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Gani Patail playing judge in Altantuya case, says Mat Zain

By Shannon Teoh | June 27, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — A retired senior policeman has accused Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail of superceding the courts by dismissing private investigator P. Balasubramaniam’s statutory declarations (SD) regarding the murder of Altantuya Shariibuu.

Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim said in an open letter to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar today that the Attorney-General was trying to ensure that the Mongolian’s murder case is not reopened.

The Shah Alam High Court ended a 159-day trial in April 2009, meting out death sentences to two police officers who are now appealing the judgment.
Continue reading “Gani Patail playing judge in Altantuya case, says Mat Zain”

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Unggun Bersih

By A. Samad Said
June 27, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

Semakin lara kita didera bara —

kita laungkan juga pesan merdeka:

Demokrasi sebenderang mentari

sehasrat hajat semurni harga diri.

Lama resah kita — demokrasi luka;

lama duka kita — demokrasi lara.

Demokrasi yang angkuh, kita cemuhi;

suara bebas yang utuh, kita idami!

Dua abad lalu Sam Adams berseru:

(di Boston dijirus teh ke laut biru):

Tak diperlu gempita sorak yang gebu,

diperlu hanya unggun api yang syahdu.

Kini menyalalah unggun sakti itu;

kini merebaklah nyala unggun itu.

* A. Samad Said adalah Sasterawan Negara Malaysia

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Police in grip of Bersih hysteria

By Terence Netto
Jun 27, 11 | MalaysiaKini

COMMENT It’s now quite clear that the Bersih 2.0 march planned for July 9 is not such a threat to public order and security as the fret and fever the government has generated over the whole affair.
It has driven elements of our security establishment nuts.

How else to explain the arrests of 30 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) activists in Penang late Saturday, apparently under section 122 of the Penal Code which arraigns rebellion against the king?

That the likes of the professorial Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim, the PSM chair, the affably rotund S Arutchelvam, party secretary-general, and the mild-mannered Dr D Jeyakumar, their sole MP in Sungai Siput, are capable of plotting something as bizarre as rebellion against the king – as well believe that Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali has all along been an agent of PAS. Continue reading “Police in grip of Bersih hysteria”

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Academic consensus on unfair elections: Reinforcing the Case for BERSIH’s March

By Dr Lim Teck Ghee | 27 June 2011
CPIASIA

Many Malaysians may be unaware of the considerable research work by social scientists – both local and foreign – that have unequivocally concluded that the country’s record on free and fair elections has been abysmal. Analysis of this remarkable record of trickery, manipulation and gerrymandering by first the Alliance, followed by Barisan Nasional (BN), goes back for more than 50 years – in fact soon after the country received its independence.

Dishonest election conduct takes the following main forms:

  1. the manipulation of electoral boundaries or gerrymandering

  2. the vast disparity of voter numbers among the constituencies

  3. the contamination of electoral rolls with phantom voters and other fraud

  4. the grossly unfair use of the governmental machinery and resources in support of ruling party candidates

  5. impersonation, multiple voting, ballot stuffing and other frauds in polling, counting and tabulation

  6. the rigid and opaque postal voting system

  7. the short campaigning period and selective restriction on campaign freedom

  8. the biased and distorted official media coverage

  9. the inadequate and outdated regulations on election expenses and funding

  10. the ineffectiveness of or limitation in judicial remedy

Continue reading “Academic consensus on unfair elections: Reinforcing the Case for BERSIH’s March”

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Are activists more dangerous than criminals?

By P Ramakrishnan | Aliran’s President

The way the police hound and harass activists engaged in social issues gives the impression that they are more dangerous than the criminals who cause hell for peace-loving citizens.

The number of police engaged in this activity makes one wonder why the police are running after these activists instead of the criminals who are lurking among our midst committing all kinds of crimes, some even resulting in death.

More and more Malaysians are beginning to believe that the police are no longer what they used to be in the past when they were professional in their duty and were not seen as political tools of the ruling party.
Continue reading “Are activists more dangerous than criminals?”

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Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #71

By M. Bakri Musa

Chapter 9: Islam in Malay Life

Religion must act as the lights do in a car, and not as the brakes do.
—Abdolkarim Soroosh, Contemporary Iranian Philosopher

Islam is Malaysia’s state religion. It permeates all aspects of Malaysian life, for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. In this chapter I will examine the impact of Islam on law, education, and economics. These are the three major areas that have the greatest impact on the ability of Malaysians generally and Malays in particular at meeting the challenges of globalization.
Continue reading “Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #71”

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Swearing at police not an offence

26 Jun 2011 | The Telegraph

Scotland Yard has told its officers that bad language on its own is not a good enough reason to detain someone.

The guidance has been given on Justify, Account and Record memo cards, which are carried on patrol.

According to The Mail on Sunday the advice states: “The courts do not accept police officers are caused harassment, alarm or distress by words such as: f—, c—, b—–ks, w—–s.” Continue reading “Swearing at police not an offence”

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Release the 30 PSM members, DAP demands

By Melissa Chi
June 26, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — The DAP has demanded for the immediate release of the 30 Parti Sosialis Malaya (PSM) members, including Sungai Siput MP Michael Jayakumar, who were arrested in Penang, and has dispelled claims that they were trying to revive communism.

“I call on the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to ensure that good sense prevails in his government despite facing the mortal challenge of a peaceful Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9 calling for free, fair and clean elections — as such a proposed peaceful rally cannot, under any stretch of the imagination, be equated to a ‘war against the King’,” said the DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang at the DAP Ubah Dialogue organised by the DAP Socialist Youth of Johor (Dapsy) at Hotel Li Gardens in Masai, Johor Baru, tonight. Continue reading “Release the 30 PSM members, DAP demands”

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Walk with the rakyat, not against us, Bersih tells Najib

June 26, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — Bersih 2.0 told Datuk Seri Najib Razak today the next two weeks leading to its July 9 rally will define his leadership, saying any further crackdown is a “tragic reflection of the failure” of his government in handling the issue.

The group also said it was disappointed in the prime minister’s declaration that Bersih 2.0 supporters are to be held responsible should chaos ensue during the July 9 rally, noting that it was against any form of violence.

“We once again make an open, sincere and heartfelt call to the prime minister to walk with the rakyat, not against us,” Bersih 2.0 said in a statement issued tonight. Continue reading “Walk with the rakyat, not against us, Bersih tells Najib”