Posted on

Save ‘No’ to privatisation of Penang Port

— Francis Loh
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 03, 2012

AUG 3 — We are deeply distressed to learn that Penang Port has been privatised to Seaport Terminal (Johor) Sdn Bhd.

Penang Port, Malaysia’s first port, is a valuable cultural and economic heritage of Penangites, indeed of all Malaysians. It has been a part of our history since colonial times, providing ferry services that linked the island to the peninsula, and serving as an important free port and port-of-call for ships from the East and West.

In no small way, the port has contributed towards the economic dynamism and the cosmopolitanism of Penang and in turn towards our Unesco Heritage listing.

Not surprising, Penangites from all walks of life — the Penang Pakatan Rakyat government, business groups, port workers, port contractors and especially the rakyat have rejected the privatisation proposal. Even the Penang Barisan Nasional has urged the federal government to review its decision, not least because of popular sentiments against Seaport’s takeover on the eve of the 13th general election. Continue reading “Save ‘No’ to privatisation of Penang Port”

Posted on

Tanda Putera’s “urination” episode – downright lie and dangerous falsehood

Despite his 1Malaysia signature slogan, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is continuing to allow his UMNO/Barisan Nasional election campaign machineries to disseminate downright lies and dangerous falsehoods calculated to incite racial hatred and undermine national unity with the approach of the 55th National Day and 49th Malaysia Day celebrations.

One of these “downright lies and dangerous falsehoods” flooding the UMNO/BN social media and exploited by the 10,000 UMNO/BN cybertroopers is that I had caused the May 13 riots in 1969 through shouting the most racist slogans in the streets of Kuala Lumpur on May 11, 12 and 13, 1969.

Despite my firm denial of these wild and reckless allegations in my speech in Parliament on March 22, 2012, declaring that I was never in Kuala Lumpur on May 11, 12 and 13, 1969, these “downright lies and dangerous falsehoods” have continued to make their rounds in leaps and bounds in the cyberspace.

On 20th July 2012, Malaysiakini carried the following report “New May 13 movie courts controversy”: Continue reading “Tanda Putera’s “urination” episode – downright lie and dangerous falsehood”

Posted on

Too late for justification

— Gomen Man
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 03, 2012

AUG 3 — It is too late, Najib Razak. Just too late to try and justify your government’s actions in charging whistleblower Rafizi Ramli under the BAFIA.

Most discerning Malaysians know that the PKR politician has been a major problem for Barisan Nasional since he started exposing the National Feedlot Corporation scandal and he became an even bigger problem when he told us about the shennanigans behind the award of the Ampang LRT to George Kent, a company controlled by an associate of the PM.

It was only a matter of time that Rafizi was hauled up but the government is trying to intimidate other whistleblowers. Still, the government looks clumsy and on the backfoot in going after Rafizi. So today, Mr BRIM, has come out to explain that Rafizi should have handed over confidential info on the NFC to the MACC. Continue reading “Too late for justification”

Posted on

Umno terdesak sehingga hilang segala pertimbangan

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 03, 2012

3 OGOS — Pertuduhan terhadap Rafizi Ramli, pengarah strategi PKR, bersama bekas kakitangan Public Bank dua hari lepas masih menjadi bualan di mana-mana.

Tetapi itu sudah menjadi biasa apabila pilihanraya sudah mendatang, kerana itu adalah salah satu cara pihak yang memerintah untuk menakut-nakutkan sesiapa dari membuat pembongkaran lebih banyak lagi terhadap kepincangan sistem dan moral politik pihak Barisan Nasional pada hari ini.

Pihak BN tidak akan berhenti setakat itu sahaja. Ada berita dan tanda-tanda isu perkauman akan dimainkan oleh BN dengan lebih hebat lagi dalam masa yang terdekat ini. Saya diberitahu yang pihak tertentu yang menyokong BN, khususnya Umno, sedang bekerjasama dengan sebuah badan dan jabatan kerajaan untuk menerbitkan makalah dan buku-buku untuk memberikan tumpuan untuk mengaitkan Lim Kit Siang dalam trajedi 13 Mei 1969 dahulu.

Kita faham yang pihak BN sedang terdesak seperti orang yang sudah tersandar ke dinding dalam usaha mempertahankan kuasa. Menakut-nakutkan orang Melayu merupakan satu-satunya jalan yang tinggal bagi BN untuk memberikan perlindungan terhadap kuasa yang ada di tangan mereka.

Akhir-akhir ini ada kecenderungan pihak BN akan menumpukan politik perkauman dengan menjadikan Lim Kit Siang sebagai “punching bag” bagi mengelakkan rakyat khususnya orang melayu dari menyokong parti-parti pembangkang khususnya DAP. Continue reading “Umno terdesak sehingga hilang segala pertimbangan”

Posted on

Negri Sembilan: Feudings in the federation

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 03, 2012

AUG 3 — A little bit of history.

In the 14th century, Sumatran people from the land of the Minangkabau began to settle down in the state today known as Negri Sembilan. They came through Malacca and reached places like Rembau. The Minangkabaus brought their superior civilisation to bear on the local asli tribes. Intermarriages between them resulted in the creation of the Biduanda clan. The Biduanda clan eventually emerged as the successors of the ruling tribes and established the rule that territorial chiefs of Negri Sembilan are only selected from within the Biduanda clan.

The chieftains were originally called penghulus and later as undang. Before the arrival of the paramount chief, Negri Sembilan formed part of the Johor Sultanate which gave the title Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan to the paramount chief.

The name Negri Sembilan was first used in the 16th century to refer to the federation of states founded and opened by these Minangkabau people in the Malay peninsula. In ancient times, the Malay kingdom encompassed states and territories in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand and even Kampuchea. People moved from one location to another with much ease and fluidity, recognising no artificial boundaries. The Malay kingdom was one united by kinship, common religion, customs and language.

Internecine feuds seemed to beset Negri Sembilan right from its beginning when powerful chiefs from the Biduanda clan jostled for paramount leadership. To avoid the debilitating feuds, the chiefs sent for a uniting figure from Pagar Ruyung. From that day until now, the paramount chief is known as Yam Tuan Besar or Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan.

While the feuds of old are settled, its modern-day version of a house perpetually divided resurfaced in the form of intense political rivalries. The old chiefs of old are now replaced by Umno warlords. Continue reading “Negri Sembilan: Feudings in the federation”

Posted on

Why police are impotent: A response to PDRM

— Lim Teck Ghee
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 03, 2012

AUG 3 — I thank the Polis Diraja Malaysia for the response to my commentary on why the police are impotent in fighting rising crime in the country.

Massaging of official statistics and reports

Firstly, with regard to the lengthy explanation on how the crime count statistics are generated, whilst the information is quite useful, it does not make a convincing case that the crime rate has dropped dramatically during the past three years.

I am sure that the police leadership — as with the ordinary man in the street — is aware that police reports generated through the official reporting system considerably understate the actual incidence of crime.

Furthermore, methodologies, definitions and categorisations vary from year to year. These changes, together with other forms of “massaging” (authorised and unauthorised) are the most likely explanations as to why there has been such a sharp fall in the reported crime statistics in the past three years compared with 2008. Continue reading “Why police are impotent: A response to PDRM”