Cairo rally: One day we'll kill all Jews

Muslim Brotherhood holds venomous anti-Israel rally in Cairo mosque Friday; Islamic activists chant: Tel Aviv, judgment day has come
Arab hate: A Muslim Brotherhood rally in Cairo's most prominent mosque Friday turned into a venomous anti-Israel protest, with attendants vowing to "one day kill all Jews."

Some 5,000 people joined the rally, called to promote the "battle against Jerusalem's Judaization." The event coincided with the anniversary of the United Nations' partition plan in 1947, which called for the establishment of a Jewish state.

However, most worshippers who prayed at the mosque Friday quickly left it before the Muslim Brotherhood's rally got underway. A group spokesman urged attendants to remain for the protest, asking them not to create a bad impression for the media by leaving.

'Treacherous Jews'

Speakers at the event delivered impassioned, hateful speeches against Israel, slamming the "Zionist occupiers" and the "treacherous Jews." Upon leaving the rally, worshippers were given small flags, with Egypt's flag on one side and the Palestinian flag on the other, as well as maps of Jerusalem's Old City detailing where "Zionists are aiming to change Jerusalem's Muslim character."

Propaganda material ahead of Egypt's parliamentary elections was also handed out at the site.

Spiritual leader Dr. Ahmed al-Tayeb charged in his speech that to this day Jews everywhere in the world are seeking to prevent Islamic and Egyptian unity.


"In order to build Egypt, we must be one. Politics is insufficient. Faith in Allah is the basis for everything," he said. "The al-Aqsa Mosque is currently under an offensive by the Jews…we shall not allow the Zionists to Judaize al-Quds (Jerusalem.) We are telling Israel and Europe that we shall not allow even one stone to be moved there."

'We have different mentality'
Muslim Brotherhood spokesmen, as well as Palestinian guest speakers, made explicit calls for Jihad and for liberating the whole of Palestine. Time and again, a Koran quote vowing that "one day we shall kill all the Jews" was uttered at the site. Meanwhile, businessmen in the crowd were urged to invest funds in Jerusalem in order to prevent the acquisition of land and homes by Jews.

Throughout the event, Muslim Brotherhood activists chanted: "Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, judgment day has come."

Speaking to Ynet outside the mosque following the prayer, elementary school teacher Ala al-Din said that "all Egyptian Muslims are willing to embark on Jihad for the sake of Palestine."

"Why is the US losing in Afghanistan? Because the other side is willing and wants to die. We have a different mentality than that of the Americans and Jews," he said.

Eldad Beck is reporting from Cairo on behalf of Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth

Roee Nahmias contributed to the story

PAS to take Peaceful Assembly Bill to court

PKR Youth warns of street protests if polls are unfair

JOHOR BARU, Nov 25 — PKR Youth warned Barisan Nasional (BN) that it will take to the streets and force the ruling coalition out of Putrajaya if the next general election is unfairly run.

Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Amin told delegates today that any move to restrict Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will be met with street demonstrations despite such gatherings set to be outlawed by a Peaceful Assembly Bill that was tabled in Parliament this week.

“They know Bersih 3.0 will happen, that is why they want to have this law,” he said, referring to the marches for free and fair election that drew tens of thousands to the streets of Kuala Lumpur in 2007 and July 9 this year.

“If they restrict us, if there is even one instance of cheating, we will use the streets. Lupakan pilihanraya, kita guna jalanraya (forget elections, we use the streets),” he said to unanimous cheers.

Shamsul (picture) also warned that “if they jail Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim before Bersih 3.0, we will gather and topple them,” he said when winding up debates in today’s PKR Youth national congress.

PKR deputy president Azmin Ali had also pledged earlier that “whatever conspiracy to jail Anwar Ibrahim, we the Youth and women pledge to rise up and break the cruel prison walls to free him.”

Both Azmin and Shamsul had today cited the Arab Spring in their speeches, referring to the series of street protests in the Middle East earlier this year that toppled governments in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya.

The party’s de facto leader Anwar completed his defence case in the sodomy trial last month against what he has called an Umno ploy to end his political career.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court will hear closing submissions on December 8 before deciding on a verdict ahead of a general election expected to be held early next year.

The opposition leader’s hopes of becoming prime minister will likely be quashed if found guilty of the offence which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak proposed earlier this week a Peaceful Assembly Bill which Opposition Leader Anwar said will prevent his coalition from conducting ceramahs and gatherings.

While the Bill removes the need for a police permit and jail sentences, it also bars street protests and public gatherings from various public areas including petrol stations, hospitals, fire stations, airports, railways, places of worship and schools.

Hindraf’s role in empowering the people

What we need is a revolution that brings people-orientated supervision of the elected reps so they don't run away with the loot after they are elected, says Hindraf's national advisor.
COMMENT

By N Ganesan

Today Nov 25, 2011, marks the 4th anniversary of the Hindraf rally that shook the Malaysian polity like nothing since 1969. It sounded the death knell for the old and heralded the beginning of the new.

Much is happening around in the world today that mirrors what took place on that fateful day, four years ago. It behooves us now, to take stock.

One very clear change that has occurred in our country is the heightening of political contention among the various political forces in the country.

The fact that BN had lost its long held ground and that the opposition in the country had gained ground now makes BN try harder to regain the lost ground and Pakatan to hold on to and increase the ground gained. A lot of the politics you experience today is all about that.

BN is still essentially Umno with a multiracial mask and Pakatan claims to be multiracial but has very little to show for that, at best is biracial.

The basic policies of the two coalitions are not fundamentally different. Nothing earth shattering has changed for most of us, beyond the illusions. Their policies are essentially the same, only they pander to different factions of the elite both in the country and internationally.

Anyone who disputes this either does not understand political economy or just want to conceal this fact as it is obviously detrimental to their cause.

The much touted two party system is nothing more than an illusion of a better democracy. Just having two parties and going through the rigmarole of choosing one over the other does not make for democracy as many in the elite will have us believe.

What is happening around the world today is revealing – very revealing of this political process we call democracy, where we go to the polls once in every so many years to choose one over the other.

Look at what is happening in the Middle East, in Egypt, in Syria, in Bahrain, in Yemen – specifically in Egypt. Look at Portugal, France,Germany,Italy,Greece,Ireland in Europe. Look at the Occupy movement across the United States.

Some countries which have not even seen election based democracy, as in the Middle East, are already sensing the lie in that. And they are attempting to go beyond that. The people in the European countries and in the USwho have had this brand of democracy for almost forever, are fast losing hope in what it can bring them.

Mass based organizations are springing up all over the world questioning the worth of this brand of Anglo Saxon democracy. The people are all fed up. Fed up of the nonsense the politicians spew – politicians of all shades. The democracy as we know it now is in shambles.

There is no more elite class

Even as parliamentary polls are scheduled for Nov 28in Egypt, the people are rallying in Tahrir square as I write this, and asking the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces who are calling the polls, to step aside and go back to their barracks.

The people have whizzed past the politicians with an understanding of how the system really works, way beyond the understanding any politicians of the country. They understand that the sacking of Husni Mubarak is not the end of their revolution, but rather the beginning.

Until they get the iceberg underneath of the ruling class out, they have not achieved anything from their revolution. It is the people of Egypt who should be ruling Egypt and the army should, like all the other departments of government be in their barracks.

The elite – there is no more elite. This is the understanding the people of Egypt have mustered in their short foray into public policy.

The Egyptian politicians have not gone as far as the people. Not that they do not know of such possibilities, they just probably do not seek it themselves. They have not sought out true change.

They just seek to give the current politics, new faces. That fits their real purpose. Of course if you asked them, they will reject such a scheme and say that they are really making the revolution happen. The Egyptian people have called their bluff..

It does not matter if the politicians are Right Wing Extremists or Centre Right or Centre Left, Moderates, or Socialists or Communists. They all cannot be trusted with power. They all begin to run riot after they are elected .

What we need in Malaysia

Yet the politicians will tell us we need a vanguard group or party, to work out what is in the best interest of the people, because the people are ignorant, they do not know. But yet look at Egypt, the people are showing wisdom way beyond anything the politicians and the elite are capable of.

The people are showing that they can well decide what is right for them. They are turning that conventional wisdom that the people do not know or cannot understand and must be led by a vanguard – upside down.

This brings me to the point about all of this on the 4th anniversay of the Hindraf rally. What we need in Malaysia is not a democratic revolution or democratic reform, that leads to nothing more than a two party system – what we need in Malaysia is a neo–democratic revolution.

A revolution that brings into place people orientated supervision of the elected representatives so they do not run away with the loot, after they are elected, as experience time and again shows.

The elected representatives have to be continuously supervised and held accountable by the people.

This is the role we in Hindraf have tried to play in the last four years for the marginalized and the poorest in our society.

For 51 long years the BN created, unfettered, the marginalized sections of our society. Then Pakatan in the three odd years after they took over in five states have just kept the marginalized where they had always been and nothing of any substance was changed in their lives inspite of all the “Makkal Sakthi” rallying calls by these same politicians.

Just promises, promises and failed promises. Or some lame excuses for their inability.

The Hindraf that rose four years ago, will continue to hold all our politicians accountable – politicians of all shades.

The lesson we are learning from what is happening around in the world now, only reinforces what we instinctively have picked up.

We will continue on this path of the neo-democratic revolution till others begin to see the wisdom that is so required, to bring about true change to our country and join us to ensure the politicians do what they really should be doing and do not run off.

N Ganesan is Hindraf’s national advisor.

Mahkamah Tinggi tolak rayuan Peguam Negara

Keputusan ini sekaligus mengekalkan keputusan Mahkamah Sesyen Klang untuk membebaskan 11 OKT Lebuhraya Kesas.

SHAH ALAM: Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi Shah Alam, Dato’ Abdul Rahim Uda hari ini menolak rayuan Peguam Negara dan sekaligus mengekalkan keputusan Mahkamah Sesyen Klang untuk membebaskan 11 Orang Kena Tahan (OKT) Lebuhraya Kesas dari dua pertuduhan di bawah Seksyen 27 Akta Polis.

Kesebelasan mereka dituduh atas pertuduhan berhimpun secara haram dan engkar perintah polis untuk bersurai.

Pada tahun 2009, kesebelasan mereka telah dibebaskan oleh Mahkamah Sesyen Klang atas kedua-dua pertuduhan tersebut tetapi kemudian Peguam Negara telah menfailkan rayuan ke mahkamah Tinggi bagi mengenepikan keputusan tersebut.

Pada hari ini, 25 November bertepatan 11 tahun yang lalu, kerana pada tarikh yang sama pada tahun 2000, mereka dan kira-kira 145 orang yang lain telah ditangkap oleh pihak polis di beberapa lokasi di Lebuhraya Kesas kerana menghadiri satu perhimpunan yang dipanggil ‘Perhimpunan 100,000 Rakyat’ yang dirancangkan berlangsung di satu lokasi di Jalan Kebun, Klang.

Hakim Abdul Rahim dalam penghakiman lisannya menyatakan bahawa antara lain pihak Pendakwaraya gagal ‘menimbulkan keraguan munasabah’ tentang lokasi sebenar perhimpunan haram tersebut.

Ini kerana dari beberapa bukti dan kenyataan jelas menunjukkan bahawa lokasi perhimpunan yang dirancangkan ialah di Jalan Kebun tetapi kesemua OKT dan ribuan lagi pengguna lain lebuhraya tersebut berkumpul secara ‘spontaneous’ (secara tidak rancang) di Lebuhraya Kesas akibat kesesakan di lebuhraya tersebut.

‘Double standard’

Tegasnya, Pendakwaraya juga gagal membuktikan bahawa amaran bersurai oleh pihak polis menggunakan pembesar suara tersebut dapat didengari secara jelas oleh orang ramai yang berkumpul di lebuhraya tersebut.

Kesemua OKT diwakili oleh peguam Yusmadi Yusoff yang juga ahli Parlimen Balik Pulau, Pulau Pinang dan Puan Farah Farhana.

Antara 11 OKT yang dibicarakan itu ialah Haji Sahri Bahri, bekas Setiausaha Agung PKR; Abdul Razak Ismail, Pembantu Khas Kepada

Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Sri Andalas Dr. Xavier Jayakumar dan S. Pusphalingam, ahli Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam.

Rata-rata OKT melahirkan rasa kurang senang terhadap sikap ‘double standard’ Kerajaan Barisan Nasional kerana baru semalam Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak membentang Rang Undang-undang Perhimpunan Aman 2011 di Dewan Rakyat.

Rang-rang undang-undang tersebut bertujuan ‘menghapuskan’ Seksyen 27 Akta Polis tetapi dalam masa yang sama Peguam Negara masih bertegas untuk meneruskan pertuduhan tersebut di Mahkamah Tinggi.

HRP decries ‘ruthless’ razing of temple

It demands an acre of land in Selangor as a new site for the Sri Muneswarar Temple.

SHAH ALAM: The Human Rights Party (HRP) has denounced yesterday’s demolishment of a Hindu temple in Glenmarie and demanded from the Selangor government an acre of land for a new temple.

S Thiagarajan, a pro-tem central executive committee member of the party, said Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim must take “full responsibility” for the violation of the Sri Muneswarar Temple by the Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) and make amends by granting the acre of land.

He said he learned of the destruction when a local resident telephoned him while it was going on. The caller told him 30 police and MBSA officers were using sledgehammers to carry out the demolition.

“A Malay haji sprinkled something around the shrine and then some 10 uniformed enforcement officers started the ruthless act,” he told FMT.

He added that six Hindu deities were smashed into pieces.

“The Hindu devotees there could not stop the bloodletting; they were blocked by policemen,” he said.

“This is a clear cut case of the city council violating Article 11 of the Federal Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion, and Article 8, which provides of equality before the law and equal protection before the law.

“We demand that the state government allocate one acre of land to the temple committee to build a new temple.”

He also said the state should grant permanent land titles for all Hindu temples in Selangor so that “such flagrant acts of transgression” would not recur.

Distorting the past endangers the present

By Farish Noor, NST
Those who look up to Ibrahim Libya, who died in the Memali violence, exhibit a lack of knowledge.
LAST week, a curious news item caught my attention. It was reported that some activists wanted to organise a convoy to the village of Memali in Kedah, presumably to visit the site where the fiery orator, Ibrahim Libya, was killed in November 1985.
Though I am not certain of whether this convoy was a success, I was, nonetheless, amazed that more than two decades later, there are still some who regard the man as a hero of sorts. Perhaps the reason for this lies partly in their lack of knowledge of who the man was, and what he was fighting for then.

Memali was the scene of what is probably the worst instance of state versus opposition violence in recent Malaysian history. Charok Puteh/Memali was then a small, poor village. A majority of its inhabitants were Malay farmers and rubber smallholders.

Like many other small rural communities whose income depended on the world rubber price, the people of Charok Puteh and Memali were hard hit by the drop in commodity prices and high levels of inflation during the 1970s. It was here that ustaz Ibrahim Mahmood  settled and built his madrasah.

Ibrahim was a well-known ulama in Kedah who had studied at various madrasah and seminaries such as the Dar'ul 'Ulum Deoband in India and al-Azhar University in Cairo.

He had also studied at the University of Tripoli (hence his nickname, Ibrahim Libya).

Upon his return to Malaysia, Ibrahim worked as an official in the dakwah department of Pusat Islam in Kuala Lumpur. He was expected to help rationalise many of the government's policies on Islam and Muslim concerns.

 One of his  tasks was to persuade the young Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia  leader, Anwar Ibrahim, who was detained at the Kamunting detention camp, to support the government. (This was later documented in C.N. al-Afghani's 1998 book, Rakyat Makin Mantang, Baling: Corak Memali.)

Ibrahim Libya grew more determined to propagate his understanding of Islam, which was not entirely compatible with Pusat Islam's  interpretation.

He  quit the capital and returned to his village of Charok Puteh. He-re, Ibrahim opened his own school,  Madrasah Islahiah Diniyyah. He became an active Pas member, in particular  Dewan Pemuda Pas Kedah.  In time, he gained a large following and his madrasah became a centre for political activities as well as Islamic teaching.

The ustaz was well known for his fiery rhetoric and strict code of discipline: on several occasions, he punished (by caning) not only his younger students, but also the older ones (who happened to be married men).

He was invited to speak on Islamic matters on national television, and also engaged in  discussions with state ulama and religious functionaries.

However, his own defence of Islamist politics and Pas was soon articulated through oppositional dialectics that drew a dividing line between "authentic" Muslims and the non-authentic Islam of the munafikin (hypocrites).

Ibrahim lamented the fact that  Islamists in Malaysia were not willing to engage in an all-out jihad against the government.

In 1984, the government  decided to act against Ibrahim.

An arrest warrant was issued and he was to be detained along with other Pas leaders, including ustaz Abu Bakar Chik and ustaz Bunyamin Yaacob for allegedly advocating the use of violence.  He refused to accept the charges and condemned the Internal Security Act as un-Islamic and oppressive.

Unlike the other Pas leaders who were caught and detained, Ibrahim escaped with the help of his students. The stalemate continued for more than a year, until his death in 1985.

Notwithstanding the circumstances of his death, it ought to be noted that Ibrahim was hardly a moderate by anyone's standards then, even those of Pas.

His speeches called on his supporters to oppose the state, citing examples from Iran and Pakistan.

 He also reminded his followers that should they die in the cause of his struggle, they would all die as martyrs, though. in his own case, he initially refused to accept the terms of his arrest, and promptly ran into hiding.

I raise this issue now only because of the recent debates about Malaysian history and the fact that so many scholars have bemoaned our lack of knowledge of the past. It is difficult enough to stomach claims that we were never colonised, or that national heroes could be seen as criminals, and vice-versa.

In the case of Ibrahim Libya, the testimonies and speeches of the man himself were well documented, and are available.

His own words tell us what the man was like, and it was hardly surprising that, during his own time, he was shunned by many of his peers and friends for taking things too far.

My only advice to the younger generation of activists today would be this: while a thorough and critical reading of our past is always welcomed, and forever needed, let us also be cautious not to distort the past for the needs of the present.

Ibrahim Libya was the man who once asked: "Di Malaysia kenapa tidak boleh wujud angkatan yang berani mati?" (Why is it that in Malaysia, there is none who is   willing to die?).

In the end, it was Ibrahim himself who paid the price for his overheated rhetoric, but not without taking some of his unfortunate followers to the grave with him, too.

KEADILAN Sedia Terajui Malaysia Tanpa UMNO

Merdeka Review

Timbalan Presiden PKR Mohamed Azmin Ali berikrar, KEADILAN bersedia untuk menerajui gerakan rakyat untuk memecahkan mitos bahawa hanya UMNO yang boleh membawa kemakmuran dan kesejahteraan kepada rakyat.

“Sudah tiada lagi harapan rakyat yang boleh disandarkan kepada UMNO. Tidak ada lagi alasan rasional yang boleh mempertahankan kerakusan serta pengkhianatan UMNO kepada rakyat. UMNO bukan sahaja sudah hilang idealisme perjuangan, tetapi juga sudah muflis nilai serta bankrup moral untuk mempertahankan hak dan kepentingan rakyat,” kata Azmin Ali (gambar kiri).

Memilih Johor, negeri di mana lahirnya UMNO, PKR menganjurkan Kongres Nasional Tahunannya di Pulai Springs Resort, Johor Bahru mulai hari ini hingga 27 November. Azmin Ali menegaskan, “UMNO lahir di Johor, maka di negeri inilah saya ingin berikrar di depan pimpinan Angkatan Muda, Wanita dan Srikandi, bahawa KEADILAN akan menerajui Malaysia tanpa UMNO.”

“Apakah perjuangan UMNO yang dibawa untuk membela nasib masyarakat Melayu dan rakyat pada hari ini? UMNO yang dikenal khususnya oleh generasi muda hari ini adalah sebuah parti tua yang anti demokrasi, anti intelektual, anti hak asasi manusia, anti pekerja, sarat dengan politik fitnah dan membudayakan rasuah. Malah UMNO pada hari ini juga anti Melayu.”

UMNO anti Melayu

Memetik nukilan Sasterawan Negara Usman Awang yang pernah mengingatkan tentang pekerti Melayu, “Melayu itu orang yang bijaksana, Nakalnya bersulam jenaka, Budi bahasanya tidak terkira, Kurang ajarnya tetap santun…”, Azmin Ali mempertikaikan, “Apakah UMNO masih membawa pekerti Melayu seperti yang dinukilkan oleh Usman Awang? Jawapannya pasti tidak!”

“Perjuangan UMNO pada hari ini hanyalah perjuangan untuk membela tembolok kerabat dan bukannya rakyat. Budaya politik UMNO pada hari ini adalah berteraskan politik maki hamun, cerca dan fitnah,” kata Azmin Ali.

Beliau bersambung, “Peribadi Melayu yang diwariskan oleh UMNO pada hari ini adalah watak Melayu yang tidak boleh dipertahankan lagi. Malah UMNO-lah yang membunuh ciri-ciri kemelayuan yang dianjurkan oleh Islam. Layakkah perjuangan yang menjulang perasuah dan menghalalkan fitnah digelar sebagai perjuangan Islam? UMNO yang sehingga kini tidak dapat menjelaskan ke mana lesapnya saham milik Melayu-Bumiputera bernilai RM52 bilion dijulang sebagai perjuangan mempertahan ketuanan Melayu?”

Azmin Ali berkata, fitnah, angkuh, zalim dan rasuah menjadi sebahagian dari jasad dan roh UMNO. “UMNO kini menjadi teras kepada politik gelap,” tegasnya, sebelum menyifatkan UMNO sebagai “childen of darkness” (memetik Reinhold Nienuhr), yang anti kepada demokrasi, kebebasan, keadilan sejagat, dan bersekongkol untuk meneruskan hegemoni yang mencengkam kehidupan rakyat.

Sebelum ini, Azmin berkata, “Dalam kekalutan lanskap politik negara yang berada di bawah hegemoni UMNO, politik perkauman sempit menjadi tembok untuk menghalang agenda reformasi daripada mendapat tempat dalam masyarakat.”

“Rakyat disogok dengan pelbagai propaganda jahat untuk mencetuskan rasa takut dan curiga dalam masyarakat majmuk sehingga mereka takut untuk berubah. Meskipun rakyat Malaysia mahukan perubahan, namun mereka tetap terpasung dalam ketakutan dan kebimbangan bahawa kaum mereka tidak lagi akan mendapat keistimewaan,” katanya.

Sempat Azmin Ali mengingatkan, “Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 adalah Pilihan Raya Umum yang penting buat rakyat Malaysia. Kesemua jentera dan kekuatan harus digerakkan sekarang sebagai penerus kepada momentum yang sedia ada. Sekali lagi kita harus ingat bahawa Pilihan Raya ini bukanlah semata-mata untuk kemenangan KEADILAN tetapi Pilihan Raya ini adalah Pilihan Raya untuk rakyat. Kemenangan KEADILAN dan Pakatan Rakyat bermakna kemenangan rakyat menentang kezaliman dan kebobrokan UMNO.”

Malah sebelum mengakhiri ucapan perasmiannya Kongres Nasional Angkatan Muda Keadilan dan Wanita, Azmin Ali cuba menaikkan semangat ribuan perwakilan yang hadir, “Malaysia tanpa UMNO adalah Malaysia yang demokratik! Malaysia tanpa UMNO adalah Malaysia yang makmur! Malaysia tanpa UMNO adalah Malaysia yang aman dan harmoni! Malaysia tanpa UMNO adalah Malaysia yang bebas! Malaysia tanpa UMNO adalah Malaysia Baru milik seluruh rakyat Malaysia!”

Anwar PM ke-7

Di samping itu, Azmin Ali memberi peringatan keras untuk UMNO, “apa pun konspirasi untuk memenjarakan Saudara Anwar Ibrahim, kami anak-anak muda dan wanita berikrar akan bangkit meruntuhkan tembok kezaliman penjara untuk membebaskan Anwar Ibrahim. Pakatan Rakyat telah sepakat bahawa Anwar Ibrahim adalah Perdana Menteri Malaysia yang ke-7.”

Bagaimanapun, ketika ditanya dalam sidang media sama ada Anwar Ibrahim telah direstui semua parti komponen Pakatan Rakyat sebagai Perdana Menteri seandainya PR memerintah di peringkat persekutuan, Azmin sekadar berkata pimpinan DAP seperti Karpal Singh dan Lim Guan Eng pernah menyatakan sokongan mereka terhadap Anwar dalam isu calon PM, tetapi tidak menyebut pendirian pimpinan PAS.

The hands behind Malaysia’s false spring

Commentary

To most of the country’s independent political observers, it is very clear now. With the unveiling of the new proposed law restricting our right to peaceful assembly and protest, the Malaysian public has been taken for a ride on the promise of political liberalization and reform made by the Prime Minister on the eve of Malaysia Day this year.
What is the explanation for the apparent turnaround in Najib Razak’s initial plan unveiled on 15 September this year to abandon earlier draconian and repressive legislation and to improve our civil liberties?
Is it that there was really no enlightened plan but in fact a calculated and cynical move aimed at strangling the right to peaceful assembly – a potential game changer in the country’s political dynamics – whilst holding out crumbs of comfort that the government is being sincere about political liberalization on less important fronts?
If so, the Prime Minister must be congratulated on producing academy award performances not on just one occasion but for an entire two-month period in which he consistently extolled the merit of the Barisan Nasional moves to advance civil liberties and good governance in the country when plotting the exact opposite.
Even as late as today the Prime Minister continues to praise the new bill on Peaceful Assembly as a “revolutionary” law and a “giant leap” towards improving individual freedom. He must be the only person in the country to believe that the country will experience a quantum improvement in our basic freedom of assembly with the passing of the new law.
If he is deaf to the overwhelming opposition to the proposed new law coming from all quarters, this coming year’s international assessments on the country’s civil liberties record will be salutary in reminding the Prime Minister that the country’s ranking on civil liberties and his own reputation for honesty have taken an enormous beating from this cynical attempt to kill off political dissent under the guise of improving the law pertaining to the right to assembly.
Were there other forces at work that may have compelled the Prime Minister to engage in this astonishing political turnaround?
If the Prime Minister is not the main actor of this political deception, is it the work of right wing Umno leaders such as Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his son Mukhriz, the Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Ibrahim Ali as well as Najib’s ambitious cousin, the Home Affairs Minister who have pushed him to this unprecedented flip- flopping on political liberalization?
Whichever hands finally prevailed on this obnoxious bill now being debated in Parliament, their mission is clear: to prevent the same exercise of the freedom of peaceful assembly and dissent that are toppling similar  authoritarian regimes elsewhere in the world in the hope that they can buy for themselves a longer lease of authoritarian rule and unchecked power in Malaysia.

Death in custody – M Ayadurai (Sungai Buloh prison; 26 Nov 2005)

Over six years ago today, M Ayadurai was found dead at the Sungai Buloh prison. The post-mortem report revealed he had died of injuries inflicted on his chest.

According to a news report, his wife, M Mageswary, received a telephone call on 28 Nov 2005 informing that her husband had passed away due to multiple injuries to the head and body after being assaulted by his cellmates.  Police reports were lodged at the Brickfields district police station and Sungai Joram police station.

Despite the requirement that all custodial deaths be investigated by inquiries conducted pursuant to Chapter XXXII of the Criminal Procedure Code, it does not appear that an inquest has been conducted into M Ayadurai’s death.

Every death in custody must be thoroughly and impartially investigated.  M Ayadurai’s death must not be relegated to a mere statistic.

Based on the statistics disclosed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 156 persons died in police custody from the year 2000 until February 2011.

We express our heartfelt condolences to M Ayadurai’s family and friends on this anniversary of his death.

Umno Not A Racist Party - Muhyiddin

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Malays and non-Malays can still depend on Umno as the party that was the backbone of the government and country.

Muhyiddin, who is also Umno deputy president, said allegations that he and Umno were becoming racists had no basis whatsoever.

He said he might be a bit prejudiced because he was one of Umno leaders but opposition leaders were also struggling with their own political disputes and could not defend their own policies.

"Can the Malays depend on PKR, can they expect something from Anwar Ibrahim? Can they defend the principles in the Constitution, Malay rights, Malay rulers, Malay language, Malay economy?

"I say no because it was proven on many occasions that they could not even meet the demands of the Malays, let alone to meet the demands of other races," he told a special news conference in conjunction with the Umno General Assembly 2011, here Friday.

He said PAS, on the other hand, was in disarray and strayed from its basic struggle.

"They can't even resolve the dirty water issue in Kelantan. They compromise their own principles to team up with the DAP. Can the Malays count on DAP?, he asked cynically.

He said Umno did not address only the interests of the Malays but took into account the Malay agenda that still needed a long time to be resolved.

"So when we talk about Malay interest it does not mean we are racist because the largest group in the Malaysian society whether you like it or not is still Malays, Bumiputeras and Muslims," he said.

Muhyiddin also admitted that Umno had its own weaknesses but its proven track record could still be used in making comparison with other parties.

"To put the hopes of the Malays on parties other than Umno is useless. So, Umno members should realise that the Malays still need a party, but there are some weaknesses that must be improved," he said.

On allegations that the 1Malaysia concept had restricted Malay rights, the deputy prime minister said it was actually in line with current demands.

"So for me, the Malays should not feel neglected. That may be the perception as we want to address the post-2008 political tsunami. We must take into account any changes in mindset of not only the Malays but also Malaysian society.

"Umno has to make adjustments so that we are not seen as backward or not in line with current developments. But the basic struggle to defend the Malays has never been relegated to the second place," said Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister.

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin also admitted that Umno Youth and Puteri Umno had yet to capture the full attention of the younger generation.

Hence, he said the two wings of Umno should give extra focus to the efforts to improve the roles played by the younger generation in the party.

"I can't deny that they have carried out many programmes and activities but the question is whether those programmes and activities have captured the attention and won the hearts of the young people," he said.

Muhyiddin said he also hoped that the younger generation in Umno would take advantage of this year's assembly to raise issues concerning the aspirations of the new generation or "Generation Y' as they made up 40 per cent of the registered voters in the country.

"So, they have to debate on the interests and the aspirations of this new generation, especially in terms of transparency, accountability, and whether what is being done will benefit them. All these aspects must be manifested in their debates at the assembly," he said.

Muhyiddin said he believed that Umno had groomed a new breed of leaders who are ready to take over the party leadership, but all doors must be kept open for professional groups to join the party.

However, he said the public was now looking for leadership factors and credibility of a person, regardles of his party.

"The public want to see who represents them. So, the candidate must not only be winnable, but must also be acceptable, credible, outstanding and brilliant. These are the quality that the Malays are looking for and we can't simply ignore it," he said.

The Umno General Assembly 2001 will begin on Tuesday until Dec 3.

Escape theme park: CM clarifies

The Chief Minister has responded to concerns about the environmental impact of the proposed theme park on 44 acres of PBA land near the Teluk Bahang Dam.
  

Given the scale of the project, its location very close to the dam and the narrow road to Teluk Bahang, I still think we need a detailed environmental impact assessment and a traffic impact assessment, both of which should be independently undertaken.

Behind all this, what is unstated is that the sea-water is too polluted to serve as a tourist attraction anymore. So we need an artificial “theme park”.

Reminds me of a Joni Mitchell song ‘Big Yellow Taxi’: “They took all the trees, And put them in a tree museum, Then they charged the people, A dollar and a half just to see ‘em.”

All this still leaves open the question as to why the PBA is renting out the land so cheaply to a private company in the first place. The PBA board needs to explain.