BN’s Vishwaroopam is getting ugly

Stop just looking at the bigger agenda. BN and Najib must also know how to sort out the smaller issues if they want to win over voters.
COMMENT

By K.Kabilan

(Vishwaroopam in Tamil means the true face. It is also the title of a Tamil blockbuster which is still awaiting release in Malaysia due to its supposedly controversial theme.)

Sometimes one does wonder if the government is really concerned about the peoples’ wishes. Is it even listening to what the people are saying?

It appears as though the government is more interested in doing things which it thinks will be good for the rakyat.

Najib Tun Razak’s earlier clarion call that his government was not one which subscribed to “government knows it all” seems like a half-baked lie right now.

Take, for example, the decision to fly down South Korean megastar Psy for the Barisan Nasional Chinese New Year open house in Penang. A cool RM3 million was reportedly spent for this.

Of course, it was not the rakyat’s money as the Gangnam ride was reportedly sponsored by private parties. Still, that much for a singer who has only one known mega hit? And at a time when people are complaining of not getting real value for their money?

What about the Ponggal festival at Dataran Merdeka on Feb 2? Of course, it was deemed to be a mega success, by MIC standards. It would surely be if RM5 million was reportedly set aside to get the crowd.

Word has it that almost 1,400 buses were chartered to bring in Indians to the capital city to show that they all love our prime minister. In return, they did get a full meal of nasi briyani, courtesy of the BN government.

Is this how Najib wants to get the people to back him and BN again? This method seems so archaic, but it must be working for them to be doing it repeatedly!

But it goes back to the main question once again. Isn’t Najib interested in what the people really want? Does the rakyat still want the government to dictate what’s good for them?

The death of a security guard

Two ongoing issues reveal how ignorant the government can be in misreading the pulse of the voters, especially the Indian voters that Najib wants so much.

The first is the death of security guard C Sugumaran who died after allegedly being beaten by policemen and members of the public on Jan 24.

The first post-mortem stated that he had succumbed to a heart failure. The family wants a second post-mortem and that’s where things have started to break down.

Sugumaran’s body still lies in a mortuary while his family wants the know the true cause of his death. Very simple request. Any caring government, or a home minister, or prime minister, would have made the all-important call so that truth and justice are served.

But what we have here is the prime minister asking for a forensic report to be passed to him, and then even 10 days later, making no decision on the matter. In the meantime, the home minister sits quietly, letting the police handle the matter.

The police, on their part, want to follow rules and regulations to the letter while not doing anything conclusive at all.

It’s a merry-go-round with a family still waiting for answers, and closure as a result of the death.

Is there an easier way to solve this problem? Yes, there is. It is actually as easy as Najib going to the local radio stations and trying to impress the Chinese voters with his Mandarin. But will he take the easy way to solve this problem? I doubt it!

The movie ban

The second small issue, but one that may have deeper implications as far as the Indian voters are concerned, is the indecisiveness of the Home Ministry on the status of Tamil movie “Vishwaroopam”.

Is it still banned? If yes, why? If not, why hasn’t it been released? Who has been aggrieved by the movie? Why the delay in allowing it to be shown even as it has been approved for release in Tamil Nadu?

Is this a case of the home minister sitting in the dark, not knowing the full details? Or is it a case of him knowing the full details but keeping the movie in the cans for political reasons? Should there be political reasons for movie releases in the first place?

This looks like another case where BN is making things complicated for itself.

By keeping totally mum on the status of Vishwaroopam, the government’s message to the Indian community seems to be this: enjoy the song and dance performances that we give you, enjoy the food that we provide at these events, clap hard to the various promises that we make, smile proudly when the PM utters a word of Tamil here and there, BUT stop making any demands, even if it concerns only a Tamil movie!

You still think people will fall for these? Hmmm!

To win the hearts and minds of the people, the leaders, from the prime minister right down to his platoon chiefs, must show that they trully care for the people. The moment they slip up and show that it’s all a political game for them, that’s the end really.

Missing the wood for the trees, they say. Be careful, Mr Prime Minister, if you miss the small details, you risk losing the big votes.

Happy Chinese New Year 2013

India's prostitute village

Sperm smuggling alleged at terror prison

Nablus, West Bank (CNN) -- Dalal al-Ziben holds her son and kisses his head. Al-Ziben never thought she would have another baby considering her husband has been inside an Israeli prison for 16 years and will likely never get out.

"When they arrested my husband I was 18 years old," she says.

As is expected from her in conservative Palestinian society she says she has been faithful to her husband. She has simply been waiting, hoping her husband may one day be released from incarceration.

READ: All prisoners on hunger strike will end it, Palestinian official says

It hasn't happened and likely never will because he is serving 27 life sentences and an additional 25 years for helping plan a deadly bombing in a Jerusalem market. An act of violence she says he has admitted to.

Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are not allowed conjugal visits, but some Israeli prisoners are. The man convicted of assassinating Israel's Prime Minister Yitzah Rabin was allowed conjugal visits.

Al-Ziben says she got pregnant by her husband because he managed to have his sperm smuggled out of a high security prison.

"Why does the wife of a prisoner have to suffer and stay like this without children and a family? It is our right to meet our husbands and our right to have children," Al-Ziben says.

The mother-of-two is one of five Palestinian women making the same claim. In an examination room Rimah Silawi, 32, stares at the tiny black dot on the baby monitor as the technician tells her she is one month pregnant.

Her husband is also serving multiple life sentences and she too says she received In Vitro fertilization using sperm smuggled from inside an Israeli prison.

She and the other women will tell you all about their babies, but not a word about how exactly their husband's semen was smuggled out of a high security Israeli prison leaving enough time for the semen to still be considered viable.

"I'm not going to tell so I won't ruin it for other people," Rimah Silawi whispers in response to our question.

The Razan Medical Center for Fertility and IVF in the West Bank town of Nablus is performing the artificial inseminations. Doctors say they have dozens of samples they are told are from prisoners.

The samples come in at all hours of the day and night and are handed over in all sorts of containers according to the doctors who tell us some samples are viable while others have to be thrown away.

"A lot of things, many things maybe in cups, in ointment containers," Dr. Salim Abu Khaizaran, the head of the fertility center, says while describing the methods used by the prisoners.

While doctors at the center say they can't verify the sperm is actually from their husbands in prison, they require close relatives from both the wife and husband's side of the family to sign papers saying the sperm belongs to the husband in prison.

Dr. Abu Khaizaran also encourages the women to spread word of their plans to use artificial insemination in their community so they do not face ridicule or more sinister repercussions if they are suspected of cheating on their imprisoned husbands.

"We are a male dominated society, we are an eastern society. Our women, whose husbands have been given long sentences, they have no choice but to wait for their husbands to get freed and as you know the female productive life is really limited," Dr. Abu Khaizaran says.

The doctor claims prisoner's wives face this dilemma because they will never have children or more children if their husbands are imprisoned for life, and if they do get out it may be too late to conceive and the husbands may even leave them for another woman who can.

He says he has seen the latter happen.

"Really the one who pays the price the heavy price is the woman. If I can do anything to help these women I will do it," the doctor says.

He and his staff are giving prisoners wives the fertility treatment for free, calling it an act of humanity.

Israeli prison officials say they doubt the validity of the women's story. A spokesperson for the Israeli Prison Authority told us officials very much doubt the technical ability for sperm donation because of the strict controls and security inside the prisons. They said it was hard to fathom, but "who knows?"

Fertility specialists in the U.S. told us it is actually possible for sperm to survive anywhere from a few hours to up to 48 hours in clean unconventional containers if kept at room temperature.

The women say what is most important to them is that they and their families and communities know the truth.

They still hope, one day, sperm smuggling from prison won't be necessary either because their husbands will be allowed to come home or the prison system will allow conjugal visits.

Sri Lankan Maid, driver held for kissing

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 7: A Sri Lankan expatriate was arrested recently in Ishbiliya for having an adulterous relationship with a Sri Lankan woman.

According to security sources, when a Kuwaiti woman saw her Sri Lankan housemaid kissing the Sri Lankan driver of her neighbor in the garden of her house in Ishbiliya, she rushed to the police station of the area to inform securitymen. Meanwhile, the housemaid ran away from the house after realizing that her sponsor caught her kissing her boyfriend and went to the police station to report against her.

Security men arrested the driver and investigations with him revealed that they were involved in a love affair.
He was detained in police custody while securitymen are carrying out investigations to arrest the female suspect.

Indian held with liquor: An Indian expatriate was arrested recently in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh for possession of 50 bottles of locally brewed liquor.

According to security sources, while Farwaniya securitymen were patrolling Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, they noticed a vehicle parked on the side of the road. They approached the vehicle and checked the details of the driver to discover he is an Indian expatriate. They checked the vehicle and found 50 bottles of locally brewed liquor.

He revealed that he was on his way to a compatriot to deliver the liquor bottles.
He was arrested and referred with the items to the concerned authorities for necessary legal action against him.

Pirated CDs of Vishwaroopam out

Puzzled fans are demanding that Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein explain the continued ban on Vishwaroopam.

GEORGE TOWN: The banned Kamal Haasan blockbuster spy-thriller Vishwaroopam is allegedly now available as pirated CDs.

The uncensored and crystal clear version, which is being sold secretly at RM15, has however left diehard Kamal Haasan fans here livid.

They want want Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to explain why the censored version of the movie was still being banned in cinema halls while pirated CDs were making its way into households.

“Why has the Home Ministry not heeded our call to lift the ban on Vishwaroopam?

“Is the government tacitly backing sales of pirated CDs on the banned movie?

“Is the government gaining tax revenue from sales of pirated CDs?” asked Penang Kamal Haasan Fans Club president S Mahendran after leading a 20-minute protest outside the Penang Odeon cinema today.

The fans, who held a similar demonstration last week, reiterated their call on the Home Ministry to immediately lift the ban.

Written, co-produced and directed by Kamal Haasan, Vishwaroopam’s screening was banned in local cinema halls on Jan 25, a day after it opened following complaints to the Home Ministry by Indian Muslim groups.

The groups have alleged that the movie contained scenes and dialogues undermining Muslims and Islam.

The Malaysian ban followed bans in Singapore and in Tamil Nadu.

However, the movie, after several cuts on alleged “sensitive” scenes and dialogues, has resumed screening in Singapore and in Tamil Nadu.

Malaysia now is the only country banning it.

Local film distributors and cinema hall operators were hopeful that Vishwaroopam will be allowed screening this week after the movie underwent 16 scene-cuts.

But this did not materialise.

Fans puzzled

Meanwhile it was learnt that Hishamuddin has refused to meet with local distributors on the issue yesterday.

Penang Odeon manager A Mohan Dass said Tamil movie fans were calling the cinema hall daily to know when the movie will be screened.

He said fans were puzzled as to why the movie was being banned in Malaysia when it was being screened all over the world.

“It’s sheer hypocrisy. It defeats the whole purpose of the ban,” chided Mohan Dass.

Critics have argued the ban on Vishwaroopam was detrimental against freedom of artistic expression and cine professionalism.

They also criticised the Home Ministry for being inconsistent in protecting religious sensitivities of various communities in the country as it did not ban movies such as ‘Love Guru’, which hurt Hindu sentiments, and ‘The Da Vinci Code’, which allegedly questioned the fundamental myth of Christianity.

They have insisted that the movie illustrated the reality of international terrorism and its operations, and did not hurt religious sentiments.

Stop playing demigod, Deepak tells Najib, Rosmah

The former close associate of Rosmah once again wants the prime minister and his wife to come clean on the many accusations he had hurled against them.

PETALING JAYA: Carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan today once again urged Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor to reveal publicly their alleged links with Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

“Will Najib, Rosmah and others come to the court as witnesses if subpoenaed over the matter? Will they tell the truth under oath?

“Of course, this can only happen if the police and the MACC investigate my claims on the matter against them. Will this be done?” asked Deepak today.

Speaking to FMT, the former close aide of Rosmah said he had made countless accusations against Najib, Rosmah, their lawyers as well as certain Umno leaders but so far no one has responded to rebut him.

“The police have not started any investigations on the criminal breach of trust case involving a Defence Ministry land and an Umno senator.

“Likewise, no action seems to be forthcoming on my accusations about Altantuya’s death. Everyone concerned seems to be acting like a demigod and pretend not to have heard anything that I have said,” he added.

He said that he was confident nothing would be done as long as Najib and Umno remained in power.

He added that Umno under Najib was completely paralyzed with party leaders and ministers end up being part of a lame duck government.

“I only hope that truth and justice will prevail under a new Malaysian administration,” he said.

Recently Deepak sought immunity from Pakatan Rakyat for him to turn state witness if Pakatan forms the next government after the general election.

Pakatan on its part said that the Whistleblower Act 2010 and Witness Protection Act 2009 were sufficient in according protection to Deepak and urged him to write to the Attorney General to provide him with the necessary legal protection.

Deepak is currently providing statements to the MACC on Najib and Rosmah’s alleged links to the 2006 murder of Altantuya.

Deepak had previously alleged that he paid a substantial sum of money to the premier’s family to be a party in a defence project deal headed by Selangor Wanita Umno chief Raja Ropiaah Raja Abdullah.

The businessman also claimed that Rosmah had asked his help in persuading private eye P Balasubramaniam to repudiate his first statutory declaration implicating Najib in Altantuya’s murder.

Today, former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad urged Najib not to entertain Deepak’s accusations.

“When you are the prime minister, people say all sorts of things. When I was prime minister also they accused me of corruption … I don’t have to respond,” he said.

Najib had previously dismissed Deepak’s claims on the grounds that he (Deepak) was not credible.

FMT also learnt that Deepak would be holding a press conference next Wednesday at the AG Chambers in Putrajaya along with his lawyers.

Dr M must apologise to Ambiga, Bar Council

Bersih says Dr Mahathir Mohamad should not make threats to revoke S Ambiga's citizenship.

PETALING JAYA: Bersih wants former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to retract his statement that the federal constitution must be amended to revoke the citizenship of “errant lawyers” like Bar Council leaders and Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga.

Bersih, a coalition of non-governmental organization fighting for free and fair elections, said Ambiga did not deserve such a comment.

“What did Ambiga do to deserve such comments. There is nothing wrong in wanting a free and fair election. We just want for the government to deliver what the rakyat want,” Bersih steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah told FMT.

Earlier today, the former prime minister said the government needed to amend the constitution if it wanted to strip off the citizenship of lawyers such as Ambiga who go against the government.

“To strip a person’s citizenship, you need to amend the constitution. And to amend the constitution you need two-thirds majority in Parliament. So, I ask that you give two-thirds majority to the BN government,” said Dr Mahathir.

He said this in response to a question after a talk on national security and the constitution at a forum.

Mahathir was asked how the government could strip the citizenship of errant lawyers like Bar Council leaders and Ambiga, who were persistent in challenging the government and questioning the federal constitution.

Maria said it was very unbecoming of Mahathir to make such a statement.

“He is no better than Ibrahim Ali (Perkasa president). We want Dr Mahathir to retract and apologise to Ambiga and the Bar Council.

“The statement is actually very racist in nature. Dr Mahathir should not put himself so low as to want to strip people of their citizenship. They are not terrorist or did anything to endanger the lives of fellow Malaysians.

“We are fighting for the better Malaysia. We are trying to do good for the country and her people…so Dr Mahathir should not use us as political pawns to win votes for the ruling Barisan Nasional,” she said.

He said Dr Mahathir should not use race as a tool to divide and threaten Malaysians.

At the same forum, the former Prime Minister also urged Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak not to entertain accusations made by carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishen, in connection with the death of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

The businessman has been hurling accusation after accusation against Najib over the last two months and has promised to expose scandals linked to other politicians and the Prime Minister’s family members.

“I don’t think he should do anything,” Dr Mahathir said referring to Najib.

Mahathir, who holds the record as the country’s longest serving Prime Minister todate, said Najib must be accustomed to all sorts of accusation hurled against him.

“When you are the Prime Minister people say all sorts of things. When I was prime minister also they accused me of corruption … I don’t have to respond,” he said.

Ignore Deepak's claims, Dr M advises Najib

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should not waste his time rebutting allegations thrown at him and his family by controversial businesspersson Deepak Jaikishan.

"Najib doesn't have to respond," former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad told a press conference in Cheras, Kula Lumpur, today.
As the prime minister, Mahathir added, Najib would be accused of everything under the sun, and he went on to recount how he himself had his share of accusations when heading the government.

Pressed further on the serious allegations that Najib's family members accepted cash in return for governmental favours, Mahathir said such accusations should be taken to the proper venue, such as the courts, which could decide the matter.
The carpet trader recently raised serious allegations against the prime minister and his close family members, accusing them of covering-up in the murder case of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu

Deepak made it clear that he only came forward because he had been cheated in a land deal by Selangor Wanita Umno chief Raja Ropiaah Raja Abdullah.

Most recently, Deepak accused Najib of ordering the Lembaga Tabung Amanah Angkatan Tentera-owned Boustead Holdings Bhd to buy him out from his company involved in the said land deal.
In an immediate reaction, Deepak said today that the police had not acted on Raja Ropiaah's alleged criminal breach of trust or the corruption in the Bukit Raja land deal.
"We all know that's never going to happen, but still I will take Tun Mahathir's advice and hope that both truth and justice will prevail under a new Malaysian administration," he said in an SMS message. 

'Exercise wisdom'

Meanwhile, asked about the recent protest by workers of national car maker Proton over the uneven pay rise made to address the minimum wage of its lower paid staff, Mahathir said it was up to the management to do what it thought was best, but he believes wisdom must be exercised.

"The implementation must be done wisely."

The Proton workers yesterday held protests at the car maker's plants in Shah Alam and Tanjung Malim to protest uneven wage increments.

Workers earning RM600 were given a RM300 raise to reach the RM900 minimum wage scale, while those already earning RM900 to RM1,200 are only given increments of between RM30 and RM40.

It would not be possible to raise the wages of all Proton staff, Mahathir said, as it would financially burden the company.

"RM300 out of RM600 is a 50 percent increase. You can't give the same increase to all, from the lowest to the directors. (Proton will go) bankrupt, lah."