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Puad: Pakatan psy-war puts Umno in peril

Malaysiakini
May 22, 11

Umno could be in peril if it fails to curb the psychological attacks mounted by the opposition, said party supreme council member, Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi.

He said the opposition’s approach was dangerous as it could influence the minds of the young who did not fully understand the history of this country and who were thinking too much about material things and freedom.

“Their thinking could be affected by negative perceptions. For example, the 1Malaysia concept is a good thing and is perceived negatively by certain quarters who could influence those with little understanding of the concept in a negative way.

“The psychological attacks are also carried out in a hit-and-run manner, by not admitting to it afterwards because they (opposition) want the people to be angry with Umno so as to weaken Malay power,” he said after opening the Umno Kota Raja division delegates’ meeting, here, today. Continue reading “Puad: Pakatan psy-war puts Umno in peril”

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Penang gives RM25,000 to landslide victims

The Malaysian Insider
May 22, 2011

GEORGE TOWN, May 22 – Penang will give RM25,000 to the 25 victims of the Hulu Langat landslide yesterday which claimed 16 lives.

Nine others survived the landslide at the Rumah Anak-anak Yatim dan Anak-anak Hidayah Madrasah Al-Taqwa at Batu 14, Hulu Langat in Selangor.

“Although it is not a lot, it is moral support for the families of those who died and survived so that they can persevere through this tragedy,” Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said in a statement. Continue reading “Penang gives RM25,000 to landslide victims”

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Islamic leaders question non-Muslim rights

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
The Malaysian Insider
May 22, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 – Several Islamic leaders have questioned the loyalty of non-Muslims in the country, declaring today the community’s rights must be re-evaluated if Malaysia is to call itself an Islamic state.

Former president of Islamic Da’wah Foundation Malaysia (Yadim), Datuk Nakhaie Ahmad, said treatment of non-Muslims must be based on the social contract agreed and pointed out that the government has been too gracious to the community.

“In attempts to get vote and support of non-Muslims, we have been very gracious in giving them their civil rights. Civil rights given to them includes the rights to vote, participation in politics, hold office, involvement in the military and so forth but we cannot just willingly give them everything.

“Our offer must be based on religious practices. If we look at the prophet’s agreement in the Madinah constitution, civil rights were given to the Jews but the rights must be paid back with responsibility. They must have the responsibility and agree to defend our country and not insult the agreement,” he said during a forum here.

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad declared Malaysia an Islamic state a decade ago in a move to counter PAS’s growing influence among the country’s key Malay Muslim population. Continue reading “Islamic leaders question non-Muslim rights”

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Pakatan gov’ts offer aid to landslide victims

Malaysiakini
May 22, 11

Pakatan governments of Selangor and Penang have pledged aid to the victims of the landslide yesterday in Hulu Langat, Selangor as a sign of moral support.

Selangor is sending aid as well as contributing RM1,000 to each victim’s family, while Penang is suggesting a RM25,000 lump sum donation to the victims of the tragedy.

16 youths were reported killed and nine injured when a landslide hit Hidayah Madrasah Al-Taqwa orphanage at 2.30pm yesterday.

Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim yesterday said the state has sent a humanitarian aid mission to the scene of the tragedy to provide immediate assistance to the victims. Continue reading “Pakatan gov’ts offer aid to landslide victims”

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NUJ chief: Shut down Utusan Malaysia

Susan Loone | May 22, 11
Malaysiakini

National Union of Journalists chief and sacked Utusan Malaysia reporter Hata Wahari has called for his former employer to be shut down and its editors left to suffer for publishing a religiously charged article earlier this month.

Hata, who was in Penang for a forum on press freedom organised by the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), said this was the only way to make its editors and reporters take responsibility for the unsubtantiated front page article on May 7, and the following ruckus across the nation that ensued.

He added that there were existing laws like the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publication Act, which could be wielded on Utusan.

This would show that the government was not practising ‘double standards’ when dealing with an errant newspaper, he added. Continue reading “NUJ chief: Shut down Utusan Malaysia”

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Freedom of speech for all?

Sharmini Darshni
May 22, 2011

MAY 22 — I should not have done it. Should have left it alone. Should have continued my hiatus from the humdrum of life. Should have continued to embrace the peace that comes from purposeful ignorance.

But no, just knowing there was a single computer with Internet access, I gave in to the temptation and checked the e-mails — and unfortunately — read the news.

Regrets! I said goodbye to the zen stupor I had been in for five days as I read the latest buzzword in Malaysian politics: Crusade. Continue reading “Freedom of speech for all?”

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M’sia needs nothing short of complete makeover

Malaysiakini
May 22, 11

‘For short-term political expediency, the politicians are willing to sacrifice the long-term interests of the country.’

Competitiveness ranking drop shocks Pemudah

Ferdtan: Pemudah’s Chua Tia Guan, to say that you were surprised by the worsening result of the global competitiveness ranking for the country shows that Pemudah and Pemandu are as much clueless as the BN government.

Minister Idris Jala, who is in charge of Pemandu, had been spending obscene amount of taxpayers’ money organising public seminars with plenty of colourful charts, placing expensive advertorials in the mass media and giving out ‘feel-good’ statements that Malaysia is on the right track.

All were mere rhetoric that are self-delusory. Finally, you are now caught by the very mechanism of measurement of performance that you have adopted – the KPI thing that you had been so gleefully used. The KPIs of Pemudah and Pemandu have shown that they have failed miserably. Continue reading “M’sia needs nothing short of complete makeover”

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10 Days in May (26) – Tweet exchange on Sarbani, 2nd MACC death

The “10 Days in May (23)” tweets yesterday resulted in a tweet exchange (reproduced below) with BN MP for Kota Belud Abdul Rahman Dahlan on assistant customs director Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed, the second case of MACC death:

mpkotabelud Abdul Rahman Dahlan
What abt it? u wanna politicise it just like u did to TBH? RT @limkitsiang: MACC…What abt Sarbani’s death?
21 May

limkitsiang Lim Kit Siang
Y now MACC spokesman 2defame Sarbani? Met Sarbani’s family? @mpkotabelud Sarbini came on his own to MACC office that morning. Uninvited. .
23 hours ago

mpkotabelud Abdul Rahman Dahlan
Who said he jumped? There is a plausible 3rd version circumstance. U don’t speculate! RT @limkitsiang: U believe Sarbani jumped?
23 hours ago

mpkotabelud Abdul Rahman Dahlan Defame?
R u still on drips? 3rd plausible circumstance. R we to take ur words hook, line &sinker? RT@limkitsiang: 2defame Sarbani?
23 hours ago

limkitsiang Lim Kit Siang
@mpkotabelud YB Don’t be MACC stooge. Read – http://bit.ly/kCXkJs Sarbaini did not kill himself, says family (TMI)
23 hours ago Continue reading “10 Days in May (26) – Tweet exchange on Sarbani, 2nd MACC death”

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Change a byword for Kedah Chinese, but to whom?

By Sheridan Mahavera
The Malaysian Insider
May 22, 2011

ALOR SETAR, May 22 — About a month after he was put in charge of Kedah Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Paduka Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah declared the state’s Chinese community was returning to the national coalition.

Ahmad Bashah, who made this claim after a Chinese New Year dinner in February, was confident this was happening because of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia concept.

He is not far from the truth. The Malaysian Insider conducted a straw poll of Kedah Chinese residents and found that a significant number of respondents wanted to change the Pakatan Rakyat state government.

However, this did not mean they liked BN either. In fact, the poll showed that only 12 per cent of all Chinese respondents found the 1 Malaysia concept exciting or attractive. The rest were lukewarm, totally uninterested or unclear about it.

Also, though there were more Chinese respondents who wanted to change the state government, this was not reflected in their feelings about the PR administration. More than half of respondents felt satisfied with how PR was running things. Continue reading “Change a byword for Kedah Chinese, but to whom?”

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10 Days in May (25)

Tweets @limkitsiang:-

TBH RCI-Open apology 4twin death TeohBengHck Sarbani prerequsite 4MACC 2regain public confidence in its indpndence integrity professionalism

This also serves as response @mpkotabelud Msia needs politics of engagement not guerilla. Let’s work together 2make SPRM more effective!

Support politics of engagement 2make Msia better country everybody proud 2call home. Thats Y I had given full support 2MACC replacing ACA

MACC got more staff budget powers than ACA. But what did it do? Became BN catspaw 2serve BN agenda declaring war agnst PR caused TBH’s death

Let MACC declare what is its brief 2Shafie @TBH RCI? 2assist RCI 2findout truth of TBH death or 2protect MACC w red herrings/MACC cover-ups?

Will Shafie support TBH RCI re-open inquiry 2findout MACC officer behind “black blog” 2accuse DAP of murder of TBH 2distract attn from MACC? Continue reading “10 Days in May (25)”

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Slash graft before cutting subsidies

Malaysiakini
May 22, 11

‘This illegal leakage is costing the nation to bleed, thus the reason behind the need to cut subsidies for the rakyat.’

Idris presses his case on cutting subsidies

Patriot: Subsidy cuts could be kept to a minimum so as to not burden the poor people struggling hard to earn a living to take care of their numerous domestic and external expenditures if there is proper and prudent governance and the elimination of servicing the cronies’ insatiable monetary wants.

What is being very prominently reported is the increase in government expenses on subsidies would be insurmountable based on current global trends and escalations.

However, the government never informs us how much could be saved if funds are properly utilised that could be ultimately channeled into covering some of the increases in the prices of commodities and foodstuff in order not to burden the poor. Continue reading “Slash graft before cutting subsidies”

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10 Days in May (24)

Tweets @limkitsiang:-

Identity yrselves – UMNO/BN Ministers who secretly support Utusan’s “Christian Msia” bogey http://bit.ly/lX7f5r Totally agnst Najib’s GMoM!

Umno/BN Ministers shld not b closet extremists while outwardly claim 2b moderates secretly assuring Utusan support 4its Christian Msia bogey

If Najib is serious about GMoM he shd draw line in the sand n ask every Minister 2declare whether 4 or agnst Utusan’s Christian Msia bogey

How many Umno/BN Cabinet Ministers qualify as genuine moderates – x extremists or opportunists – 2join MMoM, 1st national bldg block 4 GMoM?

Will Najib dare 2patronise MMoM- 1st object 2rally moderates of all races religions 2censure Utusan “Christian Msia” bogey n abjure bigotry?