RPK Speaks His Mind - Why Self Exile (Part 2) UPDATED

When Malays are not Muslims

Ketuanan Melayu is haram. Then they use a haram law like the ISA to uphold what is haram. It is just like washing your pork with liquor before eating it. Can the act of ‘cleaning’ pork with liquor now make it halal to eat?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Penang Mufti Datuk Hassan Ahmad has labelled mentally-sound Muslims who dump their babies as apostates.

Their inhumane act was akin to approving what was prohibited by Islam, he said, adding that murder was forbidden and a sin in Islam.

"Although they are Muslims, they kill because they failed to control their emotions and this contributes to their past sin of committing adultery," he told Bernama after attending a muzakarah (dialogue) titled "Memperkasakan Undang-undang berkaitan Islam" (Empowering Islamic Laws) here today.

He also advised the younger generation to be more knowledgeable and hold on to the teachings of Islam to avoid giving in to desires.

Meanwhile, Universiti Malaya Senior Research Fellow Datuk Dr Abdul Monir Yaacob said declining values of the family institution led to babies being dumped.

He was referring to a recent case where the charred remains of a newborn baby were found in Kuala Krai, Kelantan.

"Maybe, they don't understand the importance of a child in a family and this is the start to immoral activities.

"They may also feel that the child may not be accepted by the public and would be burdened by shame," he said.

Asked if ignorance led Muslims to commit such acts, Dr Abdul Monir, who is also a member of the Pahang Islamic Religious Council, said:

"Ignorance is not the right term, because they are aware that Islam deems their actions as wrong and a sin."

In a related matter, Universiti Teknologi Mara's Centre For Islamic Thought And Understanding Associate Prof Dr Mohamed Azam Mohamed Adil said a mechanimsm to highlight the affects of free sex must be implemented.

"We can't change what happened. This does not mean I support free sex, but it is important for them not to dump or kill their own babies," he said.

He added that although the baby was born out of wedlock, the mother needed to learn how to accept the child with help from social agencies. -- Malaysian Digest

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I love the Penang Mufti. He is far better than the Perak Mufti who almost started a war when he reported that hundreds of Muslims are about to be converted to Christianity in a certain church. Why he was not charged for sedition or criminal defamation is beyond me. If it was I who did that there would be numerous charges awaiting me.

For years I have been telling Malays what being a Muslim means. The responses I get are police reports being made against me and postings in Malaysia Today asking me to ‘go learn more’ before I talk about Islam.

What is there to go learn more, assuming I do need to go learn more? You mean we need to go to an Islamic university to understand what is right and what is wrong? You mean those Chinese who go to Chinese schools do not understand what is right and what is wrong because they did not go to an Islamic university or learn Arabic?

Note the key word the Penang Mufti used: apostates. This means these Muslims are no longer Muslims. They have left Islam.

And why have they left Islam? Because they allowed (legitimised, approved, etc.) what Islam prohibits, explained the Mufti.

Okay, maybe the Mufti was talking about the problem of Muslims abandoning their illegitimate or bastard babies. It was specifically in reference to this issue. But the same thing applies to all other acts as well.

My Tok Guru Abdul Rahman Pattani, whom I have spoken about before, Tok Guru Abdul Hadi Awang, whom I have also spent time with to learn more about Islam, Haji Awang ‘Tukul Besi’ (iron hammer) of Batu Enam Kuala Terengganu, Haji Abbas Khatib Muhammad of Kuala Ibai, and so on, all say the same thing.

And what was it they said?

“Kita tak boleh menghalalkan yang haram dan mengharamkan yang halal.”

This would translate to: we can’t allow (halal) what is forbidden (haram) and forbid (haram) what is allowed (halal). And this is what the Penang Mufti said. So he too said what the others said: in that if we allow what Islam prohibits, or the other way around, that makes us an apostate -- we are no longer Muslims.

They explained that if we change what the Quran says by deeds, it would tantamount to literally changing the Quran. It is as if we have rewritten the Quran with our own hand. And that makes us an apostate.

And this applies not only to abandoning illegitimate or bastard babies. It applies to all things that Islam forbids which you allow, or what Islam allows which you forbid. You cannot change what Islam classifies as halal to haram or what Islam classifies as haram to halal. Halal is halal and haram is haram. It cannot be switched the other way around.

It is so simple. It is so simple it makes me laugh. Yet there are many Muslims who would argue and try to justify why halal should become haram and haram should become halal. And now the Penang Mufti has confirmed what I have been saying all these years: you can’t do that.

Maybe the Mufti was referring to one specific issue, the issue of abandoned babies. But the same applies if we talk about the other issues as well. Take racism as one example. Islam forbids it. Prophet Muhammad in his last sermon on Mount Arafah reminded Muslims that racism is forbidden. It is haram. But Umno propagates it and there are laws that allow it. Umno has committed an act of menghalalkan yang haram (legalise what is forbidden).

What about corruption? This is extremely haram in Islam. How many Muslims pray five times a day, fast the entire month of Ramadhan, go to Mekah to perform the pilgrimage, yet take bribes?

Umno is so corrupted that it is no longer a secret. But 50% of the Malays support Umno even though they know the party is so corrupted. That makes them an accomplice to corruption (bersubahat). And the reason they support Umno in spite of the massive corruption is because Umno upholds Ketuanan Melayu or Malay Supremacy, which is racism and therefore forbidden in Islam.

Okay, that is about allowing what is forbidden. What about forbidding what is allowed? This, as explained by all those Islamic scholars I mentioned above, is equally wrong in Islam.

Islam allows you to speak freely, allows you to assemble in a group of more than four people (in fact, Islam encourages it), makes it mandatory that you speak out against evil (nahi munkar), and so on and so forth. But Umno forbids it. If you do all this you will get arrested or will be detained without trial.

In the first place, Islam forbids detention without trial. Yet the Umno Muslims support the Internal Security Act (ISA). They say the ISA is necessary to be able to uphold Ketuanan Melayu. How this logic applies when the majority of those detained under the ISA are Muslims I just do not see. But this is their logic.

Ketuanan Melayu is haram. Then they use a haram law like the ISA to uphold what is haram. It is just like washing your pork with liquor before eating it. Can the act of ‘cleaning’ pork with liquor now make it halal to eat?

Bodoh punya Melayu!

It is good that the Penang Mufti finally took that bold step in declaring that those who approve what Islam forbids are apostates. I just wish he did not confine the issue to merely abandoned babies. He should have taken that one last step by declaring that all acts of allowing what are forbidden results in apostasy. And he should have explained that all acts would include corruption, racism and whatnot.

Then I would respect him 100%. Now I only respect him 50%. But 50% is better than nothing I suppose because I have absolutely no respect for all those other Muftis who keep their mouths shut and refuse to say anything at all because they want to protect their position in a very well-paying job. These are hypocrite Muftis. They are more concerned with their salaries than with doing the right thing.

Oh, and do they know that their salaries are being paid by the non-Muslim taxpayers and from tax earned from massage parlours, bars and pork sellers?

12 MP PKR Tolak Desas-Desus Keluar Parti

Dari TV Selangor

12 Ahli Parlimen Parti Keadilan Rakyat tampil menyatakan komitmen mereka untuk terus mendokong perjuangan parti.

Tindakan itu sekaligus menafikan momokan kononnya lebih ramai ahli parlimen PKR akan meninggalkan parti itu.

“Kami mengambil ketetapan sekeras- kerasnya menolak dakwaan kami akan meninggalkan parti seperti mana yang dispekulasikan pihak- pihak tidak bertanggungjawab untuk menggugat kesatuan dan perpaduan dalam Keadilan.

“Hakikat sebenarnya adalah Umno-BN yang berasa gusar melihat gelombang kedua sokongan rakyat kepada pimpinan Pakatan, Terutamanya berkaitan kes fitnah kedua yang melibatkan Datuk Seri Anwar ibrahim. Umno-BN cuba mengalihkan tumpuan kepada kemerosotan ekonomi negara dan isu-isu nasional yang semakin parah dan tidak menunjukkan tanda-tanda penyelesaian,”kata Ahli Parlimen Telok Kemang, Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas.

Beliau berkata demikian pada sidang media bersama sembilan lagi Ahli Parlimen yang didakwa kononnya akan keluar parti.

Sembilan lagi Ahli Parlimen adalah, Ahmad Kassim (Kuala Kedah), Azan Ismail (Indera Mahkota), Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid (Kuala Langat), Ab. Aziz Ab. Kadir (Ketereh), Yusmadi Yussof (Balik Pulau), S. Manikavasagam (Kapar), Datuk Rashid Din (Merbok), Amran Ab Ghani (Tanah Merah) dan Hee Loy Sian (Petaling Jaya Selatan).

Dua lagi Ahli Parlimen, yang turut menandatangai kenyataan bersama itu iaitu n. Gobalakrishnan (Padang Serai) dan Gwo-Burne Loh (Kelana Jaya) tidak dapat hadir kerana masing-masing menghadir mesyuarat daerah dan berada di luar negara.

Dalam sidang media itu, mereka juga menegaskan akan tetap mempertahankan prinsip keadilan dan keurtuhan Pakatan Rakyat.

“Kami juga ingin menegaskan bahawa sokongan kami tidak berbelah bagi kepada Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sebagai Ketua Umum Keadilan dan juga pemimpin Pakatan,”tambah Kamarul.

Open letter to Pakatan members

Letter by Emmanuel Joseph

Dear friends,

We cannot let them win. We cannot let hopelessness and despair triumph over justice and truth. We cannot succumb to helplessness and self-pity. And most importantly, we cannot self-destruct.

It is convenient and most tempting to raise a finger and point out PKR as the weak link in the PR chain, to blame all that is happening today on Anwar Ibrahim. After all they clung on stubbornly to their allocated seats and placed postmen and washouts to contest instead of giving way to PAS’ or DAP’s more qualified, loyal candidates.

But in more ways than one, it was also PKR and its leader Anwar Ibrahim that has raised Pakatan to the level it is now. PKR helped smooth things out between conservative DAP and hardline PAS in the shaky first few weeks, and subsequently PKR played the role as a stabilising force in Pakatan, grounding the ideals of both its partners, and allowing PAS and DAP to cement their ties to the current warm levels.

It was the world’s interest in Anwar Ibrahim’s brand of moderate Islam that pressured the government into attempting to out-Islamise Pakatan’s PAS, and in the process, alienate itself from half the Malaysian electorate. Anwar’s profile in the international community, and his wide coverage in WSJ, CNN and IHT often has Wisma Putra scrambling to etch some cover story and often they are forced to ‘summon’ diplomats to ‘explain’ issues to them.

When Anwar spoke, the world paid attention. And so did Malaysians. This newfound stability, mutual respect and trust, turned Pakatan from an uneasy alliance to a serious political force to be reckoned with. And eventually, Barisan noticed.

Dear friends,

Attempt after attempt was made to destabilise the alliance, starting with attacking individual Selangor’s Excos and MB, the coup d’etat in Perak,the crossover of a Kedah assemblyman, the anti-Islamic allegations against Penang’s state leadership, the oil royalty fiasco in Kelantan.

Every trick in the book was used, lies, damned lies and statistics were thrown around, misleadingly named NGOs and ‘NGO Alliances’ were used, and the mainstream media was manipulated, all to break up this one credible threat that existed against Barisan.

When they realised going after the states did not work, individuals were lured, to defect, and for the first time in Malaysian political history, we heard the term ‘BN-friendly Independent’. And this last few weeks, the BN-controlled media screamed headlines and painted a bleak, hopeless picture of Pakatan, depicting it as a fragile alliance falling apart, culminating in the multiple defections from PKR.

In doing this, they hope to break the only thing that keeps Pakatan together, its spirit. It was this spirit that had PAS, PKR and DAP back each other at the risk of each losing support from their traditional bases.

It was this spirit that captured the imagination of the rakyat, brought back hope to a seemingly hopeless nation, renewed the strength of worn out social activists, and put the fight back in a generation that forgot how to struggle. And that is the spirit they want to kill. But this spirit must not die. It must live, spread and burn brighter.

Dear friends,

In their arrogance, the defectors spoke as if their voice echoed the views of their constituents. In their haughtiness, they spoke as though the party won because of them, and not the other way around. They spoke of betrayal, when in truth; it was the people that were betrayed. They spoke of loyalties, when it was peddled cheaply to the highest bidder.

Eventually, the people will judge them. Eventually, their Creator will judge them. I am sure they have plenty to talk about, especially over their liberal use of His name.

Pakatan is not the only one beset with problems. Barisan has a party with two people claiming to be president. They have a party where two people wanting to be deputy president. They have a party where the party does not know what to do with the president. They have a party where a disputed president of another party has to step in to solve a dispute involving another two disputing presidents!

And most of the parties don’t know what to do with themselves. And you thought DAP and PAS had problems?

As for the rest of us, we would do well and remember and remind each other all the things that happened in the last two years. Rolling cow heads, racially charged demonstrations, burning churches and suraus, deaths in custody, our dead ancestors being labelled as prostitutes and beggars, nonchalant crossing of political divides like it’s a paddy field, fighter jets that don’t fly and submarines that cannot dive, mysterious disappearances of individuals worthy of the X Files, rising taxes and cost of living and lower income and spending ability.

We would do well to remember all this. We would do well to never forget. And we would do well; to never let them win again. Dust off the flags and banners my friends. It’s not over yet.

Emmanuel Joseph
DAPSY Klang

An open letter to defecting PKR MPs

Open Letter By Shamsuddin Kamal

Assalamu Alaykum and peace to all,

Three PKR MPs have so far quit the party and turned independent, meaning turned BN MPs anyway, you have that right, but also the people who elected you have some rights. All of you left the party upon which you were elected and singled out one reason: no faith in leadership. Some even said they want to go back to Umno (either directly or indirectly) because of bangsa dan agama. Well, dear MPs, most Malaysians know why you are leaving and these are the reasons:

1. UMNO is behind the spate of defections to hurt Anwar Ibrahim and whoever it finds that has a weak heart, it snatches him/her away to play along.

2. UMNO wants to humiliate Anwar Ibrahim and whoever it finds has a wicked heart, it beckons him so that he/she will play along.

3. UMNO wants to salvage whatever that’s remaining of its credibility and does so by playing the racial card and it brings alone anyone who can’t see beyond its devilish tactics and so far it has gotten few.

4. UMNO wants to incessantly attack Anwar Ibrahim and his family and it will spend any amount of money on whoever it finds is susceptible to corruption and so far it has gotten few.

5. UMNO controls the state apparatus and scares anyone who is involved in shady deals forcing him/her to join UMNO or turn independent-read supporting UMNO/BN unconditionally and so far it has gotten few.

6. UMNO is collecting whoever it finds has a case and uses that case against him/her to switch sides and so far it has gotten few.

7. UMNO knows it can’t get elected PAS leaders because PAS leaders swear to their Creator Allah the Almighty to remain faithful to their ideals whatever may come and therefore it looks for those who swear by God but can only be described by the Qur’anic verse: “They swear by Allah that they are indeed (part) of you; but they are not of you: yet they are afraid (to appear in their true colours).” (Yusf Ali 9: 56)

8. UMNO knows it can’t get DAP MPs because they are committed to a cause and therefore it instigates the ones who aren’t committed to anything and therefore who behave like the hypocrites. “La ila ha ula, wa la ila ha ula” (neither here nor there) as Allah describes the hypocrites.

9. UMNO knows who has a weak mind and heart, which can be bought and therefore it sets traps for those and when they fall, the choice is one: go and insult Anwar Ibrahim and PKR and say I’m an independent MP-read UMNO/BN MP and so far it has gotten few.

10. UMNO is doing this to get a case against its rivals, particularly the man it spends sleepless nights on devising ways and means to cripple him, and so far it has gotten few wicked souls who have breached their trust in God and in the people.

11. UMNO gave everyone an Utusan Malaysia typical statement, say PKR and PR are not fighting for Islam/Malays and that Anwar failed to act on my/our message. The disdain you have for my people the Malays, the belief that we can’t see through you shenanigans is interesting indeed. I will remind you what Abu Jahl told the men who plotted at night to relieve the Holy Prophet’s clan from the crippling sanctions but posed as innocently concerned: Hadha amrun qad dudhiya bilalyl (This is a secret plan hatched by the previous night). We can see through your Allah, Islam and the Malay jokes.

12. None who say his complaints have not being acted upon gave an input earlier or commented on the above issues in any way that’s responsible, honest or inclusive. Former PKR Sec. General Salehuddin Hashim told a Western newspaper and a news agent two months ago that Malaysia will fail if UMNO continues to use racial and religious issues to divide the nation and he gave Malaysia only one decade to collapse. This was after UMNO members burnt some churches. Today, he was supporting the defecting MP on why UMNO is right in instigating evil in the nation on the same issue. Sometimes you cry why God gives time to some people when they can be so wicked and hypocritical but He knows much. “And do not think Allah to be heedless of what the unjust do; He but giveth them respite against a Day when the eyes will fixedly stare in horror.” (14: 42)

It should be noted that none of the MPs who have gone to BN by claiming that they are independent has offered leadership and ideas. None has come out with a political platform to share with the nation. None has gone back to his/her voters to tell one million reasons why suddenly working with UMNO and betraying the PR flag was the moral choice and none has sought an answer from his voters. None has given an intelligent answer as to why they didn’t provide the leadership they aspire for. None has being true to what he has said. None has not been mentioned as a potential frog by the people and the blogs months before he/she has left the people and joined the evil ones. None has been brave enough to tell the people the true nature of their actions. And none has been true to One, the Almighty Allah SW.

The turncoats should be remind that they are being used by UMNO to do one thing: to hurt Anwar Ibrahim, but you forget that you are hurting the people who have left their working stations in far away places to campaign for you, work for you, donate to you and eventually vote for you to win. In fact, Anwar is getting sympathy today than he was yesterday. You might not have hearts but the people have and the people will show it to you. They won’t forget what you have done, in fact, while the UMNO machinery that coerce you may be happy, neither Allah SW who demands honesty nor your voters are happy. And God will give us the opportunity to exact revenge against you when you expect the least.

For UMNO that’s doing this in the belief that it will break the back of Anwar, I say this to you, Anwar is a mortal, he can drop dead any moment- so you are betraying the people you aspire to lead; but the people who have been hurt will live in multitudes to compare the notes with you and the turncoats at the right time and I sum up all this with an ancient proverb: The one whose death is being planned has a God too who will save him. God will save this nation, Anwar Ibrahim, PAS, DAP, PKR and all the moral forces in this nation. You shall live long enough to witness it. For now, continue with your evil mechanizations but the Great Master-Allah SW- shall work for those who desire good.

“And those who strive in Our (cause),- We will certainly guide them to our Paths: For verily Allah is with those who do right.” (29: 69)

P.S. To PR supporters, the struggle continues and awakening the nation continues and preparing for tomorrow continues and as RPK said yesterday, selecting the candidates starts today and PKR should subject them to Bay’ah like PAS. Like Chinua Achebe said, for every noble cause, few heads must roll and along the way the men and women who are fighting evil must meet evil and feel pain but we shall overcome. We trust in Allah and in our people. We shall overcome.

Home Ministry To Provide Support For Volunteer Patrol Scheme

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 (Bernama) -- The Home Ministry is expected to channel support in the form of grants, equipment and assistance for the Volunteer Patrol Scheme (VPS), to effectively combat crime in residential areas.

Deputy Home Minister Jelaing Mersat said the initiative shows the seriousness and support of the government to set up VPS as an effort to combat crime in housing estates.

"The ministry has plans to provide aid for the VPS to attract participation from the public so as to assist the police in combating crime at about 50 crime hotspots throughout the country.

"I will table this to the relevant authorities and the ministries involved so that help can be channeled for the scheme," he told reporters after attending a dialogue session on strengthening crime prevention at the Ampang Jaya police headquarters here on Wednesday.

Jelaing said VPS has proven its effectiveness in curbing criminal activities like house break-ins and robberies as well as enhancing unity and brotherhood among the people.

Since VPS was introduced in Ampang Jaya, crime rate in the area had reduced significantly from 7,663 in 2008 to 7,574 last year, he said.

"Through the people and volunteers' cooperation with the police, we were able to reduce crime rate in the area by 1.16 per cent," he said.

He added that during the dialogue, residents had requested for cabins to be placed at strategic locations with patrolling equipments like bicycles at the respective VPS that were formed since 2008.

A resident from Taman Putra, Azlina Siwok, 42, said criminal activities on roads at housing estates can be reduced through the presence of VPS.

"However, lack of communication among residents, continues to be detrimental to such programmes. So, we suggest a special policy to be introduced so that residents can offer their cooperation and support for the scheme because they will be the ones who will benefit at the end of the day," he said.

ntv7 poll: 60% say PKR won’t be affected in next GE - Anil Netto

An ntv7 poll over the news tonight asked viewers if they thought PKR’s performance in the next general election would be affected by the recent defections.

The results were surprising: 60 per cent responded ‘No’, the party’s performance won’t be affected with just 40 per cent saying ‘Yes’, it will be.

Resist gov’t crackdown on books! Get WIJ tonight @Armada Hotel, Gen Perubahan Event

By Nathaniel Tan,

quick note: I will be at the Generasi Perubahan forum tonight (featuring the best of young Pakatan leaders speaking on our nation’s future), trying to clear a big backlog of Where Is Justice stock. If you’d like to support us by purchasing a copy, I’d truly love to see you there! :) Also see below for how you can purchase the book from the Malaysiakini or Gerakbudaya offices.

I think “crackdown” is indeed justified.

As a side note, as I love snap elections conspiracy theories :P – there’s that tiny chance that Najib may try his luck. Observe his attempts to bleed PKR (which may be backfiring). Is this some attempt to generate momentum?

I guess that would be consistent with the constant harassment of our books.

What started with Where is Justice and 1FunnyMalaysia has since been extended to Amir Muhammad’s Politicians Say the Darndest Things (on the bookshelves for 14 months already!!) and Zunar’s Isu Dalam Kartun. (see also YB Kit’s recent post on the banned Golden Son of the Kadazan)

We can’t even tell how many bookshops have been harassed by the authorities. This cowardly efforts to pick on businesses rather than confront the issue directly is abhorrent and disgusting.

Some chains (which I’m tempted to name :P ) have even given up and returned the books to the distributor.

I recently stopped by that distributor’s office to find about 1,000 copies sitting around the stock room. As you can imagine, that comprises very significant financial losses to the publishers, and is 1,000 books that may never have the chance to show readers the brutality that goes on in our country.

As always, I’ll reproduce the ways in which you can help not only Where is Justice, but all the other books that have been targeted by the authorities.

If you happen to be at a bookshop, I would love your help in finding out regarding Where is Justice, 1FunnyMalaysia and Amir Muhammad’s Politicians Say the Darndest Things (whichrecently met the same fate, after 14 months on the shelves!!)

a) Whether the books are on the shelves,
b) (if not,) Whether the books are available over the counter
c) Whether or not any books have been confiscated,
d) If the books are not being sold, why
e) Any other details surrounding the books

We can’t get a full picture without your help, and it’s very hard for us to keep track of availability across so many book stores.

So any assistance you can provide in gathering this info (leave a comment, or e-mail nat[at]jelas.info), that would be SUPER helpful :)

Thanks Malaysia, you rock!

As per always, to get this book:

1. Get one from your local major bookstore (I’ve previously seen them available in Popular, MPH, Borders, etc). Note: If they are not on the bookshelves, they may still be available over the counter on request.

2. Order one online from Kinibooks.

3. (If you live within the Klang Valley) Place an order with whereisjustice@jelas.info, and we will do our best to get a copy to you at RM 30 (incl delivery costs), on a COD basis.

4. Get one from either the Malaysiakini office at 48, Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar Utama (see Wikimapia or Google Maps), phone: 03-2284-3367; or the distributor, Gerakbudaya at No. 11, Lorong 11/4E, Petaling Jaya (see Wikimapia), phone: (603) 7957 8343/8342

Bagan Serai MP joins PKR exodus

By Adib Zalkapli - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — Bagan Serai MP Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri (pic) became the latest MP to quit PKR and turn independent today, even as party leaders moved to quell fears of an exodus of lawmakers.

He made the announcement at a press conference together with former PKR secretary-general Datuk Salehuddin Hashim.

Mohsin said he was quitting the party today because of concerns about Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) politics, especially over the “Allah” row.

He claimed that he had raised some of his concerns through the party’s internal channels but no action had been taken.

“In the name of Allah, I would like to announce my resignation from PKR,” said Mohsin.

He said that he contested in Election 2008 after a request made by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“The trust and confidence that I have placed in PKR’s and Pakatan Rakyat’s struggle especially in restoring the special position of Islam has faded with the latest development in the party,” he added.

Mohsin also revealed that he has not been able to perform his duties due to sabotage and internal problems in the party.

“I have raised these issues and questions through internal party channels, but no action or positive step was taken,” he added.

Mohsin is the third PKR MP to quit the party since last month.

With his resignation PKR now has 27 MPs, DAP, 28, PAS, 23, PSM, 1 and SAPP, 2. There are four independents.

Barisan Nasional (BN) controls 137 seats in the 222-member Parliament.

While Salehuddin has denied behind the spate of resignations, his appearance at press conferences of MPs announcing their decisions to quit has fuelled speculation about his involvement.

Following the resignations of Bayan Baru MP Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim and Nibong Tebal MP TanTee Beng, Salehuddin had predicted more than ten other MPs could leave the party.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and other PKR leaders have accused Salehuddin and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak of being instrumental in enticing PKR MPs.

PKR deputy president Senator Syed Husin Ali responded yesterday to Salehuddin’s prediction of future resignations by revealing that the former secretary-general was paid RM9,000 a month and had quit in a huff at not being named head of Selangor investment arm Perangsang

Syed Husin’s riposte appeared to be part of a campaign to discredit party rebels as he had also disclosed that former Penang deputy chief minister Mohd Fairus Khairuddin was paid RM4,000 a month despite quitting his state post and Penanti seat.

Former PKR sec-gen warns against personal attacks

By Adib Zalkapli - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — Former PKR secretary-general Datuk Salehuddin Hashim warned his former party colleagues not to resort to personal attacks over the defection of its lawmakers.

“They want to strip me, but let us see if it is better to have your underwear on or to be completely naked,” said Salehudin at a press conference to announce Bagan Serai MP Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri’s resignation from PKR today.

Salehudin was commenting on the attempt by PKR deputy president Senator Syed Husin Ali to discredit him after he predicted that ten lawmakers from the party will quit soon.

Yesterday Syed Husin alleged that Salehuddin had been unhappy with the party after his application to become the chief executive officer of the Selangor investment arm, Perangsang Group was rejected.

Syed Husin also claimed that Salehuddin was paid RM9,000 per month when he was serving as PKR secretary-general since March 2008.

In his response, Salehuddin dismissed the allegations adding that he had spent enormous amounts of money while serving in the party.

“There will be allegations, that those who left the party are full imperfections, as if those who remain in the party are perfect specimens of human beings,” said Salehuddin.

He also denied that he was behind the resignation PKR MPs but reiterated his claim that more of the party lawmakers will quit.

“I’m not a Prophet, although some people like to claim to be a Prophet or angel, but I did expect about one-third will leave,” said Salehuddin.

On the move by 12 PKR MPs to declare their loyalty to the party this morning, Salehuddin said it is up to them to make such declarations.

“I did not say everyone will leave, I only said 10, the rest they can make their pledge of loyalty or declaration,” he said.

Salehuddin was present at the press conferences held by Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim and Tan Tee Beng to announce their resignation.

On Mohsin’s resignation, Salehuddin said it shows PKR’s failure to manage the diversity of opinions in the party.

He said that Mohsin’s stand on the “Allah” issue should have been handled better.

The first term MP had said that he was disappointed that the party has backed the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims.

“For me personally what’s wrong with using the word Allah in Christian books, so in this room there is a difference of opinion,” said Salehuddin adding that the party has failed to convince those who are unsure about the party’s stand.

“One or two persons cannot decide on such a sensitive issue, I am not asking for a referendum, but it should be thoroughly debated at the political bureau, this did not happen and has caused uneasiness among the grassroots,” he added.

“This is not a party for one or two people, not a private limited company or a family party, this is a party for all Malaysian,” said Salehuddin.

On whether the decision by Mohsin to quit PKR is a betrayal to the voters, Salehuddin said he shares the view of his former party that has always endorsed the defection of lawmakers.

“On Sept 16, 2008, they were supposed to get 30 MPs to defect, would that be considered betrayal?” he asked referring to Anwar’s plan to topple Barisan Nasional (BN) government soon after Election 2008.

He added that only DAP chairman Karpal Singh who believes that elected representatives should resign if they choose to join another party.

With Mohsin’s resignation PKR now has 27 MPs, DAP 28, PAS 23, PSM 1 and SAPP 2. There are four independents.

BN controls 137 seats in the 222-member Parliament.

Lim wants oil royalty documents declassified

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — Lim Kit Siang said today that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must declassify and table all documents on the oil royalty issue and explain why such payments had been made to Terengganu until 1999.

“What Najib should do is to present a White Paper on the oil royalty issue on the first day of the forthcoming meeting of Parliament on March 16, 2010 and schedule a special parliamentary debate on the issue.

“In the White Paper, Najib should declassify all documents and papers to fully explain why for 35 years the Federal Government honoured the states’ rights to 5 per cent oil royalty with regular payments to Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak and the legal history of the change of stand of the Federal Government in 2000 to withdraw such recognition and to pay instead “wang ehsan” (compassionate payments) to the Terengganu state government — all because of PAS’s capture of the state in the 1999 general elections,” he said in a press statement.

Lim also said that Umno’s gag order over Kelantan’s oil royalty claim showed that the party was willing to sacrifice historical accuracy for “political expediency.”

“Can the sons of the second and third Prime Ministers of Malaysia explain why they have turned their backs on their father’s joint legacy of 5 per cent oil royalty to the states and instead embraced the fourth Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir’s distortion and violation of the petroleum agreements with the various states?

“Najib and Hishammuddin should not allow political expediency and considerations, even Umno’s survival, to dishonour their father’s joint legacy to give 5 per cent oil royalty to the states, particularly Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johore,” he said in a press statement.

Yesterday Umno barred its members from speaking about the Kelantan oil royalty issue while it compiles the views of its grassroots.

The Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the party did not allow its members to issue statements that could damage its image.

Lim said that Umno’s gag order is aimed at silencing Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as the veteran Umno man has openly clashed with his party over this issue.

Tengku Razaleigh has been campaigning for Kelantan’s entitlement to the five per cent oil royalty under the Petroleum Development Act 1974.

“It is no more a question of who and what is historically right or wrong but who has the present power to impose his views on the country at the moment, right or wrong.

“What the second and third Prime Ministers, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn, intended some 35 years ago, as ordering Razaleigh as the first Petronas Chairman ‘to design the Petroleum Development Act in such a way that the Malay heartland states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Johor and especially his beloved Pahang, would benefit directly from offshore oil beyond 3 nautical miles through the mechanism of 5 per cent cash payments made directly to the state consolidated fund’ (Razaleigh’s statement) do not matter today.

“Even Razak’s categorical and unequivocal commitment in Parliament on Nov. 12, 1975 in reply to my parliamentary question that ‘Under the agreement, each state will receive 5 per cent of the value of petroleum found and extracted from each of the states, whether onshore or offshore, that is sold by Petronas or agencies or contractors’ is now regarded as utterly of no consequence or value,” Lim said.

Lim also criticized those who have attacked Tengku Razaleigh.

“Those who are baying for Razaleigh’s blood, like Umno Supreme Council member Dr. Mohd Puad Zarkashi demanding for action to be taken against the Gua Musang Member of Parliament for speaking out on the Kelantan oil royalty issue, have personal political axes to grind.

“They are neither interested in historic rights and wrongs nor the legacies of the first three Prime Ministers of Malaysia.

The PAS-controlled Kelantan state assembly on Monday made a landmark vote when three out of six Barisan Nasional assemblymen, unanimously agreed with the assembly to take the state’s oil royalty claims against Petronas to court.

The trio are state opposition leader Datuk Mohd Alwi Che Ahmad (BN-Kok Lanas), Mat Yusof Abdul Ghani (BN–Nenggiri) and Datuk Abdul Rashid Aziz (BN–Kuala Balah).

However, they later withdrew their vote on the pretext that the motion had been amended.

Several Umno supreme councillors had recently questioned Tengku Razaleigh’s apparent “immunity” in discussing the controversial issue and had urged the leadership to take action.

Najib, the Umno president, had said he would ask the members to decide what should be done about the maverick politician’s public outbursts.

Tengku Razaleigh had led Semangat 46, after the old Umno was deregistered in 1988 following his challenge for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s presidency. He also challenged Najib for the Umno presidency but failed to qualify, having received just one nomination.

He has also continued to express loyalty to the party while saying he is ready for any hearing or punishment.

12 PKR MPs pledge loyalty

By Clara Chooi - THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — Twelve PKR MPs pledged loyalty to their party as a third lawmaker quit to be independent, shrinking the opposition bench to 80 in parliament.

The 12 blamed Umno and Barisan Nasional for attempting to divide the party by spreading rumours that more PKR representatives would be jumping ship.

Teluk Kemang MP Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas, who led the press conference at the PKR headquarters here and spoke on behalf of the 12, said that they strongly rejected the allegations that some of them would soon defect.

“The reality here is that Umno and Barisan is feeling threatened by the second wave of support for Pakatan Rakyat’s leadership, especially with PKR de facto leader (Datuk Seri) Anwar Ibrahim’s second sodomy trial,” he said.

He added that all the 12 MPs had signed a statement pledging their loyalty to the party, a move that was made voluntarily.

“We would like to stress that our struggle is to defend Pakatan’s principle of justice. We would also like to declare that our support for Anwar as the PKR de facto leader is undivided,” he said.

The 12 comprised PKR backbenchers who do not hold posts in the party’s top leadership.

Among them are Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff, Kelana Jaya MP Gwo-Burne Loh, Kuala Langat MP Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid, Indera Mahkota MP Azan Ismail, Padang Serai MP N. Gobalakrishnan and Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam.

Gobalakrishnan and Loh were not present at the press conference due to other commitments.

The other MPs are Kuala Kedah MP Ahmad Kassim, Ketereh MP Ab Aziz Kadir, Merbok MP Datuk Rashid Din, Tanah Merah MP Amran Ab Ghani and Petaling Jaya South MP Hee Loy Sian.

Just as the 12 were pledging their loyalty, Bagan Serai MP Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri announced his departure from PKR to become an independent at a separate function.

He is the third PKR MP to leave the party, after MPs Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim and Tan Tee Beng made their respective announcements.

Talk is rife that more are expected to follow soon.

When asked if the other remaining 16 MPs in the party were expected to hold similar press conferences to pledge their loyalty, Kamarul said, “Suffice to say that for today, they are with us”.

He said that he “did not think” more MPs would leave PKR but added that even if it happened, none of the 12 who made their pledges today would be the ones defecting.

He also noted that the controversial Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin had not signed the pledge for the latter was still under inquiry by the party’s disciplinary panel.

“His case is still pending with the board so we will let the process be carried out first,” said Kamarul.

He would not commit if the rumours that Zulkifli would likely be the next in the party’s lengthening list of defectors were true but said that “as a team, we hope that Zul will be with us”.

Kamarul also rebutted claims by the recent defectors that there was no room for dissent in the PKR.

“I do not think there are constraints there. The expression of opinion is open and problems can be resolved through discussions. The expression of our views is acceptable to the leadership of the PKR,” he said.

Yusmadi, who was one of the MPs speculated to leave, pointed out that the present spate of defections was a result of fault-finding and framing.

“As an inexperienced MP, I think that we have plenty to learn. We must remember that our voters gave us their trust,” he said.

Meanwhile, the departure of the three MPs to date has led to the dwindling of PKR’s representation in the Parliament from an initial 31 MPs, the most among the three Pakatan parties, to a mere 28 - same with that of the DAP.

Although questions have been raised over Anwar’s position as Opposition Leader, statements made by PAS and DAP yesterday showed that the former deputy prime minister would remain in the post.

Kamarul reiterated that point again today and said that Anwar’s position as the Opposition Leader would not be taken away.

PCM eyes potential seats for election

By Adib Zalkapli - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — The secretive Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) is now quietly preparing for the next election by recruiting potential candidates and identifying seats to contest, but denies it’s behind the spate of PKR defections.

“We are building a strong support base and we will give both PR and BN a good run for their money,” said its vice-president Huan Cheng Guan in an interview with The Malaysian Insider recently.

Huan was a former Gerakan vice-president who joined the PCM in December, six months after he was suspended by the Barisan Nasional (BN) party for criticising its leaders.

He assumed the role of PCM’s de facto spokesman soon after joining the party and has become more prominent than its president Tang Weng Chew.

PCM, said Huan, is eyeing at least two parliamentary seats and five state seats in Penang.

“We can’t contest all. We are not like other political parties with strong financial support. We are on our own, all our leaders are working or running their own small business, we don’t have big corporate figures supporting us,”

“We are also looking at the Batu constituency, in case a by-election is called. We will seriously consider fielding our candidate there,” said Huan.

PKR’s Batu MP Tian Chua was sentenced recently to six months jail and fined RM 3,000 after he was found guilty of biting a policeman. He will be disqualified if he loses an appeal.

In Sarawak the party is now represented in the state assembly after the Ngemah assemblyman Gabriel Adit Demong quit PKR to join PCM.

The party is making inroads into rural Sarawak, after a successful launch of the state’s chapter last January, said Huan. The state’s election must be held by the middle of next year.

“We give them autonomy to run the party in Sarawak. They are independent of the headquarters in Semenanjung unlike PKR, the Sarawakians don’t like to be dictated from here,” said Huan.

Huan claimed that thousands have applied to join PCM since then, but did not give the exact figure.

Its 15 central committee members meet almost every week at their headquarters in Chai Leng Park, Butterworth.

PCM was set up quietly by a group of friends in Penang after Election 2008 but it gained popularity when MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat last year accused his deputy Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek of being behind the party.

Recently, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also alleged that the PCM along with Malaysian Ambassador to the United States Datuk Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis were behind the attempts to lure PKR lawmakers to defect.

Huan dismissed the allegation that PCM is the tool for BN to split votes or to break Pakatan Rakyat (PR) via defections.

“Why should I do that if I can fight and win on my own? In Malaysia, politics is now being monopolised, we want to open up the space, and competition is always good for the people,” said Huan.

He said rumours of PCM being behind the defections emerged because of his past working relationship with some of the PKR MPs.

In the 1990s Huan was an aide to the then Penang Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ibrahim Saat who was an ally to Anwar.

He was also the Penang Gerakan Youth chief and Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng was his deputy.

“They are all my friends, Tee Beng, Zahrain. In PCM we treat everyone as our friend, whether they are in DAP, Gerakan or PKR, we all must learn to appreciate friendship and look beyond politics,” he said.

Huan added that he is also aware of the perception that the PCM is backed financially by Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.

“The only link the party has with Tiong is me, I am still working as the executive secretary of BBC which Tiong is the president, but we are not getting any money from Tiong. He didn’t even know about the party when it was set up,” Huan told The Malaysian Insider.

PCM’s major concern said Huan is national unity, which he said both BN and PR have failed to promote.

“One thing very important is unity. We have been together for so long since before independence. Malaysia is one big family,” said Huan.

The newest Malay dilemma

Will a hundred Perkasa-type NGOs solve the Malay dilemma? Or is it a moot question? Rather, what is the Malay dilemma, if there is any?

A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE

Azly Rahman

on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Azly-Rahman/689079971
on twitter: http://twitter.com/azlyrahman
on blog: http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/

It must be a difficult time for the common and insignificant Malay; this beautiful people whose psyche has been consumed not only by feudalism but also by the ideology of cybernetic-neocolonialist feudalism in the form of party politics funded by big 'glocal' corporations. The poor Malay in the urban slum and in the kampong will continue to enjoy the spectacle of dynastic wars that are designed, like the idea of Vision 2020 that was crafted to blind the consciousness.

The common Malays are victims of slogans - from the cleverly crafted legend of Hang Tuah (allegedly a Chinese warrior transplanted by the court historian of the decadent Malacca sultanate) to the story of fantastic 'imagined communities' such as Vision 2020 that requires 'human capital' (modal insan) as its obedient labourers.

The authoritarian self

Our political leaders wish to become emperors. In the process of building empires, we let our leaders gain control of the ideological state apparatuses and we let them own the Fourth Estate (the media) so that it is easy for them to feed us with propaganda daily. We let these emperors make themselves bigger than life and more fictional than factual.

We let our leaders become autocrats - 22 years was a long time. We cannot continue this tradition if we are to evolve into a more humanistic polity. Because we allowed that long of a reign, we cannot undo this political-psychological mess.

Our cultural system is now operating based upon who gets to control the most strategic resources; who owns the material and cultural capital. It is the utilitarianism of John Stuart Mill (the ends justify the means) that forms the basis of our political-economic psyche. Our politics continue to cement the ideology based on the structure of inter-locking directorate-ships and the political-economy of transnational capitalism that feeds the elite with wealth and weapons to guard territories and to build personal empires and new Malaysian dynasties.

Our nation was borne out of the womb of colonialism and inherited the ills of neo-colonialism, moving into a difficult period of coming to terms with the 'Balkanisation of Malaysian politics in the Age of Post-Hegemony created by the Mahathir administration'. The Malays are experiencing the phenomena of the fall of the Berlin Wall right in their own backyard. We must be prepared for its ramifications. We must read the graffiti on those falling walls.

Silver platter

The handing over of Independence, on a silver platter, after a convenient post-colonialist arrangement of power relations, in the form of the formation of the National Alliance, prepared a transcultural flow of a somewhat 'flawless' political design that exacerbates and alleviates, in a nationalistic form, the divide-and-rule political economy.

The practice of keeping political leaders the longest in power and installing the variegated systems of control, from the traditionalism of cultural politics to computer-mediated systems of controlling human beings, has its price.

This practice has cost us the growing up pains we are experiencing - from the way we build our highways to the way we architecture the mind of our children and we broadcast 'live' the ingredients of our state propaganda.

And now, we have this 76 or so Perkasa-type of NGOs that will continue to shape the direction of Malay politics. It signifies the “subcontractor-isation” of Malay protest movement no longer being dome by Malay-centric political parties.

The real Malay dilemma

But for thinking Malays, there is an alternative view to the advancing new Malay dilemma, beyond the Perkasa shadow-play. It concerns not only the political fate of the Malays, but of Malaysians as a people yearning for a republic of virtue. We have lived in epochs of mind control - from the mythically-useful idea of daulat in the clever invention called the divine rights of kings to the mantra of cybernetic technology, installed and institutionalised through the smart partnership with international profiteers skilled in the design of the post-modern slavery system.

If one analyses the system of international labour in Malaysia since we were granted independence, one may conclude a similar pattern of modern slavery on a global scale - international capitalists collaborate with the local elite in transforming the natives and imported natives into indentured servants.

We continue to switch masters, in accordance with the flow of 'paxes' - Pax Brittanica, Pax Americana, to Pax Nipponica, to Pax Corporate-Crony Malaysiana. The nature of our either-or politics, as I see it, is navigating us towards another form of hegemony; one that might be even more dangerous that what is currently prevailing in its most corrupt practice. It is taking shape in the form of 'illiberalism' grounded in the politics of vengeance, and alliance based on the insatiable urge to impose some form of cybernetic-theocratic rule that is scaring those of us who are strong believers of radical and social multi-culturalism.

We are charting our future ruins based on the politics of desperados inspired by a decadent ideology no longer in synchrony with the real issue of the day - the emergence of cultural classes of people, silently reproduced by the post-industrial and hyper-modernising state.

The real Malay dilemma lies in its inability to realise that Vision 2020 was a strategy to blur the masses of the political-economic nature of controlling interests in Malaysian politics; that Vision 2020 built by robber barons and emerging dynasties. It is our own Orwellian document of doublespeak.

What then must the silent spectator Malays do? Where will this Malay-Perkasa dilemma lead this country to?

Will we fester like a raisin in the sun -- or will we explode?

Najib a Malay hero for making Umno a 'tong sampah' ?

Wong Choon Mei, Harakah Daily

If Prime Minister Najib Razak believes that by engineering the latest round of political defections, he can emerge as a hero to his Umno party and salvage political ground with the Malays, then he is in for a surprise.

According to PAS vice president Mahfuz Omar, not only the majority of Umno members but also the Malay community could see through the desperation in his attempts to buy over members of Parliament from the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

“What sort hero to the Malays can Najib be? We can only view his lack of morality and ethics with the greatest contempt,” Mahfuz told Harakahdaily.

"In the end, what has he done when his so-called legacy is to make Umno the tong sampah (rubbish bin) and tong najis (excrement bin) for the waste materials of the Pakatan Rakyat."

Tarnishing his own party and community

Earlier this week, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's PKR party lost two federal lawmakers to the ruling Umno-BN coalition. Both men had quit PKR to become independent MPs, but friendly to Umno-BN so as to help it achieve its dubious plans.

There is red-hot speculation that Najib intends to lure at least 10 opposition MPs to the BN so that his coalition can muster the two-thirds majority needed to redraw constituency boundaries.

His aim from the gerrymandering exercise is to gain an illicit advantage over the Pakatan, rather than face his fate in a free and fair election.

“If Umno doesn 't mind being dragged down by his actions, that is its business. But Najib should not tarnish the honor of the Malay race with such dishonest behavior, which is against the principles of our religion," Mahfuz chided.

"Somehow, Najib doesn't seem to think Malaysians will mind. But he and his cohorts are making the fatal mistake of underestimating the intelligence of the rakyat (citizenry) and the fair-mindedness of the Malays in particular."

Malays must lead other races in fighting corruption

Nevertheless, there are already attempts in the top Umno echelon to hail Najib as a hero.

According to Umno vice preisdent Hishammuddin Hussein, who is also Najib's cousin and the Home Minister, their party could take heart from the latest cross-overs.

“This shows that it is not that easy to run a party or even a state. So to me, this is not only a sign, but it can also give a little spirit to us in Umno and Barisan,” Hishammuddin told reporters.

Meanwhile, top blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin has dropped a bombshell, stunning the country with revelations that Najib had given a lucrative Independent Power Plant contract to another cousin, Hamdan, so that they could finance the Pakatan crossovers and their family could cling to power at Umno.

According to Raja Petra, a budget of RM50 million was set aside for a targeted 10 defections. Calls from irate taxpayers are already building up nationwide for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the allegations.

“It is time for the Malays - the biggest community in this country - to lead all other Malaysians in saying enough is enough. Our nation must never condone a leadership that depends on corruption and bribes to win elections or to buy votes,” said Mahfuz.

"Otherwise, we will be seen as a people that thrives on dishonesty and lies. Immorality, treachery and scandal will become the new hallmarks of our culture."

Sleight of hand in PKR resignations?

By Chan Kok Leong (The Edge)

PETALING JAYA: It has become a norm to blame Barisan Nasional whenever there is a resignation from the opposition party.

After all, when the first three “independents” — Hee Yit Foong, Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and Osman Jailu — left their parties this time last year, BN profited by bagging Perak.

Although never proven, speculation that the three had benefited financially from their “coming-out” party continues to be bandied about by conspiracy theorists.

The latest departures of Bayan Baru and Nibong Tebal members of parliament from PKR are no different. But for Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia associate professor of political science Dr Mohamad Agus Yusoff, the allegations remain unfounded and cannot be relied on.

“Nothing has been proven so far, and there are many different factors causing the resignations of Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim and Tan Tee Beng,” said Agus yesterday.

“They are likely to have left as a result of the dissatisfaction, disillusionment and personality clashes within the party,” he explained.

Umno supreme council member Datuk Idris Haron was equally dismissive about the suggestion that the two had been paid to leave their party.

“Why would we want to do this? If we can offer RM1 million for them to leave their party, who’s to say they won’t repeat it for a higher sum. There is also no advantage to BN for them to cross over as we are the government after all,” said the Tangga Batu MP.

“It is more likely that they left due to anger and frustration with the leadership. It’s not easy to leave a party when the mandate comes from the people,” he added.

Unlike the previous cases in Perak, Zahrain and Tan had openly clashed with Penang Chief Miniser Lim Guan Eng over the issue of funding for their constituencies.

While Penang state assemblymen are given allocations to manage their constituencies, MPs are not provided with any funding to run theirs.

Following a very public spat with Lim, PKR instituted disciplinary proceedings against the two. While Tan had initially apologised for his actions before quitting on Monday, Zahrain had resigned before facing the disciplinary board.

Another MP, Zulkifli Nordin (Kulim Bandar Baharu) similarly faced the disciplinary board on Monday.

For Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong, quitting over funding was silly. “They are not the only ones struggling over allocations for their constituencies. DAP’s federal legislators face similar problems,” said Liew, who is from DAP.

The DAP strategist was less sure about whether BN had a hand in the duo’s resignations.

“While there doesn’t seem to be any direct advantage for BN in this case, more resignations could hand the two-thirds control of parliament back to them,” said Liew.

“With two-thirds majority, BN can then amend the Federal Constitution on federal-state relationship and seize more power. They will also have the advantage in a delineation exercise of the parliament seats.”

Another reason suggested by Idris for Tan and Zahrain’s resignations relates to their leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“Maybe, they have become disenchanted with Anwar after the latter failed to become the prime minister in 2008. Anwar’s pre-occupation with the sodomy trial could have further distanced him from their problems,” said Idris.

Liew said that it was a case of “damn if you do and damn if you don’t” for PKR.

“It was a no-win situation for PKR. If the party had conducted a surgical strike on the duo by sacking them, Anwar would have been accused of being a dictator. But by not sacking them, the party has to brace for all these problems,” said Liew.

For Agus, the resignations only proved that it is high time that an anti-hopping law was instituted. Or at the very least, an amendment to Article 48(6) of the Federal Constitution.

“Under the current laws, a disgruntled legislator can quit only the party while maintaining his seat. But by amending the law or having an anti-hopping legislation, the choice is returned to the voters.

“Allowing the unhappy MP to quit and re-contest is only fair to the voters and the party,” said Agus.

One more quit PKR, 12 others affirm loyalty

By Marc Jitab and Jaynne Koh

FMT ALERT KUALA LUMPUR: A third PKR member of parliament - Bagan Serai's Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri – announced this morning that he was quitting the party to become an independent.

He is the third PKR MP to quit in the last two weeks, following Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng and Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Mohamed Hashim who had left after losing confidence in the party leadership.

Mohsin's announcement to leave the party came just when 12 other PKR MPs were affirming their loyalty to the party.

These 12 were widely speculated to be on the verge of leaving the party as well.

Speaking to the media at the PKR headquarters in Tropicana this morning, the group of MPs led by Teluk Kemang MP Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas said they had no intentions of leaving the party.

Apart from Kamarul, the other MPs were: Ahmd Kassin (Kuala Kedah), Azan Ismail (Indera Mahkota), Abdullah Sani (Kuala Langat), Ab Aziz bin Ab Kadir (Ketereh), Yusmadi Yusoff (Balik Pulau), S Manikavasagam (Kapar), N Gobalakrishnan (Padang Serai), Rashid Din (Merbok), Loh Gwo-Burne (Kelana Jaya), Amran Ab Ghani (Tanah Merah) and Hee Loy Sian (Petaling Jaya Selatan).

Ten out of the 12 parliamentarians were present at the press conference, except for Loh and Gobalakrishnan were unable to attend as they were not in town.

Two other MPs who were also strongly rumoured to be on the verge of leaving PKR - Wee Choo Keong (Wangsa Maju) and Zulkifli Nordin (Kulim-Bandar Baharu) – had not signed the loyalty statement.

BN diverting public attention

Kamarul said that PKR was aware that Umno-BN was working hard to break the party by enticing MPs who did not hold posts in the central party leadership.

“Those who have (defected) did so because of personal problems which they did not bring forward to the party," he said.

He also said that BN was reacting to the new wave of support enjoyed by Pakatan as a result of the second sodomy trial against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

“Umno-BN is also trying to divert the public attention from the degradation of the national economy and other chronic national crises which show no sign of improvement,” he added.

“(To those who have defected), I wish them selamat pergi (goodbye), take care," said the Teluk Kemang MP.

Unhappy with Pakatan politics

Meanwhile at a separate press conference, Mohsin, who won the Bagan Serai seat with a majority of 3,413 votes over Umno's Zainal Abidin Zin, said he decided to leave PKR following his concerns over the Pakatan Rakyat politics.

“In the name of Allah, I would like to announce my resignation from PKR,” said Mohsin. He said he was especially disappointed over the stand taken by Pakatan on the 'Allah' issue.

The press conference was also attended by former PKR secretary-general Datuk Salehuddin Hashim who had quit the party two weeks ago. Another big name to have left the party in recent days was former Penang Deputy Chief Minister 1 Mohd Fairus Khairuddin.

“The trust and confidence that I have placed in PKR’s and Pakatan Rakyat’s struggle, especially in restoring the special position of Islam has faded with the latest development in the party,” he added.

Mohsin also accused certain people in the party of being involved in sabotage and internal problems, resulting in him being unable to perform his duties.

Following the latest resignation, both PKR and DAP have 28 MPs each while PAS has 23, PSM (1) and SAPP (2). There are four independents while BN controls 137 seats in the 222-member Parliament.

Of jumping frogs, 2/3 majority and rising of prices

Opposition, the war is on. Your soldiers neglect your commands and have began to surrender over to the other side. To make thing worse, they took their ammunition along and are now using it against you. Your food supply is low, your resources limited, and the very people that you tried to protect are forced to work for the other side. What further plans can you come up with to free them?

By avancc

Dear Malaysia Today,

I'm writing this to show my disappointment with the PR coalition, and the sinking hope that I am feeling right now. Besides thanking YM RPK for enlightening us on many issues, I am upset that PR care not doing anything better to tackle and resolve those issues. And I am hoping someone from PR would enlighten me on the things we the rakyat can do. Now, these "things" have to be "concrete" things.

Please allow me to give a very shallow view on the recent news that prices of things have been increasing. I'm sure many have heard about the plan of increasing petrol prices in May this year. Corresponding to the recent crossover of many MPs from the opposition, as well as rumors that our PM hired image consultants to rebuild his reputation, all I can say is this:

WE THE RAKYAT ARE THE ONES SPONSORING ALL THESE EVENTS.

We pay tax. We pay a high price for our petrol. We pay a high price for locally made cars that probably aren't worth half their price, not to mention the hundreds of percent tax on foreign cars. We pay a high price for Techs. And part of that money is of course used to pay MPs' salaries, as well as allowances for Royal families. But, it is highly possible now that we are also paying for the evil acts being imposed on us.

Our money could be used for "buying" votes; buying "maruah" and trust of our elected MPs. As well as possibilities of it being used in plots to tarnish and destroy opposing forces. One good example is the Sodomy 2 case. How many people were "bought" for that case? How much money is being wasted to make a clown story for the world to laugh at? And the saddest point is, we are paying for the clown show to be made upon ourselves!

Now we are told about "gerrymandering". It means they will continue to win and be in power no matter how we oppose them. That would also mean that we will have to continue paying for clown shows. Paying so that we ourselves can be tortured further. Paying so that we continue to be suppressed. And the price we are paying is increasing day by day. We pay to destroy ourselves.

That very thought makes me shiver. It really seems like there is no other choice for us. We have MPs with a maruah that can be easily bought; we have rakyat that support the call to have themselves suppressed, tortured and humiliated; we have rakyat that are afraid to follow the lead of freedom and justice activists; etc etc. It seems that we are cornered from every side. It's tiring and upsetting to feel this way, in the very own country that one was born, that one loves, that which promised you a better future, only to strip that dream further away from you.

Looking at the current crossovers by many MPs, as well as the character and attitude of some reps who still think that they should get special privileges with their position, where they could get contracts by being who they are. It brings tears to my eyes. Because our trust in them to make a better future for us is betrayed.

At first, I thought that with the cleaning up of the party, we could reduce or eliminate that issue. Now with the “gerrymandering” tool, it would seem that all our efforts might be futile. Whatever we do will never give the result we desire. The more we oppose their evil acts, instead of turning over a new leaf, the leaf rots. They become more evil, more cunning. And eventually we continue to suffocate under their unchangeable habits.

Every now and then, the thought of migration would spring up. At one point, I even said to myself – “Even if I have to settle for a job of lesser pay, or do odd jobs out there, it would still be better than dying away here”. It is up to that state that we are upset with the government and the political developments here.

What other things can we do? The federal ruling party continues to grow in evilness, the opposition continues to dwell in their comfort zone, and the rakyat continues to be upset. We need more concrete actions from the opposition, more trustworthy reps, and better plans, if we are to continue the drive for justice and freedom. Else, it will still be old tunes in new packaging and eventually everything would fall back to square one and all our efforts go down the drain.

Opposition, the war is on. Your soldiers neglect your commands and have began to surrender over to the other side. To make thing worse, they took their ammunition along and are now using it against you. Your food supply is low, your resources limited, and the very people that you tried to protect are forced to work for the other side. What further plans can you come up with to free them?

The Chinese once used the moon cake baked with instructions hidden within to rebel against the suppressing government and they succeeded despite having a much lesser army. What plans do we have? We the simple rakyat need guidance.

“The most corrupt institution in the country”

Umno is rotten to the core; it is rotten from its lowest level to the highest, observes Martin Jalleh, echoing the sentiments of many Malaysians.

2009 began with the chairman of Umno’s Disciplinary Board, Tengku Ahmad Rithauddeen, proposing a radical (or desperate) solution to reduce rampant money politics in Umno – get rid of its Youth and Puteri wings! The Umno elite, Najib included, found the proposal ridiculous and rejected it.

Zaid Ibrahim advised Rithauddeen to retire and resign from the Tribunal since his efforts in reining in corruption in Umno had proven to be futile. Lim Kit Siang went one step further saying, as a result of Rithauddeen’s failure to weed out corruption, the whole of Umno should be uprooted altogether!

On 30 January 2009, a group of Umno Youth members protested against both Rithauddeen for his proposal and also the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for its intervention in “party matters”. It rattled Rithauddeen so much that he resignedly replied: “We will do our job; MACC will do theirs.”

In March, two Umno members threatened to apply for an injunction to postpone the Umno general assembly until all allegations of money politics were investigated. They highlighted their report on the misuse of power on the (then) PM and Deputy PM and the more than 1,000 reports of graft in Umno.

Nine days before the Umno elections, the Umno Disciplinary Board barred Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam from contesting the post of party deputy president after three of his “agents” were allegedly found guilty of being involved in money politics in the run-up to the elections.

But Ali Rustam continued as an Umno member and CM. Even Dr Mahathir was stumped by this: “Isa was thrown out because he was involved in money politics…he also lost his position as a minister. But here we have a very strange decision. He was found to be corrupt but he can remain as the Chief Minister…”

Khairy Jamaluddin, who was a candidate for the post of Umno Youth head, was also found “guilty” by the Board, but was only given a warning. He won the post and was heckled by an Umno mob who yelled, “Khairy! Rasuah!” and “Penipu!” during his acceptance speech.

Another candidate for the post of Umno Youth head, Mohamad Khir Toyo, was cleared by the Board of all corruption charges. People expected Khir Toyo to be found clean, or Umno would be without an opposition leader in Selangor of his calibre and he would not look good in his new role as a “champion of good governance”!

Several MBs and CMs who lost in the party elections blamed it on money politics. They claimed that delegates seemed more drawn to the “distribution of gifts” than what they had done for their states. (Only one of the MBs and CMs succeeded in securing a place on the 25-seat supreme council.)

It was also time for Pak Lah to retire. As a parting shot to the party that ended his presidency/premiership prematurely he warned that “…materialism has seeped into the party, making a number of party members greedy and avaricious, hence creating the negative perception that Umno is a corrupt party”.

When setting up his new Umno Supreme Council Najib sought to be “inclusive” – he included the losers in the Umno elections and whose integrity had been questioned, such as, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor (of V K Lingam video clip fame), Ali Rustam (money politics) and Rafidah Aziz (Approved Permits)!

In April, Najib became the PM. Many agreed with the assessment of Tengku Aziz - a former chairman of Transparency International - of Najib’s People’s Cabinet, as a team “totally uninspiring (and) of recycled political expendables, many with personal records of integrity that will not bear close scrutiny.”

Indeed, Najib’s supposed strong resolve to start afresh with his new cabinet was in reality a successful spin by his camp for about 80 per cent of those appointed ministers were spent characters, self-seeking sycophants with stained records, or what Dr M called “unsavoury characters”.

Umno’s anti-corruption charade continued in full force. In August, Umno fielded a disbarred lawyer in the Permatang Pasir by-election. It prompted Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to ask: “Is Umno so short of people that we have to find a lawyer disbarred for financial dishonesty to stand?”

In October, Mohd Isa Abdul Samad became Umno’s candidate in the Bagan Pinang by-election. Najib’s nebulous defence of the decision was that “the offence committed by Isa was not an offence under the law”. The Chief Commissioner of the MACC had in January 2009 declared categorically that “money politics is corruption”!

The DAP’s Wong Ho Leng gives an accurate implication of Isa’s win: “Isa’s win would translate into an endorsement of corruption within Umno and the government that it leads. It lays bare the fact that Umno has no better leader to win a by-election than one who has been condemned by Umno itself to have been corrupt.”

PKR’s Azmin Ali sarcastic take on Isa Samad’s victory was that Umno does not have to do any reform nor worry about money politics anymore. They can still win anyhow!

Consider columnist M. Bakri Musa’s invaluable insight: “To Umno folks, the party has replaced Allah as the source of bounty and benevolence… Corrupt leaders are forgiven not by Allah but by the party. Isa Samad had his political corruption sentence reduced, and then he was rewarded to be the party’s election candidate. Khairy had his ‘money politics’ conviction essentially pardoned, and then blessed by being head of Umno Youth”!

The year ended with Dr M quoting in his blog a former senior Umno leader’s lamentation: “Umno is rotten to the core. It is rotten from its lowest level to the highest. What’s left are remnants of people with self-interest who still hope of being rewarded for supporting Umno. They are not nationalists and cannot be trusted.” According to Dr M, this leader intended to jump ship to Pas!

Martin Jalleh is a well known political commentator.

Mission: Democratisation

thenutgraph.com

I HAVE no doubt that a two-party system is better than the one-party state we currently live in. However, what is desirable is not necessarily viable.

As I have argued, blind faith in the feasibility of a two-party system may lead to either one-party predominance (under the Barisan Nasional [BN] or Pakatan Rakyat [PR]), or a palace- or military-backed regime.

Three conditions

In brief, the establishment of a two-party system in Malaysia requires three conditions:

The majority of voters must support only two parties (or coalitions), and the parties' electoral strength must be comparable, if not roughly equal. To put it bluntly, there can be no two-party competition if the majority of voters concentrate their votes on only one party.

The political system must be sufficiently fair for the weaker of the two parties (the opposition) to win representation and control some political resources. This requires a clear separation between party and state, as well as a fair and reasonably proportionate electoral system.

Democracy must be accepted as the only game in town; all political parties and elites must respect election outcomes. This state of democratic consolidation is in fact a condition that can be universally applied to any form of representative democracy.

The second and third conditions are interrelated, in that they determine how the competitors would behave in democratic or undemocratic environments. In other words, if losing the game means losing everything, the players are likely to pursue victory at all costs.

What emerged on 8 March 2008 was only the fulfilment of the first condition for a two-party system. The second condition was hardly fulfilled as PR lawmakers and state governments are still marginalised or undermined by the BN. The third condition is still absent, as manifested by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's 16 Sept government-by-defections plot, the BN's Perak takeover, and the recent defections of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) lawmakers.

Dangerous assumptions

The danger of treating a two-party system as a fait accompli is that voters may vote as if they are living in a real democracy. Voters may form their choices based on various issues and may be driven by local concerns or personalities.

This may result in a somewhat close match, which would fulfil the first, "equal strength" condition for a two-party system. However, it is a huge disadvantage to be in the opposition as the second, "fairness" condition remains unsatisfied. Therefore, the loser may not be willing to accept the outcome and thus resort to undemocratic means of grabbing power leaving the third, "democratic consolidation" condition unsatisfied.

Both parties should be of equal strength

To prevent such a scenario, the winner might entice the losing party's lawmakers to cross over. If necessary, the winner might also court the support of the palace, military and likely the religious authorities. In the end, there will only be either a one-party state (under the BN or PR) or a coup-installed regime. The two-party system thus ceases to be a viable option.

What if the winner wins a comfortable seat margin, either because of increased votes or electoral manipulation? As long as political parties and elites still do not see the voters' verdict as supreme, the winner may still try to entice the loser's lawmakers to defect. So, again we will not end up with a two-party system. This is in fact what seems to be happening to PKR now, with its lawmakers' defections and resignations.

To recap, as long as the federal opposition parties are discriminated against, the "fairness" condition for a genuine two-party system will remain absent. And as long as the parties and politicians refuse to accept election outcomes as final, the "democratic consolidation" condition for a two-party system will remain absent. Therefore, even if the voters' collective choice results in two-party competition, like what happened post-March 2008, this may eventually give way to either one-party predominance (via defections) or, worse, a coup-installed regime.

Two-party road map

While a two-party system is unattainable in the short run, it is possible in the longer term — after democratisation.

The first question before Malaysian democrats is: of the BN's one-party predominance, the PR's one-party predominance, and a coup-installed regime, which would most likely facilitate a two-party system? By a process of elimination, the answer cannot be a coup-installed regime, which would inevitably divide the population bitterly. So we are left with the choice between a dominant BN and a dominant PR.

(Map pic by virsh / sxc.hu)The second question is: how can we ensure the chosen coalition will uphold democratic transition? The answer is, we need a political contract with the chosen coalition that explicitly promises democratisation.

The pact must contain the coalition's explicit and categorical commitments to:

Federalism and local elections. This would ensure that even if the coalition fully controls the federal government and Parliament, it may still be checked by lower-level governments. You can't have an electoral one-party state if different parties run the federal, state and municipal governments.

Protecting civil and political rights. One-party predominance cannot do too much harm if we have a vibrant civil society and functioning public sphere. And so, the coalition must spell out its plan of action to repeal all anti-human rights laws, not only the Internal Security Act.

Democratic candidate selection and representative recall. Election candidates cannot be subjectively decided by only the top leadership of the coalition. There should be a primary mechanism so that the public can be consulted and the most qualified individuals are able to offer themselves as candidates. The electorate must also be allowed to initiate a recall of representatives who underperform or betray their mandates. This would effectively curb defections.

In brief, I am proposing that the next general election should have only one theme for voters: democratisation. The coalition that is willing to commit to the highest degree of democratisation should be adopted as the vehicle of change and supported fully by all Malaysian democrats.

Considering the BN's appalling democratic track record, it seems at the moment that the PR is the only viable choice for our preferred "democratisation alliance". But would the PR be willing to sign a contract with Malaysian voters to democratise this country? I don't know.

So far, the PR has been very much a "good governance alliance" with little interest in democratisation. If they are still not keen, then civil society should seriously consider building a third force, even if it means risking a coup.

Why have the sons of the second and third Prime Ministers turned their backs on their father’s joint legacy on 5% oil royalty to the states?

End-game to the silencing of Umno veteran leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah or his expulsion from Umno.

This is the import and intent of the gag order announced by Umno vice president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein on Umno members on the Kelantan oil royalty issue which could affect the party’s image.

It is no more a question of who and what is historically right or wrong but who has the present power to impose his views on the country at the moment, right or wrong.

What the second and third Prime Ministers, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn, intended some 35 years ago, as ordering Razaleigh as the first Petronas Chairman “to design the Petroleum Development Act in such a way that the Malay heartland states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Johor and especially his beloved Pahang, would benefit directly from offshore oil beyond 3 nautical miles through the mechanism of 5 per cent cash payments made directly to the state consolidated fund” (Razaleigh’s statement) do not matter today.

Even Razak’s categorical and unequivocal commitment in Parliament on Nov. 12, 1975 in reply to my parliamentary question that “Under the agreement, each state will receive 5 per cent of the value of petroleum found and extracted from each of the states, whether onshore or offshore, that is sold by Petronas or agencies or contractors” is now regarded as utterly of no consequence or value.

Can the sons of the second and third Prime Ministers of Malaysia explain why they have turned their backs on their father’s joint legacy of 5% oil royalty to the states and instead embraced the fourth Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir’s distortion and violation of the petroleum agreements with the various states?

Najib and Hishammuddin should not allow political expediency and considerations, even Umno’s survival, to dishonour their father’s joint legacy to give 5% oil royalty to the states, particularly Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johore.

Those who are baying for Razaleigh’s blood, like Umno Supreme Council member Dr. Mohd Puad Zarkashi demanding for action to be taken against the Gua Musang Member of Parliament for speaking out on the Kelantan oil royalty issue, have personal political axes to grind.

They are neither interested in historic rights and wrongs nor the legacies of the first three Prime Ministers of Malaysia.

Puad, for example, is hoping that in the impending Cabinet reshuffle which Najib had long been mulling over, he would make the lightning elevation to become full Cabinet Minister although he is not yet a full year as a Deputy Minister – allowing him to make a record-quick ascent up the Cabinet ladder.

There should be no gag order on the legacy of Razak and Hussein on the oil royalty issue for the states.

What Najib should do is to present a White Paper on the oil royalty issue on the first day of the forthcoming meeting of Parliament on 16th March 2010 and to schedule a special parliamentary debate on the issue.

In the White Paper, Najib should declassify all documents and papers to fully explain why for 35 years the Federal Government honoured the states’ rights to 5% oil royalty with regular payments to Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak and the legal history of the change of stand of the Federal Government in 2000 to withdraw such recognition and to pay instead “wang ehsan” (compassionate payments) to the Terengganu state government – all because of PAS capture of the state in the 1999 general elections.

Rwanda ex-president's wife arrested - Al Jazeera

A picture taken in 1977 shows President Juvenal Habyarimana, left, and his wife, Agathe [AFP] French police have arrested Agathe Habyarimana, the widow of Rwanda's assassinated former president, who is wanted in her home country in connection with genocide charges. The authorities made the arrest at Habyarimana's home in Paris on Tuesday, but later freed her on bail. Her detention comes just a week after Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, visited Rwanda where he admitted that Paris had made serious errors of judgement over the 1994 genocide. Rwandan authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Agathe Habyarimana last year, calling on France to pursue genocide suspects living there. Rwandan authorities welcomed the arrest, with Tharcisse Karugarama, Rwanda's justice minister, saying: "At long last the long arm of the law is finally taking its course." Agathe Habyarimana has steadfastly denied involvement in the genocide. Extradition 'unlikely' The death of her husband, Juvenal Habyarimana, Rwanda's former president, in April 1994 when his aeroplane was shot down, marked the beginning of the Rwandan genocide. In less than 100 days, 800,000 people were killed, most of them Tutsis, while most of those who perpetrated the violence were Hutus. Agathe Habyarimana left Rwanda three days after her husband died and moved to France, but Rwandan authorities are convinced she played a key role in plotting the killings. The head of Rwanda's genocide fugitive tracking unit said it had asked for Agathe Habyarimana's extradition. "Our priority is to have her tried in Rwanda because this is where she committed crimes against the Rwandan people," Jean Bosco Mutangana said. But a French foreign ministry spokesman said there had been no formal extradition request from Rwanda. International tensions A French judicial source, who declined to be named, said it was unlikely that the French would send Agathe Habyarimana back home for trial. Although Rwanda has abolished the death penalty, the central African country's prison system could well be viewed as incompatible with European standards, the source said. France and Rwanda broke off diplomatic relations in 2006 after a Paris judge accused Paul Kagame, Rwanda's current president, and nine aides of shooting down Habyarimana's aircraft. Sarkozy's visit to Rwanda last week was aimed at trying to improve diplomatic relations after years of acrimony. Rwanda has accused the administration of Francois Mitterrand, the former French president, of having trained and armed the Hutu fighters who were behind the killings. During his trip to Rwanda, Sarkozy stopped short of apologising for any French actions, but said Paris had failed to understand the situation. "Errors of assessment and political mistakes were made here, and they led to absolutely tragic consequences," he said.