Khalid to consider appeal when he returns from Saudi

By Wong Choon Mei, Harakah

PAS MP for Shah Alam Khalid Samad said he will consider whether or not to appeal the six months suspension slapped on him by the party's disciplinary board when he returns from Saudi Arabia on February 12.

“I will think about the appeal when I get back. What is important is that Datuk Hasan was also found to be in the wrong and as such he should no longer raise problems for the Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor,” Khalid told Harakahdaily in a text message.

The popular 53-year old leader, well-respected for his principled and multiracial stance, was found guilty of having breached party rules by calling on Selangor PAS commissioner Hasan Ali to resign and for divulging to the media what had transpired at a state liaison meeting last year.

Hasan wrong to air grouses that can hurt Pakatan

The PAS disciplinary board headed by Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man also issued a warning letter to Hasan.

Hasan was found guilty of discrediting the Pakatan state government by issuing public statements without going through internal channels, mainly over the recent Selcat inquiry into how state allocations were being run down by Umno-BN assemblymen. Selcat is a Selangor parliamentary watchdog committee.

Both men were found guilty under Section 75 of the PAS constitution. They have also been prohibited from making statements that can harm the party’s image.

“The suspension on Khalid extends to all position he holds in the party including as Shah Alam chief and also as committee member of the political bureau,” Tuan Ibrahim told a press conference.

“As for Hasan, even though he is not part of Selcat and Selcat is independent from the exco, we decided that Selcat was established by the state government and approved by the exco. Therefore as an exco member, he should bring any matters related to Selcat during the exco meeting and not outside,” Tuan Man also said.

Khalid likely to heed supporters' call to appeal

Both men have 30 days to appeal. Hasan has blamed the media for sensationalizing the events that led to his being brought before the disciplinary panel. It is unclear if he will appeal the warning given to him.

Meanwhile, Khalid’s close aides expect him to give in to the calls that have rung in non-stop for him not to give up.

“It is as though the whole of Malaysia has been calling to ask YB to appeal and not to be upset. But YB is now in Saudi and what is there to be upset about anyway. He is a very calm man and from what we know, he won’t let his supporters down,” an aide told Harakahdaily.

Walk your talk. End racial profiling. Say “No more”.

By Haris Ibrahim

I received an e-mail from a lady teacher. She attached the two-paged document that I have reproduced below.

This is what she said in her mail :

“After all the talk of 1Malaysia, we are still asked to mark ourselves as Malay or non-Malay, bumi or non-bumi, Muslim or non-Muslim.

Does my race or religion have any relevance whether I am a good teacher?

Are we not all Malaysians?

I hate this, Haris.

Can I just ignore those irritating questions?

What should I do?”

I replied her :

“Take a red pen and a ruler. Draw a line right through ‘Status Bumiputra’, ‘Bangsa’, ‘Etnik’ and ‘Agama’ and then write over that line you have just drawn, “TIDAK RELEVAN. SAYA ANAK BANGSA MALAYSIA”.

If you do not agree with this sort of profiling, condemn it by refusing to go along with it.

The reason this sort of profiling still goes on is because even as we recognise how wrong it is, we take the easy way out and comply.

In reality, it is we who give life to this profiling.

If we collectively refuse to legitimise thiss policy of profiling by refusing to comply, it will one day surely go away.”

__________________________

I’m going to reproduce below parts of an earlier posting.

___________________________

RPK, almost tongue-in-cheek, offered a simple definition of ‘civil disobedience’ in a POST at MT sometime back :

“It’s actually quite simple. You defy the powers-that-be, but you do it in a passive, not active, manner. You do not resist. You just do nothing. And is this not what Malaysians are good at, doing nothing?”

Of late, notwithstanding the PM’s talk about 1Malaysia, we still see a lot of racist, divide-and-rule crap coming out from Utusan, which is an UMNO mouthpiece, from the DPM, from other ministers and a whole array of NGOs which, if you bothered to check, again lead back to UMNO.

UMNO continues to play the race card because this is the only politics they understand.

The other BN component parties, most times, don’t have the courage to stand up to UMNO and say ‘Cut out this race crap. We are all Malaysians, so stop this divide-and-rule game’.

In response to UMNO’s ketuanan Melayu, Pakatan Rakyat has been heard to espouse ketuanan rakyat but, sadly, sometimes even the PR politicians appear afraid to walk the full distance needed to truly see this nation on the way to being that of a single people.

For some time now, I’ve believed that if we are to see the aspiration of ‘One People, One Nation’ become a reality, it has to be people-driven.

What say we start a little civil disobedience now to send out our own little message, in our own little way, to the government , that we are no longer going to countenance their divide-and-rule tactics?

We could simply call this initiative Project Irrelevant.

Project Irrelevant is not new.

It was launched at the first Bangsa Malaysia Merdeka forum and get-together on 25th August, 2007 at the then Blog House. You can read about that HERE.

I’ve also written about Project Irrelevant HERE.

Let me just reproduce my closing lines in the Project Irrelevant post :

“If you are one of those who has written with comments to this blog supportive of the many initiatives to one day see this as a nation of one people, I ask you to now support this initiative.

Please walk your talk.

If you proclaim yourself as anak Bangsa Malaysia in cyberspace, have the courage and conviction to do the same on paper.

SEX : IRRELEVANT

RELIGION : IRRELEVANT

RACE : BANGSA MALAYSIA”

Umno-BN Diselubungi Ketakutan Melampau

Iklim ketakutan atau climate of fear makin menyelubungi negara. Umno-BN, yang sudah lama memerintah, memperkuatkan lagi cengkamannya agar nafas Demokrasi, Kebebasan dan Karamah Insan di negara ini mulai sesak. Minggu kebelakangan ini keresahan memuncak apabila adanya percubaan untuk merekayasa ketegangan antara kaum dan agama. Siri serangan ke atas rumah ibadat mengejutkan rakyat Malaysia kerana ada di antara kita demi kelansungan politik segelintir, sanggup menggadai keamanan dan keharmonian negara ini.

Kita dikejutkan lagi dengan berita bahawa adanya tangkapan secara beramai-ramai minggu lalu menggunakan Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri(ISA), kononnya untuk memerangi pengganas. Sekiranya tidak didedahkan oleh Gerakan Mansuh ISA, pastinya kerajaan akan mendiamkan perkara ini agar tidak diketahui umum. Persoalannya jika ada bukti kukuh, mengapa menggunakan ISA? Saya menggesa agar kerajaan segera membawa mereka ke muka pengadilan dan diadili secara bebas tanpa menurut telunjuk sesiapapun.

Manakala tohmahan diperhebat terhadap Pakatan Rakyat, dibantu pula oleh ”lidah rasminya,” yang mengabaikan segala prinsip serta integriti kewartawanan, keadaan ternyata semakin memburuk. Dipaparkan kononnya pimpinan umno-bn sedang berusaha memulihkan negara dari kemurungan ekonomi dan sedang cuba membawa perubahan, walhal pada masa yang sama, mereka yang bangkit menyatakan perbezaan, dibantai serta cuba dialahkan menggunakan taktik keji.
Lihat sahaja apabila kerajaan sanggup membiarkan anak-anak mahasiswa kita diberkas dan diugut. Apa erti slogan perubahan jika suara mahasiswa dibungkam dan mereka ditakut-takutkan. Lebih menyedihkan kemurnian kawasan universiti dicemar apabila pihak keselamatan menceroboh lalu angkuh mempamirkan kekuatan. Tidak sedarkah kamu wahai pemerintah! Yang cuba ditakut-takutkan ini adalah penzahiran dari damir perjuangan bangsa! Mahasiswa dan anak muda adalah generasi pemberani yang tidak gentar walau hanya berbekal genggaman tapak tangan apabila berhadapan kekuatan pemerintah.

Jelas kelihatan kepada kita, iklim ketakutan dimunculkan demi mengalih pendangan rakyat dari isu sebenar. Apatah lagi kerana kemurungan ekonomi yang belum berlalu, kebobrokan rasuah yang semakin memualkan, kehakiman yang tidak bebas serta peningkatan ketidakyakinan rakyat terhadap kepimpinan Umno.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Pakatan Rakyat – what next

By Lim Kit Siang,

Pakatan Rakyat won a renewal of public confidence and trust with the successful holding of the Pakatan Rakyat national convention in Shah Alam on Dec. 19 last year and the demonstration of greater responsibility and maturity as compared to Umno and Barisan Nasional in the response to the “Allah” controversy which had further marred the image and reputation of Malaysia, both locally and internationally, since the new year.

But in a matter of days, these hard-won gains for the Pakatan Rakyat were largely undone not by the acts of our political adversaries but by the deeds of Pakatan Rakyat standard-bearers.

As a result, there is now a new round of public questioning as to whether Pakatan Rakyat can be trusted with the great responsibility of federal power in the next general elections.

This internal haemorrhaging, at a time when the Umno-led Barisan Nasional is intensifying its political offensive with a new round of abuses of the national institutions and instruments, must end.

This will be the challenge of the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council when it meets tomorrow.

Since the last quarter of the year, the subject of a Pakatan Rakyat disciplinary committee had been on the agenda of the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council.

The PR disciplinary committee, with two members from each party, must meet to restore public confidence in the discipline, commitment, cohesion and unity of Pakatan Rakyat.

Thaipusam: One Million Devotees Throng Batu Caves

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 (Bernama) -- Some one million Hindu devotees and tourists thronged the Sri Subramaniyar Swami Temple in Batu Caves here in conjunction with the Thaipusam festival to commemorate the birth of Lord Murugan.

Despite the hot and humid weather since morning, Batu Caves was filled with merriment, with some 10,000 devotees carrying kavadis and palkudams (milk pots), breaking coconuts and shaving their heads.

The temple's committee member V. Krishnamoorthi said the festival this year was merrier with 10,000 devotees fulfilling their vows, while tourists were also able to see changes around the temple.

"There are indeed many changes in the festival this time around... buildings and halls are now with a new coat of paint, there is also a new pedestrian walkway while a small hall has also been built for the devotees to fulfil their vows by shaving their heads," he said.

Unlike last year when there was traffic congestion, the traffic was well-organised this time around.

Several tourists described the festival as amazing and something very different from their own cultures.

"This is a very exciting celebration, and I'm impressed," Australian tourist James Tucker, 45, said.

Thaipusam is one of the festivals celebrated by Malaysian Hindus during the full moon in the month of "Thai" in the Tamil Calendar, which usually falls between January and early February.

Legend has it that Thaipusam began when the goddess Parvathi, Murugan's mother, gave him a bow and arrow to destroy an evil force known as Soorapadman.

Murugan's success in restoring prosperity and the well-being of the people, had become an occasion for Hindus to celebrate and observe Thaipusam.

In IPOH, some 10,000 Hindu devotees thronged the Arul Subramaniar Temple located near the Gunung Cheroh limestone here since yesterday evening.

The temple compound was a burst of colours with various activities and rituals being carried out including a chariot procession from Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Sungai Pari.

Several roads in the city were chocked with cars as roads leading to Subramaniar Temple were closed since yesterday evening until midnight tonight.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir was scheduled to meet the devotees at the temple at about 6.30pm today.

In PENANG, more than 90,000 Hindu devotees converged at Hindu temples in Jalan Kebun Bunga to fulfil their vows during the annual Thaipusam festival.

Penang Hindu Endowments Board vice chairman R.S.N Rayer said more than 200 Hindu devotees carried the kavadis and the palkudams and took part in the coconut breaking ritual.

"This year's Thaipusam falls on a weekend, thus making the festival even more merrier as more people are able to visit the temple," he said.

He said there were 137 "Thannir Panthal" (stalls serving free food and drinks) set up along the road heading to Jalan Kebun Bunga.

A tourist from Ireland, known only as Keith, 31, said this was his first Thaipusam experience although he had visited Penang several times.

"I was amazed to see how Thaipusam is celebrated here with huge kavadis decorated with flowers and peacock feathers," he told Bernama.

Keputusan Pemangku Raja Kelantan tidak boleh diadili - Hakim

Utusan Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR 29 Jan. - Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra hari ini gagal dalam cubaannya mendapatkan kebenaran Mahkamah Tinggi bagi mencabar keputusan kekandanya Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra yang memecat beliau daripada senarai bakal pewaris takhta.

Ini kerana Hakim Mohamad Ariff Md. Yusof terlebih dahulu memutuskan bahawa keputusan Tengku Muhammad Faris yang memecat Tengku Temenggong Kelantan itu pada 16 September tahun lalu, tidak boleh diadili.

''Mahkamah ini tidak sesuai dijadikan forum untuk memutuskan isu-isu berkaitan kuasa prerogatif yang telah diputuskan oleh Pemangku Raja. Jika berlaku sebarang pertelingkahan mengenainya, ia perlu diselesaikan sendiri oleh Raja Kelantan.

''Perkara 62 Undang-Undang Tubuh Negeri Kelantan telah menzahirkan maksud yang sama bahawa prosiding di mahkamah tidak akan menjejaskan hak, kuasa diraja, bidang kuasa Sultan serta kedaulatannya,'' jelas beliau.

Oleh kerana isu tersebut secara dasarnya menyentuh hak keistimewaan diraja, maka pada hemat Hakim Mohamad Ariff, ia tidak sesuai untuk disemak semula menerusi permohonan di mahkamah.

Selain itu, hakim berkenaan menyatakan, Perkara 5 undang-undang yang sama telah menjelaskan peranan Pemangku Raja untuk menjalankan kuasa-kuasa yang perlu tanpa sebarang had sepanjang Raja tidak berada di dalam negeri.

Majlis Perajaan Negeri Kelantan, menurut beliau, bertanggungjawab menentukan adakah berlaku kekosongan takhta ekoran ketiadaan Raja Kelantan bagi tempoh melebihi satu tahun.

Selaras dengan keputusan itu, Hakim Mohamad Ariff memerintahkan supaya Tengku Muhammad Fakhry selaku pemohon membayar kos kepada kekandanya yang dinamakan sebagai responden.

Pemohon dijangka memfailkan rayuan berhubung keputusan tersebut.

Pada 16 September tahun lalu, Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra selaku Pemangku Raja telah melucutkan keanggotaan Tengku Muhammad Fakhry daripada senarai bakal pewaris takhta.

Putera ketiga Raja Kelantan, Sultan Ismail Petra Almarhum Sultan Yahya Petra itu telah memfailkan permohonan pada 1 Disember tahun lalu bagi mendapatkan kebenaran untuk mencabar keputusan kekandanya menerusi prosiding semakan kehakiman.

Tengku Muhammad Fakhry, 31, yang juga suami kepada Manohara Odelia Pinot memohon perisytiharan bahawa keputusan Tengku Muhammad Faris yang melucutkan keanggotaannya daripada Majlis Perajaan adalah bercanggah dengan Perkara 7 Perlembagaan Kelantan.

Selain Tengku Muhammad Faris, pemohon turut menamakan lima responden lain iaitu Datuk Hashim Yusoff; Datuk Tengku Salwah Sultan Yahya Petra; peguam Datuk Sukri Mohamed; Datuk Che Mohd. Rahim Jusoh dan Kolonel Dr. Mohammad Razin Kamarulzaman.

Kugan's samples returned in untenable condition: lawyers

The Sun

PETALING JAYA (Jan 29, 2010): Lawyers for the family of V. Kugan, the man who died in police custody, today took the police to task for returning samples taken from his body to the hospital in an incomplete and untenable condition.

The samples of blood and fluid specimens taken by Dr Prashant Samberkar of Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) in a privately-commissioned post-mortem were to be flown out to Australia for a second stage of a post-mortem when they were seized by police in April last year.

On Oct 9 that year, the magistrate's court in Petaling Jaya ordered the police to return them to UMMC. Police complied a few days later.

N. Surendran, one of the lawyers representing Kugan's family, told a press conference today: "In particular, an entire bottle of specimen was never returned."

Of the rest of the samples, he said: "I was told by Dr Prashant that they were unlikely to be of any use, as they were no longer in a frozen state."

Another lawyer, Teluk Intan MP M. Manogaran, accusing the police of being in contempt of a court order, said they were also worried the samples may have been tampered with by the police, in which case the toxicology tests would not bear any fruit.

Kugan, 23, was detained on suspicion of stealing luxury cars, but died in a police lock-up at 11am on Jan 20 last year. His family suspected foul play, and commissioned a second post-mortem at UMMC after the first at the Serdang Hospital yielded a report that they were unhappy with.

Prashant had made a provisional report stating Kugan had died of kidney failure due to severe beatings. The first post-mortem stated Kugan died due to fluid accumulation in the lungs.

The samples taken by Prashant were ready to be flown out for a second stage of the post mortem when they were seized by police on the instruction of the attorney-general.

Surendran said they believed the police were well aware of their intention to carry out a toxicology test, as they had copies of the post mortem report and their own experts. "We intended to send the samples to a lab in Australia for toxicological tests as University Hospital could not do it."

Surendran had sent a letter to director of the Criminal Investigations Department Datuk Bakri Zinin on Oct 28 asking for the full set of samples to be returned but there has been no reply.

"This is a deliberate attempt to cover up the truth," said Surendran.

Manogaran, who is also representing the family, said they were ready to proceed with contempt of court charges if Kugan’s mother agreed to it.

Surendran said they suspected Kugan may have been poisoned or something may have been administered to him whilst he was under detention.

Pointing to a picture taken during Kugan’s second post-mortem, Surendran said: "You can see amongst the fatty tissue on his wrist, there is a red circular dot, the experts we have consulted believe this is the mark of a syringe entering the body."

Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam said they would submit a memorandum to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan regarding Kugan's and another case next Wednesday. - theSun

Umno teliti 'tindakan' pada Ku Li

Christians have 'ulterior motive', says PKR's Zulkifli

Six-month suspension for Khalid, warning for Hasan

Federal Court rules no extra evidence for Anwar

Insulting late Johor sultan - blogger in the dock - Malaysiakini

A blogger, who was investigated for allegedly insulting the late Sultan of Johor, was charged at the Seremban Sessions Court today.

Khairul Nizam Abd Ghani, 29 (right in pix), from Pancor near Seremban and who is also known by his pen name 'Aduka Taruna', pleaded not guilty to making a seditious posting with the intention of defaming the Johor sultanate and its people.

He allegedly made the posting sometime between 7.25pm, and 9.05pm on January 22.

Khairul Nizam, 29, who was married less than a month, had earlier been remanded for four days after he surrendered to the Kota Bharu police on Monday. His newly-wed wife accompanied him during proceedings.

The blogger was charged under Section 233 (1) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or one year's jail or both upon conviction.

DPP Masri Mohd Daud had proposed bail at RM10,000 with one surety.

However, his lawyer Mohd Razlan Jalaludin, pleaded for the amount to be reduced as he was scheduled to hold his wedding reception tomorrow.

Sessions judge Zamri Bakar agreed to reduce bail to RM5,000 with one surety.

Thaipusam day Kedah PAS MB demolish hindu cemetary.

Media Statement (29/01/2010)

This morning Mr.Manigan Raj, the Chairmain of the Ladang Batu Pekaka, Kuala Ketil, Kedah Hindu Cemetary telephoned and informed us that the Kedah Menteri Besar Dato Seri Azizan has ordered that the rest of the said Ladang Batu Pekaka hindu cemetery be destroyed today ie on the eve of the Thaipusam day or on Thaipusam day tomorrow.

This Kedah PAS MB has “franchised” this job to an Indian mandore. Mr.Raj and his family in particular are standing put and have refused to remove his ancestor’s remains.

They stand by their constitutional right to freedom of religion which is enshrined in and guaranteed for by Article 11 of the Federal Constitution. Why doesn’t this Kedah PAS MB try demolishing a Chinese Christian or Muslim graveyard. He would not dare. The Indians are the soft targets as they have no or very little political or economic power.

Mr Raj will be making his 13^th police report today. But then even after twelve (12) previous police reports, thus far the tripitrade UMNO, PAS and Malay-sian police axis still insist in committing the crime of defiling a place of burial in violation of Section 297 of the Penal Code and read with Article 11 of the Federal Constitution. This is PAS, UMNO and the Malay-sian police crime with impunity. This kind of atrocities are just the tip of the iceberg.

Just last week the PKR Selangor Menteri Besar demolished a hindu cemetery in Rawang so much so that the human bones were indiscriminately strewn around the area.

But then who cares as the graves and bones are that of merely the poor and underprivileged Indians anyway. (Refer to the newsreport in Sinar posted here previously). UMNO has similarly had had a free hand in also committing this atrocity over the last 52 years.

This kind of atrocities does not happen to any minority community in any other part of the world except in UMNO Prime Minister Najib Razak’s One- Malaysia.

Thank You.

Your Faithfully,

________________________

P.Uthayakumar.

Secretary General (pro-tem)

HUMAN RIGHTS PARTY MALAYSIA

Cc:

Dato’ Seri Uztaz Haji Azizan bin Abdul Razak

Menteri Besar Kedah

Pejabat Menteri Besar,
Aras 3, Blok A Wisma Darul Aman,

05503 Alor Setar, Fax: 04-7339088 Kedah Darul Aman. E-Mail: pmb@kedah.gov.my

1, 410 Thaipusam stalls. Indians scrambling to do business but excluded outside Batu Caves.

Each time the Indian community complains that they have been denied business opportunities, UMNO and their MIC mandores are quick to give excuses that the Indians are not interested in doing business.

Just see for yourself the Indian business enthusiasm especially in Batu Caves, Ipoh and Penang on this Thaipusam festival.

But where do these thousands of Indian petty traders go to do business.

UMNO would rather these Indian petty traders rot after Thaipusam than they actually actively contributing to the nation’s economy. This is how racist, religious extremist and supremacist UMNO can be.

P. Uthayakumar

Grant all hindu temples state land, 2) Build overhead railway bridge to preserve historical walk path to Batu Caves.

NO.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245 Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com

Your Reference :

In Reply : HRP/ Jan/ 10

Date : 29/01/2010

YAB. Dato Seri Najib Razak

Prime Minister of Malaysia

Blok Utama Bangunan Perdana Putra,

Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, Fax: 03-88883444

62502 Putrajaya E-Mail: najib@pmo.gov.my.

Thaipusam wish:- 1) Grant all hindu temples state land,

2) Build overhead railway bridge to preserve historical walk path to Batu Caves.

In conjunction with your goodselves maiden visit to Batu Caves on the occasion of Thaipusam this evening, we call upon your goodeself to announce, make public, distribute and post on the Prime Minister’s website the government’s written policy decision in an official circular on the letterhead of the Prime Minister’s office that :-

1) All hindu temples in Malaysia are forthwith granted government land in situ that is where the said hindu temples are situated presently.

2) Also that from this year’s Thaipusam (2010) onwards your goodselves direct that there shall be no more hindu temple demolishments in Malaysia.

With the above, the government would be seen to be abiding by Article 11 of the Federal Constitution and not committing any further and future offence of defiling a place of worship in contravention of Section 295 of the Penal Code which offence is in any event punishable with two years jail but which the UMNO Attorney General consciously does not prosecute and so the offence continuing with impunity.

We have received numerous complaints this year about the congestion, inconvenience and in fact obstruction to Freedom of Religion in contravention of Article 11 of the Federal Constitution arising out of the new railway line works which has blocked off the original and historical Thaipusam walkway to Batu Caves. “New rail tracks pose a problem for devotees” (Star Metro 29/01/2010 at page M3).

The government knows of the pre existing especially the annual week long Thaipusam celebrations with some two (2) Million people congregating at Batu Caves an Thaipusam day, Batu Caves being the leading tourist attraction site in Malaysia and a potential World Heritage Site.

Your goodself should not be seen to be coming to Batu Caves empty handed to merely fish for the crucial and critical Indian votes!.

We hereby call upon your goodself at this evening’s Thaipusam visit to also announce the building of an Elevated Railway Bridge to the Batu Caves Railway Station and thereby preserving the original and historical walk path to the Batu Caves hindu temple as has been the tradition in over the last 200 years.

We could off hand remember at least two recent precedents of this being done ie the elevated overhead highway next to the Ar Rahim Mosque in Pantai and the elevated highway next to the Rasah Railway gate to preserve the local Rasah Mosque.

Mr Prime Minister, the same can certainly be done for Batu Caves what more when it is soon anticipated to be recognized as a United Nations World Heritage Site.

Thank You.

Your Faithfully,

________________________

P.Uthayakumar.

Secretary General (pro-tem)

Thaipusam: Selangor MB’s stage upstaged by Najib’s stage

Having denied all hindu temples in Selangor state government land, this PKR Selangor Menteri Besar is so desperate for the crucial and critical Indian votes that he is prepared to erect a stage at Batu Caves just to fish for Indian votes. Justice Party? (Refer The Star 29/1/2010 at page N 18)

However this Selangor MB’s stage was upstaged by Najib’s stage. To us it does not matter whether Rama or Rawana rules as neither UMNO nor PKR, DAP or PAS offers a permanent and lasting solution in giving all hindu temples in Malaysia state government land and to put to an end to the indiscriminate hindu temple demolishments in Malaysia.

Our Indian minority and human rights struggle will continue irrespective of Najib or Anwar Ibrahim..

P. Uthayakumar

PM slams Pakatan for blame game over church attacks

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak lashed out today at Pakatan Rakyat for alleging that the arsonists involved in the Metro Tabernacle Church attack were Umno members.

Responding to a question from a reporter during a press conference after the Umno Supreme Council meeting, Najib appeared to be on the defensive as he dismissed the claims as merely another tactic by the opposition to win support.

“This point has already been answered by top Umno officials. This is what the opposition always does,” said Najib to a chorus of applause from Umno leaders present at the press conference.

The prime minister’s remarks comes amid accusations by some PR leaders claiming to have knowledge and evidence of Umno’s “hand” in the recent attack on the church which left its first floor completely gutted.

PKR vice-president Azmin Ali has claimed that at least four Umno members were involved in the arson attack on the Metro Tabernacle Church.

PAS’s HarakahDaily website quoted Azmin as saying that he was collecting evidence to back up his claims and would release it soon.

The Gombak MP had claimed that at least four of the eight remanded over the Jan 8 attack are Umno members from the Gombak and Ampang divisions, adding he would reveal the full names, Mykad numbers and Umno membership numbers of those involved as soon as possible.

“The opposition has to always blame Umno. This is their modus operandi (MO),” said Najib today in response to the claims.

Three dispatch riders were charged in the Sessions Court today for the recent firebombing of the Metro Tabernacle Church, and could face up to 20 years in prison.

The three were brothers Raja Muhammad Faizal Raja Ibrahim, 24; Raja Muhammad Idzham Raja Ibrahim, 22; and another 23-year-old, Azuwan Shah Ahmad.

They were charged under Section 436 of the Penal Code, for the offence of “mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy a building.”

All three claimed trial and the date of mention has been set for March 12.

A total of eight men had originally been detained in connection with the arson attack at the Metro Tabernacle Church here on Jan 8.

Besides the eight, police have also detained seven other men over the recent arson attempt at Taiping’s historic All Saints’ Church and the town’s Convent School.

The attacks are believed to be linked to the controversial “Allah” ruling that has riled many Muslims.

Four other men were also picked up for arson attempts on two mosques in Muar.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said this week he believed the attacks against churches, a temple and now mosques appeared to be aimed at sparking racial and religious strife.

Boar heads were reportedly found at two mosques near here, earlier this week, following the fire-bombing attacks and acts of vandalism against churches and a Sikh temple that had taken place in the wake of the “Allah” controversy.

These latest acts could be construed as attempts to escalate tensions and provoke unrest between Muslims and non-Muslims, as pigs are considered unhygienic in Islam and therefore their presence in the mosques were acts of desecration.

PM on charm offensive at Batu Caves

“The lights you see among the crowd, the railings were all contributions by the government,” said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in his speech to the massive crowds (pictured) gathered at Batu Caves. — Picture by Jack Ooi

By Neville Spykerman - The Malaysian Insider

BATU CAVES, Jan 29 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak went all out to win over Hindu devotees, and by extension voters from the Indian community, at Batu Caves tonight in his second visit to the temple since becoming Prime Minister.

“During my first visit on Aug 9 last year, I promised to return on Thaipusam as a mark of respect to the Indian Community,” said Najib in his remarks to the thousands of devotees and tourists gathered at the iconic temple grounds.

He also pointed out that he was accompanied tonight by members of his Cabinet and well as his wife, Datin Sri Rosmah Mansor, in an attempt to show the importance his administration places on the Indian community.

After being Barisan Nasional’s vote bank for years, many Indians voted abandoned it for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties in the last national polls.

Najib’s visit tonight climaxed with a spectacular fireworks display and he pointed out that both his late father Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and Tun Hussein Onn had also visited Batu Caves during Thaipusam and he was continuing this tradition.

The prime minister’s visit to Batu Caves tonight on the eve of Thaipusam is especially significant as BN needs to win over the Indian community, many of whom could be swing voters in tightly contested seats at the next general elections.

In his speech Najib reiterated his government’s commitment to his 1 Malaysia vision and reminded the crowd of the numerous contributions made to the Indian community including the funding of Tamil schools, training of Indian youths and even the upgrade of the Batu Caves temple.

He pointed out that the infrastructure at Batu Caves was in poor condition during his last visit and he had asked his Cabinet to allocate RM3.6million to upgrade facilities.

“The lights you see among the crowd, the railings were all contributions by the government.”

More importantly the Umno president acknowledged the nation’s diversity and pointed out that its pillar is respect other faiths.

This acknowledgement comes in the wake of the desecration of two Mosques and recent attacks on Churches and a temple, following a High Court ruling which sanctioned the use of word “Allah” by Christians.

The ruling has angered many Muslims.

Najib pointed out that even the Prophet Mohamed respected other faiths and true Islam forbade the desecration of places of worship.

He added that his government would uphold the true principles of Islam.

He said although there may be differences of opinion but it was important for Malaysians to appreciate and respect one and another.

Najib also spoke about his recent visit to India, where he was warmly welcomed by the Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh and revered Tamil Nadu Chief Minister “Kalaignar” M. Karunanidhi in Chennai, who Najib described tonight as an icon and legend.

“He told me he believes Indians are fairly treated in Malaysia,” said Najib, who added that he assured the Indian leaders that this would continue.

He added that he had to visit Tamil Nadu and Chennai because 85 per cent of Indians originate from there.

“I had to visit because it’s a recognition of the roots of Indians, in Malaysia.”

He pointed out that India was a great nation and civilization, with a long history of interactions with Malaysia and both nations were moving towards stronger economic ties.

Najib who arrived at 9.10pm was welcomed by temple president Datuk N.Nadarajah who in his speech labelled Najib “The Father of 1 Malaysia”.

There was a heavy police presence and red helmeted Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel were seen escorting him to the temple’s information complex where seats were prepared on the second floor.

With him on the visit were Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon.

Among the MIC leaders at the temple were president Datuk Seri Samy Vellu, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam and Federal Territories Deputy Minister Datuk M.Saravanan

Also in attendance was Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar.

PAS panel suspends Khalid, only warns Hasan

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 — The PAS disciplinary committee has suspended Shah Alam PAS chief Khalid Samad for six months from his party post for a public disagreement while only warning Selangor state commissioner Datuk Hasan Ali for questioning the state Pakatan Rakyat government.

Disciplinary chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (picture) said they found Khalid guilty for arguing with Hasan, adding the Shah Alam MP is banned making any statement related to the party.

“We found Khalid Samad guilty under section 75 of the party’s constitution and decided to suspend him from his party posts for six months.

“During that period he is banned from making statements that affect the good name of PAS and Pakatan Rakyat.

“And position he holds in the party including the party’s Shah Alam chief and also committee member of the party’s political bureau,” he told reporters at the party’s headquarters here.

Khalid, who is away in Saudi Arabia, has been informed of the decision and will return soon to appeal against the punishment. He is suspended as Shah Alam PAS chief and political bureau member.

“Oh okay. No problem. I can appeal when I get back,” he told HarakahDaily, the party website.

“What is important is that both were found guilty and I hope the state commissioner will not cause problems with Pakatan Rakyat Selangor,” Khalid told the website.

Tuan Ibrahim, who is also party vice president, also confirmed Hasan has been given a warning and banned from making statement affecting Pakatan Rakyat.

Hasan had earlier announced the disciplinary committee’s decision and blamed the media for sensationalising his case.

The conservative motivational speaker also asked the media to be fair to him.

Hasan and his former state deputy, Khalid Samad, were hauled up by their party for openly disputing and disagreeing with each other.

Tuan Ibrahim explained that Khalid was guilty because he made public of internal party problem through his statements and blog posts.

Khalid was also guilty of revealing the contents of the Selangor Pas liaison meeting.

Tuan Ibrahim added that Khalid received a harsher punishment because his actions affected the party directly.

“He (Khalid) even admitted the seriousness of his wrongdoing during the investigation.

“He had avenues to express his dissatisfaction but since he did not do so, he damaged the party,” he said.

He also said that Hasan was wrong to criticise the Selangor state watchdog, Selcat, in public.

“Even though he (Hasan) is not part of Selcat and Selcat is independent from the exco but we decided that Selcat was established by the state government and the exco approved the establishment the body before it was established by the state assembly.

“Therefore as an exco member, he should bring any matters related to Selcat during the exco meeting and not outside,” he said.

Both Khalid and Hasan have 30 days to appeal against their punishment.

Najib wants time to study Ku Li’s parliamentary caucus

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 — Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (picture) may have confirmed that he will lead a parliamentary caucus on the Kelantan oil royalty issue, but his party president has yet to agree or to comment on the matter.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak declined to comment on the Gua Musang MP’s recent stand that Kelantan is entitled a five per cent royalty for oil extracted off its waters, saying it was time to “re-examine the relationship between the states and the federal government”.

“We are studying the matter. I have not received any word from Tengku Razaleigh yet. Give us time to get a copy of his speech,” said Najib.

The Gua Musang MP had told a packed Stadium Sultan Mohamed IV in Kelantan last night that national oil firm Petronas was bound by law to give the money to states where oil is found, adding Kelantan was not interested in compassionate payments.

“Kelantan may be poor. But we are not beggars. We demand what is rightfully ours,” the Kelantan prince said to cheers and cries of “Allahu Akbar (God is great)” at last night’s gathering organised by the state government over the oil royalty issue.

However, Najib also stressed that party discipline must be maintained at all times.

“We have to stick to party discipline. We have to obey it in whatever situation we will discuss the matter.”

The PAS government demanded the oil royalty payment from Petronas last year, after the Statistics Department revealed that Kelantan, together with Sabah and Terengganu, had contributed 62.5 per cent of oil extracted in Malaysia.

The Barisan Nasional federal government has insisted that oil from the joint development area with Thailand is not part of Kelantan’s waters and has only offered RM20 million as “compassionate payment”.

But Razaleigh, the founding chairman of Petronas, disagreed with the government’s move, saying the formula for oil royalty was first agreed with Sarawak and later extended to all states.

The move has a precedent in Terengganu after the 1999 general elections, when PAS won the state, prompting the federal government to convert oil royalty payments to “compassionate payments” managed by a federal government department.

Terengganu had sued for its right and Putrajaya relented only after Barisan Nasional recaptured the state.

RPK Speaks His Mind - My Moral Compass

SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Guan Eng dictator? Good for Guan Eng

But Lim Guan Eng is nobody’s running dog. He is not in office to serve Umno’s interest, or the interest of ex-Umno people who no longer have any future in Umno and are now trying to build a new future in PKR.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

When the Umno Malays attack the Chinese from the opposition, they would normally use the word ‘Communist’. To the Umno Malays, any Chinese who opposes Umno is a Communist.

And this is what MP Zahrain Mohd Hashim from PKR called Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng from DAP -- ‘Communist-minded’.

But then, Zahrain is Umno. Okay, maybe now he is in PKR. But that was only very recently. For decades he was in Umno and, furthermore, he was one of the key people in Umno Penang who headed various very important government agencies in the state.

In short, in true Umno fashion, Zahrain was one of the Penang warlords -- and he was so for a great number of years. But Umno warlords, even ex-Umno warlords now in the opposition, no longer carry any weight in Penang. And this must be extremely unsettling for someone like Zahrain, who practically had the power of ‘life and death’ over Penang -- and now has no power to even change the curtains in his office without the approval of ‘dictator’ Lim Guan Eng.

Another thing that is even more upsetting for Umno, even ex-Umno people now in PKR, is that, during the days of the Gerakan state government, it was Umno that called the shots while the Gerakan Chief Minister was merely an Umno running dog and in office merely to serve Umno’s interest.

But Lim Guan Eng is nobody’s running dog. He is not in office to serve Umno’s interest, or the interest of ex-Umno people who no longer have any future in Umno and are now trying to build a new future in PKR.

The ex-Umno people in PKR, in particular those from Penang, will have to learn how to adjust to the new ‘culture’. During the Umno days it was the Chinese who sat on the throne while the Malays were the power behind the throne who manipulated Gerakan and the Chief Minister. All Umno had to do was tell the Chief Minister to jump and he would respond, “How high?"

Lim Guan Eng, however, has a mind of his own. He knows what needs to be done (after all, Penang is the best run state, according to the Auditor-General). He understands the old Umno culture, which invariably has been ‘imported’ into PKR. No one is going to pressure him or blackmail him. He will not allow himself to become a puppet Chief Minister like the Gerakan Chief Minister in the days when Umno was running Penang with Gerakan as its front.

So we lose some ex-Umno people in PKR who decide to go back to Umno because they are no longer warlords like they used to be. Well, so be it. Better they go now even if we see a Perak situation in the other states as well. Spring-cleaning in PKR (and DAP and PAS as well) is long overdue anyway.

I have just about had it with all these ex-Umno people like Hassan Ali, Zulkifli Noordin, Zahrain Mohd Hashim, and many more who have been nothing but a source of problems for PKR and Pakatan Rakyat. If I were to list down the names of people like Ruslan Kassim, Ezam Mohd Nor, Lokman Adam, Rozaid Abdul Rahman, Hanafiah Man, and all those many others who came from Umno into PKR, and then left PKR to rejoin Umno after causing so much problems, this article would probably run into 20 or 30 pages.

It is time we bite the bullet and purge the party, even if we have to use 'undemocratic' methods, or else this nonsense will never end. Maybe Lim Guan Eng can teach us some of his ‘undemocratic’ tactics that we can use in PKR to clean up the party.

***************************************************

Zahrain: Lim is a dictator

PENANG: Dissension within Pakatan Rakyat has spread and the simmering feud between DAP and PKR leaders broke into the open when Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohd Hashim verbally attacked Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Describing the DAP secretary-general as a “dictator, a chauvinist and communist-minded”, Zahrain who is the former state PKR chairman, said Pakatan should stop compromising with the leader who is from Malacca as Lim had failed to deliver its general election promises.

Stressing that he was not attacking the DAP, Zahrain said Lim would become a liability to Pakatan in the state if he continued the way he was now.

“Lim does not like to be criticised. He is quick to label those who criticise him as Barisan Nasional agents,” he said. “Even his own party colleagues do not have a say the moment Lim makes up his mind.”

Zahrain said among the election promises that were not kept were the introduction of local council election and an open tender system.

“Lim may be reluctant to push for local council election because it will diminish his power if Penangites use that as an avenue to pass verdict on the state’s performance.

“He also promised an open tender system, but he has made the process worse by personally chairing the tender board,” he said, adding that there was better check and balance during Barisan’s rule.

He said when he criticised Lim for his dictatorial ways of managing the state, he was accused of being an Umno agent.

“I am certainly not an Umno agent. I just do not want to see Pakatan going against its promises,” he said. “It is a shame for Pakatan and its principles when projects are awarded based on who knows who.”

Zahrain said Lim was not suitable to be Penang Chief Minister because he was not a local and did not understand local sentiments.

“He has failed to bring in foreign investments despite travelling all over the world to attract investments,” he said.

“Voters are watching. Penangites are very particular about economic progress.”

Zahrain also questioned why a third of Lim’s speech during the Pakatan convention was in Mandarin.

“As a leader of the Pakatan, he should respect people of all races and speak in a language understood by all.”

The attack by Zahrain comes in the wake of the open defiance of Kulim Bandar Baru MP Zulkifli Noordin against party orders over the ‘Allah’ issue.

This led to a feud bet­ween Zulkifli and PAS’ Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad when the former even lodged a police report against the PAS man.

Zulkifli even challenged his party disciplinary board which let him off with a slap on his wrist but this in turned angered PKR’s political bureau chief Datuk Zaid Ibrahim who had quit as an Umno member, minister and senator to join the party.

Zaid criticised the party for letting off Zulkifli lightly saying it was no more than a poor copy of Umno. - The Star

Guan Eng avoids war of words with Zahrain

Written by Regina William, The Edge

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng chose to remain mum on the outburst by Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) Bayan Baru MP Datuk Zahrain Hashim against him.

A media report had quoted Zahrain calling Lim a dictator, chauvinist and communist-minded and accused Lim of sidelining the PKR in Penang.

He also described Lim as a liability to Pakatan Rakyat and said Lim had reneged on the election promises.

Instead of answering the allegations against him, Lim left the task to Deputy Chief Minister Dr Mansor Othman after officiating the Penang International Halal Expo.

Mansor, who took over Penang PKR from Zahrain during a reshuffle, however did not say much.

"The words were uncalled for and I regret his statement."

"That is certainly not the way to address our fellow partners in PR," he said and declined to elaborate further, adding a press conference would be called soon on the matter.

A website had also reported a few days ago that a top Penang PKR MP would quit to become a Barisan Nasional-friendly party or even join the new Parti Cinta Malaysia but when contacted via telephone, Zahrain refuted the report as utter rubbish.

He told The Edge Malaysia he still was performing his duties as a PKR MP and also as the president of the Football Association of Penang and said the online report was mere speculation.

This is not the first time that Zahrain has caused a furore.

Last year, he also accused the state government of sidelining PKR with minor portfolios in the state government and had demanded more representation from PKR in government-owned agencies.

Anwar: Najib wants me jailed quickly

(Free Malaysia Today) By Karl Malakunas

MANILA: Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim today accused the Najib regime of seeking to convict him quickly of sodomy as part of efforts to deflect attention against its own woes.

Anwar spoke out angrily after he lost his appeal for access to the government’s evidence against him in the sodomy trial, which is due to start this Tuesday and could see him jailed for 20 years.

"I’m shocked with the (government’s) impunity to go on with such a case despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary," Anwar told AFP on a short trip to the Philippines.

Anwar accused Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of orchestrating efforts to have him convicted of sodomy, and said he feared the court could buckle under pressure from the government.

Asked if he thought he would win the case, Anwar said: "Yes, assuming the court agrees… to look at facts and the law. I’m confident of the facts.

"(But) I’m not too confident of the system because I think Najib is quite directly involved."

Anwar said the court case may be over in a matter of weeks.

"It seems they want to rush it… their political masters want a quick conviction."

Anwar insisted the government was seeking to jail him on sodomy charges only to eliminate his political challenge, as the Barisan Nasional was losing popularity amid corruption allegations and rising racial domestic tensions.

"I think Najib wants to deflect attention from the cases of corruption and the tensions that are brewing," he said.

In Kuala Lumpur, Anwar’s lawyer said his legal team would seek a review of Friday’s Federal Court ruling that barred him from having access to the prosecution’s evidence against him.

"The court ruled that the evidence that we were seeking did not fall within the ‘necessary and desirable’ category and turned down the appeal," lawyer Sankara Nair told AFP.

"It has far-reaching negative implications in Malaysian criminal law as it is a reversal of earlier positions in law allowing greater disclosure by the prosecutors so the accused can prepare his defence effectively."

Sankara said he would seek a stay of the trial, which is due to begin on Tuesday, to give time for Anwar’s legal team to push for an appeal to strike out the case completely.

Dear Mahathir

by Haris Ibrahim

Malaysianinsider reports that you had “defended the social contract, the so-called unwritten agreement between the Malays and the non-Malays during independence, by affirming that without the agreement, Malaysia would not have been formed”.

They quoted you :

“If there was no social contract, the terms and conditions of allowing citizenship to non-Malays would have not taken place. One million outsiders were given citizenships at the time.”

Now, this quote from you got me curious.

Let me tell you why.

I conferred with my aunt, who confirmed that my maternal great grandfather, Eliathamby, of whom I’ve written previously in a posting entitled “The land that my forefathers helped build”, would have left Ceylon and arrived in what is now West Malaysia, around 1870. He died well before the conclusion of that social contract that you spoke of, so my great grandfather would not have come within those ‘one million outsiders’ who acquired citizenship at the time of independence in 1957.

My maternal grandfather, Vellupillay T. Williams, never lived to see the formation of Malaya so he, too, did not make up the ‘one million outsiders’.

Enough of my family tree.

Let’s look at yours.

I got this from a blog, Malaysiana :

Perhaps, the most famous Malayalee to land in George Town was Iskandar Kutty, a merchant who married a Johor-Riau wife Siti Hawa Iskandar.

They became the proud parents of Alor Star’s top public school Sultan Abdul Hamid College’s founder-principal and Kedah’s royal educator Datuk Mohamad Iskandar.

Mohamad was the school teacher of Tunku Abdul Rahman.

He and his wife Datin Wan Tempawan Wan Hanafi from the Kedah Bendahara’s (Prime Minister’s) clan, were the proud parents of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s Father of Modernisation and fourth Prime Minister.

And this from Malaysia Today :

Born in December 20, 1925, Dr Mahathir hailed from the state of Kedah, at the capital of Alor Star, whose father was a school teacher. His father was Indian who migrated from Kerala, who married a malay lady and sold banana fritters during the second world war. His early education was through vernacular school and at the Sultan Abdul Hamid College in the city.

My question, then, Doc, firstly, is whether your father was amongst the ‘one million outsiders’?

And when did you become ‘Malay’, Doc?

When did you move from being a son of an Indian who migrated from Kerala to a Malay?

Not that I care, but when?

Speaking of Malay, do you remember your “Malay Dilemma”, Doc?

Do you remember what you said about the problem of inbreeding amongst the Malay community, and that whole business of genes?

Back then, who had heard of this thing called DNA?

Who had ever imagined that science would one day make it possible for all of us to trace our genealogy?

Guess what, Doc?

It seems, based on all this new DNA scientific knowledge, that there’s no such thing as a Malay race.

It would seem that you’ve gone from being a son of an Indian who migrated from Kerala to a ‘does not exist’.

Just like that!

My cyber buddy, Michael Chick, has written extensively on this matter, in a three-parter in Malaysiakini. HERE, HERE, and HERE .

See what Michael writes in his final part : “The people Malaysians call ‘Malay’, are actually only a tiny sub-component of the much larger Austronesian group. And all Austronesians are the end-product of extensive inter-breeding between the Taiwanese and Dravidic Indians. All this has finally been irrefutably proven by independent DNA testings from world-class faculties”.

I’ve never been very good at all these sciences, Doc, but if you’re any better, and you think Michael’s cocked-up big time in his conclusions, why don’t you take him on?

Damn, I digress.

So when and how did you become Malay, Doc?

Because of the definition of ‘Malay’ in the Federal Constitution, Doc?

Article 160 (2)?

That right?

So, right up until the last moments before Tunku’s declaration of independence, you were the son of an Indian who migrated from Kerala, and moments later

you were magically transformed into a Malay?

And is not the definition of Malay in Article 160(2) stated to be for the limited purpose where the word ‘Malay’ appears in the Constitution?

But really, Doc, I don’t give a toss whether you hold yourself out as Malay or the son of an Indian who migrated from Kerala.

Whatever turns you on.

What pisses me off is this Bumi-non Bumi crap.

November 19th, last year, The Star reported on Najib’s balik kampung to Makassar in South Sulawesi. You can read the report HERE.

Courtesy of The Star

Najib is reported to have said : “I feel like I am returning to my roots,” and, when asked to comment on the possibility that some people might view the fact that he had roots here in a negative light, Najib said: “I am not apologetic about it. This is my family history and I am proud of it.”

According to the report, Najib said he was the direct descendant of Bugis royalty who migrated to Pahang in the 18th century.

Well, at least this Malaysian is not ashamed of his roots!

Now, you know that aunt I mentioned earlier?

You know her.

Aunty Rasammah.

I googled her name yesterday and this is what is written of her in Wikipedia.

“Rasammah Bhupalan, also known as Rasammah Naomi Navarednam or Mrs F.R. Bhupalan is a renowned Malaysian freedom fighter and social activist

Born in 1927, she has championed causes such as the anti-drug abuse movement, women’s rights, education and social justice causes.

Rasammah was one of the earliest women involved in the fight for Malaysian (then Malaya) independence. She joined the Rani of Jhansi Regiment, the women’s wing of the Indian National Army, to fight the British. She served in Burma during World War II.

As founder president of the Women Teacher’s Union, she fought for equal pay for women teachers and tried to bring disparate teachers’ unions under an umbrella.

The former school principal was the first Asian representative of the World Confederation of Organisations of the Teaching Profession for two successive terms. She was also very active in the National Council of Women’s Organisation (NCWO) and Pemadam.

She was a teacher in the Methodist Boys’ School, Kuala Lumpur from 1959 to 1964 and was the principal of the Methodist Girls School, Kuala Lumpur for 13 years from 1970 until she retired in 1982. On 11th November 2007, Mrs.Bhupalan was one of the few veteran teachers who were invited to attend MBSSKL’s 110th Anniversary Celebration Dinner. The dinner was specially organized to honour all the former and current teachers of the school”.

Quite frankly, I think the write-up in Wikipedia does little justice to all that Aunty Rasammah has done for this country. But that is another matter.

More importantly, Doc, why are you, the son of an Indian who migrated from Kerala, and Najib, the descendant of Bugis who migrated from Sulawesi, bumiputra, whilst Aunty Rasammah is not?