'Rights of other races never ignored'

By FMT Staff

KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah Umno delegate Mohd Salleh Tun Said said today the government had never ignored other races as their rights were clearly spelt out in the Federal Constitution and this fact should be accepted by all.

He hoped the government would not hesitate to act against anyone who attempt to destroy the nation.

He also urged leaders to personally go down and meet the people to better understand their needs in order to discourage them from going to the alternative media to voice their grievances.

“At the same time, the leaders at the federal level should give ample space for Sabah to play its role and contribute to the nation,” he said when debating the presidential address.

“We in Sabah do not want to be labelled as fixed deposit and as such, should also be given the chance to select our own candidates,” he added.

Puteri Umno delegate Fahariyah Md Nordin urged the government to chart a new strategy to impart knowledge of the country’s history to the younger generation so that they would know Umno’s struggles and not forget the party’s contribution.

She suggested that this should be made a compulsory subject in schools.

A delegate from Penang, Mohamad Farid Saad, said the Malays, particularly those in Penang, should admit that they had lost out as far protecting their rights is concerned.

“The DAP has taken away land owned by Malays in Penang and this reflects how critical the situation is over there. We hope the federal government would do something to return the land to the right owners,” he added.

International sympathy

Umno Foreign Clubs’ representative Mohd Rizal Abdul Rahman claimed that many leaders from the opposition parties went to universities overseas to spread their ideology and influence among Malaysian students there.

He said opposition parties had set up a “Friends of Pakatan” club overseas aimed at running down the government to gain international sympathy.

Kedah delegate Osman Aziz called on the government to give local contractors the chance to build the proposed Menara Warisan, saying that these contractors were on par in skills and experience with their foreign counterparts.

“How would it look like if such a building is constructed by foreigners?” he added.

Negri Sembilan delegate Jalaludin Alias, meanwhile, urged Umno to seriously woo the young voters who would be the determining factor in the coming general election.

He said that Umno needed to use the appropriate approach to get closer to the younger generation, given the change in the country’s political landscape.

He added that leaders of Umno Youth and Puteri should take steps to get closer to the younger generation whose writings in the new media reflected their sense of discontent for being sidelined by the government.

“At the same time, Umno leaders should give enough space to the grassroots to voice their views and opinions in the selection of candidates for general election.

“The quota system in allocation of seats for the coming general election should also be reviewed to take into account which community is the majority.

“The traditional method of allocating seats can no longer guarantee victory,” he added.

Jalaludin also said that sensitive issues like the social contract should not be discussed openly.

Najib traps Umno in economic Catch-22

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid and G Vinod - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: An Umno delegate has suggested that the party was now trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea due to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's economic policies.

Casting doubts on the Economic Transformation Programme's (ETP) ability to bolster the fiscal growth for the Malays, Federal Territory Umno's Johari Abdul Ghani said the government was now forced to deal with two sides of the same coin.

Heads, the need to maintain Umno's Malay power-base which was demanding that its “given” economic share remained intact and tails, the growing call for economic liberalisation from non-Malay voters.

"Is the government ready to face them?" he asked during the presidential speech debate on the economy at the Umno general assembly here.

Johari's question was a tell-tale sign that some in the party remained unconvinced with Najib's rationale to remove race-based eonomic policies.

There were also doubts that despite the strong assurance by Najib, who is also Umno president, yesterday that Malay economic rights remained unshakable and that race-based affirmative action would carry on in the New Economic Model (NEM), there were no guarantees that it would not be challenged by the non-Malays.

'We've spirit, no network or capital'

Johari, the Titiwangsa Umno division chief, contended that many Malay businesses lacked the capital and capacity to contribute to the RM1.4 trillion in investments needed to push the economy and Malaysia towards a developed nation by 2020.

"How many Malay businesses are there with capital and capacity to contribute to the ETP? Malay entrepreneurs only have spirit but we lack network and working capital to move forward," he said.

The government believes the initiatives laid out under the ETP would lure the private sector into contributing to some 92% worth of domestic and foreign direct investments to the required amount as it aims to transform the government's cash-dependent economy into a private-driven one.

However, economists and the opposition were sceptical that the private sector would bite the bait. Data showed that private investments in the economy remained relatively low with insignificant increase since the past 10 years.

Johari agreed that the government had no choice but to implement the ETP but said the government had not done enough to assist and enhance Malay economic capabilities to compete on a level playing field once the economy was opened up under the NEM.

On a more constructive note, the Umno delegate urged the government to set up a Permodalan Nasional Berhad-like institution but this one would focus on training Malay entrepreneurs and equipping them to face the challenges of a high-income nation.

He also called for an increase in allocation to banks like BSN, Agro Bank and Exim Bank. This was to empower them to fund Malays entrepreneuers venturing into small and medium enterprises, a sector which Najib had indicated would be one of the main drivers of the ETP.

Johari claimed that there was also a tendency to overlook successful Malay businesses on the part of the government.

This, he suggested, could be rectified through the setting up of a comprehensive database of Malay businesses.

"This will be helpful for non-Malay entrepreneurs to find a credible Malay partner with good track record for their business ventures," he said.

No tower please, we're Malaysians

By Patrick Lee - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: In a massive chorus of disapproval, 100,000 Malaysians on Facebook have come out in protest of the proposed Warisan Merdeka tower.

The group called "1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower" was formed earlier this week after the skyscraper was first announced by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in Budget 2011.

The 100-storey tower, which will be developed by the country's largest fund management company, Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), will cost about RM5 billion. Construction will commence next year, and is expected to be completed by 2015.

Criticising the government's decision, many of the group's members ticked off the government for not using its money wisely.

"This idea is absolutely ridiculous. Anyone with any leadership or governmental sense would know that buildings do not solve the social issues and the unrest of citizens," said a member, Aaron Lam.

"If the leaders of this nation still don't get this, they probably should go back to the basics and play Sim City (a city-building simulation game) or some management simulation games before taking on a real nation," he added.

Other members have suggested that the government pull out of the project and concentrate instead on more pressing issues, such as poverty and education.

"Such a huge amount of money can be put to better use. This sum (RM5 billion) can be used for better causes like eradicating poverty and providing scholarships," said Raevathi Supramaniam.

“Foreigners come to Malaysia to see the beauty of our culture, our food, and our flora and fauna, not a RM5-billion mega tower. There is nothing to be proud of if we have the tower but still have people begging for some money by the roadside," said Nur Quraisha Hanapiah.

“(The government should) use the RM5 billion instead to help our government servants pay for their children's school books, tuition fees and milk for babies,” said another member, Hizwan Ahmad, who urged Malaysians to reject the Barisan Nasional.

Fear of heights

With thousands of new members joining every hour, the group's rapid growth has even caught its members by surprise.

Interestingly, a much smaller counter-group in support of the tower known as "Kami Sokong Menara Warisan" (KSWW) has been formed.

Mocking the anti-tower group, a KSWW member known only as Ali Setan said, "People who aren't supportive of the project have a fear of heights. They say the RM5 billion should go to hospitals, but in truth, they're really suffering (from a fear of heights)."

However, even with a membership of under 300, the majority of KSWW members appear to be against the project.

Disagreeing with growing criticism, many cabinet ministers have sided with the Warisan Merdeka idea.

Najib had said that the project would benefit the economy.

Chipping in her two cents' worth, Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen said that the tower would bring more tourists to Malaysia.

In a move to quell public anger, PNB's chief executive officer Hama Kama Piah Che Othman said that neither the government's money nor unit trust funds would be used to develop the towering skyscraper.

He said that PNB had more than enough money to build the tower, although it remains to be seen who will foot the bill at the end of the day.

Anwar: Glitter for PM, gutter for rakyat

By Hawkeye - Free Malaysia Today

GUA MUSANG: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has pledged to keep pressing Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to explain why he needed RM65 million to renovate his residence.

The people deserved a full clarification, he told about 20,000 people yesterday at a rally where Pakatan Rakyat announced its candidate for the Galas by-election.

The federal government has been ignoring the controversy surrounding the upgrading of the Prime Minister’s residence, one of the proposals of the 2011 Budget.

Opposition leaders have been comparing the cost of the proposed renovation to the RM17 million spent during the premiership of Najib Abdul Razak’s predecessor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Anwar described the proposal as a reflection of Umno’s arrogance.

“Huge sums are spent on palaces when the people are reeling from the high cost of living," he said.

Pakatan’s candidate for Galas is Dr Zulkefli Mohamed, a 44-year-old physician and surgeon. He is the son of Awang Mohamed, a former state assemblyman for Guchil.

Zulkefli contested against Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the Gua Musang parliamentary seat in 2004 and 2008. He lost in both elections.

Support for gold dinar

Anwar also promised voters that Pakatan would lower fuel prices if it won federal power.

He said the cascading effect of the reduction would help push down the prices of consumer goods.

He also declared his support for Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat’s effort to popularise the use of the Kelantan gold dinar.

He urged all Muslim members of DAP, PKR and PAS to purchase the gold dinar coins for use as payment of the customary dowry in Malay Muslim marriages.

This would generate a market demand for the dinar and help boost the state's economy, he added.

He said the dinar could become as influential as Bank Islam in the economic life of Muslims in the country.

Land issues to dominate Galas campaign

By Teoh El Sen - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Land issues will take centre stage in the upcoming Galas by-election in Kelantan and PAS believes it has the upper hand on this.

According to PAS election committee adviser Wan Abd Rahim Wan Abdullah, land issues will make up at least 80% of the campaign.

On this note, he said the party was proud of its former assemblyman Che Hashim Sulaiman's track record. Che Hashim's demise had paved the way for the Nov 4 by-election.

"We are confident of what Che Hashim has done for the rakyat here. And now we are expected to be the intermediary between the smallholder rubber farmers, the land office and the PAS-led state government," he told FMT.

He said if the people of Galas chose Barisan Nasional, the latter would not be able to resolve such matters.

He added that the community here, many of whom are rubber tappers, are attached to their land and are happy when their elected representative helps them in that regard.

Apart from land for farming, he added that the people of Galas also seek land when their families grow bigger.

"Land is abundant in Gua Musang and the PAS-led state government has been assisting in the allocation of land,” he said, adding that several hundred plots were given to a new developing village in Tanah Puteh.

Wan Abd claimed that BN, during its reign from 1978 to 1990, did not tackle the land issue properly.

"What they did was take back land and in one case there was some 300 acres in a Chinese majority area, which they took back and was supposed to develop an army base but that, until today, did not happen," he said.

However PAS is also not without any land controversies of their own. Voters have claimed that the opening of 'Ladang Rakyat' (people's estates) in Hulu Kuantan had not been beneficial to them where parcels of land were taken from them and given to private companies to implement the project.

Gua Musang Umno deputy division chief Mat Yusof Abdul Ghani had claimed that voters will vote against PAS on this issue.

On another matter, when asked if oil royalty will be a topic during the by-election, Wan Abd Rahim said it is not the "bread and butter" issue there.

PAS is the underdog

Meanwhile, the PAS election adviser conceded that his party is the underdog in this contest.

"If we consider the results of Manik Urai, only 54% of the people voted for us. Taking that experience and applying the same loss of votes to Galas, where we won by 646 majority (in the 2008 general election), we will be going in with a losing figure," he said.

In the Manik Urai by-election in July 2009, which is about 30 minutes away from Galas, PAS won by a slim 65-vote majority.

However, Wan Abd Rahim, the Kota Baru MP, vowed that PAS will work doubly hard.

Yesterday, Gua Musang PAS division acting chief Dr Zulkefli Mohamad was announced as the party's candidate for the state assembly seat. BN will name its candidate over the weekend.

The voter count in Galas stands at 11,553, of which there are 7,125 Malays (61.63%) , 2,317 Chinese (20.08%), 185 Indians (1.6%), 1,889 indigenous people (16.37%), 10 Sarawak Bumiputeras (0.9%), and 127 postal votes.

The Galas constituency is 1,881.48 sq km in size, which is larger than Malacca. Nomination is on Oct 26.

In the 2008 general election, Che Hashim made history when he became the first PAS candidate to win a seat in the Gua Musang parliamentary constituency, defeating BN incumbent Saufi Deraman. Two other seats in Gua Musang – Nenggeri and Paloh – are held by BN.

You want to know about the Social Contract? Okay, let’s study history

Today, I am going to publish the first two pages of the 33-page document, which is the so-called Social Contract that everyone is talking about. This series of articles shall continue over the next few days until all 33 pages are published.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Teach the young to appreciate history, says Puteri Umno

(Bernama) -- Puteri Umno has called on party leaders as well as Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders to undertake the responsibility to educate the younger generation about the country's history so that they understand their role in the country.

Puteri Umno's human resources bureau chief Fahariyah Md Nordin said appreciation of history was important at a time when certain sections of the younger generation had been voicing out that they had nothing to do with the decisions made by the previous generations.

"The question is, don't they realise that by denying history, they are denying the very history of their existence?" she said when debating the policy speech of the Umno president at the 2010 Umno General Assembly today.

She also called for a better way of promoting history among students such as by utilising tools like the Internet.

History should also be made a compulsory-to-pass subject in school to drive home the point on the importance of learning the country's history, she said.

Fahariyah added that it would be dangerous for the younger generation to be influenced by those who are bent on rejecting the provisions in the Federal Constitution, especially those concerning the rights of the Malays and Bumiputera.

****************************************

A few months ago, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that the Social Contract does exist. However, it is not a written Contract. It is a verbal Contract, said Dr Mahathir.

Do you know what lawyers have to say about verbal contracts? A verbal contract is not worth the paper it is written on.

The ongoing Umno General Assembly appears to be about warning the non-Malays as well as the ‘traitor’ Malays to not question the Social Contract, unless they want to see a ‘May 13 Version 2’. Even the Umno running dog, MCA President Chua Soi Lek, has been told to shut up.

Puteri Umno wants the young to be taught ‘the correct version of history’. Well, you know me. I just can't resist being that teacher to educate the young on the correct version of history.

No, I shall not deny history, as what Puteri Umno said. I shall also not distort history, as many Malays accuse me of doing (40% truth and 60% lies, as some would say). Instead, I am going to publish SECRET documents of ‘Her Britannic Majesty’s Government’ -- which have since been declassified and are available from The National Archives in London (so I am not violating Britain’s Official Secrets Act).

Today, I am going to publish the first two pages of the 33-page document, which is the so-called Social Contract that everyone is talking about. This series of articles shall continue over the next few days until all 33 pages are published.

(Many Malaysians are not capable of reading more than four pages of any document or article so I need to give it to them in small doses if I want them to read everything).

After you have read the entire 33-page document you can then decide whether the Social Contract does or does not exist (and whether it is written or verbal). You will also be able to understand what was agreed in that Social Contract that the Malays, Chinese and Indians entered into in 1956, just before Malaya became independent on 31st August 1957.

Remember, this is not what I say. This is what was agreed and reported back in 1956. And this was the basis of the Reid Commission’s report and recommendations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reid_Commission), which eventually saw the birth of a new nation called the Federation of Malaya together with its new written constitution called the Federal Constitution of Malaya.

Oh, and by the way, I am not looking for a PhD, like our good Minister Rais Yatim who earned his PhD for writing a thesis that opposed the Internal Security Act and then ‘changed his mode’ after he got back into the government and was appointed a Minister.

Don't be shy to defend Malay rights, Umno members told

(Bernama) -- Umno members should not be timid or reluctant to defend Malay rights which are enshrined in the Federal Constitution, just to care for the feelings of the other communities, said Sabah Umno delegate Datuk Seri Mohd Salleh Tun Said.

He said the public must be explained on the special position of the Malays and other Bumiputeras as well as the interest of the other races as stipulated in the Federal Constitution in order to avoid confusion.

"If we are afraid of fighting for our rights in our own country, where else can we do it? The laws are clear, the Constitution is also clear, so what are we waiting for? We should not be shy to fight for the rights of our own community.

"I've observed that sometimes in championing issues, we could be shy and reticent. We're scared that we might hurt other people's feelings. But when our feelings are hurt, does anybody care?" he said when debating on the party president's policy speech at the Umno General Assembly 2010, here, today.

Mohd Salleh said Sabah was impressed and proud of Umno president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for his courage in defending Malay rights in light of the issue currently being much talked about and debated by the public.

He also commended Najib's policy speech as he said, the prime minister could clearly interpret Sabah's spirit in joining Umno and Barisan Nasional in the interest of the people and nation.

"We listened intently to the president's speech and we feel that there is honesty in struggling for the lot of the people, for the religion and nation. If that is our struggle, then let's all struggle together," he said.

Mohd Salleh also hoped that Umno leaders would be more aggressive in voicing their views on current issues which were always manipulated by the opposition to create confusion among the public.

"We must not be weak and meek. We have to face them (opposition) and convince the people that we are better than the opposition," he said.

Administrator blocked, not 999,999 other Malaysians who reject the 100-storey mega tower

Malaysiakini reported yesterday that the ’1M Malaysians reject 100-storey Mega Tower’ on Facebook had been blocked.

At the time of Malaysiakini’s report, more than 40,000 Malaysians had joined this initiative to stick two fingers up the nose of this mega lunacy.

At the time of writing up this post this afternoon, the numbers stand at 63,145.

The profile picture at this Facebook page says its all.

The block doesn’t stop you from joining.

You can join the 63,145 others by clicking HERE.

Malays competitive and competent – need for New Pro-Poor Economic Policy/Reform

Malaysia’s Development Strategy Revisited (5)
by Dr. Mohamed Ariff*

A New Pro-Poor Economic Policy and Reform

There is certainly a need for a clear focus on the needs of the poor and marginalized regardless of race, colour or religion. In other words, Malaysia needs a ‘new’ New Economic Policy that is explicitly pro-poor. The main beneficiary of such a policy would still be Malay households, as they account for roughly three-quarters of the bottom 40 per cent of households in terms of income distribution.

Without a doubt, Malaysia is one of the better-performing economies in the region, with fairly strong macroeconomic fundamentals. The medium and long-term prospects of the economy are bright. Its inherent strengths clearly outweigh its perceived weaknesses, which are by no means insurmountable. Malaysia has only itself to blame for being stuck in the middle-income category for so long, and high-income status is within striking distance if policy makers have the courage to recognize and rectify policy errors. But there should be no delusion that a high income is all it takes to become a developed country; Malaysia has a long way to go to climb up the human development ladder as well.

The Malays are Competitive and Competent

It would be incorrect to give the impression that there is very little political space for serious reform in Malaysia. Fortunately, times have changed. Malays are just as competitive and competent as anyone else, and it would be an insult to Malay intelligence and an affront to the Malay psyche to say otherwise. What is more, thanks to increasingly easier access to information through the internet, the mindset of Malay voters is changing, as is that of their compatriots in other ethnic groups. The constituency for reform is growing – a development that no political party can afford to ignore in a democracy.

Understandably, there has not been much academic discussion or intellectual discourse – let alone public debate – on the issues confronting Malaysia given the ‘sensitive’ nature of the topics. Books discussing such issues candidly and objectively are either dated or in short supply. The present volume, containing solid contributions by eminent writers on related themes, should help fill the vacuum with balanced arguments.

What distinguishes this book from other works on the Malaysian economy is the forthright manner in which the various issues are discussed. The insights and views of the writers cover a wide spectrum of issues, including political challenges, corporate ownership and control, governance, crisis management, macroeconomic and microeconomic policies, service sector reforms, technological upgrading, distributive justice and demographic change. Together, they represent a major contribution towards better understanding of an increasingly complex Malaysian economy.

*Dr. Mohamed Ariff is Professor Emeritus, University of Malaya and Distinguished Fellow, Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, Kuala Lumpur

Preface for the forthcoming book by Hal Hill, Tham Siew-Yean and Ragayah Haji Mat Zin (Editors), GRADUATING FROM THE MIDDLE: MALAYSIAN DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES, Routledge, United Kingd

Strive To Become Towering Race, Malays Urged

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- The Malays could become a towering race by striving to improve themselves and capitalise on their rights and position, said Umno legal adviser Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun.

He said they should pursue knowledge and leave their comfort zone and compete with other races.

"Do not use the special rights and privileged position as an excuse that they can rest on their laurels as they are protected," he told Bernama here Friday.

Universiti Teknologi Mara lecturer Assoc Prof Shaharuddin Badaruddin said the Malays should not rely solely on the special privileges to succeed in their endeavours.

"The Constitution is merely a platform to defend their rights and position. To succeed they must work hard.

"In football, if you playing a defensive game, hardly attacking game, how to beat your opponents. Similarly, if the Malays do not take advantage of their rights and position, they will not succeed," he said when contacted.

Umno veteran Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang said the Malays must be willing to change the perception that they were a docile community.

"We cannot go far if we rely only on subsidies to succeed. If other people can, why can't we?

"We have to think positive and challenge ourselves. If not, we will be left far behind by other races," said Abu Zahar, who is also Dewan Negara president.

Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS) Jais Abdul Karim said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had jolted the Malays out of their complacency to rise up and empower themselves so that they would not be looked down by other races.

"We will act on comments and suggestions made by the prime minister. We plan to hold a conference in December to discuss on ways to achieve the objectives," he said when met.

Cheras Umno division chief Datuk Syed Ali AlHabshee said the presidential address brought new hopes to the Malays in the pursuit of Umno's struggle.

"It revolves on the future, the rights and challenges faced by Umno and the Malays to ensure that they are held in high regard.

"Umno political dominance was agreed upon by the country's pluralistic society at the advent of the independence and this must be upheld," he said.

Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association executive officer Mohd Mustaffa Hamzah said MCA president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek should not have raised the social contract issue.

He said Najib had reminded all quarters the need to honour the special rights of the Malays and privileges of non-Malays as enshrined in the constitution to maintain the country's political stability.

Indian Muslim Youth Movement (Gepima) adviser Mohamed Kathir Ali said the Federal Constitution and the 1Malaysia concept should be abided by to preserve the harmonious relations among the people.

He said Indian Muslim youths would continue to support the constitution and government policies as they would guarantee the future direction of the country and provide youths with better access to opportunities.

Rakyat Service Advertisement 7 @ MyConstitution PerlembagaanKu

Malaysia needs a new basis for race relation based on a shared future, historical facts and today’s reality, said Umno president Najib Razak.

At the 61st Umno general assembly opening speech Najib Razak said that Malaysia needs a new basis for race relation based on a shared future, historical facts and today’s reality. But will he uphold the long overdue historical fact of the history and reality of the minorities?

At the same time Najib Razak also issued a rallying cry for party members at the Umno general assembly to defend Putrajaya at all costs. “Even if our bodies are crushed and our lives lost, brothers and sisters, whatever happens, we must defend Putrajaya. The decision of who goes to Putrajaya is not in the hands of UMNO but in the hand of the people and this One Malay-sia. Najib Razak is threatening that they will create chaos to defend Putrajaya in the upcoming election.

Najib also said that the country was founded upon a social contract where the forefathers of non-Malays had accepted the special position of Malays under Article 153 of the constitution. But he did not elaborate on 153 (1) that it shall be the responsibility of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to safeguard the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article. Have the legitimate interest of the minorities been taken care?

UMNO been lying for the past 53 years and MIC, MCA,PPP, Gerakan, etc are aiding and abetting this lies. There has never been a social contract but only Federal Constitution and the special position agreed upon was only for a period of 15 years. Has it been reviewed?

When Malaya was in the process of getting its independence on 1957, the Reid Commission was formed to draft out the Malaysian Constitution. There were hundreds of memorandums sent to the Reid Commission by Malayan Indian associations and individuals for equal rights and their concerns. Will Najib Razak share the historical facts based on the memorandums send by Malayan Indians to the Reid Commission?

In 2007 Hindraf Legal Advisor P.Uthayakumar researched the archives in Kew, London, on the original documents submitted for the drafting of Federal Constitution to the Reid Commission. Below are the meetings held by The Federation of the Malaya Constitutional Commission 1956 and memorandum send by Malayan Indians to Reid Commission.

S.JAYATHAS

Information Chief

Hindraf & HRP

Umno Speaker tells Soi Lek to stop questioning Malay rights

Dr Chua has previously called for a review of the Bumiputera equity target. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — Umno permanent chairman Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin urged Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties not to interfere in Malay affairs today.

Badruddin, who chairs the Umno general assembly, also expressed hope that MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek would respect the principles of BN co-operation.

“Soi Lek, we are all friends. Let me tell you not to question the 30 per cent equity,” said Badrudin referring to the Bumiputera equity target under the NEP.

“We want the Chinese, the Malays and the Indians to share the 100 per cent,” said the former Jerai MP.

Badrudin also claimed that Umno had never questioned the citizenship rights of the non-Malays.

“You know Soi Lek, we respect you. We do not call you ‘pendatang’ (immigrants) but you came and questioned the 30 per cent, which is enshrined in the constitution. Do you know that Soi Lek?” he asked.

Badrudin made the impromptu speech after Negri Sembilan delegate Datuk Jalaluddin Alias slammed Dr Chua for allegedly interfering in the Umno assembly affairs.

“We are in a team, don’t fight with each other. MCA, Umno, Gerakan we are one team. Let’s work,” he said.

“Don’t fight, let’s throw our support behind the prime minister,” said Badrudin.

Dr Chua had suggested yesterday that the social contract not be debated openly in response to Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s call for discussions on the matter to be stopped.

He had also previously proposed for the 30 per cent Bumiputera equity target to be reviewed.

When opening the assembly yesterday, Najib had called for an end to the race debates, saying that the special position of the Malays was part of the social contract agreed before independence in exchange for citizenship for the non-Malays.

He stressed that the issues were enshrined in the Federal Constitution and cannot be amended without the consent of the Conference of Rulers.

Press freedom: Malaysia's plunge a surprise

By Patrick Lee - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia's drop in the 2010 Press Freedom Index (PFI) rankings has come as a surprise to many local media observers.

The PFI rankings which take into account 178 countries, is prepared by French-based press watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Malaysia's fall to 144th place was unexpected, especially when it had moved up a notch last year. This year, it dropped 10 notches to mark its lowest rankings in nine years.

“I am a little surprised,” said Southeast Asia Media Legal Defence Network (SEAMLDN) project coordinator H Dipendra, in response to Malaysia's drop.

“At the very least, I thought we would be able to maintain our ranking. However in the past year, the government has done little to suggest that steps are being taken to ensure and promote a freer press.

“All we have is a little lip service about 'free press',” he said adding that it would be difficult for Malaysia to rise through the PFI rankings, if it did not take steps to address the problem.

Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) executive officer, Masjaliza Hamzah, said the drop was predictable given Malaysia's consistency in the charts.

“Malaysia has always been at the bottom one-third of the Press Freedom Index,” she said.

Others have improved

Masjaliza said that other countries may have done better in terms of press freedom this year, pushing Malaysia (who has been stagnant) further towards the bottom.

“If other countries improved (in the PFI rankings), then you'll be pushed down,” she said.

Masjaliza also blamed the drop to non-state actors such as right-wing Malay rights NGO Perkasa and Jaringan Melayu Muda (JMM) and their repeatedly call to use the Sedition Act against media practitioners.

A few days ago, a group of Jaringan Melayu Muda (JMM) members demonstrated outside The Malaysian Insider's office in Kuala Lumpur.

The protestors were allegedly unhappy with the online portal's coverage of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor.

This has prompted local regulatory body, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to initiate an investigation into JMM's claims.

Cyberspace attacks were also noted as common, with FMT and popular blogsite Malaysia-Today overwhelmed by hackers.

Dipendra said that it was difficult to justify if the government's current stance on the media was better than it was during former PM Dr Mahathir (Mohamad)'s era.

“The drop in index suggests that we are regressing rather than progressing,” he said.

More access now
However, Dipendra admitted that Malaysians had more access to information now than compared to Mahathir's era.

A thorn in many a newspaper's side, Mahathir's administration was peppered with media-unfriendly actions, including the infamous Operation Lalang, which saw the revoking of several publishing licenses.

“During Dr Mahathir's time, journalists were more afraid to push the envelope, therefore there were less violations against the media,” Masjaliza said.

She also said that it was unnecessary for Malaysians to muse if Najib's stance on the media was better than Mahathir's.

“We shouldn't be comparing Najib against someone who was in power for 22 years. We don't want to make comparisons where the benchmark is so low,” she said.

“When Najib first came into power, he said that the media was going to be (in a) better (shape),” she said.

“It's not necessarily better, although the rhetoric seems to be better.”

Joining in the rhetoric, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin issued recently a warning to the media recently saying that it was not free to do as it liked. Ironically, he said this at a media liberalisation forum.

Anti-Rosmah demo on in some places, off in KL

By Rahmah Ghazali
FMT ALERT KUALA LUMPUR: PAS' protest against Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's wife Rosmah Mansor took place in several states, except Kuala Lumpur, where it was called off at the eleventh hour.
This morning, a statement by Federal Territory PAS Youth information chief Fadhil Osman had given the impression that the nationwide protest was scrapped.

However, the protest took place after Friday prayers in Seremban, Malacca and Terengganu. The protest here was supposed to be held outside the Kampung Baru mosque.

Fadhil had said that PAS would use "another approach" to express its dissatisfaction against the premier's wife.

According to him, a meeting would be arranged with the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and a memorandum would be submitted to the King soon.

The self-proclaimed First Lady of Malaysia had come under fire for promoting the recently held Islamic Fashion Festival (IFF), which Muslim groups said was an insult to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

The event also drew flak from social-networking site Facebook users, where the photo of one of the models wearing a revealing outfit which depicted a reverse image of the Prophet's name in Arabic across the chest was widely circulated.

Umno reps want bigger shield for Malay rule

Najib (right) yesterday said the special position of Malays were enshrined in the Constitution. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — Riding on the Umno president’s guarantee that the Malay constitutional position cannot be reviewed, delegates at the party’s general assembly urged the party leadership today to enhance the protection of Malay political power. In doing so, Negri Sembilan representative Datuk Jalaluddin Alias asked the party to review the seat allocation agreement among the Barisan Nasional (BN) parties in Peninsula Malaysia.
The Jelebu Umno vice-chief said the coalition must field candidates based on their ability to win and not according to the coalition’s quota.

Jalaluddin called for BN’s seat allocation arrangement to be abandoned. — Picture by Choo Choy May

“We must review the quota system. Yes, we have an agreement with the component parties, but the results of the 12th general election were not because of Umno but because of weaknesses of BN component parties,” Jalaluddin told the assembly when debating the president’s policy speech today.  “If in constituency A, the winnable candidate is a Malay from Umno, we should field the Umno candidate,” he added.
Umno, the largest BN component party, is now represented by 78 members in the 222-member Dewan Rakyat, while MCA has 15, MIC four and Gerakan two.
The three non-Malay parties lost heavily in urban areas in Election 2008 while Gerakan lost the state of Penang and was almost wiped out.
Jalaluddin also warned non-Malay BN parties to stop questioning the rights of delegates at the Umno assembly to talk about Malay interests.
“The president said don’t be racist, we obeyed. But MCA president said do not discuss social contract openly,” he said referring Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek’s remarks yesterday suggesting that sensitive issues should only be debated behind closed doors.
“This is an assembly of Malays to discuss Malay issues. What’s wrong with me talking to my wife to talk about household affairs?” said Jalaluddin.
“I am not upset, but please don’t question on our rights like how we never questioned the rights of other races,” he added.
 When opening the Umno general assembly yesterday, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had called for an end to the race debates, saying that the special position of the Malays was part of the social contract agreed before independence in exchange for citizenship for the non-Malays.
He stressed that the issues were enshrined in the Federal Constitution and cannot be amended without the consent of the Conference of Rulers.
 At the same time, Najib also called on the Malays to be prepared for a new era of race relations and to compete in a more meritocratic environment.

Farid claimed Malays might one day be chased out of Penang. — Picture by Choo Choy May

Also at the assembly, Penang delegate Mohamad Farid Saad urged the government to intervene over the problem of low land ownership among the Malays in the state. Mohammad Farid claimed the community only owned about 20 per cent of the land in Penang at present.
“Now the DAP government is getting out of hand. They are opening up land that was not meant for development,” he said alleging that the DAP-controlled government was trying to take over a piece of land meant for rice cultivation in Sungai Burung, Seberang Perai.
“One day there will be no more paddy field and green areas in Penang. One day, the Malays may be chased out,” Mohammad Farid told the assembly.
 Puteri Umno delegate Fahariyah Noordin claimed that the Malay youths were being led to question provisions favouring the community in the constitution.
She proposed national history lessons be made a compulsory subject in schools to address the problem.
“They are being instigated that the provision is not consistent with universal principles of justice,” said the Ledang Puteri Umno chief.
“Puteri Umno would like to propose for history to be made a compulsory and ‘must pass’ subject for students,” said Fahariyah.

Nazri: IPU report ‘ridiculous, stupid, short-sighted’

Nazri said Malaysia may quit the IPU ‘if we are not happy’. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) report on Malaysia will not affect the outcome of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s on-going Sodomy II trial, said Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.

The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department expressed outrage over the report’s stinging criticisms of the way Anwar’s trial was being handled in Malaysia.

“The statement released by IPU is of no significance and is never ever going to be a factor in determining the result of Anwar’s trial. It is ridiculous, stupid and short-sighted,” said Nazri, who is IPU Malaysia chairman and also de facto law minister.

The IPU, an international organisation of parliaments, has urged Malaysia to abandon the prosecution of Anwar for sodomy because it claims the case has brought disrepute to the justice system.

In a special report released in August, the IPU also questioned the alleged direct involvement of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and SAC I Datuk Rodwan Yusof, who had met Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan days before Anwar allegedly sodomised him.

“The prosecution has obviously been compromised, even by the mere perception that a member of its team has been guilty of wrongdoing. Removing Farah Azlina from the team has not solved the problem because her wrongdoing has tainted the entire prosecution and the integrity of the trial,” Mark Trowell, a Queen’s Counsel based in Australia, wrote in a report on behalf of the IPU.

Deputy public prosecutor Farah Azlina Latif was in the team prosecuting Anwar when allegations surfaced that she was romantically involved with Saiful.

However, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail stressed that the junior prosecutor was removed to prevent negative public perception of the Sodomy II prosecution team.

In response, Nazri said it was the responsibility of the IPU to respect the independence of Malaysia’s judiciary and not formulate any opinions based on feedback given solely by Anwar’s lawyers.

“They (IPU) have to respect the independence of any judiciary. Why is this organisation pressuring the judiciary of Malaysia to drop Anwar’s trial?

“They didn’t send any observers to Anwar’s case. I believe they know nothing except slanted reports given by Anwar’s lawyers or whoever,” Nazri told The Malaysian Insider.

The law minister warned that Malaysia would have no qualms about leaving the union if it was unhappy with the way it was being treated.

“IPU should remember that Malaysia, like any other member, is a paying member. Someone who begs for money from its members does not have a right to dictate to people what to do.

“If we are not happy, we can leave when the time comes,” said the IPU Malaysia chairman.

Among other things, the report said the alleged involvement of Najib in the trial has brought the country’s justice system into disrepute.

The report also criticised the A-G for not performing his duty.

Anwar, the 62-year-old PKR de facto leader, is currently facing sodomy charges for the second time in his life.

The former deputy prime minister is charged with sodomising Saiful at Unit 11-5-1 of the Desa Damansara Condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara here between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

Anwar has denied the charge, describing it as “evil, frivolous lies by those in power” when the charge was read out to him. He is charged under section 377B of the Penal Code and can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years’ jail and whipping upon conviction. The trial is taking place 18 months after Anwar was charged in court in August 2008.

He was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet and was later convicted and jailed for both offences. He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife.

He had earlier led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, to a historic sweep of five states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.

Recently, two former aides to Anwar revealed that they were coerced into signing statutory declarations to allegedly implicate Najib and his wife in the sodomy case.

The Federal Court has also denied Anwar access to statements made by the complainant after he claimed that there were inconsistencies between Saiful’s testimony and the sodomy charge frame against him.

Anwar’s lawyers believe that if the defence were given access to Saiful’s witness statements, it would affect the outcome of the entire trial.

Little India, Indian PM’s visit not vote bait, says Saravanan

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 — Datuk M. Saravanan has denied that the Little India project in the city’s Brickfields district was a strategy to gain Indian support, despite the rush to complete it to greet Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s arrival next Tuesday.
With the majority of urban Chinese voters seen to be implacably set against the Barisan Nasional (BN), the transformation of Brickfields was among Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s several feel good measures to court the Indian electorate.
“This (Little India) is not to get support for BN,” Saravanan told The Malaysian Insider.
“It is the businessmen who wanted it converted to Little India. People make the request and the prime minister has delivered,” the Federal Territories deputy minister added.
He also stressed that Manmohan’s planned launch of Little India on October 27 was not devised to please Indian voters.
“This is not a plan to get votes. This is just a mark of respect that the government has invited him (Manmohan) to officiate Little India,” he said.

Work on Little India was being rushed to be ready for the Indian PM’s visit.

Two months ago, however, Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin promised to ease the clampdown on illegal parking in Brickfields in a bid to appease angry businessmen suffering a drastic drop in business in the suburb. Many Brickfields traders — most of them Indians — had then threatened to withdraw their traditional support for the ruling coalition amid a business decline of up to 80 per cent caused by the new one-way traffic system in the area
Today, Saravanan pointed out that the RM35 million Little India project — which is set to transform Brickfields into the country’s Indian cultural enclave — was not aimed at aiding the Indian community, and said that the government had more specific activities to woo the community’s voters.
“This has nothing to do with helping Indians. To help Indians, the prime minister has other programmes,” he said.
He highlighted several government initiatives, such as the Tekun Nasional fund to help Indian youths obtain micro business loans, training programmes run by the human resources ministry, as well as the building of Tamil schools.
“We want job opportunities. We want our Indian youths to get into training programmes, and we want the Indian temples to be allocated permanent land,” said Saravanan when asked to describe the main issues faced by the Indian community.
The deputy minister also claimed that the daily traffic snarls in Brickfields were caused by illegal parking and not because of the new one-way traffic system.
“Once we overcome illegal parking, I don’t think there will be traffic jams,” said Saravanan, adding that traffic congestion would likely be resolved after a new parking lot was built.

The one-way system and haphazard parking had irked local traders.

A parking lot with two underground storeys — which can accommodate 186 cars — was planned for construction at the Pines condominium and was expected to complete in the next two to three months, while another 1,400-bay parking lot that will be located at the government quarters is targeted to be finished in about two years. Saravanan also took pains to stress that the traffic dispersal system in Brickfields — which is causing daily traffic snarls — was conceptualised separately from the Little India project.
“People fail to understand that Little India has got nothing to do with the reconstruction of the roads. It was a totally different package that was planned years ago,” he said.
Jalan Tun Sambanthan 4, Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad and parts of Jalan Tun Sambanthan as well as Jalan Thambipillay have been converted to one-way streets. Another road, Jalan Rozario, has had its road direction reversed but retains two-way flow.
The temporary one-way traffic system will be in place until October 29 to facilitate work on the RM110 million Package 3 of the traffic upgrading system for Brickfields, Bangsar and Kuala Lumpur.
The Little India project includes fruit and information kiosks at Jalan Thamby Abdullah, a three-storey Indian bazaar at the end of Jalan Tun Sambanthan, a multi-storey car park near the Kuala Lumpur City Hall sports complex, a 35-foot fountain at the junction of Jalan Travers and Jalan Tun Sambanthan, and a brick-paved Jalan Tun Sambanthan lined with white street lamps and pale yellow arches with purple patterns that match the newly painted purple buildings along the street.

Manmohan will officiate the launch of Little India during his visit to Malaysia. — Reuters pic

'Keris' rattling indicates early polls, say pundits

By Patrick Lee - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Umno's “keris” rattling at its general assembly is an indication that snap polls are coming, say political observers.

Professor James Chin of Monash University said that the majority of the speeches made at the general assembly were geared towards the general election.

Chin predicted that the general election would be held by the end of the year, or in the first quarter of 2011 when the country was in a period of strong economic growth.

He added that the country's current economy may have been helped by last year's RM67 billion stimulus packages.

“We got out of the recession because of them (the stimulus packages), but nobody knows how next year's economy is going to be,” he said.

“Running an election costs a lot of money. Would you want to run an election when the economy is uncertain?” he asked

Ong Kian Ming, UCSI University political analyst, said that the speeches at the general assembly reflected the current political landscape.

He added that Umno's generals had been paying attention to this and have been styling their speeches to suit the prevalent political climate.

Ong, however, disagreed with Chin's predictions over the election dates, adding that it was unlikely that the 13th general election would be held before the Sarawak state election, due before April 2011.

“My assessment is that it is more likely that the state election will be held in February or March,” he said.

He forsees a late 2011 or early 2012 time-frame for the snap polls, and that the outcome of the Sarawak state election may be used as a “litmus test” for the general election.

“On the economic front, it will take some time before various government projects can be confirmed, passed and 'monetised' by certain parties,” he said.

Concurring with his views, UIA law professor Abdul Aziz Bari nevertheless called the Umno general assembly speeches a case of “playing to the diehards”.

He said that Umno did not practise what it had preached on inclusiveness, especially after it had booted members of the alternative media from the media room yesterday.

The Perkasa factor

Aziz also said that Umno did not earn itself any good points by cozying up to the right-wing Malay NGO Perkasa.

“Except for Nazri (Abdul Aziz, Minister in the Prime Minister's Deparment), many of Umno leaders don't shy away from Perkasa,” he said. Athough this year's general assembly had seen a “different” Umno, he did not say if it was a better party.

When it came to snap polls predictions, Aziz said that they were a definite possibility in 2011. “Everything seems to be falling in place,” he said.

He also said that a good sign was Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's silence on Anwar's allegation on the supposed RM250 million Election Commission (EC) budget.

He added that the Sarawak state and federal elections may be held simultaneously, citing the upcoming Galas and Batu Sapi by-elections as an example.

“At first, the EC said that the Galas and Batu Sapi polls weren't going be held concurrently, but later decided to hold them on the same day," Aziz told FMT.

On Oct 11, EC chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said that concurrent by-elections in both Batu Sapi and Galas were not likely.

Four days later, however, he pulled a 180-degree turn, saying the Batu Sapi's nomination and voting dates will held on Nov 4.

Abdul Aziz Bari said that concurrent by-elections would be in BN's favour. "We will either have simultaneous elections or no elections at all."

He also said that Umno had been thus far playing a cautious game when it came to elections.

Recently, Umno appeared to be trying its best to avoid a Kuala Nerang by-election campaign, especially after its assemblyman Sobri Syed Hashim was declared a bankrupt.

“You can see how they are trying to avoid it, which is in stark contrast to what they are used to doing,” Abdul Aziz Bari said, adding that Umno was usually more than ready when it came to contesting in by-elections.

However, he said the ruling government would not have the upper hand in the upcoming snap polls, adding that Umno was stuck between a rock and a hard place “of its own doing”.

The next general election must be held before April 2013.