Karpal's take on Dr M, Pak Lah and Najib

By S Rutra - Free Malaysia Today,

FMT EXCLUSIVE In the final part of an exclusive interview with FMT, DAP stalwart Karpal Singh compares the leadership styles of former premiers Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as well as current premier, Najib Tun Razak.

While acknowledging Mahathir's contribution to the nation, Karpal however suggested that the doctor-turned-politician had caused more harm than good during his 22-year watch.

“We cannot deny the facts, Mahathir did achieve something. He came at the right time when the economy was doing well. One of his first steps was also to release political detainees at the time,” he said.

However, things took a drastic turn when former finance minister Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah challenged Mahathir for the top post in Umno in 1987.

“When this happened, Mahathir diverted the attention from his own problems by launching 'Operasi Lalang' where a total of 106 people were detained under the Internal Security Act,” said Karpal, who was one of those thrown behind bars as well.

The 1987 crackdown set the tone for the rest of Mahathir's years in office (until 2003), where he was accused of being a dictator who had little tolerance for dissent.

In the folllowing year, Karpal said Mahathir went after the judiciary.

“In fact, he had single-handedly emasculated the judiciary,” he said, referring to the removal of the then Lord President Salleh Abas.

“He used the King, the Sultan of Johor at that time, to set up the tribunal and eventually sack Salleh for misconduct,” he added.

During Mahathir's reign, Karpal said, Malaysia's human rights record was at its lowest ebb and the nation's image took an international beating.

Even after stepping down, he said, Mahathir continued to intervene in the administration of the government and played a pivotal role in driving out his successor, Abdullah.

“He was angry because Pak Lah (Abdullah) did not carry out the projects he (Mahathir) wanted him to. For example, the crooked bridge between Johor and Singapore. This is because many of Mahathir's cronies were involved in that project,” he added.

Pak Lah lacked the strength

As for Abdullah, Karpal said the former premier had lacked the capacity and strength to initiate reforms during his five-year tenure because he was one of those “50-50” people.

Abdullah had come into power with grand promises, among which, was to go after the big fish involved in corruption. But this failed to materialise.

He was also ovsershadowed by his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin, whom critics, including Mahathir, called the de-facto prime minister.

Karpal noted that Abdullah will be remembered as the Barisan Nasional leader who scored the biggest ever mandate in the 2004 general election.

“And of course, he will also be remembered for BN's worst ever (election) result in 2008. He was clearly a man of extreme ups and downs,” he said.

Altantuya still haunts Najib



Meanwhile, Karpal said the country's sixth prime minister Najib is attempting to win over the people through his so-called walkabouts.

“But I don't think this will have any significant impact; a walkabout is a walkabout and nothing beyond that,” he added.

Stressing that Najib has been unable to distance himself from the Altantunya Shaariibuu murder case, the DAP leader said the son of thd second prime minister moved into office with “adverse political baggage”.

“For example, the Altantuya issue; he is just unable to clear the mind of the rakyat on some parts he might have played. This could have been easily cleared at the trial itself.

“He should have come as a witness and explained the fact that Abdul Razak Baginda went to see him and they were close associates,” he said.

“Although there was no direct involvement, the fact remains that his people had directed the police officers to go to Abdul Razak's house and take away Altantuya.

“He (Najib) should have explained this in court and cleared the air,” he added.

Abdul Razak, an academic with close ties to Najib, was initially charged with abetting the murder. He was later acquitted.

Two special operations force police personnel were found guilty of murdering the Mongolian national.

1Malaysia means equal treatment

Karpal is also not convinced about the impact of Najib's brainchild, the 1Malaysia concept, arguing that it was a rip-off from DAP's Malaysian Malaysia slogan.

“Our Malaysian Malaysia concept has been in existence since 1965 after Singapore separated from us. Even his (Najib) own people don't understand what this (1Malaysia) concept is all about.

“If it is 1Malaysia, then there should be equality. I have been saying that 'one' means everybody is treated as one and so Najib should tell when the special privileges for the Bumiputera will end,” he said.

The DAP leader also took a swipe at Perkasa and its chief Ibrahim Ali, saying that extremism has no room in any political party in Malaysia.

He also noted the double standards in dealing with remarks, percieved as seditious.

“We (the opposition) are charged (under the Sedition Act) for the slightest matter, but when it comes to open seditious remarks like what Mahathir has said in support of Perkasa (there is no action).

“Although I feel the Sedition Act is outdated, why is that they use it against us but not them? All should be given the same treatment,” he said.

Judiciary has not recovered

On another matter, Karpal, who is a renowned criminal lawyer, was also asked about the state of the judiciary in Malaysia today.

The veteran politician lamented that the institution has yet to recover from its 1988 injury, and public confidence has declined further, especially with cases concerning the ruling government.

He cited Anwar's case and the MB vs MB case over the legitimacy of the Perak government as examples.

“I think the attempts by the current chief justice to restore credibility in the judiciary has fallen flat. There should be separation of powers, not just lip service,” he said.

Is there anybody at the wheel in Putrajaya?

The national joke is that the only place where one can truly observe 1Malaysia is at Sport Toto, the national lotto operator. Everyday Malaysians of all races flock to Sports Toto for a punt on something with the odds of winning at about one in twenty million.

David D. Mathew, Sinchew 

One day we will be bankrupt in 2019. The next day we won’t be.
One day we have to remove subsidies to stay afloat. The next day we are thinking about building a new Parliament house at the cost of RM800 million.
One day the core proposals of the New Economic Model (NEM) are outlined to great fanfare. The next day these proposals are labelled as a mere trial balloon.
One day sport betting is allowed. The next day nobody is sure anymore.
One day the prime minister pledges to assist youths who are willing to work hard to succeed. The next day it seems that the government does not have the money to do so.
Hello, is there anybody at the wheel in Putrajaya?
Last week, the prime minister announced that the government will give aid to youths who are willing to work hard to succeed until they become global champions.
“Have no fear, the Barisan Nasional is here,’’ he said adding that if our youths “are determined, the government will assist them.”
The prime minister apparently had not cleared this with Nazri Aziz, a minister in his department.
On Monday, Nazri was reported to have said that the government did not have the capacity to finance the studies of the growing pool of bright students in the country.
“We have to tell the truth. We just cannot afford it. Just like how a parent cannot afford to send their children abroad to further their studies, the government cannot afford it,” Nazri said, adding that the goal was to keep the good students at local universities so that they remain here permanently.
All this comes from the same man who, last week, announced that the government was considering building a new Parliament house in Putrajaya.
“We would need RM150 million for upgrading works like fixing the roof improving electricity supply. For the construction of a new Parliament house, we would need RM800 million. So, we will consider the best option,” Nazri said.
We will consider the best option?
Is there a committee sitting around somewhere pondering this great predicament of whether to spend RM150 million only to upgrade the current Parliament house or to go for the more fun RM800 million option?
The best option Mr Minister is to take whichever route that costs less and in this case that would clearly be to upgrade the current Parliament house at a cost of just RM150 million.
After that, you take the RM650 million saved and pour it into the brightest of our youths so that they can pursue studies at the best universities in the world.
We would have to keep sending our best minds abroad until the day comes when Malaysia has universities ranked at least in the top 50 of the world university rankings.
As it stands, we can’t even break into the top 30 in Asia. In the 2010 QS Asian university rankings, Universiti Malaya dropped two places to 41 this year from 39 last year, while Universiti Sains Malaysia only managed to maintain its ranking at 69.
So Mr Minister, keeping our best minds here is not the best option.
And how about a little more of that “Have no fear, the Barisan Nasional is here,’’ spirit instead of the defeatist and wavering we can no longer afford it attitude.
Speaking of wavering, why does it take so long to clarify the whole sports betting issue?
This is a country where all kinds of betting are allowed. From horse racing to the big casino up the hill, Malaysians gamble. Every other office right about now has one or more World Cup office pools running.
The national joke is that the only place where one can truly observe 1Malaysia is at Sport Toto, the national lotto operator. Everyday Malaysians of all races flock to Sports Toto for a punt on something with the odds of winning at about one in twenty million.
In the circumstances, the whole flip-flop controversy concerning Vincent Tan’s sports betting license is rather puzzling.
Some states have come out to say that they are banning sports betting. Other types of betting such as Sports Toto and horse racing will, however, be allowed to remain.
It is really one or the other. Either you allow betting or not. There should be a consistent and uniform policy and no discrimination against a particular type of betting.
Some might say that RM10 on South Korea to win a game at the World Cup is way better than RM10 on four random numbers from one to nine.
The country clearly cannot afford to fiddle around when it comes to business, scholarships and spending silly money on new buildings no one needs.
So could somebody take charge at the wheel at Putrajaya and stop vacillating over every single thing?
This is important. We need to get our act together because according to Idris Jala, the person appointed by the prime minister himself to be chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), Malaysia may be bankrupt by 2019.
Oh yes. I forget. The Finance Ministry has already come out to say that Idris had overstated his case for subsidy cuts with flawed statistics and that Malaysia will not be bankrupt in 2019.
Does anybody check with each other in government anymore before speaking to the people?
I guess not.

Judi: Mahathir fitnah PAS, prejudis pada Cina

(Harakahdaily) - PAS kesal dengan komentar bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad berhubung dengan isu judi yang dihalalkan oleh kerajaan Umno BN.
“Tuduhan beliau bahawa PAS hanya mengharamkan judi bola sahaja adalah suatu fitnah yang jelas dan isu judi bukanlah isu politik seperti apa yang beliau fikirkan," kata Ketua Penerangan PAS Pusat, Ustaz Idris Ahmad (gambar) dalam kenyataannya kepada Harakahdaily.
Tegasnya, PAS menolak dan mengharamkan semua aktiviti judi di negara ini dan bukan melibatkan perjudian bola sahaja.
Katanya, PAS jauh berbeza dengan Umno di mana walaupun Umno telah memerintah negara selama 12 penggal, namun belum ada usaha dilakukan bagi menghapuskan judi.
Jelasnya, selepas PAS memerintah, Kelantan berjaya menutup premis-premis judi, sementara di Kedah pula usaha menghapuskan judi berjalan secara berperingkat, begitu juga dengan Selangor dan Pulau Pinang yang diperintah Pakatan Rakyat.
“Kita serius untuk menghapuskan judi dan mendidik rakyat ke arah kehidupan yang bebas dari maksiat,” ujarnya.
Beliau menambah, rakyat juga tahu bahawa lesen perniagaan judi diluluskan oleh Kerajaan Pesekutuan, bukan kerajaan negeri.
Katanya, kerajaan negeri hanya meluluskan lesen premis dan iklan yang kebanyakannya diperolehi oleh tauke judi semasa zaman pemerintahan BN.
Baginya, Mahathir sebenarnya dibayangi dosa-dosanya yang meluluskan judi di negara ini semasa pemerintahannya dan rakyat akan terus mengingati beliau sebagai tokoh pemimpin yang memimpin negara dengan duit hasil judi.
“Beliau mungkin berfikir, jika beliau tidak menyokong dasar Najib hari ini, pastinya orang-orang dalam kerajaan akan mengutuk beliau kerana selama ini beliaulah orang nombor satu yang membantu membangunkan industri judi dalam negara ini,” kata Idris lagi.
PAS juga, katanya amat kesal kerana Mahathir masih bersikap prejudis kepada masyarakat Cina di negara ini yang dalam pemikirannya dianggap sebagai kaum yang suka berjudi.
“Beliau hadir dan berucap dalam perhimpunan 'Melayu Bangkit' di Kuala Terengganu semalam dan mencipta prasangka buruk terhadap orang Cina. Perkara ini tidak wajar kerana masyarakat Cina juga bukanlah masyarakat yang suka berjudi dan ucapan beliau ini adalah satu penghinaan,” ujarnya.
Menurutnya, tabiat judi adalah masalah yang dicipta dalam masyarakat bagi melalaikan mereka dan kerajaan mengambil kesempatan daripada golongan yang tidak berilmu itu dengan mengeluarkan lesen bagi mengaut hasil perjudian.
Justeru, kata beliau sewajarnya kerajaan memberikan pendidikan kepada rakyat, memberikan maklumat dan berusaha memerangi gejala judi dalam masyarakat sama macam memerangi gejala dadah.
“Bila judi diharamkan maka rakyat juga tidak akan berani berjudi. Aktiviti judi haram perlu dilihat sama seperti sindiket pengedaran dadah dan hukuman berat wajib diberikan kepada penganjur aktiviti judi,” katanya lagi.
Idris menambah, rakyat perlu diberitahu akan keburukan judi dan mengajak mereka bersama-sama memerangi judi.
Katanya, kerajaan harus menjadi kerajaan yang membantu membina rakyat dan masyarakat ke arah yang lebih positif dan proaktif, bukannya menjadi kerajaan yang meruntuhkan akhlak rakyat.
Justeru, ujarnya lagi, jika kerajaan BN dikekalkan, maka sampai bila pun masyarakat di negara ini akan terus dipersendakan dengan dasar-dasar yang tidak progreasif dan hilang sifat holistiknya.

Cash Vendor Sings the blues no more in Malim Nawar

Addendum : Malaysianinsider reports that ‘it is understood that the first-term assemblyman has personal money issues and his car had been repossessed after defaulting on the month(ly) repayments’.
______________________________
25th February, last year, Malam Nawar state assemblyman, Cash Vendor, alleged that he had been propositioned by certain quarters with the sum of RM20 million and a state executive councillor post as inducement to quit his party, DAP, and become an independent or join BN.
And if he joined BN, the Perak MIC head’s post could also be his.
Cash said then that these offers were made by agents claiming to represent then DPM Najib.
“I urge Najib to come forward and explain the matter because this shows that the federal government is corrupt and desperate,” , Cash said.
Malaysiakini has that story HERE.
Ah, but that was then.
Cash has since seen the bright lights of BN.
Today, Malaysiakini reports that Cash announced that he was calling it quits on DAP.
He is now an independent who supports BN.
Yes, the same BN that he said last year was resorting to corrupt practices to garner his support.
His reason : DAP has not helped him in his constituency, and that he has had to use his own funds.
A matter of cash, Cash?
Cash says he’s clean, though, and denies that cash was involved in his decision to quit DAP. If we are in doubt, he says, then feel free to check his bank accounts.
And he says he did it for the well-being of the people of Malim Nawar.
“I know the initial response from my constituents won’t be good, but I will go to the ground to explain to them that I did this for their good,” , Cash says.
Gues what, Cash?
We’re going to go to ground, too, to explain to your constituents what a political whore you are!

“Diam, pondan!”

By Shanon Shah - The Nut Graph,

IN part three of The Nut Graph’s series of interviews with victims of state-appointed moral police, we speak to a transsexual who works in Seremban, who says she was assaulted by Negeri Sembilan Islamic religious enforcers in March 2010.
Rina, 27, a part-time wedding hairdresser, tells The Nut Graph of her experiences in this 31 May 2010 exclusive phone interview. We agreed to keep her identity anonymous in the interest of her safety.

(Wiki commons)

TNG: Boleh awak ceritakan apa yang awak sedang buat sebelum operasi oleh pegawai jabatan agama tersebut bermula?
Rina: Kejadian berlaku kira-kira pukul 1 pagi. Saya tengah berjalan dengan seorang kawan yang juga merupakan mak nyah. Kami berjalan berdekatan dengan tempat letak kereta di Taman AST, Seremban. Tiba-tiba datanglah sebuah kenderaan besar, seperti van atau Pajero. Pintunya dibuka dan keluarlah seorang lelaki yang terus mengejar saya dan kawan saya. Saya pun lari sebab saya ingat dia peragut. Kemudian saya terdengar dia bercakap di dalam walkie-talkienya, “Suspek melarikan diri.” Barulah saya tahu bahawa dia pegawai jabatan agama. Tapi dia memakai pakaian biasa. Dia tidak mempamerkan apa-apa dokumen pengenalan sebagai pegawai jabatan agama, atau mengumumkan kepada kami bahawa dia dari jabatan agama.
Lepas awak sedar yang dia penguatkuasa jabatan agama, apa yang awak buat?
Mula-mula saya lari ke belakang sebuah restoran. Tetapi akhirnya saya berhenti dan keluar menyerah diri. Kemudian dia menyentap rambut saya dan menarik kepala saya ke depan dan ke belakang. Akibat perbuatannya itu, saya tersungkur. Bila saya tersungkur dia cepat-cepat melipat tangan saya ke belakang dan memijak-mijak muka saya. Saya menjerit, “Kenapa kamu buat saya begini?” Dia menjawab, “Diam, pondan!” Barang-barang saya pun semuanya terjatuh ke dalam longkang.
Kawan awak pula macam mana?
Dia sempat menyorok di bawah salah sebuah kereta di tempat parking itu dan tidak ditangkap.
Masa awak diberkas oleh pegawai penguatkuasa itu, ada atau tidak saksi di sekeliling?
Masa itu, kami berada di perkarangan rumah kedai, jadi adalah kawan-kawan mak nyah saya yang memerhati dari tingkat atas rumah kedai tempat mereka tinggal.
Kemudian?
Kemudian kami dibawa masuk ke dalam van tadi.
Ada berapa orang di dalam?
Empat orang – pemandunya, seorang di sebelah pemandu, seorang wanita, dan orang yang mengejar saya.
Awak dibawa ke mana?
Ke jabatan agama Islamlah. Dalam van lagi mereka meminta IC saya, tapi saya hanya ada salinan fotokopi. Lalu saya diperintah meminta sesiapa yang rapat dengan saya membawa IC dari rumah. Saya pun menghubungi kawan saya melalui telefon bimbit. Sebaik sampai ke jabatan agama, ada kawan-kawan mak nyah saya yang turut ke sana tapi mereka tidak dibenarkan masuk menemani saya. Namun mereka membawa IC saya.
Di jabatan agama, saya mengadu kepada pegawai lain yang saya cedera dan tidak diberikan apa-apa rawatan. Saya juga mengadu kepada mereka bahawa saya telah dikasari oleh pegawai penguatkuasa tadi. Mereka yang lain menggeleng-geleng kepala, saya rasa sebab mereka pun jijik dengan pegawai yang mengejar saya tadi. Tapi mereka tidak berkata apa-apa, sebaliknya pegawai yang menyerang saya mengugut saya lagi sekali depan mereka semua. Yang lain hanya memberi tisu kepada saya untuk mengelap luka.
Kemudian?
Saya dikurung seorang diri dalam sebuah bilik, dengan seorang pengawal berdiri di luar. Pegawai-pegawai tadi berkata bahawa mereka kena keluar lagi untuk operasi seterusnya. Sementara itu, mereka telah membawa lagi seorang “mangsa” operasi yang lain dan meletakkannya dalam bilik yang sama.

Kami disimpan dalam bilik itu lebih kurang dua jam. Saya dilepaskan kira-kira pukul 4:30 pagi setelah mereka mendapat jamin mulut daripada seorang kawan saya. Kemudian mereka memberikan saya tarikh untuk menghadap mahkamah.
Mahkamah mana?
Mahkamah Syariah Seremban. Saya didakwa atas jenayah syariah iaitu di bawah Seksyen 66, “lelaki berlagak seperti perempuan”.
Tapi memang ada kawan-kawan awak yang menunggu untuk membantu awak ketika itu?
Ya, memang ada kawan-kawan mak nyah saya yang cuba untuk membantu dan berada di jabatan agama waktu itu. Tetapi mereka tidak dibenarkan masuk untuk melihat saya.
Apa yang berlaku di mahkamah?
Saya diarahkan untuk hadir di mahkamah pada pukul 10 pagi, tapi sesi saya hanya bermula pada pukul 3 petang.
Awak sempat mendapatkan bantuan peguam?
Tidak. Tarikh mahkamah yang diberikan kepada saya hanya empat hari selepas saya ditahan, jadi saya tidak sempat membuat persediaan semacam itu. Sebenarnya saya mahu memberitahu hakim tentang kecederaan saya dan kelakuan pegawai jabatan agama yang menyerang saya. Tetapi ada empat orang pegawai jabatan agama yang juga hadir ketika itu di mahkamah, jadi saya hanya berdiam diri sebab saya takut.
Saya tidak mahu memanjangkan cerita, jadi saya terus mengaku bersalah dan dijatuhkan hukuman denda sebanyak RM700. Hakim memberitahu saya, “Kalau tak bayar RM700, awak masuk penjara tiga bulan.” Jadi saya membayar denda tersebut.
Adakah ini kali pertama awak ditangkap dalam operasi jabatan agama?
Tidak, tetapi sebelum ini, kalau jabatan agama membuat operasi dan mendapati bahawa kami tidak berbuat apa-apa, mereka hanya akan menasihati kami. Mereka akan berkata, “Buat baik-baik, ya? Lain kali jangan kena tangkap.” Paling teruk dulu pun mereka akan menghantar kami untuk sesi kaunseling selepas ditangkap.
Contohnya untuk saya, dua kes saya sebelum ini digugurkan – saya tidak perlu pun menghadap mahkamah. Tetapi saya kena menghadiri kaunseling di Pusat Kaunseling Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan di pusat membeli-belah Terminal One.
Tapi dengan pegawai kaunseling itu memang senang saya nak berbual. Kita boleh berunding dengan dia. Contohnya dia akan kata, “Kalau boleh, awak tolong berubahlah. Jangan buat perangai macam ini.” Saya pula akan menjawab, “Tapi memang saya dah macam ini.” Dia akan ketawa, bergurau dan akhirnya berkata, “Tapi tolonglah elakkan berpakaian seperti perempuan.”
Jadi bulan Mac lepas ialah kali pertama operasi jabatan agama menjadi ganas?
Ya, dalam pengalaman saya, memang ini kali pertama saya diperlakukan dengan ganas.
Awak tidak membuat laporan polis tentang kelakuan ganas ini?
Saya takut mahu buat laporan polis. Kalau ada staf jabatan agama yang tahu saya membuat laporan, mungkin mereka akan mark saya dan membalas dendam. Malang tidak berbau.

Awak tiada kepercayaan dengan pihak polis?
Bukan begitu. Polis dekat Seremban lain daripada polis dekat KL. Contohnya, masa mereka meronda, kalau mereka terserempak dengan mak nyah, mereka akan menegur dengan baik, “Jaga diri elok-elok, sekarang banyak operasi.”
Tetapi pada masa yang sama, kalau ada kes ragut contohnya yang melibatkan mak nyah, polis akan mengambil kenyataan sahaja dan jarang mengambil tindakan.
Adakah pengalaman ini memberi apa-apa kesan terhadap awak sekarang?
Memang. Saya pun kurang keluar pada waktu malam sekarang. Dan tiap-tiap kali saya keluar, saya memang rasa takut, walaupun saya tidak mengenakan makeup atau apa-apa. Saya sentiasa tengok kiri kanan, tak kira siang atau malam. Kalau saya pakai macam mana pun, memang saya sudah macam perempuan. Jadi apa yang nak dibuat?

Ekonomi Negara Semakin Merudum – Pakar Ekonomi Antarabangsa, Prof Jomo Kwame Sundaram

Part 2
Part 3

7,000 Counsellors To Come Under One Roof

KUALA TERENGGANU, June 15 (Bernama) -- More than 7,000 counsellors nationwide will come under one roof after the government agrees to the setting up of the Counselling Department.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the establishment of the department would enable counsellors to pool their energy and expertise, hence bringing their career to another level and with a clearer direction in tackling social ills.

"It's high time for such a department to be set up with standards and a specific code of ethics drawn up to provide better counselling service to the community," she said after closing the three-day National Counselling Convention 2010 organised by Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, here, Tuesday.

Shahrizat said her ministry would invite relevant parties like the National Board of Counsellors and Malaysian Counselling Association to study the setting up of the Counselling Department.

She said after the study had been completed, the matter would be brought to the Cabinet for further action.

"We have organised a number of programmes this year where we received feedback from counsellors for a counselling department be set up to help in their career in terms of standards, code of ethics and training."

Shahrizat said currently there were 5,000 counsellors in schools and 1,827 registered ones nationwide, besides 350 at public and private higher learning institutions, 126 with non-governmental organisations and 99 with private organisations.

In a related development, Shahrizat said the ministry would invite counsellors to together go to the ground to tackle social problems at the grassroot level.

The National Counselling Convention with the theme, "Quality Counselling Service the Foundation for Community Development", was attended by about 200 people from throughout the country.

Keshvinder, Hamidah, Najib

MK:

Unlike those who defected from Pakatan before him, Keshvinder was not accompanied by any major personalities.
However, several bodyguards who surrounded Keshvinder told reporters that they worked for one “Hamidah”.

Hamidah? Hamidah Osman? Hamidah “jika jumpa India dan ular, hantam India dulu? Osman?
Goodness. The. Irony.
The other part I love:

His decision to quit DAP and support BN is ironical since he had complained to the authorities last year that he was offered RM20 million to defect, declare himself Independent and express support for BN.
He had claimed that the offers were made by various agents claiming to represent then Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
He also denied suggestions that he was paid to leave DAP and challenged detractors to inspect his bank accounts.
He adds that he has not been approached by any BN members, stressing that: “I am clean”.

:|
Yeah. I’m sure the standard Katak Technique is to TT directly to Katak’s bank account right? Probably using Maybank2u :P
Will keep reading news, from very far away.

BN moves to soften Umno’s image

By Athi Shankar - Free Malaysia Today

GEORGE TOWN: Barisan Nasional has decided to go on a campaign to disprove the popular notion that Umno gets its way by bullying other members of the coalition into submission.

Billed as the 1BN Campaign, the project is being initiated in Penang. It was one of the major items on the agenda of a meeting this morning between Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Penang BN liaison committee members.

Those who attended the meeting included Penang BN chairman Koh Tsu Koon, Penang Gerakan chairman Teng Hock Nan and the leaders of other parties in the coalition.

Part of the strategy is to increase the number of BN-oriented programmes—as opposed to those promoting individual coalition partners—to convince Penang residents that BN is a power-sharing political entity that advocates equality and is committed to serving all citizens.

The campaign would be part of BN’s preparation for the next election, said Hilmi Yahaya, who is the secretary of Penang BN, chairman of Umno’s Balik Pulau division and the state assemblyman for Teluk Bahang.

“By organising more programmes on the BN platform, we should able to demonstrate the coalition’s unity and solidarity to Penangites,” he told newsmen after the meeting.

Like several other local Umno leaders, Hilmi believes that the 1BN programmes would show Penang residents that the party did not deserve its “big bully” label.

He claimed that Umno neither dominated coalition politics nor treated coalition partners as if it was their big brother.

“The truth is that Umno treats all BN partners as equal comrades in arms,” he said. “This is the message we want to give the people.”

If Umno was really the power-crazy big bully it had been made out to be, he argued, it could have opted to rule the country on its own after the 2004 general election, when it had the simple majority to do so.

“But we didn’t monopolise power because we acknowledged and respected the gentlemen’s agreement among coalition partners on power sharing,” he said.

Pakatan's political spins

Hilmi is confident that the 1BN programmes will correct Umno’s image.

“The programmes will demonstrate that BN is a united front with an unshakable power sharing concept,” he said.

He acknowledged that BN’s recent electoral reverses could be partly attributed to Umno’s image as the bully in the coalition.

Penang BN will also step up its information drive to counter what it calls “political spins” by Pakatan Rakyat.

At this morning’s meeting, Muhyiddin instructed state BN leaders to mount an information blitz so that people would be aware of the coalition’s successes in its pro-people programmes.

Penang Umno secretary Azhar Ibrahim, who was at the meeting, told reporters many Penang residents were unaware that the federal government had been paying out RM1.7 billion annually in salaries to teachers in vernacular Tamil and Chinese schools.

He took a swipe at the state government for “constantly spinning, twisting and turning issues based on falsehoods” to discredit BN.

“We must constantly reach out to the people as a united front to counter Pakatan’s political manipulation,” he said.

DAP state rep quits, becomes pro-BN independent

By Stephanie Sta Maria - Free Malaysia Today.

FULL REPORT SUBANG: Malim Nawar state assemblyman Keshvinder Singh today announced his resignation from DAP to become a Barisan Nasional-friendly independent.

At a press conference here, the lawyer-turned-politician said that he is also relinquishing all posts in DAP with immediate effect.

The first-term assemblyman attributed his decision to DAP and Pakatan Rakyat's politicking in Perak, which has "hindered" him from serving his constituency.

"I'm disappointed in their (Pakatan) leadership. I have more faith in the (BN) state government's ability to develop the state," he added.

“Since BN took over the state government (last year), DAP has gone haywire and its rivalry with the state government has rendered me helpless in serving my constituency,” he said.

“Furthermore, I have not received any support, monetary or otherwise, from DAP since taking this post. I cannot work with a party that doesn't back me.”

Impressed with the 1Malaysia concept


Keshvinder also shot down speculation of BN having a hand in his resignation but he pledged his support for Perak menteri besar Zambry Abdul Kadir.

"BN and Umno have nothing to do with this. I am leaving on my own accord and have no intentions of joining any other party," he said.

“I'm very impressed by the state government's leadership, especially that of the 1Malaysia concept which I believe will serve the best interest of the people,” he said.

“And I have come to realise that only the BN government is capable of bringing a brighter future to the people and I am extending my full cooperation to Zambry in the continuing development of Perak.”

“But I want to clearly state that neither BN or Umno had any part in my decision. I have come to this on my own accord and it is purely in the best interest of my constituents. I was not paid any money nor made any offers by any other party. I am clean.”

Keshvinder went on to express high hopes that his new position as an independent would reap the state government's assistance in carrying out his duties. He acknowledged that he needs the state government's support in resolving the many problems within his constituency and is hoping to schedule a meeting with Zambry soon.

Its for the sake of the constituents

He is also bracing himself for a backlash from his constituency but is confident of winning back their support once they understand his motive.

“It will take time for me to explain that this move is actually for them,” he admitted. “But I have to help them understand that I would never have been able to serve them as part of the opposition in Perak.”

Keshwinder's defection from Pakatan leaves the coalition with 27 seats in the 58-member state assembly. BN has 28 seats and there are now four independents.

In February 2009, PKR legislators Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu, and DAP’s Jelapang assemblyperson Hee Yit Fong had quit Pakatan to become BN-friendly independents.

Their defections caused the fall of the Pakatan state government, to be replaced by BN with Zambry as the new menteri besar.

Keshwinder's defection today came just as state Pakatan leaders were saying that there were disgruntled BN representatives in the state who were ready to defect to Pakatan. [Read: Nizar may yet get a lifeline from BN reps]

Keshvinder won the Malim Nawar state seat with a majority of 1,362 against MCA's Dr Chai Song Poh in the March 2008 general election.

Last year he claimed that he had rejected big financial offers and posts to quit Pakatan and said he would stay loyal to DAP.

HRP: Abolish tough, unfair STPM

(Malaysiakini)The Human Rights Party (HRP) wants the government the abolish the pre-university Sijil Pelajaran Tinggi Malaysia (STPM) examination and to standardise the process to be fair to all deserving students.

Some 50 HRP members gathered outside Parliament House today, also demanding that RM20 billion from the 2010 Budget be allocated for education.

They want RM10 billion for scholarships for high achievers and RM10 billion for study loans for students who score at least 7As at Sijil Pelaran Malaysia level.

"Education is the responsibility of the federal government. (The system now) is not fair because it is based on race, supremacy and segregation to what should rightly be needs based," said HRP chief P Uthayakumar.

He said students who opt for pre-university programmes offered by the government, such as STPM and the matriculation course, do not have equal opportunities.

"How can it be fair when we have different pre-university programmes? (Indian students) have to go through the tougher path of STPM without any guarantee of securing a place in the universities,” he said.

"Almost all Malay-Muslim students opt for the matriculation programmes. Almost all of over 40,000 places in the 11 matriculation colleges nationwide are reserved for Malay students (pursuing) the 10-month course, as opposed to the two-year STPM course.

"This has become a source of contention because matriculation students will enter university as year earlier compared to their STPM peers.”

Uthayakumar pointed to glaring differences between the two programmes, claiming that matriculation students have it easier because the “syllabus is watered down”.

"The disparities between the programmes don't end (at the marking criteria). It is a known fact that in critical courses offered by public universities - such as medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and law - almost 70 percent comprise matriculation students.”

Call for transparency

The government has allocated RM2.44 billion for 1,500 foreign and 10,500 local university scholarships through the Public Services Department.

However, said Uthayakumar, many have complained that they do not get scholarships despite scoring 13As.

"Our estimate is that a mere 0.1-1 percent of these 12,000 and other public university scholarships and matriculation places are granted to poor and underprivileged Indian students.”

In a memorandum handed to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's special aide Ghazali Ibrahim, HRP urged the government to be transparent in the selection process.

"We call for an end to this race segregationist- and supremacist-based higher education policy. All poor Indians, Orang Asli, Kadazan, Iban, Malay and Chinese students (must be) given the right to equal access to higher education.”

They also urged the premier to form a royal commission of inquiry to end "the 53-year-old race segregationist and supremacist higher education policy".

Attached to the memorandum were names of students who have been denied scholarships, together with a petition with more than 12,000 signatures.

Klang MP: MACC needs to investigate Felda

By Teoh El Sen - Free Malaysia Today,

PETALING JAYA: Klang MP Charles Santiago called on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to initiate an urgent inquiry into the possibility of financial mismanagement in Federal Land Development Authority (Felda).
This follows an open letter written by former deputy minister of land and cooperatives Tan Kee Kwong to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, allegeing that Najib was 'destroying' Felda.
Felda is a government agency tasked with handling the resettlement of rural poor into newly developed areas.
"Felda was initially mooted to look into the resettlement of the poor into newly-developed areas as a way of alleviating rural poverty.
"Therefore, it simply cannot be turned into another money-making avenue for the ruling elite,” said Santiago in a statement today.
Santiago also called on MACC to make its findings public.
The DAP MP also questioned the role of Mohd Bakke Salleh, whom he said was previously Felda Group Holdings CEO, but has now been made the new CEO of the Sime Darby Group.
"Mohd Bakke is clearly Najib's 'man' as his appointment to the top job in Sime Darby was given the final nod by the premier," said Santiago.
"His job is to pull Sime Darby out of the financial mess (after a recorded loss of RM308.6 million) and refocus on the palm oil plantations and its downstream processing business.
"Mohd Bakke was appointed the CEO of Tabung Haji on Oct 8, 2001 from his position as a member of the pilgrimage fund's investment advisory panel," he added.
Depleting Felda cash reserves
Santiago said that in 2002 Tabung Haji was rocked by a financial scandal where the fund admitted it violated its own rule by giving over RM169 million to private fund managers.
"The fund managers lost at least RM65 million in high risk investments," he said.
Yesterday, Tan alleged that a 'five-star office' is to be built in KL at a cost of RM600 million by construction company NAZA TTDI, and that Felda had already paid 40 percent or RM230 million of that amount to the developers.
Santiago said this raised "questions about the unusually high deposit and the possibility of the project being abandoned half-way."
Former Gerakan leader and ex- Segambut MP, Tan, now a PKR member, said that Felda's cash reserves had declined by RM200 million from RM4.5 billion in 2004 and blames the premier's mismanagement for the loss.

Residents living in fear over sand mining works

By Zefry Dahalan - Free Malaysia Today
SEREMBAN: Do the authorities take safety into consideration before giving the green light for sand mining operations?
This is the question which arose when FMT visited a location in Temiang here after receiving a complaint from a resident.
The work, with heavy machineries, at the Temiang river is carried out just several metres from the houses and the residents fear for their lives.
According to resident Laila Malek, 52, the river bank has collapsed several times due to the sand mining operations.
"During a heavy downpour recently, part of the river bank on the opposite side collapsed due to sand mining activities.
"Now they are digging the river bank near my house, and I am worried that the same thing will happen and even cause my house to collapse,” she said.
Temiang state assemblyman Ng Chin Tsai told FMT that he had raised the issue in the state assembly in April.
He was told that a sand mining permit was issued to the contractor in March, and work is also being carried out since last year to deepen the river to overcome the problem of flooding in the area.
However, Ng said he was not aware that the sand mining operations were posing a danger to the residents there.
After visiting the site, the state assemblyman vowed to write a letter to the state government and file an official complaint on behalf of the residents.
'Don't wait for a tragedy to happen'
Meanwhile, Rembau PKR division chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin questioned the guildelines which are followed prior to issuing a permit to conduct sand mining works.
“When I visited the location, I was surprised how the authorities allowed such a risky operation,” he said, adding that the authorities should conduct regular checks instead of waiting for something tragic to happen before taking action.
“Please don't wait until the houses collapse or someone dies,” he told FMT.
Badrul also asked if an Enviromental Impact Assessment (EIA) was carried out before issuing the permit.
"Even if there is an EIA report, did they follow the specifications accordingly? I demand the state government to make public the status and content of the EIA report,” he said.
Despite numerous attempts, state Land and Mining Department officials could not be reached for comment.

Phasing out overseas PSD scholarship: MIC disagrees

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president S Samy Vellu has urged the government to reconsider the decision to phase out the awarding of Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships for overseas degree programmes.

Such an action, he said, will be unfair and unjust to students from poor families.

Apart from this, Samy Vellu also called on the government to allocate additional scholarships for non-bumiputeras, especially Indian students under the PSD scholarship overseas degree programme for this year.

“These bright students, especially from poor families will be denied of their dreams to pursue their studies at internationally-recognised universities worldwide.

“While I understand the financial constraints faced by the government, but with the government now giving priority to human capital development, it will only reverse the policy,” he said.

The MIC president was responding to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz who said that the government will phase out the 1,200 PSD scholarships for the ovearseas degree programme beginning next year.

Hundreds of complaints received

Samy Vellu said MIC has received hundreds of complaints from parents and students who lost their appeal for the PSD scholarship for the overseas degree programme.

“I hope the government will take into consideration the hardship being faced by the students and their families. The Indian community is unhappy with the present situation,” he added

If the situation is allowed to continue, Samy Vellu warned that it will only cost Barisan Nasional precious votes.

“I am confident that the government will make a wise decision,” he added.

Scholarship: Indian parents send memo to PM

By B Nantha Kumar - Free Malaysia Today,

FMT ALERT: KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Rights Party today submitted a four-point memorandum to the Prime Minister calling for an immediate increase of Public Service Department (JPA)’s overall budget allocations for scholarships to RM10 billion for students obtaining 9As. Current PSD budget stands at RM2.4 billion a year.

The memorandum also called for another RM10 billion to be given out as loans for students who have secured 7As in their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia exams.

The other two points in the memorandum called for the abolishment of the Sijil Pelajaran Tinggi Malaysia (STPM) and the introduction of matriculation exams instead for all races.

“We want the Prime Minister, Education Minister or the Higher Education Minister to meet with the Indian community within a week from now to address the scholarship issue or we will return to protest in front of the Parliament,” said HRP's pro-tem secretary general P Uthayakumar.

This morning about 100 parents of top Indian students gathered to protest at the Parliament. However their plans were thwarted by Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) barriers set up some 200 meters from the Parliament gates.

Last week the Federation of Malaysian Indian Organisations had said it will be organising peaceful rallies at various points around the country over the PSD’s cutback on scholarships for the non-Malay students.

The PSD had only set aside 134 scholarships for the Indians this year, a drop for the 600 earlier made available. This is because PSD had cutback on scholarships from 2,000 to 1,500 in view of the economic situation.

“We understand the economic situation and you have to reduce the scholarships but don’t use the non-Malay community as a scapegoat. It is unfair that they maintained the Malay quota for scholarships and slashed the non-Malay quota,” said federation president K Rajaratinam.

S'wak EC rapped over directive to Iban chiefs

By Roselind Jarrow - Free Malaysia Today

KUCHING: The Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) has slammed the Sarawak Election Commission director Takun Sunggah for his ignorance over Iban customs.

Association president Sidi Munan said Sunggah was wrong to say that the longhouse chiefs had the right to accept or reject visitors including political voters canvassing for votes during the election campaign.

Describing the Iban ‘adat’, or custom, as one of absolute hospitality, he said: “Sunggah’s remarks can be regarded as interfering with the Iban ‘adat’ in allowing or disallowing visitors to come to a longhouse during election times.

“There is no such thing in the Iban custom. Iban customs is inviting and hospitable.“

He said Sunggah was sending out the wrong signal’s to the longhouses when he issued such a statement.

“Coming from an official of the election commission, it will be regarded as an official statement from the government,” said Munan, who was alluding to Sunggah’s comments in a local daily following the Sibu-by-election.

The EC has been riddled with controversy involving its handling of the postal votes and its not so subtle directive to longhouses in the constituency.

Election campaigners from opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat were reportedly shocked and surprised when several longhouses had denied them entry but allowed BN vehicles and canvassers.

'They even feed your dog'

A specific case in point was during voting day in Tanjung Penusu when BN vehicles were allowed in and opposition's were out of bounds.

“Not all the people in the longhouse support the BN. There are I am sure, others who are supporters of the opposition,” said Munan.

Meanwhile a posting in a popular blog Sarawak Indigenious News Community has also slammed Sunggah for his directive.

Posing him with a question, the blog read: “Does he know that the Iban is about the only race in the world to say “stay and eat first” on meeting someone for the first time? They even feed your dog.

“This is how deep the respect Ibans have for visitors. Never in their sane mind would they shoo away visitors.”

The writer said Sunggah’s unprecedented message was a clear indication that the BN was prepared to divide and rule over the Ibans.

“Who cares whether the Iban remains united in their cocoon longhouse. What matters most is that the BN must win, at the expense of Iban disintegration,” the writer added sarcastically.

The cycle of despair

By Ken Vin Lek and G Vinod - Free Malaysia Today,


FMT FOCUS PETALING JAYA: With 10 years to go before Malaysia becomes a developed nation, life for the urban poor has remained the same as it was when Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced Vision 2020 nearly 20 years ago.
They continue to struggle for their daily bread and to suffer the heartbreak of knowing that life will not get any better for their children because there is not enough money to educate them.
A FMT team recently did a Najib-style walkabout of Petaling Jaya to see how differently the poor and the rich lived and to talk to some from each group.
The story of a factory worker can serve as the typical narrative of a poor urban dweller. Having little or no education, he could not choose his job; the job chose him. He started in 1981 with a salary of RM200. A couple of years later, he got married, and soon the children started coming until there were four.
Now, 30 years later, the salary has about tripled—to RM650. He has no savings after working hard all of his adult life. There is a hefty bill for his recent heart bypass surgery and he has no idea how to find the money to settle it. He cannot depend on his children; they have not been able to find jobs because of their limited education.
Amalina Sufian, 21 years old and an employee of a local convenience store, has had no chance to pursue a tertiary education because she needs to make a living. She now earns RM800 a month, more than a third of which goes to groceries.
On the other hand, Nathan Periasamy, 20-years-old and the son of a wealthy businessman, is pursuing medicine at a prestigious university in Britain. He has never had to sweat it out for money. His father pays for his expenses, which sometimes amount to RM3,000 a month.
Amalina and Nathan studied equally hard in school. The difference is that Amalina had no money and was therefore deprived of the opportunities open to Nathan.
Over the years, our government has been announcing consistent increases in our per capita GDP and congratulating itself. The current figure is RM24,661. But FMT talked to taxi drivers, hawkers and security guards in Petaling Jaya Selatan and found that they make hardly a third of that amount.
Surprisingly, in 2009, the United Nations Development Programme reported that the incidence of poverty in Malaysia stood at an estimated 3.8 percent.
The government sets the poverty line at RM500 per month for a family of four. Anyone who knows anything about the cost of living knows that this is outrageously unrealistic. The rental for a three-room apartment in the poorer sections of Petaling Jaya, for instance, can be as high RM1,000 a month. That is about 60 percent of the monthly income of many of the residents interviewed by FMT.
A group of factory workers suggested that in order to just survive, a household would require a monthly income of RM1,750.
What would you pay for a shirt?
We did a random survey in Kuala Lumpur to find out how much a person was willing to spend for a new shirt.
There were dramatic differences in the figures given by people of different levels of income. A middle-income earner would pay nearly twice the amount a low-income earner would pay, but a high-income earner would pay about three times the middle-income earner would.
Ramasamy Periasamy, a 74-year-old florist, said he would pay at most RM10 for a shirt because what he earned was not even enough for him to survive for a month.
“I earn about RM350 a month by selling flowers,” he said. “Of course I get some money from my children, but I definitely have to be thrifty and cannot buy unecessary items.”
Malaysia and Singapore have the worst Gini Coefficient (a measure of wealth inequality) in Asean. Malaysia’s Gini is 46:1 and Singapore’s is 48.1.
According to the World Bank, the highest 10 percent of income earners in Malaysia hold 37.9 percent of the country’s wealth while the bottom 10 percent hold a meagre 1.8 percent.
Malaysia’s Department of Statistics reports that more than half of Malaysian households earn a monthly income of less than RM3,000.
When it comes to savings, the average person with a high income would save close to RM12,000 a month compared to a meagre RM200 for lower income earners.
Lee Boon Chai, 54, is employed as the general manager of a company and takes home about RM25,000 a month. He sends his child to a private school for RM12,000 a year, enrols him for tennis lessons costing RM300 a week and pays for his entertainment expenses. Lee saves about RM5,000 a month.
In comparison, Tan Heng Meng, a 46-year-old school teacher, gets only RM2,800 per month and has to take on the extra job of food catering to earn enough for her family of seven.
“Life has not been easy,” she said. “I have three children and two parents to look after. My pay has not gone up much since I started working in 1983.
“When times were better, I could afford to send my two daughters for piano lessons, but as it stands now, I cannot even pay for a quality tertiary education for my child even though she received an offer from King’s College in London to pursue law.”
MP for Petaling Jaya Utara, Tony Pua, has pointed out that poverty no longer exists in one race only and measures taken to fight poverty should transcend race and focus on the lowest income earners.
“The gap between the rich and poor within the bumiputra race has widened over the years even though the New Economic Policy was meant to do the exact opposite,” he said.
Stamping out poverty has been a key agenda in almost every economic model presented by the Malaysian government since independence from Britain. The recently announced 10th Malaysia Plan addresses the need to improve the quality of life for the poorest 40 percent of Malaysians.
Pua called for measures to ensure that funds meant to help the poor do not fall into the wrong hands as has happened in previous administrations.

Teacher shortage barrier to mother tongue education, says Dr M

Dr Mahathir says it is the duty of the government to provide teachers. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Putrajaya must fulfil its duty and provide teachers for Mandarin and Tamil lessons first before deciding if the two languages should be compulsory subjects in schools, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today.

“What needs to be compulsory is to have teachers,” the spry 84-year-old told reporters today, joining the national debate over the two vernacular languages.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister, said on Sunday that the government was contemplating making the two mother tongues compulsory in national schools to ease interaction among Malaysia’s multi-racial students who are increasingly being segregated from an early age.

But Dr Mahathir appeared to view the proposal as putting the cart before the horse.

He noted that the previous policy where the two languages were introduced as elective subjects in national schools had failed to be carried out due to the lack of manpower.

“It is very difficult to provide teachers,” he said, adding that the government needed to resolve the staffing issue first before making any amendments to the education policy.

“It is the duty of the government to provide teachers,” Dr Mahathir stressed.

The elderly politician blamed the shortage of teachers in Mandarin, especially, on the disinterest among the ethnic Chinese community to enter the civil service.

“As you know, they prefer to go into business,” he quipped.

“Indians, I think, will join the government,” he said, but noted that the economic value of being adept in Tamil is “different” compared to Mandarin.

The majority of Malaysia’s ethnic Indian community are from the southern state of Tamil Nadu in the Asian sub-continent where Tamil is the common tongue.

Dr Mahathir pointed out the difference was because of China’s increasing weight in the world economy.

Perak PR tells possible defectors to seek for dissolution, not jump

KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 — Perak Pakatan Rakyat leaders today asserted that they were against defections as a method to recapture the state government, stressing instead that disgruntled Barisan Nasional assemblymen should seek for state dissolution.
Former Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin confirmed talk that several Umno assemblymen had approached him with their grievances but claimed that the Perak PR would not repeat the coup launched by its foes in the BN last year.

“We in the Perak PR welcome those who are unhappy with Umno-BN or with (Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr) Zambry’s (Abd Kadir) leadership.

“We urge them to go ahead if they are unhappy, and inform their leadership of their unhappiness and then urge or request Zambry to table a no-confidence motion in the state assembly,” Nizar (picture) said.

The Perak PR’s stand, however, appears to go against that of its national partners. After Election 2008, PR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself had revealed his infamous Sept 16 plan where he claimed that the fledgling coalition would take over the Putrajaya administrative capital through a spate of defections by Umno MPs.

Nizar, the Bukit Gantang MP, would not, however, identify the names of the purported Umno assemblymen, explaining that this was a part of a strategy.

The Perak PKR had recently released a statement claiming that three Umno assemblymen would soon defect, citing reasons that they were unhappy with Zambry’s leadership.

Zambry has since denied the claim.

Going bankrupt: One government, two views

Gan Pei Ling | The Nut Graph

“If the government continues at the rate of 12% [debt growth] per annum, Malaysia could go bankrupt in 2019 with total debts amounting to RM1,158 billion.”

MINISTER in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala, on the need for the government to cut subsidies on fuel, food, toll, health and education, as well as reduce its mounting debt to prevent Malaysia from becoming bankrupt, like Greece, by 2019. He said national debt is currently at 54% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Idris, who is chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), said Malaysia is one of the most subsidised countries in the world. He said in 2009, government subsidies amounted to RM74 billion, or RM12,900 per household, while the deficit increased to RM47 billion. (Source: Idris Jala: Malaysia must cut subsidies, debt by 2019 or risk bankruptcy, The Star, 27 May 2010)

“[Withdrawing subsidies should] be judiciously implemented; less it may cost a government. Idris may win the battle (cut subsidies) but will lose the war (general election). From the violent reaction, I suspect Idris will be more tactful and politically sensitive in future.
“[Idris] should have 100% confidence in the current government that it won’t allow the country to go bankrupt. It has an excellent track record in effectively and efficiently managing it for the last 53 years.”

Umno senator Datuk Akbar Ali, responding to Idris in a press statement. Akbar said Idris might not have given a comprehensive assessment of the situation. He also said the country’s economic structure was much stronger than it was in the 1980s, and that the country had adequate national savings. The government also has plans to increase revenue, such as through introducing the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Another senator, Dr Awang Adek Hussein, who is also a deputy finance minister, said Malaysia would not go bankrupt in 2019 even if the subsidies continued. Other Umno politicians including Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and former Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Shahrir Samad also dismissed Idris’s prediction as a mere “scare tactic” to convince the people that the government needed to slash subsidies. (Source: Malaysia: Subsidies or bankruptcy?, The Malay Mail, 2 June 2010)

“To be clear, I said we could go bankrupt IF, and I repeat the word IF, we continue with the same trend as in the past 10 years … All economists make assumptions and I did not say Malaysia will go bankrupt without qualifying it with certain assumptions … Unfortunately, some of the reports about Pemandu’s bankruptcy projections did not state these assumptions and therefore can be taken out of context.”

Idris, responding to the backlash from both Umno and the Pakatan Rakyat for his bankruptcy prediction. He said his statement had been taken out of context. The assumptions that he felt had not been considered were continued average GDP growth of 3% yearly; continued increase in deficit; and continued debt growth of 12% yearly. According to Idris, these factors have been trends for the past 10 years.
However, the Treasury said in a briefing for the Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club on 8 June 2010 that the government only spent RM18.6 billion on subsidies in 2009, and not RM74 billion as Pemandu, or Idris, had claimed. (Source: No let-up in war against graft, The Star, 3 June 2010)

“[T]he Treasury is looking strictly from their angle and their own budgeting concern. But the Pemandu lab looked at the overall picture. So, both are right in their own contexts.”

Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, defending the Pemandu findings. Koh is also Pemandu chairperson. He said the Treasury’s RM18.6 billion figure only refers to direct subsidies, while Pemandu’s RM74 billion includes all indirect subsidies and from all public sources. (Source: Tsu Koon defends Pemandu’s subsidy data, The Malaysian Insider, 9 June 2010)

Hiring of disabled not catching on in most government dept

The New Straits Times

IPOH: Only six government agencies have achieved the target set by the Public Service Department to have at least one per cent of their workforce consisting of disabled people.

The policy had come into force on April 1, 2008.

The target is roughly 4,000 or one per cent of about 400,000 civil servants working in ministries and departments by 2012. The figure, however, does not include the armed forces, enforcement and professional sectors.

According to the director of the Department for the Development of Persons with Disabilities, Norani Mohd Hashim, only 581 disabled people had been employed by the civil service since the PSD circular was issued two years ago.

Stressing that the circular applied equally to all government departments at federal and state levels, she said the Social Welfare Department (JKM) would increase efforts to help the disabled land jobs by helping the departments in the recruitment and placement process.

The Department for the Development of Persons with Disabilities comes under the purview of the JKM, which is in the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.

"The current figure is quite low, considering the fact that the circular was issued more than two years ago. Only six agencies have complied with the requirement.

"Our aim is to ensure that the target is met by every government department by 2012. That means hitting the 4,000 mark in two years' time -- certainly not an easy mission when we look at the present figures," she said on the sidelines of a seminar on "Accessibility of Amenities and Buildings by Persons with Disabilities" here yesterday.

When asked to disclose the names of the six agencies, Rohani said one of them was JKM, adding that the names of the other agencies would be revealed soon by the ministry.

Alleged celebrity sex tape shocks modest Indonesia

Indonesian singer Nazril "Ariel" Ilham and Luna Maya walk together in Jakarta last July

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- Police in Indonesia were on Monday investigating video clips that allegedly show three celebrities taking part in sex acts. The images, spreading online and via cellphones, have shocked the modest Muslim nation.

Following police raids on Internet cafes and schools where the videos may have been viewed, the scandal has also sparked concerns over freedom of speech and attempts to punish immorality.

One of the videos allegedly features pop singer Nazril Ilham, better known as Ariel, with his girlfriend Luna Maya, a model and TV journalist who interviewed Hillary Clinton on her show "Dahsyat" during the U.S. secretary of state's visit to Indonesia last year.

Another video allegedly shows sex scenes between Ariel and Cut Tari, a soap opera star and TV journalist.

All three celebrities have publicly denied appearing in the tapes, saying the people in the footage just looked like them. They could not be reached for further comment.

Police have launched an inquiry over possible breaches of the anti-pornography law, which can be punishable by 12 years in prison. Ariel and Maya were questioned at a Jakarta police station Friday while Tari was questioned separately on Monday, police spokesman Marwoto Futowijoyo said. So far, no one has been charged in the case.

I used to think that Ariel was a good, talented person, (but) I was shocked to see the video.

"We are coordinating with experts and the Ministry of Information to determine who uploaded the video. We will also begin to remove the online links to the video," said Zainuri, deputy spokesman for the national police.

There are questions about what will happen next for the celebrities.

Ariel has delayed the release of a new album by his band Peterpan as the scandal shows no sign of abating.

Ariel and Maya were featured in an advertisement for Lux soap, but the campaign has since been wound down. However the company did not specifically point to the scandal.

The first video surfaced last week on several Web sites and went viral through social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. On Tuesday, after the release of the second video allegedly featuring Ariel and Tari, the term "Ariel Peterporn," a spin on the singer's name and his band, became a top trending topic on Twitter.

The videos have sparked protests by conservative Islamic groups and others around the country condemning the celebrities.

Two office workers in central Jakarta told CNN they felt let down by the allegations. One worker, Anindita Oei, said: "I used to think that Ariel was a good, talented person, (but) I was shocked to see the video. Now I feel like he's not a good public figure."

Diah Ayu Sitoresmi said: "I was a fan of Ariel, I used to think that he looked cool, mysterious. Now I just see him like any other misbehaving superstar, and I think from an Eastern culture point of view, videotaping sex scenes is unacceptable and stupid."

The popularity of the videos has also sparked concerns among parents. "Even if I'm confident that my children will not change their moral value if they were exposed to the video, I'm putting precautions in place, such as activating a parental lock on my home computer," said mother-of-three Dian Estey.

The information ministry said it was helping police in the effort to trace the person or persons who uploaded the videos, adding that although officials had no plan for a nationwide Internet censorship move, this was still possible.

Meanwhile, raids on Internet cafes and the search of student cellphones at schools -- both confirmed by police -- have raised fears among defenders of free speech.

"The spread of this video is very worrying, especially if the government or the information minister try to use it to implement a ministerial regulation on new media content," the chairman of the Alliance of Independent Journalists, Nezar Patria, told the New York Times.

"It's kind of a test, not only of how far the anti-pornography law can be used, but also a test of how the instruments of the government respond to content that wasn't around five years ago."

Italy and Paraguay share spoils

Holders Italy opened their 2010 FIFA World Cup™ campaign with a 1-1 draw against Paraguay in Group F on a rainy evening at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town.

Antolin Alcaraz shocked the Gemany 2006 champions in the 39th minute to open the scoring, while Italy’s Daniel De Rossi took advantage of some unconvincing goalkeeping by veteran Justo Villar to equalise just after the hour mark. New Zealand and Slovakia play the group’s other opening match tomorrow in Rustenburg.

The two teams were well-organised in the early stages despite the difficult conditions and neither could fashion a chance of note in the opening of the match. In the 22nd minute, however, the South Americans showed they would be dangerous on the break, finding Aureliano Torres all alone on the edge of the box. But the defender failed to hit his shot cleanly and Gianluigi Buffon let it run wide as Italian supporters held their breath.

Italy threatened shortly after as young midfielder Claudio Marchisio swung in a nicely flighted corner, but Cristian Riveros was first to it, stretching smartly to clear over his own crossbar with striker Vincenzo Iaquinta lurking.

Paraguay were again quickest from a dead ball situation six minutes before the break to open the scoring. Torres sent in a lovely free-kick, and defender Alcatraz cut in front of Daniel De Rossi and rose higher than Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro to thump a header past the stranded Buffon.

At half-time the Squadra Azzurri got more bad news as Buffon retired hurt for Federico Marchetti, who won just his sixth cap between the sticks. But the four-time FIFA World Cup winners began stronger after the restart, and an unmarked Simone Pepe might have scored at the far post from Gianluca Zambrotta’s cross, but he could not connect with an ambitious overhead kick.

Pepe had another chance in the same spot just minutes later, but Villar caught it just in front of the charging Italian. However, the keeper was keft completely stranded in the 63rd minute when he came out to collect Pepe’s corner, only to miss the ball and watch helplessly as De Rossi flicked it simply into the empty net.

The momentum swung solidly in Italy’s favour after that, but Villar came up strongly for the South Americans. First, he claimed the ball well in front of Iaquinta from a similar looking corner to the one he missed, and then in the 80th minute, he held Pepe’s low shot in front of the eager Italian attack. And he continued his redemption three minutes later, as he saved to his right to claimRiccardo Montolivo’s long but skipping shot.

Italy next play New Zealand on Sunday in Nelspruit, while Paraguay take on Slovakia the same day in Mangaung/Bloemfontein.

Honda creates history for Japan

Japan recorded their first FIFA World Cup™ win on foreign soil after Keisuke Honda's 39th-minute strike proved enough to down Cameroon at the Free State Stadium.

Honda's decisive contribution was handsome reward for Japan coach Takeshi Okada's gamble to deploy the CSKA Moscow midfielder in a central attacking role in an attempt to remedy his team's lack of goals. The Japanese, without a clean sheet in their warm-up matches, then frustrated Cameroon at the other end, surviving a late scare when the woodwork denied Stephane Mbia.

With the victory – their first in an opening game – Japan joined the Netherlands on three points at the top of Group E, while Cameroon's second match against Denmark, the day's other losers, assumes do-or-die dimensions.

The match began with a surprise in the Cameroon starting lineup with Mbia asked to fill in at right-back, his usual holding role in the middle going to Joel Matip. It was Cameroon's left-back Benoit Assou who was busier, though, with most of Japan's forward movement coming down their right side through Daisuke Matsui.

The Grenoble-based midfielder was the creator of Honda's winning goal when, after several crosses that came to nothing, he finally got his angles right and swung over a high ball which evaded the Cameroon defenders and fell at the far post to Honda. The CSKA Moscow man needed one touch to control the ball before steering it coolly past Hamidou Souleymanou.

Ironically Honda's strike came just moments after Cameroon had a shooting chance at the other end, when Eric Choupo Moting played a ball back to Enyong Enah but his low effort from the edge of the box went straight at Eiji Kawashima. There had been little end product up to then from the west Africans, despite their greater share of possession.

Samuel Eto'o, Cameroon's captain, had a quiet half, although the couple of occasions he did get on the ball brought the promise something might happen. The constant noise inside the stadium rose several notches when the Inter Milan forward delivered an early scare for Japan's defence after eight minutes, freeing Pierre Webo on the right side of the penalty box but his intended cutback to Choupo Moting was cleared.

Eto'o produced a flash of brilliance shortly after the restart when he span away from three blue shirts by the corner flag and teed up Choupo Moting for a shot that sailed over the far post. Cameroon were pushing Japan back and as night began to fall, and the temperature with it, coach Paul Le Guen looked to increase the pressure by sending on a fourth forward, Achille Emana, in place of Matip in the 63rd minute.

Webo got through but was offside, another Cameroon forward – Mahamadou Idrissou – entered the fray but still Japan absorbed the pressure. Indeed they might have had a second when Makoto Hasebe drew a low save from Souleymanou; substitute Shiniji Okazaki put the follow-up against the post but was offside. At the other end Mbia drove a shot against the crossbar but Japan – eight years to the day since their last FIFA World Cup victory – held on.

Danes no match for Dutch

A Daniel Agger own goal and Dirk Kuyt’s late winner earned the Netherlands a deserved 2-0 win over Denmark at Johannesburg’s Soccer City as the Dutch took an early lead in Group E and stretched their long unbeaten run.

Oranje coach Bert van Marwijk had sprung a pre-match surprise with the inclusion of Arjen Robben as a substitute and the early stages could certainly have done with the Bayern Munich winger’s pace and trickery. With Soccer City bathed in afternoon sunshine, the players took some time to establish the expected tempo, and the best efforts of a tight opening 20 minutes came through two hugely ambitious and off-target free-kicks from Wesley Sneijder and Thomas Enevoldsen.

Neither side were doing themselves justice at this stage but, of the two, it was the Netherlands who were displaying the greater attacking intent, with Rafael van der Vaart proving a lively deputy for the sidelined Robben. Twice in as many minutes midway through the half, the Real Madrid midfielder turned neatly on the edge of the box to fashion scoring opportunities, but on each occasion was unable to find the target.

Thomas Sorensen, fit again after suffering a dislocated elbow, endured a heart-stopping moment shortly after when he fumbled a tame-looking Dirk Kuyt shot only to recover the ball at the second attempt. The Dutch would have been worthy of a goal at this stage, but their failure to convert territorial dominance into goals threatened to cost them dearly as half-time approached.

The warning signs had been there when, with 28 minutes played, Nicklas Bendtner found space at the back post to head wastefully wide from a measured Dennis Rommedahl cross. Rommedahl himself tried his luck soon after, firing straight at Maarten Stekelenburg at the end of a lightning Danish break, while Thomas Kahlenberg provided the best effort of the half with a flashing left-foot shot that forced a terrific save from the Dutch No1.

However, it is not for nothing that Van Marwijk’s side came into this match on a record 19-match unbeaten sequence, and they took a deserved lead within a minute of the second half commencing. Robin van Persie was the goal’s architect, beating Sorensen to a through ball before curling over an inviting cross which Simon Poulsen, in his attempts to clear, headed across goal, but crucially against the back of Agger and into the net.

The Danes nearly self-destructed again four minutes later when a misplaced pass allowed Van Persie a clear sight of goal, but the Arsenal forward hesitated and Sorensen smothered bravely. Van der Vaart then came close an early contender for goal of the tournament with an audacious flick matched only in quality by Sorensen’s agile save, while Sneijder rattled the crossbar with a deflected 25-yard shot.

The Dutch were not to be denied, however, and their continued superiority was rewarded with five minutes remaining when Dirk Kuyt slotted home from close range after substitute Eljero Elia’s initial effort had struck the post. The bounce of the ball had again favoured the Oranje, but there could be no Danish complaints about a result that is sure to enhance their Group E rivals’ standing as genuine FIFA World Cup™ contenders.

Anwar dicabar bukti dakwaan MP ditawar RM2j

Yusmadi objecting him being denied to question Najib

SPM 13As: (UMNO) “Discrimination at highest level against innocent children” says Dr.Vimal Menon from United Kingdom supports HRP’s Project 15/38.

Dear Mr Uthayakumar,

It was a pleasure to speak to you over the phone today. It must have been God’s grace, as I decided to try out the number on your website (Human Rights Party website) at the spur of the moment and didn’t expect to speak to the very man himself. I have great respect and admiration for the work you do.

Since our conversation I have had a chance to read your book entitled `Malaysian Indian Political Empowerment Strategy – The Way Forward’ through the party website and again I am really impressed by your noble cause and struggle. I am particularly impressed and very much interested in participating in your quest to capture 15 parliamentary and 38 state seats in the next general elections. Your method and logic in achieving this figure and the means to achieving it is certainly inspiring, and more importantly, doable, if we Indians unite and follow the steps that you have outlined. I am certainly more than happy to be registered in one of those 15 parliamentary and 38 state seats, so that my vote will count, the HRP party will win in these areas, and with it change WILL come for us Indians.

Below is the email I sent originally to the info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com address but had bounced back, regarding the issue of JPA scholarships and public university places being denied to our bright high achieving Indian students. I wish you all the best on the 15th of June when you hand over the petition to our dear PM at parliament. Although unable to attend physically, I will be with you and your supporters in spirit.

I will no doubt be keeping myself updated with future events and news through your website and the power of the Internet.

Kind regards,
Vimal.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I read with great interest the gross injustice faced by our young, aspiring and brilliant Indian students who have been denied their basic human rights to pursue their education, despite obtaining excellent results in the SPM examinations.

This is not a new phenomenon. It happens year in and year out. Why do our brilliant students have to plead and repeatedly appeal their cases when it is their right to pursue their education especially since they are more than qualified having obtained excellent results? This is discrimination at the highest level against innocent children, who just want to be treated fairly and serve this country loyally as doctors, lawyers and other professionals. The government keeps talking about 1 Malaysia, meritocracy, preventing brain drain etc, but this is all just lip service and hypocrisy to get votes. Enough is enough, this blatant form of discrimination MUST stop. Morally and ethically this practice is plain wrong, even a 5 year old child will tell you this. I am surprised why nothing more has been done to address this issue in the past as it really is a form of apartheid against the minority Indian community in Malaysia. I can see no other motive of the present racist government other than preventing bright Indian students from low and middle class families to better themselves socio-ecomomically through educational advancement, by preventing these brilliant and deserving students from continuing their education and pursuing their dreams. We are not asking for the sky and mountain, just our basic human rights of pursuing our education. By doing so we are not `robbing’ others of their opportunities, nor are we questioning the special rights of the Malays (which in itself is wrong, but I shall not address this issue here), we are simply asking for our basic human rights.

I salute those in the Human Rights Party for highlighting the plight of these brilliant students. Through the power of the Internet I hope our plight will be made known wider not just in Malaysia, but across the world. Let the whole world know about the gross injustice that is happening in Malaysia, and the intellectual persecution of our bright young Indian minds.

I can really relate to these young students. I went through a similar situation after completing my SPM. That was back in 1993. Despite obtaining excellent results and coming state second, I was denied a scholarship. Only after appealing and through some `political string pulling’, I finally managed to get a scholarship. Since then I had lost faith in the government and the whole system in Malaysia. I now reside and work overseas in Britain. Year in and year out I keep reading similar stories. Over the years not much has changed really. I keep saying to myself one day I might return, but only if there is change. But unless the present UMNO led government changes, I doubt real change can ever happen.

I find hope in the HRP and HINDRAF’s aspirations and struggles. I fully support your cause but feel limited in what I can contribute, other than expressing my views in this email. I fully support the signature campaign to highlight the plight of these students to the UMNO government. I will keep reading your website for any developments and hope through your intervention these students will be rewarded justly for all their hard work. As I said, they are not asking for the sky and mountain, just their basic human right to continue education.

It is time we take control of our future in our own hands. Enough is enough. If the government still refuses to listen and suppress our rights just because we are a minority, we really need to take this further. Please continue your good work and you have my 100% support in this just cause. I am in no way a racist, I am just fighting for justice, and helping to right what is blatantly wrong. It is as usual UMNO that turns everything into the race card for political gain.

Kind regards,
Vimal.
Malaysian living in the UK.