Split among Christians over moves to convert Muslims, says senior leader

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — Mainstream Christian churches are distancing themselves from independent evangelical churches’ “over-enthusiastic” attempts to proselytise Muslims in Malaysia, says a senior Protestant church leader.

He told…

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KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — Mainstream Christian churches are distancing themselves from independent evangelical churches’ “over-enthusiastic” attempts to proselytise Muslims in Malaysia, says a senior Protestant church leader.

He told The Malaysian Insider that the mainstream churches were disappointed with some independent Christian groups for being insensitive to other religious communities when sharing their faith.

File picture of a woman praying at the St Francis Xavier Catholic church in Petaling Jaya. Mainstream churches are said to be concerned with how some independent evangelical churches are proselytising Muslims openly.

“We’ve had cases where the Hindus complain that the Christians have been too assertive,” said the church leader, adding that Muslims, Buddhists and Sikhs have made similar complaints.

 

“But in all these cases where the Christians have shared (their faith), it’s not to force or coerce or put any faith in a bad light,” he stressed, requesting anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic.

The senior church leader’s remarks come as controversy rages on over last week’s Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) raid on a thanksgiving dinner in the evangelical Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) in Petaling Jaya.

Lawyers for 10 of the 12 Muslims who attended the dinner were informed that Jais was now investigating the incident under section 4 of Selangor’s Non-Islamic Religions Enactment 1988.

The section makes it an offence for a person to “persuade, influence or incite” a Muslim to be inclined to any non-Islamic religion, become a follower or a member of a non-Islamic religion or forsake or disfavour Islam.

“By this happening, it has alerted the churches that there may be some independent groups that are doing something which may jeopardise the good relations of the churches with other communities here,” said the church leader, referring to the contentious raid.

“Therefore the churches feel, notwithstanding their right to profess their faith, there should also be closer co-operation and accountability between the churches,” he added.

Christians comprise 9.2 per cent out of Malaysia’s 28.3 million-strong population, according to the latest census.

According to Vatican statistics, Catholics comprise 3 per cent. Protestants, who include Anglicans, Lutherans and Presbyterians, among others, make up the majority at 6 per cent, while the minority are independent evangelical groups.

The senior church leader said mainstream churches were also concerned with how some independent evangelical churches proselytised Muslims openly.

“If a person asks for a Bible, they give it,” he said.

He added that such independent Christian groups included sects, as well as those from other countries.
NGO Harapan Komuniti said yesterday that its dinner at DUMC featured prayers, religious songs and a quiz on Islam, but denied it was aimed at converting the Muslims present.

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Jeyakumar: Detention was horrible

The PSM leader recalls his 28-day ordeal and speaks about his party’s plans for the next election and its relationship with Pakatan Rakyat.

INTERVIEW

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite the grassroots popularity…

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The PSM leader recalls his 28-day ordeal and speaks about his party’s plans for the next election and its relationship with Pakatan Rakyat.

INTERVIEW

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite the grassroots popularity that he and his party enjoy, Dr Michael D Jeyakumar does not want Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) to scramble for seats to contest in the coming general election.

“It is important for the opposition to be united,” he told FMT. “We do not want to split votes or cause three-cornered fights. We also don’t want to be the cause of any fights within the opposition.”

He said PSM fully supported Pakatan Rakyat when it came to fighting Barisan Nasional (BN). But he added that this did not mean it agreed with all of the opposition alliance’s policies.

“For example, when it comes to trade agreements, some opposition parties are always enthusiastic, but PSM feels we should be more discerning.”

The Sungai Siput MP also spoke about his recent 28-day incarceration at the Batu Caves detention centre, describing it as “horrible”.

“Nobody beat us up,” he clarified, “but being deprived of freedom, being unsure as to when they’d release us or allow us to see our families, not being allowed reading material, wondering who they’d arrest next… It was horrible.”

During the detention, the police allowed his family to visit him only three times, and each of those visits lasted only about 15 minutes.

Jeyakumar was one of the six detainees who became known collectively as EO6. They were arrested on June 25 with 24 other PSM members and remanded for seven days, accused of trying to wage war against the King and to revive communism.

Upon their release from remand on July 2, police rearrested the six under the Emergency Ordinance (EO), which allows for the detention of suspects for up to 60 days.

The public quickly rallied around them, making heavy use of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to voice disapproval of the government action.

A shock

Jeyakumar said he and his fellow detainees were interrogated daily during their incarceration and he found the process “frustrating” because the police were apparently not interested in finding out the truth. They seemed more interested in making the detention serve as a warning to anti-BN groups, he added.

The six are now facing charges under the Internal Security Act and the Societies Act. They are accused of supporting an illegal society – Bersih 2.0 – and disseminating propaganda on its behalf.

Jeyakumar called this turn of events “quite a shock” and said the bail set – RM8,000 – was punitive, considering PSM’s lack of financial resources.

He accused the government of trying to scare the people from voicing out dissenting opinions.
“Making us a scapegoat just stemmed from wanting to repress the public,” he said. “A sensible government would have engaged us instead of using scare tactics.”

During their detention, the EO6 were separated from each other. Jeyakumar said a normal day started with fingers of light creeping through a frosted glass window high above his head.

“It was very warm,” he said.

Breakfast was a bun and teh-O. This was followed by a visit to the medical assistant, who would check his blood pressure and other vital signs.

He would then be cuffed and blindfolded and interrogated about Bersih 2.0, PSM’s funding and its alleged links to communist parties.

“They didn’t want to listen,” said Jeyakumar. “They just wanted to try and make links.”

A brief lunch of rice, vegetables and meat would follow, after which questioning would usually begin again. He was interrogated for between three and six hours a day.

Hunger strike

He found it so frustrating that he decided on a hunger strike. However, the home ministry decided to release him and the other five detainees on the second day of his fast.

The six were hailed as heroes. Arriving at the KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall after their release, they were met with boisterous applause and cheers from a lively crowd of PSM members and supporters brandishing banners and waving party flags.

Some chanted slogans and sang songs about unity, while others converged on the six to pass along handshakes and hugs.

“We would not have been released if it weren’t for the Malaysian people,” said Jeyakumar on that night, repeating the sentiment during his interview with FMT.

“It was a victory for the people,” he said. “They took back their power.”

He said the government decided to charge them in court not because they were guilty of anything, but because it needed to justify the 28-day detention.

Jeyakumar won his Sungai Siput seat in the last general election on a PKR ticket. He told FMT that PSM would continue to fight for the rights of the marginalised groups in Malaysia.

“We don’t need to be policymakers,” he said. “We won’t attack Rosmah (Mansor) or defend Anwar (Ibrahim). We are more about fighting for the rights of poorer Malaysians. We want to put these issues – like giving squatters grants or making tertiary education free – on the political agenda.”

He said PSM was interested in contesting only four seats in the next election – the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat and the state seats of Jelapang, Kota Damansara and Semenyih.

“Change is coming,” said Jeyakumar. “People are more connected than the government thinks, and it will be difficult for it to continue lying.” -FMT

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‘British let down the non-Malays’

A tin mining tycoon from Ipoh had warned the British that giving special rights to the Malays would create resentment among the non-Malays.

By  Athi Sankar - FMT
GEORGE TOWN:…

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A tin mining tycoon from Ipoh had warned the British that giving special rights to the Malays would create resentment among the non-Malays.

By  Athi Sankar - FMT
GEORGE TOWN: During the pre-independence talks, a Chinese tin mining tycoon from Perak warned the British that giving special rights to Malays would create resentment among the non-Malays.

Lau Pak Kuan in a memorandum submitted to the Reid Commission has argued that “the perpetuation of unjust and inequitable laws breeds distrust, jealousy, resentment and hatred, and must in the end give rise to disastrous repercussions”.

This was disclosed by Hindraf Makkal Sakti leader P Waythamoorthy who said that Lau has stated clearly to the colonial government that such provisions were undemocratic features in a democratic set-up.

The memorandum to the Reid Commission was submitted on July 20, 1956, by Lau as the president of Pan-Malayan Federation of Chinese Associations (PMFCA), a coalition representing 1,179 Chinese clans. The memorandum carried the signatures of leaders of these groups.

London-based Waythamoorthy said when the Federation of Malaya Bill was tabled in the United Kingdom Parliament, Lau had even gone on an international lobby to vehemently protest it.

Lau had gone to London, consulted the Queen’s counsel and lobbied British parliamentarians to object to the discriminatory and apartheid-like provisions in Article 153 of the Malaya constitutional draft.

In the memorandum, Waythamoorthy said Lau has cautioned that erecting barriers against non-Malays in the hope of improving the (lot of the) Malays was not a sure way of obtaining the desired effect.

“Lau correctly predicted it would create class divisions among citizens,” he said.

Dangerous breakdown

Despite the PMFCA memorandum and protests by several ethnic-Indian based organisations to the Reid Commission, Waythamoorthy said the British betrayed non-Malays and still went on to pass the bill.

The British colonial government and Umno led by the country’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman later colluded to enact and legitimise the much-opposed Malaya Constitution.

“After more than half century, Lau’s prediction of disastrous repercussions and a dangerous breakdown in racial ties proved to be true.

“The visionary Lau was the first civil rights champion in the country. He fought social justice, equality and fairness for all under the independent Malayan umbrella,” claimed Waythamoorthy.

Waythamoorthy is scrutinising the pre-independence documents to prepare for his US$4 trillion class-action suit against the UK government.

He originally filed the class-action suit in London on Aug 31, 2007, the 50th anniversary of Malaysia’s independence, to demand compensation for Indian Malaysians, whose ancestors were brought in by the colonial government as indentured labour.

However, the suit was stalled following the Malaysian government’s clampdown on Hindraf and the arrest of several lawyers under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

The suit claimed that, after granting independence to Malaya, the British had left the Indians without representation and at the mercy of the Umno government.

Superior class

A two-man legal team from London will be in Malaysia today to meet local clients for consideration as co-claimants in the suit.

In the memorandum, Waythamoorthy said Lau had argued that the Federal Constitution was founded upon a policy of appeasement vis-à-vis Malay ultra nationalism.

“To grant favouritism to one community in preference to the others would be to create a superior class and an inferior class of citizens in the future Malaya.

“This would not make for inter-racial goodwill and harmony, without which Malays could not thrive.
“A multi racial society must depend on goodwill and harmony for its well-being,” Lau noted in the memorandum.

Lau contended that the Malays needed help not through legislation but through the co-operation of the more advanced communities.

While such legislation tended to make them a privileged class, he claimed that it also reduced them to a dependent and undignified community.

“Malays must not expect to be spoon-fed and be made to lose all senses of incentives. They must be trained the hard way to rely on their own efforts and initiatives for success,” Lau said in the memorandum.

Equal treatment

He said for the good of the country, all unequal and unjust laws should be scrapped and citizens of all races should be accorded equal and just treatment.

He said voluntary inter-racial co-operation and goodwill would ensure a new era of hope for Malaya.
The memorandum urged for the new constitution to be written before independence and all existing discriminatory and unjust laws be revoked.

“Equal treatment must be extended to all citizens without distinction as to race, colour or creed,” Lau said in the memorandum.

Lau was a founder-member of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) in 1949 together with Tan Cheng Lock, Leong Yew Koh and Lee Hau Shik.

The prominent businessman quit MCA following his unsuccessful London mission.

Born in 1894, Lau came to Malaya in 1912 when he was 18. He passed away on April 16, 1971 and is survived by three wives, six sons and three daughters.

In recognition of his dedication to the people of Ipoh, the council named a one-km stretch of road as Jalan Dato’ Lau Pak Kuan in Ipoh Garden.

In 1966, Lau became the first ethnic Chinese leader to be awarded the Datuk Seri title by the Perak Sultan.

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Fire Wipes Out Machan Town In Sarawak

KANOWIT (Sarawak), Aug 11 (Bernama) -- A pre-dawn fire Thursday razed to the ground the entire town of Machan comprising 10 units of double-storey coffee and retail shops.

A man…

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KANOWIT (Sarawak), Aug 11 (Bernama) -- A pre-dawn fire Thursday razed to the ground the entire town of Machan comprising 10 units of double-storey coffee and retail shops.

A man in his 70s suffered burns when he tried to save his belongings in the 2.40 am fire, community leader Kapitan Leong Khing Hee said.

Machan, which is about 20 minutes drive from here, is at the heart of an oil palm growing area in the district.

Leong said the residents of the town, assisted by their Iban neighbours, faced great difficulty in fighting the blaze and trying to save the shops, which are more than 50 years old.

"We were greatly hampered by the low water pressure due to the current dry season. We do not have suitable pumps to draw water from the nearby Machan river," he said.

Leong said the injured man had been admitted to the Kanowit district hospital.

An officer of the Kanowit Fire and Rescue Department, Douglas Graji, said his office received a call about the fire at 3.14 am.

"Fourteen of us (firemen) immediately rushed to the scene. We were later joined by 10 fire-fighters from Sibu. We managed to bring the fire under control 30 minutes later," he said.

Machan state assemblyman Datuk Gramong Juna, who is assistant minister of rural development, is scheduled to visit the town later today.

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Hindu, Christian and Bahai are the victim of Islamic Brutality in Bangladesh, Iraq and Iran.

 

US parliamentarian voiced for 49 Million Missing Hindus from Bangladesh. 

Christians and Bahais are persecuted in Iraq and Iran.

S. Udatta, HE Correspondent, Florida.

Rep. Robert Dold voiced…

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US parliamentarian voiced for 49 Million Missing Hindus from Bangladesh. 

Christians and Bahais are persecuted in Iraq and Iran.

S. Udatta, HE Correspondent, Florida.

Rep. Robert Dold voiced in US Parliament about the intimidating persecution and atrocities over Hindus in Bangladesh, Christians in Iraq and Bahais in Iran.  

The US Parliamentarian Says “49 Million Hindus Pushed Out of Bangladesh Since 1947” and “Christians of Mishaba Province in Iraq are not being allowed to practice their religion in peace” and  “Sufferings on Bahai Prisoners in Iran”, as unbearable and these need proper legislation.

Rep. Robert Dold has been convinced so far by Dr. Sachi Ghosh Dastidar of HINDU AMERICAN FOUNDATION & Dr. Richard Benkin of FORCEFIELD about the fatal consequences of Non-Muslim minorities in  Muslim States.

The US parliamentarian sought the ‘beacon of light’ through the august house to deal with the matter as a gross violation of human rights.

In this report, Charges against Islam :: Murder, Rape, Kidnapping, Temple Destruction, Physical Intimidation, Violation of Peace against Non Muslims.

Reports end. But……

If these allegations are true, what should we do?

WE SHOULD BAN ISLAM FROM CIVIL SOCIETY.

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A Kg Abdullah Hukum story

Anwar can attend interviews, court rules

Hindraf British lawsuit has its relevance

By Wong Mun Chee

To begin with, the usual political detractors with their goons will be lining up their ammunition whereas Hindraf moves ahead with its objective in continuing this…

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By Wong Mun Chee

To begin with, the usual political detractors with their goons will be lining up their ammunition whereas Hindraf moves ahead with its objective in continuing this struggle for the plight of the systematically marginalised and discriminated Malaysian Indian minority in Malaysia.

Some would feel, what is the chance that Hindraf has in their case against the might of the colonial master? Some would think this as a for-show case, some stay silent and some will be the running dogs for their political masters. Well, let me put you in perspective why this suit will be important and a watershed event.

It is not the money, glamour and position, but how the Malaysian Indians has been continuously cheated by Umno and its mandores.

Sure we have many soothsayers who have emerged during the last 54 years, yet none has sustained, whether by compromise or fading out during their tenure.

You know it is not easy to be a human right activist; it is easy for all of us to comment and state our views yet we will not spend two hours in a day for a community cause in this ultra modern world.

As a non Indian observer, whether we accept it or not Hindraf has been consistent and persistent with their small army of human right activist to sustain their goals for society.

History does not lie. Looking back to 1957, Federation of Malaya's total revenue was over $180 million of which rubber and palm oil contributed 68 percent, tin 30 percent with the rest 2 percent. This is public information and not some figure plucked out from the sky.

Now, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out who had contributed to the revenue in yesteryears.

Unfortunately, post independence the systematic policy entrenchment via Article 153 of the federal constitution has not only driven the Malaysian Indians to such a destitute position in the modern day, but steamrolled all over them as their rights were not adequately protected by the past colonial master.

The Reid Commission was very clear when it stated that Article 153 should only exist for 15 years, yet this has been totally hijacked by the modern 'colonial masters' of today.

The civil suit by Hindraf against the British government may or may not be successful but it will definitely reveal how the Malaysian Indians were denied of their human rights perpetually by the modern day colonial masters.

The persistence and the single mindedness of Hindraf should be appreciated and embraced as this suit is a preamble of a genuine human right based organisation for real issues that faces the community rather than one that is busy politicking.

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JAIS probe focuses on conversion attempt

A lawyer representing 10 of the 12 Muslims who attended a church dinner says that the religious body however did not state who it is investigating.

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor…

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A lawyer representing 10 of the 12 Muslims who attended a church dinner says that the religious body however did not state who it is investigating.

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) is investigating the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) dinner under Section 4 of the Non-Islamic Religious Enactment 1988.

In a letter to Hoi Jack S’ng, one of two lawyers representing 10 of the 12 Muslims who attended the event, JAIS stated that it concerned the offence of “persuading, influencing or inciting a Muslim to change his faith.”

“We know what the offence is but but we don’t know who they are investigating (as the letter did not state names),” said the lawyer, adding that the letter was received today.

JAIS had responded to a letter from the lawyers seeking clarification on an earlier notice issued by the religious deparment on Aug 3 summoning their clients to be present at a “pre-counselling” session yesterday.

However, the 10 decided to skip the meeting due to lack of details in the notice.

“We raised the issue with JAIS, mainly under what legal provision did JAIS issue the order and what was the legal provision compelling our clients to attend the session,” Hoi said.

He added that the main offence committed was also unclear as no details were provided in the JAIS notice.

“Under the heading ‘details of offence’, there were no such details, it was left blank.

“So we didn’t know what they were investigating and what was the purpose our clients were summoned to meet with JAIS,” he said.

Hoi added that there was also confusion over the real intention of the meeting as it was unclear if his clients were asked to attend in order to be investigated or to be counseled.

“Pre-counseling sessions are only given if Muslims have been found guilty or suspected of committing an offence.

“So it was unclear if it they were summoned to attend a pre-counselling session or just to give a statement,” he said, adding that the lawyers wrote a letter to JAIS seeking claritication on Monday.

Yesterday, JAIS deputy director in charge of investigations and enforcement Sharom Maarof said he would apply for arrest warrants “within 24 hours” from the Syariah Court for the arrest of the 12 for failing to turn up to facilitate investigations.

Responding to this, Hoi said his clients had yet to be served with the warrants.

‘JAIS acted based on assumption’

Lawyer Annou Xavier, who is representing NGO Harapan Komuniti which hosted the fundraising dinner last Wednesday, said JAIS had acted based on assumption and “disrupted a peaceful and harmonious charity event” organised by a community which helped the marginalised.

He added that the NGO was a “1Malaysia” organisation “in its pure sense” and its board members were represented by a Malay, a Chinese and an Indian to assists “all races, religion and creed”.

Meanwhile, Harapan Komuniti executive director Raymond Koh said that some 120 people had attended the dinner from different backgrounds and were treated with “a meal catered by Muslims followed by live performances, a 1Malaysia dance, a quiz and reporting by individuals”. A general prayer was also offered.

Yesterday, FMT reported that a Muslim NGO claimed it found proof to back the allegation of proselytisisation of Muslims during the event.

Dr Dzulkhaini Husain, chairman of Sahabat Pusat Perubatan Universiti Malaya (PPUM), claimed that the tentative itinerary for the event included a quiz to test the participants’ knowledge of Islam, a prayer session and songs with the words “Alhamdulillah” dan “Allahuakhbar”.

He claimed that the questionnaires were found in the garbage bin and demanded an explanation from the organisers on the motive for posing such questions.

Asked to comment on this, Xavier clarified that “Alhamdulillah” dan “Allahuakhbar” were just songs rendered at the dinner.

“It is just like ‘we thank God’ in English,” he said.

Contacted later, Harapan Komuniti’s Koh refused to comment on the matter, saying that more details would be revealed in future.

More than 30 police and JAIS officers raided DUMC’s Section 13 premises here after receiving complaints that Muslims were present.

In a related development, PAS Youth defended the raid and Selangor exco for religious affairs Hasan Ali, who had stood by JAIS’ action despite Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and PAS Selangor Commissioner III Khalid Samad expressing regret over the incident.

PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi, who met with Hasan yesterday, said the wing was convinced that the raid was done to defend Islam.

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‘Empower’ the MIC president

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has been urged to give G Palanivel an Indian affairs portfolio to ensure that he can bring positive changes for the community.

PETALING JAYA: After…

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Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has been urged to give G Palanivel an Indian affairs portfolio to ensure that he can bring positive changes for the community.

PETALING JAYA: After more than three decades, the Indian representative in Barisan Nasional has been given an additional minister’s post, drawing both bouquets and brickbats.

 

Those in favour argued that the elevation of MIC president G Palanivel into the Najib administration’s inner circle was a blessing for the Indian community, given that it now had two voices in the Cabinet, the other being party number two Dr S Subramaniam.

Detractors however panned the appointment as a waste of taxpayers’ money, especially since Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, with Palanivel’s inclusion, had a record 39 ministers.

And while Subramaniam, one of three MIC parliamentary candidates who remained afloat after the 2008 electoral tsunami, oversaw the the human resources porfolio, Palanivel, one of those who drowned in the last polls, was sworn in as minister in the prime minister’s department yesterday but without a specific task.

‘Give him Indian portfolio’

This prompted MIC central working committee member S Vell Paari to call on Najib to empower the party president.

He said while the party was appreciative of the appointment, the move should however not be seen as a mere window dressing.

“The people will not fall for such gimmicks. The president has a vision and plan for the community but he needs the political muscle to push them through. He must be empowered,” he added.

Vell Paari said with the Malay votes split and the Chinese throwing their weight behind the opposition, BN had now realised the importance of Indian votes.

In view of this, he suggested that Palanivel be given an Indian affairs portfolio to ensure that all the socio-economic plans, strategies and promises for the community were implemented.

The Indian affairs portfolio, he added, must be on par with other ministries and be allowed to set up offices in various states to keep tabs on the development and progress of Indians there.

“When these offices are formed, Indians can be hired to oversee operations and this will indirectly increase the community’s presence in the civil service.

“Palanivel should also be given the authority to hire liaison officers to sit in critical ministries so that they can check on issues like the awarding of scholarships, issuing of birth certificates and identity cards, ensuring economic opportunities, resolving the high crime rate among Indian youths and other social ills as well as to address poverty-related matters and so forth,” he said.

Vell Paari noted that while the nation was moving into the era of multiracial politics, which he described as a positive development, he however added that the situation of Indians here still warranted special attention.

Giving Palanivel the required clout, he added, would also allow the MIC president to realise the nine resolutions passed by delegates during the party’s recent annual general meeting.

“Such a portfolio will also be in line with the prime minister’s stand that he represents all races and is sensitive to their suffering. The time of mere lip service and empty promises is over.

“The people want to see concrete action. Barisan Nasional must not take the Indian votes for granted and must remember what happened in 2008,” he told FMT.

Furthermore, Vell Paari said giving the MIC president this porfolio would silence the critics, who called the appointment meaningless, as well as give him the power to deal with sensitive issues.

“When there is an issue affecting the Malays, the government moves at the speed of light to resolve it. But when it comes to other races, there is a ‘United Nations-like’ discussion and feet dragging.

“But if Palanivel has this powerful portfolio tucked under his belt, then he can put his foot down hard and make demands,” he added.

‘A ladder is needed’

Agreeing with this, Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) president P Sivakumar said the MIC president’s appointment should not be a superficial attempt to garner votes.

“For a long time, Umno has not felt the pulse of the Indians in general. What the Indians want is to be treated as equals and this sentiment, which once only resonated among the more educated and urban Indians, has now trickled down to the grassroots as well. People have become more aware of their rights,” he said.

Sivakumar warned that while Indian votes were in favour of BN in the recent by-elections, a small spark, however, could rekindle what had happened in the last general election.

“To be fair, Najib has made some sincere efforts such as the issuing of micro-credit loans, MyKads and skills training. But there are bigger issues which still frustrate the Indians.

“For example, jobs in the civil service. It is shameful that even now MIC delegates must pass a resolution on this during their AGM. The awarding of government contracts is another sore point.

“Then there is the issue of poor wages for low-end jobs such as security guards and cleaners. These people are paid RM750 a month. How can they cope with the rising cost of living?” he asked.

Sivakumar said Miba supported Vell Paari’s call that a minister be assigned to handle the community, especially the poor Indians.

“The poor Indians have fallen so low that they need a ladder to come up. There are policies to help the majority but the minorities, especially the Indians, are worse off,” he said.

Sivakumar said one of the major problems that needed to be fixed was the civil service which still possessed, what he described as the “pendatang mindset”.

“They don’t see us as fellow citizens but rather immigrants squatting on this land.

“If the prime minister is sincere then he should give Palanivel the clout to deal with the arrogant civil service and ensure that what is decided higher up is implemented on the ground,” he added.

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Bukit Jalil estate folk lose appeal

The Court of Appeal upheld the High Court's decision to dismiss the interim injunction against DBKL.

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today dismissed an appeal for an injunction by 41…

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The Court of Appeal upheld the High Court's decision to dismiss the interim injunction against DBKL.

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today dismissed an appeal for an injunction by 41 families living in Bukit Jalil estate against Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), which plans to demolish their homes.

In a unanimous decision, the court comprising Justices Zainun Ali, Ramly Ali and Zaharah Ibrahim upheld the High Court’s decision in May not to grant the injunction, without cost.

The 41 families living in the former estate area were issued eviction notices in March under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) by DBKL.

However, the residents argued that the EO can only be used against squatters, not former estate workers.
They then took their case to the Kuala Lumpur High Court and obtained an ex-parte interim injunction against DBKL, pending trial.

However, in May, the court dismissed the residents’ application after a hearing, saying that DBKL had the authority to evict them using the EO.

Subsequently, the residents filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, which then issued an ex-parte interim injunction, pending a trial.

‘Verdict not a surprise’
 

Lawyers for Liberty coordinator Fadiah Nadwa Fikri said although Malaysia was a signatory to the United Nations resolution against forced evictions, the government continued to use arbitrary laws such as the EO to evict people.

“And the court, which is the last bastion for the common people to seek justice, continues taking the government’s side under the pretext of the greater good,” said Fadiah.

Suaram director E Nalini said she was not surprised by the verdict and vowed to continue fighting to get justice for the former estate workers.

“We will take our struggle to the streets if we have to,” said Nalini.
Whether they would take up the case to the Federal Court, Nalini said she would discuss the matter with the residents first.

Tomorrow, the Kuala Lumpur  High Court would hear DBKL’s application to strike out the residents’ suit against the local council.

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Chinese honour

It is very difficult, I know, for some of you to comprehend that the triads had honour and code of ethics. But then I am talking about the triads of…

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It is very difficult, I know, for some of you to comprehend that the triads had honour and code of ethics. But then I am talking about the triads of the 1960s, 50 years or so ago. Times have changed, though. Even the politicians of the 1960s had honour. Today, the politicians are worse than criminals. The politicians, today, would not meet the high standards of honour that the triads of the 1960s had.
NO HOLDS BARRED

I learned about ‘Chinese honour’ from the streets of Kuala Lumpur. This was back in the 1960s, before May 13. The streets I am talking about are Petaling Street, Sultan Street, etc.
Basically, this is what the tourists would call Kuala Lumpur’s ‘Chinatown’.
I was no older than those kids who rioted all over London and in Manchester, Liverpool, Nottingham, Leicester, Birmingham, Croydon, etc., over the last few days. In fact, I was exactly that age, in my teens.

That was me back in my ‘younger’ days. My ‘street name’ then was ‘Chap Chong Kia’.
I ‘found’ my first girlfriend in Petaling Street. She and her sister sold sugarcane in front of the Rex cinema. The problem is she spoke not a word of English or Bahasa and my Chinese was a rojak-mix of Hokkien, Cantonese and Hainanese and confined to street lingo like ta sei, pinto ley, niamah, fai ti chow, and so on.
Invariably, our ‘dates’ in the Malaysia Snack Bar, across the road from the Rex cinema, had to be held in the presence of an interpreter. There was no way my ‘girlfriend’ and I could communicate without the assistance of this interpreter -- and until today I still don’t know whether the exchanges of communication between us were a true translation of what transpired or whether my interpreter ‘sabotaged’ me and translated the opposite of what we said.
Anyway, ‘Uncle Lee’ can tell you how I won the ‘competition’ to win her heart. Well, let’s face it, I was better looking than Uncle Lee so certainly he would have had to lose out to me. Nevertheless, the relationship did not last because of the absence of intellectual discourse between us.
Yes, you probably would have suspected by now that I was ‘jalan’ with the Long Fu Thong, the triad that controlled that part of Kuala Lumpur. I was far from a ‘Tiger General’ and certainly not one of the ‘soldiers’ -- so I was spared the task of having to engage in any gang wars.
But the streets of Kuala Lumpur were a scary place back in the days prior to May 13. Many a time I had to run for cover as parangs ‘flew’ and blood spattered the streets. I always believed that those who fight and run away live to fight another day. So I ran like the devil was on my tail. And that is why I am still around to tell my tale.
I admit that I lost many friends. But that is the price we have to pay for our association with the triads. Those who live by the sword die by the sword. Some died in a hail of bullets. Some got ‘chopped’ to death, the 'traditional' punishment for being on the ‘wrong side’ of the street (‘salah jalan’, as we would say then). But all this was accepted as an ‘occupational hazard’ and we just shrugged off these loses and moved on.
Eventually, we all grew up and grew out of all this. We were kids and this was what kids did back in the 1960s prior to May 13. But we learned a very important lesson. And that lesson was there is honour amongst thieves. In fact, there was more honour amongst triad members then, than you would find amongst ‘honourable’ people like politicians and leaders today.
We respected ‘authority’. We had a very strict code of ethics that you broke only on pain of death. Punishment was swift and brutal and you would always pay for your crime of breaching the code of ethics and of having no honour.
It is very difficult, I know, for some of you to comprehend that the triads had honour and code of ethics. But then I am talking about the triads of the 1960s, 50 years or so ago. Times have changed, though. Even the politicians of the 1960s had honour. Today, the politicians are worse than criminals. The politicians, today, would not meet the high standards of honour that the triads of the 1960s had.
We were not criminals, as such. We did not rob, steal, sell drugs, or beat up defenceless people. We were the enforcers. We kept the peace. We kept the streets that we ‘controlled’ safe from crime so that honest and decent people could live their lives and conduct their business unhindered.
The residents and shopkeepers did not shun or defile us. They welcomed our presence because they knew we did what the police could never do -- we ensured their safety. (In fact, the people feared the police but did not fear the triads). 
Whenever any new business opened up the owner would seek us out to request ‘protection’. They were at liberty to decide whether they needed protection or not. There was no compulsion but once they offered to join the protection ‘scheme’ their premises were ‘off-limits’. No one would dare ‘violate’ these premises. To do so would mean death.
It was a good system back in the 1960s. It was how things worked then. Everyone was happy and the police did not have to worry about crime on the streets. All the police could do was to arrest the perpetrators. The triads, however, made sure that crime is eliminated through the elimination of the criminals.
As I always said: you eradicate the plague by killing the rats. This was more or less how matters were resolved on the streets of Kuala Lumpur 50 years or so ago.
Yes, enforcement of the law was swift and brutal. You disturb the peace and you die. You can’t run riot and burn shops and houses and beat up innocent and defenceless people -- like what is now happening all over the UK.
In fact, you still can’t do that in the Chinatown areas of the cities in the UK. It can happen in white, black or ‘brown’ parts of the cities in the UK, but not in the Chinatown areas. Try and the punishment would be swift and brutal.
Do I sound nostalgic? I suppose I am. The Malaysian Chinese of today are not the Chinese I knew back in the 1960s. The Chinese of today have no honour. They do not understand things such as code of ethics. They have no scruples. There is no longer any camaraderie. What has happened to the Malaysian Chinese?
Last weekend, I went to the funeral of a local Chinese leader from Liverpool (see photos below). That suddenly brought back fond memories of the Kuala Lumpur of 50 years ago. It appears like the Chinese in the UK -- those from London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, etc. -- still retain the honour and code of ethics that we once knew back in Kuala Lumpur in the 1960s.
Yes, that’s right. I think you know what I am talking about and whom I am talking about. The camaraderie and brotherhood amongst the Chinese here is very strong indeed. Brothers look after brothers. Brothers do not sell out brothers.
Malaysian Chinese should make a trip here and learn a thing or two from the UK Chinese. Those in their 60s and 70s would probably recognise this as Kuala Lumpur back in the days when they were still teenagers.
My respect for the Malaysian Chinese honour and code of ethics of the 1960s knew no bounds. It is very difficult to feel the same way about the Malaysian Chinese of today. They will sell their own mother for the right price.
Look at DAP. DAP leaders are badmouthing and sabotaging fellow DAP leaders. In the 1960s, these types of Chinese would 'disappear' without a trace. They would be executed and their bodies dumped into one of the many mining pools surrounding Kuala Lumpur.
Maybe it is time to bring back the old Chinese honour and code of ethics. Maybe it is time that the triad laws are, again, enforced and those treacherous DAP leaders with no honour and code of ethics be made to suffer a swift and brutal punishment.
Maybe only then will the DAP Chinese leaders understand what honour and code of ethics mean.

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India's Flying Coffins

Hard landing

Elderly Russian craft keep killing pilots while the government dithers on modernization 

(Asia Sentinel) Earlier this month, yet another Russian-origin MIG-21 fighter crashed in the desert state of…

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Hard landing

Elderly Russian craft keep killing pilots while the government dithers on modernization 

(Asia Sentinel) Earlier this month, yet another Russian-origin MIG-21 fighter crashed in the desert state of Rajasthan, killing a young trainee pilot and once more underlining what is perhaps the worst crash rate of any combat aircraft in operation anywhere in the world.

Not for nothing, the aircraft have been dubbed flying coffins. But in a bigger sense, their continued use is a depressing reflection on India’s slow and torturous defense modernization process to procure new fighter jets.

The elderly MIGs have formed the backbone of the Indian Air Force’s air strike capability for almost five decades, since the days when India led the world’s non-aligned movement and bought most of its military equipment from the Soviet Union, which disintegrated, leaving the Indian air force with a scarcity of spare parts. Technical snags and shoddy servicing also have resulted in many MIGs going down, killing pilots and severely disabling the Indian Air Force’s attack capability.

According to official figures, of the 793 MiG-21s inducted into the India Air Force since 1963, more than 350 have been lost in accidents, killing about 170 pilots. A recent report by the defense ministry has acknowledged that most of the MIG crashes have been attributed to outdated technology that relies on manual judgment rather than computer-driven, automated responses that more modern aircraft feature.

The Air Force, however, has been forced to rely on the outdated and near-obsolete MIGs because of the failure of the government to bring the indigenous Tejas Light Combat Aircraft into service and to import a long-awaited multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) as scheduled. The attempt to finalize the US$11 billion multi-role combat aircraft contract has been underway since at least 2001 – 10 years ago. Red tape, bureaucratic infighting and other delays have dogged the contract, however, which is supposed to take until 2013 before it is completed.

The basis of India’s defense modernization has been a perception of the rising threat from neighbors Pakistan and China, both countries against whom India has fought wars in the past. In this context, India’s stockpiling of its arsenal is aimed at building long-term deterrence against both countries.

China’s military capabilities currently far exceed those of India. The problems with Pakistan are more immediate. Apart from threats of state action India also has to guard against rogue and terror elements based in Pakistan launching an attack on Indian cities, possibly using even pilfered nuclear armaments that Islamabad possesses.

Given such a scenario, India has been seeking to build a fighter jet fleet that would be comprised of the MRCAs to replace the crash prone MiG-21 interceptors and fit between the more powerful long-range Sukhoi-30 and the lower-end indigenous Tejas lightweight fighters.

While the Russian Sukhois would build the China deterrence factor and are being deployed along India’s eastern borders, the MRCAs and the Tejas are to counter the Pakistan threat on the western borders.

However, given that India’s defense acquisition processes have long been mired in corruption, red tape, bureaucratic delays and indecision, the Tejas has already been almost three decades in the making and is not scheduled for induction before 2013 -- if matters go well, and after massive cost escalations.

The MRCA deal has been caught in debates about the extent and nature of offsets that the supplier will be obliged to follow. Offsets are investment commitments that a defense contract winner has to commit to before signing a deal with the Indian government.

All of this has meant that IAF pilots have had to operate and train with the ageing MIGs, which feature one of the highest landing and take-off speeds in the world at 340 kilometers per hour, making them extremely crash-prone.

Although the IAF has upgraded the MIG-21s, the IAF has recorded over two dozen fighter crashes over the last three years alone, more than half involving writing off the MIGs altogether. Of 10 air force crashes in 2010, four were MiG-27s and two MiG-21s. In February, an upgraded MiG-21 Bison also crashed in central India.

Yet, in the absence of alternatives, the MIGs are officially slated to be in operation till 2017, even though New Delhi has been growing visibly more urgent in the recent past to get its air power right. There has been some movement in finalizing the purchase of the 126 MRCAs. New Delhi has said that a decision will be made by the end of this year.

The bidders have been trimmed to the French Dassault Rafale or the Eurofighter Typhoon, while the Russian MiG-35, Swedish Saab Gripen, the American Boeing F/A-18 E/F and the Lockheed Martin F-16 combat jets have been rejected. Even though an unhappy Washington has been pushing New Delhi to reconsider its aircraft, it is unlikely that such a process is going to happen due to fear of more delays.

According to the defense ministry, India’s air force should comprise more than 350 fighter jet aircraft by 2020. That would include the 126 MRCAs, more than 160 new Sukhoi-30 MKIs and over 140 indigenously-built Tejas and the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) being developed jointly by Russia’s Sukhoi and India’s HAL.

However, until the plans are implemented, India air power will continue to rest far too heavily on the unstable MIG platform, which is continuing to kill both its rookie pilots – thus endangering the air force’s future -- and too many experienced ones as well.

(Siddharth Srivastava is a New Delhi-based journalist. He can be reached at sidsri@yahoo.com)

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Restricting the government’s choices?

The Nut Graph Holding Court by Ding Jo-Ann

IT was troubling to read Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s reasons for the release of eight immigration officers detained without…

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The Nut Graph Holding Court by Ding Jo-Ann

IT was troubling to read Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s reasons for the release of eight immigration officers detained without trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA). Hishammuddin said he decided to release the eight, detained “in connection” with human trafficking activities, because they showed “remorse” over their mistakes. He also considered their wishes to be with their families during Ramadan and the fact that they had “promised never to do it again in the future”.

Hishammuddin had said earlier that the eight were detained to “protect the nation’s safety and stability”. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve heard of few justice systems where those who supposedly jeopardise national security are released because they said “sorry” and wanted to go home to their families. I mean, even petty thieves don’t get released just by promising not to do it again, do they? Which leaves me wondering — what crimes did the eight supposedly commit in the first place? And if they were such a danger to national security, why weren’t they charged in court instead of being detained at the home minister’s discretion under the ISA for nine months?

All this just highlights, once again, the arbitrariness of Malaysia’s laws — where the home minister has wide and sweeping powers to detain or release “suspects”, solely upon his or her judgment. It also highlights our government’s poor commitment to upholding human rights, no matter what our leaders may tell their counterparts overseas.

Rights, not luxuries

Comments like Hishammuddin’s also make me question whether our government views human rights as rights, rather than luxuries. Viewing them as rights means acknowledging that every human being needs these rights upheld to survive and to live a dignified existence. Viewing them as luxuries means that they are optional, to be dished out when it suits the government’s fancy or perhaps when politically expedient.

Take Hishammuddin’s statements when signing the recent refugee swap deal with Australia, where Malaysia agreed to accept 800 unprocessed asylum seekers from Australia in return for Australia accepting 4,000 confirmed refugees from Malaysia. The deal came under tremendous criticism from local and international organisations as Malaysia is not a party to the United Nations (UN) refugee convention. Therefore, we do not officially recognise the legal status of refugees present in this country.

When queried on Malaysia’s non-ratification of the convention, Hishammuddin reportedly said this: “Malaysia is not signatory to the UN refugee convention because it cannot afford to give access to education, work, shelter and food to the refugees.” Hishammuddin however gave assurances that the 800 asylum seekers from Australia would have access to jobs, education and healthcare.

What our home minister is saying is, in effect: The Malaysian government would like the option of continuing to deny refugees within our shores a right to basic needs but from time to time, we may choose to provide some of them with some of these needs.

Choices

It appears that our government likes having choices when it comes to whether or not it should uphold human rights.

For example, it has certainly demonstrated its commitment to imposing its choice on the human right to assemble peacefully. The government has refused to repeal the requirement under the Police Act for gatherings of more than three to obtain police permits, a long-standing recommendation by the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) and civil society groups.

Our government also seems to relish having a choice over what people may print and read by retaining and consistently using the Printing Presses and Publications Act. The Act requires all print media to obtain an annual license to operate legally. Recently, it exercised this choice by blacking out parts of an article in The Economist referring to the Bersih 2.0 rally.

It also retains its choice over whether or not people may associate freely by maintaining the Societies Act, which allows the Registrar of Societies to declare organisations illegal, as they have done to Bersih 2.0.

And it has also maintained its choice over whether people have access to a fair trial upon arrest, with the continued existence and use of laws such as the ISA and the Emergency Ordinance (Public Order and Prevention of Crime).

Too many choices

These are choices that no government should have. Governments should not have a choice about whether people can be locked  up indefinitely without trial, can express themselves peaceably, have access to basic needs or print or read a newspaper.

Would governments want these choices? Sure, which government wouldn’t want more power, if given the chance? Which government would voluntarily tie its own hands by repealing laws that grant it more choices and require less commitment to human rights?

A new government, perhaps — anxious to please its electorate and prove its ability to govern, such as the Selangor government’s action in passing the Freedom of Information Enactment Bill in April 2011. Or a government headed by a new prime minister, anxious to shore up public support. For example, when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak assumed office in April 2009, he said the ISA would be reviewed (although this has yet to be done).

Or a government held in check by an independent judiciary which respects human rights. How this would work was recently displayed in a High Court judgment which held that the government’s withdrawal of an employment offer on the basis of pregnancy violated Article 8(2) of the Federal Constitution which prohibits gender discrimination.

Less choice

But Malaysians shouldn’t have to depend on the largesse of a new government or hope and pray for a “progressive” judge when it comes to exercising our fundamental rights. It is time our laws were amended or repealed to restrict our government’s choices when it comes to human rights. It would also be helpful if our courts exercised greater boldness and independence in upholding fundamental liberties and striking down unconstitutional laws and actions by government authorities.

For that to happen, there will need to be pressure from the people — to basically give whatever party in power no choice but to limit its own powers or face defeat at the next general election. So at the end of the day, it’s all about choices — including yours and mine. 

---

Ding Jo-Ann is struck by something peculiar. One of the detained immigration officers actually thanked the government for using the ISA against him. Meanwhile, another extolled the virtues of the “rehabilitation programme” while sobbing during a Home Ministry press conference at the Kamunting detention centre.

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RM53.4 Million Allocated To Help Students Entering Universities - Najib

PUTRAJAYA, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) has set aside RM53.4 million in initial financial aid for 35,664 students who will be entering local institutions…

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PUTRAJAYA, Aug 10 (Bernama) -- The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) has set aside RM53.4 million in initial financial aid for 35,664 students who will be entering local institutions of higher learning (IPTs) starting Sept 3, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The prime minister said eligible students would receive RM1,500 in financial aid two weeks before the date of enrolment.

"This is one of our efforts in line with the principle of democratisation of education.

"Believe me, the government will continue to help young people as they are the nation's future and we will do our best to ensure brighter future for youths," he said at the breaking of fast with student leaders from 68 local and foreign IPTs at Seri Perdana here Wednesday night.

The prime minister's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin were present.

Najib, who is also Finance Minister, said the assistance was meant for students from families earning not more than RM4,000 per month and had never received a PTPTN loan before.

In another development, he said various proactive programmes were being carried out to ensure brighter future for youths in the country.

As a caring government that places importance on the welfare of young people, he said the Higher Education Ministry had never thought of raising university fees.

"Although the prices of all items, including houses and food such as nasi lemak and teh tarik are rising but tuition fees have not been increased. I want to emphasise that tuition fees have never been reviewed in this country," he said.

Turning to riots in London and several West Asian countries such as Libya, he said the uprisings erupted as young people were not given ample opportunities in education and employment.

Najib said the existence of 21 public universities and scores of private institutions of higher learning clearly showed the democratisation of education in the country was running well.

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Malaysiakini ‘Top Blogs’ Kit kontrol, yang kritis ditendang keluar

Khalid Ibrahim mengeluarkan perintah tutup mulut semalam melarang jemaah exconya memberi komen mereka tentang majlis makan malam DUMC yang disertai Muslim.

Lim Guan Eng juga meletakkan ‘gag order’ ke atas…

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Khalid Ibrahim mengeluarkan perintah tutup mulut semalam melarang jemaah exconya memberi komen mereka tentang majlis makan malam DUMC yang disertai Muslim.

Lim Guan Eng juga meletakkan ‘gag order’ ke atas orang kanannya minggu ini menegah sebarang perbincangan tentang isu pertelingkahan Jeff Ooi dengan exco Pulau Pinang Wong Hon Wai.

Adakah tindakan kedua-dua orang Menteri Besar kerajaan negeri Pakatan akan mendokong prinsip ketelusan yang seringkali diuar-uarkan ‘politik baru’ pembangkang?

Sekiranya melibatkan hanya ahli parti bolehlah disumbat mulut mereka. Tetapi bagaimana pula kalau ianya si blogger berkecuali yang tulisannya bernada kritis?

Blog Hartal MSM muncul online pada bulan Julai 2009. Ia disenaraikan dalam Malaysiakini Top Blogs semenjak dari tarikh pelancarannya sehinggalah bulan Mac tahun ini.

Namun susulan daripada penerbitan dua rencana bertajuk ‘Pakatan ban critical press, supporters jeer articles’ dan ‘Interlok: Pakatan’s sabotage’, Hartal dengan serta-merta telah ditendang keluar daripada Malaysiakini Top Blogs. Memang DAP pantang ditegur.

Media baru yang nyata berpihak kepada Pakatan juga enggan memberi ruang bagi komentar yang tidak sejajar dengan agenda anti-kerajaan mereka.

Seorang pembaca Malaysiakini bergelar ‘AkuMelayu’ telah menulis di RockyBru:

I was a regular commenter in M’kini until they banned me for retaliating to numerous comments from opposition ball-lickers. And Steven Gan went against his words/promise to allow me to come back after a month.

Screenshot ‘Top Blogs’ Malaysiakini pada 19 Mei 2011

Kalau dilihat screenshot di atas, lebih separuh (yakni 23) daripada 45 pautan Top Blogs di Malaysiakini adalah posting yang diambil daripada blog Lim Kit Siang. Rupa-rupanya hanya suara Kit yang dibenarkan berkumandang di portal berita tersebut.

Posting yang selainnya siapa lagi kalau bukan orang Pakatan — Anwar Ibrahim dan Ahli Parlimen DAP Charles Santiago masing-masing menyumbangkan 6 dan 4.

Rata-rata semua pro-Pakatan termasuklah Teresa Kok dan Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. Hanya Rocky Bru sahaja yang tidak mengikut acuan. Meskipun begitu, dia berada di senarai sekadar untuk tokenism ataupun nyiru dibiarkan menutup bangkai gajah.

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Kehadiran tentera China di kawasan tuntutan bertindih harus dipandang serius

Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) mengajak seluruh rakyat melihat isu Pertahanan negara dan isu kedaulatan negara sebagai satu isu yang serius dan penting.

Menurut beberapa sumber maklumat yang dikenal pasti…

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Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) mengajak seluruh rakyat melihat isu Pertahanan negara dan isu kedaulatan negara sebagai satu isu yang serius dan penting.

Menurut beberapa sumber maklumat yang dikenal pasti sahih menyatakan Tentera China sudah berada dikawasan tuntutan bertindih di Laut China Selatan.

Beberapa kawasan strategik di Laut China Selatan telah menjadi kawasan tuntutan bertindih antara China, Malaysia, Brunei, Filipina, Vietnam, Thailand dan Kemboja. Kedudukan kedukan strategik dari aspek ekonomi dan ketenteraan ini akan menjadi tegang jika tidak ditangani dengan bijaksana. Malah jika kita cuai dalam mengendalikan isu ini kemungkinan besar kita akan terlepas kawasan berharga ini.

Terbaru dilaporkan China mula menghantar tentera secara serius di kawasan tersebut dan mula bertindak agresif. Menurut satu maklumat keselamatan menyatakan Peristiwa yang berlaku baru-baru ini (iaitu) apabila kabel untuk cari gali kepunyaan Vietnam telah dipotong oleh Tentera Laut China dan di Filipina mereka telah memulakan untuk mengambil pulau di sana.

Selain dari usaha diplomatik kita juga harus memperkemaskan kedudukan ketenteraan negara agar disegani di sempadan.

SAMM tidak pasti sama ada latihan OPS Pasir berhampiran kawasan tuntutan bertindih Spratly yang diadakan baru ini dengan mengundang wartawan secara terbuka merupakan satu tindakan tepat. Ada timbul cakap - cakap yang mempertikaikan kecekapan pertahanan negara apabila kononya banyak latihan tembakan tersasar. Malah dari aspek peralatan kita agak ketinggalan. Abu sayaf sudah menggunakan bot 4 injin tetapi negara botnya hanya dua injin. Sejauh mana kebenaran tidak dapat dipastikan tetapi kewujudan cakap - cakap seperti ini harus dielakkan. Pihak yang berwajib seharusnya lebih hati - hati dalam isu mempertontonkan kemampuan ketenteraan negara.

Namun dalam aspek peralatan jika benar Malaysia masih lemah ia amat memalukan kerana setelah sebegitu banyak dana rakyat terbazir dalam bidang pertahanan seharusnya Malaysia melangkah jauh kedepan dalam aspek ini.

Ketika Malaysia sibuk berbelanja membeli peralatan perang terpakai negara jiran kita Indonesia sudah jauh ke depan. Setelah projek jet tempur generasi baru dan kapal selam, kini Indonesia mahu buat kenderaan tempur 4X4 macam Humvee.

Kisah kehebatan industri pertahanan Indonesia yang mengeluarkan kapal selam, bot selam, jet pejuang generasi baru, hoverkraf, kereta perisai, kapal terbang, helikopter, kapal peronda, senapang tempur , roket sendiri pada pautan berikut http://amkns.blogspot.com/2011/08/indonesia-buat-kapal-selam-tahun-2012.html

Kehadiran tentera China secara serius di kawasan tuntutan bertindih juga mungkin berpunca dari kehadiran Pegawai Memerintah Pasukan Tentera Laut Pasifik Amerika Syarikat, Laksamana Robert Williard ke Malaysia dan persetujuan Malaysia mengenai kehadiran Tentera negera penjajah era baru itu ke kawasan tersebut dan secara tidak lansung kononya menjadikan negara Uncle Sam itu sebagai orang tengah dalam isu pertindihan tuntutan.

SAMM sekali lagi mengesa regim penguasa negara ini agar melihat perkara ini dengan serius bukan sambil lewa. Malaysia tidak wajar hanya bersandar kepada Amerika Syarikat semata - mata dan percaya bahawa negara itu akan melindungi kepentingan negara. Apa jaminan Amerika tidak berpihak kepada Filiphina yang dilihat lebih menjamin kepentingan Amerika Syarikat atau menjadikan khazanah di kawasan tuntutan bertindih sebagai pertukaran kepada Regim Myanmar agar tunduk dengan mereka ?

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Mengapa rusuhan berlaku di Britain?

The riots in the UK have prompted many to look closer at what is happening over there.
Yang penting ialah untuk memahami latar belakang socio-ekonomi di negara tersebut. Terdapat jurang…

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The riots in the UK have prompted many to look closer at what is happening over there.
Yang penting ialah untuk memahami latar belakang socio-ekonomi di negara tersebut. Terdapat jurang pendapatan yang luas di antara golongan kaya dengan kaum miskin.

This income inequality is compounded by a sense of deprivation, racism and distrust of the police. Consumerism has heightened the sense of relative deprivation and prompted some to take short-cuts to achieve the usual, superficial trappings of youthful yearning – hence the looting of high-street shops selling merchandise much coveted by the youth.

Nina Power cuba memberi konteks untuk apa yang sedang berlaku di Britain dalam akhbar The Guardian:

One journalist wrote that he was surprised how many people in Tottenham knew of and were critical of the IPCC, but there should be nothing surprising about this. When you look at the figures for deaths in police custody (at least 333 since 1998 and not a single conviction of any police officer for any of them), then the IPCC and the courts are seen by many, quite reasonably, to be protecting the police rather than the people.

Combine understandable suspicion of and resentment towards the police based on experience and memory with high poverty and large unemployment and the reasons why people are taking to the streets become clear. (Haringey, the borough that includes Tottenham, has the fourth highest level of child poverty in London and an unemployment rate of 8.8%, double the national average, with one vacancy for every 54 seeking work in the borough.)
Those condemning the events of the past couple of nights in north London and elsewhere would do well to take a step back and consider the bigger picture: a country in which the richest 10% are now 100 times better off than the poorest, where consumerism predicated on personal debt has been pushed for years as the solution to a faltering economy, and where, according to the OECD, social mobility is worse than any other developed country.

As Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett point out in The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone, phenomena usually described as “social problems” (crime, ill-health, imprisonment rates, mental illness) are far more common in unequal societies than ones with better economic distribution and less gap between the richest and the poorest. Decades of individualism, competition and state-encouraged selfishness – combined with a systematic crushing of unions and the ever-increasing criminalisation of dissent – have made Britain one of the most unequal countries in the developed world.

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