Malayur News: 08/10/09

Monday, 10 August 2009

'Don't blackmail Kg Buah Pala residents' - Malaysiakini

The Penang government has been accused of blackmailing Kampung Buah Pala residents by issuing a 'take it or leave it' ultimatum over an offer of double-storey houses as compensation for…

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Uthayaya to Lim Guan Eng - Kampung Buah Pala

Batu Kawan to kick start HRP's Indian agenda

Newly formed Human Rights Party (HRP) as set Merdeka eve to launch its nationwide 'Indian Political Empowerment Plan' (IPEP) campaign at a Hindu temple in the DAP-held Batu Kawan parliamentary…

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Samy Vellu: Indians Regret Voting For Opposition

(Bernama) -- MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Sunday Indian voters who had voted for the opposition parties in the last general election are now regretting their action.…

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Update Inquest halted to test mystery stains near MACC office

By Chua Sue-Ann, The Edge

SHAH ALAM: The inquest into political secretary Teoh Beng Hock's death was adjourned to Tuesday for DNA and forensic experts to probe unknown stains, believed…

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Najib to review Cabinet in November

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 — The first review of the Cabinet is likely to take place in November as Datuk Seri Najib Razak seeks to shake up his administration and…

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KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 — The first review of the Cabinet is likely to take place in November as Datuk Seri Najib Razak seeks to shake up his administration and persuade Malaysians that he is serious about accountability and performance.

Government sources told The Malaysian Insider that the Prime Minister would be assessing his Cabinet members based on their ministerial responsibilities as well as their understanding and commitment to his vision for the country.

"The PM feels that he has only 18 months to win over the public and cannot afford to carry any passengers in his Cabinet. Some of the underperformers will be given a warning or may be moved to different portfolios.

"Dropping someone from the Cabinet is an option on the table but it will be the last resort," said a government official who is privy to discussions in Putrajaya.

He added that the November review would take place simultaneously with the completion of key performance index (KPI) reports for each ministry. After becoming the PM in April, Najib announced that he would introduce KPI benchmarks for each ministry.

Since then, consultants McKinsey and Co have been paid several million ringgit to help draw up KPIs for the government, and the administration has engaged public relations consultants to spin positive stories about the KPI initiative.

Still, Najib knows that spin can only get his administration so far. Privately, he is concerned over the lacklustre performance of several of his ministers, noting that they have not exhibited the level of drive, energy or innovation expected of a new administration.

A few of them seem to be championing causes or positions which run counter to his vision of Malaysia as a modern, progressive nation.

He expected the ministers to craft new policy initiatives that will boost Malaysia's competitiveness and also push the 1 Malaysia agenda. Instead, several members of his Cabinet members have been stuck in the old game of seeing everything through the prism of race.

The government source noted: "The PM is aware that Malaysia is facing a tough challenge from our neighbours, especially Indonesia. The perception among investors is that Indonesia has got its act together while we are still stuck in this never-ending cycle of politics and race issues.

"And yet we are talking about censorship, beer and other issues which have little to do with the competitiveness of the country."

Najib is likely to run through the 1 Malaysia concept with his ministers at the weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, his last before he leaves for a week-long break abroad.

He is scheduled to remind the ministers that Malaysia's future as a advanced economy and progressive nation can only be secured if government leaders rise above race-based politics.

Zaid outlines blueprint for Pakatan government

Zaid, a former Umno minister, joined PKR recently. — File pic

By Leslie Lau - The Malaysian Insider

Consultant Editor

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 — Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has offered…

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Zaid, a former Umno minister, joined PKR recently. — File pic

By Leslie Lau - The Malaysian Insider

Consultant Editor

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 — Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has offered the public a glimpse of a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) federal government by outlining a common platform that includes an anti-discrimination law, abolishing the ISA and relaxing of legislation like the Sedition Act and press laws.

Zaid, who has been given the job of casting in stone common ground for the disparate alliance criticised for having no shared ideology, said a PR administration would also introduce an economic policy with safety nets and a new education strategy to produce more competitive graduates.

“Pakatan Rakyat must firstly unite all Malaysians. We must revive the dreams of Tunku Abdul Rahman and other independence leaders,” he wrote in a posting on his blog yesterday.

The PR alliance has come under heavy attacks from Umno in particular over its lack of a common platform.

Barisan Nasional’s (BN) lynchpin has taken full advantage of open squabbles between PR partners PKR, PAS and DAP to drive a wedge among the opposition parties.

Umno has also stepped up the rhetoric to paint Malay leaders in PR as traitors in well-worn attacks underscoring the right-wing appeal of the ruling party.

With some PAS leaders beginning to blow hot and cold in their commitment to PR, Zaid appears to be also in a hurry now to set down the opposition’s common platform.

In his blog post yesterday evening, the former Umno minister outlined four main areas for PR’s platform:

• To introduce anti-discrimination laws

• To introduce an economic policy with safety nets to protect the lower income group

• To introduce an education policy that will produce competitive graduates, especially among Malay and Bumiputeras

• To abolish the Internal Security Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act; to relax provisions which give excessive powers to the government in the Official Secrets Act, the Sedition Act and other legislation; to introduce sweeping reforms to the police, courts and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

“Pakatan must reject the practice of discrimination. This proposal (to introduce an anti-discrimination law) will not affect the special position of Malays under Article 153 of the constitution.

“Do not listen to Umno’s lies. The non-Bumiputeras have never asked for Article 153 to be abolished,” said Zaid.

He said the proposed legislation would ensure non-Malays are not discriminated against, and that Malays are not discriminated against by the non-Bumiputera community. Article 153, he pointed out, would be maintained.

The former minister, who recently joined PKR, said PR should also introduce an economic policy with a safety net in place for the lower-income group.

“We are not a poor country. In fact we should all live in prosperity if we reduce wastage and leakages because of corruption. Pakatan is committed to wiping out graft.”

PR’s education policy, he said, would also be aimed at making Malay and Bumiputera graduates in particular more competitive by revamp the system to ensure quality teachers and identification of key subjects for improvement.

Another key area Zaid identified for reform if PR came to power was to curb what he said was excessive powers that had been given to government institutions.

“A Pakatan Rakyat government must be free and not instil fear in the public. It must have an open attitude and accept criticisms. This can only be done by establishing a free and democratic government,” he said.

He singled out the ISA and the Printing Presses and Publications Act for abolition.

Other laws like the Sedition Act and the Official Secrets Act would also have their provisions relaxed in a PR administration, he said.

Zaid said widespread reforms were also necessary for the judiciary, police and MACC.

“I believe that when Pakatan Rakyat agrees with these basic aims, the confidence of the public will increase. It will ensure the leaders are busy with these aims and have no time to argue over trivial matters,” he said.

Zaid said that if PR were to concentrate on such a common platform, the public would no longer perceive the alliance as just an “anti-ISA party” but as a coalition with substance.

We need to teach politicians a lesson. Pakatan Rakyat politicians, that is

By Haris Ibrahim,

On 4th February, 2008, in “The People’s Voice & The People’s Declaration” post, this is what I wrote :

“Malaysia belongs to her people.

You and I…

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By Haris Ibrahim,

On 4th February, 2008, in “The People’s Voice & The People’s Declaration” post, this is what I wrote :

“Malaysia belongs to her people.

You and I and every person for whom this country is home.

Every indicator is that we will be going to the polls very soon.

Soon we will be hearing all kinds of promises from politicians out to get our vote.

Tell them that this time round things are going to be different.

Tell them that we the People, have found our Voice.

Tell them that they must heed our Voice.

Tell them that we, the People, have charted the direction we wish to take our country.

Tell them that if they wish to have our mandate, they must abide by the People’s Declaration”.

On 23rd February, 2008, the three Pakatan Rakyat parties, together with three other non-BN parties formally indorsed our People’s Declaration. You can read about that HERE.

Then 8th March, 2008 happened and BN politicians were at the receiving end of a lesson many, politicians and rakyat alike, thought was not possible.

Loss of a long-held 2/3 majority in Parliament.

And the loss of another four state governments.

It didn’t stop there.

Permatang Pauh, Kuala Terengganu, Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Penanti.

Again and again, BN felt the wrath of the voters.

Has BN learnt anything?

Doesn’t look like it.

Has Pakatan Rakyat learnt anything from this?

Doesn’t look like it too.

In his ‘Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia’ post, this is what RPK said :

“There appears to be another thing that PAS has forgotten. In fact, all the seven parties appear to have forgotten this as well. And this is The People’s Declaration (Deklarasi Rakyat) which the seven parties endorsed in the run-up to the 8 March 2008 general election. Just before the general election they all enthusiastically endorsed The People’s Declaration. Immediately after the general election they conveniently forgot the Declaration that they signed”.

Now, aren’t Pakatan behaving like Pak Lah before and after the 2004 GE?

A lot of promises before the election, and all forgotten after?

That’s a fraud on the voters!

It’s beginning to seem as if BN is not the only one who ‘cakap tak serupa bikin’!

Did Hassan Ali tell the voters when he was campaigning for votes in the run up to the 12th GE that if he was voted into office, he would turn all Muslim-majority ( whatever this is and howsoever this is worked out ) into booze-free areas?

And if he did not, is not his latest move to destabilise the PR state government nothing less than a fraud on every non-Muslim voter in his constituency?

Is not his latest ‘Islam-as I say-tion’ stance at odds with the terms of the People’s Declaration, and therefore leaving PAS in breach of its undertaking with the rakyat by its indorsement of the People’s Declaration?

Should not the national leadership of PAS discipline Hassan for placing the party in a most untenable position with the rakyat?

Speaking of discipline, what’s become of the show cause notice issued last year by PKR to its taliban, Zul Nordin for his most disgraceful complicity in the disruption of the dialogue at the Bar Council auditorium last year?

Wasn’t Zul’s behaviour then in blatant disregard of the right of expression that his party, by indorsing the People’s Declaration, vouched to protect and to nurture?

Does PKR think we have forgotten?

On 6th August, Malaysianinsider reported YB Lim Kit Siang as warning that unless public confidence in Pakatan is strengthened, this fledgling coalition could end up a ‘one-term wonder’.

Too right, YB!

The next day, Leslie Lau of Malaysianinsider summed it up succintly when he said that “Pakatan Rakyat cannot expect a free pass from the public”.

RPK, in his ‘Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia’ post did not mince his words :

“We need to teach politicians a lesson...It is time we took back the country from the politicians. Politicians, both sides of the political divide, are just not delivering. They are screwing us good and proper. Politicians just can’t be trusted. If Barisan Nasional kicks Pakatan Rakyat out come next general election it is not because Barisan is strong, it is because Pakatan is weak. We took 30 years since 1978 to get where we got in March 2008. The last ten years since 1998 was on a Reformasi platform. In just over a year the politicians are undoing 30 years of hard work. Victory did not come easy on 8 March 2008. I wasted more than half my life to see what we saw in March 2008. And now they expect us to just sit back and watch them undo everything through their arrogance, ego, short sightedness, lust for power, selfishness, and self-centred and narrow-minded political agenda…I don’t expect overnight results. I am prepared to see the opposition build back, brick by brick, what Barisan Nasional destroyed over 50 years. But Pakatan Rakyat is not rebuilding. It is destroying even more. It is creating as much damage as what Barisan Nasional did in 50 years…Pakatan Rakyat must remember that it was not they who won the 8 March 2008 general election. It was the rakyat who did. And now the rakyat is no longer part of the equation in whatever they do. Pakatan Rakyat must be given a tight slap on the face”.

We need to teach the politicians a lesson, Pete says.

The Pakatan Rakyat politicians, is what I think Pete meant.

I think it’s time.

Raja Nazrin: Democracy does not mean mob rule

KUALA LUMPUR, 6 Aug 2009: "Democracy does not mean anything goes. It certainly does not mean mob rule," the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah said.

He said…

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KUALA LUMPUR, 6 Aug 2009: "Democracy does not mean anything goes. It certainly does not mean mob rule," the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah said.

He said in any functioning democracy, there were rules as to how society was to be governed, and in Malaysia, the rules were enshrined in the country's constitution.

Photo of Raja Nazrin Shah "Our constitution spells out not only what our rights are but also what the limits to those rights are. These limits ensure that decisions are not made by those who wield the most power, shout the loudest or behave in the crudest manner," he said.

Raja Nazrin was delivering a speech titled Imbued with Integrity, Endowed with Ethics: Foundation for Managing Malaysia through Enlightened Value-Driven Leadership at the 25th Tunku Abdul Rahman Lecture organised by the Malaysian Institute of Management here on the night of 5 Aug.

"If we seek to settle disputes through mob rule and lawlessness, our disputes will never be settled," he said, adding that the conflicts would only become entrenched and lead to deep social lesions that would never heal.

"If every party to a dispute were to act with integrity and honour, differences would be settled in a civil manner and we can move on," he said.

Raja Nazrin said there would always be differences of opinion as to how this or that provision of our constitution is to be interpreted.

"Under our system of governance, the judiciary has been entrusted with the task of being final arbiter in matters relating to the interpretation of the constitution.

"Once the courts have made their decision, it is the responsibility of all to abide by them. Judicial decisions will inevitably result in winners and losers, but justice must never be a casualty," he said.

"Precisely because we have so much riding on the judiciary, it is vitally important that there is judicial independence and impartiality. Without them, the rule of law cannot prevail. And when the rule of law has become unhinged, it must be fully restored."

Raja Nazrin said since the country's last general election in March 2008, political contestation has become more common and more intense, and this is likely to continue for some time to come.

"But whatever our differences, our overiding concern must be to create the type of nation we can all be proud of. We must never turn our grand positive-sum nation-building endeavour into a fractious and destructive zero-sum one.

"We have a good system of governance in place that has served us well, and Malaysians should seek to improve on and strengthen this system.

"Wherever there are weaknesses, we should acknowledge them and strive to overcome them."

Raja Nazrin Shah said the Malay rulers are above partisan politics, and this is what a constitutional monarchy means and what the rulers assiduously believe.

"For until and unless rulers are placed above everyday politics — and the controversies that will inevitably follow — they will be unable to carry out their constitutional functions properly. These functions are necessary for the operation of democracy in this country," he said.

He said the present situation in Perak stemmed from a political problem, that of political crossovers, "but was very quickly compounded by other decisions and actions of questionable legality."

"By the time the ruler became involved, it had escalated to such a point that it was not so simple as to press the reset button, as some would have liked.

"When rights may have been violated and laws infringed, one cannot just conveniently wipe the slate clean and pretend as if nothing had happened.

"The ruler cannot take sides in political contests, whether with acts of commission or omission. He has to make decisions based on justice and the rule of law," he said.

In making the right decision in any situation and act in a manner that is fair and impartial, the ruler must be guided by the constitution, it encapsulates all the values that form the very foundation of Malaysian society.

In the Perak case, the ruler adhered closely to the letter and spirit of the state constitution, he said.

"After all, the sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah has considerable knowledge of the law, having spoken and written about it extensively throughout his career [as a judge and Lord President]," he said.

Fraudulent Defenders of Our Faith

There is nothing Islamic about a society infested with corruption, dehumanized by poverty, and riddled with injustices. It would be the height of hypocrisy, and mock our great faith to…

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There is nothing Islamic about a society infested with corruption, dehumanized by poverty, and riddled with injustices. It would be the height of hypocrisy, and mock our great faith to boot, for Khairy and Khir Toyo to claim the mantle of Islamic leadership if they are a part of the state apparatus that allows these evils to continue.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

M. Bakri Musa

With Ramadan soon upon us, Muslims everywhere are caught up in a heightened sense of spirituality. That is the good news.

Take last Thursday evening, for example. The San Jose, California, masjid was inundated with believers staying late into the night. It was the 15th of Shaaban, an especially blessed time in the Muslim calendar. Shaaban is the month before Ramadan, and serves as a ‘warm-up’ to it. As my Imam Ilyas noted wryly in his Friday khutba, what struck him was that many that evening had never before set foot on the premises. That is the bad news.

Malays too are struck by this wave of religious fervor with the impending arrival of Ramadan. Thus the recent local governmental agency raid on a 7-Eleven store in Selangor, stripping the store of its beer inventory. Never mind that the store had been selling that beverage for decades without any harassment from the authorities.

Then there was UMNO Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin calling on his PAS counterpart to ‘unite’ against DAP (and thus Pakatan) for allegedly ‘insulting’ Islam. Not to be outdone, Khir Toyo, a fellow ‘fighter’ in UMNO Youth, chided PAS for not standing up to the Pakatan state government’s ‘insulting’ Islam by ordering the beer loot be returned to the store.

It turned out that the local agency had no authority to conduct such a raid. Alas, observing the niceties of the law has never been a strong point with these Malaysian jihadist wannabes.

Our Malaysian jihadists may consider themselves ‘modern’ and of a different breed. After all Khairy has been to Oxford while Khir is a trained dentist. Alas they are ‘modern’ only in their outward appearances, what with their fancy suits and palatial bungalows. In mindset and attitude however, they are no different from those madrasah-educated, disheveled bearded Talibans dwelling high in the caves of Afghanistan.

More to the point, I am not all assured that these overzealous ‘defenders’ of Islam are doing our faith any favor. On the contrary, these fraudulent defenders of our faith are smearing the image of Islam.

As my Imam Ilyas rightly pointed out on noting the large crowd at the masjid on the evening of 15th Shaaban, while he was pleased with the turnout he gently reminded us that it is far more important to do the many little “good” gestures required of us by our faith all the time than be focused on doing the spectacular ultra religious deeds during Ramadan.

For example, it is much more important to be generous throughout the year rather than making a highly publicized generous donation during Ramadan. On another level, there is no point for us to live a life of vice and corruption and then once a year undertake a Hajj or umrah in an attempt to ‘cleanse’ ourselves.

If the average citizen could see through the hollowness of such ‘pious’ gestures, rest assured that Almighty Allah would have minimal difficulty figuring out the hoax.

The late Zakaria Mat Deros, a former railway guard turned fabulously wealthy politician with the obscenely ostentatious bungalow squatting amidst the squalor of the Malay kampong in Port Kelang, was a prime example. He was accompanied on one of his frequent umrahs by no less than the head of Islam Hadhari, then Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.

I wish that characters like Mat Deros were the exception; unfortunately they are the norm. Consider that self-admitted adulterer Razak Baginda. Not only did he try to cleanse himself religiously by visiting (yes, ‘visiting’ is the appropriate term) Mecca, he went on to ‘purify’ himself by going to Oxford. Presumably he thinks that a doctorate from that august institution would purify him in the eyes of the secular crowd.

I wonder how Razak Baginda felt when he undertook his umrah knowing that a young girl his daughter’s age was blown up to smithereens as a consequence of his philandering. Did he offer any prayers for the soul of his former lover and for her still grieving family? Charity and generosity after all are one of the pillars of our faith.

These Malays should heed the advice of my young but wise Imam. They should instead focus on being ‘good’ in their every day existence instead of trying to display their piety in dramatic ways during special occasions.

The central injunction of our Quran – Amal makruf, Nahi mungkar (Command good, forbid evil) – should be our daily creed. Frequent trips to Mecca, glamorous iftar parties during Ramadan, and having a surau as part of your palatial mansion will not make up for your ignoring this elemental and recurring Quranic refrain.

I wish that Khairy Jamaluddin and Khir Toyo, being young and the future leaders of UMNO, as well as others would address the gross injustices perpetrated on our citizens, the corruption that is infesting our society, and the poverty that blights far too many Malaysians, instead of being unnecessarily obsessed with 7-Eleven stores selling beer. In the same vein I do not see Khairy, Khir and others of their ilk being outraged at UMNO stalwarts serving on the boards of Carlsberg and the Genting casino company.

The pair’s selective outrage baffles me. Or stated differently, I, like others, readily see through their hoax.

Penang Deputy Chief Minister 1 Takes Oath As Penanti Assemblyman

PENANG, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- Penang deputy chief minister 1 Mansor Othman on Monday took oath as Penanti state assemblyman.

Mansor, 59, from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)…

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Pilihanraya Kecil Pengkalan Pasir

Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya (SPR) mengumumkan pilihanraya kecil DUN Permatang Pasir jatuhnya pada 25 Ogos, awal Ramadhan, dan penamaan calon pula 17 Ogos.

Pilihanraya kecil kelapan ini dipanggil susulan kematian…

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Nusmetro Proposal Illegal

Kg Buah Pala: That RM3.5 million figure...

By Anil Netto,

The Kg Buah Pala villagers have been portrayed as greedy, demanding, and unreasonable. This is partly due to the mixed signals coming from the committee, the seemingly…

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By Anil Netto,

The Kg Buah Pala villagers have been portrayed as greedy, demanding, and unreasonable. This is partly due to the mixed signals coming from the committee, the seemingly conflicting statements and misrepresentations of those speaking on their behalf including those with vested interests and even those in the state government.

Guan Eng even claimed – incorrectly as it turned out – the villagers want RM3.5 million bungalows or compensation. Where did he get that from? But the damage is already done as it all over the media.

As a result of such statements in the media by those intent on portraying the villagers as greedy – and the village committee’s own public relations blunders along with outsiders taking advantage – public opinion may have swayed against the villagers.

I have been to the village a few times, and I have never heard of a demand for RM3.5 million bungalows or any similar demand.

I did see the RM3.5 million figure mentioned once, in one of the handouts given. But look at the context: that was when the residents were reacting to accusations that they were greedy. They retorted that the real greedy parties were those who were coveting their respective property lots, some of which they claimed could be worth an average of RM3.5 million. That’s quite different from asking for compensation of RM3.5 million or demanding a RM3.5 million bungalow.

I contacted Sugumaran, the residents’ committee chairperson, for comment and he said the claim that the villagers wanted RM3.5 million bungalows is baseless. “They are just using that figure to turn public opinion against the villagers and to portray the villagers as unreasonable,” he lamented.

Few have actually walked in their shoes and lived in the village to experience what life is like for them. It’s a different life-style closer to nature than what most city folk can understand – and I don’t claim to fully understand it either. Only the villagers know their real situation and what they really need to continue living in dignity, if and when they are wrenched apart not only from their homes but their land, their livelihoods and their community.

IGP ordered to Finish Off Raja Petra By Awal Muharram 2009

http://malaysianindian1.blogspot.com/

Yes, Raja Petra’s life is a grave danger. Our trusted source Captain Malaysia alerted us that the Inspector General Musa Hassan was pressured to clamp down blogs and blog…

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http://malaysianindian1.blogspot.com/

Yes, Raja Petra’s life is a grave danger. Our trusted source Captain Malaysia alerted us that the Inspector General Musa Hassan was pressured to clamp down blogs and blog owners starting with Raja Petra.

The Ultimatum: Either Malaysia Today shuts down or Raja Petra is terminated by December 18, 2009.

Our source also stressed that the order came from a higher power and Musa Hassan was initially against this. (we stress that the higher power mentioned is NOT GOD)

Apparently, the line was crossed when Raja Petra Blog featured an article of an alleged beating of a suspect in custody, subsequently posting another beating in custody too, this time involving several indian youths as oppose to a malay/indonesian suspect. Things caught on quickly when others quickly joined in promoting videos of Teoh’s alleged torture.

Raja Petra’s Blog, Malaysia Today, is still operational despite threats and ISA arrests towards him. However, it currently being managed by Shan, a respectable blog administrator believed from the USA.

Another Blog SJS AndTeam was also shutdown to protect its Team & Readers after being tracked down by the IGP’s Office. Very soon, Umno related websites were celebrating over the Scare Tactic used to take down this website. They are planing to take down other smaller websites in a similar way.

A Team of Special Branch Police Officers, IT Experts & Lawyers have been set up to track 404 Blogs that have any presence in Malaysia & against the Barisan Nasional Government. Among the blogs in the list are Malaysia Today, [REMOVED DUE TO REQUEST], SJSAndTeam etc.

At this stage, we are not sure of their intention & we will monitor the Monitors very closely. We would provide you the list of all 404 Blogs & inform you personally for your safety.

We understand that Raja Petra does not enjoy the privileges of the royal families as he would have & he in on his own in a far away land. Stay Safe & take care of your family.

We will provide you a concrete story of SJS And Team, as we have some rumors at the moment.

Mahathir: Samy killed the Indians

MACC is PDRM’s baruah goon squad

On 6 August 2009, Malaysia Today published an article called Screw you, IGP. Reply to this! In this article we also published a copy of a Statutory Declaration signed by…

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Najib makes pitch in symbolic heart of Indian Malaysia

Najib, in full fervour promoting the 1 Malaysia idea. - Picture by Choo Choy May

By Lee Wei Lian

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak today became…

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Najib, in full fervour promoting the 1 Malaysia idea. - Picture by Choo Choy May

By Lee Wei Lian

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak today became the first prime minister to make an official visit to Batu Caves since his father Tun Abdul Razak did in 1970. Though their visits to the site best known for its Hindu cave temples and the spectacular Thaipusam festival were separated by nearly forty years, the circumstances that surrounded their visits are in some ways, remarkably similar.

Both men made their visits during their first year in office. Forty years ago, the country was wracked by racial bickering. Today, the nation is still struggling to make peace with its multi-ethnic makeup.

Back in 1970, Umno and its Alliance partners MCA and MIC were stunned by the electoral setbacks in 1969. Today, Umno and its Barisan Nasional (BN) partners are grappling with electoral setbacks in last year’s general elections which saw the ruling coalition lose five states to the opposition.

The major difference betwen the two elections was, in 1969, it was largely the non-Malays who had voted for the opposition. Last year, not only the non-Malays abandoned the BN in droves but a significant percentage of Malay voters did so as well.

The approaches taken by the two men however, appear to diverge significantly.

The elder Razak ushered in an era of what many see as strongly pro-Malay measures such as the New Economic Policy (NEP), measures that had perhaps unintended negative repercussions on race relations and Malaysian unity.

Four decades on, his son comes into office pushing a reform message of “1Malaysia” which aims to bond Malaysians as “one people, one nation, one dream”.

He also took several steps to open the economy and lifted selected quotas in the financial sector and capital markets as well as in the services industry. In addition, Najib also promised a review of the controversial Internal Security Act (ISA).

The expectant crowd in Batu Caves, to listen to a PM speak to them there after more than a generation. - Picture by Choo Choy May

While some will dismiss Najib’s Batu Caves speech as mere rhetoric, he appeared heartfelt as he hammered home his message on unity to the thousands of mostly Indians who attended the 1Malaysia Carnival organised by the Sri Mahamariamman Temple Devasthanam and Malaysian Hindu Council.

The overcast sky and soaring limestone cliffs also made a dramatic backdrop to Najib’s booming oratory.

“If we are as one people, if we are as one nation, if we are as one dream, we will be a stronger Malaysia. We must look forward to a bigger, and better future, predicated on a united Malaysia. It is imperative to make it (mutual respect among the races), a part of the psyche and way of life.

“That is why 1Malaysia is about changing mindsets from mere tolerance to one of total acceptance of a plural society. The plural society is a political reality that is an asset and not a liability. A strength and not a weakness.

“I believe Malaysia can be a gateway to the world. We have all the major civilizations. We are a gateway to China, India, the Malay world, the Middle East. We must convert this asset to a strategic advantage,” Najib said.

To sweeten his message to the Indian community, whose deep rooted feelings of being marginalised gave rise to the Hindraf movement, the prime minister announced that he will respond to the Batu Caves temple committee chairman Datuk R Nadarajah’s request for help to further develop Batu Caves into an even bigger tourism attraction and that the government will allocated additional funds to that purpose.

He also announced a few other financial allocations, such as for the Divine Life Society Orphanage and RM15 million in micro credit to help Indian entrepreneurs.

He also pointed out that in the recent Amanah Saham 1Malaysia unit trust scheme by Permodalan Nasional Berhad, the Indian quota was 15 per cent despite making up only 8 per cent of the total population.

He however, did not touch on Nadarajah’s other two requests — that Thaipusam, currently a state holiday, be made into a national holiday on account of the estimated 1.3 million pilgrims who make the journey to Batu Caves each Thaipusam, and for a cable car system to be built for the disabled to reach the highest cave temple.

A firecracker display just behind an effigy of Najib at Batu Caves tonight. - Picture by Choo Choy May

“This is proof that we don’t talk rhetoric and slogans, “ said Najib. “Not in words but proof in deeds to help Indians and all races so we can proposer together. In 1Malaysia, it is not a zero sum game,” said Najib.

“If we help the Indians, it does not mean we deprive the Malays or Chinese. I believe God has given Malaysia bountiful wealth. I believe each Malaysian has a place under the Malaysian sun.”

Recent surveys show that Najib’s attempts to win over the Indian community and their votes are bearing fruit.

A Merdeka Center poll conducted in June has 74 per cent of Indians expressing satisfaction with Najib.

But at the same time, his message may be compromised by the fiery tone emanating from Umno controlled newspapers — Utusan and Berita Harian — who have written articles that appear to go against 1Malaysia and urged Malays to rise up against alleged threats to their community.

The non-Malay sense of being second class citizens was also build up over decades and will not be overcome easily.

But for now, with his greetings of “Vanakam” and farewells of “Nandry”, and numerous 1Malaysia speeches, Najib seems determined to try.

The Human Family Tree

By Haris Ibrahim,

On 18th July, the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia initiative held a one-day workshop at the KL&SCAH for its working group members.

sabm consensus building ws The idea was to try to…

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Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia’s immunity to flout the law by continuously inciting racial hatred and religious discord a public slap-in-the-face for Naji

By Lim Kit Siang,

Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia’s immunity to flout the law by continuously inciting racial hatred and religious discord is a disgrace to Malaysian journalism and a public slap-in-the-face…

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By Lim Kit Siang,

Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia’s immunity to flout the law by continuously inciting racial hatred and religious discord is a disgrace to Malaysian journalism and a public slap-in-the-face for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia concept.

Just five days ago, Utusan Malaysia carried an editorial “Tidak sedarkah Melayu sedang di hina?” and an article “Melayu jangan jadi bacul” spouting unabashed rank racism, incitement and sedition totally subversive of Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan.

Today, Utusan Mingguan tried to create an explosive tinderbox by making baseless but incendiary allegations in a multi-religious Malaysia that DAP is anti-Islam in its Sunday editorial “DAP anti-Islam?”

It is most shocking that Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had defended Utusan Malaysia’s racist and chauvinistic spoutings last Tuesday, as if Muhyiddin does not understand Najib’s 1Malaysia concept or that it has nothing to do with him.

Is Muhyiddin going to defend Utusan Mingguan’s incitement of religious discord in the country?

Can Najib and Muhyiddin answer questions that have been asked since Tuesday why the Barisan Nasional government is practising double-standards as there is no doubt that if any Chinese and Tamil language newspapers and journalists had written or published one-tenth of the inflammatory and seditious material inciting racist hatred and now religious discord, the Chinese and Tamil newspapers would have been closed down immediately and the journalists concerned thrown behind bars?

It is most shocking and outrageous that at last Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting, not a single Minister from MCA, Gerakan, MIC and from the Sabah and Sarawak component Barisan Nasional parties had dared to raise this issue at the Cabinet to nip in the bud such racist and chauvinistic incitements which are totally subversive of Najib’s 1Malaysia motto.

The Cabinet inaction and indifference has encouraged Utusan Malaysia to move from racial to religious incitement.

Will MCA, Gerakan, MIC, Sabah and Sarawak BN Ministers continue to fail in their ministerial duties to put an end to such racial and religious incitement and sedition? Are there no moderate Umno ministers who are horrified by Utusan Malaysia’s crude communal and now religious incitements and sedition?

Is Malaysia’s 52nd National Day going to be marred not only by the A (H1N1) flu outbreak, but even more serious, by a recrudescence of rank racist and religious incitement and sedition in Umno-controlled media?

Demonstrations

By The Nut Graph team
thenutgraph.com

THE 1 Aug 2009 anti-Internal Security Act (ISA) street rally attracted big crowds scattered around the heart of Kuala Lumpur.…

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By The Nut Graph team
thenutgraph.com

THE 1 Aug 2009 anti-Internal Security Act (ISA) street rally attracted big crowds scattered around the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The throng of people easily numbered 20,000 but could have been more. Demonstrators sported headbands, T-shirts and banners that decried the draconian law. They called for the Act, which allows for indefinite state detention without trial, to be repealed. Artists built a monstrous effigy to drive the point home.

Police stationed in front of Masjid Jamek, one of the three gathering points of anti-ISA demonstrators. The media,
bystanders, and presumably protesters also waited in anticipation (Pic by Gan Pei Ling)

Most also brought wet towels and salt — household remedies for tear gas. Perhaps due to the practice they've had with large-scale street protests in the last three years, the authorities' reaction was strong and methodical.

On 31 July, a day before the planned demonstration, roadblocks went up on major routes into the city, slowing traffic and drumming up public sentiment against the Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA (GMI)-organised rally. As crowds massed ahead of the march towards the palace, police officers checked bags and handcuffed anyone found harbouring anti-ISA material. The Legal Aid Centre's Puspawati Rosman was arrested, apparently for distributing leaflets detailing citizens' rights with regards to police arrests.

As the march got underway, riot police and the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) halted crowds by strategic cordons and zealous use of the water cannon. Public transit was diverted; the Masjid Jamek STAR-LRT station, for example, was closed due to "technical problems".

Sivarasa By the end of the day, law enforcement had detained a total of 589 individuals, such as Subang Member of Parliament R Sivarasa and 16-year-old Faizudin Hamzah.

The day before the rally, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was quoted as asking, "Why demonstrate?

"Why have a demonstration when we are in the process of discussions and getting feedback from the people?" he said.

The response to that would be: "Why can't citizens demonstrate peacefully in a democracy?" Especially since the government's plan, thus far, to review the ISA does not include removing the state's absolute powers in detaining people without trial, a power that has been repeatedly abused by the Barisan Nasional leadership.

The day after the rally, Najib was quoted as saying that street demonstrations that lead to rioting "will not be tolerated".

"We are willing to even provide them with proper venues such as stadiums where they can gather and voice their unhappiness ... They can go and gather and shout all they want even until the wee hours of the morning. What we cannot tolerate is when they go to the streets and cause havoc and discomfort to the public," Najib said.

It is difficult to see how the 1 Aug march was a riot. There was certainly terrible traffic congestion caused by police roadblocks, and pandemonium — the kind inevitably produced by the authorities firing nerve gas canisters into crowds.

Tear gas and water cannons fired into the crowd (Pic by Gan Pei Ling)

And while demonstrating is illegal by definition because of the laws of the land, what exactly is the crime committed against another person or the state when citizens chose to march peacefully down a public street to voice an opinion?

The Nut Graph remembers a street rally organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) in September 2008, also against the ISA. While there was also police presence at the evening march, riot gear did not materialise. Things, as a result, remained peaceful, even though traffic was stalled for a couple of hours on some streets.

How about the Majlis Pemuafakatan Ummah (Pewaris) march on 23 Nov 2008, which only attracted police action when demonstrators clearly mobbed a woman expressing anti-ISA sentiments? Or demonstrations about other issues, such as the rowdy August 2008 protest against a Bar Council forum about religious conversion? Neither caused authorities to come out with tear gas and water cannons. It is obvious that there are some double standards at play.

And while peaceful street demonstrations can be an inconvenience to daily schedules and normal economic activity, they are part of the vocabulary of great civil liberties and democratic movements throughout history. Take the struggle of the US's African-American community, or the recent reformist rallies following Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial re-election as Iranian president.

And, despite former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's assertion that such protests are "not our culture", we need only look to Umno's history, and the mass protests the party led against the Malayan Union, for proof that street demonstrations have been part of the Malaysian narrative from its very beginning.

Umno protest against the Malayan Union (Pic courtesy of Fahmi Reza)

What do you think, dear readers? Is going down to the streets peacefully a public threat, or is it an expression of liberty and solidarity? Are the authorities maintaining order, or unconscionably cracking down on Malaysian citizens to protect vested political interest, instead of focusing their resources on fighting rising crime?

Here are some of our thoughts:

Jacqueline Ann Surin:

Right to dissent is a human right.

Tanpa polis, pasti tak ada kecoh.

What crime is committed, against whom?

It's not impossible to demonstrate peacefully.

Nick Choo:

Arrest civil protesters, ignore real criminals.

Freedom of expression: fundamental in democracy.

Holy water cannons to exorcise demons-trators.

Zedeck Siew:

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Oh, no! Run!"

"Have some salt. You'll feel better."

Crime Rate In Hot Spot Areas Drops

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- Operations conducted by the Kuala Lumpur police to reduce crime, especially in 11 hot spots which were favourite haunts of criminals,…

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KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- Operations conducted by the Kuala Lumpur police to reduce crime, especially in 11 hot spots which were favourite haunts of criminals, since Wednesday have yielded positive impact.

Within three days of the operation, there was a drop in the number of crime cases reported in the affected areas, from 24 on Thursday, 20 cases on Friday and only 14 cases yesterday, city police deputy chief Datuk Abu Samah Mat told a press conference here Sunday.

He said street crimes, like snatch theft and robbery, also dropped since the operation was conducted.

Police have identified the hotspots as the Bukit Bintang and Jalan Pudu areas, which are under the jurisdiction of the Dang Wangi police; Brickfields and Kuchai Park (Brickfields police) Taman Midah, Taman Connaught, Alam Damai (Cheras), and Jinjang North, Metro Prima Kepong, Danau Kota (Sentul).

The operations involved 500 members of the General Operations Force and 333 police personnel, who were placed in the affected areas to carry out patrol beats.

The operation by the Kuala Lumpur was welcomed by the public who regarded the move as important to safeguard public order and safety.

The setting up of mobile police stations, as well as more frequent patrols in hot spot areas, facilitated swift action by the police.

Australia tourist, Richard Lee, 50, who was with his wife, Kim, 48, said the situation in Malaysia was peaceful.

"We have been here for two weeks and we are not afraid to walk here and there as the police are always around doing their patrols," he added.

Meanwhile, a civil servant from Ipoh, Perak, Ahmad Zubir Kamarudin, 54, said the crime situation in the city would be under control with systematic monitoring and patrolling by the authorities.

College student Nurain Zulbakar, 23, said she was afraid to walk alone in the streets before as she always had her lap top with her and was afraid that it would be snatched.

"But now, the fear is less when I can see policemen always patrolling the streets," she added.

"JIM is not extremist"

By Jeff Ooi,

I want to contrast the report in The Star today pertaining to Jemaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) and MPPP Councillor Mohd Razali Abdullah.

For clarity, I reproduce the…

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Help Needed for Tamil School Children from poor families.

Dear all,

One of my friends intends to raise fund for 2 Tamil schools. This is noble service. Do help them as you are helping yourself.

You can choose to…

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Demonstrations

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"JIM is not extremist"

Help Needed for Tamil School Children from poor families.

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