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Sibu’s new political awakening (2)

By Bridget Welsh | Malaysiakini

Tomorrow is polling day in Sibu. After days of quiet campaigning, there is now finally a growing sense of excitement. This non-political town is having a national awakening as both sides have gone all out to win voters over.

In Sibu square, BN leaders are making earnest appeals to the voters, while the big guns of the Pakatan Rakyat are gearing up for a final ceramah tonight and concentrating their day’s activities in the pivotal Iban areas.

Prime Minister Najib Razak is making a personal gamble by returning for the second time in the campaign period to appeal for votes, gambling that his popularity wins support.
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A town at the crossroads (1)

By Bridget Welsh | Malaysiakini

Malaysia’s 11th by election since March 2008 is only one day away. It comes on the heel of the important BN win in Hulu Selangor and before the much anticipated Sarawak state elections.

For the ruling BN, and Prime Minister Najib Razak in particular, this election provides an opportunity to convince voters nationally and his Umno party that he has a national mandate and can deliver the votes.

For the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, this contest provides a chance to stem the momentum of the BN in gaining support, further forge relations among the opposition component parties and even the score in the now increasingly important and contested marker of two-thirds in Parliament due to PKR defections.

A strong victory for BN may even open the way for early national elections. No doubt this by-election has national importance. The town on the mighty Rajang River has come into the national spotlight, although few Malaysians have visited it.
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Sarawak : Poverty Midst of Plenty

By Tunku Abdul Aziz

Although I have in my travels seen abject poverty in such diverse places as Addis Ababa, Dhaka, Dar es Salaam, Kolkata, Mumbai and Manila, I must confess to a feeling of utter revulsion and anger when confronted by stark deprivation in our supposedly well-governed and prosperous Malaysia.

The pockets of rural poverty in the Malay heartlands of Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu are islands of prosperity compared to the scene that churned my stomach and assailed my sense of guilt and outrage when I first ventured into the Iban long houses on the majestic Rejang.

It is not enough that we have robbed them of their ancestral lands and impoverished them in the process, but we also felt constrained to strip them naked of any residual personal dignity that they might still have by introducing policies that have succeeded in reducing them to the fringes of mainstream economic life. The Orang Asli tribes and the Orang Hulu, the Malays from the interior, have a great deal in common with their Dayak friends. For all we care, they are Malaysia’s forgotten people, but not quite. Whenever an election is underway, be it a by-election or a general election, they find themselves the centre of attention, in great demand by the rich and powerful, all claiming to love and care for them.
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Last 24 hours of the “Battle of Century” Sibu by-election – Tweets

#P212 #Sibu Battle of Century further effects – Swak Chief Minister announces 50% reduced rates 4renewal of urban land titles Victory 4Sibu
Friday, May 14, 2010 9:31 PM

#P212 #Sibu Dap/PR candidate HoLeng speaking 2biggest crowd @Rejang Park He spoke of DAP’s battle 4just deal 4renewal 4land titles since 06
Friday, May 14, 2010 9:37 PM

#P212 #Sibu is indeed Battle of Century PM Najib coming back 2Sibu again w more Angpaus tmw He will appear @Rejang Park Let Sibu do a Rasa!
Friday, May 14, 2010 10:08 PM

#P212 #Sibu Urged Sibuans 2vote Rocket 4fourth mission – 2save Msian democracy as denial of 2/3 BN majority in Parliament now in grave peril
Friday, May 14, 2010 10:21 PM
Continue reading “Last 24 hours of the “Battle of Century” Sibu by-election – Tweets”

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Malaysian Swan Song in Sarawak By-Election

Written by Mariam Mokhtar   
Friday, 14 May 2010

?National ruling coalition appears to be coasting to a win on pork delivery

The Sibu by-election in Sarawak on 16 May is a test on several fronts. A win for the Barisan Nasional, which appears likely, would put the Barisan within striking range of taking back its two-thirds majority in the national parliament.

Beyond that is the old rivalry between two sworn enemies – the Sarawak United Political Party for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition and the Democratic Action Party for the opposition Pakatan Rakyat banner. As with all of the by-elections that have occurred since the national elections of March 2008, it is being hard fought, even harder perhaps.
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Latest QS Asian University Rankings 2010 a sorry tale of unchecked drop/decline of the standards/international standing of Malaysian public universities.

The country’s premier institution of higher education, Universiti Malaya, has dropped two places to 41 this year from 39 last year, while Universiti Sains Malaysia which was granted Apex status in 2008 only managed to maintain its ranking at 69 – just like Universiti Teknologi Malaysia at 82.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, however, took a tumble from 51 to be placed 58, with Universiti Putra Malaysia improving its ranking from 90 to 77.

The continued drop of ranking of Malaysian Universities in Asia is part of the larger disease of Malaysia becoming the “sick man of South-East Asia” – resulting in a decade of economic stagnation and national decline in all aspects of national life, whether educational excellence, good governance, institutional professionalism, human rights or environmental protection.

This is why the New Economic Model (NEM) crafted by a panel of local and foreign experts have sound the warning: “We must act now before our position deteriorates any further”. Continue reading “Latest QS Asian University Rankings 2010 a sorry tale of unchecked drop/decline of the standards/international standing of Malaysian public universities.”

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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.
Continue reading “SUPP (SOAP) OPERA IN SIBU!”

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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?
Continue reading “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”

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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).
Continue reading “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”

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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.
Continue reading “Dr M should encourage rally for reconciliation”

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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!
Continue reading “Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #14”

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PM’s 3 minutes lightning visit to Tua Pek Kong temple – tweets

Updated

At #Sibu TuaPekKong Procession gathering w candidate HoLeng MPs JianRen Loke CTong n several SAs from Sarawak Penang Perak Selangor
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 6:46 PM

Air of excitement 4great #Sibu religious event 2begin Estimated 7k all over country n overseas taking part in procession 50k ppl waiting
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 7:04 PM

Historic n unprecedented #Sibu TuaPekKong Procession formed by 119 groups w 7k particpants waiting 4arrival of PM @730pm 2begin
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 7:13 PM

#Sibu RM1.5 million 120yr 7-storey TuaPekKong Pagoda major historic/tourist attraction of New Fuchou Whole area brightly lit-up Memorable
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 7:25 PM

Najib arrives Surrounded by escorts Although DAP MPs SAs nationwide stands on front row Najib did not c us PM has left! Not even 3 mins!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 7:32 PM
Continue reading “PM’s 3 minutes lightning visit to Tua Pek Kong temple – tweets”

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Two Open Tweets to Cabinet for its urgent consideration this morning

I have before 8 am this morning sent two Open Tweets to the Cabinet for its urgent consideration at today’s weekly meeting.

The two Open Tweets to the Cabinet are:

  1. OPEN TWT 2Cabinet: Condemn May 13 Melayu Bangkit rally KT insensitive extremist incendiary total mockery of inclusive 1Malaysia slogan

  2. OPEN TWT 2Cabinet(2):Cabinet Apology 2 #Aminulrasyid/Azamuddin n fmly; Compensation 4police killing Aminul; Establish RCI 2end fatal police shootings; Present IPCMC Bill in June Parliament 4passage

I hope the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak will have good news for Malaysians after the Cabinet meeting on these two burning issues of the day, the trigger-happy police killing of 14-year-old Form III student Aminulrasyid Amzah and the outrageous and insensitive May 13 “Malays Unite” rally in Terengganu on the 41st anniversary of the blot in national history as if it is a great triumph worthy of celebration!

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Call on Cabinet tomorrow to formally apologise to family and nation for the trigger-happy police killing of 14yr-old Aminulrasyid and measures to end all police shooting deaths

I fully support the demand by Aminulrasyid Amzah’s family for a direct apology from the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan, Selangor Chief Police Officer Deputy Comm Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar and the Home Ministry for tainting the 14-year-old Form III student’s name after the heinous, criminal and fatal shooting of Aminul by trigger-happy police on April 26 at 2 am some 100 metres from his Shah Alam house.

Aminulrasyid’s uncle, Kamarudin Hassan, said today that the family wants a direct apology from the IGP, the Selangor CPO and the Home Ministry as well as retraction of the statement that a parang was found in the vehicle.

Kamaruddin said:

“We appreciate and thank the authorities for their speedy action in charging the police corporal but we want Aminul’s name to be cleared.

“Since this incident occurred, the IGP and everyone else never once apologised to us for calling Aminul a robber and saying that they had found a weapon in his car.
Continue reading “Call on Cabinet tomorrow to formally apologise to family and nation for the trigger-happy police killing of 14yr-old Aminulrasyid and measures to end all police shooting deaths”

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Mahathir said he was not a dictator but after he unconstitutionally declared Malaysia as an Islamic State on Sept. 29, 2001 not a single SUPP leader in the past 10 years dare to say in Parliament and Cabinet that Malaysia is a secular state

Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday that he was not a dictator in his 22 years as Prime Minister but the incontrovertible fact is that after he arbitrarily and unconstitutionally declared Malaysia as an Islamic State at the Gerakan National Delegates Conference on Sept. 29, 2001, not a single SUPP leader in the past 10 years dare to say in Parliament and Cabinet that Malaysia is a secular state as provided by the Merdeka Constitution 1957 and Malaysia Agreement 1963.

It is also incontrovertible history that although Mahathir unilaterally, arbitrarily and unconstitutionally declared Malaysia is an Islamic State in what DAP had described as the “929 Declaration” without first consulting and getting the agreement of the other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties, the BN Supreme Council was convened within a week where all BN component parties including SUPP fully endorsed Mahathir’s unconstitutional “929” Declaration.

Only DAP stood up firm and fast in declaring that Mahathir’s “929” was unlawful and unconstitutional, in violation of the 1957 Merdeka Constitution and the 1963 Malaysia Agreement – pointing out that in the Cobbold Commission Report, the Malaysian Government made categorical assurance that Malaysia was and would remain “secular” when referring to reservations and fears expressed by Sarawakians and Sabahans about “freedom of religion”.

Now, SUPP leaders have betrayed the first generation of SUPP leadership in surrendering the fundamental constitutional feature of Malaysia as a secular nation with Islam as the official religion but an Islamic state.
Continue reading “Mahathir said he was not a dictator but after he unconstitutionally declared Malaysia as an Islamic State on Sept. 29, 2001 not a single SUPP leader in the past 10 years dare to say in Parliament and Cabinet that Malaysia is a secular state”

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Can Malaysia go the way of Greece becoming a bankrupt country and can Sarawak be spared if Malaysia is bankrupt?

The SUPP leadership does not want the Sibu voters in the “By-election of the Century” in Sarawak to be concerned about big national issues – and this is the great difference between the DAP and Pakatan Rakyat on the one hand and the SUPP and the Barisan Nasional on the other.

In fact, today I ask the Sibu voters and Sarawak people to ponder one serious question: Can Malaysia go the way of Greece becoming a bankrupt country and if Malaysia is bankrupt, can Sarawak be spared its awful consequences?

There was recently a television documentary regarding Greece ‘s financial fiasco, enumerating the why’s and how’s that this historic and beautiful country came to grief.

The diagnosis as to how the great nation of Greece ended as a financial “basket-case” are:

Bureaucracy: Greece’s bureaucracy is famous in the whole of Europe ! To open a cafe or pub there are 25 processes to go through! This is a country of rules and regulations.
Continue reading “Can Malaysia go the way of Greece becoming a bankrupt country and can Sarawak be spared if Malaysia is bankrupt?”

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Challenge to SUPP Sibu chief Wong Soon Koh to a public debate on Friday night on his allegation that “A vote for Rocket is a vote for Islamic State”

The SUPP leadership has unveiled its “killer weapon” for the Sibu by-election, with the SUPP Sibu chief and Sarawak 2nd Finance Minister Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh opening the “killer” attack, declaring that a vote for Rocket and DAP/PR candidate Wong Ho Leng is a vote for PAS and an Islamic State.

The SUPP strategists believe that this is a “killer weapon” which could “finish off” the chances of Ho Leng of ever winning the Sibu by-election “Battle of the Century”, frightening off the Chinese and non-Muslim voters in Sibu, when Ho Leng is already the underdog in the by-election, starting off with a 40% to 60% against him.

In the past two days, as a result of the intensive campaigning by the candidate, Ho Leng, and DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders, members and supporters throughout the Sibu constituency, we are beginning to narrow the odds.

The sentiments in Sibu are clearly in favour of change because of the triple importance of the Sibu “battle of the century” – for Sibu, Sarawak and Malaysia.

In the past 48 hours, Ho Leng has perceptibly gained ground and I would roughly estimate that odds after two days of campaigning as 44% to 56% still in favour of the BN candidate.

However, this is already causing panic among the SUPP strategists which have unsettled the SUPP by-election strategy, as could be seen by three examples:
Continue reading “Challenge to SUPP Sibu chief Wong Soon Koh to a public debate on Friday night on his allegation that “A vote for Rocket is a vote for Islamic State””

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Quality, Quantity, and Equity in Malaysian Education #1

By M. Bakri Musa

[First of Three Parts]

Quality Education and Economic Development

In referring to the low quality of our labor pool, the New Economic Model Report cites statistics showing that 80 percent of our workers have only SPM level (11 years) of schooling. That surprises me, not the figure rather the fact that the SPM is now viewed as inadequate.

That observation reflects more on the quality of our education system than it does of our workers. For had our education system maintained its quality, and today’s SPM is of the same caliber as the old Cambridge School Certificate “O” Level, then I would argue that our workers are among the most highly educated.

Members of the National Economic Action Council (they wrote the NEM Report) are old enough to appreciate that when they obtained their O-level certificate, they were in command of sufficient intellectual and other skills to prepare them well for life. The same cannot be said of today’s SPM, as the Report clearly implies.
Continue reading “Quality, Quantity, and Equity in Malaysian Education #1”

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Hishammuddin should apologise for his insult to Malaysian women on Mother’s Day blaming women’s “chattering” for exaggerating the crime problem and demonizing the police

What a shame! After the farce of the Selangor Chief Police Officer’s stolen official car, which was returned by the thief in panic after two days with an apology note for stealing the wrong car, a Deputy Minister has lost his car.

Will the Deputy Minister get his car back like the Selangor CPO with an “apology note” too left on the dashboard of the car abandoned on the roadside?

Most unlikely. I understand the Deputy Minister concerned is Senator A. Kohilan Pillai. He is unlikely to be as lucky as the Selangor CPO for the simple reason that he cannot strike fear among the thieves and handlers of stolen goods of “hell to pay” that the Selangor CPO could!

The twin episodes of the different fates of the two stolen cars of the two VIPs would make excellent butt of jokes and would definitely be good for laughs if not for the serious security crisis in the country which they highlighted.

If it is so easy for the official cars of the Selangor CPO (though “returned” with apology note in two days) and the Deputy Foreign Minister to be stolen, what is safe in the country?
Continue reading “Hishammuddin should apologise for his insult to Malaysian women on Mother’s Day blaming women’s “chattering” for exaggerating the crime problem and demonizing the police”

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Crime Wave – Hishamuddin blames it on “chattering women”

Hishammuddin rails against police-bashing
By Shannon Teoh | The Malaysian Insider May 09, 2010

LONDON, May 9 — Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein last night urged Malaysians to defend and not demonise the police force, now under increasing public pressure to reform after the two recent shootings of teenagers.

The Home Minister also said that instead of constantly attacking the police, the public must support the force as it was one of the institutional pillars that formed the spine of the country.

“I want to assure everybody, that the morale of the police also has to be safeguarded and balanced. Clear demonisation does not help anybody,” Hishammuddin told some 100 students at the Malaysian Students Department here.

“Malaysia is in transition. In times of change, there is always a tendency to demonise these institutions without basis, without study, discussion and understanding,” he said of institutions such as law enforcement and the judiciary.
Continue reading “Crime Wave – Hishamuddin blames it on “chattering women””