Burgers to bums to thosai: What kind of a Deputy IGP is Khalid Abu Bakar?

Aliran is shocked by Deputy Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar’s glib reaction to the 10 May protest by Malaysian Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Alliance (Iklas) members outside Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan’s home.

“What offence? If you want to sit in front of her house without disrupting other people, there is no offence,” he states without a trace of human understanding.

“Which privacy? They didn’t enter her house, they were in public space,” he maintains without an inkling of the dangerous situation created by these trouble-makers intent on causing mischief outside Ambiga’s house.

Lawlessness

Such comments coming from the No 2 man in the police force no less, encourages lawlessness and opens the flood gates to mischief-makers, hooligans and thugs to go on a rampage.

His comments are unacceptable and unbecoming of a police officer of his rank who is entrusted with the peace and harmony of this country founded on the supremacy of the Federal Constitution.

Already, spurred on by his comments, another bigger rally involving 500 traders has been planned for 24 May.

On 14 May, a group of 15 men, believed to be army veterans, blatantly performed vulgar aerobics in front of Ambiga’s house. They even had the temerity to challenge her to sue them; otherwise they would return with a bigger crowd.

Like everyone else, Ambiga has every right to peace and safety where she resides. This peace and safety cannot be threatened with impunity in a civilised society.

She has every right to expect respect for her religion and culture just as others have a right to respect for their faith and way of life. But in a very callous manner of defiance, these people who put up stalls to distribute free beef burgers were completely oblivious to the fact that Ambiga is a Hindu and a vegetarian.

They grilled beef patties outside her house in offensive disregard for her faith.

Beef when she is obviously a Hindu

The harassment she is subjected to is as stark as daylight – but obviously not to the Deputy IGP who has, knowingly or otherwise, ignited a fuse that could take this country down the slippery path to lawlessness. We hold him responsible for this.

We are equally disturbed that the Prime Minister, the chief executive of this nation, has chosen to maintain a dangerous silence over such hooliganism and the danger the Deputy IGP is putting this nation into. If there is a breakdown of law and order, the PM and the Deputy IGP must be ultimately held responsible for this descent into what might turn out to be anarchy. -Aliran executive committee

Thosai fight-back


In retaliation 20 Indian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are planning to set up a thosai stall in front of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar’s residence on May 20.

The stall would giving away free thosai to all on this Sunday morning, starting at 10am, at Jalan 2/7G, Taman Bukit Teratai, Ampang.

“What offence? If you want to sit in front of her (Ambiga’s) house without disrupting other people, there is no offence.” WargaAMAN secretary S Barathidasan claimed.
“Since Khalid had said what he said, we chose his house. This is the assurance he gave. Moreover he is the number two cop in the country… it would be very safe outside his house,” he said

WargaAMAN firmed that this event in front of Khalid’s house this Sunday would not be a protest but more of a thosai promotional event. - http://www.jejaktrend.com

Butt dance 'sexist', decries Ambiga

Hardliners in Bekasi Throw Stones at Ascension Day Service

A mob of Islamic hard-liners threw stones and bags of urine at the HKBP Filadelphia congreagation of the Batak Christian Protestant Church in Bekasi, on the outskirts of Jakarta, at an Ascension Day service on Thursday. Police tried to stop the mob of some 300 people, but were also attacked, according to reports.

“They assaulted the congregation members,” Rev. Palti Panjaitan told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday. “Police tried to talk to them, but the mob passed through police and showered us with urine and dirty water. Others threw stones at us.”

The mob reportedly attacked the congregation as the service started, and also shouted profanity and threats.

“Even after the service, which lasted one-and-a-half hours, the mob chased after us,” Rev. Palti said. “Thank God the police escorted us to a safe area.

HKBP Filadelphia submitted an application for a building permit in 2007, but church leaders say that despite meeting all the requirements, including the agreement of their neighbors, a permit was never issued.

On Dec. 31, 2009, the Bekasi district head issued a letter banning the members of the congregation from worshiping on the land, forcing the 560 members to hold services along the side of the road fronting the property.

In July 2011, the Supreme Court overruled the Bekasi administration’s decision, saying the church was eligible for a building permit. The court ordered Bekasi to issue one — but the district government ignored the ruling.

Members of the congregation say that Islamic hard-liners have been intimidating and threatening them at their services since January.

Complaints over use of 'Asian' label in grooming cases

 

The groups say the 'failure to discuss the issue' is feeding the cause of far-right groups

Groups representing Sikh and Hindu communities have complained about the term "Asian" being used to describe the men involved in grooming trials.

Earlier this month, nine men were jailed for being part of a sex ring in Rochdale which groomed girls for sex.

The groups said the men involved were "almost always of Pakistani origin" and the term "Asian" was inaccurate.

The Ramadan Foundation has said grooming is "a significant problem for the British Pakistani community".

The joint statement was released by the Network of Sikh Organisations UK, The Hindu Forum of Britain, and The Sikh Media Monitoring Group UK.

It says the reluctance of the media and the government to discuss the "disproportionate representation of Muslims in such cases" and the fact victims are "almost always non-Muslim girls" is adding to the cause of far-right groups such as the BNP.

It said blanket use of the word "Asian" was "unfair to other communities of Asian origin".

"We believe that in this case the government itself is sanctioning the use of term Asian as a way of clouding responsibility," the groups say.
Stifled debate

The groups say sex gangs have targeted Hindu and Sikh girls but the cases are rarely reported as they seldom reach the courts.

The statement says: "We believe that political correctness stifles debate and will not facilitate a frank and mature discussion or solutions to get to the root of why the above pattern is emerging in these crimes and how to help find a solution to the problem.

"We will not be able to do that if we mask the identity of those involved based on misguided views of 'protecting a vulnerable community' of the perpetrators and not looking at the vulnerable community of victims."

Last Week Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of The Ramadhan Foundation, said: "There is an over-representation [of Asian men] amongst recent convictions in the crime of on-street grooming [and] there should be no silence in addressing the issue of race as this is central to the actions of these criminals," he said.

He said community elders were "burying their heads" over the issue and police and local councils should not "be frightened" to address the problem, as there was "a strong lesson that you cannot ignore race or be over-sensitive".

On Monday, the chair of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Phillips, said the race of the men involved could not be ignored and it was "fatuous" to deny racial and cultural factors.

But assistant chief constable Steve Heywood, of Greater Manchester Police, said the case was not about race, but about "adults preying on vulnerable young children".

Liverpool Crown Court heard the nine men plied their victims, one as young as 13, with drink and drugs so they could "pass them around" and use them for sex.

The case sparked protests by far-right groups but police insisted the grooming was not "racially motivated".

DPM: We have already fulfilled Bersih’s demands

KUALA LUMPUR, May 17 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin insisted today that the federal government had already bowed to Bersih 2.0's demands but merely failed to adequately explain it to voters.

Explaining, the deputy prime minister pointed out that the 22 recommendations tabled and approved in the Dewan Rakyat last month were far more than the election watchdog's eight requests for electoral reforms.

He added that of the eight demands, the Election Commission (EC) had already agreed to implement seven, including the use of indelible ink in the coming polls.

"The government does not act on emotions. We act using rationale, to explain issues.

"So perhaps there are those who think we have not explained enough and this leads to the assumption that the government has not given them (Bersih 2.0) what they want.

"On that part, we need to improve," he told the Wira Intellectual Discourse Series with the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Alumni Association here.

But Muhyiddin (picture) insisted that the government had done its part through the process of engagement, pointing out that the recommendations were made by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) for polls reforms which comprised members from both sides of the political divide.

He said it was better to use "engagement" instead of debate when dealing with matters concerning the opposition as the latter group usually had their minds already made up.

"The important thing is that we engage and I think the people know what we have done," he said.

Muhyiddin was replying to an alumni member who had asked his response to the perception that the government does not practice democracy; that it had failed to handle the Bersih 3.0 rally well; and that the media in Malaysia is biased.

"That's not true. It has become part of our commitment since we achieved independence to grant the people their rights (to free speech and assembly)," he said.

But Muhyiddin pointed out that the diversity of Malaysia's racial make-up makes the social fabric fragile and such freedoms must have its limitations within the boundaries of law.

"If we speak of democracy and that just anyone is allowed to issue open statements without giving consideration to the sensitivities of others, then this could cause chaos.

"So although we have democracy, this democracy is limited to constitutional considerations and the laws of the country," he said.

Bersih 2.0, a coalition of some 84 civil society groups, staged its third rally for free and fair elections or "Bersih 3.0" on April 28 after complaining that the PSC had failed to implement meaningful reforms to the country's election system.

The rally had however turned violent and chaotic shortly before 3pm when several protesters breached the barricades surrounding Dataran Merdeka and triggered the police to launch tear gas and water cannons to disperse the group of thousands.

What next? Kuey teow before PM's residence?

(Malaysiakini) Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar said he is “uneasy” over the ‘butt protest' in front of Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga’s home on Tuesday, saying there are other ways of expressing dissent.

As an example, he pointed out that he had held a debate with Ambiga, and said there was no necessity for the protests in front of her residence.

Khairy (right) is particularly worried that the whole thing could deteriorate into a tit-for-tat saga with the country ending up the laughing stock of the world.

“If not, this thing will never end: Sell burgers in front of Ambiga’s house one day, sell thosai in front of the deputy IGP’s house a few days later. Maybe sell kuey teow in front of Seri Perdana (the prime minister’s official residence) next week.

“This will get ridiculous and we will be the laughing stock of the world... Let’s be more mature in our politics,” he said when asked by reporters at a press conference after launching Auto Forum 2012 in Kuala Lumpur today.

When asked about the youth wing’s preparations to face the upcoming general election, the Rembau MP said the entire party machinery has been ready since last year, after being told by party president Najib Abdul Razak to make preparations.

“Tomorrow I’ll be in Tawau to launch the Sabah state level Umno Youth machinery with the Sabah chief minister through the ‘BN, the youths’ choice’ programme.

“This is only a symbolic gesture to give a bit of stimulation to our grassroots, but in terms of logistics, attitude surveys, and identification of young voters, we are almost done and an election candidates list had been handed over to the prime minister,” he said.

When it was pointed out to him that many of the protesters at Bersih 3.0 were youths and students, and asked whether this had affected BN’s strategy, Khairy quipped, “Many of those attending Umno’s 66th anniversary celebration were youths, too.”

He denied that BN has lost the support of young voters but had managed to woo the majority of them through a number of policies, such as the abolition of the Internal Security Act, amendments to the Universities and University Colleges Act, the first home scheme, and entrepreneur training programmes.

“The proof is in the results of eight past by-elections... where polling streams three and four that are synonymous with young voters all favoured BN.”
Kit Siang seeks return to ‘decency’

Khairy's call was echoed across the political divide in a statement from DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang who issued a call for a return to “decency and civility to politics and public life”.

He decried what he called three “uncivilised” public acts in recent times, mentioning the Perkasa “funeral rite” in front of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s house in Penang, the setting-up of a burger stall in front of Ambiga’s house and the “butt” dance by army veterans also at her house yesterday as the promise of more uncivilised actions to come.

However, he reasoned that the tide of adverse public reaction in the past week may have triggered belated realisation in official circles that such insensitive and deplorable conduct have gone beyond what is acceptable and permissible for decent Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region, class, gender or age.

This he said, explained the condemnation of these “uncivilised” actions by those who had earlier held their silence, though Lim believed that it is too little, too late and completely inadequate.

Malay businesses ‘want’ cash for votes

The Bumiputera association says it will back BN if more cash was given to help Malay businesses grow.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malay industrialists today asked for more than RM25 million from the Barisan Nasional government to help spur growth and vowed to back the ruling coalition if their requests are met.

Bumiputera Manufacturers and Service Industry Association president Abdul Rahim Abu Bakar said more funds were needed to push the sector forward, adding that many of its more than 1,200 members were still struggling to grow with capital being a major hurdle.

“It is not that we are taking advantage with the general election around the corner,” he said at the association’s 21st annual general meet here.

Also present was Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin

“But we would like to take this opportunity. If we don’t do it now, then, when can we… you have our votes. Who else will support you [the government] if not the Malays?”

As much as RM20 million is required as loans to “patch up” the Malay industries while RM5 million is needed to finance the sector’s overseas plans, said Abdul Rahim, a figure noted for adopting a “direct approach” when it comes to asking for funds.

He asked the government to consider disbursing more government contracts to help feed Bumiputera businesses.

Abdul Rahman’s demand is characteristic of the heavily criticised “patronage” culture among Malay businesses which Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak himself had sought to end.

Najib had conceded that the government’s race-based protectionist approach had not produced more capable Malay businessmen.

Muhyiddin also said in his speech delivered shortly after Abdul Rahman’s that the Malays can no longer depend on government help, adding that they must overcome their weaknesses to be competitive.

Stiff opposition

Najib’s attempts to open up the economy, however, ran into stiff opposition from conservatives in Umno – the major benefactors of the current politically-driven business culture – forcing him to delay plans for liberalisation.

Fear of a potential backlash from the Malays have forced Najib to backtrack on reforms and support pro-Bumiputera policies aimed at containing the growing disquiet.

The Najib government has allocated a hefty RM5 billion to be disbursed through various newly set-up agencies to help Malay businesses, while millions more were recently given to shore up support as polls loom.

Analysts said the government may put off the much-needed reforms for the time being, but further delays will affect Malaysia’s already lagging growth.

Many observers feel that’s why Najib must consolidate his position with a stronger mandate in the upcoming polls.

BN lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority and five states in the 2008 national polls, its worst performance in four decades.

Price hikes and internal split in Umno were said to be the major factors behind its record losses.

Beef burger stunt will fry BN

During a recent “coffee shop” chat with friends, a question was thrown: “Who is the most popular Malaysian Indian leader now?” The majority answered without second thoughts: “Ambiga!”

That is the kind of popularity and respect enjoyed by S Ambiga among the Indians in this country although she is leading the Bersih movement as a multi-racial grouping for all Malaysians.

She is not known to be active in any of the Indian-based organisations. Still, she has become a role model for Indians fighting for their rights in this country and is often fondly referred to as “akka” (elder sister) by the younger generation of Indians.

Since the days of Hindraf in 2007, no other leader was able to emerge from the Indian community showing such a strong determination to deal with government authorities and the leadership skills to spearhead mammoth rallies such as Bersih 2.0 and Bersih 3.0.

Suddenly, Ambiga has become the darling of the Indian community and without any doubts, she would be able to influence a large segment of Indian voters in the forthcoming general election.

Beef burgers will cost BN

Naturally, the Indian community is also angry and upset about the attacks targeted against Ambiga for her role as the Bersih chairman and for organising Bersih 3.0.

Indian petty traders know how difficult it is to put up hawker stalls in Kuala Lumpur without proper permission from authorities such as DBKL but the manner in which a burger stall was erected in front of Ambiga’s house without any objection from the authorities has raised questions and sent signals that such actions had the tacit approval of the BN government.

The statement by Deputy IGP Khalid Abu Bakar that such stalls can be put up in front of Ambiga’s house has also shocked many and further crystallized the idea that the authorities were encouraging such actions to instill fear and apprehension among the organisers of Bersih 3.0 and its supporters.

Following the burger stall incident, the vulgar aerobic display in front of Ambiga’s house by some people calling themselves former Malay army personnel had also angered many Malaysians since it smacked of racism.

Above all, serving beef burgers in front of Ambiga’s house infuriated many Indians who, as staunch Hindus, denounce beef since cows are considered sacred. Ambiga is also a Hindu and a strict vegetarian probably because of her birth as a Brahmin. The Hindus from the Brahmin community are strict vegetarians.

The president of Hindu Sangam Mohan Shan issued a statement condemning the action to prepare and distribute beef burgers in front of Ambiga’s house. Hindu Sangam viewed this incident as an insult to the Hindu community and also questioned the authorities for keeping mum.

These incidents were slowly but surely drifting Indian voters away from BN and the statement by Hindu Sangam was one of such clear indication.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s 1Malaysia policy had also shattered into pieces with the approach of the authorities with regard to these incidents. The prime minister’s efforts over the years to bring back Indian voters into the BN fold suddenly seems to have sidetracked.

Probably the BN leadership now realised that their “overboard” actions against Ambiga had angered the Indian community and the mainstream media carried photographs and stories of police cars patrolling Ambiga’s house, just to show that the authorities were providing the necessary protection for her.

Politics is a fast changing game. There are instances where unknowns become popular overnight while some well-known political figures perish suddenly in political tsunamis and seldom surface after that.

Ambiga, who showed her legal prowess and leadership skills as president of the Bar Council for several years, had been suddenly catapulted as an honorable and popular leader in Malaysia for her role in the Bersih movement and consequently she had also earned a respected position in the Indian community.

The incidents targeting her, including the distribution of beef burgers outside her house, was bound to land BN in the frying pan with regard to Indian votes.

RJ Rajah is a political observer and writer on politics and social issues with a keen interest in Malaysian Indian affairs.

Thosai telur for DIG in front of his home

WargaAMAN also says the thosai stall will be set up outside the house of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar.

PETALING JAYA: Deputy Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar will have his thosai telur but it will be served in front of his house.

The movement dubbed WargaAMAN says its will go ahead with its plan to set up a stall and provide free thosai in front of the home of Khalid in Taman Bukit Teratai, Ampang, on Sunday.

“There is no question about it. We will set up the stall in front of his [Khalid's] house,” said WargaAMAN’s secretary, S Barathidasan.

He said this in response to Khalid’s suggestion that WargaAMAN set up the stall at a nearby field since his house is located on a slope.

“I live in a terrace house, so setting up a stall outside my house will disrupt traffic flow and pose an inconvenience to my neighbours,” Khalid said yesterday after he heard of the movement’s intention to set up the stall.

WargaAMAN insisted it is setting up the stall to promote thosai as a national heritage food and has nothing to do with the burger stall set up by some traders in front of Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga’s house last week.

Last Thursday, a group of burger sellers staged a protest in front of Ambiga’s house by distributing 200 burgers.

In response, Khalid had said that the burger stall protesters did not flout the law when they set up shop outside Ambiga’s home.

Meanwhile, Barathidasan promised Khalid that he will have a sumptuous breakfast of egg thosai with dhall, chutney and chicken curry.

However, the others would be served with plain thosai, dhall, chutney and mineral water.

Yesterday, Khalid made a personal request, saying he preferred “thosai telur”.

Barathidasan said the breakfast would be held in buffet style.

“Everyone would have to stand and eat,” he said, adding that three cooks would be making the thosai for an estimated crowd of 1,000.

He also said that dustbins would be provided to ensure the guests would not litter the place.

‘Racist’ teacher must be suspended

Indian community leaders have called for the suspension of the teacher who allegedly hurled racist remarks at her student.

GEORGE TOWN: A teacher, headmistress and education authorities have come under fire from various Indian community leaders and groups over an alleged racist remark hurled at school students last week.

Local Indian leaders and groups have all called on the state education authorities to suspend the secondary school teacher embroiled in the incident at SMK George Town.

They want Sabariah Ramli, 29, to be suspended pending an inquiry into complaints by Form Five students that she scolded them with derogatory remarks, calling them “Hei Hindu” and “Hindu Pariah.”

They also want her to issue a public apology to all students during the school assembly.

DAP’s Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer even called on the authorities to sack Sabariah if the inquiry found her guilty of uttering those words.

“For now, she should be suspended, she must apologise and a full investigation must be carried out into the serious allegation,” he said.

The secondary school in Jalan Batu Lanchang falls under the Seri Delima constituency.

Rayer also called on the Education Ministry to conduct a full-scale probe into separate complaints against education officials for allegedly intimidating students after they complained about Sabariah.

“The ministry should look into this case seriously. It jeorpadises racial harmony,” he told a press conference at his office here yesterday.

Police investigating as well


Sabariah had also been accused of tampering with the students’ demerit points during the incident on May 9. She had allegedly committed the misconduct before 22 students after a class examination.

FMT learnt that headmistress Farah Shikh Abd Rahman, 52, and state education officials, including a three-man investigating team, were allegedly trying to sweep the issue under the carpet.

Two high-ranking police officers from Bukit Aman also conducted an investigation in the school yesterday morning following a police report by an affected 16-year-old student.

MIC state Youth chief J Dhinagaran, who led a group of party delegates, to meet Farah this morning told reporters later that Sabariah should have been suspended by now.

He said he had told Farah that her “carelessness, recklessness and incompetence” in resolving the case amicably had led it to explode into a national issue.

“MIC wants stern action on the teacher,” he stressed.

Single mother is citizen without MyKad

She has been turned down by the Naltional Registration Department even though her parents are also citizens.

PETALING JAYA: She is a Malaysian citizen for the last 20 years but till today she has not been issued with MyKad. This is despite the fact that both her parents are citizens of this country.

Hair dresser Mary Ann, 32, from Batu Gajah said she has applied countless times for her card but nothing has come out of it.

The mother of five said that her problem started when her mother passed away in 1992 when she was 12 years old.

The youngest in her family, Mary Anne said that her mother’s passing had put her family in much difficulty and her father only applied to get her MyKad when she was 14.

“When my father made the application with the Batu Gajah National Registration Department (NRD), the officer told my father that there was an error on his document pertaining to my grandfather.

“The officer subsequently told my father to bring one of his siblings as a witness. But he told them that he lost contact with them but the officer stuck to his decision,” claimed Mary Anne.

FMT’s check on Mary Anne’s birth certificate showed that both her parents were stated as citizens.

Since then, Mary Anne said that she had applied to the NRD countless times to get her MyKad but her efforts remained futile.

“After my father passed away five years ago, NRD told me to bring my father’s relatives now. I don’t understand this as my older siblings were given MyKads except for me,” said Mary Anne.

However, Mary Anne’s children were issued citizenship in their birth certificates and her 13-year- old son holds a blue MyKad.

She also said that she made an application under the MyDaftar programme but received the same reply as well.

MIC should not boast

Commenting on the matter, Malaysian Tamil Progressive Association president A Kalaimughilan said that he would bring up Mary Anne’s case with the NRD office in Putrajaya for a solution.

“I will also refer Mary Anne’s case to the Cabinet Committee on Indian Affairs member A Siva Subramaniam,” he said.

On the MyDaftar, Kalaimughilan said that MIC should not boast about the success of the programme, claiming there were many other Indians who are suffering the same fate as Mary Anne.

“With all this, MIC had the cheek to go to the Prime Minister’s Office [PMO] to thank the prime minister (Najib Tun Razak) for solving the stateless Indians issue,” said Kalaimughilan.

On May 2, MIC Youth members went to the PMO to thank Najib for helping stateless Indians to get their citizenships.

However, the gathering turned into a brawl when about 50 PKR members arrived at the same time to deliver a memorandum over a 17-year-old stateless girl, B Reshina.

Presiden Persatuan Veteran Tentera Melayu Beli 2 Gelaran Datuk RM 1 Juta

“Selain untuk saya sendiri, saya juga membelikan gelaran ‘Datuk’ buat seorang lagi kawan dengan harga sama dan kos keseluruhan termasuk menyediakan hiburan kepada penjual adalah sekitar RM1 juta,”
Apa tindakkan SPRM? Cukupkah sekadar bermaaf-maafan?
edyesdotcom
Orang yang sama inilah mengepalai senaman bontot di depan rumah Datuk Ambiga. Jelas terbukti mereka yang cenderung menyokong kerajaan (bersama pangkat dan kedudukan) telah dilindungi bukan sahaja dari penguatkuasa tempatan, tetapi dilindungi polis malah SPRM sendiri. Adalah suatu kezaliman apabila setiap agensi yang sepatutnya bertindak neutral diperkuda semahunya...
Masihkah ada di antara kita yang menyokong bentuk kezaliman sebegini?
http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2011&dt=0113&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Muka_Hadapan&pg=mh_01.htm
 ‘Maafkan saya...’

Oleh RAJA SYAHRIR ABU BAKAR
syahrir.bakar@utusan.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR 12 Jan. – Presiden Persatuan Veteran Tentera Melayu (PVTM), (Datuk) Mohd. Ali Baharom memohon maaf kepada semua pihak yang mengenalinya dengan gelaran ‘Datuk’ sebelum ini kerana ia sebenarnya palsu dan tidak diperakukan.
Menurutnya, kesilapan itu perlu diakui dan diperbetulkan segera memandangkan beliau kini bergiat aktif dalam kerja-kerja kebajikan dan tidak mahu ia disalah anggap pada masa depan.
“Hari ini saya mahu membersihkan nama saya dengan memohon maaf secara terbuka kepada semua pihak termasuk media kerana menggunakan gelaran ‘Datuk’ yang telah saya ‘beli’ pada 2006 dengan RM250,000.
“Selain untuk saya sendiri, saya juga membelikan gelaran ‘Datuk’ buat seorang lagi kawan dengan harga sama dan kos keseluruhan termasuk menyediakan hiburan kepada penjual adalah sekitar RM1 juta,” katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia hari ini.
Mohd. Ali memakai gelaran itu yang kononnya dianugerahkan oleh institusi diraja dari sebuah negeri di bahagian utara Semenanjung pada 2006 menerusi seorang ejen dan ahli kerabat institusi itu.
Bagaimanapun, katanya, beliau tidak boleh mengambil sebarang tindakan undang-undang kepada ahli kerabat itu memandangkan individu tersebut telah diisytihar muflis beberapa tahun lalu.
Menceritakan pengalamannya, kata Mohd. Ali, ‘nafsu’ untuk memakai gelaran ‘Datuk’ pada masa itu timbul kerana berfikiran ia boleh memudahkan urusan perniagaannya sebagai kontraktor.
Namun, katanya, ia tidak lagi perlu kerana menginsafi gelaran itu diperoleh secara palsu dan berpendapat ia boleh mendatangkan kemudaratan kepadanya dari segi sosial dan ketuhanan pada masa depan.

The Empire Strikes Back

International News and Malaysia's Censors

Astro: That's Entertainment!

Five-minute time lag allows extra bits to be snipped out to preserve "sensibilities"
In Malaysia, the international television news you watch may not be the same television news watched across the rest of the world. It appears that the major broadcast networks beamed into the country including BBC, CNBC, Australian Broadcasting, Al Jazeera and other international news feeds are put on a five-minute tape delay while electronic devices scan the broadcasts for objectionable keywords, including the name of the opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim.

The censoring of news came to public notice during the April 28 Bersih 3.0 rally to protest what the NGO claims are Malaysia’s unfair election laws. When violence broke out, Al Jazeera reporter Harry Fawcett attempted to film police beating protesters into the ground. However, Fawcett was roughed up and his own camera was pushed to the ground. When the episode was shown on the Al Jazeera broadcast that night, an Al Jazeera spokesman said the police violence had been excised in Malaysia. It appears that similar BBC film was also edited to remove police beatings, other sources say.

All of the major news feeds are routed through Astro, the Malaysian direct broadcast satellite pay television service, which is owned and operated by Measat Broadcast Network Systems, which in turn is wholly owned by a subsidiary of Astro Holdings Sdn Bhd, controlled by Malaysia’s richest man, the reclusive businessman Tatparanandam Ananda Krishnan, a longtime friend and close associate of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad as well as a long string of UMNO cronies.

According to a former Astro employee, the television news feeds are routed through a small room in the Astro headquarters, where electronic devices search the broadcasts for keywords that may be objectionable to government officials. The censorship section is headed by a “news controller” named Vincent de Paul, Asia Sentinel was told. Repeated calls to the Astro office in Kuala Lumpur, including attempts to speak with de Paul, were unsuccessful.

Malaysia’s mainstream media are all controlled by the country’s major political parties and all are closely monitored to present the most favorable possible view of the political situation to readers and viewers of local television stations. It had been assumed, however, that the international news from satellite channels had remained uncensored.

The violence that Fawcett filmed apparently led to censorship of the Al Jazeera broadcast, an irony in a Muslim country since the Qatar-based television network has long been accused of pro-Muslim bias by Americans and is not allowed to be broadcast in the United States. In actuality, Al Jazeera’s broadcasts are some of the most professional in the world on television today. The network’s China office was closed by Beijing last week for Melissa Chan’s reporting on human rights abuses by the Chinese government. Chan has been denied a visa, the first reporter to suffer that fate since 1998.

“We will be asking Astro for an explanation as to why Harry Fawcett’s report of the rally in Malaysia was apparently censored,” said Osama Saeed, head of international and media relations for Al Jazeera in Doha, in a prepared release. “If Astro are indeed saying that it breached ‘local content regulations,’ they would need to outline exactly what these alleged breaches were and how they arrived at their decision.

“If Astro are censoring output, then they should make clear to viewers and to broadcasters as and when it happens. We have had no communication on this incident from Astro. Our news report was a factual account of events that day, and intrusion in our editorial process is unwarranted. We have not been censored in this way by another distribution platform anywhere in the world.”

The Fawcett report was later broadcasted on Youtube at http://youtu.be/y8fzCE_gjAI. Some 250,000 people have viewed it, Saeed said.

“They always censored stuff in that room downstairs and they were very proud of it,” said the former employee. “Vincent de Paul basically watches it. The worry was CNBC. He was carving out word for word what they were saying because they often mentioned Anwar.”

Astro appears to operate under the 61-page censorship guidelines on Film Censorship prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs of Malaysia. It is a stunningly complete document, although there is nowhere in it that indicates the government publicly wishes to censor television news broadcasts.

The guidelines “focus on four important areas that need to be examined in detail and considered in film making, namely security and public order, religion, socioculture, decorum and morality,” the document reads. “These aspects require serious attention to avoid exploitation that could have undesirable effects on the public and the nation.”

The guidelines “also have the objective of building the nation’s identity by depicting and displaying the noble values and good societal practices through the medium of film. The regulations that are contained in these guidelines are important as film can have tremendous influence on the thinking and actions of society, especially children and the youth.

The government seeks to protect the public from negative influences such as engaging in “immoral activities that can threaten security and public order;” making sure nobody imitates, practices or sympathizes “with ideologies that are contrary to Rukun Negara (principles of nationhood) and a long laundry list of other do’s and don’ts.

These include “Matters that are contrary to the principles of the Federal Constitution and Rukun Negara;” including violence and anarchy that overthrows the rule of law; discrediting of a government or derision and denigration directed at a foreign government; Disdain or mocking of a leader or government, thus creating tension within the country; dialogue, lyrics or actions that are provocative, slanderous or stir social unrest by bringing about doubt and uneasiness which finally threaten safety, public order and national security; a detailed modus operandi for wrongdoing that can easily elicit the urge to imitate it; the victory of evil over justice and truth; scenes that glorify the riding or handling of a vehicle in a manner dangerous to the self and others as well as in contravention of traffic laws without retribution upon conclusion of the story.”

There are a wide variety of other taboos including “the portrayal and interpretation that a criminal offense can be profitable or worthwhile; legal authorities do not take any action against the \criminals even upon conclusion of the story; actions that cause serious physical injury, death or mental disturbance to an individual or a group of individuals and the destruction of property; the use of destructive weapons in a violent and shocking manner on an individual or a group of individuals; scenes of crime and violence with close-up images of people being repeatedly shot, stabbed, slashed, beaten, kicked, punched and hurled; scenes of torture of humans or animals; and films that show scenes of drug abuse up close.”

There are 36 separate prohibitions over religious issues too detailed to go into. Likewise for “an unrestrained lifestyle without any principles, deviant and contrary to religious teachings and culture that can lead to the destruction of the noble values of society; scenes and dialogue with sexual connotations, display of full nudity of the human body and excessive violence” and many more.

Specific objectionable language is that is “obscene or directed at obscenity and coarse speech in any language is discouraged. A long list of banned words is listed in nine languages including Malay, English, Tamil and Hindi, Punjabi, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien and Teochew.

In none of the guidelines, however, is there any mention of censoring the news.

French judges probe Malaysian prime minister’s role in submarine purchase bribes

Malaysia's prime minister in waiting Najib Razak speaks during a news conference at the parliament house in Kuala Lumpur November 4, 2008.Photograph by: Bazuki Muhammad , REUTERS

A Paris court of inquiry has started an investigation which may finally link the dots between Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, his country’s purchase of two French submarines, bribes worth nearly $200 million and the murder of a Mongolian model by his bodyguards.

The in camera inquiry by judges Roger Le Loire and Serge Tournaire, who are highly experienced investigators in corruption and human rights cases, will try to discover if the French defence company DCNS and its project partner Thales International paid the bribes to secure the 2002 contract to supply two Scorpene submarines to the Malaysian navy.

Their inquiry will build on two years of investigation and evidence-gathering by French police.

The deal was done while Najib was defence minister and attention is focused on the role played by Najib’s close friend and policy adviser, Abdul Razak Baginda.

French officials have let it be known they are especially interested in two payments by the French arms dealers.

One was for 114 million euros ($148 million) and went to a Malaysian company called Perimekar for “logistical support.”

Perimekar was at the time wholly owned by a company which was controlled by Razak Baginda and his wife, Mazalinda.

The examining magistrates also want to hunt down the story behind payments worth $46 million to a company called Terasasi, which was originally incorporated in Malaysia, but then registered itself in Hong Kong where, according to the online magazine Asia Sentinel, it is listed among 142 companies at a convenience address in the Wan Chai district.

The registered directors of Terasasi are Razak Baginda and his father Abdul Malim Baginda.

Questions about the submarine deal became more intense and sharp in October 2006 after the body of Mongolian model and translator Altantuya Shaariibuu was discovered in the jungle outside Kuala Lumpur.

She had been shot in the head and an attempt then made to destroy her body with military C4 explosive.

Altantuya was the jilted lower of Razal Baginda and she had last been seen causing a scene outside his house.

A few years before she had been a model in France and in 2004 she accompanied Razal Baginda to act as translator when he was negotiating the Scorpene deal.

In a handwritten letter found after her death she said she intended to confront Razak Baginda and demand $500,000 as the price of her silence on the details of the Scorpene agreement.

Even the politically attuned Malaysian courts could not avoid this case.

But although Razak Baginda and two of then-defence minister Najib’s bodyguards, Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar, were charged with murder the outcome was deftly finessed.

In an astonishing piece of courtroom stage management, Razak Baginda, was not required to answer to the charges of abetting Altantuya’s murder, was released and now lives in exile in Britain.

The bodyguards took the fall and have been sentenced to death. They are appealing the verdict, but that hearing has been delayed.

It is widely predicted that appeal will not be heard until after the next elections, expected in June, when, if Najib and his governing coalition are returned to power, a way may be found to acknowledge the bodyguards’ loyalty.

After failing to get a full investigation of the Scorpene affair in Malaysia, many Malaysian human rights advocates and Altantuya’s family put a lot of faith in the French investigation.

However, there was initial disappointment when it appeared that judges Le Loire and Tournaire would investigate only the bribery allegations and not look at the murder of Altantuya.

But 10 days ago the Malaysian human rights group Suaram was allowed to give the judges a private briefing. Spokesmen for the group said afterward they described the political context of the affair from the Malaysian point of view and gave the judges a list of potential witnesses.

Among them is Razak Baginda, and there are reports the judges may attempt to subpoena him from Britain.

Others on the list, such as Prime Minister Najib, are unlikely to take any notice.

But Altantuya’s father, Setev Shaariibuu, says he intends to go to Paris from Mongolia and that from his last conversation with his daughter he can “connect the dots” for the judges.

jmanthorpe@vancouversun.com

Time to restore decency and civility to politics and public life

When the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib spoke about “uncivilized enemies” who will lead Malaysia to ruin at the UMNO anniversary gathering at the Bukit Jalil Stadium last Friday, Malaysians immediately thought of two “uncivilized” acts which occurred only the day before – the Perkasa “funeral rite” in front of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s house in Penang and the setting up of a burger stall in front of the house of Bersih 2.0 co-chairperson Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan’s house at Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.

Since then there had been a third “uncivilized” act which had never happened before in Malaysian politics and public life in the nation’s 54-year history – the utterly insensitive and deplorable “butt” dance by a group of armed forces veteran in front of Ambiga’s house two days ago, with the promise of more and bigger “uncivilized” actions to come!

What is most shocking is that these “uncivilised” actions had at first the approval and support of important personalities in government – especially the Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar and some Ministers who asked what was wrong with setting up a beef burger stall in front of Ambiga’s house.

As a result of the tide of adverse public reaction in the past week, there appears to be a belated realisation in some official circles that such insensitive and deplorable “uncivilised conduct” have gone beyond the pale of the acceptable and permissible for ordinary decent Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region, class, gender or age.

This explains for the condemnation of these “uncivilised” actions by those who had earlier held their silence.

This is however completely inadequate.

The time has come to restore decency and civility to politics and public life in Malaysia.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Cabinet must come forward to speak loud and clear their condemnation of these three “uncivilised acts” in the past week and to set the tone and example for decency and civility in politics and public life in Malaysia enroute to a developed high-income nation in 2020.