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What I think

Joan Lau
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 21, 2012

FEB 21 — I was shocked to read our Home Ministry has ordered an immediate stop to the sale of “Where Did I Come From?”, an illustrated book for children that explains well… where we all come from.

I remember buying that book for my youngest brother when he was just six or seven years old.

It’s a lovely book that teaches you the proper names for the various parts of the anatomy (penis rhymes with peanuts) and told about how your parents fell in love, had sex and made you.

Sure, there are naked people in the book — illustrated, mind — but there is nothing pornographic about it. Continue reading “What I think”

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BN defensive as Penang tops manufacturing investment

By Lee Wei Lian
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 21, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — The performance of Pakatan Rakyat controlled states in attracting manufacturing investment prompted a minister today to play up the federal government’s role in their success.

The Ministry of International Trade and Industry released figures today that showed that the federal opposition controlled states of Penang and Selangor had recorded the highest levels of approved manufacturing investment in 2011, at RM9.1 billion and RM8.74 billion respectively.

This is the second year in a row that Penang and Selangor have topped the ranks for approved manufacturing investment and a sharp contrast to 2009 when Sarawak attracted the highest levels of manufacturing investment and Penang came in fourth.

Another Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state, Kedah came in fourth in 2011 with RM6.13 billion, behind Barisan Nasional (BN) controlled Sarawak which was in third place at RM8.45 billion.

The economic performance of PR states is closely watched as many voters and analysts use it as a gauge of whether the coalition is a viable alternative to the ruling BN. Continue reading “BN defensive as Penang tops manufacturing investment”

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Highway to hell

— Lucius Goon
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 21, 2012

FEB 21 — The thing that troubled me most about the latest expose in Malaysia is the seemingly cozy relationship between the current Umno lawyer and the former chief justice, who incidentally is a former Umno lawyer.

I am beyond griping that the contract was not awarded through an open tender because open tender means competition and competition means level playing field — all the things that our friends like Ibrahim Ali, Mahathir Mohamad don’t like.

But it does disturb me that there appears to be a business nexus between an Umno lawyer Hafirizam Harun and Tun Zaki Azmi. In most developed countries, judges and especially chief justices keep an arms length from lawyers because they don’t want to be accused of bias or bringing the judiciary into disrepute. The more strict judges do not even socialise with lawyers.

So I can’t imagine the head of the Supreme Court of the USA or India or even the Chief Justice of Singapore getting a government contract or being involved in a business with a lawyer, especially one who acts for the government. Continue reading “Highway to hell”

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Perak Pakatan demands explanation over highway contract

By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 21, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — Perak Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders cried foul today over the award of a lucrative RM2.2 billion highway contract to companies linked to former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi and Umno lawyer Datuk Hafarizam Harun, two key figures in the Perak constitutional crisis of 2009.

They demanded both men and the Najib administration explain the award and yesterday’s allegation by controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin that the deal was Barisan Nasional’s (BN) gift for their help in toppling PR in the northern state.

“(Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib Razak and the Works Ministry must come out to refute this allegation with proof that they carried out an open tender process and the award was based on the firms’ proper qualifications, track record and expertise in the field.

“As an MP and the former mentri besar of Perak, I demand an explanation from the authorities… failing which, this allegation would hold true,” PAS’s Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin told The Malaysian Insider. Continue reading “Perak Pakatan demands explanation over highway contract”

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Najib has completely demolished MCA lie that “A vote for DAP is a vote for PAS” when he decided to be a Chua Soi Lek clone with his own warning to Malay voters that “A vote for PAS is a vote for DAP”

I am still intrigued what were the considerations behind the decision of the Prime Minister and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Sunday to be a Chua Soi Lek clone, adopting the MCA President’s sophistry to warn Malays that “A vote for PAS is a vote for DAP” implying most falsely, irresponsibly and mischievously that DAP has an anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers agenda.

Is it beyond the political comprehension of Najib and his political strategists that the first consequence of Najib adopting the Chua Soi Lek sophistry is to completely demolish the MCA’s No. 1 political weapon against the DAP – falsely warning the Chinese voters that “A vote for DAP is a vote for PAS” resulting in an Islamic state and hudud Islamic laws? Continue reading “Najib has completely demolished MCA lie that “A vote for DAP is a vote for PAS” when he decided to be a Chua Soi Lek clone with his own warning to Malay voters that “A vote for PAS is a vote for DAP””

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The emasculation of our judiciary

— Art Harun
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 21, 2012

FEB 21 — In any Westminster-styled democracy, a country’s administration consists of three main machinations, namely, the Legislative, the Executive and the Judiciary. The Legislative makes laws. The Executive runs the country. Lastly, but by no means the least, the Judiciary adjudicates disputes and determines them.

The Judiciary does not only adjudicate disputes amongst private citizens but also, more importantly, disputes between the citizens and the Executive (the government). In a branch of law called “administrative law”, the Judiciary inherently has the power to issue four kinds of orders against the Executive. These are traditional judicial powers which are paramount towards ensuring that rules of law are complied with not only by the people but also by the Executive.

Firstly, the Court may issue a certiorari order to quash any decision of the Executive. Secondly, an order of prohibition may be issued to restrain the Executive from doing any act. These two orders are usually issued if the act complained of is illegal, improper or made without power (ultra vires). Thirdly, the Court may issue an order of mandamus to compel the Executive to do certain act.

Fourthly, and perhaps most importantly, a writ of habeas corpus, may be issued by the Court to compel the government to produce and free anybody who is improperly detained.

These are the traditional powers of the Judiciary. They exist for hundreds of years and have throughout the years been refined in order to keep up with the demands of modern governance. Continue reading “The emasculation of our judiciary”

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Of press prostitutes and cowed media

Comment
by Thomas Lee Seng Hock

Perhaps the most despicable matter that has come out of the great debate between DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and MCA president Chua Soi Lek on Saturday 18 February 2012 is the contemptible lie by a mercenary spin writer of a mainstream English daily that Guan Eng demanded another debate presumably to repair damaged over his scarred image for losing to Soi Lek.

The claim by such a contemptuous writer is certainly deliberately made to run down Guan Eng and present him in bad light among the general public, since it has been known, and even agreed to by Soi Lek a few days prior to the great debate, that Guan Eng wanted a second round to be held for the benefit of the non-Mandarin speaking public since the first debate was in Mandarin.

Furthermore, the paper this mercenary writer writes for has acknowledged and published a brief admission of its error in reporting a statement attributed to Guan Eng that claimed he said “We do not agree the prime minister must always be a Malay because we want the people to decide.” Yet, he repeated the erroneous statement in his comment, either deliberately to perpetually spread the lie, or is an ignorant fool who doesn’t know what is really happening.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has expressed indignation at DAP national election publicity bureau chief Hew Kuan Yau for likening journalists to prostitutes, and demanded that he apologise for the derogatory comment.

Although, I understand the NUJ feeling on the matter, I cannot help but have to agree with Hew’s statement that there are journalists who will sell their principles and souls for material gains. The above mercenary spin writer is a good example. Continue reading “Of press prostitutes and cowed media”

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Budaya samseng: Itulah dalil jelas nak kehilangan kuasa

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 20, 2012

20 FEB — Hari ini saya mendengar apa yang berlaku di Semberong, Johor malam tadi. Mengikut laporan, kereta ketua pembangkang, Anwar Ibrahim, telah dibaling dengan berbagai-bagai objek pada 11.30 malam tadi dan ini merupakan satu budaya yang sedang terbentuk didalam Umno, iaitu budaya samseng. Budaya memaki hamun dalam Umno sudah meningkat kepada budaya samseng pula.

Tidak perlu seseorang itu untuk memihak kepada mana-mana pihak tetapi jika benar perkara ini berlaku, maka sahlah Umno sedang membentuk satu budaya samseng, sebagai satu lagi kaedah untuk menakut-nakutkan orang ramai dari menyokong pihak yang menentang Barisan Nasional.

Kelakuan kumpulan yang mengganggu program pihak PR ini adalah satu tindakan yang telah keluar jauh dari moral politik apatah lagi yang melakukan perkara yang tidak bertamaddun ini adalah di kalangan pemuda Melayu.

Tindakan mereka ini dibiarkan sahaja oleh pihak penguatkuasa undang-undang, iaitu pihak polis kita. Politik ini adalah perang psikoloji bukannya peperangan terbuka seperti peperangan tentera diantara dua negara yang bersengketa. Continue reading “Budaya samseng: Itulah dalil jelas nak kehilangan kuasa”