DON’T QUESTION SOCIAL CONTRACT OTHERWISE THE MALAYS WOULD GET ANGRY AND GO ON AM...OK. WHAT IS SOCIAL CONTRACT IS DETERMINED BY UMNO AS IT SUITS US. IF YOU QUESTION MALAY…
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Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Hisham Rais: Umno has shrunk the Malay mind
Renegade artist Hishamuddin Rais declared that the Malay mind has been "bonsified" (shrunk and distorted, like a bonsai plant) by Umno's political agenda in order to perpetuate the culture of…
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Renegade artist Hishamuddin Rais declared that the Malay mind has been "bonsified" (shrunk and distorted, like a bonsai plant) by Umno's political agenda in order to perpetuate the culture of fear against non-Malays.
The former ISA detainee said that it is typical of Umno to play on racial fears to convince the public that they are the best option for Malays to remain at the forefront of social and economic development in Malaysia.
"This process that 'bonsifies', nullifies and stupefies (Malays) goes back to the British time. (Malays) are led by lazy leaders and lazy thinkers," Hishamuddin (middle in photo) said at the 'Malays are muted too!' forum at the KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall last night.
The controversial activist noted that Malays have been indoctrinated to fear new ideas and 'ghosts' of Chinese supremacy, to the point that the Malay public believe that the 'ghosts' are real threats to their existence.
Taking the example of bomoh or witchdoctors, Hishamuddin claimed that Umno employs the same tactics to convince the Malays that they are constantly battling against hantu (ghosts).
"In Malaysia it is very simple. The hantu for the Malays are the Chinese. The Malays are made to believe that there are all sorts of hantu, to encourage the public to be thankful for Umno (to save them).
"It's just like (the tactics of) the bomoh in the kampung, where kampung folk will be told that there are all sorts of hantu to deal with... Umno uses the same modus operandi," he said.
Playing up fears
Hishamuddin claimed that just like the colonial British in Malaya, Umno realises that a liberated Malay mind is a threat to their existence, hence the ruling party's efforts to stop the liberalisation of the Malay mindset.
He alleged that Umno would never agree to free the Malay mind as it is all about maintaining the ruling party's power and control over Malaysia's wealth.
Hishamuddin noted that such fear of losing power has only taken hold fairly recently, evident especially in the ruling government's efforts to perpetuate the fear of a recurrence of the May 13, 1969 racial riots.
"They put the fear in Malays that the Chinese wanted to take over the country. I thought that (notion) was mad, because this is the most mismanaged country, with corruption in the police and the judiciary.
"Because the country is so mismanaged, do you really think the Chinese want to take over the country?" he quipped.
Speaking to an audience of around 160 people, Hishamuddin stressed that the ruling government is simply working on the premise of "manufactured consent"', where it employs public institutions such as the Malayan Sultanate to force people to agree with whatever opinions or policies it makes.
He said that it has perpetuated the culture of 'lazy thinkers' among Malays, where the best minds end up being unwilling or unable to contribute to the community's advancement.
Licence just to laugh
(Malaysiakini) Hishamuddin stressed that it is unfortunate that the best Malay minds have been left out of the nation's education system, to make way for 'half-educated' Malays who are bent on maintaining the status quo.
"Malays have become very lazy thinkers. To the non-Malays, I ask that you have sympathy as the Malays are faced with a situation where their reading material is very limited and (the government) allows less and less people (to form their own opinions)," he said.
Taking the example of the recent banning of comics by cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, better known as Zunar (right), Hishamuddin said it is ridiculous that public expression, particularly by Malay artists, should be censored.
"Just imagine, just to laugh you need to get a licence... and if you want a licence you will have to engage in corruption to pay the Marxists," he said.
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The former ISA detainee said that it is typical of Umno to play on racial fears to convince the public that they are the best option for Malays to remain at the forefront of social and economic development in Malaysia.
"This process that 'bonsifies', nullifies and stupefies (Malays) goes back to the British time. (Malays) are led by lazy leaders and lazy thinkers," Hishamuddin (middle in photo) said at the 'Malays are muted too!' forum at the KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall last night.The controversial activist noted that Malays have been indoctrinated to fear new ideas and 'ghosts' of Chinese supremacy, to the point that the Malay public believe that the 'ghosts' are real threats to their existence.
Taking the example of bomoh or witchdoctors, Hishamuddin claimed that Umno employs the same tactics to convince the Malays that they are constantly battling against hantu (ghosts).
"In Malaysia it is very simple. The hantu for the Malays are the Chinese. The Malays are made to believe that there are all sorts of hantu, to encourage the public to be thankful for Umno (to save them).
"It's just like (the tactics of) the bomoh in the kampung, where kampung folk will be told that there are all sorts of hantu to deal with... Umno uses the same modus operandi," he said.
Playing up fears
Hishamuddin claimed that just like the colonial British in Malaya, Umno realises that a liberated Malay mind is a threat to their existence, hence the ruling party's efforts to stop the liberalisation of the Malay mindset.
He alleged that Umno would never agree to free the Malay mind as it is all about maintaining the ruling party's power and control over Malaysia's wealth.
Hishamuddin noted that such fear of losing power has only taken hold fairly recently, evident especially in the ruling government's efforts to perpetuate the fear of a recurrence of the May 13, 1969 racial riots."They put the fear in Malays that the Chinese wanted to take over the country. I thought that (notion) was mad, because this is the most mismanaged country, with corruption in the police and the judiciary.
"Because the country is so mismanaged, do you really think the Chinese want to take over the country?" he quipped.
Speaking to an audience of around 160 people, Hishamuddin stressed that the ruling government is simply working on the premise of "manufactured consent"', where it employs public institutions such as the Malayan Sultanate to force people to agree with whatever opinions or policies it makes.
He said that it has perpetuated the culture of 'lazy thinkers' among Malays, where the best minds end up being unwilling or unable to contribute to the community's advancement.
Licence just to laugh
(Malaysiakini) Hishamuddin stressed that it is unfortunate that the best Malay minds have been left out of the nation's education system, to make way for 'half-educated' Malays who are bent on maintaining the status quo.
"Malays have become very lazy thinkers. To the non-Malays, I ask that you have sympathy as the Malays are faced with a situation where their reading material is very limited and (the government) allows less and less people (to form their own opinions)," he said.
Taking the example of the recent banning of comics by cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, better known as Zunar (right), Hishamuddin said it is ridiculous that public expression, particularly by Malay artists, should be censored."Just imagine, just to laugh you need to get a licence... and if you want a licence you will have to engage in corruption to pay the Marxists," he said.
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Melayu
Contamination triggers Semenyih water plant shutdown
PETALING JAYA, Sept 7 — Some 1.2 million residents or 300,000 households throughout the Petaling, Hulu Langat, Sepang and Kuala Langat districts will be affected following the shutting down of…
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PETALING JAYA, Sept 7 — Some 1.2 million residents or 300,000 households throughout the Petaling, Hulu Langat, Sepang and Kuala Langat districts will be affected following the shutting down of the Semenyih water treatment plant at 1.40am this morning from contamination.
It is understood that operations at the Semenyih plant have been suspended due contamination of Sungai Kembong, from which the plant draws fresh water, by a nearby landfill.
In an immediate response, Syabas said that the raw water from the river in Selangor was contaminated due to leachate leaking from a breached dyke in the landfill.
Leachate contains both dissolved and suspended material drained from a landfill.
“The plant was closed immediately upon detecting high content of ammonia in the water, at 6.41mg per litre, which is above the health safety standard of 1.5mg per litre, put into place by the health ministry.
“A yellow alert emergency plan has been into place. We are now trying to redistribute water from other treatment plants to the affected areas,” said Syabas in a statement today.
Syabas said that although it had prepared “32 water tankers and 300 water tanks” to supply water to the affected residents, not all residents may have access to the supply as the affected areas were “large.”
“However, since the areas affected are large, the capacity to deliver water may be limited,” he said.
The plant is operated by Konsortium ABASS Sdn Bhd, a state government subsidiary.
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It is understood that operations at the Semenyih plant have been suspended due contamination of Sungai Kembong, from which the plant draws fresh water, by a nearby landfill.
In an immediate response, Syabas said that the raw water from the river in Selangor was contaminated due to leachate leaking from a breached dyke in the landfill.
Leachate contains both dissolved and suspended material drained from a landfill.
“The plant was closed immediately upon detecting high content of ammonia in the water, at 6.41mg per litre, which is above the health safety standard of 1.5mg per litre, put into place by the health ministry.
“A yellow alert emergency plan has been into place. We are now trying to redistribute water from other treatment plants to the affected areas,” said Syabas in a statement today.
Syabas said that although it had prepared “32 water tankers and 300 water tanks” to supply water to the affected residents, not all residents may have access to the supply as the affected areas were “large.”
“However, since the areas affected are large, the capacity to deliver water may be limited,” he said.
The plant is operated by Konsortium ABASS Sdn Bhd, a state government subsidiary.
Perak: MB, BN Adun open to similar illegal DVD charge
Zambry is believed to produced an uncertified DVD of the May 7 Perak assembly sitting. — file pic
IPOH, Sept 7 — With a Perak DAP assemblyman facing the possibility…
Zambry is believed to produced an uncertified DVD of the May 7 Perak assembly sitting. — file pic
IPOH, Sept 7 — With a Perak DAP assemblyman facing the possibility of being charged in court for his unapproved DVD production, the authorities seem to have found themselves caught in a Catch-22 situation.
Questions now center on whether they would eventually be forced to slap similar charges on Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and MCA’s Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon for allegedly committing a similar crime.
If so, this would mean the duo would also face the possibility of losing their state seats should the courts find them guilty.
The Malaysian Insider understands that it is likely that they too had failed to obtain approval from the Film Censorship Board prior to their DVD production of the tumultuous May 7 assembly sitting.
According to past reports, Dr Mah, who is also a state executive councillor, announced in May last year that the BN government would distribute a whopping 50,000 copies of the DVD to the public.
The purpose of the production was to counter the Pakatan Rakyat’s claims that they had been mistreated during the controversial May 7 sitting, during which DAP’s Tronoh assemblyman V. Sivakumar was famously forced out of the Speaker’s chair.
When contacted today an evasive Dr Mah refused to answer questions on the matter.
He only offered that the BN government was aware of the need to obtain approval from the board prior to the distribution of any production.
“We know. We were advised about it,” he claimed.
However when asked to confirm if he had obtained any certification to legalise his production, Dr Mah kept mum.
“I have no comment. I do not have to comment on all of your questions. I can choose not to answer,” he said, sounding upset.
Dr Mah’s defensive response has triggered Perak’s PR representatives into action.
Nga Kor Ming, who was formerly a state executive councillor when PR helmed Perak, told The Malaysian Insider that the state PR Youth would soon lodge a police report against both Zambry and Dr Mah for their production.
“We will lodge a report against them for printing and distributing 50,000 copies of the state assembly DVDs to the public. It was announced by them on May 29,” he said.
When contacted, Perak police chief Deputy Commissioner Datuk Pahlawan Zulkifli Abdullah confirmed with The Malaysian Insider that no investigation had been done so far against Zambry or Dr Mah over the DVDs.
“Whatever reports we received during that time, we launched investigations. So if there were none, then we would not have investigated them,” he said.
DCP Zulkifli gave his assurance, however, that the police would launch an investigation if the PR lodged a report on the matter.
“We are very fair. If there is a report, we will investigate. We will go through it and if there are elements of criminality, for sure we will conduct an investigation,” he promised.
DAP’s Tebing Tinggi assemblyman Ong Boon Piow presently faces the possibility of being charged with the possession of 23 copies of unapproved film material, entitled “BN’s Power Grab in Perak”, under Section 6(1)(a) of the Film Censorship Act 2002.
He had produced the DVD shortly after the May 3 ‘tree assembly’ sitting and had aired a preview of it during a ceramah on March 29 last year.
Shortly after the ceramah, Ong was detained by the police and questioned over his allegedly illegal production of the DVD.
According to Ong, this was because he had failed to obtain the “B” certificate from the Film Censorship Board, which was mandatory under the law.
If convicted, Ong faces automatic disqualification from his seat and the state would have to hold its first by-election for a state seat since Election 2008.
This is because the charge stipulates that Ong faces a fine of not less than RM5,000 and not more than RM30,000 or a jail term of not more than three years, or both, upon conviction.
Article 48 of the Federal Constitution states that an elected representative is disqualified from his seat if he is convicted of an offence and sentenced to an imprisonment for a term of not less than one year or to a fine of not less than RM2,000.
The charges against Ong were temporarily deferred today.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mark Netto said outside court that the matter had been deferred due to instructions from the state prosecution chief. It is believed that the prosecution is now awaiting orders from the Attorney-General’s Chambers. No reason for the deferment was given.
PR lawmakers have mocked the prosecution for its sudden about-turn, claiming that it was because they were aware that by charging Ong, they would have to charge both Zambry and Dr Mah as well for the same crime.
Nga pointed out that the Federal Constitution stipulates that all men were equal before the law.
“That means everyone has to be accorded equal treatment. No one is above the law,” he said.
Frustration brews as middle-class struggles to afford homes
Home prices in Kuala Lumpur have risen by 35 per cent over last year’s figure. — Picture by Choo Choy May
Home prices in Kuala Lumpur have risen by 35 per cent over last year’s figure. — Picture by Choo Choy May
“It’s unaffordable,” he said of current property prices.
Account manager Christopher Chew, 31, has also been hunting for a property in the past six months but has still not been able to find a suitable home to fit his RM300,000 budget.
Among developments he has looked at is the Cova Suites, a condominium development in the up-and-coming neighbourhood of Kota Damansara where a 1,300 sq ft unit is typically going for about RM450,000.
“Developers are more bold in coming up with prices,” he said.
Many middle-class home hunters like Chew and Ong are becoming frustrated by prices that are far outpacing income growth. Figures provided by National Property Information Centre (Napic) show that average values of residentail properties in Malaysia rose a whopping 16 per cent, to RM212,815 in the first half of this year from RM183,807 in same period last year.
Chor said those who cannot afford KL prices will have to move further away. — file pic
“Those that cannot afford it will just have to move to houses further away from the city where it is cheaper,” said Chor.
But some middle class workers find the prospect of being banished to the “fringes” unappealing.
One married Malay manager who currently rents a townhouse in Damansara Challis in Petaling Jaya but is looking to buy his own home, says moving to outlying areas meant living in more mono-racial neighbourhoods.
“Puchong and Shah Alam where it is cheaper are mainly populated by one race,” he noted. “I don’t want to move to the fringes but I want my kids to grow up in a mixed-race environment and the location makes a difference.”
The manager expressed surprise that prices for Damansara Challis — a leasehold development near high tension wires — have escalated by as much as 30 per cent above its 2007 launch price to RM850,000, given that an estimated half of the units are still vacant.
Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (Rehda) president Datuk Michael Yam said that the issue of rising property prices was partly due to an imbalance of supply and demand as more migrants move to land scarce Kuala Lumpur.
“Even if 50,000 new housing units are needed in KL that is still a huge number to build,” he said at a recent Rehda media briefing.
One developer, however, privately expressed concern that the market had become too speculative and the dramatic increase in housing prices may become unsustainable.
Property speculation remains rife despite a supply overhang. — Picture by Choo Choy May
The Edge business weekly had reported over the weekend that the government is exploring the possibility of increasing mortgage caps to 80 per cent of loan-to-value ratio in a bid to keep the market from overheating. This comes as Singapore introduced a series of measures yesterday to reign in investors and speculators, such as a 70 per cent mortgage cap for investors with more than one property and launching 36,000 public housing units this year and next.
Such a move, however, may only serve to hurt first-time homebuyers who will have to struggle to come up with the down payment whereas richer investors are unlikely to face such difficulties.
Edward Seah, who works as an engineer and already owns one condominium which has doubled in value in the past six years, said that a 80 per cent mortgage cap will only cause more properties to flow to rich investors.
“The rich will get richer,” he said.
Seah said that while he would like to upgrade from his present condominium, he will not buy another house given current valuations.
“Are such high prices warranted?” he questioned. “I refuse to feed into the current property frenzy.”
* Figures for average residential property prices in Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur that were earlier reported reflected all property types and have now been corrected to reflect only residential properties.
13 Selangor, Negri state reps back Azmin
FULL REPORT SHAH ALAM: Thirteen PKR Selangor and Negri Sembilan assemblymen today voiced their support for Azmin Ali to be the party's next…
FULL REPORT SHAH ALAM: Thirteen PKR Selangor and Negri Sembilan assemblymen today voiced their support for Azmin Ali to be the party's next deputy president. According to Kota Anggerik assemblyman Yaakob Sapari, the support from the nine Selangor and four Negri reps was vital because it would determine the future direction of the party.
Azmin is Gombak MP and Bukit Antarabangsa state assemblyman. He also holds the position as the party Selangor chief.
Yaakob, however, was quick to deny that the latest development would influence support for other individuals who want to contest for the No 2 post.
"The election this time around reflects a new movement. It is important to choose a leader who is able to steer the party in the right direction," Yaakob said.
"So there is no such thing as a conspiracy to topple anyone in the upcoming party elections," he said, in an apparent reference to Pakatan Rakyat coordinator Zaid Ibrahim, who has also voiced his intention to contest.
Yaakob stressed that Azmin's candidacy was "appropriate" as he is also the Selangor PKR chief.
"With the assemblymen's support, we believe he is able to continue leading the party," added Yaakob.
If the support is translated to votes, Azmin would have the upper hand compared to Zaid, who just joined the party from Umno last year.
This will be the likely scenario although incumbent deputy president Syed Husin Ali has yet to say whether he would defend his post.
Azmin is not new in the party
Meanwhile, state exco and Andalas assemblyman Xavier Jayakumar believed that Azmin is capable of bringing changes in the party.
Having known Azmin since 1997, he said Azmin's leadership was tested when the de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim was put behind bars.
"He is not new in the party. I knew him since 1997 and together, we made some important party decisions when Anwar was jailed.
"We worked really hard to counter the attacks thrown at the party. Now it is time for a senior leader like him to take over. And this support would later translate to our preparation to take over Putrajaya," he said.
Asked why it was necessary to give Azmin public support although he is already a well-known figure, Xavier said "the lobbying process cannot be separated from politics”.
"Such political process is normal in Malaysia or other countries. Tell me which country has not practised this? Even (former premier) Dr Mahathir Mohamad had lobbied for his position," Xavier said.
He also denied that the support arose because of Anwar's interference.
"This issue of (having Anwar's support) does not arise. This is a resolution by the assemblymen who have voiced their support," he said.
Present at the press conference were Selangor representatives Dr Xavier Jayakumar (Andalas), Shuhaimi Shafie (Seri Muda), Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Seri Setia) and Amirudin Shari (Batu Caves).
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PKR
PKR's 'real face' emerging
NEWS ANALYSIS: The worst of PKR is surfacing. At least that's what observers are saying about the ongoing mudslinging between supreme council…
NEWS ANALYSIS: The worst of PKR is surfacing. At least that's what observers are saying about the ongoing mudslinging between supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim and vice-president Azmin Ali. While it is tipped that four contestants will join the race for PKR's deputy presidency come party polls in November, Zaid and Azmin are regarded as the top contenders.
Both factions have accused each other of sly tactics as campaigning intensifies and observers believe that the newly introduced direct elections will bring to surface the "real face" of PKR.
Fomer Umno man Zaid has been the subject of intense personal attacks, and he has blamed Azmin's camp for this. But the latter's supporters have denied the charge.
Since he only joined PKR in 2009, Zaid's decision to vie for the No 2 post has attracted a barrage of online flak, mostly personal attacks.
Zaid himself lamented on his blog about certain forces attemtpting to undermine him and that a blogger was allegedly paid to run him down.
It is understood that the opposition to Zaid's candidacy was due to his bluntness and that his reform ideals were against the established order in PKR and its new obsession of strengthening its Malay spine to capture Putrajaya.
PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim made it clear that the battle for federal power lies in the war to win the hearts and minds of the Malay electorate and the recent revamping of the party structure reflected this.
Sources said the appointment of several loyalists to key party posts was definitely a calculated move and the PKR supremo is adamant about maintaining this framework.
The appointment of Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, an Azmin loyalist, as the new communications director is one such example.
This was also reflected in Anwar's tacit endorsement of Youth chief aspirant Rafizi Ramli and his line-up, 80% of whom consist of Anwar and Azmin supporters.
"A good evidence of this is how Nik Nazmi is using his new position to campaign for these candidates," alleged a Zaid supporter.
As such, all leaders and members are expected to endorse the so-called Anwar-Azmin pact, both of whom share a common tactical understanding that PKR must do all it can to penetrate the Malay electorate if it wants to oust Barisan Nasional in the next general election.
Azmin is known to be one of the rare PKR leaders with strong grassroots backing especially from Malay supporters.
Zaid a threat to the pact
Zaid's presence, said party sources, is a direct threat to this pact. When the former law minister urged party members to vote him for "real change", little did he realise that he was stirring a hornet's nest.
Almost immediately, he was accused of being an Umno agent, a Trojan horse sent into PKR to destroy the party.
Zaid also suggested that Anwar "democratically" contest the president post, which a party insider described as a “challenging statement, given that PKR is centred around one man, Anwar Ibrahim”.
The call did not go down well with both Anwar and Azmin's supporters who felt that the “rookie” was out of line.
"This was not the first time Zaid had openly challenged Anwar,” said a Zaid supporter.
“Remember the Zulkifli Noordin issue? Zaid wanted him sacked when Anwar and Azmin felt that such a punishment would be a setback to PKR in terms of winning Malay support,” he added.
Azmin's camp is concerned
Talk is that Azmin's camp is concerned about Zaid's vigorous campaign on the ground and support for him is said to be gaining momentum in his homestate of Kelantan, Kuala Lumpur as well as in Sabah and Sarawak.
Proof of this, party insiders said, is a meeting which took place between Anwar and all division leaders in Kuala Lumpur mid last week.
Although it could not be confirmed, Anwar purportedly instructed the division leaders to endorse Azmin's candidacy.
It is also learnt that Zaid is seeking support from other anti-Azmin factions such as PKR strategic director Tian Chua and vice-president R Sivarasa.
Both Tian Chua and Sivarasa poured cold water on a press conference held yesterday where it was revealed that 18 PKR MPs and two senators were supporting Azmin.
Zaid's camp also questioned the motive behind holding the press conference at the party headquarters in Petaling Jaya, saying that it signalled Anwar's support for Azmin although the opposition leader appeared to be staying out of the fray.
"The press conference was an obvious message to Zaid to stay out," said a party official, who declined to be named.
Meanwhile, FMT learnt that Azmin's camp had shifted into high gear to counter Zaid's campaign.
"We have no choice. We have to go all out against him and we are doing that right now," said an Azmin supporter.
For the neutrals, the noble effort to cultivate a healthy democracy in PKR is turning out to be a bane, with some likening it to the elections in Umno.
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PKR
'Mike Tyson' still has his gloves on
SHAH ALAM: Former menteri besar Muhammad Muhammad Taib has every reason to feel sad when he surveys the political landscape of Selangor.
The…
SHAH ALAM: Former menteri besar Muhammad Muhammad Taib has every reason to feel sad when he surveys the political landscape of Selangor.
The legacy he has left behind is practically lying in ruins, with the state Barisan Nasional in disarray.
“It is a question of loyalty. This is the main ingredient in any political organisation. With loyalty you can see your struggles through,” he told FMT in an interview.
“Without loyalty, there is no respect and when there is no respect, there is no unity and when there is no unity, the organisation will have no strength.
“This is what is happening in Selangor now,” he said.
Muhammad, popularly known as Mike Tyson for his powerful physique, swells with pride when he recalls his time as menteri besar (from 1986 to 1997). He built Selangor Umno to its strongest position in the 1990s: the state Umno acted with one voice. Thus the state flourished amidst political stability.
Many Umno members who opposed him agreed that he had brought prosperity to the state and created a lot of economic opportunities.
Today, Muhammad feels embittered when he sees the state of affairs in Selangor. The richest state in the peninsula has fallen to Pakatan Rakyat in the 2008 general election. In the wake of the disaster, the state Umno too was hit with political turbulence as the 22 Umno divisions struggled to get back on their feet.
To stop the rot, BN chairman and Umno president Najib Tun Razak had to step in: he replaced former menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo as the state Umno chief. The latter became the state opposition head.
Najib then appointed Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister and Tanjung Karang division head Noh Omar as deputy liaison chief.
But the situation has not improved. Observers believe that when Najib relinquishes his hold on Selangor Umno, the various divisions would fall apart just like the divisions in Kedah and Terengganu.
Community work
These days, Muhammad has other things on his mind. Sitting on the sofa in his baju Melayu and sarung, he cuts a relaxed figure. Now that he is out of the political arena, what does he do with his spare time?
“I spent most of my time in a surau near my house in Shah Alam,” he said.
“I am doing things which I was unable to do when I was in politics: learning more about religion and doing community work.
“I listen to the grouses and grievances of the people living in my area. I also keep in touch with close friends in Umno about the political situation in the state,” he said.
Politics is still in his blood. He still heads the Umno Kelana Jaya division but he prefers to keep a low profile while his deputy runs the show.
“It is not that I want out. I just want to allow young blood to learn to lead.
“Politics is a good training ground. You not only learn theory but more importantly, you get to know the sentiments, trends, and needs of the people. You get to feel the pulse of the people while you stay on top of things.
“Politics is not all about making announcements, giving fiery speeches and shaking hands. It is deeper than that,” he said.
Understandably, Muhammad did not want to reveal much of his thoughts for fear of hurting the feelings of the current state Umno leaders and divisional heads.
“Let's put it this way... loyalty is most important and secondly, respect for the leaders and each other.
“When loyalty and respect are missing, then what one can expect is a free-for-all situation. Everybody clamours to be on top, to be a leader, to be heard, to be in the limelight of the media and so on.
“Actions taken are not synchronised or planned… each on his own… and the result will not be effective.
“The voters, on the other hand, are watching and they know... they are smart and knowledgeable.
“What I am saying is, everybody must come together and be loyal and respectful,” he said.
Fighting spirit
Muhammad speaks from experience: he has led the state Umno and the state for 11 years. In fact, the majority of the current 22 divisional heads are his “men”, leaders whom he had trained and led.
Besides, he was a Cabinet minister and was a vice-president in Umno.
He had to head for the exit when he failed to win the deputy president post in 2009 in a three-cornered fight. He was sidelined in the Najib administration.
But Muhammad seems to take things into his stride. He thinks he was not thrown out into political wilderness.
“I don’t think this is the case. It is normal for a new leader to appoint persons he can trust. For me, this is nothing new and nothing to worry about. I will continue to serve as long as I can and as long as I am needed,” he said.
The fighting spirit still burns in him and though he may not be at the centre of action, he is always lurking somewhere, keenly observing the political forces at play.
“Politics is about serving and politicians do not die in their struggles. They just fade away like old soldiers who will be remembered and respected,” he said.
- Will you answer the call to duty again? His tall figure straightens up and like a battle-hardened soldier, Muhammad proudly said: “A politician does not run away from his responsibilities.” Spoken like a true soldier.
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umno
Inspector held over Samurai attack on student
By Ivan Ho - Free Malaysia Today
LAHAD DATU: A General Operations Force officer was arrested yesterday to facilitate investigation into an assault with a homemade Samurai sword that left…
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LAHAD DATU: A General Operations Force officer was arrested yesterday to facilitate investigation into an assault with a homemade Samurai sword that left…
By Ivan Ho - Free Malaysia Today
LAHAD DATU: A General Operations Force officer was arrested yesterday to facilitate investigation into an assault with a homemade Samurai sword that left a student seriously injured. The 48-year-old officer with the rank of inspector was believed to have been picked up by a police team at his quarters in the 17th Battalion camp more than 24 hours after the incident.
Initial investigations revealed that the officer had gathered local thugs, one armed with a homemade Samurai sword, to attack the student while the latter was about to leave a karaoke outlet here with more than 10 of his classmates early Sunday.
The victim, Ling Kim Tun, 18, sustained a deep slash wound on his right arm while attempting to block the sword.
According to witnesses, the officer then punched and kicked the victim in the stomach.
The attack only stopped after a member of the public prevented the officer from continuing the assault on the teenager who was then rushed to the district hospital by his classmates.
The victim’s father Ling Zhi Zhong has accused the police of being slow to act.
According to him, his son’s classmates told him that one of Kim Tun's friends had quarreled with the police officer inside the karaoke lounge earlier.
The victim had apparently attempted to defuse the situation but this only angered the police officer further.
“They (Kim Tun's classmates) told me the police officer punched my son's face and kicked his stomach while he was on the ground. He is a police officer who received strict training… he shouldn’t be reacting so violently. My son cannot move two of his fingers now, he is only a kid,” said the father.
Meanwhile, Battalion 17 GOF commanding officer Supt Ahmad Fuad Osman together with Chief Inspector Afiz Abdullah visited the victim at the hospital.
Apart from apologizing on behalf of GOF, Ahmad Fuad assured the teenager's family that the police and GOF will conduct a thorough investigation
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LAHAD DATU: A General Operations Force officer was arrested yesterday to facilitate investigation into an assault with a homemade Samurai sword that left a student seriously injured. The 48-year-old officer with the rank of inspector was believed to have been picked up by a police team at his quarters in the 17th Battalion camp more than 24 hours after the incident.
Initial investigations revealed that the officer had gathered local thugs, one armed with a homemade Samurai sword, to attack the student while the latter was about to leave a karaoke outlet here with more than 10 of his classmates early Sunday.
The victim, Ling Kim Tun, 18, sustained a deep slash wound on his right arm while attempting to block the sword.
According to witnesses, the officer then punched and kicked the victim in the stomach.
The attack only stopped after a member of the public prevented the officer from continuing the assault on the teenager who was then rushed to the district hospital by his classmates.
The victim’s father Ling Zhi Zhong has accused the police of being slow to act.
According to him, his son’s classmates told him that one of Kim Tun's friends had quarreled with the police officer inside the karaoke lounge earlier.
The victim had apparently attempted to defuse the situation but this only angered the police officer further.
“They (Kim Tun's classmates) told me the police officer punched my son's face and kicked his stomach while he was on the ground. He is a police officer who received strict training… he shouldn’t be reacting so violently. My son cannot move two of his fingers now, he is only a kid,” said the father.
Meanwhile, Battalion 17 GOF commanding officer Supt Ahmad Fuad Osman together with Chief Inspector Afiz Abdullah visited the victim at the hospital.
Apart from apologizing on behalf of GOF, Ahmad Fuad assured the teenager's family that the police and GOF will conduct a thorough investigation
Azmin dicabar 'hantu' Gombak
PETALING JAYA: Satu kawasan yang menjadi tumpuan utama dalam pemilihan PKR kali ini ialah Gombak yang kini menjadi milik naib presiden parti, Azmin…
PETALING JAYA: Satu kawasan yang menjadi tumpuan utama dalam pemilihan PKR kali ini ialah Gombak yang kini menjadi milik naib presiden parti, Azmin Ali.
Ahli Parlimen Gombak itu mungkin mendapat sokongan dari ramai pemimpin parti PKR yang lain untuk bertanding jawatan timbalan presiden PKR, November depan.
Semalam 18 ahli parlimen dan dua senator PKR menyatakan sokongan kepada Azmin bertanding jawatan timbalan presiden PKR. Hari ini pula sekurang-kurangnya 13 Adun PKR menyatakan sokongan kepada Azmin untuk jawatan sama.
Tetapi di peringkat cabang (bahagian) Gombak beliau akan ditentang satu lawan satu untuk jawatan ketua.
Azmin akan dicabar oleh bekas timbalan ketua cabang Gombak, Bakar Ninggal yang kini menjadi peniaga buku-buku kisah hantu.
Ketika dihubungi pagi ini, Bakar, ketua ranting (cawangan) pusat bandar Seri Gombak mengesahkan perkara tersebut.
"Saya bertanding atas kehendak ramai iaitu ahli cabang Gombak. Sebagai pemimpin saya perlu memenuhi permintaan mereka.
"Setelah berbincang dengan ahli, saya mengambil keputusan untuk menerima pencalonan bertanding jawatan ketua cabang Gombak.
"Saya bertanding dalam satu kumpulan di mana kumpulan saya juga bertanding untuk jawatan timbalan ketua cabang, naib dan ahli jawatankuasa (AJK) cabang," katanya.
'Beliau seorang yang sombong'
Menurut Bakar, beliau dan kumpulannya telah menyerahkan borang pengesahan bertanding kepada jawatankuasa pemilihan cabang, Ahad lalu.
Mesyuarat pemilihan cabang Gombak akan diadakan di Hotel De Palma, Ampang pada 3 Oktober depan.
Azmin, orang kuat Anwar menjadi ketua cabang Gombak sejak PKR ditubuhkan pada 1999.
Bakar pula menjadi timbalan ketua dari 1999 hingga 2005 dan bendahari cabang Gombak selama sepenggal hingga 2007 sebelum meletakkan jawatan kerana berselisih faham dengan Azmin.
Beliau mendakwa, beliau bersama lapan yang lain termasuk Azmin menjadi pengasas penubuhan PKR Gombak pada 1999.
Bakar juga mendakwa, ramai bukan sahaja di Gombak tetapi seluruh negara yang tidak suka dengan perangai Azmin.
"Beliau seorang yang sombong kerana beliau tahu disokong oleh Datuk Seri (Anwar). Di kawasan saya (Seri Gombak) beliau jarang datang, cuma sekali dua sahaja. Kita panggil pun dia tidak datang," dakwanya.
PKR cabang Gombak mempunyai kira-kira 20 ranting (cawangan) dan 7,000 ahli.
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PKR
And they all lived happily ever after…
By Haris Ibrahim,
That’s how every fairy tale I’ve read ends.
A load of crap, followed by a happy ending.
PKR Sec-Gen Saifudin would have us believe that this whole…
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That’s how every fairy tale I’ve read ends.
A load of crap, followed by a happy ending.
PKR Sec-Gen Saifudin would have us believe that this whole…
By Haris Ibrahim,
That’s how every fairy tale I’ve read ends.
A load of crap, followed by a happy ending.
PKR Sec-Gen Saifudin would have us believe that this whole fiasco of bringing charges against the 12 Sabah PKR leaders was about maintaining party discipline and nothing else.
And after that, he would also have us believe, like in those fairy tales, all will be well in PKR again.
Malaysiakini reports him saying that the “party’s supreme council was prepared to expedite the appeal process so as not to prejudice the 12′s involvement in the party elections later this year”.
Would Saifudin swallow it if Najib explained that Anwar’s Sodomy II trial is being expedited in the hope that by the time he serves his term of imprisonment and waits out his disqualification period of thereafter, he will be eligible to contest in the 14th GE?
If he won’t , he should not expect us to swallow the baloney that he is dishing out.
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That’s how every fairy tale I’ve read ends.
A load of crap, followed by a happy ending.
PKR Sec-Gen Saifudin would have us believe that this whole fiasco of bringing charges against the 12 Sabah PKR leaders was about maintaining party discipline and nothing else.
And after that, he would also have us believe, like in those fairy tales, all will be well in PKR again.
Malaysiakini reports him saying that the “party’s supreme council was prepared to expedite the appeal process so as not to prejudice the 12′s involvement in the party elections later this year”.
Would Saifudin swallow it if Najib explained that Anwar’s Sodomy II trial is being expedited in the hope that by the time he serves his term of imprisonment and waits out his disqualification period of thereafter, he will be eligible to contest in the 14th GE?
If he won’t , he should not expect us to swallow the baloney that he is dishing out.
Is there any Minister concerned enough about the escalating rhetoric of race and religion to propose in Cabinet tomorrow a “Say No to Racism” nation-wide campaign
The common response to my suggestion yesterday that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should propose to the Cabinet meeting tomorrow a nation-wide “Say No to Racism” campaign headed…
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The common response to my suggestion yesterday that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should propose to the Cabinet meeting tomorrow a nation-wide “Say No to Racism” campaign headed by him to give flesh to his 1Malaysia slogan and policy as well as his “Zero tolerance for Racism” declaration is one of skepticism and cynicism that Najib would do any such thing.
I admit that recent developments do not indicate that Najib is capable of rising to the occasion to prove that he is Prime Minister for all Malaysians and the future of Malaysia instead of being a prisoner of Umno politics and the past.
These developments include:
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His “Zero Tolerance to Racism” declaration lack credibility and legitimacy as it was preceded by his two-week silence on the racism and seditious outbursts of the two school principals in Johore and Kedah and followed by another two weeks of further inaction against the two errant school principals.
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Najib’s belated statement two days ago to re-open the controversy over the surau visit of DAP MP for Serdang, Teo Nie Ching saying that she had entered the prayer hall of Surau Al-Huda, Kajang last month when she had already tendered her apology to the Sultan of Selangor for any unintended offence caused, resulting in the statement by the chairman of the sacked Surau Al-Huda committee Azemi Ahmad refuting Najib’s claim that Teo had delivered a “tazkirah” during her visit. Azemi said the Prime Minister had obtained “wrong information” and insisted that Teo had not touched on religious matters and had therefore not delivered a “tazkirah”.
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Najib’s warning yesterday to Malaysians not to question provisions in the constitution, particularly those related to the “social contract” saying that they had been agreed upon by the nation’s forefathers, without distancing him from the recent escalation of rhetoric of race based on the irresponsible and mischievous equation of the entrenched sensitive provision of Article 153 with the concept of Ketuanan Melayu and New Economic Policy.
If it is most unlikely in these circumstances for Najib to propose the initiative of a nation-wide “Say No to Racism” to end the rise of racist bigotry and religious extremism, is there any Minister concerned enough about the escalating rhetoric of race and religion to propose in Cabinet tomorrow a “Say No to Racism” nation-wide campaign?
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I admit that recent developments do not indicate that Najib is capable of rising to the occasion to prove that he is Prime Minister for all Malaysians and the future of Malaysia instead of being a prisoner of Umno politics and the past.
These developments include:
*
His “Zero Tolerance to Racism” declaration lack credibility and legitimacy as it was preceded by his two-week silence on the racism and seditious outbursts of the two school principals in Johore and Kedah and followed by another two weeks of further inaction against the two errant school principals.
*
Najib’s belated statement two days ago to re-open the controversy over the surau visit of DAP MP for Serdang, Teo Nie Ching saying that she had entered the prayer hall of Surau Al-Huda, Kajang last month when she had already tendered her apology to the Sultan of Selangor for any unintended offence caused, resulting in the statement by the chairman of the sacked Surau Al-Huda committee Azemi Ahmad refuting Najib’s claim that Teo had delivered a “tazkirah” during her visit. Azemi said the Prime Minister had obtained “wrong information” and insisted that Teo had not touched on religious matters and had therefore not delivered a “tazkirah”.
*
Najib’s warning yesterday to Malaysians not to question provisions in the constitution, particularly those related to the “social contract” saying that they had been agreed upon by the nation’s forefathers, without distancing him from the recent escalation of rhetoric of race based on the irresponsible and mischievous equation of the entrenched sensitive provision of Article 153 with the concept of Ketuanan Melayu and New Economic Policy.
If it is most unlikely in these circumstances for Najib to propose the initiative of a nation-wide “Say No to Racism” to end the rise of racist bigotry and religious extremism, is there any Minister concerned enough about the escalating rhetoric of race and religion to propose in Cabinet tomorrow a “Say No to Racism” nation-wide campaign?
Labels:
Racist
‘My Constitution’ head laughs off sedition claim
The Malaysian Insider by Debra Chong
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 – Lawyer Edmund Bon, who heads the Bar Council’s “My Constitution” campaign, said today he was surprised and tickled…
The Malaysian Insider by Debra Chong
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 – Lawyer Edmund Bon, who heads the Bar Council’s “My Constitution” campaign, said today he was surprised and tickled by a youth group’s claim that its public awareness booklets were seditious.
Bon was responding to a police report lodged yesterday by the 1 Malaysia Youth Graduands Club in Serdang, calling on the authorities to take immediate action against the campaigners for allegedly advocating the changing of provisions in the Federal Constitution, especially those touching on the special position of Malays and Islam.
Click here to read full article.
Nik Aziz: Nothing wrong for a Chinese to enter mosque
The Star
by SYED AZHAR
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by SYED AZHAR
KOTA BARU: PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said it was nothing new for a Chinese to enter a mosque.
He…
He…
The Star
by SYED AZHAR
“Some give cash, others provide building materials. This is nothing new in Kelantan and I cannot see any fault in such acts,” he told reporters after handing out aid to the poor in conjunction with the Hari Raya celebration in Kubang Kerian here.
Nik Aziz, who is also Kelantan Mentri Besar, was asked to comment on Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching having to apologise to the Sultan of Selangor after she visited a surau in her constituency recently.
Nik Aziz reiterated his stand that there was nothing wrong with Teo’s action and said it was unfortunate that the matter had been politicised by certain quarters.
A Malay daily published a front-page picture of the first-term MP addressing worshippers at the Al-Huda Surau in Kajang Sentral, saying she was disrespectful to the religion.
Teo was also issued with a warning letter by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council.
To a question, Nik Aziz said he would not be drawn into a debate with Malay pressure group Perkasa’s president Datuk Ibrahim Ali who wanted him to explain in detail his stand on the issue.
“I know him very well,” he said.
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by SYED AZHAR
KOTA BARU: PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said it was nothing new for a Chinese to enter a mosque.
He added that those who politicised the issue should also find it unacceptable that the Chinese built mosques for the Muslims in the country.
“I cannot understand why the issue over a Chinese entering a mosque has been blown out of proportion.
“I am puzzled why this matter has been politicised when there are also cases of Chinese who made contributions in cash and kind to build mosques.
He added that those who politicised the issue should also find it unacceptable that the Chinese built mosques for the Muslims in the country.
“I cannot understand why the issue over a Chinese entering a mosque has been blown out of proportion.
“I am puzzled why this matter has been politicised when there are also cases of Chinese who made contributions in cash and kind to build mosques.
“Some give cash, others provide building materials. This is nothing new in Kelantan and I cannot see any fault in such acts,” he told reporters after handing out aid to the poor in conjunction with the Hari Raya celebration in Kubang Kerian here.
Nik Aziz, who is also Kelantan Mentri Besar, was asked to comment on Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching having to apologise to the Sultan of Selangor after she visited a surau in her constituency recently.
Nik Aziz reiterated his stand that there was nothing wrong with Teo’s action and said it was unfortunate that the matter had been politicised by certain quarters.
A Malay daily published a front-page picture of the first-term MP addressing worshippers at the Al-Huda Surau in Kajang Sentral, saying she was disrespectful to the religion.
Teo was also issued with a warning letter by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council.
To a question, Nik Aziz said he would not be drawn into a debate with Malay pressure group Perkasa’s president Datuk Ibrahim Ali who wanted him to explain in detail his stand on the issue.
“I know him very well,” he said.
Kidnapped girl reveals new details of her life as a 'domestic slave'
London, England (CNN) -- Natascha Kampusch, the Austrian woman who was held prisoner for eight years in a basement, has revealed new details of her ordeal in an autobiography.
In…
London, England (CNN) -- Natascha Kampusch, the Austrian woman who was held prisoner for eight years in a basement, has revealed new details of her ordeal in an autobiography.
In the book, entitled "3,096 Days," Kampusch, who was abducted aged 10 in 1998 while walking to school, describes the relationship she fostered with her abductor Wolfgang Priklopil in order to ensure her survival and the bizarre routines she endured at his hands.
The serialization in the UK's Daily Mail newspaper details how Kampusch was locked inside a "hermetically sealed" concrete jail, beaten up to 200 times a week until she heard her own spine "snap" and was manacled to Priklopil while they slept together in his bed.
Kampusch escaped in August 2006 aged 18 and now lives in Vienna, Austria. Priklopil, 44, an engineer, committed suicide shortly after her escape.
Penguin, the British publishers of the English version, released a statement on behalf of Kampusch: "I now feel strong enough to tell the full story of my abduction for the first time."
Describing her captor, Kampusch writes: "At 35, he had soft features and neatly parted brown hair. It was only when you observed him for a longer period that you noticed the traces of madness lurking beneath his conservative exterior."
During her captivity she was held in a subterranean bunker which was initially equipped with just a bed, toilet and sink.
She also recalls her first night in captivity. "I asked him to put me to bed properly and tell me a goodnight story," she writes. "I even asked him for a goodnight kiss. Anything to preserve the illusion of normality. And he played along."
Kampusch, now 22, goes on to describe how Priklopil would threaten her, saying: "If you're not good, then I'll have to tie you up."
"He told me my parents had refused to pay a ransom, 'Your parents don't love you at all... They don't want you back... They're happy to be rid of you.'"
She also describes the psychological games Priklopil played with her. "In all his visits he talked about the people who'd supposedly 'ordered" my kidnapping and would come and take pictures of me 'and do other things as well'. I lived in constant fear that at any moment a horde of evil men would come into my dungeon and attack me.
"And of course my fear of the 'true kidnappers' made the man who had abducted me seem caring and friendly by contrast."
Some psychologists have described this relationship as Stockholm Syndrome, a psychological condition when the victim of an abduction identifies with the kidnapper and becomes attached to him or her.
Kampusch recounts how Priklopil ordered her to call him "Maestro" or "My Lord" and to kneel in front of him. He also forced her to shave off her hair and work half-naked as a domestic slave, driving her to repeated suicide attempts.
Since her release Kampusch has become a media personality, appearing on television shows around the world. She worked for a while as a television presenter in Austria in 2007.
A spokesman for Penguin told CNN: "This is her first autobiography and the most detailed account of her life during captivity."
The English version of the autobiography is published on September 13 in the UK.
Labels:
Injustice
IAEA: Iran boosts nuclear work
Iran continues to enrich uranium despite four rounds of UN sanctions [GALLO/GETTY]UN nuclear watchdog concerned about country's expansion of low-enriched uranium production by 15 per cent.
(Al Jazeera) Iran's…
Iran continues to enrich uranium despite four rounds of UN sanctions [GALLO/GETTY]UN nuclear watchdog concerned about country's expansion of low-enriched uranium production by 15 per cent.
(Al Jazeera) Iran's total production of low-enriched uranium has risen by around 15 per cent since May to reach 2.8 tonnes, according to a restricted UN report.
The report, obtained by news agencies on Monday, said that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a Vienna-based UN agency, remained concerned about possible activity in the Islamic Republic to develop a nuclear payload for a missile.
"Iran has estimated that, between February 9 2010 and August 20 2010 ... 22 kilogrammes or UF6 enriched up to 20 per cent has been produced" at its pilot fuel enrichment plant in Natanz, the report said.
The White House called the report "troubling" and said that it showed Tehran was still trying to develop a nuclear weapons capability.
"The IAEA's latest report on Iran again demonstrates that Iran is refusing to comply with its international nuclear obligations, and continues its effort to expand its nuclear program and move closer to a nuclear weapons capability," Tommy Vietor, the White House spokesman, said.
Despite four rounds of UN sanctions, Iran is continuing to enrich uranium at its plant in Natanz.
UN inspectors barred
The Islamic republic says it needs the 20 per cent enriched uranium for a research reactor that makes radioisotopes for medical purposes, but the West fears the material is ultimately intended for a nuclear weapon.
Speaking to Al Jazeera from Tel Aviv, Meir Javedanfar, the author of The Nuclear Sphinx of Tehran, said: "Iran has now overcome the biggest hurdle in its enrichment process."
"The distance between 20 per cent, which can be used for both civilian and military [purposes], and 90 per cent enriched uranium, which is for military purposes only, is very small."
"[It] is much smaller than between three and a half per cent to 20 per cent."
The IAEA also voiced concern about what it called Iran's "repeated objection to the designation of experienced inspectors hampers the inspection process and detracts from the agency's ability to implement safeguards in Iran."
"[It] thereby detracts from the agency's capability to implement effective and efficient safeguards in Iran."
The complaint follows Iran's recent decision to strip two experienced inspectors of the right to monitor Tehran's nuclear activities after they reported undeclared nuclear experiments conducted by Tehran.
According to Iran, the reporting by the two experts was inaccurate. But the IAEA said it had "full confidence in the professionalism and impartiality of the inspectors concerned, as it has in all of its inspectors."
The report is being circulated to the IAEA's 35-nation board and to the UN Security Council.
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Middle East
MIED lawsuit against 'MIC Top 8' to proceed
(Malaysiakini) The Court of Appeal today upheld a decision of a Kuala Lumpur High Court in giving the green light to MIC's educational arm, Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED),…
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(Malaysiakini) The Court of Appeal today upheld a decision of a Kuala Lumpur High Court in giving the green light to MIC's educational arm, Maju Institute of Educational Development (MIED), to sue its chairperson and eight trustees for alleged mismanagement. 
Justices Zainun Ali, Ramly Ali and Jeffery Kok Wha dismissed MIED's appeal to set aside the High Court's June 14 decision to grant leave to former MIC Youth chief A Vigneswaran to name the institute as the plaintiff in a suit against its trustees. 
It is also seeking an injunction to restrain Samy Vellu from continuing to helm the institute, that he (Samy Vellu) be stripped of his membership in MIED and for him to return all monies or profits made from MIED either by himself or through family members and close friends.
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Justices Zainun Ali, Ramly Ali and Jeffery Kok Wha dismissed MIED's appeal to set aside the High Court's June 14 decision to grant leave to former MIC Youth chief A Vigneswaran to name the institute as the plaintiff in a suit against its trustees. Under Section 181A of the Companies Act 1965, Vigneswaran, who is a member of MIED is required to get court's permission to name MIED as plaintiff in a proposed legal suit.
Following the granting of the leave, MIED had commenced a RM100 million suit against MIED chairperson S Samy Vellu (above) and seven MIED trustees over alleged mismanagement which it claimed caused the institute to incur financial losses.
In the statement of claim, MIED named Samy Vellu, M. Mahalingam, Dr T. Marimuthu, Dr SK Ampikaipakam, G Palanivel, Dr KS Nijhar, K. Kumaran, G Vadiveloo and a firm, Kumpulan Naga, as the defendants.
Injunction against Samy sought
In the suit, MIED claimed that all the defendants had breached fiduciary duties, breached statutory duties and failed to discharge responsibilities as trustees and auditors which caused MIED to suffer huge losses.
It is also seeking an injunction to restrain Samy Vellu from continuing to helm the institute, that he (Samy Vellu) be stripped of his membership in MIED and for him to return all monies or profits made from MIED either by himself or through family members and close friends. MIED is also seeking a court order to make Samy Vellu compensate all the financial losses incurred by the institute in the time he had administered MIED as its chairperson.
The three-men panel chaired by Justice Zainun unanimously dismissed the appeal with costs of RM30,000 for proceedings at the Court of Appeal and High Court after it ruled that there was no reason to interfere with the decision of Judicial Commissioner Mah Weng Kwai.
– Bernama
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MIC
Ops Padam Hindraf ASP loses defamation suit and ordered to pay cost of RM7,000 to Senior Hindraf Coordinator.
NO.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245
Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com Email:info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com
Media Statement (6/9/2010)
Ops Padam Hindraf ASP loses defamation suit and…
NO.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245
Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com Email:info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com
Media Statement (6/9/2010)
Ops Padam Hindraf ASP loses defamation suit and ordered to pay cost of RM7,000.00 to Senior Hindraf Coordinator.
This morning (6/9/2010) the Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Datin Zabariah Othman dismissed ASP Vasantha Kumar’s civil suit No S-23-6-2010 for defamation against Hindraf National Coordinator Tamil Selvam A/L Krishnasamy and had ordered ASP Vasantha Kumar to pay K.Tamil Selvam costs of RM7,000.00.
In his defamation suit ASP Vasantha Kumar had alleged that Tamil Selvam had at a Press Conference held at Rawang and reported in the Tamil daily Makkal Osai on 8/7/09 said :-
1) referred to Vasantha Kumar as a “suspected” police planted guy in Hindraf “who made wild accusations on Hindraf and it’s true leaders.
2) ASP Vasantha Kumar was since the day of his “release from ISA” had been alleged to have been throwing wild accusations on Hindraf.
3) The Hindraf struggle is not for money but about poor Indian rights championed by P.Waythamoorthy and P.Uthayakumar who are the true leaders leading Hindraf. The fact that Hindraf still exist because of P.Waythamoorthy and P.Uthayakumar and we maintain and sustain the real struggle under their leadership till today.
4) Why are they (ASP Vasantha Kumar) attacking Hindraf. They are diverting the real struggle staged by true Hindraf leaders.
In the written submissions to the Kuala Lumpur High Court, Tamil Selvam’s lawyer P.Uthayakumar had submitted that:-
“ (4) Plaintif telah secara mencurigai dan/atau dengan niat dan/atau motif serong enggan dan gagal memberitahu pekerjaan sebenarnya dalam menyangkal persepsi umum yang beliau adalah seorang pegawai dari pasukan polis perisik Cawangan khas E3M.
(5) Walaupun Defendan (Tamil Selvam) telah lama terlibat dengan Hindraf sejak tahun 2006, tetapi Defendan (Tamil Slevam) telah tidak pernah mendengar nama atau berjumpa dengan Plaintif (ASP Vasantha Kumar) sehingga lebih kurang tiga bulan sebelum Plaintif kononnya ditangkap dan ditahan dibawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) (yang dinafikan disini).
(6) Plaintif (ASP Vasantha Kumar) dalam kesemua kertas caranya telah tidak menyatakan bila sebenarnya beliau telah menjadi seorang pemimpin Hindraf, siapa yang melantiknya dan dalam keadaan apa beliau telah menjadi seorang pemimpin Hindraf.
(7) Kecuali Plaintif, (ASP Vasantha Kumar) tidak ada sejarah di Malaysia dimana seseorang telah ditahan dibawah ISA dengan penglibatan untuk tempoh hanya cuma selama tiga.
(8) Plaintif (ASP Vasantha Kumar) telah “diistiharkan” sebagai seorang Ketua Hindraf hanya oleh Ketua Polis Negara pada 13/12/07 iaitu hari beliau kononnya ditangkap dan ditahan di bawah ISA.
(9) Plaintif telah gagal memberikan kronologi dan sejarah NGO-NGO yang diceburinya, jawatan- jawatan yang dipegangnya dan dokumen- dokumen sokongannya dalam membuktikan yang Plaintif bukanlah seorang pegawai dari pasukan polis perisik cawangan khas E3M.
(10) Satu Google search telah dibuat oleh Defendan (Tamil Selvam) mengenai nama Plaintif yang tidak menunjukkan sebarang “postings” langsung mengenai nama Plaintif sebelum 13/12/2007 iaitu tarikh kononnya beliau ditahan dibawah ISA.
(11) Pertanyaan (Inquiries) Defendan (Tamil Selvam) menunjukkan yang tidak ada mana- mana ahli politik atau ahli NGO yang mengenali Plaintif sebagai seorang aktivis politik atau aktivis NGO sebelum kononnya penahannya di bawah ISA pada 13/12/2007.
(12) Plaintif (ASP Vasantha Kumar) adalah seorang individu yang penuh bermisteri dan telah layak menjadi kononnya “pemimpin Hindraf” hanya semata- mata berdasarkan kepada kononnya penangkapannya dibawah ISA pada 13/12/2007 oleh Ketua Polis Negara.
(13) Tugas dan tanggungjawab Plaintif (ASP Vasantha Kumar) selepas kononnya dibebaskan dari tahanan ISA adalah jelas hanya untuk mengelirukan dan memecah- belahkan Hindraf dan masyarakat India melalui terutamanya akhbar- akhbar dan media massa Tamil.
(14) Plaintif telah hanya membuat “bare denials” kepada tohmahan- tohmahan Defendan diatas dalam Jawapan kepada Pembelaan (oleh Plaintif) sebelum daripada ini.
(15) Jika diteliti keseluruhan afidavit sokongan Defendan yang telah diikrarkan pda 5hb April 2010 kemusykilan-kemusyikilan yang sangat serius telah dibuat mengenai identiti sebenar Plaintif dan perwatakan dan peranannya yang penuh bermisteri dalam Hindraf.
(16) Tetapi dalam afidavit balasannya Plaintif (ASP Vasantha Kumar) telah hanya dalam perenggan keempat Afidavit balasannya yang telah diikrarkan pada 10hb Ogos 2010 cuma secara “kosong” (bare denials) dan tidak mahu menjawab kepada persoalan Plaintif (ASP Vasantha Kumar) tersebut telah cuma menjawab seperti berikut:-
4. Saya mengikrarkan Afidavit ini untuk menjawab Afidavit Defendan (K.Tamil Selvam) dan merujuk Perenggan 6 hingga 27 dan menyatakan seperti berikut:-
a)Pernyataan-pernyataan Defendan (K.Tamil Selvam) adalah tidak relevan, berskandal, penafian dan pernyataan kosong dan remeh;
b) Defendan (K.Tamil Selvam) tidak mendedahkan apa-apa merit dalam Afidavit Defendannya mahupun alasan yang diberi dalam Permohonan Defendan;
5. Saya menegaskan bahawa tuduhan-tuduhan yang dibuat oleh Defendan (K.Tamil Selvam) tidaklah berasas, tanpa bukti dan adalah suatu yang berunsur niat jahat dan dengan tujuan untuk mengelirukan Mahkamah Yang Mulia ini.
(17) Perenggan Keenam sehingga Kedua-puluh tujuh afidavit Defendan K.Tamil Selvam tersebut adalah dua-puluh satu perenggan tetapi jawapan Plaintif (ASP Vasantha Kumar) adalah cuma tiga perenggan sahaja seperti diatas.
(18) Jika Plaintif (ASP Vasantha Kumar) berani mengapa dan kenapa Plaintif enggan/gagal/cuai menjawab kepada kemusykilan-kemusykilan yang ditimbulkan oleh Defendan (K.Tamil Selvam) satu per satu seperti yang dinyatakan dalam Pernyataan Pembelaan Defendan (K.Tamil Selvam) dan juga dalam duapuluh-satu perenggan dari perenggan 6 hingga ke 27 Afidavit Defendan (K.Tamil Selvam) yang telah diikrarkan pada 5/04/2010 seperti yang dinyatakan diatas.
(19) Oleh kerana Plaintif (ASP Vasantha Kumar) takut kepada kebenaran maka Plaintif berselindung disebalik perkataan “tidak relevan” dan sebagainya seperti yang telah dinyatakan di atas”.
Lawyer P.Uthayakumar appeared at the Kuala Lumpur High Court this morning for K.Tamil Selvam. ASP Vasantha Kumar is represented by lawyer G.Ragumaren. K.Tamil Selvam’s solicitors M/s Kumar Hashimah & Co has today sent a letter to Vasantha Kumar’s solicitors G.Ragumaren & Co demanding the award court cost of RM7,000.00 to be paid to K.Tamil Selvam forthwith and in any event within (7) days from today.
Hindraf maintains that ASP Vasantha Kumar is not known to both P.Uthayakumar or P.Waytha Moorthy or any other key Hindraf members until about three months before the Hindraf Rally on 25/11/07 and in fact had spoken to lawyer Manoharan Malayalam for the first time only at the Kamunting prison. ASP Vasantha Kumar remains a mysterious character up to date.
Despite police reports lodged, the Inspector General of Police has yet to reveal the truth as to who is this ASP Vasantha Kumar, whether this ASP Vasantha Kumar is indeed an E3M police special branch officer planted into Hindraf and assigned to create confusion, break up Hindraf under Ops Padam Hindraf Neither has the IGP replied to Items No 4 to 19 hereinabove.
S.Jayathas
(Information Chief Hindraf)
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Hindraf
S’gor PKR Exco mandore orders Hindus not to build temples without permission. But zero land allocated & zero permission granted.
We recall that just up to over two years ago, UMNO’s MIC mandores were saying this. And now this PKR Selangor Indian Exco mandore is the MIC within PKR and…
We recall that just up to over two years ago, UMNO’s MIC mandores were saying this. And now this PKR Selangor Indian Exco mandore is the MIC within PKR and PR.
But his Tuan Anwar Ibrahim has refused to grant land to build new Hindu temples in new housing estates as is provided by Section 94 the Local Government Act. However land is given to build new suraus and masjids without any problems at all whatsoever.
And despite having been in power in Selangor for three years now even all the existing Hindu temples in Selangor have been denied land all in one go.
Instead this ex-16 year UMNO stalwart Anwar Ibrahim gets his Indian Exco mandore to do an MIC by using the Tamil dailies to misinform the Indians by his kosong wayang kulit that Hindu temple land, tamil school land, etc., is given out here and there but this Exco mandore just like the previous UMNO’s MIC mandore has never handed over land to the Hindu temple.
In fact this Selangor PKR state government has become more racist and supremacist when an announcement was made a few month ago that (if at all) the land granted to Hindu temples would be in the name of the Selangor State Secretary and no more the respective Hindu temples.
Why, for the State Secretary to have absolute authority to take away the Hindu temple land and demolish and “ethnically cleanse” the same as he wishes?
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice
Labels:
temples
Raja Petra: Non anti Indian starts with Malaysia Today also publishing pressing Indian problems.
Dear PRK, my response on your take on HINDRAF – R. Shan (Human Being)
The first thing that irked me is your statement
“There are those who say I am…
Dear PRK, my response on your take on HINDRAF – R. Shan (Human Being)
The first thing that irked me is your statement
“There are those who say I am anti-Indian or anti-Hindraf. My outspokenness towards a single-race struggle has been condemned as that of an anti-Indian or anti-Hindraf stance. And many who propagate the Hindraf cause have taken me to task for this perceived ‘anti’ stance. Maybe it is time I made my stance clear, for whatever it is worth”.
Frankly, I don’t think there is any truth to it. Nobody questioned you nor indicted you in the cyber world if you notice that you actually do not carry any HINDRAF news at all unless it actually warrants for whatsoever reasons that you decide to publish it.
I guess the rebuttal that you face is if alike others for a political reason, you ran an oiled agenda to portray them as racist but now you make your stance, therefore there are quite a considerable sympathizes who would castigate you to clear the air even with your so called the elite NATO commenter’s.
You say the HINDRAF case should be a Malaysian cause, let’s look at the factual aspect of it. Tell me or show me how many of the moderate bloggers and liberated bloggers from either the Malays or other non Malay carry their news? Look even at Malaysia Today, even they don’t carry HINDRAF news to ensure the tilt of the artificial power of the arm chair critics stays in course without making an actual change.
Now, I look back and ponder, how have this “semua tahu” community in the comments have made the change that most desire for others, other than voicing their frustration as tomorrow is just another day in their day to day life but not for those in poverty and discriminated. Sure we are also discriminated, but we are with choice not those without choice yet we sit and brood irrespective of race, religion or color.
Sorry, RPK, I maybe blunt in my approach but I alone cannot defeat the forces of evil unless and until I recognize the purpose in such exercise that can benefit Malaysians at large. That purpose can only exist if you are genuine in your approach rather than to pander to those commenter’s who will talk about the whole nine yard yet when action is required, swivel into their coconut shell for their own needs. Please enlighten me how many of the the ultra vires bloggers or alternative media carry HINDRAF/ HRP news or why they have not approached HINDRAF?
Just look at the some of the comments on your site on this article, they don’t even know what they are talking about, because, you are just a temporary reprieve for the moment until you exist, then it is history as they will move on in their own way and you will in your own way .
RPK, I feel rather than giving political and appeasing speeches, we should support any cause that addresses the needy and those deprived even if it involves a certain segment of a group. It has to start somewhere. Nobody denies that others are as vulnerable as the Malaysian Indians are in the current situation, but the nonchalant attitude towards Malaysian Indians should not be used as a political agenda as and when it fits an agenda.
I think, HINDRAF knows what it wants for the poor and the poverty stricken to salvage even if it starts with the Malaysian Indians, but more pertinent is people need to be more akin to their agenda on a humanity aspect rather than that appeases our glorified commenter’s.
For a start in a pro active manner, you should include and highlight HINDRAF / HRP issue as often as you can in your site amongst others, then we would know that you actually mean what you say.
R. Shan (Human Being)
Labels:
Malaysian Indians
Teo did not deliver tazkirah, sacked surau chairman claims
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 – Sacked Surau Al-Huda committee chairman Azemi Ahmad has refuted Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s claim that Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching had delivered a “tazkirah” during…KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 – Sacked Surau Al-Huda committee chairman Azemi Ahmad has refuted Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s claim that Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching had delivered a “tazkirah” during her controversial visit last month.He told The Malaysian Insider that the prime minister had obtained “wrong information” and insisted that Teo’s speech had not touched on religious matters.
“He has received the wrong information obviously. She only spoke about the education loan scheme by the Selangor state government for entry into public universities.
“To deliver a tazkirah, on the other hand, means she would have to touch on religious issues, to talk about Islam. She did not do that,” Azemi said when contacted.
As such, he insisted that neither Teo nor the sacked mosque committee had committed any wrong in the matter.
When commenting on the issue yesterday, Najib insisted that Teo (picture) had violated the fatwa issued by the National Fatwa Council in March this year.
The council had decided that non-Muslim tourists could enter mosques and prayer rooms on condition that they received permission from the respective managements and that their actions did not violate the sanctity of the mosque.
Najib had also claimed that Teo had committed another offence by delivering a tazkirah (sermon) during her visit.
“Only Muslims are allowed to deliver tazkirah in mosques or surau. If a non-Muslim enters a mosque and start giving a tazkirah to the Muslims, that is against the teachings of the Prophet,” he had said.
Azemi also claimed that Teo had not violated the fatwa or decree despite her failure to cover her hair when she entered the surau’s main prayer hall.
“It is just manners to wear the tudung. She is a non-Muslim so it is not exactly a must for her to wear it... it is by choice and just manners and yes, it is encouraged.
“But like I said, as a non-Muslim, it is not a must. It is an obligation and a must for Muslims to wear it,” he said.
Former Perlis Mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin also disagreed with Najib that Teo had violated the fatwa, pointing out that the decree specifically states that non-Muslims could enter mosques.
“I will not focus on the tazkirah because I was not present when Teo delivered her speech. But of course, like I have mentioned before, the surau should not be used for political purposes.
“But my focus now is on whether a non-Muslim can enter the mosque and the answer to that is – Yes,” he said.
On the issue of Teo’s failure to cover her hair with a scarf or tudung, Dr Asri pointed out that many Umno members had done the same themselves.
“It is not exactly wrong in Teo’s case because she is not a Muslim. It is just that those who enter the mosque should respect it by covering themselves.
“Just like if I were to go to the Prime Minister’s office or the Mentri Besar’s office, I would have to dress respectfully, in order to keep with the culture of the place. It is just common understanding,” he said.
However, Dr Asri insisted that it was not Teo’s fault for not wearing the headscarf.
“It is the fault of the mosque committee, not hers. They should have informed her, and she should not be expected to know because she is not a Muslim. As Muslims and caretakers of the mosque, the committee should be the one to inform her,” he said.
He urged the National Fatwa Council to hold a briefing with all surau and mosque committees to determine the proper procedure of things so that similar misunderstandings would not recur.
“Who knows, they might one day change the fatwa again because they see different practices outside the country. They would see (US president) Barack Obama entering a mosque somewhere and then they would change the fatwa.
“We need more uniformity and we need to advise the mosque committees on what they should do,” he said.
Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria however agreed with Najib that Teo had violated the council’s fatwa, pointing out that such decrees were applicable to all, including non-Muslims.
“It is a law and all are bound by it. In this case, she went against it because she did not cover her hair when she walked in and she also delivered a speech inside the prayer hall.
“Non-Muslims can enter the mosque, under the religion, but they must respect the rules and sanctity of the place. This means that they must tutup aurat,” he said.
Teo’s visit last month had sparked off much religious tension in the nation as Muslim leaders from both sides of the political divide scrambled to issue differing views on the matter.
Malay rights group Perkasa demanded for syariah laws to be created to ban non-Muslims from entering mosques and suraus while Pakatan Rakyat leaders chose instead to back Teo in her move.
Teo has since written to the Selangor Sultan to explain her visit after the Selangor religious department (Mais) claimed that she had displeased the ruler.
Mais had also claimed to have sent a warning letter to Teo. It has also taken over the management of the surau and a new committee has replaced the one chaired by Azemi. - The Malaysian Insider
Rattled 'cartel' at work?
PETALING JAYA: The move by several PKR MPs to endorse Azmin Ali for the party's number two post at a press conference here this afternoon has raised…
PETALING JAYA: The move by several PKR MPs to endorse Azmin Ali for the party's number two post at a press conference here this afternoon has raised eyebrows in certain quarters.
Some party sources asked if this was an attempt to ensure that control of PKR remained in the hands of a select few.
Questioning the timing of the press conference given that nominations had not concluded, the sources asked if Azmin's camp was rattled by the prospect of supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim entering the ring.
Azmin, who is a close associate of PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim, was always said to be uncomfortable with Zaid's presence and meteoric rise.
"So is this a move by the Anwar-Azmin 'cartel' to make sure that the party remains in the hands of a privileged few instead of having an 'outsider' like Zaid move up the ranks?
"Zaid has been getting tremendous support in the party, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, and this has left some leaders in PKR squirming uncomfortably in their seats," said a source.
The source also questioned why PKR was averse to allowing new leaders to rise up the ranks compared to its Pakatan Rakyat partners PAS and DAP.
"This does not happen in the other parties, only in PKR. Like when (former MCA vice-president) Chua Jui Meng joined, it took him such a long time to go up," he said.
The source also claimed that the recent action taken against 12 Sabah PKR leaders was also an attempt to prevent nominations from falling Zaid's way.
“It is an open secret that Jeffrey Kitingan is close to Zaid and the 12, half of whom are divisional leaders, and are linked to Jeffrey.
“So this was a clear-cut attempt to thwart Zaid's chances in the party polls,” he said.
The source lamented that such actions went against the principle of free and fair elections and do not represent the wishes of the grassroots.
"This is the way Umno would do things," he said.
Several PKR leaders had also expressed unhappiness with how a small group of "elitist MPs" in the party were calling the shots.
This, they said, was one of the main reasons why several PKR MPs had decided to quit and become independents.
The Ghafar Baba scenario
Meanwhile, Zaid himself indicated in his blog that certain forces were at work to undermine him and drew a comparison between his position and with what happened to Umno stalwart Ghafar Baba in the past.
Zaid said when he joined the opposition party a year ago, he was hailed as a hero, but now he was being branded as an Umno agent on a mission to destroy PKR.
He also revealed that his rivals had paid a popular blogger to tarnish his name.
"The blogger was asked to write that I will pay RM20,000 to the branch that nominates me, and that I was tasked by (former finance minister) Daim Zainuddin to destroy PKR," he said.
"My loyalty has been questioned, but loyalty to whom? Perhaps, I am not loyal to the party's cause or to the highest leadership, I don't know.
"Perhaps these MPs will come forward and explain why my nomination will not be supported at their press conferences to show support for the great Anwar-Azmin combination," he added.
On Ghafar's exit after being challenged by Anwar, who was then a rising star in Umno, Zaid said he remembered the 1993 incident clearly.
“Ghafar was attacked by Umno to the point that he could not garner enough nominations and had to withdraw from the race. His years of service to the party were forgotten just like that,” he said.
“If my fate is to end up like him, so be it. My political struggle is simple: I will support the truth and not falsehoods,” he added.
Labels:
PKR
Chua: Not all news is true
By Sylvia Looi, TheStar
CAMERON HIGHLANDS: People should be critical enough not to accept everything that is reported online as all the information need not necessarily be true, said MCA…
By Sylvia Looi, TheStar
CAMERON HIGHLANDS: People should be critical enough not to accept everything that is reported online as all the information need not necessarily be true, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
“It is important for people to differentiate the truths, half-truths and what is a complete lie,” he said.
Dr Chua, who is Perak MCA chairman, was commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s statement that the public should trust the mainstream media as its reports are based on facts compared to the alternative media that is based on opinions.
Dr Chua was speaking to reporters after closing a cadre training for Perak MCA members and division leaders yesterday.
On claims by opposition parties that the Government was practising double standards in handling the issues of two principals who made racists remarks on students and the subsequent controversial video clip by Namewee on YouTube, Dr Chua said police should investigate the principals on whether they had committed sedition.
“Only then will the Government be seen as acting fairly and impartially. There should not be a dichotomy system. Civil servants are equally liable and subject to the same law,” he added.
Dr Chua, however, admitted that the case of the principals was complicated as they are government servants.
The Education Ministry had on Thursday announced that the matter had been
passed to the Public Service Department to handle.
On the cadre training, Dr Chua said it was the first training for party members and it would continue until the general election.
“The model used to train members is new as the old model is no longer relevant in the current political climate,” he said.
Oh yeah? Is this also an opinion?
Dr Chua Soi Lek, the MCA President, says that we should not believe what the Internet, Blogs or alternative media publishes because these are merely opinions and are not necessarily the truth. Okay, maybe Chua can then tell me whether the report below by the Jabatan Audit Negara is merely my opinion or the truth.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Chua: Not all news is true
People should be critical enough not to accept everything that is reported online as all the information need not necessarily be true, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
“It is important for people to differentiate the truths, half-truths and what is a complete lie,” he said.
Dr Chua, who is Perak MCA chairman, was commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s statement that the public should trust the mainstream media as its reports are based on facts compared to the alternative media that is based on opinions. -- The Star
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No Holds No Barred
Special rights can’t be erased unless the Malays agree to it, says Khoo Kay Kim
(Bernama) - The people, irrespective of race, who question Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which spells out the special rights and privileges of the Malays and Bumiputeras, are blind…
(Bernama) - The people, irrespective of race, who question Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which spells out the special rights and privileges of the Malays and Bumiputeras, are blind about history and the constitution, an analyst said.
Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim said the special position of the Malays was recognised way back since the British era.
“When the British came to Malaya, they found that there were already Malay governments in several parts of the peninsula, and the British recognised these governments.
“These governments took care of a large number of people (the Malays). For the British, these people had their special rights. But those who came and lived in Malaya were not subjects of the Rulers and therefore, did not enjoy the same rights enjoyed by the Malays,” he told Bernama.
He said the non-Malays in the peninsula at that time were not citizens or subjects of the king, saying they only had the opportunity to apply for citizenship when the Federation of Malaya was formed on February 1, 1948.
“When the British planned the formation of the Malay Federation as a nation state, it was an extension of what already existed then, and by 1957, the Federal Constitution was formulated, incorporating the prevailing arrangement at that time,” he said.
The people, especially those from other races, should therefore respect the rights and privileges of the Malays as enshrined in the constitution because when it was first formulated, the various races had already agreed to what needed to be incorporated in it, he said.
“The special position of the Malays started since a long time ago and based on the system of government existed then. In the peninsula, nine Malay kingdoms existed since 1895, and continue to exist until today,” he said.
The Federal Constitution was formulated based on the recommendations of the Reid Commission. It took effect soon after the independence on August 31, 1957.
Article 153 spells out powers vested upon the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in safeguarding the special position of the Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak, as well as the legitimate interests of other communities.
It also spells out in detail the functions of the King in ensuring quotas for the Malays and Bumiputeras in the public service, scholarships, public education as well as the provisions of permits and business licences.
Khoo said the reason why there were groups questioning the rights and privileges of the Malays was because the society of today was “blind about history”.
“They don’t understand (the constitution) and are ignorant of what they can or cannot do. There shouldn’t be any debate on the constitution because what is important is to follow what has been in use for so long,” he said.
He said that if the constitution was to be amended, it would require the agreement of two-thirds of MPs in Parliament and should be consented to by the King.
He added that anyone wanting to abolish or amend Article 153 should obtain the agreement of the Malays and Bumiputeras, the agreement of two-thirds of MPs in Parliament and the consent of the King.
Labels:
Ketuanan Melayu
A shared history of suffering
Teo Nie Ching (all pics below courtesy of Teo Nie Ching)
By Ding Jo-Ann | The Nut Graph
Teo Nie Ching (all pics below courtesy of Teo Nie Ching)
By Ding Jo-Ann | The Nut Graph
Teo recalls how she was first invited to stand for elections as an MP. “It was just after Chinese New Year. I was in my office [when] I received a call from Tony Pua, whom I had met before at functions. I greeted him, ‘Happy Chinese New Year! Where is my angpow?’ And he replied, ‘Ok, I have an angpow for you — the candidacy of the Serdang parliamentary seat.’”
Teo said she had to resign from the law firm she was practising in to stand as a candidate but her boss gave her the option to return if she lost. “My boss expected me to lose the election,” Teo said, Serdang being a former MCA stronghold. “But who would have known that I and so many other [opposition] candidates would win.”
Life is certainly not the same and Teo has less time now with family and friends since being elected. But she is positive when asked why she is willing to make the sacrifice. “Every occupation involves expectations that need to be met,” Teo says. “In meeting those expectations, you may need to sacrifice some things but you also gain other things. So to me, these ‘sacrifices’ are the tuition fees I need to pay to learn all that I have so far.”
The Nut Graph interviewed Teo on 14 July 2010 at Parliament.
TNG: Where were you born and where did you grow up?
Teo: I was born in Kampung Bindu, Batu Pahat in January 1981. I was born at home. The nurse came to the house to help my mother to give birth. I’m the third out of four children.
What are some of your strongest memories of the place where you grew up?
Teo's family (before Teo's birth)
In my kampung, it was very different, especially when I was growing up. We locked the door only at night. During the day, whether or not you lock (the door), it’s no big deal.
Here in KL, not every taman has a playground. Even if you go to the playground, an adult needs to accompany the children. For us, we just roamed anywhere in the kampung. Of course, it’s better to let your parents know where you’re going but they won’t really be nervous if they didn’t know exactly where we were. Maybe in the evening, if they think it’s getting late, they might go around the kampung shouting your name, “Where are you? Ey, time to go back.”
I only realised how lucky I was after I came to KL. Even though we didn’t have Playstation or lots of gadgets, we had a lot of freedom.
Can you trace how your family came to Malaysia?
Teo's father (right) seated next to Lim Kit Siang, 1984
On my mother’s side, my grandfather came here from Fujian in China when he was about 12 or 13. He was the youngest son and all his siblings remained in China. Until recently, he still tried to go back once a year. But he’s very old now. His siblings have also passed away. He’s settled in Johor and owned a timber company. Actually, my father worked for him and that was how my father met my mother. Eventually, my father took over the timber company from my [maternal] grandfather.
Are there any stories that you hold onto from your family?
My father was from a poor home. I remember he told me about how his father passed away when he was about 15. My grandfather was a rubber tapper. One day, he didn’t come home, even though it was late, about 8 or 9am. In those days, they go out as early as 4am to tap rubber. My father and uncle went to look him and found him in the rubber estate lying on the ground. A rubber tree had fallen on top of him and he had died.
Bekok, Segamat: the place of work for Teo's father, 1978
Another family story is about my father’s aunt. My great-grandmother had three sons and one daughter. When her daughter was about 12, she was boiling water but she was shocked by people playing firecrackers outside. [She upset the pot] and the boiling hot water spilled all over her. At that time, maybe the medicine was not so good so eventually she passed away. Since then, my great-grandmother [gets] very upset and really [dislikes it when] people play with firecrackers.
Teo's mother (right) with Lim Kit Siang's wife, 1984
I believe many people have similar experiences. I think at the beginning, when Malaysia was not so well developed, many families lived in poverty. Medicine was also not widely available.
I believe every family has had their share of suffering. Now, in modern Malaysia, we have schools, hospitals, medicine. After our families have gone through all this, I wonder sometimes, do we really cherish all that we have?
Are there any aspects of your identity that you struggle with as a Malaysian?
In school, I would wonder sometimes, why are we not treated equally in this country? When I was young, I didn’t declare myself as Malaysian, I would just say I’m Chinese. Not that I’m from China, but because I went to a Chinese [language] school and everything we learnt or read was in Chinese.
When I went to university, especially when I went overseas, that’s when I realised, I’m not just Chinese, I’m also Malaysian. I started to look at Malaysia as a country, where I was born and where I grew up.
I started to question, how well do I know my country? I could name the prime ministers so far, but about what each of them has done? What about other parts of Malaysia other than Johor, like Sabah and Sarawak? I knew there were Kadazan in Sabah and Iban in Sarawak, but what about their cultures? Even for Malay culture, what is Hari Raya all about? People overseas would ask me to tell them more about my country and I realised how little I knew. There was so much to learn about my own country and I’m still learning.
Describe the kind of future you would like for yourself and for future generations.
I hope that future generations [do not have to deal] with being treated differently in Malaysia. I remember in Chinese school, our teachers would share with us about the struggles the Chinese in Malaysia went through. They impressed on us to cherish everything the Chinese have worked for.
Teo Nie Ching at work
I’m also very concerned about corruption. We will have to deal with a [financial] crisis in the future. Our petroleum revenue will run out by 2014 or 2015 and we are in very high debt. Can we do well in the next five years, ten years, 50 years?
To me, whether we are a developed or developing country, I don’t really mind. It’s great if we are a developed country, but I think what is more important is the quality of life. It doesn’t necessarily mean that if you earn more, your quality of life is better. To have a caring society, one where we respect each other, that is also very important. Yes, it would be a plus if we became a high income nation but we don’t need that to happen for us to be a harmonious and happy nation. I believe that is more important.
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