Shame on Information Minister, Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin in hiding behind Singapore’s former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew to reject the 2007 worldwide press freedom index of the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) which saw Malaysia recording two “worsts” – the sharpest plunge of 32 spots from 92 last year to 124 placing, which is also Malaysia’s worst ranking in the RSF annual worldwide press freedom ranking since it was started in 2002.
It is a public slap in the face of the Zainuddin as Information Minister as well as the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who had promised to allow greater press freedom in the country that Malaysia has now been given a worldwide press freedom ranking which was even worse than under the era of former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.
However, instead of courageously addressing the widening deficit between the promise of greater press freedom and the reality of worse media control and censorship, Zainuddin has decided to outdo himself in his inveterate state of denial, even hiding behind Singapore’s former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew to call on Malaysians to ignore the the RSP press freedom index.
Zainuddin’s chicanery and hypocrisy were immediately obvious, for he never had any good word for Kuan Yew before.
Is Zainuddin prepared to be consistent in his current pastime of singing praises for Kuan yew and support the Singapore Minister Mentor’s endorsement of Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) which repeatedly listed Singapore among the world’s top five among the least corrupt nations while Malaysia’s CPI ranking had plunged further in the past four years of Abdullah’s premiership — again to a new low never plumbed during the Mahathir administration!
I have given notice to the Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah to move a motion of urgent definite public importance in Parliament on Tuesday on Malaysia’s worst-ever ranking in RSF’s 2007 worldwide press freedom index.
Zainuddin should support such an urgent debate in Parliament on Tuesday where he could put forward his case for supporting Kuan Yew’s rejection of RSP’s worldwide press freedom index while rejecting Kuan Yew”s endorsement of the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index.
In my notice of motion to the Speaker, the arguments why there should be a debate of urgent, definite public importance on the 2007 RSF worldwide press freedom index include the following:
“Malaysia scored two ‘worsts’ in the index — the sharpest plunge of 32 spots from last year’s 92 to 124 placing, which is also Malaysia’s worst ranking in the RSF annual worldwide press freedom ranking since it was started in 2002.
“Last year, when Malaysia jumped 21 spots to 92nd ranking from the previous year’s 113rd position, there was a lot of self-congratulations in government and mainstream media circles.
“This year, Malaysia cannot make the same claim of scoring higher than all the other Asean countries, as we are behind Cambodia (85) and Indonesia (100) while in the Asia-Pacific region, we are behind Taiwan (32), Japan (37), South Korea (39), Hong Kong (61), Timor-Leste (94), Bhutan (116) and India (120).
“Malaysia’s drop and placing for this year’s RSF 2007 worldwide press freedom index would have been worse if the shocking development that the Prime Minister does not want to hear the truth from the media and the public had been taken fully into account.
“Malaysia’s worst placing in the RSF 2007 worldwide press freedom index joins a lost list of indicators that all is not right with Malaysia on the occasion of our 50th Merdeka anniversary — a sober reminder that while we should be proud of our national achievements, we have greater reason to be concerned about our many national failings, in particular the failure to honour the Barisan Nasional’s pledge in 2004 general election for openness and reform as well as the urgent need for a Freedom of Information Act and to dismantle undemocratic and oppressive laws.”
The more the government hides, the more the people won’t trust the government. That’s the way the government wants, and that’s the way the government gets. In the end of the day, there’s no mutual trust between us.
Shame? These liars, cheats and thieves have no shame. That’s what happens when they such a majority in the legislature – and coupled with control over the enforcement agencies, they think they can do no wrong.
CEMERLANG, GEMILANG, TEMBERANG !
The standards of hypocrisy from BN have reached incredible proportions. When we criticise them, they say we whinge, they tell the mainstream media to ignore our pleas. when there is a small iota of good news, it’s splashed all over the papers. They say there is nothing wrong with our education system, but we can’t find cabinet ministers sending their kids to local schools or universities. They say they will investigate every allegation of wongdoing, but investigations never start, or are never completed. They say they are not in the business of cheating the people, yet their actions (and inactions) are the very essence of cheating the people.
Really if Malaysian corruption index, economic level, GDP, independent judiciary,efficient use of resources is like Singapore, well hell to the RSF2007. well even then we should allow different opinion. But hey Malaysia is no where near singapore. Lets face the facts, our BN politicians are classic case of using double standards where ever it suits them. Moe so by this govt lead by Pak Lah with XXXL cabinet.
Zam and his fellow cabinet members like Nazri all talk C$#K.
If Zam hawks snake oil, it’s only natural and right that all other liniment sales should be restricted, banned or have 1000% surcharge imposed on them to protect the Zam brand. This is clearly the inverted mentality of his moral moronic outlook. Their standards of hypocrisy is truly unabashedly perverse as any casual examination can expose….that’s why the MSM must be totally subservient to keep hiding the truth.
dear yb kit
why do you keep dwelling on this character zam all the time…? you have been paying so much attention to all and sundry about this guy recently…now you talk about the press index when the ge is just around the corner. do you really think the electorate cares or gives two hoots about where we are ranked on the index…..you really think so? come on..it seems to me that your obsession with this zam character is making you lose your focus. now why havent you written anything about hw that malacca fellow slammed the ppp and said they are irrelevant? in other words telling a component party member and all its 500,000 odd followers that they are irrelevant in the eyes of umno..? now there is something the electorate should know and would want to know as they decide on their votes…after all a simple analysis would tell all of us who the majority of ppp members are and where they belong in the ethnic balance (or imbalance) of the overall malaysian equation…there..thats what a voter should know…
but you keep harping on this zam character..it’s always zam zam zam zam zam zam….and more zam…why? you also dont like mamaks one ah?
the archer:
i believe YB KIT mentioned about this because he made a bad statement in the press release lately for the drop of our country’s Index..and i think he(YB KIT) done it in a manner way where he got prove and not just because he hates Zam then he just talking rubbish bout him..This is the link ->http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/10/20/nation/19229201&sec=nation
i think YB KIT is doing the right things…we as a Malaysia deserve to know everything even though it might hurt our feeling..thanks
“It is a public slap in the face of the Zainuddin as Information Minister as well as the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who had promised to allow greater press freedom …” KIT
Allowing greater press freedom?? That’s just talk and we know that. And now taking these goons to task for not living up to their promises is like asking chickens why they cross the road! Where else would these chickens go but to the KFC??
Huh?
disapointed86 Says:
the archer:
i believe YB KIT mentioned about this because he made a bad statement in the press release lately for the drop of our country’s Index..and i think he(YB KIT) done it in a manner way where he got prove and not just because he hates Zam then he just talking rubbish bout him..This is the link ->http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/10/20/nation/19229201&sec=nation
i think YB KIT is doing the right things…we as a Malaysia deserve to know everything even though it might hurt our feeling..thanks
===============================================
i know why he mentioned it and i also know (i think) that it’s not because he doesnt like mamaks…my feelings are not hurt because we were not born in this country yesterday to be hurt by the conduct of some of our politicians in the ruling govt..we know them too well by now. get on with issues directly related to the electorate at this late stage in the ge run….people are still undecided and need some pointers…some real valuable pointers and revelations (for those still sitting undecided)..some minister and what he said about the press index is as important to me (and i believe to a large proportion of the electorates) as what brand of underwear samy vellu uses…..see the irrelevance?
There is an interesting article in Aliran Montly -“Is Malay cowardice’ really the problem?” written by Rustam Sani.
I think so. It is this cowardice that makes them unwilling to accept reality , like a negative report, a criticism, a scandal, a weakness, or immorality among them.
Trying to cover up these and denying they exist is not going to help the country- viz the 3 monkeys mentality.
Mankind improve/progress by embracing weaknesses and mistakes.
Lee Kuan Yew does not have the hypocrisy of restricting press freedom. He has been open about it from the start. He does not believe in the third estate and have made his argument throughout his career. He has never admitted he was wrong but he has not not lied. He also has never divulge the ills that his underlings have done but he has clearly made it that its beyond his control if he is to maintain his view which he deem his right.
Zam is different. His view about his/his party bosses interest and has nothing to do with the real public interest or and proper means to an end. To liken it to LKY is to insult those who fight for the means does not justify the ends which LKY does not subscribe to. LKY firmly believes how you do things is just as important. LKY may be a tyrant but he is a proper tyrant. Not that a being a tyrant is OK and history will in the end judge LKY to be wrong about that which he himself has admitted is possible. LKY is cynical about human impulses but yet still holds great believe in possibilities espcially in the best human minds. Zam is just cynical and moralistic and cannot see beyond that even of the people he supposedly work and represents.
All these for RM90 million?! Five experiments in microgravity were conducted at the International Space Station (ISS).
The first was the spinning of the Malaysian traditional game gasing, where Dr Sheikh Muszaphar attached a string to a 95-gramme top made of aluminium and let it spin in mid-air in horizontal and vertical positions for less than a minute.
In the second experiment, he pressed a pack containing strawberry juice which came out within seconds in a jelly-like substance floating in mid-air. He later used a spoon to scoop the floating jelly and put it into his mouth.
The third experiment involved the mixing of oil and water in a square-shaped crystal box with the substances mixing well in microgravity condition. In normal situation oil floats on top of water.
In his fourth experiment Muszaphar showed the audience on earth how a yo-yo would swing in microgravity condition. Under normal circumstances, a yo-yo goes up and down when in play but in microgravity condition, the yo-yo goes up, down and to the front as well.
In his last experiment, he showed the differences in velocity of three alls of different sizes, travelling in microgravity. The balls appeared to have moved in slow motion during the experiment.
“In his last experiment, he showed the differences in velocity of three balls of different sizes, travelling in microgravity. The balls appeared to have moved in slow motion during the experiment.”
Great balls of fire!!!
It would be interesting to read the scientific papers on these experiments.
But I heard on the TV that there also some tests on cancer research as part of his duties.
Maybe these frivolous tests were shown as can be seen easily for stupid viewers to go ga-ga
But coming back to our “No truth for the PM” minister.
Methinks that is the only way he can share the limelight with the great Singapore statesman.
Even after paying for 5,000 “spaceflight participants” ( at a cost of RM90 million x 5,000 = RM450 billion to the taxpayers ) to be given seats on foreign spacecraft, Malaysian technology on its own would still be unable to put together a spacecraft of its own. So it is time to stop this madness of wanting to be a “space power” such as hitching a ride to the moon immediately. The money saved can be put to better use in improving the quality of life of the rakyat
Here’s some more “truth”
”
Malaysian shuffle foreign money in, local money out
KUALA LUMPUR – MALAYSIA is celebrating a big rebound in foreign direct investment into the country, but the real news is that local capital is leaving just as fast.
Local businesses, including many oil companies flush with cash, are investing offshore like never before – a trend that showed up in startling UN investment figures issued last week.
The trend is already making itself felt in monetary policy and could hasten reform of corporate Malaysia, analysts say. In time, it could even expose the country’s unpopular affirmative-action policy to stronger winds of reform.
The data showed that inflows to Malaysia rebounded in 2006 to a 10-year high of just over US$6 billion (S$8.76 billion) after years of dwindling investment. The real surprise, though, was that outflows equalled them, their highest total since UN records started in 1980.
And it is not a statistical blip: after more than 20 years of averaging about US$1.3 billion in annual outgoing direct investment, outflows began to steadily pick up in 2003, according to data collated by the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
‘I think the business case is very, very compelling,’ said Eric Fishwick, deputy chief economist with investment bank CSLA, referring to the rise in offshore investment by Malaysian firms.
‘Malaysia still has a relatively state-directed economy and it just increases the incentive to look overseas and the incentive to raise your returns.’ Malaysia’s maturing economy offers smaller returns than some other, racier emerging markets like neighbouring Vietnam, but economists say this is nothing new. The real change, they add, is that the government now encourages many companies to go offshore.
The state-linked corporate sector, which once grazed happily at home, is now being prodded offshore by state investment arm Khazanah, which has begun to emulate its Singapore counterpart, Temasek, in building up a large overseas portfolio.
At last, taking risks Khazanah has invested about US$1.7 billion overseas since May 2004, more than a quarter of its total investment in the period.
That is in addition to investments made by its stable of firms. One of them, Telekom Malaysia , has bought businesses from India and Sri Lanka to Indonesia and Cambodia.
Another, CIMB bank , is buying up offshore banks.
Oil-and-gas companies, state-linked and privately owned, are also expanding amid a boom in global oil exploration – and often following in the wake of state-owned oil company Petronas as it expands in Asia and enters new markets like Africa and Russia.
‘Our competitors not only operate locally in Malaysia but globally as well. So for us to remain competitive, we too must work hard to grow our market share,’ said Chan Cheu Leong, chief executive of oil-services firm Wah Seong Corp which now draws 70 per cent of its revenue offshore.
But what are the consequences of this rush to send money overseas for an economy traditionally geared to receive it? Malaysia has for many years curbed the strength of its currency to help exporters and encourage inward investment, but authorities appeared to adopt a more flexible stance early this year, saying it favoured a steady appreciation in the ringgit.
A stronger ringgit is further encouragement to invest abroad but, says CSLA economist Fishwick, outward flows also serve as a hedge against a surge of inflows and an overheated currency – something the central bank refers to as healthy ‘two-way flows’.
Reforming ‘Malaysia Inc’
The push overseas could help transform corporate Malaysia, especially in the case of state-linked firms, as it adapts to more cut-throat competition in the global marketplace.
It could also put more pressure on the government to rationalise its own investment policies, such as affirmative action, said a Western diplomat specialising in economics.
Under affirmative action, businesses owned by ethnic Malays are given preference for state contracts. Overall, listed firms are required to be owned 30 per cent by so-called Bumiputras (sons of the soil) who are Malays or indigenous people.
Critics say the policy has created an elite of rich Malays and failed to close the wealth gap between Malays in general and the ethnic Chinese minority, which still dominates business.
Opposition parties blame it for both driving ethnic Chinese capital overseas and turning off foreign investors. Despite the jump in inward investment last year, UN data showed Malaysia only improved its global ranking by two rungs to 64.
In terms of outward investment, its ranking jumped eight rungs to 22.
‘Why not rationalise your own investment policies to match the kinds of policies your own investors are responding to?’ the diplomat said, noting that local firms were responding to bigger opportunities in less restricted markets offshore.
‘That’s the driving economic motivator behind all of this.’ — REUTERS
”
And
”
Smokers irrational, like animals: M’sia cleric
KUALA LUMPUR – SMOKERS are like animals that do not think rationally, a Malaysian hardline Islamist cleric said at the weekend.
Islam discourages the faithful from smoking, just as it bars them from alcohol, said Mr Nik Aziz Nik Mat, spiritual leader of the Parti Islam se-Malaysia, which seeks to turn the country into an Islamic state that punishes thieves by lopping off their hands.
Smokers did not use their brains because they continued to let themselves be addicted to the habit, despite knowing it was bad for their health, the Star newspaper quoted Mr Nik Aziz as saying.
‘People who do not want to think are like animals,’ Mr Nik Aziz told the launch of an anti-smoking campaign in Kota Baru, the capital of Malaysia’s north-eastern state of Kelantan, which is his party’s last remaining bastion.
Mr Nik Aziz, himself a non-smoker, has earlier said smokers would not be included among his party’s candidates at Malaysia’s next general elections, widely expected to be called as soon as early next year. — REUTERS
“
Yb kit,
The GE round the corner. What is the gane plan to at least deny the BN a 2/3 majority.
Look whether Zam is truthful or Imam Hadhari is more truthful does not matter. People only care of bread & butter…This is the truth…. look Haris Ibrahim has invited people to sign a petition to our DYMM our Agung for close to a month. All he requested is 5000 signatures…As of yesterday only approximately 3600 people have signed…So what is the reality..BN will continue to reign and UMNO will dictate the terms..
Come on guys…the corrupted CJ’s, the lingams, the ACA, PDRM, the Napoleons in all the states…..will all go on living a great life. The truth will never be allowed to come out…Look UMNO will create another May 13 as they did the last….and they issue threats of another everytime a GE is around the corner…
/// Bigjoe Says:
October 22nd, 2007 at 08: 40.07
He does not believe in the third estate and have made his argument throughout his career. ///
I think you mean the fourth estate…
“LKY may be a tyrant but he is a proper tyrant.”Bigjoe.
I would not describe LKY as a tyrant, far from it.How can one compare him with the likes of Saddam Hussein,Adolf Hitler Stalin Mugabe or Papa Doc for these are the tyrants, not LKY
LKY approximates to a type of leader Plato describes in THE REPUBLIC as the benevolent dictator as a man best suited to rule in his speculation on the ideal society.A benevolent dictator is a ruler not only of high intellect but also moral fibre as well as has what it takes to do the right thing for his nation.
“Zainuddin’s chicanery and hypocrisy were immediately obvious, for he never had any good word for Kuan Yew before.”
Naturally… If UMNO’s people praise Lee Kuan Yew, pigs can fly…
Everytime some international study slams Malaysia we deny its validity. Everytime it praises us we put it in the front page and BN members congratulate themselves.
LOL.
“Getting a lecture on morality from a politician is like getting a lecture on chastity from a whore.” — Perry de Havilland
“Politics” comes from the word “poly” meaning “many” and “ticks”, which are blood-sucking parasites.” — Andre Marrou
“Politicians are the craftiest and most cunning of all con artists and salesmen. They can manipulate even the most cherished beliefs and intellectual arguments to convince you to give them immense coercive power over other people and eventually, even over you. They’re so good at it that they can even convince many to become fanatic supporters, and themselves to believe their own bullshit.” — Rick Gaber