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MCA’s irrelevance

— Jimmy Chua
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 08, 2013

JAN 8 — Really? On a day in which a good number of Malaysians were upset at the decree by the Selangor Sultan prohibiting non-Muslims from using the word “Allah”, the time warp Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) was engaging in nonsense.

Granted, the party is in a fight for its political life against DAP and can’t resist a point-scoring opportunity but surely, speaking up for non-Muslims is an important part of its remit. Surely, you show your relevance to Malaysians by speaking up on important issues.

No. It appears that the MCA of Chua Soi Lek and Liow Tiong Lai is incapable of anything substantial.

So, instead of making its position clear on the Sultan’s decree or at least adding some clarity to the issue, they chose to focus only on the DAP election fiasco. Continue reading “MCA’s irrelevance”

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Five contradictions in restricting the use of ‘Allah’

— Pak Sako
CPI/The Malaysian Insider
Jan 08, 2013

JAN 8 — There are major contradictions in the claim that the word “Allah” belongs only to Muslims and Islam, and does not apply to non-Muslims and other religions (JAKIM), and in the insistence that non-Muslims must convert to Islam to use the word “Allah” (Perak Mufti Harussani Zakaria).

The contradictions are as follows:

1. If we disallow non-Muslims from using the word “Allah”, are we implying that Allah has no relation to the non-Muslims, that Allah did not create the non-Muslims, but to whom Allah must belong if He is the Creator of all things?

2. If we say Allah is not the god of the non-Muslims, does this not imply that besides Allah there must exist a second god, specifically for the non-Muslims, the former god of Muslim converts? Does this not clash with the Islamic concept of tauhid, which proposes that there cannot possibly be another god apart from Allah, and that no being can perform the work of a god other than Allah?

3. If we maintain that “Allah” has no relevance to other religions, who then ultimately created these religions if not Allah, the Creator of all things? Are we suggesting that Allah got it wrong before unveiling Islam? But if tauhid is to stand and Allah is the sole Creator, and if Allah is infallible, perfect and all-knowing, does it not mean that Allah happily created, with no games intended, all the variety of religions and religious philosophies including Christianity and Hinduism?

4. Therefore how can it be wrong for a Hindu, a Christian or a freethinker to refer to “Allah” as our one common god? Must Sikhs, who are not Muslims, stop using the word “Allah”, though “Allah” appears numerous times in their holy book, which is not the al-Quran?

5. If non-Muslims must convert to Islam before referring to “Allah”, is that to say Allah was not their Creator prior to them converting? But how can that be if Allah created everything and there is no god other than Allah? If we say non-Muslims are non-believers who do not recognise Allah, then why deny them the use of the word “Allah” to recognise this Supreme Being and Ultimate Cause?

The restrictions on the use of “Allah” conflict with the core tenets of Islam. They conflict also with those of other religions. Continue reading “Five contradictions in restricting the use of ‘Allah’”

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Pengiraan Detik 93 Hari ke PRU13 – Najib sepatutnya membubarkan Parlimen pada 8 Mac sempena berakhirnya penggal 5 tahun Parlimen bukannya menggunakan Perkara 55(3) Perlembagaan Malaysia untuk menjamin 50 hari lagi sebagai PM yang tidak dipilih

Perkara 55(3) Perlembagaan Malaysia menyebut:

“55(3) Melainkan jika dibubarkan terlebih dahulu, Parlimen hendaklah terus berjalan selama lima tahun dari tarikh mesyuarat pertamanya dan selepas itu adalah terbubar.”

Parlimen ke-12 dipilih pada 8 Mac, 2008 – hari membuang undi untuk pilihan raya umum ke-12.

Mesyuarat pertama Parlimen yang terkini adalah pada 28 April, 2008. Di bawah perkara 55(3), melainkan Parlimen dibubarkan terlebih dahulu, Parlimen ke-12 akan terbubar dengan sendirinya pada 27 April, 2013.

Perdana Menteri ke-6 Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Razak adalah Perdana Menteri tanpa mandatnya sendiri yang paling lama memerintah – jauh lebih lama berbanding empat Perdana Menteri sebelumnya iaitu Tun Abdullah, Tun Mahathir, Tun Hussein and his father Tun Razak.

Beliau sepatutnya membubarkan Parlimen pada 8 Mac 2013 apabila berakhirnya penggal 5 tahun Parlimen dan bukannya menggunakan Perkara 55(3) Perlembagaan Malaysia untuk menjamin 50 hari lagi sebagai Perdana Menteri yang tidak dipilih. Continue reading “Pengiraan Detik 93 Hari ke PRU13 – Najib sepatutnya membubarkan Parlimen pada 8 Mac sempena berakhirnya penggal 5 tahun Parlimen bukannya menggunakan Perkara 55(3) Perlembagaan Malaysia untuk menjamin 50 hari lagi sebagai PM yang tidak dipilih”

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93-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib should dissolve Parliament by 8th March on expiry of 5-year tenure of Parliament instead of resorting to Article 55(3)of Constitution to secure another 50 days as unelected PM

Article 55(3) of the Malaysian Constitution states:

“55(3) Parliament unless sooner dissolved shall continue for five years from the date of its first meeting and shall then stand dissolved”.

The 12th Parliament was elected on March 8, 2008 – the polling day for the 12th general elections.

The first meeting of the present Parliament was on April 28, 2008. Under Article 55(3), unless Parliament is sooner dissolved, the 12th Parliament shall stand automatically dissolved on April 27, 2013.

The sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is the nation’s longest unelected Prime Minister without a mandate of his own – longer than his four predecessors Tun Abdullah, Tun Mahathir, Tun Hussein and his father Tun Razak.

He should dissolve Parliament by 8th March 2013 on expiry of the five-year tenure of Parliament instead of resorting to the Constitutional device in Article 55(3) to secure another 50 days in office as unelected Prime Minister. Continue reading “93-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib should dissolve Parliament by 8th March on expiry of 5-year tenure of Parliament instead of resorting to Article 55(3)of Constitution to secure another 50 days as unelected PM”

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RM160m to solve Najib’s problem?

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | January 8, 2013
Free Malaysia Today

The object of the whole LTAT exercise seems to be to save Raja Ropiah, people from Mindef and even LTAT – players who may all have a hand in the exercise.

COMMENT

You know how government-linked companies (GLCs) screws us? In order to deceive people, they build themselves a byzantine maze with sister companies, brother companies, son-companies, grandson-companies and great-great grandson companies.

It will take a financial sleuth some time to trace the trail of deception and corruption.

Take the maze of companies involved in the Deepak Jaikishan-Raja Ropiaah Abdullah scam.

LTAT (Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera) is the parent company. Boustead Holdings Bhd is the son-company. Baktiwira is the grandson company. And Jendela Hikmat is the great-great grandson company. Then there is Guppyunit

Umno has a system already in place. At every level, an Umno GLC infuses the culture of deception and corruption. Every level it skims off the milk.

The question is, why is LTAT so friendly with Raja Ropiaah? Why is Raja Ropiaah so special to Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and its minister then?

One thing is known. The object of the whole LTAT exercise seems to be to save Raja Ropiaah, the people from Mindef and even LTAT – players who may all have a hand in the exercise. Continue reading “RM160m to solve Najib’s problem?”

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My aspiration for Malaysia

— Amirah Ali
(loyarburok.com)
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 07, 2013

JAN 7 — When a friend informed me about the desecration of churches and mosques in Malaysia on January 7, 2010, I felt extremely angry, disappointed and worst of all, helpless. I had been reading about the “Allah” issue for a few days while juggling my university assignments at graduate school overseas. The shock and anger from the news made me forget about the horrible freezing winter. As I started to think about my beloved Tanahair, I asked to myself, “God, why?”

To me, Malaysia is like a beautiful hidden treasure in the deep sea. It has so much potential. It has so much richness and opportunity, but is also filled with many “eggshells” that one must carefully tread around, especially on religion and race. Growing up in Malaysia, I wondered why I did not feel at home despite living my entire life there.

As a child, I was convinced that something was wrong with me. I could not talk to anyone about my thoughts. When I sought guidance from my teachers, I was scolded for asking certain questions and expressing certain opinions. However, as an adult at graduate school overseas, I discovered there are many people who shared my thoughts and ideas. The same questions I was discouraged from asking in Tanahair are commonly discussed as part of university courses where students were expected to answer by thinking critically. For the first time in my life, I felt I was normal. It was then I realised the answer; it was because I could not be myself in Malaysia.

As I learned more on the desecration of houses of worship in Tanahair, I felt a big urge to do something about it. I did not want to feel helpless anymore. I wanted to express my emotions and thoughts about the issue, although it was a difficult thing for me to do as a quiet and private person. I thought of writing something but nothing sounded right. I felt like giving up many times. Continue reading “My aspiration for Malaysia”

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Pengiraan Detik 94 Hari ke PRU13 – Untuk menguji keyakinan UMNO bahawa tsunami 2008 telah dihentikan Najib perlu mengisytiharkan bahawa UMNO/BN akan menerima keputusan pengundi dalam PRU13 termasuklah pertukaran kerajaan di Putrajaya

Baru-baru ini pemimpin UMNO kelihatan penuh yakin, sekurang-kurangnya pada umum, berkenaan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13.

Ketua Penerangan UMNO, Datuk Ahmad Maslan contohnya telah mengisytiharkan bahawa Perdana Menteri Seri Najib Razak telah menghentikan “tsunami politik” 2008 dengan pelbagai ikrar dan program transformasi sejak April 2009.

Beliau berkata: “pada 2008 kita khuatir ada tsunami politik, tetapi 2013 saya yakin ia sudah lama berhenti.”

Ahmad jugalah yang tahun lepas meluahkan keyakinan bahawa Barisan Nasional akan mendapatkan semula 20 kerusi perlimen yang dipegang Pakatan Rakyat untuk memperoleh majoriti dua pertiga parlimen dalam PRU13 – mengekalkan 140 kerusi parlimen yang dimenangi dan merampas lime daripada 23 kerusi yang dipegang PAS, lima daripada 29 yang dipegang DAP dan 10 daripada 31 kerusi PKR.

Persoalan yang terlintas di fikiran adalah mengapa Najib berterusan berbolak-balik tentang tarikh pilihan raya umum ke-13 sekiranya kepimpinan UMNO begitu yakin telah menghentikan tsunami 2008 dan mampu mendapatkan semula majoriti dua pertiga parlimen – selain itu memenangi kembali semua lima negeri yang tewas kepada Pakatan Rakyat dalam pilihan raya umum 2008? Continue reading “Pengiraan Detik 94 Hari ke PRU13 – Untuk menguji keyakinan UMNO bahawa tsunami 2008 telah dihentikan Najib perlu mengisytiharkan bahawa UMNO/BN akan menerima keputusan pengundi dalam PRU13 termasuklah pertukaran kerajaan di Putrajaya”

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94-Day Countdown to 13GE – Test of UMNO confidence that 2008 tsunami has been halted is for Najib to declare that UMNO/BN would accept verdict of voters in 13GE including change of government in Putrajaya

Recently, UMNO leaders are exuding supreme confidence, at least to the public, about the 13th General Elections.

UMNO information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan for instance has declared that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has halted the “political tsunami” of 2008 with his various transformation pledges and programmes since April 2009.

He said: “In 2008, we were worried of the ‘political tsunami’ but in 2013, I am confident it has ended.”

It was also Ahmad who last month expressed confidence that the Barisan Nasional would wrest back 20 parliamentary seats held by Pakatan Rakyat to secure two-thirds parliamentary majority in the 13GE – retaining the 140 parliamentary seats it won and capture five of the 23 seats held by PAS, five of 29 held by DAP and 10 of the 31 PKR seats.

The question that immediately comes to mind is why Najib keeps vacillating about the 13th general elections date if the UMNO leadership is so supremely confident about halting the political tsunami of 2008 and regain its two-thirds parliamentary majority – not to mention winning back all the five states lost to Pakatan Rakyat in the 2008 general elections? Continue reading “94-Day Countdown to 13GE – Test of UMNO confidence that 2008 tsunami has been halted is for Najib to declare that UMNO/BN would accept verdict of voters in 13GE including change of government in Putrajaya”

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Graft, financial waste definitely wrong, be it RM30k or RM100m

By Jahabar Sadiq
Editor
The Malaysian Insider
January 07, 2013

COMMENT

Jan 7 — The RM30,000 bribe to muzzle a complainant in a sexual harassment case in Penang has hit the headlines, reinforcing the point that no one in Malaysia should accept or tolerate corruption and any financial misconduct in the country.

So, while it is refreshing and laudatory to see mainstream newspapers reporting the Penang case that involves a civil servant and a political aide, questions remain why the local media is silent on the RM100 million National Defence Education Centre (Puspahanas).

Why are they wasting so much ink over RM30,000 and not a drop for the project which has seen government land being swapped and sold but no building in plain sight in Putrajaya.

Is RM100 million just change compared to the raft of multi-billion ringgit federal projects? But RM30,000 is a lot and makes news because it involves a political aide from the federal opposition?

What is the greater crime here? A company with no track record gets a RM100 million construction job in 2005 and is paid with three parcels of government land worth RM72.5 million and RM27 million cash. Continue reading “Graft, financial waste definitely wrong, be it RM30k or RM100m”

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Pengiraan Detik 95 Hari ke PRU13 – Sekiranya Deepak membuat cuma 10% dakwaan terhadap pemimpin DAP/PR sepertimana yang dia lakukan terhadap Najib dan pemimpin UMNO/BN, dia mungkin kini sedang muncul dalam semua media perdana BN sejak enam minggu lalu dan bukannya digelapkan terus.

Sepanjang tiga hari lalu merupakan hari-hari yang sukar buat pemimpin, ahli dan penyokong DAP di dalam 47 tahun sejarah parti, kerana DAP telah memenuhi muka depan media perdana Barisan Nasional sejak dua hari lalu dan memenuhi semua siaran yang dikawal Barisan Nasional.

Berikut adalah tajuk berita muka depan yang lantang di dalam media perdana BN sejak dua hari lalu:

DAP silap kira undi? – Pengarah pilihan raya parti itu letak jawatan (Utusan Malaysia 5.1.13)

Drama DAP – Lagi persoal isu silap kira undi (Mingguan Malaysia 5.1.13)

DAP election FIASCO – Error raises doubts about party’s ability to rule country (New Straits Times 5.1.13)

‘Embarrassing glitch’ – (New Sunday Times 6.1.13)

Sandiwara DAP pujuk Melayu – Ambil masa tiga minggua akui kesilapan pemilihan CEC (Berita Harian 5.1.13)

Tindakan DAP ‘luar biasa’ – Pinda keputusan pemilihan janggal, timbul banyak persoalan: Muhyiddin (Berita Harian t6.1.13)

It doesn’t add up (Star 5.1.13)

Continue reading “Pengiraan Detik 95 Hari ke PRU13 – Sekiranya Deepak membuat cuma 10% dakwaan terhadap pemimpin DAP/PR sepertimana yang dia lakukan terhadap Najib dan pemimpin UMNO/BN, dia mungkin kini sedang muncul dalam semua media perdana BN sejak enam minggu lalu dan bukannya digelapkan terus.”

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Pengiraan Detik 96 Hari ke PRU13 – Kejujuran dan rendah hati mestilah sentiasa menjadi kualiti pemimpin DAP sekiranya DAP mahu terus mendapat kepercayaan dan keyakinan rakyat Malaysia

Telah dibangkitkan persoalan bagaimana boleh berlakunya kesilapan “kiraan semula” yang begitu besar dan kesilapan di dalam pemilihan Jawatankuasa Tertinggi Pusat (CEC) DAP yang mana bilangan undi Zairil Khir Johari untuk pemilihan CEC DAP meningkat sebanyak 498 undi daripadas 305 undi kepada 803 seperti yang diumum kan pada 15 Disember 2012 (meletakkan beliau di tempat ke-20) sementara Vincent Wu Him Ven boleh bilangan undi jatuh sebanyak 533 undi daripada 1,202 undi kepada 669 undi seperti yang diumum kan pada 15 Disember 2012 (meletakkannya di tempat ke-26).

Kesilapan itu bagaimanapun bukan hasil daripada mana-mana kiraan undi, kerana undian Zairil dan Wu telah dikira dengan betul dan terjadual sebagai 803 undi dan 669 undi. Akan tetapi kesilapan itu adalah daripada ralat komputer yang menyebabkan jumlah undian untuk lapan calon terakhir (iaitu No. 61 – 68) dikeluarkan sama seperti undi calon-calon nombor 31 hingga 38, seperti berikut:

No Calon Jumlah Undi No Calon Jumlah Undi
31 LIM LIP ENG 448 61 WONG SAI HOONG 448
32 LIU TIAN KHIEW (RONNIE) 761 62 WONG SZE PHIN @ JIMMY 761
33 LOKE SIEW FOOK (ANTHONY) 1202 63 WU HIM VEN (VINCENT) 1202
34 M. KULA 984 64 YONG WUI WUI (VIOLET) *
35 MANOGARAN A/L MARIMUTHU 305 65 ZAIRIL KHIR JOHARI 305
36 MANOHARAN MALAYALAM 216 66 ZULKIFLI BIN MOHD NOOR 216
37 NG CHIN TSAI 39 67 ROSELI BIN ABDUL GANI 39
38 NG WEI AIK 407 68 TAN BOON PENG 407

Continue reading “Pengiraan Detik 96 Hari ke PRU13 – Kejujuran dan rendah hati mestilah sentiasa menjadi kualiti pemimpin DAP sekiranya DAP mahu terus mendapat kepercayaan dan keyakinan rakyat Malaysia”

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Pengiraan Detik 97 Hari ke PRU13 – adakah kebenaran tentang pembunuhan menggunakan C4 warga Mongolia Altantuya, Akuan Bersumpah kedua Balasubramaniam dan dakwaan serius Deepak terhadap Najib dan Rosmah hanya akan diketahui sekiranya berlaku pertukaran kerajaan di Putrajaya?

Setelah hampir sebulan, negara telah digoncangkan dengan satu demi satu pendedahan sekitar pembunuhan warga Mongolia Altantuya Shaariibuu melibatkan Akuan Bersumpah kedua enyiasat persendirian P. Balasubramaniam dan dakwaan serius terhadap Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak dan keluarganya oleh seorang pengedar permaidani Deepak Jaikiishan.

Persoalan yang menjadi tanda-tanya rakyat Malaysia adalah sama ada kebenaran kebenaran tentang pembunuhan menggunakan C4 warga Mongolia Altantuya, misteri di sebalik Akuan Bersumpah kedua Balasubramaniam dan dakwaan serius Deepak terhadap Najib dan keluarganya hanya akan diketahui sekiranya berlaku pertukaran kerajaan di Putrajaya dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13.

Walaupun Menteri Pertahanan Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi telah berkata bahawa beliau akan menjawab semua dakwaan Deepak terhadap Najib ketika penggulungan Perhimpunan Agung UMNO ke-66, beliau dilihat gagal berbuat demikian, walaupun bukan Zahid tetapi Najib sendiri yang sepatutnya menjawab dakwaan Deepak. Continue reading “Pengiraan Detik 97 Hari ke PRU13 – adakah kebenaran tentang pembunuhan menggunakan C4 warga Mongolia Altantuya, Akuan Bersumpah kedua Balasubramaniam dan dakwaan serius Deepak terhadap Najib dan Rosmah hanya akan diketahui sekiranya berlaku pertukaran kerajaan di Putrajaya?”

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Pengiraan Detik 98 Hari ke PRU13 – Malaysia berhak mendapat kedudukan lebih tinggi berbanding tempat ke 36 di dalam indeks “Negara terbaik untuk dilahirkan” EIU

Pada Pengiraan Detik 98 Hari ke Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13, Malaysia diingatkan bahawa negara ini berhak mendapat yang lebih baik untuk semua aspek kehidupan di dalam negara ini baik politik, ekonomi, pendidikan, sosial, budaya dan persekitaran.

Malaysia tentu sekali berhak mendapat kedudukan lebih tinggi berbanding tempat No.36 daripada 80 negara di dalam indeks “Negara terbaik untuk dilahirkan pada 2013” dalam usaha Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) mengukur negara mana yang memberikan peluang terbaik untuk kehidupan yang sihat, selamat dan makmur. Continue reading “Pengiraan Detik 98 Hari ke PRU13 – Malaysia berhak mendapat kedudukan lebih tinggi berbanding tempat ke 36 di dalam indeks “Negara terbaik untuk dilahirkan” EIU”

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Pengiraan Detik 99 Hari ke PRU13 – Jadikan rasuah salah satu isu penting pilihan raya buat pertama kalinya di dalam pilihan raya umum 13

Semalam, saya mencadangkan bahawa Pengiraan Detik100 Hari ke Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 bermula daripada hari pertama Tahun baru dan semua rakyat Malaysia mengambil bahagian dalam kiraan detik ke PRU13 kerana peristiwa itu mempunyai kepentingan dan kemungkinan bersejarah.

Pada Pengiraan Detik hari ke-99 ke Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13, saya menyeru kepada semua 13.1 juta pengundi untuk menjadikan rasuah salah satu isu penting pilihan raya 13 buat pertama kalinya dalam tempoh 53 tahun.

Sabtu lepas, Bernama melaporkan hal berikut:

Semua calon Barisan Nasional (BN) yang bakal bertanding dalam Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU Ke-13) bebas rasuah dan jenayah, kata Setiausaha Agung BN Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

Beliau berkata bakal calon BN bagi kesemua 222 kerusi Parlimen dan 505 kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) telah melalui proses saringan teliti termasuk Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM), Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) dan Jabatan Insolvensi untuk memastikan calon tersebut ‘bersih’ dan bebas masalah.

“Semua calon BN yang bakal bertanding telah melalui proses saringan yang teliti,” katanya.

Selain itu, Tengku Adnan yang juga Setiausaha Agung Umno berkata latar belakang bakal-bakal calon BN juga dikaji secara mendalam untuk memastikan mereka adalah pilihan rakyat.

“Kita mahu calon yang bakal bertanding itu adalah mereka yang dikehendaki rakyat, bukannya kehendak parti atau individu-individu dalam parti. Kita mahu calon yang rakyat fikirkan dia boleh mewakili rakyat,” katanya.

Continue reading “Pengiraan Detik 99 Hari ke PRU13 – Jadikan rasuah salah satu isu penting pilihan raya buat pertama kalinya di dalam pilihan raya umum 13”

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Mulakan kiraan 100 hari ke PRU13 hari ini – dan pastikan mandat yang jelas untuk Pakatan Rakyat menggantikan perikatan UMNO/BN di Putrajaya untuk membina negara yang bersatu, demokratik, adil, progresif dan makmur.

Setelah Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak berterusan menjadikan dirinya tumpuan negara dan antarabangsa selama hampir dua tahun kerana memainkan watak Hamlet yang sengsara dengan persoalan “To Be or Not To Be” (melakukannya ataupun tidak) dalam hal membubarkan Parlimen bagi mendapatkan mandat buat dirinya seraya menamatkan peranannya sebagai Perdana Menteri paling lama di Malaysia yang tidak dinaikkan melalui jalan pilihan raya, maka ungkapan “100 hari ke PRU13” telah menjadi sebut-sebutan dalam bulan terakhir 2012.

Mulakan kiraan rasmi 100 hari ke PRU13 hari ini, hari pertama 2013, dan biarkan semua rakyat Malaysia mengambil bahagian di dalam kiraan detik ke PRU13 kerana terdapatnya kemungkinan yang bersejarah di dalam peristiwa itu.

Walaupun jika Najib tidak mengadakan pilihan raya umum pada 20 April – hari ke-100 selepas hari ini – Parlimen akan terbubar dengan sendirinya pada 27 April 2013 kerana Perlembagaan Persekutuan memperuntukan sedemikian melainkan dibubarkan dengan lebih awal, Parlimen akan terbubar lima tahun selepas tarikh mesyuarat pertama selepas sesebuah pilihan raya umum, misalnya 28 April 2008. Continue reading “Mulakan kiraan 100 hari ke PRU13 hari ini – dan pastikan mandat yang jelas untuk Pakatan Rakyat menggantikan perikatan UMNO/BN di Putrajaya untuk membina negara yang bersatu, demokratik, adil, progresif dan makmur.”

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Zero success rate

R. Nadeswaran
The Sun Daily
6 January 2013

A SEARCH of the archives shows that in the past year, more than 100 columns and commentaries were penned covering about a couple of dozen topics.

Away from the office for a fortnight, there was plenty of time to reflect on what had happened in the preceding year, in between reading opinions and commentaries of fellow scribes regaling what a great year 2012 had been.

On reflection, what was there even to put down as a thought after having written on issues ranging from wrongdoing, inefficiency, insubordination, misuse to abuse of public funds and many more? These were issues of public interest – affecting every citizen of this country.

There is no way or equipment to measure the success of this column. The success rate in informing the public of such nuances and allowing them to draw their own opinions may have been excellent.

However, when it comes to getting responses, let alone results in bringing about such issues to the fore, the rate has been dismal – absolutely ZERO! Continue reading “Zero success rate”

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Corruption? It’s OK lah

by Khairie Hisyam Aliman
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 07, 2013

JAN 7 — “It’s amazing how much shit people put up with, as long as you give it to them slowly.”

The above quote from Mack Leighty echoed in my head as I read that we are ranked second out of 150 countries in Global Financial Integrity’s latest report on illicit financial outflows worldwide. According to GFI, in 2010 alone we lost RM196.84 billion in funds to tax havens and Western banks, second only to China.

Earlier this month, it was Transparency International’s survey. They asked this: “During the last 12 months, do you think that your company has failed to win a contract or gain new business because a competitor has paid a bribe?” We scored the highest out of 30 countries with 50 per cent.

The same survey also found that respondents feel the misuse of public fund by public servants and politicians is common. They also said they feel it’s common for public officials to demand or accept bribes. On the whole respondents perceive government efforts to fight corruption as largely ineffective.

How did it become so bad? Continue reading “Corruption? It’s OK lah”

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Talking about heights of arrogance

– Aman Ally
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 06, 2013

JAN 6 – These past few days, Malaysians have been entertained by the spectacle of the Barisan Nasional-owned media attacking Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang for his “Amanat Hadi” and the DAP for its inability to count votes in ints internal polls.

It reached a point today when Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim opened another attack on Pakatan Rakyat for revealing its “height of arrogance” in deciding to hold a rally in Stadium Merdeka next weekend without even discussing the venue with the stadium board or the police.

Now, I wonder if Rais knows what is “height of arrogance” actually is?

Isn’t it the height of arrogance for the Information, Communication and Culture Minister to decide that Hadi cannot appear on Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) because of this so-called “Amanat Hadi” and that there is a fatwa on it?

Who owns RTM? Umno? Barisan Nasional?

RTM is a state broadcaster paid by public funds and not his personal fiefdom. Who is he to arrogantly decide who can appear on the station? Continue reading “Talking about heights of arrogance”

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95-Day Countdown to 13GE – If Deepak had made only 10% of allegations against DAP/PR leaders he made against Najib and UMNO/BN leadership, he would be crawling all over BN MSM in past six weeks instead of total blackout

The past three days have been the most difficult days for DAP leaders, members and supporters in the 47-year history of the party, testified by the fact that the DAP had dominated the front-pages of the Barisan Nasional mainstream media (MSM) in the past two days and hogged the Barisan Nasional-controlled air waves.

The following are the screaming front-page headlines in the BN MSM in the past two days:

DAP silap kira undi? – Pengarah pilihan raya parti itu letak jawatan (Utusan Malaysia 5.1.13)

Drama DAP – Lagi persoal isu silap kira undi (Mingguan Malaysia 5.1.13)

DAP election FIASCO – Error raises doubts about party’s ability to rule country (New Straits Times 5.1.13)

‘Embarrassing glitch’ – (New Sunday Times 6.1.13)

Sandiwara DAP pujuk Melayu – Ambil masa tiga minggua akui kesilapan pemilihan CEC (Berita Harian 5.1.13)

Tindakan DAP ‘luar biasa’ – Pinda keputusan pemilihan janggal, timbul banyak persoalan: Muhyiddin (Berita Harian t6.1.13)

It doesn’t add up (Star 5.1.13)

When DAP appears in the BN MSM, especially on their front-pages, it is not good news. In fact, often they are about lies – as in the infamous case on May 7, 2011 when Utusan Malaysia carried a front-page article headlined “Kristian agama rasmi?” (“Christianity the official religion?”), claiming that DAP was conspiring with Christian leaders to instal Christianity as the religion of the federation instead of Islam and the other infamous case on July 9, 2012 on the Utusan Malaysia front-page about the falsehood that the DAP would contest 90 of the 222 parliamentary seats to dominate Pakatan Rakyat and appoint the Prime Minister in the 13th general election. Continue reading “95-Day Countdown to 13GE – If Deepak had made only 10% of allegations against DAP/PR leaders he made against Najib and UMNO/BN leadership, he would be crawling all over BN MSM in past six weeks instead of total blackout”

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49,000 youngest drop-outs?

by Azly Rahman
Malaysiakini
12:22PM Jan 4, 2013

If it is indeed true, as recently reported by Malaysiakini that 49,000 ‘stateless children’ are not going to school because they do not have identity cards, then something must be done to immediately address this issue of fundamental human rights. They must be allowed to go to school by any means necessary as the government resolves the issue of their ‘stateless parents’.

This ruling regime will be committing an act of the worst form of mental slavery should these children not be allowed to have the basic education and the right to be intelligent. If, as alleged, this regime can grant identity cards to newly-arrived immigrants in prepration for the coming elections, we must insist it to be able to do this for these children.

You, in the government, will be called a ‘pariah regime’ if this is not done for those children. The implications of not having those children schooled will be devastating; a reaffirmation of the vicious cycle of poverty, alienation, dehumanisation, and the fast-track way to build Malaysia’s prison-industrial complex. These children are already ‘drop-outs’ even before they enter schools!

What is wrong with our education system when we are now seeing a ruder apartheid-isation of schools? We continue to see the growth of a hideous class and caste structure in schools, from smart schools for the children of the rich to ‘pariah schools’ for the children of the abject poor. And now in the case of the ‘children of stateless parents’, we even have no schools for children of the abyss of the underclass, especially Malaysians of Tamil origin. Continue reading “49,000 youngest drop-outs?”