Umno pays price for your words, Perkasa tells Nazri

Perkasa believed it wielded enough influence to affect Malay support for politicians. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — Perkasa issued another warning to Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz today, saying that Umno would be the biggest losers if he continued attacking the Malay rights group.

Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali said today that the Umno man’s criticism would only serve to strengthen Perkasa’s influence.

He argued that Perkasa’s objective was to unite the Malays, and “rejecting” leaders who were splitting the race even if they were Malays themselves.

Syed Hassan dismissed Nazri’s remarks against the Malay-rights group, and likened those a child’s rants.

“I would advise Nazri to stop attacking Perkasa. Perkasa does not lose anything with Nazri’s attacks; in fact because of his attacks we are becoming stronger among the Malays.

“Perhaps Nazri too has nothing to lose. But the real loser is Umno if there are leaders within the party who are jealous of us and continue to belittle us like Nazri,” said the Perkasa secretary-general in a statement today.

Syed Hassan reiterated Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali’s claims that although the Malay NGO was not a political party, it had enough clout to affect a politician’s standing with the Malay grassroots.

“Perkasa will not become a political party, that is for sure. But Perkasa can influence the position of a political leader. This is Perkasa’s warning. Nazri does not need to pressure Perkasa into becoming a political party. We know what we are doing. We want to unite the Malays,” said Syed Hassan.

Nazri yesterday challenged Ibrahim to reveal whatever secrets the Perkasa chief may have against him, in response to the latter’s warning to three Umno leaders to stop criticising Perkasa.

Ibrahim had singled out Nazri, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin over the weekend in his admonition to politicians to stop lashing out at the Malay rights group or risk having their “secrets” revealed.

Nazri said that Ibrahim’s threats did not frighten him, but rather it had strengthened his resolve in

Nazri has stayed the course in his attacks on Perkasa, brushing off its threat to expose his “secrets”.

opposing Perkasa’s brand of “racism.”

“I want Ibrahim Ali to reveal whatever secrets he may have against me. In fact, I dare him to. He better start revealing [these] soon, because I will continue to attack Perkasa and I will continue to fight him,” Nazri told The Malaysian Insider.

The minister in the prime minister’s department has been vocal in condemning Perkasa for what he deemed an erosion of Barisan Nasional’s (BN) support from the non-Malay electorate.

On Saturday, Ibrahim alleged at a Perkasa rally in his Pasir Mas parliamentary constituency that the three Umno leaders’ views of Perkasa differed from that of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s views.

Nazri had, however, scoffed at Ibrahim’s latest remarks, dismissing it as the “rants of the Perkasa chief”, claiming that Perkasa did not understand the meaning of 1 Malaysia, something which did not sit well with Syed Hassan.

“Do not accuse us of not understanding the meaning of 1 Malaysia. We understand it as how it was announced by the prime minister in Parliament before this. But there are also others who have a different understanding of 1 Malaysia than us.

“If 1 Malaysia is being understood on different levels, then it is a problem. Nazri himself does not understand what 1 Malaysia is. Do not say that it is a policy or concept. 1 Malaysia is only a slogan, not a policy.

“We support whatever the prime minister is doing to unite all the races in this multiracial country. We welcome all efforts to bring about stability and it is this stability along with the nation’s sovereignty which we have also promised to uphold in Perkasa’s constitution,” Syed Hassan.

Nazri, along with Khairy and Tengku Adnan have all been reported as having spoken out against the Malay rights group.

Khairy had raised concerns that BN would lose non-Malay support if it does not immediately disassociate itself from Perkasa.

The Umno Youth chief said there was a perception now to affiliate Umno with Perkasa, and that this was “hurting” BN’s bid to gain non-Malay votes, which severely dwindled in the last general election.

Similarly, Nazri had declared that the Umno did not support or recognise the Malay rights group, saying Umno was against any form of racism and that Perkasa’s ideals did not fit in the Najib administration’s focus on plurality and unity.

Earlier this month, Tengku Adnan also recently said his BN counterparts had agreed that distancing the ruling coalition from Perkasa was the best way forward to halt the slide in non-Malay support for BN.

He added that Umno would not back the strident Malay rights group or Ibrahim in the next general election.

Tengku Adnan, however, subsequently denied stating that BN was distancing itself from Perkasa after Najib said that Umno did not want to stir conflict with any non-governmental organisation despite the recent move by Umno leaders to rebuff the Malay rights group.

The Mahathir-backed Perkasa is still seen by many as commanding significant support from within Umno as well as the Malay grassroots.

Team Ravi takes over Teluk Kemang PKR

By Zefry Dahalan - Free Malaysia Today,

TELUK KEMANG: PKR’s M Ravi has proven to be a giant killer, beating MP Kamarul Baharin Abbas last weekend in the contest to head the party’s Teluk Kemang division.

he state assemblyman for Port Dickson appeared to have convincingly captured the hearts of members in his campaign. Several winners in contests for other important posts are known to be in his team.

Ravi garnered 278 votes against the Teluk Kemang MP’s 135.

Team Ravi also won the posts of deputy division chief (Rusli Abdullah), youth chief (Amiruddin Abdul Wahab), deputy youth chief (M. Shanmugam), women’s chief (Rohaina Husin) and deputy women’s chief (Wendy Loh).

Ravi spoke humbly about his victory, calling the election a “very healthy family contest between brothers”.

He said: “It’s not I who won today, but the people. This is what we call people's power.

“There is no guarantee in politics; the ups and downs of your political career are decided by the people.”

Teluk Kemang also nominated Anwar Ibrahim for party president and Zaid Ibrahim for deputy president. For the vice presidential posts, the division nominated Nurul Izzah Anwar (Lembah Pantai MP), N. Gobalakrishnan (Padang Serai MP), Dr Lee Boon Chye (Gopeng MP) and Fuziah Salleh (Kuantan MP).

Kamarul was absent from the hall during the counting, which began at 4 pm. Indeed, he was seen only in the morning at the election centre at Glory Beach Resort, Port Dickson. Some said he stayed for less than half an hour.

Kamarul recently led a group of MPs and senators in openly throwing their support for deputy presidential candidate Azmin Ali.

The Teluk Kemang results were not a surprise, said at least to two senior PKR leaders who spoke to FMT last week. Claiming that they were familiar with feelings at the grassroots, they predicted that Kamarul Baharin would be defeated in the contest for division chief, as would Mustaffa Kamil Ayub (Pasir Salak) and N Gobalakrishnan (Padang Serai).

The forecast about Pasir Salak has also come true. Osman Abdul Rahman beat Mustaffa last Saturday.

The Padang Serai division has yet to hold its election. Gobalakrishnan’s challengers are V Sandra Sekharan and Shamsul Anuar Abdullah.

It is not known whether Mustaffa will go ahead in the contest for deputy president or whether Gobalakrishnan will push on for a vice-presidency if he loses in Padang Serai.

Public forum calls for urgent revival of IPCMC

(Malaysiakini) Less than a kilometre away from the Butterworth police station, a forum on the credibility of the force went on uninterrupted despite fierce allegations by panellists that the police were 'corrupted tools of the BN government".

Dubbed 'Public Forum: Is the police the defender of the people?' organised by several NGOs at the Dewan Dato' Haji Ahmad Badawi last night, participants reiterated the urgent need to revive the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) which was shelved in 2006.

These renewed calls for the IPCMC come amidst a leadership change in the flagging force where Inspector General of Police Ismail Omar replaced former chief Musa Hassan recently.

About 100 participants who attended the meeting despite the heavy rainfall, heard horror tales of police abuse against distinguished political figures like PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim and ordinary folks, including foreign workers.

Panellist PAS information chief Mahfuz Omar (left) said the IPCMC would not only be useful for lodging grievances against the police but could be a platform to review the current guidelines, laws and implementation of procedures by the force.

Mahfuz, who is Pokok Sena parliamentarian, said there was an urgent need to review the standard operating procedures to ensure professionalism in the force, and to tackle abuses immediately so that the police would eventually become more humane when investigating and interrogating suspects.

"When I was in a lock-up before, I had prison mates asking me to pray hard for them before they went in for questioning; they told me that the prayers might help 'soften' the hearts of their interrogators as they had been previously abused till black and blue," he said.

"There must be a mechanism that can be put in place so that abuses does not happen because when the accused is beaten violently, they are compelled to admit the crime even though they did not commit it," he added.

The event was organised by Amnesty International (AI), the Penang based Coalition for Good Governance, and human rights NGO Suaram. AI executive director Nora Murat chaired the session.

Never tabled

The much debated IPCMC bill, scrapped in 2007, was drafted by present Chief Justice Zaki Azmi and a few others in 2005.

It was never tabled as the police force had rejected the proposals, which was a central recommendation in the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operations and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police.

It was initiated when a videotape surfaced in 2005 showing a woman ordered to strip and perform nude squats at the Petaling Jaya police lock-up.

Meanwhile, Penang (DAP) exco member for Town and Country Planning,Housing and Arts, Wong Hon Wai (right), questioned the 'neutrality and double standards' practised by the police - instead of protecting the people from crime, they were alleged to have shielded the wrongdoers.

He revealed that in 2009, there were about 7,000 over Special Branch officers and over 8,000 officers in the Criminal Investigation Department but their duty was to monitor NGO activists and opposition politicians, not crime.

Wong, who is Ayer Itam assemblyperson said in developed countries like the United States and Switzerland, the police reported to the state or city council, unlike here, where they are under the jurisdiction of the federal government.

"This is what gives rise to many incidences of political interference," he said.

"For example, during elections, we are often trailed by SBs whose main duty is to hear and record what we say in ceramah (political talks); to see whether we are spreading 'slander' against the government," he added.

'Cosmetic changes'

Parti Socialist Malaysia secretary-general S Arutchelvam joked that the police was not really serious in reforming its deteriorating image, saying it was all merely 'cosmetic changes'.

"When there are complaints that the police physically abuse or shoots their victims arbitrarily, the force comes out with slogans that their personnel is 'friendly'," he said.

"When there are allegations of corruption, the police issues and wears stickers and badges that say anti-rasuah," he added.

Suaram claimed that the police force has been plagued by controversies recently as official government statistic revealed that around 183 people were shot dead by police between 2007 and 2009.

One of the more serious cases involved the death of 14 year old Aminulrasyid Amzah (right) and 18 year old Mohammad Afham Arin in the hands of the police.

About 153 cases of death in police custody between 1999 and 2008 were also recorded while in 2009, including well known cases such as A. Kugan, R.Gunasegaran and Mohd Anuar Sharip , said the local

Branson says Anwar trial ‘damages’ Malaysia

Richard Branson stands beside Virgin Mother Ship Eve, White Knight Two, at Wittman Field, site of the Experimental Aircraft Association Convention in Oshkosh, Wisconsin July 27, 2009. - Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson has called on the Malaysian prime minister to intervene in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial, calling the issue “a thorn” in Malaysia’s otherwise good reputation.

“If you’re a bold leader, you should get rid of things like this which are damaging your reputation,” he said today at the “Dawn of the New Decade: Alternative Investments in Asia” conference here.

“This has gone on for a long, long time. It looks bad overseas.”

While Branson did not think Anwar’s Sodomy II trial was causing foreign investors to shy away from Malaysia in any major way, the mercurial entrepreneur nonetheless said more people would want to invest in Malaysia if it were more open and liberal.

He added that it was incumbent on the prime minister to address the “damaging” trial as good leaders looked after their citizens well, much like how good employers take care of their employees.

Branson was speaking at the “Dawn of the New Decade - Alternative Investments in Asia” forum in the capital hosted by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA). He went on after MIDA Director-general Datuk Jalilah Baba gave her address.

Anwar, the 62-year-old PKR de facto leader, is charged with sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, at Unit 11-5-1 of the Desa Damansara Condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara here between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

The former deputy prime minister has denied the charge, describing it as “evil, frivolous lies by those in power” when the charge was read out to him. He is charged under section 377B of the Penal Code and can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years’ jail and whipping upon conviction. The trial is taking place 18 months after Anwar was charged in court in August 2008.

Anwar was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet and was later convicted and jailed for both offences.

He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife.

He had earlier led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, to a historic sweep of five states and 82 parliamentary seats in Election 2008.

Anwar’s Sodomy II trial will resume on October 14.

Malays must rule the country, says BTN rep

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — National Civics Bureau (BTN) deputy director Hamim Husin today proclaimed Malay rights as a mandate to rule the country amid a spike in Malay rhetoric.

Former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad recently warned Malays that they would lose power if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took control of Putrajaya.

“The rights of Malays, is to rule the country. Simple,” Hamim told Puteri Umno delegates in a closed-door function today.

“Malays must unite in the face of threats,” he added.

The BTN Federal Territory deputy director cited an example where the Malay ruling party failed to act during a purportedly seditious demonstration by non-Muslims in Kuala Lumpur a few years ago.

“The Hindus marched to Parliament to send a memorandum. They, like Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force), are groups that spread sedition,” said Hamim.

“Where was the political party then?” he asked.

About 30,000 protestors from the Hindu non-governmental organisation Hindraf had rallied in the city in November 2007 to submit a memorandum to the British embassy, where they demanded for the Queen’s Counsel to represent sidelined Malaysian Indians.

Today, Hamim underscored the importance of Malay unity in view of a possibility that snap polls may be called as early as next year.

The ‘si mata sepet’ that has never gone to a mosque or surau only has one vote. The ‘si botol’ that only knows how to go up to Batu Caves up and down only has one vote.

“The general election is coming soon. If there is still disunity, we cannot have events like this... where we can say what we want,” he said.

Last Tuesday, Dr Mahathir said the Malays were not aware of the political threat facing them as they were divided into three groups (PAS, PKR, Umno), where no one group could obtain a percentage of Malay votes that can secure power for the community.

He also claimed that the political marginalisation of the Malays had already become a reality in PR-controlled states even though those administrations were led by Malays.

The former Umno president, who still commands widespread influence among party members and the larger Malay community, pointed to the former PR mentri besar in Perak Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin as an example of how Malay politicians had been sidelined by PR.

Dr Mahathir also implied that a Chinese or an Indian could become prime minister if PR took federal power because there was no constitutional restriction on race for the position.

Today, Hamim also urged Puteri Umno to make sacrifices in a bid to defend Malay rights.

“In the context of Malay rights, don’t just demand for your rights. You must ask, ‘what must I sacrifice to defend my rights?’” he said.

Hamim stressed that the Malays could not rule the country without co-operating with the non-Malay communities as each citizen only carried a single vote.

“Malays cannot rule the country by themselves. That’s why we make friends with the MCA and MIC,” he said.

“The ‘si mata sepet’ that has never gone to a mosque or surau only has one vote. The ‘si botol’ that only knows how to go up to Batu Caves up and down only has one vote,” said Hamim, using apparently derogatory terms to describe the Chinese and Indian communities in Malaysia.

“So Puteri Umno must make friends with youths who are not Malays,” he added.

He also exhorted Puteri Umno to recruit youths born from marriages with foreigners into their party.

“There are many foreigners who have children here. Their daughters and sons who have turned 18 should be in Puteri and Putera Umno,” said Hamim.

“You are losing them... thousands of them. You should be collecting them and network with them,” he added.

Kelantan folk slam Dr M for attacks on MB

Dr Mahathir had accused Nik Aziz of compromising his religion for political power. — file pic

KOTA BARU, Sept 27 — The Kelantan public have questioned Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Islamic credentials after the former prime minister labelled the state’s popular mentri besar as a religious sell-out for working with non-Muslims.
On Saturday, Dr Mahathir accused Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat of jeopardising PAS’s Islamic philosophy for political expediency, saying the party's spiritual leader was not above interpreting the Quran in ways that went against Islamic teachings.
The ex-premier’s claims, however, have been dismissed by some in the state’s capital, who instead questioned his credibility as an Islamic authority.
Osman Ahmad, 55, said Dr Mahathir should understand Islam before talking about the religion.
“I want to ask him first, what does he know about the religion? He is a medical student, so how can he talk about the religion? You must first know about the religion before talking.
“Anyways, anybody talking about religion must always refer to the teachings before making a decision. Since he does not know anything about the religion, that is why he can say whatever he wants,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
Osman (left) added that he believed the accusations made against Nik Aziz were baseless.
“What he said against Nik Aziz cannot be used. All of it are baseless accusations. For me, he is only talking nonsense because he was only using his head. So I think it is better if he keeps silent instead of saying something worthless,” said Osman.
Another Kota Baru resident, Mazlan Omar (right), accused Dr Mahathir hypocrisy in his attacks on PAS’s spiritual leader.
“Back then, what were the things that he allowed when he was the prime minister? Everything that is forbidden in Islam was allowed by him. I think that [if] he can differentiate between right and wrong, then why did he allow things that are forbidden in Islam when he was ruling?
“He only wants to take care of his image. That is why he made the false allegations because nobody cares what he has to say since he retired,” said the 32-year-old shop keeper.
In Saturday’s attack, Dr Mahathir had condemned Nik Aziz’s willingness to forego the party’s Islamic principles in order to appease the DAP.
“Race has been push aside and religious practice relaxed so that they can co-operate with those that are clearly the enemies of Islam. This is the result of politics from someone who is too eager in becoming the government,” he said in his first visit to Kelantan on Saturday, four years after he was sprayed with a chemical irritant at Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Pengkalan Chepa.
Yusof Abdullah, 60, defended Nik Aziz and said the PAS icon has always made his decision based on Islam.
“I do not think that Nik Aziz would do something like that. This is because all of his actions have been based on the religion. After all, his is a religious man and I feel that the allegations against him are excessive and false.
“I will only believe [Dr Mahathir’s claims] if there is evidence. I am very disappointed with the allegation made by the former prime minister,” said Yusof.
Newspaper vendor Zariah Ismail said the false allegations were only damaging Dr Mahathir’s image and not Nik Aziz.
“Don’t make the accusation if it is not true because it will only bring down his image as the former prime minister.  I only ask of him to talk based on facts and not because he wants to tarnish Nik Aziz’s image,” said the 53-year-old.
Yesterday, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said it was Umno — which was led by Dr Mahathir for 22 years — who had compromised Islam for political expediency.
“Umno has failed to fulfil its responsibility. As a result, the Malays that obtained a large majority in election failed recognise the role of Islam as the religion of the federation,” said the Marang MP.
Nik Aziz also denied yesterday that he was willing to compromise religion for power and stressed that he only continuing to lead the state at the behest of the party leaders.
“Year after year, term after term, the party wanted me to continue as the MB of Kelantan,” he said.

Pakatan won't capture Putrajaya, says Gerakan boss

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid - Free Malaysia Today,

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional should not lose sleep over the prospect of losing Malay votes if Umno shuns Perkasa, said Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon.

This, he added, was because Pakatan Rakyat would not seize control of the federal government in the next general election.

The minister in the Prime Minister's Department was responding to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad who warned Umno that it could lose Malay votes if it alienated Perkasa.

"That is his personal view," Koh told a press conference here after addressing a national unity forum organised by NGOs.

"Pakatan will never win because of the differences between DAP and PAS. DAP will never agree to PAS' intention of setting up a theocratic Islamic state," he said.

Several Umno leaders have called on the party's top leadership to distance itself from Perkasa, which they believe was a stumbling block to BN's efforts to rope in non-Malay votes.

But Mahathir, who said that groups like Perkasa emerged because of Umno's failure to protect the Malays from extremist Chinese, considered this a suicidal strategy.

'PKR must look at itself'

Meanwhile, Koh said groups like Perkasa would lose their appeal when a society becomes more open and educated.

"The way to handle it is that we have to make a stand against extremism and also address some of the (economic) concerns on the ground," added the senator.

According to him, it was more important for BN component parties to focus on strengthening their co-operation and improve understanding.

He also took a swipe at PKR over the mudslinging as leaders jostle for positions in the party polls.

"PKR has been criticising other parties. Well, they should look at themselves," he said.

Ugly claims of electoral malpractices in Penang PKR polls

By Athi Shankar - Free Malaysia Today,

GEORGE TOWN: The ‘Team Reformis’ sweep of all positions up for grabs in the hotly contested Bayan Baru PKR division polls on Saturday could well turn out to be a hollow victory after all.

Helmed by Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin, ‘Team Reformis'’ triumph has been marred by alleged electoral malpractises, vote-rigging, money politics, cheating and biasness of election officials.

Even during the polling day, various quarters within the division have raised the allegations.

The spark finally caught fire when Sim, the former political secretary to PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim, scored a shocking landslide victory to capture the coveted chairman post against outgoing division vice-chairman M Ngananasagaran.

The state representative received a whopping 499 votes against Ngnanasegaran’s 265 votes.

Sim’s victory and its margin have raised many eyebrows in and outside the division.

What's more puzzling is the high number of votes received by 'Team Reformis' and the low number of votes received by Ngnanasegaran team, tagged 'Team Rakyat.'

Observers claimed that the large voter-turnout - the biggest recorded at any PKR division polls so far - was dominated by Ngnanasegaran supporters.

Official statistics, announced by an election official Sharifah Shahidah, stated only 792 voters cast their votes.

However, many observers and insiders counter-argued at least 1,200 would have cast their ballots.

“I was observing the electoral process for nearly five hours. The voter-turnout was like a mini general election and majority were Ngnanasegaran supporters.

“It was never below 800 and Ngnanasegaran should have won. Something amiss here,” claimed a PKR leader from another division.

Missing ballot boxes

Rumours of ‘missing ballot boxes’ are widely circulating in PKR circle.

Speculations are rife that at least three ballot boxes were switched with ballot boxes containing pro-‘Team Reformis’ votes.

Two disgruntled division members have already lodged police reports against alleged unethical electoral process.

Annuar Ismail, 33, who won a committee berth in the polls, and S Thivagaran, 32, who lost in the Youth wing deputy chief contest, lodged their reports at the Sungai Nibong police station at 7.30pm on Sunday.

In his report, Annuar alleged that the voting process was dragged on from 4pm dateline until 5.30pm without any official notice from the division leadership headed by acting chairman, Tan Seng Keat, a staunch supporter of Sim.

Photocopies of ballot papers were allegedly used in the voting when the team of election officials suddenly ran out of original copies.

The photocopied ballot papers in a way substantiate allegation of more than 800 voters cast their votes.

The number of votes counted and cast too did not tally.

Another allegation was that many voters, especially unwitting senior citizens from Ngnanasegaran’s faction, were not given ballot papers for the chairman, deputy chairman and vice-chairman contests.

“Women and young male voters were also not given the ballot papers for women and youth wings’ contests,” alleged Annuar.

Thivagaran alleged in his report, he was not given the Youth ballot sheet.

Annuar claimed that party supporters and NGO activists closely associated with ‘Team Reformis’ were used as election workers by the official election team.

‘Team Reformis’ supporters were also allegedly engaged to conduct registration checks and handle subscription payments from members.

‘Team Reformis’ has also been alleged to have paid RM2 each for the subscriptions of its voters.

Supported by returning officer

Another allegation is that the voting hall was strangely locked for nearly 30 minutes after the balloting process was over apparently because “the election team needed a rest.”

No one was allowed inside except for the election team officials, which allegedly included those from ‘Team Reformis.’

Annuar also alleged that Sharifah had shouted and ordered him out of the hall during the ballot counting process when he raised a question on her verification on the committee polls results data form.

Another serious allegation is that at least two election workers have apparently ‘misguided’ some unwitting senior citizens, apparently Ngnanasegaran backers, to vote for ‘Team Reformis’.

The incident sparked a row between Ngnanasegaran supporters and the election team, and nearly turned ugly but for the timely intervention by the candidate to calm his men.

Ngnanasegaran supporters claimed that they have unearthed more evidence, to prove claims of more serious electoral malpractises deployed by ‘Team Reformis’ with tacit backing by the election team headed by returning officer Hashim Ishak.

“We will reveal the evidence in due time,” they told FMT.

They would soon lodge official complaints to the party election steering committee headed by Molly Cheah.

The allegations have convinced insiders and observers to labelled Bayan Baru election as the dirtiest PKR division polls held so far.

“We thought these things can only happen in Umno elections. We can’t believe that it’s happening in PKR, a party for reform,” said a local PKR leader.

Bayan Baru now joins Jerai, Sungai Petani, Merbok and Tasek Gelugor as divisional elections marred by serious allegations of electoral malpractises.

Apparently the victims are potential supporters of the party deputy presidency hopeful Zaid Ibrahim.

Why Anwar will not enter the fray in PKR polls

By Joe Fernandez - Free Malaysia Today,

COMMENT PKR ketua umum (de facto leader) Anwar Ibrahim has received any number of nominations for the presidency of the party, currently held by his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The nominations for Anwar are nowhere near that received by Wan Aziz, but nothing should be read in these numbers. If Anwar had indicated at any time even the slightest interest in the post, his wife would have been the first to announce that she would not be offering herself again.

In the absence of any interest on Anwar’s part, the party divisions took the cue that the status quo should continue. Or it could be that they really think that Anwar should stay out for any number of reasons. Either way, it probably doesn’t matter as far as Anwar is concerned.

It’s not immediately known whether the divisions which nominated Anwar for the presidency are genuinely in favour of him, or just testing the waters or “want to smoke him out”.

Again, none of these speculations are likely to figure in Anwar’s mind as he keeps reiterating his position on the party’s presidency.

The theory that an Anwar candidacy for the presidency would invite a challenge from someone like Zaid Ibrahim doesn’t quite merit any comment at all but, anyway, here goes.

The latter, a newcomer in PKR, is a one-man show which is still finding its way. Besides, it was Anwar who invited Zaid to join PKR after he left Umno in an apparent huff over alleged law reforms.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department VK Liew, who continues from where Zaid left off, doesn’t seem to be having the newspaper headline-hogging “problems” that Zaid had with the job.

Compelling reason

It would not be the done thing for Zaid to accept the invite to join PKR, only to end up challenging Anwar for the presidency of the party. Zaid would have been seen, at least in Malay eyes, as a man in too much of a hurry and over-ambitious, more for himself rather than the agenda for change and reform.

The most compelling reason why Anwar shouldn’t go for the presidency is the little matter of the Sodomy II charges hanging over his head. It would place the party in an extremely tight spot should he be elected president and subsequently be carted off to jail. However, although Sodomy II can be factored in as one possible reason, it’s not that one reason that has determined that all other reasons pale in significance.

Those who whine and moan that the post of ketua umum isn’t mentioned in the PKR constitution are missing the point. They are not seeing the forest for the trees.

There are much more important factors to reckon with than holding a potentially divisive party post. One needs to look at both sides of the political divide. The job description is written as one goes along without the additional burden of a brand name post. Paracetamol as a pain-reliever (analgesic) and fever-reducer (antipyretic) is no less effective whether it’s called by its generic name or goes by a label like Panadol.

Anwar’s nemesis, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has carved out a continued role for himself in the politics of the country. He has done this by stealth and cunning trying to emulate the late Deng Ziao Peng of China. Deng, despite having no official post after stepping down as the chairman of the powerful Military Commission, ruled China until his last breath.

Mahathir is of course no Deng who, unlike the former, never engaged in rhetoric after he “retired” and avoided the polemics and newspaper headlines. Deng was not roundly cursed and condemned either and was hardly seen in public. He knew what buttons to push to get the four most powerful men in China – the chairman of the military commission, the president, the prime minister, and the secretary-general of the Communist Party – keeping him in the know about important matters and seeking his guidance and blessing.

Between the Deng and Mahathir approaches, Anwar is seen as the glue that holds PKR, the DAP and PAS together in the Pakatan Rakyat. This is in the words of Wan Azizah herself on her last visit to Kota Kinabalu for a Chinese New Year function. The Sarawak National Party (SNAP) is a Pakatan member as well since recent months.

Hence the glue role sees Anwar naturally cast as the de facto leader of Pakatan, not just PKR. This can be seen in the fact that when Zaid began describing himself as Pakatan chairman, he was quickly reminded by DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and PAS president Hadi Awang that he was merely the co-ordinator working on the coalition’s Common Policy Framework (CPF). The CPF brings together the different manifestos of the opposition alliance in a cohesive manner.

Smooth performer

Anwar has been a smooth performer so far except when it came to Sabah which, in the public eye, continues to confound him. If Sabah continues to be a problem for Anwar, Sarawak remains one as well as both states stand resolutely together when facing any interference from Peninsular Malaysia.

But behind the scenes, Anwar is constantly reading Sabah and Sarawak and walking the tightrope in both states with some degree of success so far. This can be seen in the fact that 8% of the PKR’s 400,000-odd membership is drawn from the KadazanDusunMurut and 7.5% from among the Dayaks.

The difference between Peninsular Malaysia on the one hand and Malaysian Borneo on the other is that Anwar can only operate in the latter through someone like Sabah strongman Jeffrey Gapari Kitingan. Anwar is not in a position to appeal directly to the members and electorate in Sabah and Sarawak as in Peninsular Malaysia.

If Jeffrey is edged out of the Sabah and Sarawak equation, Anwar wouldn’t have any one formidable figure as a partner in both states in the agenda for change and reform. Anwar has previously tried several times to cut Jeffrey down to size to better promote himself in Sabah and Sarawak but with no success at all. He has been forced to sue for peace even when appearing to flex his muscles. The Kitingan family, the elder Joseph Pairin Kitingan being another factor as Huguan Siou (paramount chief), has sewn up the politics of Sabah and Sarawak between themselves.

Patently, Mahathir and Anwar cannot confine the politics of Malaysia to themselves.

Also, Anwar’s take on politics goes beyond Mahathir but that’s another story which takes the ketua umum’s agenda for change and reform a giant step forward whether he’s in or out of jail.

Ex-brigadier-generals, top cops in Perkasa

By Hawkeye - Free Malaysia Today,

KOTA BARU: Many of Perkasa's new members comprise retired civil servants while about 10% come from PAS and PKR.

Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali said about 70% come from those who had served the civil service including four retired brigadier-generals of the army and retired senior police officers as well as a handful of retired departmental directors.

“They are not keen to join a political party, so they join us as we are by large a non-governmental organisation,” he said after organising a Perkasa rally in Pasir Mas here.

He said many retired civil servants believed in the struggle of Perkasa and his movement has outstretched the political divide as about 10% of the new members come from PAS and PKR.

There also also many ex-Umno members within the ranks, he claimed.

Ibrahim stressed that Perkasa has nothing against other communities, as it was just interested in preserving the rights of the Malays.

If one looks at Parliament nowadays, there are more non-Malay representatives and this is a reason why there is a call for unity among the Malays so that their political voice would not be diluted by the current political abyss in the country, Ibrahim said.

He said Perkasa would condemn anyone including Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat if there are issues which compromise the rights of Malays.

Ibrahim said he invited both the Chinese and Indian communities to gather here to show that his movement has nothing to do with hurting them.

Perkasa roadshow

Recollecting the months before he formed Perkasa, the Pasir Mas MP said he was depressed after PAS whom he was earlier said to be aligned with, had apparently directed him to not raise issues of Malay rights in Parliament.

“I was mystified. What was wrong about raising issues of those who may feel that they were sidelined in the current political landscape?

“Where is the freedom of choice and speech, which Pakatan Rakyat had bragged about?” he asked.

This motivated him to form Perkasa, which he insists would remain an NGO for now.

Ibrahim would now focus on explaining what Perkasa is all about and the group has lined up a roadshow beginning in Perak, Selangor and Johor in the next few months.

PKR Sabah Kota Kinabalu Cabang Election

Please share with all your readers what I observed on Saturday 18th September 2010 at No. 602 Jalan Sang Kancil, Kota Kinabalu. I was there when polling started.

By Hill Billy

Firstly and surprisingly, none of the Members’ statuses were verified by officials from PKR HQ. It was out-sourced to people who are clearly working for and/or aligned to the incumbent.

The incumbent was seen giving orders to them and on many occasions throwing tantrums at them as well.

All the Ballot Papers were dished out by the officials from PKR HQ without them actually counter-checking from the Membership Roll whether the receiver is indeed a Qualified Member entitled to vote.

On more than three occasions, I even saw one person approaching the officials from PKR HQ with two, three, and four MyKads to collect all the Ballot Papers.

Another strange part was the incumbent's people marking Ballot Papers on behalf of Members everywhere in the compound (some on the street outside the gate) and then passing the marked Ballot Papers back to the Members and tell them to enter the Polling Area and deposit the marked Ballot Papers into the respective Ballot Boxes.

During the counting of votes, I was standing in a small crowd outside the gate to watch the process. Although it rained heavily, we clearly heard the officials from PKR HQ admitting that the number of Ballot Papers issued was far more than the actual number of Members who came for the election.
One mainstream media reporter sitting right in front of the gate inside the compound told another industry colleague that the members who supported the incumbent are largely uneducated. Our jaws dropped when we heard the latter telling the former that there are illegal alongs, 4-digit sellers, smugglers, and drug pushers in the line-up.

Guan Eng hits out at Utusan and MSM

How many will vote in the PKR polls? Does anyone really know? Who is monitoring and are they aligned to any faction?

By Haris Ibrahim,

I managed to speak to PKR vice-president Sivarasa on the phone yesterday as I wanted to hear from him about the rumoured disruption of the Subang division elections.
As reported in some of the online news portals, the problem, in Subang, was on account of names of candidates on ballot papers not having been correctly printed and the ensuing delay leading to many members having left the meeting hall.
I moved on from this matter to that of the allegation I keep hearing of ‘phantom’ voters.
I keep hearing that candidates are bringing in hordes of non-members to division meetings, registering them as members on the spot and then getting them ballot papers to partake in the voting process.
I asked Siva for a response.
Siva said that he did not think this was possible as the members list that will be used for the present election of divisional leaders and later for the election of national leaders is the list that was finalised on 28th June, this year. Anyone joining after this date would not be eligible to participate in the ongoing party elections.
What was the number of members as at 28th June, then, I asked Siva.
He confirmed what I had been hearing : more than 400,000, but he could not give me the exact figure.
On 24th September, Anwar issued a press statement entitled ‘A Celebration of Democracy’, wherein he said that “It is this spirit of change that was the driver for the adoption of a new system of voting for this year’s party elections under which the party’s 500,000-odd members will be able to vote for their leaders directly across the board”. Malaysiakini has a report with excerpts of that statement HERE.
On a media report presently carried on the PKR website, the members eligible to vote during the ongoing election is said to number 600,000.
So what is the number of PKR members as at 28th June, 2010?
Does anyone really know?

The making of Ibrahim Ali

WHATEVER you may think about him, Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali is found in Malaysia, too. The Nut Graph gets a glimpse into what shaped this combative right-wing politician during an interview in his Kuala Lumpur office on 10 Aug 2010.
Ibrahim, who is also independent Member of Parliament for Pasir Mas, talks about the childhood poverty that fuelled his years as a student activist and then as a politician.

Ibrahim in his office with a sign that says much about his politics (All pics below courtesy of Ibrahim Ali)

TNG: When and where you born, and what was your childhood like?
Ibrahim Ali: I was born on 25 Jan 1951 in Kampung Pasir Pekan in Tumpat, Kelantan. I am the fifth child and eldest boy of 13 children. Because I was the first boy, my father pampered me a lot. But nothing luxurious. We were a poor family, and one of the things I did as a child was to plant watermelons to supplement the family income.
Our house was near a river which had a small island in the middle of it. I planted watermelons there. Now the area has been reclaimed and there’s a Tesco hypermarket there.
My childhood friends who were non-Malay [Malaysians] included a lot of Siamese kids because there was a Siamese community in my area. We did a lot of fishing and also meluba ikan, where you use a pail to catch fish by scooping them out of the water. We also went on picnics. There weren’t many Chinese; in school I had five or six Chinese friends.
Tell us about your ancestry and what your parents were like.
My ancestry on both sides is pure Kelantanese, but we might also have had some relations with Thailand. As you know, Pattani, Songkhla, and Narathiwat were historically owned by Kelantan before they were given to the Thais after a war.
My father was the village head. He was uneducated, but known as a brave and influential man. As village head, he was in charge of security and had to handle a lot of crime as we were near the Thai border. He received a small salary but it wasn’t enough for our large family.
My father would take me with him everywhere he went for his village-head duties. We would ride on his motorbike, and we would go out so often and for so long that sometimes he would quarrel with my mother over this. And because I was the village head’s son, sometimes there were people who made sure I didn’t have to walk – if I was going somewhere, there would be people who took turns to carry me on their shoulders all the way until I arrived.
When I was older and doing Form Six, my father was arrested under the Public Order (Preservation) Act 1958 for being a strong PAS supporter. The late Tunku Abdul Rahman also offered him a post in Umno Youth, which he rejected.
As for my mother, she was very pious. She was the one who taught us about Islam and to be committed to it.

Ibrahim meeting then Cuban president Fidel Castro in Brazil in 1992 at the Earth Summit

What aspects of your childhood do you think have shaped you into the person you are today?
Observing my father as a village head. The culture of helping other people is what motivated me into student activism in my college years, and later, into politics. Being poor and facing hardship also made me rebellious.
I did not like the fact that I had to travel for so long to get to school, and when I arrived there, I saw the children of wealthy families being dropped off in cars or in paid trishaws. I had to first walk 15 minutes from my house to the river, then take a boat for 45 minutes to an hour, and then walk another half an hour to school.
I also would not get new school clothes or shoes for a long time. I had only one school shirt which was washed and hung to dry after school to wear again the next day. One pair of school shoes had to last three years before I got new ones.
To earn some money, I would sometimes bring two or three of my watermelons to school – as many as I could carry – borrow a knife from the canteen to cut them up, and sell them to my friends for a few sen a slice.
I also helped my father with the cultural shows he organised. He would erect a fence made of coconut leaves in our kampung, call in a wayang kulit troupe, and I would be the one collecting money for the show. Twenty sen per entry. He also organised Thai boxing and dikir barat shows, and sometimes our family would be able to make a small profit.
In primary school, I was class monitor from Standard One onwards. I also studied in different primary schools. First it was Sekolah Kebangsaan Padang Mandul, then Sekolah Kebangsaan Pasir Pekan, and then an English primary school in Tanah Merah, which was in another district. I moved because my parents couldn’t provide for such a big family, so I was sent to live with my uncle. I spent my secondary school years in Sekolah Kebangsaan Islah.
I did Lower and Upper Six in Maktab Abadi, a private school, where I couldn’t afford the fees, but they allowed me to work part-time while studying. They also allowed me to live underneath the school – it was a building on stilts, so I used plywood to make a kandang structure and I lived there. After Form Six, I signed up to do a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in Institut Teknologi Mara (ITM), although later I switched my course to Mass Communications instead.
You mentioned being a student activist. What were your experiences?
I came to Kuala Lumpur by train to go to ITM with just RM10 in my pocket. I had no idea where ITM was. Luckily, when I walked over to Masjid Negara from the train station, I saw an ITM bus. There was some programme going on at the mosque. So I tumpang the bus back to the Shah Alam campus. It was in ITM that I became involved in student activism.
I was close to (Datuk Seri) Anwar (Ibrahim) during this time. I first met him while I was in Form Six when he came to my college to speak. He was already a student in Universiti Malaya (UM) then, and he was president of the National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students (PKPIM). At that time in college, I was president of the Muslim Students’ Association of Kelantan. That’s how our paths crossed. I met Anwar again in ITM during orientation.

Meeting Ayatollah Khomeini in Paris in 1978

After my first semester in ITM, I became secretary-general of Kesatuan Siswa ITM. Later I became its president. I was also elected deputy president of two student groups: PKPIM and the National Union of Malaysian Students. This was in 1972, the time of many student demonstrations. We demonstrated over all sorts of things – the situation in our colleges, against the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971, and for ITM to be made a university.
On 22 April 1974, we organised 6,000 ITM students to do a protest march from Shah Alam to Parliament. Over 1,000 were arrested, and quite a number injured and hospitalised. It was crazy! ITM closed for a month.
Things cooled for a while, but in December 1974, we demonstrated again over mass poverty in Baling (in Kedah). The price of rubber had dropped and the farmers there were facing starvation. There was one family who was so poor, all they had to eat was some kind of ubi, which turned out to be poisonous, and they died. It happened that at the time, the National Union of Malaysian Students had a project called “Desa Siswa” in Baling, so we were there when the incident happened. We organised a demonstration there of 10,000 people.
After coming back to KL, we continued protesting at Dataran Merdeka, asking the government to raise rubber prices. It was a two-day demonstration. Anwar joined on the third day, when the protest had moved to the national mosque.
That day, police started arresting people. I was arrested together with Anwar and put in the red police truck. But it was so packed inside that the door wouldn’t hold – it opened and I was right by the door. Everybody inside jumped out and escaped. Anwar and I ran and hid in a temple along Jalan Bandar. He was affected by the tear gas. I found him a taxi and sent him home, while I went back to Dataran Merdeka to see what was happening. Police were arresting more students. Later, I heard that Anwar was also arrested. I went to Port Klang for a few days to lie low.
I was arrested when I decided to go back to the Union House near Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia to get some belongings. I rode a motorbike there, and it looked like everything was fine. In the Union House were seven or eight people who appeared to be sleeping. I thought they were students. But no, they were Special Branch! They were waiting for me. So 11 of us were arrested under the Internal Security Act. Nine were released after 60 days.
I was first taken to the police station near Odeon Cinema, and then transferred to the police station on Jalan Bandar. Anwar was already here. I faced intensive interrogation, almost 20 hours a day. After 60 days, two top-ranking officers said to me, “We have charges against you – you are a threat to the country’s security.” If I remember correctly, there were 21 charges. And they said I could be freed if I signed a confession. They said the other detainees had already signed confessions. I asked them if Anwar had signed his, and they said no. I said, if Anwar didn’t sign it, then I won’t, either. That’s how I came to be in Kamunting for two years.

In Kamunting detention centre, 1974

Why were you so enraptured with Anwar?
I was idealistic and Anwar was my idol. He was such a great orator and he had great commitment and passion. I went to Kamunting because of him! If not, I would have signed the confession paper.
In Kamunting, I stayed with Anwar in the same block, Block 8. We ate our meals together, talked, played badminton. I also completed the final year of my Mass Comm degree in Kamunting.
Anwar was released three months before me. When I came out, we were both invited by the Saudi Arabian government to attend the World Assembly of Muslim Youth. This was 1976. After the conference, I stayed back to travel all over the Middle East. After Pakistan, I came back to Malaysia. I was offered jobs, by (then Information Minister) Tun Ghazali Shafie to be an information attaché at the United Nations, and by (then Finance Minister) Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah at Petronas, but I turned these down. I wanted to open a private professional school for external courses. I borrowed money and started the Kuala Lumpur Polytechnic in 1978.
What or who is a Malaysian to you?
A Malaysian to me is a one who puts loyalty to the King first as he is the symbol of the nation, and then one who abides by our federal constitution. That’s all. That to me is a Malaysian.
What kind of future do you want for Malaysia?
I want to see Malaysia continue as a peaceful country where people of different races live happily. And there should be economic balance among the races. By that, I am talking about the 30% stake, which is the objective of the New Economic Policy. Once we achieve this, I’m fine. I might not even raise bumiputera issues anymore once we achieve this. I accept everyone as Malaysian.
But the majority of those who are backward are still Malay [Malaysian]. All I want is to see the 30% objective met.

'Teach young to respect law'

The New Straits Times 

KUALA TERENGGANU: Society, the young in particular, do not fear or respect the law and its officers anymore, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said yesterday.

There would be a heavy price to pay in the future if this behavioural pattern was left unchecked, he said.

Ismail could not hide his disappointment when he raised the subject of law enforcement and how the younger generation was increasingly becoming bold and fearless.

He said what was unthinkable before seemed to be the trend and accepted norm among the young these days.

"Noble values among the young seem to be a thing of the past. We are not just talking about Mat Rempits. They violate all laws without fear.

"Teenagers as young as 15 are dabbling in crime. They are brave enough to taunt the police and ram into roadblocks," he said after attending the Terengganu police Hari Raya open house. Also present was Terengganu police chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan.

Ismail said the disrespect was not just targeted at law enforcement officers, such as the police, but other professions that used to command respect from society.

"Ask teachers and doctors these days and they will tell you the same. It is time the elders in society seriously look into this."

Earlier, Ismail visited two policemen at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital who were injured while on duty. One of them, Constable Arizan Mohammad, 24, broke his leg and collarbone after being rammed by two Mat Rempits while manning a roadblock here last week.

It was learnt that in the past two years alone, seven policemen had been injured after being rammed by road thugs in Terengganu.

Meanwhile, Ismail said police efforts to engage the public through the new media were beginning to bear fruit.

"Facebook, in particular has helped us a lot with regards to tip-offs and information."

Hitlerism of Guan Eng

The Fate Of The Subjugated Indian Community

By Muralitharan Ramachandran - malaysianminorityindians.blogspot.com

While the whole nation is still chanting about the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s sudden diversion on his concept of 1 Malaysia, his Deputy who is also the Education Minister started another chaos by his act of refusal on action against two principals who infuriated the non Malays in Malaysia with their racial remarks. This adds another insult to injury to the non Malays by the racist UMNO government.

Despite of uproars and revelation thrown to them, UMNO government still appears to be arrogant about their measures. Their action is making people from all walks of life including the Malays looking for alternatives to maneuver the Malaysian administration. It shows Malaysians are geared up for changes.

Now, Pakatan Rakyat seems to be using this opening to accomplish its vision to capture Putrajaya. There is this question in my mind, what are their (Pakatan Rakyat) plans for the marginalized Indian community where their basic fundamental rights have been concealed by the ruling party for the past 53 years?

I did pose this question to a few politicians from PR at various casual gatherings and surprisingly everyone gave me the same stereotype answers… “Let us capture federal and then only the Indian’s fate will change”. This answer really made me wonder if PR or their politicians are able to battle for the marginalized Indian community. To get my question answered, I decided to follow an assortment of internet blogs from the opposition party as well as the politicians from the respective parties (which most of them have) and what I got from there is only their daily activities. Not even a single preparation has been outlined to uplift the living standard of the poor under classed Indians. It shows they do not have anything in mind for the Indians. To this, another question strikes my mind….are they genuine or are they equal to BN and their reps?

Indians are far beyond the Malays and the Chinese community in various aspects. BN had failed to identify the problems of Indians for more than half a century and so, the mandate was given to PR hoping for some changes by this oppressed society. But unfortunately PR has let the Indians down by not addressing any of their critical issues.

Unemployment among Indian youth is rising and alarming. Top academic achievers from this marginalized society are also denied scholarship as well as places in higher learning institutions in Malaysia. A large number of Indians are still without proper identification documents due to various reasons and the list goes on. There seem to be no initiative taken by the PR to tackle these problems. Not even a single proposition was presented in the Parliament on those subjects above by PR. The tremendous support given by Indians during the 12th general election is basically been disregarded by PR.

Unlike Human Rights Party (HRP), a political wing of Hindraf, their plan and mission for the underclass Indians is indeed fascinating. Although this movement is not given extensive coverage by media and online news portal, their daily updated website publishes their activities and the problems faced by the marginalized Indian community with shocking facts and figures. These statistics could not be obtained from anywhere and it comes from serious ground work and research conducted by their team of dedicated members.

Many people conclude that HRP cannot accomplish their mission without a political platform and some even accused HRP of aggregating the facts and figures given by them. But then again, none could come forward and prove that the facts and figures given are wrong including the relevant government authorities.

On those speculation and conclusion on HRP’s accomplishment and mission, it is indeed proven erroneous with HRP’s recent victory on its achievement to uphold the constitutional right for freedom of religion, in bringing relief to 10 Malaysian Indians who were caught in conversion turmoil for years. This victory came after extreme pressures given to appropriate authorities by dedicated activists from HRP/Hindraf Makkal Sakthi. These extreme pressures were also proven to be fruitful with another of their recent breakthrough where a number of Indian families were issued identification documents after years of run around given by government agencies and other political parties.

HRP was the sole organization who questioned the UMNO/BN government on denial of government scholarships and places in the higher learning institutions to the high achievers from the Indian community. No political parties even MIC who supposesedly to be the voice for the Indians in the ruling party failed to address this matter which happens to be basic fundamental rights for the past 53 years. This portrays the failure of MIC who is more interested with their domestic issues.

These are merely some examples of HRP’s efforts taken to work out on the community’s dilemma. The facts speaks for itself, it is indeed obvious that, let it be BN or PR administrates Putrajaya, it is not going to make any difference to the marginalized Indian community. A ‘third force’ such as HRP is a good start and a significant to end this subjugated community’s long concealed problems.

Will HRP make it to the assembly after the 13th GE?

Without any interference and sabotage by BN/UMNO government and with HRP’s political empowerment strategies, they are definitely going to roar in the Parliament after the 13th GE.

Israel's moratorium on settlement building in West Bank set to expire

 

Revava, West Bank (CNN) -- A contentious issue between Israelis and Palestinians that some say could derail Mideast peace talks is set to reach a milestone on Sunday.

Israel's moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank is scheduled to end at midnight (6 p.m. ET) Sunday. Israelis and Palestinians are in the initial rounds of face-to-face peace talks, and Palestinians have said a restart by the Israelis could be reason enough to end talks.

A massive rally of settlers is expected on Sunday to show support for continued building.

Settlers and members of parliament are expected to "break ground" in the area. Bulldozers are also expected at the scene -- a gesture to show that settlers are ready to begin building again.

But the Palestinian representative for settlement watch in the West Bank said 20 new caravan homes have been built by Saturday -- before the moratorium was set to expire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called on settlers to show restraint as a building moratorium in the West Bank was coming to an end.

"The (prime minister) calls on residents in Judea and Samaria and the political parties to show restraint and responsibility today and in the future, exactly as they showed restraint and responsibility throughout the months of the suspension of the building," a statement from Netanyahu's office said.

According to Peace Now, an Israeli settlement watch group, plans for thousands of houses are ready to go, and construction will start as soon as the freeze is lifted.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the U.N. General Assembly on Saturday that settlements were a key issue.

"Israel must choose between peace and the continuation of settlements," he said.

In the past few days, Netanyahu has spoken to U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former British Prime Minster Tony Blair about working out a compromise, an Israeli government source said.

The United States has pushed Israel to extend the moratorium.

Speaking on ABC's "This Week," President Barack Obama's top adviser, David Axelrod, avoided discussing any details regarding the lifting of the moratorium.

But he called the ongoing talks between Israel and the Palestinians "an unparalleled opportunity."

"Everyone understands that these talks are absolutely crucial," he said. "We're at an important junction."

On CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS," Israeli President Shimon Peres said it's a "fair possibility" that the negotiations will result in a two-state solution.

"Honestly, for me, the end of the conflict is needed because it's not a matter of political wisdom. It's a matter of principles," he said. "We, the Jewish people, were not born to govern other people. It stands against everything that we stand for. For me it's a moral test. We think the better the Palestinians will have it, shall be better for us."  

Civil activists, NGOs stand behind Zunar

Rapper unfazed as sedition charge looms

(Malaysiakini) A rapper who enraged authorities with a profanity-strewn anti-racism rant on YouTube reiterates that he was only trying to speak out against discrimination in multiracial Malaysia.

Wee Meng Chee, 27, better known as Namewee to his fans, was hauled in for a police grilling last month over the clip which saw him accused of stirring up ethnic tensions - a taboo in a country where race is a sensitive issue.

In the three-minute rap titled 'Nah', Wee used obscene language to bitterly criticise a headmistress who is accused of making racial slurs against her ethnic Chinese and Indian students.

"My purpose is to stand up against racism," insisted the flamboyant rapper, who sports a beanie hat and baggy shorts, and who has developed a cult following among young Malaysians who have a growing political awareness.

His official Facebook page has more than 340,000 followers, and his songs have had more than 600,000 hits on YouTube.

"Regardless of what I did was right or wrong, whether you like it or not, I am just giving you an extra choice - you can choose not to watch it," Wee said.

The rapper, who began writing songs at 15 and graduated with a mass communications degree from a Taiwanese university, first made national headlines in 2007 over another YouTube clip mocking the national anthem.

Authorities condemned the performance as seditious, and pulled him in for what would be the first of three police interrogations during his short career.

The parody touched on abuse of power, corruption, government bureaucracy and controversial positive discrimination policies designed to advance Malays who dominate the population.

Wee apologised for that incident, and escaped charges.

'Cannot be let off the hook again'

But last year he ran into more trouble over a song in which he criticised the national power firm over frequent power outages in his hometown in Johor.

His latest clip 'Nah', which authorities also said was seditious, prompted criticism including from the prime minister who warned of tough action against those who try to provoke racial tensions.

Elements in ruling party Umno, called for his citizenship to be revoked and for the rapper to be held under internal security laws that allow for detention without trial.

"He cannot be let off the hook again," Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin, the Umno Puteri chief who first made the complaint over the 'Nah' video, reportedly said at the time.

"We regret that whenever the Malays talk about their rights, they are described as racist but at the same time the non-Malays are free to say anything," she said, calling for a tough response to act as a deterrent to others.

Wee, who would face up to three years in jail if the authorities pursue sedition charges, insists he has done nothing wrong.

"We should be able to speak up and not keep quiet when we have to deal with injustice," he said.

Mixed reactions

The headmistress he targeted in the video clip was accused of telling her ethnic Chinese students to return to China and compared Hindu prayer strings to dog leashes - allegations that unleashed a furore.

The government has ordered a probe into the case but no action has been taken against her yet, angering Malaysia's minorities, who complain their rights are being eroded as the country becomes increasingly 'Islamised'.

Despite the popularity of his cause, Wee has received mixed reviews from commentators who object to the abusive language and boastful comments alluding to the Chinese community's economic success.

But he has also received applause for daring to tackle head-on an issue that many in Malaysia - which suffered deadly racial riots in the 1960s - are too nervous to broach.

"Malaysia should be a country that treats everyone fairly, regardless of their different background," said Wee, who is working on a film about national unity.

"Don't be afraid, because we are paying the government to work for us. Put it in simple terms, we are their boss, they are our servants."

- AFP

HRP: ALL SMILES ON STATELESS PEOPLE

Today was the happiest moment of some stateless people as clearly seen in the photograph above and these people have every reason to be so. Their applications for a birth certificate which was supposedly issued to them when they were born in this soil were systematically denied by the authorities but however with the interference and guidance of HRP Penang they were successful in submitting their application to the JPN at Bandar Baru Perda on this day.

However this did not come in a golden plate. HRP Penang has been mobilizing their team members on the run to get all the relevant documents including photos and ferrying all the witnesses as far from Sungai Bakap and Kulim to JPN Bandar Baru Perda Prai.

There were incident where HRP Penang team has to mobilize their team member to accompany the applicant to other state far as Ipoh to get the search form (Keputusan carian) to be accompanied for the submission.

All this did not end here. The JPN officers went further demanding other documents such as “Surat Akuan” from the school/ penghulu or Adun to fulfill some criteria which reasons know to them or purely red tapes and these came as a surprise as these were not made known to us earlier. Anyway this does not hinder the applicant or the HRP team from submitting the application forms. Once again HRP Penang team went on actions and manages to get these forms certified and verified by Penhulu’s and Adun’s for the submission. As these takes some time the JPN officials informed that they will close their counters at 1.00 pm but with the timely interference of HRP Penang adviser who is also the National adviser Mr.Ganesan who put forward some logical reasoning the JPN officer finally agreed to extend the hours till all forms are submitted. Not to forget the registrations begin at 10.00am sharp.

To smoothen the submissions a commissioner for Oath for swearing documents was arranged by HRP team. The commissioner was kept busy all day long. He commended HRP Penang team on the effort put forward not only on documentation but also on mobilizing in bringing in the applicants witnesses and all relevant paper work.

A total of about 70 applications were officially submitted and duly acknowledge by the JPN authority and HRP are expecting that the government without any further delay approve their submission and grant them the birth certificate immediately which is rightfully belongs to them as per constitution. At the same time HRP Penang Team thank the JPN Bandar Baru Perda Prai for their co-operation in opening their office today which is a Sunday. The entire exercise ended at around 4.30 pm.
K.Maran
Human Rights Party
Penang Information chief
012-5557522

Plot thickens in Allal Kathan Muthuraja Murder

pic: Tamil Nesan video fame Vijendran with Padmanaban’s 

wife and Surindran’s wife

The Traveler,

While two women are tussling to be the legitimate wife of Indian businessman, Allal Kathan Muthuraja, believed to be murdered by the lawyer brothers who are in police custody with six other suspects.

Justice Party (PKR) law man Manikavasagam, now behaving more like a responsible Kapar Member of Parliament unlike his previous bravado in the drama actress Sujatha suicide case, is assisting the younger distraught wife, Usharani, in seeking justice for her murdered husband and not a ‘gold digger’ as media portrayed her.

Since landing in Malaysia, Usharani has been busy making police reports, meeting the press and visiting the crime scene at Sungai Gadong, Tanjong Sepat where four others were gruesomely murdered, their bodies burned and their ashes thrown in the nearby river.

Meanwhile, Ramaletchumy from Tootukudi distrct, Tamil Nadu is claiming to be his legal wife and has reported to the relevant authorities in Tamil Nadu. Muthuraja’s parents and family are fully behind her in her pursuit for seeking justice and inheriting her husband’s wealth is, of course, secondary issue though they were separately for a long time.


A few days back, Muthuraja’s brother Dr. Kasi landed in Malaysia, his Russian wife arrived today evening, and moving around quietly with the help of Klang businessman K P Samy.

K. P. Samy, sacked Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) Central Working Committee member, Dr. Kasi and his Malaysian lawyer are expected to go to Klang police station tonight.

Apparently Dr. Kasi and lawyer Surendran made police report on 29 March 2010 this year on the disappearance of Muthuraja and the RM 50, 000 payments to Elzhil Vellavan, Suresh and Murugan.

Ironically, Lawyer Surendran, who went along with Dr. Kasi to make the police report, is one of the prime suspect in Sosilawati and three other murders as well as Muthuraja’s murder.

Was Surendran playing a double game?

Both Suresh and Murugan are in police custody but Elzhil Vellavan’s, a Sri Lankan origin, whereabouts is still unknown.

According to sources, the whole deal of payments to Elzhil Vellavan, Suresh and Murugan was brokered by a Klang PKR Politian having a close rapport with a deputy minister.

Muthuraja’s parents paid RM 30, 000 in Tamil Nadu to another broker by the name of Kannan who was supposed to pass the money to the Klang PKR Politian.

So, Muthuraja’s family has paid a total of RM 80,000.

One week after making the payments, Dr. Kasi was at the airport to leave to Tamil Nadu waiting for the captors to release Muthuraja.

The flight ticket and boarding pass for Muthuraja was shown to Dr. Kasi at airport.

Allal Kathan Muthuraja never showed up.