Month: July 2008

Letters
by A student

Dear YB,

I have some question to ask on JPA Scholarship which I don’t understand.

1. Perkongsian kuasa dengan kaum-kaum lain di dalam pilihan raya 1955 membuktikan bahawa

i. orang melayu berupaya menwujudkan perpaduan antara kaum

ii. tindakan pemimpin pada masa itu adalah keterlaluan

iii. orang melayu sanggup berkorban demi mencapai kemerdekaan

iv. orang bukan melayu terhutang budi kepada orang melayu

– This is the sample question of “mock examination” for JPA Scholar students who are to be sent to Canada sponsored by JPA. The choice number iv. is most racist and offensive, as without Orang Bukan Melayu, i.e. Chinese and Indians, Malaysia won’t get independence. Continue reading “JPA scholarships – why, why, why?”

Ridiculous! Outrageous!

This is my immediate reaction to news report of a directive by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz banning members of the public from Parliament on Monday purportedly to thwart a demonstration to be organised by the Opposition over the Standing Order 18 motion by Parliamentary Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Wan Azizah on no confidence in the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

How can the public be banned from Parliament when the public gallery is an integral part of parliamentary process to ensure that it remains open, accountable, transparent and democratic?

If Parliament is to conduct its proceedings in “closed session”, there must be strong security justification – and not just on the pretext of a rumour of an Opposition demonstration in Parliament building on Monday.

For the record, this is the first time that I have heard of such a rumour!

Even if Parliament is to take extraordinary security measures in the parliamentary precints, it must be decided by Parliament itself and not by the Executive – unless Parliament is nothing more than a mini government department. Continue reading “Public banned from Parliament on Monday – ridiculous & outrageous!”

Just came from the investiture ceremony at Dewan Sri Pinang by the Penang Governor Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas on his 70th birthday celebrations.

This was the first investiture ceremony that I had attended.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) President Datin Seri Wan Azizah binti Wan Ismail has become a “Datuk Seri” – as she has been conferred Darjah Panglima Pangkuan Negeri (DPPN), the second highest honour in Penang.

It was ten years ago that Azizah started on the journey that catapulted her to become a political leader in her own right.

The six years that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was in prison saw Azizah transformed from a self-effacing housewife giving quiet support to her husband and taking care of her kids into a political fighter through a tumultuous decade of Malaysian politics.

Azizah, who is now the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, deserves all the accolades and the honours conferred on her today, making her the new “Datuk Seri”.

The announcement by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday of a 24-month transition plan for him to step down as Umno President and Prime Minister in June 2010 and hand over power to his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is clearly the product of an intense multi-faceted power struggle involving various factions inside Umno as well as players outside Umno.

It was only two weeks ago that Najib made the startling public statement after a back-to-back Umno and Barisan Nasional supreme council meetings on the same day that the Prime Minister presented the Ninth Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review in Parliament that he did not dismiss the possibility that he might contest the Umno presidency in the coming Umno party polls.

Such a statement did not really square with Najib’s declaration yesterday after Abdullah’s announcement that he had never won positions in the party through challenges against incumbents, adding: “Why then should I start now? I will not do something (challenge my boss), something I do not want to be done to me.”

It has been reported that Abdullah and Najib had discussed the power transition plan over five meetings in the past month, and if so, the public ultimatum by Najib two weeks ago that he could go for the Umno President’s post would have factored prominently in yesterday’s event. Continue reading “Can Abdullah deliver reforms in 24 months which he failed to do in five years?”

by Azly Rahman

[Azly has clarified that the piece below appeared in Malaysia Today, linked to the Malaysia Waves blog and that he had not received the email personally. – Admin]

(NOTE: This is an email I received from a reader exposing the latest brain washing tricks deployed by UMNO’s apparatus called Biro Tatanegara(BTN). Mind you BTN is 100% funded by tax payer’s money)

Biro Tatanegara. Does it ring a bell? Government propaganda or honest student development programme? For those who aren’t aware of it, Biro Tatanegara or BTN for short is under the Jabatan Perdana Menteri and it has several modules which all public university students have to attend in the name of “Student Development”.

On the 6th of July 2008 in UiTM Shah Alam, there were three separate talks being held under BTN with the first one being titled “Pendidikan”, second one titled “Ancaman Keselamatan Negara” and the third one titled, “Patriotisma”. Smell anything funny yet? No? Read on. You won’t even have to smell it after you are done reading this. It’ll be stuffed down your throat.

I would like to only focus on the first speaker, Dr. Idris bin Md. Noor. He was supposed to talk about education as that was the title of his speech, but the content was far different. He first went on with the usual introductions but in less than a few minutes, he suddenly touched on the forum on the discussion of social contract in Malaysia that the BAR council organized.

He criticized it with all his heart, saying no one should discuss about it as it is unquestionable. Fair enough, I thought at first. Freedom of speech right? But what if he suddenly accuses the “Malay” speaker in the forum, which I’m guessing is Farish A. Noor, as a traitor to the Malay race as a whole?

And while he was browsing through his files on the laptop which was projected on the big screen, it was no surprise for me that I saw files entitled “Ketuanan Melayu”. He also then went on about the Malay’s obsession with magic and ghosts, he said that it is all wrong beliefs through the perspective of Islam because if they really could use magic and other dark arts for fighting, then they should kill Karpal Singh with it. Continue reading “UMNO’s Latest Psy-War Materials Exposed”

The announcement today by the Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that he would hand over the Umno leadership and premiership to Najib Razak in June 2010 was given a standing ovation at the meeting of Umno division and branch leaders.

What was the “standing ovation” for?

In Parliament yesterday, I gave the Deputy Home Minister, Datuk Chor Chee Heung a copy of a birth certificate issued by the Sultanate of Sulu & North Borneo/Sabah for children born in Sabah, challenging Malaysian sovereignty in Sabah, as he said he was unaware of the existence of such birth certificates.

DAP MP for Kota Kinabalu Hiew King Cheu had earlier given me a copy of the birth certificate issued by the Sultan of Sulu & North Borneo/Sabah for his “subjects” in Sabah, raising disturbing questions about the future of Sabah – especially with the unchecked influx of illegal immigrants in the past four decades with many native Sabahans feeling that they have become foreigners in their own homeland!

According to one estimate, the number of illegally-legalised illegal immigrants through one Project I/C after another in the past four decades have already exceeded the number of genuine Sabahans.

I had asked the Deputy Home Minister to cause a full investigation into the issue of birth certificates by the Sultanate of Sulu & North Borneo/Sabah for children born in Sabah and to make a ministerial statement in Parliament, hopefully before the adjournment of the present meeting on July 17. Continue reading “Sultanate of Sulu & North Borneo/Sabah issuing birth certificates for children born in Sabah”

( From Australian Broadcasting Corporation transcript of the Protes rally at the Kelana Jaya Stadium on Sunday. Clive Kessler is professor sociology at the University of New South Wales and one of Australia’s foremost Malaysia watchers.)

Clive Kessler: The situation in Malaysia at the moment is remarkable and that the brave hopes of independence have turned into an unbelievably sordid soap opera and the popular feeling among many people on the streets is precisely that. That in the sense they find the politics unbelievable, damaging and destructive and they see that more clearly than many of the political principles themselves.

Edmond Roy: He’s got a point. Consider this: the Opposition leader of the country is accused of sodomy.
The country’s Deputy Prime Minister is accused of conspiring to quash a murder investigation involving his private secretary and two of his bodyguards.

And last week, the Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was accused of having sex with the murder victim, Mongolian translator Altantuya Sharribuu, whose body was blown up with weapons-grade explosives in a forest outside the capital. Continue reading “Authoritarian solution?”

Letters
by TT

There’s a reason we separate military and the police: o­ne fights the enemy of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people.
(William Adama – Battlestar Galactica)

Was a little skeptical after knowing the government would be sending in the army to ‘look after’ us for and during the protes rally.

Got up very early on 6th July 2008, not for church, but headed towards the Stadium Kelana Jaya with much enthusiasm knowing I will be part of another history again.

Undecided should I drive or take the ever ‘reliable’ public transport after knowing there will be police blocks on those main roads. One can wonder why they spend so much of resources which is causing nothing, but pure nuisance to the public, instead combatting the up and rising crime rates!. Anway, decided to take a Sunday drive from Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur through SS2, Petaling Jaya eventhough I can go straight via the federal highway.

Traffic was suprisingly smooth flowing. Continue reading “My Personal Experience On The Protes Rally”

Letters
by J.Y.

I am a frequent user of our North-South Expressway and I have this
IMPORTANT experience to highlight and share:-

I was driving back to Penang yesterday afternoon (24 June 08) when I saw
the unfortunate accident in the opposite direction involving the passenger
bus that skidded and overturned at Tanjung Malim. I didn’t know that the
skidded bus was from hometown Penang untill I watched TV3 news later in the
evening and was shocked to learn that the accident took two lives.

Now, this is what I need to share:-

I am a building contractor with over twenty years of experience and I have
been driving my 5 series BMW (latest generation and a dammed solid road
holding car) each time I travelled to KL. Lately, the new extended 3 lanes
highway had been opened up for use and since then, I have also been using
it quite oftenly.

HOWEVER, when I used it each time it is WET, I can really ‘feel’ that the new road surface is extremely SLIPPERY! To share with some of you, my car comes with a built-in traction control mechanism (skidding prevention mechanism) and you can feel it each time it is activated. Previously, I don’t come across this kind of slippery feel except when I drive over a
paddle of water at certain speed. Continue reading “North-south highway 3rd lanes”

Kelana Jaya Stadium anti-fuel price protest

Date: 6.7.08 (Sunday)
Time: 10am – 12am
Venue: Kelana Jaya Stadium, Selangor

From Malaysiakini

Kelana Jaya rally: 10,000 people at noon
Malaysiakini Team | Jul 6, 08 10:08am

There is a carnival sort of atmosphere at the Kelana Jaya stadium this morning at the day-long anti-fuel hike rally.

People started trickling into the 50,000 capacity stadium since early morning, to be greeted by vendors selling Pakatan Rakyat party mementos, T-shirts, cassettes and posters. Continue reading “Kelana Jaya Stadium anti-fuel price protest”

(Speech at the DAP Kuching Solidarity Dinner in Kuching on Saturday, 5th July 2008 at 9 pm)

In the past 36 hours, the country has been convulsed by the two contradictory statutory declarations by private investigator P. Balasubramiam over the linking of Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak with the murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

A great debate has been going on since Balasubramaniam’s second SD yesterday contradicting his first SD made public on Thursday with such devastating effect as to whether the private investigator had committed the crime of perjury, liable under the Penal Code to an offence which carries a maximum of seven years’ jail.

I think this question is secondary. My immediate concern of the two contradictory SDs by Balasubramiam is not whether he had committed a criminal offence, but his personal safety and a new low in public confidence in the police and justice systems. Continue reading “Balasubramaniam’s 2 contradictory SDs – the immediate concern”

(Speech at the 2,000-People DAP Batu Pahat dinner in Batu Pahat, Johore on Friday, 4th July 2008 at 10 pm)

In Parliament last evening (Thursday), the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told reporters that the people should not to listen to rumours of an impending emergency rule.

He said:

“The government was stable. The security is under control. Everything is under control. Don’t believe anything you hear.

“I don’t think anybody should be worry. There are too many rumours.”

Rumours have indeed become very rife in recent times, with Abdullah as Prime Minister under siege since the March general election 125 days ago – from both inside Umno, Barisan Nasional and outside.

In practice, rumours should not be given much credibility. However, in Malaysia’s political culture and tight mainstream media control, rumours have greater credibility than other countries as many rumours had subsequently proven true than the many official denials issued by purported authoritative sources. Continue reading “Another Ops Lalang in the works?”

Private investigator P. Balasubramaniam created shock waves yesterday when he made public his statutory declaration (SD) linking Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak with the murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, with several astounding assertions about the relationship conveyed to him by both Altantuya and Abdul Razak Baginda.

Today, Balasubramaniam created a second round of shock waves when within 24 hours he retracted his statutory declaration with a second statutory declaration, claiming that he was forced to make his earlier declaration under duress.

The initial public reaction to Balasubramaniam’s second SD is one of shock and disgust, with some dismissing and condemning the episode as a “Plague on both houses”!

Serious-minded Malaysians however cannot have the luxury of ignoring the SD acrobatics of Balasubramaniam as at stake are very grave issues about the integrity of the system of justice and good governance, the reputation of powerful office-holders and ordinary people(both dead and living).

As the initial feelings of shock and disgust settle down, it emerges that Subramaniam has done the impossible – making more Malaysians believe in his first SD by his second SD of retraction. Continue reading “Altantuya/Najib link – PI Balasubramaniam SD1 vs SD2”

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should go on leave from his duties as Deputy Prime Minister until all questions implicating his credibility, especially arising from the statutory declaration by private investigator P. Balasubramaniam, are investigated and cleared.

Balasubramaniam’s statutory declaration dated 1st July and made public today in effect challenged the truth and veracity of various statements and denials by Najib in connection with the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu in October 2006 – that Najib had not known or ever met Altantunya.

Najib, as well as the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, cannot allow Balasubramaniam’s shocking statutory declaration to go unchallenged as it raises grave fundamental issues as to their fitness to hold high political offices in the land.

Balasubramaniam’s shocking statutory declaration has brought back to Malaysians the emotional scene at the Kuala Lumpur magistrate’s court on 16th November 2006 when Razak was charged for abetting the murder of Altantuya, when his wife Mazlinda Makhzan lost her cool and shouted at journalists: “My husband is innocent. My husband is a good man. He supported me and protected me. Why are you writing all these stories about him. He is not out to become the Prime Minister. Why are they doing this to him?”

Mazlinda’s emotional outburst in November 2006 have now been resurrected to the very fore of public consciousness by Balasubramaniam’s statutory declaration, crying out for full clarification. Continue reading “Altantuya Murder – Najib should go on leave from his DPM duties until cleared of allegations in Balasubramaniam SD”

by M. Bakri Musa

Prime Minister Abdullah and his civil servant accountants delude themselves into believing that the government could actually “save” RM2 billion merely by reducing ministerial allowances. The only way to effectively and substantially reduce the cost of government is to first rationalize its function.

As for any savings, Abdullah would achieve considerably more by getting rid of his luxurious Airbus corporate jet. If he were to do so, the jet would become a revenue producer instead of at present, a costly expense item. He would effectively move it from the liability to the asset column.

The British Prime Minister does not have a private jet, despite leading an economy and nation considerably larger. To think that this Imam of Islam Hadhari, only a generation away from the poverty of the kampong, having such an obscenely extravagant taste, at public expense!

In the wisdom of the kampong, Abdullah, his ministers and senior officials are tak sedar ekor (lit: not aware of their tails; fig: oblivious of their greed). Continue reading “Rationalizing The Role of Government”

Where are the evidence that the Barisan Nasional government has learnt the lessons of the March 8 political tsunami and has begun to be more an unifier than divider of Malaysians, more Malaysian-centric and less communalistic, more democratic, fair and just to be a government of all Malaysians than just half the population in the country?

In other words, a government that inspires unity rather than foments disunity among Malaysians of diverse races, languages, cultures and religions.

The Ninth Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review is a good illustration. The 120-page 9MP MTR is the slimmest of all Five-Year Plan mid-term review documents, with some previous Mid-Term Reviews like that of the Eighth Malaysia Plan review running into four times the length of the 9MP MTR of over 500 pages. Is it because there is very little to say and inspire Malaysians in the 9MP MTR?

When the Ninth Malaysia Plan was launched in Parliament in March 2006, it was hailed as a historic document finally delivering the Prime Minister’s reform pledge and programme which at the time had been stalled for 30 months – or to quote the words of an MP in the present Parliament, “a blueprint not merely for the next five years, but for the next few decades”, and that the Prime Minister “has set in motion reforms that will reverberate for generations to come”.

In the event, the Ninth Malaysia Plan had not “reverberated” for a single day! This person had even written in the article “From short-term lucre to long-term wealth” that the Ninth Malaysia Plan would not see “the return of the gravy train” but I do not think there would be much disagreement if he is described as the “driver” of the RM220 billion (now increased to RM250 billion under the MTR) “gravy train” as to become the world’s richest unemployed – creating a new class of the bumiputra wealthy at the expense of both the bumiputra and non-bumiputra poor. Continue reading “Indian and the snake…”

The heading of one blog today, “BN’s Credibility to Rule Disappearing by the day!”, reflects the feelings of increasing number of Malaysians that although the Barisan Nasional had survived the political tsunami in the March general election, it has not learnt any lesson at all.
The post-general election claim by the Prime Minister that he has finally heard the voice of the people is not true at all.

This is best reflected by the first 100 days after the March 8 general election, where at the state level, the five state governments under the Pakatan Rakyat becomes more stronger and more consolidated while in contrast, at the national level, the second Abdullah premiership seems to be tottering from Day One, under siege in Umno and Barisan Nasional internally as well as externally.

Although the March 8 general election suffered a historic defeat in losing its hitherto unbroken two-thirds parliamentary majority, it still enjoys a strong 58-seat majority with its 140 MPs against 82 from Pakatan Rakyat.

In other democracies, a ruling coalition with a 58-seat majority in Parliament would be as safe and fit as a fiddle. Why is this not the case in Malaysia? Continue reading “Malaysia – an abnormal country”