Felda settlers: An ‘uprising’ in the horizon

By FMT Staff

HULU SELANGOR: Fuelled by Pakatan Rakyat’s willingness to offer legal aid to Felda settlers in Selangor who want to sue the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) for millions of unpaid amount, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak may soon have an “uprising” on his hands.
The Selangor settlers have joined the growing number of settlers who are taking the agency to court following successive wins by other settlers.

Felda settlers from Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang have also brought their suits to High Courts in their respective states. The settlers from other states are expected to file similar suits soon.

All of them have charged Felda of marginalising the settlers over the refusal to abide by market rates and Rate of Yield Grade (RYG) which have brought about losses to the tune of RM150 to RM250 each month for each grade for these settlers.

At an average salary of RM1,500 a month, these losses pose a heavy burden to the Felda settler's livelihoods.

Chairman of the PKR Felda bureau Suhaimai Said has urged Felda to own up to its discriminatory practices and ready themselves to face the uprising of settlers demanding their rights.

“I would like to remind Umno-Barisan Nasional which has used Felda as their lifeline to prepare themselves for the uprising among the settlers.

“The settlers are now aware of Felda’s cheating ways and how they have marginalised the settlers by depriving them of what is rightfully theirs.

“Do not continue to assume that these settlers are stupid, “ he said.
Dipping into Felda's kitty
He explained that the RYG which was determined by Felda is in the range of 17 to 19 percent only, but after an evaluation was done by settlers from Serting, Negeri Sembilan, at the Tun Razak Agriculture Research Centre (PPPTK), it was found that the RYG could reach up to 26 percent.

“Felda has cheated the settlers through the RYG. We see Felda sucking the settler's money discreetly. Each percent has a value of its own, usually in the range of RM20 to RM40.

“So the difference between 26 percent and 19 percent is six percent. If each percent is RM40, therefore the government deprives the settlers of RM240 per ton.

“This is the handy work of Umno which uses Felda for its own advantage. Whenever the government does not have money, they dip into the Felda kitty.

He said after witnessing the success of the Felda Kemahang settlers in suing Felda, settlers in three states such as Johor, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang will also begin their lawsuit soon.

On Feb 19, the Federal Court ordered Felda to pay RM11 million to the 354 settlers.

The victory for the 354 settlers from Felda Kemahang 3, Tanah Merah in Kelantan, in their suit against Felda Palm Industries Sdn Bhd was a big win and a starting point for the whole community of Felda settlers to fight for their rights.

Zaid questions Maika's bailout plan

By FMT Staff
KUALA KUBU BARU: PKR's Hulu Selangor by-election candidate Zaid Ibrahim today urged the government to come clean on its role in bailing out Maika Holdings.
He said the Maika shareholders – of which about 1,500 are from Hulu Selangor – have waited long enough to be repaid for their investments in the MIC's investment arm.

“Suddenly close to the by-election there is this story that these shareholders will be paid in full and that Maika will be taken over by a local Indian-owned consortium.

“This sounds like a political gimmick. Are they trying to fool the people once again?” asked Zaid.

He was referrring to a Bernama story on April 16 that a local Indian private sector group had agreed to purchase Maika for about RM106 million.

Yesterday Maika's CEO S Vell Paari said the deal to sell Maika to the consortium was for real and that details were being worked out. It is learnt that the consortium is headed by G Gnanalingam, the executive chairman of Westports.

Vell Paari also denied it was an election gimmick to attract Indian voters in Hulu Selangor.

Zaid said that the manner the news was leaked on the Maika buy-over plan – via a source story in Bernama – indicated that the story was planted to gain some mileage for the BN's Hulu Selangor campaign.

“This is an important development for Maika and its shareholders and the normal way would be for its CEO to make an official announcement after finalising every details, not for the MIC leaders to thank the government for an announcement based on a source story,” he added.

“I am waiting for full details to be revealed and I hope they can show the investors before the by-election that this is not a political gimmick,” he said.

Life savings used to invest

Maika shareholders are mainly poor Indian estate workers who had invested in Maika shares in 1984 by pawning their jewellery while some had withdrawn their life savings.

Maika was established in 1982 to enable Malaysian Indians to participate in the country's economic growth. However, the company was unable to produce the required results, much to the disillusionment of its shareholders.

The relatively poor return on investment of Maika shares had been a nagging problem for the MIC and the Malaysian Indian community for the past 26 years.

The matter had been brought to the attention of the government on numerous occasions and it was only recently that a decision was made to resolve it.

The April 25 Hulu Selangor by-election will see Zaid taking on BN's P Kamalanathan for the seat which was won by PKR from MIC in the March 2008 general election.

The seat fell vacant following the death of Zainal Abidin Ahmad on March 25.

BN or PKR: It’s a matter of trust for Orang Asli

By Marc Jitab
KUALA KUBU BARU: The ongoing political campaigning and the presence of high-powered leaders from both sides of the political divide in Hulu Selangor for the past two weeks belies a sad truth — that the Orang Asli here continue to be out of touch with political pulse of the constituency vis-a-vis the state.
This is evident in the fact that a good deal of people from the 16 Orang Asli villages in Hulu Selangor still do not know that Pakatan Rakyat have taken over the Selangor state government and have been in power for the past two years.
“We find ourselves going into these villages, needing to explain to the folks that there has been a change in government from Barisan Nasional to Pakatan.
“There is an initial sense of surprise as for a good 50 years BN's presence has been firmly established,” said Rozlina, an aide of Selangor exco member Elizabeth Wong who is in charge of Orang Asli affairs.
The change in government, she said, was news to them and initially they were apprehensive about Pakatan's desire to make inroads into the Orang Asli community here.
“This stems from the long-standing trust these folk have in BN. There are still many in these villages who want to support BN.
“At the start, they were apprehensive of us but they have since warmed up to the state government under Pakatan Rakyat, “she said.
Roslina said the Asli community now know that Khir Toyo is no longer the menteri besar and that it is now Khalid Ibrahim.
“You have to understand they are trusting people. Now they feel somewhat caught between BN and Pakatan and they need to find out who to trust,” Roslina said.
Key voters
Pakatan's involvement with the Orang Asli has brought to light the fact that they are still lacking in basic facilities such as electricity and water as well as houses which have deteriorated over time.
There are also health issues among the young and old and rampant malnutrition among children has been reported.
The Orang Asli in Hulu Selangor are in a rare situation. Their 1,000 strong voter community is now as important if not key to a political neck-to-neck sprint between the ruling federal government BN and state champion Pakatan.
The Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of PKR’s Zainal Abidin Ahmad last month. In the March 2008 general election Zainal wrested the seat from four-term MP G Palanivel (MIC deputy president) with a 198-vote majority
Bearing in mind how tight the race is, both BN candidate P Kamalanathan and PKR’s Zaid Ibrahim are wooing the Orang Asli vote.
The dawn of each new day and the visit of each candidate is empowering the community a little more.
But on whose hands they eventually place their trust will only be known come April 25, by-election day.

Why HINDRAF will survive whether it is UMNO or Pakatan

HINDRAF was started for the marginalized and discriminated society of the Malaysian Indians. It was for a humane and compassionate reason, not for political gain or who would recognize them but only to be at par with others without depriving another.

By R. Shan (Human Being)

UMNO has become a symbol of hatred that has continued to dominate the lives of Malaysians to the extent that anything to do with UMNO after GE12 is taboo as it always has to do with materialism, money, nepotism, cronisym, bribery and so forth.

PAKATAN is no better with their new found power in the four states and will continue to enhance their propaganda as long as they can butter their side of the bread to keep them in business politically. They are so desperate that they will twist and turn at every instance to gain the public's vote of confidence without humanity or compassion. They do not need to listen to dissenting voices or those from the minority who supported them but can only see anything said is propaganda against them.

Let’s look at the history of UMNO. Was it really a nationalist party when it was bedmates with MCA and MIC to defeat IMP (Independent Malayan Party) initiated by Onn Jaafar, a true Malaysian? He probably has the shortest synopsis in Wikipedia for his contributions to create a multinational nation. It was a marriage of convenience as long you can suap me I will suap you and that is what UMNO did and continues to do today. So what happened to Malay nationalism?

Let’s look at PAKATAN. They were not constructed because of humanity or compassion, but built on the hate factor for UMNO and how to unshackle this chain that has been haunting them for the last 53 years. PAS was formed with revolutionary and militant aspects in the 40’s with strong affliation to the Communist Party of Malaysia. Of course, today, it is a totally different scenario.

DAP, another one formed by Devan Nair, where its core constituency consists of Malaysian Chinese but somehow now seems to be evangelized, anglophiled and have an urban-only interest constructed on kwailo society ideologies in the present day. I wonder what happened to the original Chinese who have such rich culture for humanity and compassion.

Saying this, I was surprised to find out that you actually have 221 Chinese schools in Sarawak, the highest number in Malaysia and from an improverished and UMNO dominated state.

PKR is nothing but a spillover from UMNO. Not one that is based on humanity and compassion but a political need as you see the cards falling apart day in day out.

All the above were never motivated by humanity or compassion but what was convenient given the circumstances as far as the political parties were concerned.

Let’s fast forward to HINDRAF, present day NGO, racist organization, the shining knights, the devil, whatever you call it. Let’s just ponder on the reality rather than what you think it should be. This organization was able to galvanize the frustration and despair in each and every individual irrespective of race, color, religion or creed to recognize the humane and compassionate factor for the segment of our society that has been blindfolded for our own needs or any political desire for something that is humane and real when it has been part of our culture in Malaysia.

We had numerous upheavals at least in the political scene like Barisan Altenatif, Semangat 46 or even Reformasi that could not make the kind of change that HINDRAF created in GE12. Why? Simple, as the Malaysian Indians stood up along with other fellow Malaysians without fear or favor and voiced their grievances against the onslaught of the imported, mercenary, aggressive and hostile bureaucratic institutions and political apparatus that defeats what is humane and real.

I shall attribute this to the culture of being a Malaysian, not Indian, Malay, Chinese or lain- lain. Just the culture of being a Malaysian. Fortunately or unfortunately, HINDRAF has shown us the way. But is there any fault in their aspiration for a humane and compassionate cause? This is a way of conducting a relationship that is not build on political affiliations but more so for the socio-development of the society and not the political will of UMNO or PAKATAN but a humane will of us, each one of us, subjectively.

HINDRAF was started for the marginalized and discriminated society of the Malaysian Indians. It was for a humane and compassionate reason, not for political gain or who would recognize them but only to be at par with others without depriving another. If we fail to see this and continue to sideline them, then we are as good as all the political parties that will sway according to their needs and desires without a concern for our fellow human no matter how menial they sound as they are too busy politicking.

Let me leave you with a quote from Lao Tzu – He who knows others is wise, He who knows himself is enlightened.

R. Shan (Human Being)

Is Zaid’s drinking relevant?

thenutgraph.com

IT probably had to happen sooner or later. The Hulu Selangor by-election has finally descended into an orgy of attacks against Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim's personal piety and morality. First, the Umno-controlled media started highlighting Zaid's opposition towards the Kelantan PAS government's hudud legislation back when he was still in Umno. Then, accusations against Zaid went quickly for the moral, and more likely "Islamic", jugular: he drinks alcohol and gambles, and therefore should be rejected by voters.

Before

The attacks began on a blog, which superimposed a bottle of whiskey in Zaid's hands. The Nut Graph confirms that this image is doctored, because the original is in fact a picture that we took of Zaid during our 2008 interview with him over breakfast. He was drinking coffee, not alcohol, during the interview. The point, though, appears to be moot now, because Zaid has admitted that he consumed alcohol in the past, declaring it as "old news".

After

Umno leaders such as Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein have denied the party's hand in the attacks. But this has not prevented other Umno leaders such as Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Seremban Umno chief Datuk Ishak Ismail from using Zaid's alcohol consumption as campaign fodder for the Barisan Nasional.
Really, what implication does this aspect of Zaid's private life have on his professional potential to perform as a Member of Parliament (MP), should he win the by-election?
Sinister implications
The short answer is: none. But the attacks on Zaid are actually more sinister than the average personal scandal exposé. Remember the caning sentence on beer-drinking model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno? The sentence has been commuted to community service, but from the widespread support for the initial caning by various Muslim groups — including PAS Youth — the insinuation is unmistakable. Zaid is only fit to be lashed, not to be an MP.
So, the impact of these attacks against Zaid goes beyond the by-election. It means that the private lives and personal morals of Malaysian Muslims are increasingly under attack, and that this is also acceptable not just in politics but in everyday life.
Never mind that some very high-profile Islamic scholars have questioned, from within the Islamic framework, the need to treat personal sins as crimes against the state. Human-applied punishments for sins such as drinking alcohol are unnecessary, and this has been argued by experts, from New York-based imam Feisal Abdul Rauf to Melbourne-based Prof Abdullah Saeed and Kuala Lumpur-based Prof Mohammad Hashim Kamali.

(Pic by vierdrie / sxc.hu) Similarly, we should ask if there is some intellectual dishonesty in the related attacks on Zaid's gambling. Certainly, some people do develop gambling addictions — as they do with alcohol — which could potentially harm others. But where is the proof that this has happened in Zaid's case?
Besides, if a person's gambling involves money from his or her own pocket only, how is it of more interest to the public than allegations of corruption, of which there are many against Umno leaders?
In short, whether or not Zaid drinks alcohol or gambles as a Muslim is something that he needs to answer to his God, and not to Umno, or voters, or any other human authority. By that logic, it is what Zaid stands for in the public interest that the public should be, well, interested in.
Tit for tat
Sadly, this is not where the discourse is going. Bloggers accept challenge to prove Zaid an alcoholic, screamed Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia's 19 April 2010 front-page lead. What about Zaid's stand on issues such as a potential Freedom of Information Act, or the role of an MP, or what Hulu Selangor's electorate really need? All unimportant, apparently, because he is a Muslim who drinks alcohol and gambles.

Khairy (File pic) To be fair, this is not a political strategy that Umno has a monopoly on. Even PAS supporters and certain PAS leaders resort to the same knee-jerk moralising to discredit their political enemies. One PAS supporters' blog had earlier published "damning" pictures of Umno Youth chief and Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin hanging out in a nightclub, with bottles of alcohol in front of him. Amazingly, this same blog is now defending Zaid's alcohol-consuming past because the PKR candidate says he has "repented".
To Khairy's credit, he has not taken the bait. Khairy has even gone on record to say that he disagrees with smear campaigns, including the one against Zaid. Whether anyone else in Umno will follow his cue is another matter altogether.

Chua Notwithstanding leaders like Zaid and Khairy, the truth is that judgement of personal morals is getting more entrenched in Malaysian politics. It could be the result of protracted intra-party power struggles, as the country witnessed with MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
And where Malaysian Muslims are concerned, it does not just end there. In fact, with Malaysia's catch-all syariah legislation, there is a more comprehensive array of attacks that could be made on Muslims whose personal conduct or convictions do not conform with the status quo.
After all, former PAS Youth chief Mujahid Yusuf Rawa once said, "[Muslim] citizens should hate [liberals] because they proliferate through associations that espouse the label of defending rights, especially women's rights." And now Umno, whether via its politicians or media, is banking on stirring up exactly this kind of public hatred towards the "liberal" Zaid.
This is what raises the stakes even higher for the Hulu Selangor by-election. The Nut Graph columnist and political analyst Wong Chin Huat has argued that this by-election could eventually determine the future of race-based politics in Malaysia. It should be added that Hulu Selangor could also indicate whether Malaysians are fed up with moral policing, or whether they endorse it.

Pilih Pemimpin Yang Berprinsip

Pada 25hb April 2010 ini, rakyat di Hulu Selangor akan turun mengundi bagi menentukan wakil rakyat baru mereka.

Sudah menjadi lumrah pilihanraya, rakyat diasak dengan propaganda dan janji-janji manis Barisan Nasional demi memastikan calon pilihan mereka meraih kemenangan.

Hakikatnya, kerajaan Barisan Nasional kini sedang berada dalam keadaan yang amat terdesak gara-gara pelbagai kemelut yang sedang melanda kepimpinan dan pemerintahan mereka.

Antaranya, skandal APCO yang menelan wang rakyat sebanyak hampir RM78 juta, penyambungan kontrak 10 tahun kepada syarikat tajaan kerajaan yang bermasalah seperti Pharmaniaga dan tanah-tanah di bawah YBK (Yayasan Basmi Kemiskinan) yang digadaikan dan dikaveat serta cukai tanah yang tidak dibayar, yang membuktikan kepincangan kerajaan Selangor di bawah BN terdahulu.

BN acapkali menuduh kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat di Selangor mengabaikan nasib anak bangsa kerana menafikan permohonan YBK untuk membina sebuah institusi pengajian tinggi di Serendah dan kini isu ini dimanipulasikan dalam pilihanraya kecil ini.

Ingin saya tegaskan Kerajaan Selangor amat mengalu-alukan usaha untuk memperjuangkan nasib anak bangsa terutamanya dalam aspek pendidikan. Namun begitu, kerajaan Selangor tidak akan meluluskan permohonan sebuah Yayasan yang mendakwa bahawa ianya memperjuangkan nasib orang miskin, tetapi pada masa yang sama, beroperasi secara tidak telus dan membenarkan tanah yang dimiliki digadai dan digunakan untuk tujuan komersil yang tiada kaitan dengan membasmi kemiskinan tanpa audit dan tindakan susulan yang berpatutan.

Kerajaan Selangor berhak memastikan kegiatan dan operasi YBK memenuhi tuntutan rakyat serta selaras dengan dasar Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat yang mementingkan belanjawan negeri yang telus dan berhemah.

Kerajaan negeri Selangor sendiri telah memberikan tanah seluas 1,977.428 ekar kepada YBK untuk digunakan sejak tahun 1994 lagi, maka tiada sebab untuk YBK mempersoalkan teguran dan gesaan Kerajaan Selangor selama ini untuk menyiasat penyelewengan yang dilakukan oleh Yayasan tersebut.

Saya turut sedari awal membantah janji yang dibuat oleh Datin Rosmah Mansor untuk mendirikan Pusat PERMATA di Hulu Selangor sekiranya BN menang kerana ini satu lagi bentuk ugutan bagi menjadikan rakyat Hulu Selangor tebusan demi mencapai kemenangan di Hulu Selangor.

Saya seru rakyat Hulu Selangor menolak terus janji-janji Barisan Nasional agar memastikan kerusi di Hulu Selangor itu tidak disandang oleh calon parti yang korup dan tidak bermoral. Pilihlah calon yang berani menentang penindasan dan menegakkan keadilan yang dibawakan oleh Pakatan Rakyat.

Kemenangan Pakatan Rakyat di Hulu Selangor adalah penting ke arah menguatkan suara Pembangkang di Parlimen. Dengan suara Pembangkang yang semakin kuat di Parlimen, kita berharap agar lebih banyak kepincangan dan penyelewengan yang dilakukan oleh Kerajaan Barisan Nasional dapat didedahkan.

Untuk kita dan seluruh rakyat Malaysia mengorak langkah membawa perubahan di peringkat nasional, perubahan harus dimulakan di Hulu Selangor!

Nurul Izzah Anwar
Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai

RPK and Bala not whistleblowers: Deputy minister

The Sun | 21 April 2010, page 6

DEPUTY Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and private investigator P. Balasubramaniam are not considered whistleblowers because they have revealed their identities.

Winding up the debate on the Whistleblowers Protection Bill, he told Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur), who raised the issue, the two individuals can seek protection under the Witness Protection Act instead.

“They have told the whole world who they are. Whistleblower protection is for those who we do not know who have given information to the authorities. We will never know the identity. That is the intention of this act,” Liew said.

“You don’t understand the difference between Whistleblowers Protection Act and Witness Protection Act. There is a lot of difference.”

Lim protested and said the meaning of whistleblower, as universally accepted, is “a person who informs on another or makes public disclosure of corruption or wrongdoing”.

“Where does it say we must not know who they are? Is the meaning of whistleblower in this law different from that used by the whole world?” he asked.

Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) said that according to the act itself, whistleblower is defined as one who provides information or discloses an improper conduct.

“There was no mention of the word ‘secret’. I think you yourself are confused,” she told Liew.

Continuing, Liew said Raja Petra and Balasubramaniam were not protected because they have made the disclosure to the media instead of the enforcement authorities.

“This kind of informers do not get protection under this law,” he said. They should not go to the media before giving the information to the authorities.

This is to ensure protection to the accused, who may be facing a baseless allegation, and can also affect the investigation.

The bill was passed.

Whistleblower law will protect anyone

The New Straits Times

THE house was told that the whistleblower law will provide protection for anyone giving information on any wrongdoing.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said disclosure of improper conduct can also be made against members of parliament and state assemblymen.

"After a report is made and a thorough investigation is conducted, and if the allegations are true, action will be taken, even against ministers," he said in reply to a point raised by Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) during the debate on the Whistleblower Protection Bill 2010 yesterday.

Lim wanted to know why the bill only mentioned members of parliaments and state assemblymen, but made no reference to ministers, deputy ministers and chief ministers.

"I would like to remind Ipoh Timur (Lim Kit Siang) that members of parliament are also ministers so the proposed law encompasses all. "Liew said as he wound up the debate on the Bill.

He said the enforcement agencies engaged to investigate such cases were experienced and that under the bill, any whistleblower providing false information due to malicious intent could also be punished.

On the points raised by Datuk Mahfuz Omar (Pas-Pokok Sena), he said there was no need for a special agency to be established to carry out investigations on whistleblowers.

Azmin on Halili defection: Nothing explosive

Anwar: Nasib baik tak pilih Halili

Dr M: All's fair in love, war... and elections

Exclusive with Othman Talib Part 1

Teoh inquest: Karpal calls Nazri 'kurang ajar'

State of the Indians - Part VI Not just a 2-sec signature

Hulu Selangor: 45 new PKR Indian sub-mandores appointed. End Mandorism!

Hulu Selangor: 45 new PKR Indian sub-mandores appointed. End Mandorism!
PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim and PKR Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim in pursuance of their earlier tried and tested UMNO mandorism policy are now enhancing and expending on the same.
At the Hulu Selangor some 45 new powerless and toothless Indian sub mandore village chiefs were appointed (MN 19/4/2010 at page 4).
It amazes us how even the very typical “multi-racial” embarrassed to be Indians and zero history of championing Indian issues like Sivarasa and Xavier Jayakumar have now compromised their principles and have in this two years evolved to become the chief and frontline mandores in PKR. Shame on them! We have never ever seen these two mandores in particular in a veshti or jippa. But now under their 17 year old ex UMNO Tuan Anwar Ibrahim’s political guidance, they are now in the Samy Vellu and Palani Velu in making category.
How come when it comes to cheating the Indians PKR somehow manages to even convince these multi-racial Indians to put on their jippas and do, a ala MIC, and do this “wayang” dishing out peanuts to Hindu temples, Tamil schools and the Indian poor, and also making empty and false promises of land here and land there for Tamil schools, Hindu temples, Hindu cemeteries, the Indian poor, etc. As this category of land involves the general public interest, why can’t it be resolved by one political decision, ie., by the stroke of the pen of the Selangor, Penang and Kedah Menteri Besars in the states of Selangor, Penang and Kedah by virtue of Section 76 of the National Land code. 100% in the lands of three PKR, DAP and PAS state governments has nothing to do with the Federal UMNO government! Land is a state matter.
To add insult to injury they are today also creating the downline Indian sub-mandores to continue creating the illusion especially through the three Tamil dailies that there are Indian representatives. But with these Indian mandore representatives is there representation for at last the hundreds of critical Indian problems?
Confucious said that a thousand mile journey begins with a single step. Despite our latest “olive branch” why has PKR’s supremo Anwar Ibrahim and Selangor Menteri Besar refused to even announce the granting of state land titles for all 98 Tamil schools in Selangor all in one go and before the Hulu Selangor by elections.
Instead they get their MP and Exco Indian mandores to put their wayang kulit by naming 45 Indian new village heads cum sub-mandores, a la MIC to hoodwink the Indians.
No more though after the 25th November 2007 general elections! The Hulu Selangor by–elections would show this. Watch and learn!
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

Buah Pala in the making in PJS 1 Indian Settlement, Selangor. HRP backing Indian settlers.

Buah Pala in the making in PJS 1 Indian Settlement, Selangor. HRP backing Indian settlers.
Despite not having solved the housing resettlement problems of the ethnic minority Indians in PJS 1, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, the PKR led Selangor state government has last month transferred the land to the Federal government.
In return for a paltry sum of RM 10,000, the Indian urban settlers therein were told to move out to make may for development. The residents on HRP’s advise have rejected this offer and are demanding low cost homes and RM 500 per month for rentals until the new flats are built for them. They are not prepared to move out as some two hundred of their former below settlers who had on the previous UMNO government’s false promises moved out but 16 years down the line they are yet to get their low cost flats.
Had these Indians been Malays they would most likely not be classified as squatters but settlers and would have 30 years ago been granted land titles by UMNO and today they would be paid RM 4 million each like the Kg. Baru squatters turned land owners, turned millionaires.
P. Uthayakumar
 

Indian poor abandoned in PKR’s Selangor and UMNOs’ Welfare Department

Indian poor abandoned in PKR’s Selangor and UMNOs’ Welfare Department
Unemployed, poor and illiterate, a product of the UMNO system, B. Muniammah (55) could not afford to repair her dilapidated wooden house in the last 30 years. And neither has the UMNO federal Welfare Department given B. Muniammah a single cent of monthly welfare help.
The Federal UMNO government announced a National budget of RM 191.5 billion, out which RM 48 million is for the poor and needy in terms of welfare help, (NST, Star headlines on 24/11/09) implemented hundreds of thousands of UMNO projects repairing houses of the mainly malay poor. UMNO TNB: RM 900,000.00 allocation to repair 65 poor Malay houses. Indian poor excluded.
 Similarly the PKR led Selangor State government, the richest state in Malaysia approved a RM 1.9 billion state budget, including for welfare and upgrading the lives of the poor.
But somehow all these billions, welfare help and house repairing projects by both sides of the political divide does not reach the Indian poor! Why?
UMNO’s racist, religious extremist and supremacism has spilled over to PKR? And DAP and PAS too?
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

PKR Selangor government writes to Thai Justice ministry on Teoh Beng Hock but never for Kugan’s brutal murder.

  PKR Selangor government writes to Thai Justice ministry on Teoh Beng Hock but never for Kugan’s brutal murder.
Pornthip not testifying tomorrow, Selangor govt still waiting for Thai expert.
Meanwhile, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim reiterated yesterday that the state government had written to the Thai Justice Ministry asking that Dr. Pornthip be allowed to testify.
“We haven’t got a reply yet,” said Khalid, adding the state government had also suggested that Dr Pornthip testify via video conferencing I she could not be here in person (The Star 20/4/2010 at page N8).
But this very same multi-racial PKR Selangor state government did not similarly go to this extent or secure Dr. Pornthip to also testify in Kugan’s brutal murder in the police lock-up case! Why not? Because Kugan is merely an ethnic minority Malay-sian Indian?
Even when it concerned injustices, the ethnicity of the victim matters. This is the net effect of UMNO’s racism that has even spilled over to PKR, and also DAP and PAS.
Or was it that the worst racists in UMNO are now in PKR?
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

Indian vegetable farmers in Cameron Highlands abandoned by UMNO’s FAMA abused by middle men.

Indian vegetable farmers in Cameron Highlands abandoned by UMNO’s FAMA abused by middle men.
The Malay muslim padi, pineapple, fruits and other farmers nationwide gets the help of the Federal agriculture marketing authorities assistance.
These farmers have the option of selling their produce to FAMA who will buy them at a fair price and so avoid being exploited by the middlemen, and also regulate import of similar produce from overseas to protect the local farmers.
But for especially the Indian farmers in Cameron Highlands, FAMA does not apply the same standards just because as usual the victims are Indians. FAMA does not care that these Indian farmers are exploited by the middlemen.
Why can’t FAMA similarly offer to buy these farmers produce on the similar terms offered to the malay muslim farmers?
The Lembaga Pertubuhan Peladang (LPP) presumably has thousands of branches through out the country to help, guide, give the best expertise, highest yielding agricultural technology, subsidized fertilizer, pesticides, equipment, agriculture loans etc.
But we have never seen a single LPP signboard in Cameron Highlands as the beneficiaries would be largely the Indians. Inseasd Nanthakumar has to buy fertilizers at RM 120 per bottle ,which had cost him only RM 64.00 in December 2009.
The UMNO Pahang State government has refused to grant freehold titles to thousands of these third and forth generation Indian farmers just because they are Indians.
UMNO’s One Malay-sia?
P. Uthayakumar

RM One billion Putrajaya Holdings Project tenders. Zero for Indians

  RM One billion Putrajaya Holdings Project tenders. Zero for Indians
We are yet to hear of any Malaysian Indian securing even one contract from UMNO’s Putrajaya Holdings or any other billion, million or even hundred thousand ringgit tenders and projects.
At best these hard working ones will get the bones from the sub, sub-sub or sub-sub-sub contracts of the main contracts given out the 99% Malay muslims and/or their Chinese cronies.
Every year millions of contracts projects and tenders are given to Class F contracts who are 100% Malay contractors. They secure these tenders make their millions by their rent seeking methods while the Indian work horses sweat it out working on the ground and delivering the goods. The Indians may earn enough to keep his family afloat or to drive a Proton.
And for this they are expected to be grateful to UMNO.
This level of racism, religious extremism and supremacy does not happen in any other part of the world except in Malaysia. As it stands today Malay-sia is the most racist country in the world.
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

UMNO: Zero Malay mee entrepreneurs 15 years ago, but thousands today. Zero Indian noodle (mee) entrepreneurs

UMNO: Zero Malay mee entrepreneurs 15 years ago, but thousands today. Zero Indian noodle (mee) entrepreneurs.
Norlaile Jamaluddin started her mee business at a pasar malam seven years ago (UM (M) 19/4/10 at page 1). She got a RM 150,000 loan from Mara to buy a few machines to make koay tiew.
But this opportunity has been denied to Indians no matter how interested or how hardworking they may be.
No bank will give them a loan. No MARA will give them the loan expertise, training and follow up “service” on their new enterprise.
The UMNHO Entrepreneur Development Ministry has zero records of providing these opportunities to Indians.
P. Uthayakumar

UMNO: 62,600 Malay muslim students sponsored including 6,831 sent overseas by MARA. Zero poor Indian students

UMNO: 62,600 Malay muslim students sponsored including 6,831 sent overseas by MARA. Zero poor Indian students.
Majlis Amanah Rakyat Malaysia (MARA) as it’s name suggest is to assist all Malaysias and not only Malays. If it was originally intended to help malay muslim only students and as is being implemented then Mara’s name would have been Majlis Amanah Rakyat Melayu Islam.
Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) has sponsored more than 62,620 students to pursue studies in various fields, including 6,831 in institutions overseas. Sponsorship focused on critical areas like medicine, engineering, biotechnology, sanctuary science, accounts, management and administration and architecture.
But in this Malay-sian affirmative action programme for 62,600 needy students, UMNO has wholly excluded the poor Indians. But then this is what we suppose UMNO Prime Minister Najib Razak’s One Malay-sia is all about.
As it stands Malay-sia is the most racist country in the whole wide world with the aforesaid latest example cited being just the tip of the iceberg of the discrimination, oppression and suppression of the ethnic minority Indians in Malaysia.
Indians in any other part of the world have done well if not very well, except in UMNO’s racist, religious extremist and supremacist One Malay-sia.
To add insult to injury even the supposedly multi-racial 78 PKR, DAP and PAS MPs and their leaders including their 11 Indian mandore MPs would not speak out against these inequality especially against the poor Indians, which discrimination is in violation of Article 8 of the Federal Constitution which provides for equality before the law. Because PKR, DAP and PAS would lose Malay votes.
Welcome to multi-racial Malay-sia!
P. Uthayakumar

UMNO: Indians denied right to honouring their forefathers.

UMNO: Indians denied right to honouring their forefathers.
In Malaysia the Malay muslims, Chinese, Christians, natives, all have been granted the right to honour their forefathers. (See NST 29/3/2010 at page 22). But the poor Indians have been denied this right.
To start off with, further to the Local Government Act the maintainance of Hindu cemeteries is the duty and responsibility of the UMNO and now PKR, DAP and PAS controlled state governments and the Municipal Councils who collects millions of ringgit in quit rent which is meant to cover maintainance of burial places.
But in reality UMNO, and now ably continued by PKR, DAP and PAS in the P.R ruled states of Selangor, Penang and Kedah, pushes the buck to the MIC, PKR, DAP and PAS Indian mandores, after having given them some peanut cash. Why is this so? All malay muslim cemeteries are maintained by the local authorities or some state Islamic Religious Body.
Both UMNO and also PKR, DAP and PAS has refused to grant the land these Hindu cemeteries are sitting on to the local Indian and Hindu communities. Hindu cemetery reserve should be established and gazetted the same accordingly.
But both UMNO and also PKR, DAP and PAS would not to grant land to these Hindu cemeteries and give them a permanent solution, preferring to keep the Indians at the end of a rope.
This is because they fear losing Malay votes. Also these Hindu cemeteries are sitting on prime land. This means million of ringgit for these UMNO, PKR, DAP and PAS rulers and their developer cronies.
At the slightest excuse these Hindu cemeteries are demolished. The latest example being the Ladang Batu Pekaka Kuala Ketil Hindu cemetery by the very same PAS government, whom 90% of the Indians had voted for in Kedah.
And in February 2010 the Hindu cemetery in Kuala Kubu Baru was desecrated by the PKR led Selangor State Government, for whom 90% of the Indians had voted for. Sinar Harian had then reported that the bones were strewn all over the cemetery in the development process. This news was earlier carried in our website.
And the only way forward against all these atrocities by both UMNO and also PKR, DAP and PAS, is the Indian Political empowerment strategy – the way forward.
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

UMNO’s RM 6 million unutilized PTPTN study loans. But denied to Indian students in AIMST and Indian medical students in Russia, Ukraine, Romania, India and Indonesia.

  UMNO’s RM 6 million unutilized PTPTN study loans. But denied to Indian students in  AIMST and Indian medical students in Russia, Ukraine, Romania, India and Indonesia.
Thousands of Malaysian Indian medical students were and are denied places to do medicine locally. In 2003 the 1.8 million Indians in Malaysia had to compete for one medical seat in University Malaya as that was the Indian quota.
So they found a way out, and opted doing medicine in Russsia, Ukraine, Romania, India and Indonesia, almost all them from their parents hard earned savings. PTPTN loans were denied to all these medical students although they were all Malaysians going to return home to serve their country. After all Malaysia is 50% short of medical doctors. But never mind because UMNO gets doctors from muslim countries to fill this up.
Never mind this RM 6 million PTPTN loans are not disbursed to these deserving Indian medical students, as UMNO would rather keep this allocation as unused study loans. UMNO is bent on refusing to grant study loans to Indian students.
Former UMNO Prime Minister Badawi in 2009 when declaring open the MIC’s AIMST University announced that PTPTN loans would be given to AIMST students. But up to date it is still not forthcoming.
This is UMNO’s racist, religious extremist and supremacist policies it has successfully implemented on the even fifth and sixth generation Malaysia born Indians.
In the USA even the first generation son of an African immigrant has been made the President and Chief Executive. But in Malaysia UMNO rather keep the RM 6 million allocation unutilized, and not give it to the Indians because they want to limit the number of Indian doctors in Malaysia.
P. Uthayakumar

Galloping attack: Zaid says even Tunku owned horses

By Stephanie Sta Maria - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA KUBU BARU: After harping on his fondness for the bottle, Zaid Ibrahim's rivals have now turned their focus on his passion for race horses.

Several websites have produced documentary evidence to substantiate their claim that the former law minister is a "gambler" with regard to owning the horses, including one named after his home state Kelantan.

Zaid, however, remains unfazed by the galloping attacks.

He recalled how the "father of independence" Tunku Abdul Rahman also had a soft spot for the thoroughbreds.

“Tunku owned horses, and I used to own horses. It is a sport, and not gambling,” he told reporters at the PKR media centre here.

“To say I am a gambler is (fitnah) slanderous. The real gamblers are (those in) Umno, they are always seen in casinos,” he said. “If you check the casinos, you will find their names, not mine.”

Zaid's rivals are mounting a campaign to paint the PKR supreme council leader as un-Islamic in the eyes of the Malay voters, who make up more than 50 percent of the total electorate.

But the Pakatan troubleshooter is taking these allegations in his stride and waved off inquiries of whether he would be pressing charges against those responsible.

“You can't sue people for what they put up on blogs. If you start doing that, you won't be able to do anything else with your life.”

Zaid vs Umno

Zaid also remained unaffected about the withdrawal of the two independent candidates, V S Chandran and Johan Diah, from the race, saying that it would not make a difference to his chances of winning.

“The fight has always been between Umno and me,” he said. “If I was up against MIC, it would be much easier. But as you can see there are more pictures of (prime minister) Najib (Tun Razak) than of the BN candidate in Hulu Selangor.”

But discussing his reaction to his opponents' dirty tactics is of little interest to Zaid who would much rather be talking about his own campaign issues, which include social ills, land and eco-tourism. According to him, many of these issues are in line with that of the Pakatan state government.

“When I heard of my possible candidacy, the first thing I did was meet (Selangor menteri besar) Khalid Ibrahim to talk about these issues because nothing can happen without his support,” he said.

On social ills, Zaid felt that there was more the state government could do to increase education and employment opportunities for the youth. He proposed establishing learning institutions and boosting development in the district to meet this need.

“I will also push for those who have long applied for land to be granted the titles,” he added.

"The state government has already agreed to review the applications and begin processing them. Then there is BN's legacy of abandoned projects around Hulu Selangor which I aim to rescue and revive.”

“Kuala Kubu Baru is a garden city and has various historical facets. I want the people of Hulu Selangor to understand this history, be proud of it and capitalise on it for tourism purpose.”

Zaid also reiterated his plan to improve the life of Felda settlers and the Orang Asli community by creating a special task force comprising people who understand their issues and can raise them at national level. However, he noted a sense of sceptism among the people during his walkabouts.

“They have been disappointed before and are tired of political promises,” he said. “And they questioned whether I could really make a difference. I told them that the difference now is that we have a Pakatan state government and that I have a strong friendship with Khalid. So I can make things happen.”

Zaid chosen based on experience

Khalid, who was also present, affirmed that he would support Zaid in delivering his plans for Hulu Selangor should he win the seat.

“Zaid's past experience as an MP and his legal background will add value to our ongoing efforts,” he said. “For example, in terms of land issues Zaid can propose an appropriate solution and explain the right process of reaching it.”

“Zaid is someone who can hit the ground running if he's elected. The risk of taking a person who is new to politics, like P Kamalanathan, is extremely high, especially if he isn't able to add the same value as compared to Zaid.”

Also present at the press conference was state executive councillor Elizabeth Wong (Tourism, Consumer Affairs and Environment), who shared Pakatan's plans to have Kuala Kubu Baru registered as a world heritage site.

Candidate fumble may cost BN dearly

By R Mutharasan - Free Malaysia Today

COMMENT The confusion surrounding the Barisan Nasional candidate for the Hulu Selangor by-election is bound to be costly for the ruling coalition.
First and foremost is Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's failure to secure a leadership transition plan  from MIC president S Samy Vellu ahead of naming the candidate.
Knowing very well that Samy Vellu's leadership is a major stumbling block in winning back the support of the Indian community, Najib should have used every means possible to ensure that the veteran announces the date of his resignation before the candidate is named.

Another wrong approach taken by the BN-Umno leadership which has not gone down well with Indian voters is the way they ignored and snubbed MIC’s party’s hierarchy.

When it was publicly announced that MIC deputy president G Palanivel was the only name proposed by the party for the seat, the BN leadership should have made a quick decision in either accepting or rejecting his candidature.

For two weeks prior to the announcement, Palanivel was actively campaigning in the constituency giving the impression to voters that he, as the Hulu Selangor MIC division chief, would be the final choice of MIC and BN.

The last-minute switch has definitely infuriated his supporters in the constituency.

Ideal candidate
Despite his shortcomings, Palanivel would have been the ideal candidate to garner the majority of Indian votes as he had been working in the constituency for the last few months.

Since the death of its incumbent PKR's Zainal Abidin Ahmad, Palanivel has been at the constituency almost on a daily basis, attending to the voters and preparing to win back the seat which he had held comfortably for four terms prior to being defeated by Zainal in 2008 by a razor-thin majority of 198 votes.

In short, Palanivel knows every nook and cranny in the constituency.

He had also become a rallying point for other MIC branch and division leaders outside the constituency as they felt that by winning back the seat, Palanivel’s standing in the party and Indian community would be enhanced and this would enable him to take over the leadership reins from Samy Vellu.

BN's eleventh-hour rejection of Palanivel has led the Indian community, especially those in Hulu Selangor, to believe that it is Umno which decides the MIC candidate.

One ardent supporter of Palanivel who had set up a tent for MIC-BN well before nomination day (April 17), promptly removed the BN flags when the MIC deputy president was dropped.

He is now said to be working for Pakatan Rakyat, and is going all out to ensure that PKR's candidate Zaid Ibrahim wins the seat in the name of sweet revenge.

Furthermore, some MIC branches in Hulu Selangor are said to be seething in anger after BN named P Kamalanathan as its candidate, and are tacitly backing Zaid.

Malay support
Even the argument that Palanivel would not be able to secure the support of Malay voters also does not hold water. Irrespective of who the MIC candidate is, Umno's strength in garnering Malay support is still doubtful. With the strong influence of PKR and PAS among the Malay voters, at best Umno is likely to get about 50% of the Malay votes.

From another point of view, some local Umno leaders are also said to be working against the candidate from MIC as they know very well that if MIC fails once more to wrest the seat, then the seat will go to Umno during the next general election.

Complicating matters further, there are groups aligned to Hulu Selangor MIC Youth chief V Mugilan, who was initially touted as Palanivel's replacement, working against Kamalanathan as well.

On another note, MIC branches aligned to Palanivel are also upset with the selection of former MIC vice-president S Sothinathan as the election director for Hulu Selangor.

Sothinathan had contested against Palanivel for the deputy president post in last year's MIC election.

Only months ago, these branches were campaigning against Sothinathan in the party election but they are now forced  to work with him in the constituency.

There are also other forces in Hulu Selangor which are working against the MIC-BN candidate because of their opposition to the leadership of Samy Vellu in MIC.

These forces are mainly supporters of former deputy president S Subramaniam, who are hoping that  if Kamalanathan is defeated, the blame would fall on Samy Vellu and hasten the latter's exit.

Samy: I made a costly mistake

By RK Anand - Free Malaysia Today

EXCLUSIVE KUALA KUBU BARU: MIC president S Samy Vellu admitted making a "costly mistake" by jumping the gun to name his deputy G Palanivel as the candidate for the Hulu Selangor by-election.
In an exclusive interview with FMT this evening, the 74-year-old politician, who was in high spirits and a picture of health, explained the “confusion” surrounding the party's candidate.

The interview was held at Palanivel's former service centre, where the shelves were still littered with copies of a book on the MIC deputy president.

Palanivel was the four-term MP for Hulu Selangor prior to his defeat in the 2008 general election and it looked almost certain that he would run again for the seat in this by-election.

But the Barisan Nasional leadership decided otherwise. After days of haggling, he was dropped in favour of MIC information chief P Kamalanathan at the eleventh hour.

Following this, certain quarters had blamed Samy Vellu for irking Umno by being too quick – within 24 hours after the death of the Hulu Selangor incumbent - to name Palanivel as the candidate, a task normally reserved for the BN chairman.

Tremendous mental strain
Flanked by former MIC vice-president S Sothinathan, Samy Vellu expressed regret over the turn of events, but stressed that his action had no bearing on Palanivel's fate.

“Yes, that was a mistake (to jump the gun). I had told the prime minister (Najib Tun Razak, who is also the BN chairman) this. When you are in the wrong, admit it quick and empathatically. It was a very costly mistake as well.

“If I had not done that, we could have got things through much easily,” he said.

On the speculation that he had done this deliberately to “kill off” Palanivel in order to pave the way for Sothinathan to ascend to the number two spot, Samy Vellu quipped, “Yes. I admit. I did it.”

This prompted Sothinathan to clarify, just to be on the safe side, that the president was only joking.

Sothinathan had gone against Samy Vellu, whom he described as his mentor, to contest against Palanivel for the deputy presidency in last year's party election.

The master and disciple have since patched up, leading some to believe that a new pact had been formed to annihilate Palanivel, whose ties with Samy Vellu is said to be on rocky ground.

Elaborating, Samy Vellu said he underwent tremendous mental strain by putting up Palanivel (left) as the party's choice for the by-election.

“I had quarelled with so many people. When the deputy prime minister (Muhyiddin Yassin) called to tell me who is the candidate, there was virtually a lot of arguments.

“I stuck to him. Nope! No one else, except Palanivel... I have not seen any BN chairman overrule the president's choice... we always maintained independence in the selection of party candidates.”

Asked if the Hulu Selangor by-election had witnessed MIC losing this “independence”, he said: “I can't say that we have lost our independence. MIC still has the independence to fight (for the candidate of its choice) and finally get its way.”

When it was pointed out that in this case, MIC did not get what it wanted, the party president stressed that the main question here was not the candidate, but winning the seat.

“A lot of questions were raised on whether we can win the seat or not,” he said.

Palanivel would have lost?
Samy Vellu also dismissed the allegation that Umno had arm-twisted its component partner into dropping Palanivel.

“That is the view of the opposition. I don't feel that way,” he laughed.

“Najib is the prime minister, the number one man in the country. He can say 'I want this man, I don't want any change'. I would have said, 'Bye-bye sir'. And that would have been the end.

“But the moment I proposed another man, he agreed and stuck to the candidate,” he added, denying talk that Kamalanathan is more of an Umno candidate.

“He is an MIC candidate, (V) Mugilan is the Umno candidate,” he said in reference to the Hulu Selangor MIC Youth chief who was touted as Umno's preferred choice.

In view of this, Samy Vellu indicated that the decision to drop Palanivel was made in order to win back the seat from PKR.

“I submitted Palanivel's name, but the PM said clearly that he had received reports (from the ground) on the minds of the people in this constituency.

“These reports stated what percentage of the people here supported him (Palanivel) and did not support him,” he said.

Asked why Palanivel's support had dwindled despite winning with thumping majorities in the past, Samy Vellu believes that it was due to the anger which still lingered from the 2008 general election.

He, however, denied that his deputy had failed to render service to his constituents in the past as alleged by some quarters.

“If he did not service his constituency, I don't think he would have smashed the PAS candidate in the 2004 general election,” he said.

“For four terms,” Sothinathan chipped in. “He (Palanivel) has been here since 1990.”

On opposition from local Umno leaders towards Palanivel, Samy Vellu said they preferred someone who would be closer to them.

The MIC president reiterated that he had insisted on BN fielding Palanivel, but Najib had told him the “conditions were bad; if he (Palanivel) goes again, he would lose. We want to win this election.”

“After (the PM said this), I categorically objected to Mugilan (being named as the candidate),” he added.

Two names proposed
Najib had then asked the MIC president to propose other names, and Samy Vellu mentioned two – secretary-general S Murugesan and Kamalanathan (photo).

As for Murugesan, Samy Vellu said he was worried that certain quarters would object on the grounds that he was defeated in the 2008 general election for the Subang parliamentary seat.

“These days, (to contest) in an election, you must be fresh and new,” he said. “So I proposed Kamalanathan, and the PM immediately agreed.”

As for Palanivel, Samy Vellu said his deputy would not be left out. “We would make him a senator, and he would be going for a government post.”

Speculation is rife that Palanivel would be made a deputy minister, but it is said that the MIC deputy president had wanted to re-enter the corridors of power by winning an election and not through the back door.

Commenting on this, Samy Vellu said: “If you yourself attempt to go through the back door, that is a very bad policy. But if somebody provides you something, that is a different issue.”

The MIC president also denied that the candidate fiasco had strained ties between him and his deputy.

“I told Palanivel, let this election be over. If you want to take over MIC the next day, I will resign and go... you take over the party, you take over everything. I will just go away somewhere, stay at home and don't do any other work,” he said.

Samy Vellu also does not believe that Palanivel's position in the party would be jeopardised by this episode.

“It won't. Because before we go for the next party election, the general election will come. He has the opportunity to contest a chosen seat,” he said.

Nazri now denies APCO set up Najib-Obama meet

APCO had no hand in arranging Najib’s meeting with Obama, said Nazri. — Reuters pic

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal- The Malaysian Insider
 
KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — The government’s public relations consultant, APCO Worldwide, had nothing to do with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s meeting with US President Barack Obama last week, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz revealed today, in a reversal of an earlier statement.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department had previously said the consultancy did a good job, as Obama had agreed to meet Najib at the sidelines of a nuclear security meet in Washington DC.
“I would like to say that no money was paid to have this meeting with President Obama, and APCO was not employed for the sole reason of fixing a meeting with President Obama. That’s a blatant lie,” Nazri told The Malaysian Insider today.
APCO has been in the limelight over the past weeks for its alleged Israeli links, brought up by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who has since been referred to the powerful parliamentary rights and privileges committee for his claims.
The Dewan Rakyat will debate the motion to refer him to the committee this Thursday, but Anwar and his Pakatan Rakyat coalition have been using the issue as campaign fodder for the April 25 Hulu Selangor by-election.
“I’m not surprised, coming from Anwar being a desperate person, he’ll try to spin anything. He’ll even say that he’s the last of the prophets in the world, such is the desperation that he’s in,” Nazri said.

Anwar has continued to use APCO as ammunition against Barisan Nasional. — file pic

However, Nazri’s comments contradict those he made a week ago, when Batu MP Chua Tian Chang showed Nazri’s written reply in the Dewan Rakyat that the government paid APCO RM76 million for its services. Nazri also said later that APCO was employed to repair the government’s relations with the United States, which had been in abeyance for nearly three decades under former prime ministers, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“APCO did a good job. Obama only set aside time to see Najib and (Chinese President) Hu Jintao. China is China, but Obama agreed to meet Najib.
“The money we pay is worth it, it is giving good returns to us,” the minister said then.
Nazri today repeated his comments that hiring APCO had been good for the country.
“Definitely, I think we all know when APCO was engaged, it is to give a good image of Malaysia in the US and also the world. More so the US, as you know 22 years of Mahathir and six years of Pak Lah, there were never really any effort to make us come closer to the US.
“We cannot make US come to us because there more than 200 independent countries in the UN, it has to be from us,” he explained today.
He pointed out that engaging APCO did not mean the government would pay for a meeting with the US president.
“If what Anwar said is true, [that] many of the dictators use APCO, but I don’t think they were able to see the president of the United States. You can employ any lobbying firm, as many as you like, but if president doesn’t want to see you, you don’t get to see him.  “So, to say APCO was used solely to get an appointment with the president of the US, that’s a bit simplistic, not [a] well-thought-of accusation,” said Nazri.

Nazri maintains hiring APCO has been good for Malaysia. — file pic

The minister added that Malaysia was a healthy democracy and that Najib was headed in the right direction to lift the country’s image. “He is doing his best. His liberal policies help,” he said.
Nazri also pointed out that four US undersecretaries have visited him in his capacity as a minister and it reflected the superpower’s intent to engage Malaysia.
“The moment we showed that indication, they embraced it straight away. And we got a lot of things done which helped with our law infrastructure, and I’m very pleased with the progress made. And I think Anwar is very envious of the attention given to Najib.
“He had a field day when we ignored the US. It was his territory and the Americans now know the true Anwar. He has been hitting the Zionists and the Jewish lobby in the US,” Nazri added.
The minister also claimed that the US was “not very happy” with Anwar, noting “he’s been seen as willingly abandoning his friends just to gain political leverage”.

Kuburkan BN (video in two parts)

Dr Mohd Khir Toyo, the previous Selangor Menteri Besar, reveals that Samy Vellu, the MIC President, called him to ask the Selangor state government to demolish the Hindu temple in Shah Alam 

Datuk Hee? Hee! Hee! So "Heelarious"!

Surely the public cannot be blamed for its strong and solid hunch that Hee’s datukship has very much to do with her role in helping the BN hijack the Perak State Government. Surely Hee must be rewarded handsomely for such great handiwork!

By Martin Jalleh

It was a historic occasion for Hee Yit Foong. She was bestowed the honorary title “Datuk” by his Highness the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, on the occasion of his 82nd birthday.

Hee must have been so “hee-elated”. It was the high point of her life after having gone through the depths of great public humiliation and to contend with the hate heaped on her especially by Perakians.

Indeed, she has been hounded and abuses hurled on her when she did the hop-step-and-jump political dance. She hopped out of her party, stepped on the people’s will and jumped into the waiting arms of the BN as an independent.

During a State Assembly meeting several DAP lawmakers gave her hell, threw RM1 notes at her and told her to resign as she had no honour left for selling her soul and State away!

Some in her Jelapang constituency hung an effigy of her and burnt it in a mock Chinese funeral rite! Others wanted to get their hands on her whose defection from DAP triggered BN's takeover of Perak.

Hee was hoping that the people would be hoodwinked by her hee-haw over how she was supposedly shunned, smeared, sidelined and “squeezed out of the DAP step-by-step” by its party leaders.

She denied that she had left the party because she was hankering after a state exco seat and was huffing and puffing and making a hue and cry over not being given a new Camry!

The DAP called her excuses pure humbug. They had not only groomed her to such great heights in politics but made her the first non-Malay, female, and physically handicapped deputy speaker in the country's history.

In Feb., Zambry harped about Hee’s “service record” and asked Perakians to give her “a chance to serve” as an assemblywoman. The rakyat of course saw no reason to heed the hoax and highfaluting Umno Court-appointed MB!

Alas, the people are humoured by the State’s high recognition of Hee through the Sultan. What did she do to deserve to be hailed with such a title? What is the hidden reason for the crowning of this overnight “heeroine” of Zambry’s State Government?

Zambry’s hype about Hee’s “service record” was half-witted and could not really hold. Soon after she had hopped over to be independent of the people’s will and vote, she had gone into hiding in order to save her own hide.

Her constituents in Jelapang confirm she is in hibernation. The DAP has formed the Jelapang Service Team (JST) to handle the needs of her constituents.

Further, how has Hee performed in the State Assembly? Has she contributed significantly to the debates (considering her halting Bahasa Malaysia) and to policy making? The answer is very obvious.

Two of Hee’s hallmarks in the supposedly hallowed House were when she became “hee-sterical” and demanded that she had the power as deputy speaker to chair the Perak state assembly to get Ganesan (illegally) elected as the new speaker in the chaotic sitting.

The other instance was when she used a pepper spray on a PR assemblyman in the House at the height of the havoc that took place. She denied doing it but her histrionics in the State Assembly were highly publicised on U-Tube!

Surely the public cannot be blamed for its strong and solid hunch that Hee’s datukship has very much to do with her role in helping the BN hijack the Perak State Government. Surely Hee must be rewarded handsomely for such great handiwork!

Hee Yit Foong will remain haunted for the rest of her life for having committed the the “hee-nous” and "hee-deous" crime of betraying the trust of those who voted for the party that she once represented.

As Hee makes hay while the sun shines, it is very clear that she will be “hee-story” when the next general election comes!

For now the rakyat of Perak have to bear up with the new Datuk’s “hee-pocrisy”!