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Ambiga receives SMS death threat

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal | June 23, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 23 — Bersih chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has received a death threat via text message which was also sent this morning to reporters and some members of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih).

The text message warned Ambiga as well as PAS and PKR leaders from going ahead with the July 9 Bersih rally, and said her life would be in jeopardy should it (the rally) proceed.

“Korg ni buta hati ke?? buat apa sokong ambiga keling paria haramjadah tu? dia ni kapir laknat. korang tau tak dia ni jadi alat anjing2 politik untuk musnahkan keutuhan melayu. dia kata je nak BERSIH kan SPR. bersih kepala bapak dia. puak2 PAS n PKR pun buta tuli n pekak badak.. kalau SPR tak bersih, boleh ke diorang menang kat Sgor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan n perak dulu?
Continue reading “Ambiga receives SMS death threat”

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Bersih 2.0: Why I will march

By June Rubis
June 23, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 23 — We can only look back at our past to recognise the pivotal points that have brought us to where we are today.

Today, I am blessed to have a boss who supports and shares the same passions as I do: playing a role in strengthening civil society in Malaysia, along with wildlife conservation and rural community-based initiatives.

I particularly look forward to her mentorship as she has played a very significant leadership role in Green Surf, a home-grown Sabah coalition that successfully fought to stop a coal power plant being built in the state. Continue reading “Bersih 2.0: Why I will march”

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We’ve made a big mistake, says Lynas boss

Malaysiakini | Jun 23, 11

Lynas boss Nicholas Curtis has conceded that his company made the mistake of failing to adequately engage the community in Kuantan over fears of radioactive waste from its controversial rare earth plant.

“We made a mistake, and it was a big mistake, of thinking that because we have met the (Malaysian) standards (of safety), that it was enough. It was not enough. Our obligation is to continue to engage the community in Kuantan.”

The Lynas chief’s mea culpa came after the emergence of stringent opposition to the plant, which is being built in Gebeng Industrial Estate, about 50km from Kuantan. The RM700 million plant will be completed by the end of September.

“I respect that emotions have (become) very high, but these are emotions, not facts,” said Curtis. The detractors of the project, he said, are “pushing emotional stories for political gains”.
Continue reading “We’ve made a big mistake, says Lynas boss”

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Through my aging eyes: We are at the mercy of Nature

By Edwin Bosi

When I visited Tambatuon village in Kadamaian Kota Belud in April 2011 with YB Jimmy Wong and DAP Sabah political leaders it was actually partly a fact-finding mission. We heard so much of Tambatuon through the news media, their fight for survival against a proposed dam that will in the word of Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, BN Member of Parliament for Kota Belud, obliterate them from the map of Sabah. Our casual visit, meeting and walking around the village gave us a feeling that the villagers were genuinely not in favor of the dam at all cost. It is not only showing in their faces but also their environment. They have built a beautiful yet simple and decent life in Tambatuon which they call home.

Sdr Lim Kit Siang took time on 28 May 2011 to visit and meet up with the ex-village chief Singkui Tinggi and other community leaders. He too was convinced of the peoples’ stance against the dam. When the plea of the villagers touched the very heart of Sdr Kit Siang, it does not take long for him to commence the battle for and to save Tambatuon, via the Twitter world. Sadly on that night, Kit Siang soon found out that there is no internet coverage in Tambatuon so the “Twitter war” has to be conducted in Kota Kinabalu.
Continue reading “Through my aging eyes: We are at the mercy of Nature”

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Chun Wai should not be blamed

By bujai | June 22, 2011

The readers’ poll on ‘Bersih 2.0’ which was carried by The Star newspaper drew mixed reactions from politicians, the media and blog writers. Some said it was tantamount to The Star throwing its full support for the planned rally next month while others described it as an immodesty.

To accuse The Star editorial team as being ignoramous and not sensitive to the sentiments caused by Bersih 2.0 is also not proper as the newspaper is professionally-led. However, professionals do err once in a while.

But to accuse The Star of committing an enormity is a bit overboard. If we expect the government, especially the Home Ministry to take a relentless action against the publication, we should may as well recap what other papers have done in the past few months. I personally believe what Utusan Malaysia did about two months ago was of ‘equal’ to that of The Star.
Continue reading “Chun Wai should not be blamed”

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Improving The Odds For Our Disadvantaged Students

By M. Bakri Musa

Students from a disadvantaged background face many challenges; thus it is not a surprise that they lag academically. This has always been true and accepted as normal. The consequence to this acceptance is that the students’ disadvantaged background becomes too ready an excuse for teachers and policymakers not to address the issue of widening educational achievement gap, blaming instead such factors as poverty and lack of parental involvement.

While those are relevant, there is much that schools, teachers and policymakers can do to turn disadvantaged students into “resilient” ones. A recent OECD study, Against The Odds. Disadvantaged Students Who Succeed in School, (PDF) confirms this. “Resilient” students, as defined by the study, are those from a disadvantaged socio-economic background relative to students in their country, and attain high scores by international standards.
Continue reading “Improving The Odds For Our Disadvantaged Students”

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Scholarships for those who earn and need it

Yap Mun Ching
The Sun
23 June 2011

AFTER many years of opaque silence, the debate over tertiary education scholarships has finally boiled over with public demands for the list of renegade Public Services Department Scholarship (PSD) holders to be published and at least one father threatening to sue a corporate foundation for not giving his son a scholarship to Cambridge. It is a timely debate and one that stands at the heart of the transparency and accountability pledge of the government.

To find our way out of this mess, a useful starting point is the criteria for allocating scholarships which has been veiled under much secrecy. In a letter to the NST, the chairman of the Centre for Public Policy Studies, Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, stated the criteria as follows: academic achievement (20%), racial composition (60%), East Malaysia bumiputra (10%) and socially disadvantaged (10%).

If this is accurate, we can trace many of the controversies over allocation of scholarship funds to this set of guidelines. If only 20% of the national scholarship budget is used to award meritocracy; it is not surprising then that the majority of scholars that we turn out are of mediocre achievement. If only 10% is allocated to support poor students; no wonder movements like Hindraf strike a chord. It is uncertain if the bulk of the 70% of racial allocation is made with any secondary criteria (e.g. meritocratic and means-tested) as well, but it is galling for this writer to recall the PSD and GLC scholarship holders who had sufficient means to purchase vehicles and designer goods throughout their study abroad. Continue reading “Scholarships for those who earn and need it”

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Najib says 1 Malaysia more than just rhetoric

By Shannon Teoh
June 22, 201 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — Two years after coming to office with his 1 Malaysia concept, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today that the slogan was more than empty rhetoric but a policy that will improve the lives of the public.

He said the 1 Malaysia concept promises to prioritise the people with improvements in public service delivery and economic reforms.

“1 Malaysia is also products and services which will lighten the burden of the people and improve their quality of life,” the prime minister said at the launch of the pioneer Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia (KR1M) thrift store at the Kelana Jaya LRT station today. Continue reading “Najib says 1 Malaysia more than just rhetoric”

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Kit Siang offers to prove Ibrahim Ali’s Chinese threat

By Clara Chooi
June 22, 201 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang offered today to deliver a copy of Datuk Ibrahim Ali’s speech on Sunday to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Home Minister to prove that the Perkasa president had threatened the Chinese community.

Describing him as “guilty as hell”, Lim said he had watched a recording of Ibrahim’s speech and confirmed that the fiery Malay rights leader had indeed warned the Chinese to stay home and stock up on food during the planned Bersih rally this July 9. Continue reading “Kit Siang offers to prove Ibrahim Ali’s Chinese threat”

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Malaysia’s Comical Ali

By Dean Johns
Jun 22, 11 | MalaysiaKini

For a criminal regime to survive and thrive, it has to look deadly serious. So you know it’s in dire distress when it has to resort to sending in the clowns.

The most classic instance of this, as we all vividly recall, was Saddam Hussein’s employment of the man dubbed ‘Comical Ali’ for the ludicrous lies he told about the ‘victories’ of the Butcher of Baghdad, even as defeat was plainly evident for the whole world to see on TV. Continue reading “Malaysia’s Comical Ali”

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Kit Siang spells out case for July 9 rally

MalaysiaKini
Jun 22, 11

If certain quarters claim not to know why the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9 needs to be held, the reasons have been provided by the BN leaders themselves within and outside Parlaiament, said DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang today.

The first reason is contained in the Prime Minister’s Department’s written reply yesterday to DAP’s Seputeh M Teresa Kok, in which it was revealed RM1.18 billion worth of programmes and projects had been announced for Sarawak during the state’s recently concluded polls, said Lim. Continue reading “Kit Siang spells out case for July 9 rally”

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Ex-Perlis mufti Asri backs Bersih’s intentions

MalaysiaKini
Jun 22, 11

Former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said after hearing and evaluating the briefing given by the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih), he found its intentions to be good.

Asri said he had been swarmed with questions over the Bersih campaign and for him to take a stand on the issue of demands for just elections.

He explained that any life dealings should be assessed in two ways: its purpose and method. Continue reading “Ex-Perlis mufti Asri backs Bersih’s intentions”

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Ibrahim Ali as guilty as hell

I have seen the video recording of the speech by the Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali at the launch of the Bersih 2.0 counter-protest in Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday and there can be no doubt that he is as guilty as hell in his incendiary, inciteful and treasonous “Chinese should stock up food” tirade.

If the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussin and the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sir Ismail Ismail Omar have not seen the video recording, I can send them a copy of the video.

The question is why the paralysis of the Home Minister and the Inspector-General of Police in the past three days when confronted by Ibrahim Ali’s open contempt for the law and the authorities?

Is this because the face of Ibrahim Ali is increasingly coming to represent the real power in Umno politics – replacing that of Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Continue reading “Ibrahim Ali as guilty as hell”

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Home is where my heart is at ease to serve

By Kang Ho
June 22, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

JUNE 22 — In the 1980s, I received 8A’s for SRP. Thereafter, I transferred to a technical school and received 3A’s for SPM with Grade 1.

My Malay schoolmates who received Grade 1 were sent overseas for further studies and those who received Grade 2 were placed in local universities. My other Malay schoolmates who received Grade 3 were left behind in the same class as I was in Form Six.

Even back then, I knew something was not right and I lost focus on my studies in Malaysia. My teachers told me that the reason I was not treated the same as my Malay schoolmates was because of “kulitfication.” Continue reading “Home is where my heart is at ease to serve”

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Hisham: Police to haul up rallies’ organisers

By Clara Chooi
June 22, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — The Home Ministry will flex its muscles ahead of the Bersih rally next month, announcing today that organisers of all three assemblies will be hauled up by Bukit Aman today.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein also confirmed today that the three — Bersih 2.0, Umno Youth and Perkasa — would not be granted permits for their planned gatherings on July 9.

“My statement today is that all three parties will not be granted permits to gather on that date. I am saying that categorically, all three of them will not get it. Continue reading “Hisham: Police to haul up rallies’ organisers”

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Kit Siang: RM1.7b Sarawak pork barrel justifies Bersih march

By Shannon Teoh
June 22, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — Lim Kit Siang has accused Barisan Nasional (BN) of vote buying during the April 16 Sarawak election, stating that the RM1.7 billion spent on its campaign was reason enough for the July 9 Bersih rally calling for free and fair elections.

The DAP parliamentary leader added that the entire federal Cabinet had campaigned in Sarawak, leaving no one to govern the country during the election period.

“It was not just Sarawak BN but the entire federal government campaigning in the Sarawak elections — making a complete mockery of the principle of free and fair elections,” said the Ipoh Timur MP of the RM1.18 billion spent by the Najib administration up to April 30 this year in Sarawak. Continue reading “Kit Siang: RM1.7b Sarawak pork barrel justifies Bersih march”

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Federal Govt spending RM1.18 billion, Cabinet campaing in Sarawak and RM500 mil BN election outlay reasons for Bersih 2.0 rally

FACT 1: In Parliament yesterday, in written answer to the DAP MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok, the Prime Minister’s Department revealed that the Federal Government had announced a total of 62 programmes and projects worth a total of RM1.18 billion in Sarawak during the just-concluded Sarawak state polls.

The RM1.18 billion was divided between 10 ministries, namely the Prime Minister’s Department; Rural and Regional Development Ministry; Natural Resources and Environment Ministry; Defence Ministry; Health Ministry; Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry; Education Ministry; Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry; Works Ministry; and Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry.

The projects include upgrading work for suraus, mosques and other places of worship; community halls, schools and roads; longhouse repairs; electricity supply; the construction of jetties and bridges; the renovation of hospitals and clinics; flood mitigation work; and contributions and welfare aid, among others.
Continue reading “Federal Govt spending RM1.18 billion, Cabinet campaing in Sarawak and RM500 mil BN election outlay reasons for Bersih 2.0 rally”

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Perkasa chief an ‘unmitigated coward’

Malaysiakini Your Say | Jun 22, 11

‘Ibrahim Ali is lying through his teeth. He meant to threaten the Chinese but now has to eat his own words as he fears the wrath of the society.’

‘Chinese stay home’ remark just advice, says Ibrahim

Malaysian Born: True to form, Ibrahim is showing himself for the unmitigated coward that he is. Suddenly, he’s now apparently “advising” (instead of threatening) the Chinese not to participate in the Bersih rally.

Frankly, it is high time that he is treated for the racist troublemaker he is. He instigates everyone and when the shit hits the fan, he hides in some hole where rodents like him usually breed.
Continue reading “Perkasa chief an ‘unmitigated coward’”

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Blogger warns Chinese away from Bersih

By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 21, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, June 21 — After a similar threat from Perkasa’s Datuk Ibrahim Ali Sunday, the Chinese community was yesterday warned against participating in next month’s Bersih rally via an email thread making its rounds to several media organisations here.

The email, sent by a self-proclaimed nationalist and blogger with the pseudonym “Panglima Perang Cyber” (cyber war commander), came with an attached video found on Youtube.com of the infamous May 1998 racial riots in Indonesia that caused the deaths of hundreds.

“Are the Chinese in Malaysia willing to accept the same fate as their brethren in Indonesia if our country goes into chaos?

“So let us 1 Malaysia Malay, Chinese and Indians reject the Bersih demonstration for the good of our grandchildren. Watch the video below,” the email read. Continue reading “Blogger warns Chinese away from Bersih”