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At World Economic Forum, Fear of Global Contagion Dominates

by Peter S. Goodman
Business Editor
The Huffington Post
01/28/2012

DAVOS, Switzerland — They came, they feasted on smoked sturgeon and black truffle risotto, drank liquor paid for by global banks, endured dozens of security checks, and tried not to fall down in the snow. They talked about the perilous state of the global economy and the future of capitalism. Then, they headed back to their home countries — many in chauffeured limousines, some by private jet.

But as the people who run much of the planet wrapped up the annual festival of influence known as the World Economic Forum on Saturday, any sense of achievement was hard to discern. The participants arrived amid elevated unemployment in many economies, worries about government budget deficits, and fears that contagion from a financial crisis in Europe could infect the rest of the world. They went home with all of these worries intact, and perhaps reinforced.

Nouriel Roubini, the economist who — not for nothing — is known as “Doctor Doom,” noted that world leaders are divided on a great array of crucial issues, from arguments over trade imbalances and currency valuations to the threats posed by Iran and North Korea and the challenge of climate change.

“On all these issues that require international coordination, there is no agreement,” he said during a Saturday morning panel. “It’s a world of chaos that can lead to potential conflicts.” Continue reading “At World Economic Forum, Fear of Global Contagion Dominates”

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RELA – PM Najib’s final line of defence?

Mohd Arshad Raji
Retirerd army officer

PM Najib says that there are 2.8 million RELA (Paramilitary People’s Volunteer Corps) in the country (Malaysia Chronicles, Saturday 28 Jan). That is a much bloated figure that far outmatched the collective strength of the Armed Forces and the Police put together. From my reading, there are only 500,000 odd Rela members.

Now, how and where did PM Najib pluck this number from? Does he not know what it takes to maintain such a large force? I think this figure even doubles that of the Indian Army. If indeed there are 2.8 million RELA members, then we don’t really need the Armed Forces and the Police…….. Just disband them and let the RELA take over the defence and security of the country. And with that kind of number, there wouldn’t be any more thieves, murderers and illegals in this country. Everything will be safe and sound, and it may cause some concern to all the neighbouring regional states.

And what really scares me was when PM Najib said that “when the chips are down, RELA will be with this government to defend the country”. What ‘chips’ is he referring to, and what is the threat that the government is trying to defend……external or internal security threat or a political threat from the opposition. Continue reading “RELA – PM Najib’s final line of defence?”

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DAP world’s most racist party, says Utusan

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 29, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 — Utusan Malaysia has accused DAP of being the world’s most racist party following Lim Kit Siang’s recent call for Chinese voters to unite and ensure a change of government.

The DAP parliamentary leader had in a Chinese New Year message said that the Chinese community had managed to attain economic prosperity despite the failings of the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government, which has been mired in “corruption” and “abuses of power.”

“It is evident that Kit Siang cannot hide DAP’s true agenda in inciting the Chinese community ahead of the 13th general election. It shows the truth that DAP is not only the most racist party in Malaysia, it is the most racist party in the world,” said a Mingguan Malaysia editorial under the Awang Selamat pseudonym.

Lim’s remarks were in response to a statement made by MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, who had called on Chinese voters not to “experiment” in the next general election, as Barisan Nasional’s leadership has continually allowed the nation to prosper. Continue reading “DAP world’s most racist party, says Utusan”

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Yang Rasis Muhyiddin Yassin dan Awang Selamat

— Hata Wahari
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 29, 2012

29 JAN — Orang Melayu jangan terperangkap dengan pemikiran sempit Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan Utusan Melayu.

Saya terpanggil untuk membuat kenyataan ini berikutan tindakan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mengeluarkan kenyataan bahawa orang Melayu tidak harus terperangkap dengan perangkap DAP sebaliknya perkara yang paling relevan sekarang ialah orang Melayu jangan terperangkap dengan kata-kata Timbalan Perdan Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Pertamanya, saya ingin menegaskan orang Melayu kini semakin terbuka untuk menilai sebuah parti berbilang kaum DAP sebagai sebuah parti yang telus dan ikhlas untuk berjuang untuk kepentingan semua kaum di negara Malaysia yang tercinta.

Keduanya, orang Melayu kini boleh duduk berbincang dengan orang Melayu yang menyertai DAP walaupun mereka dari Umno dan menerima penjelasan dengan baik serta tidak lagi bersikap ingin memusuhi ataupun menghamburkan kata-kata penghinaan.

Ketiganya, orang Melayu kini telah mula menyedari bahawa Umno dan Barisan Nasional (BN) bukan lagi parti yang memperjuangkan kepentingan orang Melayu sebaliknya sebuah parti yang mementingkan kroni serta suku sakat mereka sahaja.

Keempat, orang Melayu kini telah bersedia untuk menongkah arus memastikan kesenimbungan perjuangan pemimpin-pemimpin lampau yang mahukan Malaysia menjadi sebuah negara aman, makmur dan bersatu sesuatu yang telah gagal di laksanakan oleh Umno dan Barisan Nasional. Continue reading “Yang Rasis Muhyiddin Yassin dan Awang Selamat”

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Muhyiddin failed two Najibbian tests – 1. As a “moderate” 2. as loyal supporter of “1Malaysia” signature policy

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy UMNO President, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin failed two Najibbian tests – firstly as a “moderate” and secondly, as a loyal supporter of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s “1Malaysia” signature policy.

Muhyiddin flunked both these two tests when he gave a most racist, extremist and panicky reaction to the recent entry of Malays who are Malaysian patriots and fighters for freedom and justice into the DAP – like former UMNO Pahang State Assemblyman (Pulau Manis) Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz who is more wellknown in blogosphere as Sakmongkol 47, veteran Negeri Sembilan Umno member Aspan Alias, former National Union of Journalist President Hata Wahari, and two young UiTM law graduates Fairuz Azhan Amirruddin 25 and Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud 24.

Muhyiddin warned Malays not to allow themselves “to fall into the trap being carefully laid for them by the DAP”, posing the rhetorical question: “After so long, suddenly they want to recruit Malays. Who knows what for?”

He went on as the stereotypical racist and extremist, alleging that “the DAP had never even once stood up for the rights of the Malays”.

This is the latest lie and falsehood against the DAP by UMNO leaders and mouthpieces.

But Muhyiddin cannot be more wrong, which is a terrible reflection of his racist and extremist mentality and outlook. Continue reading “Muhyiddin failed two Najibbian tests – 1. As a “moderate” 2. as loyal supporter of “1Malaysia” signature policy”

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New PR government in Putrajaya will establish RCI into the RM336.64 million NFC/NFCorp “cattle condo” scandal

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was very quick and abrupt yesterday in rejecting my call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the RM336.64 million National Feedlot Centre (NFC)/National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) “cattle condo” scandal, eager to pronounce the idea as “dead as a dodo”.

Malaysians everywhere are asking who is Muhyiddin to reject the call for a RCI into the “cattle condo” scandal when Muhyiddin himself, as the Agriculture and Agro-based Minister who approved the controversial project back in 2006, would himself be one of the subjects and personalities of any RCI investigation?

It smacks of conflict of interest on Muhyiddin’s part and he should exclude himself from any decision-making as to whether there should be a RCI into the cattle condo scandal, instead of being so gung-ho in opposing the proposal.

It is downright disgraceful that the RM336.64 million cattle condo scandal had dragged out publicly for three months like a soap opera without any satisfactory conclusion – which is a most telling indictment of the lack of political will of the Najib administration to declare effective and meaningful war on corruption and be an example of an open, accountable and transparent governance as promised in the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP).

If the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is unable to satisfactorily handle the RM336.64 million cattle condo scandal after three months, who believe that he has the political will to lead an all-out war against corruption which cost the country RM28 billion a year or address the problem of over a trillion-ringgit outflow of illicit capital overseas in a decade from 2000 to 2009 because of corruption and other financial malpractices? Continue reading “New PR government in Putrajaya will establish RCI into the RM336.64 million NFC/NFCorp “cattle condo” scandal”

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The Auditor-General failed us

— Lucius Goon
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 27, 2012

JAN 27 — So, the people at the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) and their great supporter, Perkasa, are now playing semantics.

They are arguing that the Auditor-General never mentioned that NFCorp was a mess, that he instead mentioned the management of the project was weak or some admin-speak to that effect.

In the English language, we say that this is someone trying to shut the barn door after the horse has bolted or, should I say, after the cows have run off. It is too late for your verbal gymnastics.

My advice to Shahrizat Jalil’s family is just to seek forgiveness from the people of Malaysia. Don’t even bother relying on the Auditor-General for a crutch.

In my eyes, the Auditor-General failed us the taxpayers miserably! I say this because this was not some poor management or wrong allocation of resources. This was a scandal of massive proportions.

If not for the whistleblower and the opposition, would we have known about the condos, the umrah packages, and the personal expenses? And I have not even touched on the running of the feedlot project in Gemas or why this particular bunch of individuals were given this project. Continue reading “The Auditor-General failed us”

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To Obey or Disobey?

by Yin Ee Kiong

“You are saying our problem is civil disobedience, but that is not our problem. Our problem is civil obedience. . . . Our problem is that people are obedient while the jails are full of petty thieves, and all the while the grand thieves are running the country.” Howard Zinn

Do governments expect their citizens to obey them or the laws promulgated by them even if the laws are unjust or immoral?

If the answer to the above is “Yes, Always!” then Hitler’s laws and the actions of the Nazis against the Jews would be in order. The laws passed by the Apartheid regime of the old South Africa would be acceptable. And Martin Luther King Jr and thousands of Americans should not have marched in protest against segregation and racial discrimination. Nearer home, should the Burmese then not have protested against a regime not of the people or by the people?

In other words no one should go against those establishments simply because they were ‘legal’.

But legal is not the same as moral; laws which have no moral basis are untenable and ultimately unsustainable. If a piece of legislation is immoral to begin with or if it is against the interests of the citizens, if they are there merely to ensure the regime stays in power then should not citizens disobey them?

Governments which are propped up by unjust laws have to be challenged. Continue reading “To Obey or Disobey?”

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World leaders: Creatures of God or the Devil?

— John Inbaraj
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 28, 2012

JAN 28 — Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah. When Dr Mahathir Mohamad became prime minister, he walked in with this slogan. However, in the 22 years he held power, he systematically destroyed every legacy the British and our founding fathers (excluding Abdul Razak) had stood for and built steadfastly.

In fact, Dr Mahathir even destroyed Umno, and history will forever record that the Umno of Onn Jaffar was declared illegal during the Mahathir administration!

When Abdullah Badawi took over he saw the need to introduce Gemilang, Terbilang dan Cemerlang. Many saw Abdullah as a good man but that did not last long.

From out of nowhere, Khairy Jamaluddin arrived on the scene.

Scomi, a company linked to Abdullah’s son, was born and gained many contracts.

Then a Patrick Lim suddenly became a big player in the business world. A huge plot of prime land in Penang was almost acquired by an associate company of Equine Sdn Bhd under the guise of setting up the Penang Global City Centre (PGCC).

Thankfully Penang fell to the opposition. Alas, not long after, Abdullah was booted out tactically — perhaps by those close to Dr Mahathir’s manipulative hand.

Then came the wizard of acronyms, Najib Razak (indeed Dr Mahathir had a massive hand in having him nominated as the DPM and eventually PM) with the power-packed slogan, “People First, Performance Now”. Continue reading “World leaders: Creatures of God or the Devil?”

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No dam claim: Villagers want it in writing

Queville To | January 28, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

Villagers in Tambatuon are fed up with the ‘confusing’ and ‘vague’ statements from their MP Rahman Dahlan over the controversial RM500-million dam.
KOTA BELUD: Sceptical villagers in Tambatuon, where a controversial RM500-million dam is to be sited, want a written commitment from the Musa Aman-led state administration that it will not go ahead with the project.

Dismissing Kota Belud MP Rahman Dahlan’s “confusing statements”, the villagers said their decision was “not negotiable” and that the dam project cannot go on.

They also took a swipe at village chief, Amin Goling, seen as Rahman’s lackey, for the former’s “full” support for the project.

Speaking on behalf of the villagers, chairman of the Village Action Committee Jahim Singkui said the letter from the state government must state clearly that it “will not” proceed with the controversial Tambatuon dam project.

“We have heard enough confusing statements from Rahman and Amin. Amin’s views are his own, it is not the opinion of the villagers.

“As far as the villagers are concerned, there is no more negotiation. We want a letter from the government to state that it will not proceed with the Tambatuon dam project, ” Jahim said. Continue reading “No dam claim: Villagers want it in writing”

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Is govt dictating terms to Ambrin?

Jeswan Kaur | January 28, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

If indeed the word “mess” was not used in his 2010 report to describe the state of affairs in the NFC, why did the Auditor General take three months to issue a clarification.

COMMENT

Three months ago, the Auditor-General declared the National Feedlot Centre project worth RM73.64 million was in a ‘mess’, so much so he suggested that the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry ministry talk with the Finance Ministry to determine the “direction of the project”.

Now, Ambrin Buang is saying that his report at no point mentioned that the NFC project was in a mess. The term “mess” he says was conjured by the press. Ambrin told the MCA-owned The Star that his team had never used words such as “mess”, “chaos” and “misappropriation” to describe the project.

Ambrin said: “These words were used by other parties and the department should not be held responsible. The department is of the opinion that if there are any elements of misappropriation in the implementation of this project, it would be up to the authorities such as the police or the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate.”

If indeed the word “mess” was not mentioned by the report, why did it take Ambrin three months to clarify? Is it not obvious that he has come under pressure from the ‘powers that be’ to do some damage control on this issue which has opened up a can of worms? Continue reading “Is govt dictating terms to Ambrin?”

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Najib is made Optimus Prime by Michael’s Decepticons

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 27, 2012

JAN 27 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak was crowned the “Father of Moderation and Transformation” by the World Chinese Economic Forum (WCEF), which said the prime minister’s “fair and just leadership” had benefited the Chinese community “tremendously”. WCEF chairman Datuk Michael Yeoh said in his speech at the conferment ceremony today.

This was the major news item of the day. WCEF is a gathering of Chinese hongs and towkays eager to seek business favours from the PM. How does Michael Yeoh come by his assessment?

Among others, Yeoh praised Najib’s 1 Malaysia platform, his administration’s decision to increase allocation to Chinese schools and the introduction of tax exemptions for churches and temples, saying the initiatives were proof of the prime minister’s commitment to “fairness and justice”.

Fuyoh! I had to pinch myself. Never have I heard such outpouring of boot-licking averments which Michael sought to prove by stating the material I placed in italics above.

Let me steal the thunder from Michael’s shameless sycophantic offerings. Continue reading “Najib is made Optimus Prime by Michael’s Decepticons”