My political thoughts during the Hunger Viratham Day Ten 19th March 2013

When this kind of situation is occasional, you can say it is because of the individual. But when you see the same phenomenon repeated at a social scale across the country, it is no more individual caused. This is exactly what the political class does not  accept.

P. Waythamoorthy 

Today is the 10th day of my Hunger Viratham. Over the weekend we have had people streaming in steadily to the temple, all feeling an inner compulsion to share in my prayers. The warm touches, the hugs, the tears, Vibuthi to my forehead, their words, and their looks all keep feeding me with strength. I may be getting weak physically but my strength to fight this oppressive system only gets stronger with every passing day and with every warm touch.

Today I want to write about Displaced Estate Workers to clarify some history. This knowledge of history and the consequences are necessary for informed decision making to solve national social problems, something which is sorely lacking. I hope this will help.

Part five

Displaced Estate Workers.

In my presentation at the UN office in Geneva in April 2008, I was not sure if using the term “Internally Displaced Persons”  for the evicted Estate workers in Malaysia was appropriate,. Part way through my presentation, I paused and asked the officials of the UN if the term “Internally Displaced Persons” was accurate to describe the workers in Malaysia who were evicted from the estates and they readily agreed with me. So, there we have it, another distinct problem that we have identified and given expression to.

The UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement defines Internally displaced persons as "persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border."

In the case of displaced Malaysian Indians they are forced to leave their homes and places of habitual residence as a result of development programs of the state and in violation of their fundamental rights. The Indians have lived and worked in the estates for generations and in some cases the forefathers may have lived there as far as the late 1800s.

The British brought in South Indian laborers – whom they considered best for the picking jobs in the plantations for a good 100 years from 1830s- 1938. They modified both British India policy as well as British Malaya policies with the tacit approvals of the Malay rulers to facilitate this mass movement. They set up infrastructure on both sides of the Ocean to facilitate the flow of South Indian labor, the British splurged on significant false propaganda to the gullible South Indian poor about the good life, about a good future in the “land of plenty in Malaya”.

The British offered free and heavily subsidized fares to travel to Penang, to Port Swettenham and to Singapore for these laborers from Nagapattinam, a port town in India. These laborers could hardly afford the tickets from their villages to the port town of Nagapattinam let alone to Malaya. Historical records that I have collated clearly tell this tale of forced migration to Malaya all for the profit of British enterprises and only for the profit of these enterprises.  

This stream of migrants coming into Malaya was termed assisted migration. This accounted for the largest part of the migration. There was yet another stream of migration called unassisted migration. These were the traders, the teachers, the hospital assistants, the money lenders, the policemen, the lawyers, the doctors etc. These unassisted migrants mainly populated the urban centres while those that came in as assisted migrants formed the hundreds of rural Indian communities deep within the estates.

To further boost migration each labourer who had completed his/her indenture period of 2 years were promised a minimum of 5 acres each for them to settle in Malaya permanently. So this is clear proof that for the most part Malayan Indians were not “pendatangs” but invitees of the Malay Rulers and British Government then acting in the capacity of advising the Malay rulers.

But the promises of land were never fulfilled by the Malay Rulers and the British Government ruling in Malaya. The Indians effectively became slaves. For generations they had the “Nambikei” that one day the British and the Malay Rulers would take care of them. Even at the point of independence they were not granted land by the British as what had happened to similar workers exported by the Britishers to Guyana and Surinam.

Post independence the Indians went about their lives believing the estates would be forever. In the 1970’s however, when rubber price fell the Government devised new plans for the economy and for the plantations. These plans were to have disastrous effects on the lives of the estate workers in the ensuing years. The estate workers were evicted from the estates as these estates were turned into development land for commercial, industrial or residential purposes or were replanted with oil palms. These workers were evicted without adequate compensation, housing, alternative temples, alternative job opportunities or new skills training. Most estate workers are given compensation ranging from RM3,00 –RM5,000 in the 1970’s and in the current times about RM10,000 for working and contributing to the country’s economy for almost 4-5 generations – a pittance.

The implications of this devastating forced displacement are best understood by looking at the life of one evicted worker who is a 4th generation Malaysian Indian. When she talked to me about the eviction she was so distraught and she said that all the family had known was the estate for 3 generations. And they were summarily told to leave. Their option was to move to the fringes of the town adjacent to the estate. Before this eviction their visits to the towns were mainly for some occasion. Otherwise their lives revolved within the estates. They had a small kebun a couple of cows, some chicken and grew some vegetables. The estate temple was the centre of their social and religious lives. Her parents were married in that temple; her marriage was in that temple too. Now it was all gone. So, too with the estate school. It was gone too. Her community was completely destroyed when they were all evicted. Each family found their different ways out of this eviction and moved out helter skelter. Now she was staying in one of the low cost flats. Before moving to these flats they had lived for many years on tanah haram. Their children now grown up had put together enough money to purchase this flat. If they had not the children, they would have been condemned to a perpetually squalid life in their tanah haram shacks. With their incomes and the pittance for compensation there was no way they could have bought a flat on their own and no bank would give them a loan either to support their purchase.

This is just one of the stories of the 800,000 displaced estate workers. Each displaced worker will have a story similar to tell. Almost all Indian households have a link to this common past. Most are still stuck in this trap of poverty. This is why Hindraf seeks a permanent solution in the form of state intervention to get these people out of the trap and to put them on a level playing field and to give them an even shot at life.

Without a proper program to support the displaced during the displacement process, the result contains many of the elements of the life described above. When this kind of situation is occasional, you can say it is because of the individual. But when you see the same phenomenon repeated at a social scale across the country, it is no more individual caused. This is exactly what the political class does not accept. The outcomes of these are daily visible in the social statistics – yet the politicians across both sides of the divide prefer to remain ignorant. Their way of dismissing all this is to simply think of all our demands to correct this situation as “terlalu”.

The displaced estate worker problem is a long recognized problem by the elite. They just do not care enough to address it. These displaced workers are the ones that form the lowest ranks of Malaysian society. The way they got there or what is needed to get them out of there is unique to the extent of the specific historical circumstances. So, the statement of some half baked politicians that the source of poverty is the same for the Chinese, the Malaysia and the Indians is plain dumb and at best is just self serving.

The Chinese and Indians screwed up

There is some chatter going on in the Internet regarding the New Economic Policy (NEP) so I thought that maybe I would address this issue. Some readers, however, have said they are incapable of reading my 3-4-page articles. Some say they only read the titles and then start posting comments based on the title. For the sake of these people who want to read brief articles, today I shall try to be as brief as possible.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

In 1981, Tun (then Dato' Seri) Dr Mahathir Mohamad took over as Malaysia’s Fourth Prime Minister.

Soon after he took office he invited members of the Malay and Chinese Chambers of Commerce for dinner at the Equatorial Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. He then placed five Malays and five Chinese at each table for ten and made us all sit alternate to one another.

Dr Mahathir then told the Malays that the NEP had run for more than 11 years and had less than nine years to go before it ended. And, as promised, it will end in 1990 because it is not fair to the non-Malays to extend it beyond 20 years. Hence the Malays need to be prepared to face this day.

Dr Mahathir also told the Chinese that they would need to work with the Malays and help them achieve the aspirations of the NEP so that the government can end the NEP in 1990 as planned. If the NEP ended far short of the target, then this might create a lot of dissatisfaction, which is not good for the stability of the country when one race harbours a grudge against another.

In 1991, Dr Mahathir proposed that the Third Bumiputera Economic Congress be held at the PWTC where the various races, political parties from both Barisan Nasional and the Opposition, Malay-Chinese-Indian Chambers of Commerce, associations, societies, movements, NGOs, etc., could sit down for three days to discuss the ending of the NEP and how the government should face the post-NEP era and address the various short-comings in the social reengineering experiment of 1970-1990.

(SEE MORE HERE: http://www.pmo.gov.my/ucapan/?m=p&p=mahathir&id=210)

At this Congress, which was held in January 1992, the audience was shocked by the public quarrel between Anwar Ibrahim, the then Finance Minister, and Rafidah Aziz, the Trade and Industry Minister. These two Ministers plus the other members of the Cabinet could not agree on a common policy.

The non-Malay members of the Congress, in particular the Chinese and Indians, did not put forward any proposals and attended the session merely as silent observers. They just listened to what the Malay participants had to say without contributing any ideas.

Eventually, the Congress ended without any concrete proposals other than the 20-point Memorandum from the Malay Chamber of Commerce (which Raja Petra Kamarudin presented to Tan Sri Sanusi Junid), which the government accepted as merely an Addendum to the main Resolution from the Congress proper, which was that the Congress left it to the government to resolve the issue of what to do in the post-NEP era.

For all intents and purposes, the Congress failed because the Cabinet Ministers, the non-Malay participants, the members of the Opposition parties, and the Chinese and Indian Chambers of Commerce, did not contribute any ideas and proposals that the government could consider and adopt as Malaysia’s new policy post-NEP.

UMNO Guna Isu Lahad Datu Bukan Sebagai Isu Keselamatan

As the Altantuya Murder Plot Thickens

By Kee Thuan Chye | Bull Bashing

Commentary

Private investigator P. Balasubramaniam is gone, and his untimely death from a heart attack makes it all the more pressing for Malaysians to find answers to the mystery of the murder of the Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Who actually did it? Logically, it would seem unlikely that the two police personnel who have been convicted acted on their own. What would be the motive of Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri? They didn’t even know Altantuya before they whisked her away and dealt the fatal blow. It would seem they were merely hitmen.

Furthermore, according to Sirul’s cautioned statement, they were offered RM50,000 to RM100,000 to dispose of Altantuya. If this is true, who made the offer?

Other questions float in limbo like ghosts whose souls have not been put to rest. How did these two men get their hands on the C4 explosive used to blow Altantuya’s body to smithereens? It’s something that is difficult to procure. Did they have help from certain quarters?

Bala had said that he wanted to reveal what he knew about matters related to the murder in order to bring justice to Altantuya and the two convicted men. But now he is unable to testify in court.

He did, however, manage to come home from exile to publicly announce that he stood by his first statutory declaration (SD) in which he implicated Prime Minister Najib Razak – if only in the sense that the latter knew Altantuya and had had a sexual relationship with her, and that he might have influenced the attorney-general on the handling of the murder trial.

This first SD also stated that although Bala gave a statement to the police that included Najib’s alleged relationship with Altantuya, what he was given to sign omitted this detail. And when he gave testimony at the murder trial, the lawyers never asked him about that relationship either.

So seemingly damning was this first SD that the very next day, Bala took everyone by surprise when he came out with a second SD that not only retracted the entire contents of the first but also specifically named as being untrue all the parts that referred to Najib.

Since then, businessman Deepak Jaikishan has come out to divulge that he was involved in getting Bala to make the second SD, together with Najib’s brother, Nazim. He said he did this at the request of Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, and that Najib arranged for a senior lawyer to prepare the second SD. He said he regretted getting involved: “It was the biggest mistake I have made.”

Does this vindicate Bala? Well, it depends on whether Deepak is telling the truth. Najib has said Deepak is “not credible” and dismissed what he has revealed as “not an issue”, even though it reinforces Bala’s statement that Najib allegedly knew Altantuya.

And now to further consolidate Deepak’s allegations about the second SD, Bala’s lawyer, Americk Singh, has disclosed to the Bar Council that the senior lawyer who Deepak said prepared it is Cecil Abraham.

Americk said Cecil disclosed this to him in confidence, and – even more interesting – that Cecil said he was acting on instructions from Najib.

Americk apologised to Cecil for breaking his promise of confidence, but felt he had to make it for the sake of carrying on Bala’s quest for justice. To many, Americk did the right thing.

The obvious next step now is for the relevant authorities to query Cecil to verify if this is true. Of course, it could still be one man’s word against the other’s. If Cecil did prepare the second SD knowing that it would contradict Bala’s true intent, he would be guilty of professional misconduct. But if he denies it, and assuming that he believes Bala’s first SD to be true, he would be maligning the word of a man who has just died.

It will be a tough call for Cecil. And even if he were to admit that it was Najib who gave him the instructions, it still may not prove anything unless he has black-and-white evidence of those instructions, or someone else was present to corroborate the fact.

In view of all the allegations that have come about and the keenness of Malaysians to get to the bottom of the murder mystery, perhaps it’s time for everyone concerned to do the right thing. Including Najib.

Some of the pieces seem to fit, and although the picture that emerges may be hazy and inconclusive, his face keeps popping up because of certain circumstances. For example, the two men who have been convicted were at the time of the murder serving as bodyguards to then prime minister Abdullah Badawi and also to Najib. And DSP Musa Safri, who is said to have been a potentially important witness but never called to the stand, was Najib’s aide-de-camp then.

At some point, Najib must surely have to come out and categorically debunk the allegations. Saying that Deepak lacks credibility is not enough to convince the people. And although Najib has sworn on the Quran that he has never met Altantuya, this may not satisfy logical minds.

The impression one gets is that Najib prefers to ignore the issue so that it won’t get any bigger, and that he hopes people will in time forget. But the issue is not getting smaller, and people have not forgotten after seven years.

As such, Najib is being confronted with a big dilemma. As the plot of the Altantuya mystery continues to thicken and he continues to distance himself from it, he could be leading the ruling party into the upcoming general election with an albatross around his neck.

* Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the bestselling book No More Bullshit, Please, We’re All Malaysians, and the latest volume, Ask for No Bullshit, Get Some More!

Shooting suspect dies in lock-up

The New Straits Times

JOHOR BARU: A man, who allegedly shot his Indonesian wife to death, had died in police custody on Sunday.

Seri Alam police chief Superintendent Roslan Zainuddin said the 55-year-old businessman, whose identity has been withheld, died of a heart attack at 7.05am in the lock-up.

His body was claimed by his brother from Perak at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital mortuary here yesterday.

His wife, Then Sui Moi, 40, was found with a gunshot wound in the chest at their home in Taman Johor Jaya on March 7.

It was reported that the man was seen leaving the house in a hurry at 10.45am after a heated argument.

Last Thursday, the businessman surrendered himself at the police station, bringing along the weapon that was said to have been used in the shooting of Then.

Transformation Policy Has Succeeded In Ensuring Every Malaysian Feel The Progress, Says Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tonight tabled an impressive "report card" from the implementation of the ambitious national transformation programme which has benefited Malaysians from all strata of society.

He said the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) and the Economic Transformation Programme which support Malaysia's vision to emerge as a high-income advanced nation in its own mould is the prime goal and not merely economic indicators.

"I believe the people not only can see, hear and evaluate what has been implemented, but also feel the impact," he said when launching the National Transformation Progamme Annual Report Tuesday night.

"I would like to report to the people that with the cooperation and the hardwork of all parties, be they the masses, the private sector, civil servants and members of the administration, the bulk of the planned objectives have been achieved," he said.

The Prime Minister said the ETP and GTP were "very bold experiments" ever implemented by any government in the world in practising the principles of transparency and accountability besides proving the government's commitment to the 1Malaysia philosophy -- People First, Performance Now.

"In this respect, the country's success can be seen through the higher per capita gross domestic product (GDP) from US$257 in 1957 to US$9,970 last year.

"This is nearly 4,000 per cent increase in more than five decades," said Najib, who is also Finance Minister.

Najib said the higher quality of life was clearly evident from the Household Income Survey figures.

The survey showed that average monthly household income in Malaysia has increased from RM4,025 in 2009 to RM5,000 last year.

"This showed a more than 1,200 per cent increase since the survey was conducted since 1974," he said.

Najib said the initiatives implemented under the GTP have succeeded in providing a better quality of life to low-income earners.

Among the initiatives are RM2.34 billion 1Malaysa People's Aid (BRIM) to more than six million people and RM524 million for 5.24 million students.

In efforts to uplift the people's standard of living, a total of 106,967 people were roped into the "Azam Kerja", "Azam Niaga", "Azam Khidmat" and "Azam Tani" programmes besides extending micro financing through Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, Tekun Nasional and Yayasan Usaha Maju, he said.

To improve students' academic achievements, the pre-school enrolment has been increased to nearly 770,000 last year or 80 per cent of the age group, the prime minister said.

The GTP, the brainchild of Najib, was implemented under the purview of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) in the Prime Minister's Department.

There are seven National Key Result Areas under the GTP. They are to reduce crime, eradicate corruption, improve education quality, upgrade rural development and improve urban public transport and the living standard of low-income earners and to tackle cost of living.

The launch of the ETP, also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and cabinet ministers, was televised live by RTM.

On the ETP achievement, Najib said private investments grew by more than three fold, recording a 22 per cent increase last year.

The ETP was launched in late 2010.

In line with the ETP objectives and with the private sector playing the pivotal role in driving the nation's economy, the private sector investment ratio had registered a consistent increase, he said.

"In 2009, total private investment, which was at 52 per cent, rose to 58 per cent last year," he said.

Najib said this proved the private sector's growing confidence in the national transformation initiatives, with the private sector investment value surpassing the target by RM139.5 billion, driven by high capital expenditure in the manufacturing, services and mining sectors.

"Private sector investment is important as it influences the economic growth rate. Bigger private sector investment growth coupled with the higher economic growth will generate national revenue which will emable the government to implement more initiatives for the people's benefit," he said.

Najib also said nearly 50 foreign tourists visited Malaysia in 2011 and 2012, contributing close to RM100 billion to the GDP, while in the Greater Kuala Lumpur development, My Rapid Transit has disbursed 48 contract packages totalling RM19.8 billion.

He said 45 per cent or RM8.9 billion worth of the contracts or the bulk of the contracts have been awarded to Bumiputera contractors.

In the oil and gas sector, the RAPID project in Pengerang, Johor, will create business opportunities to 4,000 people and construction work to 20,000 people, he added.

Najib also said 1,087 sundry shop owners have participated in the TUKAR programme, with average sales increasing by 30 pe cent.

Taib Mahmud responds to Global Witness expose (Video)

Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud has responded to an undercover sting video that suggested shady land deals were rampant in the state. See the video below:

What do you think of his response? He looks a bit indignant – or is it flustered? He is not stopping to explain in much detail, is he?

He denies his cousins were his intermediaries but then he doesn’t explain why the ‘investors’ found themselves referred to his relatives despite using official channels in the beginning.

Credit to the journalist who posed the questions to him.

Is HINDRAF blueprint a fact of fallacy for humanity to survival?

Is HINDRAF blueprint a fact of fallacy for humanity to survival?

Pre GE12, you had more than 100,000 Malaysian Indians gathered to voice their grievance? Fact or fallacy?

The opposition parties ran their political agenda solely on Makkal Sakthi, should watch their videos. Fact or Fallacy? Even promised Kg Buah Pala folks but we all know what happened when politically expediency was at play.  

Post GE12, with Pakatan in power nothing has changed for the Malaysian Indians because 110,000 land titles in 349 land titles in 349 Rancangan Kampung Tersusun for Malay muslims in Perak; 102,000 land titles in 134 Chinese New  Villages in Perak. 10 acres to each and every Orang asli in Perak; 1,000 acres of land and RM100 Million for pig farming in Sepang Selangor and  more than 607 (Chinese) New Villages nationwide with 1.2 million villagers. Fact or fallacy? 

Looking at Indian villages within PR hold like Kg Muniandi, Kg Ghandi, Kg Kanchang Puteh, kg Chikadee, Kg DBI, Kg Buah Pala, Kg Bengali, nothing happened. Fact or fallacy?  

Let’s look at the PR manisfesto, for Sabahans/Sarawakians; 1) Raising oil royalty from 5% to 20%. 2) Appointment of Sabahans and Sarawakians to lead and hold office in the Govt. 3) Cleaning up citizenship registry list. 4) Recognition of customary land rights. 5) Raising the level of infrastructure development.

Orang Asli's : 1) Preserving orang Asli customary land rights and welfare. 2) 141k hectares of land reserved. 3) Water and Electricity supplied to Orang Asli settlements. 4) 5000 educational scholarships for Orang Asli students ( Isn’t this all catered in the constitution)

For Chinese : 1) PR will recognize the certificate for Combined Chinese Secondary Schools for the purpose of furthering academic admission to higher education institutions.

For Malays: 1) Abolishing PTPTN loans and as such billions of taxpayers money will be wiped out from existing loans taken but not paid up by irresponsible Malays. 2) Justice for Felda settlers. 3) RM 500 mil allocated for Military Veterans. Increasing govt contribution to Armed Forces Fund Board from 15% to 20% and an addition 5% to a special fund for them. Introducing a soldiers Divident - RM 2k per year. 4) Dissolving 1MDD so that Khazanah remains sole state investment body but Khazanah has been years run in a shady manner benefiting exclusively for Malays primarily. 5) GLC's to be tuned to produce more viable Bumiputra entrepreneurs. 6) Going to double Tabung Haji Fund 7) More allocations for Islamic religious depts 8) adding value to wakaf land.

Now as a Malaysian Indian, I try to understand why we need to be the scapegoat when we have the same aspiration as the rest of the Malaysian? Is this a fact or fallacy?  

Hmmm!!!!, Malaysian Indians not relevant in Malaysia except when we want their votes, fact or fallacy?

Conclusion, whenever it involves a Malaysian Indian, they can be pushovers because it becomes a fallacy for how it breeds for the rest no matter how the truth is self sustained for the fact. Fact or fallacy?

Back to my first question, is HINDRAF blueprint a fact or fallacy?  Fallacy is a melting pot, truth isn’t because it is self sustained not worrying of the possibilities as it is self evidenced for humanity to prevail for the oppressed and marginalized poorer segment of the Malaysian Indians. Hee!!!, Hee !!! Is this fact or fallacy again in an objective manner or a subjective one for how the waves shore us individually to safety?  

-R.Shan (Human Being)

Cyprus shuts banks as bailout backfires

The latest European bailout is blowing up.

Cypriots protest against the EU bailout, which would require a one-time tax on bank deposits.

Two days after the European Union revealed a €10 billion rescue for Cyprus, the tiny island nation said its banks would not reopen at least until Thursday to give it more time to win the backing of parliament for a controversial tax on deposits.

The unprecedented tax on bank deposits led to a run on cash machines in Cyprus over the weekend. It also spooked investors, who feared that other weak eurozone states could eventually be forced down the same path, despite EU statements to the contrary.

Shares across the region fell Monday, and banks were hit particularly hard. The prices of government bonds across southern Europe also fell, pushing up yields. There were no signs of bank runs in other European countries, including Italy and Spain.

"The contagion from Cyprus is fairly limited but there is a tail risk that this measure could backfire," wrote Berenberg Bank analysts in a note.

As part of the plan to rescue Cyprus' outsized banking sector and head off national default, the EU said deposits of more than €100,000 would be subject to a one-off levy of 9.9%. Smaller depositors would be subject to a levy of 6.75%.

It was the first time that the EU has insisted on such terms for bank depositors as part of a bailout. The EU's bailouts of other nations, such as Greece, have been accompanied by strict budget restrictions and led to losses for bond holders and shareholders.

Related: 5 reasons why Cyprus bailout matters

Parliament had been due to vote on the plan Monday -- a bank holiday in Cyprus -- with the tax due to take effect Tuesday. But officials were working on changes to the proposals to force richer savers to bear a bigger share of the cost, reducing the burden on those with less than €100,000 in deposits, according to reports.

The speaker of the parliament confirmed that the debate had been delayed until Tuesday, with a vote tentatively scheduled for midday ET.

Eurozone finance ministers were due to hold an emergency teleconference on Monday to discuss the delay, a eurozone official said.

Analysts said the levy set a dangerous precedent and could undermine depositors' belief that their savings are safe.

"The Cyprus deal may prompt Europeans to question that," wrote financial markets analyst and blogger Louise Cooper. "A fundamental safeguard to Europe's banking industry has been compromised for a tiny country costing 10-20 billion euros to bailout -- not a good trade."

The bailout, while small compared to the emergency loans supporting other troubled European nations like Greece, represents more than half the size of the €18 billion Cyprus economy. Cyprus is the third smallest economy in the eurozone, bigger only than Malta and Estonia.

The problem is its banking sector, which is several times the size of the economy. The country made a formal request for help last June after its banks were decimated by losses on Greek debt -- losses that caused lending to stall and sent the economy into a deep recession.

Negotiations on a bailout stalled last year after a previous government objected to the conditions that international lenders were looking to attach. They restarted following the election of President Nicos Anastasiades last month.

Related: Europe financial sector is fragile, says IMF

EU concerns about money laundering also hampered progress on a bailout. Cypriot banks have large volumes of international deposits, with Russian businesses believed to hold about $19 billion, according to ratings agency Moody's. As part of the bailout deal, Cyprus has agreed to an international anti-money laundering audit.

Russia has come to Cyprus' aid in the past, providing a €2.5 billion loan in 2011 to shore up government finances, but its participation in the new rescue was looking uncertain Monday after President Vladimir Putin attacked the tax on bank deposits.

"If such a decision was made, it would be unfair, unprofessional and dangerous," Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying.

In addition, a finance ministry spokesman said Russia was reviewing its position after not being consulted on the decision to impose the levy.

The International Monetary Fund was expected to contribute to the deal as it has in others. Christine Lagarde, the fund's managing director, said Saturday that she supports the terms and would recommend that the IMF help provide financing for it.

In addition to the tax on bank deposits, other conditions for the bailout loans include an overhaul of the financial sector and an increase in corporate taxes.

Cyprus is the fourth of 17 eurozone states to be granted a bailout by its EU partners and the IMF, after Greece, Ireland and Portugal. Spain has been given EU assistance to rescue its banks, but has so far avoided asking for a full sovereign bailout.

-- CNN's Elinda Labropoulou and Charlie Charalambous contributed to this article. To top of page

A Black Phase in the History of West Bengal. The nasty repression upon Hindu Organisations and Hindu Leaders by TMC Government.

Worsening West Bengal due the limitless appeasement of Muslims at the cost of Hindu oppression…

Upananda Brahmachari| Kolkata | 15 March 2013:: Sri Tapan kumar Ghosh, one of the Founders and President of Hindu Samhati (A prime state level Hindu Organisation in West Bengal) was arrested on 14-03-2013 morning and was produced in Bankshall Court by Kolkata Police in afternoon. As the actual case caused in S 24 Pgs (Kultali PS), he was placed into transit remand accordingly. Subsequently, he was produced at Baruipur ACJM Court on 15-03-2013. Unfortunately, the bail has not been granted and next date for hearing is fixed on 28-03-13 for Kultali PS Case No. 71/2013. Advocate Samir Pal, Advocate Shantanu Singh, S G Das, Legal Advisor HS, Swarup Dutta, HRA and others were present in Baruipur ACJM Court. The legal cell of Hindu Samhati is contemplating to move Judges Court, Alipore as the case has no material for the charge under 307 IPC. No heavy injury report could be produced by the state. The other charges against Shri Ghosh are 147/148/149/332/333/353/427/152/153/109/186/507/186 I.P.C.

It is really a Black Phase in the History of Bengal. A nasty repression is rolling over the common Hindus by various means by the pay-loader of West Bengal State Police under the specific instruction of WB CM, Mamtaz Banu Arjee. All Hindu Rights for Social Demands/Programmes/Organisations are totally under a TMC (Total Muslim Congress) oppression and grossly violated. The Bail plea for Hindu Samhati President was rejected in the afternoon. Now the Basanti Police Station came all on a sudden this evening at 5 Bhuban Dhar Lane, Kolkata – 700 012 to arrest (read ‘abduct’) Sri Bikarna Naskar, one state leader of Hindu Samhati. As per latest news, Bikarna is under 3rd Degree torture by a Police Inspector named Shaidul. DID YOU WANT THIS ISLAMIC CHANGE IN BENGAL? PROTEST. PROTEST. PROTEST. Write wall to free HS Leaders. Organise protest rally, give written deputation everywhere.

Though Sri Tapan Ghosh’s confinement is connected with Jalaberia Protest over Canning Violence upon Hindus, it is not clear about the arrest of Sri Bikarna Naskar by Basanti Police troop in civil dress.

It is reported that the police is trying to give some arms cases to Bikarna to book him for a long time, so that he cannot proceed for his normal Hindu organizational work.

The Police action upon the Hindu activists are all time high in West Bengal. Just on 07 March 2013, the Hindu Existence Forum arranged the bail of Five HS activists under Usthi PS from Diamond Harbour Criminal Court (Usthi PS Case No 40/13). Sri Tapan Kumar Biswas, Ld Advocate pleaded successfully to arrange the bails for 1) Bablu Ghosh (S/O Sushil), 2) Goutam Mondal (S/O Joydev), 3) Probir Naskar (S/O Jatin), 4) Dilip Naskar (S/O Panchanan) and 5) Pratap Hazra (S/O Judhisthir Hazra). Sri Pratap Hazra is a prominent dist. level leader of Hindu Samhati of South 24 Parganas, a Islamist prone southern district of West Bengal. The bail for Pratap and others was granted on the condition of attendence to Local PS, thrice in a week, until further order. The Charges were framed u/s 147/148/149/295A/323/325/379/506 and 392 IPC. But, the Advocates of Hindu Existence Forum moved for this case very tactically and arranged the bail in a record shortest time.

Now, it has been confirmed that Sri Saurav Shasmal, one of the prominent whole timer of Hindu Samhati was arrested from Kakdwip (South 24 Pgs) on Thursday and sent to Diamond Harbour Jail on Friday (15-03-2012) with another HS activist. Sasmals were arrested when they were conducting a protest meeting at Kakdwip with a demand to free Tapan Ghosh immediately. IPC 153/153A/295A etc. have been mentioned in the FIR, as being stated. (This para is updated on 17-03-2013).

The situation of West Bengal is speedily worsening due the limitless appeasement of Muslims at the cost of Hindu oppression.

HINDU EXISTENCE RED ALERT: A RED ALERT TO ALL HINDU ORGs AND ALL ITS HINDU LEADERS. PLZ DONT MOVE ALONE. KEEP THE PROVISIONS FOR SELF DEFENSE. PLZ ORGANIZE SHORT TRAINING CAMPS FOR SELF DEFENSE, MARTIAL ARTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS, LEGAL AIDS & RTI PROGRAMMES. WITHOUT APPROPRIATE TRAINING, HINDU ORGs ARE BASELESS. THE TOTAL HINDU SAMAJ IS FACING THESE TYPES OF HAZARDS DUE TO LACK OF SUFFICIENT TRAINING & PROPER VISION OF LEADERSHIP.
1. Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America Requests Governor of West Bengal to Ensure Safety and Immediate Release of Hindu Samhati Volunteers. (L)
2. An NRI’s appeal to the Governor of West Bengal, Shri MK Narayanan. (R)

  

Source of the letter of Mr S K Pal: HS Website.

Demonstration by Hindusthan Nirman Dal in Delhi on 15-03-2013 to Release Tapan Ghosh, President, Hindu Samhati and to protest the rampant Muslim appeasement in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

  

   

Muslims concerned after pork DNA found in Halal school meals

Muslim leaders in east London have expressed concern after the discovery of pork DNA in Halal sausages served in a primary school in Westminster

In a statement released last week the East London Mosque and London Muslim Centre, based in Whitechapel Road, said they were “deeply concerned” by the findings.

Under Islamic law, Muslims are forbidden from eating pork.

“As consumption of pork or meat that has not been slaughtered in accordance with their faith is strictly prohibited, there will be serious issues of concern and mistrust between Muslim parents and schools across London”, the statement read.

“We hope a resolution can be sought quickly and effectively as possible.”

The statement continued by emphasizing the need for a “rigorous and transparent” investigation.

Halal meat is served in schools across Tower Hamlets.

A spokesperson for the borough’s council said it had investigated the meat served in its schools to ensure it is free from horse meat or pork.

He added: “We will continue to closely monitor the situation and take whatever action is necessary to ensure that the food served in our schools is the best it can be.”

Child Rape in Indonesia a 'National Emergency'

Indah Kristina, a working mother with a 5-year-old daughter, is deeply concerned about the string of

media reports on sexual abuse of children in Indonesia over the past few months.

“I’m scared to think that it could have been my child. I don’t even want to take my eyes off of her because I noticed many victims were raped or sexually abused by people they knew and trusted,” the 31-year-old event organizer told the
Jakarta Globe.

However, as a single mother, Indah must work and leave her daughter in the care of teachers or a nanny from time to time. Indah said she started giving her young daughter lessons about her own body in very simple ways that she could easily understand.

“I can’t watch her 24 hours a day, so I told her that not everybody can touch her private parts. My daughter also knows she’s not allowed to let any man enter her room without supervision,” she said.

In the past few months, Indonesia has been rocked by shocking cases of children being sexually abused.

In January, an 11-year-old girl fell into coma for six days and later died of infection. Doctors confirmed she had been sexually abused and contracted sexually transmitted diseases from her rapist.

It was later learned that the girl was raped several times by her own father.

In late February, the family of a 5-year-old boy filed a report to the police after he was allegedly sodomized by his neighbors, a police officer and a construction worker.

The boy was severely traumatized, and medical examination revealed he had been sexually abused.

Shortly after the case went public, the family had to evacuate after being intimidated by neighbors who did not believe the boy’s claim and thought the family was trying to stir up trouble.

“We have already declared 2013 as a year of national emergency over child sexual abuse. This is totally unacceptable,” said Arist Merdeka Sirait, chairman of the National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA), a nongovernmental organization advocating children’s issues.

Arist said there had been a worrying escalation in the number of child sex abuse cases. In 2010, Komnas PA received 2,046 reports of violence against children, 42 percent of which were sexual.

In 2012, the figure had risen to 2,637 cases, 62 percent of them sexual abuse.

“Remember this is just the tip of the iceberg, many more cases go unreported,” Arist added.

Maria Advianti, secretary of the Indonesian Commission on Child Protection (KPAI), said the most worrying part was that most rape or sexual abuses were committed by family members.

“In such cases, the probability of the victim filing a report is even lower.”

Maria said rape committed by family members usually went unreported because the family could not bear the shame if it was publicly known.

“We have heard cases where daughters were raped by their own fathers for years, in such cases where it would be impossible for the mothers to be totally ignorant, she said.

“I believe the mothers knew but were too afraid to say anything out of shame, or because the fathers were the bread-winner, and if the fathers went to jail the family would not have any means to survive.”

Community’s role

“We need to change society’s mindset. People must know that there is nothing private when it comes to rape or domestic violence,” Arist said.

“The neighborhood has a shared responsibility to be aware of what’s happening in their surroundings, and if the neighbor knows something but doesn’t say anything about it because they believe it’s none of their business then they too must be held accountable.”

Gregorius Pandu Setiawan, a prominent psychiatrist and former director of mental health at the Ministry of Health, echoed that sentiment, saying communities must be alert all the time.

“Children are the easiest prey for sexual predators because they are completely powerless against adults, physically and psychologically, not to mention most abuses come with a threat, so terrified children do not say anything. It’s society’s job to notice if something is wrong,” he said.

Pandu said that in urban areas there was a growing trend of people gradually stopping to care about what’s going on in their surroundings.

“It has happened in a densely populated city like Jakarta: with so many stress triggers in their life, people simply do not care about what’s going on,” he said.

Arist said children would continue to be victimized by sexual predators as long as Indonesians did not perceive sex abuse as a serious crime.

“Sadly it has been deeply ingrained in our permissive society that women and children are sex objects, and we need to re-educate our people so that nobody should be subjected to such atrocities. We need to speak up,” he said.

In late 2012, a 14-year-old student in Depok was expelled from her school after she was kidnapped and raped by a man she met online.

The growing use of the Internet and social media in Indonesia has also played a role in the escalating number of cases of sexual abuse against children.

Last week, a 15-year-old junior high school student was raped by several men after she agreed to meet someone she befriended on Facebook.

“In the social media era, even 10-year-olds have started using Facebook or Twitter. Parents must take control before it’s too late,” Arist warned.

“Internet use is inevitable in this age, and we can’t stop our children from using it, but we can teach them how to use the Internet healthily.”

Arist said many children spend excessive amounts of time in front of computers or gadgets because their family was dysfunctional and did not provide them with security or a sense of protection. He said unhappy children would resort to the Internet to seek attention and could easily fall prey to seduction by strangers.

“Many of those children who agreed to meet their captors were loners who did not get the affection they wanted from their family. Strengthening family values and spending more quality time with our children might change this, he added.

Maria proposed that parents monitor what their children were doing on the Internet carefully.

“Don’t give them limited access to the Internet but assist and guide them. Parents must also check what the children have been browsing,” she said.

Tougher laws, or better enforcement?

Arist said the growing prevalence of child sexual abuse indicated a failure in the Indonesian legal system.

“Clearly our current law isn’t working, it doesn’t provide any deterrent for the perpetrator,” he said.

Under the 2002 Law on Child Protection, anyone who has intercourse with a minor can face up to 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of Rp 60 million ($6,200).

“We need to revise the law; the minimum punishment for child sex abuse should be at least 15 years while the maximum sanction should be a life sentence,” Arist said.

“There should be additional punishments if the perpetrators were the parents, teachers, or police officers of the children, and supposed to protect them.”

But Maria said Indonesia did not need to revise the law, just make sure law enforcement was upheld.

“I think the current law is sufficient, it’s the enforcement that concerns me; many times prosecutors only demand seven to eight years for the perpetrators, so they could walk free in a few years,” she said.

University of Indonesia criminologist Erlangga Masdiana said harsher punishments alone would not be enough to reduce the rate of sexual violence in Indonesia.

“The problem is much more complex than that. There’s the demoralization problem and the poverty issue [for example]. The government must address these issues individually, and we need to strengthen our fading spiritual values, be it religion or anything else,” he said.

For victims of sexual abuse, serious counseling sessions are needed to help their psychological recovery.

Maria said there were several counseling or trauma centers run by the government or private organizations that provided assistance to rape victims.

“But the number is nowhere near enough compared to the number of children being victimized by sexual predators, that’s why we need to empower our society so everyone can take part in healing traumatized children,” she said.

Pandu added that victims of sex abuse must be handled very carefully to properly heal their trauma, with the counseling done in a very private and safe environment.

“It really angers me to see children who have been sexually victimized interviewed on TV with their faces covered by a mask, it’s really dangerous for their mental health,” he said.

Pandu said it was very unlikely for victims to forget what happened, but with proper care their pain could be eased.

“The counselors must have the capacity to handle these vulnerable children, and all of society must ensure they can return to a safe environment without any stigma and without any worry that the horrible experience could happen again,” he said.

Uthaya wants to be a PAS candidate

HRP secretary-general P Uthayakumar says he is willing to stand as a PAS candidate in the general election.

PETALING JAYA: Human Rights Party Malaysia leader P Uthayakumar wants to contest in the Kota Raja parliament seat under the PAS banner but all his attempts to meet PAS leaders so far have been futile.

Uthayakumar, who is HRP’s pro-tem secretary-general, is basing his hope on a meeting with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang early last year.

“Early last year, we met Abdul Hadi Awang at the PAS headquarters with six other MPs in attendance.

“They said that they will field non-Muslims to stand as PAS candidates in the general election. As such, I am prepared to stand as a PAS candidate,” said Uthayakumar.

According to Uthayakumar, unless he is told to back out, he would still want to contest under PAS.

“If they don’t want me to contest under their ticket, they have to explain to me why I don’t deserve to stand as their candidate,” he said.

He however admitted that all attempts to meet with PAS representatives have been futile.

“We want to meet up but whether it is about meeting to ask for seats or to talk about the Indian poor, we have met a stone wall.

“If they do not want to meet up then I would be forced to contest as an independent,” he said.

Relying on Indian voters

When asked as to why he wanted to contest in Kota Raja, he said the decision went hand in hand with his party’s focus on Indian issues.

“The Kota Raja constituency has the highest number of Indian voters, at 29%.

“The constituency is very unique as the Indian community is the majority in the area and there are no army camps and orang asli voters, and we know that the army and orang asli folk are the bulk voters for the BN.

“Therefore, I believe that all these factors will work in my favour,” he said.

He also confirmed that groundwork has been done, saying: “We have been actively involved in groundwork since February and we have opened our operation room in Sri Andalas on March 2.

“Other than the Indian voters, we also hope to convince the Chinese voters. As for the Malay votes, I think it’s going to be split in half.

“Regardless, we are going to go ahead, and I will be contesting in the Kota Raja constituency in the general election,” Uthayakumar reiterated.

Kota Raja is held by PAS’s Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud who won the seat from MIC in 2008. She is slated to defend the seat in the coming general election.

Previously she told FMT that Uthayakumar’s decision to contest in Kota Raja would split the Indian votes in favour of Barisan Nasional.

As for BN, their candidate for the seat is likely to be SA Vigneswaran from MIC who lost to Siti Mariah in 2008 by a majority of 20,751 votes.

PSM confident of capturing Semenyih

PSM candidate for Semenyih S Arutchelvan speaks of his achievements and future plans for the constituency.
INTERVIEW

PETALING JAYA: Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s S Arutchelvan is a familiar face in Semenyih, Selangor.

Despite contesting the seat in 2008 and losing to Umno’s Johan Abdul Aziz, Arutchelvan never gave up working for the rakyat in the area, especially since he was appointed as the Zone 18 councillor in the nearby Kajang Municipal Council (MPKJ).

The PSM secretary-general recently announced that he will be recontesting the Semenyih seat and had unveiled his personal “report card” for his work at the state constituency since the last general election.

In an interview with FMT recently, Arutchelvan spoke on his past achievements, future plans for Semenyih and his chances of capturing the seat.

FMT: What are the major problems in Semenyih and what is PSM doing to ease them?

Arutchelvan: One of the biggest challenges in Semenyih is the low cost flats – they are in deplorable conditions. This is because those who live there are burdened with three types of payments : quit rent, land tax and maintenance fee.

The majority of them are not owners and are only renting the flats, that’s why they choose not to pay maintenance fee. Our (PSM) committee has managed to convince the Selangor state government to reduce their assessment tax by 25% and MPKJ (Kajang City Council) has agreed to takeover drainage and grasskeeping duties.

Another major problem in Semenyih is the traffic. One of the main points in the PSM manifesto is to get the MRT line extended from Kajang to Semenyih and to Beranang. The solution is not more cars, but more public transportation.

We will also schedule a meeting with Lekas (of Kajang-Seremban highway) to reduce toll prices or (convince) the Selangor state government to take over the highway.

Following numerous complaints of vandalism in public parks and playgrounds, we launched a “neighbourhood watch” campaign whereby we put up banners with my phone number and numbers of city councillors and contractors.

Residents are encouraged to call up the contractors directly to lodge their complaints. The residents are paying taxes and we want the contractors to be accountable to the local people.

FMT: What do you think your chances are of capturing Semenyih?

Arutchelvan: I think my chances are very good. In 2008, we lost by 1,100 votes which is politically a small margin. In this election, the voters of Semenyih have increased from 28,000 to 41,000, so there is a 13,000-voter increase. These new voters are concentrated in the urban parts of Semenyih (Arutchelvan then explains that in 2008 he had lost in Malay rural areas).

I also find the people are not as hostile as they were before. They are much more receptive and have been giving us a more positive response. Just last week I went to Kampung Pasir with the ABU (Asalkan Bukan Umno) team, and the reception was quite good, there was no problems. Therefore I think my chances this time around is quite good.

Cops threatened to harm me, says MP

M Manogaran says an officer ordered him to stop his ceramah or face attack by baton-wielding riot police.

TELUK INTAN: Police threatened to harm Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran last night in a bid to stop a ceramah where he was scheduled to speak, the DAP politician alleged today.

He said a police officer rudely told him not to set foot on the field where the ceramah was scheduled and instructed riot police to attack if he were to disobey.

More than a dozen members of the Federal Reserve Unit were at the scene, armed with batons.

Manogaran did not identify the officer.

He said the venue, close to the HSBC office in Teluk Intan, was the alternative the police had suggested after disagreeing with the one the organisers had originally picked, which was the scene of a disrupted ceramah two weeks ago.

In the previous incident, a group of men carrying Barisan Nasional flags moved into the crowd with taunting remarks and threatening gestures. The arrival of police failed to diffuse the situation, forcing the organisers to call off the event, which would have also featured Manogaran.

“Last night, police came up to me and told me to call off the ceramah, saying it was a threat to security and public order,” Manogaran said.

“Umno had a similar function earlier yesterday. Why wasn’t that programme seen as a threat? There was no real evidence to say that we are a security threat.”

The ceramah, originally scheduled for 7.30 pm, was delayed by two hours and was eventually held in front of DAP’s Bandar Baru office.

Bugis mahu taraf bumiputera

Masalah yang dihadapi ialah bagaimana hendak membezakan antara orang Bugis yang telah lama menetap di Sabah dengan yang baru datang?

PETALING JAYA: Rakyat Sabah mahu kerajaan berhati-hati sebelum memberi taraf bumiputera kepada kaum Bugis yang sangat ramai di kawasan Tawau dan sekitanya, kata seorang aktivis masyarakat, Nadroid Sabian.

Beliau mendakwa orang Bugis mahukan statusnya kerana mahu mendapat keistimewaan sebagai pribumi.

“Ini yang mereka inginkan…mereka sedang berusaha untuk mendapatkan taraf tersebut.

“Mungkin orang Bugis yang telah lama berada di Sabah boleh dipertimbangkan tetapi bagaimana yang baru datang?” katanya beliau lagi.

Orang Bugis yang datang ke Sabah merupakan komuniti yang berasar dari Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Bagaimanapun, menurut mereka dalam keadaan sekarang seperti pencerobohan pengganas Sulu, sangat wajar kerajaan membuat tapisan sebelum memberikan mereka taraf bumiputera.

Kaum Bugis di Tawau banyak menjalankan aktviti perniagaan secara kecil-kecilan.

“Masalah yang dihadapi ialah bagaimana hendak membezakan antara orang Bugis yang telah lama menetap di Sabah dengan yang baru datang?

“Adakah pihak berkuasa menjalankan pemeriksaan untuk memastikan mereka mempunyai kad pengenalan atau pasport yang sah,” tanya beliau lagi.

Ku Li’s aide warns BN not to field former foes

He says the anger among displaced candidates could lead to sabotage.

KOTA BARU: An aide to Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has raised the spectre of Barisan Nasional sponsoring former opposition figures as election candidates friendly to the ruling coalition.

Many pundits expect BN to use these candidates as vote splitters in constituencies where support for the opposition is strong, but Lukman Mohamad Ghani suggested that some of them might be fielded as BN-friendly candidates in straight fights against Pakatan Rakyat.

He warned that the tactic might backfire through sabotage by BN hopefuls who would be displaced by these candidates.

He was referring to such personalities as Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali and former PKR activists Ezam Mohd Noor, Zulkifli Noordin and N Gobalakrishnan. The list might also include former Gerakan vice president Huan Cheng Guan, who now leads Parti Cinta Malaysia, he added.

Lukman said he doubted that any argument about the winning qualities of these candidates or any appeal for the closing of ranks would have any effect against the anger of disappointed would-be candidates and their supporters.

“We have to look at seniority and loyalty as among the assets of candidates,” he said. “How would you feel if BN were to place an outsider to contest in the area you have been servicing in BN’s name?”

Speaking about his boss, Lukman said the Gua Musang MP had indicated his desire to defend his seat for BN.

“It is up to Umno to decide if it wants his services,” he said.

Lukman would not confirm or deny a rumour that Pakatan had offered Tengku Razaleigh the prime minister’s post in the event that the opposition bloc scrapes through with a thin victory.

He said it would be up to the winning party to decide whether Tengku Razaleigh could still play a leading role in nation building.

PR Manifesto: Sustainable?

The Pakatan Rakyat manifesto

Gan Pei Ling, The Nut Graph

THE Pakatan Rakyat (PR) released its manifesto amid much fanfare at its national convention on 25 February 2013. The coalition promises to raise Malaysian household incomes to at least RM4,000 a month, increase the minimum wage to RM1,100 and create one million jobs should it come into power.
On the environmental front, the federal opposition pledges to halt the Lynas rare earth refinery’s operations in Gebeng, Pahang, review a multibillion petrochemical project in Pengerang, Johor, and the mega dams in Sarawak. It targets to reduce traffic congestion in the Klang Valley and other major cities by 50% during its first term via investments in public transport. Furthermore, it says it will reform existing logging laws and activities.
Granted, the manifesto is an improvement from Buku Jingga, the common policy platform the PR unveiled in 2010, which neglected the environment and indigenous rights entirely. But it remains lacking in many areas. What else does the PR need to consider to demonstrate they are able to plan for the future and provide sustainable development if voted into power?
Food security
The PR laid out several measures to reform our economy but completely ignored the agriculture sector in its manifesto. This is problematic as Malaysia has become a net importer of food. The country spent some RM221.8 billion on food imports in the past decade.
We have chosen to specialise in cash crops such as oil palm and rubber at the expense of food crops, according to Professor Dr Fatimah Mohd Arshad from Universiti Putra Malaysia. Nearly 84% of our agricultural land is used for export crops, with oil palm taking the lion’s share of 63.4% in 2005, she pointed out in an article, Global Food Prices: Implication for Food Security in Malaysia, co-written with Anna Awad Abdel Hameed.

Professor Dr Fatimah Mohd Arshad (Source: crrc.org.my)

Meanwhile, federal allocation for agriculture plunged from 17% of the annual budget in 1990 to 5.8% in 2005, Fatimah and Anna Awad highlighted in their piece published in the Journal of Consumer Research and Resource Centre in 2009. And while the federal government dished out generous cash subsidies to paddy farmers, it left other food sectors out in the cold to develop with minimal support.
With supermarkets easily available around town, living in the city creates an illusion that food supply remains abundant. But the rate of global population growth has long surpassed the rate of agricultural production, Fatimah and Anna Awad noted.  Global food prices will continue to rise as an unpredictable climate further reduces crop yields. Low-income households, who spend the bulk of their income on food, are the most vulnerable to food price hikes.
What will the PR do to reform our agricultural sector and feed Malaysia’s growing population, which is approaching 30 million people, with nutritious, affordable food? What steps will it take to encourage organic farming and sustainable fishing practices? How much will it invest in agricultural research and development? These are just some of the questions the PR needs to deal with.
Renewable energy
Another important sector neglected by the PR in its manifesto is the power industry. Aside from a pledge to scrap independent power producers’ gas subsidies and divert it to lower electricity tariffs, the coalition makes no further mention of the energy sector.
Despite it being a necessity in modern life, some Malaysians, particularly indigenous people and communities living in remote areas, still do not have access to electricity. What will the PR to do ensure every citizen enjoys reliable, affordable power supply?

Datuk Seri Peter Chin (Source: peterchin.my)

Malaysia is expected to become a net oil importer in two years, according to current Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin. Our country relies largely on gas and coal for power. An overdependence on fossil fuel has resulted in renewable energy sources taking a back seat, the minister conceded in 2012.
In the face of depleting local gas resources, what will the PR do to ensure Malaysia’s energy supply? Will it import more coal? Will it consider nuclear as an option? How much will it invest in renewable energy sources such as solar, biomass or other options?
In addition, the level of Malaysia’s energy consumption versus productivity remains low compared to countries like Singapore and Japan. What innovative measures will the PR implement to cut wastage?
Meaningful public participation
The PR also needs to assure the public that it will hold genuine public consultations before approving major projects. Decades of local governments approving “development” projects without taking into account the existing capacity of roads, drains and other infrastructure has resulted in traffic congestion and flash floods becoming the norm. Coupled with the lack of green spaces, the quality of life in most cities is deteriorating.
Proper public consultation and provision of information will help towards gauging the potential environmental and social impact of a proposed project. It is thus surprising that the PR’s manifesto is silent on the abolition of the Official Secrets Act and the enactment of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Some PR politicians said the manifesto should be read together with the Buku Jingga, which does mention freedom of information. But wasn’t the manifesto built on the Buku Jingga? How is it that the FOIA was excluded?

READ MORE HERE

Police suggest setting up crime prevention bodies in Tamil schools

(Bernama) - Police have suggested setting up crime prevention associations in Tamil primary schools in the state to enhance student awareness of crime prevention methods.

Selangor police deputy chief Datuk A. Thaiveegan (pix) said the move could educate students against breaking the law, as well as instilling discipline among them.

"Focus should be given to Year Five and Year Six pupils as they are preparing to enter secondary schools," he added.

Thaiveegan was speaking to reporters Monday after officiating a patriotic quiz contest among Tamil primary school pupils organised by the Malaysian Indian Visionary Association at a school in Kapar, near here. 

The myth of the two-party system

Malaysian politics has been at a crossroads since the 2008 general election. Politicians have engaged in a life-and-death confrontation while the people were forced to take sides of either to support the BN or Pakatan Rakyat. They are not allowed to be neutral or impartial.
 
Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew 

The general election is approaching and all kinds of dirty political means have been used to achieve personal political aims.
The past two weeks have been filled with political violence. The disturbances at PKR dinners in Perak, Malacca and Penang indicate the deterioration of political culture.
On March 8, the fifth anniversary of the 2008 political tsunami, father of Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan suddenly claimed that Pakatan Rakyat leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was a victim of a political conspiracy in the whole sodomy affair, before making an announcement of joining the PKR on March 11.
Screenshots of a sex video clip allegedly featuring the opposition leader and a man were then spread across the Internet on March 14 and the video clip is expected to be released soon. I think that everyone believes that the two events could not be a coincidence.
Malaysian politics has been at a crossroads since the 2008 general election. Politicians have engaged in a life-and-death confrontation while the people were forced to take sides of either to support the BN or Pakatan Rakyat. They are not allowed to be neutral or impartial.
To win the election, one after another muckraking game has been staged. Words like sodomy, anal sex and oral sex can always be found on newspapers, affecting children’s morality.
The political climate of loyal support has turned the people’s thinking radical. Political violence can be found in both real life and the online world, penetrating every corner of the society.
Political fanaticism has reduced the people’s ability to judge while affecting their views on the freedom of the press.
Initially, the people wanted the two-party system to make the country a better place but due to political myth, the two-party system has become a system of supporting a particular political party.
The two-party system should be a political concept that helps to improve the country’s political system, with the ultimate goal of reforming the country’s system, improving governance and making the country financially sound through checks and balances.
If we narrowly position the two-party system as supporting a political party, we will then be hostile to those with different views and even prejudice against them in political discussions.
The political confrontation between the two coalitions has shifted the focus. Today, the system has not been changed while the debt continues to increase. Fanatical supporters must also bear the responsibility.
Members of the public should support all political ideas that can bring the country a positive change, regardless of whether the ideas are from the BN or Pakatan Rakyat.
I support Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s removal of the 30 per cent Bumiputera quota on new shareholding, the abolition and amendment of demonic laws, as well as electoral reforms.
I also agree with the Pakatan Rakyat’s open tender and the idea of making state assembly members’ properties public and abolishing the New Economic Policy (NEP).
I do not agree with money distribution measures, which are not cost-effective. Only by changing the economic structure, the people’s incomes can be improved and root of the problem can be resolved.
I support the two-party system with the hope that those in power will be restricted through checks and balances. We must determine who has the ability to bring changes to the country and curb corruption, instead of blindly support without caring about the weaknesses of leaders.
We must also assess which management approach is able to reduce debt and consolidate the country’s financial situation, instead of supporting the one that can distribute more money.
Today’s irrational politics originates from the wrong interpretation of two-party system. Fanatic supporters have caused the ruling and alternative coalitions to take the wrong directions. It is a misfortune for the country.

Malaysia Faces Capital Flight, Falling Trade Surplus

Our Correspondent

More things for voters to worry about
As the Malaysian election draw near, two worrying aspects of the country's economy are very much in evidence. They are just pointers but significant ones to a bumpy future.

This may seem a surprise to outsiders who are rightly impressed with the strength of the nation's external position - RM139 billion (US$44.36 billion) in foreign exchange reserves and a record of huge annual current account surpluses dating back to 1998. Monetary policy is restrained and inflation is low.

But signs of concern are not just to be found in data but in anecdotes of behavior. One such anecdote that recently came to light courtesy of a Vanity Fair magazine article on London property is that Malaysians have now joined the ranks of Russian oligarchs, Nigerian oil plunderers and the latest generation of Gulf sheiks in paying astronomical prices for houses and apartments in the classiest parts of London. It may be an indication that some of the country's richest citizens are voting with their money if not their feet in advance of what appears to be a very tight election.

According to estate agency Jones Lang & Wootton last year Malaysian buyers accounted for 17 percent of all buyers of new top-of-the-line central London dwellings. In other words almost as many Malaysian are buying as Britons, who accounted for only 19 percent of this market. Identifiable Malaysians figure as buyers of One Hyde Park, the most expensive new building in London overlooking Hyde Park and others probably lie behind the various anonymous offshore companies which figure as owners of most of the owners of apartments ranging in price from US$12 million to US$50 million.

It is hard to imagine that these are safe investments compared with Malaysia, given that the market is thin, the properties are often left unoccupied and that further price gains must rely on yet more flood tides of easily gotten wealth. Such floods have always been associated with commodity booms or banker banquets. London property has long been a destination for flight capital and bankers absurd bonuses, one.

But what does the Malaysian role now tell us about flight capital from an outwardly stable nation? And about the prospects for the commodity price boom of the past 10 years not coming to an unpleasant end?

That takes us away from London anecdote to actual data out of Malaysia itself. January saw Malaysia's trade surplus sink to RM3.3 billion, less than half that of the same month a year ago. Of course one should not read much into one month's figures but a downward trend evident in 2012 looks to be gaining momentum. Then total exports rose only 0.9 percent while imports rose 5.9 percent and the overall surplus fell from RM 124 billion to RM94 billion.

The worrying aspect is not imports, which need to be rising if capital spending is doing so but the trend in exports prices. Palm oil was down 27 percent, gas down 6 percent and rubber down 19 percent. These may have further to fall and continue the reversal of the huge terms of trade gains made over the previous decade.

Of itself this need not be a worry but for the other aspects of the external account. The services account has always been in the red and is no particular cause for concern. Tourism is strong and the Islamic financial sector too. The RM64 billion deficits last on combined services, transfers and investment income is growing but should be quite manageable even if the trade surplus slides further.

There are more worrying issues given the likelihood that gas and palm oil prices at least are looking at a sustained downturn as new projects come on stream globally and China's demand for resources slows as the economy shifts emphasis.

One is that direct investment outflow is now almost twice foreign direct investment - RM51 billion against RM29. Some of this is doubtless one-off as Petronas has invested heavily in foreign oil and gas projects as its own profits have boomed and Malaysian banks have been buying overseas, especially in Indonesia. But there must be questions about the likely rates of return on much of this capital.

An even bigger question is how much has been squandered in lesser known ventures, particularly by politically connected and government linked- companies with scant accountability to shareholders. Some too is likely to be flight non-Malay flight capital preferring expensive but seemingly secure assets in Australia, the US or even London to the higher returns which ought to be available in younger, faster growing Malaysia.

Recorded portfolio investment still shows a plus - inflow of RM59 billion against outflow of RM36 billion in 2012. But the country has failed to regain the favor it once had with foreign fund managers and despite its growth record and strong currency the Malaysian stock market has lagged well behind most in developing Asia and emerging market generally. The main reason given, that local individual investors are bigger players than in many other markets. is that confidence in both short-term political stability and the longer term prospects for non-bumiputras is weak.

There is nothing new about the latter which is also reflected in the "errors and omissions" in balance of payments data. This is invariably a large negative number – RMB 33 billion in 2012. Again, on its own, it is not a sign of any particular worry.

Concern then focuses not on any one factor but the convergence of negative factors. The foreign exchange position is so strong for now that it would take a Black Swan event to create any sense of crisis in the foreseeable future. But the ability of the government to sustain economic growth with large budget deficits would certainly be threatened at a time when rural incomes and palm oil and gas profits were reducing both under pressure.

Malaysia is moving from a position where it could afford massive capital outflow, perhaps even welcome it as reducing domestic inflationary pressures, to one where outflow becomes a self-reinforcing problem of the interaction of politics and economic. As it is Malaysia's strength over recent years has been more due to the commodity cycle than to the investment in people and industries that can get it out of the "middle income trap" to high income status. The money has been there but not the other inputs.

For sure Malaysia remains an attractive investment opportunity given its good infrastructure and wage and other costs which are competitive given its level of skills and facilities. But so long as its own people prefer to look overseas for political reasons the nation's promise cannot be fulfilled.

Sosilawati trial: Bar Council received complaint about lawyer

The Sun Daily
by Tan Yi Liang

SHAH ALAM (March 15, 2013): The Bar Council received a complaint about a lawyer who represented mechanic K.Sarawanan at the Teluk Datok Magistrate's Court in 2010, the High Court heard today.

Bar Council Director of Complaints Tomis anak Peter Samat testified at the Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya murder trial that Sarawanan's father, N.Kandasamy had lodged a report against the law firm owned by Roslie Sulle.

To further questions from defence counsel Manjeet Singh Dhillon, Tomis said the complaint against Messrs' Sulle & Co was lodged in 2010.

She added that the Disciplinary Board found prima facie merit in the complaint and sent a show-cause letter to the law firm in the same year.

Tomis said that while a Disciplinary Committee of two lawyers and one layperson was set up two years ago, up to today, the Committee has yet to convene.

Sulle was one of three lawyers who represented Sarawanan when he and odd-job worker U.Suresh, 30, were charged for disposing evidence linked to the murders of Sosilawati and three others in 2010.

The two other lawyers are M. Puravalen and Muhammad Naguib Abdul Malik.

Both Sarawanan and Suresh are currently serving 20-year jail sentences after pleading guilty to the charges on Oct 15, 2010

However in his testimony on Thursday, Kandasamy claimed Sarawanan was tricked by Sulle into pleading guilty when he was charged at the Teluk Datok Magistrates Court.

He had told the court that Sulle had promised to ensure that Sarawanan would walk free, but told Sarawanan to nod to everything that was said to him when he was charged in court.

Sarawanan had pleaded guilty to burning the bodies of Sosilawati and three others.

Former lawyer N. Pathmanabhan, 43, and farmhands T. Thilaiyalagan, 21, R. Matan, 22, and R. Kathavarayan, 34, are currently on trial for the murders of Sosilawati and three others.

The three are bank officer Noorhisham Mohamad, 38, lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, and driver Kamaruddin Shamsuddin, 44.

Pathmanaban , Thilayalagan, Matan and Khatavarayan allagedy committed the murders at Ladang Gadong, Lot 2001, Jalan Tanjong Layang in Tanjong Sepat, Banting, between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on Aug 30, 2010.

During further testimony this morning, Bar Council Membership Department officer C. Gayathry said Sulle and Naguib were no longer practicing lawyers.

Gayathry said Naguib had sent a letter of cessation in 2012 while Sulle did not renew his Annual Practicing Certificate for 2013.

Meanwhile, the last witness today – Hakem Arabi & Co dispatch rider S. Baskaran testified that he was told to "mampus" or get lost when he served a subpoena on a police officer on Thursday.

To questions from defence counsel Gurbachan Singh, Baskaran said he was told this by Assistant Comissioner of Police Abdul Aziz Zakaria, who was served a subpoena to attend court today.

Baskaran testified that Abdul Aziz said to him "You can get lost. If a warrant is to be issued, a warrant can be issued."

He added that Abdul Aziz refused to sign the subpoena, adding that Abdul Aziz said he would not attend court as he had other appointments.

During today's proceeding, High Court Judge Datuk Akhtar Tahir directed that an arrest warrant be issued and executed if Abdul Aziz did not appear in court by 11am.

However trial was subsequently adjourned to Monday, after Deputy Public Prosecutor Ishak Mohd Yusoff told Akhtar in chambers that Abdul Aziz was unable to be present in court, as he had a doctor's appointment at the National Heart Institute.

Jelajah MerdekaRakyat Kuala Lipis Pahang

24-Day Countdown to 13GE – Malaysians deserve a Cabinet and a Government which is not a laughing stock of the world because of the frequency of stupid statements and foolish acts by Ministers

I believe we are entering the final week when the 12th Parliament will at last be dissolved to pave the way for the holding of the long-awaited and much-postponed 13th General Elections next month.

This explains why UMNO/Barisan Nasional leaders are getting more and more panicky, with some even making hysterical statements, under the intense pressure of the impending 13GE, which cannot be postponed much further after the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had put the country on an election campaign footing for close to four long years and breaching the five-year natural life of Parliament – and now just a week ahead of the automatic dissolution of the Negri Sembilan State Assembly on March 26!

Najib has said he wants Malaysia to become the world’s best democracy. Then Najib and Umno/BN leaders must first learn to accept Lesson One of the most basic prerequisites of a functioning normal democracy, i.e. to accept that their power in government is not a divine right but a trust granted by the people once every four or five years to be withdrawn or renewed in every general elections.

Up to now Najib and all the Umno/BN leaders have been conspicuously silent on what would be very routine and matter-of-fact in developed democracies all over the world – that they will submit to the verdict of the electorate in the impending general elections and if they lose the mandate to continue as the Federal government for the first time in 56 years, they would peacefully and democratically ensure a peaceful transition of power from Barisan Nasional to Pakatan Rakyat and they would all serve the role of a loyal Opposition in Parliament as the DAP had done in the past 47 years since the formation of DAP in 1966.

Are the Umno/BN leaders, including Najib, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hashim prepared to declare what would be so common-place and matter-of-fact in mature democracies – that they would respect the choice of the Malaysian electorate in the impending 13GE, including the mandate for a new Pakatan Rakyat Government and Prime Minister after 13GE?

There are examples galore of the stupid statements and foolish acts by Umno/BN leaders in recent days, all the way to the Prime Minister.

For instance, last Friday, Najib waxed eloquent in Tanah Merah, Kelantan about the “seven major sins” of the Opposition, which are lies and falsehoods in blatant violation of the Transparency International-Malaysia “Election Integrity Pledge” which he signed with such fanfare last month.

For instance, it is a downright lie for Najib to allege that the Kelantan PAS government had granted 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares) of land to two DAP Perak leaders, Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Nga Kor Ming, clearing the jungle in Lojing with the rhetorical question: “They give land to the DAP leaders but do the Kelantan people get any?”

This is downright unethical and irresponsible, a violation of the Election Integrity Pledge which Najib signed so solemnly last month, as the Prime Minister know better than anybody else that the 10,000 acres of land in Lojing were alienated by the Kelantan State Government to a company 13 years ago in 2,000, even before Ngeh and Nga were elected as MPs and State Assemblymen in the 2008 general elections.

If we want to dwell on the “major sins of Najib”, I don’t think seven would be adequate, even 7 times 7 would not be able to recount Najib’s “major sins” – may be, it will need to be 7 times 7 times 7!

Does Najib want the run-up to the 13GE be a competition as whether the Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat leaders have a longer list of “major sins”?

I am prepared to accommodate Najib, provided he says “yes”!

Today, Deputy Minister and UMNO Youth Deputy Chief, Razali Ibrahim, provided another example of stupid statements from Umno/BN leaders when he alleged that the “DAP’s ambition” to contest 15 out of 26 Parliamentary seats in Johore in the 13GE is proof of its domineering attitude in Pakatan Rakyat over its partners PAS and PKR.

I never said DAP wanted to contest in 15 Parliamentary seats in Johore. What I said is that Pakatan Rakyat comprising DAP, PKR and PAS must target 15 parliamentary seats with the objective of winning over one-third of the 26 parliamentary seats in the state, i.e. over nine or preferably twelve and above parliamentary seats to provide the necessary numbers for PR to succeed in the journey to Putrajaya.

I am not surprised that Umno/BN Ministers and deputy Ministers have proved to be “favourites” in making stupid statements and responsible for foolish acts.

This is one reason why there should be UBAH in the 13GE as there should be better calibre and more principled people in Cabinet as Malaysians deserve a Cabinet and a Government which is not a laughing stock of the world because of the frequency of stupid statements and foolish acts by Ministers.

BN Confident Of Winning 13th General Election - Muhyiddin

PUTRAJAYA, March 18 (Bernama) -- Despite facing a strong challenge, Barisan Nasional (BN) under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will win the 13th general election and continue to rule the country.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this confidence is based on meticulous preparation by BN component parties after losing two-thirds majority in parliament in 12th general election.

He said BN component parties were injected with teamwork spirit and together with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and voluntary bodies work hard to ensure that BN captures states lost to the opposition.

"The situation has generally improved. Numerous experts, think tanks and analysts said BN will win. They must have the facts and reasons for this.

"We expect to defend our seats but want to reinforce our position in focus areas," he said at 13th general election dialogue for Federal Territory, organised by Federal Territory Mubarak, Federal Territory Umno Veterans and Federal Territory Senior Retirees Umno Club.

The reformation and transformation implemented by the government to guarantee the future of the people and country have been recognised and accepted by the people.

Muhyiddin said as a visionary leader, Najib realised that a comprehensive and holistic reform involving all levels of society must be implemented to defend government policies and development achieved since independence.

"We want to defend this as we have created a country that is peaceful, safe and progressive for a long time. It is not easy to compare other countries which have achieved success and excellence such as Malaysia."

Muhyiddin who is also BN and Umno number two wants, BN leaders and members at all levels to give strong support to party candidates.

Recognising the strength of the opposition, BN will field winnable candidates but support from members is needed to avoid problems that could threaten the chance to win.

"The most important thing for us is that when a decision has been made (by the Prime Minister), leaders at division level should accept the candidates and not create problems to improve their chances of winning," he added.