HINDRAF 18 Point Demand Prayers at Kerala & Tamil Nadu ( Anuman Temple - Sushinthiram & Flag In Kanyakumari Temple) by HINDRAF/HRP PERAK.
HINDRAF/HRP PERAK led by Perak Chief P.Ramesh, N.Subra, D.Nagen, K.Nages, S.Basker, C.Veera, G.Shanmugam and S.Jeyakumar prayed for the UMNO regime to accept HINDRAF 18point demand.
“Valga HINDRAF Makkal Sakthi”
“Valga HRP Manitha Urimai”
S.JAYATHAS.
HRP Information Chief
Kulim Bandar Bharu MP, Zul Noordin claims 'little Pharoas' in PKR are setting him for a fall. - Picture by Jack Ooi
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 — Kulim Bandar Bharu MP Zulkifli Noordin today claimed that several PKR leaders were trying to stop him from attending disciplinary proceedings by setting dates that coincide with his travels.
He said the hearing dates of Feb 18 or 23 were set to coincide with his trip to Korea, which was coordinated by the party.
“I am willing to face the PKR disciplinary committee to defend my stand on the use of the word Allah,” said Zulkifli.
“However, according to the notice, the disciplinary committee board will meet on Feb 18 or alternatively Feb 23. I wonder why they chose the dates, when PKR knew that I will be in Korea during that period to attend International Leadership Conference with other MPs,” he said reading from a prepared statement.
He is scheduled to leave for Korea later today and will return on Feb 25.
Zulkifli also predicted that he will be expelled from the party due to his absence from the disciplinary proceedings.
“Looking from the statements made by various people in the leadership, I believe the decision has been made,” said the first term MP citing statements made by PKR vice-president Azmin Ali, supreme council members Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and Tian Chua who called for his expulsion.
He added that certain leaders he called ‘little Pharoahs’ are so adamant in wanting him to leave the party.
Zulkifli was referred to the disciplinary committe for lodging a police report agains PAS’s Khalid Samad over the “Allah” row.
Today Zulkifli also alleged that Zaid has not been served with notice by the disciplinary committee.
“I doubt the independence and the integrity of the disciplinary committee,” he said.
“I was informed by sources within the PKR, no show-cause letter was issued and no disciplinary proceedings will be held for Wee Choo Keong and Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, the statements made were merely political rhetoric,” said Zulkifli.
Zaid was referred to the disciplinary committee for criticising the party for not taking immediate action against Zulkifli.
“PKR does not have the intention to take disciplinary action against them, they are cronies to the leadership,” he added.
On whether he will leave the party, Zulkifli reiterated his stand that he will keep the option.
“There is nothing unusual with leaving or joining a party,” he said.
Last Friday Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim quit PKR to become Independent.
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) now has 81 seats in 222-member Parliament while Barisan Nasional (BN) controls 137, Sabah-based SAPP, two, and two Independents.
Kelantan will not organise a procession to commemorate Prophet Muhammad's birthday this year. - Reuters pic
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 — Kelantan will not hold Prophet Muhammad’s birthday procession this year despite criticisms by several Umno leaders who accused another Pakatan Rakyat state, Penang, as anti-Islam for allegedly planning to cancel the event.
Most Muslim nations celebrate the Prophet’s birthday with a procession after prayers. Saudi Arabia, which practices an austere form of Islam, does not celebrate the event.
“We are not organising any procession just like before, but of course there will be processions in mosques throughout the state, organised by the people to express their love for the Prophet,” said Kelantan Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yaakob.
“Officially, there will be no government-sponsored procession, instead we will have a religious lecture at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium on Feb 25, followed by special prayers,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
Malay daily Utusan Malaysia last week reported that the Penang government was planning to cancel this year’s procession which invited criticisms from Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Badawi.
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng later denied that the state was planning to cancel the procession, accusing the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia as lying.
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin then uploaded on his personal website, www.rembau.net a scanned copy of one letter that bore the letterhead of the state secretariat which showed that they had decided on Feb 5 to cancel the procession.
The Rembau MP also demanded explanation from Lim and asked the DAP secretary-general to verify the authenticity of the letter.
However the Penang government claimed that the scanned copies of such letters were merely new ideas outlined by government officials.
“The procession is not compulsory, Muslims can choose to do it or not, but most importantly they have to strictly adhere to the Prophet’s teachings,” said Ahmad.
“And it was never practiced during the Prophet’s time,” he added.
PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar also questioned the sincerity of the Malay daily when it raised the matter.
“In Kedah, there has been no procession since the time Umno ruled the state, I did not hear Tun Abdullah Badawi questioning Datuk Seri Mahadzir Khalid’s move to cancel the procession,” said the Pokok Sena MP, adding that the procession is not compulsory in Islam.
The alleged cancellation of Prophet’s birthday procession in Penang is seen as a sensitive issue by some Malay groups.
In 1964, a racial riot broke out during the procession in the Chinese-majority Singapore, then part of Malaysia.
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 — The unprecedented near defeat of the Barisan Nasional’s Budget 2010 last December has prompted the BN Back Benchers Club (BNBBC) to study a recommendation to abolish the quorum and voting by division requirements in Parliament.
The back benchers feel both requirements are being used by the unusually strong Opposition bench of 81 Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers to delay the approval of legislation such as the DNA 2008 Bill, or rejecting the federal budget last Dec 14.
“The BNBBC has formed a committee to study the issues... and a few legal experts are also helping us. Once the study is ready, we will forward it to the Dewan Rakyat Speaker for his consideration,” BNBBC deputy chairman Datuk Bung Moktar Radin (picture) told The Malaysian Insider in an interview.
If found practical, the Speaker can submit it to the Cabinet and then debate it in the Dewan Rakyat for approval, he added.
Asked if the proposed abolition of quorum was practical, Bung Moktar said the backbencher felt it can be implemented easily although the Dewan Rakyat had inherited the practice from the United Kingdom. The Dewan Rakyat quorum has not changed from the time of Merdeka, maintained at 26 or half of the original 52 seats in the 1955 legislative election.
The Dewan Rakyat has expanded over the years and now has 222 seats, with the BN controlling 137 which is short of a two-thirds majority following major defeats in Election 2008. The Pakatan Rakyat pact of PKR, DAP and PAS, which includes a PSM member, also lost their former Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohd Hashim last Friday when he quit PKR to be an Independent.
Zahrain will join the other Independent, Pasir Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali who stood on a PAS ticket in Election 2008. Another two MPs are from SAPP, which quit the BN coalition last September.
“In the United States and several European countries, the parliament operates without a quorum... even a solitary member can debate as long as the Speaker chairs it.
“So, we feel there is no need for a quorum as we can do it our own way. This is the same as division voting which is sometimes abused by the Opposition to delay approving legislation,” said the outspoken Kinabatangan MP.
Apart from the quorum of 26 MPs, the Dewan Rakyat meeting rules require 15 MPs to hold voting by division where votes are by a show of hands that are counted rather than voice.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz had previously told The Malaysian Insider that parliament was studying proposals for select committees to discuss Bills earlier to avoid issues of a lack of quorum or absent MPs.
This was among several ideas proposed to reform the parliament when Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became prime minister in October 2003.The ideas became crucial when the Budget 2010 was nearly defeated at its third reading on Dec 14.
Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who succeeded Abdullah last April, had to rush in to ensure the Budget was approved in the late night of voting where it went 66-63 in BN’s favour. Nearly 100 MPs, including 70 from BN, were absent when the vote was called.
Bung Moktar said the episode showed that the Opposition must play their role to ensure there was quorum during parliamentary meetings.
“If the quorum is not enough, the Dewan Rakyat cannot sit. As they now have more representatives in the Dewan Rakyat, they must play an equal role and not leave it to the BN only,” he said, calling on his political foes to be present in Parliament.
He also said the BNBBC was also looking into the issue of motions tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.
“The current practice is that the Speaker has the power to refuse any motions if there is an earlier motion submitted to his office earlier.
“We want to ask for a new provision where the Speaker can choose the motion that is important, not based on who had submitted it first,” Bung Mokhtar said.
Analysts feel that Datuk Ibrahim Ali's political relevance is questionable. - Picture by Jack Ooi
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 — Malay rights group Perkasa is growing in popularity among the community with its rhetoric but analysts and politicians differ about its actual purpose in a country where Malays dominate the government.
Its founder, seasoned grassroots politician Datuk Ibrahim Ali claimed that Perkasa has been seen by the Malay grassroots as the substitute platform to champion what they feel as eroding Malay rights despite being the dominant race in the country.
Critics however slam the newly-minted right-wing group of being “ultras” pushing their own agenda to ensure that the long-standing practice of communal-based political hierarchy remains. Ibrahim has dismissed the critics as “liberals” threatened and jealous of Perkasa’s surging popularity.
“Perkasa is now a brand every Malays talk about but many have attacked us, calling us a racist group and conservative hardliners because of what we fight for,” said Ibrahim.
But analysts say otherwise.
“I don’t know that he (Ibrahim) is fighting for. This guy is confused, what he is doing right now is trying to fan racial sentiments, although we cannot argue that he has a fundamental right to organise a group,” said Professor Dr Abdul Aziz Bari, a constitutional law expert with the International Islamic University (IIU) in Kuala Lumpur.
Abdul Aziz conceded the law does not prohibit Ibrahim from setting up or recruiting more members for Perkasa’s cause but his main concern is the reasoning behind Perkasa’s “struggle.”
“The thing is, Malay rights have always been outlined, stated and guaranteed clearly by the Federal Constitution. I don’t see any logic in Perkasa’s rhetoric about protecting the Malays. The constitution has already provided a space for Malay rights, and it is never challenged.
“If there’s still dissatisfaction or unhappiness after all these years, then Perkasa’s target should be the government, where Umno, those in power have failed. Ibrahim should set his guns on Umno then,” Abdul Aziz told The Malaysian Insider in a phone interview.
According to the law academic, Malays have never been in danger of losing their rights or position as the legal provision for that cannot be amended.
He also noted that many people are unaware or ignorant of these issues, therefore giving Perkasa the ammunition it needs to propel support for its agenda.
“Frankly, I think this is an opportunity to keep Ibrahm afloat or politically relevant. I’m not sure whether he can retain his seat in the next general elections,” he added.
Abdul Aziz believed that Perkasa’s frontline stand on racial issues have made things very political, citing involving the Sultan of Selangor in officiating the group a bad move on its part.
“It is unfortunate to bring the Ruler in this situation. The Monarchy is retained to accomplish certain purposes and for all races. The Monarchy has to be above politics,” he declared.
PAS chief strategist Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad firmly believes that Perkasa is a vehicle for the extremist Umno members and is undermining Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia concept.
“Najib has to take on Umno if he does not want Malaysia to be destabilised, he has to take on this hardline Malay issue. His silence on Perkasa’s role is not good because if Najib identifies with Perkasa’s political initiatives, his 1 Malaysia is finished,” Dzulkefly told The Malaysian Insider.
He also criticised Perkasa’s mission, dismissing it as having nothing to do with the concept of nation-building and merely “championing the rights of one race.’
When asked about Perkasa’s growing popularity, Dzulkefly argued that Perkasa is giving people a false perception that it was gaining support when in truth it was only preaching to the converted.
“This is a false perception that Perkasa is trying to paint, that they are somehow mobilising support. You are only talking to your own people, your supporters who are a minute minority within the Malay population who do not agree to Perkasa’s aims.
“The Umno members in Perkasa, they are still caught in the backward Umno politics of the past. The system has now shifted, it rejects racist politics.
“However, credit must be given when its due. Politicians within Umno like Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, and yes even Khairy Jamaluddin have spoken out against these kind of racist elements,” said the Kuala Selangor MP.
Selangor opposition leader and former state Umno chief Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo however maintained that Perkasa is relevant as it “has its own role to play,” but at the same time stated that it cannot be compared to Umno’s struggles.
“I think Perkasa is doing its job well, but you cannot compare it with Umno, Umno has its own principle. In Barisan National we need to learn how to give and take, how to take care of our component parties,” said the former Selangor Mentri Besar.
According to the politician, Perkasa, like many Chinese and Indian NGOs, is only pushing for Malay rights, and there no should be no cause for alarm because of that.
“There is nothing wrong with Perkasa. They are fighting for their own community needs, like so many other race-based NGOs.
“If there are no NGOs championing for the rights of the races, then we would have a real problem,” the Umno leader said.
Khir was the only one warm to Perkasa’s aims.
Professor Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, a political analyst with UKM said that there are no real figures to verify Perkasa’s supposed growth in popularity, and refuted that anyone should even take its president seriously.
“Who listens to Ibrahim Ali outside his family, friends and supporters in his constituency? Maybe, just maybe, there are sympathisers to his opinions, but they are just listeners.
“Those who take him seriously and feel threatened by him, who is just a court jester in Malay politics, must be themselves seriously very insecure personalities,” said Shamsul through a text message to The Malaysian Insider.
The politicial analyst claims that Ibrahim has also confused the meanings of “liberal” and “traditional” in reference to the Independent MP’s recent outburst against critics of Perkasa.
“In the past, Ibrahim Ali usually used terms, such as ‘liberal’ and ‘traditional’ in his rather simplistic literal sense to mean “liberal=not loyal” and “traditional=loyal.
“I don’t know why I am spending so much my valuable time on this ‘accidental politician’,” Shamsul Amri said.
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders appear confident with the prospect of more defections, saying the relationship between the coalition has gone beyond just the national leadership that led to its historic wins in Election 2008.
Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohd Hashim quit PKR in a huff last Friday and there is growing speculation that more will follow his footstep. PR and PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will return to Penang today to assure the grassroots that an exodus will not happen and PKR remains strong.
PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar (picture) however maintained that defections of PR lawmakers will not change the way the coalition operates.
“It will be the same, in our decision making process we decide based on consensus, there is no such thing as reducing the role of any party,” Mahfuz told The Malaysian Insider when asked if defections of more PKR MPs would affect the party’s influence in the three-party coalition.
Public disagreements among PR leaders over various issues, has occurred several times since Election 2008, most notably the attempt by PAS leadership in Selangor to ban the sale of alcohol of Muslim majority areas which was opposed by DAP.
That issue was resolved following the intervention of Anwar. Zahrain, who was close to Anwar, however quit after a spat with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng over a public tender award where he accused the DAP secretary-general of being a “dictator, a chauvinist and communist-minded”.
“There will be no problem for Pakatan if the number of MPs are reduced, no one party can dominate Pakatan, and Pas has always been generous towards its political partners,” said Mahfuz.
He added that the current crisis faced by PKR would strengthen the party in the long term.
“I don’t see how the attacks will weaken PKR or Pakatan, this is a cleansing process for us,” said Mahfuz.
Zahrain’s move to be an Independent last week has reduced PKR to just 30 MPs, while DAP has 28 and Pas 23.
Barisan Nasional (BN) now controls 137 seats, Sabah-based SAPP, two and Independents, two.
Five more PKR MPs is said to be planning to leave the party, which would reduce the party’s dominance in PR.
“Pas had gone through the same experience, our past leaders, (former president) Datuk Asri Muda then (former vice-president) Nakhaie Ahmad left the us, but it did not stop the party from moving forward,” said Mahfuz.
Since Election 2008, five PKR assemblymen have quit the party. The first PKR federal lawmakaer to quit, Zahrain announced his decision on Friday, citing disappointment with the party and a loss of faith with Opposition Leader Anwar.
DAP’s Liew Chin Tong said the issue of how the role of the parties in PR would be affected by the defections as a “pre-March 8 question”.
“Before March 8, the role of Anwar was to bring the parties together, but now direct cooperation has been established, secondly Anwar also started speaking across racial lines, speaking on same issues to every racial group, but now you can see that Nizar has been doing it, and Lim Guan Eng too,” said the Bukit Bendera MP.
“Now those who support Pakatan, want to see Pakatan as a team contesting against BN,” Liew told The Malaysian Insider.
(Harakah Daily) - Mohd Lokman Ghani, Pegawai Khas bagi Ahli Parlimen Gua Musang, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah semalam secara terbuka mempertikai tindak-tanduk Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin kerana tidak menghormati pendirian veteran Umno Kelantan itu menyertai suatu forum isu royalti minyak penghujung bulan lepas.
Kritikan tersebut selepas Tengku Razaleigh atau Ku Li sendiri menyatakan kesediaan untuk menghadapi tindakan disiplin Umno sekiranya dianggap menyalahi perlembagaan parti perkauman tersebut, sebagaimana yang dibangkitkan oleh beberapa pemimpin Umno negeri dan nasional sebelum ini.
(Harakah Daily) - “Tidak cukup dengan sambut maulud setahun sekali, berarak, angkat sepanduk, berselawat, dalam masa yang sama kita tengok di hadapan mata kita, hukum-hukum Islam, perintah Allah Taala tidak diamalkan,” kata Presiden PAS, Datuk Seri Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang.
Wong Choon Mei, Harakah
Infighting and unease in Umno has intensified following the arrest of a political secretary to a senior Cabinet minister, sparking questions about Prime Minister Najib Razak's grip on his embattled party and consequently the stability of his year-old administration.
Not only is the 57-year old leader dogged by personal scandal, warlords in the fragmented Umno are said to be discontented and once again openly on the lookout for their own interests. Privately, the buzz is that the party is disappointed that after 11 months in power, Najib has failed to bolster crucial voter support, nor is he likely to do so going forward.
“Basically, there are two main conspiracy theories going around town. Which is the more probable depends on which of the three main factions in Umno that you belong to,” a veteran party watcher told Harakahdaily on the condition of anonymity.
“One theory is that Najib is fighting back against his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin and Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The second is that Najib wants to squash Khairy Jamaluddin, the Umno Youth chief, before he becomes too successful in his own plots to topple Najib.”
Quicksand politics
Indeed, Umno politics is complex and often a vipers pit of corruption where loyalties switch at the blink of an eye. After passing the premiership to Abdullah Badawi in 2003, it did not take long for a jealous Mahathir to U-turn on his initial praises and launch attack after attack to destabilize his successor's administration..
Abdullah was finally forced to surrender the top job to Najib in 2009, and among key conditions for the power transfer was that his son-in-law Khairy became the head of Umno Youth, while Muhyiddin got the deputy-presidency and Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi the No. 3 spot.
In the latest graft scandal to rock Umno and the nation, Hasbie Satar the political secretary to Nor Mohamad Yakcop, the minister in charge of the Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister's Department, resigned a day after news broke that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission had made a high-profile arrest.
Without naming who, the MACC had on Sunday confirmed they arrested a political aide after finding him with more than RM2 million cash at a flat in Penang. It was also reported that the aide was under probe since late last year due to allegations of having amassed several properties by helping business groups secure government approval for multi-million ringgit projects.
A short one-paragraph statement issued by the ministry on Monday did not offer any reasons or details but the spin from the Umno media is that Najib wanted to show that he is serious about weeding out corruption. Nevertheless, few Malaysians are convinced by the alleged show of altruism from their prime minister.
“Whether it was Hasbie or if he acted on his own - with or without the knowledge of his boss - is not at heart of the debate taking place.The speculation is on who his boss is linked to," said the political watcher.
"Some favour the first theory because they see Nor Mohamed as a Mahathir man. Nor Mohamed was the brains behind Mahathir's capital controls in 1998. So the question being asked is – has Najib begun his move to come out from under Mahathir's thumb?
“Yet others say Nor Mohamed is no longer that close to Mahathir and has become aligned to Pak Lah and Khairy. Remember he was a very powerful Second Finance Minister in the Abdullah administration and his first political secretary was Norza Zakaria, who is a Khairy man. So is Najib trying to purge Khairy?”
The Zahid factor
Norza – the FT Umno Youth chief - was arrested in January 2009 for offering bribes to voting delegates ahead of the party’s election in March the same year. He has pleaded not guilty and was released on bail pending investigations.
Mahathir has made no secret of the fact that he detests Khairy even more than Abdullah. Just weeks ago, the 85-year old former Umno president was accused of instigating a move to oust Khairy as the Youth chief. Mahathir’s son Mukhriz – the deputy international trade minister – is also seen as eager to head the wing.
Meanwhile,Zahid has also entered the fray. Once regarded as a Najib loyalist, he is now believed to part of the movement to topple Najib.
But it is still unclear if Zahid has thrown in his lot with Muhyiddin and Mahathir or with the 34-year old Khairy. As the senior-most vice president, he stands to be promoted immediately to both the Umno deputy-presidency and the deputy premiership if Najib is ousted in a power struggle.
“It is hard to say for sure which camp Zahid is currently with. And it doesn’t really matter because at this stage, their common priority is to seize control of Umno now when it is weak and fragmented,” the Umno observer said.
“Once Najib surrenders to Muhyiddin, who as the current No. 2 is next in line to inherit the Umno presidency and premiership, Zahid can switch out of KJ’s camp and into Muhyiddin's. For him, what’s important is that he gets to assume the deputy presidency which would also make him the country’s Deputy Prime Minister.
“As for Khairy, he will have to look after himself. But he is still young, whereas Mahathir is not. In politics, as long as time is on your side, you have a chance to win. It is indeed a dirty game and what more in Umno – which already has a reputation of being one of the most corrupt political parties in the region.”
Scandals galore
In the past few months, Zahid has raised eyebrows by revealing several incidences of high-level corruption and security breaches at the Defence Ministry when Najib was in charge.
One such incident was the astonishing theft of two fighter jet engines from right under the nose of top military and immigration personnel. And just last week, Zahid revealed that the nation’s first submarine – one of two costly Scorpenes ordered by Najib in 2006 and delivered by French shipyard Armaris in 2009 – could not dive due to a technical problem.
Also related to the controversial Scorpenes purchase, Najib’s close associate Razak Baginda had been accused of accepting a whopping RM540 million commission from Armaris. Furthermore, Baginda was charged with abetting two former bodyguards of Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor in the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Although Baginda has since been acquitted, speculations remains rife that he – together with the first couple – had been involved as the two bodyguards did not know Altantuya and could not have any motive of their own to kill her.
Najib has also been blamed for driving away key Chinese votes from the BN by staging an unpopular coup d'etat in Perak last year. To help him cling to power there, the country's judiciary has been plunged into infamy for questionable rulings that have been ridiculed by constitutional experts throughout the Commonwealth, which shares Malaysia's legal history.
More recently, Najib's weak handling of the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims sparked a spate of violence against places of worship throughout the country and created serious rifts in Malaysia's multi-racial society, attracting a reprimand from international bodies including the World Council of Churches.
No less messy was his insistence to push through a sodomy trial against arch rival Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim that has been widely condemned as rigged and politically motivated. Among the groups that have condemned his 'persecution' of Anwar are the U.N. Human Rights Commission, Amnesty International and scores of Australian lawmakers, who tendered a joint letter of protest to the Malaysian High Commission last week. There is a large population of Malaysian students and workers in Australia.
I hereby write this email to whomever it may concern regarding my frustrations and disbelief on how policemen conduct their duty and how they simply catch and accuse people of being criminals. This incident happened to my little brother.
By Syed Khairuzman Syed Zain
Date : 12hb Feb, 2010
Time : 10.15pm
Place : Star LRT Sentul Station
Complete details:
1) My brother, age 18, just finished his SPM last year. He was on his way back from Kuala Lumpur and rang my dad to pick him up at the Star LRT Sentul Station.
2) He arrived at the station at around 10pm and as usual, sat on the railing in front of the station by the roadside waiting for my dad to come.3) As he was sitting and listening to music through his ear phones, suddenly a white van came up and stopped in front of him. Four men with normal clothes came out and approached my brother and immediately grabbed his arm.
4) He started to panic and began to struggle to break free while shouting and calling for help. He thought he was about to be kidnapped.
5) All four of those unknown men failed to show any police identity or prove to my brother that they were policemen.
6) Because of that, my brother continued to struggle. He was beaten up, dragged across the road into the white van and handcuffed.
7) Inside the van, he got beaten up like a dog, hit in the stomach and ribs, kicked, and his face sat on.
8) For your information, my brother is a member of the Police Cadets in his former secondary school. He was always ready to face unexpected situations like this, and therefore forced him to react in such a way.
9) My dad himself always advised him to stay alert and keep away from unknown strangers when he is out alone in the city, especially at night.
10) My brother thought that all four men that grabbed him were criminals or child kidnappers. Therefore, he was forced to struggle to break free, even inside the van.
11) My dad arrived at the Star station at around 10.15pm to find my brother wasn't there. He started to get worried and called my brother several times but there was no answer. Of course not, he was being handcuffed. As he begged for the men to answer his phone, they refused and continued to beat him up. My dad continued to call until finally one of the men picked up the phone and told my dad that my brother has been brought to the Sentul Police Station.12) My dad immediately rushed to the station and found that my brother had been held captive with his face bruised, belt opened and shirt all torn up and barefooted.
13) The policemen introduced themselves (I will keep their names secret for now, they were quite young) and explained what happened.
14) My dad also explained the fact that he was waiting for his son at the station and was all worried.
15) One of the policemen even had the guts to say that they didn't beat my brother up, only dragged him into the van.
16) After my dad convinced the police that my brother was drug free (as they tried to get pee samples from him), he was set free.
17) Upon reaching home, my dad found out that my brother's body was all bruised. His face, ribs, shoulders, legs and feet were bruised and full of scratches. He felt tired and rested in pain. He couldn't sleep because of the trauma.
18) The next day (Saturday - 13hb Feb 2010), my dad took him to Poliklinik Central Dan Surgeri, Gombak. The doctors checked him and gave him the medication needed.
19) The cost for the medication was RM75.20) My brother also lost his slippers, his shirt and jacket got all torn up, and his handphone damaged due to the struggle.
I am extremely frustrated by the policemen's actions which is very unprofessional, perhaps due to age and inexperience. They couldn't differentiate between normal school kids and real criminals. Furthermore, what disturbs me the most is that they didn't reveal and couldn't prove to my brother that they were the police. They should have approached my brother in the correct way, asking for his ID and informed him that they wanted to bring him to the police station for further investigation. Not simply come and grab him as though he was a criminal. In fact, many people were waiting in front of the LRT station for their parents or someone to come as usual. And it was only 10pm, not some unearthly hour in the morning. The trains were still operating and people were returning home from work. Nothing suspicious was going on and my brother was among other people waiting.
My father has written a letter to the head of the police department to claim the medical fees as well as the cost for all the damaged items, and also demand an apology from the policemen involved in beating up my brother. My father also explained in his letter informing the police to be more careful and professional when conducting their duty.
I have attached some photos of my brother's condition and forwarded this email to other online media as well as sharing this experience with my uncle who is a retired policeman - Datuk Zaini Bin Md Hashim (ACP SAC II) Bekas Ketua Polis Sabah who is also the Ketua Unit Pencegahan Dadah Bukit Aman. I feel that many young policemen are inexperienced and do just as they please without thinking rationally. They are a disgrace to the nation and the police society. I do not blame the police entirely, I am aware that they are doing their job. Just sometimes the way they handle these situations are simply unacceptable and ridiculous.
Your feedback will be much appreciated and I hope my email will be taken seriously as I wish to find some justice. This situation may happen again in future and many other innocent youngsters could suffer the same tragedy. Something must be done immediately.
Let us be very clear on one thing! In Malaysia, the political secretary to a Minister is the “bag guy” for the Minister. Let me be more specific. Amongst his more important “duties” is to accept, collect and seek funds from persons known and unknown to the Minister for the political activities of his Minister. If he was caught with RM2 Million cash, you can be rest assured that his Minister has got more … much more because anything less would mean that this political secretary “melawan towkay” i.e. bites the hands that feeds it!
By steadyaku47
I would designate the activities of this Hasbie Satar and the other political secretaries in UMNO as outright theft and/or extortion but I digress. Let us start from the beginning.
Now who would want to donate/contribute/give these funds to the political secretary of Tan Sri Nor Yakcop? They do so for a number of reasons but the most logical would be because they want a favor not from Hasbie Satar - but from his Minister Tan Sri Nor Yakcop.
The money they give is substantial and people with a lot of money are not stupid people – unless they are from UMNO! Before they hand over the money to Hasbie Satar, they must have some indication that the favor they ask will be granted by his Minister Tan Sri Nor Yakcop. That indication will normally be in the form of a face-to-face meeting with Tan Sri Yakcop arranged by Hasbie Satar where they will tell Tan Sri Nor Yakcop what they wish for and Tan Sri Nor Yakcop will indicate the possibility of that favor being granted.
From there the donor will make a decision as to how much he will or will not donate to Tan Sri Nor Yakcop’s political funds by way of Hasbie Satar. Then money change hands … half now and the other half when the deed is done … a deposit first, maybe … or if the political secretary is very insistent – the whole amount agreed. If we are talking about hundreds of thousands of ringgit then the donor will certainly be granted another meeting with Tan Sri Nor Yakcop after the money has changed hands where he confirms with Tan Sri that “The Eagle has Landed” … or words to that effect. That, my friend, is the modus operandi of one aspect of money politics relevant to the duties of the Political Secretary - of whom Hasbie Satar is one.
What are the favors that might be asked for? A negotiated tender, perhaps. Settlement of “outstanding” damages payable to the Malaysian Government for late delivery of projects or contracts or non-compliance with tender specifications for projects completed. They might also want to negotiate a “fair” (and I use the term “fair” very loosely here!) valuation of Government assets or government owned companies that they want to purchase … and the list goes on. All these are within the purview of Tan Sri Nor Yakcop to decide or to give advice to the Government when the decision making process is underway.
If these favors are not granted after the money has been collected by the political secretary, you can expect the donor to inform Tan Sri Nor Yakcop of his displeasure or at the least, identify another ‘favor” in lieu of the first one.
So, my friend, where does that put Tan Sri Nor Yakcop? In the doghouse, perhaps? The buck stops at Tan Sri Nor Yakcop. He cannot be in denial nor escape complicity in the activities of his Political Secretary. He appointed Hasbie Satar to that post. Tan Sri Nor Yakcop cannot claim that he has no knowledge of the activities of his Political Secretary! Nixon resigned because of Watergate. Nixon did not take part in the break-in but he sure as hell was responsible for the culture prevalent within the Republican Party then that resulted in the break-in and the subsequent cover up! So in the end he had to resign. Ditto for Tan Sri Nor Yakcop!
The resignation of Hasbie Satar is not a “clear sign that the Najib administration wants anti-graft authorities to investigate without pressure from politicians”. This is a case of damage control and self-preservation by UMNO after one of its own has been caught doing what comes naturally to a Political Secretary of UMNO Ministers! I dare say that every Political Secretary of an UMNO Minister is living beyond his means – and why not, when every UMNO Minister is living beyond his means! When you pee into the wind ….
Najib must rid himself of this Tan Sri Nor Yakcob and use the opportunity to declare his administration commitment to fighting corruption - a key target in the National Key Results Areas (NKRAs) under the Government Transformation Plan (GTP). Tan Sri Nor Yakcop is collateral damage. Najib can then declare that MACC will target even those Ministers from the ruling Barisan Nasional Federal Government. Muhyiddin will have to declare his admiration for Najib’s “no nonsense” approach to money politics knowing that Najibs latest “courageous” actions against money politics has set his Prime Minister’s aspiration back a few months. The UMNO controlled media will make much of Najib’s “uncompromising” stand against corruption vis a vis the misfortune of Tan Sri Nor Yakcop. But if Tan Sri’s Political Secretary has ringgit $2 Million cash on him, BMWs and properties … the mind boggles as to what his Tan Sri political master will have! Now that is another story to tell … and the leaks will surely come from UMNO itself if Tan Sri is reluctant to fall on his own sword!
“We are fighting among ourselves while someone else is taking away all the goods; while the country is facing bigger threats.”
By avancc
First of all, I would like to express my sympathy to YM RPK on the case involving his son. It is indeed a great sacrifice.
To be tortured by human beings, despite being a human being himself, is indeed sad. Does it really have to be like what’s said in the movie Terminator 2 - “It’s in your nature to destroy yourselves”? Must we kill among ourselves just to satisfy some worthless selfish greed? How much can you get? If, take for example, tomorrow to be our last day on earth; where there will be no more, that we will all die due to natural catastrophes, or even alien invasion. What would we do today? Rob? Kill? Hide? Or stand united to face it with our loved ones? What would a man get, robbing and killing people if he’s sure of dying the next day?
Go to the hospital and ask terminally ill patients. Ask what they really wish to do and you will know how precious time would be to them. What is money to them then but burdens? While his children may be fighting each other to get a bigger share of the wealth, he lays there gasping for breath; neglected, forgotten and worthless. So what is money to him then? After some tens of years, the same children who fought over the wealth would, too, face the same fate; and the circle goes on and on. This is especially prominent in families that have not properly educated their children on the values of life, or the value of virtues. Families whose children spend lavishly, without control, who doesn’t cherish the hard way wealth came. All because the parents didn’t value them too in the first place.
Part of the reason being, the wealth was acquired NOT the hard way, thus the lesson is not learnt on its value; for it’s too easy to come by so they took it for granted. The other reason would be the greed for more. And that greed is an ever powerful parasite that keeps feeding the human’s weak mind, controlling and manipulating our thoughts, speech and action. Would the mind then be filled with good, or would it then be filled with evil?
“We are fighting among ourselves while someone else is taking away all the goods; while the country is facing bigger threats.”
“What are we doing?” I asked myself. Is it really our nature to destroy ourselves? What are we fighting for? The ship (country) is sinking, and yet we are arguing and fighting over mindless matters. Shouldn’t we mend the leaking crack and save the ship instead? While the country is facing threats of corruption, intimidation and abuse of power, shouldn’t every single citizen stand up united and drive those evil powers away?
Watching the progress on DSAI’s case; the sudden enthusiasm by some MPs in turning into jumping froggies; the sudden outburst of displeasure; the unanimous ruling on the rightful head of a State; YM RPK’s Son’s misery; and not to forget, the one-sided reports by all mainstream media where they focus on the bad side of PR but hide all necessary and important news of the ruling party, it made me asked myself that question over and over again.
I wish to ask the judiciary. For a living, you put an innocent man to jail. For your pride and benefit, you strip an innocent man’s freedom. Can you live with that till your death? To betray your countrymen, to betray your conscience, to betray God, to betray the very thing you studied – Justice. While you enjoy your spoils, how many more people suffer due to your foolish, selfish acts? While you sit atop your seat, could you bear seeing the very country you love going down? Sinking with crew members screaming in fear, pain and dismay?
I wish to ask the media. For a living, you put on news that is untrue, that is edited, and made to tarnish someone else. News that you yourself could not believe; yet you put it up for someone else to believe. Can you live with that till your death? Knowing well that you are wiring someone’s evil desire; yet you continued writing, betraying your readers' trust in your articles, betraying your conscience, betraying your pledge to God, and insulting the very honor you have as a public “informer”?
I wish to ask the descendants of the great explorers of this land, the forefathers of the first community of this land. Your ancestors fought hard to obtain this land, and ruled it well. They fought it hard against invaders, against diseases, against powers to overthrow them, and against force that brought misery to their people. But now, you are about to lose that land the same way your ancestors lost to the Invaders. Like back then, you remain as an icon, but your country and its resources are being taken away, owned by another group of people who exploit it. Although you were given enough wealth to fend for yourselves, your countrymen suffered as the rest of the land and everything else being controlled, manipulated and owned by another group of people. And instead of it enjoyed by your countrymen, it is enjoyed by a small group of people who have taken your land for themselves. Now you don’t own your land anymore, but merely serve as an icon to supposedly maintain order; to create an image as if you are still the honored royal of the land. Can you live with that till your death? Can you face your ancestors whom had fought so hard, yet to be seeing this day in such manner?
Let us forget about party, about race or religion for the moment; forget about stature; about you being a royal, or a knight, or your rank or whatsoever. And think only as a human being. A simple person. Let us all ponder:
What is the point of all the troubles made up for us to suffer? Ponder for a moment within yourself. Those people that made issues up, making certain statements to incite hate, confusion, anger and disunity, will they be of any good? Will a good person do that? Will a person of virtue do that?
In name of religion, I’m sure everybody will agree with me in saying that God/Tuhan/Allah does not confuse people, or make people hate each other. That only the Devil/Satan/Evil does that. So what are those people who try to incite hate, confusion and anger? It is a definite certainty they are not messengers of God/Tuhan/Allah; or of Goodness, for how could God/Tuhan/Allah get his followers to create evil in his name? How could God/Tuhan/Allah confuse people, and make people hate each other? And if they are not followers of God, What qualifies them to lead the followers of God/Tuhan/Allah?
There are enough miseries in the world caused by natural disasters, and poverty. Let's not make more by our own deeds, and lets not allow any more of such deeds. If you are a person with a conscience; if you are a person who has a sound mind; if you are a person who has a brain to reason, to think; you would be able to notice something very wrong is happening to this country. Stop staying in our shells; stop believing in the evil lies; and for those who have been doing it, stop doing it. Family members of the evil-doer, stop your loved ones from continuing evil acts. Wake up to the danger our country is facing and do your part as a human being. Put down your ego, your pride, and your greed, anger or hate. And make that change before it’s too late, before innocent people begin to perish under the fire of greed, hatred and confusion. For the sake of the country, for the sake of your own self, and for the sake of our future generations.
WE SHALL VOTE FOR CHANGE. TOGETHER WE SHALL SAVE THIS COUNTRY.
-> P.S: By the way, I remember the government saying that they want to close in on anyone that gamble even in their own house; by installing "spies" who would report to the police. But why am I seeing the empat nombor ekor shops operating as usual even on the first day of CNY? Wasn't that gambling too? Or is the government trying to say that "Losing money to your relatives and friends is not allowed, but losing money to government approved agencies are allowed"? Why impose the ban while those betting shops triumph? It doesn't make sense, right?
Below is a video clip containing excerpts of some of the presentations at the recently concluded Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia Roadshow in Ipoh. Many thanks to Victor Chin.
Prof Azmi Sharom appears from around minute 4.24 to a little after minute 6.
Round about minute 6 , you will catch Azmi confirming that in our Constitution, there is no such thing as Malay rights, but seemingly conceding that there are Malay privileges.
I just got off the phone with Azmi and he confirms that by ‘Malay privileges’, he had actually meant to refer to the ’special position’ of the Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak as provided for under Article 153 and which, in his presentation, he had, by reference to pronouncements of our earliest political leaders, confirmed was intended to be temporary.
So, no special Malay rights and no Malay privileges.
Let’s look at two constitutional provisions to try and appreciate the difference between a constitutional conferment of a right and the ’special position’ provision of Article 153.
Article 10. Freedom of speech, assembly and association.
(1) Subject to Clauses (2), (3) and (4) -
(a) every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression;
(b) all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms;
(c) all citizens have the right to form associations.
Article 11. Freedom of religion.
(1) Every person has the right to profess and practise his religion and, subject to Clause (4), to propagate it.
The constitution does not pussyfoot when it confers rights.
It says it like it is.
No room for guessing.
Article 153. Reservation of quotas in respect of services, permits, etc., for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak.
(1) It shall be the responsibility of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article.
(2) Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, but subject to the provisions of Article 40 and of this Article, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall exercise his functions under this Constitution and federal law in such manner as may be necessary to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak of such proportion as he may deem reasonable of positions in the public service (other than the public service of a State) and of scholarships, exhibitions and other similar educational or training privileges or special facilities given or accorded by the Federal Government and, when any permit or licence for the operation of any trade or business is required by federal law, then, subject to the provisions of that law and this Article, of such permits and licences.
No rights conferred.
Only a duty on the Agong to reserve such proportion as he may deem reasonable of those matters highlighted in green to safeguard that special position.
What if, in the reasonable opinion of the Agong, it is no longer necessary to reserve quotas of those matters highlighted in green for the Malays or the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, and therefore no reservations are made?
Can any of these interested parties sue to compel the making of these reservations?
No.
Why?
Article 153, unlike the other two Articles mentioned earlier, does not confer any enforceable right.
Malaysianinsider today, in reference to PERKASA’a and Ibrahim Ali’s shenanigans, quotes Prof Aziz Bari as saying that “…Malay rights have always been outlined, stated and guaranteed clearly by the Federal Constitution. I don’t see any logic in Perkasa’s rhetoric about protecting the Malays. The constitution has already provided a space for Malay rights, and it is never challenged…” and that Prof Aziz had gone on to say that the “Malays have never been in danger of losing their rights or position as the legal provision for that cannot be amended”.
Let’s take the last point attributed to Prof Aziz first.
Article 159. Amendment of the Constitution.
(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Article and to Article 161E the provisions of this Constitution may be amended by federal law.
(5) A law making an amendment to Clause (4) of Article 10, any law passed thereunder, the provisions of Part III, Articles 38, 63 (4), 70, 71(1), 72 (4), 152, or 153 or to this Clause shall not be passed without the consent of the Conference of Rulers.
Sorry, Prof, but Article 153 can be amended.
Sure, it would need the consent of the CoR, but please do not give the impression that the provisions of Article 153 are cast in stone.
They are not and were never intended to be.
You know it Prof, so please don’t tell a lie.
As for the Malay rights that the good Prof speaks of, he should make specific reference to the constitutional provisions that support his theory of “Malay rights outlined, stated and guaranteed clearly by the Federal Constitution”.
In truth, Prof, you are as confused as Ibrahim Ali and PERKASA.
Prof, I’m calling your bluff now.
Dari TV Selangor
Oleh Fansurina Abdullah
Kegagalan kerajaan Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) menyuburkan demokrasi di negara ini punca masyarakat antarabangsa termasuk Australia mendesak pertuduhan ke atas Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, digugurkan.
Naib Presiden Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Mohamed Azmin Ali membidas kenyataan Presiden Pergerakan Keadilan Sedunia (Just World Movement), Dr Chandra Muzaffar, kononnya lebih 50 Ahli Parlimen Australia tidak memahami amalan demokrasi berparlimen.
“Ahli-ahli Parlimen Australia dan negara lain bimbang kerana ia bukan soal Anwar sahaja tetapi persoalan mengenai kegagalan Umno-BN menyuburkan demokrasi dalam Malaysia,” katanya kepada TV Selangor.
Azmin berharap pandangan antarabangsa itu tidak dilihat sebagai campur tangan kerana Malaysia juga sering menegur negara dalam dalam isu kemanusiaan dan hak asasi manusia.
Beliau menyifatkan pemimpin UMNO-BN hanya nampak ‘kuman di seberang lautan’ sedangkan ‘gajah di hadapan mata tidak nampak’, semata-mata mahu mempertahan kedudukan dan pangkat mereka.
Malah, Ahli Parlimen Gombak itu percaya pandangan masyarakat antarabangsa itu turut dikongsi bersama majoriti rakyat Malaysia yang melihat pertuduhan kes berkenaan sebagai konspirasi kedua.
“Jangan kita melihat masyarakat antarabangsa sahaja membantah, malahan rakyat Malaysia, majoritinya sudah jemu dan muak dengan fitnah Umno-BN.
“Malangnya suara rakyat Malaysia sudah ditutup dan dinafikan seolah-olah tidak ada sesiapa boleh bersuara,” katanya.
This PKR Selangor Exco mandore does this sort of gimmicks ala MIC to divert and avert from the real issues ie land not alienated to all hindu temples in Selangor and the same not gazetted accordingly. This is almostly absolutely within the powers of his Tuan the Menteri Besar (MB) of Selangor who can by merely the stroke of his pen invoke Section 76 of the National Land Code and grant and gazette all hindu temples in the state of Selangor state government land.
But like UMNO this ex UMNO M.B Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and his boss Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would not do it. But all what they want is the Indian votes.
Even for the poor Malays, UMNO secures loans for them from Maybank, CIMB etc at about 4% interest when the dividends alone are 7% to up to 12% an ASN and ASB Unit Trust. So 100% of the ASN, ASB shares have been taken up by the malay muslims.
But this bank loan facility has been denied to the Indians.
One Malay-sia?
We share the joy of the poor Iban long house natives in Sarawak when the High Court ruled in favour of their native customary land. At least these poor orang asli Iban, Kadazan Malays have a social safety net ie their villages and ancestral land which they stay for free and do not have a basic monthly rental commitment of RM 300.00 to RM 600.00 every month. Even the rare poor Chinese have a Chinese New Village to fall back on. But the poor Indians do not have this options.
But the poor and under privileged Indian minority every day some hindu temple, hindu cemetery, Tamil School or Indian village or settlememt is demolished to be demolished moved or to be moved almost on an everyday basis as is reported in the three Tamil dailies.
The Indians are seen as soft targets as they do not even have the political clout these Ibans and Kadazans have with their Iban/ Kadazan majority seats 30 or so.
FEB 15 — Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is facing one of the most daunting periods of his political career.
If the court finds that the A-G Chambers is able to prove beyond reasonable doubt and convict Anwar, it will most probably spell the end of a tumultuous career of an enigmatic leader.
For the uninitiated, this “Sodomy Redux” of Anwar’s alleged indescretion bears a similar plot, from the main players right up to the actual charge itself.
The story goes of how Anwar, a 62-year-old father of six with a history of back problems who forced himself on his former aide Saiful Bukhari Azlan, a young and fit mid-20s university dropout.
The storyline is bizzare to say the least that would even make Hugh Hefner, founder of the biggest pornographic empire Playboy, smirk in disgust.
While we are being fed with juicy details of the supposedly homosexual tendencies of Anwar, it is nauseating to see how the media is bent on tarnishing and assasinate the character of the person representing the biggest threat to Umno and almost single handedly dented Umno’s 50-odd years of hegemony.
Umno pulled out from the book every single dirty trick that it knows to add to the sodomy charge in their desperate attempt to hold on to power by abusing the media, institutions and enforcement agencies in their attempt to hoodwink the people.
With both Anwar and the government jostling to win over the public — one claiming political motives on the charges and the other trying to display Anwar as a sodomist — the mainstream media is siding with the government and the new media tilting towards Anwar.
The irresponsibility of the mainstream media is marked by the glorifying of Saiful that only serve to galvanise public opinion against the claim that he was victimised by Anwar.
Malay-language daily Utusan Malaysia, regarded as the mouthpiece of Umno, led the attack against Anwar and sensationally attempting to paint the picture of a monster with unnatural tendencies.
Just like in the previous sodomy charge on Anwar, the current scenario has the court of public opinion siding with Anwar and a strong perception of mala fide on the side of the government.
The prosecution’s attempt to "shock and awe" the defence and the people of Malaysia by putting its star witness as the first on the stand revealed its intention to close its case as soon as possible.
If the judge finds that there is a prima facie case for Anwar to answer, we can expect the defence to launch counter-attacks raising questions from political motives, credibility of witness, authenticity of semen or DNA stain found and key players involved prior to and after the alleged act, etc.
The balance of the case tilts on the question of whether penetration is a key element in the act of sodomy and the court’s decision on Feb 17 will determine the course of the trial.
On the other hand, the prosecution is bent on adducing forensic evidence that there is semen found in the anus of Saiful and that penetration is not key to an act of sodomy; which makes the case sound even more ridiculous than it already is.
If the court finds in the favour of the prosecution, we can expect a long and protracted case that will fill the front pages of the local media for quite some time.
After the massive public relations failure of the first sodomy charge on Anwar in 1998, the powers-that-be now prefer a quick resolution rather than a drawn-out case that will not kill of Anwar politically, but may turn the tide against them in the run-up to the next general election.
Malaysians cannot help but feel that the charge is preferred against Anwar due to political motives more than anything else due to the endless questions and doubts raised about the case including the conduct of the preceeding investigations.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Umno is the direct beneficiary by the persecution of Anwar, and Anwar himself has accused Najib of playing a role in this case.
With Anwar being kept busy in the corridors of Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Duta Court Complex, Umno on the other hand is roaming, plotting and scheming to disrupt and destroy Pakatan Rakyat.
Umno is fast establishing itself as a hardcore right-wing radical Malay party with its endless animosity against the Selangor and Penang state governments, accusing them of being un-Islamic and anti-Malay.
Beginning from the “Allah” row, where Umno took a very conservative position, it followed that up with attacking Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, the Selangor Mentri Besar, over the state’s decision to confiscate the land belonging to Yayasan Basmi Kemiskinan (YBK), painted as a pro-Malay institution for not paying up quit rent amounting to more than RM5 million.
Protests and demonstrations have also been loud in Penang with Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at the centre of the attack.
Utusan Malaysia, displaying pure unethical journalism, lied through its teeth when it reported that the Penang state government cancelled the state-level Maulidur Rasul (Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday) procession which was immediately denied by Lim.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi waded into the controversy by criticising the Penang government on an unsubstantiated report that had no basis whatsoever.
Not letting up on Anwar & Co, Umno followed that through with concerted and subversive moves to accentuate discord among problematic leaders within Pakatan especially within Anwar’s own party PKR.
With Anwar distracted in the confines of the court, Umno instigated those mercenaries to quit PKR exemplified by the departure of Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim, the former PKR Penang chief, which is intended to further put Anwar on the backfoot.
Umno conjured the move to tarnish Anwar, backing that up with mindless polarising moves using the race and religion card to distance the Malays from Anwar.
While Umno is deep in its slumber in the caves of orthodoxy, Malaysians are getting more urbanised, embracing universal values of justice, openness and cosmopolitanism.
Malaysians who are used to be subservient to the government are now taking a pivotal role in the decision-making process of the nation.
While Anwar is being dragged by pro-Umno conspirators into the lairs of Sungai Buloh Prison, questions over the independence of the judiciary, impartiality of A-G Chambers and the abuse of institutions for the benefit of the ruling cliques hover in the minds of many Malaysians.
The incarceration of Anwar represents everything that is rotten in the country — sense of justice, equality and humanity — which is lost among those in Putrajaya making the decisions that affect the daily lives of ordinary Malaysians.
This is not the trial of Anwar and Anwar alone, every single Malaysian is on trial whether we demand for justice, whether we want equality and if we are humane enough and care for a fellow Malaysian as though he or she is a family member.
While Umno attempts to pull Malaysians apart using old-school dogmatic politics, we are left with no choice but to reject divisiveness and demand for reform.
The demand for justice for the slained Teoh Beng Hock and S. Kugan must be accorded to Anwar as he is a respectable human being and, more importantly, he is a fellow Malaysian.
Umno does not realise that it is digging its own grave and Malaysians will read it its final rites in the next general election.
Malaysians will resist Umno’s attempt to drag them into the doldrums of mediocrity and immorality.
* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani - The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 — Lim Guan Eng today dismissed Datuk Ibrahim Ali’s rant about the Penang chief minister being “anti-Malay”, declaring he won’t be dragged into a debate with someone who supports racism.
The Perkasa leader said Lim lied about the purported cancellation of this year’s annual Prophet Muhammad’s birthday procession and only overturned the decision when a state government document suggesting the cancellation was leaked to Utusan Malaysia and Umno leaders.
“He (Ibrahim Ali) is the person that supported Nasir Safar and said Nasir Safar’s statement was correct that Indians are beggars whose citizenship should be revoked and that Chinese women came here to sell their bodies. He supported what he said so is it worth replying to a person like that?” Lim told The Malaysian Insider, referring to the prime minister’s political aide who resigned over the derogatory remarks.
“I don’t want to address to a person who supports Nasir Safar’s comment,” the DAP secretary-general declared.
Apart from denying an Utusan Malaysia report about the purported cancellation, Lim has also denied Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s accusation of being anti-Islam for wanting to cancel the march and invited the deputy prime minister and former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to take part in the three-day state celebrations at the end of the month.
He said that the procession controversy is “pure fiction” concocted by Umno and Utusan Malaysia.
“The whole controversy was generated out of pure fiction. When you talk about announcement, the state government has not made an official announcement about the procession.
“When the announcement was made that that there will both a procession and a huge gathering, it was not printed in the mainstream media,” he said.
Lim pointed out the Umno-controlled Utusan Malaysia only referred to one letter in a series of exchanges within his administration.
“What Umno and Utusan Malaysia referred to was one letter and I asked my exco member immediately when this was raised. I asked him ‘Did you cancel the procession?’
“He answered no and he asked me why I asked him that? I said because Utusan reported it then he said ‘Hey CM, come on lah. Can you trust Utusan Malaysia.’ Then I said yeah. They are trying to use this to stoke racial sentiments,” he added.
A scanned copy of one letter that bore the letterhead of the state secretariat showed that they had decided on Feb 5 to cancel the procession was distributed on the net and a copy was put up at www.rembau.net, the personal website of Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.
However the Penang government claimed that the scanned copies of such letters were just new ideas outlined by government officials.
The state’s executive councillor for religious affairs, Abdul Malik Abdul Kassim, had also explained that the letters were ideas to change and expand the format of the three-day celebrations starting Feb 25.
Lim said that he is confident that the public won’t be caught in Utusan and Umno’s political propaganda.
“I think they are playing a desperate and dangerous game but what I am also assured that the people will not buy it because when we go to the ground the sentiments are different.
“That is why I said that if you still have doubts about the procession then come on February 26 and see for yourself,” he said.
Lim noted he has no jurisdiction in the issue as it is under Abdul Malik’s portfolio.
“But if you still have doubts over the processions then I invite Muhyiddin and Pak Lah to please come,” he said.
Lim believed that the Umno was trying to use the controversy to bring down the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government in Penang.
“The allegation is a very dangerous game. For them means justify the ends, anything goes. That lies and fabricated evidence are rule of the day.
“I think there is no more morality, rule of law, no more right or wrong, there is no more justice but there is just pure power play. I think it is a very evil attempt,” he said.
The first-term chief minister has been fighting a resurgence of accusations that he is anti-Malay, culminating in Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohd Hashim quitting PKR yesterday in protest of his administration. Lim has taken great pains to cater to Malay and Muslim sentiments by even taking part in the annual Prophet’s birthday procession two years ago.
Umno has also been intensifying its effort to drive the wedge between them further by depicting the split as antagonism between a Chinese government and frustrated Malay leaders.
Abdul Malik said that Umno is trying to divert the public’s attention.
“This is a very dirty political game. They are trying to change the people’s attention from the big problems affecting the country like Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy case.
“These are efforts by Umno and Barisan Nasional to cause suspicions between the different races and religions. They also cannot accept that Lim Guan Eng is embraced by the Malay and Muslim community,” he told The Malaysian Insider via a text message.
