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SUPP (SOAP) OPERA IN SIBU!

By Martin Jalleh

The Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), Sarawak’s oldest political party, knows that it would be in real political hot “supp” (soup) if it loses in the coming by-election in Sibu.

The PM who recently received a slap in the face by the Chinese community in Hulu Selangor will have to turn the other cheek if the Chinese who are the majority in the Sibu constituency fail to support SUPP.

This helps to explain why the second coming of Najib (to Sibu) which just took place was so necessary. The PM descended on Sibu like a savior determined to deliver its citizens from the evil Opposition by offering the Chinese a slew of expensive gifts.

You do not need to make an educated guess why Najib presented the Chinese educationists and others allocations totaling RM18 million.

Though it was not a very educated thought, many outside Sibu could not help but wish that the days of their own MPs on earth would be few so that they too can enjoy the PM’s saving grace.
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Sibu people thankful for Najib’s RM15 million for Chinese schools in Sibu but the Prime Minister should be reminded that it should be at least RM30 million if not RM150 million cheques he should have distributed yesterday

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak came to Sibu yesterday as a very-early Santas Claus in the month of May instead of Dec. 25, with bags full of goodies and presents.

At a gathering of some 1,000 Chinese educationists and school teachers yesterday, Najib presented financial allocations of RM15 million for 65 Chinese primary schools and five independent Chinese secondary schools in Sibu.

This works out to RM10 million for the 65 Chinese primary schools and RM5 million to the five independent Chinese secondary schools.

This means that the five independent Chinese secondary schools gets RM1 million each while the 65 Chinese primary schools will get RM153,846 each.

The people of Sibu are thankful for Najib’s RM15 million for Chinese schools in Sibu but the Prime Minister should be reminded that it should be at least RM30 million if not RM150 million cheques he should have distributed yesterday.

Why?
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Najib’s 3-minute lightning visit to Tua Pek Kong Temple leaving before start of procession a disappointment as advance publicity said the Prime Minister would speak at temple and lead the procession

The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s three-minute lightning visit to Sibu Tua Pek Kong Temple last night, leaving even before the start of the historic procession is a disappointment all-round as advance publicity said the Prime Minister would speak at the temple and would lead the procession.

The Tua Pek Kong Temple procession was to start at 6 p.m but was held back till 7.30 p.m for the arrival of the Prime Minister.

Because of the SUPP build-up in the advance publicity for the Prime Minister’s visit to Tua Pek Kong temple to lead the procession, there was excitement and expectancy among the thousands who gathered at the Temple for the start of the procession and the tens of thousands of people lining the roads of the procession.

Together with DAP/PR Candidate for Sibu, Wong Ho Leng and a battery of DAP MPs and State Assemblymen from throughout the country, including parliamentarians Chong Jien Ren (Kuching Bandar) Anthony Loke (Rasah), Liew Chin Tong (Bukit Bendera), we had waited for an hour at the head of the queue in front of the Tua Bek Kong Temple entrance to welcome the Prime Minister’s visit.

However, we never get to greet the Prime Minister, as his entourage came like a storm, with his escorts pushing and shoving away the crowd of pressmen as well as the public (reckless of safety of children and womenfolk in the crowd).
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Dr M should encourage rally for reconciliation

By Dr Lim Teck Ghee

We are heartened that the controversial ‘Melayu Bangkit’ rally in Terengganu planned for tomorrow to commemorate May 13 has been postponed indefinitely.

It would be even more reassuring to hear that any future events to remember this fateful date in our history will take a more constructive note. May 13 should be a collective reaffirmation by all of Malaysia’s peoples that such an incident must never again happen.

In any country in the world which has experienced a tragic outburst of national racial violence, its anniversary is normally one of sombre reflection, collective shame and reconciliation.

The rally organizer is however, Gerakan Kebangkitan Rakyat — its acronym ‘Gertak’ translated into English means ‘to intimidate’ — and thus an organization whose name has an ominous ring to it.

Gertak has endeavoured to rouse a single race at a time when groups and individuals should come together to condemn the shedding of innocent blood and vow to walk the path of peace.
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Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #14

By M. Bakri Musa

Chapter 2: Why Some Societies Progress, Others Regress

Culture As Society’s Looking Glass

Culture also influences the way one views the world, both physical and social. Culture acts as a collective looking glass. In my earlier book The Malay Dilemma Revisited, I recounted how the British, in trying to encourage Malays to save, increased the interest rates on postal saving accounts (the only banking facility subscribed to by Malays then). To the surprise of the British, Malays did not respond. The greater the inducement (higher interest rates) the less responsive Malays were. It appeared to those British economists that Malays did not respond to the usual economic incentives.

It took the brilliance of an indigenous economist, Ungku Aziz, to appreciate that on the contrary, Malays are indeed diligent savers. Visit any Malay house in the kampong of the past, and there hanging in the roof of the serambi (verandah) was a cut bamboo, tabong, in which the homeowner had put his saved money. When the time of need arrived, the bamboo would be split open and out came the savings. Malays saved for the pilgrimage to Mecca (dear to all Muslims), weddings, and old age. They did not use the conventional institutions because Malays equated interest with usury, which is haram (forbidden) in Islam. Thus Malays viewed the colonials’ raising the interest rates as enticing us to a life of sin. Those white devils!
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