DAP says procurement portal lacks details

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — The DAP today punched a hole in the government's opaque procurement system, pointing out that a RM6.47 billion contract to supply meals to army camps in three states listed on the treasury's new website lacked details and could only lead to the conclusion that the amount spent could have bought the country four more submarines.

DAP national publicity officer Tony Pua told reporters here in Parliament that the MyProcurement Portal (http://myprocurement.treasury.gov.my) launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last week severely lacked data “to make informed judgments with regards to a particular contract award.”

“There is a question of data integrity within the MyProcurement portal and what steps are being taken to verify the information posted on the site. If the information on the portal is to be taken seriously, then surely the information posted must be accurate to ensure a high degree of integrity,” said Pua.

According to Pua, a quick check on the portal revealed that the largest contract since June 2009 amounting to RM6.47 billion had been awarded to Syarikat Era Frozen Sdn Bhd by the Ministry of Defence.

“More curiously, the huge contract was for the supply of “rangsum segar” (fresh rations), which could have bought the Ministry four more submarines! While the value of contract for food items would have certainly raised eyebrows, I’d like to believe that there are some decimal point errors involved,” said the DAP.

Suspend me if you support Israel, Anwar challenges Parliament

HULU SELANGOR, April 5 - Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has dared the government to suspend him from Parliament if it planned to continue its support for Zionist Israel.

In a fiery speech at Kampung Sungai Tengi here last night, the Permatang Pauh MP continued his attack on the government’s purported link to Israel through international public relations firm APCO, adding that aside from outright denial, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had never answered to the allegations.

“These are same people who govern us, who preach to us that the rights of the Malays and the Muslims must be protected. Najib is not brave enough to answer to this.

“I am willing to volunteer myself — you continue to support Israel, you suspend me from Parliament. Suspend me, three months, six months, a year, I do not know.

“God willing, let the people decide for themselves,” he said.

Anwar condemned the BN administration for its willingness to seek advice from a company linked to “the murder of the Muslims in Palestine”.

“Apco is led by these people and Najib is seeking advice from them.

“I revealed the names of APCO’s leaders but they claimed I was wrong.

“I showed the agreement signed between Apco and Israel and still they denied.

“These people are advising Najib on strategic communication, on reform initiatives, on his New Economic Model, his education policies — all this, Apco carries out,” he continued.

Anwar added that as a lawmaker himself, he often engaged with foreign leaders to seek their thoughts and opinions.

“But I never took them as my advisor. Najib is doing this, and its not even Muslim leaders — it is people who work for the Israeli Defence Agency,” he claimed.

Anwar is currently facing the possibility of suspension over his attack on the government’s link with Apco and his claim that the company was also the brains behind Ehud Barak’s One Israel campaign.

Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz had said the government to refer Anwar to the parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee over his allegations.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department had said Anwar had so far not been able to provide concrete evidence to support his allegation that 1 Malaysia was taken from One Israel.

APCO has however released a statement denying the allegations made by Anwar.

NEM cast in deviant Vision 2020, NEP moulds

By Joe Fernandez

The newly-launched High Income Economy initiative by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is an admission of the failure of Vision 2020 and the New Economic Policy (NEP) while not promising real political and economic change. This is the consensus among opinion leaders in Sabah and Sarawak and Hindraf Makkal Sakthi.

The former programme (1990-2020), it is noted, had projected that Malaysia’s economy would grow eight-fold within the context of Bangsa Malaysia to place it in the league of developed nations. The NEP (1970-1990), on the other hand, had pledged to eradicate poverty irrespective of race while restructuring society within the context of an expanding economic pie.
Instead, the beef is that Peter was robbed to pay Paul during the NEP years and its aftermath and “racial polarisation has never been higher in Peninsular Malaysia”.

Another sore point is that both Sabah and Sarawak were “not consulted” when the NEM was drawn up. In the absence of local input, their economies were not sufficiently considered in the NEM structure, claims CigMa (Common Interest Group Malaysia) chair Jeffrey Gapari Kitingan.

“It cannot be denied that the natives in Sabah and Sarawak were completely left out during the NEP years from 1970 to 1990,” said Jeffrey in Kota Kinabalu. “Vision 2020 was more of the same treatment. Now, we have the NEM which seems set to be a repeat of history.”

He did not touch on charges by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim that NEM is a copycat programme of Pakatan Rakyat's Malaysian Economic Agenda (MEA). Jeffrey is also a vice- president in Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

Hindraf chair P Waythamoorthy, speaking from Singapore, concurs with views in Sabah and Sarawak on the NEM. However, his main concern is that there are no guarantees that the marginalisation of the Indian community would not continue under the NEM.”

“Vision 2020 promised a Bangsa Malaysia but we all know what has happened after 20 years,” said Waythamoorthy. “The Indians lost confidence in the ruling coalition and deserted it wholesale in the 2008 general election.”

He noted that the NEP will remain a cornerstone of the NEM. It was the deviations and distortions in the NEP and Article 153 of the Federal Constitution that lay at the heart of the Indian dilemma in Malaysia, added Waythamoorthy.

“We can expect that a small clique in Malaysia will continue to reward themselves with government contracts through nominees,” said Waythamoorthy. “So, the looting of the public treasury would continue under the guise of the Bumiputera, the NEP and Article 153.”
The Hindraf chair admits that he has been left wondering on the time period still left for the ruling elite in Malaysia to continue making hay while the sun shines.

Ali Baba culture
Jeffrey, chipping in from Singapore after a meeting with Waythamoorthy on the Hulu Selangor by-election, is cynical that the pledge in the NEM to eradicate the rent-seeking culture would be carried out in the absence of the necessary political will in Umno. Rent-seeking is a euphemism for the Ali-Baba syndrome where the Malay Ali secures government contracts and sells them to the Chinese Baba.

“The Ali-Baba culture is based on the politics of patronage, nepotism and cronyism practised by Umno,” said Jeffrey. “This kind of politics is based on the subsidy-driven dependency syndrome which feeds the politics of corruption and moral depravity in Umno.”

The influx of illegals into Sabah, says Jeffrey, has allowed them to enter the electoral rolls “and prop up the ruling coalition”. So, his question is whether the NEM will indeed do away, as pledged, with the cheap labour policy in pursuit of a high income economy.

Jeffrey’s reading is that the implementation of the NEM, without any deviations and distortions, should logically see the demise of Umno. The self-serving, apparently in the majority now, will lose interest in politics if it ceases to enjoy the skim cepat kaya (quick money scam) for Umno under the NEM, points out Jeffrey.
The bottomline, according to both the CigMa and Hindraf chair, is that “the more things seem to change – NEP, Vision 2020, NEM – the more they remain the same”.

Touching on the High Income Economic model itself promised by the NEM, it is noted by both men that the term “developed”, first raised by Vision 2020, is now being avoided like the plague by the Najib administration.

“The term high income actually means just that,” said Jeffrey. “You can dig diamonds out of the ground and be a high income economy but that doesn’t mean that you are developed.”
The other difficulty is whether the present US$7,000 gross national income per capita mentioned in the NEM takes into account, for example, the wild boar meat that the Penan in Sarawak enjoy for free or the jungle greens picked by the rural people in Sabah and Sarawak.

“This sum US$ 7,000 is an average. If a large number of people like the rural folks are included, the average gross national income per capita will be low,” said Jeffrey. “In short, if fewer people are included in computing the gross national income per capita, the figure will be high.”

No clear focus
SAPP (Sabah Progressive Party) president Yong Teck Lee was disappointed that the NEM doesn’t address regional economic imbalances, a key thrust in the pursuit of developed nation status.
“Yet, of the eight key sectors in the NEM, three are from Sabah and Sarawak, that is, oil and gas, tourism and land,” said Yong, adding that the NEM doesn’t stress an energy policy.

Among economists, there is consensus that besides ending the cheap labour policy, the federal government must re-distribute incomes under the NEM, implement a Minimum Wage Act, promise equal pay for equal work, allow foreign labour to join trade unions, end discrimination in the intake of foreign labour and impose punitive taxes on imports from countries employing child and “slave” labour.

Zainal Ajamain, senior research fellow of the Centre for remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (CerGIS), notes that Sabah in particular has too many plans with similar themes and no clear focus. This may have led to its virtual “exclusion” from the NEM.

Sedia (Sabah Economic Development and Investment Authority) president and chief executive Yaakub Johari begs to differ. He sees definite high income potential for Sabah in its flora, fauna and tourism.
“The NEM is only one of the several components in the federal government’s transformation plan,” says Pang Teck Wai, a Sabah member of the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research. “A failure in one component will cause a chain reaction and risk the success of the entire effort.”

Pang, also the CEO of the Palm Oil Industrial Cluster in Lahad Datu, like others laments the fact that Sabah has been excluded from the debate on the NEM.

Why are the Malays poor? Blame it on Umno!

Who squandered the national wealth on prestige projects while neglecting the poor? Who bailed out crony businessmen by writing off billions of ringgit, asks P Ramakrishnan.

Of late, the pressure is building up to convey the impression that the Malays are poor because of the non-Malays. It is trumpeted that the non-Malays are enriching themselves at the expense of the Malays.

This erroneous and mischievous line of argument is deliberately pushed to achieve two objectives: One, to get the Malays riled up and to create hatred for the non-Malays as the source and cause of Malay poverty. Two, this is a ploy to consolidate the position of these hate-mongers so that they can be accepted as the defenders of the race and champions who would deliver the Malays from their wretched situation.

But these extremist elements do not reveal how they have benefited from the policies of Umno that were meant for the welfare of the majority poor Malays. They do not reveal how the benefits have gone to the crony corporate figures and the well connected political elite irrespective of their ethnicity.

They do not disclose how billions of ringgit had been squandered to rescue the failed ventures of their elite group. They do not disclose how billions were pumped into Bank Rakyat and Bank Bumi to sustain them. They do not disclose why Mirzan Mahathir’s floundering and debt-laden shipping empire had to be bailed out with our national wealth. They do not disclose why Tajudin Ramli’s stake in MAS was bought over for RM8 per MAS share when the market price was only RM3.62.

Likewise many other individual Malays have benefited enormously. They don’t lose out when their businesses fail but they gain in spite of their failure. Contracts, licences, AP permits, new shares and whatnot are grabbed by these individuals for themselves and their families. The poor majority Malays do not benefit from these policies.

It was recently disclosed that out of RM54 billion in shares allocated for Bumiputeras, only RM2 billion were still in their hands. What has happened to the RM52 billion that cannot be accounted for? RM54 billion is a colossal sum of wealth that has been dished out. How did RM52 billion disappear into thin air?

After 40 years of NEP, it is absolutely unacceptable that the deserving poor have not benefited in the way it was intended. Sometimes we wonder if the Malays are kept poor simply and deliberately to get their votes by blaming the non-Malays for their abject situation.

Over the last 40 years, successive Umno presidents and deputy presidents served as prime ministers and deputy prime ministers wielding great powers, influencing policies and determining the fate of the Malays. Every Education Minister since Merdeka has come from Umno. Every Finance Minister after Tun Tan Siew Sin has been an Umno man. Every Rural Development Minister has been an Umno man. The Cabinet was dominated by Umno leaders. How is it that with this heavy representation of Umno leaders in the Cabinet the vast majority of Malays have remained deprived and desperately poor? How did Umno, ever ready to advance Malay interest, permit this neglect?

The Umno-dominated Barisan Nasional holds the purse strings of the national wealth. Why wasn’t this wealth distributed to the poor as well? Why did the greedy grab everything? Was this done without the knowledge of Umno leaders?

Don’t blame the non-Malays who have no say in the policies of the government; blame it on Umno. Who squandered the national wealth on prestige projects while neglecting the poor? Who bailed out crony businessmen by writing off billions of ringgit? It is Umno and nobody else! If the Malays are poor, it is because of Umno. Don’t blame it on others.

There is a serious lesson to be learnt from John F Kennedy’s view: If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.

Be warned!

P Ramakrishnan is president of Aliran

MEB : feeling of an affected individual

This is my second writing on MEB. After re-reading the long speech by Najib, I concluded that it is long on description of what a nice place we can get to, but how exactly we could get there remains vague. (Same like Wawasan 2020).

A man or a woman in the street would wonder:
1) would there be more employment opportunities for me and my children?

2) would there be better paid jobs and more advancement opportunities?

3) would there be education, training and re-training facilities available to equip us to handle the new skill sets required ? We have to think about the present and future set of workers in Malaysia.


Mind you, we have not even settle the debate of minimum wage yet.


An investor, local or foreign, might ask questions like:

1) would I have competent, motivated, productive and intelligent workforce to strive for my business that can justify higher pay?

2) how does the government scores in terms of bureaucracy, efficient, clean and business friendliness against other choices? ( if the DPM’s reaction to PERC report is anything to go by….)

3) would my family and investments be safe in this country? (cue: think crime rates and religious terrorism)

4) would I have excellent facilities and infrastructure to cater to my business? (our broad band still lags behind Singapore's)


I do not see anything succinct and to the point where I can get some concrete answers. I wonder what tax payers have paid NEAC for after almost a year into Najib’s era.

In a nut shell, the Najib administration (not surprised given the caliber of certain ministers and their tradition of Tingkatan Lima answers and MPs who specializes in sexist remarks) has no concrete idea and inviting public consultation is a clever political hedge.

This is not a bad approach if it came within 100 days of his honey moon period (Performance NOW) but its belated introduction makes his administration looks clueless after passage of Perak power grab, Teoh Beng Hock’s heroic death and on-going sorry looking inquest, religious terrorism, aborted attempt to implement GST and set limits on fuel subisidies etc.

As I wrote earlier (before Najib became the PM), we need to attract the right business and investment into Malaysia and have the right Malaysian human resource to handle the skills required of it.

In order to cultivate a capable work force, our present work force needs retraining and re-tooling and our education system has to be revamped. Najib spoke of this revamping but no details have been forthcoming. Mere lip service or what?

The performance of our Education Minister with “Malay-first Malaysian second mentality” plainly has not been inspiring up to point of writing. The slipping university rankings and crack down on freedom of thought by our undergraduates is a worrying indicator of the state of Malaysia's incubators.

The word “merit” has only resurface twice in his speech

“12. Sistem pendidikan kita perlu dikaji semula secara berterusan dan ditambah baik untuk melahirkan tenaga kerja masa depan, dengan komitmen kepada program berasaskan merit. Ini akan mendorong kecemerlangan dan memupuk graduan berbakat yang cemerlang dari segi pemikiran kreatif dan strategik serta kemahiran keusahawanan dan kepimpinan yang akan memacu kejayaan pada dekad mendatang.”

Tell me something I do not know.

And the next instance “merit” was being described as one of the principle of affirmative action.


Najib spoke of attracting talented and capable Malaysians would have left our shores to return without addressing the key reasons why they have left – whether Don’t Talk Shit agree or not - it is because these highly intelligent people feel that they are not being fairly and do not feel that they have sufficient chance to earn what they think they deserve, achieve self-actualisation and a place where they feel safe.

The access to residency in Malaysia needs to cater to diverse needs of various talents. Han Jian who coached Malaysia to Thomas Cup 1992 victory was denied Malaysian citizenship, I was told. Spouses of expats should be allowed to work with dependent pass so that they could bring in their own expertise and more willing to relocate to Malaysia. Back in 2004 I had a nightmare running from KL to Putrajaya back and forth just to renew an employment permit for an American engineer working in my country.

Whatever specific steps Najib spoke of, invoke some disappointment in me, given the imbalance of economic development in Malaysia and relatively unfair distribution of income and opportunities.

For instance:


80. Bagi mempromosikan pelaburan ekonomi ke tahap yang lebih tinggi, beberapa lot tanah di Jalan Stonor, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Lidcol, Kuala Lumpur, telah dikenal pasti untuk ditender dan dibangunkan oleh sektor swasta. Aset ini, jika tidak dibangunkan, adalah satu pembaziran dan meningkatkan kos penyelenggaraan kepada Kerajaan.

Jalan Stonor (near KLCC) is already well developed thank you. What about folks in Seremban, Ipoh, Kuantan, Raub, Taiping, Tawau etc? Why focus on an already very developed locality? Fine, if KL is the hub, what about Plaza Rakyat? The investors there have been cheated of huge sums since the 1990’s and given the STAR Station there, it makes more sense to address a “pembaziran” there.

I wrote elsewhere that DAP’s alternate budget advocates letting the respective state governments, with their intimate understanding of local conditions, be given the power to chart the development of their state’s economy. Najib’s MEB still bears the shade of Malayan Union where all significant power is centralized in Putrajaya. A big daddy won't to very efficient and detailed in tending to 13 children...time to let them have more say.

82. Selain itu, Petronas telah pun mengenal pasti dua subsidiari yang mempunyai prestasi baik akan disenaraikan pada tahun ini. Matlamat inisiatif ini adalah untuk mengurangkan penglibatan Kerajaan sama ada secara langsung atau tidak langsung dalam aktiviti perniagaan yang akan menjadi lebih cekap sekiranya dijalankan oleh sektor swasta dan memberi isyarat jelas komitmen menggalakkan persaingan dalam ekonomi, mengambil risiko dan merangsang pertumbuhan ekonomi jangka panjang yang akan memberi manfaat kepada semua warga Malaysia

Nice words but the first impression I have is, well more money goes into the government coffers from an IPO and some Malaysians who have spare money to invest in Bursa Malaysia could have an additional counter in their portfolio. What about the rest?

An alternative is let Petronas accounts be tabled scrutinized and debated in Parliament, and dividends from Petronas to be paid into a trust fund for healthcare, social safety net and education purposes. Cue: the way Norway government looks after their citizens. The Federal Government should retain its moral obligation to manage this strategic natural resource for the rakyat; and not let part of it goes into free market.

Since Najib say the government needs to let go and let the private sector lead the way, if I have to choose a strategic project to divest, I would say Proton. Nothing new, we have seen attempted strategic alliance with foreign car giants collapse so perhaps this is the chance to relook at that. The national car project should be subject to this treatment so that citizens can get a viable national car at competitive price and not having to pay for an AP.


As for the consultation process, it still remains to be seen how opinions are gathered and evaluated. In fact consultation is not even the beginning of the end or end of the beginning. After all, Najib has to balance the political considerations and hidden scenes within UMNO in addition to the real challenge faced by Malaysia in this borderless era. Timing wise, if Najib is going to hold a snap GE, the feedback from the consultation process could be a rich source of information for a GE manifesto.

Remember Su Qiu (it literally means inform and appeal)? Before GE of 1999, it was submitted to the Mahathir administration without any negative feedback but of course subsequent events after the GE was most disappointing, consider that many of what was raise then, was not inconsistent with some part of the nice things in MEB.

“I’m not biased, I’m impartial”

thenutgraph.com

IT'S been a long, uphill battle for the Malaysian judiciary over the past two decades. From Lord President Tun Salleh Abas's sacking in 1988 to the 1996 poison pen letter and the 2007 Lingam video tape exposé, the public is not unjustified in doubting judicial independence.

Familiar murmurings have begun again on whether anything has changed. Accusations of government bias and manipulation arose after the recent Federal Court decision declaring Umno's Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir as the rightful Perak menteri besar. The courts are also facing added scrutiny with the ongoing and second sodomy trial of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi responds to these criticisms during an interview with The Nut Graph on 26 March 2010 at the Kuala Lumpur Court Complex. In this first of a two-part interview, he says there is no justification for accusing the judiciary of bias. He also discusses the effects of his prior link to the Barisan Nasional on public perception.

TNG: Former Lord President Tun Mohamed Suffian Hashim once predicted we'd have to wait a whole generation for the judiciary to recover from the assault on its independence when Tun Salleh Abas was removed in 1988. Do you agree that this incident was a serious blow to the judiciary's independence? 

I would not like to comment on the effects of what happened prior to me taking office. In 1988, I was not even a judge. I was just a practising lawyer, so it's not proper for me to make any statements on that.
Now that more than 20 years have passed since the 1988 judicial crisis, do you think the judiciary has recovered its independence?


Yes, I would believe so. I believe the confidence in the judiciary has improved a great deal.
I would like to state, and you can confirm this with the lawyers, that at the last Malaysian Bar annual general meeting held (on 13 March 2010), not a single issue was raised regarding the judiciary. They did not comment negatively at all on the judiciary, which, to me, is a good sign.

Could one reason for that be because the Malaysian Bar just held an extraordinary general meeting (in December 2009) on issues regarding key performance indicators (KPIs) for judges?
Yes, there was an issue about the KPIs. I gave an interview. I believe the lawyers were satisfied with the explanation. I think a large majority of the practising litigation lawyers now will say they are happy with the way cases are progressing.

I think the main issue now that you are concerned about is the perception that the judges are pro-government.
Yes, some writers, academics and political commentators have speculated that the courts are still acting under the directions of the executive, especially in relation to the Perak menteri besar case, and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial. What is your response to these comments?
There is a small group of vociferous people out there, who go onto the internet and blogs and Facebook and all that and make comments without knowing the proper background. Many are not even lawyers.
It seems to me that for these people, as long as you make a decision against the government and the party in power, then the court is fair and reasonable. The moment you make a decision in favour of the government or the party in power, then the court is biased. But they have forgotten how many election petitions the Barisan Nasional (BN) has lost. They have lost about three quarters of such petitions, if I'm not mistaken.

People talk about Perak. I'm not too keen to enter into the arena of trying to argue that the decision was fair. But you see and judge for yourself, and you make your own decision. If there is any influence, why are there still decisions made against the government? If it wants to influence, the government might as well influence all decisions, from top to bottom.

Also, judges and judicial commissioners who have supposedly made decisions against the government have got promoted and confirmed as judges. So, how can you say that the judiciary is biased?
Do you think the fact that you have to recuse yourself from some of the BN-related cases also influences public perception of bias?  

I'm actually not biased, I'm impartial. But to avoid any perception that I'm biased where the BN is a party, or where the government is politically involved and is a party, it's best for me not to hear those cases. Justice must not only be done, but be seen to be done.
But would the [mere] fact that you had prior links to the BN cause the public to perceive a [government] bias?  

Since the time I took office as a Federal Court judge on 5 Sept 2007, as president of the Court of Appeal in December 2007 and as Chief Justice in October 2008, have I made any decisions in favour of the government?

If at all, some of my decisions have been against the government. We have released people on habeas corpus applications, and I have made decisions against the local government. I overruled the Datuk Bandar's decision regarding the use of a piece of land a few months ago. We ruled it was wrong.

Perhaps due to the past setbacks, there is a long way to go before the public can come to trust the judiciary again...
I don't want to talk about past issues, but I think we are moving in the right direction. It will take time, but those who lose their cases will still complain. I get letters once or twice a week saying judges are biased, that a judge is corrupt — all sorts of complaints when people lose their cases.
So, we investigate. So far, I have not found anything because if there is any evidence that a judge is corrupt, I will go after his [or her] neck without any hesitation. But if accusations are made without any basis, it's not fair for me to take action against the person.

But at the end of the day, the losing party will still say that there is no justice done. The winning party will say there is justice done.

Criticism has arisen again about the Court of Appeal's recent decision overturning Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus's judgement that the detention under the ISA (Internal Security Act) of Abdul Malek Hussein was unlawful. Do you have any comments?

They are now saying one judge is correct, three judges are wrong. It's more difficult to influence three judges than to influence one judge. And Hishamudin was promoted to the Court of Appeal. How do you justify that?
What is your response to the perception that the High Court judges have been more independent in deciding against the government, and that their decisions are then overturned by the Court of Appeal?

The High Court judges are the most junior. If I wanted to exert influence, the judicial commissioners would be the easiest to influence. They would want to become judges and go on to the Court of Appeal and Federal Court. It would be easier for me to tell them, "Decide in this manner and I will give you a promotion." Isn't it?
The higher up their position, the more difficult it is to influence. To the judges at the top, they are already there. They cannot be influenced by promotions. To influence a case [on appeal from the High Court], you have to influence three judges at the Court of Appeal stage, then three at the Federal Court stage. It's not easy to influence six people's decisions!

What do you think it would take for the public to regain trust in the judicial process?
What else do you want me to do? I don't go out of the way specifically to remove that perception. I will go on to do what I need to do. As far as efficiency of the judiciary is concerned, I am working very, very hard to improve the speedy disposal of cases and to reduce the backlog. That, I have done.
As far as the perception that there is bias, I just let it go. We are not biased. The judges are not biased or one-sided, so what more is there for me to do?

Maklum Balas YB.Nurul Izzah Terhadap Isu Pusat Permata Di Hulu Selangor Jika BN Menang

–Kenyataan Media–

MAKLUM BALAS NURUL IZZAH ANWAR, AHLI PARLIMEN LEMBAH PANTAI TERHADAP ISU : “PUSAT PERMATA DI HULU SELANGOR JIKA BN MENANG”

5 April 2010

Utusan Malaysia hari ini melaporkan isteri Perdana Menteri Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor turut bercadang untuk mewujudkan Pusat Permata Negara di Hulu Selangor jika Barisan Nasional (BN) berjaya memenangi Pilihan Raya Kecil Parlimen Hulu Selangor 25 April ini.

Sungguhpun saya mengalu-alukan usaha PERMATA untuk meningkatkan mutu pendidikan awal kanak-kanak di negara, namun berita ini amat menggusarkan saya. Usaha murni untuk menaiktaraf mutu pendidikan awal ini tidak seharusnya diberikan kepada rakyat dalam bentuk tebusan untuk meraih kemenangan di Ulu Selangor.

PERMATA selaku sebuah badan yang diiktiraf oleh kerajaan untuk memperuntukkan kemudahan pendidikan awal kanak-kanak dan telahpun diberikan peruntukan sebanyak RM20 Juta untuk usaha mereka, seharusnya memberikan sumbangan dan bantuan kepada semua kawasan yang memerlukan tanpa perlu menunggu adanya pilihanraya kecil.

Saya mempertikaikan keikhlasan hasrat Datin Seri Rosmah ini sungguhpun beliau mendakwa ianya akan dilaksanakan demi kepentingan anak-anak kecil di Ulu Selangor. Apakah beliau akan menafikan kemudahan yang dijanjikan sekiranya Barisan Nasional kalah dalam pilihanraya kecil Ulu Selangor kelak?

Saya menyeru kerajaan Barisan Nasional agar tidak memperalatkan kebajikan kanak-kanak untuk kepentingan parti sebaliknya melaksanakan tanggungjawab sosial kerajaan tanpa mengira politik kepartian serta kepentingan peribadi.

Nurul Izzah Anwar
Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai, WP

I am Malaysian first

By Kee Thuan Chye

I am proud to call myself Malaysian first and Chinese second. And if I were to tell other Chinese Malaysians that, I don’t think they will shun me.

Even if they do, so be it. Let them. If they are so narrow-minded as not to see the beauty of calling oneself Malaysian first, I don’t want to have anything to do with them.

I have two children to whom I have given Malaysian names, i.e. Malay, Indian and Chinese names. It is my contribution to Bangsa Malaysia. Their identity cards bear their full names.

In both cases, their Malay name comes first. And that is the name my wife and I call them by. We call our daughter Soraya and our son Jebat. To us, Malay names are also Malaysian names, and our children are Malaysian. We have no hang-ups about it.

Now, why can’t this be the norm in this beautiful, rich, multi-racial nation – a nation that is beautiful and rich because of its many races and cultures? Why must we separate ourselves into divisive categories? Why can’t we take the inclusive approach, consider each of our fellow citizens as being part of a whole, as part of us instead of as the Other?

Why is it so hard for someone no less than the deputy prime minister of this country to acknowledge that he is Malaysian first and Malay second? Why does he give the excuse that if he were to do so, he would be shunned by the Malays? How does he know for sure? Why does he presume the negative? Why would they shun him?

He is a leader of the country. Should he not instead be leading by example? For all we know, if he were to actually declare himself Malaysian first and Malay second, he might find others doing the same – and they may well be not just Malays but people of other races as well. Why does he fear to lead and instead prefer to take the safe and untested route? Why does he even take the exclusive line and say, “I am a Malay first”?

The basic function of leadership is taking the first step before anyone else, isn’t it? Especially if it’s a step in the right direction, towards the noble purpose of bringing the people closer together. It may be a risky step to take but if it’s the right one, morally and logically, who can judge you harshly?

PM waffles in interview

Walk the talk, leaders. Do what’s right, not what’s politically expedient. Why does the prime minister defend the deputy prime minister for saying he is Malay first? Why does the prime minister himself not say he is Malaysian first and Malay second when the TV station Al Jazeera put the question to him?

Granted, the Al Jazeera interviewer didn’t pose the question sharply. Instead of saying to the PM, “Let me then just ask you, are you a Malay first and a Malaysian second?”, she should have asked, “Would you say you are a Malaysian first and a Malay second?” That would have been to-the-point.

He would not have been able to wriggle his way out by saying, “Well technically, if we talk about the Constitution, I am a Malay but I’m comfortable being a Malay in a Malaysian society …” He wasn’t actually answering the question. And the interviewer wasn’t on-the-ball enough to pin him down.

Perhaps someone else should now pose the proper question to the PM so we can see how he responds. I would be disappointed if he waffled again. He is, after all, the man with the 1Malaysia slogan, the one that aims to unite all Malaysians. If he can’t walk the talk, how much credibility can we give the 1Malaysia concept? In fact, if he can’t walk the talk, how much trust can we give the PM?

At the end of the day, will it only be left to ordinary citizens like me to declare ourselves Malaysian first and whatever our race is, second? I’m sure there are many others out there – ordinary citizens – who will make that declaration with readiness and sincerity. Perhaps if our leaders won’t take the lead, we ordinary citizens should do it, ironic as it may sound. Perhaps we should show our leaders how to walk the talk. Why not?

Let’s band together and exercise our right, our power, as the rakyat. Let’s show Malaysia – and the world – that if our leaders will not take the lead, we the people will take up that responsibility. We will not be doing anything wrong. In fact, we will be doing what is good for our country. We will be bringing about the real 1Malaysia.

How about it? I am a Malaysian first and a Chinese second. What about you?

The Labu and Labi Team of Najib and Muhyiddin (Part 2)

By M. Bakri Musa
[Second of Four Parts]

The Best Team
The Razak-Ismail duo lasted just a month shy of three years, prematurely cut short by the sudden but not unexpected death of Tun Ismail. At first glance they had all the ingredients for a divisive and acrimonious relationship. One was a lawyer the other, a physician; two professionals not known to get along well with each other. Members of the two professions view society differently; likewise their approaches to problem solving. Lawyers cross examine their witnesses; doctors get a history from their patients. Lawyers assume their clients would lie; physicians implicitly trust theirs. Attorneys’ clients may think it is in their interest to lie; patients however risk their lives if they were to mislead their physicians.
What made the Razak-Ismail team worked remarkably well was that both were true professionals as well as consummate politicians in the best traditional mold. It was this combination that made their partnership blossomed. As professionals they were able to separate their personal feelings to address the problems at hand; as accomplished politicians they were skillful in the art of compromise, a fine sense of politics as the art of the possible. They were able to sink whatever personal, political and professional differences and ambitions they harbor in order to best serve their client: the nation.

They also shared many similarities. Under different circumstances or with other personalities, those similarities could well be sources of unending conflicts. Consider their age; only seven years separating them, with Razak the younger. Politicians are inherently ambitious and competitive; they all aspire to be the number one. The number two could hardly wait for number one to exit, making for an often stormy relationship towards the end, as demonstrated by the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown show. Being comparable in age would only aggravate that aspect of the rivalry.
Surprisingly, we did not see that kind of rivalry with Razak and Ismail. While Ismail was as ambitious as the rest, he was the original and genuine citizen-legislator. Meaning, someone who takes time off from his regular vocation to serve his nation, and then after giving his best, leave. Ismail was a rare breed, especially when compared to the specimens we have today; they make politics their permanent careers. Najib’s cabinet, like Abdullah’s and Mahathir’s before that, is infested with tired old career politicians who have no life outside of politics. They hung on long past their shelf-life.
Both Razak and Ismail were also aristocrats, Razak from Pahang and Ismail, Johor. They both attended English schools and the best English institutions; Razak read law at Lincoln’s Inn and Ismail, medicine at Melbourne. Jagoh kampong (village champions) they were not. They were not insular as they had competed successfully against the world.
Those similarities may have contributed to their cordial and workable relationship, but those were not the main factors. Instead what them “click” was their deep commitment to public service. They were true patriots. It was this that made them overcome whatever differences they may have had between them.
And differences there were! In personality, the two could not be more dissimilar. Ismail was the gregarious type; he knew how to enjoy life. As a medical student he idled his time on the cabaret floor on the evening before his crucial anatomy oral examination!
Razak was the studious one; he was a legend at Malay College. He completed his law studies well before his scholarship ended. At social gatherings I could not imagine Tun Razak backslapping his guests or joining them in uproarious laughter, as Dr. Ismail would.
Being from the predominantly Malay state of Pahang, Razak’s political philosophy was more towards Malay nationalism. Ismail hailed from the more urban and cosmopolitan Johor; that shaped his worldview.
Yet these differences complement them rather than being sources of rivalry, a reflection of their great sense of self confidence. Ismail did not need to aspire for the top post in order to show his stuff, while Razak was not in the least threatened by having someone of the caliber of Ismail as a deputy. Malaysians were blessed to have a pair of such caliber helming the nation. It is sad that their success did not inspire the present generation of leaders to emulate if not better that team of Razak and Ismail.
The Longest and Most Enduring
If as Prime Minister Tun Razak did not feel threatened by having a highly capable deputy in the person of Dr. Ismail, the Tun also did not feel that being a deputy to the Tunku would hamper his ability to contribute towards the nation. He also did not view being in the number two slot for an inordinately long time as a reflection of his ability. Only when the Tunku’s leadership was wanting in the aftermath of the 1969 race riots did Razak assert himself.
Razak could have headed UMNO and thus be the country’s first prime minister if he had wanted to; the opportunity was there. When the party’s first president, the towering Datuk Onn, left the party sulking in 1951, many wanted Razak to take over. He was not yet 30 at the time, and already they recognized his exceptional leadership and executive talent.
Razak politely declined the honor, not out of a sense of false modesty or lack of confidence, rather his astute reading of the Malay psyche and culture. He rightly believed that his community would more readily accept as leader someone older and thus perceived to be more experienced. In Malay culture, age equals wisdom; hence his declining the honor. Instead, Razak was instrumental in persuading the initially reluctant Tunku to head UMNO.
At another level, UMNO’s stated mission then was merdeka. Razak was shrewd enough to recognize that the party would need someone whom the British would find comfortable to negotiate. The affable and anglophile Cambridge-bred Tunku fit the bill. That was a particularly prescient call on Razak’s part, reflecting his wisdom and foresight despite his youth!
Razak’s wisdom in turning to Tunku was manifested in other ways. It turned out that the major obstacle in the negotiations for merdeka was not with the British but the Malay sultans. The British knew that colonialism was no longer chic or compatible with the values of a civilized society. They were ready and eager to let go of their colonies. The sultans however, were an unanticipated issue. Their concerns about their status in an independent Malaysia made them recalcitrant. They were not without reasons; they saw only too clearly the fate of the Sultan of Jogjakarta in neighboring Indonesia, as well as the multitude of Maharajas in India.
With Tunku, a member of the Kedah royal family leading the negotiations, the sultans felt reassured. Had it been the commoner Razak, the negotiations would definitely have been tougher.
Many ascribe the enduring partnership of Rahman and Razak to their presumed traditional Malay father-son relationship, with the loyal son always deferring to the father. Nothing could be further from the truth. I had never seen any public display of filial genuflecting by Razak to the Tunku. When the Tunku was swamped in the aftermath of the May 1969 riot, Razak was not at all bashful in taking over. That was certainly not the response of a supposedly obedient son or display of undivided filial devotion.
Instead their relationship was akin to that of a non-executive chairman of the board and the chief executive president. While Tunku was prime minister, it was Razak who actually ran the country. All the major initiatives, from overhauling of the education system to the massive rural development, originated from and executed by Razak.
A comparable dynamics would be between the ambassador and his deputy chef de mission in the old Soviet embassies. The real power and authority resided with the DCM, not the titular number one, the ambassador. He was merely the figure head, the sultan as it were. In that way, he (very rarely she) could indulge himself at diplomatic functions like getting drunk without compromising embassy secrets. Similarly if the ambassador were to be blackmailed, he could be readily expended.
I always thought that to be an ingenious scheme! It was certainly successful with the Soviets; it was no less so with Tunku and Tun Razak.

Bank Negara must consider people's plight: Najib

The Sun 

PUTRAJAYA (April 4, 2010): Bank Negara Malaysia must take into consideration the plight of the people when proposing new basic motor insurance coverage for third-party bodily injury and death --  just like enacting any other policy.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said the central bank should consult consumer groups, associations and the public to iron out disagreements before committing to the new policy known as the Third-Party Bodily Injury and Death (TPBID).

theSun had reported recently that plans are in the offing to limit third-party motor insurance claims to RM100,000, inclusive of hospitalisation, rehabilitation, pain, suffering, loss of income and future earnings, a move that would affect millions of ordinary people at risk of road accidents.

Bank Negara however claimed the scheme is still at proposal stage and it would get feedback from all stakeholders next month before presenting to the government.

“Certainly, I will tell Bank Negara that they will need to engage and consult the consumer groups and associations," said Najib who is also Finance Minister.

“If  there are changes, then all stakeholders should be consulted,  not only the insurance companies but also consumer groups," he said last night in response to questions posed on "Setahun di Aras 5: Temubual Khas Bersama Perdana Menteri" -- a programme featuring a special interview marking his first anniversary in office as Prime Minister. Najib was sworn in as the sixth Prime Minister on April 3, 2009.

Najib, who is also Finance Minister, said motor insurance industry was in need of an overhaul as it was a loss-making business in terms of premiums collected and payments.

“There is a serious deficit. What is happening is that people are using their profits from other kinds of insurance, particularly life insurance, to subsidise motor insurance," he said.

The Government, when tabling  the 2010 Budget,  had announced the need to provide a basic motor insurance coverage for TPBID, at a reasonable premium that commensurate with the level of protection provided.

A source told Bernama some of the changes proposed under TPBID were drastic.

If a father aged 56 and was retired dies in an accident, his children will have no claim for loss of support as the Act only catered for compensation for people working until 55.

Likewise, if a son soon to graduate from university dies from a road accident before he starts work, the family gets nothing, he said.

He expressed dismay that the TPBID seemed to be rushed through without consultation and this does not inspire confidence especially when a new company  to manage the scheme has been proposed.

The Prime Minister also commented on a number of issues, including: -

>> Affirmative action policy stays:
The government will not do away with its affirmative action policy but ensure it is carried out in a fairer and more transparent manner to improve the lives of Malaysians in the bottom 40% of the population. The implementation of the policy would be more market-friendly, more merit-based, and also more on a needs basis.

"For example, I say if you want to eradicate poverty, if you want to address the lower 40% population with income below RM1,500 a month, you must also take care of the non-Malays or non-bumiputras as well. When you talk about bumiputras, it is not synonymous with Malays.

What about the Iban, Kadazan, Bidayuh and the like? They are also bumiputras and they have the same rights."

"Let us not be too corrupt with a certain way of looking at things but let us look at ways that really create the sense of belonging that we are together as one nation and one people," he said in response to a question on Perkasa, the Malay non-governmental organisation, which said that 67% of the country's wealth should belong to the community.

>> Lies against 1Malaysia due to greater acceptance:
The allegation that 1Malaysia was purportedly derived from foreign countries, including Israel, is a total lie by the opposition, and is aimed destroying or tarnishing the concept after the idea received growing acceptance by the people.

“They (the opposition) dare not attack the 1Malaysia Concept; They cannot dispute it, so they try to destroy, tarnish the concept by alleging that the idea purportedly came from another country. This is slander, completely unfounded."

>> Better pay for civil servants with higher productivity:
The government needs the support of the 1.2 million civil servants to implement its initiatives to strengthen the economy and revenue base. With stronger income, the government can provide a better deal for all citizens, including improved salaries for government servants.

"Their wages will be adjusted as we go along, provided productivity goes up. What is important is that the economy gets stronger, and government revenue gets stronger."

>> Malaysia to remain conducive investment destination:
The country will be more responsive to the needs of foreign and domestic investors given the stiff competition in the international marketplace.

"We realise that the economic environment has changed. There are many more new emerging economies offering very attractive and considerably much lower labour cost than we can and some of them are quite substantially large markets.

“The world today is different than what it was in the 80s and Malaysia needs to compete with many more countries. We will be able to attract our share of FDIs this year and next year."

>> Effective delivery system:
Emphasis on a more efficient public sector delivery system in implementing the RM67 billion stimulus package is crucial in lifting the economy quickly out of the doldrums after it was severely affected by the global recession last year.

“The hundreds and thousands of projects, big and small, being implemented under the stimulus package and delivered to the ground helped to turn the economy around in such a short period. It is a very clear manifestation of the success of the government’s administration including civil servants who have been working hard to deliver the stimulus packages,"he said.

The public delivery system was enhanced with the setting up of the Project Management Unit under the Finance Ministry to ensure projects and programmes were executed efficiently to ensure maximum impact on the economy.

Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product registered a positive growth of 4.5% in the last quarter of last year from a negative growth of 6.2% when the package was first unveiled in March 2009.

I guess everyone’s seen this video by now :P :) fun eh?
The other major headlines are about Najib, Muhyiddin, and 1(st)Malay/sia.
I think we are witnessing nothing less than the struggle between being mired in outdated racial politics, and moving forward into more holistic, progressive visions for Malaysia.
Let’s start by analysing Muhyiddin’s interest in all this. What stunt was he trying to pull?
My view is that Muhyiddin’s impatience and greediness is starting to become startlingly apparent.
This PM-DPM relationship seems to more closely resemble Dr. M – Anwar (back in the day), which is essentially the exact opposite of Abdullah – Najib.
Najib was the quiet good boy, who bided his time even when people clamoured for Abdullah’s throat.
Muhyiddin? He seems to have his daggers out even before his boss has warmed his seat.
Now let’s examine the game he’s trying to play. Seeing Najib take a risky position with 1Malaysia, he decides to swing to the right, and pander to the Perkasa crowd – looking to differentiate himself from Najib any way he can.
I find him a man of low principle. I remember while Abdullah was PM, Muhyiddin was Mr. Multi-racial (one day I’ll dig up that news article). Now, when it suits him better, he’s Mr. Malay 1st in opposition to Najib’s Mr. 1M’sia.
This is lame. As is Najib tripping over himself to say that Muhyiddin’s position is consistent with 1Malaysia – which a donkey could see is a lie. I think this paints Najib as weak, liable to be bullied by his deputy.
Najib’s defensiveness of “not extreme” Perkasa also betrays his deep insecurity. Clearly he has no intent on taking a stance against racist hardliners like Ibrahim Ali – demonstrating time and again that for Najib, principle falls sacrifice to political expediency.
I have argued one very simple point in this blog, almost since I started it: genuine ideological reform within Umno is pretty much impossible, because of the way it has shaped itself over time.
After decades of building itself around the idea of Ketuanan Melayu, they are essentially trapped – victims of the race-obsessed mindsets they have worked so hard to create.
(I can’t help repeating: Perkasa and Umno always says the Malays have yet to achieve their full potential. I agree. But after decades of being ruled by Umno and no one else – exactly who is to blame for that state of affairs? Oh I don’t know, maybe the Umno ‘flers who stole everything that was meant for the bumiputeras?)
Especially in the last quarter of the last century, Umno has indoctrinated so many race-mongers (think BTN) and attracted so many sycophants, that they now find they can’t shake them loose – even if they wanted to (which is itself doubtful).
In mathematics, the sign “≡” means “always equals to” or “is defined as”.
My contention is that Umno ≡ racism (and corruption) ≡ Perkasa.
As for Najib’s attempts to cover Umno (or himself, seeing as he can now pretend he is more popular than Umno itself) with 1Malaysia, NEM, GTP, etc etc, all I can say is: you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.

Ketuanan Melayu: Am I alone? - Malaysiakini

When one reads about an organisation led by an insecure, attention seeking leader, who revels in obfuscating remarks to "defend Islam, the special rights of Malays and bumiputeras", it does seem that the lunatics have taken over the asylum.

So, am I alone in thinking that Malays should debunk ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy)? When challenging small, hate-filled groups we must be aware of the risks in talking up the threat they pose.

They may hope we would demonstrate or march to the police station and make reports (the police have better things to do) and give the group added gravitas.

Probably the more invectives that are hurled in retaliation, the happier they would be. No, we are not a hysterical lot.

Clamours for ketuanan Melayu are an insult to me and right-minded Malays. Malays today are knowledgable. Extremist views on race and religion are not our vision of Malaysia. We aim for solidarity by encouraging participation from all sections of society for a truly democratic nation.

Confident Malays are not threatened by other races. Nor do they feel inferior or undermined. They are not spiritually bankrupt and do not get confused when non-Muslims use words like Allah.

Too few benefit

The NEP made a few Malay millionaires into billionaires. It excluded the Malay majority and hence failed spectacularly in its objectives. The government must be more creative in helping Malays attain success. Why stick with a recipe for failure?

Last week's histrionics demonstrate that you can take the boy out of the kampong but you cannot take the kampong out of the boy. Fortunately, not all Malays live under their tempurung (coconut shell). We don't need men who profess to be leaders by espousing ketuanan Melayu but in reality are just sabre-rattlers.

Malaysians are aware of their surroundings - abuses of power, select Malays selfishly milking the NEP, endemic corruption, public institutions compromising their neutrality by becoming political stooges, no accountability in government bodies and politicians.

There are many disadvantaged people in Malaysia. Our urban and rural folk lead parallel lives, with little overlap. Our society consists of the 'haves' and the 'have-nots'. Racism, sexism and ageism are rife. It is little wonder there is a rise in cynicism. It is amusing to see the '1Malaysia' concept in a mess because of these.

We are a young nation, and we attained independence through the collective effort of the peoples of Malaya: Ordinary Malayans - rubber tappers, tin coolies, jungle clearers, road builders, railway workers, teachers, policemen, port labourers.

They were Malays, Chinese, Indians, Eurasians, Orang Asli. Some made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of independence. Must we now forget their contributions and treat their children and grandchildren not as true Malaysians, but merely as immigrants? Are we not indebted to them?

My great-grandfather was a rubber-tapper and he encouraged his son (my grandfather) to study and lift them out of poverty. At night, he studied by the light of a kerosene lamp. During the day, he escaped being called out to play by the other boys, by hiding and reading in the middle of a patch of long grass.

The daily journey to secondary school in Ipoh was by train and on foot. He then entered the Malayan Civil Service (MCS), worked his way up and was sent to England for various courses and tests. He grabbed every opportunity and was a success.

He worked in the towns and villages, throughout Malaya, but complained that the Malay youth then were indisciplined, were bad at time-keeping and had an attitude problem. Many suffered from kais pagi, makan pagi (living from hand-to-mouth) and lacked motivation to work. The majority considered the bounties from the fruit trees or rivers sufficient for their daily needs.

This lack of incentive is deeply entrenched and will remain entrenched unless there is a brutal effort to exorcise it from the Malay psyche. We must give Malays a way out of poverty and halt their dependence on the NEP. The challenge is for them to break out of the spiral of underachievement and low expectation.

A crutch, not a panacea

The NEP, or its reincarnation, will not help the Malays or Malaysia. Instead of making Malays more competitive, it will make them more reliant on false hopes. It will make them idle and addicted to being the master, the supreme race, with little effort involved. It is a destructive ideology. It destroys their character and robs them of an identity. It is an admission of weakness. It relieves them of pride and dignity.

The Malays have had large amounts of money spent on them. No amount of money will elevate them unless it is put to good use to improve themselves. The desire to improve must come from within. They must understand that ambition and aspiration entails hard work and perseverance.

Malays have a strong cultural identity and family values but the NEP has helped institutionalise underachievement. So how can we offer security to our children if our adults lack ambition?

Education and a strong stable family life must be foremost in policy changes to make a difference. But politicians have messed up our education system. Government must create opportunities. We need investments, both locally and from abroad, but Malaysia's negative image precludes that.

Those who champion ketuanan Melayu should concentrate on the Malay community and seek answers for the following:- Malays lacking aspiration; Malay girls outperforming boys; Malay men abrogating responsibilities towards their family, spending money on successively younger wives, leaving families severely disadvantaged; high divorce rates in Malay marriages;

Most drug addicts and HIV/AIDS sufferers are Malays; abandoned babies are primarily Malays; incest, rape and sexual crimes are committed mainly by Malays. Why not sort out your priorities, clean up your own house first and stop pointing fingers?

Sadly, few Malays are willing to admit the faults within them but would rather lay the blame on other races. And please stop brandishing the keris about. They are revered items, as any good Malay knows, and should never be used in a cheap publicity gimmick.

One year Najib Razak as Malay-sian Prime Minister, 44 areas, Indians still excluded from National Mainstream Development of Malaysia. From P.Uthayakum

While Malay-sian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s single biggest propaganda machine is One Malay-sia UMNO’s racist religious extremist and supremacist national policies continues to exclude especially the poor Indians on a day to day basis. Even Najib’s first fourteen days as Prime Minister is reflective of his one year rule where the UMNO policy of excluding the Indians from at least 44 areas of the National Mainstream Development of Malaysia is crystal clear as follows:-

On the very same day of Najib taking office on 3/3/09 two Hindraf lawyers were released from ISA detention as an UMNO strategy to appease the very angry almost two million Malaysian Indians..From within Kamunting walls “I was happy for them as they were never ever involved in the day to day affairs of Hindraf but were made to suffer in jail. But UMNO also detained them as part of their subsequent operational warfare- P.Uthayakumar”.

1).The Prime Minister’s wife Rosmah announced the formation of the Permata Elite School in university Kebangsaan Malaysia. An initial RM 2million government grant and taking in 200 almost all Malay muslim elite students(UM 3/03/09 at page 5).

2).1,513 almost all trainee pilots were produced from the seven flying academies in Malaysia(NST 3/03/08 at page13)

3).Poverty rate was reduced from 50% in 19957 to 1.8% in 2008.Absolute poverty was reduced to 1.8% among the malay muslims through the New Economic Policy(NST 3/03/09 at page 17) (Note: But after 53 years, an estimated 90% of the Indians remain poor or in the lower income group.

4).Sektariat Pembelaan dan Pemerkasaan Wanita Islam(Senada)formed(UM3/03/09 page

5).Rubeer tapper’s son ACP Zakaria Pagan becomes Officer In Charge of Police District (OCPD) of Sentul(UM3/03/09) ) (Note: While Lt Col Tan Sri K.Thanabalasingam was the first local Navy Chief of Independent Malaysia, today even at the lowest district level there is not a single OCPD in Malay-sia that is an Indian however qualified or merits he may have).

6).9,349 Rubber smallholders (malay muslim) given pesticides and festilizer to increase production (UM 4/03/09 at page 6)

7).RM1 Billion government allocation for T.V digital broadcast but zero Billions to take Indians out of poverty(NST 5/03/09 pg 4)

8).1,000 foreign medical officers (medical doctors) from overseas (muslim) countries taken in to work in Malay-sia but Malaysian Indian medical students degrees from India, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Indonesia etc are maliciously derecognized to bring down the total number of Indian medical doctors.(UM 5/03/09 Page 6)

9).RM100 Million to set up elite Science Islamic School in Setiawangsa K.L (UM 5/03/09 page 9)

10).23,977 academic staff in 20 public universities in Malaysia but only 1% are Indians staff(UM 6/03/09 page

11).107 licences given out to foreign Hypermarkets Tesco, Carrefour etc but on condition with malay muslim equity of 30%,30% goods manufactured by bumis to be sold here and 30% bumis shelf space. But zero Indian participation(NST 6/03/09)

12).Cage fish farm along Sg Pahang(zero opportunities to Indians)(UM(M)6/03/09 page 10)

13). AIMST(MIC’s)Universitiy denied Certificate of fitness because it had not built a mosque(Note:MCA,Gerakan & MIC all have private Universities,but not UMNO.Because all the 20 public Universities plus the 200,000 places exclusively for malay muslims in UITM all belong to UMNO(see NST 7/03/09 page 15)

14).14,547 Malay villages to prepare village development plans. But zero such plans for Indian settlements(UM 7/03/09 page 13)

15).100,000 Indian youths involved in crime says minister with 40,000 indian youths in (Simpang Renggam)detention camps etc. (Note:give this Indian youths business oppurtunities to own Petronas,Mobil,Shell,Esso,KFC,McDonald,Ayamas ,A&W,Coffee Bean,Starbucks,government stalls and lucrative highway rest area stalls,Scrap Metal and car wash licences,taxi,heavy lorry,bus and limousine permits, Proton Outlets, Proton service centres etc and 90% of these Indian crime can be reduced(See Malaysiakini 5/03/09)

16).MARA to buy seats(for malay muslims)at top ten world Universities –Harvard ,Oxford,Cambridge &Tokyo University with each seat to cost USD10Million(RM37.1 million) to facilitate to entry of malay students to gain entry without stringent requirements like in Singapore(UM8/03/09)

17).Up to 2008 127,159 Malay muslim students had received education through the MRSM system (UM 8/03/09 at page 13)

18).Since set up in 1986, 184,193(malay muslim)student were produced by Giat Mara Skills Training Institute(UM 8/03/09 page 13)

19).280, 941(Malay muslim)students have got educational “bantuan penganjuran pelajaran” help(UM8/03/09 page 13) .

20).70,000 Bangladeshs workers arriving soon.500,000 foereigners (from almost all muslim countries) employed in various sectors(Note:These foreigners take away Indian unskilled and plantation workers jobs besides bringing down their salary rates)(NST 9/03/09 at page 6)

21).75% beef,90% mutton and 95% milk are all imported (Note:but UMNO will never give the poor Indians land,high yielding goats and cows,loan, the technology and expertise to come out of their poverty stricken lives and also so that foreign exchange does not flow out(UM9/03/09 at page 5)

22).Skim Usahawan Siswazah (Only for Malay and muslims)grants loans without security,guarantors and collateral provided they attend 6 to 9 months course by the Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Ministry(NST 9/03/09 at page 11) (Note: Indians 100% excluded)

23).TEKUN had provided loans totaling RM893 Million to 147,546(Malay muslim) entrepreneurs since 1999 through it’s 193 branches(NST 9/03/09 at page 14)(Note: But the UMNO mandore MIC & YSS gets an estimated 0.1% of these loans and does their 53 year old illusion show(wayang kulit) in dishing our RM 8,000.00 or so per “entrepreuner” What to do kacang putih business?

24). No Objections Certificates since 2003(Note: UMNO to restrict Indian students going to study especially medicine overseas as their doors locally are almost all closed) In 2003 , the two million Indians in Malaysia had to compete for one Medical seat in University of Malaya(NST 9/03/09 at page 16)

25).RM300 Million to Agrobank to assist farmers and agro based industries in rural areas and RM50 Million for (Malay Muslim)Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usahawan Nasional(NST 11/03/09 at page 11)

26). RM1.5 Billion micro credit facilities(for almost all ie up to an estimated 97% Malays) from AIM,Tekun,BNS and Agro Bank(UM11/03/09 page 21)

27).RM5.1 Billion Bank Pembangunan loans(for malay muslims)(UM11/03/09 at page 29)

28).One (Malay Muslim) Family One Company Campaign by the UMNO Entrepreneur and Co-operation Development Minister at PWTC (NST(BT) 11/03/09 at page 29)(Note: Indian 100% excluded)

29).University Kuala Lumpur,the first Entrepreneur University by the Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Ministry (for Malay muslim students) (Note:Zero Indians admitted in this University )(NST 12/02/09 at page 7)

30).32,440 children with non citizen status detected.(We estimate 150,000 Malaysian born Indian children but maliciously denied birth certificates by UMNO)(UM12/03/09 at page 8).

31).Tun Razak(1970 to 1976)former Prime Minister set up MARA,Felda,Felcra,Midf,Tabung Haji and Mardi(to take Malays out of being poor and low income group)(UM12/03/09 page 3) (Note: Indians left to rot or degenerate into the “Negroes” of Malaysia.

32).RM 300 Million to 10,000 Borrowers by Agro Bank by 20/03/09 as Micro credit Loans under RM60Billion budget (for almost all Malay Muslim upward mobility opportunities)(UM 12/03/09 page 20)

33). Welfare Department Cari Programme for nine monts had 117,479 people(an estimated 97% malay muslims)applying for welfare aid.50,560 applications were approved (NST 13/03/09 page 14).

34).16% bonus and dividends (to 99.9% malay muslim members) for Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera(UM 14/03/09 page 12).

35).There are 520 KFC outlets nationwide.Profits ending 31/12/08 is RM2.2billion(Note:Zero Indians own any outlets in KFC,McDonalds,A&W,Burger King,Petronas,Mobil,Esso,Shell,Starbucks,Coffee Bean,Government built food and petty trading stalls especially in highway rest areas, Proton outlets and Proton Service Centre etc (UM 14/03/09 at page 12).

36).Ladang Behrang River Tamil school in Perak gets funds of RM20,000.00 to build canteen.(Note:UMNO builds one brand new MRSM in Trolak, Perak for 120 Million but Tamil schools have to beg for money from UMNO to even buy chairs and tables, library books, build their own canteens and annaxe buildings by collecting money from the pre existing poor and low income Indians. (TN 14/03/09 at page 3)

37).There are 34 elite Maktab Rendah Sains Mara(MRSM) Colleges with fully residential school facilities (for almost all 12,440 Malay muslim students) (UM 15/03/09 at page 12)

38).Identity Card for Tanabala’s daughter after a lot of attempt’s(Note:We estimate that about 300,000 Indians have been denied their identity cards by the 1,016,799 mostly all Malay muslim Biro Tatanegara civil service “racist graduates” (TN 15/03/09 at page 14)

39).PUNB gets RM50 Million under Second Economic stimulus plan to help (Malay muslim) companies facing financial problems (UM 16/03/09 at page 3)

40).1.089 rural libraries(perpustakaan desa)nationwide. Each year 50 such libraries will be built at the cost of RM200,000.00 per library (Note:but zero of these libraries have ever been built in Indian areas like in Sentul,Brickfield,Kg Medan,Klang,Banting etc)(UM 16/03/09 at page 8).

41).Kempen Satu keluarga(Melayu)satu perniagaan with (at least)RM50,000.00 loans per family by the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development(UM16/03/09)

42).38% of Malaysians between 17 and 23 years of age received higher education compared to only 5% some twenty years ago. To date 60,000 post degree students was recorded(Note:But for the Indians we estimate 90% have been denied higher education opportunities however qualified or deserving they are) and 80% of Indians do not pursue their education beyond Form five. To the contrary 80% of the student in Saudi Arabia are graduates. (See UM 16/03/09 at page 13)

43).100 foreign taxi drivers operating around KLCC are(muslim) Bangladeshis, JPJ detected 2,868(Note:But UMNO has denied 99% of the thousands of Indian taxi drivers, drivers of heavy lorry drivers, limousines, public buses, express buses, tourist buses and vans etc their due permits(UM 16/03/09 at page 15)

44).Welfare help denied despite 3 appeals to the Welfare Ministry for Indrani(66) (Note:Indian NGOs’ have to beg for money from the already poor Indians to keep Indrani and thousands of others afloat and out of hunger(TN 16/03/09 at page 5)

Conclusion. In the aforesaid first two weeks of Najib Razak’s rule as Prime Minister we have noted this 44 areas where the Indians have been excluded from the national mainstream development of Malaysia. This is just the tip of the iceberg where Indians suffer on a day to day basis as a result of this 53 years old UMNO’s racist, religious extremist and supremacist policies and targeting at the Indians as they are the softest targets. To us Malaysia is today the most racist country in the world after apartheid ended in South Africa some 20 years ago in 1990.

Note: These excerpts are from part of the diaries of P.Uthayakumar written during his 514 days of detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA)1960 without trial or conviction.

S.Jayathas

HRP Information Chief

Indians die miserable deaths in prosperous 1Malay-sia

Source : http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/opinion/letters/4121-indians-die-miserable-deaths-in-prosperous-1malay-sia

From Deeban, via e-mail

When I first met N (my cousin) after many years, I remembered her as a pretty secondary school girl. Her father was a junior technician in JKR but because of inequal upward mobility opportunities in the Malaysian civil service because he was not a Malay Muslim, he ended up becoming a street alcoholic.

He was forced to retire as a junior technician. In the meantime N’s mother a housewife, fed up with her husband’s inability to keep the family afloat, left her JKR quarters with her two teenage daughters and a son, came to live in her mother’s squatter house.

N’s mother was ignored by Umno’s JKKK (grassroots-level eyes and ears of the Malaysian government) as she was an Indian Hindu and not a Malay Muslim under Umno’s racist, religious extremist and supremacist policies in Malaysia.

Because she could no longer take the pressures of life, N’s mother got into depression and ended up becoming a mentally disturbed person. One day N’s mother beat up her persistingly nagging old aged mother on the head with a pail and critically injured her.

Had her grandmother died, N’s mother could have been prosecuted for murder and brought on more shame and mysery to the family. N’s mother had to move out of her mother’s house. Just before his retirement, a relative managed to secure a government loan to buy a medium cost house for this family.

In the meantime, N became pregnant. She started working at 19 and was quickly married off. She had two more children. N too, ended up becoming mentally depressed after her husband abandoned her and her three teenage children.

History repeats itself. N’s eldest boy was forced to stop school. He was exploited as a child labour. He had also worked as a door to door leaflet distributor. N initially worked as a dish washer. Thereafter she relied on her teenage son to put food on the table for the family.

B, the only brother of N, despite the odds, made it to the science stream and scored 12As’ in the SPM. Had he been a Malay Muslim he would have been a medical doctor, if not a medical specialist.

But because he was an ethnic minority Indian he merely qualified as a radiographer. And Umno would expect him to be grateful for this. D, the elder sister of N could not afford to continue her studies beyond SPM as her family could not afford it.

N’s house was eventually put up for auction as they could no longer service their housing loan. N eventually became a mental case. Her ex-husband sent all three children to an orphanage.

N’s relatives were in no position to help raise N’s three children or to take care of N as they all had their own set of serious family and financial problems.

Feeling guilty I tried making contact with N’s eldest son to offer him a job as despatch boy but was told that he was now a car repossesor cum small time gangster. One fine day he could potentially end up being shot dead with impunity by the police for being a suspected car thief and gangsterism activities.

N and her children never got welfare as the local Umno-controlled JKKK would not attend to her as she is an Indian. She never received proper psychatric treatment as the health and welfare personnel would not attend to her as she was Indian.

And then the final blow came when I went to my mother’s place last weekend. My mother told me that N who had been living at an abandoned home and wondering around the streets, was knocked down by a car and had died at age 38.

N’s two daughters who are in orphanages and living in cramped and poor conditions, are likely to run away, become teenage pregnant mothers like their mother, and the cycle mos likely will be repeated. Compliments to Umno in prosperous One Malay-sia.

N’s story is just the tip of the iceberg. The pain and sufferings of the Indians in Malaysia is a result of Umno’s racist, religious extremist and supremacist policies, and Umno specifically excluding the Indians from the mainstream development of Malaysia.

They live in misery most their lives, and perhaps only death ends their sorrow. Many people ignorantly blame the individuals, families and their own society for their wretched lives, but it is the government’s callous insentivity and denial of opportunities that is to blame.

Photo Gallery: Najib’s One Year Rule of Malaysia “Indians still excluded from National Mainstream Development of Malaysia.

RM 191.5 Billion 2010 Budget but :- a) Once again designed to exclude especially the Indians from the national mainstream development of Malaysia

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/10/27/1-rm-1915-billion-2010-budget-but/

MALAYSIAN RACISM – APARTHEID WITHOUT THE LAWS OF THE APARTHEID SYSTEM

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/10/19/malaysian-racism-%e2%80%93-apartheid-without-the-laws-of-the-apartheid-system/

UMNO is (not) a racist party, says Najib? Really!

Billions of SMIDEC, PNS and Bank Rakyat loans, zero for Indians.

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/10/15/subject-billions-of-smidec-pns-and-bank-rakyat-loans-zero-for-indians/

Estimated 99% Indians excluded from FELDA, RISDA, FELCRA (Fama and Agropolitan) land schemes meant for the poor and landless Malaysians.

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/08/24/estimated-99-indians-excluded-from-felda-risda-felcra-fama-and-agropolitan-land-schemes-meant-for-the-poor-and-landless-malaysians/

Tekun and many other UMNO government’s grants to repair the peoples’ houses does not reach these Indians under Prime Minister Najib’s One Malaysia http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/08/28/indian-families%e2%80%99-sob-story/

Ex-Hindraf activist defends UM’s Indian Studies Dept (Malaysian Mirror)

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/09/08/unconstitutional-downgrading-of-the-indian-studies-department-at-university-malaya/

Hindraf’s 18 points demands submitted to Prime Minister Najib Razak

Hindraf submits memo seeking audience with PM (Malaysian Insider), Ignored by UMNO & zero reply.

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/08/27/hindraf-submits-memo-seeking-audience-with-pm-malaysian-insider/

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/08/26/hindraf-to-seek-audience-with-pm-najib-abdul-razak/

Temple demo: Residents march with cow’s head

UMNO’s ‘Cow head’ demo makes it around the world

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/08/28/temple-demo-residents-march-with-cows-head-malaysiakini/

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/09/10/cow-head-prosecution-double-standards-by-attorney-general/

Holy cow! Minister defends protesters (UMNO Cow heads)

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/09/06/holy-cow-minister-defends-protesters-umno-cow-heads/

I Malaysia camp won’t promote unity. 1 MRSM will!, 1 UITM, 1 fully residential schools, 1 Elite schools will! Stop UMNO’s apartheid now!

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/10/29/i-malaysia-camp-won%e2%80%99t-promote-unity-1-mrsm-will-1-uitm-1-fully-residential-schools-1-elite-schools-will-stop-umno%e2%80%99s-apartheid-now/

Candlelight 16 Hindraf arrested but not Cow Head protesters, policeman in towel in Police Station.

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/09/07/candlelight-16-hindraf-arrested-but-not-cow-head-protesters-policeman-in-towel-in-police-station/

No govt $ for Indian children, but Malay yes

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/09/30/no-gout-for-indian-children-but-malay/

No death caremony hall for Hindus

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/08/28/no-death-caremony-hall-for-hindus/

Poor elderly Indian denied Welfare help

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/09/30/poor-elderly-indian-denied-welfare-help/

Kugan’s Mother: A.G Refuses to prosecute Police Criminal, It’s 8 month now.

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/09/23/penyerahan-memorandum-kepada-dymm-yang-di-pertuan-agong/

Gangster OCPD Brickfields chase away peaceful petitioners to King outside Istana Negara

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/09/28/gangster-ocpd-brickfields-chase-away-peaceful-petitioners-to-king-outside-istana-negara/

Deepavali Leave for schools should be for one week

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/09/24/school-and-public-examination-date-one-day-after-deepavali/

The State of Tamil Schools

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/10/27/the-state-of-tamil-schools/

Why delay giving Birth Certificates to 150,000 Indian children

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/09/17/umno-denies-150000-indian-children-birth-certificates/

No Birth Certificate & IC, Indian girl disallowed into school & can’t sit for SPM

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/09/15/no-birth-certificate-ic-indian-girl-disallowed-into-school-cant-sit-for-spm/

Hishammuddin says citizenship a gift, not a right (Malaysian Insider)

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/10/28/hishammuddin-says-citizenship-a-gift-not-a-right-malaysian-insider/

40 lost years for the Indians in UiTM:- main campus, 3 satelite, 15 branch, 9 city campuses, 19 colleges, 15, 000 staff and 120, 000 students.

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/10/29/40-lost-years-for-the-indians-in-uitm-main-campus-3-satelite-15-branch-9-city-campuses-19-colleges-15-000-staff-and-120-000-students/

Indian mini market denied licence. (Tip of iceberg of Indians denied licences).

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/11/30/indian-mini-market-denied-licence-tip-of-iceberg-of-indians-denied-licences/

Re: Forced to convert to Islam prevalent- Indian poverty link.

NO MRSM TAMIL FOR 817 7AS’ TAMIL SCHOOL PUPILS

MSRM has even O’ levels but 99.99 % deserving Indians excluded.

In memory, flowers at stairs of Prime Minister Najib’s office by 7 year old Vaishnavi Waytha Moorthy.

SPM 12 subjects : UMNO pushes to powerless MIC mandore cabinet minister.

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/12/15/spm-12-subjects-umno-pushes-to-powerless-mic-mandore-cabinet-minister/

Malay-sian UMNO police shoots dead 5 Indians, pain and suffering of 4 small children, whose mother commited suicide.

UMNO excluded Indians from 90% of businesses.

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/12/17/rm-4-billion-project-for-malay-company/

UMNO only wants Indian Votes

http://www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com/2009/10/08/umno-only-want%e2%80%99s-indian-voters/