Asri: Politicians causing need for inter-religious guidelines

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 — Guidelines for Muslim and non-Muslim interaction are needed as politicians have abused Islam to further partisan ends, a former Perlis Mufti said today.

Dr Asri Zainul Abidin (picture) said the increasing importance of Islam among Muslims was being exploited by the government and the opposition who accuse each other of being unIslamic, causing confusion as to what is sanctioned by the religion.

“Everyone, especially Muslims, use Islam as a tool. So people are now very afraid this or that action goes against Islam but they don’t know what real Islam is,” he told The Malaysian Insider at the sidelines of the Himpunan Ulama, Cendekiawan Islam dan Penulis Maya here.

The maverick scholar stressed the need to reform public perception of Islam and “translate” the emotional relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims now to one based on knowledge.

He said Muslims must return to “original Islam” based on scripture to address the current situation, adding that the proposed guidelines would help do this.

“If not, there will be Umno fatwas, PAS fatwas, PKR fatwas, DAP fatwas, non-aligned fatwas. Everyone will create so many things and say this is allowed, this is not. This is politics. They should talk based on knowledge instead,” he said.

The Ulama Association of Malaysia (PUM) said on Thursday official guidelines that govern conduct between Muslims and non-Muslims were needed to avoid any confusion between the two groups and to help people understand Islam.

PUM secretary-general Dr Mohd Roslan Mohd Nor said the guidelines will ensure those who did not have “authority” is Islam would no longer issue conflicting views and opinions.

The association recently urged Muslims to stay away from non-Muslims religious festivals following Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s visit to Batu Caves in conjunction with Thaipusam celebrations.

Perlis Mufti Dr Juanda Jaya cautioned today, however, that the guidelines must be very limited in scope and should only concern itself with religious rituals and not cultural observances.

He said it was necessary for Muslims to consult non-Muslims in order to properly differentiate between the two without conflating them.

“The ones who know whether it is a religious ritual or cultural practice is that race or religion itself... We should refer to the adherent of that religion and not to our own perception,” he said.

Juanda said Muslims should actually be encouraged to observe - but not join in on - religious rituals to foster mutual understanding between the different races and religions in Malaysia so that harmony can be preserved.

The involvement of politicians in religious matters should also be minimised so that race relations can be seen from a wider, more inclusive perspective, he added.

‘Inspect all Tamil schools immediately’

The Education Ministry must apologise for its negligence which resulted in the roof of a Tamil school collapsing.

KUALA LUMPUR: A furious DAP leader wants the Education Ministry to order the Public Works Department (PWD) to inspect all the 523 Tamil schools nationwide to prevent any further untoward incidences.

Sungkai assemblyman A Sivanesan was responding to reports that roofs in two Tamil schools  in Serdang and Simpang Morib had collapsed recently.

He said many Tamil schools were in the same situation as their buildings were very old.

“Most of the Tamil schools buildings were built during the British colonial period and  after 50 years the buildings are in deplorable condition and no more safe for student,” he told FMT.

Sivanesan,  who is the ex-Serdang Tamil School Parents Teacher Association (PTA) chairman, said Serdang Tamil School was formed in 1936.

He said in 1963, the federal government built a single story building for the school to accommodate its then 132 students.

As the student intake grew bigger, additional classes were built in the 80s and 90s.

In 2007 plan for more additions were approved but no attempts were made to pull down the old school building which continued to be in use to accommodate the new Standard One and Two student intake. The school currently has 700 students.

On Wednesday the roof of the school caved in and an upset Sivanesan said that it was caused by negligence on the part of the Education Ministry..

“The Education Ministry has been reluctant to replace the old building despite an inspection by PWD in 2002 which clearly indicated that the building is unsafe,” he said.

Ministry was aware of conditions

According to Sivanesan, on June 26, 2002, the school’s former headmaster K Ponniah had sent a letter to PWD urging them to inspect the old building and the toilet which were constructed in early 60′s.

“On July 27, we received a letter from PWD highlighting the leakage in the roof and the damaged wiring system.

“The school administration and PIBG sent several letters to the Selangor Education Department and Education Ministry seeking allocations for repairs.

“The ministry is aware of the seriousness of the matter but they kept ignoring our concerns for the safety of the student,” he said, adding that the ministry had consistently given excuses to avoid giving them a grant to replace the old building.

Now that the roof has collapsed, Sivanesan wants to know if the ministry will assume blame.
“Who is going to answer for the roof collapsing?

 What if it had fallen on the students?

“We’ve been asking for funds for the last 10 years. Why is the ministry reluctant to give us funds to take care of the school?” he asked.

He said the Serdang school was a fully government aided institution and demanded that the ministry publicaly apologise for its lackadaisical attitude and carelessness which had resulted in the collapse of the roof.

Clean up your act first, Waytha told

Former Hindraf participants want Hindraf leader P Waythamoorthy to clear the air over the group's political stand and finances.

PETALING JAYA: A leader of a grassroots movement today lashed out at London-based Hindraf Makkal Sakti chairman P Waythamoorthy for criticising Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s efforts for the Indian community.

Action Team Force president and a former Hindraf supporter B Kalaivanar said Waythamoorthy should first reveal details of Hindraf’s accounts and its political stand before hitting out at Najib.

“A total of 196 were detained during the protests in 2007 and we never got funds for our court cases.

“The court cases finished last year and we forked our own pocket money. Waythamoorthy has been collecting funds overseas and no one knows any details of the ammount since 2008,” said Kalaivanar in response to Waythamoorthy’s latest criticism against Najib.

A BN critic-turned-supporter now, Kalaivanar defended Najib’s various policies that helped the Indian community, including giving out MyKads for those who were ‘stateless’ before, and ensuring that this group also receives financial aids.

Kalaivanar also queried how Waythamoorthy was living in the UK without holding a job, and questioned Waythamoorthy’s personal commitments to safeguard the Tamil schools.

Pressure Pakatan too

He further urged Waythamoorthy to make clear Hindraf’s stand in politics.
“If you are neutral, remain neutral (instead of bashing Najib in the media),” said Kalaivanar.

“If Waythamoorthy is a brave politician, he must be based here and oppose the government instead of issuing statements to the local media.”

Kalaivanar also dared Waythamoorthy to push Hindraf’s 18-point demands to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang if he had the interests of the Indians.

“Why don’t you (Waythamoorthy) push for Anwar to announce the 18-point demands in Pakatan Rakyat’s election manifesto?” asked Kalaivanar who was a former Jerai PKR leader in Kedah.

He claimed that the Indian community did not gain anything even though they placed Pakatan Rakyat in power in several states in the last general election.

“Indians are not given privileges in the local councils. One of the 18 points was a demand to increase participation of the Indians in local councils but I haven’t seen that in Selangor and Penang,” Kalaivanar said.

Hindraf’s accounts

Before Kalaivanar, many other critics of Hindraf had also asked the movement to account for the money it had collected from the public, resulting in the movement releasing details of its accounts in January 2010.

Waythamoorthy had said then that all the money it had collected from the public was accounted for and dismissed allegations of misappropriation.

He also had said that Hindraf had paid a total of RM111,706.60 for fines for Hindraf supporters charged in court and for their travelling allowances and accommodation.

Najib Says He Upholds Islamic Faith In Respecting Other Religions

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today his every action at religious celebrations of non-Muslims in the country is in accordance with the permissible tenets of Islam.

The prime minister said he emulated the example set by Prophet Muhammad in showing respect for other religions without any breach of the Islamic faith.

"I uphold my faith. I also uphold my role as a Muslim leader. We must follow the ways of the Prophet in respecting the religions of other people without failing in terms of our own faith," he said when closing the 2012 National Assembly of Muslim Scholars, Intellectuals and Virtual Writers at the Putra World Trade Centre, here.

Najib said that in this way, Muslims and Islam would gain respect and the Muslim leadership would bring blessings to not only Muslims but also all the people in the country.

Touching on the statement by Perak Mufti Tan Sri Dr Harussani Zakaria on his (Najib's) presence at the Thaipusam celebration at Batu Caves recently, Najib said he was relieved when the former said that his actions had not contravened Islamic laws and that this was also confirmed by the National Fatwa (Edict) Council.

"I explained to him (Dr Harussani) why I was there and where I was at that time," he said, adding that he did not enter the (temple) proper or participate in the religious ceremony and that he spoke on the socio-economic issue of Indians of the Hindu faith.

How not to raise a question from the floor

Unfortunately, the most abiding memory of the Great Debate was this scene during questions from the floor.  

Unfortunate because of the many other bigger issues she could have raised and because of the way it was raised. And unfortunately for her and her MCA, she probably did more damage to her party’s cause than whatever Guan Eng said.
Clearly, the lack of a culture of ‘live’ political debates has resulted in some people being unfamiliar with the basic etiquette involved in raising questions from the floor.
In this case too, the organisers – and future organisers – should evaluate how questions from the public should be raised. This is not to say that questions should be screened nor should those asking questions be devoid of passion or conviction.
But haranguing speakers should not be allowed, and questions raised should be relevant to the topic.
In this case, the topic was vague and weird (purposely to keep Malaysians divided or to suit the race-based agenda?), to begin with. And that made it all the more difficult to decide what was relevant and what wasn’t.
And how is it those asking questions were mainly from one side?
Let’s hope the next debate would be more about the respective politician’s vision for all Malaysians and the concrete policies to realise that vision. And let’s hope it is in a language that all Malaysians understand with more accurate and clear translations, televised live on free-to-air networks.

Woman kills self after MMS scandal

BEHRAMPORE: A mother of two hanged herself on Wednesday night after some local youths morphed some obscene photos of her and circulated them through MMS. Jesmina Bibi, 28, a resident of Bakdanga in Domkal, could not bear the humiliation and jeering by neighbours and killed herself.

Her husband Bablu Sheikh alleged that the youths, helped by a woman neighbour, superimposed Jesmina's face on a nude body and went about circulating it.

Bablu has lodged a complaint against five persons - Kalu Sheikh, Milan Sheikh, Miltan Sheikh and Jarina Bibi. Jesmina ran a grocery shop in the village. Kalu and his friends, attracted by Jesmina's beauty, had tried to capture her nude while she was taking bath in her courtyard a few months ago. But they did not succeed. Bablu also alleged that neighbour Jarina helped the youths by informing them of her bathing time.

A few days ago, villagers started jeering at my wife and went about displaying her photo on the mobile phone, said Bablu. "On seeing the picture, we realized that they had taken Jesmina's photo while she was keeping the shop. Later, they superimposed her face on a nude body and circulated it," he added.

Additional SP of Murshidabad Annappa E said, "We have received complaint from the victim's husband. Detailed inquiry has been started. We are trying to find the accused persons. Action will be taken against those who defamed Jesmina."

Stateless Indians: Najib must apologise

Hindraf leader P Waythamoorthy wants the PM to make a public apology for leaving thousands of Indians in the lurch without proper documents.

GEORGE TOWN: The federal government should be ashamed for causing thousands of Malaysian-born Indians to live in stateless misery over the past five decades.

Hindraf Makkal Sakti supremo P Waythamoorthy called on Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to publicly apologise to them.

“Najib should feel ashamed of Umno’s wrongdoing to these people rather than feel proud of his act of giving them long overdue citizenships. He should not just tacitly acknowledge Umno’s failure.

“He should publicly apologise to them for Umno’s racism,” he told FMT.

Waythamoorthy also criticised MIC for boasting that Putrajaya had enrolled 30,000 legitimate Malaysians without identity cards within two weeks under the MyDaftar programme.

He said Najib had nothing to be proud about since Umno was the real culprit behind the problem.

“Najib should also take immediate pro-active steps to end the stateless problem among Indians once and for all,” he said.

The Hindraf leader was commenting on the issuance of outstanding identity cards to Malaysian Indian senior citizens early this week.

Waythamoorthy said MyDaftar managed to enroll 30,000 people because the programme was carried out largely in urban areas, not in rural areas, where the government would discover thousands of rural folks without citizenry documents.

“Would you have come across such a magnitude of statelessness amongst the Malays or the Chinese? Indian statelessness shows Umno had systematically implemented an institutionalised racist agenda to suppress and oppress the community from the word go on the declaration of Malayan independence,” he added.

What about the younger generation?

The London-based Hindraf chairman also chided the government for issuing identity cards to senior citizens, who were nearing the end of their life span, but not the stateless younger generation.

He said Hindraf’s survey exposed stateless status among Indians was not an individual problem, but a generational problem.

He said if the grandfather did not have his rightful citizenship documents, his whole generation would be denied the same.

If Najib was sincere and honest, he said Putrajaya should have addressed the stateless status of the children of the senior citizens as well.

“Would the government take another 50 years to resolve their problems?

“By then the new stateless Indian general would have generated their own second to sixth generation off-springs, who would also be stateless,” he added.

He also ticked off Najib for bragging that the senior citizens could now enjoy citizenry benefits such as education, employment and healthcare.

“Doesn’t this show the stupidity of the prime minister… what could they enjoy at this late age, job and education?” he said.

Due to the long denial of citizenship, he noted that the senior citizens would not have their marriages recognised, could not have opened a bank account or owned properties all these years.

He said the senior citizens could not have secured decent jobs and enjoy retirement benefits such as Socso and EPF.

“All these years, the employers would have exploited them mercilessly by paying peanuts due to their desperate situation,” he added.

Complicated procedure

Waythamoorthy also hit out at the complicated procedural-ridden MyDaftar programme that has made it difficult for Indians to obtain their citizenry status.

He noted that written evidence of neighbours, employers, colleagues and staff, private clinics, who treated the newborn babies should be sufficient and adequate to prove their Malaysian birth.

“The Federal Constitution states that anyone born in Malaysia after 1957 is a citizen. But the racist government has imposed strict rules to deny Indians their legitimate citizenry rights,” he said.

He also called on Putrajaya to stop the habit of passing the buck to MIC to register stateless Indians.

“It’s the government’s responsibility. Umno racist masters should not wash their dirty hands and let their mandores to clean up the mess,” he said.

Hisham: Extradition of Iranian depends on the law

Home Minister says Malaysian authorities were in close contact with Thailand and Iran to sort the matter out.

KLUANG: Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the extradition of the Iranian suspect believed to be involved in a series of bombings in Bangkok is largely dependent on the law.

He said the extradition process was also contingent upon a request from the Thai authorities and Malaysia was prepared to cooperate fully in the situation.

“For the time being the Iranian man is still in detention here. The extradition process is largely dependant on the law,” he told reporters after a meet the people session in Kampung Orang Asli Pengkalan Tereh, here today.

Hishammuddin, Sembrong member of parliament, said the Malaysian authorities were in close contact with Thailand and Iran to sort the matter out.

He remarked that no country in the world was safe from the threat of terrorists in this global age and that the nation’s authorities were on the constant look out to ensure national security.

Malaysian Immigration detained the Iranian, Masoud Sedaghat Zadeh, 31, about 3.30 pm on Feb 15 at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal while he was in transit from Bangkok the previous night, enroute to Iran.

He was detained on suspicion of being involved in an attempted bomb attack in Bangkok on Feb 14.

Permatang Pauh PAS Youth upset with Anwar, wants party to quit Pakatan

(Bernama) - Permatang Pauh PAS Youth chief Mohammad Hafiz Nordin said yesterday his branch was very dissapointed with the stand taken by Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to support Israel and as such, was urging PAS’ leadership to break all ties with the Pakatan opposition coalition.

Mohammad Hafiz, who is also former Penang PAS Youth chief, yesterday joined scores of Penang PAS Youth members in holding a demonstration to voice their dissatisfaction with Anwar.

They carried placards bearing the words ‘Anwar Pengkhianat’ (Anwar Traitor), ‘Singkir Anwar’ (Drop Anwar), ‘Anwar Sokong Penceroboh’ (Anwar Supports Invaders) and ‘Anwar Agen Israel’ (Anwar an Agent of Israel).

The 30-minute demonstration held after Friday prayers in front of the Sheikh Eusoff Mosque in Jalan Datuk Keramat here was also joined by members of several NGOs including Persatuan Al-Ehsan Islamiyah Malaysia, Persatuan Anak Jati Melayu Islam Negeri (PAJIM) and Perkasa.

The demonstration comes in the wake of a Wall Street Journal report in which Anwar is alleged to have said that he supported all efforts aimed at guaranteeing the security of Israel.

Mohammad Hafiz said the time had come for PAS to exit Pakatan and not be made a pawn of Anwar’s politics.

“Our stand on Israel is very clear. PAS should no longer have anything to do with a person like this (Anwar),” he said, adding that PAS’ stand on the creation of Israel was very clear in that the party deemed it to be an illegal country.

ABU? Betul ke?

Anyway, go attend the ABU launches tonight. Donate generously to show you support ABU. Give a few thousand Ringgit. Then tell those leaders who are going to talk tonight that you want GOOD and CLEAN candidates. Tell them you will vote for the candidate, not the party. Tell them you don’t care what party they represent as long as the candidates are good.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin

Okay, for months many of you have been screaming ABU! You just want ABU, meaning Umno out of power. You don’t even want the Umno culture in the government eradicated. You just want Umno the political party kicked out.
Actually, it is not enough to just kick out Umno the political party. Umno has less than 80 seats in Parliament. And there are 222 seats altogether. So Umno needs to win at least 112 seats to become the Taiko. Hence Umno can never be the Taiko and in fact never was. The real Taiko is Barisan Nasional, with Umno as the CEO or gang leader.
Barisan Nasional won 140 seats in the 2008 general election (they lost two in by-elections and won a few more when the Pakatan Rakyat MPs became ‘independents’). This means almost half are non-Umno seats.
You may say that MCA, MIC and Gerakan have another 20 seats combined and that if Pakatan Rakyat demolishes these three parties like it did PPP then that is another 20 seats for the opposition.
That is still not enough. Your are assuming that Pakatan Rakyat will win back its 82 seats and added to these 20 it will give them 102. But that would mean Barisan Nasional would still have 120 seats. So Barisan Nasional will still be the government.
And you are assuming that Pakatan Rakyat will win every one of those 82 seats and will not lose a single one. But some of those seats were won with a very thin majority. In fact, both sides won many seats with a very thin majority.
The key is still with East Malaysia. Barisan Nasional won 55 of the 57 seats in Sabah and Sarawak. And, judging by the recent Sarawak State election, what makes you think that this time around the situation is going to be any different?
Screaming ABU is one thing. Achieving it is another.
But then how serious are you about ABU? Tonight there are going to be ABU launches all over Malaysia. (See here: http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/letterssurat/47371-roadshow-abu-transmisi-seterusnya-mutakhir)
Will all of you be going? Can we see one million people from all over Malaysia attending the ABU launches tonight? Or are you merely going to sit in front of your computer and post anti-Malay-anti-Islam comments and not bother to leave your home?
Elections cost money, a lot of money. The opposition will need hundreds of millions. How much money have you donated thus far? Will you be bringing RM10,000 tonight to donate to the election effort? Can you donate RM1,000 every month to the election fund to ensure that the opposition has a chance and so that you can see your ABU?
Talk is cheap, and that is what most of you do, just talk. You never support any programs. You never attend any programs. You never donate any money to any of these programs. You just sit in front of your computer and scream ABU and whack the Malays and Muslims. That is your ABU.
Hell, you are even prepared to close both eyes and tolerate ‘small corruption’ in the interest of kicking Umno out. Why do you want Umno out? Because they are corrupted, evil, racists, and much more. So why are you prepared to close both eyes if the opposition sometimes does the same? Because the opposition does it in small doses while Umno does it big time.
Malays support Saddam Hussein. When Iraq invaded Kuwait, Malays in Kuala Lumpur and in the Malay heartland wore Saddam T-shirts and cheered him on. Malays hate America. Why? Because America supports Israel and Israel is evil. Also, America toppled Saddam.
But Saddam killed millions. The Iran-Iraq war alone took one million lives. He butchered his own people like squatting flies. He was corrupted. He squandered his nation’s wealth. So why are we anti-America? Did America not do us a favour by removing a corrupted, murderous tyrant? Why are we pro-Saddam?
If we can support Saddam who did so much bad things and wasted a hell of a lot of money, why can’t we support Najib Tun Razak? You say that Najib was involved in the murder of one woman and is corrupted.
But that is only one woman. Saddam murdered millions. And what Najib wasted can’t even come close to what Saddam spent. But we support Saddam and we are opposed to Najib.
If you support or oppose someone depending on the degree of evil then Najib is far better than Saddam by comparison. And in that same spirit a slightly corrupted opposition is far better than a seriously corrupted Umno.
Is this the argument?
I know what you are now going to say. We need ABU. We need to kick Umno out. Never mind if the opposition is not that perfect. We get them into power first and then try to change them later.
If someone tells you that the woman you are about to marry is a slut and she has slept with every member of the football team are you going to say that at least she is not a prostitute and you can always try to get her to change later after you marry her?
Anyway, go attend the ABU launches tonight. Donate generously to show you support ABU. Give a few thousand Ringgit. Then tell those leaders who are going to talk tonight that you want GOOD and CLEAN candidates. Tell them you will vote for the candidate, not the party. Tell them you don’t care what party they represent as long as the candidates are good.
Most likely what is going to happen is that Pakatan Rakyat will field far better candidates than Barisan Nasional in the next election. That is the reality of what would most likely happen. Then well and fine. Then you can vote ABU as well as get good candidates.
But NEVER tell the opposition you will vote ABU even if they field monkeys and donkeys like they did in 2008. That is giving them a licence to be complacent and sloppy. Make sure tonight they know that ABU comes with conditions and qualifications attached. And those conditions and qualifications would be: depending on the candidates they field.
Now, stop talking. Stop screaming ABU. Go get ready. You have ABU launches to go to tonight. Show you really mean ABU and are not just a load of bullshit and hot air. You need to go talk to the opposition leaders tonight to tell them what you want. And stop at the bank teller on the way. Take out RM10,000 and give it to the ABU organisers. Ask for a receipt and make sure they send you the statement of accounts so that you know that the money is not being squandered.
I want to see how many Chinese and Indians will go tonight. After all, you are the people making the most noise. If we can’t see a huge crowd tonight and if they can’t collect a few million Ringgit then you guys and gals are all bloody fakes. ABU my foot! Podah!

Bombing Suspect Not On Yingluck-Najib Discussion

By Jamaluddin Muhammad

BANGKOK, Feb 17 (Bernama) - The detention of an Iranian in Malaysia, in connection with the three bomb blasts in this capital on Tuesday, will not be on the discussion agenda when Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra makes an official visit to Malaysia next Monday.

Acting Thai Government spokesman Thitima Chaisaeng said the matter would not be on the agenda when Yingluck held discussions with her Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the latter's office in Putrajaya.

"Prime Minister Yingluck will let the security authority take care of the case.

"However, the prime minister (Yingluck) has prepared information, in case Malaysian officials ask her about it during the meeting of delegations involving the two countries," she told reporters here.

Bangkok is seeking the extradition of the 31-year-old Iranian who was detained at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal in Sepang on Wednesday, as he was about to leave for Tehran after flying in from Bangkok, the previous night.

Three bombs rocked this capital on Tuesday, including an incident where an Iranian man lost his legs when a bomb he hurled at a police patrol car, ricocheted and struck him at Sukhumvit 71 Road here.

The first bomb blast occurred at the suspect's rented house near the road and the second blast was when one of the suspects threw a bomb at a taxi for refusing to take him near the road.

A third bomb was hurled when the police patrol car intercepted him at the road.

So far, Thai police have detained two Iranian suspects, including the injured suspect who is being treated at a hospital here.

An Iranian woman, believed to be an accomplice, was reported to have left the country early this month.

All four had rented a house near the Sukhumvit 71 Road which was partly damaged by the first blast.

Malaysian police said the 31-year-old suspect was held under the Immigration Act and to facilitate investigations into terrorism activities in relation to the bombings in Thailand.

Thitima said Yingluck, among others, would discuss border issue, drug trafficking problem, halal food industry, trade between the two countries, as well as current situation of Thai workers in Malaysia.

Yingluck, who took over the country's premiership last August, is the first Thai woman to be elected prime minister.

She had initially planned to visit Malaysia on Oct 10, last year but had to postpone the trip due to severe floods in this country.

Backlash hits Curtin U after ‘Dr Rosmah’ award (updated)

Update (17 February 2012): Curtin University never for a moment anticipated the ferocity of the backlash from Malaysians when it awarded a ‘honorary doctorate’ to Rosmah.
Now the news is all over the Australian media as well and the proverbial has hit the fan. It is going to take much more than public relations and Curtin U shutting down comments on its Facebook wall to repair the damage done to its reputation – if at all possible.
12 February 2012:
Back in Australia after a New Year’s jaunt in Sydney, Rosmah was awarded an honorary doctorate at Curtin University’s Bentley campus in Perth yesterday.

Rosmah receiving her honorary doctorate from Chancellor of Curtin University Jim Gill. Photograph: Bernama

Rosmah received her scroll along with 600 other graduating students.
What are Curtin University’s links to Malaysia?
In 2010, the Malaysian Qualifications Agency granted Curtin University of Technology in Sarawak self-accreditation status following an institutional audit that included a visit by an MQA panel of auditors to the university campus. The campus was opened in Miri in 1998.
Curtin Sarawak has received various sources of funding in Malaysia:

In August 2003, Curtin Sarawak became the first international university in Malaysia to be entitled to access the prestigious IRPA grants (“Intensification for Research in Priority Areas”) of the Ministry of Science, Technology and the Environment.
In December 2004, researchers at Curtin Sarawak were awarded their first IRPA grant.
In addition to sources of funding from the Federal Government, Curtin Sarawak has also access to funds from the Sarawak State Government as well as from various industrial partners.

If this is true, why are public funds going to a foreign university when many schools in Sarawak don’t even have basic facilities? How much has Curtin received in total?
In addition, the Sarawak government’s BioValley Park Project is to be developed at the Curtin Sarawak campus. The project is supposed to boost R&D to meet the state’s technological needs, particularly for the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score).
Curtin Sarawak is also associated with the Sarawak leadership.
From the Curtin website:

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan, who is also the chairman of the Curtin Sarawak Council, said the first phase of the project spearheaded by the state Ministry of Industrial Development will be developed on a 10-acre site at the campus.

The Perth Now website reports:

LAST time Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak visited Perth, he was met with angry protests during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Today, it was a far more peaceful visit as he slipped into Curtin University on a hush-hush private visit with his wife, who accepted an honorary doctorate…
The Prime Minister’s last visit to Perth for CHOGM in October was met with angry protests when a “Bersihkan Malaysia” group held a rally in Forrest Place to campaign for electoral reforms in Malaysia.

I will quit Kita if I am outvoted, says Zaid

Ku Li: Corruption may see BN’s downfall

Razaleigh pointed that no 'public relations exercises' can mask corruption and 'dysfunctional democracy'.

KUALA LUMPUR: Respected Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah today said no government rife with corruption can survive public anger and warned Putrajaya that it may suffer the same fate as ousted regimes in the Arab Spring.

Speaking at the Royal Selangor Club luncheon talk earlier today, the Kelantan prince spoke of Malaysia’s “dysfunctional” political economy, which he blamed on money politics as a result of the of the policies under the tenure of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Malaysia under Mahathir is often characterised by neo-liberal policies which Razaleigh said kickstarted the politics-business relations and resulted in crony capitalism.

“As a consequence of economic policies in the past, inequalities have also widened. Today, Malaysians suffer from a very wide inequality… and the widening inequality will go into a deeper crisis of confidence among the people.

“No democratic system, no institution as envisaged by our Federal Constitution, can survive a political economy of this nature.

“There is too much money in politics and it has become inseparable from power and the electoral process,” he said.

Razaleigh, the Gua Musang MP, often described as “the country’s last statesman”, has been vociferous in his criticism against the Najib administration and his own party Umno.

He had helped set up Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah), an NGO aimed at rekindling the spirit of the Federal Constitution.

But observers say he is using it as a platform to put pressure on the ruling coalition to clean up and buck up.

Lesson from the Arab Spring

His deputy in Amanah, a former minister and a senior Umno member, Sheikh Kadir Fadzil, had also been vocal against the Najib government.

He claimed leaders from the ruling party practised widespread money politics to win votes and posts in party elections.

International observers and economists say corruption remains the biggest problem in Malaysia, denting the country’s economic edge and repelling investments.

Foreign direct investments to Malaysia have dropped significantly as investors now opt for its neighbours.

Razaleigh said that no “public relations exercises” can mask corruption and “dysfunctional democracy”, citing the bloody Arab Spring that saw voters ousting governments that had ruled for decades.

“The lesson we have to learn from the Arab Spring is that a dysfunctional democracy, however well dressed by public relations exercises or subsequently by the media, cannot withstand the realities… of the abuse of power and wanton accumulation of wealth.

“That is the most important message, I think, that the Arab Spring has conveyed and we must take cognizance of it,” he said

Thailand seeks handover of Iranian bomb suspect

The Iranian man fled to Malaysia after the bomb blasts in Bangkok.

BANGKOK: Thailand is seeking the extradition of an Iranian suspected in an alleged bomb plot against Israeli diplomats in Bangkok following his arrest in Malaysia, police said today.

“The court approved his arrest warrant so the National Police Office will refer the case to the Attorney-General’s Office to coordinate for his extradition,” national police chief Phrewphan Damapong told reporters.

“We will expedite the process.”
Malaysian police announced yesterday that the unnamed Iranian had been detained in Kuala Lumpur earlier the same day.

He was among three suspects in the bombings that rattled Bangkok on Tuesday and have piled pressure on Tehran amid accusations of a terror campaign against the Jewish state.

On Monday, bombers targeted Israeli embassy staff in India and Georgia before escaping.

In Bangkok, two Iranians were detained over three blasts that occurred on Tuesday. They were charged with causing an illegal explosion and other offences, Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said.

One of the men – named as 28-year-old Saeid Morati – had his legs blown off as he hurled an explosive device at Thai police while fleeing an apparently unintended blast at a house in the Thai capital, officials said.

The other suspect was detained trying to board a flight out of the country.

Meanwhile, Malaysia confirmed that an Iranian man was arrested yesterday over the failed bomb attack in Bangkok.

According to a Bernama report today, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the 31-year-old man was held at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal as he was about to leave for Iran after flying in from Thailand the previous night.

The National Intelligence Agency of Thailand suspects that he was involved with two others caught in Bangkok in relation to the attempted bomb attack, he said in a statement.

Hishammuddin also said Malaysia is most serious and committed in stamping out terrorist threats and subversive activities which undermine peace and security.

He said the authorities would not allow Malaysia to be used as a location, base or transit by terrorists or individuals wanted in any country.

Branch leaders must play their role, says MIC man

Madhu also wants all MIC leaders at every level to stop speculating on which seat the president would contest.

PETALING JAYA: All MIC branch chairmen nationwide must consolidate and strengthen the largest Indian based political party in the country ahead of the general election, party central working committee member Madhu Marimuthu said today.

“It is not the time to rock the boat, we are going to face a do or die elections where the relevance and survival of MIC will be tested…as grassroots leaders, it is time for us to resolve community issues,” he said.

He said this in reaction to a recent statement by the Taman Mujur MIC branch chairman VT Rajen who called on MIC president G Palanivel to stay clear of existing parliament seats held by MIC representatives.

The branch chairman had also issued an ultimatum to Palanivel, saying that if the MIC president intended to contest any of the seats won by the MIC at the 2008 general election, he would launch “Gerakan Anti Palanivel”.

MIC only won three parliamentary seats at the 2008 general election namely in Cameron Highlands, Tapah and Segamat. The party won the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat in the subsequent by-election.

Cameron Highlands and Tapah are being held by SK Devamany and M Saravanan respectively. Both are party vice-presidents. The Segamat seat in Johor is being held by Dr S Subramaniam, the party deputy president and Human Resources Minister.

“The focus on the parliamentary seats seems to be moving by constituency by week, first Cameron Highlands, then Sungai Siput, what’s next?” asked Madhu.

Madhu also wanted all MIC leaders at every level to stop speculating on which seat the president would contest but stay unite to support the party’s chosen candidates as the MIC fate lies on the outcome of the next general election.

“MIC must field the best candidate at each constituency. The MIC leadership should be allowed to make the right choice at the right time to be endorsed by BN leadership,” he added.

On a related matter, Madhu also took a swipe at Gadong Kecil branch chairman M Karunanidhi for asking Palanivel to resign as the party’s Perak state chairman.

“What is wrong in changing state leadership as it is the president’s prerogative. Besides it is no secret that Karunanidhi is closely linked with a veteran state leader. It is so obvious and he is confusing the matter further by asking the appointment of Dr Subramaniam as the state chief,’ he added.

Pakatan should share power with ‘third force’

Some groups calling themselves the third force are reminding Pakatan that they were the instrumental force in the last general election.

GEORGE TOWN: It’s high time Pakatan Rakyat learned to share power with Hindraf and other civil rights movements and social activists who refer to themselves as the “third force”.

Hindraf Makkal Sakti said that Pakatan should learn to share seats and power with the independent third force if it wants to triumph in the next general election.

Its national coordinator W Sambulingam said Pakatan must realise that it would not have enjoyed the last electoral successes without the effective campaigning and decisive help of the third force.

“Thus, Pakatan should be willing to cooperate and share power with the third force which truly represents the people,” he told FMT.

He called on Pakatan to do some soul-searching to recognise the contributions and sacrifices made by the third force for the coalition success in the last polls.

“Pakatan cannot do it alone. It must share the power with the third force to vote out Umno and company,” said Sambulingam.

Next week, Hindraf will organise a Hindraf- ABU forum in Buntong, Ipoh, to reach out to the Indian electorate and disseminate the ultimate message “Umno Must Go.”

This was the main reason behind Hindraf choosing Buntong, a Tamil-speaking Hindu heartland in Ipoh, as the next venue for the newly formed Hindraf-ABU team.

Sambulingam, N Ganesan, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, NGO Solidariti Anak-Anak Muda Malaysia leader Badrul Hisham Shaharin, or better known as Chegu Bard, ABU coordinator Haris Ibrahim will be among the main speakers at the forum.

Sambulingam urged the police to provide better protection to the forum and the crowd and stop rowdy mobs from gate-crashing.

On Jan 21, a rowdy mob, believed to sponsored by a top political party, gate-crashed and attacked those attending a Hindraf-ABU forum in Klang, causing serious injury to at least one person.

Prof Dr Chandra Muzaffar responds to Anwar Ibrahim

Malaysia's Latest Proton Saga

The Doc goes for a ride in his favorite car

Questions of insider trading in national car shares remain unanswered a month after sale to a Mahathir crony
For nearly three decades, Malaysia’s national car project, Proton, has suffered through endless troubles, nearing its demise several times only to be propped up again and again by the government.

For years, the government sought foreign buyers to come in and save the project, Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd. The carmaker has cost the country’s consumers billions in lost opportunity costs from the steep tariffs levied against other carmakers in addition to the losses the company made on its own, estimated at US$2-3 billion, plus the cost of building its factories. The preferential tariffs haven’t stopped consumers from turning to other makes anyway.

In January, DRB-Hicom Bhd, controlled by billionaire Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary, a longtime Mahathir friend and United Malays National Organization crony, agreed to take the ailing carmaker off the hands of Khazanah Nasional Bhd., the state-owned investment fund which owned 42.7 percent of the shares after taking the company over during an earlier period of distress. The subsequent events have raised many questions of insider trading, none of which have ever been addressed either by Proton, Hicom or Bursa Malaysia, the country’s stock exchange.

In the two months prior to the announcement of the sale, Proton’s shares went on a wild ride, beginning on Nov. 14, when the shares traded thinly, at only about 3,000 per day at a price of around RM2.70 (US88 cents)

According to official announcements by Bursa Malaysia, the Kuala Lumpur main board, the shares took off on Nov. 15, rising to RM3.21 on volume of 4.3 million shares traded. Over the next 12 days, daily volumes averaged 4.4 million shares. By Dec. 5, volumes increased to 20 million shares per day – 60 times the November average - with the price rocketing up by nearly 25 percent over the period to RM4.50 per share.

Proton’s Wild Ride
It wasn’t until Dec. 5, three weeks after the shares began to gyrate that Bursa Malaysia issued an Unusual Market Activity enquiry. On the next day, Proton announced: “"The Board of Directors of Proton wish to clarify that after making due enquiry with the Board of Directors and major shareholders, the company is not aware of any reason for the unusual market activity in the shares of the company recently, and further, that there is no material corporate development not previously disclosed."

Certainl not!  On Jan. 17, DRB-Hicom announced it would buy Khazanah’s stake in the carmaker for RM1.291 billion, the equivalent of RM5.50 per share. That meant that those smart enough – or informed enough -- to buy the Proton shares in November at RM2.70 had effectively doubled their money in two months.

Insider trading?
“The above chain of events makes a bad overall impression. It looks very much that certain parties were privy to inside information,” wrote M A Wind, who blogs for Asia Sentinel. “Why was Bursa Malaysia so late with its Unusual Market Activity query? The share price of Proton had increased already over three consecutive weeks by a whopping 70 percent while daily turnover had risen 20-fold when it finally took action.”

The announcement on December 6, 2011 by Proton that neither it nor Khazanah Nasional were aware of any unusual activity looks puzzling to say the least. The market was rife with rumor, but neither Proton nor Khazanah Nasional said they were aware of any activity.

More suspiciously, the share price more or less stratified at RM 5.50 several days before the final announcement on January 16, 2011 – the DRB-Hicom offer price, which seems to suggest that unknown parties might have known what it would be.

Also, both Proton and DRB-Hicom appeared remarkably passive in issuing announcements, both only responding to queries from Bursa Malaysia (most notably on Dec. 6, 8 and 13, 2011 and Jan. 9, 2012), not initiating the announcements themselves although the stock exchange’s website says: "We place significant emphasis on timeliness, adequacy and accuracy of disclosure to enable investors to make informed investment decisions."

”Let’s be clear,” said a Kuala Lumpur-based investment banker. “All of Malaysia is one big insider-trading casino. There aren’t any other kind of trades.”

The banker declined to speculate on who made the killing. However, he said the clues point to top political figures. The car company was government-owned, the new ownership is close to top United Malays National Organization figures.

One of the victims of the exercise appears to be Malaysia workers -- the Employee Provident Fund, which provides retirement benefits for 13 million private and public sector employees of about 485,000 institutions and companies in the country. The EPF acquired an additional 830,000 shares in 2007 in one of many bids to rescue the company, making Malaysia’s taxpayers owners of the company whether they wanted to be or not.

The EPF, presumably unassuming, sold off some 15 million shares for a price well below the mandatory general office price, which is estimated to have cost the fund roughly RM20 million to RM30 million on the trades.

The next question is why Mokhtar wanted to take over the car project, initiated in the early1980s by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad against the advice of his advisors, all of his critics and common sense. It has been unable to achieve economies of scale that would allow it to survive and flourish. Although local media reported that the financier was considering a possible tie-up with Volkswagen AG of Germany, as long ago as 2004 – eight years ago – it had been vainly seeking buyers that included Volkswagen, the American giant General Motors and PSA Peugeot-Citroen of France. None of the bids has ever worked out.

However, Proton Holdings Bhd registered a first-half 2010-2011 pre-tax profit of RM186 million in the first half of its 2010/11 financial year, built on improved market sentiment and a 13 percent increase in vehicle sales. From an earnings point of view, the company is described by analysts nonetheless as “quite hopeless. But the company holds some valuable assets, including land on which its old factory is sited in Petaling Jaya, and the UK-based Lotus manufacturer or sports and racing cars. The Net Asset Value is RM9.81, the company has RM1.3 billion in the bank and almost no debt.

“If in 3 months time Lotus is sold for a huge price, then we know why,” said an analyst. “ Maybe Syed Mokhtar knows already how to unlock the value.

Selling off the assets, however, would probably infuriate Mahathir, something the tycoon probably would not want to do for fear of retaliation by the still-powerful former premier. The 86-year-old Mahathir is said to be readying a return as a special advisor. On Feb. 6, he wrote an enthusiastic entry in his blog, Che Det, saying he had test driven a new model and found it to be an excellent car.

Proton was the focal point of Mahathir’s dream to turn Malaysia into an industrial powerhouse built on the country’s considerable natural wealth of rubber, palm oil and crude. The car was one of a flock of mega-projects that Mahathir forced onto Malaysia in the 1980s and 1990s, creating steel mills, the

US$475 million Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, a US$5.5 billion Putrajaya administrative capital, the US$2.4 billion Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the US$15 billion Multi-Media Super Corridor which was supposed to eclipse Silicon Valley. The Bakun Dam in Sarawak was to generate enormous amounts of electrical power to be piped through 1,500 kilometers of underwater cables to West Malaysia. A vast network of highways was flung across the country.

Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp persuaded Mahathir to retool an even-then ageing Lancer in 1985 and put an Islamic star and shield on the hood to create the first Proton Saga. Mitsubishi, however, quit in 2004 and sold its 16 percent stake back to Proton Holdings Bhd, the parent holding company.

After Mitsubishi pulled out, the absence of newer models and the inability to find a reliable and technically sound foreign partner meant that sales began to decline. Although Proton had more than 60 percent of the market in 2002, that fell to 30 percent by 2006. It has hovered around 30 percent ever since, despite the preferential government treatment. A 2007 Wall Street Journal-Asia report suggests that Proton burned up RM300-500 million ringgit annually.

14 GROs Rounded Up In Anti-Vice Operation

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- Police detained 14 guest relations oficers (GROs) and two local men during raids at three massage parlours at Jalan Radin Anum, Sri Petaling here starting at 9pm Thursday.

Bukit Aman Secret Societies, Gaming and Anti-Vice Unit chief ASP Shahrul Nizam Jaafar said that 13 of the women were from China and the other from Indonesia. They were aged between 21 and 35.

"Initial investigations revealed that six of the women had abused student passes, six of them did not possess work permits and the others had abused their social visit passes," he told reporters here.

He said two of the premises did not have licences and the other had misused its acupuncture licence.

"This centres offered massage services for RM80 during the first 45 minutes and the price went up to tailor customers need," he said.

However, he said no condoms were found at the parlours during the raids carried out by five officers and eight members of the unit.

Syria: seven–year–old girl shot as she called messages of support from bedroom window

Seven – year – old Julnar is dead, shot by a government sniper as she called out messages of solidarity for civilians in Homs from her bedroom window, according to her mother.

Seven-year-old Julnar al Nakeshbandi was killed by a sniper bullet through her bedroom window 

By A Telegraph Reporter in Damascus

As Syrian troops unleashed the first wave of the week – long barrage against Homs last week, mosques across restive districts of Damascus called citizens to prayers of protest. At 2.30 in the morning, calls of "God is Great" washed across the districts from the minarets and residents took to the streets in angry protest.

"Julnar heard the mosque's call, so she started to wake me up. She wanted to join in," said her mother. "I put a chair at her bedroom window for her to stand on and I started chanting 'Allah Akhbar' with my daughter."

Suddenly the little girl fell to the ground. Blood was oozing from two bullet wounds in her stomach.

Panicked, her mother rushed her to a neighbour's ground – floor apartment. Outside came the constant rattle of gunfire as government troops sought to silence the protest.

"I knelt quietly next to my dying daughter on the floor. I held her hand, I whispered with her verses that Muslims must say before they die," said her mother. "Around me everyone was weeping and screaming. Somebody massaged her chest".

They rushed the little girl to hospital where doctors tried to save her during three hours of surgery.
She died just before dawn prayers as she came out of the operating theatre. Frightened of the incendiary reaction that might come from the child's death, the funeral was a rushed and controlled affair.

Security forces prevented the attendance of men. Only her father and two brothers were allowed to go.
At a court, Julnar's father was made to sign a paper confirming that his daughter was killed by a stray bullet.

But her defiant mother is certain it was a targeted killing, but that the bullet was intended for her.
A prominent activist who organised demonstrations and shouted slogans in the face of regime officials, the mother is known for her hatred of the President Bashar al – Assad.

Living in a community that is a mixture of Sunni and the ruling minority Alawite sect, hers is a position that is much disliked by some. An Alawite next – door neighbour had twice threatened her at gunpoint to stop her activities, she said.

"I am not sure who shot my daughter, but I am sure it was an Alawite," she spat, her sadness suddenly flaring into rage. "The Alawites in our neighbourhood are being armed. All my Alawite colleagues at work have been given guns," she added. "I wish the Sunnis could arm themselves. I would be the first to go to the presidential palace to shoot him.

"Julnar was the happiness of my life. Now I am living only for taking revenge."

Julnar's full name has not been disclosed at the request of her family.

Zaid: I regret challenging Azmin for PKR deputy

In Malaysia, a growing homeless generation

Property prices in urban areas such as Penang and Kuala Lumpur rose by up to 40 per cent in 2010. — propertymalaysia.my pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 — The sight of newly-built condominium units right down the street from where he lives irks 24-year old Keoh, who says they are a symbol of something which he cannot afford.
The young man, who only wanted to be known as Keoh, carves a living as a fish trader and scoffed at the development within his neighbourhood in the fishing community of Jalan Bagan, Sekinchan. Costing RM500,000 a unit, he says the condominiums are an eyesore to him and those in his community.
“I stay with my parents. I work everyday, going to Perak in the morning to get my supplies of fish and drive a truck back here. But what have I got to show for it? I cannot afford to even buy a home in Sekinchan,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
“Even prices here are rising, and we are still earning the same. I do not think that any of my neighbours can afford a condominium like the one at the end of the road,” he said, adding that earning a monthly income of less than RM2,000 a month did not leave him much choice other than staying with his family.
Young adults, who are putting off buying a house, citing property prices as the underlying cause, are reflecting a growing trend.

Keoh says he cannot afford a home even in rural Sekinchan — Picture by Jack Ooi

Property prices have not been used as an election issue in the past but both coalitions have begun to realise its potential impact on young adults, who represent a sizable chunk of the country’s electorate. The National House Buyers Association (HBA) last year warned that an entire generation of young adults risks being locked out of the property market due to runaway house prices.
Keoh previously lived in Subang, Selangor and worked as a mechanic for two years before financial constraints and family obligations brought him back to his Sekinchan hometown.
“I came back to help out the family business. Staying here, you’d think that the cost of living would be cheaper, but it is quite the opposite,” he said.
Twenty-seven-year-old Phillip Tay shares Keoh’s frustration. A biotechnology graduate-turned-marketing executive, he cuts a decent picture of the average middle-class graduate with a stable job and his own car.
“But the reality is, I cannot afford to purchase my own home. I live with my parents. After paying for monthly essentials, all I am left with is a little bit of savings.
“I think this is a frustration shared by many of my peers. We have jobs, some even professionals, but prices keep getting higher. We pay bills and more bills, and once we’re done with that there’s not much money left,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

Tay is staying with his parents like many of his peers due to the cost of property. — Picture by Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

Tay believes the root problem lies in stagnant wages versus an increasingly high cost of living, which is in turn reflected in the price of homes. “What the government can do is to come up with policies that can help address the issue of stagnant wages. Prices are going up but wages aren’t. I’d vote for a government which can look into that,” he said.
Accounts executive Rachel Tan says that young adults today are so debt-laden that it becomes impossible for them to even think about owning property.
“Young working adults are stuck right now, there’s poverty of a different kind. There’s a lot more debt at this age ... someone my age already has so many loans to repay even before they can own a home, once they get out of university,” said the 23-year old living in Subang Jaya.
For pharmacist, Balqis Mohamad Zin, working with the government provides a better sense of financial security compared to working in the private sector.
But she too, like many others, is concerned about her future amid ever-rising living costs.
“The cost of property is very high, especially in urban areas. The cost of living worries me. Currently, I still get family support, but what if I get married in the future? What I am earning right now will not be enough.
“I am thankful to be employed, I know some people who are still unemployed after graduation. But where is my future from here? Financially I am concerned,” said the 25-year old.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, in an attempt to address the issue of unaffordable property, introduced the 1 Malaysia Housing Programme (PR1MA), an affordable home ownership scheme late last year.
Najib initiated the first phase of PR1MA in July, which involves the construction of 42,000 houses on 20 strategic sites. Each unit will be sold for between RM150,000 and RM300,000 depending on location and size, and targets first-time homeowners with a household income of between RM2,500 and RM6,000.

Yanti told The Malaysian Insider, “The realistic choice is to live with my family.” — Picture by Jack Ooi 

The scheme is a continuation of the prime minister’s attempt to tackle soaring property prices in urban centres following the My First Home programme launched in March last year which caters to lower-income households with a budget of RM220,000 and below. Not to be outdone, the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government launched a Selangor affordable housing scheme last year offering apartments priced below RM100,000 to those who earn a monthly income of between RM2,500 and RM5,000.
But despite the vast array of affordable housing schemes available, the root problem of the high cost of homes still remains an issue, and looks set to prevail in the future.
There is also concern that low-cost housing schemes will have stigmas attached to them and therefore will be less attractive to homebuyers.
Property prices in urban areas such as Penang and Kuala Lumpur rose by up to 40 per cent in 2010 fuelled by low interest rates and a surge in speculative buying, although prices grew slower last year due to dampened sentiment from tightening measures such as a hike in the real property gains tax for early disposals.
Some reports have also estimated that property prices jumped from 5.9 times income in
1989 to 10.9 times in 2010.
The Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey rates markets, whose property prices are 5.1 times median income or more, as “severely unaffordable”.
The House Price Index (HPI), as prepared by the Valuation and Property Services Department, rose 7.5 per cent in the second quarter of last year as compared with the same period in 2010.
For urban centres like KL, to which young working adults are gravitating, the HPI has seen a rapid increase since 2004, growing relatively slowly from 100 in 2000 to 108 in 2003, before rising sharply from 115 in 2004 to 167 in the second quarter of last year.
“The prices are exorbitant and beyond the reach of young adults,” HBA secretary-general Chang Kim Loong told The Malaysian Insider last year. “The price increases are not commensurate with salary increases. How are young adults going to catch up (with house prices)?”
“It’s simple math. The combined income between me and my husband does not even amount to RM3,000 ... the realistic choice is to live with my family. Cheaper costs.
“For me, I will vote for a government that will continue to provide aid, to help us. It’s difficult living when everything has a price,” Yanti, a cook from Sekinchan concludes.

Palanivel unveils his vision for Brickfields

The MIC president promises a “breath of fresh air” and an “economic transformation”.

KUALA LUMPUR: A minister on a walkabout usually flits from one place to another, pausing only for a speedy round of handshakes and a couple of claps on the back. But the newest Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, G Palanivel, opted to break tradition.

During his second official visit to Brickfields yesterday he gathered his MIC posse and Brickfield’s small traders at a street corner where he spent a good chunk of time keenly listening to the latter’s woes and debating solutions with the former.

The soft-spoken man has a fondness for Brickfields. It is an area that he visited regularly during his University Malaya days and which he still frequents weekly for provisions and religious items.

“I am one of you,” he told the small group of traders surrounding him. Having said that however he still needed to be brought up to speed on the issues that Brickfields has been forced to grapple with since the birth of Little India last year.


Among the traders’ main grouses were the exorbitant rentals, the crime rate and the threat of two malls planned by Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) in the area.

The ensuing recommendations bubbled up swiftly from Palanivel, Deputy Minister of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing and MIC vice president M Saravanan, and Brickfields Business Community chairman and MIC senator Barath Maniam.

The traders claimed that since Little India’s launch, their rentals had sky-rocketed from RM20,000 to RM70,000. Barath Maniam suggested that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) bring back the Rent Control Act to ease the traders’ financial burden.

He also proposed that the traders be given preference in purchasing shop lots in the upcoming malls to avoid a nasty and direct hit to their businesses.

Economic transformation


As for petty crime, Palanivel pointed out that police personnel needed to be stationed at the currently unmanned and abandoned police booths.

And then he proceeded to lay out his vision and ambition for Brickfields and Little India.

“This place needs to come alive beyond Deepavali,” Palanivel told the traders. “The businesses of Indians should always be booming like it is on Serangoon Road (Little India) in Singapore.”

Palanivel, who has recently been elected the Transformation Chief for the Indian Community, pledged to bring about a “fresh breath of air” and an “economic transformation” to Brickfields and its inhabitants.

“We need to bring in more international tourists, not just from India, but also from Japan, Korea and Singapore,” he stated. “After all these tourists arrive at KLIA and take the train into KL Sentral. Brickfields is just a stone’s throw away.”

Palanivel has already won the support of Tourism Minister, Ng Yen Yen, to turn Brickfields and Little India into a tourist attraction.

The first step would entail Ng meeting the people of Brickfields after which a masterplan would be drawn up incorporating input from the people as well as various government ministries and departments.

“There are two ways to promote Brickfields,” Palanivel said. “The first is to advertise Little India in tourism brochures and the second is to organise weekend festivals so that the area is always alive.”

His ideas included a sound system to broadcast music and a public TV to screen programs like cricket matches for the many tourists from India.

Up to MIC


In emphasising the need for Brickfields to undergo “continuous facelifts”, Palanivel urged the traders to seek assistance from him and promised to convey their needs to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

But he also reminded them that such projects, as large scale as they are, would require both time and adequate financing both of which he declined to provide an estimation.

“We should start the process immediately with the masterplan which involves more talks with the people,” Palanivel asserted. “Then the transformation can gradually be rolled out in stages.”

When the discussion finally broke up, the traders left with murmurs of satisfaction. Now the ball is in MIC’s court and it’s next serve will determine how the game is played in the upcoming general election.

Whither the Indian community?

Their votes may be pivotal in the 13th GE but they are a species under threat and the future looks dim unless concerted efforts are made to safeguard their future.
COMMENT

KUALA LUMPUR: Najib Tun Razak was a beleaguered politician at the Thaipusam celebrations at Batu Caves on Feb 7, 2012. Many listened intently as he appealed to the Indian community of largely Tamil descent to place and put their ‘Nambikei’ (trust) in him.

This was not a whimsical appeal. In the run up to the last general election, towards the end of 2007, the Hindraf episode was the wake up call to Umno-BN that their long held sway and hold on Malaysians was now to be put to a stern test.

A much maligned BN tottered virtually on the edge of defeat and only just managed to stave off the effects of a political tsunami. The lessons of that episode still rankles in the minds of BN leaders and they are aware that the Indian votes in the 13th GE could prove decisive to both sides of the political divide.

The Indians are savouring their moments of glory and greatly relishing the overtures of Najib’s “Nambikei” and have even cheekily requested for a two-day Deepavali holiday. The BN views them as prime voters whose votes they want to build upon to maintain their grip on power, and later, as envisaged, to firm up and tighten this grip once more as before.

While the Chinese community appear to have all but deserted the MCA and Gerakan to opt for DAP, and the Malays are skewered three-ways between PAS, PKR and Umno, the Indians are being wooed by BN as Pakatan appear to have offered them not much so far.

Can and should Indians put their trust in the call of the prime minister? Perhaps it is up to each individual Indian voter to do some soul searching before casting their precious vote, as much is at stake and they should certainly not play their cards wrongly.

The Indian community is under much stress and things are not looking up for them right. Their future is in limbo and this is due to a number of factors. But the community should learn to sit up and pay heed to where they are heading in the quagmire of the currently changing Malaysian political landscape.

Dwindling population

Long considered the third largest ethnic group in Malaysia, the community’s dwindling population needs to be addressed or they will see themselves being eclipsed by persons of Indonesian origin as the third largest race in the country.

In the past, if the community had any difficulty, it was the exceedingly high birth rate. The birth of large numbers of infants in an Indian family caused much hardship and deprivation to them.

This was especially true among the families working and residing in the rubber plantations in the rural areas. While in the past this population explosion was viewed with concern, now it is the declining birth rate among Indians that is of concern.

Falling birth rates among Indians have reached alarming proportions. Indians constitute only 9% of the population of the nation as opposed to much higher percentages in the last few decades.

Wither the Indian community in Malaysia? This certainly means that Indians as a race have in all probability been displaced as the third major component or racial group with the influx of Indonesian immigrants.

There are a number of factors that have led to the Malaysian Indian population dwindling. The most important is that the strength of their economic status has been downgraded, causing them to either not marry or have few children in the event they are married couples.

Another important factor is the emigration of highly qualified and educated individuals, who have left Malaysia for greener pastures. Their departure along with their families in tow has resulted in the Indian population to dwindle further.

What is now becoming a bigger worry is the number of Indian youth who are opting to stay single or tying the knot at much older ages, usually well past their prime and causing the number of childless marriages among Indians to go on the rise.

While the Chinese community has addressed this problem by forming Cupid Clubs to play matchmaker and get single Chinese men and women to court and marry, the same measure may have to be adopted by Indian groups representing the community.

The formation of Cupid Clubs have resulted in a greater number of marriages taking place within the Chinese community. The Indian groups can also play a similar matchmaker role among single Indian men and women.

Wake up call for Indians

While the Indian community needs to repopulate itself, there is also a dire need for them to reinvent themselves in the sphere of economic activity so as to gain a larger share of the economic pie.

While on this front, several groups representing the interests of the Indian community have taken upon themselves the role to empower Indians by creating business and educational opportunities, the momentum needs to be sustained and to grow much further.

The admission of Indian students to public and private institutions of higher learning in this country has also witnessed a drastic drop in numbers. The reluctance of a growing number of Indian youths to secure a sound education and a brighter future is now glaringly evident.

Instead, what is happening is that Indian youth are more likely to be associated or linked with criminal and underworld activities, with Malaysian jails housing large numbers of Indian prisoners in ratio to the numbers of their population.

This has caused the socio-economic status of the Indian to downgrade rapidly. There is a need by Indian groups representing and leading the Indian community to be more watchful and vigilant and to steer Indians, especially Indian youth, in the right direction.

While all is not lost, the Indian community needs to wake up to the challenges of a globalised world or they will only have themselves to blame for becoming failures in their own country.

The need is urgent and pressing that Indians in Malaysia not go into a time warp but be aware that they are a species under threat and in all likelihood may not count or favour anymore as voters or as an important ethnic group in the years to come.

It is therefore imperative that Indians rise up and answer this wake up call to pull the community out of the doldrums and to strive to contribute in a greater and more meaningful and impactful way towards building a better Malaysian society.

The writer has been teaching and writing throughout Asia since 1984.

Questioning the faith

In times of great personal loss, emotional upheavals and uncertainty, we, including the most pious amongst us, sometimes tread on the blasphemous path.
COMMENT

Four years ago, I had lost my mother to cancer. During the months from her diagnosis to her demise, I saw her withering like a flower. Not a day had passed then that I did not turn to God, pleading with him to spare her life. But as time passed, she slipped further and further into the jaws of death.

And when she had breathed her last, I became enraged with God and cursed Him for turning a deaf ear to my prayers. Overwhelmed with resentment, I shut the door of the altar at home and extinguished Him from my heart. Both the door and my heart had remained closed for more than a year.

But time, as it always does, healed the wound.

When the anger had subsided, I opened the door of the altar once again and sought forgiveness for all the harsh words uttered to Him. As I reflected on those who were unfortunate to have lost their loved ones at a tender age, I thanked Him for blessing me with my mother’s presence for three decades.

But just like Hamza Kashgari, till this day, there are certain things about Him that I love, certain things about Him that I despise and certain things about Him that I do not understand.

In times of great personal loss, emotional upheavals and uncertainty, we, including the most pious amongst us, sometimes tread on the blasphemous path, questioning our beliefs and the existence of a compassionate and omnipresent divinity. Faith, after all, is a personal bond beween an individual and his maker.

How many times had we gone to a place of worship and threw our hands up in exasperation and contempt demanding answers whenever fate struck us with a cruel blow?

Religious scriptures reveal that great masters and prophets had also been assailed by the arrows of doubt during their spiritual endeavours. Even Jesus had looked up to the heavens during the crucifixion and questioned his Father why he had been abandoned. What more mere mortals like us?

Death for a poet?

Now, there is a possibility that the 23-year-old poet and newspaper columnist from Saudi Arabia could be put to death for questioning his faith or to be more precise, the infallibility of Prophet Muhammad.

Fearing for his life, he chose to flee his country, hoping to seek refuge in New Zealand. But a transit at Kuala Lumpur proved to be disastrous. Under pressure from the oil-rich kingdom, Malaysia acted swiftly to deport him despite objections from human rights organisations and before a court here could rule on an application filed against the move, with Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein brushing aside concerns for his life as ridiculous.

Commenting on this, a Muslim opposition leader had criticised the deportation, noting that Malaysia did not possess a commendable record with regard to human rights and this would taint it further.

PKR’s Badrul Hisham Saharin also questioned Malaysia’s seriousness regarding such issues and claimed that Dr Mahathir Mohamad, during his tenure as prime minister, had also insulted the prophet but never apologised for it.

On the same note, even Mahathir appeared to disagree with the repatriation, saying that a proper study of the case should have been conducted first as it might involve the loss of a life.

However, there is little doubt that Kashgari should have known better.

He should have realised that his remarks would stoke up tempers in a nation that is deeply religious and sensitive about its faith. And now the issue had taken a political twist, becoming a battle between the liberal and conservative forces within and outside the kingdom.

Kashgari himself had said that he was being made into a scapegoat of a larger conflict.

The controversy also ignited a worldwide debate over the the right to the freedom of expression, with numerous quarters calling on the Saudi government to respect critical viewpoints regardless of how bitter a pill it might be to swallow.

But perhaps Kashgiri was just a young man embroiled in some form of personal turmoil, and who like most of us, became angered and confused by the trials and tribulations of life. His actions were perhaps unwarranted of such an uproar.

Perhaps, his free-spirited nature grew frustrated with a regime that stifled freedom and chose to voice out against it, which most of us do in silence or in safe confines. Perhaps his only fault was to air his thoughts on a public forum in a country high on religious fervour and low on tolerance.

According to one news report, Kashgari, who had drawn the ire of Muslims for stating that there were certain aspects about Prophet Muhammad which he loved and others which he loathed, was described by a former colleague as being a loner and a dreamer.

“He had a broken look in his eyes and I think that was a sign of sadness or depression. He’s a poet and had a lot of philosophical ideas,” the newspaper editor had remarked.

The mind of a poet is a dangerous thing, for it refuses to conform and is often enticed by the romanticism surrounding the spirit of rebellion. But it is this, a mind that cannot be shackled by the chains of authority albeit even divine sanctioned ones, which is the creative catalyst behind all great poetic works, including that of Muslim poets.

To err is human

Kashgari later confessed that his offensive tweets were posted during a difficult psychological state and he had since repented and apologised.

“I declare my repentance and I distance myself fully from all the misleading ideas that affected me and made me write expressions that I do not support. I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God. I shall live and die firmly believing in it… I strongly adhere to the testimonies that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah,” he had wrote.

Only God knows if Kashgari had truly seen the light or if his repentance was a desperate attempt to escape the executioner’s blade.

Nevertheless an apology had been tendered and the “sinner” had expressed remorse. And for those who choose to continue baying for his blood, do remember that to err is human and to forgive is divine.

As one learned Muslim friend remarked, “God is compassion, and the prophet is the personification of that compassion. I am certain that the prophet would have forgiven him.”

Don’t be too attached to your post, Dr M tells Shahrizat

She should take action in the interest of the party, says the former prime minister.

SERDANG: Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today advised Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, beleaguered by the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) issue, not to be too attached to her post.

He said Shahrizat, who is also Wanita Umno chief, should take appropriate action in the interest of the party.

“I am not asking her to resign but we should always think of the problems we are creating for the party.

“That is why, I myself after being too long (in the party) and people were getting fed up of me, had stepped down from my post.

“So, don’t love your position too much that you dont’ want to let go. One day, we still have to do so,” he told a news conference, here.

Mahathir said the party’s interest should be the priority in making a decision.

“If we think this will be best for the party, we should take action accordingly, but it is up to her (Shahrizat) to make the decision,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mahathir urged the public to decide for themselves whether the out-of-court settlement between former Malaysia Airlines (MAS) executive chairman Tajudin Ramli and Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Bhd was a cover-up.

Asked whether the settlement was a case swept under the carpet, he said: “I don’t know. I am not in the government. This is for the government to answer.

“This is a democratic country. If you think the government is sweeping things under the carpet, you can always decide not to support the government.”

Yesterday, Tajudin and national asset management firm, Pengurusan Danaharta, reached an out-of-court settlement concerning a civil suit filed six years ago over RM589 million in debts incurred by the corporate figure for the purchase of MAS shares.

Asked whether the terms of the settlement should be made public, Mahathir said, “You should conduct a campaign to ask them to open up and tell people how much of public money they have spent”.

- Bernama

ABU in Bandar Tun Razak on 17/2/2012

Click on the banner to view it in full size.
See you all there.
Yes, I’ve been asked to speak and I will be there.

Use Of Indelible Ink For Voting Comes Into Force

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 15 (Bernama) -- The use of indelible ink for voting in general elections comes into force today following it being gazetted on Feb 13, said Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof.

He said the EC has made plans to use indelible ink during the 13th general election.

However, he said the ink had yet to be purchased as it can only be used within three months.

"We cannot order the ink early because after three months, the ink will no longer be indelible," he said during an interview by Suhaimi Mohammad on the "Dialog" programme titled "Daftar dan Undi" (Register and Vote) aired live on RTM1 here Wednesday night.

Abdul Aziz added: "It will take only two weeks to receive the ink. Our preparation in terms of the boxes, bottles and bottle lids is already underway."

He said the EC would put an order for the ink as soon as dissolution of Parliament is announced.

Abdul Aziz said, however, the colour of the ink had yet to be determined and that it would not be used for postal voting.

He advised voters not to allow other parties to ink their fingers before arriving at voting centres to ensure their eligibility to vote is not compromised.

He said voters would have their left forefinger inked at their respective voting centres, adding that use of the ink had been approved by the Chemistry Department, Health Ministry and National Fatwa Committee.

On Dec 19, 2011, Abdul Aziz announced that the EC would use silver nitrate indelible ink for the 13th general election, which is different from the indelible ink proposed during the 2008 general election, but was not implemented after the method's effectiveness was questioned by various quarters.