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Wednesday, 12 August 2009

Chua cadang MCA keluar dari Barisan Nasional

Oleh Zukri Aksah

Bekas Menteri Kesihatan, Datuk Chua Jui Meng berkata, sudah beberapa kali beliau mencadangkan kepada kepimpinan MCA agar parti itu keluar dari Barisan Nasional (BN).

chua-aug10

Cadangan ini beliau buat kerana marahkan sikap buruk beberapa kerat pemimpin UMNO yang mereka buat melalui kenyataan dan sikap mereka. Chua berkata demikian dalam ceramahnya di Kuantan malam tadi.

Chua adalah bekas Naib Presiden MCA. Baru-baru ini Chua telah mengisytiharkan diri keluar dari MCA dan menyertai Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). Semasa dalam MCA, Chua pernah dua kali mencuba menawarkan diri untuk bertanding jawatan Presiden, tetapi dalam kedua-dua percubaan, beliau ditolak oleh perwakilan.

Mengulas tentang ini, Chua dalam ceramahnya di sini semalam mendedahkan yang beliau ditolak kerana beliau telah beberapa kali mencadang dan menyarankan agar MCA membuat ketetapan keluar dari BN jika perangai beberapa kerat pemimpin UMNO tidak berubah.

Bahkan dalam satu langkah yang dikira drastik, Chua pernah mengusulkan satu resolusi supaya semua menteri, timbalan menteri, exco kerajaan negeri dan wakil rakyat MCA meletak jawatan jika UMNO tidak berubah dan terus membohongi rakyat. Malangnya resolusi beliau ini telah ditolak.

Chua dalam ceramahnya semalam juga menjelaskan tentang tindakannya menyertai PKR. Ujar beliau keputusan ini bukanlah sesuatu yang mudah, apalagi perkhidmatannya bersama MCA selama 33 tahun bukanlah satu tempoh masa yang pendek.

Ia bermula bila secara sulit beliau telah berkesempatan bertemu dengan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, dan dalam pertemuan itu Anwar sempat menitipkannya senaskah manifesto PKR, yang kemudiannya didapati begitu selari dengan perubahan yang cuba dibawanya ke dalam MCA dahulu.

Walaupun memutuskan untuk keluar MCA dan menyertai PKR adalah keputusan yang agak berat, dan sudah tentu mengundang banyak kejutan dari kalangan banyak pihak, namun Chua rela meninggalkan segalanya semata-mata perjuangan perubahannya untuk kebaikan rakyat.

Tambah Chua, beliau kini rasa bebas dan puas terutamanya bila bersuara untuk rakyat kerana beliau tidak lagi perlu berselindung seperti dalam kerajaan dan dalam MCA/BN dahulu.

Chua percaya bahawa era politik berasaskan kaum dan perkauman sudah berakhir. Mana-mana pergerakan politik yang mahu mencuba nasib pada masa ini haruslah membawa aspirasi rakyat yang pelbagai kaum dan latar belakang.

Dalam ceramahnya semalam, Chua menegaskan keputusan Pilihanraya Umum Ke-12 yang lalu adalah bukti akan kepercayaannya ini, BN hanya mendapat 46 peratus undi popular!

BN kalah di semua ibu negeri di Semenanjung Malaysia kecuali di Kangar dan Johor Baru, BN hanya menang satu dari sebelas kerusi parlimen dalam Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.

Bagi Chua tidak ada kesimpulan lain yang boleh dibuat dari angka-angka ini melainkan hanya satu, ini adalah bukti kukuh yang rakyat telah menolak UMNO dan BN.

‘Seditious’ blogs under probe

(NST) KUALA LUMPUR: Police have begun investigating several blogs for posting articles which were allegedly seditious in nature.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said several blogs had already come under scrutiny.

“We have our ways of identifying who were responsible for setting up the blogs and the individuals who posted sensitive comments,” he told the New Straits Times yesterday.

Ismail was responding to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s call to bring to book the culprits who incited religious and racial hatred through the Internet.

“Irresponsible parties should not think that they can post sensitive comments online and still remain anonymous. We have ways to identify them and laws to deal with them. “We will get these irresponsible parties.”

On Monday, Najib called on the police to investigate and take action against those who incited religious hatred as all religions and races in the country had to be protected.

Najib was commenting on seditious postings circulated on the Internet which allegedly insulted Islam and the Malay rulers.

A blog had posted a statement, allegedly by DAP Socialist Youth chief Loke Siew Fook, criticising commentaries of an Islamic scholar, Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, published in a Malay daily over the past two weeks.

The blog ceased operating on Monday but it is understood that several other blogs had also posted the statement, which drew comments from readers.

Yesterday, Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim stressed that existing laws were sufficient to deal with those who misused theInternet to defame or insult other parties.

Rais said those found guilty of publishing seditious postings could be charged under section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and even under the Penal Code.

“These offenders should be investigated. If the attorney-general feels that they should be brought to court, then they must face the music,” he said after launching the 1Malaysia Concept Seminar here.

“We have been hearing a lot about seditious postings lately but no action has been taken yet.”

Malaysia to cancel Internet filter study

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — Malaysia is to cancel an Internet filter tender that drew comparisons with China’s “Green Dam” project and triggered an outcry from opposition politicians as well as criticism from industry bodies, a source told Reuters. No one from the industry regulator, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, was immediately available for comment.

The body has said the tender was for a study of Internet usage so as to boost Malaysian content on the net and that reports of a filter were “sensationalised”.

A copy of the tender documents, seen by Reuters, appeared to contradict that statement.

The documents said the proposal was to: “Evaluate the readiness and feasibility of the implementation of the Internet filter at (the) Internet gateway level.”

It would study gateway filters in countries that had implemented such measures and “find out (their) suitability for the Malaysian environment”.

“The tender is going to be cancelled,” said the source, who had direct knowledge of the tender but declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.

The Information Ministry came up with the proposal for the filter in April, but the idea was apparently blocked by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the source added.

Malaysia wants to double broadband usage to 50 per cent of its 27 million population by the end of 2010.

That could bring not only pornography but also boost the presence of the country’s opposition which in 2008 inflicted the government’s biggest ever losses in elections and used the Internet to get its message across Malaysia’s tightly controlled mainstream media.

China backed down on its “Green Dam” software, which it said was aimed at halting the spread of pornography, under pressure from the US, human rights and industry groups.

News of the Malaysian Internet tender emerged after the government arrested almost 600 people in an anti-government protest earlier this month.

It raised concerns that the government would crack down on the Internet, a popular medium for voicing criticism of the National Front coalition that has ruled this Southeast Asian country for 51 years.

NET INVESTMENT

The firewalls, which the source said could have been introduced six to eight months after the study was completed at the end of this year, could have cost in the region of RM200 million to implement.

The issue of unfettered access to the Internet is important economically for Malaysia, which has attracted investment from technology companies such as Microsoft Corp with promises not to censor.

Its Multimedia Super Corridor, set up in 1996, attracts investments worth RM1.6 billion annually, according to industry data.

Najib has announced a series of economic liberalisation measures to attract foreign investment and diversify Asia’s third most trade dependent economy away from its reliance on electronics and commodities exports.

He said last week that filters were not effective.

Boosting banking, finance and the knowledge economy, all of which are helped by fast Internet connections, are key planks of Najib’s economic strategy. — Reuters

Noordin Mat Top not dead, say Indonesian police

JAKARTA, Aug 12 — Indonesian police said today that forensic tests showed a suspect shot dead in a raid on a farmhouse in Central Java at the weekend was not leading militant Noordin Mohammad Top.

Noordin is believed to be the mastermind behind last month's near simultaneous suicide attacks on Jakarta's JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels which killed nine people and wounded 53.

News that Noordin has managed to elude police again and remains on the run is a blow for Indonesian security forces and efforts to contain further attacks in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

Indonesian police spokesperson Nanan Sukarna holds up a picture of a militant suspect, now identified as Ibrohim, who was shot dead in a raid in Central Java last week. — Reuters pic

The man killed in Central Java was identified by S. Eddy Suparwoko, head of Indonesia's Disaster Victim Identification unit, as Ibrohim, who worked for the florists in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Jakarta.

"The DNA samples do not match after checking with his family," Saparwoko told a packed press conference in Jakarta.

"We have compared the DNA sample with his family in Johor, as all of you know, and the family in Cilacap and another family Kladen, and none of it matched.

“After that, we compared with the family in Cilimus and their two children, son and daughter, and his wife, and the result is 100 per cent match. We concluded it is Ibrohim."

Malaysian-born Noordin has been on the run since the 2002 Bali bombings but security analysts say he has managed to set up several militant cells after splitting from the Jemaah Islamiah terror network which is affiliated to al-Qaeda. — Reuters

CCTV recording incompatible with police equipment, inquest told

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid - The Malaysian Insider

SHAH ALAM, Aug 12 — The coroner’s court hearing into the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock was today told that the hard disk containing the CCTV recording at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office here is incompatible with the system used by the Bukit Aman police forensics department.

Inspector Mohamad Zulaimi Zubir, from the Shah Alam police headquarters CID, the eleventh witness in the inquest, said the CCTV recording had to be downloaded to a pendrive and a laptop belonging to one of the officers from the Bukit Aman forensic team before it could be played.

The result was 47 individual recorded images were produced in which one of them contained the image of Teoh entering the building on July 15 at approximately 6.08pm. Although his face was not seen due to the CCTV camera's position, he was identified through the black suit and cream pants he wore when he was found dead.

Zulaimi said the CCTV recording had to be downloaded to a pendrive.

Earlier, the court heard that there is no CCTV camera on the 5th floor where Teoh’s body was found.

Lawyers representing Teoh's family and the Selangor government, Gobind Singh Deo and Malik Imtiaz Sarwar respectively, both came in only at about 12.30pm. Both had a prior court case they had to attend to.

Both government pathologists scheduled to take the stand today, Dr Khairul Azman Ibrahim and Dr Prashan Nareshsandenkar, did not turn up after they claimed to have fallen ill.

The inquest will continue today nevertheless with Inspector Ameyrudin Ahamad Zuki, the Bukit Aman forensic officer in charge of handling the CCTV evidence, next in line for questioning.

Teoh was found dead on July 16 on the rooftop of a five-storey building next to Plaza Masalam, where the MACC has its Selangor head office on the 14th floor.

He had been taken in as a witness in a probe into alleged misuse of state funds. He was due to register his marriage to his two-month pregnant fiancée Soh Cher Wei the day he was found dead.

What is wrong with Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government?

(This is one response to an earlier post expressing concern about what is happening to the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government which I think is important enough to share in the public domain to elicit a wider discussion. – Kit)

There is certainly the “need to be worried” matter in Selangor. One quote going around from some prominent businessmen is that ” It took BN 50 yrs to become so arrogant, but it took PR only 1(one) year to be just as arrogant”. Nowhere is that business sentiment more acutely felt than amongst some housing developers.

The aetiology is of course multifactorial. Many unscrupulous and other less-than-straight developers had ridden on the past (less transparent) govt to execute projects that left much bitter aftertaste/heartaches amongst unconsulted residents in a forced topdown approach. Unfortunately in yesteryears (and even recently) REHDA had not come down hard on these recalitrants, thus much of society had tarred all and sundry developers in the same manner.

After March 2008, the pendulum has swung to the other extreme end, made more evident/entrenched when many politicians(largely from PR) oversold/overbought excessive and simplistic ideas of ‘fixing-up the developers’ and ‘being-with-the-people’. Some end up losing the capability to size-up/tease-out the secret personal agendas of ‘certain rakyat citizens’, lose their objectvity and easily slide into and maintain the same opposition mentality of protest, championing the “cause of the ‘rakyat’”. In Selangor, some join the ranks of protests against the state govt. These populist politicians are easily egged on by a few self-serving residents, the latter being only too pleased to titillate these populist-politicians.

The Selangor PR is thus moulded by these events/forces. I dare say 2 (two) camps exist, the ‘pro-rakyat/pro-citizen’ vs the ‘pro-business/pro-developer’. Magnified by a revulsion to 52 yrs of authoritarian abuse/pendulum-swing/greenie resurgence, no marks to your guess in who the dominant influence is! In DAP, we(or rather many) are under the literal influence of the word “socialism” which oftentimes bespelled them to an exaggerated stance. This oversimplified erroneous state (rakyat vs business/developer) negated and undermined the roles of the ‘genuine citizenry’ and the ‘fairly-honest/ethical deveopers’ and let-off the scruples of federalism/corrupt-politicians/crooked-parasitic-developers. A distracting tai-chi thus effectively allowed the bad guys off scot free, as the good resident groups now pit themselves against the developer/business community! Poor Khalid(Tan Sri), God have mercy on him.

The dynamic outcome of the summation of these two forces appears to determine the direction of policy-setting and influence development(or its lack) as well as its type in Selangor. So when the “rakyat” forces prevailed, we see a proliferation of socialist-like policies/programmes, eg Usia Emas, Tawas, Beras/gula handouts, etc. But money do not grow on trees. It runs out pretty fast. Soon we may agihkan kemiskinan. The economy is slowing. The pasar-malam (relatively recession-proof industry) hawkers are lamenting on business-drops of up to 50%.

Bitter reality is harshly sinking in. Pro-development policies and programmes must emerge. The actual implimentation of the economic packages is mandatory to stimulate economic activity and just as importantly to give hope to the rakyat and generate an image of doer-mentality (after a March announcement, a 6 mth time-gap of little action is deafeningly embarassing). The only recourse is for PR to proclaim a “pro-development/pro-business BUT transparent” approach.

PR must facilitate economic activity with transparency and accountability as its fundamental underpining. The focus must be to encourage investors, not to throw a wet blanket at them. Our priority must be to the man in the street( small-time businessmen, employee such as clerks/technicians, form 5 to college graduates), who needs jobs and job-stability. Only economic activity can give them a chance. They have little savings reserve, unlike more established older persons. More so in these trying times, all Aduns/MPs must make it their job to try to create/maintain jobs and get developers to interface with residents. But the traffic-clogged roads became anathema to development! How about the “moratorium to development” proposal?

Such an approach not only is not useful but spells disaster. Simply because there can be no moratorium to new people(numbering in the thousands) entering the job market, each with their own dreams. And their parents’ hopes behind their securing a job, etc. This is reality. And how long can we delay their entry into the job marketplace. Can we? Can PR pay for creative delaying ways?

The above largely account for the lack of ‘development’ direction in PR/DAP wakil rakyats, and the lack of ‘development’ support afforded to Tan Sri Khalid. The sluggish economic pace is slowly and surely becoming evident. This will soon haunt us and the Rakyat will then punish us for inept management of the state. Businesses will also decry on our talk-no-action approaches, our report cards showing only donations-of-small goodies but grossly lacking in major matters. Najib will then smell like a rose.

PR/DAP must wake up. The process of governance is no popular task. The bullet must be bitten. Painful unpopular decisions must be made, sometimes ‘offending’ local residents for the benefit of the larger community. History will be with us if we act transparently and honestly. The rakyat(local) will eventually respect us and support us, though there will be initial protests and revulsions. Remember the stakeholders include businesses, the larger community, and Tuanku(who wants Selangor to be a Developed state). But please do expect a reduced electorate majority the next time(election) around! Your MB (Khalid) need your genuine support to make painful decisions of governance. It is not good if two-thirds of his time end up in fire-fighting. Time must be vested to facilitating economic growth. Aduns must help him(MB) out.

This tension (rakyat vs businesses, with politicians leaning to either) is compounded by internal/factional local intraparty/interparty politics. Thus in one kawasan, unnecessary resources were wasted to parry factional political interferences. I assure you BN/MCA were chortling away at the circus. The kawasan citizenry suffered. Alas, how often decisions were made in the name of the ‘party’, when factional interests was the day. Such ‘party decisions’ stifle authentic growth as it only pandered to factional ‘growth’, solidifying vested interests.

The PBT(local councils) should have been excellent avenues for wakil rakyats to deputise able & mature people to administer and monitor the Councils. Alas it had become the ground for .to dole out political favours and expand factional interests. Quality is thus compromised for political(factional) loyalty. Poor quality councillors are of no match for entrenched inept pengarahs and YDPs. Here again is another circus, as energy was spent on politicking instead on proper council decision-making activities.

Be aware that this MACC-Aduns investigations may well throw many off the more urgent tasks of governance (providing service to kawasan, administering the Selangor State,etc) and instead get unproductively entangled with endless press conferences (to parry consecutive wild accusations churned out by unfriendly press. Aduns need to be focussed on the real issues. It is time to be pragmatic, but to do so transparently and accountably. That is our STRENGTH and our ace.

Principled Politics

By Hussein Hamid

Why is it that I, as a Malay, show much disrespect to Najib? Why are there so many Hang Jebats as oppose to Hang Tuahs in this time of ours – ready to do verbal battle with our leaders? Menderhaka they say. Sometimes after I have written my piece I read them and I am appalled at the venom of what I write. While we are Hang Jebats we do what we do because of what Hang Tuah had said “Takkan Melayu Hilang di Dunia”. If we do not care for our survival as a viable partner to the other races in our country then who will?

We want to tell the Malays and the people of our country that there is an alternative to the excesses of the past fifty years when UMNO were in power and got totally carried away. You not only systematically steal from our national treasuries but also take from other Malays what as taken years to acquire. How else do you explain the use of the EPF and Petronas funds to bail out your failures?

If you ask how can DAP, Keadilan and PAS work together towards a common goal when their fundamental beliefs are so divisive? I say this….how about principled politics?

Politics with ethical and moral sense. A sense of what is right and what is wrong. It is wrong to govern our country as you do now. Money Politics, Corruption, Nepotism, no accountability, no taking of responsibility, putting away of your own citizens for their political beliefs, you every day deeds and actions totally focused on self preservation. It is right for Pakatan Rakyat to want transparency and accountability in the system of Government. Politics without principal as you now practice is without a soul. Empty and void of any decency and righteousness.

Our Nation’s hope for tomorrow lies with the young. One of them, Teoh Beng Hock is no longer with us. It lies with the young within our midst who believes that it is imperative to insist on principled politics if we are to survive as a Nation.

It also lies with the young who even now have no qualms about accepting bribes if they have the power and the opportunity. It also lies with the young who are with Pemuda UMNO – the same Pemuda UMNO headed by KJ – of whom many have said of his victory as Ketua Pemuda “KJ menang. UMNO kalah”.

It lies with Nurul Izzah Anwar – the same Nurul who won over Sharizat despite Sharizat being a Wanita UMNO who can work and contribute positively to the Nation.

So our Nation hopes lies with the young but while some of them will lead there are many that needs to be led. Our work to make them ready must begin now.

Our Nation hope for tomorrow lies with you and me. It lies with Anwar Ibrahim. With Tok Guru. With Karpal Singh and with Lim Kit Siang. It lies with Zacharia, Shahzlina, M Nasir, Misha Omar. Jacyln Victor with Nicol David, with Lee Chong Wei, with Quzier Ambak, with Shalin Zulkifli. It lies with everybody. It lies with all of us – and unfortunately it also lies with Najib Razak, Mahyiddin, JJ and all those people who are now with UMNO who have a preoccupation of looting the country’s resources without fear of God.

Why should thieving Politicians and Government Servants be treated different from other criminals? We have had snatch thieves caught and killed by community vigilantes. Pickpockets have been punished in the most gruesome manner when caught by the public, suspects are killed in shootouts with Police. These Politicians are allowed to go free with their grand theft – is there one law for the poor and another for the politicians? The stench continues to grow.

PKFZ. What UMNO can do MCA can do better? Go try and figure that out.

MIC. Maika. The Telekom Shares Debacle. Simply put in language that every one can understand. Ten Million Telekoms share were offered to MIC at $5 a share. Maika acquired only one million shares the rest were for the account of those identified by Samy Velu. When Telekoms shares were first traded it fetched RM6.15 per share. By mid 1992 the Telecom shares were worth RM11 to RM13. Had MIC been given the additional Nine million shares already on offer it would have realized a profit of RM120 million by just hanging on to those share. After 17 months of investigation the Anti Corruption Agency cleared Samy Vellu of any wrong doing. Do we expect anything less?

Samy Vellu was the largest individual shareholder with 2.8 million shares. The rich man that he is and he still needs to have some more by stealing from the poor of his own race? Go figure that out!

This is the same Samy Vellu who last week tells MIC “There is no point in going against the government just to release their emotions. Many of our requests have been met !!”

Mahathir blames this same Samy Vellu for the ills of the Indians. Was not this same Samy Vellu in your cabinet Mahathir? So do not lecture us on probity!! HAH !!

We have much work to do. We begin now.

How can BN retrieve Selangor?

My SinChew (Used by permission)
by Tay Tian Yan/ translated by Soong Phui Jee

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that he wants Selangor back in BN's fold.

I am willing to provide BN some recommendations or tips for free as a Merdeka Day gift, although I am usually not that generous.

1. Abandon former Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo – don’t you know that to a large extent, the defeat of BN in Selangor was related to two figures, former Port Klang state assemblymann late Zakaria Md Deros and Khir Toyo?

Late Zakaria is no longer here and may he rest in peace. However, it seems today that late Zakaria is only a small figure while Khir is comparatively much worse. Even his mansion is much more magnificent and gorgeous than Zakaria’s house; if Khir’s mansion were Taj Mahal, then Zakaria’s house would be only a chieftain’s house.

Khir has lost the Selangor state regime but he is still the opposition leader of the state assembly, as well as a leader of Selangor BN. With his ability to do whatever he wants, I sometimes even thought that he is still the state MB. Perhaps, he has built an underground kingdom in Selangor.

Let’s review the record after he became the opposition leader. From the pig farming issue, to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok’s arrest, Bukit Lanjan MP Elizabeth Wong ‘s nude photos, Selangor MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s cows and car, DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock’s death and the ban on selling alcohol in Selangor, his stand and the way he sensationalized the issues.

If BN is back to power, it means that most likely Khir will again be the Selangor MB. Selangor people may face difficulty to sleep at night.

2. Reshuffle the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) – they do not pay attention to the elephant before their eyes. Instead, they are looking for small ants everywhere with a magnifying glass. This is the doubt of Selangor people over the commission.

Can’t they see Khir’s mansion that was built on a 50,000 square feet land? Why are they spending time and manpower on old papers just to search for a few lines of words that are related to a few thousands ringgit?

3. To grant land title – make a commitment that as long as BN is ruling the state, they will grant permanent land titles to Chinese new villages, Malay restrutured villages, Indian traditional village, as well as agricultural lands, allowing the state people to be free from worrying about residential and living problems.

4. Funding Chinese independence secondary schools – the four Chinese independence secondary schools in Selangor suffer millions ringgit of deficit annually. As long as the BN government announces that they are going to allocate each Chinese independent secondary school a million ringgit, it will certainly be very well accepted by the people.

5. To build more primary schools – as long as more than a thousand families of a particular racial group are living within the Selangor territory, they will plan a strategic location to build a primary school, regardless whether it is a national, Chinese or Tamil school, based on the residents’ need.

6. Pay respect to democracy and public opinion – BN has to promise not to use non-democratic means, including party switching, to gain the state regime. BN has to promise that they will gain the state regime only through an election and the result of votes in order to convince and reassure the people.

BN may retrieve the Selangor state regime if they accept the six above mentioned recommendations. (By TAY TIAN YAN/ Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/ Sin Chew Daily)

Anwar di CNBC


Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan diwawancara oleh Martin Soong untuk rancangan Squawk Box. Silalah menonton siaran langsung yang dibawa khas oleh CNBC ini. Di bawah adalah butiran program:

Jam : 8.30 AM
Tempat : CNBC, Kuala Lumpur
Tarikh : Hari Rabu, 12hb Ogos 2009

PEJABAT DATO’ SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM

Kasitah Freed Of Corruption And Cheating Charges

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 (Bernama) -- Former land and cooperative development minister Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam was acquitted and discharged by the High Court here today of committing corrupt practice and cheating involving shares belonging to the Sabah Land Development Board (SLDB) in 1996.

Justice Suraya Othman ruled that the prosecution had failed to make out a prima facie case on both charges for the court to call Kasitah to enter his defence.

"On maximum evaluation of the evidence forwarded during the prosecution case, essential ingredients of both offences were not made out on the facts before the court.

"In the circumstances, the accused stands acquitted and discharged of both the charges against him," Suraya said in her 73-page judgment.

An elated Kasitah, 62, told reporters that he was very relieved and happy with the verdict and would be rushing to visit his moth er in Ranau before going for the umrah with his family and friends.

"I'm very thankful to God and I did not expect to be freed today after going through this ordeal since 2004," he said before being hugged his family members and wife Rosni Ambuting.

'Death caused by injuries from fall'

Remember the lie we told one year ago?

Image

Remember, one year ago, in August 2008, Malaysia Today wrote about Malaysia's largest bank, Maybank, paying RM3 billion more than what it should to take over an Indonesian bank that is in trouble and which the Singapore government was trying to get rid of. Unfortunately, not long after that, I was detained under the Internal Security Act and the matter died a natural death.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

WHAT WE WROTE THEN

Back to the future: the fall of Saigon revisited (http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/5339/84/)

Of special interest is the New Straits Times report below about Maybank buying over Temasek’s interest in an Indonesian bank at RM3 billion more than what they should be paying. The interesting part, of course, is about who brokered this deal with Singapore and why Maybank was made to pay RM3 billion over-value.

Daim took RM42 billion with him when he bailed out just before Tun Dr Mahathir left the scene. Expect the present figure to be close to that when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi leaves the scene. RM21 billion has already been moved just before the last general election. They only need another RM21 billion to match Daim’s RM42 billion. And the Maybank deal just reduced that RM21 billion to RM18 billion so there is not that far to go. If the new government is formed on 30 April 2008 there may be nothing left in the kitty. I, for one, would not want to be in that new government.

TODAY'S REPORT

KL raps Maybank board, orders changes
It paid too much for Indonesian banks

By Leslie Lopez, The Straits Times, 11 August 2009

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's central bank has directed a sweeping overhaul in the board of directors of the country's largest banking group Maybank, in an unprecedented government censure on a board of a financial institution.

The little-publicised revamp followed government displeasure at the controversial acquisition of an Indonesian lender by Malayan Banking (Maybank) last year, officials say.

Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII) was bought from a consortium led by Singapore's Temasek Holdings at a price that was deemed too high.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, who directed Bank Negara to review the transaction, has endorsed the central bank's decision calling for a Maybank board revamp, the government officials say. 'The decision was also made that the board revamp will be carried out in stages and directors who are retiring won't be re-elected to the board,' said a senior government official who was involved in top-level discussions on Maybank's Indonesian venture.

Maybank's main shareholders are national equity fund Permodalan Nasional and pension fund Employees Provident Fund.

Bank Negara declined comment for this article, citing its policy of not discussing issues involving individual financial institutions.

Maybank executives, including its chief executive officer Abdul Wahid Omar, also declined repeated requests for comment for this article.

But the bank did announce the retirement of two directors and the appointment of three new members mid-last month. Between end-October last year, when the acquisition of BII was completed, and this March, three directors have resigned.

'This is part of the reforms that the PM is pushing for and it will raise the sense of greater accountability in the boards of government-linked companies,' said a senior adviser to PM Najib who is familiar with the central bank's decision on Maybank.

In March last year, Maybank entered into an agreement to buy a 55 per cent interest in BII from Sorak Financial Holdings, which is majority-owned by Singapore's Temasek Holdings. The Malaysian bank agreed to pay US$1.5 billion (S$2.2 billion) for the stake and then make a tender offer for the remaining 44 per cent for roughly US$1.2 billion.

But the global financial meltdown raised questions over the health of banks in general and reignited criticisms that Maybank was paying too high a price for BII. Maybank's position was further undermined when Indonesia introduced changes to its corporate takeover rules, which called on the Malaysian financial institution to sell down 20 per cent of its holdings in BII within two years of its takeover.

Bankers close to Maybank had argued that the disposal was surely to lead to massive losses.

Faced with the prospect that the deal could adversely hit Maybank and the Malaysian banking system, Bank Negara had revoked its approval for the BII acquisition.

The approval was later reinstated. The deal was finalised after the Temasek-led consortium lowered the purchase price for the transaction by US$220.5 million for the 55 per cent interest in BII.

In Bank Negara's review, which was completed in April this year, it concluded that Maybank's purchase price for BII was too expensive. The central bank also concluded that the Malaysian financial institution did not put in place adequate measures to protect itself in the event that the deal encountered problems, the government officials said.

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ONE YEAR AGO'S REPORT

Temasek comes full circle with BII stake

Early this year, however, Temasek indicated that it was selling its BII stake. Eventually, an agreement to sell the stake to Maybank for US$1.1 billion was announced in March.

Business Times, 11 August 2008

Temasek Holdings’ trouble-plagued bid to sell a stake in Indonesia's PT Bank Internasional Indonesia to Malaysia's Maybank holds a significance beyond the deal itself. More than just a transaction gone awry, it also reflects the changing realities facing the Singapore investment company.

The story of BII in Temasek's portfolio, in fact, says a lot about the shifts in its investment history over the last few years.

It will not be too much of an exaggeration to say that the road to Barclays and Merrill Lynch started with two Indonesian banks in the early 2000s. BII was one of the first major overseas investments by Temasek. Back in 2003, Temasek led a consortium called Sorak Financial Holdings, which also included Kookmin Bank, Barclays and Swiss-based ICB Financial Group Holdings, to clinch ownership of BII after reaching an agreement with the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (Ibra).

Sorak paid 1.9 trillion rupiah (S$380 million at the time) for a 51 per cent stake in BII. The BII acquisition came just after Temasek and Deutsche Bank acquired a 62 per cent stake in another Indonesian lender, Bank Danamon, earlier that year.

Until then, Temasek's major investments had been mostly Singapore-centric. So BII, together with Danamon, marked the start of Temasek's overseas investments, as well as the beginning of its investments in foreign banks. Some questioned the acquisitions at the time, while others saw a political motive (buying the two banks, which were distressed entities restructured for sale by Ibra, was seen as contributing to Indonesia's recovery from the Asian crisis).

But there was also a clear commercial imperative: It was a genuine opportunity to buy financial assets at attractive valuations with the potential for strong returns — a theme that would run through to the present time.

Temasek went on to buy over Barclays and ICB's stakes in BII, and is estimated to have invested at least S$455 million in all in the bank.

Then came one of the regulatory shifts that have become all too familiar to Temasek. New foreign ownership rules under the Indonesian central bank's single presence policy, which takes effect by the end of 2010, meant that Temasek had to reduce its Indonesian bank portfolio by half.

Until late last year, the preferred option seemed to be a merger of BII and Danamon to meet the new rules. BII went as far as to say that it was drafting a proposal to merge with Danamon. The two banks complemented each other, said BII president-director Henry Ho.

Early this year, however, Temasek indicated that it was selling its BII stake. Eventually, an agreement to sell the stake to Maybank for US$1.1 billion was announced in March.

What led to the change of heart? First, it could be reflective of Temasek's growing caution, even disappointment, over the Indonesian market. The regulatory shifts and flip-flops in Indonesia, including that involving Temasek's telco investment Indosat, suggested that reducing its Indonesian exposure might be a prudent option.

At the same time, while the financial sector in Indonesia appeared healthy, critics have charged that it was vulnerable to a sudden reversal of fortunes because of the inflow of hot money into the stock market and the spike, until recently, in international commodity prices.

The second factor might hold some irony. If the path to Barclays and Merrill had started with BII and Danamon, then the decision to sell BII could also be traced to Temasek's push west-wards. Temasek's investments in Barclays and Merrill, beginning last year, signified a new global thrust beyond regional acquisitions.

That meant realigning the portfolio, and raising funds for new investments by disposing of existing assets. There could be one more reason at play: the billions pumped into Barclays and Merrill, while undeniably long-term in nature, are currently sitting on huge paper losses. It would be nice to book a profit somewhere, and the sale of the BII stake to Maybank would have yielded a useful S$1 billion, according to some estimates.

Of course, in the neighbourhood scheme of things, Malaysian central bank Bank Negara put the brakes on the deal last month. Apparently, it was worried that Maybank could suffer losses from overpaying (not unreasonable, given that the price is 4.7 times over book) for BII. It is still unclear how things would pan out, but as it is, it is a setback for Temasek.

It is now forced to revisit its options for BII, including merging it with Danamon. And if Temasek continues to put the BII stake up for sale, it is unlikely to fetch a price as high as the one Maybank was willing to pay, given the circumstances. Another lesson in the realities of investing in the region then. No wonder even ailing US and European banks look so attractive.

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Najib: Deal good for Maybank

New Straits Times, October 2008

Maybank's decision to acquire a controlling stake in PT Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII) was made before the global economic downturn, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said.

Therefore, he said, it was too late for Maybank to back out of the acquisition.

Asked if the move was a good idea considering the current state of the global economy, the deputy prime minister and finance minister said the decision was a commercial one which was up to Maybank to decide on without government intervention.

Najib, however, insisted that the move was still a good one for the country.

"It (Maybank) will own the fifth largest Indonesian bank and become a regional bank," he said at the cabinet's open house at the Putra World Trade Centre on Wednesday.

Maybank shelled out RM4.26 billion for a 55.6 per cent stake in BII on Tuesday.

It was given a RM759 million rebate after the original price was deemed too high given the current economic scenario.

The initial price was more than four times the book value of the bank, resulting in several parties demanding that a new deal, at two to three times the book value, be hammered out.

Maybank stood to forfeit its RM480 million deposit from the original tender if it pulled out of the deal.

The Chinese penchant for Datukships

Image

Chinese towkays and underworld bosses who pay money or serve the interest of Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, etc., always receive a Datukship even if they are slime-balls and scumbags.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

To the lockup: Koay (left) covering his face while being led out of the magistrate’s court with the other accused yesterday.

Where did he get his Datukship?
Wong Chun Wai

He has five previous convictions for theft, firearms offences and corruption, yet he kept his Datukship. Yesterday, Datuk Koay Khay Chye, 52, and five others were charged (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/8/11/courts/4490444&sec=courts) in Penang with trafficking 300kg Erimin pills worth RM20million. They were arrested during a raid on July 28 at Sungai Dua.

The public are left wondering where he got his title from - didn't the state which conferred him the title carry out any vetting with the police and Bank Negara? In the case of Selangor, the palace carries out strict checks before titles are conferred and a website has even been set up for the public to check. It is important that we know where Koay got his title, so upon conviction, the Datukship should be revoked. For that matter, the previous convictions are sufficient grounds for a revocation.

One personality, calling himself a Datuk Setia, in a trade organisation leadership fight, has been telling members that he is a Datuk from Selangor. Checks were made with the palace secretariat and an official has confirmed that he has never received any awards, not even a PJK, from the state.

There must be ways to prevent dubious characters from making such claims. I believe it is a crime. The Conference of Rulers should make a decision to set up websites, like the one set up by Selangor, where the public can scrutinise the list for themselves.

All states should stipulate in the state constitutions the maximum number of Datukships and other awards that would be given out each year. The situation has become so bad that there are perceptions, even allegations, that such awards can be purchased in one or two states.

The endless list of recipients each year has certainly lent credence to such allegations. More often than not, these recipients do not have strong credentials, besides being businessmen. For the record, businessmen create jobs and help increase the country's revenue. The congratulatory advertisements help newspapers earn money for sure but contribution to the state and country must go beyond that.

http://chunwai08.blogspot.com/2009/08/where-did-he-get-his-datukship.html

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Wong Chun Wai, the Group Chief Editor of The Star, appears perplexed as to how crooks and scum-of-the-earth can get Datukships. Surely he, of all people, would know that Datukships can be bought, sometimes up to RM250,000 per Datukship or more.

Those who buy Datukships are mainly Chinese with plenty of money. Malays also do sometimes buy Datukships as well but they need not really pay money for their Datukship. All they need to do is to ‘serve Umno’ and the Datukship will come pretty fast. You see, political parties have a quota for Datukships and this quota is given to ‘loyal’ Umno people or, in the case of MCA, MIC, etc., can be sold on condition that those who wish for a Datukship can slip RM250,000 into the pocket of the President.

Then, of course, we have the Datukships given by the Rulers to their friends and business partners. For all that money you wasted to pay for the Ruler's overseas trips and whatnot you receive a Datukship in return. Sometimes the Rulers also sell these Datukships for RM250,000 or whatever the asking price is nowadays.

First these people crave for money. After they have plenty of money then they crave for prestige. And in Malaysia prestige can be bought. So millionaires who are overflowing with money would not hesitate to spend a mere RM250,000 for a Datukship. That is pittance. In fact, once they get their Datukship they can always make back more than this.

A millionaire Chinese Datuk can throw his weight around and demand government officers do this and that. Most government officers are Malays and therefore very feudalistic in thinking. They get intimidated by someone who is a Datuk, what more if it is a filthy rich Datuk on top of that. So rich Chinese Datuks can get away with murder, sometimes literally as well.

Why is Wong Chun Wai puzzled? I am sure he would know by now how the system works. Chinese towkays and underworld bosses who pay money or serve the interest of Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, etc., always receive a Datukship even if they are slime-balls and scumbags. That is how it works and has always worked from way back,

Hold on! Is not Wong Chun Wai also a Datuk? I hope it is not for…well…you know what.

Selangor to remove executive powers over legislature

By Neville Spykerman - The Malaysian Insider

SHAH ALAM, Aug 11 — The Selangor government is moving towards a clear separation of powers between the state government and the legislature, to avoid what Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders have claimed was executive interference during the Perak power tussle.

Currently, Speaker Teng Chang Khim has limited autonomy over the legislative assembly which is located within the state secretariat and his staff are employees of the state government.

However, this is set to change if the Selangor Legislative Assembly Service Commission Enactment (Selesa) 2009 is passed.

The enactment will put Selangor at par with other developed Commonwealth countries, where there is a clear distinction between the executive – which is the state government, the legislature and judiciary.

Under the Doctrine of Separations of Powers, each of these three organs of state are equal and functions as a check and balance to prevent abuse.

“We hope the new enactment will clearly distinguish the separate roles and functions of the state government and the legislature.” said Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim today while opening a seminar on Selesa here.

A panel of constitutional law experts also shared their views on the draft law with state lawmakers.

The panel included Professor Datuk Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) prominent lawyer Tommy Thomas, and Prof Dr Aziz Bari from the International Islamic University Malaysia.

Under Selesa, a new Legislative Assembly Service Commission will be set up to manage the jurisdiction, finances and staff of the state assembly, independent of the state government.

The commission will be headed by the Speaker and will include the mentri besar, the Opposition Leader as well as between five and six state lawmakers.

Such a commission is modelled after similar institutions in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

Khalid said the views of all parties will be taken into account before Selesa is passed in the legislative assembly.

“We want to be transparent and follow the due process by listening to all parties beforehand.”

In February, Perak was plunged into political crisis after two PKR and one DAP state lawmakers crossed over to Barisan Nasional (BN) which resulted in the collapse of the PR government.

Then Perak Speaker V.Sivakumar attempted a series of moves to prevent what was seen as a power grab but he was hamstrung by his own staff who were acting under orders from the state secretary.

During the assembly sitting on May 7, Sivakumar was removed for the house by police and replaced by BN's R. Ganesan.

Anwar challenges Najib to choose 1 Malaysia or racist propaganda

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani and Shazwan Mustafa Kamal - The Malaysian Insider

PETALING JAYA, August 11 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today challenged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to decide if he wanted the country to be based on his 1 Malaysia concept or one which promoted a racist agenda.

Calling Najib's bluff?... Anwar at an event for Indian members of PKR last month, questioning now if Najib's 1 Malaysia includes everyone. – File picture by Choo Choy May

The Opposition Leader, who has been accused by Umno of being a traitor to the Malays, said that Najib had to stop the race rhetoric being employed against him or risk 1 Malaysia becoming cheap propaganda.

“On the one hand Datuk Seri Najib talks about 1 Malaysia but at the same time Umno media and supporters were instructed to play up the issue of Malay interests and that I am a traitor to the Malays,” he said.

Umno leaders and Utusan Malaysia have become more strident in their remarks in what is a palpable attempt to shore up its position as the defender of Malay interests.

The DAP has been the subject of heavy bombardment of late, with Umno and Utusan accusing the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) party of being anti-Malay and anti-Malay rulers.

Last week, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also accused Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of being a traitor of the Malays, and despite the threat of a RM100 million lawsuit, the deputy Umno president has refused to retract his remarks or apologise. Anwar said today he had no interest in participating in a personal dispute with the deputy prime minister and wanted to instead engage in terms of policies.

He said that this was not the first time that Umno had tried to target him and believes that this new attempt to discredit him is clear evidence that Umno was desperate.

“I did not surrender billions of ringgit worth of property to big gaming tycoons, mountains and hills and islands. I did not take Bumiputera shares and contracts to enrich my family. Let Umno leaders therefore explain,” he said.

Anwar stressed that the issue of his alleged betrayal would not derail him from fighting for the poor Malays and against the Malay leaders who are “exorbitantly wealthy and use racial issues to protect their interests.”

“UMNO’s continued betrayal of the people goes on with scandals of misappropriation of public funds in the name of weapons commission, abuse of contracts and licenses which were meant for Bumiputeras but subsequently usurped by Umno’s families and cronies,” he said.

Anwar explained that Pakatan Rakyat and its leaders are committed to upholding the basic principles under the Federal Constitution which includes Islam’s position as the official religion of Malaysia, as well as the rights and privileges of the Malays and other races.

“We will remain steadfast in our commitment to build a united Malaysia for Malays, Chinese and Indians. I don’t want this new wave of attacks to deflect attention which exposes the true characters of Umno leaders,” he said.

Anwar was also bewildered as to why Umno had been adamant in labelling him a traitor and wondered if Umno was trying deflect public attention from the real issues.

“What is the intention of playing this up? Was it because of my presence at Teoh Beng Hock’s funeral? Or my exposing of the massive corruption of PKFZ, land scandals, billions of shares squandered by Umno leaders. “They should have answered these questions instead of resorting to such a slanderous and racist propaganda,” he said.

Anwar also told reporters that Umno’s slanderous accusations has left his personal security in jeopardy and will hold Umno responsible if anything happened to his family.

PAS won’t be lured into leaving Pakatan, affirms Nik Aziz

KOTA BARU, Aug 11 — PAS will not entertain any of Umno’s call for PAS to leave the opposition pact, its spiritual leader, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said today.

He said PAS would not be influenced by others in determining its stand on its existing relationship with the DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

Nik Abdul Aziz, who is also Kelantan mentri besar, said this when asked to comment on the call by Umno Youth for PAS to quit the opposition pact following polemics among its partners.

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin had also urged PAS to leave the opposition pact, saying the party was no longer respected by the DAP.

Nik Aziz said PAS’ decision to stay in the pact had been agreed upon at the party’s assembly in Ipoh, last year. – Bernama

As I see it

By Hussein Hamid
steadyaku47

The past:

Big win gives Malaysia’s Abdullah mandate

The 2004 elections won by Barisaan’s Nasional was the biggest for any Political Party in Malaysian history. With a parliamentary majority of over two thirds, the multi ethnic Barisan Nasional coalition that UMNO heads can pass law uncontested. This success was matched in polls for the state assemblies with Barisan winning 12 of the 13 states.

This puts to rest the challenge of PAS in the Malay heartland states in the North and seemed to wipe out Keadilan.

Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, faced a recount in her seat, which was once occupied by her husband Anwar Ibrahim who is now serving a 15-year jail term for sodomy and abuse of power, and the party looked unlikely to win any other seats.

Current realities:

The Star said it all with its headlines “MALAYSIA DECIDES” a prophetic announcement of things to come. These Newspaper headlines confirms the realities.

  • Malaysia’s ruling coalition suffers stunning blow.
  • Anwar’s daughter, jailed activist among shock Malaysia winners.
  • Polls deal stunning rebuke to Barisan
  • Malaysian PM’s future bleak after poll shock.
  • Barisan loses two thirds majority.
  • Malaysian opposition claims Selangor.
  • Malaysian opposition claims Penang.
  • Malaysian Opposition claims Perak.
  • Malaysian opposition claims Kedah.
  • PAS claims Kelantan State.

    The Future:

    (as I see it).

    The 2012 General Elections won by Pakatan Rakyat meant that for the first time in 60 years the Coalition of Barisan Nasional headed by UMNO was ousted from power. The overwhelming Parliamentary majority of 70% obtained by the Pakatan Rakyat in Parliament was the culmination of its efforts that begun in the 2004 election where it had then managed to show a respectable result by gaining control of five states from Barisan. However Barisan under Najib’s leadership manage to get back Perak by engineering defections from within the ranks of Pakatan Rakyat. In State election held a year later Pakatan Rakyat took back control of the State with an overwhelming majority ensuring a return to the status quo as at the General Elections.

    The period between the 2008 and 2012 was marked with the gradual erosion of popular support for the Barisan Nasional as manifested in the victory by the then opposition in numerous by elections held. Efforts were made by Barisan to stem this tide by changing its leader Najib for Mayuddin mid stream in 2010 but this had instead resulted in a steady flow of UMNO stalwarts to Pakatan Rakyat as those within UMNO sought to mend fences with their previous leader Anwar Ibrhim and transfer alliances to Pakatan Rakyat in a bid to keep onside with the
    change of fortunes in Malaysian Politics.

    These results brings into play a new dynamics of Politics without the racial divide, leaders within Pakatan Rakyat who are multi ethnic and unencumbered by the baggage of alliances formed through the convenience of money politics and vested interest. It will be interesting to see how this will be reflected in the days to come – in their choice of Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers and other appointments necessary for them to form the next Government.

    That my friends would be the scenarios of the next General Elections if we keep our faith with Pakatan Rakyat. Let us not lose our nerve. Let us not allow racial politics to come in between us and allow UMNO to divide and rule and most critical let common sense guide our aspirations for a Malaysia for all Malaysians.

Kenyataan Media: Menjawab Fitnah Isu Pengkhianatan

—KENYATAAN MEDIA UNTUK EDARAN SEGERA—
Petaling Jaya, 11 Ogos 2009

Pimpinan UMNO dan konco-konco mereka memintal propaganda yang memanipulasi simbol-simbol tentang bangsa, agama dan raja dengan hasrat agar pemikiran rakyat kembali sempit dan mundur. Ini bukanlah kali pertama saya menjadi sasaran di dalam isu pengkhianatan ini. Mereka telah mencuba puluhan kali sebelumnya. Usaha terbaru dengan menghebahkan isu pengkhianatan ini jelas menjadi petanda mereka kian terdesak.

Saya tidak berhasrat untuk terjebak di dalam pertikaian peribadi dengan Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Saya akan hanya berhujah dari sudut dasar. Perlu saya tekankan pandangan saya dan Pakatan Rakyat jelas walaupun tidak disiarkan oleh media milik UMNO. Kenyataan Majlis Pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat yang ditandatangani oleh YB Tuan Guru Hj Abdul Hadi Awang, YB Lim Kit Siang dan saya sendiri pada mesyuarat 8 September 2008, menegaskan komitmen kami menjunjung prinsip-prinsip dasar yang termaktub di bawah Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Ini termasuk soal-soal dasar seperti kedudukan Islam sebagai Agama Persekutuan, kedaulatan Bahasa Melayu sebagai Bahasa Kebangsaan dan mempertahankan hak bahasa ibunda, kedudukan dan kedaulatan Institusi Raja-Raja Melayu serta kedudukan hak-hak istimewa orang Melayu dan Bumiputera serta hak-hak semua kaum yang telah dijamin oleh Perlembagaan.

Kita menyakini mempunyai hujah-hujah yang cerah dan jitu untuk menangani politik kebencian pimpinan UMNO yang memperolok simbol-simbol bangsa, agama dan raja, semata-mata untuk mengekalkan kekuasaan dan menutup pekong rasuah, jenayah dan penyalahgunaan kuasa.

Pengkhianatan amanah rakyat oleh pimpinan UMNO berterusan dengan skandal penyelewengan dana awam berbillion ringgit di atas nama komisen pembelian senjata, mengaut saham, kontrak dan lesen yang diperuntukkan untuk bumiputera tetapi dikaut oleh keluarga serta kroni mereka.

Kita juga tidak lupa bahawa pimpinan UMNO-lah yang menghina institusi Raja-Raja Melayu pada tahun 1983 dan 1993. Malahan mereka menghina Islam dengan memperbanyakkan lesen perjudian serta menggadai gunung dan bukit kepada tauke-tauke judi terbabit. Hatta pentadbiran UMNO sanggup menggadai kepentingan petani dan peraih kecil Melayu dengan menjual saham Bernas kepada syarikat asing.

ANWAR IBRAHIM
Ketua Pembangkang
Dewan Rakyat

——————————————————————————————————–

PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 11, 2009

UMNO leadership is vigorously spreading propaganda that manipulates symbols of race, religion and royalty with the intention of perpetuating narrow-minded views on communal relations.

This is not the first time that I have become been branded a Malay traitor. There have been many similar attempts in the past and this latest effort is a clear indication of UMNO’s increasing level of desperation.

I have no intention of being drawn into a personal dispute with Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiuddin Yassin. I only intend to respond to this issue based on facts and principles. It is important for me to stress that my views and Pakatan Rakyat’s position is very clear despite not being covered in the UMNO controlled mainstream media.

The statement by the Pakatan Rakyat leadership signed by Tuan Guru Haji Hadi Awang, YB Lim Kit Siang and myself on 8th September 2008 clearly states Pakatan Rakyat’s commitment to upholding the principles enshrined in the Federal Constitution. These include the status of Islam as the Federal Religion, Bahasa Melayu as the National Language, while allowing for the use of other languages, the sovereignty of the institution of the Malay Rulers, the special rights for Malays and Bumiputeras and the rights of all other races as guaranteed by the Constitution.

We strongly believe we have clear and principled arguments to refute the politics of race and hatred of UMNO leaders who abuse symbols of race, religion and royalty simply to retain power and to conceal their own crimes, corruption and abuses of power.

Betrayal of people’s trust by UMNO leadership continues with the squandering of billions of Ringgit of public funds to pay huge commissions related to military procurements, and appropriation of shares, contracts and licenses that have been allocated for Bumiputeras but have instead been diverted to the families and cronies of the UMNO leadership.

We must not forget that it was UMNO leadership that affronted the institution of the Malay Rulers in 1983 and 1993. And they were also the ones who scorned Islam by issuing additional gambling licenses and selling the nation’s mountains, hills and islands to the same gambling tycoons. The UMNO administration is willing to pawn off the interests of the farmers and Malay small traders by selling Bernas shares to foreign companies.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

LEADER OF OPPOSITION

DEWAN RAKYAT MALAYSIA

Laws Should Not Be Politicised - Raja Nazrin

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- The Raja Muda of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah said laws should be upheld as a means for arbitration and must not be politicised.

"It will be dangerous for the country if the laws and enforcement of the laws are compromised as people would take the laws into their own hands based on emotions, sentiments and passion.

"Or when a law is only accepted and respected if it gives advantage to oneself or one's group, but it's rejected if the decision favours the opposing side," he said in his speech at the third session of Universiti Malaya's (UM) 2009 convocation ceremony, here, Tuesday.

Raja Nazrin Shah said laws that were influenced by political considerations if not firmly and effectively controlled, would destroy the existing system of nationhood and taken over by the "law of the jungle" system that would allow the weak to be the prey of the mighty.

"Sometimes the sovereignty of the law is defined based on emotions to suit the needs of a certain group, and is therefore not a fair, truthful, accurate and brave definition guided by legal principles.

"Hence, there emerge practices that are in contradiction with the spirit of fair governance, resulting in abuse of power, misappropriation, bribery and oppression.

"The people, on the other hand, will not only disrespect the law but will also provocatively challenge it to create disturbance and chaos so that the legitimate government cannot function effectively.

"As citizens, they need to be wary of such incidents that are purposely created with a hidden agenda.

"A wise citizen needs to weigh the arising issues and political tactics used in terms of consistency in voicing out the issues and the struggle, so that the country remains peaceful and stable as chaos will adversely affect the country's productivity and in the end, the people will suffer."

He said the criteria for formulating, abolishing or amending a law must be based on national interest and security, as well as the people's interest.

Raja Nazrin, who is UM pro-chancellor, also reminded that UM's task as a premier higher learning institution was just not to churn out degrees, but also to check any undesirable academic practices which could tarnish the country's oldest university's good name.

"The guilty should not be protected. There should be no compromise in upholding the integrity, reputation and good name of the university. If there is compromise, then the university has sacrificed its quality of education.

"If it does happen, then the reputation of UM's graduands will be affected and bring shame to the thousands who have graduated from the university.

"UM will have to pay a heavy price as its standing will drop.

"Those involved in activities which tarnish the university's reputation and integrity should be told to desist, while the university must immediately take stern action," Raja Nazrin said.

The five-day convocation which ends Saturday will see 6,863 graduands receiving their scrolls.