Posted on

Record 68 Golds by Malaysian sportsmen and sportswomen in SEA Games – a lesson for all of us

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

Malaysia can stand proud because it has won 68 golds to earn second place among the nations of se asia

The sports men and women had one objective in mind – to win for the honour and glory of Malaysia.

They competed as Malaysians for the country that they love. On the track there was no distinction of bumiputras or non-bumiputras, no ketuanan Melayu or second-class citizens. Because of their unity and common brotherhood they won 68 golds.

Their success holds a lesson for the leaders of our country Malaysia. Their duty is to foster unity and treat all citizens on an equal basis.

In the face of competition in a global world, to earn an honourable place it is vital that there be unity and all citizens should have the status of only one class – MALAYSIANS. Continue reading “Record 68 Golds by Malaysian sportsmen and sportswomen in SEA Games – a lesson for all of us”

Posted on

Fake IPCMC Bill deferred to March Parliament

I spoke to the Minister responsible for piloting the Special Complaints Commission (SCC) Bill (the fake IPCMC Bill) Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz before the Cabinet meeting today conveying to him the unanimous sentiments of the Emergency SCC Bill Public Consultation last night that the Bill be deferred for a proper public consultation process to take place in view of the many powerful objections to it.

I suggested that a Parliamentary Select Committee on the SCC Bill should be informed as part of this public consultation process with NGOs and NGIs.

Nazri has just returned to Parliament from the Cabinet meeting, which has agreed to the deferment of the SCC Bill to the next Parliamentary meeting which, barring electoral mishaps like the dissolution of Parliament, will sit again on March 17, 2008 with an Official Opening by the Yang di Pertuan Agong.

There is however no Parliamentary Select Committee on the SCC Bill.

This is where the Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance should pick uip the gauntlet to organise a series of public consultations in the country on the fake IPCMC Bill.

Posted on

Gani owes public apology to Batu Caves 31 for travesty of justice of total incarceration of 403 days

The Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail owes the Batu Caves 31 who were unjustly incarcerated for 13 days and their families a public apology for the sufferings and hardships they should not have been made to go through.

Gani’s explanations why he dropped the charges of attempted murder against the Batu Caves 31 in the Shah Alam Sessions Court underline the grave injustice which the Attorney-General had caused the 31 with the ridiculous charge of attempted murder and collective punishment of the 31 with the denial of bail for 13 days, resulting in a number of victims losing their jobs.

Two reasons had been given by Gani.

Gani said: “We can’t pinpoint who exactly did it or rather who was the one who threw the brick at the person who was badly injured”. If so, why did he charge the 31 with the capital offence of “attempted murder” with the maximum sentence of 20 years’ jail and fine, and what’s worse, denying bail to them for 13 days on a completely baseless contention of their being threats to national security! Continue reading “Gani owes public apology to Batu Caves 31 for travesty of justice of total incarceration of 403 days”

Posted on

Abdullah just don’t get it – that he has already disappointed Malaysians after biggest-ever electoral mandate 4 yrs ago

In Puchong Indah, Selangor yesterday, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi declared: Support me and I will not disappoint you.

He said the support of the people give him greater sense of responsibility to strive even harder to ensure prosperity, harmony and development without leaving out any group.

Abdullah just don’t get it – that he has already disappointed Malaysians who had given him the greatest mandate ever secured by a Prime Minsiter in any general election in the nation’s 50-year history in 2004.

Is Abdullah’s denial so serious and even terminal that he is simply not aware of the widespread and deep-seated popular disenchantment over his failure to honour his catalogue of pledges when he became Prime Minister in October 2003 and during the 2004 general election to be the Prime Minister for all Malaysians, to hear the truth from the people however unpleasant, to wipe out corruption and abuses of power, to open up spaces for greater democracy and press freedom and to lead an administration of excellence and meritocracy towards a First-World Malaysia?

I cannot but ask whether the recent spate of unprecedented events had failed to make any impression on him whatsoever to shake off his denial complex – whether the nation-wide pickets of MTUC and workers for fair wage, the March for Justice of the 2,000 lawyers in late September to demand judicial independence and integrity, the 40,000-strong BERSIH demonstration on Nov. 10 for electoral reforms for free, fair and clean elections or the 30,000-strong Hindraf demonstration to end the long-standing marginalization of the Malaysian Indians? Continue reading “Abdullah just don’t get it – that he has already disappointed Malaysians after biggest-ever electoral mandate 4 yrs ago”

Posted on

Defer the fake IPCMC Bill to allow for proper public consultation

No, it was not an empty auditorium but quite a full house for the Emergency Public Consultation on the Special Complaints Commission Bill (or fake IPCMC Bill) at the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall last night.

It vindicated my faith and confidence in Malaysians that despite the impossibly short two-day notice falling on a weekend and end-of-year holiday season, minimal exposure in print media and total lack of leafleting, there was a strong turn-out of Malaysians for the Public Consultation to demonstrate their concern, commitment and seriousness about their citizenship rights.

Many thanks to you all on this blog for your encouragement and support as well as other netizens and bloggers who helped to give the Public Consultation a plug, including:

Fake IPCMC Bill consultation tonight (rocky’s bru)

Emergency Public Consultation on fake IPCMC Bill (the meesh experience)

It’s a fake IPCMC! – Lim Kit Siang
 (Kembara Minda Perjuangan)

Emergency Public Consultation on fake IPCMC Bill (carboncopy)

Urgent: Emergency Public Consultation on the SCC Bill
 (Blog for Positive Changes)

What the…?! Coming to KLS Chinese Assembly Hall tonight? (Dan-yel)

Lulu Thinks This Poor Replacement of An Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Bill Looks Like A Rush Job

And congrats to jedyoong for being the first to blog about the Public Consultation although “Am tired. Wanna sleep”.

Don’t have time to write a fulsome account of the Public Consultation. Just the highlights: Continue reading “Defer the fake IPCMC Bill to allow for proper public consultation”

Posted on

Who are the opportunists?

by Richard Teo

The Council of Former People’s Representative (Mubarak) President Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang described the Hindraf leaders as “opportunists and traitors to their race and country.” He further added that these people were extremists and that they should rightly be detained under the ISA.

Referring to his assertion, I would like the former Mubarak to carefully reflect on past history and see who are the opportunists.

After May 1969, with the introduction of the NEP, the Malay bumiputras were the sole beneficiary of govt policies. However somewhere along the course of implementation the NEP was hijacked by the UMNO elite Malays who only seek to enrich themselves and their cronies.

Based on such factual events how could the former Mubarak President condemned the Hindraf supporters as opportunists?Rightly the real opportunists were the UMNO elite Malays. Continue reading “Who are the opportunists?”

Posted on

Why does the BN government choose to do the wrong things almost all the time?

by Loh Meng Kow

Zainuddin, the Minister of (dis) Information said the government rejected the concept of democracy promoted by the West, with street demonstrations being part of the democratic process. “Have the countries with frequent street demonstrations managed to achieve the prosperity and stability that we enjoy? Most of these countries are mired in conflicts or chaos,” he stressed.

The Prime minister said that the silent majority had spoken that they were against demonstration. Yes, the people who took part in street demonstrations did not prefer to do it, if they did not consider it important that they took part to call government attention. They demonstrated because that was the only way that attention could be drawn to the wrongs perpetuated by the government. The way to stop demonstrating is to govern with fairness in the interest of the nation, and not in personal interests, so that the citizens do not find the need to demonstrate. The approach adopted in declaring street demonstrations illegal, charging participants for high crimes would see fewer demonstrations. But unless the problems which the people were calling attention are resolved, that resentment would not go away.

Countries that have frequent demonstrations could be divided in two categories. One takes heed of the demonstrations, and so government actions are guided on the path to prosperity and stability. The other tolerated demonstrations but was not prepared to take remedial actions. Malaysia considered itself capable in using bullying tactic to deny demonstration. Continue reading “Why does the BN government choose to do the wrong things almost all the time?”