GE13: Are Indians rooting for BN?

Indians till to-date have failed to read that BN is cunning in practising gimmicks in order to obtain votes.
COMMENT

A very recent survey conducted by Pakatan Rakyat grassroots workers has revealed that Indian support for Pakatan has dipped below 50%.

Going by logical indications that the 13th general election is surely going to be held in March, this leaves Pakatan with only one month to work out a plan to regain Indian support.

What made the Indians swing back to Barisan Nasional was the hampers given by BN on a quite frequent basis lately. Most of the Indians who were surveyed commented that they were very grateful to BN for the hampers, especially during the festive occasions.

In fact, this “Hamper Culture” is an insult to the recipients and goes against morality and noble ethics as it is done only for the reaping of temporary gain by the giver. Perhaps the giver has not heard of the proverb: “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for the rest of his life.”

It will be to the great loss of the ordinary citizens (the Indians themselves included) if they were to opt out of the movement for change thereby causing the nation to regress and the citizens who are poor to suffer with the implementation of the GST (goods and services tax).

For the GST will surely be implemented after the general election if BN wins and this will cause the prices of everything and the cost of living to rise rapidly.

Indians till to-date have failed to read that BN is cunning in practising gimmicks in order to obtain votes.

Therefore those Indians who think that BN will always help out with hampers had better think again as this type of assistance is extremely short-term.

Indians must start to think in a progressive and forward-looking manner. The recent incident in Selangor last month when Indians were seen crowding round the BN lorry waiting to receive bags of rice truly resembles a scene from a Third World nation.

It is the ultimate insult and Indians must therefore reject BN in order to salvage any pride.

Better future under Pakatan

Under Pakatan Rakyat, Indians will have lots more to gain. Many Indians in Selangor have been given property titles by the Selangor Pakatan state government whereas during BN’s tenure, all that the Indians have got from BN was merely the Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL).

Indians, too, have obtained small business loans from the Pakatan state government’s micro-credit business loan scheme and even BN has followed this model.

Certainly Indians have much more to look forward to under Pakatan. As of now, Pakatan has only administered Selangor for only five years this coming March. What is five years compared to BN’s 55 years?

Will Indians stop to think how much they will forego if they were to support BN just because of some meagre temporary gain?

Have they stopped to think carefully how their vote will affect their children’s and grandchildren’s future in the long term?

Shortsightedness will definitely do in the Indians in the near future after BN wins the 13th general election. Another reason for the Indian change of heart in going back to supporting BN is due to the water crisis in certain areas of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

The Indians should realise that the water crisis is a BN strategy to obtain their vote and therefore should not succumb to this unethical tactic.

Indians must hold firm and go for change for a better government instead of regressing to the old unworkable methods and in the long run getting stuck in a rut.

This is because it is Pakatan which has ideas for betterment, not BN. Even the reduction in road tolls and the “Jom Shopping” projects are Pakatan’s ideas which have been adopted by BN.

Why must Indians vote for someone who uses another person’s ideas? Why not vote for the person from whom the ideas originate? Isn’t that a better and smarter move?

Make a change

It is time the Indians understood that the problems of their community will take a long time to solve.

The urban Sabahans and Sarawakians, the Chinese and about 50% of the Malays have made up their minds to vote for Pakatan.

It is still not enough for Pakatan because the phantom/dubious voters need to be factored in.

Therefore it is now up to the Indians. Those who want to vote for change are depending on the Indian votes.

The choice is in the hands of the Indians and now is the time to take stock of the future and which path to take.

Will the Indians vote to continue BN’s tenure so that they can continue to get small, short-term gifts or will they vote for Pakatan in order to be empowered so that they can improve their own situation once and for all?

DAP’s Teluk Intan MP, M Manogaran, commented that Indians should look into achieving permanent and long-term progress for themselves and their future generations.

“For 55 years, this has not been achieved under BN and therefore now it is time to make a change for the better,” said Manogaran.

Selena Tay is a DAP member and a FMT columnist.

PRU13: Calon PAS selesai hampir 100%

‘Protective’ custody: 13-year-old boy kept in chains for the past five years

Petitioner alleges that the inspector tried to protect the accused rather than conduct a thorough and fair investigation. PHOTO: FILE 

BADIN: Waseem Kumbhar, 13, has been kept in chains by his mother, Fatima Kumbhar, for the past five years.

This family of Badin has been leading a hard life since the death of the boy’s father seven years ago. Allah Dino, who was a craftsman by profession, had cancer. After his death, Fatima and Waseem were left to fend for themselves.

Fatima recalls that Waseem’s condition began after he contracted fever but was not given proper treatment. Since then, his mental capacity has been decreasing gradually.

“I tried to buy medicines for him without whatever money I had, but I was unable to complete treatment,” she told daily Sindh Express.

She worries that if she does not keep him chained, he will leave the house and get lost. Fatima earns her livelihood by making dung cakes.

If she stays home to look after her son, the two of them will not be able to survive, she said. “I have to leave home early in the morning every day and come back at noon.”

She admits that it is difficult for her to take her son to the doctor because she has to roam around the entire city, looking for dung. “It is difficult to visit doctors in such a situation when earning for two meals a day is not an easy job.”

The doctors believe, however, that the boy can recover if he is treated properly. “He needs proper treatment and food,” advised Dr Shujjat Hussain Khwaja. “His recovery would be difficult, if he is not treated right away and is kept in chains.”

Torn between her family’s survival and her son’s special needs, Fatima worries what will happen to Waseem after her. She has visited several officials but no one has extended any help. “I am living among rich people but no one even bothers to look at me and my son.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30th, 2013.

Al Nusrah Front imposes sharia in eastern Syrian town

The Al Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant, al Qaeda in Iraq's affiliate in Syria, has imposed sharia, or Islamic Law, in a town in eastern Syria that is close to the Iraqi border. The area has served as a jihadist haven in the past.

"Islamist militants" from the Al Nusrah Front "have taken unclothed mannequins they see as sexually enticing out of the shops," in the town of Mayadin, Reuters reported. The al Qaeda affiliate has "also prevented women from wearing trousers, preferring that they adopt the shapeless head-to-toe black veil." Alcohol has also been banned in the town.

Al Nusrah Front fighters are providing "daily religious teaching" to children, and are recruiting teenaged boys to fight President Bashir al Assad's regime. Additionally, the group is making a profit by selling oil, even to members of the Assad regime.

The imposition of sharia in Mayadin by the Al Nusrah Front is eerily similar to al Qaeda in Iraq's activities in Anbar province and other areas in Iraq from 2004 to 2007. Taking advantage of the security vacuum that arose after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, al Qaeda in Iraq seized control of several towns and cities in western Iraq and declared Islamic emirates in towns like Haditha and Al Qaim, which is right on the Syrian border. The terror group immediately began to enforce its radical interpretation of Islamic law on Sunni tribesmen, who were too weak and disorganized to fight back.

Al Qaeda in Iraq fighters made women wear the veil, cut off the fingers of Iraqis who were caught smoking, and even forced produce sellers to separate cucumbers and tomatoes, as placing the two vegetables next to each other was deemed to represent the mixing of the sexes.

Additionally, al Qaeda in Iraq profited from smuggling and selling Iraq's oil. The group even named emirs to manage the sale of oil, which was in turn used to fund operations.

Eastern Syria a jihadist haven

Al Qaeda in Iraq, which created the Al Nusrah Front and directs its operations, has long had a presence in eastern Syria. With the help of the Syrian government, al Qaeda in Iraq used the region as a rear area to support attacks against US and Iraqi forces in Anbar province. After being driven out of its strongholds in northern, western, and central Iraq by the beginning of 2008, al Qaeda in Iraq refocused its efforts to build an infrastructure in eastern Syria [see LWJ report, Eastern Syria becoming a new al Qaeda haven, from November 2009].

Since the uprising in Syria began nearly two years ago, al Qaeda has re-tasked the network in eastern Syria to target the regime which once supported terrorist operations in Iraq, a US military intelligence official who follows al Qaeda in the region told The Long War Journal.

"AQI basically flipped the network; the tail [the support network in Syria] grew teeth, and is now biting the hand that fed it for years," the official said.

"This didn't happen by accident," the official continued. "Al Qaeda has been preparing to take advantage of the Arab Spring."

The town of Mayadin is close to Abu Kamal, which is on the border with Iraq's Anbar province. Abu Kamal and its vicinity has long served as a rear area for al Qaeda in Iraq. During a raid in October 2008, US special operations forces struck at al Qaeda's facilitation network in the town of Sukkariya near Abu Kamal in eastern Syria, just five miles from the Iraqi border. US troops killed Abu Ghadiya, al Qaeda's senior facilitator, and his senior staff in the raid.

In the city of Deir al Zour, which is about 20 miles north of Mayadin, the Al Nusrah Front has banded together with nine other Islamist groups to create the "Mujahideen Shura Council."

The Mujahideen Shura Council in Deir al Zour was formed to "unite the ranks of the jihadi brigades in the Cause of Allah, organize the efforts and the attacks against the soldiers of disbelief and apostasy, and distinguish the ranks of truth from falsehood," according to a statement released by the group in December 2012. The statement was obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group.

"We call upon our sincere mujahideen brothers all over the strong Levant to unite their ranks in groups, pure of the filth of suspicious groups and the infiltration of people who have no qualities or faith, in order to clarify their banner and purify their path," the statement continued.

The Al Nusrah Front in Deir al Zour appears to be following al Qaeda in Iraq's strategy to unite disparate jihadist groups. In the summer of 2006, al Qaeda in Iraq also formed a Mujahideen Shura Council to coordinate operations with various jihadist groups operating in Iraq. Later that year, al Qaeda in Iraq formed the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) to serve as the political front, and the Mujahideen Shura Council was folded in under the ISI's military wing.

The Al Nusrah Front remains active in Deir al Zour. Just yesterday, the Al Nusrah Front, the Furqan Brigade, and "battalions from the revolutionary council of Deir al Zour" overran the "political intelligence branch" headquarters in the city after laying siege to the building for six months, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "[T]he building is considered one of the main bases for regime forces in the city," the human rights group stated on its Facebook page.

An al Qaeda affiliate

On Dec. 11, 2012, the US designated the Al Nusrah Front as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The designation stated that the emir of al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Du'a (a.k.a. Abu Bakr al Baghdadi al Husseini al Qurshi), "is in control of both AQI and Al Nusrah."

At the same time, the US added two senior Al Nusrah leaders, Maysar Ali Musa Abdallah al Juburi and Anas Hasan Khattab, both members of al Qaeda in Iraq, to the list of global terrorists; the US did not add the emir of Al Nusrah, Sheikh Abu Muhammad al Julani, to the list, however. [See LWJ report, US adds Al Nusrah Front, 2 leaders to terrorism list, for information on the designation of the Al Nusrah Front and the two leaders.]

Despite Al Nusrah's known affiliation with al Qaeda and its radical ideology, Syrian opposition groups, including the supposedly secular Syrian National Coalition, have rallied to support Al Nusrah. Immediately after the US designated Al Nusrah as a terrorist group, 29 Syrian opposition groups signed a petition that not only condemned the US's designation, but said "we are all Al Nusrah," and urged their supporters to raise Al Nusrah's flag (which is the flag of al Qaeda) [see LWJ report, Syrian National Coalition urges US to drop Al Nusrah terrorism designation].

The Al Nusrah Front has used al Qaeda's signature tactic -- the suicide bomber and suicide assault team -- to target Syrian security forces. The Al Nusrah Front has now claimed credit for 48 of the 58 suicide attacks that have taken place in Syria since December 2011, according to a tally by The Long War Journal (note that multiple suicide bombers deployed in a single operate are counted as part of a single attack). Just two days ago, Al Nusrah claimed credit for two suicide attacks in Homs and Hama. Six suicide attacks have now been reported in Syria so far this year; Al Nusrah has claimed credit for five of them.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/01/al_nusrah_front_impo.php#ixzz2JgRA6ouw

Drop AES summonses, refund fines, former A-G tells Gani Patail

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1 — The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) should withdraw all traffic summonses issued under the controversial Automated Enforcement System (AES) and refund the cash paid up by motorists it had penalised now that the privatised system has proven to be defective, said Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman, weighing in on the hot-button topic ahead of Election 2013.

The Attorney-General for 13 years, the retired civil servant described the privatised traffic enforcement system rolled out last September as a clear case of the government putting the cart before the horse and done thoughtlessly without respect for the rule of law or fundamental rights.

“It is totally unfair and unreasonable to allow a summons to be issued but does not allow the prosecution of the case if the person or persons summoned wish to challenge the action of the authorities. Where does he or she go to seek justice?

“The court must act independently and not take orders from the public prosecutor,” Abu Talib (picture) told The Malaysian Insider in a recent interview.

The AGC and the federal government came under fire last month for freezing the prosecution of traffic offenders under the AES yet allowing the system to continue operating.

The freeze was ordered following an outcry after the system issued nearly 300,000 summonses since it kicked off on September 23 last year.

The decision sparked widespread public anger and prompted the Najib administration to mull holding off implementation of the system that appears to duplicate police speed traps along highways.

But shortly after the freeze, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said the AES would still operate as usual and summonses would continue to be issued, drawing more criticisms from those opposing the system.

“The government will not stop AES summons as it is already been decided in the last Cabinet meeting,” Kong had said on December 26, referring to the approval of his ministry’s estimated expenditure under Budget 2013.

Kong also appeared to admit that there are legal issues related to the AES summonses themselves, and that the ministry was in the process of resolving the complication.

Abu Talib, however, reserved his criticism for the incumbent Attorney-General, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, who was reported to have admitted to weaknesses in the AES.

Abdul Gani was reported as saying the summonses were still valid but admitted that the problematic issue was centred on the legal aspects of the speeding tickets and his office was still in discussion over how to resolve the matter.



The court must act independently and not take orders from the public prosecutor. — Abu Talib



In a January 13 report by Malay broadsheet Mingguan Malaysia, the country’s top lawyer said the decision over the fate of the thousands of summonses issued so far under the system could not revealed yet as it involves the co-operation of numerous agencies.

“The fact that he said that his office needed time to sort out issues relating to AES as well as ensure all regulations and procedures were in place before court proceedings were initiated is an admission that the system was hastily implemented without much thought for the law and the right of citizens,” Abu Talib said.

“A clear case of putting the cart before the horse,” the 73-year-old added, and rebuked Abdul Gani for suspending prosecution without giving further thought to the legal implications, which he called “totally unfair and unreasonable”.

“If it’s true, that all regulations and procedures are not yet in place, the right thing for him to do is to withdraw all summons issued and refund all the fines paid, if any,” said Abu Talib, who is also a former chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).

He urged the government to exercise more caution in making decisions and to proceed only when ready.

“This is what justice to the public is all about,” Abu Talib said.

The privatised RM700 million project began in September 2012 with a pilot phase of 14 cameras but the RTD has pledged to roll out a total of 831 cameras by the end of this year to catch speeding motorists and prevent more road deaths.

The police, who enforce the speeding laws, have said they will continue enforcement and put up mobile speed traps near the AES cameras, raising the prospect of dual fines for errant motorists.

The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) federal opposition has been using the issue as electoral fodder in the run-up to national polls that must be called by April when the ruling Barisan Nasional’s (BN) mandate expires.

Mahathir – arrogant until the bitter end

Mahathir must be fearing the worst. He has never visualised any party other than Umno in Putrajaya.
COMMENT

If one could smell fear, then those around former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, his family, BN politicians and their cronies, would need strong stomachs to deal with the overpowering stench.

When a person is running scared, he turns on his attackers or finds another person to take the rap. Mahathir has done both.

As we enter the final stages of the run-up to GE-13, Mahathir has lost none of his sarcasm. Only the most loyal of his sycophants will still receive him as warmly as before. He has become an outcast of 97% of the population.

In the preceding months, Mahathir has remained cocksure and taken pot shots at the opposition. He did not believe that the opposition could deliver their promises; nor would he accept that BN has neglected the rakyat, for the last 56 years.

You would expect a former PM to have some respect for the rakyat; but Mahathir derided them when he said that they could not appreciate political debates because of their immaturity and that they were too emotional to rationalise.

He said, “This is not America, but even in the US, debates only serve to expose how stupid the candidates are.” Might this explain the preponderance of Umno candidates’ refusal to debate their opposition counterparts?

Mahathir’s rhetoric is an indication of his internal fears. In the previous weeks he has shown his trademark arrogance and egotism. The sudden adoption of a defensive position shows an agitated mind.

His remarks about the opposition are revealing, “They will take action against people who were not friendly, or they think were not friendly to them,” and he voiced his fears about being arrested by the incumbent government.

This climb-down is unprecedented. Mahathir has never adopted this tone before and to talk about being arrested is unheard of. Mahathir’s lack of confidence is telling. This is again shown by his tacit mention of a “Pakatan-controlled Federal government”.

Mahathir must be fearing the worst. He has never visualised any party other than Umno in Putrajaya.

Perhaps, the other damning insight into Mahathir’s state of mind is his attempt to shift attention from himself to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

Mahathir’s admission that he engineered the foreign invasion of Sabah by the back door, his foolish attempt to sully the name of the Father of Independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman, followed by his effort to implicate his former deputy, Anwar Ibrahim, does not endear him to the public.

Divide and rule

The rakyat sees that billions of ringgit have been squandered on defence weaponry, when the real enemy was the prime minister.

So, what does a coward do when he is cornered? Mahathir who had underestimated the anger of the rakyat, believing that they still “adored” him, had attempted to deflect criticism and draw attention away from him, by focusing on Najib.

He urged Umno to cast Najib aside if BN were to perform badly in GE-13. Somehow, he forgot that it is the rakyat who decides, and not Umno members.

He criticised the former PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for leaving a weak government for Najib and refused to accept that successive BN governments have been corrupt and weak.

Instead of building on the strong foundations and a united people at the time of Independence, Mahathir preyed on each race’s specific weaknesses, to undermine them further. He perpetuated the British concept of Divide and Rule, to keep the natives in check. We swopped British imperialism for Mahathirism.

Mahathir’s contempt for us is shown when he sniggered at the thought of his possible arrest by the opposition should they win Putrajaya. “Without the ISA, I feel more comfortable”.

He disregarded the suffering he inflicted on his critics and political opponents, when the liberal use of the ISA and Operation Lalang traumatised thousands of people. People suffered physical and mental health problems. Families were broken-up and left destitute.

People like S Ambiga and Maria Chin Abdullah always kept toothbrushes in their handbags, because they knew that they could be detained whenever they left their houses. Mahathir now knows what it feels like to be hunted.

Finally, Mahathir let the cat out of the bag when he suggested that Najib should step down and allow his deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, to take charge, if BN were to win by a slim margin. He has always feared that his legacy would be forgotten and his political dynasty halted.

How ironical that Mahathir tried to obliterate all traces of British rule including the language, names of roads and towns, only to find that in 2013, Malaysians are desperate to obliterate all traces of him, his cronyism and his corruption.

Earlier this month, Najib was foolish to visit Gaza when his own backyard is like a tinderbox. His diplomatic gaffe put him in the spotlight and the American media has now turned their attention on him and perhaps, alerted the Americans to the wider troubles Malaysia faces.

It is the publicity and recognition that many of us have been waiting for. Najib was daft to fish for Muslim votes that way and Anifah Aman, the foreign minister should be congratulated for being a weak sycophant and not insisting upon adherence to diplomatic protocol and pleasantries.

Najib could take the fast-track to redemption with the rakyat and be guaranteed a place in Malaysian history as a Super-Hero.

He should steal a march on Pakatan and arrest Mahathir, before Pakatan gets that honour.

Mahathir must be resigned to his arrest for crimes against the Malaysian people. Like most criminals, he will find great relief when the chase is over.

Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist.

PM desperate for Indian votes

But the prime minister seems to be making all the wrong moves because of his advisers and BN component parties.
COMMENT

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak will attend a national Ponggal festival tomorrow (Feb 2) at Dataran Merdeka, which has come as a surprise to political observers.

It was this same Barisan Nasional government that fired tear gas and water cannons on the Indians who gathered in the streets of Kuala Lumpur in 2007.

The police had come down hard on the protesters despite many of them carrying posters of Mahatma Gandhi to indicate that their gathering was non-violent.

Following the rally, five Hindraf leaders were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the Hindraf movement was declared an illegal body.

Ironically, the same government was now giving a “red carpet” welcome to Indians to gather at the heart of the city.

Whether the BN government had realised its past mistakes with regard to the Indian community or not, the fact is the prime minister is desperate for Indian votes.

Attending four Indian functions in three weeks proves this point.

Najib had attended the Indian Progressive Front (IPF) gathering on Jan 12 at Dataran Tesco Semenyih, where the former was delighted with the rousing reception from a 15,000-strong crowd.

The next day, he also met the Indian community on the eve of the Ponggal festival at Little India in Klang.

Apart from the Ponggal celebration, Najib was also supposed to attend the Thaipusam festival but due to his flight being delayed, deputy premier Muhyiddin Yassin went instead.

But the question now is whether the Indian community is happy with BN’s various initiatives.

Just look at the few major Indian functions funded and attended by Najib:

Indian New Year celebration in 2011 at Mines, Seri Kembangan (RM3 million)

Ponggal celebration at Klang in 2012 (RM3 million)

Thaipusam 2012 (RM2 million)

Musical Night at Stadium Malawati, by an Indian NGO (RM350,000, the attendance was 2,000)

IPF gathering at Semenyih (RM1 million)

Thaipusam 2013 (RM1 million)

Ponggal festival 2013 (RM3 million)

Despite millions being poured into these functions, how many poor Indians benefited from this? Nobody dares answer this, because even Najib doesn’t have a clue.

Worse still, there were also allegations that the funds were misused by certain leaders.

For example, a top-level BN Indian leader had allegedly bought a bungalow in Australia from the money allocated for the Hindu New Year celebration in 2011.

Another allegation was that a component party division chairman embezzled RM200,000, originally given to people for their transport and other costs to attend the new year celebration.

Thus, it is clear that Najib is just wasting his time and money.

What is Najib supposed to do?

For Indians, Najib must appear as the ticket that would lead the community to a better life. The prime minister should engage directly with the community instead of going through political parties and NGOs.

With the election being around the corner, he should do more walkabouts to meet Indian voters and listen to their grievances.

The best thing Najib should do now is steer clear from his advisers and go down to the estates and low-cost housing areas to get a true picture of the situation.

Najib, with the entire government machinery behind him, could provide instant solutions to problems such as high maintenance fees, better housing facility and others

Word of mouth is always the best marketing strategy and if Najib could resolve an issue, even a small one, the news would travel fast.

And instead of bringing the media to the area, Najib should upload pictures and comments on the activities done at these areas on official websites.

Moreover, people are sceptical about the reports published by the mainstream media, which are owned by Barisan Nasional parties.

It may be too late now but if Najib plays his cards right, he still may be able to do a little damage control.

Effingham school controversy resolved?

The land dispute looks set to come to an end with the ground breaking ceremony taking place yesterday.

PETALING JAYA: The Effingham Tamil School land controversy finally looks set to be resolved following a ground breaking ceremony to build the school’s community hall.

MIC secretary-general S Murugessan officiated the ground breaking ceremony at school field yesterday.

Speaking to reporters, Murugessan said that the ground breaking ceremony showed that MIC fulfills its words.

The school is located in Bandar Utama, Damansara.

Accusations of a land grab first surfaced in 2008 after former students and residents claimed that the developer of Bandar Utama had allocated six acres of land for the school in 1999.

MIC, however, countered this claim, saying that there was an error in the description of the proprietor in the land title and that the party was the rightful owner of the three acres.

Following the allegation and pressure from Pakatan Rakyat leaders, MIC president G Palanivel had promised to build a sport field and hostel in the remaining three acres land.

“So far, MIC has already allocated RM1 million to the school. And I believe the MIC president would grant another RM600,000 to bear the full cost of the two-storey community hall,” Murugesan said.

He added that the remaining three acres would be used to build a sport field and a hostel.

Meanwhile, Return Effingham Land Action Team (REflaX) chief G Manivannan questioned the decision to build the hall on the school field.

“Why use the school field? Why not build the hall on the other three-acres? Where will the students go for their co-curriculum activities?” he asked.

Manivannan said REflaX was disappointed that the school’s board of governors had bowed to MIC leaders.

“It seems like the school administration gives more importance to MIC’s political mileage than the students’ welfare,” he added.

He said REflaX would hold a peaceful gathering to show the parents and old students’ discontent on this matter.

Dirt and noise mar Thaipusam

This year’s festival saw a crowd, but the lack of public facilities made it less than perfect.

BATU CAVES: Observers agree that the crowd at last weekend’s Thaipusam celebration in Batu Caves was the largest in recent memory. Officials of the Sri Subramaniar temple estimate that more than 1.6 million pilgrims and tourists were at the holy site during the climax of the annual festival on Sunday.

Observers also noticed that this year the number of non-Hindu Malaysians in the crowd, especially those not accompanied by Hindu friends, was bigger than in previous years.

Perhaps the most plausible explanation for both the record attendance and the high proportion of non-Hindus is that it was a three-day weekend for Malaysians, Monday being a national holiday.

Officials said they were gratified that no major untoward incident happened despite the difficulties involved in managing such a large gathering of people.

However, the authorities failed in a few aspects of crowd control, most obviously in the management of rubbish and the provision of toilet facilities.

Rubbish bins and trash cans were nowhere to be seen, and the enormous amount of garbage that littered the area during the festival should jolt the temple management into considering a budget for janitorial services for future celebrations.

When it came to public toilets, not only were there too few of them, but they were also hard to locate. There was not a single sign pointing directions to them.

Several pilgrims complained about the level of noise, especially the sounds coming from the carnival areas and concert stage.

One devotee complained that even the devotional songs broadcast by the temple management was too loud.

K Ashok, a 37-year-old pilgrim from Kedah, said the public address system was turned on so loud that it frustrated his attempts to locate his missing family by mobile phone.

“I’m not objecting to the management playing the devotional songs but I think they should reduce the volume, maybe at the medium level,” he said.

“I was separated from my family was trying to call one of them, but I couldn’t hear anything.

“I went to the stalls where they sold food and souvenirs, but one of the stalls was playing CDs and the stereo was turned on full blast.”

Stop unnecessary entertainment

Ashok suggested that the temple management ban “unnecessary entertainment” at future Thaipusam celebrations.

“I think the time has come for the temple management to stop unnecessary entertainment like the free concerts and fun fair,” he said.

“We come for prayers, not for entertainment.”

Another pilgrim, M Kauri of Kajang, also complained about the noise. She was particularly irritated by the blowing of air horns, which were sold this year at several stalls.

“We already have the Urumi Melam beats and the songs from PA system and shops selling things,” she said. “All of these make for a very noisy environment.

“Now we have the air horn as well. I don’t understand why people would blow those horns during the festival. This is not a football stadium.”

A Murugan of Seremban said he did not mind the noise, but was concerned about the congestion at the entrance to the temple complex.

He said the temple management should ensure that no stall is allowed anywhere near the entrance and along the route to the temple steps.

“Every year the crowd is increasing, but the width of the path remains same,” he said.

“The only way to minimise the congestion is to do away with the temporary stalls and booths on both sides of the road.

“The temple management must emphasise the comfort, safety and security of the devotees.

“I was stuck in the crowd for almost an hour before I could make my way to the top for prayers. A number of ‘kavadi’ bearers were also stuck in the crowd.”

Murugan said he was still looking forward to riding a cable car to the cave temple, referring to a project announced several years ago.

Mahathir behind Project IC, says Anwar

The opposition leader points his fingers at former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed instead.
UPDATED

PETALING JAYA: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today reiterated his stance that he had nothing to do with the citizenship-for-votes granted to Sabah immigrants in the 1990s.

Instead, he accused former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad of being responsible for the task force allegedly responsible for the citizenships granted to the immigrants.

He also claimed that the exercise was ongoing and suggested that the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) haul up Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as well.

“I am ready for the [Royal Commission of Inquiry]. You can ask all the ministers, it was never discussed with me in the Cabinet, there are no minutes no reports, no related records,” Anwar said at a press conference today.

“Because the task force [to oversee Project IC] was managed by the then prime minister and handed over to (Mahathir’s political secretary) Aziz Shamsuddin and (former Deputy Home Minister Tan Sri) Megat Junid (Megat Ayub),” claimed Anwar.

“This is Mahathir’s method [to make accusations against me]; but can he deny that he is responsible for founding the taskforce? All the reports were to his knowledge. He must answer this first.”

Yesterday, Mahathir had claimed his former deputy was the main man behind the so-called “Project IC”, which is now under probe by the RCI.

He said that there were times when Anwar had acted without his orders, and that the exercise was Anwar’s own initiative.

“He normally takes the initiative and sometimes do more [than is required],” online news portal Malaysiakini quoted Mahathir as saying.

“What happens on the ground is often different from the directive [from above],” added Mahathir.

Last week, Anwar had stated his willingness to testify in the ongoing RCI, but was quick to add that he was in the dark about the project.

He also said that the RCI had not summoned him because “they know I have nothing to do with it”.

Today, Anwar again said that he would readily testify before the RCI.

“As I said from the beginning, I am prepared to be investigated,” he stressed.

The ongoing RCI has opened a can of worms for the Barisan Nasional government as it has implicated ministers and those linked to politicians in a plot allegedly aimed to secure the ruling coalition’s hold on Sabah.

Two weeks ago, a former Sabah NRD assistant registrar had testified that 100,000 blue identity cards were given to Filipino, Indonesian and Pakistani immigrants in Sabah in 1993.

The late Megat Junid Megat Ayub, who was then deputy Home Minister, had also been accused of ordering the NRD to issue temporary documents to allow immigrants to vote in a 1994 state election.

The officers testified claimed they operated from the house of Aziz Shamsuddin, who was Mahathir’s political secretary.

Although Mahathir has admitted to the project, he stressed it was all done legally and even likened the exercise to the first premier Tunku Abdul Rahman’s granting of citizenship.

Meanwhile, Sabah Umno liaison deputy chief Salleh Said Keruak had challenged Anwar to tell the truth about the project as he was deputy minister at that particular period was “a powerful man” who “knew what was going on in Sabah.”

Sabah’s veteran politician Jeffrey Kitingan had also expressed hope that Anwar would “tell the truth” about his role in “the citizenship fiasco” if he ends up testifying in the RCI.

“From what I know, he was indeed in charge of Sabah [for Umno]. He was the director of operations and was involved actively in the citizenship project,” Jeffrey told FMT last week.

I had nothing to do with Project IC, reiterates Anwar

Anwar Ibrahim continues to deny any role in Project IC in Sabah, saying this matter was never brought to the cabinet, and neither did he attend or chair any meeting on it.

The opposition leader also alleged that the project to grant blue identity cards to immigrants did not end in the 1990s and that it continued during the reign of former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and went on until last year, covering Najib Abdul Razak's reign as well.
“You can ask the then cabinet ministers... the Project IC task force report was never brought to or discussed by the cabinet.
“There are no minutes to show I attended such task force meetings, and there was no report on this presented to me as finance minister and the deputy prime minister.
"This task force was handled by the then PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his right-hand man Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin (Mahathir's political secretary then) and the late Megat Junid Megat Ayub (who was deputy home minister at that time)," Anwar (left) said.

The Permatang Pauh MP said the task force continued under Abdullah and Najib's time until last year and he believes they, as prime ministers, headed the Project IC task force.

He said this when asked about the claim by Mahathir yesterday that Anwar was involved in Project IC.
Mahathir had said while he may not have evidence implicating Anwar, his former deputy “had a hand in it”  and that what took place may have included illegal actions and abuse of processes.

The former PM added that while he may not have evidence that could be adduced in court, he "has knowledge" of the possible wrongdoings by Anwar.
Can Mahathir deny responsibility?

The PKR de facto leader, who was deputy prime minister under Mahathir, went on to reiterate that he was willing to testify before the royal commission of inquiry on immigrants in Sabah if called to do so.
Earlier, Anwar joked on the issue, asking why the press wanted to question him on Mahathir's comments as it was something obsolete, and why in the presence of the Hamas representatives.

Anwar then asked whether Mahathir would deny forming the Project IC task force.

“He appointed Abdul Aziz and Megat Junid and all the reports were handed directly to him (Mahathir). This is something Mahathir must answer,” he said.

In the ongoing royal commission of inquiry on immgrants in Kota Kinabalu so far, Abdul Aziz and Megat Junid  have been linked to the Project IC by former Sabah National Registration Department officer Yakup Damsah, who said he had stayed in Abdul Aziz's house during one operation.

Former Sabah NRD director, Ramli Kamaruddin, also said the NRD officers were given orders by Megat Junid and that the operation began close to the Sabah election.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/219109

If Anwar was involved, it would have been “Project A'

In a statement this afternoon, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang questioned when Mahathir discovered that Anwar was supposedly the real mastermind of 'Project M' (also called Project IC).

Lim said it clearly would not have been on Jan 16 this year, when witnesses at the Sabah RCI implicated Mahathir's closest confidantes Abdul Aziz and Megat Junid in the issue of hundreds of thousands of fake blue identity cards and false letters of approval for birth certificates to immigrants in exchange for votes for the ruling party.

“It was only on Jan 31 (yesterday) that Mahathir suddenly announced that Anwar was the real mastermind of 'Project M', responsible for the “citizenship-for-votes” scam in Sabah,  although admitting to having no proof to back his claim.

“How can Mahathir credibly claim that 'Project M' might have happened 'without any knowledge and orders from the top' when he had openly admitted to its existence and owned up to its authorship on Jan 17, when he had falsely alleged that our Bapa Kemederkaan (Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra) had issued citizenship to one million unqualified non-Malays before Merdeka,” Lim asked.

He said Mahathir had no credibility in blaming Anwar for masterminding 'Project M' when the two key personalities of the scam were the former prime minister's right-hand men.

“Who would have doubted that if Anwar was the real mastermind of the scam, Mahathir would have charged his former deputy in court, or openly accused  him of high treason in his efforts of over a decade to kill off Anwar’s political prospects? And not to forget or overlook it for 15 years, only to suddenly remember or discover yesterday that it was Anwar, and not him, who was behind it?

“In fact, if Anwar had been the real mastermind of the 'citizenship-for-votes' scam in Sabah, it would have been known as 'Project A' instead of 'Project M'. What Malaysians are seeing is the Machiavellian Mahathir in full form,” he said..

Lim added that Sabahans and Peninsular Malaysians want to see Anwar, Najib and the other two former prime ministers, Mahathir and Abdullah, testify before the RCI.

'My daughter in London is a voter in Semenyih'

When Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy went to his family house in Kajang recently, he was not really surprised to receive a ‘Love Selangor' letter from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

However, what really surprised him - and became his scorn and condemnation for Najib and the Election Commission - was the conducting a of a "fraudulent exercise" to register voters.

A closer look proved that the letter was addressed to his 25-year-old daughter Sri Vaitheki, who is pursuing her PhD programme in the British capital, London.

The letter includes information stating that Sri Vaitheki's voting centre is Semenyih.

However, Ramasamy said at a press conference in Penang today: "Why is this happening? My daughter says she had never registered as a voter!

"This is a fraudulent exercise by the Election Commission and Najib to use this beautiful letter to get her to vote for BN. This surely must be happening to many Malaysians and non-Malaysians.

"I will be lodging a police report on this matter, on behalf of my daughter."

Ramasamy wants the EC to provide evidence as to who registered his daughter as a voter. How could this happen without her presence and the production of her MyKad, since there is no automatic registration of voters in Malaysia.

In his letter, Najib wishes Sri Vaitheki a ‘Happy 2013' and goes on to slam the Pakatan Rakyat.
'A tip of the iceberg'

The prime minister also admits that there have been "errors and shortages" in the BN administration and promises to "arise with new intentions and motivation" to give the rakyat the best service.

"Our promises are promises fulfilled," Najib says before signing off with "Love Selangor, Have Confidence in the BN".

Ramasamy said this problem appeared to be merely a "tip of the iceberg", and to date, the EC has not been able to clean up the electoral roll for the coming general election.

The EC has not also given any attention to Bersih's eight demands for clean and fair elections.

"When registering as a voter, one must furnish his or her MyKad. So, who signed on my daughter's behalf?

"If this is the way the EC is operating, we are going to have massive problems. Is there another project called ‘Registering False Voters' in town?" he mocked.

"I am just wondering. If these so-called voters who are abroad do not come back to vote, how many will be voting on their behalf?"

‘Act of treason'

Ramasamy said his latest expose merely added to the strings of complaints against the EC.

He also condemned the recent revelations about Project IC to the royal commission of inquiry on unqualified immigrants in Sabah, calling it "an act of treason".

He blamed the BN government for this, saying Project IC was merely one of the BN's "desperate measures to win" in the coming general election.

"It is a desperate coalition doing desperate things. It seems like they are targeting the two million eligible voters who have yet to register," the Batu Kawan MP added.

Ramasamy urged the people to check their voting status, especially the newly registered voters and those eligible to vote but have yet to register.

"I will be relpying, on my daughter's behalf, to this letter from Najib. If the EC cannot produce evidence on who registered her as a voter, I will take this matter up. My question should be answered before the coming election." the Prai assemblyperson added.

In a similar development, Ramasamy's aide Edriana Kaur also said at the press conference that her 29-year-old brother - who had never registered as a voter - had received a similar letter from Najib.

"We live in Penang, but the letter was sent to our house in Butterworth. We received it last week and my brother says he had never registered as a voter," said Edriana.

Ramasamy asked: "Does this mean that everybody - Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Indonesians in Malaysia - can also be registered as voters?"

Ibrahim Ali not Umno spokesperson, says Mahathir

Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said Umno had never advocated burning the Malay-language Bible which uses the word ‘Allah'.

He said what Ibrahim Ali, president of Malay right-wing group Perkasa, said did not reflect the views of Umno.

"Ibrahim (left) is not a member of Umno. He may support Umno but he is not a spokesperson for Umno," he said in his latest blog entry.

Mahathir said it was unfortunate that Ibrahim should suggest burning the newly-printed Bibles.

"That may be the way we rid ourselves of unwanted publications. It cannot be done for the Bible any more than it can be done for the Quran.

"But what Ibrahim said does not reflect the views of Umno. Unfortunately, some politicians would like to make it so in order to gain political mileage," he said.

Mahathir (right) said he regarded the attempt to imply Ibrahim's support for Umno "to mean what he says is what is subscribed to by Umno", as "mischievous".

He said that while Malaysians could have political differences, they should not resort to using religious differences to win elections.

"It is a double-edged sword and those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.

"Let this controversy be settled behind closed doors by responsible people. Let not the extremists take over and exploit religious issues. It may be a denial of freedom of speech but freedom even in a liberal democracy has limits if we really want democracy to work.

"I would like to appeal to all parties to stop trying to abuse this issue," he said.

 

- Bernama

Making a stand with Hindraf and PSM

By  S Thayaparan
"Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than to be in bad company." - Booker T Washington

COMMENT That's right; it is Indian-bashing season again. This close to elections Indians are told to get with the Pakatan Rakyat programme by anonymous DAP apparatchiks and Pakatan kool-aid drinkers.
The Indian vote is depending on the sensibility of the Pakatan supporter is either considered insignificant or crucial, but the narrative put forward is that Indian rights groups like Hindraf and the Human Rights Party, and to a lesser extent Parti Socialis Malaysia (no doubt because of the heavy Indian presence), are possible spoilers for the Pakatan quest to Putrajaya.

The Indian community is vilified with choice epithets like "beggars", "ignorant","toddy drinkers" "snakes", etc, with middle-class Pakatan-supporting Indians attempting to cajole their brothers and sisters into siding with Pakatan as if those poor unfortunate souls are unaware of the systemic discrimination that they face under the Umno-led regime. It is the same stupid attitude on display whenever Pakatan supporters discuss the Orang Asli "problem".

The theme this time is of legitimising marginalised groups. Two examples of how dominant groups legitimise minority interest is the U-turn by BN on the Hindraf ban and the reluctance of Pakatan in admitting PSM into its coalition.

Concerning the latter, it would seem a no brainer politically and morally for Pakatan to embrace PSM as fellow travelers on its journey to Putrajaya. Politically, because of late Pakatan has credibility issues when it comes to their principles.
There have been far too many instances where Pakatan has waffled when they should have remained firm, and has embroiled themselves in unnecessary controversies because of political ineptness and provided evidence of their racialist tendencies when they are supposed to be a multiracial, "class" objective coalition.
PSM, on the other hand, has remained a credible consistent force when it comes to its socialist principles and the internal workings of its political party. They have publicly made stands against the systemic discrimination that plagues this land and have not wavered even in the face of political expediency or racial advantage.

Members of this recent political party have been at the grassroots level opposing this regime far longer than the newbie but powerful potentates that Pakatan has created. If real change is the name of the game, then the players who are aware of how the rules disadvantage a majority of Malaysians who belong in the periphery of the political game should be welcomed into the alliance as valuable assets.
The choice is obvious 
Of course, now PSM is involved in a tussle with the influential DAP over the Jelapang seat in Perak. This no doubt contributes to the reticence of Pakatan of welcoming PSM into the fold. Whatever ones view on who should eventually take the seat, right-thinking Malaysian should not allow these power plays to distract from the fact a credible political force which could act as a buffer against the baser political instincts that plague most successful political entities is being denied a seat at the table.

Morally, the choice should be obvious. The work of PSM leader MD Jeyakumar (left) speaks for itself (and whose speech at the KL112 Himpunan Rakyat, is a clear indication of the kind of government the PSM would like to see created) but there are others like S Arutchelvan who has propagated the cause of grassroots level activism that has been a great benefit to Pakatan.

You do not have to look very far to witness the passion of PSM adherents like KS Bawani and the temperament that would be introduced into Pakatan if organisations like PSM were to be made an integral part of the alliance.

At the end of the day, to any right-thinking Malaysian, the reluctance of Pakatan in admitting PSM into its ranks says a lot more of Pakatan than it does about PSM and none of it any good.

Concerning the government's reversal on the Hindraf ban, the head of think-thank Centre for Policy Initiatives' Dr Lim Teck Ghee articulates three issues that are relevant to the discussion at hand. On the political nature of the reversal, Lim says:

"This is obviously a move calculated to win Indian votes in the coming elections rather than a fundamental shift in the BN's resolve to address the marginalisation of the Indian community and the many problems that the community - especially the Indian poor - face. To deny that this is an election ploy is to insult the intelligence of Indian and other Malaysian voters."

The second issue is the effects this has on the Indian vote, of which he says:

"I do not think so but much depends on Hindraf's response. The movement is seen by many Indians as one of the few if not sole Indian organisation committed to the Indian struggle for equal rights and justice.
"Even if the BN publicly accepts Hindraf's blueprint, I do not see why Hindraf should give BN the nod of approval at this critical stage. There is in fact nothing to prevent BN from going back on its promises or for the home minister to declare a new ban on Hindraf again or to do even worse once the elections are over."

And finally the big issue, will the Indian vote shift back to BN? Lim notes:

"The BN has a long history of sweet talk - and often double talk. Indians especially have been the victim of BN empty promises and the great majority of Indian voters are fully aware of this. Until there are fundamental changes in national policies affecting minority communities - of which there is no evidence - I do not see why Indians should throw their support behind the BN simply because of the home minister's change of heart."

The better horse to bet on

While I agree with Lim's assessment, there is another issue that needs to be addressed. Hindraf is a non-partisan organisation. Like any other rights group, its special interest needs to be addressed and even though Pakatan may think otherwise, Hindraf does have the support of marginalised Indian communities across Malaysia.

The question here is which political alliance would best serve that interest. Ignorant comments are made that Hindraf is not "principled" but as any right-thinking Malaysian understands, Hindraf would be unprincipled if they chose to commit to an alliance because it was politically expedient to do so or politically correct in this partisan climate at the expense of its stakeholders.

Just as Himpunan Hijau have committed to working with Pakatan (in Pahang) because the alliance verbally agreed to shut down the Lynas plant in Gebeng if it came into power, the needs of other rights groups should be taken into consideration.

Since the alternative alliance is dominated by the other two main ethnic groups and there is plenty of evidence that the needs of the Indian community have been marginalised in Pakatan states - P Uthayakumar (left) in my interview with him, provided a litany of grievances all documented from verifiable sources - Pakatan (my preferred choice as a Pakatan partisan) should engage with Hindraf to sustain its multiracial credentials and as evidence that it is sincere in its social justice cause.

The alliance should do whatever is necessary to convince Hindraf leadership that Pakatan is the better horse to bet on, not of winning Putrajaya but rather in its commitment in solving the problems of the marginalised Indian community even if only at a state level. Pakatan is labouring under the misconception that Hindraf brings nothing to table.

In an election that may come down to the wire, every vote counts. While Hindraf may not for whatever reason choose to engage with BN, another possibility is that the Indian community may abstain from voting - choosing neither devil - which could be a very real possibility since neither coalition seem interested in committing to solving the problems that only Hindraf and the Human Rights Party highlight in any sincere way.

Hindraf leadership have been extremely sophisticated in the manner it has gone about cultivating grassroots support from the Indian community and the said support is dependent on Hindraf delivering what it has promised. However as far as dealing with BN, Hindraf has to be aware that it is never a good idea drinking from the poisoned chalice.

At the end of the day, much will depend on how the Malay vote swings. Both sides assume that they are the favoured to win the Malay vote. If Pakatan were mistaken in this belief than every vote, counts and it would be a shame if a certain section of the Indian community falls back into apathy because Pakatan (again) made another politically inept move only this time not recognising the gains Hindraf brings to the table.

---

S THAYAPARAN is Commander (rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy.

69-Day Countdown to 13GE – Mahathirism rides again with all its attendant horrors and monstrosities

Mahathirism rides again, with all its attendant horrors and monstrosities intact.

The latest manifestation of the full-throttled return of Mahathirism is one of the wildest accusations in Malaysian politics – that Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was the real mastermind in the “citizenship-for-votes” scams in Sabah in the nineties known as “Project M”.

When did former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad discover that Anwar was the mastermind of the project named infamously after him as “Project M”?

Clearly not on January 16, 2013 when revelations at the Sabah Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants implicated two of Mahathir’s closest confidantes, former Deputy Home Minister, Megat Junid Megat Ayub and former political secretary Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin in the “Project M” scams from 1990 – 1995 to issue hundreds of thousands of fake blue identity cards and false letters of approval for birth certificates in exchange for votes to illegal immigrants.

Nor on the following day on January 17 when for the first time in two decades, Mahathir publicly admitted the existence of “Project M” but defended it as lawful on the ground that the Filipino illegal immigrants could speak Malay and “have the right to be citizens”, while casting a serious slur on the memory and good name of Tunku Abdul Rahman by alleging that Bapa Malaysia had done worse by giving citizenship to one million unqualified people before Merdeka, lamenting that no one had made it an issue.

Nor for the next two weeks until January 31 when Mahathir suddenly announced that Anwar was the real mastermind of “Project M” responsible for the “citizenship-for-votes” scam in Sabah, although admitting having no proof to back his claim.

How can Mahathir credibly claim that “Project M” might have happened “without any knowledge and orders from the top” when he had openly admitted to its existence and owned up to its authorship on January 17, not only justifying it on the ground that the illegal immigrants spoke Malay, but claiming that he had not done worse than Tunku when he falsely alleged that Bapa Malaysia had issued one million citizenship to unqualified non-Malays before Merdeka?

What credibility is there in Mahathir’s allegation yesterday blaming Anwar for masterminding “Project M” when the two key personalities “from the top” in the “Project M” scams were his own and not Anwar’s right-hand men – namely Megat Junid and Aziz Shamsuddin?

Who would have doubted that if Anwar was the real mastermind of “citizenship-for-votes” scam, Mahathir would have charged Anwar in court or openly accused him for high treason in his efforts for over a decade to kill off Anwar’s political prospects, and not to forget or overlook it for 15 years only to suddenly remember or discover yesterday that it was Anwar and not him who was behind the “Project M” scam?

In fact, if Anwar had been the real mastermind of the “citizenship-for-votes” scam in Sabah, it would have been known as “Project A” instead of “Project M”.
What Malaysians are seeing is Machiavellian Mahathir in full form.

Anwar has denied any role in Project M or Project IC in Sabah, saying that this matter was never brought to the Cabinet and neither did he attend or chair any meeting on it.

He reiterated that he is willing to testify before the RCI on illegal immigrants in Sabah if called to do so.

Anwar accused Mahathir of being responsible for the task force responsible for the citizenships granted to the immigrants.

He also claimed that the exercise was ongoing and suggested that the RCI call up Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as well.

What Sabahans and Malaysians want is for Anwar, Najib and the two former Prime Ministers, Mahathir and Abdullah, to all testify before the RCI.

Anwar has declared his willingness to appear before the RCI. Are Najib, Mahathir and Abdullah prepared to publicly declare their willingness to appear for the RCI to slot public hearings for the four as topmost RCI priority so as to establish who among the four had committed treason against the country?

Malaysia: Backsliding on Rights

Rights to Free Expression, Peaceful Assembly Take Hits

Prime Minister Najib Razak’s promised reforms did not significantly improve legal protections for basic liberties in Malaysia, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2013. Press restrictions, the use of excessive force against peaceful demonstrators, and intimidation of rights groups exposed the limits of government adherence to internationally recognized human rights.

In its 665-page report, Human Rights Watch assessed progress on human rights during the past year in more than 90 countries, including an analysis of the aftermath of the Arab Spring.

In Malaysia, Human Rights Watch said, government respect for basic rights and liberties is likely to be tested in the run-up to national parliamentary elections, which must be held no later than June 2013.

“The Malaysian government’s promised human rights agenda fell far short in practice in 2012,” said Phil Robertson, Asia deputy director at Human Rights Watch. “As elections approach, the government will need to demonstrate its willingness to uphold the rights of all citizens, whatever their political views.”

On April 28, 2012, tens of thousands of peaceful protesters were met by water cannon, teargas, beatings, and arrests during a march and sit-in led by Bersih, a coalition of civil rights organizations, to demand clean and fair elections. A government committee set up to investigate the incident has done little to shed light on the actions of the authorities on that day. Negotiations between the police and a coalition of opposition political parties and activist groups resulted in a peaceful gathering of the “People’s Uprising Rally” in Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur on January 12, 2013.

Revisions to longstanding abusive laws had less of an impact on the ground than was hoped, Human Rights Watch said. The replacement of section 27 of the Police Act by the Peaceful Assembly Act did not rescind the absolute power of the police to grant permits for demonstrations. Instead the new law allows police to effectively outlaw marches by prohibiting “moving assemblies” by declaring innumerable sites off limits, and by giving the police the power to set time, date, and place conditions. The People’s Uprising Rally organizers agreed to 27 conditions – including on appropriate slogans – before their rally got approval, and the government is currently investigating compliance with three of the conditions.

In another legal reform that fell short of international standards, the Malaysian government repealed the infamous Internal Security Act (ISA), and substituted the Security Offenses (Special Measures) 2012 Act (SOSMA). SOSMA reduced arbitrary detention to 28 days instead of the indeterminate period permitted under the ISA but added new infringements of rights. The law’s definition of a security defense is overbroad. Police, rather than judges, have the power to authorize communication intercepts, and prosecutors can utilize information as evidence without disclosing sources. Moreover, should a suspect be acquitted and the state appeal that decision, the acquitted suspect may be detained in prison or tethered to a monitoring device until the appeal is settled, a process that could take years.

Government harassment of human rights defenders continued in 2012, Human Rights Watch said. In response to spurious allegations by Jaringan Melayu Malaysia, an organization with close ties to Malaysia’s leaders, the government pursued a politically motivated investigation of Suaram, a leading Malaysian human rights organization in operation since 1989. At least six government agencies are seeking to find Suaram’s registration and operations illegal. Investigators have harassed staff and supporters, and threatened them with arrest while government politicians and government-controlled media outlets have publicly attacked the organization. On September 3, a week before investigations had begun, a government minister accused Suaram of keeping “highly suspicious” accounts and said that “99.4 percent” of its activities were “money collecting.”

Groups supporting the rights of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender (LGBT) people fared even worse, Human Rights Watch said. In two speeches in 2012, Prime Minister Najib condoned discrimination by singling out the LGBT community as a threatening “deviant culture” that “would not have a place in the country.” Not only was the annual Seksualiti Merdeka (Sexual Diversity, in English) festival canceled in 2012 amidst ongoing intimidation of the LGBT community, but a court refused a judicial review of the police ban on the 2011 festival, a decision that festival organizers say leaves future festivals in legal limbo.

“The Malaysian authorities should respect the fundamental rights of non-discrimination and equality, and stop demonizing people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Boris Dittrich, advocacy director for the LGBT program at Human Rights Watch.

Reforms to freedom of the press also proved to be less than anticipated, Human Rights Watch said. The Printing Presses and Publications Act was amended, dropping the requirement for annual licensing of publications and ending the Home Affairs Minister’s power to award or rescind publishing licenses without court review. However, the revised law still requires that new publications obtain initial approval, and licenses still may be arbitrarily revoked.

The government appealed a 2011 Kuala Lumpur High Court ruling that a “license to publish is a right, not a privilege,” therefore requiring review of the government’s “improper and irrational” unwillingness to issue a license to the largest on-line newspaper, Malaysiakini, to publish a daily print edition.

An amendment to the Evidence Act provides that computer owners and operators of computer networks are publishers and thus responsible for the content displayed on their screens unless they could prove they had nothing to do with the content. This raises concerns about the presumption of innocence as well as free expression.

Malaysian police appear to routinely violate the rights of persons in custody, Human Rights Watch said. Police personnel have employed unnecessary or excessive force during demonstrations, while carrying out arrests, and in police lockups. Deaths in custody, routinely attributed to disease, go uninvestigated, suspects are beaten to coerce confessions, and criminal suspects die in suspicious circumstances during apprehension by police. Alleged police abuses go uninvestigated.

Malaysian immigration law still does not recognize refugees and asylum seekers, and prohibits them from working and their children from going to school. Unauthorized migrants face arrest and detention in unsanitary and overcrowded immigration detention centers, and caning for violating the immigration law. Anti-trafficking efforts conflate human trafficking with people smuggling, and punishes rather than protects trafficking victims by holding them in inadequate, locked shelters that resemble detention centers rather than care facilities. The government continues to do little to protect migrant domestic workers from beatings and sexual abuse by their employers.

“Numerous sectors of Malaysia’s economy depend on migrant workers, yet Malaysia continues to treat them as disposable people who can be used and abused,” said Robertson. “The government should fully respect migrant workers’ rights and stop re-victimizing those who have been trafficked to Malaysia.”

To read Human Rights Watch’s World Report 2013 chapter on Malaysia, please visit:
www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/world-report-2013-malaysia

For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Malaysia, please visit:
http://www.hrw.org/asia/malaysia

University Students Can Contest In 13th General Election - Saifuddin

TEMERLOH, Feb 1 (Bernama) -- Malaysian university students can contest during the upcoming 13th General Election, provided they are eligible to do so, said Higher Education deputy minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.

He said the University and University Colleges Act 1971, which was amended last year, allowed the students to join any political party and to contest as well.

"They now have the freedom to determine their political paths, but must still comply with the rules and regulations of the country.

"The students' voices have been heard by the government but they must be wise in choosing a party or non-governmental organisation (NGO) which matches the nation's aspiration," he said, here Friday.

Saifuddin, who is Temerloh member of parliament, also suggested that the students take part as observers first before contesting in the general election.

He added that the Election Commission had appointed 16 NGOs as domestic observers for the upcoming 13th General Election and it would be a good idea for the students to obtain some exposure on the local political scene from any one of them.

Sybil Kathigasu: Malaysia’s forgotten heroine

When, oh when will people like Sybil Kathigasu be given due recognition and held up as models of courage and service to the people?

Sybil was brutally tortured by Japanese interrogators when she refused to disclose details of resistance movement members for whom she and her husband had provided medical treatment.

She died at the age of 48, after the Occupation had ended, from an undetected infection that had spread from her fractured jaw.

Their dispensary at 74 Main Street, Papan, still stands to this day:

Photograph: sayaanakbangsamalaysia.net

Kematian Sugumaran: Adakah polis telah bertindak melampaui hak undang-undang?

Merujuk kepada kes kematian C. Sugumaran, berumur 40 tahun, yang dijumpai mati terbujur kaku pada 23 Januari lalu – memandangkan kematian Sugumaran kini dipersoalkan dan disyaki bersangkut paut dengan keganasan polis – Gerakan Malaysians for Beng Hock meminta dengan tegasnya supaya penyiasatan dijalankan dengan segera, dan tindakan yang sewajarnya harus diambil sekiranya terdapat sebarang tanda-tanda yang mencurigakan, bahkan mengantung jawatan polis-polis yang terbabit dan melancarkan penyiasatan mengikut Seksyen 302 Kanun Keseksaan.

Menurut beberapa orang saksi, C. Sugumaran dikejari polis, digari di belakang badannya, mukanya disapui serbuk kuning dan dipukul sehingga mati.

Gerakan Malaysians for Beng Hock mengutuk sekeras-kerasnya sebarang keganasan polis, tiada sebarang anggota polis yang berhak menggangap diri sebagai hakim atau melampaui hak undang-undang.

Menurut suatu laporan Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu pada tahun 2011, terdapat lebih daripada 1,500 nyawa-nyawa rakyat terkorban dalam pusat-pusat tahanan dan penjara-penjara di antara tahun 2003 sehingga 2007.

Kes-kes yang disyaki berlaku di bawah keganasan polis meningkat secara mendadak sejak kebelakangan ini, banyak pertubuhan-pertubuhan serta institusi-institusi telah pun menggesa supaya Suruhanjaya Bebas dan Salah Laku Polis (IPCMC) ditubuhkan, namun ianya langsung sekali tidak diambil berat oleh Menteri Dalam Negeri Hishammuddin Hussein dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri Muhyiddin Yassin, yang enggan membuat sebarang balasan ke atas seruan-seruan tersebut.

Keadaan ini mengakibatkan tiada sebarang anggota-anggota polis atau pengawai-pengawai kerajaan yang bertanggungjawab ke atas kes-kes penyeksaan dan kematian di bawah tahanan, di mana mereka yang menyalahgunakan kuasa atau menggunakan keganasan seharusnya dihadap ke mahkamah.

Memandangkan keadaan yang bertambah buruk dan nyawa-nyawa yang terkorban semakin meningkat, Gerakan Malaysians for Beng Hock menggesa kerajaan mengambil tindakan dengan segara untuk menyiasat kes kematian Sugumaran dan menubuhkan Suruhanjaya Bebas dan Salah Laku Polis atas permintaan rakyat.

Penulis ialah penyelaras gerakan Malaysians for Beng Hock.