Interesting info

This was sent to me by an Italian!!!

Interesting info! Must read Give the Title... can u?!!!!!!

You know the Latin Catholic will not enter to Syrian catholic church,

these two will not enter to the Marthoma church, these three will not enter to

penthacost church, these four will not enter to Salvation army church,

these five will not enter to 7th day Adventist church, these six will not

enter to orthodox church, these seven will not enter to Jacobite church,

?..like this there are 146 castes in Kerala alone for Christianity, each

will never share their churches for Christians ! Wonderful One Christ, One

Bible, One Jehova?.What a unity !

Among Muslims, Shia and Sunni kill each other in all the Muslim countries.

The religious riot in Muslim countries is always between these two. The

Shia will not go to Sunni mosque, these two will not go to Ahamadiya

mosque, these three will not go to Sufi mosque, these four will not go to

Mujahiddin mosque?.like this it appears there are 13 castes in among

Muslims, Killing / bombing/conquering/ massacring/? each other ! The

American attack to the Muslim land of Iraq is fully supported by all the

Muslim countries surrounding Iraq ! One Allah, One Quran, One Nebi?.!

Great unity !

For Hindus 1280 books, 10,000 commentaries, more than one lakh sub

commentaries for these foundation books, 330 million gods, variety of

aacharas,
thousands of Rishies, hundreds of languages,?still everyone goes

to the SAME TEMPLE ? whether unity is for Hindus or in others and never

Quarreled each other for the last ten thousand years in the name of

Religion.



My choice: HINDUISM---- - The most UNIQUE & PEACEFUL religion in the world.

Pakistan plays down tensions with India

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari played down cross-border tensions with India in a speech Saturday, telling citizens democracy and dialogue will end discord and increase regional stability.

A woman lights a candle Saturday at the site where Benazir Bhutto was killed in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

"The solution to the problem of the region, the solution to the problem of Pakistan ... is politics, is dialogue ... because politics is part of the cure, not part of the problem," Zardari said, speaking at a memorial service for his late wife, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

"We have issues? Yes, we have issues. We have non-state actors? Yes, we have non-state actors. Yes, they are posing an agenda on us. We ourselves have accepted we have a cancer. ... We will cure this cancer ourselves."

Zardari delivered the national address from Naudero, the Bhutto family home in Pakistan's Sindh province.

It comes amid escalated tensions after reports Friday that Pakistan had redeployed military resources on its eastern border with India.

Details of those troop movements, however, remained murky on Saturday. CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen said a Pakistani official told him that 20,000 soldiers had been moved from the Afghanistan border toward the Indian border. That amount was not significant, he said, as Pakistan has a very large army.

"It's a way of signaling the Indians, you know, a unilateral Indian strike into Pakistan is going to be unacceptable to Pakistan," Bergen said. "The reason that's serious, of course, is that Pakistan and India have fought three major wars in the last six decades."

India has accused Pakistan of harboring militant organizations after terrorist attacks last month in Mumbai, India, and has said the 10 Mumbai attackers trained at a terrorist camp in the Pakistani-controlled part of Kashmir. Militants launched a coordinated strike against luxury hotels, a Jewish center and other targets in Mumbai beginning November 26, killing 160 people.

In his remarks Saturday, Zardari said his government -- which critics claim is unstable and unproven -- will complete its five-year term and follow it with democratic elections.

Indian Army spokesman Veerendar Singh told CNN on Saturday that there was no troop mobilization on the Indian side of the border. "We are keeping a close watch over the situation," he said.

Singh said that no communication had been received from Pakistan about troop movements but added that the Indian army is always on alert.

Asked about the troop movement Friday, Husain Haqqani, Pakistani ambassador to the United States, said, "Pakistan does not seek war, but we need to be vigilant against threats of war emanating from the other side of our eastern border.

"Pakistan is also a victim of terrorism and will continue to act against terrorists," he added. "We are a country of rule of law and need evidence to prosecute anyone for the crime of terrorism."

Since the division of the subcontinent in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two over the disputed territory of Kashmir, which is now wracked by an 18-year separatist campaign that authorities say has left at least 43,000 dead. There also was a limited border conflict in 1999 between the countries in Kashmir.

Kapar MP free to go, says Khalid

(The Star) - Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has taken a hard stand on S. Manika­vasagam’s threat to quit PKR, saying the Kapar MP was free to do so.

Khalid, who is also from PKR, also said he was not going to meet with Manikavasagam to convince him to stay.

“PKR does not encourage him to make that decision but it is his decision,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after opening the Selangor government’s Christmas celebrations at a shopping mall here yesterday.

Khalid said he did not understand why Manikavasagam would want to quit over the Klang bus stand issue.

“He has the platform in our state meetings to voice his grievances and we also have supreme council meetings. As an MP he is invited,” he said.

On whether he would meet with Manikavasagam, Khalid said it was better for the MP to meet with the party leadership.

“If he wants to meet, that is up to him. It is up to him,” he said.

On whether PKR would ask Manikavasagam to quit as MP if he left PKR, Khalid said: “It is up to the supreme council.”

PKR information chief Tian Chua meanwhile said Manikavasagam had made the threat to show his voters that he was serious about solving problems.

“He is trying to solve the bus station issue in his own way. Whether is the right way or not is not the issue. What is important now is that we must solve the bus station problem,” he added.

Selangor state executive council member Ronnie Liu however said he would call Manikavasagam and ask him to reconsider.

“There will always be differences among party members but these can be resolved,” said Liu, who is from DAP.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said Manikavasagam should resign as MP if he quit the PKR.

“People elected him based on the party he was representing. It is only right that he gives-up the position when he leaves PKR,” said Abdul Hadi after launching the party’s membership drive in Shah Alam.

Pas president tells Kapar MP to resign

(NST) Kapar member of Parliament S. Manikavasagam's move to quit Parti Keadilan Rakyat left some Pakatan Rakyat leaders hot and worried.

Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said yesterday that the PKR supreme council member should step down as an MP and recontest as an independent candidate in a by-election.

"He should not have quit the party and this shows that he has no principles, and is not consistent.

"He has betrayed the people who elected him under the Keadilan ticket," he said after launching Jom Sertai Pas (Let's Join Pas) campaign here.

Manikavasagam, who was expected to make an official announcement of his resignation before the New Year, cited his recent spat with Selangor assembly speaker Teng Chang Khim, infighting within the state administration and disappointment with Selangor PKR leaders as "the last straw".

Selangor DAP vice-chairman and Klang MP Charles Santiago yesterday also voiced agreement with his grouses, saying that Teng's recent criticisms of him and Manikavasagam over their involvement in the Klang Sentral Terminal issue had been uncalled for.

"It was totally arrogant of Teng and it is sending the wrong signal to the people. Instead of addressing the issue, he made it personal when he said that both of us were irresponsible and inexperienced," he said yesterday.

Teng, a DAP central committee member, said that Manikavasagam had been bought over by Barisan Nasional when he protested against the relocation of the current bus and taxi station to the new Klang Sentral Terminal.

Hadi, also at the event, said Pas would not explain its decision to implement hudud and qisas to DAP.

DAP should not worry about the implementation as it only applied to Muslims, he said, adding that non-Muslims were free to choose the law they wanted to be tried under.

The hypocrisy in man

So, while I might support Hudud in principle, I do not support it as the law of the land. And I do not support it because I can’t support what two-thirds of Parliament does not support.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Christmas is upon us, yet again. Another Christmas, another year gone, another year nearer to our graves. Tomorrow is Boxing Day, also remembered as Tsunami Day, the day when people were drowned in their sleep and swept out to sea into their watery graves.

How quickly joy turns to sorrow. One day we are elated with festivity and drowning in food and wine. The next we are sedated with reality and drowning in the Indian Ocean. I am now in Penang. I arrived yesterday with an entourage of six families, about 25 souls or so in all. I am now in the land where it all happened almost a memory ago.

The Boxing Day Tsunami, some say, is God’s punishment. It is God punishing mankind for the wrongs it has done. If that was really what God intended then God did not do a good job. Those who deserve punishment certainly did not get punished. Those who were punished were not deserving of that fate. Are we talking about my God, one of compassion and justice, or are we talking about your God, one with a sick sense of humour and misguided sense of justice?

To you your God and to me mine, the religionists say. But then are we not all God’s children and the creation of that same, one God? How can you, therefore, have your God and me, mine? Your God and mine are one and the same. To believe we have separate Gods means we believe there is more than one God. And the doctrine of most religions says there is but one God, in particular that of the Abrahamic faiths.

And are we so different? Did not Muhammad learn from the Christians and much of Islam ‘adopted’ from Christianity? Does not the Ka’bah also appear in the same name and form in the land of the Zoroastrians in the far reaches of Persia? Did not Jesus disappear from the ages of 12 to 30 when he sought tuition from Buddhists, as many now believe? Did not John the Baptist practice what was practiced by the Hindus in India of his time? But what can we really believe? Do we really know what was fact and fiction thousands of years ago? What we do know is what we have been told to believe. And what we are told to believe is what they want us to believe. And what they want us to believe is what suits the political agenda of those who walk in the corridors of power.

John roamed the land with just the clothes on his back to preach the word of God. And he brought no rations save those he accepted as alms along the way. Was John a Jew, Christian or Buddhist? We believe what we want to believe as long as it suits those who walk in the corridors of power. And to believe otherwise will not incur the wrath of God but the wrath of those who need us to believe what we are told to believe for purposes of political expediency.

Such is religion. And such is politics. And religion is not about God. It is about politics. And Cain killed Abel not for God but for politics. The good died that day, thousands of years ago. And we are descendants of the bad that lived, not the good that died.

So, can mankind be good when we are children of bad? How can the fruit of a poisonous tree be nothing but poisonous? If Cain had survived and society had convicted Abel and sentenced him to death for attempted murder, then we would probably be good because then we would be children of Cain, not Abel.

But would children of good also be good? And would children of bad also be bad? Can those whose mothers and fathers who are both nuclear scientists be equally brilliant? Or is there no possibility the son could be born mentally retarded? How many children of Umno diehards join the opposition, to be cursed and disowned by their fathers? And can there not be two brothers on opposite sides of the political fence? Shahrir and Khalid, the two sons of Samad, are testimony that there can. But which of Samad’s sons is Cain and which is Abel? It all depends on whether you walk in the corridors of power. Cain can be Abel and Abel, Cain, if he you judge walks with you and not against you.

Hudud is the current controversy, the latest Tsunami sweeping this land. But what is the issue? Is it about religion or it is merely politics? The hand is quicker than the eye. And what we see is what our brain tells us to see. We see what the hand waves in front of us. Magic is not magic. Magic is sleight of hand.

And the politicians are playing silap mata. It is a cheap show to indulge our fantasies. Is it not fantasy that Hudud will be implemented in Malaysia? How can the minority move the majority? The Federal Constitution does not provide for it. Hudud is not about religion. It is about the law of the land. Religion may be a state matter. But Hudud is not about religion. It is about the law of the land. And the states do not have authority over the laws of the land. Hudud can only become law when Parliament says so. And you need 66.666% of Parliament to say so. PAS owns only 23 seats. And 23 seats in Parliament is not 66.666% of 222. So Hudud can never be the law of the land.

The non-Muslim coalition partners of Barisan Nasional oppose Hudud. This, they have said so. Umno from Kelantan supports Hudud. This, they have said so. The non-Muslim partners of the opposition coalition oppose Hudud. This, they have said so. PAS, the propagator of Hudud, is split on the issue. This may have a bearing on the Kuala Terengganu by-election on 17 January 2009.

In the meantime the people are confused. Who supports what and who opposes? It is no longer that easy to tell. But it is meant that way. This is what politics is all about. And Hudud is about politics, not about religion. Politics is about exploitation and deception. Politics, not prostitution, is the oldest profession in the world. But, while prostitutes are not politicians, politicians are certainly prostitutes. And they will prostitute themselves if need be. And most times it needs be that they prostitute themselves.

PAS wants to secure the Malay votes in Kuala Terengganu. Umno wants to swing the Chinese votes. So, with the by-election looming over the horizon, Hudud is played to the hilt. Islam is the issue of the day. Hudud is the bad boy of Islam. And there are no sacred cows in politics. All is fair in love and war. So let us play up the Hudud issue for the benefit of winning votes.

A critical analysis of Hudud could lay the matter to rest. Those opposed could become converted if the real issue is explained. But then this will end the confusion. And the objective is not to end the confusion. The game plan is exploitation and deception. That is how ‘good’ politics is played. And there is only one type of politics, the type that wins.

I do not want to explain Hudud. I am not even a Hudud apologist. I can do that if you want me to. It is so crystal clear and extremely simple that it makes me laugh. How can Hudud be an issue? Hudud can be good and can be bad depending on application. So can the Internal Security Act if you really want to get analytical. Hudud is not about punishment. It is about looking into circumstances. Hudud explores what went wrong and how to put it right. It is not about imposing on society and causing tears to be shed.

Thieves must not be automatically punished under Hudud. The circumstances need to first be explored. Under common law thieves must not escape punishment. The circumstances do not matter. If a thief is a thief because of circumstances then the thief is not a thief and society must instead be punished, as far as Hudud is concerned. Society will be ordered to adopt the thief. The thief will become the ward of the state. And the thief can now leave his life and crime and enter into a life of adoption.

Such is the beauty of Hudud. A thief is not a thief. A thief becomes our adopted child. And if, again, he needs to steal because we have failed him, then we receive punishment instead. The thief loses no limb. But do people understand this? They do not because they are meant to not understand. This is about politics. And politicians are prostitutes. They exploit us and deceive us. And that is a mark of a good politician.

Murder is murder. Death is punished by death. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But that is common law. That is not Hudud. In Hudud the question would be: why did you kill? Circumstantial evidence is not allowed under Hudud. Under common law you hang because of the smoking gun. Never mind they can’t prove that you killed. As long as the gun is yours you will die even if you did not pull the trigger. And did not Mokhtar Hashim get sentenced to death because of the smoking gun?

Even if you confess to murder you still do not die. The victim's family would first be asked whether they want you dead. Taking your life will not bring back the deceased. So do we want a life for a life? Two lives gone serves no purpose. The deceased's family’s welfare for the rest of its natural days takes precedence over punishment. Dead men do not put food on the table. Would another life lost, notwithstanding it is the life of a murderer, solve the economic problems of the deceased's family?

So you can ‘buy’ your life by supporting the family. It may be costly but that is the price of life. But what if you are destitute yourself? How to support your victim’s family when you can’t even support yourself? Many pay tithe or zakat. Zakat must be paid, come hell or high water. You can choose how to pay as long as it assists society. And if your millions can be spent for the benefit of mankind then you have fulfilled your duty to God and society. So a philanthropist can help 'buy back' your life for the good of the deceased's family.

So there are ways. Hudud can be humane if you want it to be. But has this been explained? Are the people aware that Hudud can improve society where common law has failed? But who cares? Who cares that Hudud can be better than what we have now? Hudud is not about religion. It is about politics. And politics is about exploitation and deception. And that is because politicians are prostitutes. And Hudud has been prostituted for the benefit of politics. That is what Hudud is all about, political prostitution.

But I too do not support the implementation of Hudud. I support Hudud in that it can be better than what we have if properly implemented. But what is properly implemented nowadays? Even the Internal Security Act has been abused. The Internal Security Act was good in 1960. One generation later and it has become a tool to stifle dissent and freedom.

So, while I might support Hudud in principle, I do not support it as the law of the land. And I do not support it because I can’t support what two-thirds of Parliament does not support. This is not about religion. It is about democracy. Even if two-thirds of Parliament supports it I still will not support it. How can 148 members of Parliament decide on behalf of 26 million Malaysians? Never mind some people gave them their two-thirds majority in Parliament. It was only four million people that did. 22 million other Malaysians did not.

Run a referendum. 10 million Malaysians are minors. 16 million Malaysians are of voting age. Get the 16 million Malaysians to decide. And let that referendum of 75% tell us what they want. And if 12 million Malaysians, representing 75% of eligible voters, vote in favour of Hudud, then let this be the law of the land. If not, forever hold your tongue and let the matter be given a decent burial.

I have just about had it with political prostitutes. It has come to a point I feel like campaigning for Umno in the Kuala Terengganu by-election just to send a message to PAS that they can’t keep playing this exploitation and deception game of political prostitution. Do they think I have my brains in my ass? Just because they do does not mean I do too.

Those who both support and oppose Hudud do not know one bit what Hudud is. Many years ago I wrote a ‘thesis’ on the matter, which was published in Harakah, the official party organ of PAS. No, I am no lawyer. I am not even a religious scholar. I just have a brain; a brain God gave me. And God gave us brains so that we can use it to think. But I wonder why others do not also use their brains that God gave them to think.

No, Hudud is not evil. Hudud is better than what we have now. But it can be worse if we want to make it so. And chances are the evil in man will make it worse. That is what makes the matter dicey.

Nevertheless, the issue is not whether Hudud is better or worse. It is about whether the majority of the people want it as the law of the land. That is what matters. And we do not care what 23 PAS Members of Parliament want. We do not even care what 148 Members of Parliament want, even if they represent two-thirds of Parliament. We care what 75% of 16 million Malaysians want. If 12 million Malaysians shout, “Let’s implement Hudud”, then let that happen. If not, buzz off and get out of my face before I really lose my temper, you political prostitutes.

Oh yes, and Merry Christmas everyone. Hope you are in the same mood as I am today. I want to kick ass. Don’t know what you want to do though.

In Hudud, Pas finds a dilemma to grapple with

By Shannon Teoh

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — With Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang pointing out that hudud law has been passed in Kelantan and Terengganu but never enforced, the roiling debate on the set of punitive Islamic laws has reached a crescendo, with no clear resolution.

Common wisdom says that Pas and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) need to put a fullstop to this before the Kuala Terengganu by-election but Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is currently overseas and unable to make a clear stand on this.

But is hudud, which prescribes amputation, stoning and whipping as punishment for criminal offences, really the elephant in PR’s room?

Only Barisan Nasional (BN) now seems to believe so, with obvious political mileage to be gained from putting a wedge between the Islamist party and its more liberal-minded partners.

Pas in fact, does not seem to hold that hudud is a priority for the party even if PR comes into power at federal level.

In an exclusive interview with The Malaysian Insider, Pas research chief Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that universal principles such as justice and good governance “are our shared objectives and visions in Pakatan Rakyat.”

“While hudud is important, right now the people are not ready. The focus is on justice and good governance first and then we will revisit this subject some years down the road,” he stated.

Even Pas’s own religious scholars chief Datuk Mohamed Daud Iraqi told Utusan Malaysia that hudud is not a priority but peace and equality were and hudud could only be implemented once all parties understand and accept it.

Does this mean that hudud is simply a ticking timebomb for PR?

Dzulkefly dismisses this with a clinical and pragmatic assessment that may not go down well with party ultras.

“The question of Pas taking the Federal Government is almost academic and hypothetical, given our demographic make-up,” he said referring to the 60:40 Muslim to non-Muslim ratio.

Instead, he said that Pas’s position as the so-called champion of Islam was a political burden.

“Pas must cease to be the champion of hudud, while similarly not be burdened to sustain the backlash, every time the emotive subject is brought to the fore by its political nemesis. It must be shouldered by all Muslims from all divides. Pas should remain focused and consistent to champion more major issues of the nation together with its coalition partners in PR,” he said.

The Kuala Selangor MP believes that Pas simply needs to be more savvy in communicating this message.

“For example, the question asked was whether PR would implement hudud when they take over the Federal Government. Husam could have answered that it is for PR’s top leadership to decide, and his opinion is immaterial to the decision,” he said of vice president Datuk Husam Musa’s initial statement which reignited the hudud debate.

Hadi's comparison of hudud to “surgery” is one such statement that shows this political savvy, likening hudud to a last resort mechanism, an emergency ordinance.

Coincidentally, Professor Abdul Aziz Bari, the Islamic law expert who was also a panellist at the forum on political transformation in Malaysia where Husam had made the statement, told The Malaysian Insider that in fact, there are other laws which are of more concern than hudud.

“By comparison, I think the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and the Firearm Increased Penalty Act 1974, which contain mandatory death sentences are much, much worse that hudud.

“Under the Internal Security Act, you may indeed be put in jail just by suspicion and association. Under this law you are guilty until otherwise is proven,” he said.

Abdul Aziz believes that the current debate on hudud could in fact turn out to be beneficial for Pas if they played their cards right.

Referring to scholars chief Mohamed Daud’s comments in Utusan Malaysia, he said that it is actually in line with Islamic principles.

“As far as I know Islam is more about justice and appropriateness and not hudud at all cost. So it looks like Pas is turning the table on Khairy Jamaluddin and Umno,” he said of the Umno Youth deputy chief who was the other speaker at the forum.

Umno has been playing the hudud card since Husam made the statement and there is clearly hope that it will weaken the opposition machinery in Kuala Terengganu.

But Dzulkefly is quick to point out that if indeed hudud is PR’s Achilles Heel, then Ketuanan Melayu or Malay Supremacy is BN’s.

Devamany new MIC treasurer-general

By Baradan Kuppusamy

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who sacked his longtime ally Tan Sri M. Mahalingam as treasurer-general last week has picked rising star S. K. Devamany, 51, as his replacement, instantly raising the former youth exco member into the top echelon of the party.

Devamany, the MP for Cameron Highlands, also enjoys the backing of Umno, especially that of Prime Minister-designate Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

In addition, Devamany, as the deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department overseeing the Economic Planning Unit, is directly involved in discussions with the government to raise Indian corporate equity, set up a million-dollar development fund for Tamil schools and creating a unit trust for Indians to be managed by PNB along the lines of the highly successful Amanah Saham Nasional.

The discussions on these and other initiatives are nearly finalised and several announcements are expected soon, MIC sources said.

Devamany, when contacted, said: “It is a heavy responsibility and I will do my very best.”

“I will serve the party and the Malaysian Indian community with greater vigour,” he added.

“I promise to work harder and deliver beyond expectation. That’s my target.”

Devamany, a former school teacher, build a sterling reputation in the Indian community as the leading force behind the expansion of the Sri Murugan Centre, a tuition centre that now enjoys strong support from Indian parents.

Devamany received his primary and secondary education at King Edward VII in Taiping, Perak.

He graduated from the Specialist Teachers Training Institute in Cheras in 1978 and received a BA from Universiti Malaya in1982, majoring in Malay Literature.

In 1995 he co-founded the RIFA Group of Engineering College where he was the Managing Director.

In 2004 he became a Member of Parliament for Cameron Highlands.

His career in MIC was slow and mostly confined to the youth wing, probably a result of Samy Vellu blocking his rise.

Devamany, married with three daughters, is only an appointed CWC member and chairman of the MIC Training and Employment Committee.

He gained some notoriety in the aftermath of the Nov 25 Hindraf rally when he defended the government in a live telephone interview with the Al Jazeera television channel but the next day in parliament he caused a stir by criticising the government for neglecting the Indians.

Party insiders said his selection as treasurer-general would significantly boost Devamany's image and standing in the MIC.

“He is one of several young leaders who are rising fast in the party hierarchy,” party insiders said. “He has it — clean image, competent and political support from Umno.”

“The president has now added his own support, has almost endorsed him,” the insiders said. “It is for Devamany now to show how high he wants to go.”

They said others on the fast track are secretary-general Datuk Dr S.Subramaniam and Information chief Datuk M. Saravanan.

“They form the next generation leadership after Samy Vellu,” they said.

Samy Vellu calls Karpal Singh ‘toothless tiger’

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu today hit out at DAP chairman and Bukit Gelugor Member of Parliament Karpal Singh, claiming the latter had turned into a ”toothless tiger” by pledging DAP’s support for Pas in the Kuala Terengganu by-election next month.

“The tiger (Karpal Singh) appears to have surrendered to Pas,” said Samy Vellu in a statement, referring to the conflicting views between DAP and Pas on the Islamic state and implementation of the hudud laws (Islamic penal code).

Karpal Singh, known as the “Tiger of Jelutong”, has been vocal on these two issues, disagreeing with PAS’s stand on the setting up of an Islamic state and the implementation of the hudud laws.

Although DAP and Pas do not agree on the two issues, they are part of Pakatan Rakyat (PR), the opposition pact which also includes Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

PR will nominate its candidate for the Kuala Terengganu by-election on Jan 1 and all three opposition parties have vowed to work together to wrest the seat from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN).

Yesterday, Samy Vellu challenged Opposition leader and PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to publicly state his stand on Pas’s intention to pursue the implementation of the hudud laws.

“Karpal Singh should be consistent with his stand (on the hudud laws) and not become a puppet of Pas.

“This (the agreement to work together to win the seat) indicates that he (Karpal Singh) and his party (DAP) will give in and abandon their principles for the sake of ensuring a victory for the opposition candidate,” the MIC president said.

He said the DAP owed an explanation to the people, especially the Chinese community, on the party’s conflicting views on the hudud laws.

“Karpal (Singh) should also not allow his credibility to be lost amongst the Indian voters who voted for him in the last general election,” he added. — Bernama

Eurocopter whistleblower joins PAS

Why some Government Officers become corrup

Letters
by R. Ganesh

I was utterly shocked when I read today’s NST dated 2008/12/27, article entitled “ACA officers feel ‘demoralised’ over new salary scale”. In the article, it was stated that Grade 29 officers would be offered a basic salary of RM1,482.85 and RM3,246.48 when they reached the top of the scale. “The maximum year between the basic salary and top of the scale is 22 years while the yearly increase is only RM80.17.”

Police officers in the same grade receive a basic salary of RM1,423.50 with a maximum of RM3,282.77. However, the maximum number of years getting to the top is only 18 years with a yearly increment of RM103.29, the article said.

My question here is this, how do you expect an individual in power to refrain from being corrupted when he merely earns RM1500? Nowadays, one can barely survive with RM1500 if one has 3 or 4 mouths to feed at home.

After paying your housing loan, car loan, study loan, EPF, income tax, medicine and supplements, Astro bill, water bill, electric bill, insurances (health, car, home etc), education cost for your children, how does the government expect one to survive with RM1500?

Can you blame an officer if he becomes corrupt?

Those days, corruption meant satisfying your wants and desires illegally. In other words, buying your luxuries with illegally obtained money. But I think these days, people become corrupt merely to survive ie to make ends meet.

It is high time the government revise the salaries of government servants in Malaysia.
Malaysia is a super rich country blessed with abundant natural resources.

We are thousand times richer than Singapore with oil, palm oil, rubber, tin, iron ore, timber, natural gas, copper, bauxite, coal and even Gold!, and yet, Singapore is far more progressed, richer and first world status. Both countries also Merdeka around the same time.

Singapore has zero natural resources, so how can they be richer than us with a higher GDP than us? Even low level government servants there earn Singapore $4000 a month and you can buy loads of food for the family of four in the supermarket for one whole week for S$100.

Here, the same items in the supermarket, cost around RM400 a week to feed a family of four.

And yet, the government expects their officers to earn RM1500?

Media Statement-Anwar Ibrahim

I wish to urge and plead to various leaders in Pakatan to stop taking their differences and conflicts through the media, especially the BN government controlled ones. This includes not only the Selangor MB and the Kapar MP, but also the Selangor Speaker and the Klang MP.

They should sit down to discuss and settle these differences and conflicts internally. There are various channels and procedures existing to do so.

In the absence of the President, Dr Wan Azizah Ismail and the Ketua Umum, Sdr Anwar Ibrahim, who are away until January 6, I shall be calling a meeting of the Political Bureau this Wednesday, to discuss the main and related issues in order to find suitable solution.

The issue on the Kapar MP threat to leave PKR has been blown out of proportion by certain BN government party controlled media. They have distorted statements by some Pakatan leaders in order to portray as if the opposition alliance is in disarray.

Obviously, their intention is to draw public attention away from the series of crises in the BN and also within major components of the government coalition, leading to the upcoming Kuala Terengganu by-election.

Continue reading ‘ISSUE ON KAPAR MP’

Brace yourselves, the storm has reached our shores…

The storm has reached our shores.

In Kedah, 1,429 workers from 17 factories have been “temporarily” laid off.

In Kuching, 1,500 workers have been retrenched as Western Digital shuts its plant in March. About 60 per cent of these workers are reportedly married with children. The job losses account for 15 per cent of the 10,000 workers in the electronics sector in Sarawak.

Another 3,250 workers around the country, mainly from the electronics sector, are expected to be retrenched by over 130 employers in the next three months. And that’s just the official estimate.

Earlier in June, 1,600 workers in Nikko Electronics on mainland Penang lost their jobs when the company said it was unable to continue operations. They received a pittance in compensation.

Can you imagine what it will be like when we feel the full impact of the storm next year? Are we really prepared? If we are, we can put in place measures to try and make our economy more sustainable and socially just. It’s also time we put in place a comprehensive safety net (a national retrenchment fund) and begin re-training workers with skills to become self-employed. Unfortunately, this would require federal initiatives or funding, and that could be too little, too late.

The economic stimulus package so far is unlikely to be enough. What we need are measures to boost consumer spending. But low-income workers are already spending all their wages to support their families, so how can their spending be increased? To stimulate the economy, the lower-income group need to have more money in their pockets and the most effective way to raise their purchasing power would be to enforce a decent minimum wage, perhaps in stages and across sectors.

Economist Charles Santiago stresses the importance of a strong social safety net:

Clearly, we have not learnt important lessons from the 1997 economic crisis. How is the government going to cope with high levels of unemployment which involves workers returning from Singapore, retrenched local and migrant workers and workers in the informal sector?

Government inertia and the absence of a social safety net threaten to turn the economic crisis in to a full blown social crisis.

It should be obvious to everyone that some drastic steps need to be taken. As an urgent priority the government should commit to a RM 3 billion retrenchment fund as an immediate initiative to mitigate the negative snowball or multiplier effect of job losses, given that we are a demand-led economy. This would create confidence in the business community, workers and people at large.

Just as importantly, the retrenchment fund would alleviate human suffering. Among other things, it could provide or expand unemployment benefits including food stamps or vouchers to neutralise the income losses of unemployed workers and vulnerable groups.

By putting money into the hands of these groups, retrenched workers would still be able to pay their mortgages and rents and keep their homes, continue buying consumer goods, boosting demand in the sector and subsequently in the capital goods sector. A workers’ retraining programme should be part of the package.

Hudud: Hadi lembut demi bukan Islam...Nik Aziz keras untuk Melayu

Menjelang pilihan raya kecil Parlimen Kuala Terengganu yang majoriti pengundinya orang Melayu dan PAS mempunyai kubu kuat di salah satu DUN dalam kawasan berkenaan iaitu Wakaf Mempelam, isu hudud kembali diperkatakan.

Jika pada pilihan raya umum Mac lalu, bukan sahaja hudud tidak diperkatakan oleh PAS malah pendirian parti itu untuk menubuhkan negara Islam juga ‘ditenggelamkan’ sebagi tanda ‘hormat’ PAS kepada PKR dan DAP.

Menyedari, banyak janji-janji kerajaan pakatan pembangkang di lima negeri yang dikuasainya khususnya dalam soal kebajikan tidak juga terlaksana, memainkan isu hudud semula dilihat sebagai usaha untuk memenangi hati umat Islam khususnya pengundi di Kuala Terengganu.

Walaupun tahu rakan-rakan pakatan mereka tidak akan setuju, PAS tetap membangkitkan perkara itu kerana janji bantuan kewangan secara bulanan kepada warga emas, ibu tunggal dan bermacam bentuk bantuan lain yang sehingga kini amsih belum terlaksana di negeri-negeri yang mereka kuasai.

Oleh yang demikian, jalan mudah dan pantas, buka balik kitab lama, dan bersyarah balik pendirian parti dengan harapan orang lupa janji pakatan pembangkang semasa pilihan raya umum lalu. Walaupun kenyataan dan pendirian mengenai hudud memperlihatkan adanya perbezaan dan percanggahan pendapat kalangan pemimpin PAS, tetapi ia seolah-olah dirancang sedemikian rupa.

Terbaru, dalam memperkatakan isu hudud, Mursyidul Am PAS, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat tetap bertegas mahu hudud dilaksanakan dan sedia ‘berdepan’ dengan sekutu mereka PKR dan DAP bagi menjelaskan perkara itu.

Imej yang cuba ditonjolkan Nik Aziz ialah beliau tegas dan berkeras. Namun nada yang lebih lembut disuarakan oleh Presiden parti itu, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang yang bukan sahaja menjelaskan bukan Islam tidak terlibat dengan pelaksanaan hudud tetapi betapa keadaan semasa masih belum membolehkan hudud boleh dilaksanakan di negara ini.

Berdasarkan dua kenyataan tersebut, jelas satu mahu memenangi hati orang Melayu manakala seorang lagi, cuba lebih bersifat liberal untuk menyenangkan hati masyarakat bukan Islam.

Malah, kenyataan tersebut juga mudah difahami jika kepentingan kumpulan ‘Erdogan’ atau PAS palsu dalam parti itu diambil kira.

Abdul Hadi mencari jalan selamat dengan kenyataan terbarunya walaupun Naib Presiden parti itu, Datuk Husam Musa sebelum ini tegas mengambarkan, hudud tetap dilaksanakan sekiranya ketiga-tiga parti itu dapat menguasai kerajaan Pusat.

Nyata Presiden PAS itu lebih bijak bermain politik dengan kata-kata bahawa masyarakat bukan Islam tidak seharusnya bimbang jika hukum hudud dilaksanakan di negara ini kerana pelaksanaannya hanya membabitkan orang beragama Islam.

Bercakap pada sidang media selepas melancarkan kempen 'Jom Sertai PAS' di Dataran Shah Alam, hari Sabtu, Abdul Hadi berkata golongan bukan Islam sebaliknya boleh memilih undang-undang yang mereka mahu seperti yang telah tertulis dalam Undang-undang Kanun Jenayah Syariah Kelantan dan Terengganu.

“Pada kita, tidak timbul lagi soal hudud kerana ia telah diluluskan di DUN (Dewan Undangan Negeri) Kelantan sejak tahun 90-an lagi dan di Terengganu pula telah diwartakan," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika ditanya sama ada PAS akan memberi penerangan kepada pemimpin lain dalam PKR dan DAP yang jelas tidak senang dengan hasrat parti itu untuk melaksanakan hukum hudud jika pakatan pembangkang berjaya memerintah negara pada masa akan datang.

Bagaimanapun, Abdul Hadi mengakui sukar melaksanakan hukum hudud di negara ini kerana ia hanya boleh dilakukan jika rakyat negara ini berada dalam keadaan yang stabil.

Selain itu katanya, situasi ekonomi semasa dan pengangguran di kalangan rakyat negara ini menghalang hukum hudud dilaksanakan.

Ditanya sama ada PAS akan membawa usul mengenai pelaksanaan hukum hudud di Parlimen untuk dibahaskan, beliau yang juga anggota Dewan Rakyat berkata, belum tiba masanya untuk berbuat demikian.

Mahu atau tidak, Abdul Hadi terpaksa memilih jalan selamat dengan memberikan alasan itu demi mengelak rakan-rakannya dalam DAP membidas PAS kerana hukum hudud memang tidak dipersetujui oleh parti DAP sejak dulu lagi.

Apapun, perhatian banyak pihak kini tertumpu kepada penasihat PKR yang juga Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang sering menjadi ‘rujukan’ PAS dan DAP untuk mendengar pendirian partinya berhubung pelaksanaan hukum hudud itu.

Apatah lagi, Presiden MIC, Datuk Seri S,Samy Vellu sudah mencabar ketua pembangkang itu menyatakan pendiriannya berhubung hasrat PAS untuk memperkenal hukum hudud di negara ini.

Katanya, Anwar tidak sepatutnya berdiam diri berhubung dengan isu itu.

Barangkali Pak Sheikh bersedia menjelaskannya ketika kempen pilihan raya kecil di Kuala Terengganu nanti.

Namun mengulas mengenai isu hudud yang dibangkit semula oleh PAS, Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ada jawapannya.

"Biarlah mereka dengan masalah yang mereka hadapi waktu ini, rakyat sendiri akan menilai dan tentulah rakyat sendiri akan menentukan. Ini adalah masalah PAS yang tidak dapat diputuskan," ujar beliau.

APA MAKNA PENSWASTAAN

DARI JELEBU

Hishamuddin Rais

Penswastaan ialah satu dasar ekonomi yang dianjur oleh kaum pemodal kapitalis pada tahun 80'an dahulu. Ini adalah dasar ekonomi yang mula-mula dianjurkan oleh Ronald Reagan dan Margaret Thatcher. Ini adalah dasar ekonomi kapitalis fahaman kanan yang ekstrim.

Sebelum dasar penswataan di perkenalkan banyak negara dalam dunia ini masih memiliki harta-harta dan syarikat-syarikat awam. Banyak syarikat-syarikat yang berjaya ini dimiliki dan dikendalikan oleh kerajaan. Syarikat awam ertinya syarikat yang dimiliki oleh orang ramai.

Kaum pemodal meleleh air lior apabila melihat syarikat air, syarikat api, pejabat pos, syarikat talipon, syarikat kapal terbang, sekolah, hospital dan seribu satu macam syarikat yang dimiliki oleh rakyat. Kaum pemodal tidak dapat menahan nafsu duitan mereka untuk merompak syarikat-syarikat ini.

Syarikat-syarikat milik kerajaan bermula dengan cita-cita untuk memberi khidmat kepada orang ramai. Syarikat-syarikat in diusahakan bukan atas dasar mencari untung maksima. Dalam masa yang sama syarikat-syarikat ini juga berjalan dengan pengendalian yang baik dan profesional. Untung bukan slogan syarikat-syarikat ini. Rugi juga bukan moto syarikat ini.

Khidmat untuk orang ramai ialah shahadah untuk semua syarikat-syarikat milik kerajaan. Syarikat-syarikat ini berimankan - khidmat terbaik untuk kesejahteraan ramai. Syarikat milik orang ramai didirikan untuk memberi khidmat kepada orang ramai.

Tiba-tiba Mahathir Muhamad melancar skim cepat kaya pada tahun 80an. Syarikat-syarikat Tenaga Nasional, Telekom Malaysia, MAS, Pembeklan Air, Pejabat Pos, Hospital, Taman Negara, Jalan Raya, Balai Raya, Dewan Orang Ramai, Rumah Rehat – semua ini adalah contoh-contoh syarikat dan harta orang yang ditelah diagih-agihkan oleh Mahathir Muhamad kepada kaum kerabat dan kroni-kroninya.

Inilah skim cepat kaya Mahathir Muhamad yang dijadikan dasar gerombolan United Malays National Organisation. Di tahun-tahun itu, ketika Mahathir ditahta, kita ada mendengar berita Mamat Basikal Buruk jadi towkay gedung-gedung perniagaan. Kita mendengar Mat Driber Lori jadi pemilik empangan terbesar. Kita mendengar Mat Sekolah Tak Tamat menjadi tuan punya syarikat penerbangan. Kita mendengar cerita Mat Tak Pandai Cakap Inggeris menjadi pemilik loji air.

Semua harta-harta dan syarikat yang dimiliki orang ramai telah diambil alih untuk di jadikan milik pribadi. Semuanya dirompak untuk diagihkan kepada kroni. Cara rompakan ini cukup senang: Para kroni mengajukan cadangan-cadangan dengan kertas kerja kepada badan Unit Perancangan Ekonomi - EPU. Bunyinya cukup lunak tetapi hakikatnya amat berlainan. Badan perancangan ini juga dirasuah untuk meluluskan rompakan ini. Para birokrat di badan Perancangan ini juga mendapat habuan untuk meluluskan rompakan ini. Mereka bersubahat untuk sama-sama merompak.

Hasilnya di zaman Mahathir Muhamad banyak lanun dan perompak menjadi kaya raya.

Bayangkan berpuluh puluh tahun syarikat dan harta-harta ini telah dibagunkan sedikit demi sedikit. Syarikat MAS - dari dua buah kapal terbang yang disewa dari BOAC akhirnya menjadi sistem penerbangan antarabangsa. Bayangkan dari hanya beberapa buah peti pos akhirnya Pejabat Pos berjaya memberikan khidmat ke seluruh negara. Cuba fikirkan bagaimana hutan diteroka dan jalan raya dan landasan keretapi dibuat.

Berapa bilion ringgit pelaboran telah di curahkan oleh kerajaan? Berapa banyak masa, tenaga dan berapa banyak nyawa rakyat yang telah digunakan untuk mendirikan syarikat-syarikat ini? Dalam sekelip mata sahaja semua harta-harta ini telah dirompak oleh Mahathir Muhamad. Harta-harta milik kita semua ini dengan bagitu senang diagih-agihkan kepada kaum keluarga dan kroni.

Dasar rompak harta orang ramai inilah yang dipanggil dasar pengswastaan. Dasar ini juga dikaitkan dengan apa yang dipanggil dasar globalisasi. Dasar globalisasi ini membolehkan syarikat-syarikat gergasi antarabangsa datang sama menjarah dan merompak harta negara kita.

Apakah kita lupa syarikat Air Kelantan pada satu masa dahulu sebahagian besarnya adalah milik Thames Water dari United Kingdom. Tidak kah kita merasa takut apabila air yang kita minum ini tuan empunyanya ialah orang luar. Tidak kah kita merasa gerun apabila hospital kita adalah milik Singapura, Britain atau Amerika? Tidak kah kita terganggu apabila syarikat talipon kita kini dimiliki oleh Jepun, Korea dan Australia?

Dasar penswastaan ini telah berjalan lebih dari 20 tahun. Porak peranda hasil dari dasar ini sedang kita lihat. Sekolah dan universiti bukan lagi gudang ilmu untuk mendidik warga bangsa tetapi menjadi gedung 'menipu' untuk membuat duit. Hospital yang dulunya milik kita bersama kini apabila kita jatuh sakit kita pula kena bayar. Kita diberi ubat yang 'tidak bermutu' tetapi jika hendakkan ubat yang bermutu – sila bayar. Jika tidak ada duit maka jawabnya kita dapat rawatan lekeh atau tidak ada rawatan langsung.

Lihat pula berapa banyak jalan-jalan raya sedang dihalang dengan tol. Air dan api dinaikan harga saban tahun. Talipon terus melonjak sewanya. Untung, untung dan untung dijadikan akidah syarikat swasta ini.

Dahulu - ketika semua syarikat ini dimiliki oleh orang ramai – jika dapat untung – keuntungan ini akan dimasukkan ke dalam dana negara. Bila syarikat ini di swastakan bila ada untung maka untung ini masuk ke dalam poket tuan pemilik saham syarikat ini. Ini bezanya antara syarikat milik kerajaan dengan syarikat yang diswastakan.

Minggu lalu Najib Razak telah cuba melakukan rompakan di siang hari. Najib Razak sedang mula membuat jaringan kroni-kroni baru. Sime Darby adalah kroni pertama Najib Razak. Jika di selidik dan di halusi maka pasti akan kita ketemui bahawa Najib Razak dan kaum kerabatnya mungkin ada memiliki kepentingan dalam syarikat Sime Darby ini. Atau telah ada 'persetujuan' yang syarikat Sime Darby ini akan memperkukuhkan kedudukan Najib dari segi sokongan politik dan kewangan.

Sime Darby ingin merompak Institut Jantung Negara. Ini telah di persetujui oleh Najib Razak. Najib Razak sendiri membuat kenyataan - DIA TIDAK AKAN MENGHALANG NIAT SIME DARBY.

Lihat dengan jahat dan licik Najib Razak telah 'membocorkan' berita rancangan rompakan ini sesudah perlimen ditutup untuk bercuti satu bulan. Ini niat jahat.

Najib Razak tidak mahu projek rompakan IJN ini dibicangkan di parlimen. Pasti perancangan rompakan ini telah lama berjalan secara senyap-senyap. Secara sulit pasti ada 'deal' yang telah dibuat. Kenapa projek rompakan ini tidak diberitahu secara telus kepada wakil rakyat di parlimen? Kenapa dengan tiba-tiba Najib besetuju? Mana dia dasar ketelusan yang selalu di warwarkan oleh gerombolan United Malays National Organisation?

Semua rompakan penswastaan di buat dalam gelap. Hingga ke hari ini kita – orang ramai – masih belum dapat membaca perjanjian antara kerajaan dengan syarikat lebuh raya. Perjanjian syarikat ini telah dibuat dengan kerajaan. Ertinya perjanjian ini dibuat dengan kita semua. Kerajaan itu ialah orang ramai. Orang ramai ialah kita semua kerana kita yang melantik kerajaan. Kalau kita melantik kerajaan kenapa kita tidak boleh mengetahui apa yang di janjikan.

Justeru, dasar penswastaan ini wajib dihentikan. Dasar ini membawa mudarat kepada orang ramai. Tugas kerajaan bukan untuk mengkayakan kroni dan kaum kerabat. Tugas kerajaan yang berjiwa rakyat ialah mendahulukan kepentingan ramai dari kepentingan kroni dan anak bini. Tugas utama kerajaan ialah untuk memastikan rakyat terbanyak hidup selesa dengan pembahagian dan agihan ekonomi yang adil.

Rakyat wajib berwaspada dengan dasar penswastaan. Orang ramai perlu membuka mata dan berjaga-jaga kerana perompak-perompak harta orang ramai ini masih berkeliaran. Selagai mereka berkuasa rompakan harta rakyat akan berterusan. Untuk ini kita tidak ada pilihan –hentikan dasar ini dan mereka kita nyahkan dari tampok kuasa.

Comments (4)

...
written by 4country, December 24, 2008 12:22:43
Saya terasa amat gembira akan paparan Artikal ini.
Sebelum ini saya ingat tiada ramai tahu akan Konsep penswastaan di Malaysia telah disalahgunakan oleh Buaya Tunggak Malaysia.
Insyaallah..........artikal ini telah memberi harapan kepada saya bahawa Fikiran Orang Malaysia semakin matang!

Pernahkah Rakyat Malaysia berfikir "Mengapa Badan Utama Negara diswastakan?"
Masih segar dalam ingatan saya, Mahathir memberi alasan bahawa Badan-badan tersebut mengalami kerugian, maka harus diswastakan supaya Malaysia tidak mengalami kerugian.ADAKAH ini BENAR?

Sekarang, marilah kita Memforensikkan hakikat ini satu demi satu.

Pertama, Andaikan kita seorang peniaga mentah, Apakah perniagaan kita akan ceburi supaya mendapat keuntungan?
Jawapannya tidak jauh berbeza, iaitu kalau boleh, Jenis perniagan yang terpilih
mesti saya seorang Pemilik Skill disamping itu hasil kerjaya mendapat sambutan semua lapisan masyarakat secara terpaksa.
Baik, sekarang kita tinjau balik, TNB, salah satu badan yang telah diswastakan.
TNB diswastakan kerana kerugian?????
Alasan demikian telah lama memperbodohkan Rakyat Malaysia.
Semua Rakyat terpaksa menggunakan elektrik, bagaimana kerugian berlaku????
Kerugian berlaku disebabkan kakitangan berlebihan????
Kerugian disebabkan Silap membuat "Investment"???????

Cuba kita bayangkan bagaimana kerugian berlaku??????????
Adalah mustahil TNB mengalami kerugian!

Apakah sebenarnya cerita ini?????

Sebenarnya TNB susah mengalami kerugian.

Tujuan penswastaan BADAN UTAMA kerajaan kerana "Segala keuntungan Negara susah nak sampai ke saku para politik yang berkuasa, pengambilan wang terus dari badan tersebut rumit.Kalau TERambil wang, bekas/bukti akan tercatat."
maka,
Masa untuk memberi alasan dah tiba ......................
KERUGIAN - sebagai alasan

Apabila TNB diswastakan begitu lama, kerugian tetap berlaku sehingga rakyat Malaysia dipaksa menikmati "kadar lonjatan".Mengapa TNB tidak boleh mengumum Keuntungan????
Kerugian berterusan Untuk menunjukkan Orang Berkuasa betul ramalan atau terus menghisap titik peluh rakyat?Kalau TNB terus gagal menangani kerugian, mengapa rakyat masih memilih perlu percaya kepada kerajaan yang tidak berwibawa atau kerajaan yang terencat akal?????

Fikirkanlah Rakyat Malaysia.............
Huraian atas dah jelas memberi kita tahu akan siapa hantu siapa tuhan.
Kalau dah insaf, TUMbangkan Buaya Malaysia di kuala Terengganu!
Sakali lagi memberi tamparan kepada mereka bahawa Rakyat Malaysia dah insaf!!!!

Low: We have set aside what happened...

Anwar should speak on hudud laws, says Karpal

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 — PKR, through its de facto leader, should speak on the issue of PAS’ intention to introduce hudud laws (Islamic penal code) in the country, said DAP Chairman Karpal Singh.

He said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim cannot afford to remain silent in the face of Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat's stated aim of introducing hudud laws in the country.

“Threatening to go ahead with the introduction of hudud laws in the country in the face of strong opposition by the DAP will be counter-productive to PAS’ own interests,” Karpal said in a statement regarding the issue here today.

The local media yesterday quoted PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa as saying that PAS had not forgotten its aim of implementing the hudud laws in the country. — Bernama

Eurocopter whistleblower Zahar joins Pas

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 — Retired armed forces captain Datuk Abu Zahar Hashim who exposed tender process discrepancies in the RM1.6 billion Eurocopter deal has joined opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (Pas) today.

He also spoke out at the function, claiming 28 Umno branch leaders and 13 division committee members will join Pas.

At a function held in a hotel in Ampang, Zahar submitted his Pas application to the party vice president Nasharuddin Mat Isa.

The former Umno Petaling Jaya Selatan division leader was suspended as division leader after he criticised the Umno leadership, which included Prime Mnister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.

More reports to follow.

Najib “No freehold” bombshell - who are the “spanner throwers”?

By Lim Kit Siang

Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President Datuk Seri Najib Razak dropped a bombshell at the National Land Council meeting yesterday – that it is unconstitutional for state governments to issue freehold titles to new villages, kampong tersusun and other purposes, impacting directly on the plans of Pakatan Rakyat state governments of Perak and Penang.

The Perak Pakatan Rakyat State government had announced within a month of being in power after the March 8 “political tsunami” that freehold titles would be issued to new villages and kampong tersusun, affecting some 149,000 people living in 349 planned and 134 new villages in the state.

The Penang Pakatan Rakyat State Government had also announced that residential leasehold landowners in the state could apply for their property to be converted to freehold status and earlier this month, that some 20,000 owners of low and medium-cost flats developed on state land need not pay a premium to convert their leasehold titles to freehold status.

There is controversy as to whether Najib is right that Article 91(5) of the Constitution and the National Land Code constitute a bar on the state governments from issuing freehold titles without the approval of the National Land Council.

However two questions come to mind from Najib’s “no freehold” bombshell:

Firstly, why has the Federal Government taken eight months to respond to the publicly-announced intentions of the Perak state government to issue freehold titles to new villages and kampong tersusun and the Penang state government with regard to residential leasehold landowners?

Secondly, who are the real parties who played the role of “throwing spanners” in the works by the Perak and Penang state government to issue freehold titles – are they Umno, MCA, Gerakan, MIC and other BN component parties?

What is the stand of the BN component parties on the issue of freehold titles to new villages and kampong tersusun in Perak and residential leasehold owners in Penang? Let Umno, MCA, Gerakan, MIC and all the other BN component parties declare publicly their stand on this issue.

Beranikah Anwar conteng arang di muka Nik Aziz ?

By Agenda Daily

Ia mungkin dikatakan satu isu politik kecil yang cuba diperbesarkan.Sebenarnya isu Hudud dan Qisas ini bukanlah ciptaan Barisan Nasional atau sesiapa yang mungkin didakwa cuba mengambil kesempatan untuk lanyak PAS apa lagi menjelang pilihanraya kecil Kuala Terengganu.

Sebaliknya itulah pendirian PAS sebagai sebuah parti dan bagi DAP juga ia tetap berpendirian menentang habis sebarang usaha untuk melaksanakan hukum itu.

Datuk Husam Musa yang asalnya bersemangat kental kata PAS tetap ‘ nak buat’ sudah tarik hand brake dengan memberi alasan ia memerlukan persetujuan dua rakannya dalam pakatan itu, Parti Keadilan Rakyat dan DAP.

Namun begitu Mursyidul Am PAS Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat tetap bertegas mahu ia dilaksanakan.Katanya PAS sedia berbincang dengan DAP dan PKR mengenai hukum hudud.

Soalnya bagaimana sekarang?Seorang cakap begini seorang lagi cakap begitu.

Kalau dulu sebelum pembangkang berkuasa di lima buah negeri selepas pilihanraya umum Mac 2008 ia mungkin dilihat macam rebut dalam cawan kopi antara parti pembangkang.

Kini hakikatnya PAS selain kekal di Kelantan sudah berkongsi kuasa di Kedah,Pulau Pinang,Perak dan Selangor.

Melihat kontroversi terbaru ini dimana DAP khususnya tidak mahu berganjak dan Husam jadi lembik salahkah siapa saja mendakwa PAS hanya mengunakan agama untuk tujuan politik?

Ini juga bukan pertama kali PAS dan DAP bertegang leher mengenai isu berkenaan.

Titik temunya memang tidak kelihatan.Ia reda seketika semata-mata untuk menang pilihanraya.

Pengerusi DAP Karpal Singh sudah membuat kenyataan Selasa bahawa ketua umum Parti Keadilan Rakyat Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim perlu menjelaskan pendirian parti itu mengenai hukum hudud yang ingin dilaksanakan oleh PAS jika pembangkang memerintah negara ini.

Katanya Anwar tidak boleh berdiam diri terhadap kata putus Nik Aziz bahawa hukum itu akan tetap dilaksanakan di negara ini.

"PAS akan rugi jika ia berkeras untuk melaksanakan hukum hudud kerana DAP akan menentangnya," kata Karpal.

Beliau berkata PAS tidak boleh mengetepikan keputusan sebulat suara Mahkamah Agung pada 1988 bahawa malaysia bukannya sebuah negara Islam.

Apa yang menjadi tandatanya beranikah Anwar mendokong pendirian Nik Aziz atau beranikah beliau menconteng arang di muka Mursyidul Am PAS itu dengan menyebelahi DAP?

Dalam politik macam-macam kemungkinan boleh dicetuskan termasuk dengan alasan itu ini.

Namun untuk bermain dengan soal agama ia boleh membangkitkan macam-macam sensitiviti.

Anwar pasti sedar PKR mendapat dokongan kuat dari kalangan aktivis Cina dan India kerana meletakan harapan beliau adalah saluran mereka untuk mencapai impian Malaysian Malaysia.

Sanggupkah beliau memperjudikan sokongan itu?

Mungkin golongan Erdogan yang pro Anwar dalam PAS yang diketuai oleh Husam boleh menelan cakapnya demi untuk menyelamatkan ikatan pakatan pembangkang.

Bagaimana pula dengan golongan ulama ? Pergeseran antara dua kelompok ini bukan lagi rahsia.Isu yang belum selesai ini pastinya buatnya jadi lebih membara.

Sumber-sumber PAS tidak nampak mereka dapat berkompromi dengan sebarang dolak dalik Anwar tentang isu ini.

Seluruh rakyat Malaysia kini sedang memerhati drama siri terbaru ini dimana taruhannya ialah soal agama

M’sia willing to help where Malays are minority, says Najib

If we say they are racist, UMNO don't agree.
If we say they are corrupted, UMNO deny.
If we say they are one sided, UMNO burst out.
Now from the title above we can see that all of our Malaysians are stupid.
From few months back our economy is going down and many workers to be retrenched. We must plan out now, how to help the situation but our clown Najib is planing to help Malays in overseas. Why not help the poor Malaysians?

There are several organization like orang ASAL, Hindraf and even PKR is asking our government to be liberal . Yet they are not giving any damn. Memo after memo was sent to the PM and DPM but they never even discuss this openly. This is what i call as a screwed up government. So they let Malaysians suffer but Najib wants to help others from foreign country. What kind of policy is this? Dont you think that they are playing a fool with your money? Why you have vote for this kind of idiots?

I know the real answer for the title. Najib slowly looking forward to bring Malays from foreign countries to Malaysia. This is the answer. Do you know why? If he bring back as much as Malays in Malaysia, The amount of Chinese, Indians and other races will be decrease. It will make a stabile situation for them to stay in power. He is planing for 2010 general election. May be you will not believe what i am saying, yet that is the truth. You can see from your own eyes how many Indonesians have Malaysian I/C? Dont you think that they are trying to increase the amount of Malays? They have been doing this years and years but most of us didn't understand even if we knows the situation yet we are always being silent. Our silence will give them a great success and give a way for a ISLAMIC nation. Don't be blind and open your eyes.

If you dont react now, I feel pity for your coming up generation. Your future generation will pay for your silence. Hope you understand this. Please keep on reading the actual article from Bernama:-

MELAKA, Dec 23 — Malaysia is willing to offer help towards the advancement of Malays in countries where they are a minority, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak.

He said Malaysia could be a gateway for this through the Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam (DMDI, Malay World Musim World) Forum to help Malays in countries like in the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Cambodia, South Africa and southern Thailand.

“Of course the Malays in these countries must be realistic. They cannot expect us to support them in taking up arms for a revolution to establish Malay governments in them,” he said when opening the DMDI's 9th convention at a hotel in Bandar Hilir here today.

Also present were Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

According to Najib, the DMDI could play constructive role in bringing about peace in southern Philippines and southern Thailand.

He said Malaysia had played an active role in southern Philippines towards ending the Moro conflict though the peace process there had encountered some obstacles lately.

He added that the DMDI should do all it could to portray Islam as an ideal religion which strived for the advancement of all peoples.

At the function, Mohd Ali, who is also DMDI president, presented Najib DMDI’s Mansyur Shah award which is a special recognition in honour of the Melaka empire during the reign of Sultan Mansyur Shah.

Over 500 participants from among others Malaysia, South Africa, the Philippines and Indonesia are participating the convention which ends tomorrow. — Bernama

Hudud Laws only when the Malay-Muslim Population is 70% and their Equity more than 50%

By Mansor Puteh

It was good for Husam to bring out the issue of Hudud Laws at a time like this when the public had been distracted by other issues for a while. But it could only happen at the prodding of Khairy.

Did the two of them plan before-hand to bring out the issue when they were having their debate in Kota Bharu yesterday?

Were the two Malays ‘fighting’ with each other, as what some others want to see?

No, they were not; they were trying to make fools of those who disagree with Hudud Laws, especially those from amongst the non-Muslim community in Malaysia.

They have thrown the line and some people have got hooked without realizing it. Even the media, too, have been hooked by it.

The issue was front page news in many of the newspapers, so the two got what they wanted.

But who has been strangled by the line so far? I say Kit Siang and Karpal Singh. Do they realize this?

And the non-Malay papers which have been trying to insinuate that such laws are not relevant to a country which they say is multiracial, are correct. But only up to a certain degree.

Hudud Laws may not be applicable to the country today. It can only happen when the Malay-Muslim population reaches 70% and their equity risen to more than 50%.

This can only happen in twenty to thirty years' time. It is not such a long time.

Many ancient countries and kingdoms were hundreds of years old before they became Muslim kingdoms. So what is twenty to thirty years in the Islamic Civilization?

But it may be too long for Nik Aziz who fully endorsed it, and Kit Siang and Karpal who vehemently oppose it.

In twenty years' time these three personalities, especially, will be well into their nineties. May God bless them if they are healthy then.

And the younger generation of opposition leaders is too tame to be able to roar like their two mentors.

Besides, by then Malaysia will not be like what it is today. It will be more Malay and Islamic without anyone forcing it to be such.

In fact, the whole, too, will be more Islamic than it is now.

And in such a time, Hudud Laws will just come in without being forced on anyone.

So before Husam and Khairy and Nik Aziz want to talk about these laws, why don’t they sit and find ways on how to develop the economy of the Malays and see how they can do it.

So far the three have not done anything on it; they only want to talk about the laws without realizing that they can only come in when the economy of the Malay-Muslims in this country is stronger and dominant.

They and those well-meaning Muslims must first lay the foundation for the Hudud Laws to be implemented so that there is no need for any force be used to get them accepted by all, including the non-Muslims, who also stand to benefit from them.

If they cannot do this, then the development of the economy of the Malay-Muslims in this country will have to expand following natural processes, which will take a much longer time than if it can be hastened.

And how ironic it is when we say that the Muslims who are going to see the implementation of the Hudud Laws, therefore, may not be the ulamaks, but the brilliant Muslim economists and tough political leaders.

But do we have such persons now?

Nik Aziz and Husam may not be able to do it. But the least that they can do for now is to talk about it, so when it finally happens, none of the non-Muslims in Malaysia will be shocked by it.

Remember, early Muslim preachers did not preach the religion. They did it indirectly and by showing everybody how well-behaved and well-mannered and also how civilized they were.

No wonder rulers who had governed their countries for centuries could fall for them and duly convert to Islam.

They came all the way from the Middle East to trade and with it they brought along Islam, too, which convinced the locals where they were trading at to convert.

And this is also the way the Muslims in Malaysia must do, go into trading and conduct business by using the Islamic way.

We must have Muslim leaders in the country and the Muslim World who can encourage economic development in all the Muslim countries and trade with all the non-Muslim ones.

This is the best way of spreading Islam all over the world.

Talking about the virtues of the religion is not effective; it will not work.

The real preachers of Islam are those who do not talk much about the religion but who show how good it is.

Pemimpin Umno tidak pasti menang

(Malaysiakini) - Beberapa pemimpin Umno tempatan berbelah bahagi berhubung peluang calon BN Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh menang dalam pilihanraya kecil Kuala Terengganu, bulan depan.

Pemimpin Umno di bahagian Kuala Terengganu berkata, personaliti Wan Ahmad Farid yang dianggap "elit" menyebabkan calon itu sukar mendapat sokongan pengundi kampung.

Katanya, yang enggan dikenali, jika hendak dibandingkan senator itu dengan bekas ahli parlimen Datuk Razali Ismail, "ia ibarat langit dengan bumi".

Bekas pemimpin bahagian itu meletakkan peluang kemenangan Wan Ahmad Farid hanyalah 45 peratus.

"Datuk Wan Farid boleh dianggap daripada golongan elit yang kurang bercampur dengan orang.

"Saya mendapat tahu ramai orang yang berniaga di pasar Kuala Terengganu tidak kenal dengan calon BN itu, sebaliknya lebih kenal Menteri Besar, Datuk Ahmad Said," katanya ketika diminta mengulas peluang timbalan menteri itu menang dalam pilihanraya kecil itu yang bermula 6 Januari ini.

"Bayangkan, Datuk Razali yang disenangi oleh semua orang cuma menang dengan majoriti kecil 628 undi." (lihat carta di bawah)

Sabtu lalu, Timbalan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak mengumumkan Wan Ahmad Farid sebagai calon BN.

Pemimpin tersebut berkata, satu faktor lagi yang menyebabkan BN sukar menang ialah kedudukan hampir 5,000 guru yang turut mengundi.

"Adakah golongan guru ini akan mengundi Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid sebagaimana mereka mengundi Datuk Razali?" katanya.

Golongan pendidik dikatakan ingin bekas ketua penerangan Umno bahagian Mohd Zuber Embong, seorang pegawai kanan pendidikan negeri - namanya antara lima pemimpin yang turut diura-urakan untuk dicalonkan.

Pengerusi peti undi Kuala Ibai, Sulaiman Ali bagaimanapun yakin golongan guru secara umumnya akan tetap bersama BN dalam pilihanraya kali ini.

"Atas semua faktor itu, saya meramalkan peluang Datuk Wan Farid untuk menang ketika ini ialah 55 peratus," katanya.

Pemilihan Wan Ahmad Farid juga telah menyelesaikan banyak masalah di bahagian tersebut, tambahnya, yang juga ahli jawatankuasa bahagian.

Sulaiman berkata, perebutan mereka yang hendak menjadi calon BN telah selesai dan maklum balas yang diperolehi bahawa mereka akan berdiri di belakang bekas setiausaha politik Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"Di peti undi Kuala Ibai, dari bancian awal yang kita buat, mereka tidak ada masalah dengan Datuk Wan Farid.

"Kita juga yakin boleh menang sekurang-kurangnya 300 undi seperti pilihanraya umum lalu daripada lebih 2,000 pengundi dari empat saluran di sini," katanya.

Sementara bekas naib ketua bahagian Hamzah Mohd Zain ketika dihubungi berkata, BN akan menang "jika tiada pengkhianatan dilakukan oleh ahli parti".

Beliau bagaimanapun tidak menjelaskan punca-punca boleh berlaku pengkhianatan tersebut.

Katanya, semua pihak perlu melupakan pergeseran sewaktu pemilihan Umno bahagian baru-baru ini.

"Jika jentera pilihanraya bersatu dan bergerak, Datuk Wan Farid akan menang," katanya.

Beliau berkata BN harus mempertimbangkan kekuatan PAS di tiga kawasan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN): Batu Burok, Ladang dan Wakaf Mempelam.

"Ruang untuk menang ada tetapi kena kerja kuat. Tetapi ketika ini peluang adalah 50-50," katanya.

Hamzah berkata, faktor lain ialah pengundi atas pagar dan pengundi Cina.

"Jika mereka mereka mengundi BN, Datuk Wan Farid akan menang," katanya.

'Tomboy and Angels' fashion show

RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal - no need for MCA to campaign in KT if OTK continues to hide the truth

By Lim Kit Siang

“Nothing to hide” - this was the front-page headline of Sun yesterday on Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Kiat’s “tell-all” press conference on Sunday on the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal – which told absolutely nothing!

Although Ong adopted the stance that he had “nothing to hide”, in actual fact he had hidden the most important fact in his “chronology of events” on the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal – the RM4.6 billion retrospective approval given by the Cabinet in June 2007 to bail-out the four unlawful “Letters of Support” which gave implicit government guarantees issued by the two previous MCA Transport Ministers to the money market for the RM4.6 billion bonds for the PKFZ project.

Both the two previous MCA Transport Ministers had acted unlawfully, as they had no powers to issue financial guarantees committing the government, which could only be issued by the Finance Minister and only after Cabinet approval.

However, the Malaysian Government would have created a major crisis of confidence in the international money market if the Cabinet had not bailed out the two MCA Transport Ministers and given retrospective approval to the four Letters of Support which gave implicit government guarantees to the RM4.6 billion bonds issued by Kuala Dimensi Sdn. Bhd (KDSB), the PKFZ turnkey contractor, for the PKFZ project.

Can Ong explain why he had deliberately omitted this important fact in his “chronology of events”, which need not have to depend on the outcome of the Pricewaterhouse Cooper audit report? Or is he denying that Cabinet had given such retrospective approval?

I am still waiting for Ong to answer the five questions about the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal which I had posed to him nine months ago, particularly about the history of impropriety in land transactions, illegal issue of Letters of Support, Cabinet bailouts and retrospective ratification of illegal decisions by the two previous MCA Transport Ministers, Tun Liong Liong Sik and Datuk Seri Chong Kong Choy.

Let Ong publicly furnish the answers to the five questions about the RM4.6 billion PKFZ scandal or there is no need for MCA to help in the Barisan Nasional campaign for the Kuala Terengganu by-election next month.

Tahniah buat lantikan Ketua Perhubungan baru dan Salam hangat buat Kapten (B) Datuk Zahar Hashim

By Chegubard
Mesyuarat Majlis Pimpinan Tertinggi keADILan baru - baru ini telah membuat keputusan merombak sebahagian besar pengerusi perhubungan negeri. Ini demi memberikan nafas baru dan memperbaiki tahap pentadbiran ke arah memperkasakan parti. Malah usaha serius menawan Sarawak akan diketuai oleh Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim apabila beliau sendiri akan menjadi 'care taker' bagi dua negeri di Malaysia Timur ini. Berikut ialah senarai pengerusi perhubungan.

1. Pahang - Dato’ Fauzi Abd Rahman
2. Pulau Pinang - YB Dato’ Zahrain Mohamed Hashim
3. Negeri Sembilan - YB Dato’ Kamarul Baharin Abbas
4. Selangor/Wilayah Persekutuan- YB Tan Sri Dato’ Abd Khalid bin Ibrahim
5. Sabah/Sarawak - YB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim
6. Kedah - YB Tuan Haji Ahmad bin Kassim
7. Kelantan - YB Ab Aziz Ab Kadir
8. Perlis - Johari bin Shafie
9. Melaka - Khalid Jaafar
10. Johor - Dr. Zaliha Mustaffa
11. Perak - Osman Abdul Rahman
12. Terengganu - Wan Rahim bin Wan Hamzah

Tahniah buat yang baru terlantik dan kepada yang dinamakan semula gunakanlah kepercayaan ini untuk memperbaiki lagi pencapaian kita. sila klik untuk baca kenyataan penuh DSAI

Dalam perkembangan lain pula begitu kuat khabar angin mengatakan kononya Ketua Umno PJ Selatan, Kapten (B) Datuk Zahar Hashim akan menyertai Pakatan Rakyat. Namun berdasarkan beberapa portal berita pula melaporkan bahawa tokoh ini tidak menafikan khabar angin ini tetapi cuma berkata sedang memikirkan dengan serius. Kepada Datuk Zahar, kalau benar tekad di hati melangkahlah dengan berani. Salam hangat buat Datuk Zahar.

Selaku MPT keADILan penyertaan Datuk Zahar dan teman - temanya amat di alu alukan. Sesungguhnya pengalaman Datuk dan teman - teman akan dihargai dan bakal membantu memperbaiki lagi Kerajaan bawah PR (khususnya Selangor) serta memperkukuhkan perjuangan Pakatan Rakyat.

keADILan amat mengalukan kemasukan sesiapa sahaja sama ada telah berparti atau tidak berparti untuk bersama mendokong cita - cita 17 matlamat perjuangan keadilan. Namun perjuangan ini tidak menjanjikan apa apa habuan selain kenikmatan bersama menegakkan keadilan. sila klik untuk membaca berkenaan berita ini