From the statement by the Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim that the government was open to the possibility of setting up a royal commission on the “Lingam” videoclip, it is evident that there is a significant momentum which will make any failure to establish such a Royal Commission of Inquiry a direct, personal and major crisis of confidence for the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Early this month, when I told Parliament that I had seen and vouched for the existence of the second part of the 14-minute Lingam Tape, before Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim released another 10 seconds of the six-minute portion which had been withheld from the public so far, there was no surprise, astonishment or demand from the government or Haidar Panel that I reveal the details or the source.
This could only mean that by that time, all those involved in authority knew that the Lingam Tape was genuine and that any attempt to deny or ignore it would be at their grave personal peril in terms of public credibility and integrity.
There should be no more further delay in the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Tape specifically and generally the independence and integrity of the judiciary, and the three issues which the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should be mindful are:
- Full and proper consultation with relevant personalities and organizations on the Royal Commission of Inquiry;
- Full and untrammeled powers for the Royal Commission of Inquiry to investigate into every aspect of the Lingam Tape revelations and the restoration of confidence in the independence and integrity of the judiciary; and
- The appointment of suitable and qualified Commissioners.
Abdullah will defeat the whole purpose of a Royal Commission of Inquiry if its establishment is the subject of another debilitating and divisive public controversy, either because of its restricted terms of reference or composition.
On its composition, there are clearly certain controversial personalities who should not be appointed as Commissioners or the whole process will become a farce.
In this category I will include three former Chief Justices — Tun Ahmad Fairuz, Tun Eusuffe Chin and Tun Hamid Omar because of their controversial past which should be among the subjects of the inquiry.
Another former Chief Justice, however, Tun Dzaiddin will be eminently suitable to be a member of the Commission.
Special thought must be given for the Chairman of the Royal Commission to restore confidence in the judiciary.
The Raja Muda of Perak, Raja Dr. Nazrain Shah will be a very good choice as Chairman of the Royal Commission of Inquiry to restore confidence in the independence and integrity of the judiciary, although the ideal candidate would be Sultan Azlan Shah especially as he was Lord President during the golden era of the Malaysian judiciary a quarter of a century ago.
The Commissioners should come from a representative cross-section including former members of the judiciary, like former Court of Appeal judges Datuk Shaikh Daud and Datuk N. H. Chan and former High Court judge and leading Malaysian jurist Datuk Seri Visu Sinadurai.
YB Lim,
They have developed a phobia on name, the person and the reputation of Dr. Raja Nazrain.
Your choices are apt but it is unlikely the government will pick them. They will look for some Umno cronies to do some damage control.
I think they hate like hell so he will not be chosen.
YB, i personally do not understand why the government, i mean the
Badan pelaksana should decide and solve the JUDICIARY CRISIS.
Badan pelaksana and Badan Kehakiman are seperated bodies. It should be the Agong who has the power to set up a special unit to investigate the matter. Abdullah is too arrogant to think that he has the power. Besides that, abdullah is trying to do something to the report so that it will looked ‘better’.
Raja Nazrin is my no. 1 choice. He has the integrity and h9onesty like his dad. Yes! He is fair! The rakyat want him.
I would suggest Karpal Singh to be included because his legal exoertise is much, much better than that stupid Nazri.
YB Lim,
Raja Nazrin is a good possibility, but he is the Raja Muda of Perak.
Maybe, as a friend suggested, we should get Tun Musa Hitam, Tun Ling Leong Sik, Lee Kim Sai, Sabaruddin Chik, Mohamad Rahmat, Tun Hamid Omar … I said to my friend that together they will produce a report that will further destroy the Judiciary!! These characters are kaki ampus and lalangs.
I agree with you that we must get the most qualified people of impeccable character like Prof Ungku A. Aziz and some truly eminent judges like Justices Shaik Daud and Chan into the Royal Commission.
Tun Ahmad Fairuz – impossible, he like VK Lingam cannot be a judge of his/their own controversy and cause. Tun Eusuffe Chin and Tun Hamid Omar – would make “whole process a farce†– agreed, especially with TDM as chairman! :)
Drawn from Malaysian Bar, may consider, besides present Bar Council Chairperson, Raja Aziz Addruse Lim Kean Chye or even Chooi Mun Sau….
From Bench ex judges – maybe Tun Dzaiddin, Datuk Shaikh Daud, Datuk VC George, Dato’ K C Vorah…
What about Tan Sri Dr Ramon Navaratnam of Transparency International Malaysia and Dato’ Param Cumaraswamy (Former UN Special Rapporteur)?
Realistically they probably would want people having stake in and not against the ruling establishment (Tun Musa Hitam, Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman or may be Tun Haniff Omar come to mind) and the challenge is to identify who within this restricted circle would be at least not unacceptable.
Raja Nazrin Shah is the Raja Muda of Perak, the heir to the Perak throne. It’s not advisable to get him involved.
What about Tunku Aziz Ibrahim, the Founder President of Transparency International, Malaysian chapter?
Tun Musa Hitam, Tun Ling Leong Sik, Lee Kim Sai, Sabaruddin Chik, Mohamad Rahmat, Tun Hamid Omar …????????
Oh NOOO!!!!
It is as good as telling that there is no case!!!
Raja Aziz Adruse,Tan Sri Dr Ramon Navaratnam would be good.
I simply do not understand the Government is elected by the people to look after our welfare.
Now that there is a clear case of corrupt lawyer, judge and businessmen (a very small number) the government choose to protect those few and not we the poor rakyat!!!
This is called irresponsible attitude of the people in the administration.
Yes, voters (who are supposed to be the masters or bosses) put our MPs (some of whom became ministers) in the Parliament, supposedly to be our servants to serve the rakyat. But they became YB and YAB and they dictate our lives.
Now our ministers want a committe that comes out with a reply that is sweet to their ears. They will keep forming one committee after another until the objective is achieved.
That was the reason why Umno, beginning with TDM, cannot allow our judiciary system to function as an independent arm and the CJ was replaced with someone who was friendly to Umno.
This opportunistic Rais has been known to dissimulate false hopes, appearing almost righteous, too many times in the past, only for all naive ones to see ’em dashed. This one’s an irritating racist twit, characteristicall orphaned of normal decency.
Pak Lah has agreed to establish the royal commission on Lingam video clip (“RCâ€Â). He said this after a meeting with Uruguay president Dr Tabare Vazquez Rosas at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.
The PM said the cabinet would need to decide on the RC’s terms of reference at its weekly meeting next Wednesday before deciding on its members.
“Pak Lah has agreed to establish the royal commission…”
Seeing light at the end of the tunnel? You wish… Hey! Be careful of what you wish for.
Malaysiakini reported:
“Abdullah said the three ministers tasked to study the legal aspects of the independent panel report would be giving their views at the next cabinet meeting.”
Why do they need the involvement of 3 ministers? Why, isn’t the 3-member panel able to brief and deliver their views however different, the Cabinet?
sorry, last line should read:
“….different, to the Cabinet? “
How about Jasin, Kinabatangan, sri gading , Zam, and “bodoh bodoh bodoh!!”?
dawsheng
Which tunnel are you talking about? Badruddin’s tunnel? The one up the skirts of Air Asia’s hostesses?
What is happening is that Pak Lah is coming finally to his senses.
He has agreed to the setting up of a RCI. Now, who will comprise the RCI comes into focus.
So many have had their reputations tainted. You guys have named some. But many more have to be named.
Maybe Kit Siang should be named as one of the members of the RCI.
The PM has already announced that a Royal Commission of Inquiry will indeed be held but its scope and terms of reference will only be made known next week. Will this RCI have limited scope?
Lets hope this RCI will be a meaningful one and not another “panel” of questionable personalities. The RCI must indeed have the full confidenece of the masses and indeed be independent and effective, with bite. There should be accountability and transparancy.
Preferably it should look at the whole Judiciary and come up with suggestions as to how this branch can be upgraded to the 21st century. Confidence must be restored.
The RCI should perhaps comprise people from a wide section of the population and not restricted to those from the legal profession. Maybe some eminent foreign personalities can be appointed to the RCI just as we have appointed a host of foreign experts to advise our government on its many projects e.g. MSC.
Lets us see what develops.
I think the Opposition is playing the game UMNO wanted them to play – and playing it does and badly too.
No one, having done all the mental gymnastics needed to understand the mental gyrations of corrupt minded individuals, could conclude that there is a need for any committee to look at a tape obviously showing V.K. Lingam plotting to pave the way for certain individuals on the Bench.
That without more is evidence of corruption of our judiciary. There is no law suit and it is not a legal issue and there is no standard of ‘proof beyond reasonable’ that we need to meet.
When the first volley was fired on the assembled marchers around the Masjid Jamek-Masjid India area, word was passed down the line that the 19th Brigade of the Royal Malay Regiment or Regimen Askar Melayu Di-Raja (RAMD) was on stand-bye, to move in if there are any fatal casualties. Fourteen armoured cars (kereta perisai) had earlier arrived from Sungai Petani and were parked at the Sungai Buloh military camp, ready to roll at a minute’s notice. It would take them ten or fifteen minutes to arrive at the scene of any violence against the rakyat….The police backed off. They were reduced to traffic control where those positioned at junctions stopped cars to allow the marchers to safely cross the road. The RAMD remained on stand-by and the next morning the fourteen kereta perisai quietly slipped out of Sungai Buloh and went home.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/nuc2006/index.php?itemid=326
“What is happening is that Pak Lah is coming finally to his senses.” Tulip Crescent
Ok, I am going to sleep. When I wake up tomorrow morning I hope I can come to my senses and agree with you.
Just read the news that pak lah had agreed to set up a royal commision to look into the lingam tape. It’s a good news. probably he was under pressure after the bersih march last saturday and trying to divert public attention…..
Looking at the fact that the Palace has just denounced the Bersih rally, I don’t think the Royalty would want to get involved.
I want to retract what I said above.
After reading RPK’s report at the link provided by k1980 above, I am really confused and don’t even know what to believe. This is as good as a classic Chinese movie.
“….but its scope and terms of reference will be made known next week.Will this RCI have limited scope?”.Sheriff Singh.
Hello, hello there Mr Singh you are not saying that this Sleepy Head whilst coming to realise that RCI has to be formed to make himself credible since GC is coming,he has also to put in some caveats to reign in RC members so that they don’t run wild.
correction- GE and not GC.
“When the first volley was fired on the assembled marchers around the Masjid Jamek-Masjid India area, word was passed down the line that the 19th Brigade of the Royal Malay Regiment or Regimen Askar Melayu Di-Raja (RAMD) was on stand-bye, to move in …” k1980
Most interesting!!
Whoever thinks that the Royal Malay would open fire at unarmed fellow Malays must have his head examined.
“..//..Looking at the fact that the Palace has just denounced the Bersih rally, I don’t think the Royalty would want to get involved. After reading RPK’s report at the link provided by k1980 above, I am really confused and don’t even know what to believe..// – Traveller.
Malaysiakini reported that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abdidin (YDPA) has issued a press statement that neither he nor Istana Negara had directly or indirectly supported the Bersih rally last weekend.
YDPA stressed that he did not lend his support to any quarters which had organised the rally or involved in any activities which flout the law. His Highness expressed hope that all Malaysians act in accordance with the law and not get involved in any activities or actions that violate the country’s laws. “Each and every Malaysian is responsible to uphold public security in order to ensure peace and the well-being of the nation,†he said.
This raises question whether what Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said about the Bersih gathering was true – that it “tantamount to dragging the institution of the monarchy, and the king, into politics†by certain quarters connected to Datuk Seri Ibrahim and the Opposition Front.
Many of those who supported the march to the Istana were under the impression that YDPA symbolizing the fountain of justice in Malaysia was tacitly sympathetic to the Bersih organisers’ agenda.
YDPA’s latest statement contradicts this impression.
In precedingthread K1980 quoted RPK’s Malaysiatoday –
http://www.malaysia-today.net/nuc2006/index.php?itemid=326 –
as saying “when the first volley was fired on the assembled marchers around the Masjid Jamek-Masjid India area, word was passed down the line that the 19th Brigade of the Royal Malay Regiment or Regimen Askar Melayu Di-Raja (RAMD) was on stand-bye, to move in if there are any fatal casualties. Fourteen armoured cars (kereta perisai) had earlier arrived from Sungai Petani and were parked at the Sungai Buloh military camp, ready to roll at a minute’s notice. It would take them ten or fifteen minutes to arrive at the scene of any violence against the rakyat….The police backed off. They were reduced to traffic control where those positioned at junctions stopped cars to allow the marchers to safely cross the road. The RAMD remained on stand-by and the next morning the fourteen kereta perisai quietly slipped out of Sungai Buloh and went home.â€Â
Is this true? What is suggested here tantamount in my opinion to nearly a coup. We’re talking about the the army or certain factions of it moving in apparently unauthorized by the elected government instructing the police to disperse the illegal assembly.
This is a very serious allegation if untrue posted in a popular blog by one of the staunchest supporters of the Bersih March.
I wish to know as much as the government is manipulating rakyat by propaganda, whether the Barisan Alternative Front Opposition parties are also manipulating rakyat’s grievance against the government by rallying them to an illegal assembly and street demonstration, fanning their hopes based on Royal Support if not sympathy where non existed, with sympathizers even spreading rumours of likely sympathy from certain sections of the army for the People’s Cause, again where none existed.
This is the question that cannot be avoided. Let’s not have double standard here when we speak of propaganda and its use by the BN government!
How can RPK explain the Yang diPertuan Agong’s statement against the illegal Bersih March as emanating from “a glorified chamber maid planted in the Palace as an enemy in the blanket. These are the worst kind of slime-balls and scumbags” ? The Agong is still around, you mean he is not going to contradict a government agent planted in his Istana issuing a statement that the Agong never made? This tantamount to treason!
What kind of spin is this from those who hate the government so much that they are prepared to spin the rakyat in the same manner as the government they hate does?
How does this help Opposition credibility to whip up people’s hopes based on Royal Support for the Bersih March and electoral reforms where no royal support was or is there proven?
“Malaysiakini reported:
“Abdullah said the three ministers tasked to study the legal aspects of the independent panel report would be giving their views at the next cabinet meeting.â€Â
Why do they need the involvement of 3 ministers? Why, isn’t the 3-member panel able to brief and deliver their views however different, the Cabinet?”
reasons :
1. our pm needs more sleep rather than
entertaining u people so hes delaying till next week.
2. now sports complex tak jadi so hes gonna crack his head on how
to make this project materialise.
3. hes waiting for his sil’s opinion.
4. too many incidents happened recently and he dunno which one
he shud run away from.
5. he still thinks we malaysians are very “forgetful”
6. he cant find anyone whos “clean” enough in his cabinet to form
the panel.
7. maybe hes still on honeymoon mood.
//….Whoever thinks that the Royal Malay would open fire at unarmed fellow Malays must have his head examined…//†– Undergrad2.
He (RPK) did not say Royal Malay Regiment would open fire at unarmed fellow Malays. He insinuated that the Royal Malay Regiment were there to protect the unarmed rakyat meaning they would fire at the police instead if necessary.
He said the Regiment “had earlier arrived from Sungai Petani and were parked at the Sungai Buloh military camp, ready to roll at a minute’s notice. It would take them ten or fifteen minutes to arrive at the scene of any violence against the rakyat. Panic buttons were pressed and alarm bells rung. This had happened once on 13 May 1969 in Kampong Baru. The Royal Malay Regiment is not one to mess around with. The Agong is their Commander-in-Chief and soldiers are trained to obey their Commander-in-Chief at no consequence to their own livesâ€Â.
This is seditious statement (if untrue) saying that the soldiers obeying their Commander-in-Chief (The Agong) would be prepared to take on the government’s police over the Bersih demonstrators (insinuation that the King supported demonstrators) when the King has just issued a statement (reported in Malaysiakini) that the King did not support the illegal street demonstration last week end.
RPK then said that oh that statement against Bersih was not really made by the King but by some “glorified chamber maid planted (by the government) in the Palace as an enemy in the blanket to put words into the mouth of the King.
He must be thinking that we’re all bloody idiots to believe this spin as if they could make a statement misrepresenting the King’s views and the King who is still around is not going to contradict that!
All this whole he is persuading Rakyat to believe the rift between the royalty and BN Govt. What he is insinuating is that had there been rakyat casualties in police crowd control, the Malay Regiment loyal to the King would clash with police loyal to the government. If untrue this is a very seditious statement to disseminate on the Net! What is he instigating that has led a 40,000 crowd to brave the rain and FRUs to march to the Istana only to get a statement fr5om the Yang Di Pertuan Agong that he didn’t suport the illegal assembly?
I think a lot of people had been had!
“What kind of spin is this from those who hate the government..” Jeffrey
I think RPK should re-name his blog to “The Spin Stops Here”.
The PM said he has agreed to form a RCI to look into the Lingam tape ONLY, NOT to look into the state of affairs in the Judiciary.
So its about ONE issue only, nothing more. So whats there to celebrate when the Judiciary’s going to continue to flounder?
And because its about the Lingam tape alone, the personalities appointed are just going to be another panel of perhaps three people, maybe the same three panel members but this time under a RCI name. And again with restricted focus and no reform. That’s my take. No major shake-up.
So lets wait for it to be comfirmed.
“—may consider, besides present Bar Council Chairperson, Raja Aziz Addrus, Lim Kean Chye or even Chooi Mun Sau‗“ Jeffry.
All the above persons will be excellent members of the RCI. Besides, I think Sultan Azlan Shah is the most qualified person to be the chairman. Is there any legal constraint for the Sultan to be appointed as chair of the RCI?
“Is there any legal constraint for the Sultan to be appointed as chair of the RCI?
The short answer to that is “Yes”.
“In a statement issued here today by the Datuk Pengelola Bijaya Diraja of Istana Negara, Datuk Wan Mohd Safiain Wan Hasan, the King also regretted the gathering which was organised by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) and supported by the opposition parties.Tuanku Mizan stressed that he and Istana Negara had at no time approved or given any support, directly or indirectly, to any quarters that organised or was involved in the illegal assembly or any other activities that contravened the law.â€Â
“He must be thinking that we’re all bloody idiots to believe this spin as if they could make a statement misrepresenting the King’s views and the King who is still around is not going to contradict that!…â€ÂJeffrey
I am more inclined to believe that the statement issued by Datuk Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan is not from the King himself. It is a statement representing the view of the government. Do you expect the King to be personally present at a press conference to contradict the statement issued by a government servant who has the blessing of the PM? If the king does that, he will be accused of actively involved in supporting the assembly.
“….the Malay Regiment loyal to the King would clash with police loyal to the government. If untrue this is a very seditious statement to disseminate on the Net! What is he instigating that has led a 40,000 crowd to brave the rain and FRUs to march to the Istana only to get a statement from the Yang Di Pertuan Agong that he didn’t suport the illegal assembly?..”
“He must be thinking that we’re all bloody idiots to believe this spin as if they could make a statement misrepresenting the King’s views and the King who is still around is not going to contradict that!… .. Jeffrey
This is getting seriouser and seriouser.
What if there is even a whiff of truth in the RMR positioning of ‘x’ number of armoured vehicles to Sg Buloh?
With the intransigent govt digging its heels in (seemingly at all costs), would anybody really believe that change will come without a heavy price to pay, in the form of civilian casualty and damage sometime in the not-too-distant yet not-unforeseeable future?
With the govt’s back to the wall, and the rakyat having no hope of having their voices heard, and no channel to express that frustration, the stresses will have nearly reached the limit. Something will have to give, very soon. *SNAP* and all hell will break loose.
This is nothing more than a standard BN ploy to lull the rakyat into complacency. It’s called “live to fight another day”. Yes, you may have heard that AAB has agreed to a RCI, but it will take months, if not years, to agree the terms of reference, and the selection of members of the RCI. By this time, the elections will be over, and they would still be in charge for the next 5 years – and going on their merry ways.
This is a con to lull the public into complacency for the next GE.
“He (RPK) did not say Royal Malay Regiment would open fire at unarmed fellow Malays. He insinuated that the Royal Malay Regiment were there to protect the unarmed rakyat meaning they would fire at the police instead if necessary.” Jeffrey
He (RPK) had said many things, some of those he said were almost unbelievable at last proven to be true or at least carry some truths. As for his latest article in the corridors of power, lets give him the benefits of the doubt. If Agong really denounced the Bersih rally, it is just fair we hear it uttered from his mouth, however it is unlikely. I am with kanthanboy – “I am more inclined to believe that the statement issued by Datuk Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan is not from the King himself. It is a statement representing the view of the government.”
If RPK is lying in his latest article, the end is near for him.
“Is this true? What is suggested here tantamount in my opinion to nearly a coup.”
Yes I agree, I think a coup is unavoidable.
“…//….I am with kanthanboy – “I am more inclined to believe that the statement issued by Datuk Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan is not from the King himself. It is a statement representing the view of the government…//….†– Dawsheng.
Let’s set aside what emotionally we wish to be the case, which may cloud our judgment, but look at the situation as it is:
First of all, would Datuk Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan, even if assuming one believes RPK as a “ glorified chamber maid planted by the government in the Palace as an enemy in the blanket†dare to issue a press statement that the King ostensibly disapproves and has not supported the Bersih March by reason of its illegality and threat to public order, when the King has not said or meant it? Such an act tantamount to causing a deliberate rift between the King and the Rakyat is straightaway seditious punishable as an offence.
Secondly, if one says that there is no way this ‘chambermaid’ would be made to account for a seditious statement because he had the support of the government which planted him in the Palace as an enemy in the blanket in the first place, then one has to ask the further question as to what happens to the government’s image and credibility if it does not take action against Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan for sedition when the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has made another subsequent statement that Datuk Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan’s earlier statement on his behalf is a misrepresentation and false? This simply implies that the government is prepared to stoop to the level to put words into the King’s mouth that he never said through its agent – which will be a matter for another public demand for a Royal Commission to look into the government’s action!
Thirdly if one argues that this government does not care at all its image and credibility in this respect, then is it consistent with the fact that when pressured by the disclosure of the Lingam video clip relating to judicial fixing, it has tries to salvage the image – first by forming the wishy washy Haidar Commission, and when that does not satisfy civil society and the public leading to the Bersih march, the government has agreed to now form the Royal Commission to enquire into the Lingam tape?
Fourthly, what are the chances that RPK’s allegations that Datuk Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan is a ‘chambermaid’ acting for the government are true – and not a spin – when he also dares to allege that the Royal Malay Regiment from Sungai Petani were parked at the Sungai Buloh military camp, ready to roll at a minute’s notice to take on the government’s police and FRU if they hurt the demonstrators in the process of breaking up the demonstrations? What he said if true tantamount to something akin to a potential military coup against civilian government : do you seriously believe that if there were such a thing, the government would not have by now rallied the other factions in the army, navy and arm forces to remove the commander of the Royal Malay Regiment from Sungai Petani who nearly, had circumstances turned ugly, ordered his men to act against the government and its police and FRUs?
If one believes the commander is so emboldened to do such an act – which is treason against government of the day – then one must equally believe that the King backed by rulers back this commander because the Royalty and rulers are prepared to sack the present government. If this were the case, there are easier means since it was RPK who researched article 40 of the Constitution and said that the King could, constitutionally (without implicating an army coup) dismiss the Prime Minister based on his personal discretion that he leades a half past six government not commanding majority rakyat’s confidence.
Since when, I may ask, is our King, with the benefit of constitutional advice from learned rulers like Sultan of Perak, has shown that he is prepared to view his role as a “constitutional†monarch (as opposed to an “absolute monarchâ€Â) under the constitution (based on sovereignty of the people expressed though election) as encompassing a politically active partisan role of siding opposition to take on and sack the head of government whom, from the last election, ostensibly control 90% of seats in parliament?
If there were really such a deep rift between Rulers and the government – as the RPK paints it – with the Rulers’ backing the Opposition/Rakyat and in turn being backed by certain factions of military, would you not think that the government would not have already tried to impose a state of emergency by now?
We expect Anwar led opposition to be responsible and not capitalizing on RPK’s line of delusory thinking to plant the seeds of hope in sections of the rakyat disaffected with the government in order to mobilize them “reformasi†style to take to the streets with their children to challenge the government on the premise that Rulers and certain sections of Army are on the peoples’ side when this is all not true!
I am not siding the government but at the same time we should see things as they are. As Rakyat we should not be manipulated by falsehoods whether by those in power or those who seek to replace them.
Like it or not, we have a situation where DSAI revealed the video clip that set the momentum to the Bersih march which has every characteristic of revival of “people’s power†Reformasi demonstrations ala neighbouring countries (Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand) style to depose the governments that their detractors could not otherwise could not do so via constitutional and legal avenues of ballot box that the governments had manipulated in their favour.
From day one everything is part of a grand scheme falling to place of a man (whose chances of returning to UMNO are minimal if not zero) mobilizing everyone towards the goal of deposing the government if necessary by extra constitutional means of street demonstrations to realise his life’s goal of becoming the PM.
I have no quarrel with this nor the argument that the government should re-invent or perish but the Opposition should do it the right way and not via dissemination of untruths or half truths of Royalty and army support for purposes of mobilization, nevermind whether it is seditious or treasonable by law and intent to cause rifts that are not existent, risking peoples safety and lives in their confrontation with the might of the organised government!
You cannot rail and condemn the other side for abuse of propaganda when you’re no better, taking rakyat to be easily manipulated!
Dream team. The PM would just say its too much too soon. This is the PM doing. Even now, he wants a couple of minister to share the blame for anything coming out of the RCI. Already covering his ass even before anything has really started…
“…what are the chances that RPK’s allegations that Datuk Wan Mohd Safian Wan Hasan is a ‘chambermaid’ acting for the government are true – and not a spin….†Jeffrey
If I have to choose whom to believe between RPK and this BN government, I will have no hesitation in choosing the former. If it is proven that there is no truth at all in his latest article, I can accept the fact that RPK has lied and I’ll be more careful next time of anything he says. On the other hand, I have lost count of how many times this BN government has lied to us through the mainstream media. I will not make a fool of myself by putting any faith in this BN government.
If not for existence of Lingam tape, it will be almost impossible for many of us to believe that a lawyer and a business tycoon are capable of fixing the appointment of the highest post in the judicial.
“He (RPK) did not say Royal Malay Regiment would open fire at unarmed fellow Malays. He insinuated that the Royal Malay Regiment were there to protect the unarmed rakyat meaning they would fire at the police instead if necessary.” Jeffrey
Hmmm…I never thought of it that way! Naive me.
“This is seditious statement (if untrue) saying that the soldiers obeying their Commander-in-Chief (The Agong) would be prepared to take on the government’s police…” Jeffrey
First, I don’t think the Agong is the Commander-in-Chief like the President of the United States is Commander-in-Chief of the military.
Secondly, RPK is fast turning into a spin master – if he wasn’t one to begin with. He doesn’t think his readers read his comments and regard them as gospel truth in any case. I read his comments as entertainment with some truth to it. That’s how I approach Malaysia-Today. His is not exactly a political blog with an ideology, and certainly not news worthy – more gossip than news, what he claims to know from the grapevine.
But for anybody to suggest however mildly and perhaps obliquely that the Royal Malay were there to shoot at unarmed Malays (who made up the majority of the demonstrators), old men, women and children, and who were not rioting and destroying government property must be thinking of meeting up with Alice in the Wonderland – and I don’t mean you, Jeffrey.
…//…I don’t think the Agong is the Commander-in-Chief like the President of the United States is Commander-in-Chief of the military…//…
I am inclined to agree with this judging from the active role and actual executive powers of the American President in foreign affairs and conduct of wars.
As a matter of interest however, article 41 of the Federal Constitution does stipulate that The Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall be the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Federation. In the Commonwealth Realms, the head of state whether the Queen (as in England), Governor-General as in Australia or Yang Di Pertuan Agong as in Malaysia would, I imagine, be ordinarily – titlewise – be the Commander-in-Chief of armed forces, though executive powers and actual direction of military affairs will repose with the Prime Ministers & cabinets.
I do agree with Jeffrey that there the spin by RPK on the army being ready and the so call statement issued by a chambermaid that is going unchecked by our Agong needs to be looked into. These are serious allegations and I really don’t believe the chambermaid is so powerful to issue a statement and not get fired for speaking on behalf of HRH with lies. RPK should give us the same transparency that he is asking of the govt.
Daulat Tuanku!!!
There is always a risk something might go wrong……the police and Royal Malay are there to ensure the safety of the peaceful demonstrators and the country as a whole from criminals.
A businessman Noor Hisham Yusoh, 33, had lodged a police report at the Brickfields police station at about 7.30pm yesterday against web portal Malaysia Today and its owner Raja Petra Kamaruddin for an article in the site headlined “What the eye does not see†which the complainant alleged could cause disunity. See report in The Star 19th November and this link – http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2007/11/19/nation/19513763&sec=nation