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Tunku Aziz – new DAP National Vice Chairman

Welcome Tunku Aziz into the DAP

Tunku Aziz, Malaysia’s most famous crusader for integrity and transparency, has been appointed a DAP national vice chairman.

Tunku is a Malaysian par excellence with an impressive c.v. and glittering public service record.

He was formerly vice chairman of Transparency International and founder President of the Kuala Lumpur Society for Transparency and Integrity, the Malaysian Chapter of Transparency International.

He was also formerly Bank Negara adviser, Group Director of Sime Darby and Director of Commonwealth Secretariat.

Tunku is one of the ten members co-opted by the Central Executive Commitee (CEC) this morning.

The other nine co-opted CEC members are:

Teo Nie Ching – MP for Serdang;
Vincent Wu Him Ven
Thomas Su Keong Siong – Perak State Exco
Leong Ngah Ngah – SA for Triang
Liew Chin Tong – MP for Bukit Bendera
Jeff Ooi – MP for Jelutong
Ronnie Liu – Selangor State Exco
P. Gunasegaren – SA for Senawang
Hiew King Cheu – MP for Kota Kinabalu

Continue reading “Tunku Aziz – new DAP National Vice Chairman”

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Surprised to be topping party polls

Bridget Welsh asked me last night whether I had ever topped party polls before. Not that I could recollect.

Was actually surprised that I came in first in the DAP’s triennial Central Executive Committee (CEC) election at the DAP Congress in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

I had expected to be somewhere down the list, not as bad as in the previous CEC election in 2004, but not leading it.

As Party Secretary-General and later Party Chairman, I had at times to take unpopular decisions in the interests of the party as the challenge as party leader was not to win a popularity contest but to do what was right for the party and the political struggle for a Malaysian Malaysia, even it meant stepping on toes in the party.

For that reason, I had expected to be trailing in party polls and not be topping them.

I had not been focussing very much on the likely outcome of the CEC polls yesterday and was pleasantly surprised that I had topped the list. This must be the result of stepping less on party toes as I am no more actively involved in the day-to-day executive duties of the party in the past four years when I was no more party secretary-general or chairman.

I thank all party delegates for the support. It definitely makes it more difficult to think of a retirement mode.

The newly-elected DAP CEC will meet shortly this morning before resumption of the party congress to elect the new party leadership as well as to co-opt new CEC members.

There is likely to be a “surprise” announcement at the resumption of the CEC congress. Continue reading “Surprised to be topping party polls”

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A week to 51st Merdeka anniversary – completely devoid of National Day enthusiasm

A week to go for the 51st Merdeka anniversary on 31st August.

Never before is the country so devoid of National Day enthusiasm.

This the point I tried to make during question time in Parliament on Wednesday but it ended up in a pandemonium. (video)

The Sun report on the parliamentary proceeding as follows:
Continue reading “A week to 51st Merdeka anniversary – completely devoid of National Day enthusiasm”

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Fifth police raid of RPK’s house – Malaysia lurching towards police state?

It is most deplorable that the police today raided the house of blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin – for the fifth time!

This time the raid is in connection with the statutory declaration made by a Burmese doctor from Hospital Pusrawi, Dr. Mohamed Osman Abdul Hamid, on August 1 standing by his medical report which ruled out that Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan had been sodomised.

Saiful was examined by Osman before he lodged a police report on June 28 claiming that PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim had sodomised him.

In his statutory declaration, the doctor claimed that he had fled the country with his family following several visits by the police.

Malaysiakini, which broke the story of the fifth police raid on RPK’s house today, reported: Continue reading “Fifth police raid of RPK’s house – Malaysia lurching towards police state?”

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ACA – extraordinarily efficient against PR but terribly incompetent against BN

This morning, DAP MP for Kota Kinabalu Dr. Hiew King Cheu, accompanied by DAP’s sole Sabah State Assemblyman, Jimmy Wong Sze Phin (Sri Tanjong) and Sabah DAP leader Edward Mujie was at the Dang Wangi police station to lodge a police report to demand that the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) investigate the allegation which had appeared in the press and the Internet about a Hong Kong seizure of RM16 million cash meant for the Umno Permatang Pauh by-election campaign. DAP MP for Segambut Lim Lip Eng and I were also present to witness Hiew lodging the police report.

In the past few days, the Internet had been abuzz with the news and report that Michael Chia, a confidante of the Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Aman had been arrested at the Hong Kong International Airport on August 14 for alleged money trafficking and laundering with Singapore currency worth RM16 million before boarding a flight bound for Kuala Lumpur.

Although Musa has denied that he had any political or financial connection with Michael Chia, why is the ACA so silent on this issue.

The ACA had been extraordinarily efficient in arresting two Perak Exco members from Pakatan Rakyat and four others in connection with a RM180 million housing project in Seri Iskandar which the Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin has said did not exist.

As far as the DAP and Pakatan Rakyat are concerned, the corrupt whether from Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, must face the full weight of the law. Continue reading “ACA – extraordinarily efficient against PR but terribly incompetent against BN”

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ANWAR – THE ONE LEADER THE PEOPLE TRUST

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

Despite intensive propaganda by the government and Umno publicity machines against Anwar Ibrahim, the people still trust him. This is shown by the polls taken by Merdeka Centre research which indicate that only 11% of those polled believe the allegation that Anwar sodomised Saiful. An overwhelming 89% prefer to trust Anwar – that even 76% of Malays polled do not believe the government propaganda about Anwar

When news about allegations of sodomy against Anwar were spread in the international print and electronic media, there was shock and dismay.

Condoleeza Rice, US secretary of state, a Canadian ex-prime minister, former World Bank president, former IMF president, Gus Dur ex president of Indonesia, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch – all expressed dismay and disbelief. Continue reading “ANWAR – THE ONE LEADER THE PEOPLE TRUST”

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Pakatan Rakyat “Cabinet” – mischief-makers at work

A Pakatan Rakyat “Cabinet” list was mysteriously circulated to parliamentary reporters yesterday and I was asked whether there is any basis to it.

It is utter bunkum as the Pakatan Rakyat leaders had never discussed any such Cabinet line-up.

It is in fact the second so-called Pakatan Rakyat “Cabinet” line-up concocted by Barisan Nasional mischief-makers.

Malaysiakini has carried a story on it, viz:

Bogus Pakatan ‘shadow’ cabinet list appears
Syed Jaymal Zahiid
Aug 21, 08 6:50pm

A bogus list – purportedly the ‘new’ cabinet line-up to be unveiled by the Pakatan Rakyat alliance should they succeed in forming a new government – is being distributed in Parliament.

The origin of the list, which features PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister and finance minister, is unknown.

However, Pakatan MPs said it is not from them. Continue reading “Pakatan Rakyat “Cabinet” – mischief-makers at work”

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MALAYSIAN SPIRIT WINS OLYMPIC BADMINTON MEDAL FOR MALAYSIA

By Dr. Chen Man Hin

The whole nation is happy and proud that Lee Chong Wei battled his way in the Beijing Olympics and won a silver medal in badminton.

He has won honour and glory for Malaysia, and though we are a small country, we have people like Lee Chong Wei to strive hard and win a medal despite intense competition from bigger countries.

We must not forget that behind every athlete’s success, there is the guiding hand of the coach. The man behind Lee Chong Wei’s success is Misbun Sidek, the national badminton coach. Continue reading “MALAYSIAN SPIRIT WINS OLYMPIC BADMINTON MEDAL FOR MALAYSIA”

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Home Minister very at home with his ignorance

by Martin Jalleh

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar believes it is his prerogative and position to preach to the Catholic community in Bolehland on what they should and should not believe in.

“Religion and politics should not mix”– he pontificates. This is ludicrous especially coming from a Minister whose political party’s interpretation of its own religion has politicised almost everything in Bolehland.

The Home Minister hops on the bandwagon of the horde of “little mullah napoleons” (LMNs) in the country to dominate, dictate, decide and even define what non-Muslims can and cannot discuss, deliberate on, and display in print.

He joins the LMNs in his ministry in hounding The Herald. He says he was not aware of the instructions by his Ministry to decide whether to suspend or revoke The Herald’s publication permit, yet he decides to threaten the publication. Continue reading “Home Minister very at home with his ignorance”

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Lee Chong Wei – pity to become PP by-election “fodder’

Congrats to Lee Chong Wei as Olympics badminton silver medalist.

I watched his finals match with Lin Dan and was rooting for him to win the first Olympics gold for Malaysia, but it was not to be.

He visited Parliament yesterday and would be honoured in a special ceremony in Penang tonight where he would be presented with a cheque for RM300,000 and a monthly pension of RM3,000.

Chong Wei is a national hero for all Malaysians.

It will be great pity if this national status is diminished by making him a “fodder” in the Permatang Pauh by-election – as indicated by the New Straits Times Dewan Dispatches article “Lee Chong Wei becomes Permatang Pauh fodder”.
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MARA is progress not fascism

by Azly Rahman

Mara means “to advance (forward)”. It is the opposite of “retreat” and the declaration of defeat. It does not mean Undur.

Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) must live up to its name. So must its younger brother Maktab Rendah Sains MARA. It is in the interest of the public to suggest good ideas for reform – and to advance.

In my lifetime I have been affiliated with both organisations. I taught in the former institution and I was schooled in the latter. Whether a product of historical accident or not, I am proud of my experiences in both. There is a reason for things to happen. I came from a poor family and was given the chance to have an education I wish many more Malaysians, my parents included.

But I wish to share my view on this troubling phenomenon that is plaguing a certain segment of the Malays. My argument will be largely linguistic.

What is the Malay view of the recent protest of UiTM student – of those young “men-in-black” whose are mourning and calling for the death of reason and rationality and for critical sensibility?

I think Malays in general are angry at the protesters. I think they are embarrassed that those few thousands of Malay students were displaying their ignorance of what Universiti Mara means. Continue reading “MARA is progress not fascism”

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Anwar Sodomy II – internationalising Malaysia’s Misrule of Law?

I had wanted to ask the Foreign Minister, Datuk Dr. Rais Yatim the following supplementary question in Parliament this morning:

“Are you aware that by taking Anwar’s Sodomy II selective prosecution to the United Nations by way of a letter of protest to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at American interference in Malaysian domestic affairs as well as organising a series of ‘information sessions’ overseas, you are only internationalising Malaysia’s ‘misrule of law’ which you had so eloquently and devastatingly criticised in your book ‘Freedom under Executive Power’, exposing the nation to greater mockery in the global arena as we will only be able to depend on rogue states like Myanmar, Zimbabwe and Sudan for sympathy and support for the following reasons:

(i) deterioration of the rule of law in the past decade since the publication of the book, as evident from disturbing developments in the system of justice in the country, such as

(a) the selective prosecution of Anwar on Sodomy II under Section 377B of the Penal Code on consensual sodomy when the complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan had alleged that he had been raped, which should have come under Section 377C on sodomy rape;

(b) why Saiful was not similarly charged under Section 377B on consensual sodomy;
and

© the insistence by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that Anwar should also swear on the Quran like Saiful, making Malaysia an international laughing stock as to whether we have a Prime Minister who understands and upholds the system of justice in the country; Continue reading “Anwar Sodomy II – internationalising Malaysia’s Misrule of Law?”

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Gerakan somersault and Tsu Koon in sackcloth

After dropping a bombshell proposing that Gerakan quit the Barisan Nasional as UMNO had not learnt from the lessons of the March 8 “political tsunami” in continuing with its racist and communal politicking, Gerakan Wanita chief and deputy information minister Datuk Tan Lian Ho has done a somersault.

She was front-page Chinese newspaper headline banner news yesterday but within hours, she backtracked and clarified that the “quit BN’ call was not her suggestion but that of some Gerakan delegates.

Never mind that she had said yesterday that she was prepared to risk her post as deputy minister for speaking up, the question is why the somersault?

Backing her call yesterday, Gerakan national vice chairman and Perak Gerakan chief Datuk Chan Ko Youn said 80 per cent of the Gerakan delegates in Perak support the “quit BN’ call.

Gerakan Youth leaders have also told the press that at least half of the Gerakan Youth members support the party leaving the Barisan Nasional. Continue reading “Gerakan somersault and Tsu Koon in sackcloth”

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An Open Letter to UiTM Vice Chancellor

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

AN OPEN LETTER TO UiTM VICE CHANCELLOR , DATUK SERI PROF IBRAHIM ABU SHAH

UiTM VICE CHANCELLOR SHOULD THANK MB KHALID FOR GIVING HONEST, SINCERE ADVICE TO IMPROVE STANDARDS.

The whole country is aware that the standards of institutions of higher studies are quite low when compared to international universities in developed countries.

Thousands graduate every year, but not all can find jobs because prospective employers are not impressed by the quality of the graduates, and they are passed over. Not many have the qualification to go for post-graduate studies.

If it is any comfort to UiTM vice chancellor, well established universities like Universiti Malaya, UKM, USM have also been found wanting by world ranking bodies like the Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

In an examination of the world ranking of Malaysian universities by Times Higher Education Supplement Top Universities 2007, Universiti Malaya was ranked 246 and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) ranked 364.

In the academic ranking of World Universities 2008 by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, not a single Malaysian university achieved ranking among the survey of 503 universities. Continue reading “An Open Letter to UiTM Vice Chancellor”

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Gerakan leaders – take a stand against Umno’s racist politics in the Permatang Pauh by-election and not wait until October

Both the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Gerakan acting President Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon were greatly embarrassed yesterday when they were asked questions about the call by the Gerakan Wanita chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe that Gerakan quit the Barisan Nasional.

Speaking at the Perak Gerakan annual delegates conference in Ipoh, Tan, who is also Deputy Information Minister, said the party should pull out from the BN due to Umno’s unabated and unabashed racial politics that had hurt the sentiments of non-Malays and non-Muslims.

She whacked Umno for continuing to play racial politics and not learning from the harsh lessons meted out by voters in the recent March general election.

Another Gerakan leader, national vice chairman and Perak Gerakan chief Datuk Chan Ko Youn is quoted in the media as saying that 80% of the Gerakan delegates in Perak supported Gerakan’s pull-out from the BN.

Both Tan and Chan are right and Koh wrong – as Umno has clearly not learnt the lessons of the March 8 “political tsunami”, when Malaysian voters transcended their racial, religious and even political differences to vote as one Malaysian people for unity, freedom, justice and democracy in Malaysia. Continue reading “Gerakan leaders – take a stand against Umno’s racist politics in the Permatang Pauh by-election and not wait until October”

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Will the Sodomy II charge against Anwar be withdrawn if he swears on the Quran?

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday that it was up to Anwar Ibrahm to swear on the Quran and clear his name.

Will the criminal charge of Sodomy II against Anwar under Section 377B under the Penal Code for consensual sodomy be withdrawn if Anwar swears on the Quran?

If not, what is the point or purpose of Abdullah making such a statement, except to underline his bias and prejudice against Anwar?

Abdullah reiterated that “Saiful was a victim in the issue”.

In one fell swoop, he Prime Minister has again become judge, prosecutor and accuser all in one. If Abdullah is convinced that Saiful is the “victim” in the sodomy charge against Anwar, even before the date for hearing has been fixed, who can expect a fair trial for Anwar? Continue reading “Will the Sodomy II charge against Anwar be withdrawn if he swears on the Quran?”

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Last Chance To Save Malaysia

by M. Bakri Musa

Before last March 2008 elections, I urged Kepala Batas voters to perform a great national service by booting out Prime Minister Abdullah. That would have triggered a seismic shift in UMNO’s leadership. With its ban on contesting top posts effectively circumvented, the party would get to preview other potential candidates.

If Kepala Batas voters were to shy away from exercising that historic opportunity, I suggested that Malaysians could still teach Abdullah a lesson by substantially reducing his coalition’s victory. That would also trigger a challenge to his leadership, and we would have the same effect as with the first scenario.

Alas, Malaysians did teach Abdullah a hard lesson, but not hard enough. Besides, being a slow learner, Abdullah did not get the message. Now voters in Permatang Pauh, practically next door, will get a chance to deal Abdullah a third and final knock-out blow, one he would surely get.

This upcoming by-election will be more than just electing the area’s representative to Parliament. Permatang Pauh voters will get the unique opportunity to decide on behalf of entire Malaysia on who will lead our nation. It is as much an opportunity to vote for Anwar Ibrahim as it is against Abdullah Badawi, and to vote for Malaysia’s future – on whether she would progress to join the developed world or continue its present path to join the likes of Zimbabwe. Continue reading “Last Chance To Save Malaysia”

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PP by-election – focus of Malaysia and the world

The Permatang Pauh by-election has become the focus of the whole country and the world because it is not a contest between Anwar Ibrahim and Ariff Shah. It is not just a by-election about who should represent Permatang Pauh.

It is a battle for the future of Malaysia – of 27 million Malaysians and future generations.

The 58,459 voters of Permatang Pauh have a historic mission to perform and three things to accomplish on polling day on August 26: Continue reading “PP by-election – focus of Malaysia and the world”

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Permatang Pauh by-election – Anwar will win hands down if decided by Nomination turnout

If the Permatang Pauh by-election is decided by the Nomination Day turnout this morning, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Anwar Ibrahim would win hands down.

Never before in any by-election nomination in Malaysian electoral history has the Barisan Nasional been so-outnumbered and overwhelmed, whether in terms of supporters; publicity materials whether flags, buntings or banners; or sheer enthusiasm, morale and spirit of the supporters.

In the sea of humanity at the Nomination Centre this morning, Anwar’s supporters from the three Pakatan Rakyat parties of PKR, DAP and PAS simply drowned out the Barisan Nasional supporters from Umno, MCA, Gerakan and MIC, led by a very subdued Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself, Umno Youth leader Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and his deputy Khairy Jamaluddin.

There are those who estimate that the crowd was as big as 100,000 or more, with the Pakatan Rakyat supporters exceeding the Barisan Nasional supporters by a ratio of from 1:7 to 1:10. Continue reading “Permatang Pauh by-election – Anwar will win hands down if decided by Nomination turnout”

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Oil policy – change it to encourage economic growth

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

The present oil policy to set gasoline and diesel prices at international market prices has caused a sharp decline of the economy causing hardships to the people.

This is the current policy adopted in developed economies which do not advocate subsidised oil for the people. Their experts contend that subsidised oil would distort the market, and people would not be encouraged to conserve the use of oil. In the end there would be a disastrous impact on the economy and on the environment.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also Minister of Finance slavishly followed the concept practised in developed countries. It has proved to be disastrous for Malaysia.

Because of the high pump prices of gasoline and diesel, the economy has slowed down considerably. The wheels of industry are not humming, and more people are laid off. Continue reading “Oil policy – change it to encourage economic growth”