Anwar insists PAS-Umno talks will never take place

Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, July 28 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has nixed the chance of unity talks ever taking place between his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) ally PAS and the ruling coalition’s Umno, even without being stonewalled by the Islamist party’s Spiritual Adviser, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) Malay party has long viewed Nik Aziz as the main stumbling block towards achieving bi-party unity and political cooperation, an idea that has repeatedly cropped up post Election 2008.

“PAS maintains its stand it will not cooperate with Umno based on its past experiences and without being backed by principles.

“PAS leaders also reject this cooperation,” Anwar was reported saying during a visit to Kumpulan Media Karangkraf yesterday.

The PKR de facto chief added that Umno did not understand PAS; noting the grand old Malay party thought “if they can capture Nik Aziz, they would be able to control PAS.”

Anwar stressed that among the three PR parties – PAS, DAP and PKR – there could be no talks with Umno so long as conditions were imposed.

He claimed that any party looking for unity must begin on the “right premise”.

“[It] must be sincere in upholding justice and stop this oppression first. If not, any unity will be seen as Malays trying to dominate the other [racial] groups,” Anwar said, adding that no one was against Malay-Muslim unity.

“I also say it’s good,” he quipped, “but united for what [purpose]?”

“To be united is so it can uphold something better, not just because there is a threat,” he continued.

Yesterday, Umno information chief, Datuk Ahmad Maslan said his party would not stop its efforts to have unity talks with PAS despite opposition from Nik Aziz, who is also Kelantan Mentri Besar.

Ahmad said it was because Umno was confident there were certain groups in PAS that support its efforts.

“Nik Aziz can say anything but in PAS, there are certain groups. As everybody knows, PAS does not revolve around Nik Aziz alone,” said the deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

Ahmad stressed that PAS was not dependent on Nik Aziz to lead the party as there were others who could do so, such as the president, the deputy president and the party’s supreme council.

However, he agreed with Nik Aziz’s statement that there was no need for a middleman nor any conditions to be set in order for a meeting to take place.

PAS leaders have repeatedly stressed that the party had closed the chapter on talks with Umno and now was focused only on strengthening ties within PR.

Muslim Businessmen Can Mitigate False Perception Of Islam, Says Raja Nazrin

From Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

LONDON, July 28 (Bernama) -- Muslim businessmen, particularly those looking into the Western market, can mitigate false perception of Islam by displaying qualities of a responsible citizen in their local community, says the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah.

He said they could earn respect and credibility in the market place while at the same time enhance their brand, increase customer loyalty and improve their relationship with the local community.

"There are four motivations for companies to embrace social corporate responsibility, there are reputation, licence to operate, moral obligation and sustainability," he said at the inaugural Oxford Global Islamic Branding and Marketing Forum here Tuesday.

In his keynote address themed "Religion, Culture and Branding: The Importance of Understanding and the Challenges of Engaging A Global Multiracial World," Nazrin said Muslims, who accounted for 23 per cent of the world's population with the market for Shariah-compliant products worth over US$2 trillion, were increasingly becoming an economic force.

As a result, the rising number and growing purchasing power of Muslim consumers have opened up tremendous business opportunities for both Muslim and non-Muslims, he said.

This also present opportunities to build through commercial engagement the confidence and trust that would ultimately help gain wealth among Muslims and non-Muslims in the common humanity, he said.

Nazrin however said it was a setback that many in the West were fearful and resentful of Muslims and their religion.

He said a survey conducted in 2006 showed 63 per cent of the British, 87 per cent of the French and 88 per cent of the Dutch believed Islam was a religion most prone to violence.

"The rising of the Islamic phobia bring negative images and inevitably stroke into Muslim brand, thus making it extremely difficult for Islamic products to penetrate the Western market," he said.

The two-day Inaugural Oxford Global Islamic Branding and Marketing Forum which ended yesterday was organised by the Said Business School.

The Tanjung Manis Halal Hub in Sarawak was one of the lead partners.

-- BERNAMA

The complete restoration of Millennium Park

Year 2008

This was how Millennium Park looked like when we first took over the State Government in 2008. The former Barisan Nasional government spent millions decorating this open space with silver birds and trees which disappeared soon after and then they allowed this valuable open space to become an eatery, which was also abandoned.

In 2008, my office wrote to MPSJ and requested for the abandoned structures to be demolished.
Year 2009

On World Environment Day in June 2009, a huge tree planting exercise was carried out together with JKP Zone 1, SJRA, USJ RA, BSRA, corporate sponsors and MPSJ.

Residents participated in restoring the Millennium Park into a green area.

Year 2010

Now that the place is restored, I organised a healthy living campaign for my residents. A qualified trainer will lead the residents all over DUN Subang Jaya every Saturday from 7:30am to 8:00am in an exercise session. This program will be on-going for half a year and is sponsored by my office using the annual allocation given by the Selangor State Government for less than RM10,000.

Early sunrise

Residents from all races and all ages (see kids in the pic) come out every Saturday for this exercise program. Last week, the group has grown to a size of 60 people. Most of them come from the SS13 flats nearby. Others from all over Subang Jaya, USJ and Bandar Sunway. Join us if you can!

I am a firm believer that taxpayers funds must return to the people for their benefit. BN spent millions and benefited only the recipient of the contract. We spent RM10,000 only for this exercise program and the residents walk away happy and healthier every week!

Scavengers zero in on downed unmanned aircraft, leaked reports show

Washington (CNN) -- When unmanned aircraft crash in Afghanistan, scavenger hunters frequently aren't far behind, U.S. military incident reports published by WikiLeaks suggest.

On several occasions, military units sent to recover the aircraft -- known as tactical unmanned aerial vehicles -- have arrived to find the aircraft stripped of valuable parts.

In April 2007, a parachute deployed on one that had maintenance issues, one report says. Troops sent to recover the aircraft couldn't reach it until the next day, when they discovered it was missing some of its electronic components and its payload.

What WikiLeaks reports tell us

The report said the Afghan National Police and local elders "will continue to work with [local residents] to recover any pieces that were collected by inappropriate personnel."

Similarly, a report on an unmanned aerial vehicle that crashed in March 2008 reads: "The nose of the UAV is missing and the engine is burned. There are multiple footprints in the area from locals."

Also, in November 2008, a drone had a hard landing with its parachute deployed. The aircraft was destroyed, the report said, but "several components in good condition were grabbed by LN [local residents] before the QRF [quick reaction force] arrival."

The whistleblower website WikiLeaks.org published more than 75,000 military reports on Sunday.

The documents date from between 2004 and January 2010, and are divided into more than 100 categories.

Tens of thousands of pages of reports document attacks on U.S. troops and their responses, relations between Americans in the field and their Afghan allies, intramural squabbles among Afghan civilians and security forces, and concerns about neighboring Pakistan's ties to the Taliban.

The website's founder and editor in chief, Julian Assange, told CNN's "Larry King Live" that the first-hand accounts represent "the cut and thrust of the entire war over the past six years," from the military's own raw data -- numbers of casualties, threat reports and notes from meetings between Afghan leaders and U.S. commanders.

CNN has not independently confirmed the authenticity of the documents. The White House condemned the release of the documents as "a breach of federal law," but simultaneously dismissed them as old news.

CJ stays away from ‘Allah’ court case

PUTRAJAYA, July 27 – Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi shied away today from explaining why the Court of Appeal here has yet to set a hearing date for the controversial “Allah” court case half a year after it was filed.

“I will not comment on individual cases,” the 64-year-old told reporters after trumpeting the speedier disposal of lawsuits seen in the last two years since he was made the country’s top judge.

He also suggested that the parties dissatisfied with the wait could to write in to the President of the Court of Appeal, Tan Sri Alauddin Mohd Sheriff, to do something to fast-track the case.

The Home Ministry had early this year filed an appeal against a High Court ruling allowing the Catholic Church to public the word “Allah” to also refer to God outside the Muslim context, claiming its use would confuse the majority of its believers here who view the word as limited to Islam.

But the Catholic Church, which had initially agreed to stay publishing the word after a series of attacks broke out nationwide following the ruling on New Year’s Eve last year, has grown anxious at the extraordinary delay.

Earlier, Zaki briefed foreign law practitioners in town on the various measures he had introduced to enhance the Malaysian court system, including appointing more judges and judicial commissioners, and setting up a digital system to track the status of court cases.

The CJ boasted that his initiatives had helped bring “justice” by ensuring cases were closed in less than a year. In the past, a case could be languishing in the courts for as long as 15 years, he pointed out.

“Every time a case is delayed, it’s to the disadvantage of both parties,” Zaki stressed.

Weekend bloodshed leaves Sri Muda folks in fear

By Teoh El Sen - Free Malaysia Today,

SHAH ALAM: Following a series of attacks over the weekend, which left one dead and several injured, Taman Sri Muda residents are now fearful for their safety.
The tension was apparent when a check by FMT revealed that the police had set up several round-the-clock roadblocks in the area.

In the first incident on Saturday night, 25-year-old factory worker Palsibal Jailani (photo below:centre) died after he was set upon by a group of Indian youths armed with machetes.

His friend Rudy Amin sustained severe slash wounds, rendering him unconscious for a day and receiving 15 stitches to his cheek. Both victims were Sabahans working here.

Police believe that Palsibal's assailants could have mistaken him for someone else.

A news report also claimed that on the same night, Palsibal's cousin, Abdul Rasad Ismail, was allegedly stopped by four men, who asked if he was a Sabahan. When he said "yes", they began throwing punches and kicks.

The victim also claimed that the group had tried to pulled him into a van but he had managed to escape.

In what is believed to be acts of reprisal, two Indian youths, including a 16-year-old student, were attacked the next day in two separate incidents.

'People are afraid'

Last night, a dialogue session was held between the police and some 350 residents. The session was chaired by Shah Alam district police chief ACP Noor Azam Jamaluddin.

Met this afternoon, Taman Sri Muda residents' association president T Mogan told FMT that people here are still in a state of shock.

"We want peace. The people are afraid and scared that something like Kampung Medan will happen all over again. We can't have that," he said.

Commenting on the dialogue, Mogan said residents, comprising mainly of Indians and Sabahans, were unanimous in condemning the attacks and agreed to put the past behind them.

Meanwhile, Azam told FMT that the police are working hard to contain the situation and appealed to the residents to remain calm and not get emotional.

The police chief also stated that Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein have expressed concern over the situation.

"Everyone is very concerned and we will keep a close watch on the situation until everything cools down. We want to contain this and stop it from spreading," he said.

Police have picked up a youth, in his 20s, in connection with Palsibal's murder. The suspect was found with a machete on his motorcycle when he was rounded up during a roadblock with several others.

When FMT visited the Valencia flats, where Palsibal was attacked, residents admitted that there is an air of uneasiness since the incident.

"My daughter and wife are with me in the evening but in the morning they are alone. I am scared and I hope things will return to normal soon," said Sabahan lorry driver Hernani Hamsa, 32.

S Kumar, 36, who has been living here for the past year, said this is the first time he has experienced such a situation in this area.

"There have been minor arguments but never a case where the police have to guard us for 24 hours. This is a sad incident, it should not have happened, we are all the same, and we should be friends not enemies,” said the lorry driver.

Stall owner Hairi Tasman said that the incident has left residents in a state of fear.

"We feel safer with the police around, that's why I am brave enough to open my stall. I am not sure what happened but I am afraid that these people will just hit anyone regardless of their race," he added.

Indian NGOs clear the air over RM1.6-million allocation

file pix

By Patrick Lee - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: After being accused of fund mismanagement, representatives from three NGOs today cleared the air over the RM1.6-million allocation from the Selangor government for the Tamil Schools Programme (TSP).
FMT had earlier reported that the Selangor government allocated RM4 million for Tamil schools annually, of which RM2.4 million was given directly to Tamil schools while the remaining RM1.6 million was distributed for the TSP through three NGOs.

The three are the Tamil Foundation (TF), Educational Welfare and Research Foundation (EWRF) and Child Information Learning Development Centre (CHILD).

The allocation through the NGOs was questioned by the Tamil Schools' Parent's Association of Selangor (TSPAS), with its president S Murali claiming that allocation for the TSP was being mismanaged.

Murali had said that the money should have gone directly to the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) of Tamil schools.

When asked why the Selangor government chose to disperse the money to the NGOs instead of to PTAs, TSP coordinator K Arumugam said: “We have the experience."

EWRF special adviser S Pasupathi chipped in: “We are not ordinary NGOs. Most Tamil schools know about us. The EWRF has been around for 34 years. We've been doing these (programmess) for a long time.”
According to Arumugam, the three NGOs first approached the Selangor government with a proposal for “developing soft skills” for Tamil schools in mid-2008. They were then given the RM1.6 million in 2009.

“When it comes to Tamil schools, there are two aspects: Physical and student (development),” said Pasupathi, adding that TSP was in a better position to take care of them.

'We don't rely solely on state funds'

Asked to elaborate, Pasupathi said that the services included English proficiency classes for students and transport allowances for volunteer teachers.

EWRF is also involved in the printing of a five-times-a-year trilingual magazine known as Elanthalir, which is provided free for upper primary Tamil school pupils.

Pasupathi said the three NGOs did not depend on the state money alone. “What we (EWRF) get from the state amounts to 25% to 30% (of EWRF's total budget),” he said.

The EWRF adviser told FMT that his organisation had an annual budget of RM2 million.

“We get (most of) our money from the (Indian) community, and we have partners such as Hong Leong Bank,” he added.

Pasupathi also confirmed Selangor state exco Xavier Jeyakumar's affiliation with the EWRF.

Murali had earlier claimed that Xavier was “very close with the EWRF” and that “he had no business with the NGOs”.

“Jeyakumar was an EWRF member for a long time,” Pasupathi said. “He was part of our Klang branch, and has contributed much to the NGO for more than 10 years.”

He did not see Jeyakumar's involvement with the organisation as something amiss as many in the state administration have NGO backgrounds.

“But what about Murali? What credentials does he have? EWRF has been around for many years, while TSPAS has been around for two,” he shot back.

When asked about Murali's gripe with the TSP, Arumugam said: "With these programmes in Tamil schools, NGOs are powerful. If the NGOs are removed, then it would be easier for him to take control.”

When asked if he had any evidence to support his claims that TSP was mismanaging funds, Murali said: “No, but I have the audit report of these NGOs that might shed some light.”

Sodomy II: DPP dropped over 'affair' with Saiful

(Malaysiakini) DPP Farah Azlina Latif has been removed from the prosecution team in Anwar Ibrahim's current sodomy trial, according to Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail.

According to a news alert by the Sun, her removal follows allegations that she has had an intimate relationship with Saiful Bukhari Azlan (left), Anwar's accuser.

Another report by Berita Harian Online said that Farah Azlina's removal takes effect immediately.

The allegations were made by blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin in an article on July 22.

This latest turn of events will likely add some fireworks when the otherwise snail's pace trial resumes on Aug 2.

Contacted by Malaysiakini, defence counsel Sankara Nair said that the decision by the AG's Chambers came as a major shock for the defence team.

"I don't know why they are dropping her. I'm not sure if they are related to our query," said Sankara.

Sankara was referring to a letter sent to the AG's Chambers yesterday, which sought a confirmation or denial over Raja Petra's allegation.

He said that although Farah Azlina had been dropped, it was still incumbent upon the AG's Chambers to reply to the defence team's letter.

Unfair advantage

"It is best that they reply to us formally to the query that we have made. If there is truth in the allegation, then there will be serious implication on the integrity of the AG's Chambers.

"This guy is a witness and cannot have access to the prosecutor's information. He has to be treated as any other witness because this is not Saiful versus Anwar.

"It is a case brought by the state against Anwar and Saiful is a witness.

"As such, Saiful Bukhari cannot be given an unfair advantage of having access to the prosecutor's questions and planning ahead his answers," said Sankara.

Earlier Saiful's testimony had raised eyebrows when he admitted to meeting, on separate occasions, then Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and a police officer, before lodging a police report against Anwar.

Anwar, 62, is charged with sodomising Saiful Bukhari, 25, at Unit 11-5-1 of the Desa Damansara Condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

He is charged under section 377B of the Penal Code and can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years' jail and caning upon conviction. This is his second sodomy charge since 1998 and he claims that both were politically motivated.

What? No justice for Mazu?

By Haris Ibrahim,

Some years back, the Privy Council, hearing an appeal from New Zealand, made the observation that one cannot refine the law to a point where the law becomes an ass.

In my view, once again today, the law was made an ass.

The Federal Court today refused leave to former Sabah chief minister Chong Kah Kiat to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal in striking out two suits he had brought in relation to the halting of the project to construct the Mazu statue in Kudat, on the basis that Chong had no locus standi to bring those actions in his name as the chairman of the Kudat Thean Hou Charitable Foundation which, the authorities now contended, was not a registered society and, therefore, unlawful. The Malaysiakini report on this decision this morning can be read HERE.

Work on the 88 – foot high statue is said to have been 95% complete when the authorities brought the project to a halt on 13th April, 2007.

The project had begun after the Kudat Town Board had, pursuant to its letter dated 8th February, 2006, presumably to the unregistered and illegal Kudat Thean Hou Charitable Foundation, given its approval for the erection of the statue.

The unregistered and illegal Kudat Thean Hou Charitable Foundation, in obvious reliance on that authoritative approval, has expanded time and money in the construction of the statue, before the authorities stepped in to halt the works.

Should it now be in the mouth of the authorities to say ‘unregistered and illegal’, when they had previously approved the project?

Should not the authorities be estopped from raising ‘unregistered and illegal’?

Where does the justice and equity in the case lie?

Or is justice and equity no longer a commodity to be expected from the Palace in Putrajaya?

The world has spoke “yes to economic freedom, liberal market, no to NEP and corruption”

By Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP life advisor
UNCTAD, a UN body has issued its World Investment Report (WIR) 2010 on Foreign Direct Inflows (FDIs) of world countries.
the report on the 2009 FDIs into the Asean region are as follows

SINGAPORE	US$ 16.1 BILLION
MALAYSIA	1,38 billion
PHILLIPINES	1.95
THAILAND	5.95
INDONESIA	4.88
VIETNAM	4.56

The FDI for Malaysia in 2008 was US 7.2 billion, which meant that there was a 81% precipitous drop for the year 2009.

The DAP had warned many times over the past few years that there should be a change in strategy to attract foreign investment into the country. The steady fall of FDI into malaysia was a clear indication that the policies of the government were unattractive to investors, both foreign and local. but our warnings fell on deaf ears.
Now the day of reckoning has come. The WRI of 2010 has clearly indicated that FDIs to Malaysia has fallen by 81%, largely because foreign investors do not find the investment climate friendly.
LOSS OF INVESTMENT CONFIDENCE.
There were early warning signs. The European Union sent a delegation to Malaysia and they commented that there were restrictions on free trade and were not happy about the New Economic Policy restriction of 30% bumiputra equity. America too have reservations about procurement which favoured bumiputras with the 30% bumiputra equity, as a result of which, America would not sign a free trade agreement with Malaysia.
POOR PERFORMANCE OF KLCI
Compared with other stock markets in Asia, the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) performed badly showing severe loss of investor confidence

	HANG SENG INDEX	STRAITS TIMES INDEX	INDONESIA STOCK INDEX	KOSPI (KORES	KLCI (MALAYSIA)
1990	2750	1500			1200
2000	15000	2000	680	1000	974
2010	20500	2950	3000	1800	1337

The stock indices show that after twenty years, Hong Kong index increased 8 times, Singapore 2 times, S Korea up by 80%. As for the KLCI, it hardly increased at all. It has remained almost static since 1990.
This is a sad reflection of the utter lack of confidence in the KL market, meaning that local investors have no confidence in the economy.
There is a complete loss of investor confidence by both foreign and local investors.
CAUSES this is a grave situation and the Prime Minister should review his political and economic policies of the country, in the eyes of the world, Malaysia has fallen our of the ranks of the Asian tigers, and even below Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. The Prime Minister must change to a LIBERAL, FREE ECONOMY with no more rent seeking, no more closed tenders, and definitely no more NEP. If he cannot change, then it is a matter of time when malaysia will join the ranks of banana republics like Zimbabwee.

MPPP pre-empted as building is demolished

The MPPP has been pre-empted in its plans to assess a site at Pykett Avenue for a proposed luxury condominium project.

All that’s left of 20 Pykett Avenue.

View Larger Map
The structure, which sits on the site of the original Westlands house, was demolished over the weekend before planning approval for the condominium project had been obtained and while neighbours’ views were being sought, according to a source. This could amount to a planning violation under the Town and Country Planning Act.
The Planning Division of the MPPP had only on Friday invited a group of experts to assess and inspect the 3.4 acre-site after neighbouring residents expressed concern and objections over the RM280 million high-rise project.
See what the developer has in mind for the site here.
The developer had bought the site from a private company in December 2009 for RM38.7 million (RM262 per sq ft), according to a filing with Bursa Malaysia.
From a broader perspective, the project appears to be yet another high-end development aimed at the wealthy and at foreigners (notice the introduction to Penang on the project website, presumably for those who haven’t heard of the place).
Meanwhile, the low-income group is gradually being priced out of the island. Will we eventually see the rich largely on the island separated by the channel from the not-so-rich living on the mainland? What about low-income workers employed on the island? Where will they live?
The photo below is of the building before it was demolished.

AG throws Farah Azlina Latif to the wolves

It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.
- Mark Twain

Good gracious. TMI:

Deputy Public Prosecutor Farah Azlina Latif was dropped today from the team prosecuting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy after allegations surfaced last week that she was romantically involved with complainant and chief witness Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail told reporters today that the junior prosecutor was removed to prevent negative public perception of the Sodomy II prosecution team.
The Malaysian Insider reported the allegations last week after fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin alleged that Farah was having an “affair” with Saiful.

Sigh, as if we didn’t have enough gossip already.
I paid little to no attention to this issue when it broke a few days ago, but I’m a little shocked at the development.
It’s very simple, to my mind. If Farah Azlina is innocent, wtf is the AG doing taking her off the case?
In this country, you can steal billions, you can literally get caught with your pants down, and still stand in the highest offices of the land with a straight face.
I mean. The poor girl. She must feel like everyone thinks she’s some kind of ho.
And in her time of crisis, what does the AG do? Throw her to the wolves.
Just the kind of employer you’d like right? It seems he’s not keen on dishing out the same kind of rewards he himself enjoyed for his ‘service’ way back in Sodomy I.
And wtf is up with this Saiful guy anyway? I’m the last person qualified to make any kind of moral judgment, but under the circumstances, that’s really kinda sketch.

Another ex-RMAF sergeant 'harassed' by force

(Malaysiakini) First there is the ongoing case of former Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) sergeant N Tharmendran who has alleged he was tortured by military investigators.

Now, a retired RMAF flight sergeant from Sarawak has come forward with claims that he was harassed by the force and that no justice has yet been served on his police reports, one of which has even been heard by the court.

Faizzal Jinong Abdullah (right), 45, who retired from service two years ago, alleged that prior to his retirement several high-ranking officers had “tortured” him after he discovered a scam at the RMAF multi-storey living quarters in Kuching where he was housed.

The ex-sergeant claims to have suffered immensely both mentally and physically after stumbling upon alleged electricity theft between his unit and another, and that he was thrown into prison and his family was tormented after he approached the authorities about the matter in 2008.

“What has happened to all the reports I had lodged? I have not heard from the police at all... when will my problems be solved?” asked Faizzal.

“2009 has passed and now its 2010. Our problem is yet to be solved... the RMAF continues to make speculations (on my complaint) and accuses me of not being cooperative by not filling in the completion of service documentation programme."

He said that it is the force, and not his lack of cooperation, that has resulted in the delay in the completion of his papers, despite his service having ended two years ago. He attributed their actions to his having raised complaints.

“Since June 10, 2008, we had encountered various difficulties and threats from the RMAF officers, particularly those from the administration division of the air base in Kuching,” he said, naming several officers whom he said were the culprits behind the threats.

Pressured to keep mum

Faizzal's ordeal began when, prior to June, his electricity supply had been disconnected and he and his family lived for three months in darkness.

“I complained to our base commander at Kuching Air Base and even to the Air Force headquarters in Kuala Lumpur as well as the Defence Ministry and Sesco (the Sarawak Electricity Supply Corporation), but to no avail,” said his wife Che Murni Dara Mat Zain (left).

“According to an explanation by Sesco, our electricity difficulties arose due to a problem between the RMAF and the building contractors."

When Faizzal approached the RMAF with the information, it soon became apparent to him that his electricity disruption was instead caused by a scam involving RMAF officers, to tap electricity illegally, claimed Che Murni.

“They threatened him (Faizzal) and wanted him to follow their plan to cover up the fraud.

“But because my husband refused to get involved in it, the senior officer concerned threatened not to (allow him to complete the last leg of his service), and refused to process my husband's documents."

'Threats turn physical'

As Faizzal's retirement date in August approached, the situation worsened as his officers interfered with his retirement procedures and prevented him from changing his military identity card to a public identity card.

His attempts to resolve his situation through his superiors at every available opportunity were met with demands for a promise that he would keep mum about the alleged electricity theft.

“As the senior officer refused to process my termination documents, I couldn't complete the last leg, the end of service documentation,” said Faizzal.

The harassment soon turned physical, he alleged.

“One evening in September that year, we were ambushed at our home and my wife, who has asthma, fainted from the shock and was admitted to hospital.

“I lodged a police report immediately, but it was ignored. Once my wife was well enough she lodged another report. The case was brought to the Kuching Magistrate's Court but until now we don't know the outcome.

“On Dec 22, 2008, we were visited again (by RMAF officers) and they tried to persuade me to comply with what they had planned. And if I did, my public identity card issue would be solved and I would have to sign an agreement to move from where we were staying."

'Abducted from own home'

Faizzal said that, despite being pressured, he refused their offer and requested to stay in the quarters until they could find an alternative home, but the entire family was abducted the next day.

“I had asked them to allow us to stay for a few more days to prepare to move, and to settle school matters for our six children as well as my wife's follow-up treatment.

“My wife and our six children, who were then aged between five and 17, were surrounded by armed officers who were accompanied by a police officer. They were abducted and forcefully flown to Kuala Lumpur. I was also sent to Kuala Lumpur a couple of days later."

While in Kuala Lumpur, the family, fearing for their safety, fled to Negri Sembilan and are now living in Seberang Prai in Penang.

“We (had no choice but) to approach the media with the story. Finally, when we got television coverage, I received my public identity card last year, but not my retirement card,” he said.

Without the retirement card, Faizzal and his family are deprived of the benefits allocated to former armed forces personnel.

“Two of our eldest children are in a community college now, but we can't apply for loans or even for any assistance, without the retirement card,” he said.

Faizzal said that he only wants justice for his family, who he claimed have been subjected to torture and treated inhumanely.

“It is not my intention to speak ill of the government, but I want my rights as a Malaysian and I will not give up until our voices are heard,” he said.

Court fines 'cowhead' 12, Hindu leader not pleased

SHAH ALAM: The Sessions Court today fined 12 men and sentenced one of them to a week in jail in connection with the infamous “cowhead” protest last August. However, Malaysian Hindu Sangam adviser A Vaithilingam felt that the punishment could be seen as inadequate.

The incident, which made international news, saw a group of Muslims protesting against the construction of a Hindu temple here and parading with a severed cow's head.

They had marched with the bloodied head from a mosque to the Selangor menteri besar's office. Some of the protesters also stomped and spat on the head and made fiery speeches

The protest drew flak from various quarters, including government leaders, who condemned it as insensitive since the cow is considered sacred to Hindus.

According to an AP report, defence lawyer Afifuddin Hafifi said that all 12 pleaded guilty to a charge of illegal assembly and were fined RM1,000 each.

Two of them, who brought and stepped on the cow's head, also pleaded guilty to sedition. Both were fined an additional RM3,000 and one was sentenced to a week in prison.

Meanwhile, Vaithilingam said the court's decision did not reflect the gravity of the offence.

"The sentences seem to be very light after the huge commotion and insult," he said. The men's actions "stirred up the emotions throughout the country. This could have caused a riot".

The protest was among the most high-profile in a string of interfaith disputes in recent years that threatened decades of harmonious ties in Malaysia.

Early this year, a string of firebomb attacks and vandalism hit mostly non-Muslim places of worship following a court verdict that allowed Christians to use "Allah" in Malay-language publications.

British MPs write to Taib on abuse of Penan

(Malaysiakini) British members of parliament have written to Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud expressing their concern over the sexual abuse of Penan women and girls and the marginalisation of the Penan in general.

Speaking for the British parliament's All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Tribal peoples, its chairperson Martin Horwood in a letter to coincide with Taib's visit to the UK this week expressed the group's concern for the new cases that have emerged of rape and sexual abuse of Penan women and girls.

Horwood also asked that Taib (right) “take steps to ensure that Penan women and girls are protected from sexual violence and the perpetrator of such abuse brought to justice.”

Since 2008 when reports first emerged in the mainstream media of Penan women and girls being subjected to rape and abuse at the hands of logging workers, criticisms have been levelled at the Taib government for failing to acknowledge and investigate the crimes.

On the general marginalisation of the Penan community in Sarawak, Horwood said he was “heartened” to hear of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's visit to the Ulu Baram on Thursday and “hope that this will be the start of a genuine dialogue in which the tribe's voice will be heard.”

Without recognition of their land rights, however, the Penan are struggling to provide for themselves and are left vulnerable to violence and exploitation,” said the APPG chairperson.

“As you will know, logging companies have operated for decades on the Penan's land without their consent and despite their peaceful protests.

“Many are struggling to find enough food, since logging has left the forest with fewer animals and the polluted rivers with fewer fish , and are suffering from poor health as a result.

“The effects of plantations growing oil palm and trees for paper production are even more serious, as the forest is clearly completely,” Horwood said further.

Horwood (left) urged the Chief Minister to "halt logging and other developments on the Penan's land without their free, prior and informed consent, according to international law."

He also said Taib should "ensure that Penan women and girls are protected from sexual violence and the perpetrators of such abuse brought to justice".

Ref: 737567756e61

Two jailed a week, fined RM3000 over cow-head protests

The cowhead paraded by the protesters last year. - Picture by Choo Choy May

SHAH ALAM, July 27 — Two men were jailed for one week and were imposed a fine of RM3000 today for being part of last year’s racially-charged cow-head protests here. Four others were also originally charged under the Sedition Act were given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.
They were part of a group of 12 men charged for various offences in connection with the protest against the construction of a Hindu temple in their neighbourhood.
All 12 pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court here today to being part of an illegal assembly.
They were all fined RM1,000 for the illegal assembly offence.
The 12 were part of a group which brought a cow’s head to the gate of the state secretariat building on August 28 last year to protest the construction of a temple in their mainly Muslim-Malay neighbourhood.
They were protesting the relocation of a 150-year-old Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu temple from Section 19 to their neighbourhood in Section 23.
The 12 are Ahmad Mahayuddin, 36, Ibrahim Sabri, 43, Eyzva Ezhar Ramly, 31, Mohd Azmir Mohd Zain, 35, Ahmad Suhairy Zakaria, 30, Mohd Hilmi Ni, 40,Jainuddin @ Zainuddin Md Yusuff, 67, Mohd Jurit Ramli, 39, Mohamad Nordin Zakaria, 46, Jamil Mohamad Isa, 40, Rahimuddin Md Harun, 39, and Azhari Shaari, 39.

Better infrastructure, better rice yields

By Teoh El Sen - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia would not have to depend on imported rice if the right infrastructure is put in place and farms are able to produce better yields, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Chua Tee Yong.
But to attain 100% self-sufficiency in rice production, he said, not only required the funds but also the commitment from all parties, including the farmers.

"Under the 10MP (10th Malaysia Plan), we are spending about RM1 billion this year itself on agriculture, and a lot of that would be going to the construction of irrigation systems including dams to upgrade padi infrastructures here," he told FMT.

He said irrigation in developed areas such as in Selangor is much more effective compared to places like Kedah, and those were the areas where better infrastructure is needed.

Malaysia is now at about 70% self-sufficient. The country is importing about 30% of its needs for rice or 700,000 tonnes from other countries annually.

"At 70%, we are on target but the issue is that our population is also constantly growing, so to maintain that we have to plant more," said Chua, who is the son of MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek.

He said padi fields in Malaysia, on average, produce about 3.5 to four tonnes per hectare and to achieve 100% self-sufficiency, six to seven tonnes per hectare is required.

"Now we have fields that produce good yield with about 12 tonnes per hectare but also those that produce only three tonnes per hectare.

“From that we can see that there is definitely work to be done, that includes more commitment from farmers. Everyone in the cycle has a role to play, the government can't just say we have a motive for self-sufficiency, and provide the money, and it will work," he added.

Population is increasing

Chua said the government is constantly opening more fields and in Kota Belud, Sabah, a large field was recently opened.

"We cannot forget that despite opening more fields, our population is also increasing, so we also need better yield. And irrigation plays a huge role in this," he said, adding that insufficient water would cause diseases.

Chua also said that to achieve better production, the federal and state governments would have to work hand-in-hand and more research is required for potentially better padi grade.

"We are dealing with something quite land intensive, to identify land and to earmark it for padi production is not something easy,” he said.

Chua said land matters, including abandoned plots of farm land, require the cooperation of the state government.

Are investors buying Malaysian reforms?

By David Chance - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's tame effort to trim its subsidy bill will be attacked by the country's opposition parties as they seek to rally support for a planned protest in Kuala Lumpur. Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced petrol prices would be hiked by 2.8%, liquefied petroleum gas by 5.7% and sugar prices by 15.2%.

The petrol price hike was around half that recommended by a government think tank advising on subsidy reform, and there was no commitment to price hikes for gas, electricity and rice.

The cuts will save RM750 million this year. Subsidy spending was RM24.5 billion in 2009.

Disruptive mass protests are unlikely as Malaysians are only paying around an extra 94 US cents (RM2.9) to fill up a family saloon.

Recent political protests here have been small and the police act quickly to break them up. Even the sodomy trial of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has failed to garner mass protests unlike at the time of his previous trial.

Those most hard-hit by the price hikes are rural Malays who are more likely to support the government than the opposition.

The opposition will most likely use protests to highlight what it says is continued corruption and waste in government. Anwar himself supports reform of subsidies.

There are few signs investors are making big bets on economic reforms pledged by Najib. While the Indonesian stock market has surged 20% this year to record highs, Malaysia has risen just 5.7%.

Foreign ownership of Malaysian stocks is 20.6% of market capitalisation, according to data from Bursa Malaysia; that figure has been static since Najib took office in April 2009.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows were US$1.38 billion in 2009, less than a fifth of those in 2008, according to UN data. Even though one year's data does not necessarily represent a trend, flows into neighbouring Thailand and Indonesia held up far better during the recent global economic crisis. Malaysia has seen its share of FDI into Southeast Asia slide over the years.

That means market reaction to protests will be muted too.

Why were the subsidy changes so cautious?

Najib doesn't want a repeat of the 2008 polls when the Barisan Nasional government suffered record losses in national and state polls, losing its cast-iron two-thirds parliamentary majority.

Najib cannot afford to alienate rural Malay voters who are being wooed by an opposition Islamist party.

The government won the support of 58% of Malays in the 2008 polls, down from 63% in 2004.

Najib faces state polls in Sarawak, known as the BN's "fixed deposit", before mid-2011. Sarawak provides a fifth of the government's MPs.

If the Sarawak polls go well, they could tempt Najib into an early national election, some political analysts say. An early election would be before 2013, although Najib has emerged as a cautious leader rather than a risk taker.

With oil prices around half their recent peak, Najib faces fewer pressures to take drastic action to cut the budget deficit, which will likely come in smaller than the 5.6% forecast this year thanks to stronger than expected economic growth.

Does Najib face internal challenger?
While Najib's electoral performance in recent by-elections, with one parliamentary seat win and one state seat win, has been little better than his predecessor's, he does not face any serious challenge to his power at the moment.

Some press reports have identified potential rival power bases emerging in Umno, the largest coalition party. These centre on Najib and his deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin, a conservative.

So far no split has appeared and Muhyiddin, whose call to oust Najib's predecessor propelled Najib into power, has been loyal.

However, Umno does face serious problems.

In Selangor, Malaysia's richest that abuts the capital of Kuala Lumpur, splits are appearing in the party.

Najib's key performance indicator is to win back Selangor which the government lost for the first time in 2008.

Internal Umno battles over power and money are also playing out in some of Malaysia's other 13 states.

- Reuters

'I have a vision that one day Perkasa...'

By Stephanie Sta Maria

FMT EXCLUSIVE KUALA LUMPUR: Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali has a flair for treading hard on many toes each time he speaks up in defence of Malay rights.
Of late, the independent Pasir Mas MP seems to be intent on earning himself a less than palatable reputation by issuing statements that both shock and infuriate politicians and ordinary people alike with their propensity towards racism.

It's no small wonder then that Ibrahim is constantly asked whether he has any non-Bumiputera acquaintances.

But one had better be prepared for his answer for Ibrahim will tell you with a straight face that not only does he have non-Bumiputeras as friends but also as fans of Perkasa.

“Most non-Bumiputeras hate Perkasa and me,” he chuckled in an FMT exclusive interview. “But there are a few rational ones who are interested in being members of Perkasa.

“These are the non-Bumiputeras who understand that Perkasa is not a militant, chauvinist or racial group but one that is simply protecting the Federal Constitution. We've not thought about it as yet but we may introduce an associate membership for non-Bumiputeras in the future.”

Ibrahim also dismissed the notion that the inclusion of non-Bumiputeras would dilute Perkasa's mission. Instead, he envisioned Perkasa acting as a bridge to integrate the Bumiputeras and the non-Bumiputeras.

“It would be a very positive approach and I would personally support it very strongly,” he declared.

Samy Vellu holds key to MIC harmony

Perkasa has always positioned itself as a non-partisan organisation but that hasn't stopped it from playing a role in the political affairs of the country.

Almost every political party has, at one time or another, found itself scorched by Ibrahim's tongue for either overstepping boundaries or playing safe.

But one party that seems to have escaped his attention is the MIC. When asked where he thinks the party is headed after recent events surrounding it, Ibrahim's appraisal was gently critical.

“The Indians' only issue is the fact that (MIC president) S Samy Vellu has been at the helm for too long,” he stated. “Nothing more than that. If he steps down today, their nightmare will be over.”

Ibrahim also shared that he has studied the Indian culture and finds the Indians “very easy to handle”.

“The Indians are like the Malays,” he observed. “They like to make a lot of noise and when they get together, they start unions. Hindraf was just a bunch of lawyers who wanted to be heroes.”

He predicts that once Samy Vellu steps down and his successor is more accommodating to the community's needs, the issues among the Indians would be settled. In the same breath, he warned that the Chinese are the “difficult ones” because they hold their cards too close to their chest.

New media can be critical but factual

Many of Ibrahim's views have found a space on new media of which he doesn't harbour a particular fondness but acknowledged them as “very influential”.

He also emphasised that the danger of new media is not the media itself but those using it.

“The younger generation isn't interested in mainstream media,” he pointed out. “I don't think they read The Star or The New Straits Times, what more Utusan Malaysia. But problems arise when these young people write without proper knowledge of history or government policies.”

“The government should introduce regulations or a law to ensure that the new media is responsible. Being critical is good, but they must have facts.”

“So if a new media writer wants to say that Ibrahim Ali is involved in a RM100 million graft case, then print it if it's true. But don't make false accusations. That is my only caution.”

When asked if he has a Twitter account, he laughed and said he doesn't have time to tweet and would have nothing interesting to say anyway.

“But I am on Facebook,” he said. “And I have 4,000 friends so I think that is enough. I don't need Twitter.”

Wildlife trade haven, uninterrupted

By Hilary Chiew

COMMENT Tiger in A’Famosa Resort exploited for commercial gain. Two women from Madagascar arrested at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) for smuggling more than 400 pieces of rare species from the island state off mainland Africa.
An apparent criminal syndicate was busted with not only stolen cars but scores of protected birds and other mammals in a warehouse in the capital city.

These are very likely, pardon the cliché, the tip of the iceberg of the extent of wildlife abuse and trafficking in this country that constantly boasts of being one of the 12 mega biodiversity centres in the world.

And they all have one thing in common – they were not exposed by the Department of Wildlife and National Park (Perhilitan).

The exploit of A’Famosa was filmed by a young girl who was disgusted with the state of abuse the majestic cat was subjected to in a profit-driven outlet capitalising on the draw of the animal in the lunar calendar year of the tiger, no less.

The KLIA seizure was carried out by the Customs Department while the “mini zoo” discovery was purely accidental and opportunistic, piggy-backing on a police raid.

Sure, Perhilitan has some successful enforcement cases that it announced now and then through press conferences. And in no way am I belittling the efforts of its Wildlife Crime Unit.

However, seizure is one thing and bringing the matter to justice is another. Unfortunately, the latter is sorely lacking.

Tiger exploitation
Take the case of A’Famosa. Perhilitan said it is awaiting a statement from the videographer or whoever that posted the clip on popular video-sharing site YouTube before handing the investigation paper to the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Sound fair enough. Let’s just hope that it won’t be conveniently forgotten once the hype is gone.

Prior to the outcry generated by this YouTube posting that culminated in a protest outside the resort supported by local showbiz celebrities Rina Omar and Bernie Chan in late May, the same resort had also been criticised for capitalising on the species which is the animal in the Chinese zodiac for the 2010 lunar new year.

The YouTube video was evidence of such activities during the Chinese New Year judging from the background music.

At the same time, Saleng Zoo had also jumped on the bandwagon of the “roaring business”. It even ran a “tiger-for-loan” scheme for corporation or just anyone who is willing to pay a few thousands ringgit to temporarily “own” a cub for a few hours to do whatever with it as they pleased.

The zoo near Kulai, Johor, has been involved in a controversial tiger-breeding programme where the mortality rate of tiger cubs was high as well as being implicated in supplying cubs to other aspiring zoos and individual collectors; an activity that is not covered by its Special Permit as far as public knowledge is concerned.

But the zoo is unperturbed – it never fails to publicise the birth of its cubs, with an unabashed business sense. Somehow the births are timed perfectly for some festive celebration around the corner. And unsuspecting newspapers duly provide coverage, throwing in the patriotic act of boosting tourism for the state.

Permit to abuse

“
The battle against wildlife trafficking in Malaysia is not over; it just got tougher because by the next round of amendment, there is probably no totally protected species to defend.

The issue begged a fundamental question – why are entities like A’Famosa, Saleng Zoo and Danga Bay Petting Zoo which are devoid of any conservation purposes allowed to keep totally protected animals like tigers?

In twisted logic fashion, these entities justified their utilisation of the animals for photography sessions as a financial source for feeding and upkeep of the animals.

Totally protected species like tigers, elephants and orangutans can only be kept with a document called Special Permit issued by Perhilitan. This document generally lasts for a year and could be suspended if conditions had been contravened by its holder. And this document is only approved by the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment upon favourable advice by Perhilitan.

This permit generally allowed its holder to import, export, confine and breed the animals. In the case of zoo operators, they are allowed to display but it is deafeningly silent on “extra” activities like being forced to participate in photo-prop or providing rides.

Technically-speaking, the A-G's Chambers may not be able to find any faults with these operators unless the charge is centred on cruelty to wildlife as provided for in the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972.

Section 92 (1) c reads: houses, confines or breeds any wild animal or wild bird in such a manner so as to cause it unnecessary pain or suffering including the housing, confining or breeding of any wild animal or wild bird in any cage, enclosure or hut which is not suitable for or conducive to the comfort or health of the wild animal or wild bird.

(The new law – Wildlife Conservation Act 2010 which was passed in the recent parliamentary session – is yet to come into force, hence does not apply to these cases.)

Given that complaints of animal cruelty against these three private outfits are not new, it is highly irresponsible of Perhilitan in continuing to renew the permits, not to mention that there were no suspensions.

In fact, the rather telling revelation from Saleng Zoo over the public uproar on tiger for photography session, was that it was ordered by Perhilitan to stop such activities “until further notice”.

According to Perhilitan’s published guidelines on zoo operation, it is desirable that public and private zoos are members of Mazpa (The Malaysian Zoological Park Association), which tried to promote good practices of animal-keeping entities. Saleng Zoo is not – yet it continues to exist in an apparent lawless situation.

A’Famosa has been implicated in orangutan smuggling in 2005. After a long investigation, mainly on DNA verification of species and not on the smuggling racket, a total of seven animals were repatriated to Sumatra.

A salient feature in this episode was the presence of a Special Permit issued by Perhilitan that explicitly enabled A’Famosa to import and hold orangutans.

The penalty – none, safe for the initial RM1,000 compound when the offence was first detected in 2000 by the department itself. However, Perhilitan as the management authority of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species did not seize and repatriate the animals until the matter was exposed by the media.

Smuggling haven

As for Perhilitan’s capability of solving trans-boundary smuggling like the hundreds of radiated tortoises from Madagascar or the earlier spate of Indian star tortoises, the results are appalling.

Save for some seizures, we hear nothing about the fate of the human couriers. Were they ever charged? What kind of information did the investigation yield?

Why were the two women not “allowed” to complete their mission in a “control delivery” fashion so that they could lead the enforcers to the ultimate smuggler? It’s baffling that after so many cases involving the syndicate adopting similar modus operandi, Perhilitan failed to institute such a simple Standard Operating Procedure. Training had been provided to agencies like Customs that are on the frontline of the war against wildlife trafficking by Perhilitan and the Asean-Wildlife Enforcement Network (Asean-WEN).

Malaysia has been a partner of the Aseanf-WEN since its launch in December 2005. The main task of the largest network of its kind is to strengthen enforcement through intelligence-sharing and to destroy the syndicate behind this crime against biodiversity and our shared natural heritage.

However, except for possibly some small fries (that also we are unsure) that are compounded or fined a few thousand ringgits at most, the syndicate bosses continue laughing to the bank.

Early this year, Malaysia's notorious image as a wildlife transit hub was splashed across the reputable National Geographic magazine. The shaming didn’t seem to bother the government much and hence possibly explain why neither the police nor the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (where reports had been filed by concerned animal rights groups) bothered to act.

Wildlife conservationists had long lamented that flora and fauna are last on the list of politicians and decision-makers as they don’t have a voice. Perhaps if only those animals have a right to vote every five years will the government sit up and listen.

While the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment claimed that a task force was set up to investigate the matter, it side-stepped the serious allegation of corruption within the highest order of Perhilitan. It is satisfied with the offer by the high-ranking officer, who was implicated with wildlife trader Penang-based Anson Wong in illegal wildlife trade, to institute legal redress in her personal capacity.

That approach is a bit odd and we are still waiting for the officer to follow through with her promise. And along with that, at stake is the integrity of Perhilitan, the ministry and the Malaysian government.

Nevertheless, following numerous expose on the abuse of the Special Permit, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Douglas Uggah had ordered that all applications are to be deliberated at the ministry level.

However, the ability of the ministry is doubted. Often, matters regarding wildlife are referred to Perhilitan by virtue that it is supposed to be the expert, custodian of wildlife management and no less enforcer of the law.

Loopholes remain

Finally, after 13 years, a new legislation governing wildlife was passed by Parliament early this month.

Some quarters celebrated. They were largely pleased that the penalty for several types of offences, particularly the one dealing with poaching and illegal trading, had been increased, and, therefore, it is assumed that these would have the desired deterrent effect.

The public is relieved and hopes to see the new law provide the promised bites.

Yet, if it has taken this long, one would expect a major overhaul to plug all the loopholes. It is disheartening to see that weaknesses in the old law are being repeated in the new law.

If you want to keep totally protected animals, you can still apply for a Special Permit. If you want to operate a zoo with highly endangered species, just apply too.

If in 1972, totally protected animals are still plentiful, in 2010 and beyond, these species are becoming extinct.

So, what’s the justification for importing, exporting, keeping and breeding these animals bearing in mind that all these activities are incentives for wildlife trafficking? Are we indirectly encouraging poaching?

Some quarters would like to see the passing of the bill as a breakthrough but the provision for Special Permit that is retained is suffice to burst the happy bubbles.

The battle against wildlife trafficking in Malaysia is not over; it just got tougher because by the next round of amendment, there is probably no totally protected species to defend.

Forget the old road, develop the whole state

By Paul Raja
COMMENT Finally, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has to come down himself to announce the grant to implement the Beluru-Lapok road project in the Baram district in Sarawak.
The Baram district is easily bigger than any one of the small Malaysian states. But strangely, in terms of budget allocation, the money for it is trickling in once in a while.

It is not surprising that Najib made the announcement. Many years ago during previous elections, former works minister S Samy Vellu had also mouthed the same thing: he promised that the road would tar-sealed but until now nothing has moved.

The state leaders – ministers and YBs alike – have also made similar statements but they are short on action. The people have lost count of the number of announcements that have been made.

So it is not so amusing to hear oft-repeated promises again. Those promises are the same as the name of the road – “Lapok” (old in Malay).

With or without announcement, people no longer care. Why should they? All that they want to see is that the road is tar-sealed. An announcement does not interest them at all and neither does it excite them.

Instead, it works the opposite way. It makes people more angry. You know why? Because all these public statements are more often than not just empty promises.

People now have higher expectations. The Baram folk are not only crying for the Lapok road. They are also yearning for an comprehensive development for Baram in particular and Sarawak as a whole.

They want tar-sealed roads to all the villagers in Baram and the state. They want electricity, healthcare, clean water, telecommunications and Internet services, education and any other public services that can be found in Putrajaya.

Why should a prime minister come all the way to Sarawak to distribue only goodies? Goodies are only for little children.

NCR land issue again
Najib also unveiled a RM20 million allocation to conduct a survey of native customary rights (NCR) land. But we do not harbour much hope.

A few years ago, the federal government had announced a RM100-million budget to develop NCR land. People were really looking forward to it to promote native economic interests.

However, until today we have not heard what had happened to the RM100-million allocation. The NCR landowners who genuinely wanted to develop their NCR land to plant oil palm don’t seem to get much assistance.

So this is another empty promise. What is the meaning of the slogan: "People First, Performance Now”?

When Najib and his grand entourage went to Long Banga, they flew in aboard 10 helicopters.

Media reports said: “Najib leaves indelible mark in Long Banga.”

I couldn't agree more with this. If the prime minister leads by example, he should take a 4WD from Miri to Long Banga, which is accessible by logging treks from Lapok. Why use helicopter?

“
The Penans don't expect a miracle. They are as human as we are. They all expect what the other Sarawakians are entitled to.

Najib and his men should have taken the trouble to see for themselves how much hardship the people of Sarawak, particularly in the rural areas, have endured ever since Merdeka.

Najib missed this opportunity of seeing the people up close and rectifying the wrongs of past national leaders.

If he had taken the trouble to drive up the timber trek to the Baram River, he would have understood what the Baram folk are experiencing.

But now that is history. Yes, he did leave an indelible mark. But it is a mark that proves yet again that leaders only enjoy their power while the people continue to slog.

People were mesmerised to see a prime minister in the village. But what changes had taken place? Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had been to several villages in Sarawak, and these villagers are still no better off than the ones that were never visited. It makes no difference.

The only indelible mark that Najib has left in Long Banga is the “temporary excitement” that comes along every time a leader comes a calling.

The Penan issue

Now that Najib had visited Long Banga, a village located within the Penan tribe heartland, what will he do for the Penans?

The Penans don't expect a miracle. They are as human as we are. They all expect what the other Sarawakians are entitled to.

As far as the community is concerned, if Najib’s visit to the Penan heartland still cannot resolve their pressing problems – like exploitation and allegations of rape of their womenhood – then they wouldn’t know where else to seek relief.

So Najib better deliver what the Penan community expects – justice.

As the prime minister, he can do so much. But how much will he do, we will see. Our Penan friends deserve some kind of decent attention.

---

Paul Raja is a human and native rights lawyer. He is also a state level PKR leader.

10th Malaysia Plan: Going forwards or backwards?

I have a trusty little crystal ball and gazing into it, this is what I see: Dominant state participation in the economy and little evidence of private sector-led growth.

The 10th Malaysia Plan has rolled out optimistic macroeconomic growth targets. Of its expenditure allocation, 55% or RM126.5 billion is allocated for the economic sector. The blueprint indicates a Malay-cum-Umno agenda that is largely protectionist with huge direct public investments – including through GLCs – in selected economic sectors.

Although the allocation earmarks a RM20 billion ‘facilitation fund’ to boost private sector investment, no clear strategy has been revealed to promote competition across and within sectors to revive private investment and market dynamism. Nor is there any indication that the Najib administration is keen to adopt internationally accepted standards for his economic reform.

One major question that must be asked is whether the 10th Plan has set realistic targets? It wants to raise per capita income to RM38,845 by year 2015. The figure last year was RM23,841. Is the projected growth rate of eight percent per annum credible to yield an income increase of a whopping RM15,000? And this to be achieved within a span of the next five years?

The Plan also predicts GDP growth rate of 6.0% as against 4.2% between 2006 and 2010; exports to expand by 10.1% as against 3.6% during the 9th Plan period; and private investment to grow at 12.8% versus 2.0% during the previous Plan.

Key Indicator	9th Malaysia Plan	10th Malaysia Plan
GDP	4.2% p.a.	To grow at 6% p.a.
GNI per capita	Expected increase to RM26,420 (USD8,526) in 2010	Expected to increase to RM38,845 (USD12,139) in 2015
Federal government budget expenditure	RM230 bn	RM230 bn
Private Investment Private Consumption	Growth of 2% p.a. Growth of 6% p.a.	To grow at 12.8% p.a. Expected to grow 7.7% p.a.
Public Investment Public Consumption	Growth of 6.2% p.a. Budget deficit: 5.05% of GDP	To grow at 5% p.a. Target: 2.8% 2015
Exports	Growth of 3.6% p.a.	To grow at 10.1% p.a.
Overall deficit of the federal government	To reduce to 5.3% of GDP in 2010.	To reduce to 2.8% in 2015.
Overall debt	RM405.1 billion or 52.9% of GDP.	To reduce to 49.9% in 2015

Readers might make their own predictions drawn from observation, analysis and logical inferences. Already in the public eye is the frequent whistle-blowing about exorbitant consultancy fees, commissions and bribes that plague our system of government.

Apart from visible corruption, less open to scrutiny are the suspect transactions involving unsecured loans, multiple directorships and interlocking shareholdings and nominee companies. This cleverly concealed set-up in effect enriches an overlapping elite, multi-racial membership. Their convergent interests are linked to the kinship, business and professional relationships of the powers-that-be.

Benefiting the select has caused much of state money and resources to go to least four identifiable distributional coalitions tied up with trusteeship of the NEP.

‘Distributional coalitions’ are small, powerful and influential groups, organized as cartels, seeking rewards through collusion, transaction costs and other forms of non-competitive bargains. Think Umno, MCA, MIC, PBB, other BN parties and the rest; the bureaucratic circles (PNB, GLICs, SDCs); and also the military top brass who are holders of Tan Sri and Datuk titles if not the religious coterie too. Think also of the professional elites that have jumped on the Crony Express.

An end result of the nice racket they have is a privatization process which prompts asset concentration, and ultimately the privatizing of gains and socializing of losses.

Barriers to growth

We’re told that to generate economic growth of six percent, the private sector has to take the lead in the key areas of private-public partnerships (PPP) and foreign direct investment.

However, what is clear is that the 2009 FDI is less than half of the annual average FDI inflow between 1995 and 2005. In 2008, we accounted for 15.5% of FDI flowing into South East Asia; in 2009 it was down to 3.7%.

Meanwhile, Malaysia recorded an outflow of local funds amounting to RM50 billion between 2007 and 2009. In fact, domestic-owned investment approvals fell to RM10.5 billion or a 37.1% decline from 2008.
 
The outflow of domestic investments appears to be a recent trend. This suggests that the country is unable to develop new industries or sustain existing ones to prevent local funds from leaving our shores. Also, it suggests a precipitous loss of confidence by local businesses in the economy and politics of the country.


Talk by the authorities about introducing merit-based and market-friendly approaches remains just that. Not only that, Prime Minister Najib Razak appears to have backpeddled on his earlier position on the New Economic Model.

He now says it was all a misunderstanding and he never proposed for the bumiputera equity target to be dropped. “I did not promise for the affirmative action to be abolished. I only said the affirmative action policy would be made market-friendly and based on merit, better than before,” he was quoted as clarifying after chairing a Barisan Nasional supreme council meeting.

Although Najib signaled a major policy shift, he does not see any conflict between the expectations he raised and the damp squib following pressure applied by the Malay ultras. “We must understand the presentation by NEAC was their report. The presentation in Parliament was the government’s position.”

A quick survey of the deficiencies preventing us from moving forward include the over-reliance on a cheap labour market that creates distortion and curtails productivity; the education sector failing to deliver required talent to the economy and such talent as we have insufficient in numbers to drive growth; and pervasive rent-seeking and patronage as well as perception of massive and widespread corruption; not to mention the outward migration of at least close to a million Malaysians as they lose hope in the system ever being reformed. The more things change, the more they remain the same.

It will take a lot to remedy the bloated and ineffective public sector that impedes investment; to alter the mindset of the short-sighted private sector and their silo business outlook, and reinvigorate the low income group (households earning under RM3,000) who are unable to realise their potential contribution.

Meeting key development challenges  

Global investment is focusing on larger scale markets, not small economies. Yet at the same time, for Malaysia to break-out of the middle income trap, the income of the lower class must increase. The country is thus alarmingly falling between two stools.

Both the rulers and the ruled realize that we cannot continue as we are and must act before our position deteriorates further … easier said than done.  
To bite the bullet means restoring market prices for goods and services to eventually improve economic efficiency. But this may initially raise consumer prices and the cost of doing business. Practices that promote fair and equal opportunity will inspire market confidence and create a competitive economy. But doing this will entail political repercussions affecting vested interest groups that have milked the system for many years.

Reducing dependence on foreign labour will encourage firms to move up the value chain or embrace automation. But those that cannot will go out of business. Flexible hiring and firing reduces entry and exit costs for start-ups while wage levels will better reflect skills. But the unions will object to the diminished job security. Greater decentralisation in decision-making will achieve speedier implementation and effectiveness. But this may require some delegation of authority.

The “Yes, but…” catch that bedevils us will stymie the tough decisions that have to be made.

There is intense competition in our new sources of growth, for example, medical tourism, ICT, and Islamic products and services. The strong position we used to have in commodities and manufacturing has been eroded. Mis-governance has allowed undervaluation of resources, the outcome of which is gross misallocations for grand government schemes. There is no political will to prevent misuse and abuse of public development funds.

However, it may be just whistling in the wind to urge fiscal prudence and cutting back on – say, defence spending – wasteful and white elephant projects as well as downsize the civil service. A call to dismantle quotas, preferences, approved permits (APs), closed tenders and other non-competitive procurement systems including margin of preference likewise seems to have largely fallen on deaf ears.

I see the 10th Malaysian Plan as merely a throwback to the other Plans. It is built on unsustainable targets, and outmoded and failed strategies. Subsidies for the rich will chug the gravy train of public-private partnerships, mega projects, and the extension of bumiputera policies to all other sectors.

The Plan will fail to mitigate the impact of rising prices and is unlikely to generate new opportunities for improvement of work and livelihood. Hence, the socio-economic condition of the bottom 40 percent of the population and middle class will likely worsen. This may provide tinder for racial and religious extremism rather than class-based concerns and solutions.

My crystal ball foretells that there will be need for a wholesale revision when the Plan is reviewed. But you do not need a fortune teller to tell you that the government must drop its Malay dominance and Malay unity line. All the races are in the same sinking boat, and must paddle together.



Note: Dr Lim Teck Ghee will be giving a public talk on NEM and the 10th Malaysia Plan tomorrow. For details, click here.