Follow hilarious exposes on Syabas: http://twitter.com/#!/search/syabas

I should have blogged this much earlier, but I only hope better late than never.
There’s a growing movement in TwitterJaya to raise awareness about the piratisation of water.
Our endgame is to try and expose some mega-corruption and pressure Syabas and co. to sell their water concessionaires back to the Selangor state government.
Tweeps have been doing a great job, and you should see what they’re saying here:
http://twitter.com/#!/search/syabas
and then sign the petition:
www.airuntukrakyat.net/main/petition.php
or at the mirror site:
www.petitiononline.com/Water/petition-sign.html
and come for the rally at Masjid Negara, 5th December, 12pm, to handover a memorandum to the Agong.
I here reprint some background to the case. Please help spread the info, thanks!!!
In 1997, the Barisan Nasional state and federal governments began privatising the water industry in Selangor. Then Menteri Besar Muhammad Taib chose the treasurer from his Umno division, Tan Sri Rozali Ismail to be the main beneficiary of this privatisation exercise.
By 2010, the amounts of losses generated by leakage and corruption in the private water companies  have now run into the hundreds of millions. Amongst the many questionable financial practices found in the private water companies are:
1. An audit report on Syabas showed more than 72% of contracts, worth RM 600 million in total, was awarded to companies chosen through direct negotiation not by open tender process. Also, RM 325 million was found to be ‘missing’ in discrepancies between Syabas’ public accounts and the records of contracts awarded from 2005 to 2007.
3. In June 2005, Syabas contravened the terms of their concession when they imported RM 375 million worth of pipes from an Indonesian company instead of sourcing them locally. The Indonesian company was owned by Tan Sri Rozali Ismail, the CEO of Syabas.
4. Tan Sri Rozali Ismail’s salary is RM 5.1 million a year or RM 425,000 a month.
5. The four water companies have a combined debt of RM 6.4 billion. The federal government has given Syabas a soft loan of RM 320 million. The total interest on this 20 year loan is RM 250 million, and Syabas will not be required to pay a single sen of this amount. Instead, this cost will be fully borne by Malaysian taxpayers.
In light of this appalling financial mismanagement, the Selangor state government has prevented Syabas from raising water tariffs by 37%, and is now endeavouring to reacquire all water concessions from the private water companies. Their goal is to eliminate the element ofprivatised profit and socialised losses, stop the corruption and leakage, andensure quality delivery of water at affordable rates. This move requires public and support and pressure to succeed.

Russia, Qatar to host World Cups

Russia and Qatar will host the World Cup finals in 2018 and 2022 respectively, world soccer governing body Fifa said.

Thursday's decision, announced by Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, followed a bidding process involving 11 nations seeking a prize expected to bring a huge economic boost for the chosen hosts.

Both decisions were made following a secret ballot of football's world governing body, Fifa's 22 executive members in Zurich.

The vote by the executive committee of Fifa will spark huge cash investment by the successful nations, and bring them under intense scrutiny as the world watches to see if they can stand up to the challenge.

It is the first time that either Russia or Qatar has been chosen as host nation for the World Cup.

Russia 2018

The Russian bid was picked ahead of England, Spain-Portugal and Holland-Belgium to host the 2018 event.

Russia has never hosted the tournament before, which fits with Fifa's preference for new territories following the success of Africa's first World Cup in 2010.

It has a vast budget and the backing of the government.

Russia's selection comes despite the absence of Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime miniser, from the vote in Switzerland.

Putin had been expected to be a prominent figurehead for the Russian bid in the final days of campaigning but instead remained in Moscow.

Qatar 2022

Qatar got the better of the United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea to stage in 2022.

Qatar has promised air-conditioned and eco-friendly stadiums to combat 50C summer heat, and the chance to see more than one match per day due to the small size of the country.

With few of the stadiums or transport links yet built, Fifa is said to have taken a leap of faith in choosing Qatar.

But with billions in oil and gas revenue available to spend, the attraction of a first World Cup in the Middle East has tilted the scales in its favour.
Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies

Even PKR Selangor refuses to be guarantor for Indian poor homeless, S & P for low cost flats. 16 years outstanding and never ending.

(see Starmetro 2/12/2010 at page M8)
Like the previous UMNO regime all what the PKR, DAP and PAS Selangor State government wants is to throw out these homeless poor Indians out off their squatter homes and offering them another temporary solution as what UMNO has been doing in the previous 50 years.
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

Ibrahim Ali claims ‘Malay supremacy’ is a right

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Datuk Ibrahim Ali argued today that the concept of “ketuanan Melayu” is a constitutionally guaranteed right for all Malays, warning that any attempts to denounce the concept would be a “human crime” to the Malay race.

The Perkasa president insisted today that the “ketuanan Melayu” concept was one which was borne out of Malaysia’s historical evolution, originating from the old Malay Sultanate kingdoms, despite the fact that the term itself was only coined during the 1980s.

“Ketuanan Melayu was not just plucked out from the heavenly sky...it is a right that is enshrined in our constitution. During the time of the Malay Sultanate, the laws (then) strengthened the ‘right ‘ that the Malays and the Bumiputra are the ‘Tuan’ of their Tanah Melayu. Unfortunately , the slogan is [now mis-]understood by some as ‘Tuan and servant’ relationship,” said Ibrahim (picture) in a statement today.

In an apparent attack on Pakatan Rakyat (PR) defacto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as well as PKR leaders, the outspoken independent MP proclaimed that Malays should never be apologetic for pushing or propagating the “ketuanan Melayu” slogan.

“We should not be apologetic in propagating the slogan of Ketuanan Melayu nor should it be taken as a sign of Malay weaknesses . We must prescribe the notion and the spirit of ‘Ketuanan Melayu ‘ for us to move forward for the order of change and achieving progress with dignity in all arenas. We have a cause and our cause is justified because it is our Tanah Melayu.

“Denouncing ‘ ketuanan Melayu ‘ is a crime and politicizing it , is a human crime to the Bangsa Melayu and its existence throughout the evolution of our Malay history and good values of Islam,” said Ibrahim.

Perkasa has been ramping up its attacks on Anwar as well as PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah over the past couple of days, over PR’s apparent rejection of “Ketuanan Melayu” over “Ketuanan Rakyat.”

Dr Wan Azizah had, during her policy speech at the PKR last weekend, called for the rejection of the ‘Malay supremacy’ concept which she claimed was only a slogan used by a small group of Malay elites to cheat others.

In turn, Perkasa Youth chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah slammed the PKR president for her views, calling her a “political prostitute.”

Similarly, Perkasa Wirawati chief Zaira Jaafar accused Anwar of being not only “a demon sent to destroy the Malays but a traitor to his own race, a traitor to his country, a traitor to his religion and a traitor to his king.”

Today, Ibrahim said that Malays would have suffered the same fate as the Native Americans in the United States had there not been the existence of “Ketuanan Melayu.”

“Our forefathers knew that the Malays should not be like the native Indians of America .The natives Indians were alienated by the white Americans colonialists . As the result of the political and military power of the Whites , the natives lost their territories and culture . Today the native Indians ended living in a small-arid constructed reservation land reserved by the White government.

“Unlike them, the importance of Malay rights prevails under Article 153, 153 which strengthens the Malay position. Besides that, the rights of others are rightly respected and guarded due to our tolerance and acceptance,” said the Perkasa chief.

Salehuddin: PKR has lost the plot

By Teoh El Sen - Free Malaysia Today
PETALING JAYA: Former PKR secretary-general Salehuddin Hashim today urged party members to be wary of the party's "so-called transparent leadership" which has veered from its true path of reform.

In his first press conference since he exposed the alleged forgery of his signature in a letter sacking former deputy secretary-general P Jenapala, he said the party has now "lost the plot" in its journey towards a reformed government that cared about the people.

"My personal concern is the deliberate use of my name to facilitate a fraud, but my bigger concern as an activist is that a so-called reformist party is falling into the trap of abusing the secretariat (an institution under its total control) to further its aim to achieve power expeditiously at the expense of the rights of its members," he said.

Salehuddin said the problems in the party were not the fault of the members but were caused by leaders hungry for power.

"Many leaders are looking for power for their own interests rather than looking out for the interests of the rakyat. The leadership of PKR has lost the plot... it has hijacked reformasi," said Salehuddin, who quit PKR in January this year after a fallout with PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

In an affidavit filed on Nov 23, Salehuddin, who served as secretary-general from April 2008 till January 2010, claimed he had no knowlegde of the “letter of dismissal” (see below) purportedly signed by him, sacking Jenapala from the party.

Salehuddin lodged a report urging the police to investigate it as a criminal offence as the letter was never issued nor approved by him during his tenure in the party.

The alleged “dismissal letter” dealt a blow to Jenapala's bid to challenge PKR against disqualifying him from contesting the deputy presidency in the just-concluded party election.

(Jenapala filed a suit against PKR in the High Court on Nov 25 to get a declaration that he was entitled to contest the number two slot, but judge Aziah Ali dismissed it, saying the decision of a political party cannot be challenged in court as stipulated under Section 18 (c) of the Societies Act 1966 (revised 1987).

"All the abuses of power started off as small, almost insignificant acts of deceit, such as the one I'm highlighting now. Otherwise, it will be a case of 'alah bisa tegar biasa' (when you do something regularly, you become used to it)," said Salehuddin.

He said he was not so much concerned over the suitability of Jenapala to run in the election as much as the fact that his name and office were used fraudulently.

"This is not a political matter, this is a criminal matter," he said. "As it is now in the hands of the police, I shall leave it to them to investigate.

"I'm pleased that PKR officials have indicated their willingness to give their full cooperation, unlike Tian Chua, who has appointed himself spokesman of the police by saying that they will not be interested in the technical details.”

"It is the details that make up the whole, and it was poor attention to details that resulted in the poor control and management of the recent party elections," said Salehuddin.

'No single person can sack a member'

Stressing that Jenapala was never sacked and that the letter was forged, Salehuddin said that the letter itself was against the party's constitution.

"No single person in the party may decide on the sacking of a member, not even the president. The letter did not state if the sacking was deliberated by the supreme council or the political bureau.

"If we follow how the letter was written, then it meant that I could have sacked Anwar himself anytime," Salehuddin said, adding that a secretary-general is only a “messenger” and had no powers to dismiss anyone.

He questioned why in the minutes of a PKR meeting in August 2009 the political bureau had considered suspending the membership of Jenapala when the party claimed that he was sacked earlier.
"Why would the political bureau be considering disciplinary action against Jenapala seven months after he was purportedly sacked by me via that letter dated Feb 2, 2009?

"Evidently, Jenapala was a member and was never sacked. This could be seen when he took part in the party's functions and ceramahs in the presence of top officials of the party," he said.

Salehuddin chided current secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution who was quoted in the papers as saying that he merely found the files and would not have known if it had been forged.
"Any self-respecting secretary-general who does his job would have reacted in astonishment if he found the letter in the files," he said.

Salehuddin urged the police to haul up PKR leaders to the courts to explain the situation as several possible offences have been committed under the Penal Code, including cheating, forgery, making a false document and or criminal conspiracy.

Meanwhile, Salehuddin, who worked as a lawyer, said that he would act as a political watchdog from now and would start blogging under the name "Activist Reformasi".

"Once a week, as when necessary, I will jot down my observations of what is really going on in the reformasi movement. I still am a reformasi activist. It does not mean if you are against Anwar, you are against reformasi. It does not mean if you do not support PKR, you support Umno."

On whether he will support former PKR member Zaid Ibrahim's new party when it is formed sometime next year, Salehuddin said he needed to wait and see the party itself first.

"Perhaps Zaid is spurred by a desire to create a platform for those who have the reform spirit but does not have a place for it. I know many people in PKR who are contemplating leaving the party. Most are sincere and want change."

PKR is a cult organisation, claims Zaid

By Stephanie Sta Maria and G Vinod


FMT EXCLUSIVE  PETALING JAYA: The cool breeze from an earlier downpour seemed to have failed to soothe former PKR supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim: he is still full of resentment over his former party which he left on Nov 16.

Speaking from his luxury home in Tropicana here, he accused the party of being a “cult organisation” as it was fixated on “certain individuals”.

“Their (PKR) problem is that they do not want other people to come up unless they belong to the clique. It is like a cult organisation. Only certain people can rise in PKR,” said Zaid, who was seated at his patio.

He cited an example where the party's de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim, had made many empty promises to the people in the previous general election, but nobody questioned him as they were too engrossed in him.

“Anwar had promised a lot of things in this country... But no one asked him why he never delivered any of those things. This is because they are fixated on him,” he said, adding that this worrying trend would last forever.

Fending off attacks levelled against him by his former party comrades, Zaid claimed that no one had been able to provide evidence to substantiate allegations that he was a traitor to their cause.

“No one asked him (Anwar) to show proof that I am a traitor. Did anyone ask him, as a responsible leader, how could he allow so many traitors into his party? Is there no vetting procedure? What did they do? How much did Umno pay me?

“When leaders make certain accusations, they have to be substantiated. But in this country some people are exempted from this rule. He (Anwar) is a charmer... he can charm you. Because I am disturbing their dreams, they are taking it out on me. But when the dust settles, I am sure that I will be all right,” he said.

'PKR's days numbered'

Zaid gave PKR a warning: its days are numbered... the Pakatan Rakyat coalition will never step foot in Putrajaya as long as Anwar is helming the pact.

“People are so obsessed about changing the government that they will just support any leader for that (purpose). But I do not buy or believe it. I think that is stupid and emotional.

“You have to replace the existing leader with someone who is better. I do not see that happening today. On the menu, you have (Prime Minister) Najib Tun Razak and Anwar. Although I am in the opposition, I think that Najib is way ahead in terms of ability and integrity.

“So to replace one with the another... you need to have a good reason. I am not obsessed about changing anyone. It is the policies that I am concerned about. As long as Anwar leads Pakatan, the opposition pact will not be able to take over the government,” said Zaid.

Former deputy president, Syed Husin Ali, was also not spared from his venom. Zaid called the former leader an “arrogant” man for blindly dismissing those who wished to leave the party.
“Syed Husin, for example, was very arrogant when he said those who want to leave can leave; if you want to hang yourself, please do so.

“He himself was a leader who has not achieved much for himself,” said Zaid, the former law minister.
He added that when he (Syed Husin) merged his then-party Parti Rakyat Malaysia with then Parti Keadilan Nasional to form PKR, not many of his own followers joined the new entity.


'I don't endorse phony politics

When asked about party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's allegation that he was an “impatient person”, Zaid claimed that party members just threw those accusation at him for the sake of berating him.

“Some people say I am power-crazy. These people do not understand. What am I chasing? I joined PKR because I thought through the party, I could help transform the country in the way that I think political parties should do.

“I am not here to support or endorse phony politics... politics that are against the grain of good behaviour. Why should I do that? Why would anyone do that? Unless of course they are the ones who are power-crazy... to them as long as they get to Putrajaya, it does not really matter.”

He added that his detractors can continue slandering him but expressed confidence that people will understand his convictions soon enough.

“It is just that a lot of people are angry with me because I have disturbed their dream. They have this idea that the opposition is getting stronger, but I am giving them a wake-up call and no one likes to be woken up, especially if they are having a good dream,” he said.

However, Zaid expressed confidence that the Malaysian public will judge him on a more positive note in due time.
“I have been saying that there are a lot of flaws in this opposition system, in PKR especially; the leaders whom you think you know, you do not really know. They do not like hearing this. But over time I think they will understand and they will like me again... hopefully,” he smiled.

When asked about his relationship with other partners in the opposition coalition, PAS and DAP, Zaid said that it depended on how both parties viewed Anwar's role in the opposition.

“If Pakatan and my party find that we have common views, it will be up to them to decide whether they want to work with me. If PAS and DAP think that Anwar is indispensable and he is God's gift to Malaysia, then they cannot work with me.

“That is because I am not God's gift to anyone. I am just an ordinary Malaysian who wants to see a better set of policies and laws for this country,” said Zaid.

Musa and Shafie locked in 'dirty political duel'

By FMT Staff

KOTA KINABALU: A cloak-and-dagger style tussle between two powerful Umno warlords in Sabah has turned into an open “dirty” political duel over “filthy” Semporna.

The intensifying political battle between Chief Minister Musa Aman and Rural and Regional Development Shafie Apdal has turned “dirty” and re-ignited friction between the two camps which has been simmering for awhile.

Labelling the east coast town of Semporna as “filthy” is seen as a politically motivated power play between two.

Both Musa and Shafie want the coveted chief minister's seat. While tycoon Musa is for now firmly entrenched, Shafie is openly yearning for the post for at least once in his political career.

Shafie, an Umno vice-president, is seen to be allied to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak while Musa is hoping to establish himself as Sabah's undisputed warlord.

A brewing storm between these warlords could well deflect Najib's plan to spread his influence in Sabah.

Najib was to have announced the reshuffle following the recent Umno supreme council meeting but for some reason he did not.

While it bought time for Musa, it has however sparked a restless war between the two camps by way of Semporna, which incidentally comes under Shafie's purview.

The flood of bad press coverage over Semporna has greatly embarrassed Shafie.

Competing for credits

In the recent Batu Sapi by-election, both Musa and Shafie took credit for the overwhelming BN victory.

Musa claimed credit as director of the election for Barisan Nasional with ample funds from his war chest, and Shafie for delivering his kinsfolk votes from the Bajau/Suluk “fixed deposit” with resources from his ministry.

But what Musa did not take into account in his battle strategy to stay on top was the spirited response of the Bajau/Suluk Semporna Umno chiefs.

The chiefs took the state government spokesman, State Minister of Tourism and Environment Masidi Manjun, a Muslim Dusun, to task for sullying their town when similar dirty conditions existed in Manjun's own consituency, Ranau.

“Why pick on Semporna... it is no better in Ranau.

"For the record, Semporna has won two cleanliness awards in the past,” said an Umno leader from Semporna.

The leader speculated that the outburst from Masidi was delibrate as he is aligned to Musa.

Masidi rose to prominence after Kasitah Gaddam, another Umno potential chief minister candidate, was arrested for corruption while serving in former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Cabinet.

It was the only high-profile case involving an Umno minister.

Kasitah was seen by Musa as a expendable Sabah sacrificial lamb to make Abdullah's national anti-graft campaign credible.

He was eventually found not guilty but his political career was left in ruins.

Shafie threat

But now, a new threat to Musa has risen in the form of Shafie.

After enjoying close ties with Abdullah, Musa has not had the same luck with Najib, who has kept him at arm's length.

On the sideline is another Umno potential chief ministerial candidate, State Minister of Local Government and Housing, Hajiji Noor.

He has tried to defuse the tensed situation by issuing a gag order to stop further mudslinging by rival camps.

Hajiji is the man who defeated current Tuaran division PKR leader Ansari Abdullah for the Sulaman state constituency during the last elelction.

Also on the list of potential candidate for the chief minister's post is Rahim Ismail. Rahim is not in the Musa camp.

On the last day of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly sitting last month, Musa blasted Rahim for not being around to listen to his (Musa's) explanation on the bonds issue undertaken by the state government.

Rahim, who was dropped from the state Cabinet after the last state election, queried the state government about the controversial bonds issue which had been marked as revenue in the state's Budget 2011.

Musa was also humiliated after the media highlighted the World Bank’s report on the poverty situation in Sabah.

Shafie rubbed it in by urging the state government to accept the report objectively instead of downplaying or refuting it.

Shafie’s kinsfolk form the bulk of the poor in Sabah.

Much of the bad blood between Musa and Shafie stems from the refusal of Shafie's ministry to hand over its funds for Sabah to Musa's state government.

Youth beaten black and blue by 'tensed' traffic cop

By G Vinod - Free Malaysia Today,

KUALA LUMPUR: Little did S Karthik suspect that an outing with his girlfriend would leave him black and blue after being allegedly beaten by a traffic cop, who was having a bad day.
The 20-year-old mechanic filed a report with the Setapak police station yesterday.
Speaking to FMT, Karthik said the 9.30pm incident occurred last Tuesday when he was travelling on his motorcycle with his girlfriend near Section 1, Wangsa Maju here.
“When I stopped at a traffic light, the traffic policeman came up to me and started beating me for no reason,” he said, adding that his assailant had also pounded him with a helmet.
Despite his shocked girlfriend's repeated pleas, Karthik said the policeman whacked him on the legs and stomach, and punched his face several times.
A passer-by who claimed to be a police officer came to his aid and stopped the attack, not before Karthik sustained bruises on his face and body.
“Then, the traffic policeman himself took me to a nearby clinic and paid for my medical bill. He also apologised and admitted that it was foolish of him to have attacked me,” he said.
And when Karthik asked why he had assaulted him, the mechanic claimed that the policeman told him that he was feeling “tensed”.
The policeman had also warned the youth against filing a police report, but Karthik said that when he discussed the matter with his father, both of them agreed that it should be pursued.
'Minister must look into this'
Meanwhile, an NGO specialising in tackling the woes afflicting the Indian community, Astivaaram Foundation, expressed outrage over the incident.
The foundation's public complaints bureau chairman R Sri Sanjeevan said this was not the first time such an incident had happened.
“The police should not beat up people even if they are suspected of being involved in a crime. Call them to the police station and investigate professionally,” he told FMT.
As for Karthik's case, he said that Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein should personally look into the matter.
“The minister must ensure such incidents do not happen again,” he said, adding that action must be taken against the errant policeman.
FMT could not reach Sentul district police chief ACP Zakaria Pagar for comments.

Sedap membaca sejarah ciptaan Dr Mahathir.

YB Bayan Baru Zaharin Hashim mencadangkan supaya supaya gelaran yang dianugerahkan kepada Anwar Ibrahim ditarik balik oleh mana Raja-Raja Melayu yang telah menganugerahkan gelaran-gelaran kepada Anwar dahulu. Zaharin telah menuduh Anwar mempersoalkan isu ketuanan Melayu didalam perhimpunan agung Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) baru-baru ini.

Zaharin menganggap Anwar tidak wajar menyimpan gelaran kerana tidak bersama membina apa yang dihebohkan oleh pemimpin Melayu yang beretorik tentang ketuanan Melayu. Zaharin menempelak Anwar kerana kononnya PKR tidak mahu bersama memperjuangkan ketuanan Melayu dan oleh sebab itu segala gelaran yang diterima Anwar wajar ditarik balik.

Media perdana telah memberikan liputan cadangan Zaharin ini dan Anwar telah menjawab yang itu adalah anugerah Tuanku-Tuanku yang berkaitan dan beliau tidak pernah merayu dan mengemis untuk mendapatkan gelaran-gelaran tersebut.

Bagi saya samada gelaran itu ditarik balik atau dikekalkan bukanlah menjadi isu tetapi saya mengambil persepsi yang Zaharin membuat kenyataan ini semata-mata kerana perasaan peribadinya terhadap Anwar semata-mata. Pada hal Zaharinlah yang menjunjung Anwar semasa gerakkan reformasi dan seterusnya mendapat tempat diDewan Legislative dan sekarang digelar Yang Berhormat.

Saya bukan hendak mempertahankan Anwar kerana saya sendiri tidak ada perasaan apa-apa terhadap pemimpin ini kerana Anwar bukanlah pemimpin yang saya kagumi. Tetapi apa yang saya persoalkan ialah Zaharin bukannya berkata-kata kepada landasan kejujuran tetapi oleh kerana ‘persona non grata’ beliau terhadap Anwar sahaja.

Kalau isu kelalaian Anwar terhadap bangsa Melayu mewajarkan gelaran ditarik balik, maka hampir kesemua pemimpimpin UMNO sepatutnya ditarik gelaran Datuk Seri, Datuk, Tan Sri dan sebagainya. Zaharin sepatutnya menyarankan gelaran kepada Dr Mahathir dilucutkan kerana beliau mengepalai barisan pimpinan UMNO (Baru) menghina Raja-Raja Melayu semasa krisis prlembagaan yang dicetuskan oleh UMNO yang diketuai oleh Dr Mahathir serta Ghaffar Baba pada tahun 1993 dahulu.

Semasa itu Perlembagaan Persekutuan telah melarang Raja-Raja Melayu diipersoalkan samada didalam Dewan Legislative atau diluar Dewan. Jika dilanggar individu-individu yang terlibat boleh dipenjara ‘mandatory’. Menghina Raja-Raja itu adalah penghinaan kepada orang Melayu dan isu itu patut disebut oleh Zaharin. Kenapa hanya Anwar dipersoalkan?

Kalau dibuat intrepitasi mengikut Perlembagaan Persekutuan Dr Mahathir, Anwar, Ghaffar Baba, Najib Tun Razak, Hj Khalid Yunus, Isa Samad, Anwar Musa dan terlalu ramai yang lain sepatutnya telah dipenjarakan dan ditarik semua gelaran kebesaran masing-masing semasa krisis cetusan UMNO (Baru) itu sedang hangat didebatkan oleh setiap lapisan masyarakat semasa itu.

Kepada penggiat politik yang masih berhingus masa itu tentunya tidak ingat dengan sejarah hitam semasa itu. Isu ii diperbesarkan oleh orang Melayu dalam UMNO yang mengampu pimpinan semasa itu dan tidak kedengaran semasa itu kritikkan kepada Raja-Raja Melayu dilakukan oleh bangsa lain.

UMNO telah melakukan penghinaan kepada Raja-Raja Melayu tanpa sempadan dan media letronik dan cetak telah memberikan sokongan agar Raja-Raja Melayu ditamatkan riwayat kewujuddan mereka. Ini sejarah yang begitu baru dan pada siapa yang berumur sebaya atau lebih tua daripada saya tidak akan mampu melupakan insiden hitam yang dihadapi oleh Raja-Raja Melayu sewaktu itu.

Pemimpin-pemimpin kita yang besar dan yang kecil semasa itu telah lupa daratan dan mereka seolah-olah tidak lagi memerlukan institusi Raja-Raja Melayu dan ramai yang bertempik dan bersorak mengkritik Raja-Raja Melayu didalam akhbar-akhbar perdana dan media letronik. Kepada sesiapa yang mushkil dengan kata-kata saya ini elok pergi keArkib Negara dan bacalah setiap berita yang tertulis didalam dada akhbar pada tahun 1993 dan saudara akan terbaca semua yang saya katakan tadi.

UMNO (baru) bersikap lebih buruk dari sikap British Malayan Union yang cuba untuk menurunkan martabat bangsa Melayu dengan mencemuh Raja-Raja mereka. Kalau Malayan Union itu adalah dari kaum Inggeris cuba untuk merendahkan mertabat Raja-Raja Melayu, UMNO (B) pula adalah dari rakyat yang hampir kesemuanya Melayu yang cuba untuk menjatuhkan institusi Raja-Raja Melayu mereka sendiri.

Walaupun pindaan terhadap perlembagaan yang bersabit dengan Raja-Raja tidak dibenarkan namun UMNO tetap memindanya dan itu merupakan penghinaan kepada bangsa Melayu. Semua yang mencadangkan pindaan itu adalah orang-orang yang telah mendapat gelaran dari Raja-Raja dan Zaharin patut mengeluarkan segala-galanya jika benar beliau serius untuk memperjuangkan apa yang kikatakan sebagai ketuanan Melayu.

Jika Zaharin tidak bersikap ‘limau masam sebelah’ elok beliau diberitahu bahawa Fasal 159(5) dan 181(2) telah di’repeal’ oleh UMNO pimpinan Mahathir dan ini merupakan ancaman gila yang tidak ada tolok bandingnya terhadap institusi Melayu yang unggul itu.

Tetapi UMNO mudah lupa; dalam krisis diPerak baru-baru ii UMNO telah menggunakan kuasa yang sikit-sikit berbaki kepada Sultan Perak untuk mengambil alih kerajaan pilihan rakyat dari PR. Barulah sekarang, apabila sudah terdesak UMNO mahu menerima kenyataan yang institusi Raja itu penting.

Sejak dari itu UMNO tidak mahu lari dari berlindung dicelah ketiak Raja Melayu. Bagi sekumpulan kecil dalam UMNO yang tidak bersetuju dengan tindakkan UMNO itu hanya mampu mendiamkan diri sahaja semasa itu tanpa berdaya melakukan sesuatu kerana semasa itu semua ahli-ahli UMNO haya bangun untuk membodek Dr Mahathir bagi kepentingan politik jangka pendek mereka.

Kami bersedih dan terkilan dengan penghinaan yang dilakukan oleh kepimpinan UMNO semasa itu. Semasa itu kami hanya berdoa agar Tuhan memberikan petunjuk terhadap kepimpinan yang sesat barat itu kembali kejalan yang benar.

Alhamdulillah, UMNO sudah sedar tentang pentingnya Raja-Raja Melayu, walaupu hanya setelah mereka hampir mati oleh tindakkan mereka sendiri. ‘BUT, it’s better late than never’ bak kata perbilangan Inggeris yang semua orang tahu.

Sesungguhnya sangat seronok membaca sejarah cetusan Dr Mahathir ini. Masalahnya saya tidak pandai menulis buku. Kalaulah saya seorang penulis buku sejarah, topik ini merupakan topik yang paling utama bagi saya supaya anak muda yang akan datang faham bahawa kita adalah orang Melayu yang telah dipunah ranahkan oleh pemimpin mereka sendiri.

Cukuplah setakat ini.

Indians and Chinese support Ketuanan Melayu

Umno, on its own, can’t uphold or propagate Ketuanan Melayu. It needs the support of the non-Malays to do that. So it is the non-Malays who make Ketuanan Melayu possible. The figures speak for themselves.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamaraudin
(Bernama) -- People's Progressive Party (PPP), a multi-racial party under the Barisan Nasional (BN) banner, has regarded Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's statement on 'Ketuanan Melayu' (Malay Supremacy) as a disgrace to Malays.
PPP vice president Datuk Nik Sapeia Nik Yusof said though PKR itself has championed Malay rights in the country, they (PKR) were willing to say such things just for the sake of achieving their objectives and greed for power.
"If PPP which is a multi-racial party are not questioning the rights of the Malays, it is strange for PKR who are just a budding party that is only a year old, is questioning Malay rights. This is a shame to Malays," Nik Sapeia told Bernama when commenting on Wan Azizah''s statement last week on the subject of 'Ketuanan Melayu'.
Nik Sapeia said PKR should instead be fighting for the rights of Malays and 'Ketuanan Melayu' since the PKR party is dominated by Malays, including its adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Speaking of PKR adviser Anwar''s offer of the Deputy Prime Minister's post to DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang if the Pakatan Rakyat won the 13th General Election, the Kelantan PPP Liaison Chief said it was made by someone who was disappointed with the confusion in the party.
"Since the Malays have lost confidence in him, he is pretending to offer DAP instead but everyone knows the promise was just a gimmick," said Nik Sapeia.

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

There you are. PPP, an Indian-based multi-racial party in the Barisan Nasional ruling coalition, supports Ketuanan Melayu. So why should PKR, a Malay-based multi-racial party in the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, question or oppose it?
This makes sense. Umno, on its own, can’t form the government. See the pie chart below.

In the 2008 general election, Umno garnered only 29.33% of the popular votes or 2,381,725 votes. It won only 79 seats or 35.6% of the seats in Parliament. Without the Indians, Chinese and other parties from Sabah and Sarawak, Umno would not be heading the government.
Umno, on its own, can’t uphold or propagate Ketuanan Melayu. It needs the support of the non-Malays to do that. So it is the non-Malays who make Ketuanan Melayu possible. The figures speak for themselves. And now PPP too has spoken. Are we now going to hear from MCA, MIC, Gerakan and all those parties from Sabah and Sarawak as well?
I suppose they need not say anything. The fact that they are in Barisan Nasional, and Umno is the lead partner in Barisan Nasional, and Umno upholds and propagates Ketuanan Melayu, means that the non-Malays also support Ketuanan Melayu. They don’t have to make statements saying they support Ketuanan Melayu. The fact that they remain silent and remain in Barisan Nasional is an indication of their support for Ketuanan Melayu.
And the non-Malays scream and curse Umno. How stupid when it is the non-Malays who make Ketuanan Melayu possible. Bodoh!
Now, on the issue of whether the Deputy Prime Minister should be Malay, Indian, Chinese, Dayak, Iban, Khadazan, Senoi, Siamese, Portuguese, Eurasian, Punjabi, or whatever, please look at Article 43 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.
Article 43
   1. (1) The Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall appoint a Jemaah Menteri (Cabinet of Ministers) to advise him in the exercise of his functions.
   2. (2) The Cabinet shall be appointed as follows, that is to say -
          (a) the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall first appoint as Perdana Menteri (Prime Minister) to preside over the Cabinet a member of the House of Representative who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House; and
          (b) he shall on the advice of the Prime Minister appoint other Menteri (Ministers) from among the members of either House of Parliament;
Can you see it just says that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall appoint a Jemaah Menteri (Cabinet of Ministers)? His Majesty shall also appoint a Prime Minister.
Note there is no mention of the race, religion or gender of the Prime Minister. It could be an Indian-Hindu woman as far as the Constitution is concerned. It would be perfectly legal and constitutional.
Furthermore, there is no mention of Deputy Prime Minister. Malaysia does not need a Deputy Prime Minister. The Constitution does not make it mandatory that Malaysia has a Deputy Prime Minister. The Constitution only says Prime Minister and Cabinet of Ministers.
We can have no Deputy Prime Minister or we can have five Deputy Prime Ministers if we want to. And it does not matter whether they are men, women, Muslims, non-Muslims, Malays or non-Malays. The Constitution does not stipulate whether we must have none, one, or more than one, Deputy Prime Ministers and what race, religion and gender they must be.
Umno screams about respecting the law and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. But those who scream about respecting the law and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia do not even know what it says.
Again, I can only say, bodoh punya orang Umno!

The Mecca Trip with Tajuddin Ramli’s Proxy: No Comment from the Attorney-General

No Comment from the Attorney -General on his relationship with Tajuddin Ramli’s Proxy

by Leven Woon Zheng Yang (December 1, 2010)

Attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail has declined to give any comments to define his relationship or friendship with former Malaysia Airlines System chairperson Tajuddin Ramli’s proxy, Shahidan Shafie.

Similarly, Shahidan, a lawyer and former police officer, also refused to comment on the issue when contacted by Malaysiakini. Malaysiakini had asked Abdul Gani on whether he was together with Shahidan on their recent haj pilgrimage to Mecca, but the attorney-general said, “Later you will quote me of saying all this.”

When asked further, Gani replied, “No comment” on whether he wanted to deny the allegations.Yesterday, Social Care Foundation chairperson Robert Phang Miow Sin (left) wanted Abdul Gani to go on record to clear up several allegations made on the Malaysia Today website over the adverse public speculation on the AG’s relationship with Shahidan.

This follows an allegation that Abdul Gani had allegedly decided not to take action against Tajuddin, despite recommendations made by former Commercial Crime Investigation Director Dato’ Ramli Yusof.

The allegation that Abdul Gani and his family had shared a trip with Shahidan on the same package was another reason for alarm, resulting in Phang calling for answers.

Phang, who is also a member of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s consultative and advisory panel, said the MACC is entitled to investigate the AG if there was a directive to do so by the Prime Minister’s Department.

The Malaysia Today website had in September and November claimed it was Shahidan who had convinced Abdul Gani not to press charges against Tajuddin.

Tajuddin, who was MAS’ executive chairperson from 1994 to 2001, has been largely been blamed for the national carrier suffering losses amounting to more than RM8 billion, which is mainly due to the move to relocate MAS’ cargo operations from Amsterdam and Frankfurt to a single hub in Hahn, Germany.

MAS had also filed several reports against Tajuddin with the MACC, and the national airline and the government had also initiated a suit against the former MAS chairperson. The entrepreneur had also launched a counter-claim.

‘Allegedly Tajuddin’s frontman’

Shahidan, as alleged by Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin, fostered good ties with Abdul Gani during his days as a police officer in Johor Bahru.

Shahidan was allegedly Tajuddin’s frontman and played a major role in new business ventures after the latter quit his post as MAS chairmperson.

The Malaysia Today portal had published records and pictures of the pair’s trip to Mecca under one package. Besides Abdul Gani, his wife and son had allegedly travelled with him on the same package.

It is learnt the charge for the package is said to be RM60,000 per person, and with three persons going the bill would come to at least RM180,000. The Malaysia Today portal also alleges that Shahidan had footed the bill for Abdul Gani’s family.

Meanwhile, Phang said he will resort to “various methodologies” to continue seeking responses from both the AG and Shahidan. “If they still haven’t answered after one month, I will call for another press conference,” he said.—www.malaysiakini.com

Baru Bian poses three questions to the Chief Minister on ‘Bread & Butter’ issues

By Haris Ibrahim,

Baru Bian issued this press statement earlier today.
_________________________________
On Wednesday 1st December, 2010, the Chief Minister of Sarawak, on the front page of the Borneo Post, said:
“I don’t ever take development for granted.” He urged the people to be wary of those who tried to brainwash and incite them to hate the government. This, he warned, would cause people to forget about the bread and butter issues like planning further development of the state and country. He said when people forgot about the bread and butter issues they would dwell on personal matters or think about things that were not related to their well-being. Speaking at length on development, Taib said Sarawak had achieved great progress and become prosperous”.
Let us be reminded that the funding of projects and development in the country or state comes from the coffers of the country and state, as well as taxes paid by the people. The funding does not come from the pockets of the CM and BN leaders.
Let us be clear that it is the duty and responsibility of the government of the day (BN) to utilise and manage the coffers of the state for the benefit of the people. Development is not a choice. It is an imperative and a right to be enjoyed by the rakyat. Even the worse totalitarian regimes in the world have to develop their countries, what more to say Malaysia and in particular Sarawak which purportedly practises parliamentary democracy.
However, what is the track record and success rate of the BN government in executing this responsibility of developing the state? It has failed miserably in the last 30 years in discharging this duty.
Let me pose three straightforward questions to the Chief Minister of Sarawak:
1. Why is it that Sarawak, being the richest state in Malaysia in terms of natural resources, ends up the fourth poorest state in Malaysia? Yet we have read internet allegations and reports that the CM and his family own overseas properties worth billions of ringgit.

2. Why is there a huge disparity in terms of wealth between the rich and the poor in Sarawak?

3. And ironically, why are the poorest Malaysians to be found in the richest state in Malaysia i.e. Sarawak, especially the Dayaks?
The fact that we can ask these salient questions goes to show that the BN government and her leaders have nothing to be proud of in terms of development in the their  47 years of government in Sarawak.
In light of what the CM has said about bread and butter issues, I agree with him that we should not cloud the matter with rhetoric and instead urge Sarawakians to ask themselves some pertinent questions:
1. Who own the timber concessions and licenses in Sarawak?
2. Who own the quarry licenses in Sarawak?
3. Who own the oil-palm plantations in Sarawak?
4. Who have benefitted from the many huge government contracts that have been awarded arbitrarily without open tender?
Therefore, it appears that the development the Chief Minister speaks of is for the selected few, not the ordinary citizens. Is this the bread and butter he is talking about?
On the other hand, PKR and Pakatan Rakyat will offer good governance, better management of the state’s wealth, transparency, fair and equitable distribution of wealth, and implement an open tender system for all government projects and contracts. We want the bread and butter to reach the tables of the people, and not end up on the gravy train.
__________________________________________________________________________________
For more information, please contact PKR State Publicity Chief Mr. See Chee How (0198886509) or Baru Bian’s Office (Vernon Kedit  at 0129880996).

Politik Kemiskinan Ala-Ketuanan Melayu UMNO

Dari Merdeka Review
Oleh Ooi Heng
Aku tahu benar rasa keperitan kerana miskin semenjak kecil lagi.  Ibu yang mengajar otak durianku erti kemiskinan.  Ibu mengopek udang.  Kakak mengopek udang.  Aku satu-satunya anak jantan “keluarga tanpa ayah” juga mengopek udang.  Di tempat perempuan mengopek udang dan berbicara panjang lebar mengenai politik kehidupan harian dan politik suami isteri, aku seekor jantan wujud tanpa disedari untuk satu tempoh yang agak panjang kerana ibuku menurunkan kromosom X yang terlampau berpengaruh terhadap rupa wajahku.  Maka mengalirlah di seluruh susuk tubuhku keinginan untuk melepaskan diri daripada belenggu gelanggang kewanitaan yang hanya aku sedar kemudian hari.
Kromosom X yang diturunkan oleh ibu kepada aku bukan sahaja mengubah cara aku menguruskan rambut otak durianku, tetapi yang paling berharga buat diriku ialah cara bagaimana aku mengharungi, merasai dan memahami kemiskinan sebelum aku sempat membaca karya Edward Said yang membuka mataku terhadap wacana orientalisme.  Jangan kita menghakimi kemiskinan orang Melayu dengan kaca mata orientalisme sehingga terpedaya dengan mentaliti pemikiran kolonialis lampau dan masa kini.  Lebih kurang begitulah salah satu dimensi penafsiranku terhadap teguran Allahyarham Syed Hussein Alatas yang meskipun pada satu ketika dahulu berderingan kuat dari jauh tetapi kini semakin sepi dan lembut suaranya.
Siapakah “kolonialis masa kini” dalam konteks politik kemiskinan domestik hari ini?  Bacalah paparan berita media perdana saban hari.  Perhatikanlah senarai syarikat yang mendapat projek besar setiap kali pengumuman dibuat oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan.  Telitilah ke mana perginya hasil ekonomi negara setiap tahun Belanjawan Negara diumumkan oleh Menteri Kewangan.  Kebarangkalian kumpulan-kumpulan orang yang sama mendapat projek besar terlalu tinggi.
Secara ringkas, dalam kalangan kumpulan tersebut, ada yang bergelar “kelompok Umnoputra”, ada juga yang bergelar “kelompok GLC”, yakni mereka yang berselindung di sebalik syarikat kerajaan berkaitan kerajaan.
Kumpulan-kumpulan sedemikianlah yang berbicara kuat mengenai pembasmian kemiskinan. Bahawa Dasar Ekonomi Baru masih diperlukan bagi mencapai objektif kerajaan berdasarkan statistik kerajaan mengenai kadar kemiskinan di Malaysia seperti berikut:
Pembasmian Kemiskinan Yang Telah Dilakukan Kerajaan BN

Tahun	Peratus (%)
1970	52.4
1988	17.3
1990	16.5
1999	7.5
2002	5.1

Bahawa Model Ekonomi Baru wajar dilihat sebagai kesinambungan Dasar Ekonomi Baru kerana Kerajaan Persekutuan yang kononnya prihatin terhadap kemiskinan rakyat akan meneruskan projek dan program yang dapat membantu dan menaik taraf status golongan rakyat dalam kategori 40% berpendapatan rendah.
Tidak cukup setakat retorik mengaitkan politik kemiskinan dengan program ekonomi yang sebenarnya lebih menguntungkan sekumpulan “kelompok Umnoputra” dan “kelompok GLC”.  Kelompok-kelompok elit seumpama yang kononnya prihatin dengan kemiskinan rakyat bawahan acap kali mengaitkan “Ketuanan Melayu UMNO” dengan politik kemiskinan.  Bahawa “Ketuanan Melayu UMNO” merupakan pembela orang Melayu maka akan membawa penyelesaian kepada kemiskinan orang Melayu.
Ironisnya, siapakah yang menghakimi kemiskinan Orang Melayu dengan kaca mata orientalisme tetapi bertopengkan Dasar Ekonomi Baru dan “Ketuanan Melayu UMNO” yang pada satu ketika dahulu berniat baik tetapi hari ini bercampur-adukkan dengan budaya “rent-seeking” yang terlalu “embedded” dalam sanubari Melayu UMNO?
Oleh kerana tidak berupaya menjalani proses transformasi diri secara yang berimpak, maka “kelompok Umnoputra” terus-menerus membawa wacana “Ketuanan Melayu UMNO” ke seluruh pelosok desa dan berbicara tanpa segan silu mengenai politik kemiskinan.
Tetapi yang jarang-jarang sekali dianalisi dalam mesej politik kemiskinan seumpama ialah: Pertahankan “Ketuanan Melayu UMNO” maka dipertahankan kepentingan “kelompok Umnoputra”.  Pertahankan kesinambungan politik kemiskinan ala-Dasar Ekonomi Baru meskipun dalam penjelmaan terbaru seperti Model Ekonomi Baru maka dipertahankan kepentingan “kelompok Umnoputra”.
Lihatlah senarai projek permulaan (EPP) yang ditandatangani sempena pelancaran Pelan Hala Tuju Program Transformasi Ekonomi (ETP) oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak Program transformasi bukan mimpi, projek mana satu merupakan program pembasmian kemiskinan?

• Syarikat Jerman, LFoundry menempatkan dan melabur lima loji Fabrikasi Wafer di Taman Teknologi Tinggi Kulim, Kedah dalam tempoh lima tahun dengan pelaburan permulaan RM214 juta dan pelaburan keseluruhan RM1.9 bilion.
• Pemborong dan pengusaha peruncit tempatan, Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd melabur RM1 bilion bagi membuka 14 cawangan baru dalam tempoh tiga tahun.
• St Regis, jenama antarabangsa dalam bidang hospitaliti bertaraf enam bintang membina hotel 208 bilik dan 160 unit kediaman di KL Sentral membabitkan pelaburan RM1.2 bilion.
• Syarikat perkhidmatan medan minyak, Schlumberger membuka hab perkhidmatan, Eastern Hemisphere Global Financial Services Hub di Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya bagi menarik 100 syarikat multinasional untuk menempatkan operasi di Lembah Klang menjelang 2020.
• Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) memberi konsesi 25 tahun kepada syarikat pembinaan dan infrastruktur, WCT Bhd untuk membina dan mengendalikan operasi kompleks integrasi di Terminal Tambang Murah (KLIA2), Sepang bernilai RM486 juta.
• Syarikat pelaburan Asia Barat, Mubadala bekerjasama dengan 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) untuk membangunkan Daerah Kewangan Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur bernilai RM26 bilion di Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.
• Premium Renewable Energy Sdn Bhd akan membina lima loji minyak bio dalam tempoh lima tahun dengan kos loji pertama RM124 juta di Lahad Datu, Sabah.
• Asia e-University dilantik Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi sebagai Universiti Gateway untuk pembangunan pembelajaran dalam talian dan jarak jauh antarabangsa dijangka menghasilkan pendapatan negara kasar (PNK) RM341 juta.
• Genting Berhad membina Johor Premium Outlets di Genting Indahpura merangkumi hotel, taman rekreasi air antarabangsa dan pusat beli-belah besar membabitkan pelaburan RM150 juta.

Sebab itu Ketua Pembangkang Anwar Ibrahim (gambar kiri) ketika menyampaikan syarahan di Universiti Nasional Australia (ANU) pada 15 November 2010 berkata, Program Transformasi Ekonomi (ETP) yang dilancarkan Perdana Menteri hanya menumpukan perhatian kepada projek mega yang mengenyangkan kelompok kroni UMNO-Barisan Nasional tanpa perincian kepada program untuk membasmi kemiskinan tegar dan projek berteraskan kebajikan rakyat.
Jika aku orang Melayu yang hidup papa dan merana, setiap kali aku membaca berita atau mendengar pembesar politik berbicara mengenai kewajaran kelangsungan Dasar Ekonomi Baru dan Ketuanan Melayu pada abad ke-21, akan ku dapatkan segera pembesar suara, menghadapkannya ke arah akhbar atau pembesar politik tersebut, lalu aku memekik dengan kuat sekali: Hentikanlah ketaksuban berpolitik yang kononnya dapat menyelesaikan masalah kemiskinan orang Melayu dengan menggadaikan maruah orang Melayu.  Melayu bermaruah tidak lahir dalam konteks politik kemiskinan ala-Ketuanan Melayu UMNO.  Melayu bermaruah akan lahir dalam konteks baru Ketuanan Rakyat yang berjiwa rakyat dan berpaksikan keperluan golongan miskin dan golongan berpendapatan rendah tanpa mengira kaum.
*Ooi Heng ialah Pengarah Eksekutif Kajian Politik untuk Perubahan (KPRU).

India's Massive Solar Program Underway

(Asia Sentinel) International interest increases

Given the government's big aims, India's solar sector is attracting corporate interest. Investments and tie-ups are being put in place.

As the cost of building solar capacity falls, a significant solar scale-up is expected across the world, including India, which boasts one of the world's highest solar intensities. Already, India ranks fourth in the world after Germany in the latest Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices prepared by Ernst & Young for 2010. China ranks first, followed by the United States.

India is faced with crippling energy shortages. Since 1990, energy consumption as a share of total world energy use has increased significantly in both China and India, when together they accounted for about 10 percent of the world's total energy consumption. That doubled to 20 percent in 2007, according to the International Energy Agency, with their combined energy use expected to account for 30 percent of total world energy consumption in 2035.

The big problem for solar remains cost, which is about 2.5 times that of coal, whose use, with its attendant greenhouse gas emissions, is growing exponentially as the country industrializes. And, with 400 million people without access to electricity using wood, waste and other carbon-producing materials for heating, cooking and lighting, it has vaulted into the ranks of the world's top carbon emitters.

Although India has made little progress in implementing extensive plans for high-end semiconductor fabrication, India's solar cell production plans are progressing well, especially given the local content requirements in the state-backed National Solar Mission, in which the government plans to install 20 million solar lights and 20 million square meters of solar thermal panels to generate 20,000 megawatts of power by 2022. The 20 million solar lights are expected to save a billion liters of kerosene annually.

In an assessment for 2010 Gartner said that "given the growth potential, it is only natural for global solar photovoltaic manufacturers and their suppliers to invest in the fast-growing Indian market."

The Indian solar energy related business (wafers and generating grid power) is thus estimated to grow to US$70-$100 billion in the next decade.

NSM Phase-1
India is focused on both thermal and photovoltaic solar processes to generate electricity. The immediate aim is to produce 1300 megawatts by 2013 with another 10 gigawatts by 2017 and the rest by 2022 to meet the national goal, at which time solar is forecast to deliver 12.5 percent of India's total power output.

The bid responses for NSM-1 have been encouraging, with more than 420 applicants for 650 megawatts of solar power capacity -- 500 MW to be based on concentrated solar power (CSP) technology that is cheaper to establish and the other 150 MW from more expensive photovoltaic panels based on crystalline silicone modules.

This month, investment commitments of more than Rs70 billion (US$1.53 billion) have been finalized under NSM-1 based on concentrated solar power technology. Sixty companies have offered capacity of more than 2,600 MW. Seven firms have been finally selected by the NSM coordinator, state power major National Thermal Power Corp, the country's biggest energy company.

Some 100 MW of solar power each are to be developed by Reliance Power, Lanco and KVK Energy, 50 MW each by Megha Engineering, Godavari Power and Corporate Ispat and rest by Arum Renewables.

Meanwhile, applications for developing 1,740 MW have been received for photovoltaic projects.

The NSM June 2010 guidelines emphasize off-grid and decentralized solar applications, subsidy for rooftop solar photovoltaic installations and small solar generation, lower interest loans and generation-based incentives.

New Delhi has approved migration of ongoing projects to NSM. Solar projects in India thus deliver an IRR of 17-20 percent.

India Corporate Interest
Top Indian firms have been announcing their clean energy plans. Global consultancy Deloitte in a recent assessment said bigger investments and mergers are expected in the renewable energy sector, especially wind and solar.

Tata Power is aiming at deriving 25 percent its power generation or around 8,000 megawatts from clean sources by 2017, with solar and wind energy forming a big portion. The Anand Mahindra-led Mahindra Group is expected to enter the solar energy generation business and should announce a foreign partner soon. NTPC, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Kyuden International Corporation (Kyushu) recently signed an agreement to develop 500 megawatts of renewable energy in India within the next three years.

Another recent big-ticket tie-up is global major Siemens and Indian power and infrastructure player Adani group to expand into solar and wind turbine energy production. Indian Railways, the oil firm Indian Oil Corp, exploration company ONGC and Reliance Industries Ltd also have big renewable plans, particularly in the wind and solar sphere.

Foreign Interest
International interest in India's solar sector continues to be high, with American, European and Chinese firms expected to mark their presence and growth. Several plans have been announced in the recent months.

"India has enormous potential for the development of a strong solar industry," James Hu, Suntech's President for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, said in a statement in August. In India recently to identify plant locations, Hillard Herzog, chief executive of US-based Bergamo Acquisition Corp, echoed Hu's statement.

Anil Srivastava of French Areva's alternate energy unit recently said that, "Solar is the new activity. It is absolutely a game changer for India."

Earlier this month, the ADB senior investment specialist Don Purka said the European Investment Bank has expressed interest in financing solar park projects in India. "Financing support is also seen from the US Import-Export bank and Germany's KWF," he said

America's First Solar, Taiwan's Motech, China's Suntech and French Areva have India plans in place. In the wake of the successful visit of President Barack Obama to India, the US-India Business Council is looking to export solar technology to Indian firms.

China-based Suntech Power Holdings, one of the biggest global manufacturers of crystalline silicon solar panels, has signed supply agreements with Azure Power, a leading independent solar power producer in India.

Another recent tie-up has been between Bergamo and Esoft Informatics Private Ltd., an Indian software firm to build six solar thermal power plants of 100 MW Capacity each.

Begamo CEO Hillard Herzog said total investment is expected to be US$2.4 billion. "The Bergamo-Esoft JV will look to ultimately ramp up capacity to 1,000 MW."

Meanwhile, International Finance Corporation (IFC), the commercial arm of the World Bank, said it would fund US$10 million for Sunborne Energy to develop solar power projects in India. Sunborne is backed by US-based investors, General Catalyst Partners and Khosla Ventures. Taiwan's Motech has signed a cell supply contract with India's Solar Semiconductor.

With its enormous solar resources, India is well placed to develop solar power, although careful nurturing by the government and long-term commitments from foreign investors is required. Nevertheless, India offers good potential for both generating projects and component manufacturers.

Siddharth Srivastava is a New Delhi-based journalist. He can be reached at sidsri@yahoo.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Councils save millions in managing waste disposal

By Susan Loone - Malaysiakini

Just by renegotiating with the contractor to reduce the cost of transporting solid waste within the state, two local councils in Penang have saved RM33 million of the people’s money.

The money, in the form of surcharge payment to the contractor, will be reclaimed by the two municipal councils – Penang Island and Seberang Perai.

“Imagine how much Umno cronies had profited before this and caused a burden to the people,” said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at a Seberang Perai Municipal Council function today.

He said following the Auditor-General’s advice, the municipal councils were tasked to reclaim the surcharge money paid to the contractor , which amounted to RM222,880.

If the contractor does not return the money, its monthly payment will be reduced, he added.

The contractor, who had been transporting solid waste for the municipal councils before March 2008, when Pakatan Rakyat took over the state , has amicably agreed to repay the surcharge incurred from 2008 to 2009 (21 months), Lim (right) said.

“The renegotiation with the contractor resulted in the reduction of the cost (of transporting solid waste) by about 40 percent and saved us RM33 million in three years,” he said, commending the municipal councils for bringing their accounts back into the blue.

Lim was referring to a recent reminder issued by the Auditor-General on surcharge payments to contractors for the service of solid waste transfer, which amounted to RM222,880 a month from January 2008 to last year.

The surcharge was due to the different weighing methods for the waste at two landfills – Ampang Jajar and Pulau Burung.

The Seberang Perai council managed to salvage the situation by signing a new contract with the contractor in December last year, under which the garbage collected must now be weighed at the Pulau Burung landfill, not at Ampang Jajar.

“This not only resolved that issue of extra payment to the contractor but was also commended by the Auditor-General as to be the right and accurate decision to make,” said Lim.

He did not provide details on the Penang Island Municipal Council’s handling of the issue.

Early Signs Of Restored Faith In BN, Says Najib

PHNOM PENH, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- Malaysians are recovering their faith in Barisan Nasional as the government starts to deliver on electoral promises and other pledges, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said on Thursday.

The Prime Minister said there were early indications of a positive response from the people to government initiatives to meet their needs and expectations.

"As we begin to deliver on electoral promises and on stated commitments, our credibility is strengthened in the eyes of the public," he said in his keynote address at the 6th General Assembly of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties here.

"The final judgment of whether or not we have met the expectations of the people will only be known from the results of the next general election," he added.

The meeting was attended by the leaders of 317 Asian political parties in the government and opposition from 51 countries.

Najib stressed the need to deliver and be seen to deliver as he drew lessons from the BN experience of the last several years when it lost considerable support and strived to regain the people's trust.

He said that his first order of business when taking over the helm of the country in April 2009 was to put in place the "People First, Performance Now" commitment under the overarching 1Malaysia banner.

Since then, the BN government has launched 1Malaysia clinics to provide free medical assistance and services and 1Malaysia scholarships for excellent students regardless of race or religion, he added.

Najib said that various programmes to improve the living conditions of lower-income groups and eliminate poverty around the country were also introduced.

He said the government identified six National Key Results Areas to reduce crime, fight corruption, raise living standards of low-income households, improve rural basic infrastructure and enhance urban public transportation.

An Economic Transformation Programme was unveiled to establish a high income, sustainable and inclusive nation, and 12 National Key Economic Areas were identified, he added.

"The important thing to note here is that at practically every stage of preparing these economic initiatives which will have impact on their daily lives, members of the public were engaged in public labs and forums so as to enable us to truly gauge their expectations and deliver on their aspirations," he said.

Najib said that BN itself had undergone significant transformation and continued to re-invent itself to suit the changing times with the latest move involving the passing of amendments that allowed for direct admission into the 13-party coalition.

Najib said that Umno, the backbone of the coalition, too passed historic amendments to its constitution last year to allow for greater participation of party members at all levels in voting the party's leadership.

"Of course it exposes us to greater scrutiny in terms of our work and it certainly puts party leaders including myself at substantial political risk, but it is our belief that our political support must be

and should be

conditional on our ability to perform well," the Umno president said.

"And by this mechanism, we will be judged by our own party members who can see for themselves whether we have earned our place as their leaders."

The Prime Minister said that a political party was delusional if it thought that its support base was permanent and unchanging and that it would forever be in power.

Najib said that many "legacy" political parties were plagued with such thinking, leading to internal bickering and power struggles within the party hierarchy.

"The end result is the loss of faith of the electorate and party grassroots which cause them to shift their support to alternative political forces that better serve their needs," he added.

Later, responding to questions from reporters, Najib said that early indications that BN was regaining the confidence of the people were all the more reason for the coalition to strive harder rather than relax.

Asked whether the indications would affect the timing of the next general election, he said: "They are not early signs (of a general election) but it can be early or late. That's normal."

Spain busts 'al-Qaeda-linked group'

Police have arrested seven people in Spain and three in Thailand in an international operation against a group suspected of forging passports for an al-Qaeda-linked group, the Spanish interior ministry has said.

The detainees are accused of being part of a group based in Thailand and linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistan-based group blamed for the 2008 attacks on Mumbai, India that killed 166 people, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The arrests in Spain took place late on Tuesday and early Wednesday in the northeastern city of Barcelona, the ministry said.

The detainees included six Pakistanis and one Nigerian.

Forged documents

The ministry said the group stole passports, mostly from tourists in the Barcelona area, and sent them to Thailand to be doctored and later distributed to groups linked to al-Qaeda.

The ministry said the passports allowed members of the groups to enter European and other countries.

The group was said to be run by one of the three people - two Pakistanis and one Thai citizen - arrested in Thailand.

The statement said that in the Spanish raids police seized passports ready to be sent to Thailand, as well as computer and mobile telephone equipment.

The ministry said the group had also supplied forged documents to other groups, including the Tamil Tigers, who were defeated last year by Sri Lankan troops after a quarter-century war for an independent state for ethnic minority Tamils.
Source:
Agencies

PKR flays Sarawak CM for state’s growing wealth gap

Taib has said the people must forsake personal interest for public interest. — File picKUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian attacked Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud today because the state remains among the poorest in the country despite being the richest in resource.

The PKR man was also upset with what he said was the growing disparity in wealth between the rich and the poor.

Bian was commenting today on the Sarawak chief minister’s recent remarks that he never took the state’s development for granted.

In a report in the Borneo Post yesterday, Taib said the public must forsake personal interest for public interest.

“He (Taib) urged the people to be wary of those who tried to brainwash and incite them to hate the government. This, he warned, would cause people to forget about the bread and butter issues like planning further development of the state and country. He said when people forgot about the bread and butter issues they would dwell on personal matters or think about things that were not related to their well-being,” the newspaper reported.

However, Bian questioned why Sarawak has become the fourth poorest state in the country despite it being the richest.

He also asked why a huge disparity still remains between the rich and poor in the state.

“Let us be clear that it is the duty and responsibility of the government of the day (Barisan Nasional — BN) to utilise and manage the coffers of the state for the benefit of the people. Development is not a choice. It is an imperative and a right to be enjoyed by the rakyat. Even the worse totalitarian regimes in the world have to develop their countries, what more to say Malaysia, and in particular Sarawak, which purportedly practises parliamentary democracy.

“However, what is the track record and success rate of the BN government in executing this responsibility of developing the state? It has failed miserably in the last 30 years in discharging this duty,” he said in a statement.

Bian also questioned which bread and butter issues that Taib was referring to as the public has yet to benefit from any development after 47 years of BN rule in Sarawak.

“In light of what the CM has said about bread and butter issues, I agree with him that we should not cloud the matter with rhetoric and instead urge Sarawakians to ask themselves some pertinent questions.

“Who owns the timber concessions and licences in Sarawak? Who owns the quarry licences in Sarawak? Who owns the oil palm plantations in Sarawak? Who has benefitted from the many huge government contracts that have been awarded arbitrarily without open tender?” he asked.

Bian claimed that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will ensure that the bread and butter will reach the common public and not the selected few.

“On the other hand, PKR and Pakatan Rakyat will offer good governance, better management of the state’s wealth, transparency, fair and equitable distribution of wealth, and implement an open tender system for all government projects and contracts. We want the bread and butter to reach the tables of the people, and not end up on the gravy train,” he said.

The current term of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly expires in July next year.

The Sarawak BN has 62 seats in the 71-seat assembly, with 34 held by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), 11 by the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), nine by Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and eight by the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

Gunman shoots teenager dead

IPOH, Dec 2 — A teenager was shot dead by one of two men on a motorcycle in front of a mini market in Taman Bertuah, Kampung Tawas here yesterday, police said today.

Ipoh police chief ACP Azisman Alias said M. Regan, 17, was shot thrice as he was having a drink with friends in front of the mini market at about 6.30pm.

The two men arrived on a motorcycle and one of them approached Regan and shot him, he said, adding that the boy died on the spot.

Regan’s body had been sent to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital, he told reporters.

Azisman appealed to eye-witnesses to contact the Ipoh police headquarters at 05-245-1500. — Bernama

'Umno bijak sembunyikan krisis dalaman'

Oleh Jamilah Kamarudin - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Keputusan Umno menangguhkan pemilihan Majlis Tertinggi selama 18 bulan sehingga tahun 2012 mungkin memberi petanda parti itu mahu menyembunyikan kelemahan krisis dalamannya sementara menghadapi pilihan raya Sarawak dan umum (PRU) dalam masa terdekat.
Pengajaran daripada proses 'ketelusan' pemilihan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) yang akhirnya hanya menampakkan kelemahan sendiri, Umno dilihat mengambil langkah selamat untuk menunda pemilihan yang sepatutnya berakhir pada tahun depan bagi memberi laluan kepada pimpinan baru meneraju parti sepanjang penggal 2011/2014.
Penganalisis politik Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Dr P Sivamurugan berkata penangguhan itu menguatkan lagi spekulasi tentang tarikh pilihan raya Sarawak yang dijangka berlaku seawal Mac tahun depan manakala PRU 13 pula diramalkan pada suku terakhir tahun yang sama.
Menyifatkannya sebagai satu percaturan yang baik bagi mengelakkan Umno kehilangan sokongan rakyat serta pengaruh antara parti komponen lain dalam Barisan Nasional (BN) semasa pilihan raya nanti, Sivamurugan bagaimanapun berkata keputusan itu umpama 'ubat penahan sakit' yang hanya bersifat sementara.
"Saya percaya keputusan Umno itu mungkin hendak mengelakkan permusuhan dalaman parti yang boleh mengganggu peluang BN memenangi pilihan raya.
"Untuk memenangi sesuatu pilihan raya tak semestinya perlu bergantung kepada kelemahan parti lawan.
"Kalau Umno tak bertindak sebegini mungkin mereka berhadapan krisis dalaman yang serius sebab kalau parti sendiri tak kuat bagaimana nak lawan pihak musuh (dalam pilihan raya)," katanya kepada FMT hari ini.
Tiket penting
Pendapat sama turut disokong Pensyarah Undang-Undang Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) Profesor Dr Abdul Aziz Bari yang secara terbuka mengkritik Umno kerana masih enggan mengamalkan budaya keterbukaan politik untuk setiap ahlinya.
Membandingkannya dengan PKR yang mengamalkan sistem pemilihan demokrasi satu ahli satu undi, kedegilan Umno mengekalkan status quo katanya hanya menampakkan lagi tanda-tanda wujudnya pergelutan antara 'kem Najib' dan 'kem Muhyiddin' dalam parti itu.
Aziz juga berkata, presiden Umno yang juga Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak mungkin bimbang kedudukannya akan terancam jika pemilihan MT Umno akan diteruskan kerana sukar meletakkan calon pilihan semasa pilihan raya nanti sekaligus menghalangnya daripada terus mengekalkan kuasa dalam parti.
Ini kerana katanya 'pertarungan' dalam pemilihan MT Umno itu nanti bakal menjadi tiket penting bagi pemenang dan barisan pilihannya menerajui parti itu sekaligus menjadi kuasa penentu dengan parti komponen lain dalam BN.
"Jika mereka meneruskan pemilihan MT Umno, individu yang memenanginya ada kuasa besar untuk mengukuhkan pengaruh dan menetukan individu yang berada dalam badan kuasa perundangan (Parlimen) dan eksekutif (Kabinet).
"Umno sejak dari dulu lagi terkenal dengan masalah budaya politik naungan dan cantas-mencantas sesama ahlinya.
"Hala tuju politik mereka tidak akan kemana-mana jika sistem pemilihan 'autokrasi' mereka masih tetap tidak berubah," katanya.
Krisis MIC
Hal ini ditambah dengan pandangan Dr Sivamurugan yang berpendapat parti 'Ketuanan Melayu' itu masih belum bersedia menghadapi pilihan raya yang sama.
Ini kerana katanya berdasarkan keputusan mesyuarat tertinggi Umno malam Selasa yang mahu mengadakan rombakan dalam badan perhubungan negeri, kursus cawangan kepada ahlinya serta merancang mengadakan jelajah ke seluruh negara untuk berkempen tentang pencapaian yang dilakukan BN sepanjang daripada tahun 2008.
"Mereka perlukan masa...begitu juga dengan MIC yang mahu melihat sama ada presiden barunya Datuk G Palanivel mampu menerajui parti dengan baik dan mengembalikan semula kepercayaan pengundi masyarakat India dalam tempoh terdekat ini," katanya.
Namun beliau percaya MIC mungkin 'terselamat' daripada tekanan krisis pemilihan yang boleh menggugat imej BN untuk menghadapi PRU 13 memandangkan parti itu akan mengadakan pemilihannya pada tahun 2012.
Aziz bagaimanapun menolak pendapat penangguhan pemilihan MT Umno itu adalah satu langkah yang baik untuk parti itu terus kekal relevan sebagai parti yang mempertahankan kedudukan kaumnya dalam perlembagaan.
"Tidak semestinya langkah (penangguhan) itu baik jika politik dalaman Umno masih ditahap lama malah ia akan terus menjadi barah dan membusung sehingga tidak mampu diselamatkan lagi," katanya.
Isu nasional
Pendapat Aziz itu disokong dengan kenyataan bekas presiden Transparensi Antarabangsa Malaysia Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam bahawa penangguhan pemilihan MT Umno itu tidak akan memberi impak yang besar kepada keputusan pilihan raya Sarawak dan PRU 13 sekiranya isu nasional masih tidak dapat diselesaikan.
Beliau merujuk isu nasional kepada masalah kestabilan ekonomi negara, isu Sabah dan Sarawak, keberkesanan Program Transformasi Ekonomi (ETP), ketelusan kerajaan BN memerangi rasuah serta beberapa isu lain yang membelenggu negara sejak tahun 2008.
Tokoh ekonomi itu berkata, apa yang penting adalah prestasi yang dibuktikan serta manifesto yang sudah dilaksanakan barisan kepimpinan Najib sejak PRU 12 yang lalu.
"Rakyat bukannya mahu melihat politik perkauman terus dimainkan untuk memenangi sesebuah pilihan raya kerana mereka tahu politik sempit itu hanya akan menimbulkan ketidakharmonian pemerintahan demokrasi negara.
"Sebaliknya rakyat sekarang sudah celik dan bijak menilai apa yang kerajaan BN janjikan selama ini untuk membela rakyat dan memajukan ekonomi negara," katanya.

Police should pursue justice, not peace only

By Joe Fernandez - Free Malaysia Today,

ANALYSIS It’s evident from the numerous and long-running criticisms levelled against the police in Malaysia that the force is single-mindedly focused on keeping the peace at any cost and to the exclusion of justice or any other abstract needs of a civilised society from the state.
Is it any wonder therefore that the Malaysian police are the “world’s best” – like our 1.2 million civil servants – for keeping the country peaceful? One of their favourite methods for keeping the peace is hammering the you-know-what out of anyone who looks less than peaceful and law-abiding. This does away, under this fast-track system, with the problem of clogging the courts.
It’s okay even if the country goes to the dogs in the process and becomes an international pariah, the police apparently think, as long as there’s peace in the country and the status quo is maintained, albeit for a highly debatable stability. The morality of it all is for the realm of academia.
This is the same mindset that saw China turn away from its voyages of discovery early in the last millennia and declare that “the Middle Kingdom had everything and that there was nothing that it needs to learn or obtain from the outside world of barbarians”. The result was the downfall of Chinese civilisation and eventually long years of humiliation at the hands of even tiny western imperial and colonial forces. The rest is even more history.
If China had learnt its lessons well since then and opened up to the world in ways surprising for a communist nation, the same cannot be said of the establishment, the police in particular, in Malaysia. The local version reminds one of the proverbial “katak di bawah tempurung” (frog under a coconut shell which thinks that is the world).
From the statistics on deaths in police custody and shoot-to-kills, it appears, for one, that the number one rule of the Malaysian police is that “all Indians, and only Indians, are trouble-creators and capable of disrupting the peace in the country and distracting everyone”.
Put this down to the police stereotyping of the Indians as noisy, plaintive, chest-beating, hair-pulling, head-banging, hopping around melodramatic “aiyoh amah kadavale” – oh mother, God – antics. So, mark them down for elimination at every possible excuse to keep the peace in the country. Shoot first, ask questions later before reading them their rights on the way to the mortuary, hospital, police station, court in that order of importance.
If all this sounds too much like P Uthayakumar of the still unregistered Human Rights Party Malaysia (HRPM) who’s convinced that only non-Indians are “racists”, it’s all deliberate to stress a point about the Malaysian police, that is, their prejudice – prasangka or prejudis -- knows no bounds especially when it comes to Indians. Again, we are going by statistics which shows that a disproportionate number of Indians are victims of the police force. The fact that the police seem to having a problem with Indians is clear from the statistics.
Uthaya, also Hindraf Makkal Sathi’s legal adviser, only sees Indians getting the short end of the stick in Malaysia. So, here goes, to continue the analysis, for want of a better term.
Trigger-happy
Enter the force’s shoot-to-kill policy sanctioned by four Emergency Ordinances which, complains Suhakam, have yet to be repealed, that is, Sarawak, konfrontasi, May 13 and Kelantan. The unrepealed Emergency Ordinances also provide legal cover in Malaysia for the extra-judicial killings first made notorious in Brazil and other Latin American countries in a long-running war of the elite against the poor and down-trodden. Latin America has moved on but in Malaysia the police continue to be trigger-happy somewhere in between their notorious ambush spots and the courthouses.
“The suspected robbers – 'planning' a robbery and hence automatically suspects – fired first, the police fired back in self-defence, robbers all shot dead, police all safe.” Dead men tell no tales.
This is the standard line by the police at every press conference stage-managed by them and complete with an impressive display of weapons, mobile phones and cash purportedly recovered from the suspected robbers. In this version, you can see the halos around the police, if not the angelic wings sprouting at their sides.
If some innocent Indians are shot dead in the process, that can be excused on the grounds that “since all Indians look alike to the police (who are usually not Indians) it’s difficult to tell the suspected robbers from other Indians who in any case are guilty by association”.
The police also belabour under the misconception that only Indians are capable of carrying out criminal activities with the term being reserved only for anything that smacks of violence and physical force including rape and murder. So, the police statistics show that the Indians are the biggest murderers in the country because generally it appears that only Indians get caught for this dastardly crime.
The murderers in police uniforms have a James Bond-style 007 licence to kill that would put even Ian Fleming to shame.
Let’s not make too much of a minor distraction like the C4 bombing killing of Altantuya. That’s collateral damage in an area where the C4 bombing trials were going on. Besides, she had no business entering the country without first making sure the Immigration recorded the fact in their computers. Legally, she does not exist. Anyway, she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We don’t need Mongolian models, no matter how ravishingly beautiful they are, to advise us on purchases of submarines we don’t need.
Peace first, justice later
If local non-Indians are discovered perpetrating the Indian type of criminal activities, it’s usually not their fault but society not indoctrinating them with sufficient religious knowledge and or mixing with too many Indians who “obviously picked up their criminal ways from watching too many Tamil and Hindi movies” or looking too much like Indians, the last definitely another crime in the police dictionary of law.
Crimes of the white-collar kind – politicians raiding the public treasury or milking the banks at will – don’t figure in the police radar as real crimes since such activities are not carried out by Indians. In fact, such “criminals” should be held up as role models for the rest of the citizenry in helping to re-distribute the wealth and admired for their cunning, “intelligence” and their ill-gotten gains.
The triads, for the same reason, can be excused as they are generous benefactors of the police force unlike the two-bit Indian criminals.
Put down the police refusal to grant permits to hold rallies, ceramahs, dinners or candle-light vigils by “anti-national elements” as purely due to their fervently patriotic desire to maintain peace in the country, even if it means denying justice in the process. Peace first, justice later, if at all.
Now Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation chair Lee Lam Thye has finally outdone even himself by fuming in public in recent days that criticisms against the police are a form of crime. No doubt the police will take Lee’s statement in their favour as something that should be diligently pursued under cover of theunrepealed Emergency Ordinances.
Anyone who criticises the police in future will get the Aminulrasyhid Amzah – too Indian-looking or the police – treatment, that is, more than a bullet or two at the back of his head. For this the police can thank Lee who is ever mindful that justice is not for others but, first of all, for the police.