Kashmir's 'half-widows in precarious state'

The Indian government's refusal to officially recognise enforced disappearances has left families in perpetual limbo, promulgating stress and psychological trauma for parents, spouses and children, the report says [EPA]

More than 1,500 women whose husbands have disappeared but have not yet been declared deceased are in a precarious and dangerous position in Indian-administered Kashmir, according to a new report.

The 48-page report titled "Half Widow, Half Wife" released on Thursday by the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), argues that although "direct violence is disproportionately inflicted on males" in Kashmir, women and children whose husbands or fathers "disappear" are caught in a legal conundrum that does little to compensate or protect them.

The report says that the fact that the men have disappeared and have not been declared dead, has left thousands of women, known as "half-widows", and their children in a precarious state, with little legal protection, rendering many desperate and homeless and paving the way for abuse and exploitation.
The story of the half-widows of Kashmir "captures the unseen and pernicious face of insecurity in Kashmir", the report says.

'Missing' versus 'disappeared'

An estimated 8,000 people have disappeared in Kashmir since the insurgency against Indian rule began in 1989, although the Indian government says the number of those "missing" is most likely closer to 3,000 to 4,000.
Indian authorities claim that the disappeared men crossed over into Pakistan-administered Kashmir to complete arms training, became militants and never returned.

Local civil society and international human rights organisations dispute this claim and say that these men were abducted by Indian security forces and were either detained indefinitely or disposed of.

The Indian government's refusal to officially recognise enforced disappearances in Kashmir has left families in perpetual limbo, promulgating stress and psychological trauma for parents, spouses and children, the report says.

But for the "half-widows" it is particularly difficult.

The report says that based on their insecure position of being "single", yet still legally married, the "half-widows" are unable to access the family estate or ration cards. Even the ex-gratia relief and compassionate appointment created by the Indian government can only be accessed with a death certificate and that too only if it is proven that the deceased had no link with militancy.
Ex-gratia relief can only be accessed by "half-widows" after a period of seven years has passed and only when the case is passed through a local screening committee.

The report says that the committee is usually made up of police officers and those from government bureaucracy, thereby undermining the process.

"Most legal remedies remain elusive due to the severe financial and emotional costs over multiple year timelines," the report notes, adding that "administrative remedies fall short of providing due relief to half-widows".

But it is not just the state that places "roadblocks" in the way of the "half-widows".

"Half-widows" are undefined legally and within the patriarchal socio-cultural context of South Asia, the women find themselves at the mercy of Kashmiri society, where a deafening silence surrounds gender violence and abuse.
In rural Kashmir, with fewer economic opportunities, "half-widows" are at a greater risk of suffering manipulation by government officials and even community leaders.
Adding to the confusion is the continued dispute over what is the minimum time needed to dissolve a marriage and allow a "half-widow" to move on with her life and possibly remarry according to Islamic law.

One school suggests four to seven years, but others suggest that a "half-widow" is expected to wait up to 90 years before remarrying.

'Sheer volume of hardship'

Responding to the report, Govind Acharya from Amnesty International, told Al Jazeera that the most important aspect of the report is noting the "sheer volume of hardship that the 'half-widows' face above and beyond having to deal with the disappearance of their spouse".

A special series on the dispute in Kashmir will feature on Al Jazeera's website from August 2, 2011

"The report is incredibly useful in linking the past with the present and future. In other words, it's not just about the mourning of a lost loved one, but it's about the deprivation that resulted from that loss till today because of government inaction.

"And, it's about the future of Kashmir. If Kashmir cannot reconcile with the past then what kind of future will it face?"

Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, could not be reached for immediate comment.
Khurram Parvez, the programme co-ordinator from the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), says that the most surprising finding of the report was the inaction of the state to the crisis.

"They [state authorities] have not moved, even years after the tragedies, which have ruined the past, present and future of so many families.

"The daily struggles of existence and seeking justice unabated, by these women have created examples of unflinching courage," Parvez said.

The report comes a day after India and Pakistan held peace talks in New Delhi for the first time since resuming bilateral talks this year.

Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna, India's foreign minister, and his Pakistani counterpart, Hina Rabbani Khar, held talks on Wednesday and spoke of entering a new era in relations, agreeing to work together to end the insurgency, to ease commerce and open travel across the Line of Control, dividing Indian-administered and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.

Kashmir: Back on the agenda?

On Thursday, Pakistani newspapers appeared to welcome the revived talks: "Pakistan, India revive search for enduring dialogue process," read Dawn newspaper.

The Express Tribune daily led with: "Pakistan-India relationship: New era dawns in ties." The Daily Times headline declared: "Pakistan, India promise 'new era' of cooperation, Relations back on track", and The Nation led with "India willing to talk Kashmir".
Indian newspapers were a little more reserved, with The Hindu editorial suggesting that the "talks broke no ground" and the "Kashmir-related confidence building measures announced by the two sides is meagre".
A Tehelka magazine article asking "Was it a successful diplomatic visit at all?" comments that "Pakistan foreign minister avoided tricky issues and refrained from mentioning Kashmir at the brief media interaction… it was left to Krishna to mention Pakistan's core concern".

Acharya said that the timing of the report could not have been any better.

"It sheds light on the past human rights violations and links them to the present. I have said that already, but I just wanted to reiterate that without the APDP and other groups campaigning [for] justice for the victims of the disappearances, then they will be forgotten by everyone (except the family members of course)."

But Acharya fears that the outcome of India-Pakistan talks will have little impact on human rights in Kashmir. He says that while Pakistani citizens have expressed concern for Kashmiri human rights, it is difficult to believe that the Pakistani government shares that sentiment.

"The Pakistani government obviously does not care, otherwise its actions would not have involved sending militants across the border to commit widespread human rights violations against Kashmiris.

"In fact, I would say that Pakistani involvement in Kashmiri matters has been nothing but a detriment to human rights and human rights advocacy on Kashmir."

Parvez agrees that the prevailing talks are unlikely to end human right violations in the valley. He says that the rights of the people in Jammu and Kashmir have been held hostage by the Indian government and the talks are still about relations between India and Pakistan and not about Kashmir.
"While India and Pakistan appear keen to take confidence building measures, initiating steps to build mechanisms to protect human rights of people should have been the priority, but unfortunately everything else has been prioritised over human rights."
Parvez says that one of the key recommendations of the report is that the Indian government repeal the draconian laws that give the armed forces impunity in Indian-administered Kashmir, including the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and the Public Safety Act (PSA).

Furthermore, he says that a set of immediate recommendations calls on the government to create "a streamlined system of compensation without delays, harassment and coercion" and calls on religious scholars to reach a consensus on the minimum amount of time needed to pass before being declared a widow.
Crucially, the report calls for a special bench at the Jammu and Kashmir high court to hear cases related to the "half-widows" and for India to ratify a UN resolution on the protection of all persons from enforced disappearances.

Meeting separatists

On Tuesday evening, the Pakistani foreign minister raised eyebrows when she met with Kashmiri separatists, who oppose India's rule in Kashmir, although Indian authorities reportedly knew the meeting was scheduled to take place and Krishna, reiterated that the two countries were determined to discuss Kashmir "with a view to finding a peaceful solution".

The disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir, a major source of tension that has fuelled two of three wars fought by the two neighbours since 1947, will continue to be discussed "with a view to finding a peaceful solution", Krishna said.

Both India and Pakistan claim Kashmir. - Al Jazeera

Bald statement against draconian laws

17 people, including three women, scarifice their manes in protest against detention without trial laws

PETALING JAYA(FMT): Seventeen people, three of them women, went bald today in Penang to protest against detention without trial laws.

The event was initially to take place in three cities – Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang – to protest the detention of six PSM members who held under the Emergency Ordinance(EO).

The PSM members were released unconditionally yesterday evening.

Following this, the Ipoh and the Kuala Lumpur event did not take place. However organisers in Penang followed through with the plan despite their release.

“Although the six were released, there are many others who are still being detained under draconian laws,” said  organiser,  Lee Hui Fei.

She said the event took place at 8am this morning at the Dayang Baru market in Penang.

Among those who went bald were assemblymen The Yee Cheu (Tanjung Bungah), Koay Teng Guan (Sungai Pinang), Ong Jing Cheng (Suaram Penang coordinator), Loo Que Lin (Suaram Penang secretariat).

Symbolic gesture

PKR’s Mohd Rashid Hasnon, sacrificed his beard in protest. The three women who went bald were Soh Sook Wah (a PSM member), Loo Que Lin and Yap Soo Hueng.

Lee said that volunteers from a hair saloon had lent their assistance to the cause by helping to shave of the hairs of the 18 people,
Lee said that the group was formed recently after the arrest of the six  PSM members. She added that the group consisted of around 20 “concerned citizens”.

“This is the last activity for the EO6. After this, we will continue with other activities in protest of detentions without trial,” she said.

“Shaving our hair was a symbolic gesture to voice our discontent against the government. We love ourselves, as well as our hair, but we love freedom, truth and justice even more”.

The group vowed to continue their fight against the  “inhumane oppression and detention without trial in the country”.

Wahhabism and Shia main threats, says Jakim official

By G Manimaran - TMI

 

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 — Wahhabism and Shia Islam are key threats to Malaysia’s security and should be kept under close watch to ensure they do not lead to extremism, a Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) official has said.

The National Security Council (NSC) put a group of clerics on its terror watch-list last week for preaching Wahhabism, a puritanical strain of Islam practised in Saudi Arabia. Several Shia Muslims have also been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for their beliefs.

“The biggest threat to the country at the moment is Wahhabism and Shia (Islam) ... extreme teachings,” Islamic Training Institute of Malaysia’s assistant director Zamihan Mat Zin told The Malaysian Insider before last week’s NSC meeting.

He said if the group was not watched, their teachings could potentially to threaten the ethics of Islamic affairs management in Malaysia.

“(The government) needs to curtail them to harmonise Sunni teachings in Malaysia.”
Zamihan stressed that, if left alone, Wahhabism and Shia Islam could “sow the seeds of extremism as seen in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Indonesia and Chechnya”.

He said certain parties were now actively promoting both teachings with financial assistance from foreign missions here.

“There are preachers who receive huge allowances every month... They will deny it if anyone asks them but we have proof,” said the cleric who is in the Quran and core knowledge division in the institute.

Zamihan added that, according to his research, Wahhabism and Shia Islam have about one million followers each in Malaysia.

He previously claimed that Wahhabism receives protection from politicians and has made inroads into religious agencies at national and state levels.

Zamihan also told The Malaysian Insider that the question of stopping the spread of Wahhabism should not be seen as a diplomatic issue but one of national security and mutual interest.

“For instance, if an Iraqi come to Malaysia and is caught trying to bring in drugs... will this jeopardise bilateral and diplomatic relations? I think not, and it’s the same for religious teachings,” he said.
“Don’t bring in teachings that can threaten national security.”

Putrajaya said yesterday that Wahhabism is not a national security threat, only a week after the National Security Council (NSC) put several influential Islamic scholars on a terror watch list for alleged links to the ideology.

Former Perlis Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim revealed that Minister in the Prime Minister’s department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom had announced Putrajaya’s findings during a top-level government meeting recently, stating that there was “no such thing” as
Wahhabism’s links to terrorism in the country.

A source told The Malaysian Insider that the NSC has decided that while the practice of Wahhabism does exist in the country, it does not pose any immediate security threat.

The source also admitted that Malaysia’s relationship with Saudi Arabia has been affected following the threat of Wahhabism being linked to the Arab country.

It is understood that the matter was also raised during Friday’s Umno supreme council meeting.

Melayu bodoh!

No…no cheong hei article this time. Very short one, for once. Street demos DO NOT undermine the country’s economy. Corruption does. Get it? Corruption! Corruption undermines the country’s economy. Not street demos. Street demos kick out the munafiq and fasiq leaders who are destroying the country.
NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin
UITM Lecturer: Street Demos Can Undermine Country's Economy

(Bernama) - In the aftermath of the July 9 street demonstrations in the federal capital by an illegal organisation called Bersih 2.0 and groups aligned to it among them opposition parties, many individuals are perturbed by the potentially damaging impact of the protest on the country's economy.  

University Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Dungun campus political science lecturer Che Hamdan Mohd Razali acknowledged that the protesters' demands centred around freedom of speech and electoral reforms but noted that they they had not been able to substantiate their allegations but instead hurled condemnations at the government.

At a time when the government was trying its utmost to raise the living standard of the people and make Malaysia a high income nation by 2020 via the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), National Key Result Areas (NKRA) and Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP), such aggression was a setback, he opined.

"The government is still banking on foreign investment to spur our economic growth. There is only nine more years until 2020 left. That's not a long period.

"It is therefore crucial that a peaceful and conducive situation prevails in the country so that investors will not hesitate to come," he said.

He said political and economic stability was important in ensuring peace. If there was a crisis in politics, it would jeopardise the economy, and vice-versa.

"Both are interlinked and critical as a basic element in the growth and development of the country," he stressed. 

Meanwhile, Mohamad Ariffin, a medical officer in the private sector, concurred that foreign investors would shy away from the country especially if the foreign media played up incidents which were just "a storm in a teacup".

He feared medical tourism which the country was trying to promote would be affected as well.

"Potential patients from other countries would think twice about coming here for treatment if they believe we are a troubled country," he said.

Another academician, Abd Ghapa Harun, Senior Lecturer at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's History, Political and Strategy Research Centre surmised that peace and harmony in the country could be sustained if the government readily responded to the issues that were being relentlessly harped on.

"For example, issues about corruption or the election - the government must respond to them immediately.

"Peace is not merely a demonstration-free situation. In a wider context, it is taking further measures to avoid confrontations including through dialogues and discussions before issues are blown out of proportion," he said.

An open letter to PM Najib

Dear PM Najib,

As a result of the developments on July 9, the world is now paying increased attention to Malaysia.

In particular, we now wonder how free and fair your nation's elections are. We have learned that some of your country's citizens believe that Malaysia needs electoral reform. On July 9, they marched with a coalition called Bersih 2.0, and they called for free and fair elections.

You responded by declaring Bersih illegal and suppressing the 'Walk for Democracy' with overwhelming police force. The world noticed your heavy-handed reaction, and it wondered why a peaceful demonstration calling for fair elections bothered you so much - so much so that you were willing to risk Malaysia's international reputation - and give your country and yourself a major black eye.

When you returned from your visit to Europe, you declared that Malaysia's elections truly are free and fair, and that Umno has never cheated in any election.

I am glad to hear that.

Because it means that in Malaysia's next general elections, you have nothing to hide.

Governments that manipulate elections have lots to cover up. But you say that your elections are free and fair, so that means you have nothing to be afraid of showing to all of us in the outside world, not to mention your own people.

Therefore, I am sure that you are willing to readily agree to the following proposals:

1) Allow international groups to observe your elections. Based on your assertions, they will find nothing amiss, and their reports will give credibility to Malaysia's election results.

2) Allow observers from all political parties to witness the postal balloting that takes place on military bases. For years, the opposition has said that something is amiss. But since you say that Umno never cheats, I am sure that they will find nothing wrong, and you will be vindicated.

3) Let's put an end to all the accusations about phantom voters by using a simple, effective and cheap solution - indelible ink.

Your Elections Commission wants a super-sophisticated biometric system, but there is no way it can be in place by then - and many people worry that it can be manipulated. Indelible ink works - just ask the world's largest democracy, India. I don't think anyone has ever disputed the results of India's elections in over 60 years.

4) Finally, let RTM be truly independent, like the BBC and NHK and the public broadcasting systems in Australia, France, Germany, and elsewhere in the world. RTM does not belong to Umno. It belongs to the people.

As long as RTM - funded by all the people of Malaysia - acts as the propaganda arm of the 25 percent of Malaysians who voted for Umno, no one can believe that Malaysia's elections are fair and free.

So, my dear Prime Minister, it's all very simple. You say that Malaysia's elections are free and fair. Now you have a chance to prove it to the outside world and remove all doubts. And if your party wins, then the Malaysian people - and the world - might finally be convinced.

If you refuse these suggestions, then the doubts will linger, and your assertions about the honesty of Malaysia's election will continue to be questioned.

Sincerely,
John Malott

The writer is former US ambassador to Malaysia.

DAP: Repealing EO might save Najib’s credibility

(Malaysiakini) In order to regain credibility after the “gross mishandling” of the PSM 6, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak must publicly repeal the EO and annul the obsolete emergency proclamations as well as other “oppressive legislature”, says Lim Kit Siang.

In a statement today, Lim said the release of the PSM 6 does not restore Najib's credibility, as it was his government's “high-handed” handling of the Bersih 2.0 rally that had landed the six in detention in the first place.

“It was (Najib's) greatest failure of leadership as prime minister leaving his credibility in tatters – which is why his claim yesterday, that the release of the PSM6 under the Emergency Ordinance was in accordance with the rule of law, was met with nation-wide derision.

Lim slammed the PM for the “arbitrary and totally unjustifiable arrests” of the six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members over a month ago, “first on the ridiculous grounds of 'waging war against the Agong' and 'reviving communism' and then under EO for being 'prime movers' of Bersih”.

The six were finally released yesterday evening after mounting pressure from PSM, politicians and a cross section of civil society both at home and abroad.

They were part of a group of 30 party members arrested on June 25 during the massive pre-Bersih crackdown.

'Repeal EO now'

Lim said the PM's handling of the rally was amongst the failures that marked Najib's “worst period” in office, “making him the object of ridicule and scorn not only in the country but also internationally”.

The only way Najib could restore any credibility, said the veteran DAP leader, was for him to publicly annul the obsolete emergency proclamations, and repeal the EO and other “oppressive legislature”.

The home minister and IGP also needed to issue an immediate apology to the PSM 6 for “unlawful detention”.

He also called for the “ridiculous ban on Bersih 2.0" and on things yellow like the Bersih T-shirt be lifted, and for a Royal Commission of Inquiry on free and fair elections to make recommendations prior to the next general election.

Bernama Journalists Accounts Of July 9 Illegal Assembly

KUALA LUMPUR, July 31 (Bernama) -- The illegal assembly held in the federal capital on July 9 was an attempt to challenge the country's institutions especially the police for the political interests of certain quarters.

Organised by an illegal organisation known as Bersih 2.0 purportedly to call for electoral reform, the rally was held in total disregard to calls by the authorities not to hold street demonstrations and objections from the public.

A team of Bernama journalists was on duty at several locations around Kuala Lumpur to record the event that took place on that day.

The following accounts were recorded by journalists who witnessed first hand what happened on July 9:

MOHD NOOR FIRDAUS MOHD AZIL (Location: Stadium Merdeka and Menara Maybank)

I was assigned to cover the illegal assembly at Stadium Merdeka with three other journalists.

Travelling in a Bernama official car, we could go through several roads blocked by traffic police with the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and members of the Malaysian Civil Defence Department also present.

As we arrived at Jalan Stadium, we saw the road had been fortified with rolls of barbed wire. The police told us to register before being allowed to enter the area.

After waiting for two hours, an Utusan journalist and I took the decision to check out the surrounding areas. As we descended to Bulatan Merdeka, we saw a group of Bersih supporters walking briskly into a backlane parallel to Petaling Street.

We followed them and came upon a bigger group at Petaling Street. Then we heard a person shouting "We are changing the plan. Directive from higher ups wants us to gather at Menara Maybank and disperse."

When the crowd entered Jalan Tan Cheng Lock in front of the Kota Raya Shopping Complex, the situation became chaotic and the air smelt acrid, piercing the nose.

(It was believed tear gas had been released in the area earlier) As we approached Menara Maybank, we could see commotions all over the place when a group of demonstrators was being pursued by a team of policemen on the fringe of Menara Maybank.

At that moment, the FRU got ready at the junction with Jalan Tun Perak while the crowd which kept swelling in numbers was led by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin, better known as Chegu Bard, in front of the Pudu Raya Bus Terminal.

As it began to rain, the protesters started crying " Allahu Akbar", "Reformasi", "Tumbang BN" and "BN Zalim". There were however no cries relating to fight for transparency of the Election Commission as they had promoted earlier.

With the standoff converging in front of Pudu Raya, the FRU gave the crowd three warnings to disperse but the demonstrators refused to budge. On the final count, the FRU had no choice but to activate crowd dispersal, firing tear gas canisters flying and spraying water canons.

The Utusan Malaysia journalist and I were caught in the middle between the demonstrators and FRU and we tried to seek shelter in a car park but the thick gas enveloping the area, caused us to feel breathless.

Before we knew it, the impact of the tear gas hit us right in our face and in that instance, we felt nausea and our eyes stinging.

We were almost on the verge of fainting. I immediately grabbed a bottle of mineral water from my bag to wet my shirt and wash my face. More mineral water bottles were given by a policeman in civilian clothes who saw us get caught in the commotion.

As I could not see where my colleague was, I decided to get out of the area to a lane where several people were handing out salt and water to rub on the face to relieve the effects of tear gas.

When the situation subsided, the rain stopped and I came out to check on the latest situation. At that time, I saw members of the police starting to arrest demonstrators who tried provoke them. Later, the member of Parliament for Bruas, Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham from DAP and MP for Subang from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) R. Sivarasa with a PAS member (later I found out he was the person who feigned dead - Suhardi Mohd) were discussing with the police to allow the procession towards Stadium Merdeka. With the greenlight from the police, the group led by Chegu Bard member ascended the hill to Stadium Merdeka while the crowd swelled into a huge column.

At Stadium Merdeka, the procession met and merged with another swarm led by former PAS vice-presiden Datuk Husam Musa.

Negotiations were held with the police but this time, they were not allowed to enter the stadium compound.

MOHD FAIZAL HASSAN (Location: Puduraya Bus Station)

A media colleague and I were located somewhere between shops near the Puduraya bus station when I felt my eyes and nose burning, making it difficult to breathe.

That was my first encounter with tear gas which was fired by police to disperse the July 9 illegal rally.

After washing up with salt water, 10 minutes later I rushed to find a higher location where I could get a clearer picture of what was going on.

I could see that despite having been directed by the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) to leave, the rally's participants, mostly men, refused to do so. They stood about 50 metres from policemen, but I saw no police brutality in the incident.

Tear gas was released into a clear area and it was the wind that carried the fumes. No water cannons hit rally participants.

The 1pm incident caused the group to move towards Bukit Bintang, but they stopped near the Tung Shin Hospital for shelter from the pouring rain.

I took that time to clean myself up in the hospital parking lot and perform my prayers.

While at the parking lot, I saw a woman and her two young sons who seemed lost and unaware of what was happening.

I quickly told them to leave the area and go towards the FRU who were waiting near Jalan Bukit Bintang in case of untoward incidents.

As expected, protestors walked to Jalan Bukit Bintang from the hospital minutes later but were blocked by the FRU.

The FRU acted wisely by practising their standard operating procedure (SOP) such as giving out warnings before using tear gas and water cannons on the crowd in the streets.

Because of the rain, tear gas was carried through the wind towards the hospital parking lot and groups of rioters were seen leaving the area using other routes to Jalan Bukit Bintang.

They arrived near the Istana Hotel then moved on to KLCC and Pudu Raya.

Police arrived at the scene 20 minutes after rioters assembled and shouted anti-government slogans.

The FRU arrived later and used their SOPs again, this time successfully arresting rioters while others fled into KLCC, Jalan Yap Kwan Seng and surrounding areas.

That was when I saw an ambulance, probably tending to an injured participant, which left Jalan Ampang for the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

I then returned to the office and several hours later received news that a participant had died in the KLCC area due to breathing difficulties.

ZULHILMI SUPAAT (Location: Kuala Lumpur Police Headquarters)

Several organisers of the illegal rally who were taken to the Kuala Lumpur Police Headquarters for questioning admitted they were treated well by the police.

Datuk S. Ambiga who was detained at 2.30 pm at KL Sentral and released at 6.30pm the same evening, conceded that the police took good care of her throughout the time.

She looked cheerful while leaving the station and told reporters she was also satisfied with the facilities provided to those detained at the Police Training Centre, Pulapol, which included food, water and prayer rooms.

In fact, she was shocked to find out Pulapol had served them 'nasi beriani' and said,"We had no 'nasi beriani' here but I was treated well during the 45 minutes questioning, I have no complaints against the police."

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang who was also detained at the headquarters was given a ride home by the police at 7.30pm that night.

Almost 100 PAS supporters who had waited outside to meet their leader were dissatisfied and a handful of them turned abusive towards the police guarding the entrance.

They only calmed down after PAS assistant secretary-general Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi who happened to be there made a few phone calls and confirmed Abdul Hadi had been sent home.

SITI ZUBAIDAH ABDULLAH (Location: Bukit Bintang)

While at certain locations in the city street demonstrations were brewing and police were apprehending protesters, Bukit Bintang Walk was calm. A media group from Bernama TV, TV Al-Hijrah, Astro Awani, Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian had gathered there since 9am.

At around 1pm, UMNO Youth's Patriot members group appeared and started distributing red T-shirts before the arrival 30 minutes later of their leaders, BN Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, and Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim.

Khairy in a brief address said the group's action was not to participate in the street demonstration but to protest against those who were trying to to cause antagonism in the country.

"We are in the front line as a peaceful group to defend our leaders and the country's harmony...the illegal assembly today is an opposition agenda hiding behind Bersih, not for a 'clean (election)' but to bring down the government," said Khairy.

Patriot members numbering more than 500 appeared determined as they marched towards Stadium Merdeka while singing the patriotic song, "Inilah Barisan Kita" while police looked set to halt them.

Earlier before the Patriot group appeared, another group with about 500 members believed to be from Bersih were on the march from Jalan Imbi towards Stadium Merdeka. It was confusing to the media assigned in the area, who nevertheless trailed after them up to Jalan Pudu.

At Jalan Pudu in front of a hotel, a Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) team had already been mobilised, complete with shields and an anti-riot water-cannon vehicle.

Meanwhile, police gave a warning to the rallying Patriot members to disperse peacefully. But the call went unheeded, while they roared "Hapus Bersih" (Destroy Bersih), "Hidup Hakyat" (Long live the people) and "Hidup Malaysia" (Long live Malaysia).

As the warnings were ignored, the security forces were left with little choice but to shoot tear gas in the direction of the group.

Police then detained Khairy, Abdul Azeez together with UMNO Youth assistant secretary Datuk Megat Firdaus Megat Junid and UMNO Youth executive committee member Lokman Adam.

The situation returned to normal around 3.30pm when the group began dispersing.

Police also ordered other parties around to leave the area while the media stayed on until 4pm.

ZURIATI ZULMI (location: Sogo Complex, KLCC, KTMB Station, Menara Maybank)

I was assigned to cover the illegal assembly at Kampung Baru, Maju Junction and also along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR).

This was the first time I ever covered an illegal assembly. I was so nervous and kept thinking that things could go out of control, just like most demonstrations I saw on television.

From Jalan Tun Razak to Jalan Ampang, policemen were taking control of traffic flow in several locations to help reduce traffic congestion.

While going along Jalan Bonus at about 10am, I saw a small group of demonstrators gathered there as if they were waiting for their next instruction.

Upon arriving at the Sogo shopping complex, the environment was quite calm and at 10.30am, I was ordered to go to KLCC as it was speculated that tear gas had been fired there. When I arrived at the KLCC, it turned out to be just a rumour.

At around noon, through a walkie-talkie, I heard a colleague say that the situation at the KTMB station had become heated when police tried to disperse a group of people planning to hold a gathering there.

When I arrived at the station, I saw police had already made some arrests and despite being highly provoked and bad-mouthed by aggressive demonstrators, the police appeared calm in handling the situation.

I did not see the police using brutality against the detainees.

The way the police asked their names and checked their identity cards, although firm, was still in a courteous manner.

For female detainees, there were policewomen assigned to them.

When the situation in KTMB Station returned to normal, areas in Central Market started to be flocked by Bersih supporters. From the Dayabumi building, I could see them marching to Dataran Merdeka.

There, police were heard to have warned them repeatedly to disperse, but not only the warnings were ignored, the demonstrators even shouted the words "Allahuakbar" and "Reformasi".

The demonstrators were also daring enough to provoke the police and caused the law enforcers to resort to firing tear gas.

At about 1.30pm, the weather got hotter and I realised that my water bottle was empty.

Then, I saw a 7-Eleven store and as I tried to rush in, I found the door was blocked from inside by a stack of boxes. I tried to ask for a bottle of mineral water, but the store operator refused to open the door.

So, I moved on to try my luck at a restaurant inside the Dayabumi building, but the front door of the restaurant was also closed and locked from inside.

Through the glass window, I could see there were several customers in the restaurant, so I knocked on the door and begged the restaurant owner to sell me some water.

Thank God they listened and let me in to buy some food and water.

At 2pm, based on the information I received, I walked to the Menara Maybank, accompanied by a photographer.

The FRU had already fired tear gas canisters and water cannons when we arrived there.

However, it shocked me to see so many Bersih supporters there and that they were obviously aggressive in ignoring police orders to back off and disperse.

I saw police run after some demonstrators who tried to challenge their authority. Several detainees were also seen trying to use violence against the police.

At that point, I was trying to call the headquarters to inform them about the situation when police fired another tear gas canister, causing me and other members of the press to run helter-skelter with teary eyes.

Soon after that, there was a heavy downpour and I joined other reporters to take shelter in a restaurant near the Kotaraya complex.

When the rain stopped at about 3pm, the demonstrators who also ran helter-skelter earlier came out from their hiding places and among them, there was an instigator who was shouting and urging those present to march to the Merdeka Stadium.

Along the way, they were chanting "Allahuakbar" and "Reformasi".

We (members of the press) also followed the group, but upon reaching a bend at the Central Market LRT Station, we were welcomed by another tear gas canister fired by the police. My friend and I, however, managed to escaped from the area and the gas.

Police then fired three more tear gas canisters towards the demonstrators as they still refused to disperse.

In my opinion, the canisters were fired randomly because I personally saw the police pointing the tear gas guns up in the air to enable the canisters to be fired further away.

The situation subsided at 4.15pm.

I would like to say that despite their firm action, the law enforcers had also displayed humanity because they did not use the tear gas at their whims and fancies.

Several ambulances were also seen nearby to offer help to those suffering from the tear gas.

The real reason the PSM 6 were freed

You want the official version or the other side?
According to the official line:

The government has accepted the decision by police to free six Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) activists who were detained under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) last month, in good faith.
“It is up to the Attorney-general to decide on what appropriate action to take. As a nation, we stand by the principle of the rule of law,” Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak told reporters… (Bernama).

But Dr Jeyakumar, in a text message, offers a different reason: “It was the massive public support that pushed Hishammuddin (Home Minister) to over-ride the Dep IGP’s intention to keep us longer. Thanks for all the support.”
Which version do you believe?
Meanwhile blog reader Ahmad reports from Penang:

I shaved bald this morning in support of the PSM 6 and against EO and ISA at Bayan Baru Market. I was encouraged to see young men and ladies who had their long hair shaved for a cause they believe in. Really, these youngsters, some came in Bersih 2.0 tees, give us hope.
Proud of you all, ladies and gentlemen who shaved for a good cause, for Dr. Jeyakumar, the most low profile and most productive lawmaker and the PSM 5! It was all 1Bersih Malaysia at the shaving event; there were Chinese, Malays, Indians, truly Malaysia of the Pakatan Rakyat kind.
Where were you, Mr. Anil Netto? I was looking forward to meeting my favourite blogger.
Salam 1Bersih Malaysia! Youths of Malaysia, wake up, Selamatkan Malaysia!

Sorry, Ahmad. Guess I missed all the fun over there…

'Take Rs 20, rape my daughter'

Monster father, desperate to leave Mumbai, dumps his 9-year-old daughter with a drug addict, even bribing him with a paltry sum to buy drugs; the latter strangulates her after raping her
When Ghulam Mohammad Hamid Khan (47), decided to abandon Mumbai and board a train for his UP hometown from the Mankhurd railway station, he decided to travel light.

The first baggage that he decided to get rid of was none other than his 9-year-old daughter Roshni. He didn't have to look far- along came Irfan Sheikh (21), a drug addict.


The Mankhurd police arrested Irfan Sheikh (left) and the
father of the victim Ghulam Khan on charges of rape and murder

Not only did the desperate father give the addict permission to have his way with her, he also paid the man to buy himself some drugs.

Mankhurd police Sub-Inspector Popat Salunkhe said, "Hussain was unemployed, and his wife had thrown him out of their house. He wanted to make a fresh start in Jabalpur. He was in the habit of abducting his own children, and using them as leverage to force money out of her."

He added, "On July 17, he took Roshni with him to the Mankhurd railway station. He waited for three hours, expecting his wife to arrive there to retrieve their child. However, Hussain's wife did not turn up. Desperate to leave for his hometown, he started looking for an alternative means to get rid of his daughter."

"He accosted Irfan at the station, and decided to dump Roshni in his custody. He gave Irfan the licence to do anything he wanted with the girl. When Irfan refused to accept the responsibility, Hussain pleaded with him, even bribing him with a sum of Rs 20, asking him to purchase drugs of his choice," informed Salunkhe.

According to the police report, Irfan then took Roshni into a dark alley, where he attempted to rape her. The terrified girl screamed, at which he clamped her mouth shut, causing her to lose consciousness. Once the girl stopped resisting, he raped her and sodomised her in quick succession.

After having his way with her, he strangulated her with a dupatta, and threw her body into an open drain. The Mankhurd police found Roshni's stripped body on July 18, and began their investigations, trying to identify her.

Mother shocked
Roshni's mother identified her daughter at the Rajawadi hospital, divulging that Hussain had taken Roshni away. "Roshni's mother had not lodged a missing complaint, thinking that she was with her father. Roshni's mother's statement made us certain of Hussain's involvement," said Salunkhe.

Mankhurd police then sent two teams to UP and Ajmer, to search for Hussain. "We nabbed Hussain at Jabalpur station in UP, and brought him to Mumbai," said a police officer.

During his interrogation, Hussain confessed that he had handed over his daughter to Irfan, because he wanted to get rid of her and teach his wife a lesson.

He had left Roshni at different stations on previous occasions as well. We nabbed Irfan, also a resident of Mankhurd, who confessed to the crimes of rape and murder. We will now produce both culprits at court," informed Salunkhe.

Other Dastardly Dads

JUNE, 2011
Last month, an 18-year-old Bandra girl went to cops after facing months of abuse at the hands of her father Shabbir Khan, who raped her at knifepoint, while her mother chose to look the other way for the sake of 'family reputation.' ('Brave teen stands up to rapist father,' June 3, 2011)
FEBRUARY, 2011
A man was arrested for allegedly killing his eight-year-old daughter after she resisted his attempt to rape her. ('Father kills 8-year-old daughter after failed rape attempt,' February 25, 2011)
MARCH, 2009
A father in Mira Road, Kishore Chauhan, allegedly raped his two daughters, aged 21 and 17, with the help of a tantrik, Hasmukhbhai Rathod. The duo had been raping the elder daughter for nine years and the younger one for a year before a police complaint was filed. The rapes had been going on with the mother's knowledge and support.

Jeyakumar: It was mental torture

Transgender ‘Aleesha’ dies of heart attack, depression

Ashraf is seen covering his face with a bag as he leaves the Terengganu High Court, July 18, 2011. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — Mohd Ashraf Hafiz Abdul Aziz, who underwent a sex change operation two years ago, has died from a heart attack this morning, less than two weeks after a court rejected his application to adopt a female name.


Mohd Ashraf, who wanted to be known as Aleesha Farhana Abdul Aziz, passed away at 5am at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital in Kuala Terengganu.

He was admitted yesterday evening after experiencing heart problems and low-blood pressure. Doctors confirmed yesterday that Mohd Ashraf suffered a heart attack from an “unstable angine with cardiogenic shock.”

His father, Abdul Aziz Ahmad, 60, was quoted by Bernama Online as saying Mohd Ashraf’s body will be buried after Zohor prayers this afternoon.

Abdul Aziz added that he will wait for the other family members to decide on whether the funeral will be held.

According to the father, Mohd Ashraf suffered from severe depression after his court application to change his name was rejected.

On July 18, Terengganu High Court Judge Datuk Mohd Yazid Mustafa said that the application by Ashraf , 25, was rejected because of his chromosomes, the presence of male genitals when the applicant was born, and the presence of male internal organs.

Ashraf, who filed the application in court on May 25, underwent the operation in Thailand in 2009 after passing a psychological assessment in the Pantai Medical Centre.

He said the name change would allow him to be accepted into a local university and ease the difficulty of living as a woman.

EO6: A bitter lesson for the govt

The Najib administration should now learn to respect the ‘rule of law’ instead of bending over backwards to fulfill its own hidden agendas

COMMENT

Abusing the Emergency Ordinance 1969, six breadwinners of their families’ were thrown behind bars and defamed with having waged a war against the King, holding subversive beliefs and instigating the rakyat to attend a rally which the police had deemed illegal.

Yesterday, 28 days later, all six were set free, unconditionally. The question that begs an answer from Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is: What happened in those 28 days’ that made him, his cousin the Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar realise that the six are innocent and should rightfully be released?

Or was it a case of all three parties being well aware of the innocence of the six but proceeded to used them as scapegoats, hoping to teach Malaysians in general a lesson for taking to the streets on July 9, 2011 and challenging the ‘powers that be’?

The six detained were Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael D Jeyakumar, Parti Sosialis Malaysia deputy president M Sarasvathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M Sukumaran, Youth chief R Saratbabu and Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan.

Despite cooperating with the police, the six were treated like hardcore criminals, being held in solitary confinement and deprived of all basic necessities including their medication as in the case of Jeyakumar and Sarasvathy.

It was much later that the police claimed the six were detained for allegedly being “movers” for the July 9, 2011, rally organised by election watchdog Bersih 2.0 (Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections).

However, none of the six were steering committee members of the Bersih 2.0 which was declared illegal by the government. The coalition comprises of more than 60 non-governmental organisations.

What rule of law, Najib?

On July 29, after a tormenting 28-day ordeal, when all six were released, Najib had this to say: “It is a decision (to release) taken by the police based on their own observation.

“We accept the decision made by the police… it is up to the attorney-general to decide on the next course of action. As a sovereign country we uphold the rule of law.”

Is Najib confirming that this country has turned into a police state, with the police having absolute liberty to detain and abuse whoever they wish?

Premier Najib said Malaysia as a sovereign country upholds the rule of law.

The rule of law states that individuals, persons and government shall submit to, obey and be regulated by law and not arbitrary action by an individual or a group of individuals.

Clearly Najib contradicted himself, for in the case of the six, the rule of law was never applied. It was the arbitrary action of the ‘powers that be’ that resulted in the detention of the six who later became known as PSM6.

And in case Najib has forgotten, the rule of law applies to the government as well, compelling it to obey the law and not manipulate it to serve the interest of a select few.

PM pressured to release PSM6
The PSM6 were finally set free not because the police or Najib had an awakening of any kind. Rather, it has to with the Barisan Nasional government’s fight for survival in light of the coming general election has brought the Federal government to its knees.

The pressure was made worse by the severe condemnation and pressure for their release that came pouring in after the six were held under the EO.

The release of the PSM6 certainly calls for a celebration and for sure it excludes all gratitude to Najib.

Hours after his release, Jeyakumar told reporters the release of PSM6 was a “smart political move” by Najib in face of the eroding public support.

“It’s definitely due to public pressure that we were released. He was losing popularity and realised that it too politically costly to keep holding us,” Jeyakumar said.

He added that it was the pressure imposed by the people that forced the government to release him and his party colleagues.

Jeyakumar said there were strong movements by the people in holding candlelight vigils, peace marches and hunger strikes nationwide, all calling for the release of the six.

“It’s not because the police were being sensible. They were out to get us to use us as an example.”
He said PSM’s next step would be to gauge the situation and perhaps file a case as they had been wrongly detained under the Emergency Ordinance.

“It’s a huge step forward for democracy, a victory for all of us,” added Jeyakumar.

Government’s agenda
Jeyakumar believes the government and the police had their own agendas and aims. The good doctor during a family visit while in detention had said the police were “not listening” and were trying to frame the six based on unsubstantiated allegations.

This in spite of all six having cooperated with the police, giving rise to the conclusion that the police was finding ways of incarcerating them.

With no other avenue left, Jeyakumar decided to go on a hunger strike on July 28, to demand the release of PSM6. Supporting him were 14 members from five PSM Perak branches.

The PSM6 were arrested in Kepala Batas on June 26 on claims that they were distributing leaflets urging the public to support the Bersih 2.0 demands for free and fair elections.

They were then re-arrested on July 2 under the EO which allows the police to detain suspects for up to 60 days.

A habeas corpus application was also filed by the family members of the PSM 6 to secure their release, and Aug 5 was fixed for the hearing date of the application.

It is hoped the PSM6 detention will serve as a bitter lesson for the Barisan Nasional government, prompting it to respect the ‘rule of law’ and not bend it backwards to fulfill its own hidden agendas.

Jeswan Kaur is a freelance journalist and an FMT columnist.

Where lies the Indian community’s priority?

A PKR man raises concern over the increasing number of Indian youth involved in illegal activities.

PETALING JAYA: A PKR state level leader chided the Indian community’s obsession with Tamil schools and temples when its youths are sinking into the abyss of vice and social ills.

Malacca PKR vice-president G Rajendran said current reports showed that about 110,000 Indian youths are involved in illegal activties.

“There is something very seriously wrong when one out of 10 (Indian) youngster is going the wrong way.

“Do you know that 7,000 Indians in Malaysia between 20 and 40 years are in jail for various criminal activities? Yet we seem to be more concerned about Tamil schools and temples.

“What is the point of having nice facilities in Tamil schools and temples when our children live in deplorable conditions.

“Don’t get me wrong…I don’t blame peoples’ concern for temples and schools but I feel our children are more important than temples,” he told FMT.

Rajendran said the BN and Pakatan Rakyat MPs who recently held a roundtable discussion in parliament to chart a blueprint for the future of Tamil schools should setup a committee to meet the needs of the Indian youngsters.

“Our main problems is gangsterism.. nowadays some of these gangs operate better than some small political party.

“The Indian community should engage all political parties no matter BN or Pakatan and form a united group to tear down gangsterism,” he added.

Rajendran also said several former gangsters whom he met recently told him that the situation was becoming worst whereby school students were being forced to join gangs.

He added that the social ills among the Indian community is like cancer which will slowly kill the community.

Rajendran admitted that one of the reasons the community is at its lowest point was because the government and the Indian leaders who do not care about youngsters.

He said he will raise his concerns with several Indian leaders and propose the setting up of a special committee to engage with youth.

EC is not telling the truth: It can make changes without BN approval

16 days after Bersih 2.0 and finally the Election Commission meets Ambiga Sreenevasen on a public stage to discuss election reforms. Yet, all is not well with the Election Commission as more questions have been raise in the aftermath of its lacklustre answers.

EC deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar absolved himself and his colleagues of any responsibility towards electoral reforms amid boos and jeers during a public dialogue with Bersih chairman Ambiga Sreevenasan, stressing that there was “nothing wrong” with the EC.

“The EC is not an enforcement agency; it is only a management body for elections. The best we can do is to propose relevant laws to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

“But ultimately it is the government of the day, which obtained majority votes, which has the final say. If the government decides that voting age is 21 years old, whatever proposal we send to the A-G’s Chambers can never go to Parliament,” he said at a public forum titled What next after July 9.

A lie of a statement


This is a rather funny statement from the EC deputy chairman, as the manager for elections in Malaysia, the EC is provisioned to make rules as stated in Article 113 (5) of the Federal Constitution. This provision within the Federal Constitution was pointed out by the Bersih chairperson to the EC deputy chairman.

Rules of conduct for elections are well within the boundaries of the EC since these are the rules that go into effect during an election. There is no need for such rules to pass through the AG chambers as long as these rules uphold and stay within the context of federal law.

Thus among other things, the use of indelible ink, a period of 21 days for campaigning and equal access to main-stream media are all measures that the EC can decide on, without having to refer to the AG chambers.

The only time such rules should be referred to the AG chambers is if there is a possibility a rule can contradict a federal law. Even then, if it does contradict a federal law, the EC does have the responsibility to stand by its decision or decide on an alternative.

It is the responsibility of the EC to uphold its role in ensuring that elections are conducted fairly and properly in Malaysia. Appointments are by the Agong and members to the EC must not have any other affiliation whether to political parties or to business entities.

This means they have to ensure that they are neutral and unbiased. If they are unable to be neutral or believe that they cannot play an impartial role as Wan Ahmad himself suggested, then they should immediately resign or be in gross disobedience to the King.

Cheating starts in the EC database itself

Instead, the EC has turned a deaf ear to allegations of phantom voters. When cornered with proof of such voters, the EC states that it is powerless to remove them from the voter listings. To remove a deceased person from the roll, a death certificate needs to be produced. Such technicalities have uncovered some rather funny instances of voters reaching more than 100 years old, still being eligible to vote.

Then there is the case of multiple voters residing under one address. The EC is powerless to remove such voters as it needs to be proven they do not reside at the location. This is their excuse.

But above all, the question that begs an answer is, how did such voters get registered in the first place? Voter registration is conducted by the EC, and an identity card is needed upon registration. All voter registration is entered into a computer database, thus it can be inferred that any manipulation of voter’s registration data happens within the database that is eventually printed out as the electoral roll.

Further points of contention comes from the refusal of the EC to extend postal votes to those who qualify but do not fall into the category of police personnel or the military. In the recent Sarawak state election, this deprived the Sarawak diaspora who work in the peninsula or West Malaysia, their right to ballot. Voters who wanted to vote were forced to pay unnecessarily for airfare back to Sarawak in order to cast their votes.

Making it harder for voters to vote

As overseers of the election process, it is the responsibility of the EC to ensure that all citizens of Malaysia have the opportunity to cast their vote as granted by Article 114 of the Federal Constitution. The EC has instead chosen to make it even harder for Malaysians to cast their votes if they happen to reside away from the state of their origins.

The EC’s non-supportive stance is further evidenced by its refusal to provide automatic registration for Malaysians who reach the age of 21. Why then would the EC not grant Malaysians this facility and ensure that all get the opportunity to vote? Only the EC can answer.

In the wake of Bersih, the EC has shown itself as a toothless and clueless commission. Unwilling to stand up for the rights of everyday Malaysians and instead selling their souls to please their political masters - the BN goverment of the day.

- Malaysia Chronicle

Mahathir’s grand contribution to decline in political morality

Written by Hussein Hamid 

Contributors

Since the early 1980s, the ‘indiscretions’ of elected officials and those in the civil service have become the hallmark of all things Malaysian. This is to the extent that the people now accept corruption, greed and furthering vested interests as colouring all government transactions.

How did this scheme of things come about?

The turning point was 1981. After Mahathir Mohamad became prime minister, compassion for the people and respect for their rights was extinguished. With Mahathir too came the decline of political morality and a corresponding decline in the moral fibre of the civil service.

Malaysians accept that we are now a country in decline without much hope for recovery in the foreseeable future. As if to emphasize this decline, we are continually bombarded with scandal after scandal as if confirming that Malaysia is indeed bereft of any decent political leadership and a country that has lost its way.  

The Barisan Nasional government had found it expedient to accelerate the country’s racial divide by granting citizenship to illegal Malay immigrants. Imagine what social harm the massive influx of unskilled and uneducated immigrants would do to any country that is not even able to provide basic welfare and education to its existing citizens.

Project M is surely the act of an irresponsible and self-serving government without regard for anything else but its own political survival.

He who promoted M’sia Inc.

Following the gutter politics example set by this BN government, our society has followed suit.

We have a corrupt and brutal police force which is just short of becoming a willing appendage of Umno.

The corporate world is a willing, eager and generous participant where prudent business practices are cast aside for the more lucrative political patronage. The spoils on offer are breathtakingly profitable for those who participate but they come at the expense of the public.

And where do all these practices lead to? The simple answer is to look at where we are today. We have a government that virtually declared war on its people for wanting a fair, free and open election. We have a government that is prepared to risk the lives of its people in Gebeng, Kuantan for the Lynas corporation (big business against the little people).

We have the Prime Minister talking up a RM4 billion redevelopment of the city riverfront at a time when minimum wages are still just “to be discussed” next year, when subsidies are being “restructured” and when our hardcore poor can still be seen wandering the streets of our capital and major cities, and the elderly are still without adequate care.

What madness is this to prioritise mega projects when matters of affordable housing and putting food on the table for the poor should really come first?

These are some of the reasons why today in Malaysia compassion for others who are less fortunate is no longer a consideration for this BN government. Moral decency has gone the same way as BN has gone – into the abyss.

Mahathir, Father of Apartheid

Are we at the point of no return?

To answer this we need to look at what has happened after Mahathir became PM.

The manner in which Mahathir consciously used race to divide and rule the country would put Malaysia on the same level as South Africa that had used apartheid to ‘manage’ racial inequality.

Initially, as the restructuring of Malaysian society got underway, there were visible images of the Malays getting their share of the nation’s wealth. The non-Malays accepted the necessity of this social re-engineering with grace, and with possibly a pragmatic resignation that this must be the way to go forward if we are to be united.

But much too soon the cosmetic redistribution of wealth amongst the Malays became a grab by Umno politicians of the nation’s wealth for their own keeping. The executive power vested in Umno made it all too easy for them to do, and they did so with gusto.

Greed led to the culture of money politics, and this culture seeped into the consciousness of the Malays in general and Umno in particular.

I would think that the irreversible slide towards this moral decay started when Umno within itself accepted the use of money politics as a means of buying and staying in power.

Thus began the transformation of Umno where power open doors to great wealth. No longer was the party there to fight the battles for the Malays. No longer were the Malays the reason for Umno’s being. Money was the be all and end all, and this new reality brought along with it the troubles and abuses that we have with us presently.

All of it started when Mahathir became our prime minister.

Mahathirism still a scourge

We now have a new generation, maybe even two generations of our young and not too young who will no longer tolerate the government thinking it has the right to pillage and plunder our country’s resources.

With the advent of the electronic media and the Internet, we are made aware of the wrongdoings of this BN government. No longer can they keep secret from us the massive losses incurred in wasteful public spending, excessive infrastructure costs and the all in all incompetence of the BN government of the Mahathir years which still continue to today.

All the dominance Malaysia once had within the Asean region, if not in the global economy, has now disappeared because of the lack of prudence by this BN government in our times of plenty.

What else does BN need to see before they realise that their past and current policies whether in education, business or racial balance have failed miserably?

Changes must be made now if we are to ever regain our place again amongst our erstwhile peers. Economic reforms and national transformation programmes must be done to address the necessary changes most needed, not for scoring political points or to protect the vested interests of the BN cronies.

It is most urgent to guarantee our economic future.

I cannot see any other way forward for Malaysia then to do away with this self-serving Umno-BN government. What is to come after BN is still to be seen. Much too often human beings have the ability to change for better or for worse when called upon to do so by circumstances of their own making or by factors outside their control.

If BN is voted out of office at the 13th general election, then let those that will take its place understand that the momentum to ensure change rests with the people. Ignore the people at your peril!

Khairy: Yes to transparency, but not for arms buys

The Malaysian Insider 

KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has declared support for a Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, but stressed last night that several areas needed to be excluded in the interest of national security, such as defence procurements.

He pointed out that “no country will disclose specifications” of their military hardware due to security concerns.

“The exact specs of tanks, what kind of systems and missiles we use shouldn’t be discussed in Parliament and recorded down on the Hansard,” the Rembau MP said at a forum on FOI at the Bar Council last night.

The issue of defence deals cropped up again after authorities deported a French lawyer who has been pursuing judicial investigations into Malaysia’s controversial RM7 billion Scorpene submarine purchase in the French courts, the day after he spoke on the issue in Penang.

In his absence, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) MPs had accused the Najib administration of wanting to keep the facts hidden in the purchase of the submarines from French defence firm DCNS and up to RM16 billion in defence deals over the past three years.

However, Khairy, along with DAP lawmaker Charles Santiago, mooted an Armed Services committee instead be formed by lawmakers and the armed forces to hear representations from field experts before discussing policy in secret.

When asked if this would still mean that decision-making was shrouded in secrecy, he said that “some disclosure is better than none and at least MPs, representatives of the people, will have the information.”

The purchase of two submarines from French defence company DCNS in 2002 was made when Datuk Seri Najib Razak was still defence minister and a company run by Abdul Razak Baginda, said to be a close aide of the then-deputy prime minister, was reported to have received commissions of over RM500 million from the deal.

Human rights groups and opposition parties here also linked the episode to the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.

In December 2009, Suaram filed a complaint with the French courts asking for access to information regarding government contracts signed with Abdul Razak’s Perimekar Sdn Bhd and other information classified as official secrets in Malaysia.

The French courts accepted the request to investigate claims of graft in the RM500 million payment from DCNS to Perimekar.

French lawyer William Bourdon had arrived in Kuala Lumpur on July 23 from Penang, where he spoke at a fundraiser organised by rights group Suaram regarding the Scorpene submarine deal but was prevented from speaking at further events when immigration officers boarded his plane and detained him before deporting him the same night.

Klang MP Santiago had said that Malaysia should go further than simply forming a committee to scrutinise defence procurement as defence journals and publications “already tells you who’s buying what for how much.”

“If you buy a missile for so much, experts can tell you why. So there is nothing to hide. If you search on Google, you can find out what the Malaysian government has.

“Procurement policies should be made clearer. This culture of secrecy must come to an end,” he said.