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Star! Oh Star! At least be a smart party hack!

Yesterday the MCA paper, the Star, gave prominent coverage to the challenge by MCA Vice President and Health Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, that I clearly state my stand on the Cabinet’s recent decision that minors follow the common religion of their parents at the time of marriage when one spouse opts to convert.

In the Star report headlined “State stand on religion ruling, DAP told”, Liow
even said that I am at odds with the DAP National Chairman Karpal Singh over the matter on the ground that Karpal had clearly stated his support for the Cabinet’s decision, implying that I had opposed the Cabinet decision.

When I replied to Liow, Star just blacked out my response.

Reason? Because Liow would be shown to be a fool who does not understand simple English as I expressed support for the Cabinet decision in several statements on my blog.

Either Liow has a big problem with the English language, in which case he should undergo a quick refresher course so as not to disgrace the government and country when he appears in the official capacity as Health Minister whether inside or outside the country, or he is downright dumb. Continue reading “Star! Oh Star! At least be a smart party hack!”

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2009 World Press Freedom Day this year marked in a totally different spirit from the past decade

Malaysian journalists marked the World Press Freedom Day yesterday in a totally different spirit from the past ten years, expecting the worst in the coming year when they had hoped for better times in the past decade.

Ten years ago, when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was first appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, there were high hopes that he would accord priority to restore public confidence in various key government institutions by giving the Home Ministry a human face, including loosening up and removing the press controls in the country to usher in an era of free, fair and responsible press in Malaysia.

This was why on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 1999, some 600 journalists in Malaysia – which grew to over 1,000 journalists the following World Press Freedom Day 2000 – presented a memorandum to Abdullah calling for the repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act and other repressive laws fettering the development of a free and responsible press.

Although Abdullah had given a solemn undertaking to the Malaysian journalists at the time that he would give their memorandum serious consideration, nothing was achieved in the five years and five months of his premiership in reforming or repealing the most repressive and draconian press laws and regulations.

When Abdullah was forced out as the shortest-serving Prime Minister early last month, the repressive and draconian press laws he had inherited from the era of Mahathirism remain intact, although they were more sparingly used as to allow for some opening up of media space in the Abdullah premiership. Continue reading “2009 World Press Freedom Day this year marked in a totally different spirit from the past decade”

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Walkabout Versus Makan Angin Management

by M. Bakri Musa

It is commendable that Prime Minister Najib Razak is periodically leaving his air-conditioned office to experience first hand what ordinary citizens have to put up with in their daily lives. Last week saw him riding the Light Rail Transit; the week before, a stroll down Petaling Street. All these so he could “understand the pulse of the people.”

Najib would like us to compare him to his late father with his legendary working visits to the various “Operations Rooms” throughout the country to monitor development projects. Whether Najib would prove to be like his father or closer to Abdullah Badawi, the country’s most inept leader, remains to be seen.

Recall that Abdullah too made frequent well-publicized visits to various governmental agencies. One of those was to the Immigration Department, notorious for its less-than-stellar public service, where he announced that all its problems were miraculously solved following the impromptu visit. The tragic part was that Abdullah believed it; Malaysians of course were much wiser.

At least thus far Najib had the sense not to wear a three-piece dark suit like Abdullah did on his walkabouts. Instead Najib opted for the more casual batik look. While Abdullah appeared formal and imperious, like a sultan showing the flag, Najib was more like someone out for an evening stroll, more jalan jalan (leisurely stroll) and makan angin (lit. eat wind) than a working visit. Both Najib and Abdullah looked like they were not ready for serious work. Continue reading “Walkabout Versus Makan Angin Management”

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Liow Tiong Lai’s IQ is highly suspect when he could not understand simple English

The IQ of the Health Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, who is MCA Vice President and Penang MCA State chief, is highly suspect when he could not understand simple English.

In Georgetown yesterday, Liow challenged me to clearly state my stand on the Cabinet’s recent decision that minors follow the common religion of their parents at the time of marriage when one spouse opts to convert.

He even made the statement that I am at odds with the DAP National Chairman Karpal Singh over the matter on the ground that Karpal had clearly stated his support for the Cabinet’s decision, implying that I had opposed the Cabinet decision.

I presume that before he issued such a challenge, Liow would have combed through my blog and he could not find any statement from me on the Cabinet decision, let alone support for it.

If so, then Liow must have a very low IQ as not to understand what I have blogged –to be confused by what should be crystal-clear in my statements.

I would advise Liow to return to my blog to go through the various statements and if he still could not find my expression of support for the Cabinet decision, I offer to give Liow a free tutorial to understand basic English and to take him through my statements to show him how he had committed the colossal blunder of not understanding simple English. Continue reading “Liow Tiong Lai’s IQ is highly suspect when he could not understand simple English”

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Release Manoharan, Uthayakumar, Vasanthakumar under ISA or “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” is just a joke

DAP Selangor State Assemblyman for Kota Alam Shah M. Manoharan is considering resigning his seat as he feels guilty at being unable to serve his voters from Kamunting Detention Centre, where he had been incarcerated for the past 17 months.

I can understand Manoharan’s deep frustrations, helplessness and burning sense of injustice, as he is a victim of the draconian and tyrannical Internal Security Act and deprived of his personal liberty not for any crime he had committed but for his mission to uplift the Indians from the “new underclass” in Malaysia to take their rightful and equal place under the Malaysian sun.

Furthermore, he is prevented from serving the voters of Kota Alam Shah who had elected him as their State Assemblyman in the past 14 months, although he had tried and exhausted all avenues to seek release from ISA detention, making three habeas corpus applications, barrage of letters to the powers-that-be (to former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, thrice to now Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and eigth times to former Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, two letters to the Sultan of Selangor), as well as attending the meetings of the ISA advisory board – all to no purpose. Continue reading “Release Manoharan, Uthayakumar, Vasanthakumar under ISA or “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” is just a joke”

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Zambry – don’t rewrite history to justify his appointment as “People Last” usurper Perak MB

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has declared that “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” is the overarching philosophy of his government.

However, in less than a month there are enough instances to show that Najib’s slogan of “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now” is as hollow as the “Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang” slogan of the Abdullah premiership or the “Amanah, Bersih, Cekap” slogan of the Mahathir administration.

The unethical, undemocratic, illegal and unconstitutional power grab in Perak, overthrowing the legal and legitimate Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and foisting on the people of Perak the usurper and illegitimate Mentri Besar Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir violates two of the three Najib mottos of “1Malaysia. People First”.

How can there be “1Malaysia” when Najib orchestrated the unethical, undemocratic, illegal and unconstitutional power grab in Perak?

How can Najib talk about “People First” when he does not respect the mandate of the people of Perak in the March general election last year in electing a Pakatan Rakyat state government helmed by Nizar as Mentri Besar?

What “People First” is Najib talking about when his unethical, undemocratic, illegal and unconstitutional power grab is based on the betrayal of the people’s hopes and trust by three “political frogs” who in the past three months dare not even visit their constituencies or show their face publicly. This is “People Last” rather than “People First”! Continue reading “Zambry – don’t rewrite history to justify his appointment as “People Last” usurper Perak MB”

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Time for IGP Musa to resign when crime rampages beyond police control until even the JB South OCPD is tied up and robbed at knife point in his house

It is time for the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan to resign when crime rampages on in the country beyond police control until even the Johore Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob was tied up and robbed at knife point in his house in Johore Baru on Thursday morning.

ACP Zainuddin was home alone when three men, believed to be Indonesians, tied him up and ransacked his home at about 5.45 am on Thursday, leaving later with some cash and valuables.

The tying-up and robbing at knife-point of an OCPD in his own house is not just a humiliating episode for the Malaysian police, but highlights the sheer inability of the police force to bring crime under check and control, especially in the several capitals of crime in the country.

One of the greatest failures of the Abdullah premiership is his failure to reduce crime to restore to Malaysians their fundamental right to be free from crime and the fear of crime, whether in the streets, public places or the privacy of their homes. Continue reading “Time for IGP Musa to resign when crime rampages beyond police control until even the JB South OCPD is tied up and robbed at knife point in his house”

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Zambry should stop being a “caveman” Mentri Besar of Flintstones era and wake up to the age of Internet and new media

Two online media reports on the preparations taken by the usurper Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir for the illegally-convened May 7 Perak State Assembly meeting expose the mentality not only of the Perak Barisan Nasional leaders but also of the handful of civil servants acting in cahoots with them.

The Malaysian Insider in its report “New media rules for May 7 Perak assembly”, reported that only 13 media organisations will be allowed to cover the Perak State Legislative Assembly when it is held on May 7.

The Malaysian Insider reported:

A media notice was sent out by the state Information Department to several media companies yesterday informing them of the tightened security measures.

The notice stated that only 13 media groups in the list would be allowed to cover the entire duration of the assembly from May 7 to 13.

The 13 listed are television stations RTM and BernamaTV, TV3 and newspapers The Star, New Straits Times, Berita Harian, Utusan Malaysia, China Press, Sin Chew Daily, Nanyang Siang Pau, Tamil Namban, Tamil Nesan and national news agency Bernama.

The notice also limited the number of media workers to two people from each organisation: one reporter and the other a photographer.

The only exceptions made were to state-owned television stations RTM, BernamaTV and Umno-linked private station TV3, which are allowed to send in three people each.

Media organisations barred from covering the May 7 Perak State Assembly include Bahasa Malaysia papers like Sinar Harian, Metro, Kosmo; English daily the Sun, the Edge Financial Daily, the Malaysian Reserve; Chinese dailies like Guang Ming Daily, Kwong Wah Yit Poh, Oriental Daily; Tamil press like Makkal Osai; television stations like NTV7, NTV7 Chinese and 8TV Chinese.

All online media organisations are barred, including Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider, The NutGraph, Merdeka Review, Therocknews, etc. All foreign agencies and media, whether Reuters, AFP, Associated Press, Bloomberg, Jiji Press, CNN, BBC and Al-Jazeera are also barred.

And a total ban on all bloggers – the quintessence of the new media! Continue reading “Zambry should stop being a “caveman” Mentri Besar of Flintstones era and wake up to the age of Internet and new media”

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Invalid Islamic conversion of Indira’s three children – MCA/Gerakan should stop politics of opportunism/hypocrisy

MCA and Gerakan leaders have not learned the message of the March 8 “political tsunami” last year, when both parties were thrashed in the parliamentary and state general elections.

In the past 11 months, MCA and Gerakan have lost even more public confidence, which was why, according to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, the Barisan Nasional only secured 11% of the Chinese votes in the recent Bukit Gantang by-election, causing Nazri to remark that Umno must go on its own to regain the support of non-Malay voters and not depend on other Barisan Nasional component parties.

Shared with Gerakan’s by-election efforts and giving MCA the benefit of the doubt as to who wielded greater influence with the Chinese voters in Bukit Gantang, this means that MCA could only influence at most six per cent, and Gerakan five per cent, of the Chinese voters!

Why is this so?

The answer is very simple – the people can see through the continuing hypocrisy and double standards of the MCA and Gerakan leaders.

The latest example of MCA and Gerakan’s continuing unprincipled politics of opportunism and hypocrisy is the recent Cabinet decision on “common religion” for children in controversial unilateral conversion cases – that the civil marriage has to be settled by the civil court and the religion of their children be the common religion at the time their parents were married at civil law. Continue reading “Invalid Islamic conversion of Indira’s three children – MCA/Gerakan should stop politics of opportunism/hypocrisy”