Posted on

Muhyiddin says opposition using Bersih rally to topple BN

The Malaysian Insider
June 18, 2011

BEAUFORT, June 18 – The opposition is hiding behind the planned Bersih 2.0 rally with a plot to topple the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today.

The Umno deputy president (picture) said the opposition’s agenda was to create a momentum among the people to hate the government by raising various issues beyond the call for clean and fair elections. Continue reading “Muhyiddin says opposition using Bersih rally to topple BN”

Posted on

Isn’t a one-race civil service a form of apartheid?

By Dr Boo Cheng Hau
June 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 18 — I remember once, as a young medical officer, I was boycotted by operating theatre staff when I wanted stern action taken against a staff nurse who went for a kenduri when she was supposed to scrub for a surgery.

An assistant nurse had to cover up for her delinquent senior. Both the nurses — the one who had absented herself and the one suddenly forced to relieve her duty — were Malay. The young patient lying on my operating table waiting to deliver her baby was Malay too. And also Malay, the anaesthetist and other operating theatre staff who gave me the cold shoulder after I remonstrated with the matron. Continue reading “Isn’t a one-race civil service a form of apartheid?”

Posted on

Some Saudi women challenge drive ban

By Asma Alsharif
Reuters
Fri, Jun 17 2011

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) – Some Saudi women appeared to have answered a call over social media to challenge a ban on driving, posting accounts and pictures of themselves behind the wheel in the conservative Arab kingdom.

Groups such as “Women2Drive” and “Women’s Right to Drive in KSA” had called for a day of defiance, drawing more than 15,000 supporters on various Facebook groups.

“I drove with my husband, and a policeman stopped me and gave me a ticket, which stated that I was driving without a license,” Maha al-Gahtani, a resident of Riyadh, posted on Twitter along with a picture of a traffic ticket with her name.

“I was disappointed that I didn’t see any other women drivers,” she said. “I did it to get my rights.” Continue reading “Some Saudi women challenge drive ban”

Posted on

Rais demonising citizens through Bersih, says Ambiga

By Debra Chong
June 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 18 — Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan denied today all links between the recent spate of cyber attacks on government websites and her electoral reform group raised yesterday by Datuk Seri Rais Yatim, saying his conjecture is an attack on Malaysians.

A group of hackers calling themselves Anonymous mounted an attack on at least 200 websites last Thursday, saying they are against censorship of websites by the government.

“It’s a wholly unfounded, unreasonable, preposterous suggestion made by a Cabinet minister who should really know better than to make such wild accusations,” she told The Malaysian Insider. Continue reading “Rais demonising citizens through Bersih, says Ambiga”

Posted on

BN strategy to muzzle PR reps and to punish Dayaks for NCR struggle in new Sarawak State Assembly?

The Barisan Nasional will be making a fatal political mistake if the new Sarawak State Assembly starts off next week on a wrong footing with a high-handed Barisan Nasional strategy to muzzle Pakatan Rakat representatives and to punish Dayaks for their Native Customary Rights (NCR) struggle.

Reports yesterday about the opening session of the 10th Sarawak State Assembly beginning on Monday are disturbing for if true, they point to an intransigent Sarawak state government which refuses to acknowledge the wind of change blowing hard and strong in the state and the aspirations of Sarawakians for accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance.

There is yesterday’s report in Free Malaysia Today entitled “Behave or face consequence, opposition reps warned”, where strong language was used, for instance, quoting second Finance Minister Datuk Wong Soon Koh as warning that the BN has 55 while the Opposition only 16 State Assembly members when uttering the threat: “We know how to deal with them”. Continue reading “BN strategy to muzzle PR reps and to punish Dayaks for NCR struggle in new Sarawak State Assembly?”

Posted on

Iban language: Pick the right candidates

FMT Staff
June 18, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today

KUCHING: The Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (SADIA) has chastised the authorities for its nonchalant approach to the Iban language.

SADIA chairman Edward Manggah said the Iban language was not like any other subject.

“The teachers must have the basics. You cannot just pick people randomly and make them teach,” he said in response to the latest controversy involving the selection of candidates for Bahasa Iban courses. Continue reading “Iban language: Pick the right candidates”

Posted on

‘Umno Youth, Perkasa want to foil Bersih rally’

By Athi Shankar
June 18, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today

GEORGE TOWN: The planned Umno Youth and Perkasa rallies are meant to foil, frustrate and disrupt the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9, said DAP national chairman Karpal Singh today.

He called on the police to strictly ensure that all rallies were held in a orderly way without any untoward incidents.

The veteran politician hoped that participants of the three proposed rallies would be separated and prevented from abusing each other. Continue reading “‘Umno Youth, Perkasa want to foil Bersih rally’”

Posted on

Changing the world in our own little way

By Aidil Rusli
June 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 18 — I’ve never been a voracious reader, though I think I do read quite a bit compared to the average Malaysian. What I do read though is mostly non-fiction stuff, especially articles or interviews where artists I admire talk about their creative process or motivations.

You see, even if I do think of myself as an artist, I’ve never been the cerebral type who can explain exactly why I do this or that with my art. So, it’s pretty fun and revealing to read about what other artists have to say about their creative process because sometimes what they say actually does explain or help me understand how my own creative process works. Continue reading “Changing the world in our own little way”

Posted on

Bersih rally: People’s will or just politics?

By R. Shan
June 18, 2011 The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 18 — Much has been said of the Bersih rally by the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, to the horror of the ruling elites.

But the gist of its original objective has also been lost to the people and public. Both sides are using this event to maximise their purported need — from race, religion and anything that they can lay their hands on.

For a start, we love a battle when we are not a part of it, especially when there is someone else to fight it out for us. We are good only at scrapping in the cyber world. Continue reading “Bersih rally: People’s will or just politics?”

Posted on

Anak Malaysia 2

By M. Chua
June 18, 2011 | MalaysiaKini

JUNE 18 — Someone sent me an article by Kalimullah Hassan, which appeared in The Malaysian Insider last week.

The article was on his experiences in trying to be an “Anak Malaysia” and I found the subject to be interesting, especially for me, an Anak Malaysia currently living abroad.

I must confess I hardly read Malaysian newspapers these days and not even The Malaysia Insider or any other publication or news portal. Frankly, most news coming out of my homeland does not exactly fill me with joy. Continue reading “Anak Malaysia 2”

Posted on

Mosque polls: King’s name being used, says don

By Hazlan Zakaria
Jun 18, 11 | MalaysiaKini

While the Agong has purview over Islamic matters in ruler-less states like Penang, renowned constitutional law expert Abdul Aziz Bari fears that the Agong’s name is being used to criticise the Penang government’s policies.

“Only after Pakatan Rakyat took over Penang that suddenly the Agong became a significant figure. Continue reading “Mosque polls: King’s name being used, says don”

Posted on

For anti-Lynas residents, the time for talking is over

By Shannon Teoh
June 18, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUANTAN, June 18 — After being bullied from making their stand before an international panel of experts earlier this month, residents opposed to a RM700 million rare earth plant have closed the door to the government.

Accusing the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration of making “a pathetic” show of engaging stakeholders, the Save Malaysia group spearheading the local movement against the project told The Malaysian Insider that it will focus on building public sentiment against the plant.

“The only way to get the government to act is with votes. So we will increase public pressure to indirectly force the government to act. No more direct engagement,” said chairman Tan Bun Teet. Continue reading “For anti-Lynas residents, the time for talking is over”

Posted on

Johor oil terminal in rescue talks with investor, says contractor

By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 17, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — Asia Petroleum Hub (APH) is in talks with an investor to fully finance its troubled multibillion-dollar oil terminal in Johor, one of its main contractors said today.

Muhibbah Engineering Bhd said in a filing to Bursa Malaysia that APH “has identified an investor and was in negotiations with the investor to fully finance the completion of the APH hub project, including making due payments to contractors.”

Singapore Business Times (BT) had reported on Wednesday that financier CIMB Bank had placed APH under receivership over a RM1.4 billion three-year bridge loan granted in 2006.

APH drew down RM840 million for project costs but executives told BT that costs had escalated and APH was looking for investors for a further RM2 billion in new financing. Continue reading “Johor oil terminal in rescue talks with investor, says contractor”