Cry of the silent millions goes unheeded

When the Malayan flag was hoisted in 1957, 'every person there did not represent one race, they were Malayans,” recalls Mrs FR Bhupalan, who was then a 30-year-old mother of…

More ► More ▼

When the Malayan flag was hoisted in 1957, 'every person there did not represent one race, they were Malayans,” recalls Mrs FR Bhupalan, who was then a 30-year-old mother of two.

SPECIAL

KUALA LUMPUR: At the age of 84, Rasammah Bhupalan’s eyes still light up at the mention of Aug 31, 1957.

Her eagerness when sharing what she witnessed that momentous day is infectious and at times poignant.
Known to many as Mrs FR Bhupalan, she was both a Malaysian freedom fighter and social activist.

Having championed causes such as the anti-drug abuse movement, women’s rights, education and social justice, Bhupalan was one of the earliest women involved in the fight for Malaysian (then Malaya) independence.

At the age of 16, she joined the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, the women’s wing of the Indian National Army, to fight the British.

As founder president of the Women Teacher’s Union, she fought for equal pay for women teachers and tried to bring a disparate teachers’ unions under the same roof.

With these achievements, which she described as, “modest”, it is little wonder why she feels so strongly about the day Malaya was liberated and recalls the day with much clarity and enthusiasm.

“It was the most exhilarating and happy period of the time. But it also came with the realisation that therein was a challenge (for me) as a citizen of an independent country and nation.

“It made me think about how I must undertake certain responsibilities and have greater participation in the life of our country. I was 30 years old at the time.”

On the eve of Merdeka, Bhupalan made her way from Ipoh to be in Kuala Lumpur with two of her children in tow – a girl of five and a boy of three.

Excitement and anticipation

Having been a student of history, Bhupalan felt it was important that when the Union Jack was brought down and our Malayan flag hoisted, she should be there in order for her to share with her children the value of liberty.

So together with her cousins, Mrs Bhupalan arrived at what is now is known as Dataran Merdeka, as early at 9pm on Aug 30.

She recalled that even at that time, a massive crowd had already gathered.

There is pride in her voice when she recalls that the ambience that night was breathtaking.

“People were chatting and there were happy shouts everywhere. I never saw anything like it. Then the Union Jack came down and it was the most poignant moment.

“The clock struck 12 midnight and Tunku Abdul Rahman raised our flag. I was emotional with happiness because I felt that the future held great promise.

“Here was a country previously under colonial rule but which was now free.

“The whole spirit of that night was triumphant. Every person there did not represent one race, they were Malayans,” she says, her voice catching.

At this juncture, she pauses and shared a thought that had come to her mind while witnessing the historic moment.

“My paternal grandfather came to Malaya in 1860 as a contractor and there I was standing as witness to this independence in 1957, three years short of a century.

“This fact struck me at the time. For me, there was every hope that Malaya would achieve its independence with a unity in spite of our multi-racial, cultural, language, and socio-economic differences.

“Tunku brought forth great hope. There would be no turning back now and as a nation, we would be moving forward,” she said.

When ‘hope’ was born

Bhupalan smiles when she recalls the Merdeka morning. She arrived at the newly constructed Merdeka Stadium very early and the first thing that caught her attention were flag poles upon which state flags flew.

“The guest list was impressive, but we squeezed ourselves in. Yes, we were insignificant among the illustrious guests, but being there when our independence was declared made me feel very special.

“It was a majestic and breathtaking sight to see our nine Sultans decked out in full regalia looking so strong and proud,” she said.

When asked about her stand on the monarchy and liberty, Bhupalan said she believes in the status of the Sultans.

“I knew at the time that we were a constitutionally democratic country where we would have free elections.

“There was hope that the nation of Malaya would uphold the constitutional monarchy within a democratic party.

“That the government would assure that every man, woman and child would get their place in the sun. The whole concept of a democracy was there.”

She said she knew then that everyone had rights that would be protected by the constitution, and the government which the citizens would elect would have the power and responsibility to rule this new country.

“Electing the government was one thing, but more essential was assuring that each person becomes major players in the various multi-faceted responsibilities.

“It was the duty of a citizen to contribute to the progress and development of this new, young nation, ” she said, adding that it is not enough to be a recipient of rights without understanding that with this comes both accountability and responsibility.

True spirit lost

When asked her views on the current situation in Malaysia, Bhupalan was biting. She didn’t mince her words.

“To be honest and forthright, I am greatly perturbed and disappointed that many aspects of life which we had dedicated ourselves to in the country have not received the same commitment and dedication from the vast numbers of persons.

“Many men and women have lost the true spirit of sacrifice, but there are also others who are pushing forward for change.

“In our country, we have… acquired a spirit of complacency. We have lost in part our spirit and determination to stand up without fear or favour.

“Many have just chosen to accept instead of boldly stating what should be a strong impetus for the country and our people as a whole.

“There is a streak of egotistical self-sufficiency, which has become a major part of our individual life.
“There are millions in Malaysia who have seen minimal change. The gap between the haves and the have-nots is still with us.

“The cry of the silent millions goes unheeded. From 1957 to 2011, could we the citizens have made a greater, positive contribution to the lives of the have-nots?
“I ask myself this everyday.”

No unity now

Bhupalan also feels strongly that a predominant part of our early history is tragically lost.
She opines that rhetoric from politicians, leaders of corporate bodies, non-governmental organisations and from both men and women clearly shows that the much-needed action is ignored.

The need for a strong proponent for unity in the country is unfortunately not present.
“Perhaps it’s insufficient to sit in an armchair and make the assumption I have.

“But it is my firm belief that democracy should be a government of the people, by the people, for the people and with the people.

“For me, liberty means that we are able to stand strong, bold and state the intrinsic responsibility regardless of position or any other factor.

“Liberty to me is to be able to voice your opinion without fearing for your life.

“Freedom of speech from time immemorial has been the deepest yearnings of man.

“I have made very modest contributions to the country but I have never lost or even lacked the conviction that it is my inalienable right as a citizen to be forthright and fearless in expressing in clear-cut terms my convictions,” she said.

Climate of fear and silence

Bhupalan adds that the rule of law, justice, equality, and respect for all persons regardless of culture, ethnicity and religion is the right of everyone.

“We must be wary of those who speak on justice, freedom, principles and values with a forked tongue.
“It is my prayer that the annals of history will record in clear, unequivocal terms the conduct of such persons.

“The climate of fear and silence must never be permitted to take over our nation,” she said.

She added that while optimism and hope are laudable, citizens must accept the heavy responsibility of active participation and call for change.

There is, she added, an imperative need for democracy and the rights of the people to be upheld.

She recalled a saying from Aristotle which reads, “We live in deeds, not years: In thoughts not breaths; In feelings, not in figures on a dial. We should count time by heartthrobs. He most lives Who thinks most, feels the noblest, acts the best.”

She said the famed leader of the Indian National Army, Netaji Subash Chandrabose, had also said something equally strong and succint.

“Chandrabose said ‘Live for others if you want to live’. This is what every Malaysian should be feeling every day of their lives.

“And this is what liberty, unity and democracy is to me.”

▲

Racism on the rise in Europe

In Norway, England, the Netherlands, Russia, and especially Austria, racist and Islamophobic movements are on the rise.

In the wake of the atrocities in Norway perpetrated by Anders Behring Breivik,…

More ► More ▼

In Norway, England, the Netherlands, Russia, and especially Austria, racist and Islamophobic movements are on the rise.

In the wake of the atrocities in Norway perpetrated by Anders Behring Breivik, it is still unclear whether he was part of a wider conspiracy, but alarm bells are now ringing across Europe about the threat from far-right extremist groups. With no end in sight to the economic crisis afflicting many nations, the growing fear is that voters are increasingly attracted to far-right parties, many of whom have been building support by opposing immigration and stirring up hatred of Muslims.

In Norway, the right-wing Progress party garnered 23 per cent of the vote in the last election, making it the second-largest. And a recent poll found that half of all Norwegians favour restricting immigration. This did not go far enough for Breivik, who believed that the forced deportation of Muslims should be government policy, a radical political view he formed over time by participating in extreme online forums where he discussed his beliefs with like-minded individuals across the world.

The 32-year-old Norwegian made his thoughts clear in a 1,500 page document he wrote before embarking on his killing spree. Shortly before he detonated his bomb in Oslo and then killed 68 people on Utoeya, Breivik emailed his document to 1,003 of his far-right contacts, including extremists in England whom Breivik boasted to have forged links with in recent years in his opposition to Islam.

He particularly admired the English Defence League for its anti-Islam stance, and - according to the respected anti-fascist magazine, Searchlight - posted a message on its website in March this year. Using the pseudonym Sigurd Jorsalfare after a Norwegian king who led a Crusade in the 12th century, Breivik wrote: "Hello. To you all good English men and women, just wanted to say that you're a blessing to all in Europe, in these dark times all of Europe are looking to you in such [sic] of inspiration, courage and even hope that we might turn this evil trend with islamisation all across our continent."

United Kingdom

Searchlight said that Breivik had been in contact with both the EDL and its Norwegian counterpart, the Norwegian Defence League (NDL), a claim denied by the EDL whose leadership condemned Breivik's crimes.
The EDL has always insisted it is a peaceful protest group which opposes militant Islam, but since its inception in 2009, violence has erupted at many EDL demonstrations in Britain.

Stephen Lennon, who was convicted last week (Monday) of leading a street brawl involving 100 soccer fans in the English city of Luton in August 2010, is one of the founders of the EDL and during an interview with Al Jazeera in 2009, he explained why the group formed in Luton, the city where he lives: "For more than a decade now, there's been tension in Luton between Muslim youths and whites. We all get on fine - black, white, Indian, Chinese - everyone does, in fact, apart from some Muslim youths who've become extremely radicalised since the first Gulf War. Preachers of hate such as Anjem Choudary have been recruiting for radical Islamist groups in Luton for years. Our government does nothing, so we decided we'd start protesting against radical Islam, and it grew from there," he said.

While the EDL has been largely unsuccessful in gaining public support - mainly due to the fact that its core consists of football hooligans - there is concern that the group could be inspiring other unstable individuals who oppose Islam. The EDL has been pro-active in building links across the world and claims to have support from - aside from people in Norway - Holland, France, Sweden, USA and Israel, among others.

The Netherlands

Indeed, the EDL embraced the Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders, whom Breivik also cited in his writings. Wilders is virulently anti-Islam and leads the Party for Freedom, Holland's third-largest party. He is a controversial figure who antagonised the Muslim world by calling for a ban on the Quran, which he likened to Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. Despite this, Wilders was voted politician of the year in 2007 by the Dutch press, and his Freedom Party went from winning nine seats in the 2006 election to 24 in 2010, taking a larger share of the vote than the Christian Democrats.

Austria

Austria has a Freedom Party (FPO) too, with a similar political outlook. The party is led by Heinz-Christian Strache, who has been successful in drumming up support by opposing Islam and immigration.

In 2008, the FPO and Alliance for the Future (BZO) jointly secured almost one-third of the electorate's vote during the 2008 election. Campaigning against the "Islamisation" of Austria, the two parties secured 29 per cent in a result viewed as a horrifying development by many people across Europe. Both parties ran highly xenophobic campaigns, particularly the FPO, which pledged to set up a ministry to deport foreigners and whose leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, mocked homosexuals and described women in Islamic dress as "female ninjas". The FPO also wishes to revoke the Verbotsgesetz, an Austrian law enacted in 1947 that bans the promotion of neo-Nazi ideology.

Strache has been at the centre of controversy, and pictures surfaced in 2008 showing the FPO leader wearing army fatigues and clutching what appeared to be a gun in a forest. The images were allegedly taken at a neo-Nazi training camp in his youth, but Strache denied this and said they were from a day out paint-balling. He was also photographed apparently giving a three-fingered neo-Nazi salute in a bar, though he said he was only ordering three beers.

The FPO has tried to distance itself from extremism, but the party was founded by two former SS officers, Anton Reinthaller and Herbert Schweiger. In 2008, I interviewed Schweiger - who died this past July - at his home in Austria a few weeks before he was due to appear in court on charges, for the fifth time, of promoting neo-Nazi ideology.

Described to me as the "Puppet Master" of Austria and Germany's far right, Schweiger, 85, was remarkably sharp-minded and remained proud of his Nazi views. He was a lieutenant in the Waffen SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, an elite unit formed in the 1930s to act as the Führer's personal bodyguards. After escaping a POW camp during WWII, Schweiger returned to his homeland, Austria, where he lived openly from 1947 and became heavily involved in politics.

He was a founding member of three political parties in Austria - the VDU, the FPO, and the banned NDP. During our interview he also admitted to involvement in terrorism and training a far-right cell comprising of Burschenschaften (right-wing brotherhoods founded in universities) who were fighting for the reunification of Austria and South Tyrol, now part of Italy, in 1961.

"I was an explosives expert in the SS so I trained the Burschenschaften how to make bombs. We used the hotel my wife and I owned as a training camp," he said. Thirty people in Italy were murdered during a bombing campaign. One man convicted for the atrocities, Norbert Burger, later formed the now-banned neo-Nazi NDP party with Schweiger. Schweiger's involvement earned him his first spell in custody in 1962, but he was acquitted.

Schweiger gave support to the FPO, saying that Strache was correct with his strategy in opposing Islam and immigration. Schweiger said that despite his age, he still travelled widely both in Austria and Germany to teach "the fundamentals of Nazism" to underground cells of neo-Nazis whom, he claimed, had infiltrated mainstream political parties such as the FPO.

The FPO disputed this, but according to Vienna's Documentation Centre of Austrian Resistance (DOW) - which monitors neo-Nazi activity - the party has strong links to neo-Nazis through the Burschenschaften, many of whom are members of Strache's party.

The Burschenschaften were banned by the Allies after WWII, but reformed in the 1950s. In 1987, Olympia, one of the most extreme fraternities, nominated Rudolf Hess for the Nobel Peace Prize. Senior members of the FPO are Burschenschaften, including Strache and Martin Graf, who was elected deputy president of the Austrian Parliament after the election, despite vociferous opposition from concentration camp survivors. The FPO's Andreas Molzer is also Burschenschaften and has met with the British National Party in London. Graf, Strache and Molzer all strongly denied having links to extremists and the FPO said that it only wishes to revoke the Verbotsgesetz because it believes in upholding freedom of expression.

Wolfgang Purtscheller, a revered author and journalist who has spent his career exposing Austria's far right at great risk to his life, said that neo-Nazis have learned by the mistakes of their past, and are now working to build public support within the mainstream parties:

"You had people like Schweiger - the puppet master in the mountains for half a century - able to form political parties while teaching people to make bombs, and the Burschenshaften with its history of terrorism and links to the mainstream parties. These are the intellectuals who hold the positions of power in Austrian society, in the police, the judiciary and in parliament. The neo-Nazis have learned by the mistakes of their past and are now working to build public support within the mainstream parties. Imagine what could happen if the FPO gets rid of the Verbotsgesetz."

The FPO continues to do well, and last October the party's vote surged when it took 27 per cent of the vote in Vienna's provincial election. Later that month, the FPO hosted a two-day conference attended by far-right factions from across Europe, including representatives of the Sweden Democrats, Italy's Lega Nord and the Danish People's Party. Strache has succeeded in making the FPO "respectable", and last week he sacked a party official who responded to the Norwegian murders by declaring that the real danger was Islam, not Breivik.

Russia

Russia is another nation experiencing an upsurge in racism and anti-Islamic sentiments. A number of neo-Nazi groups have sprung up in recent years, the most extreme of which have attacked and killed foreigners and immigrants from Chechnya, Tajikstan, and Caucasian nations that were once part of the USSR.

This past July, Amnesty International reported that racially-motivated violence remained a serious problem in Russia. The AI report said that, according to data from the SOVA Centre for Information and Analysis, 37 people died as a result of hate crimes during 2010. The authors wrote:

"In April, Moscow judge Eduard Chuvashov was killed, reportedly by members of a far-right group, after he had sentenced several perpetrators of hate crimes to long-term imprisonment. In October, 22-year-old Vasilii Krivets was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 15 people of non-Slavic appearance. The extent of the problem was brought into sharp focus shortly before the AI report was published when five members of one of Russia's most vicious neo-Nazi gangs were jailed for committing 27 murders. They belonged to the Nationalist Socialist Society North and were handed life sentences at Moscow City Court. The string of killings included the videotaped decapitation of one of their own gang members."

During the trial, the court heard how the gang targeted dark-skinned victims. They were also convicted of decapitating one of their own whom they suspected of being a police informant and stealing money from the gang's funds. The decapitation, during which they donned clown masks and sang a patriotic song, was videotaped and posted online. Following the case, a group of nationalists announced a coalition with Russia's third-largest political party, the Liberal Democrat Party, which is committed to protecting Russian people and their interests.

Breivik, who murdered 76 people, said he was committed to protecting Europe from Islam. He claimed that two cells from a network he was involved with were still active. It remains to be seen if the 32-year-old was a lone wolf, but it would appear that the far right is on the march.

Billy Briggs is a freelance journalist. His work has appeared in the New Statesman, The Guardian, the Sunday Times and other publications around the world.

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent Al Jazeera's editorial policy.

▲

Bukit Kepong ‘battle’: NGOs back Mat Sabu

Deputy IGP criticised for practising double standard in carrying out police investigation of the PAS deputy president.

KUALA LUMPUR: Several NGOs today criticised Deputy Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar…

More ► More ▼

Deputy IGP criticised for practising double standard in carrying out police investigation of the PAS deputy president.

KUALA LUMPUR: Several NGOs today criticised Deputy Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar for practising “double standard” over the controversy surrounding PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu’s remarks on the Bukit Kepong incident.

Last week, Mohamad Sabu, also popularly known as Mat Sabu, criticised Utusan Malaysia over its report which suggested that he allegedly praised the communist insurgents who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station during the Emergency on Feb 23, 1950 as heroes.

During a political rally in Tasek Gelugor on Aug 21, Mat Sabu allegedly said that “nearing Merdeka, the Bukit Kepong clip will be aired”.

“In Bukit Kepong, the police were British policemen. Those who attacked Bukit Kepong were the true freedom fighters. Their leader was Mat Indera (Muhammad Indera).”

Later, Khalid confirmed that police will investigate Mat Sabu after receiving 49 police reports nationwide regarding his alleged statement, and might charge him under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
Angkatan Warga Aman Malaysia (WargaAMAN), representing 20 major Indian NGOs, came to the defence of Mat Sabu saying that people will lost their trust in the police for clearly discriminating against the Pakatan Rakyat leader.

“We are not against the police decision, but why didn’t the police take similar action against Utusan Malaysia, Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali and Senator Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor for their racial statements?” WargaAMAN secretary-general S Barathidasan asked.

He said that WargaAMAN itself had lodged numerous reports against Utusan Malaysia and Ibrahim for stoking racial tension, but till today the police did not carry out a single investigation.

He added that the reputation of the police will be damaged if they continued to show favoritism to the Barisan Nasional.

Barathidasan also fully supports the views of Mat Sabu as “substantively correct”.
“The Bukit Kepong incident is the best example of Malaysians being ‘blind to history’ or to the spin of the Umno-led government.”

The incident took place seven years before independence.

“The 17 policemen and family members who died in the attack had served the British government and not the interest of the people in Malaya,” he added.

He also said that during the Japanese occupation, the British colony supplied weapons to the Malaya Communist Party (MCP) in the fight against the Japanese.

“But, later the communists withdrew their support from the British after the government refused to talk to them,” he said, adding that Mat Indera were among the few Malay heroes who fought both the Japanese and British rulers.

Mat Sabu’s view on Mat Indera is therefore correct, he said.

▲

Communist Malaya?

By John Doe

"..An abundance of material wealth, allowing for distribution based on need and social relations based on freely associated individuals." -Karl Marx

"production for use and the direct allocation…

More ► More ▼

By John Doe

"..An abundance of material wealth, allowing for distribution based on need and social relations based on freely associated individuals." -Karl Marx

"production for use and the direct allocation of economic inputs to satisfy economic demands and human needs (use value); accounting is based on physical quantities of resources, some physical magnitude, or a direct measure of labour-time.[4][5] Goods and services for consumption are distributed through markets, and distribution of income is based on the principle ofindividual merit/individual contribution..." - Socialism

Simply put, it means: "Those who have more should help those who have less..."

The NEP is directly based on the above two core concepts of Communism, and Socialism. I'd like to see UMNO scream, and shout, and rant now. In fact, Socialists inspired by the Soviet model of economic development, such as Marxist-Leninists, have advocated the creation of centrally planned economies directed by a single-party state that owns the means of production.

Read all the key words above again. They are nouns. Perfect Nouns. Socialism, Communism, Marxist-Leninists, distribution based on need and social relations, Centrally-planned economies and single-party state. And the verb is "own the means of production". Now for brain-exercise time. Who issues the licenses? Who controls the licenses of what people listen to? Who issues the license of what people watch on TV? Who says the richer shall help the poorer? Who says that the very concept of NEP is not Communal in nature?

Let's look at other terms in use: 

'The proletariat', who collectively constitute the main producer of wealth in society, and who are perpetually exploited and marginalized. Surely even one with  a feeble mind does not need to think very hard to guess who that refers to.

"No matter what specific form the communist revolution takes, its aim is for the working class to replace the exploiter class as the ruling class to establish a society without class divisions, called socialism..."

It has become very obvious that UMNO read and memorized Karl Marx's book, Communist Manifesto. For in it, he laid out a 10-point plan advising the redistribution of land and production to begin the transition to communism, but he ensured that even this was very general and all-encompassing. It has always been presumed that Marx intended these theories to read this way specifically so that later theorists in specific situations could adapt communism to their own localities and conditions.

On the History issue again, let us start to rewrite Malayan History, by starting out with:

Malaya was conquered by a Hindu Indonesian from Palembang. Malaya was then known as Tanah Siam. Sejarah Melayu confirms this, when it  demonstrates how the King of Temasik was murdered by this incoming Hindu Prince from Indonesia. This murdering Hindu Indonesian did not respect the Sovereignty of Thailand. He just came in and took whatever he wanted. None of his descendants have been punished for those crimes  yet. Yes, Sin can be passed down Genealogically. Just ask any Christian, Muslim or Jew. So, if your Grandaddy did something wrong, and if he was not punished yet, then you, the grandchild needs to pay for it. Illogical? Tell that to all those who say "I believe, and therefore, its true".

Back on the History of Malaya, subsequent conquerers came and went. Anyone who fought the conquerers are heroes, any who did not are deemed traitors to the land. Simple as that. Check the year, and if it was a year where locals fought the "Foreign Party", then, they should be called heroes. Amazingly, Malaysia decided to award Bumiputraship to the Portuguese, adopt 15% of the Portuguese Language into their own, and work with the Japanese Forces during WW 2 instead. Look East is a clear demonstration of how Malaya sucks up to their non-Muslim former invaders. Stupid? who knows... Ironically, UMNO is also actively shooting those who contribute the most to the Income-Tax Coffers of Malaya.

Perhaps Ghaddafi should be the next UMNO leader. He has plenty of money, is currently in dire need of a new home, and looks rather Malay-like anyway. Just pop a non-Islamic songkok and samping on him, and he'll blend right in. But hey, according to the Constitution, even an Eskimo, or Osama bin Laden can be a Malay.

I'll end with "Stupid is as stupid does". In the meantime, let's all get rid of UMNO.

▲

Anwar’s Sept 16 Bid Was Real, Says Wikileaks Cable

Malaysiakini
A leaked US embassy cable has lent credence to Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim’s claim that a group of Sabah and Sarawak politicians had planned to defect from the…

More ► More ▼

Malaysiakini
A leaked US embassy cable has lent credence to Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim’s claim that a group of Sabah and Sarawak politicians had planned to defect from the BN on Sept 16, 2008, over the marginalisation of the two states.

An entry in the cable, posted by Wikileaks, quotes former Sabah chief minister Salleh Said Keruak (right) as telling US Embassy officials that potentially more than half of the 25 Sabah MPs were ready to abandon the BN.

The cable claimed further that embassy officials found “no expressions of support” for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s leadership among the senior Sabah politicians they met in a series of meetings in the state from June 18-20 that year.

“Matter-of-factly, Salleh stated that between eight and 14 BN MPs (out of Sabah’s 25 MPs) would leave the BN, naming five from Umno and four from Upko, in addition to two from Sapp,” the cable, dated June 24, 2008, reads.

This is the first time a source outside of Pakatan has lent any legitimacy to Anwar’s Malaysia Day claims, which eventually turned out to be a dud despite months spent declaring that the opposition would take over the federal administration on the symbolic date.

Talk of the purported defections were not helped by a “study tour” in Taiwan organised by the BN backbenchers club (BNBBC) – consisting largely of MPs from Sabah and Sarawak – in the weeks before Sept 16, with claims that it was to block attempts to woo the MPs over to the other side.

The situation became even more suspect when a five-memberteam from PKR followed suit a few days later, with vice-president Tian Chua – then the publicity chief – confirming that they would be meeting “some MPs” to rethink their positions in the BN.

BNBBC chief and Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing, however, denied that the tour had any objectives outside the official line that they were there to learn about Taiwan’s agriculture industry.

Loathing Abdullah, distrusting Anwar

However, the cable, marked confidential, said that while senior Sabah politicians were unanimous in their disgruntlement over Abdullah’s (right) leadership, they at the same time had little support for Anwar.

This appeared to be the case across political lines, with old wounds clearly still raw over Anwar’s purported role in the toppling of the PBS state government in 1994, when he was deputy prime minister in Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s administration.

The cable said Salleh, described as an “Umno warlord”, and Sapp president Yong Teck Lee – also a former chief minister – had both pointed out Anwar’s popularity in Sabah, especially among local Malays, but stated little else in terms of support for the former Umno stalwart.

PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan, a direct casualty of his party’s downfall in 1994 from a string of defections to BN, made his stand clear against Anwar, who he described as someone who “is only interested in becoming prime minister”, as quoted in the cable.

More intriguingly, however, is the alleged statement of the then-state DAP chief and current Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew King Cheu, who the cable quoted as “scornfully” saying; “why should anyone sacrifice for Anwar’s ambitions?”

The cable also cited discussions by “some Sabah politicians” of forming a third block outside of BN and Pakatan, with support – especially from DAP – for Umno veteran and former Semangat 46 chief Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to lead a third parliamentary block incorporating “disaffected MPs” from Umno, East Malaysia and opposition parties PKR and DAP.

“Other politicians, including PBS leader Pairin, simply appeared to endorse DPM Najib taking over immediately from Abdullah,” the cable added, in reference to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who served as deputy premier during Abdullah’s term.

Defections needed to clean out EC

A separate cable, issued a month earlier on May 13, also classified as confidential, quoted the then PKR vice-president Azmin Ali as saying that some BN parliamentarians were expected to announce their defections between May 17 and 18, describing it as an important move to avoid “manipulation” of the electoral rolls ahead of a planned by-election that eventually saw Anwar elected to Parliament. The by-election was on Aug 26.

The cable quoted Azmin, now the party’s deputy president, as claiming that the Election Commission would delay any by-election to the very end of the 60-day period to give BN and the commission time to “manipulate the electoral roll” and guarantee that Anwar would lose.

Azmin had apparently argued that it was better for the opposition to first take in BN defectors and form an interim government, before having a by-election to allow Anwar to contest and win a parliamentary seat.

“Once the Peoples’ Alliance (Pakatan) obtains the mandate to form the government, it will immediately oust the current Election Commission chairman, who is seen as able to block Anwar’s chances of becoming an MP,” the cable said.

The EC chief at the time was Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, who served until his retirement in December, 2008 after overseeing seven general elections. He was succeeded by the then Home Ministry secretary-general Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.

▲

PSM sedition probe saga: Police not letting up

Man held for 'raping' sister-in-law

The women's husband and in-laws, residents of Pension Pura area here in central
Maharashtra, have also been booked for allegedly torturing her for dowry, they
said.

JALNA: A man has…

More ► More ▼

The women's husband and in-laws, residents of Pension Pura area here in central
Maharashtra, have also been booked for allegedly torturing her for dowry, they
said.

JALNA: A man has been arrested for allegedly raping his sister-in-law and making a video clip of the act, police said on Friday.

The women's husband and in-laws, residents of Pension Pura area here in central Maharashtra, have also been booked for allegedly torturing her for dowry, they said.

According to the police, the victim's husband Shaikh Harun Shaikh Hussain (40), brother-in-law Aleem Shaikh Hussain (30), father in-law Shaikh Hussain and mother-in-law Khatimabi demanded Rs 50,000 from her for buying a plot.

When she expressed her inability to get the money from her parents, she was tortured and later driven out of home by her husband and other family members, Inspector R P Pardeshi said, quoting the complaint filed by the woman.

The woman alleged that her brother-in-law had been raping her for two years and also video recorded the alleged act, he said.

Aleem was arrested yesterday, while the others are absconding, police said.

▲

The NEP and the downfall of Malays

The NEP may have caused an increase in the wealth of the Malay urban middle class but on the whole, many Malays remain poor.

COMMENT

Dr Mahathir Mohamad came to…

More ► More ▼

The NEP may have caused an increase in the wealth of the Malay urban middle class but on the whole, many Malays remain poor.

COMMENT

Dr Mahathir Mohamad came to the defence of the New Economic Policy (NEP) when economist Ramon Navaratnam and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim condemned the NEP for discouraging foreign investment and for promoting corruption.

However, Mahathir failed to note that the NEP, like many of the government’s other programs with catchy, meaningless acronyms are only publicity stunts which fail to address the underlying problems that face many Malaysians, principally the Malays.

He said: “There may be corruption involved in some cases but the charge is not warranted because in most cases, the benefits of NEP have been enjoyed by almost every Malay and bumiputera. In fact, indirectly and, in some cases, directly it has benefited the non-bumiputera as well.”

The former prime minister’s selective amnesia serves him well. The NEP’s short-term benefits may have impressed his Cabinet colleagues but in the long term, the NEP has disadvantaged all other Malaysians.

The warped policies have destroyed racial harmony and in East Malaysia, the bumiputeas are more desperate than ever. There is increasing resentment against the Malays who many believe, have squandered the benefits they have been given.

The NEP may have caused an increase in the wealth of the Malay urban middle class but on the whole, many Malays remain poor.

Despite the housing privileges and discounts, how many Malays can afford to buy houses? How many possess the business acumen to sustain a business without going bust in the first year?

Undeniably, those who benefit the most are Umno cronies, whilst the majority of Malays remain marginalised, hoping that things will get better, only because Umno says so.

Thus, many live in hope and some shun jobs because one day, they hope to become rich without putting in any effort.

The business incentives may have given the Malays a kick-start in life but many did not use them wisely. They did not reinvest the money in the company but instead spent it on the teak desk, the gold watch and the Mercedes car.

It was not just his work that was a sham. His private life was just the same. There was no personal responsibility and those Malays who entered into polygamous marriages with two or three families to support, invariably ended up with dysfunctional families. The kids would be feral, without a father figure and no rôle model in their lives.

Many of the children do not have a family life to speak of and education is not an important factor in their lives. Many grow up lacking aspiration and become adults who are just as irresponsible.

There are some decent people amongst this lot, but they are trapped in the system, with no way out.

Moving forward together

Mahathir claimed that under the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) scheme, the settlers were much better off with higher incomes and children who were better educated.

He failed to note that there were serious issues that have cropped up. Few of the children of the original Felda settlers want to make a living off the land like their grandparents or parents did.

The social problems are many and Mahathir may have praised the businesses and jobs that the children and women have gone into, but none of these are to do with the land.

They are things like tailoring or aircraft maintenance, which are totally unconnected to Felda.

It would have meant more if some of the children had diversified into the downstream oleo industry like soap making, bio-diesel fuels or some other small-scale cottage industry from the  palm oil that they produce on their farms.

Mahathir said: “The settlers have much higher incomes while their children are much better educated. All these are due to NEP”.

Like the NEP, Mahathir has not addressed the problem of what happens to the small holding of the Felda settler as his children have no desire to carry on the tradition and many farmers resort to hiring foreign workers to make a success of the land.

Projects like the NEP are doomed to fail. Most important of all, the Malays will get a hammering from the other races and very few people will appreciate the efforts of the Malays who have struggled on their own to achieve their ambitions.

How many more stupid acronyms must the Malaysians endure? When will this government realise that helping only one section of the community is detrimental to the nation, as a whole?

As a society, the Malays must accept that we must move forwards as one nation. That means that we include the other races in our policies.

The system that our leaders have implemented for us isn’t working.

Not if making it easier for the Malays means never having to learn to do things the hard way, never having to take responsibility for themselves and not having to follow the rules that most of us have to go by.

Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist.

▲

PSM members to be questioned again

Nine PSM members have been summoned to Arau for further investigations on Sept 5.

KUALA LUMPUR: Nine members of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) have been summoned by the police for…

More ► More ▼

Nine PSM members have been summoned to Arau for further investigations on Sept 5.

KUALA LUMPUR: Nine members of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) have been summoned by the police for yet another round of questioning. This time they’ve been summoned under the Sedition Act 1948.

A summons notice was issued under Section 111 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CDC) on Aug 11 for the nine to be present at the Arau district police headquarters in Perlis on Sept 5.

Four of the nine summoned were among the 24 who were arrested on June 25 for their involvement in PSM’s “Udahlah tu…Bersaralah!” campaign. They were released after a week-long remand period.

The remaining five are Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael Jeyakumar, PSM’s national youth chief R Saratbabu, Sungai Siput division secretary A Letchumanan and central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M Sukumaran.

The five together with deputy chairman M Saraswathy were held for three weeks under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) 1969. They came to be known as the EO6.

But the summons to turn up at the Arau police on Sept 5 did not include Saraswathy. She was not among among those who were picked up in Arau on June 25.

Archaic law

At a media conference today, Jeyakumar slammed the upcoming investigation as “totally unnecessary” given the numerous rounds of investigations and recording of statements previously.

“We have given so many statements already and summoning us for yet another investigation is harrassment in our view,” he said.

“The Sedition Act is a colonial, archaic law that the police are using to drag us to Arau.”

Jeyakumar believed this latest move by the police stemmed from their refusal to admit that they had made a mistake in arresting and detaining the PSM members.

“This is unprofessional and a disappointment..

“ When the police enter the political arena it lowers their credibility and weakens their capacity to safeguard the nation.”

“We will go to Arau because if we don’t they could issue arrests warrants against us but I hope they come to their senses soon.

“We are prepared to co-operate but not to be bullied,” he said.

When asked if there was a possibility of a re-arrest following next Monday’s investigations, Jeyakumar said it was possible but he hoped that the police wouldn’t be “so stupid” as to do so.

Illegal summon

When asked what the line of questioning would be, Jeyakumar said they were not sure but it was likely to be related to the pamphlets that they were distributing during the campaign.

One of the pamphlets called for political reform while another was an introduction to PSM.

Lawyer, N Surendran, who is representing the nine in this case said that the very act of summoning them under Section 111 is illegal as no crime has been committed.

He pointed out that if a notice is issued without a crime taking place first, then the crime is committed by the police themselves and tantamount to abuse of power.

“All they have done is distribute pamphlets which is not a crime under our laws,” he said.

“Also no police report has been provided as to why the nine are being investigated again and we don’t even know who the complainant is.”

“This is a deliberate political persecution for an ulterior motive. The government is behaving like the dictatorship in North Korea, there is very little difference between the two now.”

Police must drop probe

Surendran also took the police to task for conducting the investigations in Arau instead of in Ipoh or Penang. Eight of the nine are from Perak and remaining one is from Penang.

He also said that previous recordings of statements for other cases under Section 112 had been done via email and there was no reason why it couldn’t apply to this case.

“The answer is that this is a pure harrassment of PSM activists,” he concluded.

“The Home Ministry and the government must answer to this as it’s a danger to the nation if the police can be used by the government for its own political purposes.”

“I call on the police to drop this unnecessary and frivolous investigations as well as issue an apology for the previous arrrests and harrassment.”

600 reports against police

Meanwhile PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan pointed out that PSM had experienced the strongest form of police harrassment in the past two months.

“600 police reports have been lodged against the police in support of PSM but none have been investigated.

“This latest summoning also means that the police didn’t carry out their duties properly the first time.”

“There were four big departments in the police force investigating the PSM members. The report took a month to complete and now we’re asked to come in again,” he said.

▲

‘Boleh ambil SPM tanpa Interlok’

Bekas panel meminda novel itu mendedahkan tindakan itu selaras pekeliling Ketua Pengarah Pelajaran.

PETALING JAYA: Dalam perkembangan terbaru kontroversi novel Interlok Edisi Murid, Uthaya Sankar SB yang pernah menganggotai panel…

More ► More ▼

Bekas panel meminda novel itu mendedahkan tindakan itu selaras pekeliling Ketua Pengarah Pelajaran.

PETALING JAYA: Dalam perkembangan terbaru kontroversi novel Interlok Edisi Murid, Uthaya Sankar SB yang pernah menganggotai panel meminda teks itu berkata, tidak menjadi masalah jika novel berkenaan tidak digunakan langsung oleh calon SPM tahun ini.

Katanya, kenyataan media oleh Menteri Pelajaran Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin pada 27 Januari lalu menyebut bahawa “novel Interlok (edisi murid) hanya akan digunakan setelah pindaan disiapkan dan diedar ke sekolah-sekolah”.

“Walau bagaimanapun, sama ada Interlok Edisi Murid digunakan atau tidak digunakan sebagai teks Komsas tahun ini, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) tetap wajib memberi royalti kepada Sasterawan Negara Datuk Abdullah Hussain bagi naskhah yang dicetak pada 2010,” kata Uthaya dalam kenyataan yang disiarkan di blognya.

Calon SPM tahun ini bakal menduduki peperiksaan kertas Bahasa Malaysia pada 14 November ini.
Menurut Uthaya, pada Jun lalu, muncul usaha menggunakan “pelekat ajaib” (gambar bawah) bagi meminda novel berkenaan.

“Kumpulan Sasterawan Kavyan (Kavyan) menentang sekeras-kerasnya tindakan itu kerana ia bertentangan keputusan dicapai dan diumumkan di Dewan Rakyat pada 24 Mac lalu,” katanya.

Pada 22 Jun lalu, Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran, Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi dipetik Bernama Online berkata bahawa “kementerian buat keputusan hari ini, untuk mencetak semula.”

Terdahulu, akhbar Utusan Malaysia pada 22 Jun melaporkan bahawa “pada 28 Mac lalu, Ketua Pengarah DBP, Datuk Termuzi Abdul Aziz dilaporkan berkata, pihaknya tidak akan mencetak semula novel itu walaupun pindaan dibuat.”
Tidak menjadi kesalahan

Dalam mempertahankan pandangannya, Uthaya berkata, novel Interlok Edisi Murid yang dimurnikan sepenuhnya dan dicetak semula seperti dijanjikan belum lagi dihantar ke sekolah-sekolah di Zon 2 (Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur dan Putrajaya).

“Maka, ada alasan kukuh untuk menangguhkan penggunaan edisi baru novel itu sehingga tahun 2012 dan cadangan ini tidak bertentangan kandungan Surat Pekeliling Ikhtisas Bil. 7/2009 bertarikh 25 November 2009 daripada Ketua Pengarah Pelajaran Malaysia kepada semua Pengarah Pelajaran di Jabatan Pelajaran Negeri,” kata pengarang prolifik itu.

Menurut Uthaya, pekeliling berkenaan dengan jelas menyebut bahawa “Pengagihan novel adalah mengikut zon. Walau bagaimanapun, kelonggaran diberi kepada pihak sekolah untuk memilih judul novel yang bersesuaian bagi murid sekolah berkenaan.”

“Maka, tidak menjadi kesalahan atau dosa sekiranya sekolah-sekolah di Zon 2 tidak menggunakan novel Interlok Edisi Murid cetakan 2010 bagi tujuan peperiksaan SPM tahun ini.

“Kavyan yakin bahawa guru-guru di Zon 2 mempunyai kepakaran, semangat, kebolehan dan ilmu untuk membantu pelajar Tingkatan Lima meneliti novel Kembara Amira (Zon 1), Sutera Dalam Lukisan (Zon 3) atau Kabus Di Perbukitan (Zon 4) sebelum 14 November ini,” katanya

▲

Malaysians unhappy with the government, politicians using religion for electoral purposes

The discontent arises principally from the perceived "corruption at all levels, from top to the lowest levels" and that is why "people in general are not satisfied."
For Fr Andrew…

More ► More ▼

The discontent arises principally from the perceived "corruption at all levels, from top to the lowest levels" and that is why "people in general are not satisfied."
For Fr Andrew Lawrence, SJ, there are no religious tensions in the country, but a feeling of "dissatisfaction" with the ruling class. The danger of an instrumental use of faith, to gain consensus in the electorate radical Muslim.
(AsiaNews)-There is a widespread "dissatisfaction" among citizens the with regard to how ruling class has governed the nation in recent years, this discontent "is not directly related to religion", but is the result of "daily issues that affect everyone", says Fr Andrew Lawrence SJ., Priest and former director of the Catholic Herald newspaper, speaking to AsiaNews from Malaysia. He says "there are no particular tensions" between Christians and Muslims in the country. However, some observers argue that religion could be exploited "for political purposes" in the coming general elections, to gain momentum among the Malaysian wing extremist.

Originally Malaysia’s 13th General Election was scheduled for 2013, but the election could be brought forward - there is still no official confirmation – to October or November this year. The political contest, analysts warn, could give way to anti-Christian rhetoric and the misuse of religion in political campaigning. Some pro-Islamic movements want proselytizing Christians to be punished, while extremist groups carry out raids on places of worship belonging to minorities. The last case occurred in early August, when Muslim fundamentalists attacked an evangelical house church because "conversions from Islam to Christianity were taking place."

Fr. Lawrence explains that at the moment, no particular tensions, but the developments in the coming weeks remain to be seen. "There is a widespread feeling of discontent - said the priest and journalist - the ways in which the nation was governed. But this is not directly related to the religious sphere, but rather the everyday problems that people face. " The decision to favour the ethnic Malay, majority in the country, has created resentment among other minority groups, a discontent that has invested in particular the National Front and the ruling coalition.

The discontent arises principally from the perceived "corruption at all levels, from top to the lowest levels" and that is why "people in general are not satisfied." The clashes and small conflicts are the result of this general situation, although there are still some aspects that bear witness to violations of religious freedom. The cases of conversion from Islam to Christianity are limited, but may lead to the persecution of apostates "as was the case with Lina Joy, who had to flee the country" to live their faith in total freedom. Also Muslims do not distinguish between Christians and there are no differences between Catholics and Protestants.

However, as reported in other nations, including Pakistan, the Protestants assume an attitude that is sometimes "challenging" in the eyes of Muslims. Therefore full religious freedom is needed –Fr. Lawrence has fought long and hard for Christians to be allowed to use the Malay word  "Allah" - as well as a behaviour that will not trigger violent reactions from Muslims. (DS)

▲

Hazare spooks Indian Parliament

We're mad as hell and we're not gong to take it any more

Anti-Corruption Proposal has fishhooks for them
Anna Hazare, the 74 year old retired army driver who forced…

More ► More ▼

We're mad as hell and we're not gong to take it any more

Anti-Corruption Proposal has fishhooks for them
Anna Hazare, the 74 year old retired army driver who forced Parliament to accept his terms for an Anti-Corruption Bill, claims inspiration from Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

The ICAC, established in 1974, is widely credited with cleaning up an entrenched nexus of mobsters-business-police which plagued the territory for decades. However, there is a major difference between HK's ICAC charter and Hazare's Jan Lokpal (Citizens' Ombudsman) proposals, and that is the principle of separation of powers between investigation and prosecution.

While the ICAC has powers of independent investigation, the power to prosecute is vested with the Secretary for Justice. In Hazare's proposal, the Jan Lokpal vests itself with the roles of investigator, prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner all-in-one.

That has chilled MPs of all parties. They fear that it could lead to mass accusations and witch-hunts on the scale of the Spanish Inquisition, the 'class-struggles' of the Cultural Revolution and the crazed kangaroo courts of revolutionaries through history.

There is little enthusiasm among parliamentarians for such an over-concentration of power in an agency outside the oversight of elected lawmakers.

At the same time, however, Hazare’s story is remarkable and, because of its emotion, is said to have strains of the so-called Tea Party movement in the United States, which resulted in a paradigm shift in US politics. But it appears to be far more than that. It has raised the political temperature of the entire country. His hunger strike brought together an unprecedented demand for corruption cleanup, crossing caste, class, regional and religious lines – Muslim and Hindu together -- seemingly to fuse India into a unified country almost for the first time since his mentor, Mahatma Gandhi, brought it into being.

People swarmed into Delhi, defying arrest to demonstrate in good-natured and orderly protest in a large open area, the Ramlila Maidan. They also appeared outside the official residences of national ruling national coalition ministers. The protesters included an extraordinary range of whole families with their children, prostitutes, film stars, teachers and students, corporate officers and farmer side by side, all of them paying rapt attention to the septuagenarian’s speeches and cheering him on.

Thus the bill forced through by Hazare’s team arrived intact, with powers to hold everyone accountable from the prime minister down to members of parliament, the judiciary and bureaucrats whose hands have been out for decades to get anything done in Indian government. The bill also seeks creation of similar commissions at the state level and includes protection for whistle blowers, witnesses and corruption victims.

The government first blamed “foreign hands” – as usual, presumably American ones, calling the legislation “misconceived/” and dangerous for democracy.

It has been estimated that up to 40 percent of India’s gross domestic product disappears from the economy, stolen by politicians, businessmen and bureaucrats. These interests are so deeply entrenched that when Hazare and his troops set out to clean the stables, there will be fierce resistance. Given the volatile nature of Indian politics and a public fed up with greed and corruption, just what will take place remains to be seen. But given the vast powers of the anti-corruption bill, Indian politicians are quaking in their boots.

▲

Bernama TV Cameraman Killed In Somalia Shooting

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- A Bernama TV cameraman, Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, 39, who was part of a humanitarian mission to famine-stricken Somalia, was killed in a shooting incident…

More ► More ▼

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- A Bernama TV cameraman, Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, 39, who was part of a humanitarian mission to famine-stricken Somalia, was killed in a shooting incident in Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia, Friday afternoon.

A TV3 journalist, Aji Saregar Mazlan, was injured in the incident which occurred while they were travelling in a four-wheel-drive vehicle back to the place where they were putting up, escorted by a Somali armed forces truck.

An Astro Awani journalist, Tan Su Lin, in her live report to Astro Friday night said the incident took place at about 5.40pm local time or about 10.40pm Malaysian time.

She said she heard two gunshots on the right hand side of their vehicle and followed by the smell of smoke.

"I turned around and saw Aji was writhing in pain, and Faizul turned pale and collapsed onto the shoulder of Aji," she said.

Meanwhile, Bernama TV journalist Khairulanuar Yahaya, who is also part of the humanitarian mission led by Putera 1Malaysia Club, said the bullet pierced through Noramfaizul's lungs and that he succumbed to his injuries about 30 minutes later while being given treatment.

Noramfaizul leaves behind a wife Norazrina Jaafar, 37, and two sons, Mohd Irfan, 8, and Mohd Naufal, 3.

Norazrina, who was on her way from Johor to her in-law's house in Serdang Raya, near here, said she was shocked to learn about her husband's death.

She said that before leaving for Somalia, her husband had told her to take care of herself and their children.

"He told me he was doing a service for the country and said not to worry about his safety," said Norazrina, a public relations executive of a government agency, here.

Tan said they were six of them in the vehicle when the shooting occured.

They had planned to pack upon reaching their place because they were expected to leave for Malaysia at about 5.30am local time on Saturday.

She said mission chief Datuk Azeez Abdul Rahim, who is Putera 1Malaysia Club president, was making the arrangement to bring home Noramfaizul's body together with the team on Saturday.

The mission left Kuala Lumpur for Mogadishu on Aug 28 and is expected to end their mission Saturday.

▲

Benarkah Umno menentang ideologi komunis ? Umno munafik kelas 1.

Tahniah kepada Mohamad Sabu, Timbalan Presiden PAS kerana berjaya menarik umum untuk memasuki ruang perbahasan yang selama ini taboo untuk dibincangkan.

Malaysia sebenarnya begitu terasing dengan sejarah perlawanan penjajah. Kita…

More ► More ▼

Tahniah kepada Mohamad Sabu, Timbalan Presiden PAS kerana berjaya menarik umum untuk memasuki ruang perbahasan yang selama ini taboo untuk dibincangkan.

Malaysia sebenarnya begitu terasing dengan sejarah perlawanan penjajah. Kita selalu disajikan oleh cerita sejarah yang telah disunting untuk kepentingan pihak tertentu yang mewarisi kepentingan penjajah kapum pemodal British. Malah dalam beberapa hal pwaris itu lebih melampau dari penjajah asal khususnya dalam bab pembodohan minda.

Setiap kali kemerdekaan maka disajikan hanya Dato Onn, Tunku Abdul Rahman hinggalah Najib... adakah ini saja hero negara ? Sajian sejarah yang disunting ini menjadikan anak muda hilang minat dengan sejarah negara yang dilihat tidak cool....

Namun kemerdekaan kali ini yang awalnya dijangka tidak menarik perhatian kerana ditenggelami suasana 1 Syawal telah menjadi begitu menarik. Sejarah yang selama ini taboo telah dibincangkan terbuka.

che'GuBard tidak mahu menyentuh panjang, cukup dengan menyentuh benarkah Umno memusuhi PKM kerana ideologi Komunis atau kerana mewarisi sentimen perang penjajah.

Jika benar dengan bercakap soal ideologi komunis menghina bekas polis dan tentera maka bagaimana pula dengan Regim Najib yang memberikan lesen kepada lidah rasmi Parti Komunis China ?

Malaysiakini pernah melaporkan KDN memberikan permit kepada lidah Rasmi Parti Komunis China (klik sini untuk baca lanjut)

Betul benar, telah lama beri permit kepada organ parti kominis ini terbit di Malaysia. Mengikut laporan Malaysiakini pada 10 Januari 2005, KDN telah meluluskan untuk penerbitan suara rasmi Parti Kominis Malaya bernama "People's Daily".

Mengikut Wikipedia:

The People's Daily (Chinese: 人民日报; pinyin: Rénmín Rìbào) is a daily newspaper in the People's Republic of China. The paper is an organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. TERJEMAHAN: People's Daily adalah akhbar harian di China. Akhbar ini adalah suara rasmi Parti Komunis China

Yang hairannya, Harakah diterbitkan dengan 1001 satu syarat, Suara Keadilan tak diberi permit banyak lagi terbitan tidak dibenarkan tetapi lidah parti komunis dibenarkan.

kalaulah permit ini dibawah urusan kerajaan negeri , dan ada negeri PR memberikan kelulusan maka muncullah tuduhan seperti satu penghinaan kepada bekas2 tentera kita yang telah terkorban menentang penentangan Parti Komunis Malaya satu masa dahulu? Bukankah Parti Komunis Malaya bernaung di bawah Parti Komunis China di mana segala kelengkapan mereka datang dari Parti Komunis China?

Tidakkah tindakan seperti ini juga seperti meludah di atas pusara mereka2 yang terkorban dalam peristiwa Bukit Kepong juga?

Umno juga sendiri menjalinkan hubungan istimewa dengan parti komunis China, sehingga ada program pertukaran latihan.

Malah ramai yang tidak sedar Ramadhan yang lepas regim Najib telah menghantar paksa pulang Pelarian2 Politik Uighur China.

Menghantar pulang pelarian Uighur tersebut akan mendedahkan mereka kepada siksaan, kezaliman dan juga kepada kematian. Uighur ini ialah kelompok Islam yang bermasalah dengan Beijing, mereka punya sejarah melawan untuk sebuah negara Islam Merdeka.

Menghantar pulang mereka ke China seperti menghantar mereka untuk mati, ini kezaliman lebih lagi ketika Ramadhan.

Persoalanya adakah tindakan UMNO ini adalah disebabkan hubungan formal UMNO dan Parti Komunis China yang terjalin sejak lama dulu dan diformalkan beberapa tahun lepas. Barang diingat, hubungan ini bukan hubungan Kerajaan dengan Kerajaan. Ia adalah hubungan antara parti UMNO dengan Parti Komunis China.

Siapa sebenarnya yang pro komunis?

Kalau nak kata menghormati pejuang2 yang menentang komunis, ratusan ribu kaum Uighur gugur shahid menentang kebangikitan komunis sekitar tahun 30an dan 40an dahulu.

che'GuBard pertegaskan artikel ini ditulis bukan untuk memburukkan mana - mana ideologi. Ideologi. Jawapan kepada semua ini ialah untuk menunjukkan betapa Umno itu munafik nombor satu.

itu belum masuk lagi bagaimana kita bermuka - muka menentang Israel tetapi kita ada hubungan dagang bantu ekonomi negara haram Israel. (klik untuk baca artikel hubungan malaysia Israel)

Percayalah kita tidak akan ke mana - mana tanpa mengangkat sejarah sebenar dengan jujur. Ingatlah sejarah bukan untuk dihukum tetapi untuk dijadikan pengajaran berguna bagi masa depan kita.

Umno takut rakyat tahu sejarah sebenar tanahair kerana Umno ialah sebahagian dari pewaris penjajah.

▲