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Anwar applies for a new trial on sodomy charge

By Kuek Ser Kuang Keng | Jun 2, 11
Malaysiakini

Just four days before Anwar Ibrahim begins his defence against the sodomy charge, he has applied to replace the current Justice Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah with a new judge to rehear his trial.

Anwar claimed that Zabidin had prejudged and demonstrated bias in ruling that the prosecution had made a prima facie case against him.

This ruling denied him of a fair trial, which is guaranteed by article 5(1) of the federal constitution, said the opposition leader in his application filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today.
Continue reading “Anwar applies for a new trial on sodomy charge”

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MCA among the greatest obstacles to realization of 1Malaysia

The headline “Time to stop thinking along racial lines, says Soi Lek” in the MCA owned newspaper, the Star, today must have caused a general shaking-of-heads by its readers, not because of disagreement but at his naivety or downright dishonesty.

There must have been more intensive shaking-of-heads when the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek expressed his belief that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s “1 Malaysia concept could be realised by 2020 when affirmative action policies shift towards being merit- and needs-based instead of the current race-centric arrangement”. (The Malaysian Insider)

In actual fact, Malaysians have never been more polarised along racial and religious divisions under Najib’s 1Malaysia concept and MCA is undoubtedly among the greatest obstacles to the realisation of Najib’s 1Malaysia.
Continue reading “MCA among the greatest obstacles to realization of 1Malaysia”

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Reducing the political cost of liberalisation

By Hafiz Noor Shams | June 02, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 2 — A price-control mechanism has its economic cost, on top of that associated with the current subsidy regime in place in Malaysia. There are also some political costs to the control.

In tight times when commodities are becoming dearer, any government that dares to reset retail prices upwards invites public wrath.

There was talk of an early general election, but the rumour machines now suggest that the election will be held only later. The Barisan Nasional-led federal government needs room to manoeuvre before renewing its mandate.
Continue reading “Reducing the political cost of liberalisation”

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MCA’s failure in scholarship row may hasten brain drain, says DAP

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal | June 02, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — The MCA’s failure to obtain overseas scholarships for 86 SPM top scorers may further hasten the brain drain of young talents, the DAP has charged.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that the party was “disappointed” with the Cabinet’s decision that the top scorers would only receive scholarships to study in local private colleges and universities despite MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lok’s recent statements that it would push for overseas scholarships to be awarded to these students.
Continue reading “MCA’s failure in scholarship row may hasten brain drain, says DAP”

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Mixed race: Where do we draw the line?

Malaysiakini Your Say | Jun 2, 11

‘We have one rule for some people, another rule for others, while Muslims seem to get the best deal as no matter what the situation, they still be bumiputera.’

Students of mixed parentage denied varsity admission

Borneo Son: Every deserving Malaysian should be given admission to university and/or scholarship regardless of ethnic/religious background if Malaysia is to become a progressive nation.
Continue reading “Mixed race: Where do we draw the line?”

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Pua wants Najib to reveal power deals now

By Debra Chong | June 02, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — Citing legal precedents, DAP lawmaker Tony Pua told the prime minister today to stop dithering and immediately declassify the contentious power purchasing agreements (PPAs) inked with independent power producers (IPPs).

Datuk Seri Najib Razak said on Tuesday the government would look into making public the contracts between national utility company Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) and the IPPs in the face of mounting criticism.
Continue reading “Pua wants Najib to reveal power deals now”

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PSD scholarships: What’s Nazri trying to hide?

Malaysiakini Your Say | Jun 2, 11

‘In a truly democratic country, a responsible government would publish the list of scholarship holders alongside their results.’

86 top scorers to be placed in local private varsities

Cala: I am dumfounded by the Public Service Department and Minister in the PM’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz’s line of action. They appear to be incapable of doing things right in the first instance. After all, they are the products of the Umno-led BN regime’s mediocrity and recklessness.
Continue reading “PSD scholarships: What’s Nazri trying to hide?”

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Perimekar: Chronicle of a death foretold?

By Céline Boileau | June 1, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Businessman Lodin Wok Kamaruddin has recently been cited by WikiLeaks as one of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s close friends.

What WikiLeaks didn’t reveal is that Lodin Wok was also one of the directors of Perimekar Sdn Bhd until last year.

Last year too, the company registered huge losses.

Perimekar had acted as the go-between for the procurement of two French-made submarines by the Malaysian Defence Ministry. In the process, the company made RM534.8 million in commission.
Continue reading “Perimekar: Chronicle of a death foretold?”

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Longing For A Free Mind (Part 13 of 14)

By M. Bakri Musa

Q&A (Cont’d): Islamic State and Leaders

Q9: Would you prefer a Muslim leader who is corrupt and incompetent over a non-Muslim who is both honest and competent?

A9: One of the speakers commented earlier that this is a difficult question. To me the choice is glaringly clear. Go for competence and honesty.

Let me go further. I want my leader to share my values and aspirations for my country. If a leader no matter how honest, brilliant and competent were to lead my country towards totalitarianism, I will be the first to express my opposition against her.
Continue reading “Longing For A Free Mind (Part 13 of 14)”

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Damn dirty Dayaks

By June Rubis | June 02, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

I once asked my father, “Tell me something interesting about our family.”

Obligingly, he told a tale of our great-great-great-great grandfather and uncles who decided one day that they would stop paying hefty taxes to the Sultan of Brunei.

The burden of the increasing taxes was taking its toll and the villagers were left wondering whether the next harvest would be enough to feed their families, and pay off a faraway Sultan whom none of them had ever met.
Continue reading “Damn dirty Dayaks”

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Penang retains power over water tariffs

By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — Penang will sign a water restructuring deal with Putrajaya tomorrow that will see the state relieved of its financial burden in developing water assets while at the same time, retaining control over water tariffs.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng announced the agreement terms in a statement today, adding that the deal demonstrates the Penang Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government’s willingness to foster a mature working relationship with the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government.

Lim said under the deal, Penang would agree to the migration of its core assets in Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP), in exchange for a complete restructuring exercise of the outstanding federal loans owed by the state.

The terms of the agreement are as follows: Continue reading “Penang retains power over water tariffs”

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A guide to West Malaysians for Sabahans

by Erna Mahyuni
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011

JUNE 1 — Since I have written a guide for West Malaysians about Sarawak, perhaps it is only fair I write about Sabah. But writing “Sabah 101” seemed boring so I flipped it around and now here’s a handy reference for Sabahans dealing with the influx of West Malaysians thanks to AirAsia.

1. Most West Malaysians really don’t remember September 16, 1963, and when asked, will only remember that “Malaysia gained its independence in 1957.” Don’t blame them; blame our badly-written history textbooks. Incidentally, they were written by West Malaysians.

2. West Malaysian Muslims are a lot more uptight than the ones in Sabah. If you take them to a soto stall that is situated outside a Chinese coffee shop, don’t be offended if they refuse to eat in fear of the food not being halal (kosher). If they are Malay and Muslim, make sure the eatery has a halal signboard.

3. Expect them to be very nosy about what race or religion you are. If you happen to look Chinese but greet them with the Muslim salam or you look Malay and are eating pork in front of them, prepare for either looks of shock or ones of taking offence. West Malaysians seem to get offended easily, for some reason. (Proof can be found in the comments of my columns, funnily enough written by people in West Malaysia) Continue reading “A guide to West Malaysians for Sabahans”

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A dream of Malaysian unity

– CKL
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011

MAY 31 — I have read with sadness the many letters you have published regarding Malaysia’s brain drain. I am one of those, who left Malaysia for many reasons, chiefly, because I did not see any future for my children in a country which had become increasingly racist, moving from moderate to fundamentalist Islamic and also increasingly intolerant.

To those who say that I am unpatriotic and that I should stay on to help change the country, I tell you that it cannot be changed! Whilst working as a professional in Malaysia, I also served for 14 years in the Territorial Army of Malaysia (Rejimen Askar Wataniah), rising to my last rank of Major.

Rejimen Askar Wataniah is the army reserves of Malaysia and we undergo weekend military training every fortnight. During those years, not only was I prepared to risk life and limb for King and country, but I also initiated and helped set up Askar Wataniah societies in mainly Chinese tertiary institutes which recruited Chinese students into the Askar Wataniah. Every year, those societies recruited some 100+ Chinese students into the Rejimen Askar Wataniah, compared with a miserly 10+ in the regular army.

I expected nothing from my efforts because I enjoyed my time in the Askar Wataniah and I was patriotic, then! But I certainly did not expect brickbats and every effort being made by my fellow Malay officers to run me down because they were jealous (my efforts in recruiting such large numbers of Chinese into the Askar Wataniah had caught the attention of the military top brass and also assorted politicians, in particular MCA politicians) or as one of them told me, “perasaan dengki” which Malays always seem to have for those who are more successful than they are. Continue reading “A dream of Malaysian unity”

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Rakyat atau Kerajaan yang perlu berjimat?

– Mohd Yusof Hadhari
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011

1 JUN — Sekarang kita semua perlu terus sedar bahawa penjimatan kini sudah menjadi wajib. Ia patut menjadi kata kunci kepada semua orang, bukan lagi kepada yang berpendapatan rendah sahaja. Kanapa saya berkata begitu. Harga gula sudah naik, harga minyak sudah berapa kali naik. Untuk harga barang yang lain harap tidak di naikan lagi, sekurang-kurangnya tidak dirasionalisasikan dalam masa terdekat. Harga petrol Ron95, diesel dan gas masih lagi bertahan, entah sampai bila subsidinya dapat diteruskan! Kita tunggu dan lihat.

Dan mulai kemarin (1 Jun), bagi pengguna elektrik antara 301kW dan 1000kW unit, tarifnya sudah dinaikan daripada 0.1 hingga 10 peratus, atau RM0.07 kepada RM30.30. Macam biasa, tenang semua. Harga gas asli di Malaysia masih lagi murah berbanding Negara jiran meskipun dengan kenaikan itu. Menurut kerajaan, sebelum atau selepas kenaikan, setelah dirasionalisasikan, harga di Negara ini masih murah jika di bandingkan dengan Thailand sebanyak RM18.23 setiap juta unit termal British (MMBtu). Indonesia RM21.04, Singapura RM43.32 dan Vietnam RM18.70.

Kerajaan kata kenaikan dalam bekalan gas ke sektor perindustrian adalah wajar, iaitu daripada RM15 setiap MMBtu kepada RM16.07 setiap MMBtu, jika dibandingkan dengan Negara serantau seperti Thailand (RM19.46), Indonesia (RM18.74) dan Singapura (RM113.45). Apa pun, yang jelas pengguna tidak akan selesa dengan sebarang kenaikan. Continue reading “Rakyat atau Kerajaan yang perlu berjimat?”

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Something to ponder before migrating

– From a doctor who stayed
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011

JUNE 1 — It has been illuminating reading the various stories of the people who left and the people who stayed. I personally feel it is the individual’s choice and I agree largely with the opinions of John Rahman. However, I do want to share a couple of angles from a physician’s perspective.

1. To all those who have migrated whose parents are still alive, please make provisions for them if they are left behind. Most people write about the opportunities they need to give to their children but rarely mention what happens to their parents when they migrate.

As a doctor, I see this every day. There are many elderly patients who are admitted to hospital and their children are all living abroad. It is very sad. Continue reading “Something to ponder before migrating”

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An insult to Islam?

Hafidz Baharom
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011

JUNE 1 — First and foremost, having a Christian prime minister is not an insult to Islam, nor is allowing a nation to become secular or even Christian.

Take a look at Germany. Their president and chancellor belong to the Christian Democratic Union Party. Yet, Islam is still alive and well in their nation.

If that’s too much for you to imagine, take a look at Netherlands then. Ruled by a monarch and extremely secular, their prime minister is from the VVD and his deputy is from the Christian Democratic Appeal party. Yet still, Islam is there, alive and well enough to be the cause of Theo Van Gogh’s death.

Should Malaysia become a secular or Christian nation, it will not be Islam that is offended. It’s just people who obviously were not granted the brains, patience or even sensitivity to understand that the first basis of the religion itself is to find moderation.

If a Muslim does wrong, he or she is told to repent. If a non-Muslim says something wrong, we are told, through Islamic teaching, to educate them and find a peaceful solution. Continue reading “An insult to Islam?”

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Bigger landslide in the making

Stephanie Sta Maria | May 30, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

The situation in Bukit Antarabangsa is serious as the slope failures or shallow landslides are indications of an impending bigger landslide.

KUALA LUMPUR: Double landslides occurred side by side in Bukit Antarabangsa, Hulu Kelang, Selangor, 10 days ago but escaped public attention for both struck on the same day as the Hulu Langat tragedy.

As rescue personnel and the media rushed to the Madrasah Al-Taqwa Orphanage, business owners and employees watched mounds of wet earth sliding down the slope behind their commercial centre in Taman Ukay Perdana.

Unlike Hulu Langat, however, no property damages or injuries took place in the Bukit Antarabangsa incident.

The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) moved swiftly in dispatching a team from its hillslope division to begin immediate work in containing the situation and repairing the slope.

MPAJ is currently the only authority with an existing hillslope division which was formed after the 2008 Bukit Antarabangsa landslide, which claimed five lives. Continue reading “Bigger landslide in the making”

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A fight for Malaysia

— Dr Kamal Amzan
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011

JUNE 1 — The country of nasi lemak, rendang, pasembor, rojak and yong tau hu.

A nation of colourful festivals and public holidays that dot the yearly planner, turning any calendar into a polka-dot collage.

It is where you find everyone is related. We are somebody’s “uncles”, “aunties”, “pak ciks” and “mak ciks”, akin to a super big family celebrating our differences in fashionably colourful ways.

A country blessed with pristine, tranquil mountaintops, sandy white beaches and whatever remains of our rich rainforest heritage everywhere.

A place where the east converges before greeting the west.

This is my country. My home, my heaven and my paradise. Continue reading “A fight for Malaysia”

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Through my aging eyes: Kaamatan – A Blend of Politics and Culture

By Dr Edwin Bosi
DAP Sabah State Secretary
Borneo Post
1.6.11

If my recollection is right the planting season used to be from February to May of each year. I remember the meticulous preparation from clearing a plot of land for the nursery to transplanting and harvesting. Each family had a fenced-up plot where every bit of herbage was removed, and using a sharpened pole my mom would plunge it into the ground, making sure the small holes thus created were in a neat roll. Then the best quality padi grains were placed into the tiny holes and buried by racking the soil at the surface. Up on the trees, little “pipit” or brownish sparrows were waiting to salvage whatever grains were found scattered on the plot. The size of the plot depends on the acreage of ones padi field.

The seedlings upon reaching about a foot tall were ready for transplanting onto the field. While the seeds grew the padi land was prepared by ploughing with the assistance of an obedient and trained buffaloes. The bunds were repaired and made strong enough to hold the water. The soil was then broken or harrowed before the seedlings were transplanted. Usually there were few people involved in the planting in unison using a short small sharpened wood to make the holes in the soil and then sticking the seedlings into them. The job was executed by stepping backward to ensure a straight line was achieved. If I can recall the planting distant between two seedlings was about 18 inches. Continue reading “Through my aging eyes: Kaamatan – A Blend of Politics and Culture”

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I will not give in to fear

— Lim Ka Joy
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011

JUNE 1 — Dear Malaysia,

It is with great joy and hope and also some apprehension that I undertook this task of writing why I have decided not to forsake you even though I have watched you grow from bad to worse over the years.

I speak to you as a single entity because that is what you are. You are a nation. Though not every part of you will understand this, but I am sure your brain does and that is all we need at the end of the day.

Just for the purposes of a personal intro, I am your average Gen-Y Malaysian who hails form Kuching, Sarawak. I was a victim of discrimination after SPM and STPM. However, thanks to my parents who funded the major portion my tertiary education, I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in December 2008.

That year, my dad encouraged me to look for a job overseas. “Don’t work in Malaysia,” he said, “it is not worth it. Salary is one reason for leaving, but with the current un-meritocratic and un-progressive stance on politics, education, economics and social issues, our country is going down the proverbial drain.” Continue reading “I will not give in to fear”