Monday, 8 April 2013
Al-Qaida leader urges Muslims to unite in struggle
By: Associated Press
CAIRO — Al-Qaida's leader has urged Muslims in Arab Spring countries to unite to institute an Islamic state, while warning France that its intervention in Mali will be bogged down.
"I warn France that it will meet in Mali, with God's permission, the same fate America met in Iraq and Afghanistan," Ayman Al-Zawahri said in a 103-minute audio message posted on militant websites late Saturday.
France launched a military operation in Mali last January after being asked to intervene by the country's interim president. Since then, French and Malian troops have liberated main towns in the north, but remnants of an al-Qaida cell remain active there in some of the vast, rural areas.
In the recording, al-Zawahri urged Muslims to liberate their lands from oppressive regimes and foreign troops, apply Islamic law, halt the plundering of Muslim wealth, support rebellious Muslims and oppressed people worldwide, and establish the Islamic Caliphate, or religious state.
The audio was produced by al-Qaida's media arm, As-Sahab, and was presented alongside video footage showing Iranian revolutionary guards captured in Syria, and other events in the Middle East.
The al-Qaida leader praised the mujahedeen, or holy warriors, in Syria, urging them to step up their fight against the regime of President Bashar Assad. But he also warned them against letting the country fall under the influence of the United States, the Arab League, the United Nations and Israel should they gain control of it.
"(They) want to steal your sacrifices and your jihad to give them to their supporters in Washington, Moscow and Tel Aviv."
Al-Zawahri also lashed out against Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and Iran for their support of Assad, saying that "the true faces of Iran and Hezbollah have been exposed, and their ugly reality has appeared in the field of holy war in Syria." He called The Syrian government a "criminal secular" regime.
Al-Zawahri, an Egyptian, criticized the country's ruling Muslim Brotherhood for a weak response to the country's poverty, saying "the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Have the Islamic movements provided better education, health or transportation?"
He also attacked the country's new constitution, drawn up by the Brotherhood and other Islamic movements, for not being religious enough. The charter, he said, approved by referendum last December, fell short of promises made by the Brotherhood, an Islamist movement that is the country's most powerful political force.
He objected to the fact that the current constitution designates Islamic law, or Sharia, only as "the main source" of legislation, rather than the "sole source."
Al-Zawahri's previous message, in which he urged Muslims to join Somali militants, was in November.
Pakatan: BN took a leaf from our manifesto
According to PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali, PAS has identified at nine issues in which BN had borrowed from the Pakatan manifesto published in February.
He told a press conference today that the wordings may be different, but ideas were essentially the same.
Among others, Mustafa pointed out that BN's promise to review the national automative policy to gradually reduce car prices by between 20 to 30 percent, was not original.
Pakatan had promised to gradually remove car excise duties with the intention to totally remove the tax in order to have a competitive automotive industry.
On BN's promise of 20 percent special payments for oil producing states, Mustafa said that this was again similar.
Pakatan had promised in their manifesto to increase oil royalty payments from 5 percent currently, to 20 percent.
"These are just a few examples of how several of our ideas appeared in the BN manifesto. It is not a coincidence, but it is plagiarism," he said.
PKR: No real reforms from BN
Meanwhile, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar said the BN manifesto pales in comparisan to Pakatan’s in terms of outlining proper reforms.
"This is plagiarism in its clear definition. Their manifesto is populist, but misses out on the more important points, which are fundamental reforms," she said after a free health screening event in Pantai Dalam.
In comparison, Nurul Izzah said Pakatan had properly outlined how it will eradicate corruption and break monopolies.
“Our manifesto is about curbing the problems at the very cause,” she said.
The BN manifesto had stated that more courts would be established specifically to hear more graft cases.
What about GST?
She pointed out that the manifesto had left out any mention of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which is expected to be implemented after the general election.
"They should have made the announcement in the manifesto. We know they plan to implement the GST, but where is the GST in the manifesto?" she asked.
She said that the GST has already been tabled in the Parliament and that the MPs come across the Bill before.
"It has always been on the top of a stack of Bills but it was never debated. BN should be clear in their intentions with regards to the GST," she said.
DPM admits Pakatan a tough opponent, warns BN against complacency
Deputy
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin launching the Barisan Nasional
Command Centre at Taman Bullion Mewah. – Picture by Saw Siow FengKUALA LUMPUR, April 7 – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin warned the Barisan Nasional (BN) machinery today against complacency, admitting that beating Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in the coming polls contest would not be an easy task.The deputy BN chairman said the opposition will be fighting tooth and nail to achieve its Putrajaya goal this time around and would not give up so easily.
“We have to be ready because it will not be easy to get the opposition to surrender,” he told BN members when launching the pact’s Batu parliamentary command centre here.
Muhyiddin told party workers to work their hardest to draw more support for BN, adding they should not give up as long as victory is not yet on their side.
“Do not sleep until the very final day. Only once we have won, you can sleep for however long you like... but as long as victory is not in our hands, we have to be alert... do not allow our enemies to sneak up on us and influence our voters,” he told some 500 at the function this evening.
“Let us go down to every area, ask how people are, their problems, and if they respond, then it is not impossible for Batu to return to BN,” he said, referring to the Batu parliamentary seat held by PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang since Election 2008.
The country’s number two also warned party members not to take any issue lightly, reminding them that the voters are the “kings” who would determine BN’s fate in the coming polls.
“But we cannot assume that everything would be so easy, the voters will be the determinants, the voters are the king, they could do whatever they like... even without reason, because no one can force them to choose a party,” he said.
Before launching the command centre, Muhyiddin, in his visit to the Batu constituency, enjoyed some teatime snacks with the voters of Kampung Padang Balang in Sentul.
He said all BN component parties need to stay cohesive and cooperative among one another despite their differences, adding that this would help keep the pact strong.
In a televised address on Wednesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced the dissolution of the Dewan Rakyat, paving the way for the long-awaited 13th general election.
The Malaysian Insider understands that the polls may be held as soon as April 20 or a week later on April 27, depending on the Election Commission’s (EC) arrangements.
The EC will meet next Wednesday to set the dates for nominations and polling that must he held within 60 days of it getting the notice of dissolution from every state legislative assembly that has yet to be dissolved.
Politicians from the ruling BN and opposition PR will be fighting hard to wrest majority control over 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state seats in the coming polls, which analysts have said is a toss-up between both pacts.
‘Uplift the Indian community too, Najib’
While urging Najib to do more for the Indian community, Tunku Aziz also criticised DAP's manifesto for Indians for being prepared overnight to fish Indian votes.
BUKIT MERTAJAM: Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim, a former Transparency International-Malaysia president, wants Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Tun Razak to endorse and implement the Hindraf Makkal Sakti’s blueprint to correct the historical wrongs committed on the Indian community.
Pointing out that Indians have been marginalised since colonial days, Tunku Abdul Aziz said by right the government should have implemented a blueprint on its own to uplift the Indians by now.
If only successive governments had implemented what was needful and rightful for the Indians since independence, he said Hindraf and Indians would not have resorted to the streets or tabled a blueprint to exert their rightful demands.
He stressed Najib must endorse the blueprint and implement it fully if he was serious with his transformation plans for the country.
He said it would be an ill-conceived idea for Najib to implement his transformation plans while a segment of citizens remained languished.
“I call on Najib to endorse and implement Hindraf blueprint for Indians.
“It is long overdue. Najib should take the bold pro-active initiatives to correct the historical wrongdoings on Indians.
“It’s timely for him to rightly rectify the neglect of past.
“Poor Indians will be grateful to him,” said Tunku Aziz, formerly a DAP vice-chairman, adding that Najib was a premier who listens and delivers to the people.
He also dismissed criticisms that Hindraf blueprint was an extreme and racist agenda for one particular community.
DAP’s instand noodle blueprint
Tunku Aziz insisted that the blueprint was a legitimate demand to uplift Malaysians of Indian origin sidelined from country’s mainstream development.
“Hindraf is not demanding the sky and the moon for the Indians.
“It’s just asking the government of the day to correct past wrongs done on Indians.
“It’s just asking for a policy for Indians that by right should have been implemented long time ago,” he told FMT when he was here to speak at a public rally in Bukit Mertajam last night.
On the 14-point DAP manifesto for Indians, he said it was an “instant noodle” prepared overnight to fish Indian votes.
He mocked the DAP Indian representatives for preparing the instant blueprint to hoodwink Indians when for five years they merely stood and watch as the DAP-helmed state government in Penang and the party’s executive councillors in Selangor failed to implement any worthy policy to benefit Indians.
Dubbed as “Gelang Patah Declaration”, the DAP blueprint was unveiled by party senior leader Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah parliamentary constituency.
During his time in DAP, Tunku Aziz said he had never heard of Lim, his son, Guan Eng, or Indian representatives like P Ramasamy, M Kulasegaran and Charles Santiago highlighting, discussing or finding solutions for Indian issues.
He said the only person who would constantly highlight Indian issues in DAP and Pakatan Rakyat meetings was former Senator S Ramakrishnan.
“DAP has done nothing for Indians but came up with a bombardstic glamour declaration to cheat Indians,” said Tunku Abdul Aziz.
BUKIT MERTAJAM: Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim, a former Transparency International-Malaysia president, wants Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Tun Razak to endorse and implement the Hindraf Makkal Sakti’s blueprint to correct the historical wrongs committed on the Indian community.Pointing out that Indians have been marginalised since colonial days, Tunku Abdul Aziz said by right the government should have implemented a blueprint on its own to uplift the Indians by now.
If only successive governments had implemented what was needful and rightful for the Indians since independence, he said Hindraf and Indians would not have resorted to the streets or tabled a blueprint to exert their rightful demands.
He stressed Najib must endorse the blueprint and implement it fully if he was serious with his transformation plans for the country.
He said it would be an ill-conceived idea for Najib to implement his transformation plans while a segment of citizens remained languished.
“I call on Najib to endorse and implement Hindraf blueprint for Indians.
“It is long overdue. Najib should take the bold pro-active initiatives to correct the historical wrongdoings on Indians.
“It’s timely for him to rightly rectify the neglect of past.
“Poor Indians will be grateful to him,” said Tunku Aziz, formerly a DAP vice-chairman, adding that Najib was a premier who listens and delivers to the people.
He also dismissed criticisms that Hindraf blueprint was an extreme and racist agenda for one particular community.
DAP’s instand noodle blueprint
Tunku Aziz insisted that the blueprint was a legitimate demand to uplift Malaysians of Indian origin sidelined from country’s mainstream development.
“Hindraf is not demanding the sky and the moon for the Indians.
“It’s just asking the government of the day to correct past wrongs done on Indians.
“It’s just asking for a policy for Indians that by right should have been implemented long time ago,” he told FMT when he was here to speak at a public rally in Bukit Mertajam last night.
On the 14-point DAP manifesto for Indians, he said it was an “instant noodle” prepared overnight to fish Indian votes.
He mocked the DAP Indian representatives for preparing the instant blueprint to hoodwink Indians when for five years they merely stood and watch as the DAP-helmed state government in Penang and the party’s executive councillors in Selangor failed to implement any worthy policy to benefit Indians.
Dubbed as “Gelang Patah Declaration”, the DAP blueprint was unveiled by party senior leader Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah parliamentary constituency.
During his time in DAP, Tunku Aziz said he had never heard of Lim, his son, Guan Eng, or Indian representatives like P Ramasamy, M Kulasegaran and Charles Santiago highlighting, discussing or finding solutions for Indian issues.
He said the only person who would constantly highlight Indian issues in DAP and Pakatan Rakyat meetings was former Senator S Ramakrishnan.
“DAP has done nothing for Indians but came up with a bombardstic glamour declaration to cheat Indians,” said Tunku Abdul Aziz.
Be transparent with Petronas money first
'My biggest beef with the BN federal government is this: Why is there no oil-based sovereign wealth fund (SWF) for Malaysia?'
COMMENT
By Chua Jui Meng
Malaysia’s non-commodity Khazanah Nasional, founded in 1993, is ranked 23 with US$34 billion in assets and a Linaburg-Maduell Transparency Index (LM-TI) of 5.
The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund (SWF) is Norway’s oil-based Government Pension Fund-Global. It was set up in 1990 and is currently registered with assets worth US$664.3 billion with a perfect 10 LM-TI.
UAE-Abu Dhabi’s oil-based Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, established in 1976, is ranked second with US$627 billion with a 5 LM-TI.
At third ranking China’s non-commodity SAFE Investment Company which was founded in 1997 and now manages assets worth US$567.9 billion with a 4 LM-TI.
That’s the top three SWFs in the world. Now, let’s focus on our neighbours.
Singapore’s non-commodity Government of Singapore Investment Corporation that was set up in 1981 is ranked 8th with assets at US$247.5 billion and a 6 LM-TI.
Following at 9th rank is another Singapore non-commodity SWF, Temasek Holdings which was established in 1974. It has US$157.5 billion in assets and a perfect 10 LM-TI.
Even countries like Kuwait, which was severely damaged by Iraq’s bombing and brief occupation, Libya, Kazakhstan, Algeria and South Korea which was far poorer than Malaysia in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Malaysia Boleh is thus really Malaysia Tak Boleh under BN-Umno’s 55-year rule.
My biggest beef with the BN federal government is this: Why is there no oil-based SWF for Malaysia?
Malaysia is the 27th largest oil producer in the world, rolling out 693,700 bbl/day. Only 114 countries are listed as at 2009 and 2010.
Compare Malaysia with the above mentioned countries that are doing better in SWF asset management: Kuwait (10th at 2,494,000 bbl/day), Libya (17th at 1,790,000 bbl/day), Kazakhstan (18th at 1,540,000 bbl/day), Algeria (15th at 2,125,000 bbl/day), South Korea (64th at 48,180 bbl/day) and Singapore (82nd at 10,910 bbl/day).
Petronas, founded in 1974, is today a global player in oil and gas exploration.
A debt is a debt!
Why is the government just satisfied with an annual RM100 million contribution to National Trust Fund, or KWAN, since 1988? Are you treating Malaysians as monkeys and giving out peanuts?
Where has Petronas’ trillions of ringgit in revenue over the past 38 years gone to? Did Petronas’ oil and gas exploration presence in 32 countries outside Malaysia contribute or help facilitate the bulk of RM1.08 trillion in capital flight in the last decade?
Why avoid establishing an oil-based sovereign fund for the people and country? Is it because financial transparency and accountability would be a pain?
Petronas’ Q3 2012 profits are down 22%. That is a significant drop in financial performance.
But all these beg the question: With such wealth over 38 years, why is Malaysia’s national debt, as reflected by Budget 2013, at RM502 billion or 1.3% short of the 55% legislated debt ceiling?
But Deputy International Trade and Industry Mukhriz Mahathir had let the cat out in an interview with The Edge last year, claiming that Malaysia’s debts were well managed as the bulk of the RM800 billion borrowings were domestic!
A debt is a debt! You have to repay all, whether domestic or foreign. Also, which is the true figure for our federal debt? RM502 billion or RM800 billion?
Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor state chief. He is also a former MCA vice-president and an ex-Cabinet member.
COMMENT
By Chua Jui MengMalaysia’s non-commodity Khazanah Nasional, founded in 1993, is ranked 23 with US$34 billion in assets and a Linaburg-Maduell Transparency Index (LM-TI) of 5.
The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund (SWF) is Norway’s oil-based Government Pension Fund-Global. It was set up in 1990 and is currently registered with assets worth US$664.3 billion with a perfect 10 LM-TI.
UAE-Abu Dhabi’s oil-based Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, established in 1976, is ranked second with US$627 billion with a 5 LM-TI.
At third ranking China’s non-commodity SAFE Investment Company which was founded in 1997 and now manages assets worth US$567.9 billion with a 4 LM-TI.
That’s the top three SWFs in the world. Now, let’s focus on our neighbours.
Singapore’s non-commodity Government of Singapore Investment Corporation that was set up in 1981 is ranked 8th with assets at US$247.5 billion and a 6 LM-TI.
Following at 9th rank is another Singapore non-commodity SWF, Temasek Holdings which was established in 1974. It has US$157.5 billion in assets and a perfect 10 LM-TI.
Even countries like Kuwait, which was severely damaged by Iraq’s bombing and brief occupation, Libya, Kazakhstan, Algeria and South Korea which was far poorer than Malaysia in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
Malaysia Boleh is thus really Malaysia Tak Boleh under BN-Umno’s 55-year rule.
My biggest beef with the BN federal government is this: Why is there no oil-based SWF for Malaysia?
Malaysia is the 27th largest oil producer in the world, rolling out 693,700 bbl/day. Only 114 countries are listed as at 2009 and 2010.
Compare Malaysia with the above mentioned countries that are doing better in SWF asset management: Kuwait (10th at 2,494,000 bbl/day), Libya (17th at 1,790,000 bbl/day), Kazakhstan (18th at 1,540,000 bbl/day), Algeria (15th at 2,125,000 bbl/day), South Korea (64th at 48,180 bbl/day) and Singapore (82nd at 10,910 bbl/day).
Petronas, founded in 1974, is today a global player in oil and gas exploration.
A debt is a debt!
Why is the government just satisfied with an annual RM100 million contribution to National Trust Fund, or KWAN, since 1988? Are you treating Malaysians as monkeys and giving out peanuts?
Where has Petronas’ trillions of ringgit in revenue over the past 38 years gone to? Did Petronas’ oil and gas exploration presence in 32 countries outside Malaysia contribute or help facilitate the bulk of RM1.08 trillion in capital flight in the last decade?
Why avoid establishing an oil-based sovereign fund for the people and country? Is it because financial transparency and accountability would be a pain?
Petronas’ Q3 2012 profits are down 22%. That is a significant drop in financial performance.
But all these beg the question: With such wealth over 38 years, why is Malaysia’s national debt, as reflected by Budget 2013, at RM502 billion or 1.3% short of the 55% legislated debt ceiling?
But Deputy International Trade and Industry Mukhriz Mahathir had let the cat out in an interview with The Edge last year, claiming that Malaysia’s debts were well managed as the bulk of the RM800 billion borrowings were domestic!
A debt is a debt! You have to repay all, whether domestic or foreign. Also, which is the true figure for our federal debt? RM502 billion or RM800 billion?
Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor state chief. He is also a former MCA vice-president and an ex-Cabinet member.
Palanivel under fire over seat swaps
There is fear within MIC that by contesting in the Jalong state seat, MIC is reducing its chances of winning back Sungai Siput parliamentary seat.
PETALING JAYA: MIC leaders are hoping that their president G Palanivel would not swap seats in Perak in a move that could eventually lead to the party losing its high chances of winning back the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat.
Palanivel revealed during the party’s central working committee meeting earlier this week that he was currently in talks with BN component parties to swap two state seats in Perak and one state seat in Johor.
However, one particular state seat in Perak – Jalong – is causing much concern to party leaders, and party workers in Sungai Siput.
Jalong is one of two state seats under Sungai Siput. It was won by DAP’s Leong Mee Meng in 2008, who defeated Gerakan’s Cheah Chee Kuan by a majority of 5,495 votes. The Gerakan candidate managed to get about 6,000 votes from 18,8002 voters who voted in 2008.
Under the latest electoral roll, Jalong has 27,559 voters, of which Malays are 4,542 voters, Chinese (15,929) and Indians (7,088).
“Gerakan has once again identified a local man to contest in Jalong. They are confident of getting the Chinese support there.
“If MIC takes this seat, there is no guarantee the Chinese voters will back our candidate. In fact, they may just vote for the DAP Chinese candidate,” said a MIC national level leader who wished to remain anonymous at this stage as his own candidacy is not confirmed.
Worse still, he fears, the decision to take Jalong could result in Chinese voters in Sungai Siput turning away from the party.
“As it stands, we do stand a good chance to win back Sungai Siput but if we were to spite the Chinese voters here as a whole, we then risk losing their support in our battle to win back Sungai Siput,” he added.
In the Sungai Siput parliamentary constituency, the Chinese voters hold the majority percentage with 40.2 while Malays form 36.3% and Indians 22.6%. MIC lost the seat to PSM’s Dr Michael D Jeyakumar in 2008.
MIC looks set to pick party vice-president SK Devamany to contest in Sungai Siput as Palanivel is taking over his place at Cameron Highlands.
Party workers also fear that Palanivel’s deals within BN would not translate well on the ground in Sungai Siput.
“We are working hard to get the voters to be acquainted with our candidate. We are putting so much effort to get the Chinese voters to back us again.
“However, all this will be in vain if our gamble in Jalong fails. As a result of that, we may also fail in Sungai Siput,” said a party worker.
Internal political game?
Another national level leader, meanwhile, questioned if Palanivel’s decision to swap a party seat for Jalong is due to MIC’s internal political game.
“Is this being done to end Devamany’s political career in the hope that he would be defeated?” asked the leader.
“As it is, he is being shifted out of his safe seat in Cameron Highlands. He now has to face the tension of working with former president S Samy Vellu who is still thinks of himself as the party’s candidate for Sungai Siput.
“And now this problem over the Jalong state seat. Why not Palanivel just let Devamany re-contest in Cameron Highlands, and he himself stand in Sungai Siput?” asked this leader, who confirmed that he himself would not be contesting in this general election as he was given a “tough seat”.
When contacted, several MIC leaders refused to comment, stating that the matter should be addressed to Palanivel. Palanivel could not be reached for comment.
FMT also learnt that there was an intense discussion over the Jalong seat proposal at the CWC meeting, with most leaders expressing their unhappiness over the swap.
The decision is now with Palanivel to decide if he wants to take the risk of failing to win back Sungai Siput as a result of his unsuccesful wheeling and dealing.
PETALING JAYA: MIC leaders are hoping that their president G Palanivel would not swap seats in Perak in a move that could eventually lead to the party losing its high chances of winning back the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat.Palanivel revealed during the party’s central working committee meeting earlier this week that he was currently in talks with BN component parties to swap two state seats in Perak and one state seat in Johor.
However, one particular state seat in Perak – Jalong – is causing much concern to party leaders, and party workers in Sungai Siput.
Jalong is one of two state seats under Sungai Siput. It was won by DAP’s Leong Mee Meng in 2008, who defeated Gerakan’s Cheah Chee Kuan by a majority of 5,495 votes. The Gerakan candidate managed to get about 6,000 votes from 18,8002 voters who voted in 2008.
Under the latest electoral roll, Jalong has 27,559 voters, of which Malays are 4,542 voters, Chinese (15,929) and Indians (7,088).
“Gerakan has once again identified a local man to contest in Jalong. They are confident of getting the Chinese support there.
“If MIC takes this seat, there is no guarantee the Chinese voters will back our candidate. In fact, they may just vote for the DAP Chinese candidate,” said a MIC national level leader who wished to remain anonymous at this stage as his own candidacy is not confirmed.
Worse still, he fears, the decision to take Jalong could result in Chinese voters in Sungai Siput turning away from the party.
“As it stands, we do stand a good chance to win back Sungai Siput but if we were to spite the Chinese voters here as a whole, we then risk losing their support in our battle to win back Sungai Siput,” he added.
In the Sungai Siput parliamentary constituency, the Chinese voters hold the majority percentage with 40.2 while Malays form 36.3% and Indians 22.6%. MIC lost the seat to PSM’s Dr Michael D Jeyakumar in 2008.
MIC looks set to pick party vice-president SK Devamany to contest in Sungai Siput as Palanivel is taking over his place at Cameron Highlands.
Party workers also fear that Palanivel’s deals within BN would not translate well on the ground in Sungai Siput.
“We are working hard to get the voters to be acquainted with our candidate. We are putting so much effort to get the Chinese voters to back us again.
“However, all this will be in vain if our gamble in Jalong fails. As a result of that, we may also fail in Sungai Siput,” said a party worker.
Internal political game?
Another national level leader, meanwhile, questioned if Palanivel’s decision to swap a party seat for Jalong is due to MIC’s internal political game.
“Is this being done to end Devamany’s political career in the hope that he would be defeated?” asked the leader.
“As it is, he is being shifted out of his safe seat in Cameron Highlands. He now has to face the tension of working with former president S Samy Vellu who is still thinks of himself as the party’s candidate for Sungai Siput.
“And now this problem over the Jalong state seat. Why not Palanivel just let Devamany re-contest in Cameron Highlands, and he himself stand in Sungai Siput?” asked this leader, who confirmed that he himself would not be contesting in this general election as he was given a “tough seat”.
When contacted, several MIC leaders refused to comment, stating that the matter should be addressed to Palanivel. Palanivel could not be reached for comment.
FMT also learnt that there was an intense discussion over the Jalong seat proposal at the CWC meeting, with most leaders expressing their unhappiness over the swap.
The decision is now with Palanivel to decide if he wants to take the risk of failing to win back Sungai Siput as a result of his unsuccesful wheeling and dealing.
Najib vows more cash in people’s pockets
Ibrahim Suffian, director of independent pollster Merdeka Center, however says the steps taken to combat graft were merely "procedural and do not tackle systemic issues".
KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Tun Razak unveiled a manifesto on Saturday pledging bigger cash handouts, millions of new jobs and lower taxes and crime, as he seeks his first mandate in looming national polls.Speaking to tens of thousands in a packed stadium just outside the capital, he talked up Malaysia’s economic prosperity over his four years in power, promising to do better should he win convincingly in an election expected late April.
“We have fulfilled the hopes of the people. If that was our performance over just four years, imagine what we can achieve in the next five years if we have a strong mandate,” he said in a speech telecast live on national television.
Najib, who dissolved parliament Wednesday, has previously said he is “cautiously optimistic” of a “big” win as his Umno faces what is seen as the toughest challenge to its 56 years in power.
The vote is tipped to be the closest ever, driven by concerns over corruption, the rising cost of living and high crime under an Umno-dominated coalition which has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957.
Najib has worked hard to rebrand the 13-member Barisan Nasional since taking over the coalition in 2009 by launching a series of reforms to strengthen the economy and grant greater civil liberties.
He has reversed a recession, despite global economic instability, with Malaysia recording a 5.6 percent growth last year while keeping inflation and unemployment at 1.6 and 3.3 percent respectively.
Launching Barisan’s manifesto, he pledged to gradually increase an annual handout he introduced two years ago for millions of poor households from 500 ringgit ($164) to 1,200 ringgit while lowering private and corporate income tax.
The prime minister also promised to build a million low-cost homes and attract 1.3 trillion ringgit in investment by 2020, creating 3.3 million jobs in the country of 29 million people.
The manifesto outlines plans to expand the fight against crime and corruption by increasing the number of special corruption courts and the police force by 4,000 each year.
But Ibrahim Suffian, director of independent pollster Merdeka Center, said the steps taken to combat graft were merely “procedural and do not tackle systemic issues”.
“Najib has instead made a hard sell on his economic track record, but most people don’t feel the 49 percent increase in income over the past three years he talks about. That’s the disconnect,” he added.
Najib is facing his first test at the ballot box and is under pressure to recover from the coalition’s shock 2008 election result, when it lost its traditional two-thirds parliamentary majority.
Recently, influential ex-leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Najib could face a ruling-party leadership putsch if he does not improve on the 2008 setback.
The resurgent opposition, led by charismatic former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, has gained traction by pledging to tackle authoritarianism and graft and is equally confident of victory.
The opposition currently holds 75 of 222 parliamentary seats and controls four of the country’s 13 states.
The Election Commission has said it will meet Wednesday to decide on a polling date, which must be within 60 days of parliament’s dissolution. Analysts expect it to be held by the end of the month.
AFP
Mahathir backs Ibrahim as Pasir Mas candidate
He also vows to campaign for the Perkasa chief.
SHAH ALAM: Independent MP Ibrahim Ali has received endorsement from former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to be fielded as a Barisan Nasional candidate in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, in the coming general election.
Describing Ibrahim as a “selfless” politician when addressing the crowd at an anti-Pakatan rally here today, Mahathir praised him for setting up Perkasa – an NGO – and continuously supporting BN.
“He set up Perkasa not because to promote himself, but to campaign for BN. I think he is a man who deserved to be given a position. I will advise Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to give him a position.
“If he gets nominated in Pasir Mas, I will definitely go there to campaign for him,” he said.
At a press conference later, Mahathir was asked he will still campaign for Ibrahim should BN decide to field another candidate in Pasir Mas,
Sidestepping the question, he said he does not care who the candidate is as long as BN can win.
“But I hope my friend [Ibrahim] will be given a chance; he was detained under Internal Security Act for so long, let’s give him a chance,” he said.
Ibrahim contested under the PAS banner in the 2008 general election and won the seat with 8,991 majority.
However, he soon declared himself an an independent and established Perkasa, a vocal critic of Pakatan Rakyat
SHAH ALAM: Independent MP Ibrahim Ali has received endorsement from former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to be fielded as a Barisan Nasional candidate in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, in the coming general election.Describing Ibrahim as a “selfless” politician when addressing the crowd at an anti-Pakatan rally here today, Mahathir praised him for setting up Perkasa – an NGO – and continuously supporting BN.
“He set up Perkasa not because to promote himself, but to campaign for BN. I think he is a man who deserved to be given a position. I will advise Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to give him a position.
“If he gets nominated in Pasir Mas, I will definitely go there to campaign for him,” he said.
At a press conference later, Mahathir was asked he will still campaign for Ibrahim should BN decide to field another candidate in Pasir Mas,
Sidestepping the question, he said he does not care who the candidate is as long as BN can win.
“But I hope my friend [Ibrahim] will be given a chance; he was detained under Internal Security Act for so long, let’s give him a chance,” he said.
Ibrahim contested under the PAS banner in the 2008 general election and won the seat with 8,991 majority.
However, he soon declared himself an an independent and established Perkasa, a vocal critic of Pakatan Rakyat
Pakatan delaying candidate list due to coalition clashes, admits Nurul
(THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) delay in announcing its candidate line up despite launching its manifesto two months ago is due to clashes between certain quarters within the coalition, admitted Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar."That is true. It is a challenge for us and we are doing our best in this difficult situation," she said at the PKR Klinik Rakyat medical camp programme at Kampung Kerinchi on Sunday.
She said the staggered announcement of candidates by PR as opposed to the releasing a complete candidate list was due to key factors the leadership had to consider.
"The most important is the winnability factor and we have to take that into account.
"We must also ensure that in the end, the people are able to choose a party that they can trust. If we make a mistake, it will cost us dearly in the upcoming polls," she added.
Ms Nurul, who is also Lembah Pantai MP, described the issue as "teething problems" that will be addressed by PR.
She was asked to comment on PR's staggered candidate announcement despite launching its election manifesto on Feb 25, resulting in clashes within certain opposition camps.
Last Wednesday, PR failed to resolve seat negotiations despite assurances that the matter was finalised by its leadership council.
It was learned from an opposition party official that PKR will unveil its candidate list at a function in Bandar Tun Razak on April 10.
Several quarters within the coalition, including its Sabah allies Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPPS) and Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), have been at odds following the staggered announcement of candidates.
The unhappiness was seen following the public tussle for the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat in Johor between Johor PKR chief Datuk Chua Jui Meng and his Democratic Action Party (DAP) counterpart Dr Boo Cheng Hau, which was finally resolved when DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang annouced he would contest there.
Rumblings were also heard following Parti Islam SeMalaysia's (PAS) recent announcement that it would be fielding candidates in the Kangar and Temerloh parliamentary constituencies with PKR announcing later that it would be taking over the Bera, Labuan and Setiawangsa seats.
Sabah PKR also pre-empted any hijacking of seats when it hastily announced its seven candidates for the state's west coast region last Wednesday.
Malaysia's Multi-Ethnic Coalition Near Collapse
Tattered banner
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Regardless of who wins Malaysia's 13th* general election, expected to be held on April 27, the historic multi-ethnic coalition that has ruled the country since independence will have likely collapsed.
"Whatever the results, the Barisan coalition will cease to exist as we know it because the Malaysian Chinese Association, Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian Congress will be wiped out," a Kuala Lumpur-based businessman told Asia Sentinel. "Assuming UMNO forms the government with Sabah and Sarawak parties, there will be no Chinese and Indian representatives in the government. And that is not a good scenario to have."
The Barisan and the opposition, made up of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat headed by Anwar Ibrahim, the ethnic Chinese Democratic Action Party and the fundamentalist Parti Islam se-Malaysia are embroiled in what is being called the closest election in the country's history, with both sides predicting victory. One opposition strategist said the race would probably come down to a margin of 10 seats either way in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat, or parliament.
For most of the time from its 1957 inception as an independent nation, the country has been governed by a carefully engineered amalgam of ethnic parties led by the United Malays National Organization, the Malaysian Chinese Association, the Malaysian Indian Congress and, to a lesser extent, Gerakan, which has faded in recent years.
However, in the debacle of the 2008 election, the MCA was left with just 15 seats in parliament. Gerakan, the second mostly Chinese ethnic party, ended up with just two seats. The MIC was left with three. UMNO won 78.
In the upcoming polls, political analysts say the MCA could see its total seats fall to just one or two, roiled as the party is by years of major scandals and political infighting that once impelled one of the contending factions to secretly film party leader Chua Soi Lek having a sex romp in a hotel room in a vain effort to drive him from politics. The resurgent opposition Democratic Action Party expects to claim the vast majority of Chinese voters. Gerakan, whose base is in Penang, which is controlled by the DAP, could be wiped out completely, the analysts say. The MIC is equally riven by scandal and infighting, with its members and leadership gravitating away towards the Hindu Rights Action Force, or Hindraf.
This is not a scenario conjured up by the opposition. It has been discussed within UMNO councils for months as the party has watched the other components of the Barisan drift into disaster. It is at least partly responsible for the rise in race-baiting in recent months as UMNO and its attack-dog ancillaries such as the Malay supremacy NGO Perkasa raise the spectre that ethnic Chinese, and particularly Chinese Christians in a Muslim country, will take over the reins of power.
Ethnic Malays make up 50.4 percent of the population, Chinese 24 percent and Indians 7.1 percent, according to the CIA World Factbook. UMNO sees its chance to keep its leadership of the country intact by winning every available ethnic Malay vote and hopefully luring ethnic Indians back into the fold.
Thus indigenous tribes, most of them in East Malaysia, with 11 percent of the population, probably hold the key to the 2013 election, most political analysts feel. The states of Sabah and Sarawak and the federal territory of Labuan control 57 of the 222 seats. The 165 peninsular seats are almost equally divided between the Barisan and Pakatan Rakyat.
As the MCA in particular descended into chaos, an UMNO operative told Asia Sentinel months ago that UMNO basically decided it would have to go it alone in the 13th general election. While the other ethnic parties will field candidates in the election, UMNO will try to take as many constituencies dominated by ethnic Malays as possible and hope the component parties can have some impact.
If not, the 57 East Malaysia seats -- depending on how the parties controlled by the current chief ministers fare in the election -- will control peninsular Malaysia's destiny. In both Sarawak and Sabah, the bonds of loyalty that keep elected lawmakers tied to particular parties are slippery indeed. In one case in the 1980s, when the opposition unexpectedly took control of the statehouse in Kota Kinabalu, the victorious coalition locked their winning members behind a chain link fence to keep them from being bribed away by the losers.
Should the collapse scenario actually take place, it will produce a "mono-ethnic and unelectable opposition that will be constrained to the Malay belt" in the Peninsula, where 20 million of the 28 million Malaysians make their home -- without the help of the East Malaysian states. Both chief ministers have been implicated, although not indicted, in scandals involving untold amounts of money in bribery for timber sales. They would be pleased to talk to the opposition in exchange for immunity from prosecution.
If UMNO is to rebuild the coalition, win or lose it means its gamble to conduct the election by appealing to the fears or prejudices of its Malay constituency has failed the country at large, and that it must regain the trust of the complex ethnic mosaic that makes up the rest of the country.
"What's left is UMNO seats, high Malay-majority seats," said an opposition political operative. "They might be propped up with some Malay seats in Sarawak, and some Sabah UMNO seats. If they lose, they would have to reconstitute. They have to start moderating their line and to try to get back the support of the minorities. Assuming they hold power, I would assume over the next five years they would have to reconstitute."
It is unsure what the implications are for Malaysian society as a whole. Tension has simmered for decades, since 1969 riots took the lives of hundreds on both sides of the ethnic divide, exacerbated by the New Economic Policy created in 1971 to give economically disadvantaged rural Malays a leg up. Malays get the majority of government jobs and places in universities. The country has been on a 30-year campaign to ensure rising ethnic Malay ownership of the commanding heights of the business community.
So-called Ali Baba companies dot the landscape, with the "Ali" being an ethnic Malay usually sitting behind a polished and empty desk, while "Babas," a nickname for Straits-born Chinese, run the business from the backroom. Billions have been wasted on government-linked companies given to UMNO cronies to run into the ground. An explosive report by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists released today said as much as RM200 billion* was funneled out of Malaysia last year to Singapore, an astonishing burst of capital flight.
"Malaysia's system of holding back the dynamic Indian and Chinese minorities has turned it into a bastion of mediocrity in a fast-growing region," Wall Street Journal columnist Hugo Restall wrote in an editorial today. "The country's best and brightest leave because the cronyism and racial quotas in education and employment hold them back."
*Corrections. Typo. Originally read 12th general election. Originally read US$200 billion. We apologize for the errors.
Najib on a Knife Edge
Wall Street Journal
Malaysia’s PM faces a struggle to stay in power.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak dissolved parliament Wednesday, setting the stage for the country’s 13th general election, probably at the end of the month. According to the constitution the polls could be held no later than June 27, so Mr. Najib’s move was no surprise. The fact that he waited as long as he did is one of many signs that the Prime Minister faces a struggle to stay in power.
Part of the challenge comes from within his own party. After five decades in power, the United Malays National Organization is riddled with corruption and complacency. In the 2008 election, Mr. Najib’s predecessor Abdullah Badawi barely held on to a parliamentary majority, and afterward the opposition almost succeeded in tempting enough MPs to cross the aisle to form a new government.
That set the stage for Mr. Najib to take over the party leadership and premiership in 2009. He shored up his coalition by pursuing a program of economic and political reforms that tackled many of the issues that the opposition championed in 2008. This government deserves credit for responding to the public’s dissatisfaction with corruption, lack of domestic competition and repressive laws left over from the colonial period.
However, these reforms were limited, and while they were good for the country, they may not translate into a victory for Mr. Najib. The population is young and increasingly urban, and many of these voters think the pace of reform has been too slow, especially in reforming the system of affirmative action for the ethnic majority Malays. Meanwhile, the Malays out in the villages who benefit most from the preferences and cash handouts find the changes threatening.
The conservative Malay constituency is well represented by nationalist politicians within UMNO, including Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Both are potential challengers for Mr. Najib’s position, so it’s no coincidence that his policies have been undermined from within the party.
The opposition coalition has its own cohesion problems that will probably come to the fore if it wins this election. But it has done a creditable job of ruling the four states under its control, undermining the government’s argument that only it has the chops to keep Malaysia stable and growing.
Malaysia’s system of holding back the dynamic Indian and Chinese minorities has turned it into a bastion of mediocrity in a fast-growing region. The country’s best and brightest leave because the cronyism and racial quotas in education and employment hold them back.
Mr. Najib probably recognizes the need to move faster, but he can’t afford to alienate his Malay base. In the coming weeks, UMNO’s list of candidates will tell the electorate much about internal party politics. If the Prime Minister doesn’t move aggressively to sideline the Malay nationalists and put his own reformers in place, voters may reasonably conclude that it’s time to give the opposition its chance to overcome Malaysia’s feudal past. A competitive economy ultimately demands plural politics.
Malaysia’s PM faces a struggle to stay in power.
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak dissolved parliament Wednesday, setting the stage for the country’s 13th general election, probably at the end of the month. According to the constitution the polls could be held no later than June 27, so Mr. Najib’s move was no surprise. The fact that he waited as long as he did is one of many signs that the Prime Minister faces a struggle to stay in power.
Part of the challenge comes from within his own party. After five decades in power, the United Malays National Organization is riddled with corruption and complacency. In the 2008 election, Mr. Najib’s predecessor Abdullah Badawi barely held on to a parliamentary majority, and afterward the opposition almost succeeded in tempting enough MPs to cross the aisle to form a new government.
That set the stage for Mr. Najib to take over the party leadership and premiership in 2009. He shored up his coalition by pursuing a program of economic and political reforms that tackled many of the issues that the opposition championed in 2008. This government deserves credit for responding to the public’s dissatisfaction with corruption, lack of domestic competition and repressive laws left over from the colonial period.
However, these reforms were limited, and while they were good for the country, they may not translate into a victory for Mr. Najib. The population is young and increasingly urban, and many of these voters think the pace of reform has been too slow, especially in reforming the system of affirmative action for the ethnic majority Malays. Meanwhile, the Malays out in the villages who benefit most from the preferences and cash handouts find the changes threatening.
The conservative Malay constituency is well represented by nationalist politicians within UMNO, including Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein and Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin. Both are potential challengers for Mr. Najib’s position, so it’s no coincidence that his policies have been undermined from within the party.
The opposition coalition has its own cohesion problems that will probably come to the fore if it wins this election. But it has done a creditable job of ruling the four states under its control, undermining the government’s argument that only it has the chops to keep Malaysia stable and growing.
Malaysia’s system of holding back the dynamic Indian and Chinese minorities has turned it into a bastion of mediocrity in a fast-growing region. The country’s best and brightest leave because the cronyism and racial quotas in education and employment hold them back.
Mr. Najib probably recognizes the need to move faster, but he can’t afford to alienate his Malay base. In the coming weeks, UMNO’s list of candidates will tell the electorate much about internal party politics. If the Prime Minister doesn’t move aggressively to sideline the Malay nationalists and put his own reformers in place, voters may reasonably conclude that it’s time to give the opposition its chance to overcome Malaysia’s feudal past. A competitive economy ultimately demands plural politics.
Umno and its lackey Perkasa — Ali Kadir
APRIL 6 — How nice? Ibrahim Ali says that he will drop bombshells on Pakatan Rakyat’s leaders and shock the nation.
And what is he waiting for: the go-ahead from none other than Prime Minister Najib Razak.
So now the Umno gang can drop all the wayang and confirm what the rest of Malaysia have known all along: that Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa are just an extension of Umno, a nauseating and disgusting extension of a politics which has outsourced its dirty work.
But then again, nothing should shock us anymore.
This is a political party and NGO nexus which has brought us political violence on a scale never before seen in Malaysia; a partnership that has promoted racism and chauvinism like never before and political strategies rooted in the bowel thinking.
Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Nordin are cut from the same cloth, both pretending to be not linked to Umno but really part of the underbelly of this once political institution. They do the dirty work that Umno leaders are unwilling to do themselves.
And when you look at Ibrahim and Zulkifli, you look at Umno. Both and their political masters have no credibility, not enough one iota.
What does it say of our leaders who depend on men like these?
* Ali Kadir reads The Malaysian Insider.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
And what is he waiting for: the go-ahead from none other than Prime Minister Najib Razak.
So now the Umno gang can drop all the wayang and confirm what the rest of Malaysia have known all along: that Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa are just an extension of Umno, a nauseating and disgusting extension of a politics which has outsourced its dirty work.
But then again, nothing should shock us anymore.
This is a political party and NGO nexus which has brought us political violence on a scale never before seen in Malaysia; a partnership that has promoted racism and chauvinism like never before and political strategies rooted in the bowel thinking.
Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Nordin are cut from the same cloth, both pretending to be not linked to Umno but really part of the underbelly of this once political institution. They do the dirty work that Umno leaders are unwilling to do themselves.
And when you look at Ibrahim and Zulkifli, you look at Umno. Both and their political masters have no credibility, not enough one iota.
What does it say of our leaders who depend on men like these?
* Ali Kadir reads The Malaysian Insider.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
People Capable Of Comparing Wisely BN Manifesto With Opposition's
KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin said the people should be able to judge and compare
wisely the Barisan Nasional (BN) manifesto with the opposition's.
He said the BN manifesto containing promises by the ruling coalition should be viewed seriously as it explained clearly and in detail what BN would do if given another to govern the country for the next five years.
"Surely the people are wise enough to compare the two manifestos, BN's and the opposition's. Which can be believed and fulfilled?" he said when launching the Batu parliamentary constituency's BN election machinery's 'command centre', here, Sunday.
Muhyiddin said the people generally understood that only BN would be able to fulfil its promises in the coming years.
"When the BN chairman (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) outlined in detail our plans for the people of this country, now the responsibility is ours as leaders and members of the BN component parties (to explain to the people the manifesto to make them understand)," he said.
Yesterday, Najib launched the BN manifesto for the 13th general election which outlined 17 main areas, with all aspects touching on the future of the people and nation to be looked into if BN was given another mandate to helm the nation.
Meanwhile, Muhyiddin who is BN deputy chairman, urged all the coalition's component party members to work together to wrest back the parliamentary and state seats lost in the last general election.
He said although public support for BN appeared to have increased over the last three years, the general election this time could not be viewed as easy because of the bigger challenges.
"One of the challenges is to translate that support into votes in the upcoming elections," he said.
Muhyiddin who is also the Federal Territory BN chairman, believed BN would be able to recapture the Batu seat. Hence, he urged the component party leaders and members to go to the ground to meet the voters to understand their problems.
He said for BN, no seat should be taken lightly or as unimportant.
Muhyiddin also said that voters in the Batu parliamentary constituency needed to appraise the performance and attitude of its MP, Tian Chua who had been making insensitive and irresponsible statements.
In the last general election in 2008, Tian Chua from Parti Keadilan Rakyat, defeated Gerakan's Lim Si Pin with a 9,455-vote majority.
He said the BN manifesto containing promises by the ruling coalition should be viewed seriously as it explained clearly and in detail what BN would do if given another to govern the country for the next five years.
"Surely the people are wise enough to compare the two manifestos, BN's and the opposition's. Which can be believed and fulfilled?" he said when launching the Batu parliamentary constituency's BN election machinery's 'command centre', here, Sunday.
Muhyiddin said the people generally understood that only BN would be able to fulfil its promises in the coming years.
"When the BN chairman (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) outlined in detail our plans for the people of this country, now the responsibility is ours as leaders and members of the BN component parties (to explain to the people the manifesto to make them understand)," he said.
Yesterday, Najib launched the BN manifesto for the 13th general election which outlined 17 main areas, with all aspects touching on the future of the people and nation to be looked into if BN was given another mandate to helm the nation.
Meanwhile, Muhyiddin who is BN deputy chairman, urged all the coalition's component party members to work together to wrest back the parliamentary and state seats lost in the last general election.
He said although public support for BN appeared to have increased over the last three years, the general election this time could not be viewed as easy because of the bigger challenges.
"One of the challenges is to translate that support into votes in the upcoming elections," he said.
Muhyiddin who is also the Federal Territory BN chairman, believed BN would be able to recapture the Batu seat. Hence, he urged the component party leaders and members to go to the ground to meet the voters to understand their problems.
He said for BN, no seat should be taken lightly or as unimportant.
Muhyiddin also said that voters in the Batu parliamentary constituency needed to appraise the performance and attitude of its MP, Tian Chua who had been making insensitive and irresponsible statements.
In the last general election in 2008, Tian Chua from Parti Keadilan Rakyat, defeated Gerakan's Lim Si Pin with a 9,455-vote majority.
Saturday, 6 April 2013
Samy raps Palani for ‘shooting his mouth’
The former MIC president also takes Dr S Subramaniam to task.
KUALA LUMPUR: Calling for an end to speculation that he will be contesting in the 13th general election, former MIC president S Samy Vellu maintained that he had never requested MIC to nominate him to re-contest the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat.
“At no time, did I ask the MIC nor the party boss (G Palanivel) that I wanted to contest in the coming general election,” he said when asked to comment on Palanivel’s statement today that Samy Vellu will not be contesting in the 13th general election.
Samy Vellu said Palanivel and MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam had misunderstood his statement made at a media conference after handing over donations to the families of the slain warriors of Lahad Datu, Sabah in Bukit Aman here last Wednesday.
“I was asked by a reporter (at the media conference in Bukit Aman) whether I will be interested to contest in Sungai Siput to which I said it is up to the prime minister to decide who can contest.
“The reporter went on to ask if I thought I was a winnable candidate. I told the reporter that I have no doubt that I am a winnable candidate. But that did not mean that I had requested Palanivel that I wanted to re-contest in Sungai Siput,” he said.
Palanivel and Subramaniam were quoted as saying that only the prime minister and Barisan Nasional chairman could decide on the candidates for Barisan Nasional in the 13th general election.
They were referring to the statement by Samy Vellu that he would be a winnable candidate for the BN in Sungai Siput in the forthcoming general election.
Samy Vellu said he was saddened over the statements made by Palanivel and Subramaniam which did not reflect his real intentions.
“They (Palanivel and Subramaniam) should have called me first to find out what transpired at the media conference (in Bukit Aman) before shooting off their mouths,” he said, adding that Palanivel and Subramaniam showed immaturity in politics by “jumping the gun”.
Samy Vellu said it was he who fought political battles for the duo (Palanivel and Subramaniam) in MIC when he was the party president.
“They must remember that they are where they are today because of the political battles which I fought for them,” he said.
Samy Vellu said he was entrusted by the Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Tun Razak to deliver the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat for BN in the coming general election irrespective of who the BN candidate would be.
“I will continue to work in Sungai Siput to deliver on what has been entrusted on me by the BN chairman,” he added.
KUALA LUMPUR: Calling for an end to speculation that he will be contesting in the 13th general election, former MIC president S Samy Vellu maintained that he had never requested MIC to nominate him to re-contest the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat.“At no time, did I ask the MIC nor the party boss (G Palanivel) that I wanted to contest in the coming general election,” he said when asked to comment on Palanivel’s statement today that Samy Vellu will not be contesting in the 13th general election.
Samy Vellu said Palanivel and MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam had misunderstood his statement made at a media conference after handing over donations to the families of the slain warriors of Lahad Datu, Sabah in Bukit Aman here last Wednesday.
“I was asked by a reporter (at the media conference in Bukit Aman) whether I will be interested to contest in Sungai Siput to which I said it is up to the prime minister to decide who can contest.
“The reporter went on to ask if I thought I was a winnable candidate. I told the reporter that I have no doubt that I am a winnable candidate. But that did not mean that I had requested Palanivel that I wanted to re-contest in Sungai Siput,” he said.
Palanivel and Subramaniam were quoted as saying that only the prime minister and Barisan Nasional chairman could decide on the candidates for Barisan Nasional in the 13th general election.
They were referring to the statement by Samy Vellu that he would be a winnable candidate for the BN in Sungai Siput in the forthcoming general election.
Samy Vellu said he was saddened over the statements made by Palanivel and Subramaniam which did not reflect his real intentions.
“They (Palanivel and Subramaniam) should have called me first to find out what transpired at the media conference (in Bukit Aman) before shooting off their mouths,” he said, adding that Palanivel and Subramaniam showed immaturity in politics by “jumping the gun”.
Samy Vellu said it was he who fought political battles for the duo (Palanivel and Subramaniam) in MIC when he was the party president.
“They must remember that they are where they are today because of the political battles which I fought for them,” he said.
Samy Vellu said he was entrusted by the Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Tun Razak to deliver the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat for BN in the coming general election irrespective of who the BN candidate would be.
“I will continue to work in Sungai Siput to deliver on what has been entrusted on me by the BN chairman,” he added.
Sugumar case: NGO asks ‘next PM’ for help
Lawyers for Liberty’s letter complains of lack of seriousness in dealing with custodial deaths.
PETALING JAYA: Lawyers for Liberty co-founder Eric Paulsen has written an open letter to “the next Prime Minister of Malaysia” asking him to ensure justice in the case of C Sugumar and similar cases of deaths in state custody.
Paulsen alleged that police were not serious in investigating such deaths and politicians in power had shown little sympathy with the victims’ families.
“They often choose to downplay, cover up, ignore or even make outrageous claims about these deaths,” he wrote.
“Despite the long list of custodial deaths, very few policemen are charged, much less found guilty of any offence.”
Referring to the Sugumar case, he said the police had made the “incredible claim” that they were not responsible for his death since the post-mortem report showed that the victim died of a heart attack.
“This is not surprising as PDRM [the Malay abbreviation for Royal Malaysian Police] does have a terrible history of cover ups and denial of responsibility,” he wrote. “See, for example, the death in custody of A. Kugan and the fatal police shooting of 15-year-old Aminulrasyid.”
Sugumar, a 40-year-old security guard, was allegedly chased, handcuffed and beaten to death on Jan 23 by policemen and several members of the public.
His family disputes the report of the government pathologist and is trying to get an independent pathologist to conduct a second autopsy.
“Even though Sugumar’s death was championed mainly by the opposition and civil societies, the authorities should have addressed his death instead of blindly supporting the police,” Paulsen said.
“According to the Home Ministry, 156 people were found dead in police lock-ups or in custody from the year 2000 to 2011.”
Eighty-five of these cases were in the “No Further Action” pile, he added.
Allow Thai pathologist
He said Lawyers for Liberty was hoping that the next federal government would make amends so that Sugumar’s family would have closure over his death.
“In order for this to happen, state institutions must be freed from improper political interference so that they are able to function independently and impartially like in any other modern democratic state,” he said.
He also called for the setting up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) that was mooted during the administration of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“The IPCMC will certainly go a long way in preventing custodial deaths and enhancing public confidence,” he said.
The lawyer representing Sugumar’s family, PKR vice-president N Surendran, said today that he and the deceased’s relatives were hoping Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak would change his mind and allow Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand to conduct the second autopsy.
Pornthip came to the Malaysian public’s attention when she served as observing pathologist in the case of Teo Beng Hock. She later testified in court against the post-mortem report.
“As caretaker PM, Najib can still lift the ban on Pornthip and allow her to perform the second post mortem,” said Surendran.
He said the family was insisting on the second autopsy even if they had to wait until after the general election.
“As PKR’s vice-president, I assure you that we will issue an immediate invitation to Pornthip if Pakatan Rakyat forms the next federal government,” he added.
PETALING JAYA: Lawyers for Liberty co-founder Eric Paulsen has written an open letter to “the next Prime Minister of Malaysia” asking him to ensure justice in the case of C Sugumar and similar cases of deaths in state custody.Paulsen alleged that police were not serious in investigating such deaths and politicians in power had shown little sympathy with the victims’ families.
“They often choose to downplay, cover up, ignore or even make outrageous claims about these deaths,” he wrote.
“Despite the long list of custodial deaths, very few policemen are charged, much less found guilty of any offence.”
Referring to the Sugumar case, he said the police had made the “incredible claim” that they were not responsible for his death since the post-mortem report showed that the victim died of a heart attack.
“This is not surprising as PDRM [the Malay abbreviation for Royal Malaysian Police] does have a terrible history of cover ups and denial of responsibility,” he wrote. “See, for example, the death in custody of A. Kugan and the fatal police shooting of 15-year-old Aminulrasyid.”
Sugumar, a 40-year-old security guard, was allegedly chased, handcuffed and beaten to death on Jan 23 by policemen and several members of the public.
His family disputes the report of the government pathologist and is trying to get an independent pathologist to conduct a second autopsy.
“Even though Sugumar’s death was championed mainly by the opposition and civil societies, the authorities should have addressed his death instead of blindly supporting the police,” Paulsen said.
“According to the Home Ministry, 156 people were found dead in police lock-ups or in custody from the year 2000 to 2011.”
Eighty-five of these cases were in the “No Further Action” pile, he added.
Allow Thai pathologist
He said Lawyers for Liberty was hoping that the next federal government would make amends so that Sugumar’s family would have closure over his death.
“In order for this to happen, state institutions must be freed from improper political interference so that they are able to function independently and impartially like in any other modern democratic state,” he said.
He also called for the setting up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) that was mooted during the administration of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“The IPCMC will certainly go a long way in preventing custodial deaths and enhancing public confidence,” he said.
The lawyer representing Sugumar’s family, PKR vice-president N Surendran, said today that he and the deceased’s relatives were hoping Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak would change his mind and allow Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand to conduct the second autopsy.
Pornthip came to the Malaysian public’s attention when she served as observing pathologist in the case of Teo Beng Hock. She later testified in court against the post-mortem report.
“As caretaker PM, Najib can still lift the ban on Pornthip and allow her to perform the second post mortem,” said Surendran.
He said the family was insisting on the second autopsy even if they had to wait until after the general election.
“As PKR’s vice-president, I assure you that we will issue an immediate invitation to Pornthip if Pakatan Rakyat forms the next federal government,” he added.
‘Winnable’ or not, Samy Vellu won’t be contesting
MIC president G Palanivel says the former party chief will not be a candidate in the general election.
KUALA LUMPUR: In less than 48 hours after claiming he was a winnable candidate if fielded in the coming general election, S Samy Vellu suffered defeat: his hopes of making a comeback were dashed.
He will not be a candidate in the 13th general election (GE13).
This was confirmed by MIC president G Palanivel who said that the former long-standing party chief would not contest in the polls.
He said Samy Vellu, who is Barisan Nasional coordinator for Sungai Siput, had been hard at work in ensuring the BN wrest back the seat which was lost in the last general election in 2008.
“[Datuk Seri] Samy Vellu has been working hard in Sungai Siput to garner support from the people… but he will not be a candidate,” Palanivel said in a text messge to Bernama today.
Samy Vellu had confidently declared that he was candidate material in GE13, following the dissolution of the Dewan Rakyat announced by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on Wednesday.
“I am a winnable candidate, there’s no doubt about it. I am willing to re-contest the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat,” Samy Vellu declared at an event here on Wednesday.
He had been the Sungai Siput MP for more than three decades since 1974, until he lost his stronghold seat to Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj of the Socialist Party Malaysia (PSM) by a 1,821-vote majority.
“Winnable” candidates is one of the main criteria set by top BN leaders in choosing its candidates to stand in the election.
Samy Vellu was also the MIC president for nearly three decades until Palanivel succeeded him in 2010.
On the seat allocation for MIC, Palanivel said the party looked set to contest in the nine parliamentary and 19 state seats.
However, he remained light-tipped on the names of candidates for the 28 seats.
“We are still negotating to swap two state seats in Perak and one in Johor with other Barisan Nasional parties for GE13,” he said.
According to media reports, the MIC would give up the Behrang and Pasir Panjang seats and instead, take up Buntong, which consists of a 48% Indian population, and another seat, which was still being negotiated.
KUALA LUMPUR: In less than 48 hours after claiming he was a winnable candidate if fielded in the coming general election, S Samy Vellu suffered defeat: his hopes of making a comeback were dashed.He will not be a candidate in the 13th general election (GE13).
This was confirmed by MIC president G Palanivel who said that the former long-standing party chief would not contest in the polls.
He said Samy Vellu, who is Barisan Nasional coordinator for Sungai Siput, had been hard at work in ensuring the BN wrest back the seat which was lost in the last general election in 2008.
“[Datuk Seri] Samy Vellu has been working hard in Sungai Siput to garner support from the people… but he will not be a candidate,” Palanivel said in a text messge to Bernama today.
Samy Vellu had confidently declared that he was candidate material in GE13, following the dissolution of the Dewan Rakyat announced by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on Wednesday.
“I am a winnable candidate, there’s no doubt about it. I am willing to re-contest the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat,” Samy Vellu declared at an event here on Wednesday.
He had been the Sungai Siput MP for more than three decades since 1974, until he lost his stronghold seat to Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj of the Socialist Party Malaysia (PSM) by a 1,821-vote majority.
“Winnable” candidates is one of the main criteria set by top BN leaders in choosing its candidates to stand in the election.
Samy Vellu was also the MIC president for nearly three decades until Palanivel succeeded him in 2010.
On the seat allocation for MIC, Palanivel said the party looked set to contest in the nine parliamentary and 19 state seats.
However, he remained light-tipped on the names of candidates for the 28 seats.
“We are still negotating to swap two state seats in Perak and one in Johor with other Barisan Nasional parties for GE13,” he said.
According to media reports, the MIC would give up the Behrang and Pasir Panjang seats and instead, take up Buntong, which consists of a 48% Indian population, and another seat, which was still being negotiated.
Plagiarism cries, and the tragedy of Hindraf
Plagiarism is an academic abomination, a commercial crime in some intellectual rights cases, and an indictment of policy bankruptcy and incompetency in politics if, say, Party A were to steal policy ideas from Party B.
But
Hindraf is neither Party A nor Party B in the current scheme of things.
Hindraf drew up its blueprint not as an academic or commercial item,
but to demand that either side of Malaysian politics adopt same if they
wish to have Hindraf’s support in the coming general election.Thus, we would have expected the organisation to be happy with the DAP for adopting most of its blueprint. But bizarrely, it has now accused DAP of plagiarism of its policy when in the first place it had wanted political acceptance of it.
It appears Hindraf is either confused over what it wants or it has been the wrong side of politics which has adopted its blueprint, hence its chagrin and rather absurd accusation of plagiarism against DAP.
Indeed,
it seems to contradict itself when it alleged in the same breath that
the DAP-led Penang government could have carried out some of the 11
so-called plagiarised items in five years of its rule.Now, whether the Penang government had failed or ignored the Hindraf requirements, or was constrained by circumstances beyond its control in not meeting Hindraf’s expectations, is still open to debate and explanations. But this very accusation against its favourite target, the DAP-led Penang government, ironically indicates that Hindraf had wanted political endorsement of it, thus making its accusation of plagiarism a total mockery.
This leads us uncomfortably to the suspicion that the DAP has been an unwanted suitor, when Hindraf probably desires someone else. I hope I am wrong but when I read in Malaysiakini’s ‘Tough issues in store for second PM-Hindraf meet’ I see a totally different Hindraf reaction to its meeting with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. Dare I say it has been coquettishly coy complete with fluttering eyelashes?
Its
adviser N Ganesan stated that there will be a second meeting, lending a
noticeable contrast to P Uthayakumar’s immediate dismissal of DAP’s
Gelang Patah Declaration as not good enough in his letter to Malaysiakini. And now we have in addition the ludicrous accusation of plagiarism.Uthayakumar’s long acrimonious relationship with the DAP has led us to the unavoidable conclusion he is invincibly biased against the political party, even unto vilifying DAP’s Indian members as mandores, presumably all of DAP's seven members of parliament (MP) and 11 assemblypersons.
I suppose we have to assume that Uthayakumar considers any Indian politicians without Hindraf’s approval as deserving of his gross abusive insult, which lacked substance but was full of hostility.
Who or what is Hindraf?
I believe Hindraf came about because of three principal issues, namely, the brutal, wanton and horrendously insensitive destruction of Hindu temples by an unfriendly uncaring authority, the unexplained, unaccountable and horrific deaths in custody of just too many Indians, and the general poverty and hopeless situation (eg. statelessness) among many Indians.
The first public emergence of Hindraf on its magnificent rally was so inspiring that I attempted a poem '25 November 2007' to show my admiration and support for both its cause and its courageous stand.
Of
the five original Hindraf leaders who were detained under the draconian
Internal Security Act (ISA), V Ganabatirao, M Manoharan (right),
K Vasantha Kumar, R Kenghadharan and P Uthayakumar, four are members of
Pakatan Rakyat, split between the DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
Manoharan was even elected as a Selangor DAP assemblyperson while he was
still in detention.But alas, after Uthayakumar’s release from ISA detention, we observed and suspected he couldn’t cope with fame and admiration. In his arrogant misguided belief that Hindraf was the singular engine of the 2008 political tsunami, he must have brought himself the idea that he as the very persona of Hindraf possessed extraordinary political leverage.
He suffered from excessive hubris, and coupled with his anger and impatient over the undeniable Indian tragedy, he began to antagonise his natural supporters and sympathisers instead of consolidating on that hard-won support for his cause for Indians. He betrayed himself by his unjustified overbearingness. By alienating the very people who could help, he has also betrayed his cause.
His brother Waythamoorty (left in photo)
took a different tack, perhaps after seeing his brother’s failure to
convince both BN and Pakatan to come to Hindraf’s heel. But has his
fasting been any better than his brother’s vituperative antics? His
stand has been the same, to make threatening demands, where he had hoped
his personal abstinence and suffering would threaten the conscience of
the major political parties.Ironically, having criticised the government’s National Economic Policy (NEP), Umno’s affirmative action programme exclusive to bumiputera, Hindraf could somehow, with brazen face, put forward its original 18-point demands, which is as exclusively ethnocentric as the NEP, or even worse.
Instead of asking for the policies, plans and programs of the NEP to be tailored along the basis of need rather than race, and thus to include all needy Malaysians, most of whom would be Indians, the proponents of Hindraf 18-point demands decided instead to jump on the ethnocentric bandwagon, with what we would reasonably opine as an unrealistic expectation that the government will issue an exclusive-to-Indian NEP in accordance with its claims.
Some of the 18-point demands are actually good but regrettably have been contaminated by unrealistic and impractical stipulations in others, thus discrediting the entire lot. I wonder whether Hindraf’s ulterior aim has been to ask for the sky and hopefully expect and to happily accept a much lower offer?
Poker-style bluff
But if that has been the case, then may I say that the future of Indian Malaysians isn’t best served by the whimsical derring-do poker-style bluff of upping the ante to heights of absurdity in Hindraf’s exactions for wrongs perpetuated on Indian Malaysians.
Let’s
quickly run through a few of Hindraf 18-point demands to examine what I
consider some to be totally impractical, unrealistic and preposterous
claims while others have an ethnocentric odour, for therein lies the
explanation why no political party could find grounds to work with them.Hindraf’s Point No 3 calls for ‘affirmative action for all poor Malaysians especially the ethnic minority Indians’. It also wanted a ‘Protection of Ethnic Minority Malaysian Indian Act 2007 to be passed to secure and safeguard the interests of the poor and defenceless ethnic Indian Minority Community’.
The ‘call for affirmative action for all poor Malaysians’ is praiseworthy, but why spoil it by adding on the exclusionary clause ‘especially the ethnic minority Indians’?
Poor Malaysians are poor Malaysians, regardless of whether they are Indians, Thai, Ibans, Kadazans, etc, or Malays and Chinese. Thus the ‘Protection of Ethnic Minority Malaysian Indian Act ...’ is unnecessary or could have been written to embrace all minorities, or better still, the poor of all races.
I believe I would be reasonable in suspecting HIndraf’s Point No 3 hasn’t been about the non-Indian poor, and that its opening ‘call for affirmative action for all poor Malaysians’ was added just to sound inclusive.
Then,
its Point No 4 on Tamil schools demands, among many things,
air-conditioned libraries, non-Muslim religious classes, pocket money
for pupils, etc, which we can accept, though I personally would disagree
with religious classes - and are those to be on Hinduism only, bearing
in mind Indians subscribe to many religions, even [gasp again] Islam? But wait, there's more, Hindraf then demanded ‘A RM100 billion grant @ 20 billion per year with effect from 2007 to be allocated to Indians under the 9th Malaysia Plan …..’.
It’s wonderful to think big as per Dr Mahathir Momad’s slogan of Malaysia Boleh, but doesn’t the 2013 education budget for Malaysia amount to only RM38.7 billion?
So can anyone tell me whether any government (let alone the current BN one) will ever approve such a Hindraf demand? Isn’t ‘preposterous’ the most apt adjective to describe Hindraf’s claim?
Sweetheart deal?
But who knows, maybe PM Najib will just approve a sweetheart deal on this a la "I help you, you help me", though it will surely challenge his innovativeness on campaign promises when Hindraf wants more than 50 percent of the entire 2013 education budget for each year.
Point No 6 on business for Indians also demands another RM100 billion, which I suspect attempts to imitate the NEP investment schemes for Malays. I won’t comment on this standard Hindraf ‘think big’ approach in the billions of ringgit.
Point
No 7 lays claim to 20 percent of the government top-most level postings
including appointments right from ministerial secretaries-general down
to district officers. But the surprise gift item in Hindraf’s cereal box
is about top positions in the private sector where it demands the same
percentage reservation for Indians. The requirement will apply for the
next 15 years.Hmmm, I wonder what percentage of Malaysia’s population is made up of Indians? Twenty percent?
And assuming such a (yes, that adjective again) preposterous demand is acceded to, how will the government ensure 20 percent of top-most level positions in the private sector will be reserved exclusively for Indians?
In its Point No 18, and this is the best of the lot, Hindraf demanded a minimum of 20 opposition members of Parliament to be elected exclusively by the Indian community and which number shall be increased proportionately with any increase in parliamentary seats. Hindraf wants this point to be, in its own words, ‘entrenched into the federal constitution’.
I wonder why opposition MP only? Perhaps it’s a Freudian slip and a reminder of Hindraf’s inability to work cooperatively with anyone?
Apart from being flabbergasted by such a comically grotesque form of parliamentary structure, I ponder on what it will say for or do to our Westminster democracy, warts and all?
Instead of attempting to overcome the evil that is racism, which no one would deny is prevalent in Malaysia especially the worst kind, namely, institutionalised racism, Hindraf has instead joined the exclusionary mob by attempting to carve for itself a cozy racist ghetto in parliament.
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if it expects its own members to play the role of the so-called 20 opposition MPs, which as a reminder, is only the minimum number.
I believe in any language such a demand would be correctly described as monstrously absurd and a lunatic harebrained scheme. How will this demand, designed to be rejected in the first instant, help the marginalised Indians in practical terms other than to have 20 voices adding to the noise in parliament?
DAP cat among the Hindraf pigeons?
And what if those terrible Uthayakumar’s mandores, the DAP Indians with their political experience and sense of confidence in their political success stories, participate in and dominate the 20 exclusive MP positions for positions? Now, won’t that just put the DAP cat among the Hindraf pigeons?
Will Hindraf then seek PM Najib to make an amendment to its No 18 point to specify that Indian politicians from the DAP, PKR, MIC, Gerakan, PPP and various other Indian-based parties cannot participate for the 20 seats which will be exclusive only to Hindraf-approved members?
More importantly, it tells us of a Kafkaesque mindset prevailing in Hindraf that’s totally unhelpful or contributing to the real needs of marginalised Indians. It’s even more atrocious than that in MIC.
With its ethno-exclusive mentality, Hindraf might as well ask for a state, say, Perlis, to be designated as an autonomous state exclusively for Indian residents where either Uthayakumar or his brother can be its chief minister.
I hesitate to use the taboo-ed word of T.E. to name such an exclusive-to-Indian enclave, especially with the hypothetical example of Perlis being in the north, so let us just call it SARSI (Special Autonomous Region Specifically for Indians). Besides, SARSI gives us a nice Malaysian flavour [grin].
Yes, with a SARSI, Hindraf may be assured not only of 20 percent top positions in the public and private sectors for only Indians, but in fact 100 percent.
Finally we come to its Point No 10. Hindraf asserted that 15,000 Indian temples were demolished by authorities in the last 50 years, and which should be compensated at RM10 million per temple.
I have to confess I wasn’t aware that the number of Indian temples demolished by government actions totalled 15,000.I just wonder what would constitute such a temple. I ask only because I am visualising a Hindu or Indian temple as the one in my kampung of Ayer Itam village, Penang, where my (Chinese) family prayed at when I was a kid, namely, the Arulmigu Sri Ruthra Veeramuthu Maha Mariamman Devasthanam, more familiarly known as the Ayer Itam Mahamariamman Temple.
Now, that’s a temple, though not big at all but nonetheless would reasonably not fail the description of a Hindu temple.
After fumbling around with my Casio calculator, I worked out that the total compensation cost, presumably to be handed over by the government to the proposer of Point No 10, would only be a mere trifling RM150 billion (yes, billion and not million - I am sure Dr Mahathir would be proud of such ‘think big’ Malaysians).
But alas, I hate to be a spoilsport in asking whether PM Najib even with his ‘wa tolong lu, lu tolong wa’ generosity, or for that matter, a Pakatan or even a Hindraf government, would ever consider giving RM150 Billion ringgit away as compensation for temples demolished by the authorities?
Godzilla-size demands
The demands are so insanely nonsensical that the major political parties shouldn’t be blamed for not giving credence to Hindraf’s 18 point demands as a serious petition by reasonable leaders of the Indian community.
So will the so-called Hindraf and its Godzilla-size demands serve Indian Malaysians in the way they should be, and which they would be as per the down-to-earth DAP’s 14-point Gelang Patah Declaration?
Abdul Razak Hussein’s NEP was meant principally to serve the Malays until the economic gap between them and the generally better off Chinese can be closed. Admittedly the policy has been bastardised to enrich an elite because of someone’s humongous chip on his shoulder. The deliberate change in tack for the NEP was a gross betrayal of the Malays.
The so-called Hindraf 18-point demand seems to be heading in that same direction, maybe without even its proponents being aware of it.
It’s common wisdom that when a race is oppressed, you will find at the heart of that oppression its very own people playing significant roles in the betrayal. The Chinese were betrayed by Chinese in oppressions by Mongolians, Manchurians, Western powers, Japanese, etc, and likewise with the Malays even right up to this day.
The Hindraf 18-point demands show its leaders don’t have the temperament or political competency to serve Indian Malaysians, other than to hold rallies or to hurl vilifications against DAP.
What good will Hindraf instructing Indians to boycott the elections do for their well-being? Remember the Socialist Front who decided to boycott the 1969 general elections? Where are they now?
Let me conclude with a four-line dirge for Hindraf:
Alas, here lies a once great movement
That had wanted its people to be free
But it failed even its own development
Shackled by its leader’s lamentable hubris
K TEMOC is a Penangite who enjoys being an independent blogger and loves to share his opinion on Malaysian and world affairs without fear or favour, though currently is politically inclined towards DAP, only because the political party has thus far shown faithfulness to its promise of competency, accountability and transparency.
Friday, 5 April 2013
Save Rama Sethu at any cost and drive away disastrous demons from Bharat right now.
SHRI RAMA SETHU: GLOBAL INQUIRY CONFIRMS SETHU PLAN DISASTROUS.
Kumar Chellappan | CHENNAI | The Daily Pioneer | 04 April 2013 :: DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s dream project, the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project, is set to hit international headlines, for all the wrong reasons.
In what could be a major embarrassment to the UPA Government, a high-level team of marine scientists, environmentalists, geologists and marine engineers, appointed by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has found that the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project (SSCP) is detrimental to the maritime and environmental resources of the island nation.
The experts were shocked to learn that India, which swears by Panchsheel principles and firmly believes in non-interference in the affairs of other countries, has blatantly violated all global norms like the International Law of Seas and MARPOL Convention, in conceiving the project.
In a report submitted to the Sri Lankan Government, the high-powered team has expressed dismay that though the 167-km long channel lies close to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) between India and Sri Lanka, the Indian Government has not taken into account the environmental and maritime impact the project could have on Sri Lanka.
As per the International Law of Seas accepted by the United Nations in 1968, India should have sought the concurrence of Sri Lanka before launching the project.
“The Sethusamudram Channel lies close to the IMBL between India and Sri Lanka. Both countries should get the concurrence of each other for any construction activities which fall near the IMBL. India has violated this age-old practice and Sri Lanka will definitely take up this issue,” a source close to the Sri Lankan Government told The Pioneer.
He said Sri Lankan leaders, irrespective of party affiliations, were upset over the indifference shown by the UPA Government towards the island nation while taking up the SSCP.
“You can expect a strongly worded statement by the Sri Lankan Government any time now. The Sethusamudram Project in all likelihood will end up in the United Nations,”said the source.
The MARPOL Convention (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships) is a marine environmental convention designed to minimize pollution of the seas including dumping, oil spillage and exhaust pollution.
It was formed on October 2, 1983 (as a mark of respect to Mahatma Gandhi) and as of December 2005, 136 countries, representing 98 per cent of the world’s shipping tonnage, are parties to the Convention. It has been accepted all over the world that the Gulf of Mannar as well as the Palk Bay are ecological hot spots and nothing should be done to disturb their present status.
The scientific team appointed by Sri Lanka found that the initial dredging, infinite maintenance dredging and subsequent shipping through the channel would be disastrous to Sri Lanka.
Ariyaratne Hewage, secretary, Sri Lankan Education Ministry, was the chairman of the committee while Professor Shantha Hennayake, a geologist of international repute and deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Peradeniya, was the vice-chairman .
The recommendations submitted by the committee to the Sri Lankan Government ( a copy of the executive summary is with The Pioneer) has noted that though the region through which the channel is being built was an ecologically and environmentally fragile area, no action has been taken by the Indian Government to minimize the environmental and maritime impact it could have on Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan experts have noted that the studies, primarily the project document and the Environmental Impact Analysis (EIA) study carried out by India, prior to the commencement of the SSCP, are inadequate for a number of reasons. “These studies have not identified and evaluated the full extent of the impact. The channel design has not been optimized for minimum impact. The most pressing concern for Sri Lanka is that none of the Indian studies have proposed any mitigation measures for the impact occurring on Sri Lanka,” Prof Hennayake told The Pioneer over telephone from Colombo.
He said Sri Lanka has nothing against India building any channels or canals, as long as they do not disturb the ecological and environmental balance of the region.
“However, this is a project which is detrimental to both India and Sri Lanka. Any dredging work along the placid waters of the Palk Bay is a sure recipe to environmental disaster.
“Strangely, India confined the study of the environmental and ecological impact of the project to their side and forgot the existence of Sri Lanka. This is saddening,” he said.
The experts have warned that the marine wealth (especially fish) in the region would be destroyed permanently with the commissioning of the SSCP.
“The Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay, lying between the two countries, are unique, biologically rich areas linking two large marine ecosystems. This stretch of the sea is a rich source of all types of fish. Unless we accurately forecast and adequately mitigate the impact of the dredging of the channel this could destroy this sensitive and fragile marine ecosystem located between the two countries. It would also impact the fishing communities on the northern and north-western coast of Sri Lanka as they mainly fish in the potential area of impact on the Sri Lankan side of the channel,” said the recommendations submitted by the expert committee.
What the committee left unsaid is that the majority of those who will be robbed of their livelihoods will be Tamil fishermen who constitute the majority of the population in the two regions.
The study found that modelling studies were also inadequate. “Modelling needs to be backed by better field data to reach levels of accuracy required to satisfy the requirement of such a major undertaking. Increase in volumetric water exchange across Adam’s Bridge due to the canal and its impact on the ecology of the region has not been studied,” said the report.
The SSCP received negative attention globally in 2010 when Stjepan Mesic, then President of Croatia, expressed concern over the UPA Government’s move to demolish the Ram Sethu for constructing the channel. Mesic had told Swami Maheshwarananda Paramhans, a Yoga guru, that he would ask the UNESCO to declare the Ram Sethu as a World Heritage site.
Kumar Chellappan | CHENNAI | The Daily Pioneer | 04 April 2013 :: DMK chief M Karunanidhi’s dream project, the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project, is set to hit international headlines, for all the wrong reasons.
In what could be a major embarrassment to the UPA Government, a high-level team of marine scientists, environmentalists, geologists and marine engineers, appointed by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, has found that the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project (SSCP) is detrimental to the maritime and environmental resources of the island nation.
The experts were shocked to learn that India, which swears by Panchsheel principles and firmly believes in non-interference in the affairs of other countries, has blatantly violated all global norms like the International Law of Seas and MARPOL Convention, in conceiving the project.
In a report submitted to the Sri Lankan Government, the high-powered team has expressed dismay that though the 167-km long channel lies close to the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) between India and Sri Lanka, the Indian Government has not taken into account the environmental and maritime impact the project could have on Sri Lanka.
As per the International Law of Seas accepted by the United Nations in 1968, India should have sought the concurrence of Sri Lanka before launching the project.
“The Sethusamudram Channel lies close to the IMBL between India and Sri Lanka. Both countries should get the concurrence of each other for any construction activities which fall near the IMBL. India has violated this age-old practice and Sri Lanka will definitely take up this issue,” a source close to the Sri Lankan Government told The Pioneer.
He said Sri Lankan leaders, irrespective of party affiliations, were upset over the indifference shown by the UPA Government towards the island nation while taking up the SSCP.
“You can expect a strongly worded statement by the Sri Lankan Government any time now. The Sethusamudram Project in all likelihood will end up in the United Nations,”said the source.
The MARPOL Convention (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships) is a marine environmental convention designed to minimize pollution of the seas including dumping, oil spillage and exhaust pollution.
It was formed on October 2, 1983 (as a mark of respect to Mahatma Gandhi) and as of December 2005, 136 countries, representing 98 per cent of the world’s shipping tonnage, are parties to the Convention. It has been accepted all over the world that the Gulf of Mannar as well as the Palk Bay are ecological hot spots and nothing should be done to disturb their present status.
The scientific team appointed by Sri Lanka found that the initial dredging, infinite maintenance dredging and subsequent shipping through the channel would be disastrous to Sri Lanka.
Ariyaratne Hewage, secretary, Sri Lankan Education Ministry, was the chairman of the committee while Professor Shantha Hennayake, a geologist of international repute and deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Peradeniya, was the vice-chairman .
The recommendations submitted by the committee to the Sri Lankan Government ( a copy of the executive summary is with The Pioneer) has noted that though the region through which the channel is being built was an ecologically and environmentally fragile area, no action has been taken by the Indian Government to minimize the environmental and maritime impact it could have on Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan experts have noted that the studies, primarily the project document and the Environmental Impact Analysis (EIA) study carried out by India, prior to the commencement of the SSCP, are inadequate for a number of reasons. “These studies have not identified and evaluated the full extent of the impact. The channel design has not been optimized for minimum impact. The most pressing concern for Sri Lanka is that none of the Indian studies have proposed any mitigation measures for the impact occurring on Sri Lanka,” Prof Hennayake told The Pioneer over telephone from Colombo.
He said Sri Lanka has nothing against India building any channels or canals, as long as they do not disturb the ecological and environmental balance of the region.
“However, this is a project which is detrimental to both India and Sri Lanka. Any dredging work along the placid waters of the Palk Bay is a sure recipe to environmental disaster.
“Strangely, India confined the study of the environmental and ecological impact of the project to their side and forgot the existence of Sri Lanka. This is saddening,” he said.
The experts have warned that the marine wealth (especially fish) in the region would be destroyed permanently with the commissioning of the SSCP.
“The Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay, lying between the two countries, are unique, biologically rich areas linking two large marine ecosystems. This stretch of the sea is a rich source of all types of fish. Unless we accurately forecast and adequately mitigate the impact of the dredging of the channel this could destroy this sensitive and fragile marine ecosystem located between the two countries. It would also impact the fishing communities on the northern and north-western coast of Sri Lanka as they mainly fish in the potential area of impact on the Sri Lankan side of the channel,” said the recommendations submitted by the expert committee.
What the committee left unsaid is that the majority of those who will be robbed of their livelihoods will be Tamil fishermen who constitute the majority of the population in the two regions.
The study found that modelling studies were also inadequate. “Modelling needs to be backed by better field data to reach levels of accuracy required to satisfy the requirement of such a major undertaking. Increase in volumetric water exchange across Adam’s Bridge due to the canal and its impact on the ecology of the region has not been studied,” said the report.
The SSCP received negative attention globally in 2010 when Stjepan Mesic, then President of Croatia, expressed concern over the UPA Government’s move to demolish the Ram Sethu for constructing the channel. Mesic had told Swami Maheshwarananda Paramhans, a Yoga guru, that he would ask the UNESCO to declare the Ram Sethu as a World Heritage site.
What they don't tell you about elections
By Maha Balakrishnan
What are you voting for in the coming general election? When you mark your ballot paper, are you voting for who you want as prime minister of Malaysia?
Parliament has just been dissolved, but for months now, we have been inundated with billboards, television advertisements and snail-mail flyers of prime minister Najib Razak, touting his achievements over the last four years, his proposed policies for the future and why it is important to keep him on as prime minister to realise the dream of a united, prosperous 1Malaysia.
Sometimes, other faces may appear on these promotional materials next to him - usually, the BN candidate likely to be fielded in the 13th general elections in that particular constituency.
But it is Najib's face, endorsement or words that are prominent.
What do these promotional materials say to you?
Do they say, "Vote for BN if you want Najib as your prime minister"?
Do they say to you, "If you want our product - Najib and his 1Malaysia - then the price is your vote for BN"?
The promotional campaign that BN has been running these last few months tries to focus the eye of the electorate on who it is they wish to see as prime minister of Malaysia.
The campaign tries to enforce a simple yet dominant connection in your mind: Najib = BN.
So vote for the BN candidate running in your constituency if you want to keep Najib as prime minister.
But this simple message is grossly misleading.
It gives a false impression about what it is we actually vote for when we step into the polling booth.
When your hand is poised to mark an ‘X' on the ballot paper on polling day, you will not be voting for who will become prime minister.
You will be voting for who you want as your representative in the Dewan Rakyat (your ‘MP'), and some of you will also be voting for a lawmaker to sit in your state assembly.
It is our MPs, once elected, who get to decide who is to be prime minister.
Under our federal constitution, the king appoints the prime minister, but the appointee must command the confidence of the majority of the MPs of the Dewan Rakyat.
So, making sure that the majority of the MPs come from one particular political coalition only ensures that the prime minister will be from that coalition.
It does not ensure who among the MPs of that coalition will be prime minister.
That depends on who it is the majority of the MPs wishes to be prime minister.
And during their elected term, these MPs can change their minds and place their confidence in someone else to be prime minister.
Is it a certainty that if BN wins a majority of parliamentary seats in the 13th general election, its MPs will keep Najib as prime minister? No, it is not.
The ruling party's words and actions tell us that there is no guarantee that Najib will continue to be prime minister if BN wins the next general elections.
Their words and actions suggest that Najib can only be guaranteed the "confidence" of the ruling party if he wins a stronger parliamentary majority and regains its lost two-thirds majority.
Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself has reportedly told AFP that Najib could face a ruling-party leadership putsch if he doesn't improve on BN's results in the 2008 general elections and that if Najib did not perform, there will be "some necessity to switch horses".
Mahathir tempered his words a few days later by stating that what he had said was "only theoretical".
Yet Mahathir's ‘theory' was not met with a collective public rejection by Najib's colleagues in BN or a public pledge of allegiance to him whatever the margin of his victory at the polls.
Tied to this, the ominous lesson from our recent history, involving Najib's predecessor, no less.
In the 2008 general elections, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was the incumbent prime minister, and plugged by BN to continue as prime minister if it won.
But BN lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority and subsequently, the country lost Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as prime minister.
No doubt, those who voted for the BN candidates in those elections did so anticipating and perhaps seeking Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's continuation as prime minister for another term.
What they got instead about a year later was someone else as prime minister, someone who did not get a mandate at the polls.
Ask yourselves, what are the chances that BN will get a two-thirds parliamentary majority in the 13th general elections?
Are significantly more voters likely to vote for BN candidates in the coming elections than in the last one?
Look to the independent voter surveys and election analyses - do any of them point to a high degree of certainty that BN will capture a two-thirds majority?
Because that is what needs to happen for Najib to be guaranteed his position.
Where does that leave you? You may be one of the many Malaysians with deep misgivings over BN or its component parties, their policies or the direction they have taken the country in the last 55 years.
But at the same time, you may feel that the country is on the right track under Najib's stewardship and you may be willing to give him five more years at the helm, so long as he leads and controls the policies of the party in power.
On the strength of this, you may be ready to cast your vote in favour of whichever BN MP is running in your constituency, in the belief that a vote for that BN MP is a vote to keep Najib as prime minister.
But your vote may not buy you what you seek.
Between your vote and what you seek are 13.1 million registered voters and the internal power play of a political coalition whose policies and conduct you do not agree with.
So when deciding who to vote, look to the party not its titular leader, because the party can change its leadership without checking with you first.
Vote based on the party's policies, track record and conduct, not only on those of its current leader.
Before using the currency of your vote, weigh the costs and risks of what it is you are purchasing.
Ask yourself if you could live with the next level of leadership of the political party leading your country if your favoured candidate gets the boot.
Ask yourself if you are willing to take the risk that the policies of the leader that you favour may expire along with his position in a few months' time.
Don't allow the gloss and spin of the election campaign to be the basis of your vote.
As with the purchase of any advertised product, before casting your vote, find the fine print, conduct your own research and be certain of what it is you are buying.
With the current BN campaign, you are not seeing the fine print.
Not your fault; the fine print is invisible.
But let me summarise what it says:
Seller does not warrant that final product will be as advertised.
Seller reserves the right to replace product with a completely different or inferior product.
The final product provided is non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
And remember: if you are unhappy with the uncertainty of what is on offer, you are free to see what other products are on the market.
Or, choose not to buy this time around.
The decision is yours.
But since your fate is tied to mine, I hope the decision is an informed and well thought out one.
What are you voting for in the coming general election? When you mark your ballot paper, are you voting for who you want as prime minister of Malaysia?
Parliament has just been dissolved, but for months now, we have been inundated with billboards, television advertisements and snail-mail flyers of prime minister Najib Razak, touting his achievements over the last four years, his proposed policies for the future and why it is important to keep him on as prime minister to realise the dream of a united, prosperous 1Malaysia.
Sometimes, other faces may appear on these promotional materials next to him - usually, the BN candidate likely to be fielded in the 13th general elections in that particular constituency.
But it is Najib's face, endorsement or words that are prominent.
What do these promotional materials say to you?
Do they say, "Vote for BN if you want Najib as your prime minister"?
Do they say to you, "If you want our product - Najib and his 1Malaysia - then the price is your vote for BN"?
The promotional campaign that BN has been running these last few months tries to focus the eye of the electorate on who it is they wish to see as prime minister of Malaysia.
The campaign tries to enforce a simple yet dominant connection in your mind: Najib = BN.
So vote for the BN candidate running in your constituency if you want to keep Najib as prime minister.
But this simple message is grossly misleading.
It gives a false impression about what it is we actually vote for when we step into the polling booth.
When your hand is poised to mark an ‘X' on the ballot paper on polling day, you will not be voting for who will become prime minister.
You will be voting for who you want as your representative in the Dewan Rakyat (your ‘MP'), and some of you will also be voting for a lawmaker to sit in your state assembly.
It is our MPs, once elected, who get to decide who is to be prime minister.
Under our federal constitution, the king appoints the prime minister, but the appointee must command the confidence of the majority of the MPs of the Dewan Rakyat.
So, making sure that the majority of the MPs come from one particular political coalition only ensures that the prime minister will be from that coalition.
It does not ensure who among the MPs of that coalition will be prime minister.
That depends on who it is the majority of the MPs wishes to be prime minister.
And during their elected term, these MPs can change their minds and place their confidence in someone else to be prime minister.
Is it a certainty that if BN wins a majority of parliamentary seats in the 13th general election, its MPs will keep Najib as prime minister? No, it is not.
The ruling party's words and actions tell us that there is no guarantee that Najib will continue to be prime minister if BN wins the next general elections.
Their words and actions suggest that Najib can only be guaranteed the "confidence" of the ruling party if he wins a stronger parliamentary majority and regains its lost two-thirds majority.
Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself has reportedly told AFP that Najib could face a ruling-party leadership putsch if he doesn't improve on BN's results in the 2008 general elections and that if Najib did not perform, there will be "some necessity to switch horses".
Mahathir tempered his words a few days later by stating that what he had said was "only theoretical".
Yet Mahathir's ‘theory' was not met with a collective public rejection by Najib's colleagues in BN or a public pledge of allegiance to him whatever the margin of his victory at the polls.
Tied to this, the ominous lesson from our recent history, involving Najib's predecessor, no less.
In the 2008 general elections, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was the incumbent prime minister, and plugged by BN to continue as prime minister if it won.
But BN lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority and subsequently, the country lost Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as prime minister.
No doubt, those who voted for the BN candidates in those elections did so anticipating and perhaps seeking Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's continuation as prime minister for another term.
What they got instead about a year later was someone else as prime minister, someone who did not get a mandate at the polls.
Ask yourselves, what are the chances that BN will get a two-thirds parliamentary majority in the 13th general elections?
Are significantly more voters likely to vote for BN candidates in the coming elections than in the last one?
Look to the independent voter surveys and election analyses - do any of them point to a high degree of certainty that BN will capture a two-thirds majority?
Because that is what needs to happen for Najib to be guaranteed his position.
Where does that leave you? You may be one of the many Malaysians with deep misgivings over BN or its component parties, their policies or the direction they have taken the country in the last 55 years.
But at the same time, you may feel that the country is on the right track under Najib's stewardship and you may be willing to give him five more years at the helm, so long as he leads and controls the policies of the party in power.
On the strength of this, you may be ready to cast your vote in favour of whichever BN MP is running in your constituency, in the belief that a vote for that BN MP is a vote to keep Najib as prime minister.
But your vote may not buy you what you seek.
Between your vote and what you seek are 13.1 million registered voters and the internal power play of a political coalition whose policies and conduct you do not agree with.
So when deciding who to vote, look to the party not its titular leader, because the party can change its leadership without checking with you first.
Vote based on the party's policies, track record and conduct, not only on those of its current leader.
Before using the currency of your vote, weigh the costs and risks of what it is you are purchasing.
Ask yourself if you could live with the next level of leadership of the political party leading your country if your favoured candidate gets the boot.
Ask yourself if you are willing to take the risk that the policies of the leader that you favour may expire along with his position in a few months' time.
Don't allow the gloss and spin of the election campaign to be the basis of your vote.
As with the purchase of any advertised product, before casting your vote, find the fine print, conduct your own research and be certain of what it is you are buying.
With the current BN campaign, you are not seeing the fine print.
Not your fault; the fine print is invisible.
But let me summarise what it says:
Seller does not warrant that final product will be as advertised.
Seller reserves the right to replace product with a completely different or inferior product.
The final product provided is non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
And remember: if you are unhappy with the uncertainty of what is on offer, you are free to see what other products are on the market.
Or, choose not to buy this time around.
The decision is yours.
But since your fate is tied to mine, I hope the decision is an informed and well thought out one.
Hindraf's right struggle, but wrong path
By Maniam SankarN Ganesan, replying for Hindraf chief P Waythamoorthy, has succeeded in demonising the good Mariam Mokhtar for daring to question the tactics of Waythamoorthy.
If Hindraf cannot engage in cultured discussion and rebuttals, all of Mariam's comments about Hindraf's desperation and misplaced self-importance will be shown to be true.
And using Mariam to demand answers of Anwar Ibrahim highlights that and Hindraf's impotence and perhaps growing irrelevance.
Hindraf has a serious point in wanting to reverse 50 years of neglect.
However, their's is not the only way.
If they don't realise that and work with those with some common interests, they will destine themselves to oblivion.
If Ganesan's letter is indicative of their thinking, Hindraf is already on that path.
Uthaya forces three-way fights in Pakatan seats
The Hindraf offshoot today announced their intention to contest in three parliamentary and its accompanying state seats: Kota Raja (Seri Andalas and Seri Muda), Kuala Selangor (Ijok and Bukit Melawati) and Kelana Jaya (Seri Setia).
Their leader P Uthayakumar (centre in photo) will be vying for both a state and parliamentary seat."Our candidate for P111 Kota Raja and N49 Seri Andalas will be P Uthayakumar," said HRP's protem national treasurer A Sugumaran at a press conference today.
HRP is one of the factions that resulted from a multiple split in the Hindu rights movement Hindraf after its milestone street protest in 2007.
Uthayakumar's brother Waythamoorthy heads another offshoot that has been attempting to court both Pakatan Rakyat and BN with its blueprint to solve the problems of the Indian community.
Uthaya upbeat on winning
Uthayakumar said he has chosen to run in Kota Raja because the constituency has roughly 29 percent Indian voters, whom he expects to support his movement.
He expects the 44 percent Malay voters to be split between BN and Pakatan.He is counting on getting the full Indian vote and a part of the Chinese vote to secure him a safe win.
He added that BN is unlikely to have a strong presence due to the absence of Felda voters, Orang Asli and army postal voters that are the ruling party’s "fixed deposit".
Uthayakumar said their theme for the election will be 'Send the first Hindraf MP to Parliament'.
He said having a Hindraf rep in the house will be able to solve the problems of poverty and statelessness afflicting the Indian community.
“If I have power, I can do a lot more, but up to now all I can do is to highlight the issues,” he said.
HRP, an attempt to turn the Hindraf movement into a political force, has however been frustrated by the Registrar of Societies’ rejection of their application.
Bersih sets rules for caretaker govt, candidates
Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga says any politician who violates the prohibitions listed in their guidelines will be blacklisted by the coalition.
PETALING JAYA: Impatient with the authorities’ feet-dragging over the matter, the coalition for free and fair elections, Bersih 2.0, today launched a guideline for the caretaker government, as well as code of conduct for Election 2013 participants.
“This is the right time, as the parliament was dissolved yesterday and a caretaker government is now in place. Since no one is interested in issuing guidelines for the caretaker government, Bersih has issued it,” said Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga at a press conference today.
“Basically a caretaker government can’t do much. Delivery of services, security… all of these the caretaker government must provide to everybody without fear or favour or bias,” she explained.
According to the guidelines she read out, a caretaker government is unable to:
make major policy decisions that are likely to commit an incoming government;
make significant appointments;
enter major contracts or undertakings;
announce new financial grants in any form whatsoever or promises thereof;
lay foundation stones etc., or projects or schemes of any kind; and
make any new promises of construction of infrastructure or the carrying out of public projects.
Last Thursday, Election Commission (EC) chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said it had no power to make guidelines for the caretaker government as there was no provision under the constitution and law.
De facto law minister Nazri Aziz, meanwhile, said last week he was requesting the Attorney-General’s Chambers to set the guidelines for the caretaker government, but Bersih today pointed out he was too slow.
“It’s a bit late by now, if the guidelines aren’t out by the time the Parliament is dissolved. But they can always refer to our guidelines,” said Ambiga.
Universal standards
Meanwhile, the code of conduct for participants of the 13th general election prepared by Bersih prohibits speech that promotes ill-will and hostility, smear campaigns, intimidation and violence, and election offences.
It also emphasised the freedom of journalists and election observers to carry out their duties.
Ambiga said that the list of rules was adopted from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) 1994 Declaration on Criteria for Free and Fair Elections, the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom, the Election Commission of India, and the Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate of the Australian Capital Territory.
“The reason we set out the IPU declaration and resolution is because Malaysia has been a member since 1967. We also sit on the Human Rights Council.
“So all these standards we refer to are universal standards. As members, we have a moral duty to abide by standards and regulations. Nobody can therefore say they aren’t aware,” she said.
Name and shame
When asked what sanctions would be placed on individuals who violated the guidelines, Ambiga said Bersih would name and shame them.
“There will be consequences,” she promised. “We will keep an eye on them, on all the candidates. So whoever breaches this code of conduct, we will take them to task.
“This is the people enforcing and demanding the best conduct from our potential leaders. If the candidates breach this rule, we will blacklist them on our website.”
But she said that all individuals would be given a chance to explain themselves and apologise before being blacklisted.
Maria Chin Abdullah, who is a Bersih steering committee member, said that they already had two potential candidates for their blacklist: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Hishammuddin had last month blamed the opposition pact for the increasing political violence, saying that they had riled up BN supporters with their derogatory labels of the police force.
Meanwhile, after Najib announced the Dewan Rakyat’s dissolution, Zahid had tweeted yesterday: “we shall move to the warzone to kill all adversed (sic) politicial intruders.”
“What does he mean and why does he use such harsh words? ‘Kill’? are we entering the war zone?” Maria said.
“We will give them a chance to refute before blacklisting. And even after they are blacklisted, they can come to us and rectify.”
PETALING JAYA: Impatient with the authorities’ feet-dragging over the matter, the coalition for free and fair elections, Bersih 2.0, today launched a guideline for the caretaker government, as well as code of conduct for Election 2013 participants.“This is the right time, as the parliament was dissolved yesterday and a caretaker government is now in place. Since no one is interested in issuing guidelines for the caretaker government, Bersih has issued it,” said Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga at a press conference today.
“Basically a caretaker government can’t do much. Delivery of services, security… all of these the caretaker government must provide to everybody without fear or favour or bias,” she explained.
According to the guidelines she read out, a caretaker government is unable to:
make major policy decisions that are likely to commit an incoming government;
make significant appointments;
enter major contracts or undertakings;
announce new financial grants in any form whatsoever or promises thereof;
lay foundation stones etc., or projects or schemes of any kind; and
make any new promises of construction of infrastructure or the carrying out of public projects.
Last Thursday, Election Commission (EC) chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said it had no power to make guidelines for the caretaker government as there was no provision under the constitution and law.
De facto law minister Nazri Aziz, meanwhile, said last week he was requesting the Attorney-General’s Chambers to set the guidelines for the caretaker government, but Bersih today pointed out he was too slow.
“It’s a bit late by now, if the guidelines aren’t out by the time the Parliament is dissolved. But they can always refer to our guidelines,” said Ambiga.
Universal standards
Meanwhile, the code of conduct for participants of the 13th general election prepared by Bersih prohibits speech that promotes ill-will and hostility, smear campaigns, intimidation and violence, and election offences.
It also emphasised the freedom of journalists and election observers to carry out their duties.
Ambiga said that the list of rules was adopted from the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) 1994 Declaration on Criteria for Free and Fair Elections, the Cabinet Office of the United Kingdom, the Election Commission of India, and the Chief Minister and Treasury Directorate of the Australian Capital Territory.
“The reason we set out the IPU declaration and resolution is because Malaysia has been a member since 1967. We also sit on the Human Rights Council.
“So all these standards we refer to are universal standards. As members, we have a moral duty to abide by standards and regulations. Nobody can therefore say they aren’t aware,” she said.
Name and shame
When asked what sanctions would be placed on individuals who violated the guidelines, Ambiga said Bersih would name and shame them.
“There will be consequences,” she promised. “We will keep an eye on them, on all the candidates. So whoever breaches this code of conduct, we will take them to task.
“This is the people enforcing and demanding the best conduct from our potential leaders. If the candidates breach this rule, we will blacklist them on our website.”
But she said that all individuals would be given a chance to explain themselves and apologise before being blacklisted.
Maria Chin Abdullah, who is a Bersih steering committee member, said that they already had two potential candidates for their blacklist: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Hishammuddin had last month blamed the opposition pact for the increasing political violence, saying that they had riled up BN supporters with their derogatory labels of the police force.
Meanwhile, after Najib announced the Dewan Rakyat’s dissolution, Zahid had tweeted yesterday: “we shall move to the warzone to kill all adversed (sic) politicial intruders.”
“What does he mean and why does he use such harsh words? ‘Kill’? are we entering the war zone?” Maria said.
“We will give them a chance to refute before blacklisting. And even after they are blacklisted, they can come to us and rectify.”
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