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PR mesti ingat: ‘The darkest part of the night is just before dawn’

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 06, 2011

6 DIS — Perhimpunan Agong Umno yang baru selesai ini menampakkan kepada kita segala niat dan matlamat Umno serta pimpinannya yang sebenar. Bermula dari ucapan Timbalan Presidenya semasa perhimpunan 3 sayap parti pada selasa lepas membawa kepada ucapan dasar presiden dalam Perhimpunan Agong Umno sehinggalah kepada ucapan penangguhan persidangan pada sabtu yang lepas semuanya penampilan parti yang “desperate dan panicky”.

Seperti biasa agenda Melayu menjadi isu yang terbesar seperti perhimpunan-perhimpunan sejak Umno mula berkecai selama lebih dua dekad yang lalu. Isu agenda Melayu ini pada saya hanyalah merupakan umpan yang ampuh untuk memerangkap orang Melayu untuk dipergunakan bagi pemimpin-pemimpin parti yang sentiasa lapar kepada kuasa tetapi tidak bertanggungjawab kepada rakyat yang memberi mandat itu.

Isu agenda Melayu ini memang isu yang tidak pernah tertinggal dalam Perhimpunan Agong Umno atau dalam mana-mana convention parti dan selalunya pemimpin terutamanya Najib akan mengeluarkan dari mulutnya segala istilah-istilah serta acronym acronym yang hebat-hebat tanpa memahami apa yang beliau katakan. Program Transformasi Ekonomi (PTE) merupakan sebutan seperti menyebut nama cucu oleh seorang atuk, tetapi semua orang tahu dan merasakan yang setakat ini tidak ada satu pun lagi PTE yang sedang berjaya dilaksanakan. Continue reading “PR mesti ingat: ‘The darkest part of the night is just before dawn’”

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UMNO General Assembly: Beating the drums for another May 13

Dr. Lim Teck Ghee
CPI
6th Dec 2011

Commentary

The UMNO General Assembly has come and gone. Most political observers had expected it to be the usual rah-rah event aimed at rallying UMNO members ahead of the coming elections and in support of the leadership of Najib Razak, the party president. They were right. The public were subject to yet another spectacle of sound and fury on how important the party is to the future of Malays, albeit with the occasional reminder of how indispensable the party is to the well being of all the citizens of the country.

Optimistic observers who had hoped that the party would live up to its rhetoric of being a mature and transformed party of moderation – at least for the duration of this publicly viewed occasion – were disappointed. The collective breast beating led by the party president and deputy president – on the greatness and goodness of the party compared with the weaknesses and evilness of the opposition – was quite unprecedented in the history of the party’s general assemblies.

The attacks against PAS, PKR and especially the DAP during the meeting have only just begun. Can we expect it to continue with greater viciousness and spitefulness as UMNO leaders fan out into the grassroots to campaign in the next few months leading to the elections? What should be of concern is not just the running down and bad mouthing of the opposition. This has been the norm in past assemblies, especially those leading up to the elections. What is new and unexpected is the vitriol and venom directed openly and without inhibition at opposition parties and their leaders. Continue reading “UMNO General Assembly: Beating the drums for another May 13”

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TI CPI 2011 on Malaysia’s worst-ever 60th ranking and lowest-ever 4.3 score in 17 years cannot continue to be “the elephant in the room”

It is most shocking and outrageous that up to now, neither the Prime Minister,
Datuk Seri Najib Razak nor the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has responded to the worst international report card for Malaysia in the 32-month Najib premiership.

This worst international report card for Malaysia was delivered on the same day that Najib made his “do-or-die” UMNO Presidential Address last Thursday, but for the entire UMNO General Assembly, the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2011 was the “elephant in the room” with all the UMNO leaders and delegates putting up a great pretence that it never existed.

In fact, not a single UMNO leader or delegate at the UMNO General Assembly breathed a word of concern about corruption in general or TI CPI 2011 in particular – apart from giving “blank cheque” support to Wanita UMNO leader and Minister for Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil in her embroilment in the RM300 million “CattleGate Cow Condo” scandal!

Three days after the UMNO General Assembly, the TI CPI 2011 – which was the worst ranking for Malaysia in 17 years since the introduction of the annual ranking, plunging from No.23 placing in 1995 to the worst ever of No. 60, as well as registering the lowest-ever score of 4.3 when Malaysia scored 5.28 in 1995 and 5.32 in 1996 – continued to be “the elephant in the room” for the entire Najib government!

In the past week, Muhyiddin has been both Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, completing the full repertoire of political stances ranging from that of an extremist playing the race card in his speech at the joint opening of Umno Wanita, Youth and Putera general assemblies last Tuesday, perpetrating irresponsible lies, falsehoods and sedition that the DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers to putting on the garb of a moderate extolling multi-racial co-operation in his speech at the 20th anniversary dinner of the Federation of Chinese Associations (Hua Zong) on Sunday night.

But Muhyiddin, like all the UMNO/Barisan Nasional Ministers and leaders, could not see “the elephant in the room” for a whole week – the TI CPI 2011 on the worst ranking and lowest-ever score for Malaysia in 17 years, highlighting the tragic fact that corruption in 32 months under Najib is worse than five years under Tun Abdullah and 22 years under Tun Mahathir!

Malaysia’s TI CPI ranking and score, which ranges between 10 (highly clean) and 0 (highly corrupt), from 1995 to 2011 are as follows:
Continue reading “TI CPI 2011 on Malaysia’s worst-ever 60th ranking and lowest-ever 4.3 score in 17 years cannot continue to be “the elephant in the room””

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Bring it on, Pakatan tells Umno

by Nigel Aw
Malaysiakini
Dec 5, 2011

A day after the Umno general assembly concluded with the beating of war drums and vows to wrest back Pakatan Rakyat-held states, the federal opposition went on the offensive as well.

PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim, the star at a rally of 5,000 in Shah Alam last night, said Pakatan will not only defend Selangor, but improve its electoral performance in the state.

“(Prime Minister) Najib Abdul Razak said he wants to recapture Selangor (but) we tell him that he can keep dreaming about Selangor – and that we will capture Putrajaya,” declared Anwar.

He picked apart Umno’s Malay credentials which the party has attempted to project in the run-up to a looming general election.

“Do you believe that Umno defends the Malays? If they defend the Malays they would not sell Malay land.

“The last bastion of Malay land in Kuala Lumpur (is Kampung Baru). They (the government) wants to hand it over to (Federal Territories Minister) Raja Nong Chik under the Kampung Baru Development Act.”

Also present was DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang who moved to deflect Umno’s relentless attacks on his party during the general assembly. Continue reading “Bring it on, Pakatan tells Umno”

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Challenge to Muhyiddin – substantiate his UMNO General Assembly speech that DAP wants to set up a Republic or apologise for the lie

I challenge Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to substantiate his UMNO General Assembly speech that DAP wants to abolish the system of Malay sultanates and set up a republic or he should apologise for the lie.

In his speech opening UMNO’s Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings’ annual general assemblies on Tuesday, Muhyiddin appeared to substantiate his allegation of a DAP agenda to form a republic when he followed up with a rhetorical question:

“If not, do they dare suggest the prime minister’s position be selected based solely on elections and without being chosen by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong? What is the meaning of this?

“It means that the democratic parliamentary system and the constitutional monarchy which we have been practising thus far no longer suit their interest to seize power.”

But this is a downright lie as no DAP leader had ever made such a statement. Continue reading “Challenge to Muhyiddin – substantiate his UMNO General Assembly speech that DAP wants to set up a Republic or apologise for the lie”

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Malaysian Capitalism

By Bakri Musa
Chapter11: Embracing Free Enterprise

In the decade following independence, the Tunku’s administration adopted a laissez-faire attitude towards the economy. He was committed to free enterprise and capitalism, but he wrongly read the Malaysian economy and marketplace. They were neither open nor free. Powerful forces effectively controlled the economy and marketplace. The first were the large and entrenched foreign-owned corporations (usually British) that essentially corralled the major sectors (the “commanding heights”), from plantations and mining to manufacturing and banking. Through their sheer size and well-established network, these companies ensured that their dominance was never threatened. They neither welcomed nor tolerated new entrants and competitors. The second group was made up of ethnic Chinese and Indian “mom and pop” retailers and sundry merchants. Their enterprises were small family affairs. They too protected their economic turf ferociously. They effectively controlled their domain through their clan organizations, often using extralegal means to enforce their code. The “triad” organizations of secret societies are manifestations of this phenomenon.

Between the ethnic retailers and the major colonial corporations, the economy of Malaysia was essentially “locked up.” They imposed stiff and insurmountable barriers to new entrants. In short, despite the government’s commitment to a free market, the economy was far from being free. The game was rigged. Had there been enterprising and competent Malays, they would have been effectively shut out. Even a super entrepreneur like Ted Turner or someone with a Harvard MBA would have a tough time cracking in an honest way such a closed and rigged system. Continue reading “Malaysian Capitalism”

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Najib’s Transformation Programme in fighting corruption a major wash-out when TI CPI 2011 shows Malaysia in 2½ years under the new PM is more corrupt than 5 years under Abdullah and 22 years under Mahathir

When Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2011 was released Thursday, Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) said Malaysia’s latest ranking is the worst in 10 years – falling from 56th place last year to 60th place out of 183 countries while its CPI score fell to the lowest-ever of 4.3.

The TI-M statement is incorrect. In fact, Malaysia’s 2011 TI CPI ranking is the worst in 17 years since the introduction of TI’s annual CPI in 1995.

In the nine years from 1995 to 2003, Tun Dr. Mahathir as Prime Minister saw Malaysia’s TI CPI score stuck in the narrow groove between 4.8 in 2000 to 5.32 in 1996 while the CPI ranking fell 14 places from No. 23 in 1995 to No. 37 in 2003. (10 is highly clean while 0 is highly corrupt)

In the five-year premiership of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia’s TI CPI ranking fell 10 places from 37 in 2003 to 47 placing in 2008, while the CPI score stuck between 5.0 to 5.1.

In his 2 ½ years as Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak presided over the worst TI CPI ranking and score for Malaysia on many fronts, viz:

* worst single-year plunge in TI CPI ranking of nine placings. i.e. fall from No. 47 in 2008 to No. 56 in 2009.

* most precipitous fall in TI CPI ranking in 2 ½ years under Najib’s premiership, falling 13 placings from No. 47 in 2008 to No. 60 in 2011; when in five years under Abdullah, Malaysia fell 10 places from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 47 in 2008 and in nine years under Mahathir, Malaysia fell 14 places from No. 23 in 1995 to No. 37 in 2003. Continue reading “Najib’s Transformation Programme in fighting corruption a major wash-out when TI CPI 2011 shows Malaysia in 2½ years under the new PM is more corrupt than 5 years under Abdullah and 22 years under Mahathir”

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Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?

The 65th UMNO General Assembly closed yesterday with one big question among thinking and patriotic Malaysians, regardless of political affiliation: – “Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?”

At first the lies and poison were only told and used at closed-door UMNO meetings. Then they were spread by anonymous UMNO blogs and cybertroopers on the Internet, followed by the UMNO media.

When these lies and poison failed to achieve the desired public and political impact with the approach of the 13th General Elections, UMNO strategists became more irresponsible, reckless and desperate.

In the past week, these lies and poison became the staple diet of UMNO leaders in the meetings preparatory to and during the sessions proper of the 65th UMNO General Assembly, with the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, in their capacities as UMNO President and UMNO Deputy President giving their personal stamp of approval by adopting and retailing these lies and poison to sway votes in favour of UMNO in the coming polls.

Culminating in Muhyiddin and Najib, one UMNO leader after another in the past week have taken to the public pulpit in a carefully-orchestrated campaign to demonise the DAP and frighten Malay voters with the lies that the Malays will lose their rights and power should Pakatan Rakyat win more federal seats in the next general election, or in the words of the UMNO information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan, “the Malay language will be lost, say goodbye to the Malay Sultans, Say goodbye to Islam because they (DAP) are agents of Christianisation”.

Muhyiddin was completely unabashed in playing the race card when he falsely accused the DAP of being anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers, even telling the lie that the DAP’s agenda is to establish a Republic in Malaysia.

Muhyiddin made history as the only Deputy Prime Minister in the world who was caught out telling a bare-faced lie, for he had been completely silent to my challenge to him to substantiate his allegation that the DAP wanted to abolish the constitutional monarchy and establish a Republic. Continue reading “Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?”

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Umno: Yang boleh memerintah hanyalah AKU, yang boleh menjamin kehidupan kamu adalah AKU… semuanya AKU!

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 03, 2011

3 DIS — Dalam kita menanti pilihanraya umum ke13 ini masing-masing terlalu sibuk untuk mengambil tempat sebagai calon terutamanya dalam Umno. Masing-masing yang berminat untuk di pilih menjadi calon bercakap yang mereka adalah “winnable candidate” dan pasti menang jika pucuk pimpinan sedar tentang kehadziran mereka dalam politik tempatan.

Dalam pada itu pimpinan tertinggi menggunakan segala tenaga dan fikiran untuk membelasah pihak yang tidak mahu mengikut telunjuk mereka. Siapa sahaja yang tidak sebulu dengan Umno atau pun BN, bermacam-macam nama di gunakan mereka untuk melabelkan seseorang yang tidak bersama mereka.

Yang paling kuat sekali ialah TS Muhyiddin Yassin yang memanggil orang itu pembelot dan pengkhianat, seolah-olah mereka itu bukannya pengkhianat kepada bangsa dan negara mereka.

Elok kita kupas sedikit tentang isu pembelot ini. Siapakah pembelot itu dalam konteks politik dan kenegaraan? Apakah yang di lakukan oleh seseorang itu untuk boleh di labelkan sebagai pembelot? Definasi pembelot ini sangat luas jika dipandang dari sudut makronya.

Tetapi biar kita berbahas dalam konteks politik pilihanraya yang hampir tiba ini. Pembelot dan pengkhianat negara boleh ditafsirkan sebagai sesiapa yang melakukan kejahatan kepada negara. Apa pula perkara-perkara yang dianggap jahat yang dilakukan kepada negara? Perkara-perkaranya banyak.

Rasuah merupakan pembelotan terbesar kepada negara. Perasuah itu adalah pengkhianat, apatah lagi kalau dilakukan oleh mereka yang telah diberikan tanggungjawab untuk menjaga harta benda rakyat melalui pilihanraya. Perbuatan rasuah itu adalah satu dosa besar kepada negara. Dalam kejadian rasuah ianya melibatkan wang rakyat dan sesiapa yang menerima wang rasuah itu, ia adalah satu kegiatan mencuri. Mencuri wang rakyat adalah pengkhianat negara. Continue reading “Umno: Yang boleh memerintah hanyalah AKU, yang boleh menjamin kehidupan kamu adalah AKU… semuanya AKU!”

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Umno vs. Najib

by Wan Saiful Wan Jan
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 04, 2011

4 DIS — Ketua Pemuda Umno YB Khairy Jamaluddin baru-baru ini mengatakan bahawa Umno kini dilihat sebagai lebih progresif dan lebih liberal. Jika ini benar, maka nampaknya masih ada yang tidak tahu mengenai perubahan itu.

Walaupun demikian saya gembira melihat Khairy secara terbuka menyeru Umno menjadi lebih progresif dan liberal. Seruan ini amat penting. Khairy sendiri mungkin perlu berusaha lebih keras untuk mengejar di belakang status Dato Saifuddin Abdullah yang kelihatan mendahului kelompok progresif dalam parti. Umno memang memerlukan lebih ramai pemimpin yang berfikiran progresif. Walaupun Khairy belum lagi sampai ke peringkat Saifuddin, beliau tetap ada potensi. Dan saya ikhlas mengharapkan Khairy akan sampai ke situ secepat mungkin.

Di kalangan pemimpin Ahli Majlis Tertinggi Umno, Saifuddin nampaknya konsisten menyeru ke arah penambahbaikan. Beberapa cadangan yang beliau utarakan memang bagus, dan beliau terus istiqamah walaupun menghadapi cabaran dari dalam parti sendiri, terutamanya dari kalang cybertroopers pro-Umno.

Minggu lepas Saifuddin ada mengeluarkan kenyataan yang amat berterus terang. Beliau mengatakan bahawa dalam Umno ada tiga kumpulan. Kumpulan pertama sentiasa mahukan perubahan dan mereka tidak bergantung kepada kemahuan Perdana Menteri. Kumpulan kedua juga mahukan perubahan tetapi komitmen mereka bergantung kepada kata Perdana Menteri. Kumpulan ketiga pula tidak mahukan perubahan besar kerana mereka selesa dengan status quo. Continue reading “Umno vs. Najib”

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Umno inciting power struggle with dominant DAP role, says Pakatan

By Melissa Chi
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 04, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders scorned Umno’s latest strategy to portray DAP as the dominant party in the opposition pact as an attempt to incite a power struggle among the three political allies.

“They say that PAS is being used by DAP, this is the strategy they use among the Malays, Muslim. With the Chinese, they say that PAS is using the Chinese. “They have used that for some time now but people know that even in terms of figures and numbers, DAP is stronger but we work collectively,” PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali told The Malaysian Insider over the phone yesterday.

DAP Parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang pointed out that Malays will continue to be the majority population in the country but Umno is creating the fear that DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam, and anti-ruler.

He reiterated his support of the constitutional monarchy.

“Nobody has undermined the Malay rulers. It is Umno and Umno leaders themselves,” he said, adding that BN leaders are contradicting themselves in their attacks against PR.

“In Barisan Nasional, it is very obvious that Umno is the hegemon and now they say that DAP is the dominant party. What has Chua Soi Lek been saying? MCA has been saying? That DAP is the puppet to PKR, to PAS, that the rights of the Chinese would be completely lost (in our hands).

“Now you have Umno saying the rights of the Malays will be completely lost. Who is lying?” he said. Continue reading “Umno inciting power struggle with dominant DAP role, says Pakatan”

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Winners and losers at Umno assembly 2011

The Malaysian Insider
Dec 03, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — In a few hours, the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) will be empty of the thousands of delegates, observers and supporters attending the annual Umno general assembly. The five-day meeting saw a slew of speeches that touched on the issues facing the dominant party in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.

Here are the winners and losers.

WINNERS: Hardliners in Umno because the speeches and tone from this year’s assembly suggest that the party has moved further away from the centre. Umno used to be a broad church of opinions from the farmers, religious scholars to the teachers and businessmen and pure political animals concerned about social justice, economy, religion and race.

Today, race is the dominant theme and the supremacy of the Malay race is being used to bulldoze and shut out other voices in the party. The DAP was singled out as the main cause impeding unity talks between the Malay parties. Ironically, PAS was formed by the Umno religious wing in 1951 and both parties only worked together in 1973 to 1977 in the aftermath of the May 13 race riots.

But the DAP gets the blame for the lack of Malay unity and the race riots. Continue reading “Winners and losers at Umno assembly 2011”

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200 brave water sprinklers to protest Assembly Bill

Nigel Aw | Dec 3, 2011
Malaysiakini

Despite what appeared to be attempts by the KLCC management to cause inconveniences, some 200 people converged at its park off Jalan Ampang in a carnival-like gathering to oppose the Peaceful Assembly Bill.

Instead of being met by police batons and water cannons on its second Saturday afternoon protest, the group of about 200, clad in yellow, were met with water sprinklers.

The group moved close to some trees in the park after the KLCC management, again, cordoned off its compound for a cleaning operation, including the area the protesters used last week.

There, they stood around national laureate A Samad Said, who is popularly known as Pak Samad, as he recited his poems. Then, the complex management turned on water sprinklers on the ground where they stood.

Undaunted, those who were caught in the sprays shielded themselves with umbrellas and continued to listen to Pak Samad, who recited his latest poem in tribute to the occupy movement, Merindu Ruang (Missing Space) after reciting his Bersih poem, ‘Unggun Bersih’. Continue reading “200 brave water sprinklers to protest Assembly Bill”

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A gathering of the National Organisation of Uncouth Morons

David Martin
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 02, 2011

DEC 2 — With the 13th General Elections a day closer with each sunrise, Malaysians are served with a nauseating fare of daily news by major electronic and print media agencies.

It seems that these days, Malaysian lives revolve around that annual gathering of rabid humans in Putra World Trade Centre whose antics would put even simians to shame.

It’s a place where foul language is cheered upon. A place where religious bashing is commonplace. A place where pots and kettles gather to call others black.

It’s a place where one race reigns supreme, not unlike Hitler’s mantra. A place where seeds of hatred are sown, nurtured and watered. A place that reeks of corruption and hypocrisy. Continue reading “A gathering of the National Organisation of Uncouth Morons”

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An Assembly Tale

by Azmi Sharom
Wednesday, 30 November 2011

The scene is a small terrace house, somewhere in Kelana Jaya. Ten year old Mary and her younger brother Timothy approach their father who is sitting in the living room flossing his teeth after a large meal.

“Papa, Timmy and I would like to tell you something”

“Oh, really, both of you want to gather together and say something?”

“Yes, we think it is a very important issue and we would like to express ourselves to the whole family”.

“I see, so you want to assemble peacefully. You are not going to get violent are you?”

“Of course not Papa!” Continue reading “An Assembly Tale”

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The great pretenders

— Ali Kadir
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 02, 2011

DEC 2 — You can only carry pretence so far, eventually your true self will emerge. This fact is true for individuals like you and me and for organisations or political parties.

And so it is for the United Malays National Organisation. Outwardly, its president Najib Razak talks about the party representing all Malaysians and in the run-up to the general assembly, he even urged his party members not to hurt the feelings of non-Malays during debate time.

But this posturing gave way almost immediately after the start of the assembly. Bent on staying in power, Umno politicians have used every opportunity to make the Malays view the Chinese as a threat to their political party. Continue reading “The great pretenders”

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Umno is never wrong, others are

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | December 2, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

Where are the Umno screamers and banshees when government-linked businesses are slowly dismembered to enrich a few people?

COMMENT

Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan is grossly and perilously misreading the ground swell.

Today, Malays attach blame to Umno for allowing the pillage and plunder of the country. Malays attach blame to Umno for the lot the Malays are now in.

We would like to ask Ahmad: when Shahrizat (Abdul Jalil) facilitated the giving of the government grant of only RM250 million to Dr Salleh (Ismail), did she and her husband think of all those downtrodden Malays? They didn’t, right?

Even after that, they didn’t think it was necessary to create other cattle breeders.

After almost a month, the issue finally blew up in her face, and she suddenly recovered from the mad cow disease to disavow any connections to the National Feedlot Corpoartion (NFC) scandal.

Similarly, when we paid an excess of RM6 billion for the purchase of the armoured personnel carriers (APCs), was the RM6 billion meant for the ordinary Malays?

Where are the Umno screamers and banshees when MAS was slowly dismembered to enrich a few people? And when we were caught out, what did we do?

We screamed this is a conspiracy by opposition politicians! It’s never us – always others. Continue reading “Umno is never wrong, others are”

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Why the rush?

by Hafiz Noor Shams
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 02, 2011

DEC 2 — I had listened to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Malaysia Day address with scepticism. Part of the scepticism came after noticing all the qualifications made by the prime minister in the same speech. The so-called Political Transformation Programme does not look so bold if one reads the fine print.

As we have learned in recent days, the actual reform does not meet the high expectations set by the prime minister himself. The manner at which the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 was rushed through did little to alleviate the scepticism.

In these days of scepticism, only actions command confidence. The nearly six years of the Abdullah administration justifies that attitude. The bravado of Parti Keadilan Rakyat only adds to the justification of scepticism. Indeed, political scepticism against all sides is a sign of maturity of ordinary voters.

While the scent of scepticism was strong, not all shared it. Not all ordinary voters are seasoned political observers after all. Continue reading “Why the rush?”

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Others are 100 times more racist, claims Muhyiddin

Abdul Rahim Sabri | Dec 1, 2011
Malaysiakini

Defending an earlier speech which accused DAP of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam, Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin denied it was racist and hit back at his critics, describing them as being “100 times more racist”.

According to the deputy prime minister, what he had said was not something different from the historical facts, and instead it could “consolidate the new awareness” among the Malays about the party’s struggle.

“Only someone who is too racist (would think it is racist). When some quarters say something about their own race, he will say it is racist.

“They don’t realise that they are 100 times more racist than us,” he told the media, without mentioning any names, during a press conference today at the Umno annual general meeting (AGM).

During his opening address for the AGMs of Umno Wanita, Youth and Puteri on Tuesday, Muhyiddin accused DAP as an anti-Islam and anti-Malay party which attempted to turn Malaysia into a republic. Continue reading “Others are 100 times more racist, claims Muhyiddin”

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Pemandu blames new measurement method for poorer graft score

By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 01, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Malaysia’s corruption score would have improved to 4.5 if Transparency International (TI) had not included a new measure which dragged down overall performance, the government’s efficiency unit said today.

“TI’s Bribe Payer Index (BPI) was conducted only in 28 countries. This is the 1st time this has been introduced into the CPI,” the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) said on its @gtp_roadmap Twitter account for its Government Transformation Programme (GTP) section that covers anti-graft programmes.

“BPI is a new survey conducted to measure the propensity of Msians paying bribe to parties outside of Msia. If BPI was not taken into account, Msia’s score would jump to 4.5 and the country ranking would remain at 56.”

Malaysia’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score has worsened for the third consecutive year to 4.3 from 4.4 in 2010, according to a report released by TI’s Malaysian chapter today.

Malaysia’s country ranking also fell to 60 out of 183 countries — between Saudi Arabia and Cuba — from 56 out of 178 last year. Continue reading “Pemandu blames new measurement method for poorer graft score”