Youth power can topple Taib

By Maclean Patrick

COMMENT "If the people don't need me, then I will step down." And with that, Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud has set into motion the oldest political trick in the book.
Scan the local newspapers and you will catch the outpouring of support for Taib to remain as the chief minister and leader of the state Barisan Nasional (BN). A fervour of support seems to have erupted from the masses for Taib. They all want to keep Taib at the helm.

It seems without Taib, Sarawak will go the way of the Titanic; without Taib, Sarawak is doomed.

Or so we are made to believe.

Read between the lines and you will see a pattern. The ones who are dancing round the totem of Keep-Taib-In-Power are those directly involved with the many political parties in the state BN.

The leaders are making the statements, and passing these statements off as a blanket opinion that the state's voters are of the same mind too.

The state leaders cannot voice the true sentiment of the people. To do so would mark the demise of their own political reign. And rightly so, since it was Taib who put them there in the first place. As said by Mahathir Mohamad, "What we give, we can also take back."

BN candidates are nominated by the various political parties and endorsed by Taib. The candidates then are voted in by the people and hence are now indebted to Taib for their very existence. There is something wrong with this and it is a fundamental flaw.

The people's vote should be the most powerful element in any democratic government. The whole government is indebted to the mandate given by the people. It is the people who have full ownership of the government. What the people give, they can rightfully it take back. The elected candidates owe the people (not Taib) their allegiance.

So when Taib said, "If the people don't need me, then I will step down," it should be the people who have the right of say on whether they want him or not. The BN component leaders and their various Youth wings should just keep their mouths shut and allow the people to have their say.

Have a referendum and put the vote to the people. Let the people choose the government they want. Let the people decide in an out-right vote if they still want Taib to remain as chief minister.

Time for change

Tall order indeed, especially in Sarawak. The current administration will never allow the people to blatantly speak out their views. Instead, we are treated to cowardly party members making the assumption that ALL the peoples of Sarawak still want Taib in power.

And all this in light of revelation after revelation of Taib's covert activities -- amassing riches for himself and his associates; stripping natives of their customary land rights and Taib's total monopoly of every business deal in Sarawak. It is an open joke in Sarawak that the Taib establishment has its tentacles in every industry conceivable except the funeral industry.

It is high time that the people of Sarawak made it clear that it is time for change. It is time for Taib to leave the scene and for his underlings to accept it. Nothing last forever and this also includes Taib.

It is interesting to note that Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) has yet to issue a statement (as of the writing of this article) in support of keeping Taib in power and rightfully so.

As seen in Sibu, the Chinese have had enough. Would this translate into a bigger picture when the state election comes round? It would surely be a death note for SUPP to endorse Taib for another term because clearly the thoughts of the Chinese are different from that of their leaders.

But if BN thinks that by winning the Chinese over it has a clear shot at winning the coming election, then it is in for a surprise. The kingmakers for the next election, the ones that can topple Taib, do not belong to any exclusive ethnic group.

The kingmakers are the youths of Sarawak -- educated, young Sarawakians who are capable of judging for themselves what is right and wrong and are not afraid of voicing their opinions.

And it is clear that Malaysian politicians do not have any inkling of the impact of this “hidden nation”. It is a nation of citizens sophisticated in social networking systems, readers of alternative media and who communicates via SMS and chats.

It is one that is fuelled by information, a nation that longs for the ideals of democracy after witnessing the mockery that Malaysian politics has become.

Suffice to say, the growing voice for reform will come from this hidden nation. It will be loud and clear.

Yes, the people do not want Taib. Yes, it is time he stepped down. And to think otherwise, to think that retaining Taib for another term would be beneficial to Sarawak would be pure mockery of the entire democratic process.

---

Maclean Patrick, a webmaster in Kuching, is a contributor to FreeMalaysiaToday.

'SUPP is scared of Taib'

By Joseph Tawie - Free Malaysia Today

KUCHING: The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) is in a quandary – should it continue to support Taib Mahmud as chief minister and the leader of the state Barisan Nasional or not?

“To continue backing Taib will mean losing the support of the Chinese voters. Not doing so will incur the wrath of the chief minister and its members will lose their positions and businesses with the state government,” said an observer.

“SUPP is really in a fix,” he said.

Early this month, SUPP wanted to meet with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to exert pressure on Taib to resign or the party would pull out of the state BN.

Meanwhile, Sarawak DAP treasurer Violet Yong accused SUPP of being scared of Taib when it failed to make its stand on his leadership.

“SUPP leaders are afraid of the chief minister and do not dare to make their stand. As a party, it cannot claim to represent the Chinese community because it has lost its credibility,” said Yong, the state assemblywoman for Pending.

“Other leaders of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) have expressed their support for Taib’s continued leadership, but SUPP leaders have remained silent.

“The people, especially the Chinese, want to know its stand,” she said in response to a statement by SUPP secretary-general Sim Kheng Hui.

'Not her business'

Sim had accused Yong of being too vocal and that she might be pushed aside the way it was done to Batu Lintang state assemblyman Voon Lee Shan.

“Yong is undergoing a similar situation which Voon faced before he was suspended,” Sim said, adding that he could not understand why Yong had to ask SUPP to make its stand following public support for the chief minister by PBB, PRS and SPDP.

“Like these three parties, SUPP is also a BN component party.

“This is not her business, but BN’s business. I suggest she gives due attention to Pakatan Rakyat, particularly the states it is now ruling.

“There are so many problems in the Pakatan governments and it is time for her to stop directing SUPP what to do,” he had said.

Reacting to Sim’s statement, Yong accused Sim of trying to divert attention away from the real issue – the issue of whether it would support Taib’s leadership or not.

“Clearly Sim is scared of Taib,” she said, adding that it was not Sim’s business whether she was going to be sidelined or not.

“Nobody sidelines me. I am still the DAP state treasurer,” she said.

Asked whether DAP wanted Taib to be replaced, Yong said Pakatan’s aim is to change the whole government, which is already rotten.

“That is our ultimate aim. Whether we can do it is up to the people,” she added.

Thank you, Tun

We need clarity on who is supposed to have these privileges. Are only Malays and Bumiputras entitled? Definitely, yes. But, why are mamaks requesting to enjoy the same?

By Jamiliah Kassim

Being a Malay, I must say "thank you" for advocating to let the Bumiputra quota stay, albeit your much embarassing, ridiculous and amusing criticisms on meritocracy.

However, we need clarity on who is supposed to have these privileges. Are only Malays and Bumiputras entitled? Definitely, yes. But, why are mamaks requesting to enjoy the same?

Why can mamaks be made Malays? Where on earth can a person convert his race through religion? Obviously this is unacceptable. UMNO is for Malays, and Malays are exclusive of mamaks. UMNO, being fighter for Malays' rights, should rectify this false definition.

Regards,
Jamiliah Kassim

Feeble-minded BN

By Mariam Mokhtar

Three BN ministers were not speaking from a position of strength when they labeled PKR politician Nurul Izzah Anwar a traitor and a sinner for saying in an Indonesian newspaper, that Malaysia’s new, multimillion ringgit submarine is defective.

She also highlighted the problems plaguing our navy and expressed doubts about the New Economic Policy (NEP).

?Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Jamil Khir Baharom said, Those who tarnish their country’s image with the aim of causing turmoil are regarded to have sinned.

The truth hurts, but Jamil is mad to brand people who are critical of the Malaysian government as ‘sinners’.

He then said: We should love our country and be prepared to defend it, as defending our own country is a jihad (holy war) which carries a big divine reward.

Calling the defence of one’s country a jihad is wrong.

The las?t idiot who used a similar pejorative term was George W Bush. He used the expression ‘crusade’, to describe his country’s response to the Sept 11 attacks.

Terms like ‘crusade’ and jihad produce a negative reaction in both Christian and Muslim communities.

Bush’s use of the word ‘crusade’ evoked a visceral reaction worldwide because it portrayed bloody, violent images of the battles between Christians and Muslims in the Middle Ages.

So, whose sentiments is Jamil appealing to? He is trying to discredit Nurul Izzah and deflect attention from the faulty submarine.

At some point or other, most of us have condemned corruption, abuses of power, nepotism, racism, cronyism, injustices and cover-ups. Are we the sinners or are the corrupt politicians the sinners?

Jamil’s use of jihad alienates the Chinese, Indians and Malays. He is defending patriotism as a Muslim trait.

But if ?Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi can call on politicians to stop politicising national defence issues, then Jamil should stop making these religious issues.

When he branded Nurul Izzah a penderhaka (traitor) who has damaged Malaysia’s image in the eyes of the world, he was wrong.

The country’s reputation has already been tarnished by the protracted sodomy trial of Anwar Ibrahim, Teoh Beng Hock’s suspicious death, the farcical cross-examination of Dr PornthipRojanasunand at Teoh’s inquest, the Port Klang Free Zone scandal, the impotence of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the denial of justice for Penan girls who were raped.

By accusing Nurul of ‘exaggerating the problems in this country’, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein only managed to raise the ire of the public.

Stagnant politicians

Thus, it seems facetious of the Royal Malaysian Navy to wade in and lodge police reports against both Nurul Izzah and Malay Mail reporter Marhalim Abas over the claims that the country’s first submarine, KD Tunku Abdul Rahman, was unable to dive.

The job of this journalist was to disclose the failings of the submarine, just as Nurul Izzah was doing her job as a politician.

?The three ministers condemned Nurul for not mimicking the actions of past and current politicians, who keep quiet about indiscretions.

Are we to heap praise on the former defence minister, Najib Abdul Razak, for his two-year silence over the theft of two fighter-jet engines? These engines surfaced in Paraguay, and were returned, after attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail flew there to secure their ‘release’.

Jamil’s talk of traitors reminds us of the service personnel who sold state secrets to foreign agents. What happened to them?

Nowadays, Malaysians are more critical and are not afraid of asking probing questions. But instead of embracing change, some politicians and NGOs, like Perkasa, are happy to stagnate.

No inner peace

On the eve of the 53rd Merdeka celebrations, our attempts to demolish the walls between the races are hampered by the people who don’t like change.

We have chosen to move forward instead of looking back, like Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Ibrahim Ali and Ahmad Ismail, who have all lost their bearings.

We should focus on the needs of all, so that everyone can contribute. This is impossible because of the unfair quota system in our public universities, which hampers development. Or, the preferential business terms which stunt growth.

After decades of autocracy, our politicians have forgotten to listen and engage. They keep the non-Malays at arm’s length and fail to acknowledge that able Malays are confident of abandoning the worn-out NEP, to embrace change.

People who are absorbed in their own problems, like Ibrahim Ali, will not make a difference or leave the world a better place.

Are we prepared to do what is right? While some of us demanded justice for Teoh, A Kugan and Aminulrasyid Amzah, others were content to look the other way.

?Racist comments were recently uttered by two school principals. A swift response under Najib’s new policy of zero-tolerance has not materialised.

Many politicians only pay lip service to important issues, so does this mean they lack discipline?

Bung Moktar Radin broke the law with his illegal polygamous marriage. His disregard for Syariah law and contempt of court only fuelled resentment.

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarnor’s ‘s life disintegrated because of a pint of beer but the brewing deals of Muslim politicians would leave many in a drunken stupor.

Malaysians appear to be more religious today, but we seem to lack inner peace.

Muslims claim ownership of the word ‘Allah’ and force people to behave. The moral police run wild and wreak havoc. Their constant checks on behaviour, endanger those who risk their lives trying to escape from the raids. In an effort to prevent teenagers having underage sex and the ensuing problem of abandoned babies, child marriages have been made legal.

On the eve of Merdeka, it is a shame we still have these problems of corruption and disunity.

Nurul Izzah is right to highlight these problems. Is the feeble-minded BN elite aware of the deplorable role it played in these sorry affairs?

Have a Happy and Peaceful Merdeka!

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In ‘realspeak’, this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist.

Disturbed in heart and mind

The Star 
Musings By Marina Mahathir

The Shah Rukh Khan hit movie ‘My Name is Khan’ holds a pertinent message for us: there are only good and bad people in this world; there are no other differences.

IT’S very strange, but as we enter our 54th year of independence, what I least feel is independent. It so happened that I had to travel far recently, to a land where the air was a lot cleaner.

I felt that I breathed a lot easier but I don’t think it was just the air. Once you get away, the air just feels so much less toxic.

Indeed, in the month of Ramadan – the month of reflection and restraint – we find instead more toxicity than ever.

From school principals who spout racist nastiness to politicians and media who insist on poisoning what is already a poisoned well.

Instead of the serenity one hopes to feel at this time, in order to feel closer to God, all I can feel is the disturbance in the heart and mind that comes from living in an environment of hate.

It’s not that I’m lacking in loving friends, family or neighbours.

I live in a lovely street where we know one another and help each other out.

My friends are the kindest in the world. I feel blessed to know all of them.

But I open the newspaper or switch on the TV and there is nothing but anger and sadness.

How can we call ourselves independent when we are so caught up by hate, none of which seems to have any real foundation at all?

A few thousand kilometres away, the rhetoric of hate has become mainstream.

In the United States, Islamophobia is reaching fever pitch, fuelled as always by politics.

No American politician worth his salt, especially if he’s standing for election this November, will avoid talking about religion, affirming his own and besmirching others.

A rally by the most rabid right-wingers to supposedly “reclaim honour” drew 87,000 people.

The direct result of all this hate-mongering was the stabbing of a New York cabbie after he told his passenger he was Muslim and the burning of a mosque in Tennessee.

When we look in horror at these events on the other side of the world and feel indignant and self-righteous about them, do we think how we might ourselves contribute to the same treatment to others?

We see how badly minorities are treated in those countries and see no irony in treating our minorities the same way.

Is our empathy only meant for those of the same faith as us?

In Surah 21, verse 92 of the Quran, God speaks: “Verily, [O you who believe in Me,] this community of yours is one single community, since I am the Sustainer of you all: worship, then, Me [alone]!”

And again in Surah 33, verse 35: “Verily, for all men and women who have surrendered themselves unto God, and all believing men and believing women, and all truly devout men and truly devout women, and all men and women who are true to their word, and all men and women who are patient in adversity, and all men and women who humble themselves [before God], and all men and women who give in charity, and all self-denying men and self-denying women, and all men and women who are mindful of their chastity, and all men and women who remember God unceasingly: for [all of] them has God readied forgiveness of sins and a mighty reward.”

In both these verses, and in fact in the entire Quran, God does not speak of particular races but simply to all humankind. We are all equal before God.

How is it that we missed this simple message?

If we knew it, would we be spreading toxins instead of love and respect for one another?

Do we have the independence of mind to believe, rather than to follow those who claim to know what’s good for us but in fact are poisoning us bit by bit?

I just watched the Shah Rukh Khan hit movie My Name is Khan for the second time.

In Malaysia, someone saw fit to censor a lot of it, particularly whenever it showed a Muslim being bad.

Everyone, regardless of race or religion, has a chance to be good and bad in the movie.

Censoring it, in fact, was a great disservice to Muslims and missed its central message.

When the Shah Rukh Khan character was a child, his mother told him a truth that he held onto all his life: there are only good and bad people in this world.

There are no other differences between human beings.

Perhaps we should make all our politicians watch it.

They might learn something not very new. They might learn that most of us can tell who’s good and who’s bad.

'Converts should go public'

The New Straits Times 
by Maizatul Ranai

KUALA LUMPUR: Religious leaders have urged the government to go ahead with the proposal to get Muslim converts to publicly announce their religious status.

They said the move, which would require converts to update their religious status in an open automatic system, was necessary as the religion required them to declare their new religious status openly upon conversion.

"They (converts) should inform everyone, especially their family members, that they have embraced the religion," said Perak mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria.

Harussani, however, said the system should also be extended to cases of apostasy or those who renounced Islam.

"If we have a system where we can check those who embrace Islam, we should also have the same system to identify those who are murtad (an apostate)."

He also said Muslim converts who did not want to declare their conversion for fear of harm or that their lives might be at risk should seek police help.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom recently said that the government was in the process of reviewing the regulations pertaining to the registration of Muslim converts so that there would be no legal or religious repercussions over the status of converts.

Under the proposal being looked into, upon a conversion, the Islamic Development Department Malaysia (Jakim) and the National Registration Department (NRD) would automatically document the particulars of the person so that the information would be made available to interested parties.

This is seen as the government's alternative solution to avoid disputes over the status of Muslim converts upon their death.

It was reported that at present, Muslim converts were given the choice to either publicly announce or keep mum over their conversion.

Those who want to make known their new religion have to update their particulars at the NRD with support letters from religious authorities. The information will be kept confidential.

Former Istana Negara adviser Datuk Abu Hassan Din Al Hafiz is also for the proposed system, saying that it is a must for Muslim converts to announce their new religious status as required by the religion.

The converts, he said, should not keep their family members in the dark upon their conversion to avoid conflicts that may arise over matters involving death and wealth distribution.

"There are some cases of families being misinformed of their family member's conversion. This makes it hard for us to handle their funeral and deal with the confused family at the same time."

He, however, said converts could choose to keep mum about their religious status if revealing it would lead to negative implications which could bring them physical harm.

Khairy tinggal Umno jika ramai ahli sokong Perkasa ?

Ketua Pemuda Umno yang juga Ahli Parlimen Rembau menyatakan yang beliau akan meninggalkan Umno jika ramai ahli Umno yang menyokong Perkasa menurut laporan akhbar The New Straits Times di bawah ini. Adakah ini merupakan satu ugutan kepada ahli Umno khususnya Pemuda Umno agar jangan menyokong Perkasa ? Adakah isyarat yang hendak dihantarnya ? atau sekadar nak buktikan Umno tak ada hubungan dengan Perkasa ?

Khairy: Support Perkasa and I leave
2010/08/25

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin yesterday said he will walk away from Umno if the majority of party members supported Perkasa.
Refuting the claim by Pas Shah Alam member of parliament Khalid Samad that Umno was "hand in glove" as far as Perkasa activities were concerned, Khairy said not everyone in the party supported the Malay rights group.

"If there is a situation that they (Umno) would pick Perkasa over me, I will walk away," he said during a forum on the 10th Malaysia Plan Overview -- "Bridging the political Divide" at a hotel here.


Also participating in the forum organised by the Leaders magazine was Khalid. It was the second time that the MPs participated in a similar forum.

Khairy has spoken up against issues championed by Perkasa led by Pasir Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali on a number of occasions.

Khalid, who spoke earlier, had claimed that the government transformation programme would be hindered if extreme groups such as Perkasa was being supported by Umno.

Khairy, who is also Rembau member of parliament, criticised the group, adding that it only served to wedge a divide in the country.

Other topics discussed at the forum include the 10th Malaysia Plan and the National Key Economic Areas.

http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/06shu/Article

RPK, BBC: Defamation? Isn’t the matter, if any, subjudice?

Via MT: the reason why RPK got taken off BBC?

The BBC researches many different stories, it is the normal process of news and current affairs throughout the media that not all make it to air for a variety of editorial reasons.
In this case, it became clear in our research that any comprehensive interview with former Malaysia Today Editor Raja Petra Kamarudin would prominently feature issues that are currently the subject of a current court case in Malaysia, which raise issues of defamation.
The suggestion that the item was dropped due to political pressure is untrue. All BBC programmes adhere to the same strict editorial guidelines which ensure complete editorial independence and impartiality.
BBC Global News
Room 433CB, Bush House, PO Box 76,
Strand, London, WC2B 4PH
www.bbc.com/worldservice
www.bbc.com/pressoffice

Firstly, if this is genuine, isn’t the issue one of subjudice, not defamation? This doesn’t seem the kind of ‘mistake’ an institution like the BBC would make.
Well, we all know how long the fingers of the powerful can reach.
Curiouser and curiouser.

Namewee gives statement to police on 'Nah!' video

Bigger 'mob' for 2nd 1-Muted Malaysia flash

Today 31 Aug 2010, Malaysia is 53 years old. As a nation, we have come a long way, but the life of the Malaysian poor Indians largely remain the same, or worse than 1957.

Today (31.08.10) Malaysia is 53 years old. As a nation, we have come a long way, but the life of the Malaysian poor Indians largely remain the same, or worse than 1957.

To change the current sufferings of the Indian community, Hindraf / HRP was born. Here we list 53 reasons why every Indian should support HRP / Hindraf.

1. For the first time in 50 years (2007), Hindraf created the mass realization of the Indians in this country. 25th November, 2007 rally buried the ‘crab story’ that Indians can never be united! Give them a reason, they will be united. At the right time, Indians will come together to move mountains. Hindraf did exactly that.

2. Since 25th November, 2007, there is no more fear factor among the Malaysian Indians. They do not fear the police, authorities, the UMNO government and this has been demonstrated in all HRP / Hindraf activities to date.

3. HRP is full of fearless leaders, young and old, nationwide. Fear is stupidity!

4. In 514 days ISA detention, Mr. P. Uthayakumar meditated upon and realized the real reason for Indian problems in Malaysia. While many Indians blame Samy Vellu, Tamil movies, and Indian attitude for their failures, Uthayakumar concluded that the real culprit is the UMNO’s racist policies.

5. HRP realizes that MIC / Samy Vellu is a dead horse. There is no point in condemning MIC anymore. All BN component parties have no power. UMNO rules the country in the way they want at all levels. UMNO has well trained Biro Tatanegara graduates to segregate Indians in all aspects of life.

6. HRP realizes that Indians have been systematically segregated from the mainstream development of Malaysia by UMNO’s racist policies and practices. Time has come for UMNO to pay for this karma!

7. HRP understands the real way things work in Malaysia. They realize UMNO’s dirty politics in creating a mandore system and propagating ‘Indian fights Indian’ scenarios. So, they have avoided all ‘Indian vs Indian’ situation to the best of their ability.

8. Mr. P. Uthayakumar realized (in his 514 days in jail) that the only reason Indians were treated badly is because they don’t have political clout and therefore created the 15/38 political empowerment strategy.

9. Hindraf / HRP is bold and courageous. They articulate what should be articulated without fear or favour. They express political ideas in very direct and clear words. They minimize politicking to greatest extent possible.

10. HRP is full of positive energy and good people. Here you see Indians who think and believe that they are crucial in Malaysian politics and have the people power (makkal shakti) to bring change.

11. Mr. P. Uthayakumar’s boldness and character has brought like minded Malaysian Indians and all the forces of good together. Day by day, more and more Indians are attracted to join HRP because of it’s true, bold and selfless nature.

12. Hindraf / HRP have supporters from all over the world. Their message is being heard loud and clear in countries like England, USA, Australia etc.

13. The implications of Hindraf / HRP struggle is for the whole nation, nay, minorities all over the world. All communities and the country will enjoy the benefits of the change that it intends to bring.

14. HRP is a group of political activists with true desire to bring real change. They are absolutely different from the conventional politicians who are self centered.

15. While HRP is at war against UMNO, that does mean to give a blank cheque to Pakatan Rakyat (PR). There will be no more free votes from Indians.

16. HRP says a big ‘NO’ to replace UMNO with a BN clone Pakatan government. HRP wants real and substantial change for the Indian poor which Pakatan has failed to demonstrate so far.

17. HRP is not going to be part of any coalition, BN or PR. HRP will remain as a check and balance, a Third Force in Malaysian politics. This force is crucial to handle race based UMNO politics and vote based PR politics.

18. P. Uthayakumar is a very focused person and does not divert his attention from raising the Indian issues which has no takers at all. If the Malay/Muslim and Chinese MPs speak up on Indian issues, HRP won’t be here today.

19. Hindraf / HRP are not racist organizations. Hindraf / HRP do not deny any Malaysians’ their rights. They fight for the victims of racism (the poor Indians) in UMNO’s 1Malay-sia.

20. HRP realized that the poor Indian is the poorest of all communities in Malaysia, poorer than the Malay, Chinese, or even the orang asli. The sky is the limit for Malays, Chinese have rich community support and new villages and orang asli have their ancestor’s land. While the poor Indian do not have any of these!

21. HRP brings up issues, not a racist agenda. They only want the government to help all poor, and that means not to segregate the Indian poor.

22. HRP fights for the basic needs of the Indian community – land for Tamil schools, Hindu temples, burial grounds, scholarships, etc.

23. Mr. P. Uthayakumar is a super analyzer and critical thinker who sees newspaper reports from an Indian angle on a day to day basis and comes up with conclusions and convictions that no Malaysian has ever done. Refer to www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com.

24. Mr. P. Uthayakumar is a loving and caring person. He loves his fellow Indians especially the poor and feels their suffering as his own. He has renounced his entire life in fighting for the Indians in this country.

25. HRP does not only condemn the government and system but also makes positive criticism towards the government, if they listen it will only improve the government delivery system for all communities. HRP offers practical and permanent solutions that would make any government great (BN or Pakatan), if they listen.

26. HRP wants a permanent and blanket solution for all Indian issues. HRP believes that granting of land (scheme) alone will help solve many of the critical Indian problems.

27. HRP has developed and tirelessly work at maintaining an alternative media, www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com on a day to day basis to champion the Indian issues.

28. HRP is a very objective organization with special concern for numbers – from 18 point demands to 27 issues on HRP website, to 15/38 Indian majority seats. They know what they want!

29. Only HRP has got a workable plan to bring change to the Indian poor. All other Indian parties have no practical solution, even on paper, against continuous marginalization of Indians by both the BN and PR governments. They are lost. Now, Indians have no choice but to support HRP.

30. Consistency is HRP’s strength. They take up issues and go forward till the end.

31. Today, HRP is the authority on Indian issues. HRP website has all the evidence.

32. While HRP points out what’s being done (or not done) by both UMNO and Pakatan governments, their critiques are more interested in the ‘hope’ of a better government for all if Pakatan goes to Putrajaya.

33. HRP is Nike style – they ‘just do it’! They do not wait for perfection, they speaks their minds and do what need to be done ‘now’. HRP’s progress so far is evident of this Nike style of leadership.

34. HRP understands and believes that only change in the government policies and practices can help solve the multi-faceted Indian problems. Like eradication of poverty is the job of the government, not some NGOs or group of individuals.

35. HRP knows clearly how UMNO and Pakatan governments cheat the Indians by giving peanuts and do media politics of ‘telur sebiji riuh sekampung.’ Because of this, both parties find it difficult to work with HRP. Whereas HRP means business.

36. HRP realizes and has demonstrated that only peoples’ power (makkal shakti) can bring change. UMNO is worried only of peoples’ power! Wherever HRP goes they are welcomed by big numbers of policemen.

37. HRP is a productive organization, they are not just talkers like most Indian parties. They are doers of the real work that need to be done.

38. HRP’s continuously reference to the constitution and it’s violation by the UMNO government has given birth to a more informed Indian community leaders nationwide. Now, Indian want their rights, not the mercy of the UMNO government!

39. Mr. P. Uthayakumar and Mr. P. Waythamoorthy are indeed assets to the Malaysians. To put this country in order, all Malaysians and media must take efforts to recognize, appreciate and understand them for what they are.

40. HRP realizes that Indian problems are not their doing, it’s the result of UMNO’s social engineering in bad faith over the years. As we all know no Indian want’s to be poor, no Indians’ ambition is to be a criminal!

Only Hindraf / HRP champion the rights and welfare of the ‘stateless Indians’ in this 53 years old country. Hindraf / HRP boldly says that all those persons in Malaysia who are not citizens, are British subjects!

41. HRP fights for the upward mobility of the poor Indian community. That can happen only through granting equal educational, scholarships, and business opportunities to the Indian poor.

42. HRP realized that Indians have been systematically segregated from the mainstream development by the UMNO government for decades. UMNO’s pro-Malay policies has only helped the Malay and Chinese business communities. This bi-racial business cooperation has further denied Indian of all possible opportunities.

43. Out of 4,000 Indian lawyers, HRP / Hindraf has only a few who are championing the Indian poor issues. Hindraf chairman, Mr. P. Waythamoorthy is in London to continue his international lobby. While Mr. P. Uthayakumar leads the HRP and grooming the future leaders.

44. These two leaders are the God given heroes for the Indian community. So, it’s the duty of every Malaysian Indian to fully utilize them to bring about the change they most desire.

45. HRP realizes that the whole Malaysian politics is about number of racial votes. Struggle for the Malay votes has been the primary goal of the both political divide. The Indian poor’s votes have been practically seen as the least important for any political party to be or remain in power. In such a situation Indians have no choice but to form their own block of political power by creating Indian majority seats. And that’s what HRP is doing. And they have succeeded in Buntong and Sri Andalas.

46. HRP’s fight is based on needs, not race. For example, they fight for the eradication of poverty, of which 90% happens to be Indians. HRP wants affirmative action by the government of day to address serious socio-economic issues related to the Indian poor.

47. HRP fully understands that it were the Indians who opened up this country, which was largely an uninhabited and impenetrable jungle, and thereby opened up the country for large scale immigration of Indonesians and Chinese into the interior. The Indians were the precursors of modern Malaya.

48. HRP fully understands that all those temples, cemeteries and schools should have been granted land and gazetted as such way back in 1957. And the failure to do so by the Alliance and BN governments results in today these institutions are classified as ‘illegal structures’. This is a double cheat!

49. Hindraf boldly says that Britain still has locus standii over Malaysian affairs as the terms of the handover has been breached.

50. Hindraf boldly says Malaysians have a right to assemble, or form associations and parties, and that registration is a mere procedure, and that such procedures cannot inhibit or prevent the forming of an association and dcurb their constitutional rights. Therefore, Hindraf exists!

51. Hindraf / HRP declares that any rights they fight for, is a fight for the rights of all Malaysians!

52. Hindraf became the agent of change in 2008 GE! It electrified the nation and opened the possibility of the opposition parties working together under a single umbrella.

53. Hindraf / HRP declares that BN will be removed from power in the next general election (GE 2012/13)!

Happy merdeka day, HRP will make sure Malaysian Indians also will ‘merdeka’ soon from marginalization !

CikguParu

Fugitive Michael Soosai nabbed by Indian police

CHENNAI, Aug 31 — Malaysian fugitive Michael Soosai, the alleged master fraudster who faked his death in Malaysia about a decade ago and was linked to the murder of a Malaysian in south India, has been tracked down by sophisticated technology.

Following a slick three-month operation, the 47-year-old fugitive was nabbed at a Chennai hotel last Thursday, Coimbatore Police Commissioner C. Sylendra Babu told Bernama today.

He said a special Cyber Crime Cell meticulously monitored Soosai’s movements using technology which tracked his mobile numbers to the vehicles he was travelling in.

“He did not realise that we were tracking him... he was surprised when we detained him at the hotel.

“He moved from place to place, he was in Nepal, Bhopal and Goa and always carried his booty with him as he never trusted anyone,” added Sylendra.

Last Thursday, Coimbatore police nabbed Soosai, his wife and three children, and also seized a kilogramme of gold, two laptops and several mobile phones.

According to investigators, Soosai based himself in the state of Andra Pradesh and slipped out to execute fraudulent activities in other states, often luring his victims on the pretext of securing lucrative jobs overseas.

“He stayed at star (posh) hotels to avoid the police (detection) and often lured his clients by promising them respectable jobs overseas, only to disappear with their money.

“After completing his mission, he throws away his mobile SIM card and returns to Andra Pradesh,” said Sylendra.

Soosai, wanted for a series of fraud amounting to nearly RM1 million and a murder in south India, had been eluding the Malaysian police for almost a decade.

He was alleged to have murdered a Malaysian, N. Subramaniam, in Cheyyur, Kancipuram district, in 2002.

Soosai’s children — two sons (aged seven and three) and a 15-year-old daughter — are being held in a government juvenile custody centre in Coimbatore.

He had allegedly faked his death in Malaysia and later disappeared from the police radar for years, but continued to challenge the Malaysian police to arrest him. — Bernama

Soi Lek tells Namewee to ‘face the music’

The Malaysian Insider,

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 – MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek told controversial songwriter Wee Meng Chee today to “face the music” for offending other races and religious groups through his music video allegedly containing racial slurs.

Johor police denied today that they were arresting the songwriter, better known as Namewee, following his post on his Facebook page late last night that policemen in three patrol cars had come to his house in Muar to arrest him.

“Freedom of expression should come with responsibility to consider sensitivities towards other races and religions,” Dr Chua (picture) told reporters today.

“Once he (Namewee) breaks that responsibility, he has to face the music,” he added.

The MCA president pointed out that he had helped Namewee extend an apology to the government after producing a headline-grabbing music video in 2007 that purportedly ridiculed the national anthem and the Islamic call for prayer.

“The end result was that he was pardoned,” said Dr Chua.

The MCA president slammed Namewee’s use of vulgar words and rude signs in his music video.

“I saw on (You)tube his singing and lyrics. There were a lot of vulgar words and signs that should not be used at all,” said Dr Chua.

“He should not bother with vulgarities,” he added.

Namewee is under investigation for allegedly producing a seditious music video which was uploaded on video sharing site YouTube.

The video which contains racial slurs is a stinging criticism of Johor school principal Siti Inshah Mansor’s allegedly racist remarks against Chinese and Indian students.

The SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra school head allegedly said during a school assembly that “Chinese students ... can return to China,” and likened the prayer strings used by Indians to dog leashes.

“If those two school heads are proven (to make racial slurs), police should also charge them,” said Dr Chua, referring to Siti Inshah and another school principal in Kedah who was accused of telling Chinese students to return to China.

“This will send a strong signal that the government should reject any form of extremism,” he added.

Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin reportedly said that they were now waiting for the Public Service Department director-general’s decision on Siti Inshah, following the submission of the Education Ministry committee’s findings to him upon completing their investigations.

Namewee removed the video on Siti Inshah from Youtube following public disapproval.

The video resulted in calls for government to take stern action against Namewee, including arresting him under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and revoking his citizenship.

Hishamuddin Rais: Negara Ciplak

The struggle for Merdeka: what the Malaysian history books do not tell us

Yesterday, I wrote an article called ‘Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!’ regarding the Selangor Royal Family’s opposition to British colonial rule. Today, I want to publish chapter 34 of the book ‘Malay Nationalism Before Umno: The Memoirs of Mustapha Hussain’ to show that Umno was not involved in the early moves to gain Merdeka for Malaya.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Some of you may not want to read the entire chapter of eight pages (I know Malaysians malas membaca). So allow me to summarise the main points of this chapter.

1. The fight for Merdeka in 1946 was not spearheaded by Umno (as the Malaysian history books claim). It was spearheaded by the All-Malayan Council of Joint Action (AMCJA). The AMCJA was a leftist group (what Umno would call Communist).

2. This was the second attempt to gain Merdeka. The first was in 1945 during the Japanese occupation of Malaya. In fact, Japan had already agreed to Merdeka, which was supposed to have been declared on 17 August 1945. However, Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945 (just two days before Merdeka) after the bombing of Hiroshima followed by Nagakasi. If the Americans had delayed the bombing just a few weeks, Malaya would have seen Merdeka on 15 August 1945 instead of 31 August 1957.

3. The 1945 and 1946 moves to gain Merdeka was made by a multi-racial group amongst who were nationalists, religionists and communists. It was not an all-Malay group. And Umno was certainly not in the group. Umno did not talk about Merdeka until about 10 years later.

So that is story of the struggle for Merdeka and don’t let Umno tell you otherwise. And take special note that all the races, not just the Malays, participated in the fight for Merdeka.

Of course, at that time, the British would not consider Merdeka because then Malaya would have become a socialist state (with a Constitutional Monarchy). Instead, the British arrested those calling for Merdeka. The British then promoted and backed Umno, a party of British-trained Malays, to ensure that post-Merdeka Malaya would remain pro-British.

Stocktaking Malaysia

Not Malaysia's finest moment

By Deborah Loh | The Nut Graph

LAST year, the Merdeka Day spirit was dampened by the actions of the Shah Alam residents who used a severed cow head to protest the relocation of a Hindu temple to their largely Muslim neighbourhood. This year, the run-up to Merdeka saw a school head in Kulaijaya, Johor, who, besides other slurs, told her charges that non-Malay Malaysians are just passengers in this country.
These are not the only issues that beleaguer our nation as we celebrate our 53rd year of independence. From race politics to human rights to plunging foreign direct investments (FDI), there’s a whole host of challenges our young nation is facing.
And so, more than half a decade after we gained independence, how far we have come as a nation and where we are headed?
A glossy surface

Confirmation bias at work?

Of course, there has been progress. Our country is modern, it’s infrastructure admirable. The middle-class has grown while the lower income group is aided with public health, education and housing. We are apparently the 37th best country in the world to live in, and this is supposedly proof that we are not corrupt.
Malaysia has also improved in its competitiveness rankings from 18th place last year to 10th this year, the IMDB World Competitiveness Yearbook 2010 said. That’s progress, considering that Malaysia was ranked 22nd in 2006. The government attributes this improvement partly to initiatives like the Government Transformation Programme and the National Key Result Areas.
We also weathered the 1987 currency crisis, and the 2008 global financial crisis. The local economy is now exceeding expectations, with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth hitting 9.5% for the first half of this year, thanks to domestic demand and exports. It’s a good performance and a sign that our recovery is on track, analysts say, given that the rest of the world economy is still struggling with uncertainty.
These are the kinds of indicators the government blows its trumpet over. However, competitiveness rankings merely indicate the ease of starting or doing business in a country. At the same time, GDP figures don’t tell the full story of whether a country’s wealth is being equally shared.
Additionally, do these measurements really tell us anything about the nation’s soul?
The underbelly

There are other studies that suggest another story about Malaysia (© Lainie Yeoh)

There are other indices and reports that suggest another story about Malaysia.
Take the Gini coefficient of income disparity, where a higher score closer to 1.0 indicates greater inequality. It’s been noted that despite the New Economic Policy, we’ve not made progress in reducing the gap between rich and poor, not only between the different races but within the same race.
Our overall Gini coefficient in 1990 was 0.442 and remained on the increase till 2004, when it was 0.462. It came down to 0.441 in 2007. The government plans to reduce the gap to 0.35 by 2020, as stated in the Mid-Term Review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan. But will we get there when suggestions for meritocracy and liberalising the economy are not discussed rationally but instead slammed as seditious?
Then there is data that tells of how we value our women. Malaysian women remain economically disadvantaged. Their participation in the Malaysian workforce hasn’t changed much since 1980, when women made up 44.1% of the workforce. In 2008, female labour participation was only slightly up at 45.7%. And yet, studies have shown that the more women are able to work, the more the economy benefits as do their families.

Marina Mahathir (right) negotiating with a police officer (© pic courtesy of Sheiko Reto)

Women are also increasingly discriminated, especially Muslim women who don’t have the same freedoms as non-Muslim women, activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir has noted.
Malaysia intends to have 30% of women in decision-making positions under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. But with only 10% of Parliament comprising women, and 8% of 505 state seats occupied by women assemblypersons, we are below the world average of 16%.
Women’s low participation in the workforce and in politics earned Malaysia 101th place in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Index 2009. Malaysia’s ranking on this score has been steadily declining since we were ranked 72 in 2006.
Malaysia’s poor civil liberties and human rights track record is also well-documented, in its treatment of migrants and refugees, handling of human trafficking, and use of repressive laws. There has been little progress whether under prime ministers Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi or Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Partly not free? (© publik15 | Flickr)

International human rights monitor Freedom House ranks Malaysia as a “partly free” country in its Freedom in the World 2009 survey. In its press freedom rankings for 2010, it ranks Malaysia as “not free” at a position of 141 out of 196 countries, and 31 out of 40 countries in the Asia Pacific. Reporters Without Borders marked an increased score in Malaysian press freedom in 2009, but the country’s position was still low at 131 out of 175 countries.
Telling figures
Our track record on human rights, including political and press freedom, has some impact on our standing in other indices, such as the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), and FDI. Corruption finds a comfortable environment when a government rules without transparency and with impunity, when the media is curbed from reporting fearlessly, when critics are regularly silenced, and when judicial independence is suspect.
So it’s little wonder that Malaysia doesn’t show improvement on the CPI, which gauges the perceived level of corruption in the public sector. We were 43rd place out of 179 countries in 2007 and have slid to 56th out of 180 in 2009.
Corruption is of course not the sole reason why Malaysia‘s FDI has plunged, but it does have a part in affecting confidence. We recorded our largest FDI drop — the biggest decline in Southeast Asia — of 81% from US$7.32 billion to US$1.38 billion between 2008 and 2009, according to the World Investment Report 2010. What a height to fall from when Malaysia was once a regional powerhouse. We are now only just a little better than Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Brunei and Timor Leste in attracting FDI.
And not too dissimilar with our brain drain problem, there is also more Malaysian money flowing out (US$8.04 billion) in overseas investments than there is foreign money coming in (US$1.38 billion). Do Malaysians not have confidence in their own country anymore?
Where confidence lies

Muslims visiting the Hindu temple in Shah Alam (pic courtesy of Maz Hamzah)

If there is confidence, it lies in the things that can’t be quantified, like the fact that Malaysians were living as 1Malaysia long before it was made a propaganda slogan. It’s in citizens who take it upon themselves to be peacemakers. Like the predominantly Muslim-Malay group who visited the Hindu temple in Shah Alam that was at the centre of the cow-head protest. Or the Fast for the Nation, Peace for Malaysia event on Malaysia Day, 16 September, in 2009.
Often, it is citizens, not politicians, who make a difference. Indeed, from the indicators cited, it is the politicians in power who seem bent on undermining what this country is capable of.
And so as a citizen, what would you do to make Malaysia a better place? Also, as a citizen, if you could make one suggestion for how the people in power can improve our nation, whether politically, economically or socially, what would it be?
This Merdeka, and onwards, let’s remember that independence isn’t about relinquishing control to the powers-that-be. Independence is about reclaiming power and control over the nation we call home.

Why Police investigating Wee Meng Chee for sedition when there is nothing seditious in his latest 3-minute rap against the Kulai secondary school principal for making racist slurs against students?

By Lim Kit Siang,

It has been reported that the police went to the Muar house of young Malaysian rapper Wee Meng Chee 15 minutes before midnight on the eve of the 53rd National Day, leading to the following posting on Wee’s Facebook:

“3 POLICE CARS FINALLY CAME TO MY MUAR HOME TO ARREST ME***** this happened 15 minutes before our 53rd National Day Celebration, YES, I’m still here but for how long more, I don’t know … my beloved MALAYSIA, where is our justice system?! (THIS IS NOT A JOKE)”.

This message has attracted more than 4,500 comments in 15 hours.

Johor Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Amer Awal has denied any police plan to arrest Wee, saying that they are still investigating Wee’s case.

The Federal CID chief Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin has however confirmed that Wee was being investigated under the Sedition Act

The question is why the Police is investigating Wong for sedition when there is nothing seditious in his latest 3-minute rap against the Kulai secondary school principal for making racist slurs against students while the school principal is still scot-free for her seditious racism?

Wong can be faulted for being crude, vulgar, abusive and even obscene as his fury was directed at the school principal of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, Kulai, Hajah Siti Inshah binti Mansor, for making racist, derogatory and seditious remarks like: “Pelajar-pelajar Cina tidak diperlukan dan boleh balik ke China ataupun Sekolah Foon Yew. Bagi pelajar India, tali sembahyang yang diikat di pergelangan tangan dan leher pelajar nampak seakan anjing dan hanya anjing akan mengikat seperti itu.”

Just because UMNO Puteri chief Rosnan Rashid Shirlin is offended by Wee’s latest videoclip does not automatically make the rap seditious and an offence under the Sedition Act.

Are the youth wings of Barisan Nasional parties, particularly from Umno, MCA, Gerakan and MIC and all the Barisan Nasional Ministers prepared to take a stand that Wee’s latest video clip may be guilty of being crude, vulgar and abusive but definitely not sedition?

In this connection, the Police should explain the purpose of sending three patrol cars to Wee’s house in Muar just before midnight last night – was it to arrest Wee, to get a statement from Wee or just to create an atmosphere of fear?

If the police had wanted to get a statement from Wee, why was it necessary to send three patrol cars to Wee’s house in Muar 15 minutes before midnight of National Day?

Finally, Malaysians are wondering whether when the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak recently spoke of “zero tolerance for racism”, he was thinking of police action against Wee instead of no-holds-barred action against the real racists and extremists who had made a mockery of his 1Malaysia slogan and policy and blighted the country’s prospects for economic rebound with incessant racist rhetoric.

Video excerpts from the Beng Hock inquest

It Happened to Me, It Could Happen to You

By Lau Chee Kin,

The typical Merdeka Eve night started with an urge to watch the fireworks celebration in KLCC ended up in a racist attack by a group of teenagers. So, me and a friend of mine thought of a good solution to avoid the traffic jam in that area by walking from the office in Jalan Imbi through Pavillion, to Jalan Kia Peng through Convention Center to KLCC.

Sounds like an ideal plan as the path is a frequent walkway and is even advertised in Pavillion as 'Bridge to KLCC'. (Just to note that we didnt go into any dark alley)

At 10.15pm, we started walking towards Pavillion, stopped to get a drink at Starbucks and proceeded ahead. As we walk, we came across people from various races and foreign tourists along the way.

On Jalan Kia Peng, we walked past Novotel Hotel, Hakka Restaurant, Menara HLA and was reaching the junction of Jalan Pinang when a group of about 10 teenage Malay youngsters walking from the opposite direction. They looked like typical youths, giggling and talking to each other.

As we walked past them, suddenly one of them turned around and started to make a flying kick to my friend. Noticing the 'fun' he is having, his other friends started to do the same to me. It was so sudden and all I was thinking at the moment was, "What the hell did we do to them?"

Both of us ended up kneeling on the ground for a moment before more kicks and punches came flying in. Even though both of us had our tripod strapped across our shoulder, we were too shocked to react to it. Eventually one punch landed right on my right forehead and I started to bleed profusely. Seeing that they eventually stopped and walked away.WALKED AWAY, damn it. They were not even afraid to run but justWALKED AWAY like winning a game or something.The last thing I remember hearing from one of them was "Baliklah ke negara asal"

Imagine hearing this statement on Merdeka Eve.

I knew I was bleeding but I didnt know how bad. I could feel the right side of my head swollen and wet but I did not try to look at myself through a mirror. My friend also suffered bruises on the body and face.  By that time there were more people walking around us but they did not stop to see what was wrong. I don't blame them, it was a poorly lit area just in front of Menara Pinang. We recovered and continued walking towards the Convention Center. The guards were symphatetic to let us in to use the washroom to clean up. It was then I saw my bloody face.

I did not take a picture of myself then as it is not my intention to send a horror message. This is not a message of sympathy. It's a account of a random person walking on a street.

Eventually after cleaning up, we walked back to the Police Booth in Pavillion to relate the incident. The response from the officer: "This cannot happen, we have all our men on the streets" (Well, not on the street we got beaten up ...)

Apparently informing the police booth stationed in a public area is NOT MAKING A POLICE REPORT. WTF? Apparently we have to go to a Hospital, get some treatment and make a complain/report at the police counter there. I would be dead by then, ain't I?

Is this how the police maintained that they have improved  street crimes? By not noting down petty crimes like gang bang which did not result into hospitalization? Would we be taken seriously if only we landed in the hospital?

What we did was, we went back to the office, rested til this morning, went to a nearby clinic to get some bandages and medic.What else to do? I can't identify my assailants, and my wounds are not death-threatening.

If I had not wanted to celebrate Independence Day, would I walk or drive to the venue?

If I was not thirsty would I stop for 5 mins to get my drink and missed them completely?

If I had held my tripod as a defensive weapon earlier, would I save myself or get more beating instead?

If I'm not Chinese, would I get the same 'treatment'?

All I want to say in the end is ...

Forward this to your friends (so that they will be careful on the streets)

Forward this to your 'friendly police' (so that they know the procedure is wrong)

Forward this to any politician/newspaper (so that he/she can be the champion for highlighting this to the government)

IF THIS IS THE VOICE OF YOUR YOUNGER GENERATION IN MALAYSIA , YOU WILL BE BLESSED.

Sharyn completed her Diploma in Advertising from Taylor's College, and then left motherland to pursue her BA degree majoring in Media Studies and Anthropology at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. While waiting for her graduation in May 08, she interned briefly at M&C Saatchi Wellington, a global advertising firm. Upon returning to Malaysia, jobless and relieved of rent payments, Sharyn stumbled upon Wild Asia through The Star which sparked her interest to learn more about nature and environmental causes. Armed with a communications background, Sharyn works on the Wild Asia website and editorial, translating geek terms into laymen language, easily accessed and understood by visitors regardless of their backgrounds, be it scientific, business, the arts or just plain interested. 
By The Tunku's Great Granddaughter 

This is a great piece. She has all the qualities of her great grandfather. Tunku has reason to be proud of her!

Tunku Abdul Rahman's great granddaughter 

Sharyn Lisa Shufiyan, 24, Conservationist 

Both my parents are Malay. My mum's heritage includes Chinese, Thai and Arab, while my dad is Minangkabau. Due to my skin colour, I am often mistaken for a Chinese.

I'm happy that I don't have the typical Malay look but I do get annoyed when people call me Ah Moi or ask me straight up "Are you Chinese or Malay"

Like, why does it matter? Before I used to answer "Malay" but now I'm trying to consciously answer Malaysian instead.

There's this incident from primary school that I remember till today. Someone told me that I will be called last during Judgement Day because I don't have a Muslim name. Of course, I was scared then but now that I'm older, I realise that a name is just a name. It doesn't define you as a good or bad person and there is definitely no such thing as a Muslim name. You can be named Rashid or Ali and still be a Christian.

I've heard of the 1Malaysia concept, but I think we don't need to be told to be united. We've come such a long way that it should already be embedded in our hearts and minds that we are united. Unfortunately, you can still see racial discrimination and polarisation. There is still this ethno-centric view that the Malays are the dominant group and their rights must be protected, and non Malays are forever the outsiders.

For the concept to succeed, I think the government should stop with the race politics. It's tiring, really. We grew up with application forms asking us to tick our race. We should stop painting a negative image of the other races, stop thinking about 'us' and 'them' and focus on 'we', 'our' and 'Malaysians'.

No one should be made uncomfortable in their own home. A dear Chinese friend of mine said to me once, "I don't feel patriotic because I am not made to feel like Malaysia is my home, and I don't feel an affinity to China because I have never lived there.

I know some baby Nyonya friends who can trace their lineage back hundreds of years. I'm a fourth generation Malaysian. If I am Bumiputra, why can't they be, too? Clearly I have issues with the term.

I think the main reason why we still can't achieve total unity is because of this 'Malay rights' concept. I'd rather 'Malay rights' be replaced by human rights. So unless we get rid of this Bumiputra status, or reform our views and policies on rights, we will never achieve unity.

For my merdeka wish, I'd like for Malaysians to have more voice, to be respected and heard. I wish that the government would uphold the true essence of parliamentary democracy. I wish for the people to no longer fear and discriminate against each other, to see that we are one and the same.

I wish that Malaysia would truly live up to the tourism spin of Malaysia truly Asia. Malaysians to lead - whatever their ethnic background. Only ONE NATIONALITY MALAYSIAN. No Malays, No Chinese, No Indians - ONLY MALAYSIANS. Choose whatever religion one is comfortable with.


MERDEKA
MERDEKA
MERDEKA

Namewee says he is 1 Malaysia

Namewee and his lawyer arriving at the Taman Tun Police station. – Picture by Choo Choy May

Namewee and his lawyer arriving at the Taman Tun Police station. – Picture by Choo Choy MayKUALA LUMPUR, Aug 31 – Controversial song writer Wee Meng Chee presented himself to police here tonight in connection with a probe into whether he committed sedition over a music video he posted on Youtube, and declared himself the personification of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia.

Wee, better known as Namewee, had posted the video which contained trademark utterances of vulgarities and obscenities in response to  an incident involving a Johor school principal who allegedly made racist remarks to her pupils.

He arrived tonight at the Taman Tun Dr Ismail police station in a grey BMW accompanied by his lawyer at 9.20pm.

Namewee, wearing a green t-shirt with a white beanie cap, told reporters that he was not racist, in response to accusations from Umno politicians.

“It doesn’t mean that If I see something wrong in my country, I will remain quiet because I am Malaysian. I am anti-racism and support 1 Malaysia,” he said in the police station parking lot.

Late last night Namewee posted on his Facebook page that policemen in three patrol cars came to his house in Muar to arrest him.

“3 POLICE CARS FINALLY CAME TO MY MUAR HOME TO ARREST ME***** this happened 15 minutes before our 53rd National Day Celebration, YES, I’m still here but for how long more, I don’t know ... my beloved MALAYSIA, where is our justice system?! (THIS IS NOT A JOKE),” said Namewee in a message that attracted more than 3,000 comments from Facebook users.

However earlier today Johor Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Amer Awal told The Malaysian Insider that there has been no plan yet to arrest Namewee.

“Not true, not true, we are still investigating his case,” Amer told The Malaysian Insider.

Namewee is under investigation for allegedly producing a seditious music video which was uploaded on YouTube.

The video was a reaction to SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra principal Siti Inshah Mansor’s alleged racist remarks to her pupils.

He removed the video from the video sharing site following public disapproval.

The Taiwanese graduate first made headlines in 2007, after he produced a music video purportedly ridiculing the national anthem and the Islamic call for prayer.

The recent video resulted in calls for government to take stern action against Namewee, including arresting him under the ISA and revoking his citizenship.

Namewee said tonight that he believes he has the support of the public.

“This is why I am ready to cooperate with the police officers. I believe that the police will support me in anti-racism and I believe the country will support me,” he said.

“I am mentally healthy, I have no injuries and I will not commit suicide,” he said.

After nearly three hours in the police station, Namewee came out and claimed that issue has been settled.

"I think everything is okay now because I explained everything and was cooperative with the police. So I think everything will be fine.

"I don't know if I have to come back and give a statement but I think everything is fine now," he told reporters.

When a reporter asked if he expected there will repercussions when he made the video clip, his lawyer quickly asked him not to answer the question.

"No comment," he said as he was whisked away by his lawyer.