullah should do between now and March, he replied: “Shut up.’’

But shut up is something which the former prime minister will not do – not until he sees Khairy fall flat in his attempt to become Umno Youth chief. Revenge will only be complete when the man he despises – some say more than Abdullah – is forced to take a back seat in the party.

Will Dr Mahathir succeed? Possibly. But really, Khairy’s chances of becoming the leader of the Youth wing hinge more on what Najib does rather than what the former prime minister says. If Najib sends the signal that he wants the divisions to support Khairy, he will become the head of the Youth wing.

As it stands now, Najib is unlikely to endorse any candidate publicly, a move which will embolden Khairy’s enemies — including Dr Mahathir.

PM DATUK SERI ABDULLAH TO DEFEND DIVISIONAL CHAIRMAN OF KEPALA BATAS

Its been reported that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will defend his UMNO Kepala Batas Divisional chief post despite his announcement of his official departure plans in March 2009.

During a brief press conference today PM Datuk Seri Abdullah announced that he had no plans to take a holiday as he had much to do in the next five months.

There are even rumours that Datuk Seri Abdullah may even opt to remain in power since most Malaysians do not trust his words anymore. Datuk Seri Abdullah may be gauging whether he will garner the required 58 nominations, since it was widely reported that his current situation is not 'welcomed' by most of the divisional leaders. Will he change his mind and retain the president's position then?

news courtesy of Malaysiakini

NAJIB GOES FOR PRESIDENT, MAT TAIB VYING DEPUTY PRESIDENT

NAJIB GOES FOR PRESIDENT, MAT TAIB VYING DEPUTY PRESIDENT

Since the official statement that Prime Minister and UMNO President Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will not retain his president's position at the UMNO General Assembly due in March 2009, his deputy Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak has officially today offer himself for the No. 1 post as the President.

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has also indicated that he will contest the President's post in the forthcoming March UMNO Annual General Assembly.

Since there are many candidates vying for the Deputy President position, it is rumoured that International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin would also take a bold step to contest the president's post. As of now, Tan Sri Muhyiddin has indicated that he will run for the deputy president's position. We will know his stand tomorrow when he officially announces the post he will be vying in the UMNO elections.

It has been reported that UMNO information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib will offered himself as a candidate for the deputy presidency. Muhammad who joined the party in 1964 and was elected as vice-president and Selangor deputy state liaison committee head in 2004. He was forced to resigned as Selangor Menteri Besar in 1997 after being charged in Australia for holding currency worth RM3.8 million and subsequently was found not guilty. Muhammad was appointed a senator in 2006 by PM Datuk Seri Abdullah and appointed a Rural and Regional Development Minister.

Among those who have officially announced their deputy president candidacies are Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi , vice-president and Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Pulai division head Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, son of former UMNO Secretary-General Tan Sri Mohamad Rahmat.

It is anticipated that many more will join the race in the next few days.

news courtesy of Malaysiakini

I’m glad I was wrong, says Mahathir

(The Star) Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s decision to not contest in the Umno elections in March will be good for Umno as it can rebuild itself.

Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he was glad he had been wrong when he wrote in his blog www.chedet.com that Abdullah would not step down.

“Of course, I am very happy for Umno, not for myself, because Umno can rebuild itself.

“But Umno will not be able to restore the full confidence of the people as many of its supporters, who voted for the Opposition, may want to continue working for them,” he said in response to Abdullah’s announcement here yesterday.

Dr Mahathir, however, said he felt it was better for Abdullah to step down now rather than wait until March as he could still be an obstruction because he was not giving Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak full authority to rehabilitate the party.

“Until March Pak Lah must keep quiet and let Najib run the show. He should not interfere because if Najib appears to be following him or taking his advice, I think the latter will lose support,” he said.

Asked if he would rejoin the party now that Abdullah would not be Prime Minister after March, Dr Mahathir said he would have to study the situation.

“Yes, I said I am going to rejoin Umno but he is still (Umno) president until March. But if I can do some good by rejoining, I will,” he said, adding that if he was to go back to Umno, those who had left the party with him should be readmitted to ensure Umno wins votes at the next general election.

On whether he would be roped in to act as mentor to Umno, Dr Mahathir said he was prepared to be consulted to solve problems, adding that he would give advice even if he was not asked.

RPK's Sedition Trial: Breaking News

11:20am, October 9, 2008: The prosecution just admitted that the exhibit which forms the foundation of the charge against RPK was not originally taken from Malaysia-Today but was a police cut-&-paste job.They also did not deny the large part of the original article is true.

11:30am: The prosecution is seeking to stand down the trial, and decide what to do as the charge may be defective. The judge is alarmed that the exhibit to the charge is not the original but a police's cut-and-paste article.

11:35am: Prosecution is in a quandary as the trial appears to be scuttled since charge may be held to be defective midway through the trial.

More to come.......

10 things Umno must do

For Umno to remain relevant and appeal to the masses, it has to evolve to suit the expectations of a fast-changing Malaysian society.

P. Gunasegaram, The Star

SEVEN months after the general election of March 8, Umno is floundering and is hard-pressed to find its way out of the morass that it and its coalition partners are stuck in. Currently in the throes of a leadership overhaul, it must change — and change drastically — if it is to be relevant to a rapidly changing Malaysia.

Umno and its partners must remember that they obtained less than 50% of the popular votes in peninsular Malaysia and that they rule at the Federal level in large part to a near total victory at the polls across the South China Sea in Sabah and Sarawak. They must therefore pay close heed to why that happened, and take the necessary action.

Not to do so would be to imperil their collective future as political parties when they stand to lose their majority in Parliament at the next polls to the Pakatan Rakyat coalition spearheaded by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s PKR, assuming that they do not lose their current majority via the threatened cross-overs from their own ranks.

The unmistakable winds of change are blowing, and not to bend with it may mean reaching breaking point. Here are 10 things we figure that Umno — and its coalition partners in Barisan Nasional — must do or push for the Government to do to keep themselves relevant.

It’s not an exhaustive list but it is a starting point and it applies just as well to Umno’s partners. But we focus on Umno because that’s where change must start for Barisan Nasional.

1. Be a true champion of Malays. Somewhere along the way, the Umno train became derailed in terms of serving the genuine and pressing needs of the Malay masses. Instead the focus came to rest on things such as contracts, companies, cuts, equity stakes and such — in other words the enrichment of a relative few in the community.

Sometimes such things have been at the expense of the interests of the country when businessmen (including some from other communities) got deals which were too good from the Government. That is already bad but this was coupled with less attention and intelligent effort on vital areas such as education which has set the clock back in some cases.

2. Put a full stop to money politics. The best way of doing this is to simply get the Anti-Corruption Agency into the act to stop vote buying and tampering. It is against the law to buy votes, so let the law enforcers in — it cannot be kept as purely a party matter and only for the party’s disciplinary committee to deal with. Only if such measures are taken will Umno members and the general public be convinced that the leadership wants to do away with money politics once and for all.

3. Renew the fight against corruption. The evidence of corruption is all over the place if one cares to look for it — people living beyond their means, questionable contracts, strange land deals and so on. These are all at great cost to the nation and an immediate stop must be put to such things.

Measures already considered for more independent law enforcement as well as prosecution of offenders must be put in place to give real meaning and effect to fighting corruption instead of just lip service.

4. Put serious checks against patronage and its abuse. It may be just too much to expect the nexus between business and politics to be nixed just like that. But certainly a lot, lot more can be done to ensure that patronage politics does not do undue damage to the interests of the country.

One easy way of doing that is to ensure that the awarding of contracts is more transparent and follows guidelines. The next point shows how this can be done.

5. Set benchmarks for all contracts and procurements. There are international benchmarks available for the procurement of all manner of goods and services. It is also possible to employ consultants at a fraction of the cost of a project to determine benchmark prices and to oversee the project to see that it is finished according to acceptable standards. Doing such simple things ensures that the Government never needs pay excessive sums for goods and services while ensuring that they are up to international standards.

6. Be less racial. It must be pretty obvious by now that Malaysian communities are not taking too well to the tried and tested means used by the politicians of yore — race — of increasing their appeal to their own communities. If that does not change, there is great risk of polarising some sections of the voting public — and these days you can’t afford that, as the not-so-recent elections showed. Policies these days must appeal to the broader mass of Malaysians.

7. Be more tolerant in terms of religion. Religious issues have often been deliberately manipulated by all shades of politicians for their own narrow benefits, not of the community even but of the politicians who seek to be champions of their own race and religion.

There are real problems of religion, especially when it comes to things like conversion and the rights of individuals. These won’t go away if their honest, frank and considered discussion is suppressed — they merely surface somewhere else. Politicians must facilitate the discussion of religious issues rather than suppress it, in the spirit of acceptance and tolerance.

8. Cut the emotive content in language issues. Long ago, Bahasa Malaysia was accepted as the national language. There is no issue there. What we have to do is to think of how we can get our people to equip themselves with everything that they need to thrive in a very competitive world.

One of that is mastery of the English language and we must not let our affection for the Malay, Chinese and Tamil languages stand in the way of that. If we can’t agree, then perhaps the best way is to give people genuine choice in the kind of education they want. As long as language gets politicised, it’s going to be very difficult to move forward.

9. Become more accommodative rather than confrontational. The old mode of working among the BN coalition was to shout and to draw the lines and this was especially so with Umno. The approach was well, rather confrontational.

And, of course, when the lines are drawn, they are pretty difficult to redraw. It would be far better to seek reconciliation through accommodation and consultation instead. In that mode, chances for solution — rather than stop-gap measures — are infinitely better.

10. Be a true champion of Malaysians. The time has come for all parties to think of themselves as Malaysians and see how we all as a group can move forward. If we help all the disadvantaged amongst us, automatically the most disadvantaged communities will be helped more.

Malaysia considering ban on Hindraf: official

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 8 (PTI) Malaysian authorities have indicated they are considering to impose a ban on the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which hit headlines last year after it organised a massive rally of ethnic Indians to protest alleged marginalisation in this multi-ethnic country.

Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, a senior official in the Home Ministry, said as Hindraf was not a registered organisation, the ministry's legal unit would look at the technicality of disbanding the group, a media report said today.

Since the past week, Hindraf has been getting bad local press after a few supporters including children of the detained five leaders handed a note to premier Abdullah Badawi at his open house to celebrate Id, asking for their release.

Abdullah had on Monday said he was irked by Hindraf's attitude during the incident.

Having allowed the group who came in colour-coordinated T-shirts to join the celebrations, Abdullah said he regretted their unruly behaviour of chanting for the abolition of the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the release of their leaders detained under the Act.

Abdul Aziz cited the incident at the cabinet's Id open house and alleged that "Hindraf's insolence could not be tolerated as it had angered many, especially Muslims who felt it had marred the spirit of the Hari Raya (Id)," a local daily said.

The five Hindraf leaders were detained under the controversial ISA for organising the rally on November 25 last year which was declared illegal by the government. More than 20,000 ethnic Indians took part in the rally which took the government by total surprise.

- PTI

Upstart gets Umno uptight

Nur Jazlan is nonplussed about the lack of media spotlight.

COMMENTARY

OCT 9 — Datuk Nur Jazlan’s bold bid for the Umno No. 2 post has got his party elders uptight.

Umno-linked TV3 cancelled an interview with the Pulai division chief two days ago as it joined the rest of the party-owned media in reporting his “struggle” to fend off a challenge by his deputy for his current position.

The two-term Pulai MP has had a good run in the local press and also with the online media after his shock announcement to vie for Umno’s deputy presidency, which carries with it the deputy prime minister’s post. TV3 had a phone-in interview with him on Sunday night while local newspapers splashed the news with commentaries and analyses.

He even had a Utusan Malaysia "Senyum Kambing" cartoon about his ambition to be the Umno deputy president.

However, senior party officials greeted his announcement in disbelief and dismissed him as a party lightweight out to make a name for himself for a seat in the party supreme council. They together with several commentators had cited his age and lack of experience in national politics as reasons for him to be realistic of his place in the party.

"There is a Malay proverb which goes like this: Ukur baju di badan sendiri," New Straits Times political writer Zubaidah Abu Bakar wrote on Monday, echoing the view of politicians and observers across the country on Nur Jazlan's tilt at the senior post.

Others were not that kind. Former party president and Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said apart from Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who has yet to announce his bid, the others contesting the post were "jokers".

Perlis Umno liaison chief Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said: "There are too many candidates for the post... this is not a place for any Tom, Dick and Harry", while his Pahang Umno counterpart Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob warned that having too many candidates might give the public the impression that members were power crazy.

Their initial comments have now given way to a concerted campaign to highlight Nur Jazlan's chances of retaining his division from his deputy Datuk Omar Sapian, who told TV3 that there was a difference between running a division and a party, let alone the country.

But the 42-year-old chartered accountant and his allies are undeterred. State party elders had tried to block his nomination in the 2004 general election but Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had insisted his candidacy then and also retained him for the 2008 polls.

"They can only attack his age and lack of experience but not his ideas," a close associate of Nur Jazlan told The Malaysian Insider.

The associate said Nur Jazlan is not campaigning but has received encouraging response particularly from outside the party. His website www.jazlan.net has also seen increasing hits as those curious about the politician surf the web in search of information.

"The Umno seniors are out of touch. They can blank him out in the mainstream media but the young ones only rely on the Internet. They haven't learnt from their losses on March 8.

"This is why Nur Jazlan is making his bid now. It’s not about getting power today but for Umno to remain relevant and keep up with the times," he added.

When contacted, Nur Jazlan was nonplussed about the lack of media spotlight. "I don't know what the fuss is about. I just declared my bid. I am not a candidate yet as there have been no nominations," he said, adding he was amused by the shrill opposition to his candidacy even as nominations start this week.

Umno divisional meetings begin tomorrow with the first two in Kimanis and Machang.

(themalaysianinsider)

Battle for top job expected to intensify

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — The decision by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to cut short his leadership is unlikely to end the larger political battle between a resurgent opposition led by former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and a considerably weakened Barisan Nasional ruling coalition.

Political analysts say the tussle would worsen because Abdullah's choice, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, and Anwar are arch-rivals and see each other as standing in the way of their ambitions.

"The rise of Najib would also see the return of (former prime minister) Dr Mahathir Mohamad to Umno and possibly to the political centre stage. He would probably be the biggest influence on Najib," said political commentator James Wong.

Abdullah rose up the ranks of Umno, was well liked and in the shadows during the 22 years when Dr Mahathir held sway. Dr Mahathir had said last year he picked Abdullah as a "temporary substitute" to hold the seat for Najib.

"Abdullah would be remembered as a pleasant man who simply did not have the skills or the gumption to rule," said a Chinese newspaper editor who declined to be identified. "He tried to please everybody and in the end
failed to please anybody."

Najib, an economist by training, has more than two decades of political and government experience.

He was only 22 when he entered politics after the death of his father, revered second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak, in 1976. He became the country's youngest minister two years later.

But his standing has been damaged by links to the 2006 murder of a Mongolian woman with whom he allegedly had an affair. Anwar also accused him of receiving kickbacks on defence deals he had handled. Najib denied the allegations and swore on the Quran he had never met Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was blown up with C4 explosives.

Anwar said it would be an "unmitigated disaster" for Malaysia if Najib became prime minister.

"He takes over at a very difficult time for Malaysia, with political and economic turmoil on the rise and with all previously accepted norms now under attack," said Ramon Navaratnam, a former senior finance ministry
official who is now the president of Transparency International, Malaysia.

"He has the experience and Umno backing, but he is under a cloud over the Mongolian affair. His performance as national leader would be affected unless the controversy is cleared up."

Abdullah succeeded Dr Mahathir as the country's fifth prime minister in November 2003, but he immediately got into trouble for cancelling several large public projects. He also reversed Dr Mahathir's economic focus from manufacturing to agriculture, ostensibly to benefit rural Malays.

Under fierce criticism, he reversed the policies and in the past four years kept changing decisions, earning the nickname "Mr Flip Flop".

But critics of Najib say he is a "carbon copy" of his mentor Dr Mahathir and is likely to use harsh measures, including security laws that allow for detention without trial, to curtail the resurgent opposition.

"Najib is very experienced in government and politics," writer and commentator Karim Raslan said. "He has political pedigree, strong support in Umno and a good grasp of complex issues."

Foreign diplomats said Najib's immediate tasks were to get a grip on the sliding economy, reassure foreign investors, play by the rules against political opponents and ease rising ethnic tensions. — South China Morning Post

(themalaysianinsider)

Poll shows most Malaysians want NEP to end

By Shannon Teoh KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 — Seventy-one per cent of Malaysians surveyed in a recent poll agree with the statement that Barisan Nasional's "race-based affirmative action policy is obsolete and must be replaced with a merit-based policy". Surprisingly, the poll, conducted by the independent Merdeka Centre between June 18 and July 29, up to 65 per cent of Malays who were asked the question agreed that race-based affirmative action should be done away, compared with 83 per cent of Chinese and 89 per cent of Indian respondents. The overall consensus against race-based affirmative action was also apparent in that 61 per cent of rural and 75 per cent of urban respondents agreed that it should be replaced with a merit-based policy. The same result was true in nearly all major categories of race, age, gender and income class, suggesting a majority of Malaysians are now ready to do away with NEP-type policies. Asked to comment on this, Pas head of research Dr Dzulkifli Ahmad noted that the stated objective and vision of the New Economic Policy is to eradicate poverty and reconstruct society so that economic functions according to race would be ended. The Kuala Selangor MP said it was the abuse of the implementation that has resulted in such a dire opinion of the policy. "You cannot deny that poverty has been reduced over the years. But, for example, the Approved Permit system was meant to allow Malay entrepreneurs a stake in industries such as the automotive business. Instead, it became a monopoly for a selected few. "It's not redistribution of wealth but reconcentration into a bangsawan (nobleman) class." However, Umno MP for Pulai Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said that no one has come up with a detailed alternative so it was doubtful if "this opinion is based on hard facts." "I feel it is based on sentiment without actually being properly thought through. What is the alternative? Has anything been clearly defined? The last time the NEP was properly discussed was in the '90s." Centre for Public Policy Studies director Tricia Yeoh agreed with Nur Jazlan in that the statement appealed to the normal idealism that meritocracy is the way forward. "But when a Bumiputera thinks about what needs-based as opposed to race-based means to him in real terms, he might be less enthusiastic." Yeoh, however, said the policy was inherently flawed due to conditions such as the 30 per cent Bumiputera equity or employee headcount.

Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairperson P Waythamoorthy has taken Malay daily

Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairperson P Waythamoorthy has taken Malay daily MCPX Utusan Malaysia and television station TV3 to task over their 'biased and invalidated' reporting. In a statement today, he said: "This was a clear to invoke racial tension." He was responding to reports regarding Hindraf's visit to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's open house at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur last Wednesday. "The visit has been demonised and given the impression that a criminal act was committed and Islam insulted. "It is indeed shocking that federal ministers, senior professors and government officials do not have the intelligence to differentiate between a memorandum and greeting card," he said. Waytamoorthy, who is currently in self-exile in London, also noted that Hindraf's previous pleas for a dialogue with the prime minister have fallen on deaf ears. "The open house is the only day in the year a commoner could make the acquaintance of the PM personally and Hindraf took the liberty to send a clear message- release all prisoners held unjustly without trial in spirit of forgiveness," he said. Reveal photos and videos The Hindraf chief also slammed Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar for interpreting the event as an insult to Islam. "We challenge Utusan (Malaysia) and TV3 to make public their photographs and video recordings to prove that Hindraf supporters behaved in an inappropriate manner. "To the contrary we have evidence that the PM and his deputy were all smiles and accepted the greetings and card with an open heart," he added. Last December, five Hindraf leaders were detained under the Internal Security Act several weeks after they had organised a mammoth street protest in Kuala Lumpur. They remain incarcerated without trial at the Kamunting Detention Centre. Meanwhile, Waythamoorthy said the Umno-led government failed to realise that Malaysians were at a different wavelength now and could judge for themselves what truth, justice and equality means. "Utusan Malaysia and TV3 can continue to act as an apparatus of the ruling government with their inept propaganda, but they fail to comprehend that most Malaysians are equipped with their own resources without any real need for their ultra bias commentary," he added. Legal action On Saturday, Hindraf coordinator RS Thanenthiran said the movement would initiate legal action against Utusan Malaysia over its reports. According to him, Hindraf was disturbed by the reports which he claimed were 'tainted by lies and distorted facts.' He said the Utusan Malaysia front page report under the headline – 'Hindraf Keterlaluan' (Extreme Hindraf) was unfair and communal, and seemed to suggest that the movement was made of extremists out to disrupt Muslim festivals and pour scorn on Islam. Criticising another article - Baharom Mahusin's commentary in the same edition, Thanenthiran said the writer was unfair, attempted to incite racial hatred and instigate communal conflict. Among others, Baharom had penned that 'kalau penyokong Hindraf melakukan penghinaan seumpama itu di kawasan-kawasan pendalaman yang menjadi kampung halaman orang Melayu, mereka sudah pun diajar tentang makna dan akibat berperangai kurang ajar.' (If Hindraf supporters poured such insults in the interior areas dominated by Malays, they would have been taught a lesson on the meaning and consequence of misbehaviour.) Hindraf-bashing 'politically motivated'

Andrew Ong | Oct 8, 08 5:11pm

A Malay-language daily's continuing condemnation of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) is politically motivated, claimed coordinator RS Thanenthiran. Utusan Malaysia today front-paged calls for action against Hindraf supporters who were allegedly unruly at the ministerial Hari Raya 'open house' last Wednesday at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur. The report entitled 'Tegas tangani Hindraf' (Deal firmly with Hindraf) quoted several individuals who called on the government to take action. Reacting to this, Thanenthiran said: "Umno elections are around the corner. Now, they are condemning Hindraf to get Malay support...(Utusan) is trying to please its political owners." He claimed that the daily did not present a true picture of what transpired at the event and did not contacted Hindraf representatives for clarification either. Information coordinator S Jayathas said photographs of the event would be sufficient to prove that the movement's supporters had not misbehaved. "They should go to our website and see the photos. These show very clearly that everything was done in a peaceful way. It is not our culture to create havoc in other people's house," he said. On suggestions in the Utusan report that Hindraf was being rude to the Malays and Islam, Jayathas said it was a non-issue because the movement merely used the opportunity to ask Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA). "How can they say that we are racist? In what way? We are just asking for the ISA to be abolished," he said. When they eventually met Abdullah on Oct 1, Hindraf activists presented him with a teddy bear and a Hari Raya card which contained their plea for abolition of the ISA. 'Absurd suggestion' Defending the activists, Hindraf legal advisor N Surendran, alleged that it was the police who had acted in an unruly manner that day. "They were intimidating and threatening to arrest people who came to participate in the 'open house'. They (initially) prevented the Hindraf supporters from entering the venue. "One even asked P Waythamoothy's (Hindraf chairperson-in-exile) wife to remove her t-shirt (which carried a Hindraf logo)," he said. Surendran said Hindraf has become the victim of a harsh campaign to incite hatred against the movement and Indian Malaysians. "They creating something out of absolutely nothing. Absolutely nothing violent happen during 'open house' (at) an open venue. Nothing wrong with that in a democracy," he said. On Home Ministry secretary-general Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof's suggestion that Hindraf be 'banned', Surendran said that the statement was "absurd" and without justification. "(Hindraf) is not a terrorist or armed movement. It is a mass movement of citizens calling for social improvement - not just for Indians, but all marginalised communities," he added. Although Hindraf is not a registered body, Surendran argued that the movement exists by virtue of Article 10 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees the right to freedom of association. Hindraf Raya visit: 'Stop whining' Oct 8, 08 11:47am DAP parliamentarian Charles Santiago today called on political leaders to stop whining about Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders and supporters being present at the premier's Hari Raya open house last week. The opposition politician also found it amusing that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - who holds the top job in the country - is disappointed that a group of people approached him to request for the release of the Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees during the open house. "But when the prime minister laments that Hindraf supporters failed to shake hands and extend Hari Raya greetings to him and his cabinet colleagues, he sounds downright pathetic. "Abdullah needs to understand that the action of Hindraf activists is part of the democratic process. He must also be educated that the chanting of slogans by Hindraf supporters is all about the freedom of expression, which is in short supply in Malaysia," he said in a statement today. Santiago also took a swipe at MIC president S Samy Vellu who expressed concerned that the activists had undermined his efforts to secure the release of the ISA-detained Hindraf leaders. "Instead of being an apologist for Abdullah and his government, Samy Vellu should gather enough courage to demand for the repeal of the ISA which allows for indefinite detention without trial, following the examples of MCA, Gerakan and the PPP," he said. 'Not an Indian issue' Human Resources Minister and MIC secretary-general deputy minister Dr S Subramaniam had also irked the Klang MP by saying that the presence of Hindraf members at the open house went against Indian culture. "This is an absolutely ridiculous assertion, more so as it comes from a smart man like Subramaniam. Since when does fighting for basic rights and liberties violate any culture?" he asked. Santiago then turned his attention to independent MP Ibrahim Ali, who had threatened to protest over the Hindraf visit. "Maybe he does not realise that resorting to the ancient tactic of racial politics has no place in Malaysia anymore. "I urge Ibrahim to stop seeing the detention of Hindraf leaders as an Indian issue but a Malaysian one and request Muslim groups not to regard the attendance of Hindraf members at the open house as a sign of disrespect to Muslims," he said. "Let's not start twisting the real issues and fashion them to instigate racial problems in the country. The ISA is way off its expiry date and redundant in a modern democracy. "But the ruling government uses it as an easy tool to create a climate of fear and head off threats to its leadership," he added.

ZAID IBRAHIM THE DE FACTO MINISTER OF JUSTICE

1. I was told members of the Cabinet were very upset when Zaid Ibrahim was appointed as Minister. It was known to everyone that Zaid helped PAS to defeat the BN candidate for Kota Baru. He was sore because he did not succeed to become division head of Kota Baru and he was not chosen as BN candidate for that constituency despite being the head of a legal firm of a hundred lawyers and being also well-heeled. During the elections he was in Perth, Australia.

2. The startled party and party officials suddenly found Zaid appointed as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department responsible for law. They were puzzled by Abdullah's choice. But then it is not so unexpected after all because he appointed another campaigner for PAS as Deputy Minister, and a man with dubious past as Senator and Minister.

3. The moment Zaid was appointed he went to town. Apparently without bothering to consult the Cabinet or the Prime Minister he publicly proposed so-called legal and judicial reforms. He proposed that judges should be appointed by a panel on which sit several members of the Bar Council. He did not think it odd that members of the bar would in the course of their work be facing the judges they appointed. I suppose he thinks that it will be alright because gratefulness is not a Malaysian value.

4. It would seem that his Cabinet colleagues were not happy with his proposal as well as his failure to inform the Cabinet about this major change. Since it is the Agong who will appoint the judges his idea might not be welcome by the Agong or the Rulers' Council.

5. In the past if the candidate was rejected by the Agong only the Prime Minister would know about it. But with Zaid's proposal rejection by the Agong can result in a public scandal.

6. The Bar Council would want to know why. If the explanation is not forthcoming then the Bar will organise a forum to debate whether their candidate can be rejected by whomever. The findings of such a debate would show that no one, absolutely no one can reject the Bar with impunity.

7. Zaid also resurrected the case of Tun Salleh Abbas. The Government then decided to award ex-gratia payments to the "unfortunate" judges although all the judges were being paid two pensions and one at least was being paid three pensions. They were obviously not starving.

8. True to the Government record of being open and transparent the amount paid is not revealed. I wonder whether the money came from Zaid's pocket or from the taxes paid by the rakyat.

9. Now of course Zaid has resigned and is aligned with the opposition over the detention under the ISA of Teresa Kok.

10. People accuse me of making wrong choices but in the case of Zaid it looks like the current PM has inherited my weakness.

11. One can afford to have principles when one is rich and does not have to depend on the small allowance of a Minister.

12. My deep respect for this one Minister who seem unconcerned about his allowances.

13. Incidentally former Minister, Tan Sri Kadir Sheikh Fadzir also resigned but he did not have a very big and profitable law practice.

(http://test.chedet.com/che_det/2008/)

Laporan Sinar Harian Amat Dikesali

Sinar Harian telah secara salah melaporkan kenyataan saya yang dibuat pada 7hb Oktober di perkarangan Kompleks Mahkamah Jalan Duta. Laporan Sinar Harian tersebut menyatakan bahawa saya percaya Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak mampu mendapat sokongan yang lebih dalam menguruskan ekonomi dan membersihkan negara ini daripada amalan rasuah.

Ini adalah tidak benar. Laporan tersebut jelas memutar belitkan kenyataan saya yang dibuat pada 7hb Oktober berkenaan proses peralihan kuasa dalam Umno.

Sebaliknya saya yakin sekiranya Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak menjadi Perdana Menteri, negara ini akan terjerumus ke dalam bencana yang besar.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak secara jelas menyatakan beliau sebagai Menteri Kewangan akan meneruskan agenda ekonomi pentadbiran Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Kenyataan beliau bahawa Malaysia tidak akan terkesan dengan perkembangan krisis ekonomi dunia sangat membimbangkan dan mempamerkan kegagalan beliau untuk menangani cabaran yang akan dihadapi oleh negara kita pada masa hadapan.

Beliau juga tidak menunjukkan komitmen untuk memastikan Agenda Perubahan berlaku demi memulihkan keyakinan rakyat terhadap Badan Kehakiman dan bertindak memerangi rasuah. Sedangkan pada Pilihanraya Umum 8 Mac 2008 dan Pilihanraya Kecil Permatang Pauh tempoh hari, rakyat menyuarakan hasrat mereka agar Agenda Perubahan menjadi keutamaan dan direalisasikan dengan segera.

Rakyat Malaysia bimbang di bawah kepimpinan Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, undang-undang kuku besi seperti penggunaan ISA akan diteruskan dan sendi-sendi demokratik akan dilumpuhkan.

Selain itu beberapa persoalan yang belum terjawab seperti tuduhan penglibatan Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak di dalam komisen yang diperolehi hasil pembelian peralatan tentera dari Perancis dan Russia serta pembunuhan wanita Mongolia; Altantuya Shaariibuu, menggugat serta melemahkan kedudukannya di dalam kerajaan.

Pemimpin sebegini akan mencemarkan reputasi Malaysia di kacamata masyarakat antarabangsa dan sekaligus akan memberikan kesan negatif dalam membentuk tanggapan pelabur-pelabur asing terhadap Malaysia.

Saya mohon agar Sinar Harian segera menyiarkan pembetulan dan lebih bertanggungjawab untuk melaporkan sebarang berita dengan benar dan tepat pada masa hadapan.

ANWAR IBRAHIM
Ketua Pembangkang
Ketua Umum KeADILan

Dokumen Berkaitan Kes DSAI terdahulu

Sila klik di pautan yang tersedia untuk membaca penghakiman Mahkamah Persekutuan Kes Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim v. Pendakwaraya: Click here for PDF and and here.

Sila klik di pautan yang tersedia untuk meneliti afidavit Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim terhadap Abdul Gani Patail. Afidavit ini juga memuatkan petikan penting akuan bersumpah Manjeet Singh Dhillon berhubung penglibatan Gani Patail di dalam mengugut dan mereka bukti di dalam kes Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang terdahulu: Click here for PDF

Pejabat Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim

VIDEO:Anwar Ibrahim di Mahkamah

Free RPK: 2nd Habeas (Update)

The second habeas corpus application is scheduled to be heard at 9.00 am on 22nd October 2008 at the Shah Alam High Court before Justice Syed Ahmad Helmy bin Syed Ahmad.

Press Release: Will HINDRAF be banned?

Makkal Osai - 08/10/08

Malaysia Nanban - 08/10/08

The Law Maker “Dato Rajoo”- Press Release

Tamil Nesan - 08/10/08

Will HINDRAF be banned?

We condemn and deplore the campaign by certain BN newspapers and BN leaders to target Hindraf and possibly ban it as a illegal movement like the Al Arqam movement.

Such a campaign is completely uncalled for.

The government should not tolerate such a campaign and should take stern action against any organisation or individuals urging a ban of the Hindraf movement on the ground s that it is a racists movement aqnd would cause racial disturbances.

The country is populated by racial political parties and racial political organisation but these are not being fingered for action. Why then is the focus on Hindraf.

Hindraf is a legitimate movement representing the voice of the poor Indians and should be respected and accepted as such.

It should not be condemned nor banned as such an action would deprive the Indian community of a legitimate voice of dissent.

The Hindraf supporters who attended the Hari Raya rally did not thteaten anybody. They were peace loving and followed all the established rules and law.

Further they had written a letter to the PM that they are coming.

They gave a present to the PM. If they were dressed in orange, what’s wrong with that.

There were others who were also dressed in various uniforms. There were bloggers and others. Why just pick on Hindraf.

Hindraf and its supporters are really striving for inclusiveness, acceptance and recognition by the authorities as bona fide members of the diverse Malaysian family.

But unfortunately before and after Nov 25 what they have got thus far is exclusion, neglect and inequitable treatment by the government and the other classes.

Now they are being demonised as uncultured, disrespectful and even anti-Islam for trying to visit Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and give him a Hari Raya present — a teddy bear and a greeting card — and urge him to release the five Hindraf leaders in ISA detention since December 2007.

This trend is unhealthy and nothing could be far from the truth. There is an urgent need for understanding, compassion and acceptance by the authorities of Hindraf, its members and the deep-seated grievances that propel the movement.

The banning of HINDRAF was written in Utusan Malaysia the mouth piece of UMNO. I suspect tomorrows cabinet meeting would deliberate on this issue. And ha what would MIC and MCA say on the issue?.

Anwar's sodomy trial: Court imposes gag order on media

Wednesday, 08 October 2008

©Bernama KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 8, 2008) : The media was today issued a gag order by the sessions court hearing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy case, preventing them from reporting the contents of exhibits in connection with the 1998 "black-eye" incident. Judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah issued the order following the prosecution's application. The exhibits in question comprised newspaper reports, a police report and a statement of claim relating to the incident. Head of the prosecution unit in the Attorney-General (A-G)'s Chambers Datuk Mohamed Yusof Zainal Abiden told the court the publication of the exhibits by the media would further damage the reputation of A-G Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail. The contents of the exhibits were hearsay and if the court allowed the media to report them, the public would make their own perception or assumption rather than get to know the truth of the story, he said. Meanwhile, lawyer Sulaiman Abdullah said the court should not stop the media from reporting the contents of exhibits which were read out in open court which included Anwar's affidavit in support of his application against the transfer of the case to the High Court. Parliamentary Opposition Leader Anwar, 60, who is Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser and Permatang Pauh MP, is on trial for voluntarily committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature with his 23-year-old former aide, Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan at Unit 11-5-1, Desa Damansara Condominium, Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26. If convicted, he will face imprisonment of up to 20 years under Section 377B of the Penal Code. Presently, he is on bail on a personal bond of RM20,000. Today's proceedings dwelled mainly on the validity of the certificate tendered by the prosecution to transfer the case to the High Court which was sigend by Gani. The defence argued that the certificate was invalid because Gani was not supposed to be involved in the case since he was under investigatation by the Anti-Corruption Agency following a report lodged against him by Anwar for allegedly fabricating evidence in the black-eye incident. At the start of the proceedings, Yusof said the prosecution did not have Gani's affidavit on why he had signed the transfer certificate. "If I do not get the A-G's affidavit, I will only submit on point of law," he said. He said that in his possession presently was the affidavit sworn by Solicitor-General Datuk Idrus Harun. At this juncture, Sulaiman interjected saying that on Wednesday Yusof had been adamant to file Gani and Idrus's affidavits. "After the court granted his application to file the affidavits, now he is saying that he could also submit without the affidavits," he said. -- Bernama

NGOs launch joint petition against ISA

Wednesday, 08 October 2008 07:35pm

from L-R : UCSCAM Representative, Chow Siew Hon, KLSCAH Representative, Tan Chin Chee, Ser Choon Ing (Coordinator), GMI Representative, Syed Ibrahim and Bar Council Representative, Edmund Bon during press conference on "Kempen Mansuhkan ISA" at Chinese Assembly Hall, KL. ©The Sun by Giam Say Khoon KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 7, 2008) : Five major non-governmental organisations (NGOs) jointly launched a petition campaign today to urge the government to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA) and release all detainees. The five are the the Bar Council, the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH), Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI), Dong Jiao Zong (United Chinese School Committee's Association of Malaysia and United School Teachers' Association of Malaysia). KLSCAH secretary-general Tan Chin Chee said the ISA has been crippling the fundamental freedoms and rights of Malaysians for the past 48 years and more than 10,000 citizens have been deprived of their liberty under the law. "No democratic country can function properly in an environment where preventive detention laws such as the ISA are in place," he told a press conference together with representatives of the other four organisations. The five have drafted a memorandum for presentation to the Prime Minister and Home Minister. Tan said a mass endorsement ceremony will be held from 9.30am to 1pm on Oct 19 at the KLSCAH. So far, they have received endorsement from 30 organisations. GMI chairman Syed Ibrahim Noh said: "For such demand to come from such a big group, the government must now take serious consideration (on whether the law should be abolished). We will give full support to the campaign and hope all NGOs can also come forward to show their support." Bar Council's human rights committee chairman Edmund Bon said the council's stand has always been clear that it wanted the law to be abolished. "We want to let the detainees know that they are not alone in this fight and we want to keep their spirit up by giving our support," he said, adding that he hoped the Malaysia's Human Rights Commission will also support the campaign. On the visit by Hindraf supporters to the prime minister's Hari Raya open house, Syed Ibrahim said the feeling of the supporters could be understood as they had no choice but to hand over their memorandum to the prime minister at the open house. "GMI itself has requested an appointment with the prime minister more than 20 times and with the Home Minister more than 30 times, but our requests were never considered." On Monday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had expressed his disappointment with the conduct of the Hindraf supporters who visited him at his open house on the first Hari Raya last week. -- theSu

Pak Lah unites Umno – against him

COMMENTARY

OCT 8 - For once, there was no flip, there was no flop. No flap even as Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today stuck to his widely-expected decision to not defend his Umno presidency and step down as Prime Minister next March.

There was some speculation that he might chance it and go for broke to carry out his earlier transition plan until June 2010.

That plan had been torn to pieces by the Umno Supreme council two weeks ago but the 68-year-old premier had already been a dead man walking from exactly seven months ago when the Barisan Nasional lost five states and its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority to a resurgent opposition under Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The loss exacerbated a sharpening of knives against the politician known as the "Mr Nice Guy" of Malaysian politics, led by his predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and followed by Umno politicians hungry for power and position.

"I know I've not been doing well, it's time for someone else to take over," Abdullah said, bringing down the curtain on a career spanning 45 years in public service, first as a civil servant, then as a politician and ultimately as prime minister.

Widely criticised by all quarters for a laundry list of reasons - internally by Umno politicians against reforms in governance and externally for not fulfilling such promises - Abdullah has seen his approval rating zig zag between the high 70s and the low 40s, epitomising his lack-lustre leadership that earned him the sobriquet "Flip Flop".

His indecisiveness had always been based on a need for consensus, unity and harmony that was borne from helping to administer the country after the May 13 riots. "I never want to see that again," Abdullah told reporters several years ago.

He followed the same theme today, saying "I have always been guided by my conscience. I do not want a divided party and governing coalition but one that is united. This is not the time for infighting."

The electoral debacle and threats by Anwar to topple BN and capture Putrajaya took its toll on Abdullah and his ruling coalition with the tiny Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) openly saying it had no confidence in Abdullah's leadership and walked out of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition last month.

A few other parties gave notice of dissatisfaction not so much with him but with other Umno leaders for racist rants but stopped short of leaving. Abdullah feebly chastised his party which further split the party.

With that in mind and taking the blame and being blamed for the humiliating loss, Abdullah decided to quit to give both the party and coalition a fighting chance for the next polls and to prevent a split and infighting for the leadership.

What was left unsaid was that a majority of Umno supreme council members were united in getting him to go but only split about a succession plan among themselves. They had engineered meetings to convince Pak Lah he was wildly unpopular for not keeping his promises.

But the perception on the ground pointed to the party losing support even among its core Malay constituencies, apart from the Chinese and Indians, for a raft of other reasons, particularly to do with price hikes in food and fuel.

For the next six months, Abdullah will not have to worry about such perceptions. Starting today, without flip-flopping about his decision to retire from active politics, he can forge ahead to carry out the reforms without thinking of the political cost within the party.

And even if that fails because of a lack of support from within Umno, he would at least leave behind a party united - against his efforts.

(themalaysianinsider)

Guan Eng: Pak Lah forced to retire against his will

PENANG, Oct 8 — Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was forced to retire against his will at a time not of his choosing.

He said the abrupt and undignified nature of Abdullah's departure was a sad reflection of his weakened political position that lost him the respect of his party.

“Unlike his predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Abdullah was forced to retire against his will at a time not of his choosing,” he said in his statement released here by his office.

Ironically, he said, the public respected Abdullah more than his party, Umno, because he was seen as a “well-intentioned man who is probably one of the few clean leaders left in Umno”.

“Abdullah should leave a legacy of fighting corruption by having open tender and taking action against the leaders in Barisan Nasional and Umno who abuse the power,” he added.

Lim was commenting on the Prime Minister's decision not to defend his Umno presidency in the coming party election.

After chairing the BN supreme council today, Abdullah announced that he would not defend his post as Umno president and would step down as prime minister in March next year. – Bernama

Dr M happy for Umno

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 8 - Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is glad to admit he was wrong because he had thought that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would not step down as Umno president and prime minister.

"I am happy for Umno as the party can be rebuilt," he said when reporters met him at the Perdana Leadership Foundation, here.

Asked what he thought Abdullah should do between now and March next year, Dr Mahathir said: "Shut up."

The former prime minister said he was surprised with Abdullah's announcement today that the latter would not defend his Umno presidency and would hand over the country's leadership.

Dr Mahathir who has been vocal in asking Abdullah to step down since the March 8 general election, hoped Abdullah would not put any restriction and obstruction during the transition period.

On whether he would rejoin Umno after March next year, Dr Mahathir said he would do so provided those who left the party together with him were also readmitted.

Asked to comment on Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as the possible prime minister, Dr Mahathir said he was not impressed with Najib's performance as deputy prime minister now.

Dr Mahathir described Najib as an incompetent deputy prime minister because the latter did not have his own stand and was always following Abdullah's advice, hence Najib needed to change when taking over the helm later.

On the possible candidate for Najib's deputy, Dr Mahathir said it should be Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, adding that the other current contenders for the post of Umno deputy president were only "jokers". - Bernama

Abdullah - Flip-flops to the very end

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi flip-flops to the very end!

This morning, the grapevine was abuzz with his latest flip-flop that he has decided to defend his positions as Umno President and Prime Minister after a three-hour meeting with some 200 of his supporters at his Putrajaya official residence which started at about 11 pm last night and dragged into the wee hours of the morning.

This was blogged by three-term Umno MP for Parit Sulong and former Backbenchers Club, Ruhanie Ahmad at 3.32 am.

If so, that was the penultimate flip before the ultimate flop, which Star editor-in-chief Wong Chun Wai blogged at 3.53 pm that SMS flying out from the ongoing Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting at PWTC was that Abdullah had thrown in the towel and succumbed to the Umno Supreme Council pressures for an early exit in March next year.

There was a pathetic last stand by a handful of Abdullah’s supporters at Putrajaya this morning and PWTC this evening, urging him to remain steadfast to the mid-2010 power transition plan instead of being forced out 15 months earlier in March next year.

The die is cast. This die was actually cast seven months ago in the March 8 political tsunami.

Abdullah has told the BN Supreme Council what almost everyone had expected, that he would not defend his Umno president’s post and will quit in March next year, to set another dubious record as the country’s most short-lived Prime Minister.

The political landscape has not materially changed with Abdullah’s enforced exit but new configurations will surface with the rise of a new curtain, with new characters taking the centre stage.

Malaysia is in for “interesting” times.

RM3 billion of your EPF money in Bakun Dam

RM3 billion of your EPF money has been lent for the Bakun Dam project (Photo credit: Raymond Abin/IPS)

One of the interesting things that I discovered when I was doing some research into the Bakun and Murum Dams was that as at December 2007, a total of RM3 billion of EPF money had been lent to the Bakun Dam developer. (The loan is guaranteed by the Federal Government.) The other startling fact is that there are still some affected residents of Bakun who have not yet received compensation after 10 years.

One of the firms likely to benefit from the abundant electricity from the Bakun/Murum Dams is CMS. Now CMS, one of the big corporate players in Sarawak, basically belongs to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s family: its main shareholders are the chief minister’s daughters Jamilah Hamidah and Hanifah Hajar, son-in-law Syed Ahmad Alwee Alsree, and family concern Majaharta Sdn Bhd, each with a 14 per cent stake. Taib’s wife Lejla has an 11 per cent stake while sons Sulaiman Abdul Rahman and Mahmud Abu Bekir own 9 per cent each.

CMS is in a joint venture with Rio Tinto to build an aluminium smelter, which requires lots of electricity.

The managing directory of Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB), which is selling the power from these dams, is Taib’s brother-in-law, Aziz Husain.

(anilnetto.com)

Anwar drops by at the RPK trial (updated)

kkitsam was in court this morning on Day Three of the RPK trial and sends us this report:

I was there this morning. First time to court. Arrived there very early at 7.45am, wearing the uniform “I am with RPK”. The crowd grew bigger by the minute. From my chat with Marina, she said the cards sent to RPK on which were written “No to ISA” would not be passed to him. So from now on, I’m going to avoid that.

Our hero RPK arrived at around 8.30am. The crowd was happy to see him; some even said it’s better for him to be in court rather than in the Kamunting cell. I got to squeeze into the court room, and by 8.40am, the room was full, with many others standing at the back.

The trial started a bit late, at around 9.15am. In between, many people wished RPK, and Marina got to hold him as well. Of all the journalists there, only one reporter interviewed RPK (the only one foreign reporter) while the rest of them just sat there waiting for the trial to start. A few MPs came today - Ronnie Liu, followed by Lau Weng San - and surprisingly at 10.10am, Anwar and Azizah came in as well, much to the delight of RPK.

The trial took a break for 15mins at 10.25am, and I called it a day, went to work! Forgot to mention, during the trial, people were going out and others were coming in, non-stop. I guess there must have been around a hundred people, with 50 squeezed in the small room and others waiting outside for their turn to support RPK. A good show of support from all. Thank you everyone, a great day.

During the break, blogger Surind got a chance to meet RPK up close:

Meeting him today… for the first time after he had been ISAed… was enough to make tears come to my eyes and for me to drop my guard… for a while.

I had to step to the side after hugging him and looking him in the eye because I did not want him to see me emotional and to see my teary eyes and weakened facial expression. I could not speak for a while because I knew my voice would give away what was going on inside me.

Rakyat@Work takes up the story after the break:

Arrived at 10.30am. A crowd surged out of the court, cameras clickling away and I saw a journalist trip over. Something’s happening!

My word, the man himself - it was Anwar! He was rushing. A thought flashed through my mind: he’s supposed to be at Duta, right? I say, that’s why he’s rushing off.

It sure was a morale boster. I hope Anwar’s presence satisfies some queries about his support for RPK. Despite Anwar’s own tight schedule and a court case at Duta, he still made it a point to visit RPK; what more can one ask of him? Have faith, people. Be patient, and more importantly, don’t let anyone shake your commitment.

While the hearing is on, due to the packed court room, some other supporters were sitting out on benches in the compound. From a distance, it looked as if a group of people was waiting for some kind of cruise ship. I called it a “Cruise to A New Nation”. Shared that thought with two other ladies, and we jokingly agreed - just like searching for new freedom in a new nation.

“POWER! People’s Power!” said Marina, as she emerged from the court house at about 12.15pm today. She spoke with conviction and no doubt, she meant it. She is more determined than ever to secure not only the freedom of RPK but she knows in her heart, it also means freedom for the rakyat (that’s my own personal impression).

More energy and vibes could be felt around the compound today. Marina’s family and close friends ended the day with an interview carried out by a foreign media station.

Surind rounds off the day:

After the proceedings were over for the day, we said our goodbyes… and as the police were taking Raja Petra back in the van, RPK’s supporters and I stood by the gate with our two large banners, shouting “Free Raja Petra!” and words of encouragement and support. We could not see inside the van because of the tinted windows, but I knew he would have been smiling and waving to us

(anilnetto.com)

Abdullah, the biggest casualty of the ‘tsunami’

It’s People Power.

Exactly seven months after the 8 March political tsunami swept the land, Abdullah has announced that he will not be defending his Umno presidency. Consider it a delayed reaction to the stunning setback suffered by the Umno-led ruling coalition in the general election and the further erosion in support evident in the 26 August Permatang Pauh by-election.

Abdullah is the biggest casualty of the ‘tsunami’.

“It’s very disappointing,” said a Penang-based activist. “He was pushed out and he went away like a mouse.”

But before anyone celebrates, mull over this: it leaves the door open for Najib to take over, though he first has to navigate past Razaleigh in the party elections before Abdullah will hand over power. If he does, are we in for another round of repressive rule ala Mahathir?

Many Malaysians will be disappointed that Abdullah, who promised so much when he won the 2004 general election with a big bang, is going out with a squeak.

With nothing to lose now, Abdullah plans to push through some of his reforms - making the judiciary and the ACA more independent and reforming the police (what about abolishing the ISA?) - and shore up a little of his legacy. But if he couldn’t do it at the height of his popularity, how will he do it now as a lame-duck premier - without Zaid Ibrahim - and with Najib breathing down his neck?

Reforms that could have be carried out in the last five years now to be carried out in five months (until March)? Unlikely.

Several questions now arise:

• How will Razaleigh fare against Najib?
• Will the BN component parties suffer a further erosion of support if Najib takes over?
• Will Mahathir and company be back? (Oh no! God help us…)
• How will Khairy fare against Mukhriz?
• What will be the fate of Muhyiddin? Will Abdullah still want him in his cabinet?
• Does any of this really matter - will Pakatan succeed in its motion of no-confidence? (Next show begins on 13 October!)

But Abdullah could have the last laugh. He can now just sit back and watch the fun as Najib tries to manage the Malaysian economy at a time when global markets are tumbling all over.

PM not contesting, to quit in March

ITS OFFICIAL - PAH LAH FINALLY QUITS AS PM & BN/UMNO PRESIDENT IN MARCH 2009

Press statement by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to announce his decision to step down next March 2009.

I have been in public service for over 45 years. I have served this country as a civil servant, and as an elected representative of the people. I have served as a member of government and feel blessed to serve in the highest office in the land.

I have seen this country grow from a small, poor nation into the modern, prosperous Malaysia that we live in today.

Despite our successful track record, for the past few years I have firmly believed that our nation is standing at an historic crossroads. We must reform some elements of our nation, we must evolve and mature, or we risk losing all that we have gained in over 50 years.

Throughout this time of reform and transformation, we Malaysians need to be united now more than ever before.

In all my years of service, I have always been guided by my conscience. I have always placed the interests of the nation above all else. It is with this in mind that I announce I will not stand for the presidency of Umno.

I do not want a divided party and governing coalition, but one that is united and harmonious. A united Barisan Nasional is vital in order for the country to face the global challenges ahead and for Malaysia to become a fully developed nation, with prosperity and fairness for all.

My current term as president of Umno ends in March next year. There are several initiatives I intend to see through before I leave office. These initiatives are important because they are necessary to move our country forward.

These initiatives are needed to regain our country's competitiveness. They are necessary to enable our nation and our society to face the challenges that the world has in store for us.

I ask all Malaysians to unite and join me in working towards making Malaysia a better place.

Reforming the judiciary, police force

First, our institutions need to be reformed and strengthened.

The judiciary needs to enhance its stature and credibility in the eyes of the public. Before I end my term, I will table a Parliamentary Bill to establish a Judicial Appointments Commission.

Such a commission will propose judicial appointments in a transparent and merit-based manner.

We also need a strong and effective anti-corruption body that can combat the cancer of corruption without fear or favour. Before the end of the year, I will table a Parliamentary Bill to establish the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, with greater powers of investigation and enforcement.

The commission's oversight structure has been modelled after the successful ICAC in Hong Kong.

I also intend to complete the establishment of a Special Complaints Commission to enhance the integrity and effectiveness of enforcement agencies.

Second, I have long spoken about the need to ensure that the fruits of growth are more equitably distributed.In the recent budget, I explained the government's commitment to strengthening and enlarging the social safety net. We will speed up work on this front to help poor and disadvantaged Malaysians, regardless of background, race or religion.

I will also work to ensure that tangible results can begin to be enjoyed in Iskandar, as well as the development corridor initiatives around the country.

Third, I would like to see the government and BN renew their commitment towards building a united and harmonious nation. Society has seen an alarming decline in inter-racial and inter-religious relations.

BN convention

Various issues have cropped up which threaten to tear the very fabric of Malaysian life.

We need to tackle these issues head-on, through dialogue; deal with the issues constructively and even-handedly; ensure greater clarity and certainty for the people; and focus on the points that unite us, rather than the points that divide us.

For this reason, I will convene a BN convention early next year. This is a long-term effort that I hope to kick-start and continue to contribute towards.

I fully intend to see through my mission, and I am sure that my successor will carry on this agenda. I want to hand over to my successor a Malaysia that is capable of weathering the challenges of a dangerous global economy, a Malaysia not of rich and poor, of young and old or of the city or the kampong, not of south and north, and not of one religion or another but of unity and harmony.

This is not the time for infighting and narrow politics but for greatness, unity and cooperation.

article courtesy of Malaysiakini

Hope PM Datuk Seri Abdullah will see that every one of his ambitions above are fullfilled latest by March 2009 and it is also hope that he set the platform for a UNITED MALAYSIA - no longer Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazans, Ibans and others - where we will be able to live in peace and harmony forever.