Hindraf-PRESS STATEMENT

RE: COWARDLY ACT BY THE UMNO LED GOVERNMENT TO SUPPRESS AND OPPRESS MALAYSIAN INDIAN MINORITY

Declaring Hindraf as an illegal organization will in any case not banish the spirit that created Hindraf . Hindraf represents a very deep feeling experienced in the hearts and souls of millions of Indians both locally and Internationally.



This dastardly and ludicrous attempt by the Home minister to declare HINDRAF as an illegal organisation clearly indicates that the UMNO led government is at the end of their wit and shows that Malaysia is indeed a police state under the pretext of democracy.

The UMNO led government continued use of the sanctity of illegitimate laws such as ISA, Sedition Act, and now the Societies Act with their predatory acts against HINDRAF is a desperate attempt to silence legitimate voice of democracy.

The UMNO led government enjoys demonizing and bullying us on the pretext of law, public order, National security when all we are fighting for is to address the true and real condition of the downtrodden Malaysian Indians who have been systematically marginalized, suppressed and oppressed.

The UMNO government is not able to understand the phenomenon of Hindraf. Hindraf represents the Indian commoner, the hard working oily faced man who is made fun of in the streets, the man who people step on, the man who walks past you yet you notice him not. These are the people whom Hindraf represents – the marginalized and downtrodden Indians. They all do not wither away with this illegal declaration. The Government obviously has a primitive understanding of the situation, they cannot see a genuine problem within a significant section of the Malaysian society.

Look at the annals of history – when the people begin to demand what is truly theirs no governing elite have been able to stop them – take the French revolution, the American revolution, the anti-colonial and liberation movements through the first half of the 20th century and then the liberation of Africa in the late 20th century culminating in the abolition of apartheid in South Africa.



HNDRAF is peoples’ mass movement that seeks the moral and spiritual truth for the oppressed Malaysian Indians against the tyranny of the UMNO led government.

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HINDRAF's movement has raised the self worth of every individual in Malaysia and demand that the dignity and equality for each and every Malaysian cannot be abandoned and diluted for the glory of the UMNO led government whose only intention is to stir racial tension and maintain their status quo.

HINDRAF will not flinch with these threats and will continue its struggle against the UMNO regime in Malaysia as we can no longer be cowed nor are we any longer afraid. It is the people's mass movement for moral and spiritual truth on the basis of humanity against the tyranny of the current ruling government.

It is only fair for the Prime Minister to advise his Home Minister to revoke the order.



Waytha Moorthy

HINDRAF – CHAIRMAN

The Malaysian zero sum game

COMMENTARY

By Leslie Lau

Consultant Editor

OCT 16 — The government's hostility towards the Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf), culminating in the outlawing of the organisation, and Utusan Malaysia's war with Teresa Kok has hardened the position of the nationalist Malay right behind Umno.

But it will have done Umno and the Barisan Nasional few favours in winning back the hearts and minds of Malay moderates or the support of the Chinese, Indian and other non-Malay communities.

By targeting Kok, Utusan and the nationalist Malays are hoping to rally the community against the “threat” of the Chinese DAP, as represented by the Seputeh MP.

Cheras Umno division head Datuk Wira Syed Ali Alhabshi has even set up a Tabung Azan to aid Utusan against the RM30 million defamation lawsuit filed against the paper by Kok.

His reasoning was that a lawsuit against Utusan was an act of hostility against all Malays and all Muslims.

Even Malaysian Press Institute chief executive officer Chamil Wariya made a thinly-veiled attempt at attacking Kok by writing a short story published last week in Utusan in which the protagonist, described as an anti-Malay female MP, is assassinated.

The jury is still out on whether such tactics by the more extreme forces of Umno will work in regaining Malay support lost to the opposition in the March general election.

But it is not likely to help the BN get back any of the non-Malay votes it lost.

The outlawing of Hindraf will certainly do no favours for the BN in engaging the disillusioned and disenfranchised of the Indian community.

By labelling the Hindraf as terrorist and extremist, the government hopes to galvanise the support of moderate, law-abiding conservative Malaysians.

But it runs the risk of allowing the Indian issue to fester, of hardening the stance of more extreme forces and turning a loosely-organised front into a legendary, mythical group united against the BN.

Already, a perception audit survey conducted by the independent Merdeka Centre a few months ago, before the Datuk Ahmad Ismail incident or the Hindraf Hari Raya episode, suggested that non-Malay support for the BN remained low.

Alarmingly, some of the findings also showed Malaysians remained highly suspicious of each other.

Some 37 per cent of non-Malays and non-Muslim Bumiputeras polled said they agreed that “the ultimate goal of Malay politicians is to restrict non-Malay cultures and religions”.

A total of 40 per cent of Malays and Muslim Bumiputeras polled believed, on the other hand, that “the Chinese and Indians are quietly planning to take over the country”.

Ultimately, the government’s hardline position against Hindraf and Utusan Malaysia’s war against Kok will appeal to such suspicions Malaysians have for each other.

The continuing suspicions we harbour against each other become justification for a curb on the discussion of “sensitive issues”.

But will curbing such discussions help repair race relations? Will it unite the races behind the BN?

Or will race relations in Malaysia forever be a zero sum game?

-themalaysianinsider

Najib again denies abusing power in Mongolian murder case

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak again denied any abuse of power in in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case, telling Barisan Nasional MPs today that his associate Abdul Razak Baginda would be free if there was any interference.

“Najib said there is no abuse of power. If he did, Razak would be free,” a BN lawmaker told The Malaysian Insider after the breakfast meeting outside Parliament with Najib who, as BN chief whip, holds regular strategy meetings with the coalition’s lawmakers.

The deputy prime minister made similar denials two days ago as he tries to quell a fresh storm of allegations swirling around the case after Malaysia Today carried a report detailing what it alleged was an exchange of text messages between Najib and prominent lawyer Datuk Shafee Abdullah.

The lawyer initially represented Abdul Razak who was eventually charged with abetting two police officers in the murder of Altantuya in 2006.

Opposition politicians and critics have seized on text message exchanges published in the Malaysia Today news portal, whose editor Raja Petra Kamarudin is detained under the Internal Security Act and is facing criminal charges of sedition and criminal defamation related to the murder case.

In one SMS, Najib allegedly tells the lawyer that Razak — his advisor — “will face a tentative charge but all is not lost”.

Malaysia Today said this message raises some questions about Najib’s role in the case. “Why did he mention ‘tentative’ charge and that ‘all is not lost’ for RB (Razak Baginda)? How would Najib know this before Razak was charged? These are important questions which will have ramifications, not just on this case but far beyond,” a posting on the website said.-themalaysianinsider

Hindraf: Our spirit will not be banished

By Shannon Teoh

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Banning Hindraf will not banish the groundswell of emotion, says its chairman P. Waytha Moorthy.

In a press statement, the organisation’s leader-in-exile said that “declaring Hindraf as an illegal organisation will in any case not banish the spirit that created Hindraf” and called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi “to advise his Home Minister to revoke the order.”

“Hindraf represents a very deep feeling experienced in the hearts and souls of millions of Indians both locally and internationally,” he claimed.

Yesterday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar announced the outlawing of the movement, saying Hindraf would continue to pose a threat to public order, the security and sovereignty of the country as well as the prevailing racial harmony.

“The decision to declare Hindraf an illegal organisation is not based on one or two of its activities that are in contravention of the law but covers all the actions it has taken since being formed,” he said.

Waytha Moorthy, who has been in exile in Britain since his fellow leaders, the “Hindraf 5”, were detained under the Internal Security Act, called the decision “dastardly and ludicrous”.

He added it showed the government is at its wit’s end and that “Malaysia is indeed a police state under the pretext of democracy" as it has used the ISA, Sedition Act and now the Societies Act to silence a “legitimate voice of democracy”.

“The Umno-led government enjoys demonising and bullying us on the pretext of law, public order and national security when all we are fighting for is to address the true and real condition of the downtrodden Malaysian Indians who have been systematically marginalised, suppressed and oppressed,” he stated in the e-mail.

“Hindraf represents the Indian commoner, the hard working oily-faced man who is made fun of in the streets, the man who people step on, the man who walks past you yet you notice him not.”

This current saga has developed against the background of Hindraf’s presence at the Cabinet Hari Raya open house, where over 200 supporters attended to beseech Abdullah to free the Hindraf 5.

On Tuesday, three other Hindraf leaders — S. Jayathas, K. Selvam and K. Shanti, Waytha Moorthy’s wife — were requested to present themselves at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to have their statements on the incident recorded

Crisis of Confidence - IGP

Part 1


Part 2

ARAH EKONOMI KAPITALIS

Kita tidak nampak mereka kerana mereka semuanya bersarang di Wall Street New York dan di City of London. Mereka bebondong-bondong tetapi tidak bergerak. Mereka hanya mengalihkan angka dana mereka melalui internet. Tidak ada wang ringgit yang masuk, tetapi jika mereka menang 'judi' maka harta dan titik peluh kita ke kantung mereka. Inilah yang berlaku pada tahun 1997 dahulu.

DARI JELEBU

Hishamuddin Rais

Hari ini ekonomi kapitalis sedang menghadapi satu krisis yang amat besar. Kemungkinan dunia kita hari ini di bawa kembali ke zaman meleset sama seperti tahun 1929 dahulu cukup cerah.

Ahli-ahli Dewan Congress Amerika telah meluluskan dana negara sebanyak 700 bilion dolar untuk membantu lembaga-lembaga bank yang berkemungkinan jatuh muflis. Di Britain Gordon Brown telah juga meluluskan 500 bilion sterling pound untuk tujuan yang sama. Sebuah lembaga penyimpan/peminjam dana – Northern Rocks – telah di hak miliknegarakan oleh kerajaan Parti Buruh Gordon Brown.

Dari mana asal usul krisis yang menghimpit ekonomi kapitalis ini ?

Semua ini berpunca dari asas ekonomi kapitalis yang mengajukan dasar neoliberalisma. Ertinya ekonomi kapitalis yang mengenepikan peranan daulah/state dan membuka pasaran bebas. Amerika Syarikat negara kapitalis terunggul di dunia telah mengenepikan sistem wang yang bersandarkan emas. Ini berlaku pada tahun 1971 apabila Presiden Nixon memansuhkan Bretton Woods Agreements.

Perjanjian ini dimansuhkan ketika kuasa imperial Amerika sedang melancarkan perang kolonial terhadap Vietnam, Laos dan Kamboja. Perang Indo-China ini telah membocorkan dan mengkoyak rabakkan ekonomi Amerika. Berbilion dolar telah digunakan dalam usaha sia-sia untuk mengalahkan gerakan nasionalis di bawah pimpinan Ho Chi Minh. Perang memerlukan perbelanjaan yang amat tinggi – nyawa dan harta benda.

Yang menjadi ganti Bretton Woods Agreements ialah Dolar Amerika. Negara-negara kapitalis terutamanya negara di Asia, Afrika dan Latin Amerika telah di paksa menerima pakai 'fiat money' yang hanya bersandarkan kepada kekuatan ekonomi Amerika. Justeru semua jual beli diantara negara-negara kapitalis terutama jual beli bahan bakar petrolium wajib menggunakan dolar Amerika.

Hasil awal dari tindakan dasar ekonomi ini telah menyelamat ekonomi Amerika yang mula merundum pada tahun-tahun 70'an. Ekonomi kapitalis Amerika dapat bernafas semula dan berkembang.

Rupa-rupa langkah Presiden Nixon itu hanya untuk membeli masa. Tiga puluh tahun kemudian semuanya berulang kembali. Amerika kini sedang melancarkan perang kolonial terhadap Iraq dan Afgahnistan. Kalau pada tahun 1971 Perang Vietnam melimpah ke Laos dan Kamboja, kini tahun 2008 Perang Iraq/Afghanistan telah melimpah ke Iran dan Pakistan.

Sebelum serangan ke atas Iraq bermula, Rumah Putih secara 'romantik ' telah memberi anggaran 50 bilion dolar sebagai belanja perang. Hari ini angka resminya telah mencecah hampir 600 bilion dolar. Perang di Iraq memerlukan 300 juta dolar sehari. Ada yang menganggarkan diantara 1 hingga 2 bilion dolar seminggu akan digunakan di Iraq.

Seorang pakar ekonomi Linda Bilmes dari Kennedy School of Government di Harvard, dan Joseph Stiglitz pemenang hadiah Nobel laureate Ekonomi yang juga bekas penasihat ekonomi Bill Clinton telah meletakkrer44+++aaaan harga 2 trilion dolar sebagai belanja perang di Iraq hingga ke hari ini.

Justeru peperangan di Iraq dan Afghanistan ini sedang mengancam ekonomi Amerika dan ekonomi dunia kapitalis – sama seperti ancaman di zaman Perang Vietnam dahulu.

Dalam masa yang sama dasar neoliberal juga telah memberi ancaman yang sama. Banyak peraturan jual beli, peraturan urus niaga yang menjaga kepentingan negara-negara kecil telah di lupuskan atas paksaan perjanjian World Trade Organisation ((WTO ) atau atas nasihat Bank Dunia.

WTO dan Bank Dunia adalah dua lembaga yang di wujudkan oleh kuasa imperial Amerika untuk memastikan kepentingan ekonomi Amerika berjalan lancar tanpa ganguan. Dua lembaga ini mengajukan dasar-dasar neoliberal dan memastikan pasaran dibuka seluas mungkin untuk kaum pemodal.

Peraturan dan perjanjian yang dilihat tidak menguntungkan kaum pemodal akan dihapuskan. Negara-negara Dunia Ketiga tidak dapat bertahan dari serangan dasar PENSWASTAAN yang dipaksakan ke atas mereka oleh WTO dan Bank Dunia.

Selain dari belanja perang dan dasar neoliberal ini - ekonomi kapitalis juga sedang berhadapan dengan masaalah struktur sistem kapitalis ini sendiri. Di zaman meleset tahun 1929 dahulu, Amerika tidak berperang tetapi berhadapan dengan masaalah keyakinan terhadap lembaga-lembaga bank.

Kali ini keyakinan terhadap lembaga bank datang kembali bersama bencana perang – dua-dua datang sekali harung. Memang betul jika diperhatikan ekonomi kapitalis ini ada putaran jatuh/bangun setiap sepuluh tahun – 1974 – 1988, 1997, 2008 - tetapi kali ini bebeza. Ini bukan pusingan krisis sepuluh tahun sekali lagi. Ianya lebih dari itu.

Dunia kapitalis bukan sahaja berhadapan dengan pengeluaran yang berlebihan (surplus production) malah strukturnya telah hampir hancur. Rakyat dunia tidak lagi mahu menerima dolar sebagai wang tukaran. Apabila dolar tidak lagi di yakini, maka nilai dolar jatuh.

Dalam suasana nilai dolar jatuh, Federal Reserve – badan swasta yang berhak mengeluarkan dolar – mengambil jalan pintas. Federal Reserve terus mencetak dolar untuk dijadikan bahan export utama Amerika. Hasilnya ada lambakan dolar di pasaran dunia. Bila dolar melambak maka nilainya semakin merosot. Ini samalah seperti apa yang pernah terjadi kepada ibu dan ayah kita dengan Duit Batang Pisang di zaman Jepun menjajah Tanah Melayu pada tahun 1941-1945 dahulu.

Untuk memastikan dolar terus di terima pakai, kuasa imperial telah menggunakan ancaman kekuatan tentera untuk memastikan jual beli terutama bahan bakar petrol akan terus dinilai dengan dolar. Harus dingati salah satu sebab kenapa Saddam Hussein dijatuhkan ialah kerana Saddam telah meninggalkan dolar dalam hal jual beli minyak. Iran, yang kini dianggap musuh, telah juga meninggalkan dolar dan beralih kepada Euro dalam hal jual beli minyak petrol. Langkah yang sama juga sedang diambil oleh Russia. Langkah meninggalkan dolar negara-negara ini terus membantu penurunan nilai dolar.

Satu lagi musibah yang sedang menyerang sistem ekonomi kapitalis ialah munculnya – perniagaan bentuk baru. Perniagaan ini bukan membuat sesuatu atau menghasilkan sesuatu barangan. Kalau kita memotong getah, hasilnya ialah getah. Kalau kita memburuh menanam padi hasilnya ialah beras.

Perniagaan bentuk baru- tidak membuat apa-apa barangan - ianya hanya membuat spekulasi tentang tentang harga barangan masa depan dan nilai mata wang dari sebuah negara ke sebuah negara. George Soros, nama yang dikenali di Malaysia hanya salah seorang dari beratus-ratus peniaga bentuk ini.

Perniagaan ini lebih tepat kalau kita kenali sebagai – berjudi/betting. Berniaga mata wang ini tidak produktif. Ianya tidak menghasilkan apa-apa barangan/products. Jenis perniagaan ini muncul hasil dari dasar neoliberalisma. Perniaga jenis ini akan berbondong ke hulu ke hilir dalam dunia global mencari pasaran untuk berjudi.

Kita tidak nampak mereka kerana mereka semuanya bersarang di Wall Street New York dan di City of London. Mereka bebondong-bondong tetapi tidak bergerak. Mereka hanya mengalihkan angka dana mereka melalui internet. Tidak ada wang ringgit yang masuk, tetapi jika mereka menang 'judi' maka harta dan titik peluh kita ke kantung mereka. Inilah yang berlaku pada tahun 1997 dahulu.

Dalam masa kurang lebih 6 bulan krisis ekonomi kapitalis ini akan sampai kepada kita. Di Amerika dan Eropah pada masa ini sedang berhadapan dengan zaman meleset. Rakan niaga kita di Amerika Utara dan di Eropah akan mengurangkan permintaan. Apabila ini berlaku maka banyak pabrik dan kilang akan ditutup. Banyak yang akan hilang pekerjaan.

Inilah hakikat krisis ekonomi global kapitalisma.

Sekarang para pemimpin kita wajib membuat satu dasar ekonomi baru yang bersandarkan kepada ekonomi pertanian. Bumi Hijau seharusnya dijadikan dasar oleh Pakatan Rakyat. Bumi Hijau bermakna kita mengajukan penanaman bahan-bahan makanan dan bukan pembuatan barangan. Apabila zaman meleset sampai kita memiliki beras yang cukup. Kita memiliki sayuran, ikan, daging, bijirin dan buah-buahan yang cukup.

Kita pasti tidak dapat makan Proton. Kita tidak dapat makan komputer chips kerana ianya bukan potato chips. Dengan asas ekonomi pertanian yang kukuh pasti sedikit sebanyak akan dapat membantu orang ramai dari dilanggar zaman meleset yang akan sampai tidak lama lagi.

3,500 years of the Sedition Act

I started blogging after get inspiration from RPK or Raja Petra Kamaruddin. He was a wonderful blogger. It is pity to see that our government still detaining him under ISA. To remember RPK's article. I am reposting it again. Please read it carefully. -Admin NEM

It is clear that the Sedition Act can solve all our problems. The Sedition Act, properly and seriously implemented, would result in the entire world sharing just one religion. There would not be so many religions, which, today, are the source of most of the world's problems.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

There is an old law which many Malaysians do not realise still exists in this country. This law is called the Sedition Act. How old is this law, you may ask. Trust me, it is very, very old.

The Sedition Act was already around 3,000 or 3,500 years ago during the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs. At that time a man called Musa -- namesake of Musa Hitam, Musa Aman and Musa Hassan; who are all the exact opposite of the Musa of old Egypt -- received a message from God. And the message is that the Pharaoh is not God, as he believed he was, and Musa was to go tell him so.

Of course Musa was scared because he was aware of the Sedition Act and anyone who disputes that the Ruler of Egypt is God will be dealt with severely. So Musa asked God for permission to bring his brother along since his brother had the gift of the gab and was able to 'spin' just like the Bloggers of modern days. Knowing that a lot of spinning would be required to counter Pharaoh's claim of divinity, God agreed and Musa and his brother then went and confronted the Pharaoh.

The Pharaoh asked Musa what are the credentials to become God. Musa then replied that God gives life and God takes life. The Pharaoh then sentenced Musa to death thereby 'taking his life'. The Pharaoh then commuted the death sentence thereby 'giving back' Musa his life.

"So I have just taken life and given life," argued the Pharaoh. "That means I am God."

That was certainly a very smart move indeed. So what is the moral of this story? Simple. If the Internet and Blogs had been around 3,000 or 3,500 years ago, the Pharaoh would have been the King of Bloggers since he is the best spin-doctor in history.

But Musa insisted that the Pharaoh was not God and this resulted in the Pharaoh invoking the Sedition Act on him. Any act to make the people hate or turn against the Ruler is an act of sedition and punishable under the Sedition Act. However, Musa did not play fair. He skipped bail and escaped from Egypt and this resulted in the new nation of Israel being created. And, ever since, this has been the cause of great turmoil and countless deaths. If the Pharaoh had arrested Musa under the Sedition Act and had not allowed him bail then, today, there would be no turmoil and chaos in this world and we would all be living in a peaceful world, in particular in the Middle East.

Slightly over 2,000 years ago, another person by the name of Isa came along. This was Isa The Man, not ISA the Internal Security Act. Isa too was seditious and he turned the people against the Rulers. Of course Isa was not really that successful because he only had about a dozen followers, not even enough to form an Umno branch, which requires more members than that. But the Ruler made the great mistake of making a martyr out of Isa and his support grew, until today where he has more than one billion followers.

That was certainly not a very smart move indeed. So what is the moral of this story? Simple. Never make a martyr of someone who commits the crime of sedition, as then his or her following will grow beyond controllable proportions.

1,400 years or so ago, another man came along. This man was called Muhammad (but he had only one Muhammad in his name, not like today where we have people with two Muhammads in their name). For ten years he tried turning the people against the Rulers of the tiny state called Mekah. Finally, the Mekah government could stand it no longer and they tried arresting Muhammad under the Sedition Act.

But Muhammad managed to escape to another small village called Medina. Within 12 years this village grew into a city and they managed to build a large army and then went back to Mekah to topple the government.

That was certainly a very smart move indeed. So what is the moral of this story? Simple. Never allow anyone who commits the crime of sedition to escape to another country, as he or she can then build up a large army and come back to topple the government.

These examples of Musa, Isa and Muhammad have taught the world a thing or two. Firstly, never allow anyone to commit the crime of sedition. Secondly, sedition is not about punishing someone for lying. Sedition is about punishing someone who tells the truth. And that was demonstrated in Penang not too long ago when Marina Yusoff was found guilty of sedition for telling the truth -- yes, she proved that she had told the truth and had not lied. Marina Yusoff wrongly thought that if she could prove she was telling the truth she would escape punishment. Little did she realise that the Sedition Act does not punish you for lying. It punishes you for telling the truth. And Musa, Isa and Muhammad too told the truth so they are all rightfully guilty of sedition.

600 years or so ago, the English King decided to make it illegal to speak against the Ruler. God appoints Rulers as Rulers, argued the King, and to oppose the Ruler or speak ill of the Ruler is seditious and you can be arrested and your ears will be cut off. So many people who did not bodek the King were arrested and punished under the Sedition Act.

62 years ago, Malayans too started opposing the British Monarchy. They did not like the British proposal to form the Malayan Union. The Malays then got together and formed an amalgamation of the many Malay movements, societies and associations, which they called Umno. And through Umno the Malays began to make seditious statements in their many road-shows that criss-crossed the length and breadth of Malaya.

As the movement gained momentum and Umno started winning the support of the Malayan population, the British decided in 1948 to introduce the Sedition Act, more than 500 years after it was introduced in England. That was of course 60 years ago but the Sedition Act did not achieve its purpose. Finally, in 1957, Malaya managed to gain independence from Britain in spite of the Sedition Act.

Today, the Sedition Act that was introduced to punish Malayans who speak against the British still remains. But there is no longer a British Colonial government ruling Malaya. Today, Malaya is Merdeka and is now called Malaysia. But the law that makes it a crime to speak ill of the British still remains even though no one speaks bad about the British any longer other than Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who was Prime Minister of Malaysia for 22 years and who managed to get Margaret Thatcher's knickers all twisted into knots.

Sigh….if the Pharaoh had been serious about the Sedition Act then there would be no Jews today. And if there were no Jews then there would be no Isa; so there would be no Christianity. And if the Mekah government too had been serious about the Sedition Act there would be no Islam today. And since there would be no Jews, Christians and Muslims, then all 26 million Malaysians would today still be Hindus, like they were more than 600 years ago. And since we would all be Hindus there would be no problems and therefore no need for Hindraf. And as there would be no Hindraf then Barisan Nasional would not have done so badly in the 8 March 2008 general election.

It is clear that the Sedition Act can solve all our problems. The Sedition Act, properly and seriously implemented, would result in the entire world sharing just one religion. There would not be so many religions, which, today, are the source of most of the world's problems.

Malaysians must be able to look at the Sedition Act in this light. Against the backdrop of the Sedition Act being able to prevent the growth of new religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam -- which would result in world peace -- then the Sedition Act is good. But because the Rulers since 3,500 years ago failed to ensure that no one escapes the Sedition Act, today, we have so many religions that have divided the world and which have created a lot of conflicts that have resulted in so many deaths.

And remember, the Sedition Act is used to punish those who tell the truth, not those who lie. If they lie then there are so many other laws we can use against them.

Budget Debate(eurocopter)

Part 1

Part 2

Transkrip Perbahasan Belanjawan 2009

Tuan Yang di-Pertua: Saya persilakan Yang Berhormat Permatang Pauh untuk memulakan perbahasan.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim [Permatang Pauh]: Assalamualaikum warahmatullahhiwabarakatuh, salam sejahtera Tuan Yang di-Pertua. Izinkan saya mengucapkan rasa hormat kepada Tuan Yang di-Pertua memberi kesempatan berbahas di hadapan Tuan Yang di-Pertua yang saya kenal sebagai orang yang pendekar dan petah berbicara, berbahas sendiri.

[Timbalan Yang di-Pertua (Datuk Dr. Haji Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar)
mempengerusikan Mesyuarat]

Saya juga ingin menyatakan penghargaan kepada bekas Menteri Kewangan, Perdana Menteri, Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi kerana membentangkan Belanjawan Negara bulan lalu. Meskipun terdapat perbezaan dasar yang ketara di antara kami dalam Pakatan Rakyat dan Perdana Menteri, bekas Menteri Kewangan, saya ingin melahirkan rasa hormat dan menghargai usaha beliau sehingga dapat membentangkan satu belanjawan dalam keadaan krisis yang besar yang hampir melanda pada ketika itu.

Hanya setelah setengah purnama berlalu, keadaan negara bertambah meruncing. Keadaan dianggap sudah sampai ke tahap parah. Persoalan yang pertama yang harus kita bahaskan, adakah wajar untuk kita meneruskan perbahasan tentang satu belanjawan yang sudah ketinggalan melihat kepada unjuran, akta, data, satu setengah purnama yang lalu dengan keadaan sekarang. Apakah wajar Ahli-ahli Yang Berhormat di dalam Dewan yang mulia ini diminta untuk terus berbahas satu belanjawan yang sudah tidak realistik, tidak menepati fakta dan tidak mampu mengangkat ekonomi dan menyelamatkan negara kita dari kemelut ekonomi yang kian meruncing.

Continue reading ‘Transkrip Perbahasan Belanjawan 2009′

KIt Siang: Solicitor General's findings implicate AG

©The Sun KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 15, 2008) : DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang claimed that the findings of a probe by Solicitor-General Datuk Idrus Harun "implicate" Attorney-General (AG) Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and "confirm allegations" that Abdul Gani had fabricated evidence during the probe into Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s infamous ‘black eye’ incident 10 years ago. Quoting "sources" during the debate on Budget 2009 in the Dewan Rakyat today, Lim said: "I have come to know that the solicitor-general found the AG guilty of abusing his power to fabricate evidence against Permatang Pauh (Anwar) and Gani should resign now," said Lim, adding thate there should be no delay in announcing the findings. In July, Anwar said in a police report that Abdul Gani and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan, who was the investigating officer for the case 10 years ago, had fabricated evidence relating to the case. Lim said the probe by the solicitor-general was launched following this. Musa filed a defamation suit against Anwar after the report was lodged, and Abdul Gani threatened to do the same. Last week, during Anwar’s sodomy trial at the Kuala Lumpur sessions court, his lawyer, Sulaiman Abdullah read out a document in court over why Abdul Gani should not be involved in any aspect of the case. The prosecution team had applied to transfer the case to the High Court but the defence argued on the validity of the transfer certificate that was signed by Abdul Gani. The document read by Sulaiman contained claims by Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim, the investigating officer into the black eye incident. Mat Zain, who retired from the force in 2001, had also been named in Anwar’s police report in June as having collaborated with Musa and Abdul Gani to fabricate the evidence. Following this, Mat Zain filed a RM30 million defamation suit against Anwar and the document read in court by Sulaiman was from this suit. In the document, Mat Zian stated that Abdul Gani, then a senior DPP, had tampered with evidence, delayed investigations and concealed facts from the then AG, the late Mohtar Abdullah. During today's debate, Lim also asked for the setting up of a Royal Commission of Enquiry to probe into the allegations on the involvement of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak in the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu in October 2006.

Traders have social obligation to cut price, says PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 - Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today that the traders should voluntarily lower the prices of goods in line with the drop in the fuel retail prices without waiting for the government to act.

"It is their social obligation," the prime minister told reporters after attending the closing of the Merdeka Spirit Programme 2008 and the opening of Akademi Kenegaraan at the National Civics Bureau in Jalan Bellamy here.

Yesterday Abdullah announced a reduction of 15 sen in the price of petrol to RM2.30 a litre and 20 sen to RM2.20 for a litre of diesel, effective today.

Abdullah also took a swipe at some consumer associations for leaving it to the government to monitor and overcome the problem of high prices of goods without lifting a finger to help.

"They don't do anything and this is something that should not have happened. If these consumer associations want the government to supervise the prices of essential goods, they should cooperate with the government," he said.

He said the consumers associations were very powerful and they should use that power to teach their members how to handle traders who sell goods at high or unreasonable prices.

Asked whether he was advocating that consumers boycott traders who charge exorbitant prices for essential goods, he said it was up to the consumers because "we cannot teach them what to do."

He gave an assurance that the government would take action against traders who quoted excessively high or unreasonable prices for their goods but said that it needed the cooperation of consumers.

The prime minsiter also said that he had instructed the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad to meet the representatives of consumer associations to discuss the matter.

Asked whether reducing the fuel prices in stages or a little at a time had made it difficult for traders to make adjustments to the prices of essential goods, he said the government had decided to lower the fuel prices according to what was happening in the international market.

"I hope that the people will understand and work with the government in this matter," he said.

He also advised them to grow their own food like vegetables in efforts to overcome the increase in the prices of goods. – Bernama

Muhyiddin dismisses talk of ‘Dr M the Mastermind’

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 – International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today dismissed talk that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad orchestrated the increasing popularity of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and him (Muhyiddin) so that they could be the future leaders of the country.

“I don’t think you need to be in any way confused because you see us together (with Mahathir). The fact that we meet in certain functions doesn’t mean that there are major developments happening,” he told reporters after co-chairing the 1st Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Trade and Investment Committee Meeting here today.

Muhyiddin said this when asked by a reporters whether Dr Mahathir had a Role to play in determining the future leaders of the country.

“He (Mahathir) still is respected as an elder Malaysian statesman. You people also have high regards for him. I don’t think we can deny that fact. But to what extent he has influence in terms of the administration, I think that is something that Datuk Najib should be able to manage,” he said.

He said Najib had the requisite experience to manage the country and had worked in the previous cabinet with Dr Mahathir.

“I was also in the old cabinet and now a member of the present cabinet. I think a blend of past experience together with that of the present is important,” he said.

Najib and Muhyiddin are the frontrunners for the president and deputy president posts for Umno’s upcoming elections in March next year. By convention, Umno president and deputy president become prime minister and deputy prime minister respectively.

Meanwhile, when speaking to reporters at Puteri Umno’s Aidilfitri open house here, Muhyiddin said experience and capability should be the main criteria when nominating candidates for leadership posts and not the factor of age.

“As long as the person is healthy, has a sharp mind and is capable of handling the job, one’s age, old or young, should not be the main concern,” he said when asked to comment on remarks by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin that the old should make way for the young.

At the same function, Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin told reporters that he was confident of making the cut to contest the Umno Youth chief post.

Asked about the slow pace of nominations for him at Umno Youth’s ongoing delegates meetings, Khairy said : “Maybe because I have been said to have become the underdog now.”

He has garnered 19 nominations and is trailing behind Umno Youth executive council member Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir who has picked up 40 nominations, two more than the 38 nominations to be eligible to contest. Of the others in the fray and after 72 divisions have held their meetings, former Selangor menteri besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Khir has obtained 12 nominations while Perlis Umno deputy chief Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin has just one.

– Bernama

Hindraf Declared An Illegal Organisation

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- The Hindu Rights Actions Force (Hindraf) has been declared an illegal organisation from today, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

In a statement issued here, Syed Hamid said the decision to declare Hindraf as an illegal organisation was made following the ministry being satisfied with facts and evidence that showed Hindraf had and was being used for unlawful purposes and posed a threat to public order and morality.

"Based on powers vested under Section 5(1) of the Societies Act, Hindraf from today is declared an illegal organisation," he said.

He said the order was being made as a result of monitoring and investigation on the organisation's activities by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) and Home Ministry, since Hindraf's inception.

Syed Hamid said if left unchecked, Hindraf would continue to pose a threat to public order, the security and sovereignty of the country as well as the prevailing racial harmony.

"The decision to declare Hindraf an illegal organisation is not based on one or two of its activities that are in contravention of the law but covers all the actions it has taken since being formed," he said.

Syed Hamid said Hindraf had all the criteria of an organised movement because it had filed for registration with the ROS on Oct 16 last year.

he application had yet to be approved but Hindraf had actively exploited the Indian community to organise illegal assemblies and street demonstrations without permits to the point of causing a segment of the community to rise up against the government and also hatred among the Malays and Indians in the country, he said.

"Hindraf has also tried to secure support from foreign countries for the purpose of pressuring the government to bow to its demands," he added.

Syed Hamid advised the public to distance themselves from Hindraf and not participate in any way in any of its activities.

-- BERNAMA

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lim kit siang

Hindraf ban - retrogressive/vindictive hampering nation-building healing process

The banning of Hindraf by the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hamid Albar must be deplored in the strongest possible terms.

It is a retrogressive, vindictive and petty step which will hamper the nation-building healing process vital for Malaysians to feel one and united people again.

Instead of reaching out to the Malaysian Indian community to resolve the root political, socio-economic, cultural and religious causes which have made Malaysian Indians an alienated and aggrieved community as the new underclass in the country, ham-fisted measures to ban Hindraf will only aggravate the disaffection among the Indian community.

Coming in his last five months as Prime Minister, the ban on Hindraf is also testimony to the failure of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to take nation-building to a new and more mature level.

DAP MPs will raise in Parliament the undemocratic and myopic ban on Hindraf.

After the March 8 general election, BN MPs from all the BN component parties pledged to be more outspoken to protect the rights and interests of all communiies.

I invite MPs from all the BN component parties to join with Pakatan Rakyat MPs to take a common stand – to demand that the Home Minister revoke the ban on Hindraf and to call on Abdullah to give top priority in his last five months as Prime Minister to end the polarisation process by heading an all-party parliamentary committee to address the long-standing and legitimate grievances of the Malaysian Indians.

Hindraf turns up at Anwar’s open house

Hindraf and Makkal Sakthi supporters had a great time at Anwar’s open house (Photo credit: abinesh.com)

More surprise guests showed up at Anwar’s open house, this time in KL on Sunday. Blogger Abinesh reports:

The exact same group visited Dato Sri Anwar’s PKR Hari Raya open house last weekend at Kelab Sultan Sulaiman at Kg Baru. Like the previous open house, the group met outside the venue where they were chatting up the other Malay friends wishing them “Selamat Hari Raya“, with the passers-by wishing them the same and some chanting “Makkal Sakhti” (back at them) in the process. How do I know, you may ask? I was there!

They were greeted outside by YB S Manikavasagam and YB Zuraidah Kamaruddin and eventually started making their way into the venue of the celebrations.

As they were walking in, there was applause for them and the other Malaysians were chanting “Makkal Sakhti!”, and Hindraf supporters were wishing everyone “Selamat Hari Raya”. They went in and greeted the PKR leaders and, when DSAI and Datuk Seri Wan Azizah came out to greet them after finishing their prayers, they handed DSAI a Raya card, gift and a letter. They then moved out of the main canopy area where (some of them) went to get some food to eat while others enjoyed the company of friends that were there as well.

(Later they) took some pictures at the field with a brilliant view of KLCC behind it - together with some of the law-makers - and left the event. I witnessed the proceedings and it was very peaceful, light-hearted, fun and very Malaysian! There was no drama, and everyone went back happy!