Quit now, lawyers tell IGP, home minister

An outraged Malaysia Bar today demanded the resignation of both the inspector-general of police and the home minister following the arrest of five lawyers on May 7.

The five lawyers were arrested for alleged illegal assembly after attempting to provide legal assistance to a group of individuals who nabbed during a candlelight vigil in support of Bersih activist Wong Chin Huat, who himself was detained under the Sedition Act.

All of them were released after being held overnight in the police lock-up, a move which initiated a strong rebuke from the lawyers' fraternity.

Some 200 lawyers staged a protest at the Kuala Lumpur court complex the next day over the "gross abuse of police power".

And to translate their anger into action, the lawyers today held an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on the matter.

Attended by more than 1,400 lawyers, in addition to their call for IGP Musa Hassan and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to resign, the lawyers have also agreed to file a civil suit on the arrest of the five lawyers.

The suit will be filed against the IGP, the Brickfields police chief and the government.

They will also be submitting a memorandum to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Chief Justice Zaki Azmi and the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) on the abuse of powers by the police.

The five arrested lawyers were Fadiah Nadwa Fikri, Syuhaini Safwan, Puspawati Rosman, Ravinder Singh and Murnie Hidayah Anuar (left).

They were however released on May 8 together with Wong and the protesters at Brickfields police station.

Colombo vows to 'rescue' civilians

The army said on Friday up to 4,000 civilians fled the war zone in Sri Lanka's northeast overnight [Reuters] (Al Jazeera) The Sri Lankan government has vowed to launch a final offensive against the Tamil Tigers, while thousands of civilians continue to flee the conflict zone in the island's northeast. Anusha Palpita, a Sri Lankan government spokesman, said all civilians trapped in the war zone will be rescued within two days. "The president [Mahinda Rajapakse] assured that within the next 48 hours the thousands of Tamil civilians will be freed from the clutches of the Tamil Tigers," Palpita said on Friday. "All territory will be freed from Tiger control." The statement came as UN officials in New York said Vijay Nambiar, the chief of staff of the secretary-general, would arrive in Sri Lanka on Saturday "to help resolve the humanitarian situation". Prior peace missions by senior diplomats have ended in failure, and on Thursday the Sri Lanka government vowed it would not cave in to pressure to halt the war. Palitha Kohona, Sri Lanka foreign affairs secretary, told Al Jazeera that the Tamil Tigers were "sandwiched between two forces," with the miltary pushing from the north and the south. "The fighting is mostly on the sea coast. That is not the area where the refugees are. They are concentrated to the centre of this piece of land." Kohona said the Tamil Tigers are using civilians to fight the army, a claim the group has previously denied. "The military knows there are quite a number of LTTE [Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam] combatants left. They are also throwing young people, children, armed with Kalashnikovs, against the military advance." Humanitarian catastrophe The developments came as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which is the only aid organisation allowed to work in the conflict zone, said a boat attempting to evacuate wounded and carrying food aid had been unable to reach the area because of fierce fighting. "Our staff are witnessing an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe," Pierre Krahenbuhl, the ICRC'sdirector of operations, said. "No humanitarian organisation can help them in the current circumstances. People are left to their own devices." An army spokesman said on Friday that 4,000 civilians fled the conflict zone overnight. The government says people have been fleeing under fire from the Tamil Tigers, wading across a lagoon into government-controlled territory. It is impossible to independently confirm claims from the government and the LTTE because journalists are banned from the conflict area and access for aid organisations is strictly limited. The government says civilians are being used as human shields by the LTTE and need to be rescued, while the group says the army has been shelling the area, causing civilian casualties. Navi Pillay, the UN's human rights chief, has said both sides may be guilty of war crimes.

From 513 to 1Malaysia: Datuk Seri Mohd Nizar

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

'Allow child of converts to follow Islam'

To allow children of converts to follow the Islamic faith is expected to be hotly debated during the election meet by Perak Pas Wanita Council in Taiping on Sunday.

Pas Wanita Council vice-president Amizan Baharudin told Malaysiakini in a phone interview that this is one of the hot resolutions submitted by the Bukit Gantang Pas Wanita division to be debated and discussed during the meet.

"We want the Federal Government to allow children of converted parents to follow the Islam faith as stated in the Quran and a consensus will be reached on the matter."

Up for grabs are the Wanita chief post now held by Bariah Alang Sapri, deputy post held by Munirah Athrah Hassan Ali and vice post held by Amizan.

Bariah and Munirah had held their posts for two terms ( four years each) while Amizan is a one term holder (two years).

Also in the election fry are 18 executive council posts ( 10 posts are elected while eight are appointed).

Not ulamas, but professional ulamas

Amizan said that young blood are encouraged to join the party to give more say for the younger generation in the council political activities.

Asked if challenges are expected for the top three posts, Amizan said: "We will discuss and resolve in a friendly and family manner if there are challenges. It will not be a all-out war for the top three posts, unlike other state political parties during their elections."

She said that a total of 300 members including 192 delegates will be attending the election meet. The remaining 108 delegates would be observers. There are eight delegates from each of the 24 division wings in the state.

The meet is expected to be officiated by Pas Wanita national vice president Siti Zailah Yusof. Other high-profile politicians that are expected to attend include state Pas chief Ustaz Ahmad Awang, Pakatan Rakyat Mentri Besar and Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and his wife Datin Seri Fatimah Taat.

Amizan also said Pas national leadership can have a professional ulama who is religious to lead the party in the coming national party election. She said this when asked to comment on Pas Ulama Council chief Datuk Mohamed Daud statement recently that the Ulama council wants only ulamas to fill the national party's two top posts.

Daud had expressed his concern that if professionals are allowed to lead the party, they might compromise the party and its Islamic principles.

Amizan said that the Perak Wanita is also against the dynasty system of succession in political parties whereby a son succeeds the father's post.

She said what is more important is for the party to choose leaders who are committed to the party's principles and ideologies and look after the welfare of its members.

She was commenting on Pas spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's only son Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz fall from grace from the party after criticising his father's advisers as ‘pembantu sesat' (people who provide inaccurate information) in his blog.

PR pun sedia bertemu Najib

MEMORANDUM SAVE SRI LANKAN TAMILS FROM CLUTCHES OF DEATH

We, Member of Parliament, Malaysia from Pakatan Rakyat Coalition appalled with Genocide of Sri Lankan Tamil by its own Government.

The Sri Lankan Tamil community has been deliberately targeted by the Sinhalese-dominated government of Sri Lanka and its mono-ethnic armed forces since the beginning of fighting between the Sinhalese and the Tamils in 1983. Acts of genocide, including pogroms, ethnic cleansing and state-sponsored colonization of Tamil areas, against the Tamil population have taken place ever since independence from Britain in 1948.

Since the fighting intensified in January, the United Nations estimates that nearly 7,000 civilians have died. More than 100,000 civilians have fled to government-controlled territory, where they bake and suffer in ill-equipped refugee camps. While, about 50,000 civilians are crowded into a 4 kilometre long strip of coast along with the separatists, who have been fighting for 25 years for a homeland for minority Tamils.

The UN and relief agencies have expressed concern over the safety of at least 250,000 civilians who are believed to be trapped behind the front line and unable to reach safety. People are being caught in the crossfire, hospitals and ambulances have been hit by shelling, and several aid workers have been injured while evacuating the wounded. The Tamils caught in the war zones have no access to food, drinking water and other essential amenities. Medical facilities for the treatment of the wounded civilians are totally inadequate.

This was confirmed by the ICRC(International Committee of Red Crescent) South Asia operations head, Jacques de Maio. An ICRC appeal to evacuate 200 seriously injured civilians for lifesaving treatment was also denied. Even Tamil hospitals in the government-declared “safe zones” were repeatedly shelled by the SLA (SRI LANKA ARMY). Officials from the UN and the World Food Program, in charge of the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the civilian population, have fled the SLA’s bombardment of the “safe zones”, raising fears of a humanitarian crisis.

Due to the continuous shelling, even the dead and the injured are unable to be transported to the makeshift hospitals that have been set-up by the medical staff. Further, the medical supplies and personnel are grossly inadequate to cope with the current number of casualties. There can be little doubt that if immediate steps are not taken to stop the shelling, and emergency medical supplies and medical personnel not sent into the affected areas, there would be many more civilian deaths as a result of lack of treatment.

Just few days back, a mortar shell has struck the only functioning hospital in northern Sri Lanka. After, two days of shelling a government doctor reported as many as 1,000 ethnic Tamil civilians killed. More than 1,300 wounded civilians also reported taken treatment at the hospital as well. The large-scale killing of civilians recently, including the deaths of more than 100 children, shows that that bloodbath has become a reality. Despite, pledges to stop using heavy weapons your government reported to continue bombing and shelling the war zone.

Garibaldi, Bagath Singh, Mahatma Gandhi, Pirabaharan: Are they “Terrorists”?

Any one who stands up to fight for her or his rights, for her or his peoples’ rights is invariably labelled a “Terrorist”. Garibaldi of Italy, Bagath Singh of India, Mahatma Gandhi (at that time) of India, Patrice Lumumba of Congo and large number of others were labelled “terrorist”. The only crime they committed against their rulers was demanding freedom for their people.

The United Kingdom, one of the founding fathers of the United Nations, was the most famous for bestowing the title of “Terrorist” on its “subjects” whenever they stood up to it.

Mahatma Gandhi was formally declared a “Terrorist” by the British for asking them to “Quit India”.

If the unarmed Mahatma Gandhi could be branded a “terrorist”, any one, including a baby, could be labelled a “terrorist”, and some mothers do fondly call their babies “terrorist”.

Mahatma Gandhi’s case clearly proves that one need not take up arms to be called a “terrorist”. You are a “terrorist”, when you attempt to stop somebody who has been robbing you, your people and your country.

Recently, the Honourable Secretary General of United Nation had the honour of declaring the birth day of the “terrorist” Mahatma Gandhi as the World Peace Day and said that we all now need him more than ever.

One day, either you or one of your successors might say the same of Pirabharan! Who knows?

One more example of the subjective nature of one being labelled a “terrorist” involves United Nation’s staff. It is reported that when the United Nations Humanitarian Chief John Holmes was in Sri Lanka, he did speak about the dangers to civilians. For this “he was officially called a terrorist for speaking about the dangers to civilians.”

If a representative of the United Nations can be declared a “terrorist” for pointing out dangers to the civilians, is there anything to be surprised at Pirabaharan being labelled a “terrorist” for fighting for the rights of his people?

Pirabaharan is not a highway robber, serial rapist, and not a one who invaded a country, killed thousands of its people and hanged its President!

Your Exellence Mr President, we must stress the inviolable fact that Pirabaharan was compelled to take up arms to defend the rights of his people.

“The Tamils tried by Peaceful Means”

The seeds of the “War of the Races” was sown by the Sinhalese, in particular the Sinhala Buddhists, who inculcated the belief that “Sinhala Buddhists are racially superior to the Tamils and that the Tamils and other non-Sinhalese did not belong on the island.”

With the coming of Independence in 1948 and the enactment of Ceylon Citizenship Act 1948, the Tamils of Sri Lanka began to experience the seriousness of the denial of their rights as citizens of the country.

The older Sri Lankan Tamil leaders, some of whom were the personal friends of those Sinhalese leaders who were persecuting the Tamils, tried their bests to solve the problems by peaceful means adopting the Gandhian satyagraha methods.

The peaceful protests were mercilessly crushed by the Sinhalese thugs backed by the Your government. Protestors were subjected to unspeakable tortures, detentions, and deaths, many disappeared forever.

Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe, former Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, admitted that “the Tamils tried by peaceful means”.

Not prepared to put up with these brutal attacks on the Tamils by the Sri Lankan Sinhalese forces - the army, the police and the thugs, the Tamil youths of Sri Lanka resolved and took up arms in defence of their rights, which in the course of time led to the rise of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam under the leadership of Pirabaharan.

“For a just cause, bear arms.” Subash Chandra Bose did it; Yasser Araffat did it; Fidel Castro did it. There are many others who did it. Even, United Nations itself has recognised the principles of self-determination and the use of force to achieve this objective.

It is our submission and it must be so for all right thinking people throughout the world that Pirabaharan had a just cause to bear arms.

We deeply concerned by the continued use of heavy weapons in this situation and urged your Government to stop using heavy-calibre weaponry, including mortars, in the areas with high civilian concentrations.

The act of your Government brushed off international calls for a humanitarian truce, saying any pause in the fighting would give the rebels time to regroup further reinforce Barbaric State Sponsored Ethnic Cleansing program Intention.

We call on both sides, to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law. It’s not too late for a negotiated settlement, one in which the army puts down its weapons and ensure trapped Tamilians’ return to safety and they receive necessary medical, food and shelter. A negotiated settlement is the best solution - it could save the lives of thousands of civilians.

We hope that the above views and expressions will receive your consideration, and that the necessary steps will be taken immediately.

We believe you can do it. We, with utmost respect, urge you do it and do it at once.

We thank you in anticipation.

Yours truly,

Hon. Manikavasagam Sundaram

Member of Parliament , Malaysia

For Pakatan Rakyat Coalition Members of Parliament

Malaysia confirms first H1N1 flu case

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 Malaysia has reported its first influenza A(H1N1) case involving a student who returned from the United States two days ago.

This was confirmed by Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai today.

“The student is now quarantined at the Sungai Buloh Hospital,” he told Bernama from London.

“The student returned to Malaysia on May 13 and the next day, he sought treatment when he felt unwell. The test confirmed that he has the H1N1 virus.”

Liow, enroute to Geneva, Switzerland to attend the World Health Organisation (WHO) General Assembly, was on transit in London.

He said health personnel were in the midst of tracking down all passengers on the student's flight and those who had come into contact with him since his return.

“This is urgent and all have to work together to prevent the spread of the disease in this country. We have initiated various preventive measures and the health department is working hard on the ground,” he said.

Liow also advised the public to be on high alert and immediately seek treatment if they feel unwell.

“The details of this first case will be given by the Health Ministry at a press conference at 4pm today,” he added. — Bernama

Sivakumar files suit against Ganesan

By Malaysian Insider
IPOH, May 15 — Ousted Perak Speaker V. Sivakumar has filed an injunction to stop Barisan Nasional’s Datuk R. Ganesan from preventing the former from exercising his duties as the legitimate speaker.

Should the court hear the suit, which was filed at the Ipoh High Court at 11.45am, it will force the judiciary to settle the issue of who is the rightful speaker, a position central to the current impasse.

The speaker controls assembly proceedings and for BN, it could mean convening an assembly to pass a vote of no confidence in Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin, rendering the current court case over who is the legitimate mentri besar academic.

Sivakumar is also seeking damages for assault and battery and false imprisonment during the chaotic May 7 assembly sitting but in his statement of claim, Sivakumar alleges that Ganesan was liable as the MIC man was at all material times not a member of the House and therefore his presence at the assembly was unlawful and in contempt of the assembly.

The Tronoh assemblyman seeks two injunctions, one to stop Ganesan from preventing Sivakumar from exercising his powers as speaker and also to prevent further abuse on his person.

Sivakumar was physically forced out of the speaker's chair and out of the assembly and BN appointed Ganesan as his replacement on that day.

Sivakumar claims that at 2pm on May 7 he had been lawfully presiding over the sitting as the speaker when he was assaulted.

He says that in the assault, orchestrated by Ganesan and his agents, he was violently dragged from his seat and forcibly ejected from the assembly.

Sivakumar also claims that the eviction was carried out on the specific instructions from Ganesan.

Following the ejection, Sivakumar says that Ganesan then took on the speaker’s post by occupying the speaker’s seat and donning the official attire.

“In the meantime, the plaintiff was wrongfully and without lawful justification kept in custody and/or imprisoned by the defendant’s servants or agents in a room in the said building for more than an hour before he was permitted to leave,” Sivakumar says in the claim.

Due to his removal from the House, Sivakumar says that he was prevented from carrying out his duties as the lawful speaker.

In the fracas, Sivakumar claims that he suffered bruises on various parts of his body, upper arms and legs, soreness and discomfort all over his body, nervous shock and mental distress.

He says that his violent ejection from the House also damaged his suit and ceremonial robe.

As such, Sivakumar is claiming an unspecified amount in damages for assault and battery, false imprisonment, aggravated damages, costs and any other further relief as deemed fit by the court.

Pakatan rubbishes Dr M’s call for assembly to vote out Nizar

By Wong Choon Mei, Suara Keadilan

Pakatan Rakyat leaders have rubbished a recommendation by ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad to call for a state assembly sitting to vote out PAS leader Nizar Jamaluddin as Menteri Besar.

“He should be more responsible in what he says,” Gopeng MP Lee Boon Chye told Suara Keadilan. “The High Court has ruled that Nizar is the rightful Menteri Besar. This means that all decisions made by Zambry with effect from Feb 6 onwards are illegal, including the May 7 sitting.

“If Umno were to call for a sitting now, they would have to go through the proper Speaker, which is still Sivakumar. There are also 10 assemblymen, one of whom is Zambry, who are still suspended by the House committee of special privileges.”

Knowing that his protege, Prime Minister Najib Razak, may suffer stinging losses if fresh election were to be held in northwestern Perak state, Mahathir had scorned the notion of going back to the people.

Mahathir, who himself was investigated for judge-rigging, also advised against using the courts to seek a solution. He referred to the public uproar over a recent string of controversial rulings in relation to the Perak crisis. Malaysian courts are notorious for succumbing to political pressure.

Instead, the former Umno strongman urged his party to call for another assembly sitting to force through a no-confidence motion to knock out the immensely popular Nizar.

On May 7, Umno assemblymen convened an explosive assembly sitting where after failing to get their way, they used physical force to eject the Speaker V Sivakumar from the legislative hall. Media coverage of the event, which they tried to bar, captured on film the wild and lawless methods used to suppress their rivals from the Pakatan.

“The outcome is a foregone conclusion. So why should we have fresh elections ?“ Mahathir said, adding that it was also costly to hold fresh polls.

Costly? Let the people have the full figures, then see what they say!

Both Mahathir and Najib have been citing unnecessary costs as a main reason why Malaysians should not demand clean and fair election.

Yet political watchers point it would cost Perak and indeed the rest of the nation much more not to hold fresh polls immediately. They also point to the huge amounts already spent by Najib, when he engineered the coup d’etat that toppled the Pakatan administration in Perak.

With the consent of the Sultan, Najib had installed Umno leader Zambry Kadir as chief minister to replace Nizar. And to increase the 28 seats held by his Umno-BN coalition, he persuaded three former Pakatan assemblymen to defect.

“I think everyone in Perak has heard the story of how RM25 million was paid to one of the assemblymen and RM10 million each to the other two. This alone comes up to RM45 million and we are still wondering, was there any other sums paid to other parties?,” said a political watcher following the case.

“We really should put it to Malaysians now. Let them decide which is more costly. And whether it is justified.”

Who really has the numbers?

In March, the House committee of special privileges had barred Zambry, six of his executive councillors and three former former Pakatan assemblymen - Hee Yit Foong, Mohd Osman Jailu and Jamaluddin Radzi - from legislative sittings for between 12 and 18 months.

In April, the Federal Court in two highly controversial decisions ruled that Sivakumar did not have the power to suspend the 10 of them.

But as the Pakatan has repeatedly announced - and which the Umno-BN media has kept suppressing - the suspension did not come from Sivakumar, but from the House. As such, both court declarations were wrong in their facts and could not be applied, they explained.

This would leave the Pakatan with 28 seats over the Umno-BN’s 21 in the 59-seat assembly.

“It is the BN press that keeps repeating it is the Umno that has the numbers. What numbers? Siva was acting in his capacity as head of the committee and Dewan and the suspension was issued by the House. It was the Umno lawyers who bungled. This is the plain and simple fact,” said Boon Chye.

Judge Ramly Mohd Ali and his one-man panel decision

All eyes are now on Monday’s court hearing, where Nizar has filed a suit to set aside a stay of execution granted to Zambry by Court of Appeal judge Ramly Mohd Ali, who sat as a one-man panel instead of as part of a traditional three-member bench.

Ramly’s decision - which reeked of bias towards the Umno - has been slammed left, right and centre by his own legal fraternity, who condemned both the federal government and Chief Justice Zaki Azmi, who himself is an Umno leader, for tarnishing the judiciary’s image.

Said Boon Chye: “We can only hope the court will be more independent and deliver justice. Nizar was always MB as the High Court has already declared. This means Zambry was an illegal usurper from Feb 6 onwards. How then can Zambry apply and worst still, get a stay? On what basis?

“Zambry was never MB for a single day. How can he just walk in and demand to be made MB, which is what the stay has effectively done - made Zambry the MB!

“Just as importantly, Malaysians must ask, on what basis did the Court of Appeal judge Ramly allow this? He must be accountable as our entire system of justice must be accountable. Nobody should be let off the hook.”

May 13 tragedy, we should move on

By Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad

1.While we remember the 40th anniversary of the May 13 tragedy, we should move on. It’s time for closure of the sad, very sad incident.

2.The tragic and vicious incident need not have happened had Tun Razak’s message to Dato’ Harun Idris, the menteri besar of Selangor, reached him 30-minutes earlier or had Tan Sri David Tan Chee Khoon and Tun Lim Chong Eu spoken to Tun Razak 30 minutes earlier relaying their decision not to cooperate with DAP to form the state government of Selangor nor worked together in Perak and elsewhere. I was beside Tun Razak when he took the calls from them late past tea time on the fateful evening of 13 May. I recall clearly what Tun Razak told Harun “…the good news is you will continue to run Selangor. Chee Khoon and Chong Eu had just spoken to me that they want status quo preserved. So tell the people gathering at your house to disperse.” Harun thanked Tun and asked him to convey his gratitude to the two statesmen. Between five-to-ten minutes after that Harun rang Tun Razak to say that it was too late. As he was persuading them to disperse news reached the crowd that clashes had begun in Chow Kit Road and surroundings and beyond.

3.Tun Razak asked Harun to calm the gathering and urged him, in strong terms, to attempt his best to stop the clashes from escalating. The rest, as they say, is history. Though Harun and I were not on good political terms I must be fair. I think he did try, but by then, to no avail.

4.I left for home about maghrib. Informed Musa Hitam what happened and he asked his family to rush to my house. Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Musa and his family spent the night at my house in Jalan Bukit Bintang, a very Chinese area, and there was no trouble. I assured my Chinese neighbours and they, in turn, assured me we would together maintain peace and confront whoever the outside trouble makers would be. Thank God, the troubles were localized.

5.This is just speculation: Had communications then were as good and advanced as today, I think two things could have occurred: race riots would not have started or they could have become more brutal and widespread.

6.When the Pakatan Rakyat coalition unseated the BN governments in Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah last March (08) there were no tensions, perhaps because every one was in a state of shock but plausibly, too, the incoming governments of PKR, DAP and PAS like the defeated ones, were also interracial. The PKR, DAP and PAS alliance should be preserved. The PKR is about the nearest thing to being a genuine multi-racial party. There shall not be another May 13 like-incident if the ruling party coalition and the Pakatan share power or perceived to be sharing power fairly and the government, whether Federal or State, observes the constitution scrupulously, government policy implemented justly without fear or favour where talent is not only recognized but rewarded irrespective of race or religion. The public as well as the private sector must display and reflect that of the society we live in, not what we want it to be. The Bumiputra must accept unequivocally the others are co-owners of this country as much as the others must also accept, recognise and acknowledge unequivocally the Bumiputra is the biggest demographic group and growing, therefore deserves some entitlements, though not at the expense of fairplay.

7.I am not a soothsayer nor a prophet of doom. I strive to tell what I perceive to be the truth. It does seem the future of democracy in our nation is bright. A genuine two-party system is at last evolving after five decades of Merdeka. If the Pakatan Rakyat state governments deliver what they promised and the alliance stay cohesive and the rakyat see the bond or linkage is sustained the alliance can be potentially potent. However, having said that, please make no mistake of misjudging Najib. He is no Badawi; different educational and social background. Najib is Tun Razak’s son, he is more familiar with the wiles of Malaysian voters; he is positively more Machiavellian, positively more able and aware than his predecessor who was badly advised by his family, cronies and toadies in government and the media.

8.If Najib performs well and the economy recovers he is a tough nut to crack. His 1Malaysia is good and if he is not distracted, and properly advised, you all will face a tough time. You must at least be well-prepared and ready. Najib may falter, which I think is not impossible, for he is not infallible. I am also very conscious how fallible I can be.

9.In politics, a week is a long time and logic doesn’t always work. Always work hard and one must always do what one feels is right. The correct and sensible thing to do is to ensure that all Malaysians are treated justly in the public as well as in the private sector. Our democracy can only flourish if we have a strong, free and independent media.

10.Our future is very bright if Najib can deliver what he promises and the Pakatan its pledges. We aren’t going to achieve what we desire. Worse if a nation is perceived to be untransparent, unjust and draconian. I repeat a strong, free and independent media is critical for the future of Malaysian democracy.

11.The future of 1Malaysia looks well if the PM can deliver what he promises and if the economy thrives. This can be done if we can reconcile the past which none should forget with the present we must face, and the future we cannot avoid.

12.Whatever, the electoral test will be in the next general election.

13.Thank you.

CONCLUDING REMARKS ON THE MAY 13 FORUM

I was with Dr Mahathir at his book’s launch. His Letters to World Leaders in Mandarin, so, I didn’t know what the other panelists said.

Najib has done well so far – challenging the rakyat’s mindsets, that we are getting more colour blind, that the society wants equality for all. Good. No sane person will quarrel with that: the question is can he deliver or do Malaysians believe he is a reformer? Indeed, what makes a reformer? Najib is a pragmatist, a realist, devoid of any ideology.

He faces many crucial challenges, realities and new pains especially in Perak. It seems change is imminent, some people seem unaware of this.

If any country is perceived to be unstable that would not be good for foreign investment or trade. In 2008, the ruling party polled just 51 percent of the popular votes. In the peninsula it was below 50 percent, I think, it was 49 percent – I stand corrected. The story next time, unless Najib could reverse the trend, isn’t likely to be very different than that of 2008; actually could even be worse.

The Pakatan will remain to be a force to be reckoned with, at least in 2012 or 2013 and in the future too.

All what Najib is trying to accomplish will be for naught if the country goes back to the days when political and social dissenters couldn’t speak freely and peaceful protests are squelched and media managed and muzzled. I do hope Najib means what he says: more political and media openness.

I think a real political battle which vaguely approximates the best tradition has just begun in earnest; a personal battle between Najib and Anwar, BN and Pakatan; DAP and MCA and Gerakan; the MIC, PPP and Hindraf; UMNO and PAS and the PKR bumiputra. The BN can no longer boast it can now be intensely relaxed as previously.

The outcome of which will decide the nature and feature of Malaysian nationhood.

In the last analysis, who wins or loses, will be decided by the voters’ perception of Najib and Anwar, their ideals and visions.

Thank you.

SPEECH BY TAN SRI ABDULLAH AHMAD AT THE “FROM MAY 13 TO 1MALAYSIA – THE FUTURE OF MALAYSIAN NATION BUILDING” – FORUM
8 PM WEDNESDAY MAY 13 AT THE CIVIC CENTRE MBPJ, PETALING JAYA

Guan Eng: Zambry cannot be MB yet

PETALING JAYA, 14 May 2009: It is wrong of Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir to reassume the position of Perak menteri besar (MB) after the 11 May High Court ruling that declared Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin the rightful MB, the DAP said.

Lim "In a case involving a death penalty, a stay of execution does not mean the accused would be freed. It simply means the person has to wait until the final judgment is made," DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said in a statement today.

Lim was commenting on Zambry's resumption of duties as the Perak MB after the Court of Appeal on 12 May granted a stay of execution on the High Court's ruling.

"Zambry has no right to take over the menteri besar post. Since the High Court has decided that Nizar was the rightful menteri besar, Zambry is nothing but an usurper of power," Lim said.

He said in this situation, Nizar is the menteri besar because he was the one who was popularly elected by the people.

After the Court of Appeal granted a stay, Zambry said he would continue as menteri besar until the case was resolved when the Court of Appeal makes a decision.

Yesterday, Nizar filed an application in the Court of Appeal to set aside the stay. His application will be heard on 18 May.

In the meantime, Nizar and his executive councillors (exco) from the Pakatan Rakyat have vacated their offices in the state secretariat, while Zambry and his exco from the Barisan Nasional have reoccupied the offices.

IGP must act

Lim also called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan to immediately investigate a report lodged by Perak Speaker V Sivakumar from the Pakatan Rakyat about a gun being brought into the Perak state assembly sitting on 7 May.

Sivakumar "If the person who brought in the gun was a police [officer], stern action must be taken immediately. No one is allowed to bring firearms in any state assembly or the Parliament," Lim said.

He also noted that Zambry was given full protection by the police when he returned to the Perak state secretariat yesterday; but according to a Malaysiakini report, when Nizar went back to work on 12 May, there was a "large contingent of riot police" around the compound.

The New Straits Times also reported in its 13 May print edition on page four, in an illustration accompanying the report It's back to status quo after court grants stay, that police stopped Nizar and his exco members from entering the state secretariat compound when they wanted to report to work on 12 May following the High Court ruling.

It was only after a brief discussion with police officers that the group was allowed to enter. Zambry and his exco faced no such obstacle the following day.

"I want to remind the IGP that the police are the servants of the people. Their salaries are paid by the taxpayers, not the Barisan Nasional. Therefore, I would like to see a more professional approach from the police in handling the Perak issue," Lim said.

Lim stressed that the only way to resolve the impasse in Perak would be to dissolve the state assembly immediately to make way for fresh elections.

Bar achieves 500 quorum for EGM on lawyers’ arrests - Anil Netto

1504: The Malaysian Bar is proceeding with its Extraordinary General Meeting after more than 500 lawyers turned up for the event scheduled to begin at 3.00pm. The Civic Hall in PJ can seat around 2,000 people and more lawyers are arriving.

In the motion that is expected to be deliberated, the lawyers are expected to resolve that the Malaysian Bar:

1. Strongly condemns and denounces the wrongful arrest, detention and interrogation of the LAC Lawyers.

2. Strongly condemns and denounces the blatant transgression of the rule of law and the constitutional right of every person to counsel and access to justice.

3. Strongly condemns the unnecessary arrest and detention of those exercising their constitutional right to assemble peaceably.

4. Strongly condemns the arbitrary, improper and frequent resort by the police to section 28A(8) of the Criminal Procedure Code, thus denying an arrested person access to counsel and making the right provided under section 28A(3) meaningless.

5. Strongly condemns and denounces the appalling treatment of the LAC lawyers and all those held in custody, including compelling them to wear lock up uniforms and unnecessarily handcuffing them.

6. Strongly condemns and denounces the Police for deliberately refusing to disclose to their family or their lawyers any information in relation to the LAC lawyers after their arrest, including their location and their next course of action.

7. Calls upon the Inspector-General of Police to take immediate disciplinary action against the police officers responsible for the unlawful arrest of the LAC Lawyers and in particular, the OCPD of the Brickfields police station for this shameful incident.

8. Calls upon the Inspector-General of Police to take full responsibility for, and to explain, this gross abuse of police power.

9. Calls upon the Government to be committed to and to uphold the Rule of Law as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

10. Reiterates its previous calls on the Government to establish the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) in its original form to serve as an independent external oversight mechanism.

11. Calls on the Government of Malaysia to uphold and defend the fundamental rights of advocates and solicitors to discharge their responsibilities to their clients in an environment free from threats and intimidation and unhindered by law enforcement agencies.

Cerita Luar Balai

Disumbangkan oleh Puspawati Rosman

Kisah bermula apabila kawan aku Hong Siang menelefon aku pada 7hb Mei kira-kira pukul 9 malam memaklumkan bahawa 12 orang telah ditangkap kerana menyalakan lilin di hadapan Balai Polis Brickfields. Pada masa yang sama, aku telah dihubungi sendiri oleh orang2 yang kena tangkap (OKT). Barangkali, mereka memperoleh nombor telefon aku selepas kejadian sehari sebelum itu. Seperti biasa, aku meminta mereka mengumpul nama-nama OKT dan meng'sms'nya pada aku.

Selepas itu, aku telah menghantar sms segera kepada peguam-peguam Pusat Bantuan Guaman KL yang masih di KL (sebab ramai yang naik ke Ipoh membantu dalam "urgent arrest" di sana) dan beberapa orang telah mengesahkan kedatangan mereka.

Aku tiba di balai polis tersebut lebih awal dari yang lain. Pada waktu itu, perkarangan balai polis agak lengang kerana para pemprotes telah bersurai dan berdiri jauh dari balai. Aku terus ke pintu masuk balai dan memberi salam. Aku memperkenalkan diriku sebagai loyar OKT. Aku minta supaya aku dibenarkan masuk. Tapi, kata mereka polis yang 'in charge' tengah bermesyuarat dan minta aku tunggu. Beberapa minit selepas itu, Fadiah tiba diikuti dengan Murnie dan Syuhaini. Kemudian, ketua kami iaitu Ravin (Pengerusi Pusat Bantuan Guaman KL) juga tiba. Hampir 2 jam menunggu, kami masih tidak dibenarkan masuk. Sementara itu, kami dihubungi oleh OKT di dalam balai. Mereka memaklumkan kepada kami bahawa polis enggan membenarkan mereka berjumpa peguam. Kami menasihatkan mereka supaya tidak menandatangan apa-apa borang yang nampak meragukan.


Beberapa minit selepas itu, DSP Jude keluar untuk berjumpa dengan kami. Beliau memberitahu kami bahawa anak-anak guam kami tidak mahukan peguam. Kami bertegang lidah dengan beliau kerana kami tidak percaya bahawa anak guam kami berbuat demikian. Beberapa saat selepas itu, kami mendengar sorakan daripada dalam. Anak-anak guam kami yang berani telah bersatu padu melaungkan, "We want lawyers! we want lawyers!" Laungan mereka disahut oleh orang ramai di luar pagar balai yang terus berdiri tegak menyanyikan lagu Negaraku (babak yang ini aku tak faham sangat, tapi tak apalah).

Beberapa minit selepas itu, seorang lagi polis dikenali sebagai Wan Bahari a.k.a Head Hunter (sebab t-shirt dia tulis macam tu) datang ke arah kami dengan pembesar suara. Dia suruh semua orang bersurai dalam masa 3 minit atau tangkapan akan dibuat. Sekali lagi, perkarangan balai polis menjadi lengang, yang tinggal hanya peguam, polis dan beberapa orang wartawan yang enggan berganjak. Kami mula membuat panggilan telefon kepada beberapa orang peguam lain untuk membantu kami.

Suasana pada ketika itu sunyi sejenak. Ravin mengambil peluang meminta kebenaran sekali lagi untuk masuk. Aku pula mendesak Wan Bahari menunjukkan kami borang menurut s28A yang didakwa telah ditandatangani oleh para OKT. Murnie menyokong. Dan Fadiah yang sempat berlari mengambil Kanun Acara Jenayahnya dengan bersemangat telah membaca dengan kuat s28A tersebut bagi menyokong desakan kami. Kesimpulannya... where is the signed borang??

Polis-polis yang tadinya nampak eksyen telah terperangkap dengan kebodohan mereka sendiri. Eh eh dah suruh kami baca undang2, kami pun baca laa! Wan Bahari telah mengugut sekali lagi dengan pembesar suaranya supaya 'orang-orang' bersurai. Masalahnya, pada waktu itu adalah tidak jelas siapakah orang-orang yang disuruh bersurai tersebut, kerana beliau tidak memandang ke arah kami. Jadi kami pun terus berdiri di situ. mendesak untuk berjumpa dengan anak-anak guam kami. Tiba-tiba, pintu pagar dibuka. Seorang polis wanita berpakaian biasa meluru keluar daripada pintu pagar tersebut dan terus menggenggam lengan aku dan menarik aku masuk ke kawasan balai. Aku tergamam. Sejurus selepas itu, peguam-peguam lain pula ditangkap.

Cerita Dalam Perkarangan Balai

Kami dibawa ke sebuah bengkel kosong di luar bangunan balai. Bersama-sama kami ialah seorang wartawan, Law Teck Hao. Pada ketika itu, tiada apa lagi yang kami boleh lakukan kecuali ketawa sesama sendiri. Kami tidak sangka perkara ini akan berlaku. Beberapa minit selepas itu, aku telah dihubungi oleh beberapa orang peguam yang mendapat tahu tentang penangkapan kami. Mereka kedengaran sangat terkejut dan sangat marah dengan polis-polis tersebut.

Di dalam bengkel itu, kami para peguam yang ditahan mula berbincang tentang tindakan susulan dan apa yang dilakukan. Ravin telah diamanahkan untuk menggunakan kesegakan beliau pada malam itu meminta supaya polis yang "in charge", iaitu DSP Pereira dan OCPD Wan Bahari supaya berjumpa dengan kami. Walaubagaimanapun, permintaan kami tidak dilayan. Setengah jam selepas itu, beberapa orang polis datang menghampiri kami.

Polis-polis tersebut menghulurkan beberapa borang kepada kami, setiap seorang dapat sekeping borang. Aku diperkenalkan kepada polis wanita yang menangkap aku tadi. Di dalam borang itu, tertulis bahawa sebab tangkapan ke atas aku ialah kerana aku enggan bersurai dalam perhimpunan haram pada 11.45malam dan alasan ditangkap telah diberikan setelah ditangkap. Aku enggan menandatangani borang tersebut, lebih-lebih lagi kerana dia letak kat situ umur aku 30 tahun! (saya hanya berumur 28 tahun) Keempat-empat peguam yang lain juga enggan berbuat yang sama, begitu juga dengan Teck Hoa.

Selepas itu, kami ditinggalkan semula sendirian. Pada waktu ini, kami mula dihujani dengan panggilan-panggilan telefon daripada ahli keluarga dan kawan-kawan. Selain daripada itu, OKT juga mula menghubungi kami. Mereka turut risau kerana kini peguam mereka pula yang ditangkap. Aku dan para peguam lain meminta mereka supaya jangan risau dan kami akan terus memberi mereka nasihat guaman walaupun kami juga berada di dalam situasi yang sama.


Cerita Di dalam Bangunan Balai

Setengah jam selepas itu, kami berenam dibawa ke dalam bangunan balai. Selepas itu, kami dipanggil satu persatu ke sebuah bilik. Ketika giliran aku, aku lihat di dalam bilik itu ada DSP Jude Pereira, seorang polis wanita dan 2 orang polis lelaki yang duduk di belakang itu mencatatkan sesuatu. DSP Pereira sedang sibuk menulis sesuatu di atas sekeping kertas. Kemudian, dia telah menghulurkan kertas tersebut kepada aku. Di bahagian atas kertas tersebut, tertulis perkataan s28A. Secara ringkas, borang tersebut adalah sebagai penyangkalan hak-hak kami untuk mendapatkan akses kepada peguam kami. Dia menghulurkan sebuah Kanun Acara Jenayah kepada aku. Aku cakap, "I know the law". Dia Tanya, "would you like to acknowledge the form?" sambil menghulurkan sebatang pen kepada aku. Aku cakap, "No thanks" sebelum keluar daripada bilik tersebut.


Kira-kira setengah jam selepas itu, kami telah dibawa turun untuk naik trak polis bersama-sama dengan OKT wanita yang lain. Oleh kerana teruja menaiki trak polis buat pertama kali, kami para loyars pon mengambil keputusan untuk mengambil gambar. Akan tetapi, beberapa minit selepas itu seorang polis wanita telah masuk ke dalam trak dan memarahi kami sambil menjerit-jerit. Sejurus selepas itu, Wan Bahari telah naik ke atas trak dan menjerit menyuruh polis wanita tersebut merampas kesemua telefon bimbit kami. Kami enggan berbuat demikian melainkan kami diberi sebuah borang 'serah barang'. Di dalam borang itu nanti, segala barang-barang kami yang diambil oleh polis akan disenaraikan.


Disebabkan insiden tersebut, keempat-empat kami peguam-peguam wanita disuruh turun daripada trak tersebut dan masuk semula ke balai. Di balai, kami diberikan borang 'serah barang' tersebut dan kami bergilir-gilir berjumpa polis wanita yang mencatatkan segala barang kami.


Selepas itu, kami telah dibawa ke Balai Polis Travers dengan menaiki 2 buah kereta polis. Kami berasa sangat kecewa kerana tak dapat merasa naik trak polis 

Cerita bermalam/berpagi di Balai Polis Travers

Ketika tiba di balai polis Travers, jam sudah menunjukkan hampir pukul 5 pagi. Kami diberi sepasang baju berwarna pink dan seluar warna hitam. Fadiah, Murnie dan Syu enggan memakai baju tersebut kerana ia berlengan pendek. Akhirnya polis wanita tersebut mengalah dan memberi mereka sepasang baju dan seluar berwarna oren terang. Baju tersebut berlengan panjang. Ketika Fadiah menyarungkan baju tersebut, kami kedua ketawa berdekah-dekah selama 10 minit. Ini kerana beliau nampak sangat lawak dan sangatlah hiphopper wannabe. Kami disuruh diam oleh polis. Kemudian, cermin mata dan sepit rambut kami diambil. Kami juga tidak dibenarkan memakai bra dan selipar juga kena ditanggalkan. Kami diberi seikat gelang getah yang selalu digunakan untuk bermain 'zero point' ketika kecik-kecik dahulu untuk mengikat rambut. Fadiah telah mengambil segenggam getah tersebut dan menyarungkan kesemuanya ke rambut. Kata beliau, lepas ni kita boleh main "zero point" dalam lokap.

Keempat-empat kami ditempatkan di dalam lokap yang sama. Lokap yang paling hujung, bersebelahan dengan bilik air yang tak ada pintu. Bau jamban mula menusuk ke hidung. Keempat-empat kami tidak diberikan selimut dan bantal. Kami baring berbantalkan lengan. Kami cuba untuk tidur, tapi tidak boleh. Maka kami hanya berbaring sahaja memandang ke siling. Kami berbaring sebaris menunggu hari pagi. Kira-kira pada pukul 9 pagi, sarapan kami pun tiba - 2 keping roti yang disapu marjerin dan sebungkus teh o tanpa straw. Kira-kira sejam selepas itu, Murnie dipanggil keluar oleh seorang polis wanita. Kami yang lain terpinga-pinga. Sejam selepas itu, seorang polis lelaki berada di depan bilik lokap kami. Fadiah terus bersembunyi di belakang aku kerana dia tidak bertudung ketika itu. Polis lelaki tersebut bertanya kepada kami tentang firma guaman manakah kami beramal, dan alamat firma. Selepas mengambil butir-butir tersebut, polis tersebut mengarahkan kami dibawa ke ruang depan balai.

Apabila keluar dari pintu, aku nampak Kak Lat dan ibu Murnie. Seorang polis wanita menyarungkan gari kepada aku. Aku kata, "Tak perlulah, saya bukan penjenayah berat". Tapi akhirnya kami digari juga.

Kami telah dibawa ke bangunan sebelah. Di sana, cap jari dan gambar kami diambil. Ketika itu, datang seorang pegawai polis dan berkata, "Kamu ni peguam-peguam muda buat apa nak kecoh-kecoh. Sebab kamu, Majlis Peguam buat press conference. Lepas ni kamu akan diblacklist dan akan susah nak kerja." Fadiah kata, "Eh lepas ni lagi senang kami nak buat kerja!" Aku hanya tersenyum. Selepas itu, seorang pegawai polis yang dikenali sebagai Mohd Zaini mengambil kenyataan aku. Aku hanya jawab soalan berkenaan nama, alamat dan kerja. Lain-lain, aku kata, "Saya akan jawab di Mahkamah".

Selepas selesai proses tersebut, kami diiringi semula ke balai utama dan diberikan semula pakaian kami. Nasib anak-anak guam kami tidak sebaik kami. T-shirt mereka yg berwarna hitam tidak dipulangkan. Mereka disuruh menghubungi keluarga/rakan untuk membawa baju persalinan untuk mereka - Aku kira ada 'double standard' di sini. Ini kerana aku, Ravin dan Syu juga berpakaian serba hitam. Akan tetapi, gari tetap dipakaikan kepada semua orang. Keempat-empat kami bersama-sama dengan kelima- lima anak guam kami dibawa masuk ke dalam trak polis. Aku dan Fadiah berpandangan sesama sendiri dan kata, "Yessss".

Cerita di Balai Polis Brickfields (hari kedua)

Di depan pintu masuk balai, aku nampak beberapa wajah para loyars yang aku kenali. Aku rasa sangat terharu dengan sokongan mereka terhadap kami. Kami telah dibawa ke bangunan sebelah kanan, di mana kami dipanggil masuk satu persatu dan barang-barang kami diberikan semula. Akan tetapi, sepit rambut aku tidak ada. Tsk. Selepas mendapat telefon masing-masing cuba menghubungi ahli keluarga dan para loyars. Akan tetapi aku tidak boleh berbuat demikian sebab bateri sudah habis. Polis mengarahkan kami menghubungi penjamin-penjamin kami. Fadiah menghubungi Kak Lat yang kemudiannya mengumpulkan beberapa orang penjamin dari kalangan loyars untuk kami dan anak-anak guam kami. Beberapa minit kemudian, kami nampak kawan-kawan peguam kami dari Pusat Bantuan Guaman KL iaitu Afzan, Farhana, Valen, Leena dan Sasha. Penjamin aku ialah Farhana.

Kami memutuskan untuk menunggu Ravin dan keluar bersama-sama. Ketika kami dilepaskan dan keluar, kami disambut oleh ahli keluarga dan rakan-rakan loyars. Aku nampak kelibat abang dan pakcik. Aku takut kena marah. Nasib baik, tak.

Go back to the people, says senate head

From The Star Online

PETALING JAYA: The political situation in Perak has reached a stage where it may be time to go back to the people, said Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh.

Dr Abdul Hamid, who has been observing the development in Perak with concern, said ad hoc actions on the part of individuals and political parties in Perak had not solved the impasse.

“Rightly or wrongly, the series of ad hoc actions have only made things more complex and convoluted. The best thing is for the powers-that-be to decide on the best course of action under the circumstances,” he said.

He said that in a democracy, when the arithmetic shows that one has the majority, then the problem is solved.

“In this case, the arithmetic is right but the problem is still there. Either you go on like this till the next general election or you go back to the people,” he added.

“The application of individual and specific provisions, be it under the Perak Constitution, the Standing Orders or the Federal laws, have not brought about a solution.

“That is why I think it is time to address the fundamental issue. Maybe it is time to go back to the people.”

The Senate president pointed out that all kinds of options had been exercised but had not worked. He said these included Legislative Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar applying his powers, the Sultan exercising his prerogative and the three independent assemblymen aligning themselves to the Barisan.

He said the Senate would swear in six new Senators today but Perak to date had not been able to nominate anyone for the Senate because of the political impasse.

Sole,Silent & Protest

1 Anger Indian guy has inspired himself to call for a silent protest at the back entrance of Perak State secretariat. The guy mobilized to his preferred location at 12.30noon, just wearing short pants and white colour round neck t-shirt standing coolly without wearing any shoes and sleepers in hot weather.

My Political Sec P.Sugumaran rushed to the place and manages to take few shots of photographs. At 1.10pm, 2 police personnel’s started to approach him not to do so. But than the guy refuse to listen to their request.

In his short notes to my Political Sec in a piece of paper, he wrote “People 1st, Performance Later” and also “I don’t support any party, Just as Perak Citizen, all I want his 4 my state to be at peace. Just make the people who can do something, do it now”

100 days... diminishing returns

By Jeff Ooi,

How would PM Najib celebrate his first 100 days in office?

He started the coup d'etat in Perak, can he finish it off in the next 57 days left?

Has the Sultan -- "only the Sultan of Perak had the jurisdiction to call for a state election", quote and unquote -- taken the cue for a saving grace?

A good risk-taker would know when to cut losses and bite the bullet.

Najib, if he is wise, should focus on running a good federal government and dislodge Perak. Or he will lose both in the next general election because people do not forget easily nowadays.

BY THE WAY... Sinchew is talking about MCA preparing for the possibility of snap state-wide election in Perak.

Parties come and go, MIC is always here

'Kayveas drove PPP to brink of deregistration'

PR pun sedia bertemu Najib

Rakyat hakim krisis Perak-Nik Aziz

Pakatan wants Najib to make first move on Perak talks

By Debra Chong - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders repeated their stand today that they are willing to have talks with Datuk Seri Najib Razak to resolve the Perak constitutional crisis, and they have set no conditions for the meeting.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the alliance at the PAS headquarters here today, the PR leaders said they were willing to meet Barisan Nasional (BN) with an “open mind.”

But they are waiting for Najib to make the first move.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pointed out that he believes “Najib reads the newspapers” and stressed the joint talks must be held as soon as possible.

Najib had in a press conference this morning said he was willing to hold talks with the opposition and insisted they must not set any “preconditions” to the talks.

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said the Umno president should end what he started, pointing out that Najib was the one person responsible for orchestrating the Perak power grab in February as he was then the state party chief.

Lim pointed out Najib was the prime minister and should take the initiative to hold the meeting as the Perak political deadlock, now entering its fourth month, “has brought infamy and shame to Malaysia worldwide.”

He also noted the increasing voices within BN supporting PR’s view that fresh elections was the only way forward.

PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang said the resolution cannot be one-sided, adding that in a democracy, “the people is the highest court.”

While the alliance leaders maintained that fresh elections was the only way forward, they also felt that the constitutional question of who is the lawful mentri besar of Perak should be left to continue its course in the courts.

Lim added the Court of Appeal order last Tuesday only stayed the High Court declaration that Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was the real Perak MB.

“It did not overturn the decision of the High Court,” he pointed out, adding that BN’s Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir does not have the right to “gatecrash” the MB's office and usurp the powers and duties of the state chief executive.

Lim said Zambry should vacate the MB's office immediately.

The critical 30 minutes

Razak asked Harun to calm the gathering and urged him, in strong terms, to attempt his best to stop the clashes from escalating. The rest, as they say, is history. Though Harun and I were not on good political terms, I must be fair. I think he did try, but by then, to no avail.

By ABDULLAH AHMAD/MySinchew

WHILE WE remember the 40th anniversary of the May 13 tragedy, we should move on. It's time for closure of the sad, very sad incident. The tragic and vicious incident need not have happened had Tun Razak's message to Datuk Harun Idris, the Mentri Besar of Selangor, reached him 30 minutes earlier or had Tan Sri David Tan Chee Khoon and Tun Lim Chong Eu spoken to Razak 30 minutes earlier relaying their decision not to cooperate with DAP to form the state government of Selangor nor to work together in Perak and elsewhere.

I was beside Razak when he took the calls from them late past tea time on the fateful evening of May 13. I recall clearly what Razak told Harun,"…the good news is you will continue to run Selangor. Chee Khoon and Chong Eu had just spoken to me that they want status quo preserved. So tell the people gathering at your house to disperse."

Harun thanked Razak and asked him to convey his gratitude to the two statesmen. Between five and ten minutes after that Harun rang Razak to say that it was too late. As he was persuading them to disperse news reached the crowd that clashes had begun in Chow Kit Road and surroundings and beyond.

Razak asked Harun to calm the gathering and urged him, in strong terms, to attempt his best to stop the clashes from escalating. The rest, as they say, is history. Though Harun and I were not on good political terms, I must be fair. I think he did try, but by then, to no avail.

I left for home about maghrib. I informed Musa Hitam what had happened and he asked his family to rush to my house in Jalan Bukit Bintang, a very Chinese area, and there was no trouble. I assured my Chinese neighbours and they, in turn, assured me we would work together maintain peace and confront whoever the outside trouble makers would be. Thank God, the troubles were localised.

This is just speculation. Had communications then been as good and advanced as today, I think the two things could have occurred: race riots would not have started or they could have been more brutal and widespread.

When the Pakatak Ralyat coalition unseated the BN govenrments in Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah last 8 March, there was no tensions, perhaps because every one was in a state of shock but plausibly, too, the incoming governments of PKR, DAP and PAS like the defeated ones, were also interracial.

The PKR, DAP and PAS alliance should be preserved. The PKR is about the nearest thing to being a genuine multi-racial party. There shall never be another May 13 like incident if the ruling coalition and the Pakatan share power or are perceived to be sharing power fairly and the government, whether Federal or State, observes the Constitution scrupulously, implements government policies justly without fear or favour where talent is not only recognised but rewarded irrespective of race or religion.

The public as well as the private sector must display and reflect that of the society we live in, not what we want it to be. The Bumiputra must accept unequivocally the others are co-owners of this country as much as the others must also accept, recognise, and acknowledge unequivocally the Bumipiutra as the biggest demographic group and growing, therefore deserves more entitlements, though not at the expense of fair play.

I am not a soothsayer nor a prophet of doom. I strive to tell what I perceive to be the truth. It does not seem the future of democracy in our nation is bright. A genuine two-party system is at last evolving after five decades of Merdeka.

If the Pakatan Rakyat state governments deliver what they promised and the Barisan stays cohesive and the rakyat see the bond or linkage is sustained, the alliance can be potentially potent.

However, having said that, please make no mistake of misjudging Najib. He is no Badawi; they are from different educational and social background. Najib is Tun Razak's son. He is more familiar with the viles of Malaysian voters; he is postively more Machiavellian, positively more able and aware than his predecessor who was badly advised by his family, cronies and toadies in government and the media.

If Najib performs well and the economy recovers, he is a tough nut to crack. His 1 Malaysia is good and if he is not distracted, and properly advised, you all will face a tough time. You must at least be well prepared and ready.

Najib may falter, which I think is not impossible, for he is not infallible. I am also very conscious how fallible I can be.

In politics, a week is a long time and logic doesn't always work. Always work hard and one must also do what one feels is right. The correct and sensible thing to do is to ensure that all Malaysians are treated justly in the public as well as the private sector. Our deomocracy can only flourish if we have a strong, free and independent media. Our future is very bright if Najib can deliver what he promises and the Pakatan fulfil its pledges. We aren't going to achieve what we desire. Worse if a nation is perceived to be not transparent, unjust and draconian. Let me repeat; a strong, free and independent media is critical for the future of Malaysian democracy.

The future of 1 Malaysia looks well if the PM can deliver what he promises and if the economy thrives. This can be done if we reconcile the past which none should forget with the present we must face, and the future we cannot avoid.

Whatever, the electoral test is in the next general elections. Najib has done well so far-challenging the rakyat's mindsets, that we are getting more colour blind, that the society wants equality for all. The question is can he deliver or do Malaysians believe he is a reformer?

Najibis a pragmatist, a realist, devoid of any ideology. He faces many crucial challenges, realities and new pains especially in Perak. It seems change is imminent, but some people seem unaware of this.

If any country is perceived to be unstable that would not be good for foreign investment or trade. In 2008, the ruling party polled just 51 per cent of the popular votes. In the Peninsula, it was below 50 per cent, I think it was 49 per cent. I stand corrected.

The story next time, unless Najib could reverse the trend, isn't likely to be very different from that of 2008, actually, it could be worse. The Pakatan will remain a force to be reckoned with, at least in 2012 or 2013 and in the future too.

All what Najib is trying to accomplish will be for naught if the country goes back to the days when political and social dissenters couldn't speak freely and peaceful protests are squelched and media managed and muzzled.

I do hope Najib means what he says-more political and media openess. I think a real political battle which vaguely approximates the best tradition has just begun; a personal battle between Najib and Anwar, BN and Pakatan; DAP and MCA and Gerakan; the MIC, PPP and Hindraf; Umno and PAS and the PKR bumiputra. The BN can no longer boast it can now be itensely relaxed as previously.

The outcome of which will decide the nature and feature of Malaysian nationhood. In the last analysis, who wins or loses, will be decided by the voters' perception of Najib and Anwar, their ideals and visions.

A former Parliamentarian and ambassador, ABDULLAH AHMAD was an aide to Tun Razak. He was previously NST group editor-in-chief and now a political anaylst and writer. This is the text of his speech at a forum on Wednesday 13 May in Petaling Jaya.

Open letter to the Minister of Information, Communications and Culture, Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim

Okay, on the point that I only criticise and never praise. That too is also true. But while I criticise the federal government, which happens to be Barisan Nasional, I also criticise the state governments, which are not all Barisan Nasional.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Dear Datuk Seri,

I read your interview in Malaysiakini yesterday, which I believe was an extract of your interview with the BBC the same day. I really have no quarrel with what you said merely because I believe everyone is entitled to his and her views and that we should respect this. Of course, this does not mean we must agree with these views. We are definitely at liberty to disagree with them. But just because we disagree with them does not mean we should silence these people and not allow them to express their opinions.

On the point that I never say nice things about the government but only know how to criticise, I would also certainly agree with you and will plead guilty as charged. Have you, however, maybe not noticed that I also never say nice things about the opposition as well?

When have I ever said even one nice thing about Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, Hadi Awang, Lim Guan Eng, Nik Aziz, Ustaz Azizan, Tan Sri Khalid, Nizar Jamaluddin, or whoever? But I did say I think Khairy Jamaluddin is very intelligent and that I have confidence he might yet become Prime Minister at the age of 40. And I said Matthias Chang, Mahathir’s adviser whom you also know well enough, is a genius, and whatnot.

And did you read the comments my readers posted in Malaysia Today? They called me a Mahathir stooge, a Mahathir boot-licker, and much worse.

So, while I may not say nice things about the government, neither do I say nice things about the opposition. Would you, therefore, not consider that as balanced?

Okay, on the point that I only criticise and never praise. That too is also true. But while I criticise the federal government, which happens to be Barisan Nasional, I also criticise the state governments, which are not all Barisan Nasional.

Now, Datuk Seri, this fact may have escaped you. I criticise the Pakatan Rakyat states like Kelantan, Kedah, Penang and Selangor, and before this Perak, but have you ever seen me criticising states like Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and so on?

Yes, that’s right, I whack Pakatan Rakyat state governments good and proper. But I never touch Barisan Nasional state governments. Okay, I did write about the RM7 billion Wang Ehsan for Terengganu, which has been pilfered. But, hey, even His Majesty the Agong is upset about this. Why do you think Tuanku rejected Idris Jusoh as Menteri Besar if not for the fact that Idris was managing the Wang Ehsan since 2000 and most of it had ‘evaporated’.

I admit I also whacked Sabah and Sarawak on what these two states did to their timber resources. But let’s face it, Datuk Seri, are you not also personally outraged by what these two states have done to forests that took millions of years to develop? And is it not downright criminal that what took millions of years to develop was utterly destroyed in less than 30 years?

One more point I would like to make here, Datuk Seri, I do not praise the federal government or state governments because I consider it their duty to do good things. For example, if I pay someone to repair my toilet, and if I am paying a hell of a lot of money on top of that, I expect the job to be done well. If the toilet still can’t flush then I am going to complain like hell. I would probably also refuse to pay the bill until the chap redoes it properly this time. But if he did a great job I will just pay him his money and would most likely call him again the next time I need my toilets repaired. But I am not going to pat the chap on the head and say, “Good boy. Clever boy.” Or whatever.

Have you seen how rich people summon waiters in an expensive restaurant? They click their fingers and scowl if the waiter is too slow and will order their food and drinks without even looking the waiter in the face or offering the poor chap a smile. Why? Well, these rich people are paying good money for the service so they need not be nice to the hired hands.

You give them the bill and they pay, never mind how much it may be, and they may even include a 10% tip if there is no service charge and if they are satisfied with the service. But they are definitely not going to summon the manager and tell the manager how great his waiter is and that he should be given a raise. But if they are not satisfied with the service, they will certainly call the manager and complain and demand that the waiter be sacked or something like that.

This is a fact of life, Datuk Seri. We are paying good money, a lot of money in fact, to upkeep our government. We are paying you to do a job. Our hard-earned money is paying for the cost of this government. You do a good job and we continue employing you. You do a bad job and we kick your sorry behind. But we are not going to sing your praises just because you did something you were supposed to do in the first place.

Okay, now on the point that I have libelled or defamed people and that action would have to be taken against anyone who commits such crimes.

Around two years or so ago, I wrote something about Zaid Ibrahim, who was then a Minister in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s government. Zaid did not sue me or make a police report against me, as do the other Umno people. Instead, he replied to the allegation in writing and I published his letter in Malaysia Today so that the readers can decide for themselves who is right and who is wrong.

The readers were delighted and full of praise for Zaid, in spite of the fact he is, at that time, an Umno Minister and the readers were mostly opposition supporters. After reading his letter, they believed Zaid’s interpretation of events rather than the interpretation of the one who made the allegation against him. In short, Zaid won the ‘argument’ because he rebutted it in a civilised and matured manner.

On the other hand, how do the rest of the Umno people respond to allegations? They just deny, deny and deny. But they never rebut the allegation or give their side of the story. Then they make police reports against me and ask that I be arrested or detained without trial under the Internal Security Act. Umno Bloggers suggest that a war should be waged against us and that the government should deal with us the way the Sri Lankan government deals with the LTTE. Others suggest I should be killed with a bullet in my head and e-mails are sent to me threatening the life of my daughter.

Datuk Seri, are you aware of what is happening in Sri Lanka? Do you know the carnage going on in that country? I would not wish for something like that even on my most bitter enemies. How can we justify chopping to pieces women and children and burning them while they are still alive in the name of politics? I would not even do that to dogs and cats. But the Umno Bloggers feel that this is the most appropriate punishment for those who oppose the government.

Do you remember, Datuk Seri, more than two years ago I ran a series of 12 articles about the links between the police and the underworld? Were all these lies? I included eight Affidavits by senior police officers, another two Affidavits by underworld bosses, and two police reports by a police officer and his wife. That is 12 documents in all.

We are not talking about mere articles here, Datuk Seri. We are talking about Affidavits and police reports. I even made an appointment to meet Dr Mahathir and handed copies of all these documents to Tun. And I believe Tun spoke to ex-IGP Hanif about it; who in turn then spoke to the IGP.

Datuk Seri, you can personally speak to Dr Mahathir and ask him whether what I say is true or not. I did everything I could to make sure this matter was looked into. But was it? What action was taken? Instead, I was scolded by the Selangor Sultan who accused me of lying in an attempt to smear the good name of the IGP. It seems they complained to the Sultan about what I had done. That 12-series revelation against the IGP was the beginning of my crisis with the Sultan. Jojo was there. He can confirm this incident if you wish to seek clarification.

For your information, Datuk Seri, in spite of the many Affidavits and police reports I was given, I still did not take all these at face value just yet. I met up with someone very senior in the police force who works in the IGP’s office and ‘interviewed’ him about all these allegations regarding the links between the IGP and BK Tan. This man produced documents to prove that BK Tan decided on which police officer got promoted, which got transferred, and which got sent into cold storage for refusing to cooperate.

I was invited to dinner at a very expensive Japanese restaurant by a few very senior but retired police officers who wanted me to reveal where my sources came from. That was in fact the second meeting. Earlier, I was invited to dinner by very senior but retired Special Branch officers, who also wanted to know the same thing. On both occasions I did not hold back anything and told them what they wanted to know.

What transpired from all this effort? Was anything done about the matter? As far as I can see, the IGP is still in office while all those I named as my source have been ‘eliminated’. Instead of using this information and evidence to take action against the IGP, what happened was the whistleblowers were severely dealt with. Even the lawyer who acted on behalf of one of the police officers was roughly manhandled and arrested in his office and was made to spend a night in the Putrajaya lockup on Hari Raya eve.

Therefore, Datuk Seri, what do I do? Do I attempt to solve this through ‘normal channels’ like in the past and expose all my sources to risk, like what has been proven thus far? Or do I bang away as you and Umno said, making ‘false allegations’? How do you know they are false allegations? Is it because I offered no evidence so therefore they must be false? But the problem is, even when I do offer evidence, the evidence is destroyed while the whistleblowers suffer retaliation.

Let us talk about the ‘hottest’ allegation I have made thus far which appears to be what has made Umno all hot around the collar. And this is of course my Statutory Declaration.

When I was under ISA detention in September last year, Datuk Zamri Ahmad interrogated me about that SD. You may know his father very well, Ahmad Sarji. Now, Zamri is not just any Special Branch officer. He is quite senior and tipped to be the future Director of the Special Branch, maybe within ten years or so from now.

I told Zamri everything he wanted to know. I revealed the source. Zamri confirmed he personally knows the source. Okay, what did the Special Branch do with that information? Did they act on it? So you see, Datuk Seri, it is well and fine to scream that we Bloggers are irresponsible and make wild allegations and never support these allegation with evidence. But even when we do prove it or support our allegations with evidence or reveal our sources, either nothing is done or our sources face the wrath of the powers-that-be.

When I revealed information regarding the RM200 million jetliner which Pak Lah bought for his personal use, it was denied and we were accused of lying. In fact, one of those who fed me this information and helped me with the technical details of the jetliner is an Umno Blogger, Zakir, who runs BigDogDotCom (http://bigdogdotcom.wordpress.com/). You can read his piece called Raja Petra the compulsive liar.

You see, Datuk Seri, I am not a technical person or a plane enthusiast. So I know very little about the technical specifications of aeroplanes. Zakir, however, is an expert on the matter and he helped put the report together. In fact, his Blog came out with the full report earlier, ahead of Malaysia Today. Now he calls me a compulsive liar?

Zakir denies his links with the Special Branch. However, on 5 September 2008, he told me that the Special Branch was about to detain me under the ISA. That same day I went underground and did not resurface until the 10th September. I met some MIC leaders very close to Samy Vellu during that period and they suggested I remain underground because the police are looking for me. I can get them to meet you to confirm all this if you required so Datuk Seri. These people also have strong links with the police.

However, on the 10th September, I got bored and decided to resurface. These MIC chaps were very disturbed and suggested I continue remaining in hiding. I did not listen to them though. On the afternoon of the 10th I went home. On the 11th I went to Bangsar for dinner and spotted two Special Branch officers monitoring me. I commented to the dinner crowd, “It looks like tomorrow they will come and take me”. Two of the chaps stood up and walked towards the Special Branch officers who quickly hightailed it out of there. The next day I was detained under the ISA.

Am I lying? I in fact told the police I was expecting them. When they asked why I said that, I related the story about the two Special Branch officers lurking around the Bangsar restaurant watching me while I was with a group of friends having dinner the night before. I also told them about the tip from the Umno Blogger, without mentioning his name though, plus the information from those MIC people who had links with the police. Today, this same Umno man who was my source of information calls me a compulsive liar.

Datuk Seri, I can go on and on and turn this letter into a thesis and would probably be awarded a doctorate just like you. Nevertheless, what I would have to say would just be more of the same thing. If my arguments are not already convincing enough as they are, then I really don’t know what else to say.

But I know you, Datuk Seri. I mean; we first met more than 25 years ago when we had dinner together with Tan Kay Hock at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton. So that is how long we have personally known each other. (By the way, are you aware that Kay Hock is now Najib’s golf partner?). And because I know you that well I know you would have by now grasped the spirit of what I have written and you would not have any problems understanding the gist of my arguments. If I may say so, Datuk Seri, without appearing as if I am trying to apple-polish you, you are probably one of the more intelligent Umno leaders. So maybe I can stop here and allow what I have written thus far to sink in.

If you feel I am still not convincing enough I can always continue with a part 2 or something like that. But I feel I would just be saying more of the same thing, and would that really be necessary? By the way, Datuk Seri, I still remember what you told me when we met on the first day of Hari Raya at Dr Mahathir’s house more than two years ago. I would like to believe what I am doing is not a departure from the advice you gave me then.

Anyway, it was nice to be able to reply to your comments and I sincerely thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell my side of the story. I still have very high regards for you and I still remember the Semangat 46 days when you were one of the key players and mastermind behind the party’s strategy. It is most unfortunate that you decided to close down the party and everyone rejoined Umno en bloc. If not, today, there would be no need for PKR as Semangat 46 would probably, by now, be the lead partner in a Pakatan Rakyat federal government.

Yours truly,

Raja Petra Bin Raja Kamarudin

*****************************************

On Raja Petra, who is living in self-imposed exile ostensibly to escape being detained again under the ISA, Rais described him as an expressive individual who has had his say on many matters.

“I only hope that he also gives us credit for some of the things we do. But he appears to be on a one-slice action all the time.

“I respect him for his views and for his style of (comment), but I do hope that Raja Petra comes up with both sides of the spectrum, so that his reporting (is) balanced. (This will make) him more popular.

“For example, if we are successful in helping the community in an anti-poverty drive, why can't he say that it is a good move?”

Rais called on the blogger to be fair in his assessment of situations in Malaysia.

“My prime minister (Najib Abdul Razak) is entitled to his view (on Raja Petra) and I am entitled to mine. But if everything in this world is too fair and too just, of course we would not have this talk, would we?”

Rais also said people need not be fearful of arrests under the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998, which his ministry enforces.

However, he said the public should “always respect” laws like the ISA and the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, which are under the home minister’s purview.

Several bloggers have already been charged with sedition since February, for posting comments on the Perak royalty amidst the ongoing political imbroglio in the state.

Rais described the emergence of blogging as a new trend that has overcome the limitations posed to the public in accessing the print media to express their views.

He said blogs are still a novelty in Malaysia, but that no party can curtail blogging because of the emergency of a value system that demands freedom of expression.

“However, do it responsibly. If you libel a guy or you defame a guy, you have to answer for it in the court of law,” he added.

“I think that is fair... It is better that you verify your facts (before you write). If they bring you to court, you have answer to it.”

Malaysiakini

PM NAJIB SAYS BN DOES NOT FEAR A SNAP PERAK STATE ELECTION BUT ITS UP TO THE SULTAN OF PERAK TO DISSOLVE THE STATE ASSEMBLY

Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional Chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak claims that its a prerogative of the Sultan of Perak to DISSOLVE the State Assembly which will pave a way for a fresh State elections.

PM Datuk Seri Najib further stated that BN does not fear in contesting if a polls is called but although various sources predict that BN would have a very slim chance of winning even a single seat due to their illegal grab of power in Perak recently.

Although the sentiments of the Perakians are to go to polls to resolve this current impasse, the Sultan of Perak has refused any such call for reasons best known to him.

Will the Sultan of Perak agree to DISSOLUTION?

Speech by Lim Kit Siang - May 13 forum (video)

“May 13 to 1Malaysia – Future of Malaysian nation building” forum (video 1)

“May 13 to 1Malaysia – Future of Malaysian nation building” forum (video 1)

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