Ensuring education for all

The New Straits Times
by Eileen Ng

KUALA LUMPUR: Education programmes for stateless children may be coordinated by the Education Ministry.

Currently, the various education opportunities for these children are being offered by the non-governmental organisations, the private sector and individuals.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the education minister, welcomed these initiatives but said the implementation of the education programmes would have to be monitored carefully.

This is to ensure that its original objective is met, in line with the national education philosophy.

"As such, I feel it is time for the Education Ministry to act as a coordinating agency so that the education programmes can be standardised and a sense of identity and love for Malaysia, as a country that gives them protection, can be inculcated into the children," he said in reply to a question from Senator Noriah Mahat in the Dewan Negara yesterday.

Muhyiddin said the government would ensure that stateless children were given education in line with the principles of ensuring education for all children irrespective of religion, race or location.


The government has categorised stateless children into 10 categories. These are:

- Malaysian children with underprivileged background;

- Malaysian and non-Malaysian children living along borders such as Thailand and Kalimantan;

- Foreign children whose parents come to Malaysia to work;

- Children of nomadic sea gypsies;

- Children whose parents are refugees from Southern Philippines with IMM13 documents;

- Rohingya children whose parents are issued UNHCR cards;

- Aceh children whose parents are issued UNHCR cards;

- Children from foreign illegals;

- Street children with unknown background; and

- Children of high-risk parents such as those who indulge in drugs and prostitution.

He said the Education Ministry had approved a policy to provide alternative education opportunities for stateless children, equip them with basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills as well as civic education and providing them with useful skills.

To date, the ministry has formed smart partnerships with agencies such as the Federal Special Task Force to organise Kafa (religious) classes and the armed forces for a community project in Sabah for the stateless children there.

He said such smart partnerships would be expanded, where he hoped other government agencies, NGOs and the private sector would help to provide education programmes for the children.

For Malaysian children without documents, Muhyiddin said they would be accepted into government schools as long as they fulfilled the condition that one of the parents is a Malaysian. However, this must be endorsed by a community leader such as a village chief.

He added that the cost to educate stateless children was minimal.

Meanwhile, in his speech at the 17th National Seminar on Educa-tional Management and Leadership at the Institut Aminuddin Baki in Genting Highlands, Muhyiddin said leaders in the field of education must have the courage to manage change to churn out human capital capable of competing at the global level.

He said unwillingness and fear on the part of the leaders or educators to initiate changes would result in the education system becoming static.

"Quality and excellence today will not guarantee quality and excellence tomorrow because the yardstick used in evaluating quality and excellence always changes.

"Thus, leaders should not be complacent on the success enjoyed by the organisation today, but must be bold in implementing changes and innovations in a proactive manner."

His speech was read by Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

Police at PKR headquarters

1233: Police are now at the PKR headquarters in Tropicana.
They are believed to be interested in confiscating a computer in connection with investigations into an allegedly seditious posting by Chegubard, according to a senior PKR official.
The blog posting apparently was made from the PKR office.
According to the official, PKR cannot understand why the police need to take away the computer when Chegubard was arrested for the blog post itself.  He said Chegubard had acknowledged that the posting was his.

Kelantan Sultan ambushed by special ops cops

Gel 'helps prevent' HIV infection

At least 33 million people worldwide have HIV, two-thirds of which live in sub-Saharan Africa [GETTY] Researchers have found that a vaginal gel containing a prescription drug could dramatically cut the prevalence of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, in woman. Results of a study conducted in South Africa showed that the microbicide gel reduced the HIV infection rate by 39 per cent over two and a half years. Experts at a International AIDS conference being held in Austria said that the development could provide hope in protecting women who's partners refuse to use condoms. At least 33 million people worldwide are living with HIV, two-thirds of them in sub-Saharan Africa and another 32 million have died of AIDS complications. "This is a big moment we need to celebrate because this is the first time in the history of fighting HIV/AIDs that we can talk about a prevention revolution that will help us have a tool that can help women initiate and control their prevention methods," Michel Sidibe, the executive director of the United Nations' AIDS-fighting agency, said. "The only things we've known until now has only been for men," he told Al Jazeera. "I am so proud that this discovery is coming from Africa and also from researchers who are themselves African." 'Positive result' Anthony Fauci, an expert from the US National Institutes of Health, said: "This is the first time we've ever seen any microbicide give a positive result. "Even partial protection is a huge victory that could be a boon not just in poor countries" Salim Abdool Karim, South African researcher "Given that women make up the majority of new HIV infections throughout the world, this finding is an important step toward empowering an at-risk population with a safe and effective HIV prevention tool," Fauci said. The gel, spiked with the AIDS drug tenofovir, cut the risk of HIV infection by 50 per cent after one year of use and 39 per cent after 2 1/2 years, compared to a gel that contained no medicine. Research is under way to try to improve the gel and if further studies show the gel to be safe and effective. The level of protection is probably currently not enough to win approval of the microbicide gel in countries like the United States, but researchers say they are optimistic it can be improved. To be licensed in the US, a gel or cream to prevent HIV infection may need to be at least 80 per cent effective, Fauci said. Researchers suggested that better results could be achieved by adding more tenofovir or getting women to use it more consistently. 'New hope' In the study, women used the gel only 60 per cent of the time; those who used it more often had higher rates of protection. The gel also cut in half the chances of getting HSV-2, the virus that causes genital herpes. That would be important because other sexually spread diseases raise the risk of catching HIV. Dr. Salim Abdool Karim, the associate director of the programme that carried out the study, told Al Jazeera that "the traditional four tools, which is abstinence, being faithful, condoms and circumcision, have very limited capability" to fight HIV transmissions. "So essentially we have very little to offer a woman to protect herself from HIV, but this finding offers new hope," he said, speaking from Austria's capital Vienna.      "We did some mathematical modeling that showed what would happen if we took this gel and made it available to the whole of South Africa. "Our model shows that over the next 20 years if the gel is available, we could prevent 1.3 million HIV infections and could avert over 800,000 deaths in South Africa. "39 per cent (efficiency) is not the last word. What we have done is showed that the concept works. This is the first time an anti-retroviral has been shown to prevent sexual transmission. "It is also the first time that we have a microbicide gel that has been shown to prevent HIV infection. This is a starting point.  "The most important thing at this point is for us to is to put all of our sources together to find the fastest ways to get it approved by regulator authorities. "Until a regulator says that this product is safe and effective, we will  not be able to make it available. " Karim will present results of the study in Vienna at the International AIDS Conference on Tuesday.

Ex Fiji Prime Minister shocked at extent of discrimination in Malaysia. Letter to HRP.

20^th July 2010
Mr. P. Uthayakumar
Human Rights Party
Malaysia
Dear Mr. Uthayakumar.
Thank you for forwarding us your Party’s statements and newsletters.  I am indeed shocked by the extent of discrimination and the denial of human rights of the people of Indian origin in your country.
I have always considered Malaysia a friendly and multi-racial country but can now imagine how difficult it is there for Indians, particularly those who exist in poverty.
The only sure way in which their problems can be addressed and justice meted out to them is to make the international community aware of their plight and appeal for their assistance to redress the situation.
It can be a long drawn and frustrating experience but it is, in the end, sure to achieve satisfying results.
I wish you and your Party the success you all deserve in your worthy struggle and commend you for your courage in taking up the cudgels on behalf of your people.
With warm personal regards.
Sincerely,
Mahendra P. Chaudhry
Secretary General
Fiji Labour Party

Siva Subramaniam’s MIC membership ?

Tuesday, July 20, 2010 Sacked MIC Central Working Committee member K P Samy’s alleged that Siva Subramaniam is not an MIC member as reported by Makkal Osai Tamil daily. But a document -- imol could not verify the authenticity -- indicates Siva Subramaniam, Selangor MIC information chief is indeed an MIC member.

Login Nickname Password Security Code: Type Security Code Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As a registered user you have some advantages like theme manager, comments configuration and post comments with your name. Related Links · More about MIC · News by sound Most read story about MIC: Foul play in Malaysian actress death Article Rating Average Score: 0 Votes: 0 Please take a second and vote for this article: Options   Printer Friendly

BN Youth report shows most young voters undecided

Both BN and Pakatan are racing to sign up unregistered voters, most of whom are youths. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — The Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth today presented a report to the prime minister over its survey that found three in five Malaysian youths were undecided with their vote.

BN Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and his BN Youth Lab team submitted the report which also contained policy proposals and results of the survey to Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the Prime Minister’s Office this afternoon.

“We’ll be presenting it to the public via a town hall meeting with the prime minister very soon,” Khairy told The Malaysian Insider after submitting the report to the prime minister

He later said the town hall meeting will be at 3pm on August 20, with those interested having to register through the BN Youth Lab’s Facebook account.

Khairy said the BN chairman was “happy with the analysis and many of the suggestions”.

The series of surveys were conducted nationwide between March and June by the BN Youth Lab programme through telephone calls, social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, and polls to detect relevant issues and problems affecting the Malaysian youth. It said a majority were not political party supporters, with 62 per cent undecided on their vote.

The major concerns voiced by the interviewees were employment, education, rising cost of living and public transportation. Most of these concerns pushed Malaysians to hand four states and 82 federal seats to the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in Election 2008.

Both coalitions are now racing to sign up the 4.4 million unregistered voters in the country, comprising mainly youths. The DAP is the leading political party registering new voters ahead of the 13th general election, and has helped PR register two voters to BN’s one for the first half of 2010.

According to the BN Youth Lab, its survey also discovered that 30 per cent of the 1,000 youths surveyed are worried with the country’s current situation while 50 per cent are unhappy with the rising crime rate in Malaysia.

It reported that around 65 per cent of respondents felt the country was on the right track against the 30 per cent concerned over its future.

The survey said more were most concerned about employment/career (66 per cent), beating out children’s education and future (20 per cent), and cost of living (12 per cent).

Apart from the crime rate, the respondents were also dissatisfied about public transport (22 per cent), housing (10 per cent) and education (13 per cent).

The top most aspirations for those surveyed were economic progress (33 per cent) and freedom of expression (24 per cent), as opposed to transparency (19 per cent), religious tolerance (14 per cent) and race-related policies (7 per cent).

Millionaire Jho Low caught in France

By FMT Staff

KUALA LUMPUR: “Mystery” man Jho Taek Low, who reportedly secured the RM500 million contract to redevelop the Sungai Besi airbase (Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia), is back in the spotlight, this time in France.
The millionaire businessman, who is closely linked to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s family, was detained together with famed Hollywood star Paris Hilton by French police.

According to the French newspaper, Corse Matin, Hilton was detained at the Corsica airport after police dogs sniffed out her marijuana loot.

The paper reported that Hilton travelling with a personality who was “closely linked to the top Malaysian authorities” when she was detained.

But he was released after a 30-minute interrogation.

Commenting on the increasing curiosity about the Ivy League financial party boy, PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Mat Akin said the latest incident raised even more suspicion about Jho Low.

Shamsul Iskandar had first raised the Jho Low issue at the PKR convention in Kota Baru last month.

At the time he had challenged Najib to reveal who the mystery man was. Jho Low is said to be a friend of Najib’s son Riza and wife Rosmah Mansor.

Jho Low, a 28-year-old from Wharton Business School, is rumoured to be an adviser to some international corporations involved in oil, gas and construction.

Last year, he was appointed to the board of Malaysian bank UBG Bhd. A surf through the Internet found him linked to several high-flying business investment groups in Malaysia and the Middle East.

Report reveals rape of tribeswomen by loggers 20 July

The Penan's forests have been devastated by loggers © Andy and Nick Rain/Survival

A new report has exposed an ‘environment of violence’ against tribeswomen in Borneo. According to the report, released by a coalition of Malaysian human rights groups called the Penan Support Group, there have been repeated cases of rape and sexual assault against Penan women by the loggers who are destroying the tribe’s forests.
They follow allegations by other Penan women in 2008, which the Malaysian government denied but was later forced to confirm.
The report condemns the Malaysian government for giving lucrative logging concessions on Penan land to ‘private companies closely tied to the state government’, resulting in ‘dispossession, destruction, dislocation and impoverishment’ and an ‘environment of violence’ which leaves Penan women and girls ‘highly vulnerable’.
The Sarawak state government has licensed the Penan’s land to logging and plantation companies that have devastated the rainforests the tribe rely on.
The Malaysian Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development has refuted the new allegations. The Chief Minister of Sarawak also denied the previous allegations of rape, saying they were ‘lies’ and an attempt at ‘sabotage’. A government investigation later confirmed that the women’s claims were true.
Officials have continued to dismiss the issue. When the BBC confronted Sarawak’s Minister for Land Development with the statement of a teenage Penan rape victim, he said, ‘They change their stories, and when they feel like it. That’s why I say the Penan are very good storytellers.’
Survival’s director Stephen Corry said today, ‘Logging has brought the Penan nothing but abuse, with rape, violence and hunger now commonplace. For the government to react by calling them ‘storytellers’, and pretending all this is ‘progress’ is appalling.’
Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is due to visit some Penan villages on July 22.
Download the Penan Support Group’s report

Will we abandon Sgt. Tharmendran to torture by Air Force / prison guards?

Update: YB Mike organising a memo handover.
DATE : THURSDAY 22.7.10
TIME : 10.30 am
VENUE : MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, KUALA LUMPUR
This truly is a new low.

In yet another dramatic twist in the trial of former RMAF sergeant N Tharmendran, the accused retracted his bail after the PJ Sessions Court refused his application for a protection order from the air force.
Lead defence counsel N Surendran (left) said Tharmendran requested to retract his bail as he feared he would be picked up by RMAF officers who were waiting outside the courtroom.
“This goes to show that anyone who has been tortured before does not want to be tortured again,” Surendran said of his client’s alleged torture by army intelligence officers.

When you think about the state of Malaysian prisons, and the abuse known to go on in there, I think you get an idea of just how scared Tharmendran was.
Rereading his experience, I don’t blame him:

Tharmendran’s father) Nagarajah (left) claimed that two RMAF officers, a Major Azam and a Major Ismail, had beaten and mistreated his son over a period of nearly three weeks from July 2 to 17 last year.
He claimed that Major Ismail made Tharmendran wear a crash helmet, which he then proceeded to hit repeatedly using a golf club and a cricket bat alternatively.
Nagarajah said Major Ismail told his son that he had written the names of all those he had tortured , including Tharmendaran’s on the crash helmet
Nagarajah also claimed that his son was stripped to his underwear in a room where the air-conditioning was going full-blast, and that he was not allowed to sleep, with regular interrogations after midnight.
“All the time, they kept asking him to confess he had stolen the two F5E fighter jet engines from Sg Besi TUDM Base.
“Major Ismail also threatened to shoot my son and (co-accused) Rajandran Prasad,” he said in his report.

Look at what we’re doing.
Tens of millions worth of material is stolen from our airbases, and they blame two enlisted men.
One of them has the crap kicked out of him, and we can’t even offer him the slightest bit of protection as we try and get to the bottom of this story.
The worst part?
I’m not sure Sgt. Tharmendran is safe in prison either :(
I think we really need more attention on this case >:(

'Najib, can you guarantee Tharmendran's safety?'

(Malaysiakini) Veteran politician Lim Kit Siang has taken up cudgels on behalf of ex-RMAF sergeant N Tharmendran, who has opted to return to the Sungai Buloh prison pending trial for alleged involvement in the theft of two jet-fighter engines.

Tharmendran (right) retracted his bail yesterday, after the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court refused his application for a protection order against alleged 'abductors' from the air force.

In a statement today, Lim asked: “Can Najib and his cabinet give an iron-clad guarantee that Tharmendran ... would be absolutely safe on bail while awaiting trial...?

“It is a terrible indictment on the system of governance in Malaysia that a person should feel safer in prison custody than to be out as a free man, for fear of being abducted and tortured again by military intelligence officers.”

Tharmendran, who fears for his safety while out on bail, had lodged a police report yesterday morning claiming that four air force personnel had gone to his parents' house in Seremban last week, to attempt to pick him up.

Lim, who is Ipoh Timor MP, said the issue of the former airman's safety is the ultimate sign that Malaysia is headed towards becoming a failed state.

He said Tharmendran's case joins a lengthening list of issues that have cast doubt on the premier's seriousness, ability and political will to arrest “institutional degradation” and restore national and international confidence, which were conditional to Malaysia becoming a developed, inclusive and sustainable high-income nation by 2020.

Other examples which put the premiere's leadership into question, Lim said, include Anwar Ibrahim Sodomy II trial, the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, the RM500 million 'commission' for two Scorpene submarines, private investigator P Balasubramaniam and his two statutory declarations, persecution of Raja Petra Kamarudin and the mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock.

Tharmendran has alleged that he was tortured by military intelligence officers while detained for three weeks during an internal probe, in order to coerce his confession.

His father N Nagarajah had earlier lodged a police report on the alleged abuse of his son.

Kelantan Sultan ambushed by special ops cops [video]

By Ken Vin Lek - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: A video showing the Sultan of Kelantan, Tuanku Ismail Petra Sultan Yahya Petra’s being ambushed by armed balaclava-clad special operations force personnel has been obtained by FMT.

The short video clip, which was recorded by the sultan’s personal bodyguard, showed the sultan leaving their royal palace in an entourage of vehicles heading towards the airport in a Toyota Alphard.

Just after the sultan left the palace gate, a white police car, a Proton Perdana, came between the sultan’s car and that of the personal bodyguard.

As they were driving along, the entourage came to a standstill when the sultan was ambushed by cars from all sides of the road (1.10 minutes elapsed).

A grey Proton Waja is seen on the left while a silver Honda CRV on the right, all of which were carrying armed balaclava-clad special force personnel.

The police came out of their respective vehicles, pointing their guns at the sultan’s car and his personal bodyguard.

KP Samy’s claim is all gas, says PAS

By Patrick Lee - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: PAS has denied any involvement in the disruption of the Anti-Samy Vellu Movement (GAS) gathering in Klang on July 4.

“There is no such thing,” PAS secretary-general Mustapha Ali said today in response to an allegation by K P Samy, who organised the Klang event.

Samy, a member of MIC's Central Working Committee until he was sacked last May, said yesterday that PAS members were in the group that gate-crashed the gathering and scuttled it. The group’s ringleader was L Siva Subramaniam, the information chief for MIC Selangor.

Mustapha dared Samy to prove his claims. He said PAS members were under instruction to keep clear of the internal politics of other parties.

The PAS Supporters Club has also denied any involvement with Siva’s group.

"If KP Samy has evidence, and if we are able to confirm any members' identities, then we will take action," said Lakshamanan Subramaniam, who heads the club’s Selangor chapter.

However, he added, he was sure that Samy’s allegations were baseless. "He is only making things up," he said.

"If (former MIC deputy youth chief) Mugilan was allowed to contest in the Hulu Selangor by-election, there would have never been such a thing called GAS," Lakshamanan told FMT.

Before joining the PAS Supporters Club in early 2008—before the general election—Lakshamanan had been an MIC member for 25 years. He once held a position in the party’s National Youth Council.

He said he left the party because he was disillusioned with it, and that PAS suited him better.

Citizens have no gov't to turn to for protection

Where can an ordinary citizen turn to for help if the judiciary, police and now the army do not uphold their moral obligations?'

No protection order, so ex-airman chooses jail

Thisia: One thing that boggles my mind is that, here we have a citizen who has openly said that he was tortured by Air Force personnel and is in the process of being brought into their custody one more time. Anyone with sense would say that, yes, he needs protection.

So why on earth did the judge declined to give it?

Swipenter: Jail may not be the safest place since there are 421 recorded custodial deaths since 2001. Maybe Tharmendran should request to be housed at the 'Kamunting Hilton' since the police had arrested people under the ISA for their "own protection". It could be safer there than in Sg Buloh prison.

Was the presence of the RMAF (Royal Malaysian Air Force) officers in the court signalling Tharmendran not to reveal the involvement of others in this theft for his own good? It is crystal clear that Tharmendran is frightened out of his wits seeing those guys in court.

The perception of the public is one of disbelief that only two guys could pull off such a stunt alone without involvement of others. Come to think of it Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand didn't feel safe either. She complained of being shadowed by some guys when she was here for TBH's (Teoh Beng Hock's) second autopsy. Is our country becoming such an unsafe place these days?

Yobama: What baffles me and maybe many others is why two lowâ€'ranking airmen would be stupid enough to steal jet engines from an airforce base, knowing full well that it would be discovered? I do not believe these two men are actually involved. There must be some masterminds behind the fiasco, like the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, allegedly by two low-ranking personnel who did not even know the victim.

Strangers don't commit murder on other strangers. In the case of the jet engines, I think the real culprits are going to go scot-free, just like the Altantuya murderers. How can Malaysia face the world with this kind of laws that set criminals free just because they are powerful people? Only the lower members of society are subject to our laws... very sad indeed.

Cala: In the doctrine of good governance, a government earns its right to govern because it discharges its responsibilities fairly. Rights and responsibilities hence are different sides of the same coin. One cannot do without the other. After subjecting a poor N Tharmendran to a three-week torture spree (as alleged), what rights has the Air Force on him and expect him to cooperate?

Anonymous: It looks like being in jail is safer than staying out of jail it. But how sure is Tharmendran that he would be safe? Air Force personnel can sneak into the Sungai Buloh prison as well. Even police lockâ€'ups and MACC offices are not safe.

Green Horn: No stones should be left unturned. I suggest that the police take action on the two Air Force personnel in plainclothes who were loitering around the court house. Both lawyers (N Surendran and Gobind Singh Deo) must uncover the root cause of this fiasco and bring the crooks to justice.

Louis: What has become of our security system? Raja Petra Kamaruddin is on the run, though, in fact, enjoying the English summer. Private eye P Balasubramaniam is happily enjoying himself there as well. N Tharmendran could have joined them, but for want of sponsors, hasn't. These three have one thing in common - hiding, or rather, seeking shelter from harassment by those in power or wellâ€'connected.

Tharmendran fears for his life, which cannot be taken for granted. Looking at the charges against him, no one of sound mind will ever believe the theft of the engines was a two- or three-man job. It is highly probable that some very high-ranking officers were involved. As such, his claim of attempts to abduct him has the ring of truth to it, and it was done to silence him.

It is really sad that our security has deteriorated to such a pathetic state that innocent men have to run not from 'Ah Longs' or the likes of 'Botak Chin', but law enforcers and the powerfully connected.

Louis: Fancy that. It is safer to be in jail than being a free man. Malaysia sangat boleh. Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein together with Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan should resign. What is the perception of investors on Malaysia when one does not feel protected by the laws of the country? Enough has been done to the economy of the country by the BN-led government.

Tan Kian Khim: The question is: is Tharmendran actually safe in a Malaysian jail, or will he end up becoming another statistic, another convenient 'accidental death' or 'suicide' in Malaysian authorities' custody? Alternatively, he could be induced to recant his statements - just like PI Bala after he was 'invited' to Brickfields police station.

It is clear that this case is nowhere near as simple as the authorities are trying to make it look. One only hopes that Tharmendran will feel safe to help reveal the true extent of corruption in the Malaysian military and the judicial system.

Lover Boy: This man wants to be out and the lawyers have to plead with the judge to reduce the bail to RM50,000. Now that he is out, the Air Force is allegedly trying to abduct him to perhaps intimidate him, so he seeks the court's protection.

Go back to jail by all means, but the lawyer must appeal to the higher courts to have this point tested. The High Court judge needs to justify his decision for denying Tharmendran the protection order.

VP Biden: Where can an ordinary citizen turn to for help if the judiciary, police and now the army do not uphold their moral obligations? This is both distressing and scary. The little man has no avenue for truth.

Pro-Umno bloggers up in arms against Noh

By Zainal Epi - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: Pro-Umno bloggers in Selangor are “up in arms” against Umno deputy liaison chief Noh Omar for his “indifferent attitude” towards the role of these bloggers in helping the party.
To make matters worse, the bloggers felt “insulted and slighted” when Noh used the phrase “wolves in sheep's clothing” in his blog, to describe these bloggers who wanted to help Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno take back the state from Pakatan Rakyat.

Some of the bloggers claimed Noh’s “cold attitude” towards them stemmed from the fact that Noh has not done much in strategising or working hard to get back the state.

They claimed that in his position as deputy liaison chief, he should take the lead to raise pertinent issues for Selangor voters to think and swing their support to BN instead of “jumping the bandwagon” initiated by others.

“But until today, he does not take the lead. In fact, Dr Mohd Khir Toyo seems to be in control of the onslaught against the Pakatan state government and Khir is only an Umno liaison committee member.

“And when pro-Umno bloggers write on issues aimed at helping the state BN highlight matters so that the people can use them against the Pakatan state government, Noh branded us as wolves in sheep's clothing.

“This is truly uncalled for and Noh should be aware that we bloggers are not ‘kuching kurap’ (nobody).

“Noh does not realise or purposely ignores the fact that bloggers have their own followings regardless of whether their blogs are widely read or not.

“Bloggers' articles, whether indepth or just superficial, are scrutinised and studied by readers who are voters and Noh’s claims that we bloggers are not famous or popular may just backfire in his face,” said a blogger who wanted to remain anonymous.

Failing to pick up relevant issues

The clash between Noh and the bloggers intensified about a week ago when the latter refused to board a helicopter Noh took to get an aerial view of the illegal sand-mining sites.

Bloggers claimed that Noh should have done what Khir did -- drive to the illegal sand-mining area where the view was clearer.

They also claimed that Noh had not been mixing with the people much and when he did, issues that he raised in his talks did not reflect the true situation in Selangor.

“Worse still, he did not even read blogs or newspapers to pick relevant issues to talk in his meet-the-people sessions,” said another blogger.

With the clash between Umno's second man in the state and pro-Umno bloggers likely to grow in intensity, BN’s efforts in trying to wrestle Selangor back appears to be a far-fetched dream.

Ahmad claims Felda's overseas investments strong

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid and Muda Mohd Noor - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister Department Ahmad Maslan is out to allay fears that the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) is dying and insisted that it is still a viable commercial force with strong overseas investment portfolio.
Felda, the world's biggest plantation operator and seen as the last bastion of hope for the Malay poor, is at the centre of a controversy that may be one of the deciding factors in the outcome of the coming general election.

And the one most at stake here is the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional. With the opposition pact, Pakatan Rakyat, maximising its exploits on the issue, BN's grip on Felda, which is also considered its "vote bank", is severely under threat.

Pakatan leaders claimed that the body is a commercial giant dying from widespread corruption, which sees its cash reserve dwindling fast -- from a staggering RM6.2 billion in 2004 to just RM1.3 billion last year.

Such allegations have prompted a swift response from the government, particularly Ahmad, the man in charge of Felda affairs in the Prime Minister's Department.

"Felda has investments in 12 countries, including the US and Canada, to ensure that palm oil can be sold in the world market. Investments in places such as Cincinnati are long term to ensure that palm oil will be bought in the North American region," he told FMT in a interview recently.

Felda must be seen to make money

However, the perception towards Felda's performance has been at an all-time low. Claims of strong off-shore investments have not done much to reconcile the negative connotations brought about by opposition allegations with the vigorous Felda campaigns.

But Ahmad maintained that the truth will prevail and that no opposition political rhetoric can conceal the fact that enormous wealth had been generated from such investments.

"Of course, these investments will not yield immediate profit. It takes time because it is a long-term investment," said the Pontian MP, who is also Umno information chief.

Such reasoning is not unreasonable given Umno's dependency on the Felda votes. The settlement covers much of the states such as Pahang and Johor, with Felda voters contributing much of Umno and BN's strength in the two states.

Felda remains Umno's 'vote bank'

Until today, many states with large Felda settlements remain impenetrable to the opposition as evident in the recent Hulu Selangor by-election that saw PKR, the opposition bloc's lynchpin, losing to BN.

The Malay votes in the Felda settlements within the constituency proved to be PKR's stumbling block to retain the seat. Polling data showed its electorate there remained loyal to Umno.

Which is why Umno leaders like Ahmad is optimistic that Felda will remain a BN territory. Proof of this, said Ahmad, who is a Felda child himself, is the RM200 million suit against PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and others by Felda after the party's mouthpiece, Suara Keadilan, claimed the body was en route to bankruptcy.

"The government has signed an agreement with JV Allana Iffco, a Dubai-based company, that will import palm oil from our country. All investments made is to ensure Felda generate huge long-term profit. Of course, they (Felda) would be angered if such allegation arises," said Ahmad.

The battle for the Felda votes is evident when Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak himself took painstaking effort to quash growing fears over the body's drying coffers.

Recently, Najib said Felda's shares in listed companies like MISC and Maybank are worth RM4.6 billion while it has in its hand cash reserve worth RM1.4 billion.

Ahmad said many of the Felda settlers are proud of its achievements and insisted that they owe it to the BN leadership for its success.

Felda currently has 225,270 settlers nationwide while 75% of them own their own land.

Villagers to intensify anti-dam protest

By Ken Vin Lek - Free Malaysia Today

KOTA KINABALU: A group seeking to stop the building of a dam in Ulu Papar is awaiting the government’s response to its allegation that the feasibility study for the project was faulty.
Meanwhile, there will be “heightened campaigns locally” against the dam, said the Action Committee Against Kaiduan Dam in a statement e-mailed to several organisations and individuals.

As announced in 1998 by then chief minister Osu Sukam, the Kaiduan Dam project will involve the flooding of 12 sq km of land on which 1,400 indigenous Dusuns live and earn their living.

It will wipe out nine villages and destroy rice fields, rice mills, fruit and vegetable gardens, village markets (called tamu in Sabah and Sarawa), churches, graves, a government primary school and three community pre-schools.

It is one of 16 dams proposed under the Sabah Water Resource Management Master Plan.

Ulu Papar is in the Penampang district, where there is already a dam known as Babagon.

The statement said the environmental assessment was not done in consultation with the affected people.

It quoted at length a petition to the chief minister from the chairman of the action committee, Nousi Giun.

“The government did not obtain the free, prior and informed consent of the communities and has not seriously considered environmental and social costs, indigenous people issues and resources bound to be affected by the project,” Giun said.

“Most of these villages fall within the proposed water catchment reserve. They are subsistence swidden (slash and burn) farmers, relying principally on hill rice, animals and freshwater fish, as well as gathering of forest products for their daily needs.”

No consultation made
The statement said the planners of Kaiduan Dam consulted neither elected representatives nor the relevant government agencies, such as the Water Resources Council.

The action committee was formed last September by representatives of the villagers of Terian, Babagon Laut, Timpayasa, Tiku, Buayan, Pongobonon, Kalanggaan, Timpangoh and Longkogungan.

Giun alleged that the feasibility study failed to evaluate alternative water supply solutions and lamented that the state neither cared for indigenous peoples’ livelihood nor appreciated the value of traditional lands, especially their biodiversity.

The nine villages are situated inside and around the Crocker Range Park, which has long been recognised as a primary centre for plant diversity and endemic to the region. It is included in the World Wildlife Fund Global 200 high priority eco-regions.

The government expects the Kaiduan Dam to generate 37 megawatts of hydroelectric power and to ensure enough water for Kota Kinabalu until 2050.

According to an article in the National Express, the Babagon Dam project resulted in social, economic, cultural and psychological stress among the resettled people. It led to increased alcoholism and criminal behaviour.

A lot tougher to make ends meet

By Patrick Lee - Free Malaysia Today

COMMENT The price hike is no stranger to the ordinary Malaysians. In fact, many have come to look upon it as the unwanted, crazy-in-law who decided to show up at your house for the weekend.
Stealthily making their way into our economy, many found out about the changes to the prices of sugar, cooking gas and fossil fuels only at the very last minute.

It was reported that the 25-sen per kilogram price hike on sugar would result in a 1.25-sen increase for a cup of teh tarik. Considering that the government thinks that the price of teh tarik is RM1 each, you'd have to end up paying RM1.0125 for every cup you drink.

Sounds pretty minimal, doesn't it? However, one look would tell you that the mathematics behind each price is highly simplistic.

For starters, you would be hard-pressed to find a cup of teh tarik in KL at RM1 each. The last time a cup might have cost about RM1 would have been at least 10 years ago.

Sugar isn't only prevalent in a cup of tea. It can also be found in creamer, Milo and other powders, bread and other confectioneries, sweets and cakes, and even ketchup and chili sauce, just to name a few.

With a five-sen increase in fuel – thus affecting the harvesting and transport of sugar -- it would be quite inaccurate to say that the price of teh tarik will inflate by 1.25 sen. Furthermore, with cooking gas prices going up as well, what's stopping everything else from being affected as well?

A report from the Prime Minister's Department (“Fact Sheet: Subsidy Rationalization”) said that the hike was a good idea as many Malaysians suffered from health problems such as obesity and diabetes. It is also felt that by doing so, citizens would be less inclined to put sugar in their morning tea.

If the Prime Minister's Department felt that Malaysians would use less sugar in their diet if the price went up, would they also use more public transport since fuel prices have also been increased?

Some sort of protection needed

There is nothing wrong with doing away with subsidies, as the population cannot expect to depend on them in the long run. However, in order for ordinary Malaysians to cope with a gradual subsidy reduction, there needs to be some sort of protection in return.

There are many suggestions, and one way is through wage increase. A minimum wage would go a long way towards ensuring a worker's livelihood.

Another way would be through proper enforcement. A company would have to think twice before dumping its local workers for cheaper, foreign ones if it knew that government agents were constantly keeping an eye on its operations.

For some strange reason, however, the administration doesn't seem to be all that interested in the man in the street. Instead of conducting a nationwide poll or consulting NGOs on a mininum wage policy, the Ministry of Human Resources sought the opinions of the public on one of its blogsites and received only 77 comments (which probably explains its lack of interest in the mininum wage issue).

The manner in which the hikes were introduced was also suspect. In recent years, price changes would usually be followed by announcements detailing the products affected.

Hours after the Parliament sessions ended, Malaysians suddenly found themselves acquainted with the new prices.

Malaysiakini reported that a number of directives were given to the mainstream media by the PM's office. These orders “encouraged” editors to change phrases such as “price hike”, into more acceptable buzzwords such as “upward price adjustment”.

They were also prevented from doing street polls, and were required to take opinions from “BN-friendly consumer groups”.

Akin to a death sentence

How will the price hike affect Malaysians? For high-income groups, perhaps not at all. While the middle-class may feel a bit of a pinch, it is the lower-income category that will suffer the most.

Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister, stated that RM3,000 should be enough for just about anybody, especially if you're a city dweller. As long as they “do not live in luxurious places”.

Even without price hikes, many Malaysians are already finding it difficult to make ends meet, much less live in “luxurious places”. A worker from Hulu Selangor's Nigel Gardner plantation may find himself taking home not more than RM600 a month. Many indigenous tribesmen such as the Semai have had to live without basic amenities, such as education, proper roads and even electricity.

Political analyst James Chin says that the increase in fuel and sugar prices would raise a family's expenses by about RM100 to RM150. For the poverty-stricken family, it is akin to a death sentence.
Families will have to cut down on already sparse stocks, and no number of political visits during by-elections are going to assist them.

Government reaction

Just last month, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Aziz said that there was not enough money to keep the Public Service Department scholarships going (a decision that was overturned). He also talked about shifting Parliament to Putrajaya, with an RM800 million price tag.

Recently, it was announced that parliamentary speakers and senate presidents were to receive hefty allowance increments, including RM2,500 for hiring servants. Barisan MPs have also been given an additional RM500,000 each, presumably for the benefit of their voters.

And let's not forget the RM800 million allocated for the upcoming palace along Jalan Duta, where many workers there have complained of not receiving their wages.

It is one thing to make a tough, unpopular decision. It is another thing to receive some benefits for yourself after doing so.

Raising the price of essential goods, while saying there isn't enough money for the public, is like adding insult to injury.

The funny thing is, Malaysia is not a war-torn country with a dearth of natural resources. We have an abundance of natural wealth to keep the country going for a long, long time.

So why we are we running out of money? Why are some communities finding it difficult to put food on the table? Why do we still have people without clean water and electricity?

Then again, why is it so easy to approve of yet another multi-billion ringgit contract without public scrutiny?

While Parliament seems to have no trouble increasing its MPs' wages or considering a Goods and Services Tax, there appears to be little effort made to protect workers or implement much- needed infrastructure.

With the government planning to do away with subsidies by 2020, and with people having to “change their lifestyles” in response, it's going to get a lot tougher for Malaysians to survive on a day-to-day basis.

Islam and Malays, PAS and UMNO

PAS’s cause is to advance Islam. UMNO’s platform is to advance Malay nationalism. During a merger, how will the priorities be managed?

By batsman

Recently some of the best academic and religious brains in Malaysia have come together to provide a theoretical or ideological basis for the merger of Islam with nationalism in the hope that PAS will merge with UMNO. I hope my ordinary person’s approach which is without any formal scholarship or schooling on the issue can be given a hearing. Please forgive any errors I may make.

PAS’s cause is to advance Islam. UMNO’s platform is to advance Malay nationalism. During a merger, how will the priorities be managed? On the surface it would seem the 2 are unrelated and may even come into conflict in extreme circumstances. The connection that makes the proposal for merger possible is that Malays are Muslims. Even if one tries to approach it the other way round, the connection breaks down for not all Muslims are Malays.

Therefore, given the uncertainty of the connection, there is this very important question that has to be asked - which has priority? – does the unity of Malays have priority over the unity of Muslims or the other way round? Which is more important? What happens in the hypothetical event that the interest of Malays clashes with the cause of Islam?

Islam is universal. Malays, I think, have not attained the same level of universality yet. If they did, they will most probably be at peace with all other races and religions and the question of merger is not even important. So it is still not possible to equate Malays on the same level as Islam yet.

Many Malays in Malaysia may not even consider the possibility of union or merger with the Malays of Indonesia yet. If such a hypothetical union were to take place, will the Malaysian Malays have more influence or the Indonesian Malays have more influence in deciding the policies of the union?

Until recently, Indonesians have been combing the streets of Jakarta looking for Malaysians over nuisance issues such as which songs and cultural practices belong to whom. Since the songs and cultural practices in question are Malay, it would seem that Indonesian Malays and Malaysian Malays have a long way to go still in achieving universal brotherhood and peace in spite of common roots (let alone a merger or union).

From this, it would appear that the merger of Islam and nationalism pertains only to Malaysia and is not universal. Thus it would seem unavoidable to conclude that such a merger if it occurs in Malaysia places nationalism ahead of Islam.

I do not wish to go too much into the contentious debate that it is possible for Malays to take certain actions that are in conflict with the teachings of Islam. If the Malays are selfish, domineering, abusive and bullying, they will probably be going against the teachings of Islam. If the Malays are oppressed and victimized (such as with Palestinians), they can justifiably seek justice and protection under Islam and Islam will automatically lend itself to a nationalist cause. This question is of utmost importance in deciding whether a merger of Islam and nationalism even if just temporarily is possible in Malaysia. What is the situation today in Malaysia? What do you guys think?

As for me, I like to look at the behaviour of both the leaders and the followers of each party to get a better idea. If the leaders of UMNO are humble and ever willing to listen honestly and act fairly to the complaints and grievances of all people regardless of race or religion, then I think such a merger may be possible and should be encouraged. On the other hand, if the leaders of PAS are greedy for sharing power and glory with UMNO, such a merger is ALSO possible, but should unfortunately be discouraged.

Looking at the followers, if the followers of UMNO are selfish, grasping, abusive and bullying, a merger with the faithful of Islam may not be advisable. If the followers of PAS are humble, decent, fair and sensible people, a merger with the nationalists of UMNO may also not be desirable.

Lastly, what is the place of Ketuanan Melayu as a basis for action in all of this? Will PAS be required to embrace Ketuanan Melayu as its own in the event of a merger or will UMNO have to give it up?

Corporatising JHEOA: Its impact on indigenous rights

By Deborah Loh | The Nut Graph,


PETALING JAYA, 20 July 2010: A proposed move to corporatise the Orang Asli Affairs Department, known by its Malay acronym JHEOA, to take charge of land development for the Orang Asli will impoverish the indigenous peoples.
Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) coordinator Dr Colin Nicholas said corporatisation was likely to be among the amendments to the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954, which will be changed to reflect the federal government’s position on Orang Asli land.

Nicholas

“Agriculture development is the most lucrative of all Orang Asli development projects. Corporatisation will allow the JHEOA to be the agency that clears and develops the land granted to the Orang Asli, rather than having to give it out to external agencies. It’s very good business. The Orang Asli will be reduced to shareholders,” Centre for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC) coordinator Dr Colin Nicholas said in a phone interview.
Nicholas said the Orang Asli fare better when they manage land by themselves. In smallholdings that they run, the Orang Asli can earn between RM1,500 and RM3,000 a month in dividends, compared with RM300 or RM400 a month through dividends from land managed by other parties.
For example, Nicholas said the village of Semoq Beri, an Orang Asli tribe in Terengganu, is able to earn RM25,000 a year in dividends, or more than RM2,000 a month after deducting costs, because they manage the land themselves.
“The JHEOA knows these figures as they have been presented to them before,” he said.
He noted that even Risda and Felcra schemes allow settlers to manage their own lands. “Why can’t the same be allowed for the Orang Asli?” he said.
A senior JHEOA official confirmed the plans to corporatise the JHEOA. “It was a cabinet decision as part of efforts to restructure and improve the JHEOA’s functions by making it a statutory body. But right now, it is too early to be talking about corporatisation as we want to settle the land policy with the state governments first,” he told The Nut Graph.
The official did not want to be named because of civil service regulations, which require him to obtain written permission from the minister before speaking to the press.
Ultra vires
The plan to corporatise the JHEOA is in addition to the federal government’s policy on developing Orang Asli land.
The federal government’s policy grants Orang Asli household heads titles to land of between two and six acres, and an additional 0.5 acres to build a home. This policy has been presented as part of poverty alleviation measures under the 10^th Malaysia Plan.
Apart from the concerns over corporatising the JHEOA, if legal amendments adopt the current federal government policy as is, it will be “bad law” as it violates the Federal Constitution and is “contestable”, Nicholas said.
This is because the policy denies a person’s right to legal redress, and ignores current law recognising the Orang Asli’s proprietary rights to their land and to adequate compensation, he explained.
For example, the Orang Asli, according to the land policy, will have no say over their land. Among other things, they cannot rent or lease it out, cannot make claims to land in other areas such as their roaming grounds, and cannot file any claim or compensation in court.
Ultimately, the land in their names will be developed by external agencies for agricultural purposes, with dividends to be distributed among the Orang Asli. The cost of developing the land will also have to be borne by the Orang Asli.
“The clearest violation of the constitution is the fact that Orang Asli who accept the land grants cannot take the government to court. It’s a denial of justice [because it prevents] the right to legal redress.
“Also, the courts have already recognised the Orang Asli’s rights to their land, such as in the Sagong bin Tasi v Selangor State Government case, and in current Sabah and Sarawak laws on native land. The courts have declared Orang Asli traditional lands as theirs according to the constitution and under common law,” Nicholas added.
Overall, the federal policy deprives Orang Asli their right to life, since their livelihoods and their identity are tied to their land, he said.

Sagong Tasi, a Temuan, at a Human Rights Day event in 2005 (Pic courtesy of Suaram)

The COAC and other non-governmental organisations have plans to raise their concerns again with Members of Parliament in the October sitting of the Dewan Rakyat. “There is no more point taking our case to the minister and the JHEOA,” Nicholas said.
The senior JHEOA officer, however, said the department is not yet ready to amend the law as the land policy needs to be accepted by menteris besar and chief ministers, since land is a state matter.
This process of getting approval from all states could take until the year-end, as the Rural and Regional Development Ministry is only just beginning to meet with the state governments, the official said.
He said the ministry had also noted the Orang Asli’s rejection of the policy and would consider their views when meeting with state governments. Asked if the provision disallowing legal recourse would be reviewed, he replied that this might also be discussed.
Input from the state governments and any adjustments to the existing policy will have to be referred to the National Land Council, the official added.
Mapping their own land
But as long as the policy is not law, the federal government cannot compel states to follow it. Selangor executive councillor for tourism, consumer affairs and environment, Elizabeth Wong, said consultation with Orang Asli must continue before the amendments are made.
On its part, the Pakatan Raykat-led Selangor government has gone ahead to re-map Orang Asli land boundaries in order to gazette these areas as Orang Asli reserve land.
Wong, who is also the state’s Orang Asli Land Taskforce chairperson, told The Nut Graph that the state has commissioned a new land survey using information from Orang Asli village elders to determine their land boundaries.
“We are training the Orang Asli to map their own land. We’re using GPS (Global Positioning System), but the village elders will define the boundaries. Once the physical mapping is done, we’ll look at cutting out lots to give Orang Asli land titles,” she said.
Wong said there didn’t seem to be any maps of current gazetted Orang Asli land at the Land Office or the state JHEOA. “We have to start from scratch.”

Orang Asli in Kampung Chang, Bidor, protesting for their land rights in 2009

On the possibility of overlapping claims once the boundaries are defined, Wong said it wouldn’t be surprising if a lot of Orang Asli land had already been sold to private owners. “We’ll have to negotiate, somehow. It will be hard to undo, but we’ll have to try.”
Wong also said the federal government was mistaken in thinking that merely giving Orang Asli a new house without land to manage was the way to lift them out of poverty.
She said in her constituency, Bukit Lanjan, some Orang Asli who had been placed in resettlement schemes have actually rented out the homes given to them and gone to live in places where they can access the forest.
“I discovered some of them living in Sungai Buloh and Hulu Selangor during the recent by-election.
“The federal government fails to understand that land, and the autonomy to manage their own economic activity, is far more important for Orang Asli than giving them money or houses,” Wong said.

Malaysia’s Bridge is Falling Down

From Huffington Post
By Thor Halvorssen
Founder, Oslo Freedom Forum

The farcical trial of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim resumes this week in Kuala Lumpur. This is the second time that the country’s ruling establishment has tried to destroy Anwar’s career with trumped-up allegations of sodomy. It succeeded 12 years ago, when he was imprisoned for six years on similar charges. Now Anwar faces up to 20 years in jail and whipping if convicted.

Controlled by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) since independence and now led by the increasingly autocratic Prime Minister Najib Razak, the Malaysian government knows Anwar is the only viable threat to its half-century of rule. Anwar became a risk to the government as deputy prime minister in 1998 when he began attacking corruption and calling for reform. Ultimately he became leader of the opposition.

Najib’s UMNO is trying to jail Anwar again in hopes of crushing his People’s Justice Party (PKR). A secular Muslim party, PKR leads a diverse political coalition with ethnic Chinese and Islamist partners. If Anwar is neutralized, this opposition movement would be paralyzed.

Anwar’s accuser – a former intern- admits to meeting with Najib just days before the alleged sexual act occurred and he has since changed his story several times. The charges against Anwar are transparently political. But the obvious intent of the trial matters little in Malaysia, where the government exercises a disabling grip on the justice system and the media.

Yet as one visits Kuala Lumpur today, these autocratic tendencies are not immediately visible. The modern splendor of this city and the surrounding wealthy state of Selangor help disguise one of the world’s most insidious authoritarian governments.

Najib’s most powerful tool is the Internal Security Act – a remnant from the days of British colonialism that gives the Interior Minister power to indefinitely and arbitrarily imprison any Malaysian without trial or even evidence. Through the ISA the government creates a climate of fear by arresting dozens of politicians, journalists, and student leaders.

Opposition voices like Anwar who are politically attacked through the courts are hardly better off than victims of the ISA. Virtually all positions in the justice system beyond the local level are held by government cronies.

Most problematic is that the local media cannot report on the ISA and the puppet justice system. The Printing Presses and Publications Act gives Najib near-absolute control over the news as media organizations need the government’s permission to operate.

Almost all major national newspapers, magazines, television channels, and radio stations here are tied to the ruling UMNO party. And Najib continues to tighten his grip in the face of Anwar’s trial. Suara Keadilan, the publication of Anwar’s PKR party, and the two other visible opposition outlets had their permits revoked on July 1.

The only way to get unfiltered news in Malaysia is online. Here, the media is protected by the “Bill of Guarantee of No Internet Censorship” – a law passed in the 1990s, at the strong suggestion of Bill Gates, to woo IT development to Malaysia.

Unfortunately, internet penetration is extremely limited outside of Malaysian urban centers. In some provinces, less than 10% of the population has online access, and most are stuck with the broadsheets. These read as if from a 1984 dystopia – there is no bad news, and other than culture and sports, there is cant-laden drivel about the government’s righteous quest to “serve the people”.

On a visit to the offices of a small opposition monthly, the editors despaired at the suffocating Malaysian media culture. Not just because it means Malaysians can’t easily find truth, but also because the next generation has grown uninterested: real journalism can no longer be practiced.

Through the silencing of opposition voices, vote-shopping, and gerrymandering, the UMNO-led government is able to continue its autocratic rule while calling Malaysia a democracy. And Najib seeks to perpetuate this charade by clamping down on Malaysian youth. Through the University and University College Act, students are forbidden from having any involvement in politics.

Despite their systemic nature, Malaysia’s human rights violations are largely unknown to the outside world. Many academics and journalists group the country with Indonesia and Turkey as a promising moderate Muslim democracy. And Wikipedia’s entries on Malaysia and on Najib avoid any mention of human rights, the Internal Security Act, censorship, or the crumbling rule of law. Such whitewashing is not surprising given that Najib hired Washington-based APCO Worldwide to burnish his image and besmirch Anwar’s.

Anwar, who has been profiled in TIME, the New Yorker, and Newsweek, and is frequently lionized as a promising Muslim leader, has recently been APCO’s target. In Malaysia, Anwar has often been mocked for having “Jewish friends.” Najib’s mentor and predecessor, Mahathir, even went so far as to say Anwar “would make a good prime minister for Israel.” In return, Anwar seized Najib’s hiring of APCO as a chance to issue inflammatory remarks on the firm’s supposed ties to Israel. This backfired when APCO distributed Anwar’s comments internationally along with a series of unattributed anti-Semitic statements posted on his website. The result is that on the eve of his trial many of his Western allies have questioned Anwar’s integrity.

The truth is that Anwar has been critical of some policies of the current Israeli government. And in the last few months he has even become more vocal as he wrestles with Najib’s media apparatus to avoid being pinned as blindly pro-Israel. But Anwar is hardly an anti-Semite. Contrast this with UMNO–which has led entire rallies inveighing against “the Jew.” Anwar’s critics should be careful not to carry water for Najib’s party, which proudly sports venomous anti-Semitic rhetoric and conspiracy.

Over dinner in Kuala Lumpur, Anwar told us that unless international actors address issues like censorship and imprisonment without trial, Malaysia will not become the oft-discussed bridge between East and West. Only if his trial is exposed as a sham and he avoids prison might Malaysia have a real democratic contest with elections in 2012 or 2013.

Sadly, this country’s appalling human rights record remains buried under a sea of APCO press releases.

Thor Halvorssen is the president of the Human Rights Foundation and the founder of the Oslo Freedom Forum. Alex Gladstein is its Chief Operating Officer.

War of words

BY HIMANSHU BHATT AND BERNARD CHEAH | The Sun

GEORGE TOWN: Simmering tensions boiled over yesterday when Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the federal-appointed State Development Officer (SDO), who oversees the channelling of all federal allocations for projects in Penang, traded verbal blows at separate press conferences.

Lim accused Nik Ali Mat Yunus (pic) of “openly and blatantly” sabotaging the state government, while the latter, in an outburst uncharacteristic of a civil servant, called Lim biadap (uncivilised) and said he had no right to question his qualification and competency for the job.

“He (Nik Ali) is like a little Napoleon in the civil service who gets high pay and does nothing for the people, but instead causes losses to them,” Lim said during a visit to the Botanic Gardens. He asked who should be held responsible for the RM150,000 plus losses over the scheduled demolition of controversial twin arches, one of which is tilting, that were built only recently for the gardens’ expansion project by the Tourism Ministry.

He said Nik Ali, as the officer in charge of overseeing project, should be held responsible. “Nik Ali refuses to explain who will bear the losses. If he is willing, we will not pursue the matter. But if not, who is? Every sen counts, because it is a question of public trust,” Lim said.

He also took issue over a letter sent by the SDO’s office, dated Oct 13, 2009, to the state Drainage and Irrigation Department. In it, the SDO’s office gave an “ultimatum” for pending issues on the Botanic Gardens’ facade and pavilion development to be settled by Oct 31, 2009, failing which a RM5 million federal funding for the project would be withdrawn. (The state was at that point tackling eviction problems in the area).

Lim said that was an example of how the SDO’s office tried to rush through development projects without consultation and feedback. Nik Ali lost his cool after a press conference held by state Umno leaders on alleged sand theft at a federal land in Politeknik Balik Pulau. He denied any involvement in the design of the Botanic Gardens arches or in allowing the allegedly illegal sand mining, which was brought to light over the weekend, to occur.

“This is the third time that Lim has used rough words against me after the Penang Hill railway launch where he alleged that I did not prepare a seat for him and then the issue of the twin arches’ demolition,” he said in a statement.

“Only the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department can say if I am incompetent or not.”

Nik Ali accused Lim of attacking him knowing that as a civil servant he was not allowed to issue press statements. “I will continue to be considered a ‘coward’ for remaining silent and eventually become a ‘scapegoat’ for Lim,” he said.

Nik Ali also took the state secretary to task for not advising Lim on the SDO’s scope and responsibilities as directed by the federal government, and help forge closer state and federal ties. “He should prepare talks with the SDO and not allow Lim to twist facts and continue to attack the SDO,” he said.

M'sia's lead in fighting money laundering lauded

The Sun 
by Tim Leonard

KUALA LUMPUR (July 19, 2010): Malaysia earned praise today for imposing stringent law enforcement and monitoring to effectively combat money-laundering and anti-terorism financing activities.

In his keynote address at the International Conference on Financial Crime and Terrorism Financing (IFCTF) 2010 here, Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) president Luis Urrutia Corral said Malaysia is an example of a country which has successfuly fought money- laundering activities.

The two-day conference is attended by some 500 delegates from the financial and law enforcement divisions of 14 countries.

Corral said Malaysia has demonstrated strong leadership and contributed to the fight against money-laundering.

"Malaysia has also played a significant and positive role in this region in the fight against money-laundering and terrorism financing," he said.

He praised Bank Negara and other financial enforcement bodies for playing an integral part in this effort.

Corral said terrorism will not be possible without financial muscle and all government bodies and financial institutions must take a proactive role in reporting and investigating suspicious financial transactions, regardless of the amount.

"The nature of money-laundering and terrorism financing is multi-dimensional and a global endeavour," he said.

He said money-laundering instruments play a very important role in the fight against corruption and international anti-corruption efforts.

The FATF is an inter-governmental body responsible for developing and promoting anti-money-laundering and terrorism financing policies at international levels.

The IFCTF 2010 is jointly organised by the Compliance Officers’ Networking Group (CONG) and the Institute of Bankers Malaysia.

Among the international speakers are senior money-laundering risk executive (Asia) for Bank of America Merrill Lynch Dr Rohan Bedi, director of Financial Intelligence Unit at Bank Negara Malaysia Wan Mohd Nazri Wan Osman, director of Compliance and Control at Citibank Hongkong David Hsu, head of Compliance and Investigation, Anti-Money Laundering Council of the Philippines Richard David Funk II, senior financial sector specialist of World Bank Heba Shamseldin, and head of National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit at New Scotland Yard April Casburn. -- theSun

‘Retrocommissions’ for Pakistan subs: Lawyer

A judge in France investigating a bombing in Karachi in 2002 has confirmed the existence of “illegal rétrocommissions” outside the contract of sale of submarines to Pakistan, said a lawyer for victims’ families, according to a French news magazine.
The Paris-based Le Nouvel Observateur (or Le Nouvel Obs), a prominent weekly in terms of audience and circulation, along with AFP reporting, observed on 19 June:

Judge Marc Trévidic in charge of the investigation into the bombing of Karachi in 2002, confirmed the existence of “illegal rétrocommissions” outside the contract of sale of submarines to Pakistan, said Friday, June 18 counsel families of victims, Mr. Olivier Morice.
He also suggested that Nicolas Sarkozy knew “perfectly” the reasons which led to the stoppage of payment of commissions paid on this contract, the lawyer said after a meeting with the plaintiffs.
“It is clear that at the highest level of the French government is perfectly aware of the reasons that led to discontinuation of payment of commissions,” said Mr. Morice.
Eleven dead
“He confirmed unequivocally the existence of illicit rétrocommissions explaining that showed that in particular by the DCN’s own internal documents, the Directorate of Naval Construction (DCN) signed the contract with Pakistan, the lawyer said .
Commissions paid on this contract could have given rise to rétrocommissions to finance the presidential campaign of Edouard Balladur in 1995, according to testimony and reports on file.
Eleven employees of the Directorate of Naval Construction (DCN), who worked in the construction of these submarines have been killed in the attack against their buses May 8, 2002 in Karachi.
According to Mr. Morice, who has filed a new complaint Tuesday on corruption charges, the judge also confirmed that the “only credible track” was considered “the financial trail,” namely that of Pakistani retaliation following the stop payment commissions on the sales contract Agosta submarines to Pakistan….

Indonesian Muslims 'praying in wrong direction'

The Indonesian Ulema Council told the country's 
Muslim populace in March to turn west.
 

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- Indonesian Muslims have been praying in the wrong direction, the country's highest Islamic authority has said.

The Indonesian Ulema Council told the country's Muslim populace in March to turn west when they offered their daily prayers. Muslims are supposed to face the Kaaba, the religion's most sacred site in the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

At the time, the council said that the direction of Kaaba from Indonesia laid to the west.

Turns out, it didn't. Africa did.

So, on Friday, the council issued a new edict: face northwest.

"After the first fatwa (edict) a few months ago that stated that the praying direction is west, we have announced that the correct direction for praying is indeed northwest, and we have issued a new fatwa (edict) to correct it," said Ma'ruf Amin, the head of fatwa division in the Indonesian Ulema Council.

"This is important because facing west will mean that people were facing Africa when they pray," he said.

Amin said the new edict does not mean that mosques in the country will need to be torn down. "They (those praying inside) just need to adjust their praying direction slightly," he said.

Some residents of the world's most populous Muslim country took the change in stride.

"I don't really worry about the praying direction," said Riza Irwansyah, an office worker in Jakarta. "The important thing is I prayed to Allah and I believe He will listen, no matter which way I'm facing."

Israel rapped