BJP to push for caucus on Malaysian Indians – FMT

Activist Uthayakumar is pleased with the results of his New Delhi meeting with senior officials of the Indian opposition party.

GEORGE TOWN: A senior MP in India has promised to pursue the idea of forming a parliamentary caucus to fight for the rights of Malaysian Indians, according to human rights lawyer P Uthayakumar.

He said Avinash Rai Khanna, who heads the Barathiya Janata Party (BJP) in Punjab, would confer on the matter with BJP supremo Lal Krishna Advani and parliamentary opposition leader Sushma Suvaraj.

Uthayakumar and several other delegates from Hindraf Makkal Sakthi and the Malaysian Human Rights Party (HRP) were in New Delhi recently to attend a conference on the Indian diaspora.

They had a meeting last Monday with Avinash and other BJP officials at that party’s headquarters in the Indian capital.

“It was a major breakthrough in our efforts to form the caucus,” he told FMT today.

“BJP officials were shell shocked to learn of the level of atrocities befalling the Malaysian Indian poor.”

They had thought of Malaysia only as a “prosperous and fair country with the world’s tallest twin towers”, he added.

Avinash was one of nine senior BJP officials at the meeting. Among the others were the party’s Kashmir chief, Dr Nirmal Singh, secretary-general Vijay Goel and supreme court judge Sudhir Aggarwal.

Aggarwal heads BJP’s human rights cell, of which Avinash is a member The meeting was facilitated by Vivek Goyal, a senior lawyer and Hindraf sympathiser.

Human rights violations

“The caucus would be an important group to lobby the New Delhi administration to pressure its Malaysian counterpart to address and resolve the Indian predicament,” Uthayakumar said.

“Hindraf-HRP and the caucus will be a thorn in the flesh in New Delhi-Putrajaya ties until the plight of Malaysian Indians has been addressed.

“The caucus aside, Avinash nonetheless will raise the question of serious human rights violations against poor Malaysian Indians by the Umno-led Putrajaya administration.”

He said Avinash had promised to speak up on such Malaysian Indian problems as statelessness, forced conversion to Islam and discrimination in employment and education.

At Monday’s meeting, Uthayakumar briefed the BJP officials on the contents of the Hindraf-HRP report on Malaysian Indian Minority and Human Rights Violations for the year 2010.

The report noted that the first batch of students under the Universiti Sains Malaysia international medical programme commenced classes last September in Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Belgaum, Karnataka, India. Of the 74 students in the programme, only one is Indian. She is Abilasha Nair of Johor.

Uthayakumar said he also told the BJP officials that the 15 ethnic Indian MPs in Malaysia were all political mandores playing to the dominant Malay-Chinese gallery.

State sec: Khir’s title suspended, not returned

Khir claimed to have returned the title for the duration of his fraud trial. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 — Dr Mohd Khir Toyo’s “Datuk Seri” title was suspended by the Selangor Sultan and not returned temporarily as suggested by the former mentri besar yesterday in an apparent attempt to salvage his political image. State Secretary Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi today said the decision to suspend Khir’s title was made by the state's royal council this week.
“His title is suspended. It is not [he] who has returned the title. That is a misleading statement by him.
“His title has been suspended until his trial is over,” Khusrin told The Malaysian Insider.
The state secretary said that if Khir is found guilty, he would be permanently stripped of the title.
The title would, however, be returned to him if he was cleared of the charges, Khusrin added.
Writing in his blog yesterday, Khir said that he was returning the Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor medal to avoid dishonouring it during his ongoing graft trial.
“The medal has been returned to avoid a state honorific title being tainted during the course of the trial,” he said.
He claimed he had written to the palace in the middle of December asking to return the medal temporarily and that the Council of the Royal Court of Selangor agreed to his request.
Khir was charged on December 6 under Section 165 of the Penal Code for knowingly accepting a bribe, in the form of two plots of land in Section 7, Shah Alam at a substantial discount from Shamsuddin Haryoni.
He subsequently resigned as state opposition leader.
Today, the former Selangor mentri besar conceded that his “datukship” had been suspended.
“At the royal council meeting on January 11, they made the decision to suspend my title,” Khir told The Malaysian Insider.
Khir, however, maintained that he had offered to surrender his title prior to the royal council’s decision.
“I sent a letter to the palace last month to surrender my title temporarily,” he said.
“I voluntarily surrendered. That is the difference from other people,” added the Sungai Panjang assemblyman.
He explained that it was state policy to suspend state honorific titles for those facing criminal charges.
“That’s why I voluntarily surrendered,” he said of his title, which had been awarded in 2001.
Later, Khusrin revealed that the palace has also suspended Ditamas Sdn Bhd director Shamsuddin’s “datukship”, which had been awarded in 2002.
Shamsuddin was charged on December 6 with abetting Khir in the deal involving the latter’s Balinese-style mansion in Shah Alam.
The state secretary said the Selangor Sultan had decided to suspend the titles of both men due to the “serious” nature of their graft charges.
“The Selangor Sultan made this decision after giving due consideration that the charges against the two are serious and involve public and national interest,” said the state secretary in a statement.

Anwar’s sexual liaison: Ummi throws a dare

FULL REPORT

SUBANG JAYA: Ummi Hafilda Ali, who was a key witness in Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy and abuse of power trial in 1999, re-surfaced today and threw a challenge to opposition leaders and others: take an oath on the Quran (sumpah laknat) and tell the truth.
She wants them to reveal the truth about Anwar’s sexual relationship with Shamsidar Taharin, the wife of PKR deputy president Azmin Ali. Ummi claimed the liaison was condoned by Azmin, her elder brother.
She challenged Anwar, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Azmin, Shamsidar, and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to take the oath.
She dared Anwar to sue her if the allegations are false.
Ummi, 43, was speaking at a packed press conference here to announce her plans to sue Pakatan Rakyat leaders for RM700 million for allegedly tarnishing her name and for trying to cover up Anwar’s alleged crime.
She wants to sue Anwar for RM300 million for allegedly abusing his power as deputy prime minister when he detained her unlawfully in 1997.
“I was arrested by 20 policemen in my friend’s home. Why treat me like that?”
Besides Anwar, Ummi plans to sue DAP chairman Karpal Singh for RM200 million for breach of trust and Wan Azizah for RM100 million for keeping mum about her husband’s “misconduct”.
RM100 million loss
Ummi also is targeting PAS with a RM100 million suit because the party once sent its central committee Mohamad Sabu to hear her side of the story, but now backs Anwar.
She said she was seeking legal action because she wants justice and that she suffered a loss of RM10 million in business opportunities, which had not been compensated.
She also alleged that Shamsidar received inducement amounting to RM20 million to cover her alleged sexual relationship with Anwar.
In addition, Ummi claimed that Shamsidar was offered RM8.496 million along with director’s post in Phileo Allied Bank in 1994.
“She was also offered an Audi car and an office in a penthouse,” Ummi said, adding that Anwar’s former political ally-turned-nemesis, S Nallakaruppan, knew about the inducement.
She also alleged Azmin had offered her RM50 million to retract her statement regarding the (Shamsidar) sex scandal.
“Azmin begged me to take the money and go to Paris or London after I have retracted the statement but I refused.”
“I didn’t mean to be cruel to my elder brother but enough is enough,” Ummi said, adding that she kept quiet for the past 13 years out of respect for her mother’s wishes to be patient with Azmin.
‘They covered each other’s asses’
On Anwar-Azmin relationship, she said: “I think they covered each other’s asses.”
She also challenged Wan Azizah to reveal the truth about her husband.
“For the first time in your life, please admit who really is god’s gift to Malaysia.”
Ummi also urged the government to investigate Azizah’s background as she alleged that Azizah is a Korean adopted by a Malay family.
She said because of this background, Azizah never had the Malay spirit and wanted to do away with Malay rights.
She claimed Azmin revealed Azizah’s history to her 15 years ago.
Ummi also said that the suit was intended to clear her credibility as an individual and a businesswoman.
She also denied that there was a conspiracy by Mahathir to topple Anwar.
“I neither received a single project nor a single sen from Mahathir,” said Ummi, who confirmed meeting the former prime minister in August 1998 and September 1998 – the day before Anwar was arrested.
She said the suit against Karpal was because “he is not trustworthy, has no integrity and has misused my trust”.
“He was excited with my relevation (about Anwar’s sexual tryst with Shamsidar) and got me to make an statutory declaration and raised the issue in Parliament.
“He along with PAS had pressured Mahathir to remove Anwar but now they are supporting him,” said Ummi.

Interlok is not demeaning, says Chandra

An academician takes a look at the controversial school textbook and comes up with another interpretation.

PETALING JAYA: The controversial textbook “Interlok” does not demean or derogate the Indian community, chairman of Yayasan 1Malaysia’s board of trustees, Chandra Muzaffar, said today.

According to him, the book merely attempts to relate through fiction the challenges of the Indian community in interacting with the Malays and Chinese during the early 20th century.

“In its own way the novel seeks to foster inter-ethnic understanding and solidarity, especially among the deprived and disadvantaged from the Malay, Chinese and Indian communities,” he said in a press statement.

The textbook, authored by national laureate Abdullah Hussein, is used as a literature piece for Form 5 students this year. It recently sparked outrage within the Indian community over the inclusion of derogatory words like “black people” and “pariah” to describe them.

Chandra, however, advised Interlok’s critics to view the use of the word “pariah” within the context of the larger themes that run through the book.

According to him, the word was used to explain why the mostly Tamil-speaking passengers on the Malaya- bound ship were able to relate to each other with ease.

“They were all ‘pariah’ within the caste system,” he said. “Whether this was factually true or not is another matter.”

“There are of course other inaccuracies about ethnography and geography in the novel, compounded by simplistic assumptions about ethnic characteristics, which diminish its value as a social commentary.”

Chandra also pointed out that the Indian anger against Interlok revolved around that singular word and not around its worth as a social commentary.

“That word has always had a pejorative connotation,” he stated. “Whatever the context of its usage, it would be perceived as negative.”

“And because ‘pariah’ is inherently pejorative, Mahatma Gandhi replaced it with ‘harijan’ ( children of God) in the midst of the Indian struggle for independence from British rule.”

Despite his stand on the issue, he nevertheless suggested that the word “pariah” be removed in the best interest of the country and expressed confidence that its removal would not alter the author’s intent.

“I am sure Abdullah Hussein would be able to appreciate the significance of this slight modification at a time like this,” he said.

“The Education Ministry officials are no doubt conscious of how serious ethnic sensitivities have become in today’s Malaysia which in this specific instance has a profound socio-historical root that has generated strong emotions for millennia.”

Chandra conveyed Yayasan 1Malaysia’s support of the proposed dialogue between the ministry and representatives of the Indian community on the controversy and advised them to approach it with an open mind.

“All of us should try to view issues like Interlok against this backdrop,” he said. “In recent years, the Malaysian community has become overly sensitive to ethnic slurs and insults, real or imagined.”

“This is partly because the level of inter-ethnic trust has declined considerably. Though some attempts are being made to address the underlying causes of this deterioration in ethnic relations, we have a long way to go before we arrive at a new equilibrium.”

“In the meantime, we must all learn to compromise and concede, adjust and accommodate. For Malaysia, one of the most multi-ethnic societies in the world, it is a matter of survival. One pejorative word should not be allowed to destroy our future.”

Bank Dunia ramal ekonomi meleset 2011

Pasaran negara-negara membangun berkembang lebih pantas berbanding negara-negara maju.

NEW YORK: Bank Dunia memberi amaran kadar pertumbuhan ekonomi global akan merosot pada 2011 dengan pasaran negara-negara membangun berkembang lebih pantas berbanding pasaran negara-negara maju.

Institusi yang dianggotai oleh 187 buah negara anggota itu berkata dalam laporan Prospek Ekonomi Global terbaru yang dikeluarkan Rabu lalu bahawa 2011 merupakan tahun kemelesetan.

Dalam laporan itu, institusi multilateral itu meramalkan pertumbuhan global sebanyak 3.3 peratus dalam 2011, berkurangan dari kadar 3.9 peratus dalam 2010.

Bank Dunia meramalkan pertumbuhan enam peratus dalam ekonomi negara-negara sedang membangun tahun ini, lebih lemah berbanding kadar pertumbuhan tujuk peratus pada 2010.

Tetapi kadar itu, sebenarnya, lebih dua kali ganda anggaran kadar pertumbuhan 2.4 peratus yang dijangka untuk negara-negara
berpendapatan tinggi, menggambarkan pengurangan dari kadar 2.8 peratus yang dicatat tahun lalu.

Bank Dunia itu berkata kadar pertumbuhan dalam negara-negara maju bagaimanapun, tidak begitu kukuh bagi mengurangkan kadar pengangguran yang tinggi dengan lebih bermakna.

“Pemulihan dalam negara-negara berpendapatan tinggi tidak cukup kukuh untuk mengurangkan kadar pengangguran dalam kapasiti yang diperlukan,” kata laporan itu.

Bank Dunia itu berkata negara-negara membangun sedang mendahului dalam pemulihan ekonomi global.

Laporan itu juga memberi amaran bahawa “ketegangan serius dan bahaya” masih wujud dalam ekonomi global yang boleh menggagalkan langkah pemulihan, termasuk krisis pasaran kewangan eurozon, pengaliran keluar modal yang mudah berubah dan kenaikan harga barangan seperti makanan dan bahan bakar.

- presstv

‘Sultan ordered Khir’s title suspended’

SHAH ALAM:  The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, had ordered the suspension of the “Datuk Seri” title of former Selangor menteri besar Dr Khir Toyo, state secretary  Khusrin Munawi said today.

He said the title, which came with the Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor (SPMS) award conferred on Khir in 2001, was suspended after the Sungai Panjang assemblyman was charged with land fraud.

The suspension of the title and use of the award would be reviewed if the court decided that Khir was not guilty and acquitted him, he said in a statement.

He said the sultan had also ordered the suspension of the “Datuk” title of Ditamas Sdn Bhd director Shamsuddin Haryoni conferred in 2002.

Shamsuddin had been charged with abetment in the land fraud case.

Khusrin said the sultan decided on the suspension taking into consideration the severity of the charges against Khir and Shamsuddin in the public and national interests.

The suspension order was issued by the sultan after he had consulted the Council of the Royal Court of Selangor at its 129th meeting on Tuesday, he added.

Khir, 45, is alleged to have obtained for himself and his wife Zahrah Kechik two plots of land and a house at No 8 & 10, Jalan Suasa 7/1 L, Shah Alam, from Ditamas through Shamsuddin at RM3.5 million in May 2007 when in fact the lots were bought by Ditamas in December 2004 at RM6.5 million.

- Bernama

PAS-Umno secret talks sorted out, says Anwar

The hush-hush meeting on Christmas eve between two political foes is seen as a non-issue.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Pakatan Rakyat national leadership said today the secret meeting between PAS and Umno last Christmas eve is no longer an issue.

Pakatan chief Anwar Ibrahim said they were satisfied with the explanation given by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang on the meeting, which has forced the opposition pact to be on the defensive.

“He has explained about the meeting and we are satisfied because like what (PAS spiritual leader) Nik Aziz Nik Mat has said before, they are committed to Pakatan.

“There is no need for us to raise any issue or suspicion,” he told a press conference after chairing the coalition’s top leadership meeting at the PAS headquarters here.

The meeting took place between Nik Aziz, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin and the Yang diPertuan Agong at his palace in Terengganu.

The secret meeting was then leaked to the media and confirmed by Najib who refused to divulge the details in light of the King’s request that it be kept secret.

Speculation was rife that it was held to revive the “unity talks” between the two main Malay parties which cast doubts on PAS’ commitment to Pakatan.

Anwar said that Hadi had already explained to PKR and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng on the issue. The PAS president gave his explanation again today.

Islamic state spectre lingers

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, who also present, backed Hadi, saying his party was satisfied with the clarification.

“We are satisfied that PAS is still strongly committed to achieving a united agenda so that there is political transformation in Malaysia,” he said.

The ideological clash between the Islamist PAS and secularist DAP is said to be the weak link in the coalition chain, particularly on the unsettled issue of establishing an Islamic state.

The DAP has consistently and vehemently opposed the concept of an Islamic state, which is one of the main political objectives of PAS.

The issue again became a thorn in Pakatan’side when Johor PAS chief, Mahfuz Mohamad, was reported to have made the Islamic state the main selling point at a ceramah in Labis, Johor, in the run-up to the Jan 30 Tenang by-election.

Commenting on the matter, PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali, who was present at the press conference, said the party was looking into it.

“But even if he (Mahfuz) said that, it is not his decision to make. This must be decided by the party’s highest authority, which is the central working committee,” he said.

Mustafa reassured Pakatan of the party’s commitment to the coalition’s common agenda, saying that PAS would respect its obligations to the pact.

Meanwhile, Kit Siang also dispelled rumours of a friction on the matter, saying that all three component parties have agreed to pursue and implement what had been laid down in the coalition’s Common Policy Framework (CPF).

The Islamic state issue is not mentioned in the framework.

“In our CPF, we agreed that we want change. We have agreed on the same policies and what was not there in the framework, is not Pakatan’s objective and this is the stand of all the parties,” said Lim, the Ipoh Timur MP.

PAS Tenang candidate

Meanwhile, Pakatan revealed today that it has chosen a candidate for the Tenang by-election who has received the full backing of the coalition.

The candidate will be announced soon, said Mustafa.

He also said they will seek a meeting with the Election Commission soon to discuss the details of the by-election and other election issues.

“It has been a tradition for us to do that… we will be seeking a meeting with them on Jan 19,” he said.

Nomination for the Tenang polls, the country’s 14th by-election since 2008, is set for Jan 22.

The price of corruption: lives lost

Malaysians do not realise that corruption is more than just about money. It is also about lives. Tens of thousands of Malaysians die every year because of corruption. But we only feel the effects when it is the life of someone close to us that is lost. If not then it is merely another statistic, not of much significance to us.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin 

 

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Islam datang buang ketuanan bangsa dan warna kulit

Perkara ini perlu difahami oleh semua pihak sama ada mereka dari kalangan umat Islam mahupun dari kalangan bukan Islam - Nik Aziz 
(Harakah Daily) - Misi terpenting kedatangan Islam ialah untuk menghapuskan kepatuhan dan ketuanan berasaskan bangsa dan warna kulit dan menggantikan dengan ketuanan berasaskan keimanan dan ketaqwaan.
Menteri Besar Kelantan, Tuan Guru Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat berkata perkara ini perlu difahami oleh semua pihak sama ada mereka dari kalangan umat Islam mahupun dari kalangan bukan Islam.
“Dalam konsep kepimpinan, baginda Nabi s.a.w mengajar supaya mereka yang dipimpin wajib patuh kepada pemimpin walaupunpemimpin itu seorang hamba berkulit hitam,” kata beliau ketika berucap di majlis perhimpunan bulanan penjawat awam di Kota Darulnaim pagi ini.
Dalam masyarakat Arab jahiliyyah kata beliau, bangsa kulit hitam yang berasal dari Habsyah (Afrika) amat dipandang hina kerana mereka adalah golongan hamba abdi yang tiada sebarang hak malah boleh di jual beli.
“Rasulullah s.a.w. sengaja menggunakan kiasan ini untuk menunjukkan Islam membawa misi pembebasan fikiran yang dibawa oleh Islam supaya pengagungan bangsa dihapuskan,” kata beliau.
Beliau mahu mana-mana pihak yang terus berbincang berkenaan ketuanan bangsa segera menghentikan amalan buruk itu kerana ia bukan sekadar bertentangan dengan konsep hak asasi manusia malah sesuatu yang bercanggah dengan Islam.
“Di akhirat kita semua akan hanya terbahagi tiga iaitu mereka yang beriman, orang munafik dan golongan kuffar,” katanya.
Beliau bertegas tidak akan ada soalan tentang bangsa, warna kulit, bangsa dan keturunan di akhirat nanti melainkan tiga kumpulan ini sahaja.
Dalam ucapan itu beliau turut menyelar segelintir orang Islam yang menukar akidah Islam dengan pegangan sekular seperti nasionalis, sosialis dan seumpamanya.
“Mereka yang meninggalkan aqidah yang jadi simpulan pegangan kaum mukminin dengan memilih nasionalis dan ideologi ciptaan manusia lain akan menerima padah di akhirat di samping mereka akan menjadi permainan pihak lain di dunia ini,” tambahnya.

Siapa yang hina raja melayu ?

Rakyat tidak pernah lupa sejarah, siapa yang menentang Sultan dan Raja-Raja Melayu.

Khairy, Nazri Bukan Tandingan Anwar

Dari Dr Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki

Sebagai seorang warganegara Malaysia, saya begitu berharap debat antara Najib Tun Razak dan Anwar Ibrahim akan menjadi kenyataan, terutama menjelang Pilihanraya Umum ke-13 (PRU13). Debat seumpama ini akan menjadi perintis kepada politik yang lebih sihat, supaya rakyat diberi peluang yang seluasnya bagi mengetahui agenda-agenda parti yang bakal dipilih oleh mereka untuk meneraju negara. Oleh sebab itu, sesiapa sahaja sama ada dalam Barisan Nasional (BN) atau Pakatan Rakyat (PR) seharusnya berlapang dada dan mengharapkan debat antara kedua-dua tokoh tersebut akan berlangsung.

Kedua-dua Najib dan Anwar mempunyai pengalaman yang hampir seimbang dalam memimpin negara. Najib mempunyai kelebihan dari segi kejayaannya sehingga ke kemuncak kuasa, di samping laluan politiknya yang tidak berliku-liku. Anwar pula mempunyai kelebihan dari segi jaluran politiknya yang penuh berwarna-warni, bermula daripada politik Islam sehingga politik plurality. Kini kedua-dua mereka seperti berada di persada yang seimbang, Najib sebagai Perdana Menteri manakala Anwar sebagai Ketua Pembangkang. Dengan melihat kepada aspek-aspek tersebut sememangnya debat antara kedua-dua mereka begitu dinanti-nantikan.

Wacana-wacana terbuka antara tokoh-tokoh politik seperti ini merupakan satu langkah positif ke arah menyebarkan pendidikan politik. Seperti yang sering diulang-ulangkan oleh Najib, zaman kerajaan tahu segala-galanya telah berlalu. Demikian juga, zaman momokan hanya BN yang patriotik sedangkan pembangkang adalah pengkhianat negara juga telah berlalu. Dalam sebuah negara demokrasi, kedua-dua parti yang menerajui kerajaan dan yang menjadi pembangkang mempunyai tanggungjawab yang sama kepada negara. Melalui persaingan siapakah yang dapat menyempurnakan tanggungjawab yang terbaik, dialah yang bakal dipilih oleh rakyat.

Pemilihan pemimpin yang terbaik dalam menunaikan tanggungjawab adalah idaman semua manusia. Para ilmuan dari seluruh peradaban sering berbicara tentang pemimpin yang seperti ini sama ada Plato, Kung Fu Tze, Kautilya dan al-Mawardi. Secara sejagatnya kesemua mereka mengharapkan pemimpin yang berilmu, bermoral dan berintegiriti. Dengan adanya elemen-elemen tersebut, maka rakyat dapat mengharapkan tertegaknya keadilan dan kebajikan. Perbahasan-perbahasan para ilmuan itu sehingga hari ini kekal dalam lembaran-lembaran ilmu dalam bentuk bahasa-bahasa retorik.

Bagaimanapun, seseorang pemimpin politik dari dahulu hingga kini, jarang menggunakan bahasa-bahasa retorik. Sebaliknya mereka lebih gemar menggunakan bahasa-bahasa politik, iaitu bahasa yang sering difahami dengan mudah oleh rakyat. Dengan pengertian lain, peranan bagi seseorang pemimpin politik yang berwibawa ialah menterjemahkan bahasa retorik tentang kenegaraan kepada bahasa politik untuk memahamkan rakyat. Di sinilah letaknya kepentingan wacana politik sama ada bercorak ceramah, diskusi atau debat. Menyedari hakikat tersebut, debat antara Najib dan Anwar itu bukanlah membazir masa, bahkan sangat perlu dalam mendidik rakyat tentang politik kenegaraan.

Sangatlah malang bila terdapat pula pihak-pihak lain yang ingin ‘kacau daun’ untuk menggagalkan debat ini atau mungkin mempunyai agenda tersendiri. Antara mereka ialah Nazri Aziz dan Khairy Jamaluddin. Dari segi kedudukan politik, awal-awal lagi kedudukan politik mereka berbanding Anwar adalah tidak seimbang. Nazri Aziz hanya seorang menteri biasa yang tidak ada jawatan-jawatan kanan dalam parti, manakala Khairy pula seorang yang ada jawatan kanan dalam parti tetapi tiada apa-apa dalam kabinet. Sepatutnya kedua-dua mereka mencari lawan yang sesuai supaya tidak ditanggapi mereka mempunyai agenda tersendiri dalam berdebat.

Dari segi kewibawaan peribadi pula, kedua-dua Nazri dan Khairy belum mempunyai wibawa untuk menandingi Anwar. Kebetulan saya mempunyai pengalaman berdialog atau mungkin juga boleh dikatakan berdebat dengan mereka. Dengan Nazri perdebatan secara tidak langsung manakala dengan Khairy perdebatan secara langsung. Perdebatan secara tidak langsung dengan Nazri ialah ketika saya bersama beberapa yang lain membantu persiapan Salahuddin Ayub berdebat dengan Nazri berhubung dengan Isu “Penarikan Geran Perkapita Sekolah Agama Rakyat”. Perdebatan yang berlangsung pada 17 Februari 2003 itu memperlihatkan kedangkalan Nazri dalam berhujah, semata-mata bergantung kepada janji harapan untuk mengembalikan geran itu setelah pemerintahan Dr Mahathir berakhir.

Hujah-hujah yang dikemukakan oleh Salahuddin lebih mantap bersama-sama dengan fakta-fakta yang berkaitan. Manakala Nazri pula lebih bersifat cuba “menegakkan benang basah” dengan jaminan sekolah agama rakyat tidak akan dipinggirkan, walaupun hakikatnya dengan penarikan geran perkapita itu bererti satu peminggiran. Sesiapa yang menyaksikan debat pada malam itu di Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, boleh menilai apakah kewibawaan Nazri setara dengan Anwar atau tidak? Sekiranya berlangsung juga perdebatan antara Nazri dan Anwar, tiada apa yang berfaedah melainkan menyelamatkan Najib daripada cabaran itu.

Manakala dengan Khairy pula berlaku secara langsung semasa Forum Intelektual tentang “Malaysia and Its Competetiveness in the Future” di UIA pada 27 Julai 2010. Forum itu juga disertai oleh Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin dan Dr Marzuki Mohammad. Saya hadir dalam forum tersebut sebagai ‘bidan terjun’ menggantikan seorang sahabat yang berkeuzuran, dan hanya dimaklumkan beberapa jam sebelum forum. Saya juga terpaksa hadir lewat sedikit disebabkan mempunyai komitmen kerja sehingga hampir malam. Tujuan saya hadir untuk mengemukakan tiga point penting iaitu:

a. Competitiveness sesebuah negara tidak hanya bergantung kepada sektor ekonomi semata-mata tetapi juga faktor-faktor lain termasuklah demokrasi yang telus, pentadbiran yang bersih, kebebasan akademik dan lain-lain.

b. Kesemua faktor-faktor yang menyokong kepada peningkatan daya saing negara itu telah diruntuhkan semasa era pemerintahan Dr Mahathir, seperti kebebasan kehakiman, dan dasar pengasingan kuasa.

c. Bagi memulihkan semula daya saing itu, perlu dilakukan reformasi sistem atau dasar bukan sekadar meletakkan pemimpin-pemimpin yang baik. Pemimpin-pemimpin yang baik bukanlah satu jaminan reformasi ke arah kebaikan akan berlaku.

Walaupun, Khairy mempunyai ‘golden chance’ untuk memukul ahli-ahli panel lain kerana beliau diletakkan di giliran terakhir semasa penggulungan, saya lihat ketiga-tiga point yang saya kemukakan tidak tergugat. Yang paling menarik, bila saya menyatakan bahawa faktor-faktor yang berkaitan dengan daya saing negara telah runtuh semasa era Dr Mahathir, Khairy hanya mengulas: “no comment” dengan nada mengiyakan apa yang berlaku. Strategi saya memerangkap Khairy dengan ‘memuji’ kepimpinan Pak Lah yang cuba membaiki kerosakan yang dibuat oleh Dr Mahathir benar-benar mengena.

Oleh sebab itu, pada pandangan saya Khairy juga belum layak untuk berdebat dengan Anwar. Perdebatan Khairy dengan Anwar tidak lebih daripada untuk menaikkan semula dirinya dalam dunia percaturan politik UMNO. Berdasarkan pengalaman-pengalaman itu, saya melihat Nazri dan Khairy tidak sepatutnya menjadi ‘pengacau’ ketikamana pelbagai pihak berusaha untuk menjayakan debat antara Najib dan Anwar. Berikan peluang keemasan kepada rakyat Malaysia untuk menyaksikan satu perdebatan bersejarah yang akan menjadi titik tolak kepada budaya politik yang lebih sihat di negara ini.

Dr Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki,
Pengarah Institut Kajian Polisi (IPS)
Dewan Pemuda PAS Pusat

Book Review: The mystery of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement

(Asia Sentinel) The ETIM: China's Islamic Militants and the Global Terrorist Threat, J. Todd Reed and Diana Raschke. Praeger Publishers, US$49.95 (UK Sterling price £34.95). Rumors, half-truths and on occasion downright lies make credible research on the Uyghur people of Xinjiang very difficult to conduct. The Chinese government keeps such a tight lid on information that the outside world is often left guessing at what is happening in the region.

The confusing and contradictory reports, often laced with political motivation, that do emerge from Xinjiang mean that a high degree of skepticism need be applied. The unrest that took place in Urumqi on July 5, 2009 is a case in point. Contending political perspectives have all offered versions of the events that day, but the only definitive conclusion is that the world will never know what happened.

This information gap is more than a pity. It not only does a disservice to academia and journalists, but more importantly, it also puts the outside world's perception of the Uyghur people largely in the hands of others.

So it is with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). Scholars, activists and government officials working with limited or subjective evidence have all pondered questions on the organization that range from questioning its very existence to its capacity to conduct acts of terror. For academics such as George Washington University's Sean Roberts, available evidence to answer those questions is "murky"¹. Roberts' counterpart at Georgetown University, James Millward, writing in 2004, states "the notion of an imminent terrorist threat in Xinjiang or from Uyghur groups is exaggerated"².

However, for the Chinese government there is no question in the matter with the official media claiming "ETIM and other East Turkistan organizations have joined international terrorist forces to create violent terrorist incidents inside and outside of China for a long time"³.

In The ETIM, Reed and Raschke have compiled a comprehensive account of the known information on the ETIM from Chinese and American government sources, as well as from non-Chinese and Chinese media reports. The book also includes details gleaned from the ETIM's, predominately online, material, but Reed and Raschke only briefly touch on the existence debate in the book's introduction.

The brevity with which the authors deal with the existence question may be representative of the dearth of credible information surrounding alleged Uyghur terror organizations; however, the existence question also contains the kernel of the geopolitical interests of the various actors that promote the notion of an organized Uyghur terror threat in China. Despite the authors' clarity in acknowledging the sources of their information, these geopolitical interests should make the authors ask more questions than they do of the available evidence from interested parties. In essence, the authors' could have explored their assertion that "the ETIM is a viable organization" with a more analytical and critical eye.

The authors' chronological list of incidents to chart the frequency and timing of violence in the region is a good example. The authors readily acknowledge the listing's reliance on Chinese reporting. However, and in one case particularly, further or contrary evidence is absent. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics period a series of attacks occurred in Xinjiang. One of these was a serious incident in Kashgar on August 4, 2008, which killed 16 people. The authors attribute this attack to the ETIM, but do not mention evidence⁴ presented by New York Times reporter, Edward Wong, that is at odds with the Chinese government version. While the veracity of the New York Times' evidence should be thoroughly questioned too, it is important to present to give a fuller picture.

Reed and Raschke concisely, but prominently, document the issues of cultural and economic marginalization facing the Uyghur that provide a context to the contentious politics in the region, and examine how the Chinese government has exploited the "war on terror" to justify the general repression of the Uyghur populace. These are key points to outline in understanding the patterns of dissent and political control in Xinjiang. The ETIM clearly illustrates how China conflates Uyghur opposition to state policy with terrorism when expedient, as well as China's struggles in handling genuine concern over internal security issues.

Fieldwork by overseas scholars on even the most benign of issues affecting the Uyghur is difficult to undertake in Xinjiang, and on security issues it is virtually impossible. Limited to secondary sources, Reed and Raschke are restricted in offering a perspective from the Uyghur people in Xinjiang on alleged Uyghur terror groups, such as grassroots depth of awareness of such organizations to concerns over Chinese counterterrorism measures. The absence of Uyghur perspectives is troubling; however, evidence from the Uyghur Diaspora organizations may have opened up a deeper understanding on these issues.

What emerges from The ETIM is that essentially not much is known about the organization. If it exists, its operational strength is unclear. If it existed at one time, its self-alleged attacks, contrary to Chinese reports, seem unsophisticated. If it never existed, the plausibility that it forms part of an elaborate fiction to repress Uyghurs is untested. All of these questions remain unanswered.

What does remain after all the evidence has been presented and analyzed is the lamentable situation that innocent lives have been lost, and that the Uyghur people continue to be voiceless in issues of their concern.

Henryk Szadziewski is Manager of Uyghur Human Rights Project in Washington, DC

---

1. See: Lambs to the Slaughter: What is the East Turkistan Islamic Movement and is it really a Terrorist Threat at the Olympics? http://roberts-report.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html
2. See: Violent Separatism in Xinjiang: A Critical Assessment www.eastwestcenter.org/fileadmin/stored/pdfs/PS006.pdf
3. See: China Appreciates US Decision to Put ETIM on Terror List http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200208/28/eng20020828_102193.shtml
4. See: Doubt Arises in Account of an Attack in China http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/world/asia/29kashgar.html

Playing Survivor every day

by HIMANSHU BHATT | The Sun

Almost three years after taking over the Penang government, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is firmly in the seat. On New Year’s Eve, Lim spoke to HIMANSHU BHATT of his experiences as a selfconfessed “Survivor” and about the state government.
ON LIM CHONG EU
HOW was your relationship with former chief minister Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu after you assumed office?
Tun Lim said he felt it would be very challenging for me, as it was for him … I think he felt I was facing the same circumstances and conditions as he experienced when he won power in 1969.
He advised that it was important to take charge. And I agree that we have to take charge. Take charge not by compulsion, but by example and by persuasion. He felt that it was important that we must be fully in command, to be in control of all aspects of government. I told him that I don’t think that I am that capable. So I rely on my trusted comrades. For instance, he said I should also handle local government. I said I can’t cope. So I leave it to Chow (Kon Yeow).

ON BEING “DICTATORIAL”
Your political opponents have accused you of not being consultative, of being obdurate. They have even used the word “dictatorial”.
In a way that is a sort of back-handed compliment. They even try to portray me as a future DPM or PM. I have said many times – I have no higher ambitions. I think there are many people more qualified than me to be the prime minister.
I am happy where I am now as the CM, and I want to do the job as best I can. I don’t think I can do it alone. I need the collective effort of everyone, every person on the team. They are just trying to break up my team, but they won’t succeed.
I mean when I was away for a week, the government functioned. So it’s the system that works that matters. My councillors are also doing their job. The main thing is that the system overrides all. Once there is a system failure, it shows that your leadership, your management skills are questionable.
Nowadays when investors come, they not only look at you as a leader but at your team. You may be able to convince them personally, but can you convince them collectively? If you can’t convince them collectively, I don’t think they will put their money here.
When they come here, they do not just do a due diligence on you, they also do a due diligence on the team. I can say to them, you can call me anytime. But you know-lah they are also protocol-guided. They won’t just call anytime. They would prefer to call somebody lower down that they can talk to and interact with, that they can get things done with.
BIGGEST CHALLENGES
There have been challenging periods.
Every day is a challenge. Every day is a survival exercise. It’s like experiencing Survivor – you know the TV series – every day.
What do you reckon have been the biggest challenges in power?
Some of these civil servants, little Napoleonslah. Those under the state government’s watch we can deal with. Those under federal, we are powerless. I think that has been disconcerting.
Number two has been lack of funds to carry out our programmes. Number three is the lack of cooperation from certain ministers.
FEDERAL-STATE RELATIONS
What are main challenges in federal-state relations? How do you see relations between the federal government and the Pakatan Rakyat states evolving in the next

Najib Urges Malaysian Companies To Move Up As Regional & Global Players

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak called on the captains of the private sector corporations to elevate their organisations' status from being Malaysian companies to regional players and ultimately, global leaders.

This is the challenge for corporate leaders as Malaysia moves into the next stage of economic development, from being production-based to an innovation-driven and knowledge-based economy, he said.

"You must strive to build world class companies as well as nurture and retain world class talent," he said in his speech at the Malaysia's CEO of the Year Award 2010 here, Thursday.

His speech text was read by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.

The Prime Minister said that although the challenges ahead were numerous and there was much uncertaintly, one thing certain was that change was the only constant.

"You have to grow and manage your businesses amidst constantly changing economic scenarios," he added.

Najib said the government had outlined various programmes such as the Government Transformation Programme and Economic Transformation Programme under which reforms are being implemented to achieve economic growth targets and to become a high-income nation as well as cater to the needs of the people.

"On the economic front, we have our work cut out for us and that includes you, the CEOs and members of the private sector.

"ETP will not achieve its goal if we do not work as a united team with a common purpose on ensuring success. Thus, the success also depends on your active participation and commitment," he explained.

Najib stated the private sector had already committed RM106 billion in investments for 37 entry point projects that would generate 102,000 new jobs from a total of 131 entry point projects and 60 business opportunities identified.

He highlighted that Malaysia was also once again on the radar screens of many fund managers and foreign investors but that should not result in complacency as there were still many challenges for a small, open and trade dependent economy such as Malaysia.

There are still dark clouds on the international economy with uncertainty in the Euro zone, he said.

Najib also urged the CEOs who have the network both at home and abroad to assist by acting as talent scouts and helping the government to seek and engage those living abroad to consider how best they can contribute to the nation's transformation and development.

Despite the challenges in the global environment, Malaysian corporations continue to perform reasonably well as the bottom lines of many companies are healthy.

"However, there is a need for you (CEOs) to also distinguish yourselves not just by the profits alone but by innovation, best practices, increased productivity and enhanced competitiveness," he elaborated.

Meanwhile, Executive Chairman and Group Managing Director of Supermax Corporation Bhd, Datuk Seri Stanley Thai, bagged the Malaysia's CEO of the Year 2010 award.

Maxis Communications Bhd won the Corporate Nationhood Initiatives Award 2010 and The Sunway Group was selected for Special Mention in the Corporate Nationhood Initiatives Award 2010.

Tunai janji Rembau sebelum debat

Pulau Jerejak scandal; land reclamation

Almost all the useable land on Pulau Jerejak near Penang Island was sold to a resort, majority owned by the federal government’s UDA Holdings Bhd. And Penang has incurred a RM19 million RM30 million loss on the deal.

The Tropical Island Resort, which manages Pulau Jerejak, is a 51:49 joint-venture between UDA and the Penang Development Corporation. How could PDC (and by extension, Penang) end up with only a minority share when the island is part of Penang? UDA, for its part, was delisted from the stock exchange in 2007 and is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Finance Ministry’s Khazanah.
PDC has incurred investment expenditure and debt of RM19 million. Another RM11 million in land premium has not yet been paid to the Penang Land Administrator. Shockingly, even though the land premium has not yet been paid in full, the title deed was still issued by the previous administration, said Chief Minister Guan Eng. If that’s the case, the resort must settle what it owes to the PDC and the Penang state government, which in turn must seek legal advice to protect Penang’s interest.
(As a matter of interest, the island once housed a leper colony, which in the 1930s was overseen by an Australian-English couple. Opium was even provided by the local authorities to some of the inmates to ease their misery – and the biggest complaint from the lepers was about its poor quality. “Ta baik,” they would say. This at a time when there were stiff penalties for opium possession in the UK itself.)
As you can see from the photos, there’s a lot of potential for this lovely waterway to be a part of a scenic water transport route for Penang. After all, the city cats (catamarans) are an important means of transit for the folks in in Brisbane. Similarly, the river buses in Bangkok carry a large number of commuters. Imagine beating all those traffic jams in such a relaxing way.
Anyway, what happened to all those inquiries into land scams that were supposed to have been undertaken by the present state government? There is a lot more at stake than RM30 million.
What I would really like to know is – and this is something that no one wants to answer – how much have the previous and present Penang state governments received from developers in exchange for granting them lucrative land reclamation rights (with gross development value worth billions of ringgit) for the coastal areas stretching from Tanjong Tokong in the north-east, down the entire east coast past Jelutong and extending to Gertak Sanggul in the south-west? Has the state received only peanuts (in comparison with the GDV) in exchange for handing over reclamation rights? Could we have some accountability here?
From a Malaysian Insider report:

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today called his predecessor, Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, irresponsible for blaming problems faced during the state BN’s recent camp at the Tropical Island Resort (TIR) at Pulau Jerejak on the new administration.
Pulau Jerejak is a 362-hectare island off the eastern coast of Penang, which once served as a penal and leper colony.
“He is not satisfied because there was no key to the boat and there was a snake in the storeroom,” Lim said in a media statement today, referring to the Gerakan president and state BN chief.
The DAP secretary-general said Koh should not blame PR because the jetty at Bayan Bay and Pulau Jerejak was managed by the resort company, which was granted the project by the previous BN administration.
TIR is a joint-venture partnership between Putrajaya-linked UDA Holdings and state-owned Penang Development Corporation (PDC) with shares split 51 per cent and 49 per cent respectively
Lim, who is also PDC chairman, said the project had caused the state agency to suffer a RM19 million loss which it cannot recoup.
He said almost all usable land on the former leper colony had been handed over to UDA during Koh’s 15-year tenure as chief minister.
Lim dared Koh to explain for the loss.
“Is Koh brave enough to explain the new RM19 million scandal in Pulau Jerejak?” the first-term CM challenged.
“Or is he going to wait until March?” he added, mocking Koh’s promise that there are surprises in store for the PR state government.
Lim had earlier this week dared Koh to disclose why the state government had to pay RM40 million over the Tang Hak Ju land scam and why the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) suffered a RM230 million deficit for seven years.

Aiming to break BN grip in Johor

LABIS: The Tenang by-election may see a five-cornered fight after a PKR member declared his intention to contest as an independent.
S Jeevan, 34, a successful businessman from Kluang, said today that he intends to contest to break BN dominance in Johor.
“My main aim is not to win but to break the BN’s grip in Johor, which is considered its stronghold,” he said.
He added that his decision to contest nothing to do with PKR.
“I was not forced by any party to contest. I am doing this voluntarily,” Jeevan said.
Jeevan, who has been an ordinary PKR member of the Batu division since 2008, claimed the party’s central leadership did not give its full attention to the grassroots leaders here although it was they who made a lot of sacrifices for the party.
According to him, the PKR top leaders only focused on a small group which was working for the former’s interest.
“I was disappointed with these leaders who only paid attention to members like me during election to gain public support,” he told FMT.
He, however, said that he was still a strong supporter of Pakatan Rakyat.
Jeevan, who holds a diploma in electronic engineering, is fluent in Tamil and Malay.
When asked about his chances of winning, he admitted that hit would not be easy.
“But, at the same time, I will ensure that the BN and MIC will not get votes from the Indians and Malays.”
Indian life now worse
Jeevan also thinks luck may be on his side and he may score an upset win.
“I have had a relationship with Tenang for over 30 years. Many people here know me. If the Chinese do not choose the BN or Pakatan, then my chances of winning are very bright.”
“My message to the Indian community in Tenang: is do not forget your history and the ‘violence’ of  the BN.
“The Indian community landed in this nation and ate ubi. And today our lives have become worse,” he said.
Jeevan is the third candidate to announce his intention to enter the fray. The others were S Sanjeevan of Asthivaaram Foundation and G Sivanandan, a member of National Union of Plantation Workers.
BN/Umno is set to contest to retain the seat and is likely to face a stiff challenge from PAS. Both these parties are believed to have zeroed in on women candidates for the Jan 30 by-election.
The Tenang seat fell vacant with the death of two-term BN state assemblyman Sulaiman Taha on Dec 17 due to blood infection and diabetes.
Nomination day is Jan 22.

Brazil flooding reportedly claims 260 lives

(CNN) -- Heavy rains and flooding in Brazil have caused 260 deaths in the states of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, CNN affiliate TV Record reported Wednesday.

The greatest damage was in a cluster of towns in a mountainous area northeast of the city of Rio from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, where civil defense officials said 147 lost their lives.

That included 114 people reported killed in Teresopolis by a mudslide, local officials told CNN. Some 1,000 others were left without shelter and were being moved to a local gym and schools.

And, in nearby Petropolis, 18 deaths were recorded, the state government said, according to Agencia Brasil. Three deaths were reported in Itaipava, while in Nova Friburgo there were 12.

Among the victims in Rio state were three firefighters who were involved in rescue operations when they were buried by a subsequent mudslide, Agencia Brasil reported. A fourth firefighter was missing.

Nearly 75,000 people were without power in the region as a result of the heavy storms.

Teresopolis Mayor Jorge Mario Sedlacek declared his city a natural disaster area. He told CNN affiliate TV Globo that at least 80 rescuers have been sent to the region.

Meanwhile, in the state of Sao Paulo, at least 24 people were dead as heavy rain continued to batter parts of the state, authorities said.

It has been raining since January 1, and the deluge could continue until the end of the week, forecasters have said.

The flooding has caused mudslides, officials said Tuesday. The Mairipora Dam gave way, adding to the woes in the area, said Ramos Junior, a captain at the Sao Paulo Civil Fire Department.

Sao Jose dos Campos, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the city of Sao Paulo, has been hardest hit by the flooding, Junior said.

In January last year, heavy rains caused dozens of deaths in Brazil's southeast coast. Torrential rains caused deadly mudslides in the resort area of the town of Angra dos Reis.

4 cops charged for beating up Chinese man. But no such records by A. G. Gani Patail for thousands of Indians similarly beaten up.

Tan Sri Gani Patail playing to the 90% Malay and Chinese political gallery? And never mind the Indian poor kena nyaya.
(see The Star 12/1/11 at page N 3)

Jeffrey may turn UBF into political force

KOTA KINABALU: The United Borneo Front (UBF) may be forced to convert into a political party if the current political parties in Sabah refuse to subscribe to its Borneo Agenda, its leader Jeffrey Kitingan said yesterday.

“The current Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat set-up has focused on the peninsula’s agenda which is why UBF hopes to educate the masses on how we could empower ourselves politically.

“If the current political parties in Sabah refuse to subscribe to the Borneo Agenda, then we have no choice but to gather our supporters eventually into a new political party in Sabah to promote the struggle of our founding fathers,” he said yesterday after PBS officially denied any links to the NGO.

He said that UBF would approach every political party in BN and Pakatan intending to put candidates in Sabah and Sarawak and ask them whether they subscribe to the Borneo Agenda.

“This is so that the people will know what is truly in their hearts when they become the peoples’ representatives.

“We will make it very clear to our supporters and everybody we know here and abroad which parties have subscribed to our struggle and which parties have flatly rejected it,” he said.

He was speaking in response to PBS’s information chief Johnny Mositun’s denial of any talks with UBF.

Jeffrey said that Mositun’s denial was questionable.

“Did Mositun issue the denial unilaterally or did he have the blessing of the PBS supreme council?

“However, we will continue to be open to friendly discussions with anybody in Sabah and Sarawak pertaining to the Borneo Agenda,” he added.

Common agenda

On reports that PBS had invited him rejoin the party along with those who recently resigned from PKR, Jeffrey said that it was up to each individual to join whichever parties they wished.

“I have made it clear that I am focusing my struggle on promoting the Borneo Agenda through UBF and forming a Borneo Alliance of political parties, NGOs and individuals who subscribe to our struggle for political and economic empowerment in Borneo,” he said.

The UBF was co-founded by Jeffrey, lawyer Nilakrisna James and economist Zainal Ajamain.

The trio set it up as a civil rights movement and pressure group aimed at uniting political parties, NGOS and individuals in Sabah and Sarawak into a Borneo alliance and push for equal powers with the peninsula in the federation.

UBF was launched on Dec 16, which was the date of the Boston Tea Party revolt in 1773. The latter was sparked by oppressive cabotage laws imposed by the British against the American colonies that led to the American revolution and eventual American independence.

UBF hopes to force the Malaysian government to review laws, contracts, regulations and policies which negatively impact Sabah and Sarawak.

Khairy sends formal invitation for debate

PETALING JAYA: Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin piled pressure on opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim for an open debate on the economy, after sending a formal invitation for the debate to the PKR de-facto leader, here today.
The invitation letter was submitted by the Youth wing’s delegation this morning, led by national deputy secretary Megat Firdouz Megat Junid and information chief Reezal Merican, to the PKR headquarters.
“We come in a respectful manner to send a formal invitation to Anwar to accept our invitation for a debate on the economy.
“I hope he accepts the invitation which is good to widen democracy for the rakyat,” Reezal told reporters after handing over the letter.

read more

Mysterious stoning in Tenang estate

LABIS: The by-election din is waking up not only the people in Tenang but also some angry “toyol” or “spirits” who have come out to wreak havoc on a rubber estate near here. Or so it seems.

For the past 10 days, the workers in Bukit Dato Tenang rubber estate have been spending sleepless nights because mysterious “falling rocks” have been hitting their quarters regularly.

No one knows who is pelting them – not the management, or the police, or the workers. They have all tried to catch the culprit but in vain.

Strangely, the hail stones have been raining down on one particular row of the 20 quarters.


Now the estate management has given the workers a week to find an alternative place to stay after it failed to locate the source of the “attack”.

According to 45-year-old S Maniam, a local familiar with the incident, the estate residents had reported the matter to the police.

“But so far even the police don’t know who is throwing rocks at us,” he said.

“This incident is very disturbing. We have not been able to sleep or work worrying about it… we don’t know who is doing this,” he added.

Since the bizarre “show” began, the estate youths have banded together to keep watch.

“We haven’t been able to find anything. Many now believe that it could be the work of an angry ‘jin’ or ‘toyol’,” Maniam said.

He said that a similar incident had occurred 15 years ago. At that time, the residents and management were also not able to identify who were throwing the stones.

“But after a week the whole incident stopped by itself,” said Maniam.

Meanwhile, locals in the area have sought the help of shamans and bomohs to “engage” the mysterious “spirit” and find out what it wants.

Yesterday, a bomoh managed to lure the mysterious spirit who told him that the local residents had “disturbed its place”.

After much cajoling, the spirit agreed to leave.

Sleepy hollow

Meanwhile, rumours abound that the appearance of the mysterious spirit has something to do with the upcoming Tenang by-election.

The once quiet sleepy hollow has seen much activity in recent days. Speculations are that the place will see more frequent “visits” by the “unknown”.

Bukit Datuk Estate is one of the 12 rubber estates located in the Tenang constituency.

The Tenang seat, which is part of the Labis parliamentary constituency in Johor, fell vacant on Dec 17 following the death of two-term Barisan Nasional assemblyman Sulaiman Taha.

In the 2008 general election, Sulaimn won the seat with a 2,492-vote majority against PAS’ Md Saim Siran.

Word is that both BN and PAS will, this time round, field female candidates.

Indications are that PAS may field its Labis Muslimah chief, Normala Sudirman, while BN may go for Labis Wanita chief Haslinda Salleh.

Reminder issued to Selangor PAS leaders over Khusrin saga

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 12: PAS leaders in Selangor have been reminded not to issue contradictory statements with regards to the controversy surrounding the appointment of the state secretary.
PAS secretary general Mustafa Ali (right) said the party leadership had already decided to throw its full support for the state government, which opposes the appointment of Khusrin Munawi as the new state secretary.
PAS also fully supports the move to amend state constitution (appended below) so that the powers to appoint the state secretary, legal advisor and financial officer would revert to the state, and not the Federal government.
“I would like to remind all parties especially Selangor PAS leaders not to issue statements or carry out acts which contradict what has been stated as party's official stand.
"I am following the development in Selangor closely and I hope that there is no leader in Selangor taking a different approach,” he told Harakahdaily today.
"I can work with him"
Mustafa was responding to a report quoting Selangor PAS Commissioner Dr Hasan Ali, who is also a state Exco member, who said he had no problem working with Khusrin.
Hasan (left) had also advised the state government not to attack Khusrin because "it may cause problems" to the state civil service numbering some 28,000.
"If they picket, we may be in trouble," he was quoted as saying by online daily Malaysiakini, and added that a gag order had been imposed on all state party leaders not to comment on the Khusrin issue.
Last Sunday at a stadium in Shah Alam, PAS organised special congregatory prayer attended by tens of thousands of people to declare full support for the Selangor state government and Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, especially in defending the state against any planned coup by Barisan Nasional.
“This event was organised by the PAS leadership to state that we are together with our friends in Pakatan Rakyat to face every challenge and attack by BN.
"To any of our friends who have been touched, whether it is from PAS, PKR or DAP, we will be together to face the challenges. Pakatan Rakyat is getting stronger by the day," PAS president Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang told when addressing the gathering.

A-G Gani Patail should be suspended!

by Din Merican

On Wednesday  January 5, 2011, the MACC Corruption Prevention Panel Chairman, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, declared that AG Gani Patail has been cleared of his relationship with former MAS Chairman, Tajuddin Ramli’s proxy, Shahidan Shafie.

The very next day, his colleague Tan Sri Robert Phang, a member of that MACC Panel slammed Ramon for manipulating a closed door confidential meeting to clear A-G Gani Patail. Robert Phang also warned Ramon for making an unauthorized announcement on behalf of the Panel thus rendering the Panel members to be mere rubber stamps to protect and preserve A-G Gani Patail’s position.

However, Ramon insisted that he was entitled to make that statement on behalf of that MACC Panel. If so, was Phang the lone voice in the MACC?

Malaysians were confused. Who is telling the truth, Phang or Ramon? This must have troubled another member of that Panel, Ishak Thamby Kechik, who also issued a statement supporting Phang.  It appears that other members of the Panel have been awoken from their slumber and were now speaking out.  The full Panel decided to meet to settle this matter once and for all.

On Monday January 10, the full Panel comprising Ramon Navaratnam, Anis Yusal Yusoff, Azman Ujang, Ishak Thamby Kechik, Zainal Abidin Abdul Majid, Prof. Dr. Abdul Rahman Embong and Robert Phang met.  Earlier this afternoon (January 12), the MACC Panel made it clear that its chairman Ramon Navaratnam’s statement on January 4 on the matter was his “personal judgment”. This was a damning indictment against Ramon.

Ramon was not telling the truth

Ramon, do the honorable thing and resign

Ramon’s own Panel members are now saying publicly that Ramon was not telling the truth, which means that Ramon is a Liar for announcing that A-G Gani Patail has been cleared by the MACC. This amounted to a vote of no confidence against Ramon. If Ramon has any dignity left in him, he should step down as Chairman of that Panel. If Ramon has any integrity, he would resign from the MACC Panel.

The MACC Panel members must be people with integrity. Ramon has no business being in that Panel if his own Panel members think that he has no integrity. That is as simple as it gets. Let us see if Ramon has dignity and integrity.

The Panel also issued a statement that was reported by MalaysiaKini and which came on Channel 501 Astro Awani news earlier this evening (January 12) that:  “The Panel also agreed that investigation by the MACC will continue where necessary to ensure the truth or otherwise of any allegations made against the A-G.”

That was exactly the point stressed by Robert Phang, that is, that there has to be a proper investigation before A-G Gani can be cleared. Phang’s criticism against A-G Gani Patail stems from the numerous allegations that had surfaced against  the A-G – from manipulation to lying, to outright fabrication and selective prosecution.

Phang resented any attempt to use the MACC Board and Panel to cover-up for A-G Gani Patail. To Phang, the Attorney-General must be free from any form of suspicion of improper conduct. To Phang, A-G Gani Patail’s conduct is far from satisfactory and he would not have the MACC being manipulated to be a fait accompli to A-G Gani Patail’s wrongdoings.

I wrote about all these on 6 January under the title: The Shameful Whitewashing of A-G Gani Patail’s Shenanigans. A-G Gani Patail’s association with Tajuddin’s proxy, Shahidan Shafie, is not just a bare allegation.The fact that A-G Gani and his family went for Haj and shared room with Shahidan was proven by official documents from Tabung Haji:

A-G Gani and Shahidan Haji Together

When invited by MalaysiaKini to publicly clear the air over these serious allegations, both AG Gani Patail and Shahaidan had chosen to remain quiet.

Tajuddin , who was MAS chairman from 1994 to 2001, had been blamed for the national carrier’s massive losses which brought it to the brink of bankruptcy. The Government introduced the Widespread Asset Unbundling (WAU) restructuring of MAS that basically cleaned the slate for MAS to be able to operate again.

Instead of quietly going away, Tajuddin had accused then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir, and then Finance Minster Tun Daim Zainudin, as being responsible for all of his actions in MAS. Tajudin even launched an arbitration claim in Switzerland through a well camouflaged German company called ACL GmbH.  Tajudin links with this company had already been exposed as a web of deceit in the chart below:

To close the investigation on MAS, the Director of Commercial Crimes Investigations Department, Dato’ Ramli Yusuff, and Lawyer Rosli Dahlan were charged by A-G Gani Patail on some ridiculous fixed up charges. Both have since been acquitted by the courts without even calling for their defence.

There is already public disquiet over a “Global Settlement” that Tajuddin is attempting to force upon the government. It is so blatantly done under the sanction of the court (see Tajuddin’s Lawyers’s letter below).

Lawyer Rosli Dahlan

Shahidan’s name is specifically mentioned as the new owner of Naluri Bhd which was the corporate vehicle that Tajuddin used to take over MAS. What game is being played here?  Why is the government so afraid of Tajudidn that it can be forced to settle all the cases against Tajuddin? If the government can be intimidated, is there any hope of the MAS Scandal ever being fully uncovered? Was that why Dato’ Ramli and Lawyer Rosli were treated so mercilessly?

If A-G Gani Patail is now to face investigation for his connection with Tajuddin and Shahidan in covering up the MAS Scandal, can there be an impartial and independent investigation for so long as A-G Gani Patail remain in office? Is there a possibility of A-G Gani imposing his will on the investigators?

As it is,  Dato’ Mat Zain Ibrahim, former CID Chief of KL had accused A-G Gani of fabricating evidence in the “Black Eye Incident” and in planting DNA samples on the mattress in Sodomy I. If, as recent as a few days ago, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam of the MACC Panel can be cowed into making a false announcement to clear A-G Gani Patail, what hope can there be for a truthful investigation while A-G Gani remains in power?

What is the norm when a Head of Department faces investigation? In the case of Dato’ Ramli

Yusuff, he was stripped of his post, lost all his salary and privileges and until now has yet to be reinstated. The D-G of Tourism, Dato Mirza Thaiyab was suspended. So was the D-G of Immigration, Dato Wahid Don.

Shouldn’t the same happen to A-G Gani Patail?  In fact more so, because as the A-G, he is so powerful and has wide powers to decide on  criminal proceedings under Article 145 of the Federal Constitution. For sure, he will not approve any prosecution against himself.

Thus, if the government is serious about this; if the Home Minister Dato Seri Hishammuddin wants to show that his bees are not being squeezed by A-G Gani Patail; if they want to show independence in this investigation, the only option is to suspend A-G Gani Patail. Otherwise, this will be just another Cover Up!

Pre-polls reforms unlikely, says Roubini’s RGE

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 — Much-needed reforms to Malaysia’s pro-Bumiputera policies will likely be put on the back burner until Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak secures a new electoral mandate, a report by star economist Nouriel Roubini’s RGE global economic analysis firm has predicted.

RGE said in its “Wednesday Note — Malaysia’s Middle-Income Malaise” released yesterday that Umno was “unlikely” to revamp such policies “blocking” Malaysia’s rise to high-income nation status before the next general election for fear of antagonising Malay voters.

Najib’s market-friendly reforms under the New Economic Model (NEM) have received lukewarm to hostile response from the Malays, many of whom regard such proposals as a challenge to the special position of Bumiputeras outlined in the Constitution.

“[Given] the governing party’s reliance on Bumiputera support, major changes are unlikely until new elections are held and the government has the political confidence to confront popular resistance to reform,” RGE said.

The Malaysian Insider, quoting sources, reported yesterday that Najib was considering pushing back snap polls, said to have been slated for the first half of this year, to the fourth quarter to give big-ticket projects time to gain traction.

RGE pointed out that the decline of the local electrical and electronics (E&E) sector over the past 10 years was “one of the most noticeable manifestations” of the middle-income trap afflicting Malaysia.

At its height in 2000, the E&E sector accounted for more than one-third of the country’s total value added in manufacturing, over 70 per cent of revenue from manufacturing exports and almost four per cent of world E&E exports, the New York-based company noted.

However, Malaysia’s E&E sector has witnessed a drop in productivity, export stagnation and deteriorating global market share since 2000 due to its inability to maintain a low value-added growth model in the face of higher labour costs and increased competition from low-cost rivals like the Philippines and China, RGE said.

It fingered the “stifling” effects pro-Bumiputera policies had on the development of a robust and indigenous E&E sector as the main culprit behind Malaysia’s failure to transition into higher value-added E&E production from its current “downstream dominated” setup.

RGE stressed that it was this “evolutionary process” to upstream production that allowed Asian Tigers South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore to successfully transition to higher value-added manufacturing, and later, high-income status, despite facing similar challenges as Malaysia.

“By the time labour cost increases forced downstream production facilities to lower-cost markets, [Singaporean] firms were experienced and competitive enough to continue operating in the E&E supply chain at higher levels of value added. In this way, Singapore has managed to increase its global market share of E&E since 2000,” its note said.
“In contrast, Malaysia’s E&E sector has been unable to adjust to shifts in the country’s comparative advantage.”

RGE said the underperformance of the E&E sector over the last decade should serve as a warning to Malaysia’s policymakers that the continuation of “distortionary” pro-Bumiputera policies may limit the country’s growth prospects.

It also said that affirmative action policies have exacerbated the non-Bumiputera brain drain problem and also created a “strategic disadvantage” for local firms by limiting human and financial capital as well as “perpetuating an unlevel playing field” for entrepreneurs.

The note added that the continued government presence in the economy via procurement policies and some 500 government-linked corporations (GLCs) provided “ample opportunity for rent-seeking by well-connected Bumiputera” able to take advantage of favourable policies.

RGE is chaired by Nouriel Roubini, famous for correctly predicting the US sub-prime crisis three years before it happened.

Roubini, an economics professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, previously advised the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) and currently holds research fellowships at London’s Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Karpal seeks order for Zaki to reply to complaints

The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP national chairman Karpal Singh is seeking for the High Court to compel Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi to respond to complaints of alleged misconduct over bribery issues.

Karpal, in his capacity as Bukit Gelugor MP, filed an application against the country’s top judge at the High Court registry at noon yesterday.

In his application, he is asking for a mandamus order for Zaki to respond to his accusations, in two letters dated Aug 20 and Dec 1 last year, of hypocrisy and misconduct while on the Bench.

“As the respondent has failed to respond to the letters, he has failed to carry out his duty and obligation under Section 13 of the Judges’ Code of Ethics 2009,” he told reporters.

In his affidavit, Karpal said Zaki, in his capacity as a public authority, was required by law to process and reply to a complaint made against any judge, including the Chief Justice.

Karpal has also called for a tribunal to be set up to investigate Zaki over his alleged misconduct.

Probe on AG will continue: MACC

The New Straits Times
by Karen Arukesamy

PETALING JAYA (Jan 12, 2011): The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will continue investigations into allegations made against Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail.

"The panel agreed that investigation by MACC will continue where necessary to determine the truth or otherwise of any allegations made against the AG," the commission’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel secretariat said in a statement today.

The decision was made after the panel held a dialogue with Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein on MACC’s commitment to step up the fight against corruption.

An online portal had made allegations pertaining to Abdul Gani’s relationship with former Malaysia Airlines chairman Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli’s proxy, Shahidan Shafie, particularly in relation to a haj pilgrimage with his family.

The portal asked what part Abdul Gani had played in omitting to charge Tajudin for the RM8 billion in losses the national carrier recorded during his tenure.

According to the secretariat, the panel had discussed yesterday a statement made by its chairman Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam on Jan 4, after Abdul Gani had met with the panel and board members.

Points raised at the meeting include that Navaratnam’s statement touched only on Abdul Gani’s explanation on expenses incurred during his pilgrimage; and that it was Navaratnam’s personal judgment when he said the panel had generally accepted Abdul Gani’s explanation as satisfactory.

The meeting yesterday was attended by Navaratnam, Prof Emeritus Dr Abdul Rahman Embong, Dr Zainal Abidin Abdul Majid, Prof Dr Ishak Tambi Kechik, Datuk Seri Azman Ujang, Anis Yusal Yusoff and Tan Sri Robert Phang.

Navaratnam’s statement had attracted the criticism of fellow panel member Phang, who has been relentless in determining the truth of the allegations.

Urging the MACC to continue its probe into the allegations, Phang had said Navaratnam’s unilateral statement breached the confidentiality of the meeting and was far from the truth.

His views were shared by Ishak, who was reportedly of the view that it was improper for Navaratnam to voice a personal opinion publicly while purporting to represent the panel.

MACC Anti-Corruption advisory board member Tan Sri Simon Sipaun had also said the authority should proceed with the investigations.

King to have a look at RCI names first, says PM

The Star
by MAZWIN NIK ANIS

PUTRAJAYA: The names of members of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the Teoh Beng Hock case will be made public after they are presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the government was going through some names for the Commission.

“There is a process. We are going through some names. I am not able to seek an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as he is overseas,” he said when asked if the RCI members would be named yesterday.

The Prime Minister, when announcing the setting up of the RCI, had said its chairman and members would be named after yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.

The RCI is to determine if there was any abuse in procedures by the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commi-ssion in handling the case and if there was a violation of Teoh’s human rights.

The Attorney-General had also applied to the High Court for a revision of the Coroner Court’s open verdict on the political aide’s death.

The two-pronged approach is in line with the Government’s effort to get to the truth about how Teoh died on July 16, 2009.

On another matter, Najib said the Cabinet wanted the Indian community to engage in a dialogue with the Education Ministry to look at how best to ease the tension caused by the controversial novel, Interlok.

He said the Cabinet had asked that a few individuals among the community be selected to discuss the matter.

“It was discussed by the Cabinet but we have not reached any decision yet. We want a discussion to look at how we can ease the situation and unhappiness among the community,” he added.

The move to make the novel a literature text caused controversy when several quarters claimed that it contained elements deemed offensive to the Indian community.