When movements override causes

It took only 24 years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad for Muslims to engage in three civil wars over a period of another 24 years. And this is because the cause played second fiddle to everything else. Hence I am worried when people forget the cause and argue about movements and leaders. And when corruption was allowed to flourish, the period which came to be known as the Golden Age of Islam came to an end.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin

If I were asked what were the significant events in Islamic history (we are talking history here, not religion), I would probably reply the three major civil wars fought amongst Muslims from 656 to 680 (read more below). I am of the opinion that those 24 years changed the course of Islamic history forever. And the result of that is Muslims are now divided and more Muslims have died at the hands of fellow Muslims than at the hands of the Jews, the traditional enemy of the Muslims.
Today, the Sunnis label the Shias as deviants, heretics, apostates, etc., and vice versa. This is no different from Christendom, say, of 500 years ago, where Protestants and Catholics would slaughter each other for that same reason. Today, the Christians no longer slaughter each other but this does not mean that they agree with each others’ teachings. It is just that they no longer kill each other over these differences in dogma.
And why did this happen? Why do people who share the same God and the same Prophet slaughter each other? The fact that when the Saud-Wahhabi army swept across the Arabian Peninsular and parts of the Ottoman Empire -- in the 1740s, in the early 1800s, and again after the First World War -- and they butchered Muslims but spared the Jews and Christians gives an impression that fellow Muslims are the Muslims’ greatest enemy.
Is it not ironical that the Muslim army slaughtered fellow Muslims but spared the Jews and Christians? I suppose it would not be when you consider that the Muslims and Christians got along well with each other in Spain for nearly 800 years from the 700s to 1492 but Muslims slaughtered Muslims and Christians slaughtered Christians during that same era.
The reason for this is simple enough to analyse. Most people put their loyalty to the organisation or to their leader as paramount and above the cause. When movements or leaders override the cause then that is what happens. Muslims forget that they are brothers-of-the-faith and unite under the banner of a movement or a leader. Hence Islam saw three major civil wars that divided the Muslims forever.
It took only 24 years after the death of the Prophet Muhammad for Muslims to engage in three civil wars over a period of another 24 years. And this is because the cause played second fiddle to everything else. Hence I am worried when people forget the cause and argue about movements and leaders. And when corruption was allowed to flourish, the period which came to be known as the Golden Age of Islam came to an end.
Have we learned nothing from history? Why do we keep repeating the mistakes of history? And for that very reason I am not prepared to compromise the cause for the sake of any movement or leader or allow corruption to go unchallenged. I have learned from almost 1,500 years of Islamic history.

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The First Islamic Civil War
The First Islamic Civil War (656–661), also called the First Fitna (Arabic: فتنة مقتل عثمان; Transliteration: Fitnat Maqtal Uthmān "The Fitna of the killing of Uthman"), was the first major civil war within the Islamic Caliphate. It arose as a result of the death of the previous Caliph Uthman.
The Fitna began as a series of revolts fought against first Imam of Shia'a and fourth and final of the Sunni Rightly Guided Caliphs Ali ibn Abi Talib, caused by the controversial assassination of his predecessor, Uthman Ibn Affan. It lasted for the entirety of Ali's reign, and its end is marked by Muawiyah's assumption of the caliphate (founding the Umayyad dynasty), and the subsequent recorded peace treaty between him and Hassan ibn Ali.
Uthman was besieged in his house by rebels and rioters, culminating in his assassination in July 656. Main reason for their dissatisfaction with Uthman was, his appointing family members as governors in key Islamic provinces. Ali ibn Abi Talib was then chosen by public as fourth Caliph.
Ali was first opposed by a faction led by Talhah, Al-Zubayr and Muhammad's wife, Aisha bint Abu Bakr. First they gathered in Mecca then moved to Basra with the expectation of finding the necessary forces and resources to mobilize people in what is now Iraq. The opposers encamped close to Basra, and the subsequent heated exchange & protests during the parley turned from words to blows, leading to loss of life on both sides. When Ali asked them for obedience and a pledge of allegiance, they refused. Ali tried to negotiate with Aisha considering her the venerated wife of Muhammad (S.A.W), but she refused. At last,the two parties met at the Battle of Bassorah (Battle of the Camel) in 656, where Ali emerged victorious. (READ MORE HERE:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Fitna)

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Battle of the Camel
Aisha had long hated Ali, and wished that, when the aged Uthman died, her own kinsman, Zubayr, should become caliph. When Uthman was assassinated, she was not in Medina, having gone to Mecca a few weeks previously to perform the pilgrimage. The news of Uthman's murder reached her when she was on the way back. She returned immediately to Mecca and incited the citizens against Ali. The fiery address set a match to the smouldering fire of discontent. The first to respond to Aisha's call was Abdullah bin Amur, the Uthmanid governor of Mecca. Those Umayyads who had fled from Medina after the ghastly murder of Uthman now also joined Aisha, and when Talha and Zubayr came over to Aisha, many more of the Qoraish clamoured to join in the rebellion. Aisha advocated march on Basra. Throwing off the veil ordained, Aisha now took command of the army. The money to equip it came from Yamen treasury, brought to Mecca by the governor whom Ali had deposed. It is however clear from the sources that in the battle between Ali and Aisha, the triumvirate was fighting for personal reason rather than for the blood of Uthman, which was a timely and convenient pretext for them. (READ MORE HERE: http://www.ismaili.net/histoire/history03/history339.html)

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Battle of Karbalāʾ
The Battle of Karbalāʾ,(Oct. 10, 680 -10th of Muharram, ah 61]), was a brief military engagement in which a small party led by al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and son of ʿAlī, the fourth caliph, was defeated and massacred by an army sent by the Umayyad caliph Yazīd I. The battle helped secure the position of the Umayyad dynasty, but among Shīʿite Muslims (followers of al-Ḥusayn) the 10th of Muharram (or ʿĀshūrāʾ) became an annual holy day of public mourning. (READ MORE HERE: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/312214/Battle-of-Karbala)

Cowed no more

by Kapil Sethi - The Malaysian Insider


MARCH 27 — Till maybe a decade ago, the average Malaysian adult, when confronted with a political topic in a public place would shuffle uneasily, take a quick peek over his shoulder and either change the topic or restrict his response to a quick whispered sentence or two. Very Orwellian, but understandable in the context of realities such as the ISA, Ops Lalang, Special Branch and the Anwar black eye incident.

In the context of all the deeply intellectual prognoses by hordes of political analysts on the outcome of the next general election, it seems strange that there has been no acknowledgement of the profound impact of this loss of fear among the electorate.

From rumours of serial numbers on ballot numbers being used to identify and harass those who voted a particular way, to civil servants’ jobs and promotions being in jeopardy if they didn’t toe the line, to the full might of the law being used to finish careers of those who openly supported the other side, it seems everyone in Malaysia had a instructive story to tell of those who chose oppositional politics.

The advent of the Abdullah Ahmad Badawi administration and his commitment to keep the Internet free of censorship set the stage for a large number of people to see the actual realities of Malaysia without the rose tinted lens of the Barisan-controlled mainstream media. The 2008 tsunami further helped the process along and fast forward to today, of the Arab Spring and closer home, Bersih 2.0.

This shift is much more than a passing fad and it may have changed the way Malaysians view their political system in a fundamental way. The idea that their participation in the political process has a real impact on outcomes that affect their individual lives is here to stay.

The proposed roll back of the ISA and UUCA, the formation of a Parliamentary Select Committee on electoral reform and the Lynas rare earths project, the scrapping of the civil servants’ new pay scheme (SBPA), the rethink on the AirAsia-MAS share swap or even the resignation of Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil are direct reminders of the newfound power of the people to effect political change in matters that concern them.

Election predictions to date generally take the view that there is an even split between BN and PR for roughly 70 per cent of the electorate. It is the undecided 30 per cent that will decide the outcome. That 30 per cent is the youth vote, the Malay vote or the non-Malay vote, depending on who you ask.

In my view, that 30 per cent is best defined as the post-fear voter. The voter who is not necessarily ideologically committed or even overtly political, who will not campaign for a political party or even participate in activism, but who knows the power of her vote. This person does not indulge in a lot of political debate, but is aware of the fact that he can, if he so chooses. This person may not have voted in the past or even registered to vote, but will do so this time, because for the first time he sees the point of it.

This voter may represent the true awakening of Malaysian democracy that makes participation attractive to almost every adult, even if only once in five years. In my view what matters to this voter is growth in economic terms, protection of traditional values in cultural terms, a level playing field and an end to corruption in opportunity terms and an opportunity to hold her head high as a Malaysian in global terms. Paraphrasing Rabindranath Tagore: “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; where knowledge is free; into that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake”.

So who is this person most likely to vote for? Sticking my neck out, my prediction is that in the current scenario, expect the DAP to win big with this segment as it champions a post-racial middle-Malaysia position built around the perceived success of Lim Guan Eng in Penang. Most notably his tom-tomming of the Freedom of Information Act, a level playing field in economic terms with open tenders that did not disadvantage Malay contractors and the CAT (Competence, Accountability and Transparency) mantra.

Let the games begin.

860 on death row await appeal

The New Straits Times 
by ILI LIYANA MOKHTAR, LING POH LEAN AND NUR ADILLA NOORAZAM

AS of Feb 28, 2012, 860 offenders have been meted the death penalty, based on statistics from the Prisons Department.

However, none have been executed because they were appealing.

In a written statement by the Home Ministry, 616 were appealing to the Court of Appeal, 94 to the Federal Court and 150 to the Pardons board.

The Home Ministry was replying to a question by Liew Chin Tong (DAP-Bukit Bendera) on the number of prisoners awaiting the death sentence and the number of offenders caned between 2005 and this year.

According to Prisons Department statistics, 79,487 offenders had been caned between 2005 and last year.

Of that number, 46,338 or 58.3 per cent were Malaysians while the remaining 33,149 or 41.7 per cent were foreigners.

BN Can Win Election If Everyone Gives Priority To Party - Rafidah

KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) can win the 13th general election if all its machinery were united and worked harder, said former Wanita Umno head Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.

Rafidah, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kuala Kangsar, said the BN government had implemented various development projects for the benefit of the rakyat and it was capable of becoming a responsible government that could take the nation to greater heights.

Describing the BN as a net that had protected the people for so long, she urged them to evaluate the importance of the 'net' for them.

"Do not burn the net just because of a bug. If there are holes in the net, we must help to repair them. The bug can be discarded, but never burn the net," she said at a programme, 'Teh Tarik Bersama YB', here Tuesday night.

Rafidah said that if not for the BN government, Malaysia would not be able to achieve what it had today.

The veteran Umno leader also repeated her intention to give up the Kuala Kangsar Parliamentary seat to make way for new faces.

Pakistan minister claims 100 women forced to convert to Islam

Hindu women at a recent Holi festival event.

MUMBAI: A Pakistani minister has claimed that 100 non-Muslim women, predominantly Hindu, have been forced to convert to Islam in the country in recent months.

Minister for National Harmony Akram Masih Gill, a Christian, said that if true, the practice went counter to all things established by Islam as the faith prohibits forced conversion.

“We will seek a religious decree from the Council of Islamic Ideology and a ruling by the Federal Shariah Court on the issue before introducing the required law,” Gill told The Express Tribune newspaper.

The draft of the proposed law is likely to be tabled in Parliament after the passage of the budget in June.

Gill said he was unsure about the exact number of forced conversions in the absence of accurate data, but believed that the “figure of such cases is about 100″.

But journalists in Pakistan say that many of the conversions are likely do to religious restrictions on marriage.

Kamal Javaid, a local reporter in Karachi, told Bikyamasr.com that “many of the women I have spoken with say they found love and that their families were against the marriage to a Muslim man, so they converted and ran off with him.

“This is not to say that all are this way, but we must always be weary of groups pointing to a large number like this without facts being investigated.”

Parliamentarians from minority communities have recommended that the federal government introduce legislation to check forced conversions, he said.

The minister’s remarks came against the backdrop of an order issued by the Supreme Court, directing authorities in southern Sindh province to produce three Hindu women, who were allegedly forcibly converted, in court on March 26.

Backing Javaid’s assertion, however, two of the women – Rinkle Kumari and Lata Kumari – have claimed in lower courts that they voluntarily converted to Islam and married Muslim men.

The issue of conversion has been a tenuous topic in recent months in Pakistan after reports of religiously induced violence and crimes have become more commonplace.

BM

'Kenapa saya keluar Umno' - Kadir

No Indian support for you, Najib

Mipas claims that as a result of the slow pace of reforms, Indian voters have become disillusioned with the BN government.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Indians Progressive Association (Mipas) claimed today its “survey” indicated dwindling support for the Barisan Nasional from the Indian voters.

Its secretary-general, S Barathidasan, said that the slow pace of reforms has left many Indian voters disillusioned, contrary to popular belief that they are now flocking to the BN camp.

“It is not true that the ‘wind’ is blowing towards BN… the people still do not have full confidence and trust in the BN government, as many issues have not been settled,” he said in a statement.

Among the many unresolved issues that have corroded Indian support for the BN is the prolonged Lynas controversy.

Barathidasan cited the controversy over the setting up of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Lynas as an example.

Opposition leaders have refused to be part of the panel after they claimed that the composition of the committee was unfair as it would not give fair representation to stakeholders who oppose the construction of the rare earth refinery in Kuantan.

They claimed that the PSC was just a public relations exercise, adding that the government has already made up its mind to allow the Australian mining giant to operate here despite concerns of radioactive pollution.

Barathidasan also said the government has failed to solve longstanding issues concerning the Indian community.

He claimed that discriminatory policies are still in practice: employment in the public sector among Indians is still low at 3.2% and many are still without proper identification documents despite living here for generations.

Eyewash

Education is also another major problem plaguing the country’s poorest voters.

While Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had announced the awarding of full scholarship to 100 Indian students with first-class degrees in public universities, the low number of Indian admission into them is still pitiful.

“How many Indian students are there in public universities? It could be fewer than 100. This full scholarship is just an eyewash… it is sandiwara politics [political gimmick] of the BN government,” Barathidasan said.

He added that the discrimination against the Indians is also reflected in the BN’s foreign policy.

Barathidasan charged that Malaysia, being a Muslim majority country, has been supportive of the Palestinian cause but abstained in voting on a United Nations resolution condemning ethnic cleansing of Tamils in Sri Lanka.

He claimed that sucha policy has alienated Indian support although Mipas gave no details of its survey.

Pundits claimed that Indian support has returned to BN as reflected in polling data collected from the majority of the by-elections held since the 2008 general elections, indicating that Najib’s intensified charm offensive on the Indian voters has been effective.

In another development, an MIC insider urged Mipas to reveal the findings of their so-called survey.

“We highly doubt if they had done any surveys at all. They are just a small outfit trying to show that they are still relevant in today’s politicis…perhaps they want to hoodwink Pakatan into giving them seats for the GE,” said the inside.

Devotees want temple to reveal assets

A court decision over the protracted legal tussle involving the former trustees of the Bukit Gasing Sivan temple is to be known in May.

PETALING JAYA: Politics almost always rears its ugly head wherever there is money and a ready audience and that includes religious institutions.

The Bukit Gasing Sivan Temple with its spectacular view of Kuala Lumpur is no different.

The temple is mired in controversy and has drawn not only the ire of devotees who once enjoyed its serenity but also hungry politicians keen on championing a “just” cause in whatever form it takes.

In the ring of contentious issues is the ongoing legal tussle between the temple trustees and a new committee led by M Maharathan, who allegedly hijacked the temple administration and forced open the shrine.

The temple which was under renovation was “closed” three years ago after the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) declared that the land on which the temple was located was unsafe.

But since the protracted legal tussle began, all renovation works have progressively come to a full halt. The case is up for decision in May.

While the main structures of the temple have been boarded up, the shrine itself is open to devotees.

But now of greater concern to some devotees is the undisclosed properties belonging to the temple.

Speaking to FMT, a temple devotee, who declined to be named, said the former trustees are refusing to reveal details of the assets belonging to the temple.

According to the devotee, the temple was built during the British era by the residents living in and around Petaling Jaya.

“The temple became famous due to special prayers and the devotees around the Klang Valley very often visited the temple and this caused politicians to encircle the temple,” he said.

Report lodged with MACC

He claimed that in 2006, the former trustees bought the temple for RM60,000 from its caretaker.

“As far I know, this is the first temple that has been bought with the purpose of administration.

“Why were the trustees willing to pay RM60,000 to buy the temple? he asked.

The devotee claimed that following the purchase, an official committee was formed and former MIC president S Samy Vellu’s wife, Indrani, became the president.

Four others – R Ramasamy, Dr AP Gunasingam, M Ghandinathan and G Rajakrishnan – were appointed trustees.

“Since then, no one has questioned the affairs of the temple. The trustees had a free run on all the money donated by the public until the temple was closed to public,” he said.

He claimed that they (devotees) had lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) with regard to temple assets which were allegedly in the name of one of the trustees.

“We have no details of the properties worth RM11.9 million and a durian plantation worth RM800,000. We had already lodged a report with the MACC but nothing has happened,” he said.

He also alleged that one particular trustee controlled the temple administration, and that as a result of a fall-out with this trustee, another trustee, G Rajakrishnan, had resigned.

Call for independent probe

Rajakrishnan’s statutory declaration was forwarded to FMT and he confirmed that he had resigned due to his unhappiness over the manner the temple administration was being run.

According to the document, Rajakrishnan called for an independent body to be set up to probe into the whereabouts of the temple’s assets.

Meanwhile, a source close to Indrani told FMT that the “powerful” trustee had resigned from the board “sometime in late 2010”, citing health reasons.

The source declined to discuss the issue except to say that the court registrar had two weeks ago advised them not to make public statements as the case was in court awaiting decision.

However, the source did say that all documents was with their lawyers.

Indrani and the said trustee could not be contacted for comment.

Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: Has Najib won over Indian Malaysians?

PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has obviously been trying to win the Indian Malaysian community’s votes ahead of the impending general election. The list of government initiatives for the Indian community in the recent months has been long. These initiatives range from funding new school blocks to increasing allocated seats for Indian matriculation students; the approval of myKad for over 4,000 Indian Malaysians to the building of a crematorium in Kapar; and recently the promise of 100 scholarships for top Indian Malaysian students.
Najib has asked Indian Malaysians to walk with him because the Barisan Nasional (BN) has delivered its promises to the community. He has asked them to partner the government in the spirit of “nambikei”, or trust, to bring Malaysia to greater heights.
Has Najib really addressed the issues which affect Indian Malaysians by making good on these promises? And what can we expect the community to do come the elections?
TNG: Is it true that Najib has not let the Indian Malaysian community down? Do the government measures and initiatives thus far warrant more Indian Malaysian support for BN? And the million dollar question — will these measures work to win the BN support from Indian Malaysians in the elections?

Najib is trying to win the Indian Malaysian community's votes

The marginalisation that Indian Malaysians face in general is structural. They are stuck at the bottom of society because of poverty, crime, police violence and social ills. A Tamil friend compared her community to the blacks in the US.
Since coming into power and making the offers he’s made, can we say that Najib has not let the Indian Malaysian community down? One would need to ask if the structural challenges the community faces have been overcome. On the surface, Najib’s “Indian-specific” solutions may have done the job. But in reality, this may not be the case for two reasons.
First, some solutions are too limited compared to the scale of the problem. For example, thousands of Indian Malaysian students drop out of school every year. One hundred scholarships for top Indian Malaysian students, while commendable, is not going to help much. What we need is full support for Tamil schools especially those in rural areas. Now, what has Najib offered to end the plight of Tamil school kids nationwide?
Second, some problems are not ethnic in nature. Poverty amongst the Indian Malaysian working class and rising crimes amongst the youth are caused by, amongst others, the absence of minimum wage. How can you solve Indian Malaysian problems without solving the Malaysian problem? Now, in that sense, what has Najib done to win the trust of the hardcore poor?
How have Indian Malaysians historically voted? How crucial was their vote in the last election and how crucial will it be in the next election?
If the electoral performance of MIC can be an indicator, Indian Malaysians were staunch BN supporters from 1974 to 2004. They do not constitute a majority in any parliamentary or state constituency partly because they are not highly concentrated in any one area and partly because gerrymandering works against them.
Local elections would have ensured the emergence of some Indian-majority wards but the champions of Indian interests in both BN and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have not shown much interest in this. Indian Malaysians, however, constitute a significant number in many constituencies. In Selangor for example, based on the 2011 electoral rolls, they make up at least 20% in 12 out of 56 state constituencies.

Hindraf rally in Kuala Lumpur, November 2007 (© lastsham | Wiki Commons)

Before 2008, Indian Malaysians strongly supported the BN but became one of the communities which benefited the least. In 2008, thanks to Hindraf, they rose up against the BN and that ushered in a whole series of friendly gestures from Najib.
In the next general election, Indian Malaysian voters will be the determining factor for whether BN secures a two-third majority or even a victory. Will they vote as they did pre-2008 or as in 2008? That will depend on how contented they feel about Najib’s offers so far. If they want more, they would vote against the BN.
How relevant is the MIC in winning the community’s vote? At the last general election, they only managed to capture three out of their nine parliamentary seats and had their president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu voted out as well.
I believe that MIC is increasingly irrelevant for two reasons. First, the PR parties, including PAS, are showing that so-called Indian interests can be championed by non-Indian parties and by non-Indian politicians.

Ramasamy (source: dapmalaysia.org)

Second, even if you return to the old thinking that you need some powerful Indian Malaysians high up in the government hierarchy, can MIC do better than Penang’s Deputy Chief Minster II, the DAP’s Dr P Ramasamy? While the in-fighting between DAP chairperson Karpal Singh and Ramasamy is a turn-off, it merely demonstrates that Ramasamy’s position is a powerful one in dispensing patronage.
Worse still for MIC, even if it has recovered slightly from its lowest point in 2008, a rise in Indian Malaysian support is no guarantee for victory. Most of their contested seats are not safe since Chinese Malaysian voters constitute a substantial minority and their rejection of BN and Umno is growing stronger by the day.

Rosmah Mansor (source: pmo.gov.my)

When even the more powerful MCA is viewed with disdain, there is nothing much MIC can do to win Chinese Malaysian votes. While Malay Malaysian voters are said to have returned significantly to Umno’s fold, there is no guarantee that this would be strong enough to rescue the MIC candidates. Many Malay grassroots voters are incensed with cowgate and Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor‘s lifestyle. They may just vote against BN if a pro-opposition “wind” emerges.
How relevant is race-based politics as a whole in Malaysia? Can parties avoid having to woo specific ethnic communities as has been done in the past and continues to be done today?
Race-based politics will stay as long as the state remains centralised. Centralisation makes the control of the state a big prize, making every community count its gains and losses all the time. In this sense, the majority community which has the most to lose may be the likeliest to feel under siege. On the other hand, marginalised minorities may also feel under siege because of their relatively smaller size.

Indian Malaysian boys in school uniform, standing in front of a Chinese vernacular school (© visnu92 | Wiki Commons)

To get everyone away from ethnic politics, we do not need political unity where all citizens share the same political preferences — this would be either a myth or a disaster. Instead, we need new divisions. For example, new divisions along class lines may help poor Indian Malaysians see their common fate with poor Malay and Chinese Malaysians, and poor Sarawakians and Sabahans. They may see that they have more in common with other poor Malaysians than with rich Indians who may not even speak the same language or practise the same lifestyle. For that to happen, we would need decentralisation.
When there are many games i.e. many platforms for elections, and many more prizes i.e. in the form of more elected positions in the political system, we would be more daring in trying out new ideas, new identities and new configurations of interests. And having local elections can be a start because local elections would usher in more diverse political articulations and more pragmatism.

Ubah Suai Pejabat : Khalid Pertahan Hasan, Azmin Ditempelak

Who’s Hee? Get to know your MP

A little under 2 weeks ago, I was invited to join a meeting of a group of PJ Selatan voters who wanted to initiate an effort get to know more about our sitting MP, Yang Berkhdmat Hee Loy Sian.

I have long been in favour of citizens taking responsibility for what happens in this country.

Taking ownership of their constituency and its electoral process is, in my view, a positive step in that direction.

This effort by this group, I felt, was just the sort of thing we need to get the voters of PJ Selatan to step up and do the right thing.

I attended that meeting.

A second meeting followed a few nights ago.

What has since followed illustrates how a few good people coming together can achieve so much.

People Power!

Representatives from this group have secured a first meeting with YB Hee this 30th March.

Good on you, YB.

Amongst other things, they will be discussing with the parliamentarian a forthcoming town hall-style meeting between the MP and PJ Selatan registered voters.

A facebook group, ’105 – Petaling Jaya Selatan voters’, has been created, to help outreach to as many PJ Selatanites who might be keen to get involved in this initiative.

And for those who might not be in facebook, there is an email address to which you might send your inquiries.

105pjselatanvoters@gmail.com

In 2007, a group of PJ Selatanites started a ‘PJ Selatan get to know your MP’ initiative.

Then, of course, Donald Lim, was the MP.

We had fun with him, didn’t we, PJ Selatanites?

PRU13: Masa untuk menilai semula prestasi BN

PRU13: Masa untuk menilai semula prestasi BN

Cubalah kita bayangkan jika anda adalah seorang pemilik sebuah syarikat perniagaan dan apakah yang akan anda lakukakan jika sekiranya ada seorang “pekerja” anda yang tidak pernah mempamerkan prestasi yang memuaskan sepanjang tempoh penggajiannya dengan syarikat anda? Kenapa? “Pekerja” yang prestasinya yang tidak baik selama ini sudah tentunya akan menerima tindakan yang sewajarnya, sama ada penggantungan kerja ataupun penamatan perkhidmatan. Dan ini adalah merupakan suatu keadaan yang hampir sama sekali apabila tibanya pilihanraya umum ke-13 (PRU13) tidak lama lagi.

Kita semua selaku rakyat dan pengundi umum adalah merupakan “majikan” kepada kerajaan yang dipilih dan oleh itu, kita akan menilai semula prestasi kerajaan apabila PRU menjelang pada setiap lima tahun. Di dalam PRU 2008 yang lalu, rakyat telahpun memberikan satu peringatan dan amaran keras kepada kerajaan persekutuan BN agar berubah atau menghadapi penyingkiran di dalam PRU yang akan datang.

Namum demikian, nampaknya rakyat jelata dilihat akan memberikan BN satu lagi peluang apabila kerajaan BN tanpa segan silu merasuah kita semua, selaku “majikan” dengan pemberian RM500 seorang, permohonan maaf yang tidak begitu ikhlas dan pelbagai-bagai janji-janji manis kononnya mereka akan berubah menjadi lebih baik.

Jika sekiranya amalan ini berlaku di sesebuah syarikat swasta di mana seorang pekerja yang cuba merasuah majikan untuk terus bekerja di situ, sudah tentu pekerja tersebut akan disingkirkan serta-merta kerana cubaan merasuah majikan. Perkara yang sama inilah yang kini cuba dilakukan oleh kerajaan BN terhadap rakyat jelata.

Apakah jenis “pekerja” ini? Dari masa ke semasa, kerajaan BN sering merayu rakyat agar mereka diberikan peluang dan kita senantiasa memberi laluan yang begitu mudah untuk kerajaan BN untuk kembali berkuasa pada setiap PRU. Akan tetapi, BN sering memungkiri janji-janjinya dengan tanggapan rakyat akan mudah lupa. Ini sememangnya sikap para pemimpin BN, seringkali menabur pelbagai janji dan akhirnya memungkirinya apabila PRU berlalu.

Jika anda adalah “majikan” di dalam keadaan di atas, sudah tnetu “pekerja” sebegini akan disingkirkan dan digantikan denhan pekerja baru yang lebih berkebolehan. Inilah yang kita perlu tunjukkan kepada kerajaan BN siapakah yang sebenarnya Bos di negara ini.

Dan dengan kad laporan prestasi BN inilah akan dijadikan sebagai satu daya pengukur di dalam persidangan parlimen yang telahpun berlangsung dari 12 Mac hingga 12 April dan berdasarkan keadaan yang terkini, sidang parlimen ini mungkin menjadi seesi yang terakhir buat BN.

Isu-isu hangat

Antara isu-isu yang dijangka “akan cuba dibangkitkan” oleh ahli-ahli parlimen gabungan pembangkang, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) adalah seperti yang berikut:

1) Skandal kondo-lembu NFC,

2) Penetapan kadar gaji minimum,

3) Skim kesihatan 1Care,

4) Pembinaan kilang penapisan sisa toksik Lynas,

5) Kos Lebuhraya Ekspres Kinrara-Damansara (KIDEX) yang semakin meningkat,

6) Janji BN untuk membina enam buah sekolah jenis kebangsaan (Tamil) yang masih tinggal janji,

7) Pembiakan nyamuk yang diubahsuai secara genetik,

8) Penyenaraian saham Felda.

Perkataan “akan cuba dibangkitkan” digunakan pada perenggan yang lalu kerana di kebanyakan seesi persidangan parlimen yang lalu, ahli-ahli parlimen PR tidak diberikan masa yang mencukupi untuk mengemukakan soalan ataupun membahaskan sesuatu perkara demi kepentingan rakyat dan negara.

Pertama, siasatan terhadap skandal kondo-lembu NFC itu telah mengambil masa yang begitu lama sekali di dalam menentukan sama ada para pengarah syarikat berkenaan harus didakwa atau sebaliknya. Malah pihak polis dan pejabat peguam negara saling tolak menolak hasil kertas siasatan sebelum ini. Adakah ia merupakan suatu taktik kerajaan BN untuk melengahkan masa dan keadaan agar rakyat akan mudah melupakan kes tersebut? Akan tetapi, para pemimpin PR terus berusaha memberikan tekanan yang menyeluruh terhadap kes tersebut yang akhirnya berjaya dikemukakan ke mahkamah untuk didakwa para pesalahnya.

Kita tengoklah apa yang telah berlaku pada kes skandal Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) yang menyebabkan kerugian berjuta-juta Ringgit. Walaupun bekas presiden MCA dan bekas menteri pengangkutan Dr Ling Liong Sik yang kini sedang didakwa berkaitan kes berkenaan, namum, satu demi satu bukti-bukti skandal dilesap atau dihilangkan dengan begitu sahaja agar kerajaan BN tidak akan menerima tamparan akibat daripada siri perbicaraan tersebut.

Sementara isu yang kedua pula adalah mengenai penetapan kadar gaji minima yang kini hangat diperkatakan ramai. Apabila PR mengemukakan cadangan gaji minimanya pada kadar RM1100 sebulan melalui pembentangan Bajet Alternatif 2012 ppada 4 Oktober 2011 yang lalu, para pemimpin BN dengan lantas mentertawakan cadangan tersebut bagaikan jenaka.

Kini tiba giliran BN pula yang akan mengemukakan cadangan gaji minimanya pada kadar di antara RM880 hingga RM900 sebulan yang dianggap rakyat jelata terlalu rendah berbanding dengan kenaikan kadar inflasi yang begitu mendadak. Seperti biasa golongan pekerja akan terus menjadi mangsa. Suatu perseimbangan kadar di antara majikan dan pekerja perlu diwujudkan bagi menangani masalah inflasi yang kini semakin meningkat agar suatu kadar gaji yang adil dapat dilaksanakan dan tidak membebankan kedua-dua belah pihak.

Isu yang ketiga melibatkan skim insurans kesihatan 1Care yang penuh dengan misteri. Adalah difahamkan bahawa 10 peratus daripada gaji pekerja swasta akan dipotong pada setiap bulan untuk disalurkan kepada 1Care. Menurut BN, insurans sedemikian adalah untuk membantu mereka yang memerlukan rawatan bagi penyakit-penyakit yang serius. Tetapi, apakah yang akan berlaku jka sekiranya wang di dalam 1Care itu tidak digunakan oleh mereka-mereka yang sentiasa sihat dan tidak mempunyai sebarang penyakit? Ahli-ahli parlimen PR kini sedang memberikan tekanan yang menyeluruh terhadap timbalan presiden MCA dan menteri kesihatan Liow Tiong Lai agar mengemukakan maklumat yang lebih terperinci, namum sehingga hari ini Liow masih membisu dan enggan menggulas lanjut.

Kontroversi yang seterusnya adalah pembinaan kilang pemprosesan sisa toksik Lynas di Gebeng, Pahang. Sebelum projek pembinaan itu dilaksanakan kerajaan BN telah merahsiakan tujuan pembinaan kilang itu daripada rakyat. Namun, akhirnya rakyat tetap juga mengetahuinya dan keluar beramai-ramai untuk membantah projek Lynas tersebut. Apakah yang telah berlaku pada slogan “Rakyat Didahulukan” uang sering dilaung-laungkan oleh perdana menteri dan presiden Umno Najib Razak sebelum ini?

Kalaulah Lynas itu merupakan satu projek yang selamat dan berfaedah seperti yang didakwa oleh Najib, kenapa pula merahsiakannya daripada rakyat sebelum ini? Dan kenapa pula kilang tersebut tidak dibina di atas tanah Australia itu sendiri oleh kerana syarikat itu milik pelabur Australia?

Walau macam manapun, ahli-ahli parlimen PR akan tetap meneruskan tekanan mereka di dalam parlimen agar kilang tersebut segera ditutup demi memastikan keselamatan dan kesihatan rakyat jelata tidak tidak tergadai begitu sahaja demi keuntungan sesetengah pihak yang didokong oleh BN.

Bagi projek Lebihraya Ekspres Kinrara-Damansara (KIDEX), kita juga dapati bahawa kos projek pembinaan tersebut telah meningkat secara mendadak sehingga mencecah RM2 bilion dan persoalannya adalah kenapa projek pembinaan tersebut tidak ditawarkan melalui proses tender terbuka seperti yang diwajibkan mengikut undang-undang?

Selain daripada itu, kerajaan BN sebelum ini telah berjanji kepada masyarakat India bahawa 6 buah Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SRJKT) akan dibina tidak lama lagi, namum sehingga pada hari ini, janji tersebut hanya tinggal janji dan kerajaan BN masih tetap menjanjikannya tetapi tidak memberikan sebarang tarikh perlaksanaan tersebut. Persoalannya adalah bila? Adakah ianya hanya merupakan suatu tipu muslihat agar masyarakat India kembali menyokong BN pada PRU yang akan datang?

Isu yang ketujuh pula adalah berkenaan projek pembiakan sejenis nyamuk yang dibuat secara genetik bagi memerangi ancaman nyamuk aedes, namum tidak ada maklumat terperinci yang dapat dikemukakan oleh kementerian kesihatan bagi memastikan pembiakan baka baru nyamuk tersebut tidak mengamcam orang ramai khususnya kanak-kanak. Apa yang pihak kementerian berikan sehingga pada hari ini adalah hanya maklumat-maklumat yang masih kabur dan tidak jelas.

Cadangan penyenaraian Felda di dalam Bursa Saham oleh kerajaan BN turut menerima bantahan yang begitu hebat daripada para pemimpin PR dan sebilangan besar peneroka Felda itu sendiri yang telah melihat penyenaraian tersebut bakal mengancam kedudukan dan kebajikan mereka sebagai peneroka di masa yang akan datang. Walaupun kerajaan BN sebelum ini telah menjanjikan pulangan yang paling lumayan daripada penyenaraian Felda, namun para peneroka Felda masih tidak berpuashati mengenai maklumat-maklumat urusan tersebut yang dikatakan tidak telus dan kurang jelas serta tidak mudah difahami.

Oleh yang demikian, kajian semua terhadap penyenaraian itu adalah perlu bagi memastikan kebajikan para peneroka Felda ini tidak tergadai dengan begitu sahaja pada masa yang akan datang.

Ketidakseimbangan dalam parlimen

Masalah yang utama sekarang adalah di kebanyakan seesi persidangan parlimen, ahli-ahli parlimen PR selalunya tidak diberikan peluang yang mencukupi bagi membahas dan mengemukakan soalan-soalan yang berkaitan. Selain daripada itu, ramai di antara menteri-menteri kerajaan BN juga gagal atau tidak dapat memberikan jawapan yang sempurna apabila disoal mengenai beberapa perlaksanaan dan projek di bawah kelolaan kementerian masing-masing.

Maklumat mengenai persidangan parlimen yang diperolehi daripada rekod Hansard sering menunjukkan ahli-ahli parlimen BN dan menteri-menteri khususnya daripada Umno suka menunjukkan tingkahlaku yang tidak profesional apabila sedang bersemuka dengan ahli-ahli parlimen PR yang lebih giat menumpukan perhatian mereka terhadap tanggungjawab mereka sebagai ahli parlimen.

Sementara speaker dan timbalan speaker parlimen yang kedua-duanya ahli BN juga asyik menghalang seesi perbahasan yang efektif daripada berjalan dengan lancar khususnya di pihak PR dengan alasan “masa tidak mencukupi” dan pada masa yang sama akan memberikan masa yang lebih panjang kepada ahli-ahli parlimen BN untuk berbahas dan mengemukakan sokongan mereka.

Keadaan tersebut juga telah menyebabkan ketidakseimbangan kuasa di dalam parlimen dan mengakibatkan keseluruhan persidangan tersebut menjadi kurang berkesan dan tidak adil sama sekali pada akhirnya.

Tibalah masa untuk rakyat untuk menunjukkan kepada BN siapakah “majikan” sebenarnya daripada terus dibuli sedemikian. Lebih baik BN ini digantikan dengan seberapa segera yang boleh, agar negara ini dapat kembali ke pangkal jalan demi kepentingan rakyat jelata.

Malaysia Chronicle

BN has failed the Indian community

MARCH 26 — The Malaysian Indians Progressive Association (MIPAS) has done surveys, studies, gained information and feedback from the rakyat showing that it is not true that the rakyat’s support for Barisan Nasional (BN) is peaking based on the party’s record of fulfilling its promises, as claimed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

MIPAS feels that it is not true that “big winds” are blowing towards BN.

The rakyat still does not have confident and full trust in the BN government as many issues have still not been fulfilled.

An example is the Lynas issue. The Parlimentary Select Committee (PSC) should investigate and study the plant’s safety standards. It should be fair and hear the concerns of the people in Kuantan. But it has failed!

Another example is the anger and frustration of the Chinese community over education. A rally was organised by the United Chinese School Committees Association (Dong Zong) over the problems faced by Chinese educationists over four decades and regarding the transfer of non-Chinese-speaking teachers to Chinese schools. The BN government has failed to meet Dong Zong’s demands.

MIPAS also believes the BN has failed the Indian community. Najib’s Nambika (trust) has not fulfilled their needs as many of them are still without MyCards, birth certificates. Statistics show Indians only comprise 3.2 per cent of employees in the government sector. It should be increased to seven per cent.

Recently the PM announced that the government would give full scholarships to the top 100 students from the Indian community who graduate with first-class honours from public universities. How many Indian students are there in public universities? And only the top 100 get full scholarships? It’s just an eyewash!

Our country has been independent for 54years now but we still have race or ethnic division/segregation. Every vote is equal but when it comes to policy and implementation it is not equal. For example, the BN government asks Indians to vote BN but whenever there is an issue over appropriation of estate land (e.g. Bukit Jalil Estate) the government says it cannot do anything because it is private land.

Malaysia so keen to support and help the Palestine struggle but when it comes to the ethnic cleansing of the Tamils in Sri Lanka, the BN government abstained from voting against Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council in a resolution mooted by the US. The BN government is against any violation of human rights in Palestine, South Africa, Somalia, South Thailand and many Islamic countries. But why when it comes to Sri Lanka the BN government keeps quiet?

MIPAS believes BN can expect an easy victory only in Johor, Malacca and Pahang in the 13th general election.

* S. Barathidasan is secretary-general of the Malaysian Indians Progressive Association (MIPAS).

Drop in number of racial dispute cases

The Sun (Used by permission)

by ELLY FAZANIZA

> Increasing tolerance and maturity helped reduce discontent: Koh

KUALA LUMPUR: Cases related to racial disputes in Malaysia have dropped by 30% since 2007, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said.

According to him, 1,315 racial disputes were recorded in 2007 by the police while only 912 similar cases were reported last year.

Koh said increasing tolerance and maturity had helped reduce discontent.

“Our community continues to mature annually although there are still misunderstandings among races. At the grassroots level, the people have managed to settle their disputes without intervention from the police,” he said after officiating a seminar for accredited community mediators.

Koh said the 1Malaysia vision and spirit that have been inculcated in society also helped different races to understand one another’s culture. 

“This vision promotes values such as tolerance and respect for our community which have been embraced by everyone and practised in their daily affairs,” he said. 

In addition, Koh said the certified mediators that took part in the seminar may have contributed to the reduced number of disputes in their community.

Koh said mediation is important to resolve unresolved conflicts related to the community. “Mediation is a process which aims to resolve a conflict. This may involve two parties from the same race or different social status. The act of mediation allows conflict to be solved quickly,” he said.

“Mediation also allows problems to be solved before they are made known to the public,” he said, adding that 220 participants of the seminars have been officially certified as mediators since 2009.

“Previously, these officials and individuals resolved community matters on their own accord. They are the unsung heroes and as such, we recognise them for their efforts.”Koh admitted there are not enough mediators in the country.

“There are currently only less than 500 certified mediators registered,” he said, adding that he hopes to increase the number within the year.

“Support to help mediators act as a catalyst to resolve conflicts at the community level must be given by relevant government officials and authorities."

Najib Wants Information Ministry Officers To Help Explain Government Policies To People

PUTRAJAYA, March 26 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak urged all officers of the Information, Communications and Culture Ministry and its agencies to help explain government policies, including 1Malaysia, to the people.

The prime minister said this was important to prevent the public from being confused by the opposition's propaganda and lies about government policies.

Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim said this was stated by the prime minister when he met with officers and staff of the ministry.

In this regard, Rais said his ministry would be printing and distributing 50,000 booklets containing information on current issues to avoid the public from being influenced by the opposition's twisting of facts.

He said among the issues featured would be the Lunas rare earth plant project in Gebeng, Pahang, listing of Felda Global Ventures Holdings (FGVH) and the Malaysia Airlines-AirAsia share swap.

The other issues are the National Feedlot Corporation, price increase of goods, corruption, credibility and integrity of leaders, and the demands made by the United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (Dong Jiao Zong).

"The booklet will contain scientific, economic and social facts that can be easily understood by the public," he told reporters, here, Monday.

Rais said copies of the booklet would be given out to, among others, officers and staff of the Information Department, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), Special Affairs Department (JASA) and Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) as guideline.

"We will get ready the booklets as soon as possible for distribution to the urban and rural areas," he added.

World | Philippines Non-Muslim Filipino expats in Saudi Arabia told to be cautious

Fatwa issued by Saudi Arabia's influential cleric "should be viewed as a warning", says official of migrant watchgroup

Manila: A migrant watchgroup urged Filipinos in Saudi Arabia to be more cautious in expressing their faith after the country's most influential Islamic scholar issued a fatwa against religious structures in the Arab Peninsula.

In a statement, John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, said it is understandable why a religious leader of a kingdom hosting a large population of migrant workers would issue such a restriction on the exercise of religion other than Islam.

He said that Saudi Arabia is not just any other country hosting a large Muslim population but is considered as the centre of the Islamic faith.

"Saudi Arabia is an Islamic state. It is where the two Holy Mosques are located," Monterona said, referring to the Masjid Al Haram in Makkah and the Masjid Al Nabawi.

He urged fellow non-Muslim Filipino workers and the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia to exert extra caution and avoid violating the religious restrictions imposed by the host government to avoid being penalised.

"The fatwa should be viewed as a warning. The host government. and Saudi religious officials are well aware that there are religious activities being held discretely in homes and apartments by non-Muslims," Monterona said.

He noted that last year there were a number of Filipino workers and other nationalities that were arrested by Saudi religious police in Riyadh for illegally conducting religious worship and activities.

"The Filipinos, along with their pastors, were eventually released on the condition that they will stop their regular religious worships and gatherings," Monterona said.

Out of the 1.2 million Filipinos in Saudi Arabia, about 10 to 15 per cent are Muslim and about 5 per cent have converted to Islam, Monterona said.

Leaders of different Christian denominations--including the Russian Orthodox Church's Archbishop Mark of Yegoryesk and the Roman Catholic archbishops of Austria and Germany--have criticised the fātwa issued by one Grand Mufti Shaikh Abdul Aziz Al Al Shaikh.

The Grand Mufti issued the fātwa after a top Kuwaiti official had sought his opinion regarding the construction of Christian worship centres or churches in Kuwait.

The fatwa declared that temples, chapels, and churches of Christian denominations in Kuwait and the entire Arab Peninsula must be banned and that existing Christian edifices should be destroyed.

Prior to this, there had been an appeal from some Roman Catholic Church leaders to give the religious minorities some freedom in exercising their faith as Muslims in other countries, including the Philippines, have been given.

The Philippines has a population of mostly Christians. The country, just like most of Southeast Asia, boasts tolerant policies when it comes to the exercise of religious freedom.

Hindraf: Najib has smashed Indians' nambikei

One killed in pub brawl

Sunday March 25, 2012, The Star

KLANG: A pub brawl resulted in the death of a 25-year-old man here, with the victim sprawled on the roadside covered in blood and surrounded by broken liquor bottles.

P. Puvanesvaran was found in front of the pub at Jalan Stesen with injuries to the head and face early yesterday morning.

Police received a distress call at 3.49am and rushed to the scene to find the victim covered in blood and shattered glass from the broken bottles.

Paramedics were called in but they declared Puvanesvaran dead at the scene.

“It is believed that the victim was involved in a fight in the pub, and he was attacked by a group. He tried to run away before collapsing about 20m from the pub,” South Klang OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Mat Yusop said.

Further investigations revealed that Puvanesvaran was hit with a blunt object, he said.

ACP Mohamad added that three men, aged between 35 and 40, had been detained to assist in investigations.

Dong Zong sees MOE conspiracy in Chinese teachers shortage

The educationists group claims the government was trying to engineer a change in the identity of Chinese schools. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KAJANG, March 25 — The United Chinese School Committees Association (Dong Zong) today accused the Education Ministry of compromising Chinese education by “deliberately” not training enough Chinese school teachers.

Dong Zong president Yap Sin Tian said this was so the government could send in those without SPM Mandarin qualifications to fill the gap.

Yap also said at a protest rally here that the ministry’s apparent motive was to cause a gradual change the identity of Chinese primary schools by shifting the language of administration and medium of instruction.

“The Ministry of Education has deliberately, for a long, time failed to train sufficient numbers of teachers for the Chinese primary schools,” he told a rally of over 5,000 this afternoon.

“Then, purporting to resolve the teacher shortage problem in Chinese primary schools, the ministry began to send a large number of teachers, without required Chinese language qualifications to the Chinese primary schools.”

Yap alleged that key officials in the ministry were holding to a monolingual education policy, which he said was not in line with a multicultural and multilingual society.

He added that the ministry has been saying it needs to gather more information before any remedial action can be taken.

“In reality, the ministry is in possession of the most complete and up-to-date information on this matter,” he said.

“And yet, for the last 30-40 years, the problem has remained unresolved. Therefore, it can only be concluded that the ministry does not intend to settle the problem not because of lack of ability but because of lack of will.”

Yap noted that, in 1968, the then education minister said in Parliament that there was a shortage of 1,172 teachers in Chinese primary schools, and subsequent ministers have since been promising that the problems will be resolved.

Among Dong Zong’s demands made during the rally were for the government to remove teachers without SPM Mandarin qualifications from Chinese schools, including those teaching Bahasa Malaysia and English. It also wants special conversation courses for Mandarin teachers who had previously taught English or Bahasa Malaysia for three years or more.

Additionally, it is seeking a review of the present training system with the possible establishment of special divisions to train language teachers for Chinese schools and with SPM Mandarin as a minimum qualification.

The group is also pushing for a new Education Act to recognise schools from various mediums of instructions and to safeguard their existence.

In a press conference following the rally, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Wee Ka Siong acknowledged that the shortage of teachers was a problem and said that the government was giving it immediate attention.

“Of course we know this needs immediate attention; that’s why the Cabinet formed a committee (to look into it)”, he said.

“We will study each of their resolutions and demands and consider it. We have come up with strategies.”

He urged patience as the solution needed to be a holistic one.

“We need to identify the root of the problem. If we don’t know the root, how are we going to solve it? We cannot concentrate on one side and ignore the other side,” the MCA Youth chief explained.

Home Sour Home

Lifts that don't work, lights that don't work, railings that are stolen. These are some of the problems faced by the residents of a PPR flat in Kota Damansara.

SUBANG: A pregnant woman could not be rushed to the hospital and ended up giving birth in front of the lift door when the lifts in a low-cost flat here failed to function.
The residents of the PPR flat in Section 8, Kota Damansara, are living in extreme conditions, and this prompted a MIC leader to call on Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat to set aside political differences.
MIC secretary-general S Murugesan said both the Federal Territory and Urban Well being Ministry and the Selangor state government must work together to resolve the residents’ woes.
“It is not about politics but a humanitarian issue. The welfare of the people is of importance and political differences should be set aside,” he told reporters after visiting the PPR flat yesterday.
Murugesan said he met with the maintenance company Nilsham Resources last week and was informed that the maintenance service was stopped after the residents did not pay rental.
However, the residents claimed that they had refused to pay rental after the maintenance overlooked their basic needs.
Speaking to FMT, B Paneer Selvam, who has been staying there for the past five years, said that the problems started after Pakatan took over Selangor.
The state government increased the rental from RM124 to RM250 in July, 2008.
“We were against the rental increase because we could not afford it,” he said, adding that a year later, the state government agreed to the old rate after a series of meetings.
“However, the new maintenance company appointed by Pakatan forced us to pay the one year arrears which is more than RM3,000. We are poor people who cannot fork out such a big sum and this led to the maintenance company withdrawing its services,” he said.
Faulty lifts are the main problem

Asked about the condition of the flats, Paneer said that faulty lifts were the main problem.
“There are three lifts for each block but only one functions. Furthermore, the lift stops automatically on each of the 18 floors, and it takes about 30 minutes to go up and down,” he added.
The flats was also littered with rubbish, and Paneer explained that it was because it took the residents a long time to take their rubbish to the ground floor.
He also said that drug addicts also frequented the flats, and there have been numerous robbery cases because the lights along the walkways were not working.
Relating another incident, Paneer said a child fell down the staircase because the railings had been stolen.
Murugesan said most PPR flats were in a similar condition and stressed on the need for action to be taken.
“I am here not as a politician but like I said, this is more of a humanitarian issue,” he added.
“We want a long-term solution to this PPR flats problem,” he said, adding that the state government could follow the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) where the latter oversees all the low-cost flats in the Federal Territory.
He added that the state government should form a special department to cater for all the PPR flats in Selangor.

Discussion on Indian economic woes

A Indian business organisations will hold a roundtable discussion on how to improve the economic standing of Malaysian Indians.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Indian Business Association (MIBA) will organise a roundtable discussion with regard to the economic situation of the Indian community.

MIBA president P Sivakumar said despite efforts by the government through Tekun and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, there has not been any major efforts taken to address this issue.

According to him, since the last general election, the government has taken several measures in order to placate the Indian community, which turned its back on Barisan Nasional in 2008.

Sivakumar said while some segments are contented with receiving the small hand-outs, the majority however preferred to see a more long-term plan put in place.

“The setting up of various bumiputera agencies to assist the bumiputeras in retail, construction and the service sector has proven to be successful.

“Why cannot similar agencies be set up to initiate and promote Indian businesses in infrastructure projects, vendor business with government linked companies, issue permits for construction, commercial vehicles and others?” he asked.

Sivakumar explained that the half day discussion organised by MIBA aims to:

*Articulate the current status of the economic development of the Malaysian Indian community noting what has been undertaken since 12thgeneral election

* Identify the root causes, are these attitudinal or structural

* Chart out recommendations and concrete programmes in capacity building

“MIBA’s objective is to give the Indian community a special opportunity to articulate the current situation and seek in a practical way to resolve the concerns. The half day forum will be held in Petaling Jaya on April 1st,” he added.

He also said that the findings of the forum would be submitted to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and MIC president G Palanivel.

MIC berjumpa pengundi bulan depan

"Kami akan memulakan langkah ini di Selangor, Perak dan Kedah. Tiga negeri ini amat penting bagi kami," kata G palanivel.

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC akan mengadakan sesi perjumpaan dengan pemilih di seluruh negara mulai bulan depan, kata presidennya Datuk Seri G. Palanivel hari ini.
“Jentera kami sudah bersiap sedia untuk tujuan ini. Langkah pertamanya ialah mengadakan perjumpaan dengan pemilih daripada parti sendiri. Kami akan memulakan langkah ini di Selangor, Perak dan Kedah. Tiga negeri ini amat penting bagi kami,” katanya.
Beliau berkata jawatankuasa perhubungan MIC tiga negeri itu juga akan menemui pemilih.
“Ia akan menjadi suatu cara perhubungan, di samping untuk mendapatkan maklum balas tentang isu penting. Tiga negeri ini merupakan medan pertarungan penting bagi kami kerana kami mahu menarik balik undi kaum India.
“Ini soal menawan kembali hati dan minda pemilih. Setiap pekerja parti perlu menjadi soldadu parti dan masyarakat. Kami perlu bersedia untuk bertempur. Parti pula perlu berusaha sepenuhnya. Kami sedang menguji jentera kami,” katanya.
Pada pilihan raya umum 2008, MIC bertanding bagi sembilan kerusi parlimen dan 19 kerusi negeri, tetapi hanya memenangi tiga kerusi parlimen – Tapah, Cameron Highlands dan Segamat dan tujuh kerusi negeri.
-Bernama

Indian Rhinos on the Increase

There's no viagra in that horn

As South Africa faces a poaching crisis that could lead to extinction, India succeeds
At a time when poachers are killing record numbers of rhinoceroses in Africa, Indians in the Assam region on the eastern side of the country appear to be scoring a dramatic success at saving the ponderous animals.

The population of Greater One-Horned rhinos, also known as Nepalese rhinos, is on the increase. In a recent census the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary near the capital city of Guwahati recorded 93 of the animals, up from 84 in the last census in 2009. Another 100 have been counted in another reserve, the Rajiv Gandhi National Park in Orang, up from just 64 in the last census. Authorities are now taking a census in Kaziranga National Park, the home of another 2,048 of the animals in 2009 – two thirds of the world one-horned rhino population.

The rising numbers are due to an intensive effort by authorities to guard the animals from poachers and to involve villagers living around the reserves. The protected areas are surrounded by dense human populations who have been indoctrinated that it is vital to save the animals because they can benefit economically from their presence as tourists flock to the area.

The latest census started on March 15 in Assam and is expected to be completed by March 27. Suresh Chand, the chief of the Assam Forest Department, said the census has been conducted with support from wildlife NGOs like WWF-India, WTI, Aaranyak, and Green Guard Nature Organization.

Mukul Tamuly, a senior forest official engaged in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, emphasized the community involvement in the conservation effort.

“We understand the importance of local people’s support on the endeavor. The villagers living around a forest reserve must be taken into confidence in the mission, because they can provide vital information about straying wild inmates into villages or any movement of poachers in their localities,” Tamuly said.

At one point in the 20th century, only 200 white rhinos remained in India. In the 19th century, the government offered bounties to kill the animals, which would eat their way through tea plantations, a factor that helped lead to their virtual extinction before conservation efforts took hold.

The danger to rhinos grew in 2007 and 2008 in the 430 sq. km Kaziranga Park as outnumbered park rangers began to be overwhelmed by poachers armed with high-powered rifles equipped with telescopic sights and silencers. Kaziranga was in crisis, a veritable paradise teeming with Asiatic elephants and buffalo, Bengal tigers, Indian bison, swamp and hog deer, sloth bears, leopards and other jungle cats, otters, gibbons, wild boar, jackals, pythons and monitor lizards. It is a refuge for nearly 500 species of birds, both domestic and migratory, including endangered species like the Bengal florican and the great Indian hornbill. The subtropical monsoon delivers 1,300 mm of average annual rainfall and summertime temperatures rise to 38° C, a combination that produces swamps and elephant grass that make it an ideal habitat for the rhinos, which are vegetarian.

In 2007, poachers took down10 rhinos within the first seven months of the year, the park’s highest toll in a decade. Two more were killed later in the year, bring the total to 12. The park normally loses 10 to 15 rhinos annually from natural causes and poaching. Rhinos live an average of 45 years. They are easy prey because they tend to defecate in the same place. Poachers find a patch of rhino dung and wait for the animals to make their way back to the same place.

Called “black ivory,” rhino horn is prized as an aphrodisiac and a cure for many ills in traditional Oriental medicine, selling for thousands of dollars per kilogram. As Chinese incomes have risen and more people have joined the upper-income economic classes, the price of a single horn has risen to as much as US$40,000. Sophisticated poachers are ranging farther and farther to fetch it although there is scant scientific evidence that powdered rhino horn has any medicinal or sexual value.

Having been in listed Chinese medicine texts for thousands of years, the horn is supposed to help cure maladies ranging from fever to gout to typhoid, carbuncles, food poisoning and more. Rhino horn is also believed by some to rouse desire, apparently because the hulking beasts are said to enjoy great sexual power, with a mating time that lasts at least 45 minutes. Many believe the powdered horn can deliver up that kind of sexual power, a kind of traditional Viagra. The horns, however, are nothing more than compact masses of agglutinated hair, according to Ranjan Talukder, a Guwahati-based veterinarian.

While India has been scoring its successes, however, news stories say the two-horned South African rhino could disappear as poachers have actually picked up their pace, hunting them ruthlessly for their horns. The southern rhino was nearly driven to extinction in the early 20th century but was protected on farms and preserves. But today, 1970, the world rhino population has declined by 90 percent, according to savingRHINOS.org, a global preservation organization. News stories this week quoted Karen Trendler, a veterinary nurse who has been working with the animals for nearly 20 years, as saying that if the poaching continues in Africa at the present rate, the animals will be extinct.

Apparently, Trendler told David DeFranza, a writer on science and endangered species, dealers have been working to stockpile reserves as a hedge against extinction, with poachers redoubling their efforts to kill the animals.

"There are some incredibly good guys in the business who are doing amazing things and who would give their lives for those rhino," she told DeFranza, "but unfortunately we do have an element of corruption. There have already been prosecutions and arrests, where government officials are complicit."

Hindraf: Najib has smashed Indians' nambikei

(Malaysiakini) The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) brought a watermelon to a protest at the Prime Minister Office (PMO) in Putrajaya today to press home how the BN government has broken the Indian community’s trust.

Playing on the word nambikei (trust) earlier used by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to woo the minority community, Hindraf said the Indian’s nambikei has been smashed on the ground like tembikai (Malay for watermelon).

In the second such rally this year, over 100 Indians converged  in Putrajaya at about 10am, requesting  a meeting with the PM on the group’s 18-point demand to solve issues concerning their commuity.

During the rally, Hindraf leaders held up a watermelon with nambikei written on it.

Hindraf de facto leader P Uthayakumar (above, right in photo) said the PMO on March 22 acknowledged their meeting request for either Najib, or in his absence, his political secretary.

They were however disappointed today when Putrajaya OCPD told Uthayakumar that no one from PMO could meet him.

Upset, Uthayakumar led the crowd to chant "Umno racist" before smashing the watermelon on the ground.

"Our nambikei on you (Najib) has been smashed like this tembikai," he said.

Najib had bandied the Tamil term around during his Thaipusam speech at Batu Caves in February, in an attempt to encourage Indians to support him saying that would enable him to assist the community.
However Uthayakumar considered the no-show by Najib today as a clear indication that BN government will not address Indian concerns.

"We have asked him to send an official if he could not meet us, but not one of them is interested in Indian problems.

"We have lost confidence in Umno's rule of Putrajaya. Down Umno!" he said, leading the protesters in another chant.

"Never mind, this is the last time we are going to see them in Putrajaya. (Come the next general election), Umno will be chased out from Putrajaya," Uthayakumar said to the applauding crowd.
'Incoming prime minister'
The former ISA detainee also announced that Hindraf was ready to hold another round of talks with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, whom he called "the incoming prime minister".

"We are going to meet Anwar on April 22 in Klang and we will ask him to tell the Indian community what can he do for them, What Pakatan has done for the Indians.
"His answer will determine our strategy in the coming general election," he said.

Hindraf had staged a similar protest last month demanding the Najib government recognise their 18-point demands and urimai (rights) of the Indians.

The demands, Hindraf argued, were for basic rights that would help uplift the Indian community.
A document outlining the 18 points was handed over to then-prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2007, and it was a key factor  leading to the Hindraf rally in November that year.

A prelude to GE, send in the clowns

VOXPOP 'As the winds of war gather strength, political opportunists like Nallakaruppan are having a field day resorting to plying their infamous trade...'

Nalla to Anwar: See you in court

Chuath: We have more important things to worry about - like corrupt police, wastage of public funds, illegal immigrants, graduates who are unemployable, etc, etc - than waiting with bated breath to see PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's private photos.

I wish they would use their money to plant more trees in Kuala Lumpur instead of putting up front-page advertisements for a character assassination campaign.

Anonymous: What a shame. I pay taxes to put scums like senators S Nallakaruppan, Ezam Mohd Nor and Shahrizat Abdul Jalil in Parliament. Najib, please return the tax money I have paid.

Trueglitter: As the winds of war gather strength on our horizon at the approach of the next GE, political opportunists like Nalla are having a field day resorting to plying their infamous trade, a profession Nalla is well adept at, by resorting to and indulging in character assassination of especially Anwar.

The embittered and treacherous turncoat is well-known for his ambitious greed for power and position, even when he was with Anwar, and it was mainly due to his inconsolable disappointment at not being given a high position in the party that had caused him to abandon ship, and hopefully in the process be courted by the BN and be Najib's favourite lapdog.

Alongside with the obnoxious and much-despised Nalla, the rakyat will once again be treated to a tantalising floor show of sorts by the political harlot of Umno, Ummi Hafilda, who has promised to bare all - not her own bodily self though - but of Anwar's alleged misdeeds upon the announcement of the election date by her political master, Najib.

Anonymous: The goal is to create doubt in the minds of Pakatan Rakyat supporters. Is it true? Is it not? But here's a question we need to ponder - why are they not equally questioning the morally questionable leader of the corrupt and crony-infested Umno-BN?

So when these trio go about their poo-pooing, and the fact is that their agenda seems very personal and nothing to do about the nation, we who are in doubt, need to disregard them as ultimately, Najib's and Anwar's sexuality will not determine our economic and family's future.

It's corruption and cronyism that will destroy us.

Inspektor Klueso: Firstly, the fact that Nalla chose to do the press conference at Perkasa's HQ says it all. Secondly, his ‘senatorship' is the second giveaway as to his sponsorship.

Lastly, we don't give a rats arse about Anwar's sexuality, as long as he delivers justice, transparency and democracy to the long suffering rakyat.
Scandal-ridden BN on the ropes?

Kairos: To Neil Khor's five problems, let me add two more.

Firstly, the constant harassment of Christians by religious Islamic zealots is counterproductive to the BN cause. The lack of rebuke and, in fact, the tacit support of some Umno top guns on the raids and the anti-Christian rallies send the message that the Christian vote is unimportant.

Secondly, the untimely emergence of interest in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case here and the forthcoming judicial enquiry in France is a huge headache to BN.

People are moved by the brutality of the murder and are of the opinion that there is as yet no just closure of the case in spite of the court judgment. People feel that somebody big is being protected here.

Blind Freddo: It is fine to talk about all these scandals as though BN's loss is a foregone conclusion. But the author forgets that Malaysians are immune to scandal. They are exposed to a constant barrage of scandals and they know nothing will be done about them.

There is no clear evidence that Pakatan will do anything serious about addressing all these. You also can't expect elected politicians to spend the next five years sniffing out the crimes of BN, although that seems to be all they are capable of doing.

The second point that is conveniently overlooked is that Umno/Islam have been working for generations to keep the Malays downtrodden, ignorant and dependent on the officers of Islam to tell them what to do, and those in turn will tell them what Umno wants to tell them.

Add to all that the tactics of the Elections Commission (EC) and you have an almost foregone guarantee that BN will win.

Plus it's time someone started talking about what will happen if BN does lose and they fail to step down gracefully. BN leaders have been shown to have no regard for ethics or principles, and they have the police and the armed forces eating out of their hand.

On top of all that negativity, there is the most negative aspect of this campaign, that Pakatan has offered nothing to Malaysians to show what their future will be.

You commented that many people are surprised that Pakatan has held together so long. The answer is Malaysian greed and Malaysian lust for power. That's all they are after and that's why they have no philosophy, because they cannot agree on anything other than Anything But Umno (ABU).

A nation governed on that basis is guaranteed to fail. But Malaysians seem to be as unaware of that as they are unaware that they haven't a clue and don't care what they are voting for apart from ABU.

Not Convinced: So Blind Freddo, what's your answer? Vote for more of the same? Didn't someone say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results?

Yes, Pakatan is not perfect. But shouldn't citizens be better served when there is real competition between political parties? We need a two-party system. And the only way to achieve that is to vote BN out of power, at least for one or two terms.

And should Pakatan fail to deliver, something which you are so certain of, we can always bring back BN.

Senator: Homosexuality equals prostitution

Malay Mail 
by Ram Anand and Hamzah Nazari

KUALA LUMPUR: Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender (LBGT) lifestyles have been equated to social ills like prostitution and drug abuse by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Mashitah Ibrahim (pic).

Responding to a question from Mohd Nizar Zakaria (Parit-BN) on steps to curb homosexuality, Mashitah said it was a "social problem".

“The (LBGT) issue has its own after-effects, which can lead to prostitution, drug abuse, psychological problems and also mental illness. We have been raising awareness on our fatwa against LBGT tendencies with heavy media publicity on the issue to raise awareness, and also about the bad effects homosexuality has on health.”

She said it was only provided to punish Muslim offenders under Syariah laws. "But then again, no religion in this country endorses such lifestyles."

Mashitah said Malaysia did not support freedom for the LBGT community although it was discussed at a United Nations convention last year.

“Part of the LBGT problem is caused by natural reasons, such as being born with two private parts and mental illness.”

Mashitah was non-committal when asked by Fuziah Salleh (Kuantan-PKR) if the federal government would consider giving the opposition funds to implement career-change programmes for transvestites in Pahang. "We already have such programmes, so you are welcome to join us in implementing those programmes," she said.

Indonesia’s poverty rate falls

There was much ado in the press here about Indonesia flexing its muscles over the tasks that domestic workers have to perform in Malaysia. Could it be that, with the poverty rate in Indonesia reportedly falling, there is less desperation to work in Malaysia?

The poverty rates in Indonesia has plunged from 27 per cent in 1999 to around 12 per cent now.
At the rate things are going, will there come a time when the poverty rate in Indonesia falls below that of Malaysia’s? Will more Malaysians then have to find work in Indonesia? How far-fetched is this possibility envisaged in Kenny Gan’s article?
While we are focusing on ETP, GTP and what-not, Indonesia appears to have a comprehensive poverty alleviation programme that includes “low-cost housing, cheap electricity, cheap foods and others … under coordinated programs. A welfare index would also be formulated to map out the people’s welfare.”
See this Antara report from Kompas:

Indonesia’s Poverty Rate to be Lowered to 11.7 Pct
Kamis, 5 Januari 2012 | 10:40 WIB
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The government will lower the poverty rate from 12.36 percent in 2011 to 11.7 percent this year, Coordinating Minister for People’s Welfare Agung Laksono said.
“It is expected the rate will drop to 11.7 by March 2013 and to achieve the target all parties need to work hard,” he said in his new year speech here on Wednesday.
He said in September 2011, the poverty rate was recorded at 12.36 percent and in March 2011 at 12.5 percent. In March 2010 it was recorded at 13.3 percent while in March 2009 it stood at 14.1 percent.
“The number of poor people continues to drop according to the National Statistics Agency (BPS).”He said various efforts would be made to optimize the
implementation of poverty alleviation programs among others by increasing the effectiveness of the implementation of the programs.
“The community-based poverty alleviation program must continue to be increased.” Apart from that he said a social security package would also be made to increase the effectiveness of and expand poverty alleviation programs.
Programs such as low-cost housing, cheap electricity, cheap foods and others would also be carried out under coordinated programs. A welfare index would also be formulated to map out the people’s welfare.
“People empowerment-based programs also need to be integrated into the national people’s empowerment program.”

US urges Sri Lanka to act on UN war report

Envoy tells government officials accountability for alleged war crimes should be top priority.

 Sri Lanka has been on a diplomatic offensive to dispel war crimes charges, which it says are biased [Reuters]
A senior US offical has called on the Sri Lankan government to follow up on the findings of a UN report, by bringing to justice those who committed war crimes during the civil war.

Robert Blake, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia, said accountability for alleged war crimes was as important as dealing with the political issues which remain unsettled after the government defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

"The solution to achieving a just and lasting peace in Sri Lanka is not just about accountability," Blake, who served as US ambassador to Sri Lanka at the end of its quarter-century civil war in May 2009, said on Wednesday in Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital.

"It's a much wider series of things that have to be addressed, and I think the government is addressing them."

The Indian Ocean nation is facing increased pressure from the West to probe allegations of war crimes and humanitarian law violations at the end of its war with Tamil Tigers, who were seeking a separate homeland in the country's north-east.

A UN-sponsored report says there is "credible evidence" that tens of thousands of civilians died in the last months of the war that began in 1983 after decades of ethnopolitical tension between the Sinhalese majority and Tamil minority.

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, sent the report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday.

Sri Lanka has been on a diplomatic offensive to try to dispel the allegations, which it has long said are biased, exaggerated and fronted by Tamil Tiger supporters.

The Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) it set up after the war is due to present its findings on the war's last months to Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president, in November.

"We hope that will be a credible process. If it is not a credible process, there will be pressure for some kind of an alternative mechanism," Blake told a news conference at the end of a three-day trip to Sri Lanka.

He praised the government and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) party for agreeing to resume talks on a post-war political settlement this week, which stalled when the TNA pulled out over what it called government foot-dragging.

"I did detect an element of sincerity there, and I hope that they (both sides) will follow through and that both sides will engage to produce that outcome," Blake said.

Tamil parties want a greater devolution of powers to the former war zone in the north and east, which the Tamil Tigers fought to turn into a Tamil-only state.

Those include greater financial, land and police powers at a provincial level.
Source:
Agencies