Month: August 2013

The Malay Mail Online
August 15, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 ― Putrajaya spent over RM500 million in its advertising blitz ahead of Election 2013 ― as much as the next four advertiser categories combined ― to dominate the list of top spenders for the first half of the year.

According to a report on local advertising growth by Vizeum Media, an international media-buying agency, the next closest contender was women’s beauty products, which laid out RM163 million or less than a third of the RM530 million spent by the government.

“[The General Election] drove government spending to a historical high of RM531 million, accounting for 9 per cent share of the advertising market or one-third of ADEX within the top 10 spending categories in 1H 2013,” Vizeum said in its July report.

The amount was a 160 per cent increase over the same period last year.

Of the over half-billion spent, the Prime Minister’s Department took up the lion’s share with an outlay of RM264 million for the first six months of the year or five times more than it did in 2012.

“Jabatan Perdana Menteri accounted for 50 per cent share of all government spending during the same period,” the report continued.

The sum was enough the make the PM’s Department the country’s second-largest single advertiser, losing out to multinational consumer goods firm Unilever Malaysia which spent RM286 million. Continue reading “Putrajaya blew over RM500m on pre-polls ad offensive”

Media Statement by DAP National Chairman and MP for Bukit Gelugor, YB Karpal Singh, on 15.8.13:

Despite the strong legal position of the DAP that the directive of the Registrar of Societies that the party holds fresh CEC elections in that that directive does not have the sanctity or authority of law, in the larger interests of the party, and to avert deregistration of the party, the CEC resolved last night, to hold fresh CEC elections.

The DAP had made every effort to receive from the Registrar of Societies the reasons for his directive and the law upon which that directive had been based. In fact, DAP Secretary-General, Lim Guan Eng, as recent as a few days ago, sought to meet up with the Registrar of Societies to discuss the position but the Registrar of Societies declined to give him an appointment. To compound the position, the party’s repeated requests to the Registrar of Societies to be supplied with the complaints made against the party have been futile.

Under the circumstances, it is with regret, that as directed by the Registrar of Societies, the CEC of term 2008-2011 will meet up next Thursday to make the necessary preparations for the fresh CEC elections.

By Ong Kian Ming | 11:07AM Aug 14, 2013
Malaysiakini

COMMENT This week marks the first 100 days of the Najib administration since May 5, 2013, when BN won 60 percent of parliament seats with only 47 percent of the popular vote.

Najib Abdul Razak has the distinction of being the first Malaysian prime minister to hold on to the reins of power without having won the majority of votes.

He has further distinguished himself by presiding over a duplicitous, dysfunctional and directionless government. If this is a sign of things to come, the next five years will, if Najib lasts that long, see things in the country going from bad to worse.

Duplicitous

On the night of polling day, when it was announced that BN had retained power at the federal level, Najib called for a national reconciliation in order to unite the voters who had been “polarized” as a result of a high stakes and often heated general election campaign.
Continue reading “‘Duplicitous, dysfunctional and directionless’”

— May Chee Chook Ying
The Malay Mail Online
August 14, 2013

AUG 14 — Many are making senseless statements; some to the extent of baying for blood. It’s almost unbelievable that our beloved motherland has descended to such depths. The irresponsible politics being played out by those morally bankrupt are keeping some people at the level of their instincts.

That’s what arrogant politics does – it divides the masses. It refuses to respond to new realities. It insists that the only way to solve problems is to bring back archaic structures and instruments that demean the human person. Are we still moving towards 2020, the year we are supposed to be a developed nation? How can a nation be developed when the puppeteers are still hoping to enslave the minds of the masses? To dictate to them and control their every move?

Things are coming to a head now in Malaysia. Instead of finding out what went wrong; whether those in power have had a share in the fault, looks like the liberty of some will have to be sacrificed in order to expedite matters. As usual, coming up with irresponsible band-aid solutions, e.g. bringing back the EO instead of implementing the ICPMC. Harking back to the dark old days when events in life are pushing us forward to change plans and directions? Continue reading “We have to keep the faith, even if our leaders can’t”

The Malaysian Insider
August 13, 2013

Umno’s election strategy of ratcheting up fear among Malays over the loss of political power actually yielded only a slight increase in Malay support in the past general election.

In contrast, right-wing rhetoric, unresolved issues of race and religion as well as the belief that Pakatan Rakyat should be given a shot at running the country saw a 20% swing of Chinese voters and 5% swing of Indian voters away from Barisan Nasional, compared with 2008.

In fact, what really did help Umno tap the rural vote was its strong political machinery there as well as the villagers’ continued dependence on government aid and services. Cash handouts under BR1M also played a part. Continue reading “Did Umno really scare up strong Malay support? Not quite, shows study”

— P Ramakrishnan
The Malay Mail Online
August 13, 2013

AUG 13 — The accepted legal norm is that the accused is innocent until proven guilty. That is the basic law. That is the golden thread of the law. That is the basis of justice.

It appears that Ranjit Singh Dhillon, the Penang Bar Committee’s criminal law chairman, has totally ignored this time-honoured principle by demanding that Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Karpal Singh declare their assets to prove their innocence. This is ridiculous!

If this was Ranjit Singh’s personal view, that would be of no consequence. But this view was stated in his capacity as an official of the Penang Bar – that makes it preposterous!

Malaysians would like to know if the Penang Bar shares Ranjit’s absurd view or does it disassociate itself from this view? This must be stated immediately and clearly. Malaysians should not be left wondering what has happened to the Penang Bar. Isn’t justice and fairness the paramount concern of the Bar? This must rightly be so.

Ranjit’s sober position should have been to ask the accuser to make a police report and provide the MACC with the so-called evidence in his possession that suggests that there was corruption in the conduct of these two Pakatan leaders. In this manner, he would have facilitated the commencement of criminal investigation by both the police and the MACC. Unfortunately, Ranjit did not do this. He did not promote the cause of justice.

What are the facts? Continue reading “Demanding that the accused prove innocence is utter rubbish!”

QED – “Father Augustus Chen” is a sham, phantom and ghost, and his booklet on the DAP “The Equity Report (CEC Election Fraud)” a tissue of lies and falsehoods.

The lies and falsehoods about “Father Augustus Chen” were so thick and free that he was even described as my one-time close associate and I had even been challenged to declare whether I still maintain a friendship with him.

The seven days given to “Father Augustus Chen” to surface to prove that he is not a phantom are past, and there is no ghost of a sign that there is such a person in Malaysia or on this earth.

“Father Augustus Chen” is a chimerical and fictitious creature of the fancies and fantasies of the Umno/BN “DDD” (Demonise/Destroy DAP) propagandists and cybertroopers to cram about one hundred lies about the DAP in a 12-page booklet as a culmination of a seven-month DDD campaign over the DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections last December which had spawned a few hundred lies and falsehoods about the DAP in the UMNO/BN controlled media in the past seven months.
Continue reading “QED – “Father Augustus Chen” a sham, phantom and ghost and his booklet on DAP a tissue of lies and falsehoods”

AB Sulaiman
Malaysiakini
Aug 12, 2013

COMMENT In the Malaysian public domain one issue seems to be taking a lot of attention; its source, of all things, is a book.

For a people not known to read much, this is bizarre. For it to be written purportedly by Abdullah Badawi, as some have assumed, more bizarre still.

Actually ‘Awakening: The Abdullah Badawi Years in Malaysia’ is not a book written by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at all; it’s one about him but edited by Bridget Welsh and James Chin.

In it Abdullah makes comments about his tenure as prime minister, about how he dared go against the wishes of predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad who apparently was holding the reins of power in the background.

Abdullah was commenting on how he was hounded by Mahathir but stood his ground anyway, and even cancelled some Mahathir-conceived mega projects. Continue reading “Najib’s getting off this tiger’s back”

Mariam Mokhtar
Malaysiakini
Aug 12, 2013

Malaysian prime ministers display fascinating quirks and characteristics; Dr Mahathir Mohamad assumes the role of the Pied Piper of Hamelin who leads the children (Malays) to a catastrophic end; Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is like Rip van Winkle who slept when he should have been working to improve the nation; and Najib Abdul Razak appears to act like Nero who fiddled while Rome burned.

Najib’s entry into politics is a lacklustre, predictable story which might explain his inability to inspire the nation. His role in undermining Malaysian democracy is pivotal.

He places more emphasis on sound-bites and slogans, than on sound policies. Najib is English educated, and a well travelled man. Some consider him a roué but he comes from a family with an impeccable political pedigree. The reason he failed as PM is simple.

Najib lacks leadership. Continue reading “The greatest PM we never had”

by Azrul Mohd Khalib
The Malay Mail Online
Aug 12, 2013

AUG 12 — While I was listening to the Hari Raya Aidilfitri sermon at the National Mosque the other day, I was struck by its gloomy, depressing and combative tone. Rather than a message of celebration and rejoicing at the achievements represented by the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan, the sermon was one which spoke in strident tones about the enemies of the faith, and attacks and threats to the ummah.

One of the elements identified in the sermon as being a threat to Islam (along with secularism and feminism, strangely enough) was pluralism.

Somehow, in less than 10 years, pluralism has become from being a proud attribute of multicultural and multi-ethnic Malaysia to one that has been vilified and has left certain people trembling in their boots.

In case anyone is unsure, the Oxford dictionary defines pluralism as being a condition or system in which two or more states, groups, principles, sources of authority, etc., co-exist. In the context of Malaysia, a condition in which numerous distinct ethnic, religious or cultural groups are present and tolerated within a society. Somehow, someone, somewhere has deemed pluralism to be the equivalent of a four-letter word.

Pluralism lives and breathes in Islam. It is embedded in the rich traditions of Islamic academia where from antiquity the religion prides itself in the diversity of views and the value of rigorous academic discourse and dialogue. Thus, the discourses and arguments of Muslim jurists and scholars of the likes of Al Kindi, Al Biruni, Ibn Sina are spoken in the same breath as the Greek and Roman philosophers such as Socrates, Cicero and Marcus Aurelius.

The best example of religious pluralism in Islam comes from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself who offered a delegation of Christians from the kingdom of Najran his own mosque, Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, for their prayers. What is this gesture if not recognition of the plurality of religion by the Prophet? Didn’t other religions not only survive but also flourish under early Islam? What does it say to others that pluralism is now considered a bad thing? Continue reading “Pluralism is not a dirty word”

By Kee Thuan Chye | Tue, 30 Jul 2013 16:30:00 GMT
MSN Malaysia

Hineous crimes such as the recent murder of Hussain Ahmad Najadi makes us think that the police are getting less and less efficient at curbing crime. In fact, the crime rate seems to be going up and up, but until lately, the Government was denying it.

ay after day, we keep getting reports of break-ins, muggings and robberies. Even of diners at popular restaurants falling victim to marauding gangs.

All this makes us think that the police are getting less and less efficient at curbing crime. In fact, the crime rate seems to be going up and up, but until lately, the Government was denying it.

In June 2012, the then home minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, said the crime rate was going down, and that if people thought it was going up instead, it was merely their “perception”. He was lambasted for his condescending comment.
Continue reading “Crime is Up, Cops are Down”

Will the Registrar of Societies Director-General, Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman, agree to a public inquiry into the DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections in Penang last December to establish that there are reasonable and acceptable grounds for his directive to the DAP for CEC re-election?

He should if the RoS DG believes in the accountability, transparency, good governance, the rule of law and the important concept that public officers should not abuse their powers or act arbitrarily and have a special duty at this stage of national development to ensure public confidence in the efficiency, independence, impartiality and professionalism of national institutions and the public service.

Already national institutions and the public service are facing the worst crisis of confidence in the nation’s history as their efficiency, independence, impartiality and professionalism have been subverted by blatant political interference by their political masters, causing them to be guilty of being very biased and selective in their decisions and actions, whether selective arrests, selective prosecutions and other forms of selective persecution and oppression.

Is public confidence in the national institutions and public service to suffer a “quantum” assault in the RoS case with regard to the DAP CEC elections last December, because the decision of the RoS DG is completely based on lies, falsehoods and deception? Continue reading “Public Inquiry into DAP CEC elections will prove there has been mass production and regurgitation of hundreds of lies and falsehoods against DAP in the Umno/BN media, culminating in the booklet of lies by the fictitious Father Augustus Chen”

— Patricia Anne Martinez
The Malay Mail Online
August 12, 2013

AUG 11 — As an ordinary Malaysian Christian, specifically a Catholic, I want to place on record that I am deeply INSULTED.

I just watched the programme “Pope from the end of the world” on the Astro History channel. It is a biography (and nothing else) of Pope Francis. Perhaps it was featured before, but it was the first time I watched it.

Before the programme was aired, the following appeared on the screen: “THIS PROGRAM PORTRAYS DEPICTION OF RELIGIOUS FIGURES AND REPRESENTS VIEWS OTHER THAN MUSLIMS’. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.”

The disclaimer — if it can be called that — was shown FOUR TIMES throughout the programme.

I feel insulted because the statement shows a deep insensitivity, as if a programme about the life of the head of my Church is something on par with pornography or material of dubious ethical and moral value. Continue reading “I AM INSULTED…”

The Malaysian Insider
August 12, 2013

Numbers tell a story and the startling story that has emerged from studying the past general election results is this: Barisan Nasional could not have gone back to Putrajaya without the controversial postal and advanced votes system.

These votes alone gave BN victory in 22 parliamentary seats, which made all the difference. Without those 22 seats, BN would have tied with opposition Pakatan Rakyat at 111 seats.

Without those key postal and advanced votes, MIC would be without the two Cabinet ministers Datuk Seri S Subramaniam (Segamat) and Datuk Seri G. Palanivel (Cameron Highlands).

Several seats in Johor and the Federal Territory would have also fallen to Pakatan Rakyat. Continue reading “Barisan would have lost without postal, advance votes, says Merdeka Centre”

— Ravinder Singh
The Malay Mail Online
August 11, 2013

AUG 11 — Speaking at the 30th anniversary dinner of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) Joseph Kurup, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of National Unity, said “We can’t allow issues that might just be a storm in a teacup take a turn for the worse, abruptly turning it into a perfect storm, destroying what took us years and years to build.” Beautiful words!

He also said the government has “taken a zero-tolerance approach and sometimes contentious position on religious bigotry”. Empty words, at least until now!

Racial and religious provocations by the likes of Ibrahim Ali (burn the Bibles), Ridhuan Tee (about Thaipusam), Zulkifli Nordin (Hindu deities), and some other Muslims have been going on not for days, but for years. Yet, not a murmur from the minister of national unity until the chest beating at the dinner.

The minister should state openly his stand on racial / religious bigotry — what does it mean to him? Continue reading “Joseph Kurup: Minister of unity or disunity?”

by V. Anbalagan
The Malaysian Insider
August 11, 2013

The DAP will hold an emergency central working committee meeting tomorrow to discuss the deteriorating crime situation in the country that is turning into a full-blown crisis.

Secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the spate of shootings was unprecedented with at least one shooting being reported daily since the end of last month.

“DAP is holding this emergency meeting to respond to public fears for their safety that has affected business and caused tourism associations to publicly voice out on the adverse impact,” he said in a statement today. Continue reading “Finally, someone’s holding crisis meeting on crime – and it’s DAP”

There are two days left in the seven days given for the fictitious “Father Augustus Chen” who allegedly wrote the scurrilous and utterly false 16-page booklet “The Equity Report (CEC Election Fraud)” to surface and prove he is not a phantom.

Up to now, there are no indications that the fictitious “Father Augustus Chen” could appear, as there is simply no such person not just in Malaysia but on this earth.

It is just impossible and unthinkable that there could be a genuine person who could allow his name to be used for a such a scurrilous publication but is afraid to step forward to identify himself!

Whoever steps forward to claim authorship of the scurrilous publication “The Equity Report” must not only be prepared to face multiple mega-defamation suits but criminal proceedings as well for the mountain of malicious lies in the booklet.

If the fictitious “Father Augustus Chen” does not surface to prove that he is not a phantom, then the Umno/BN media which had maliciously used the scurrilous booklet as if its lies and falsehoods were gospel truth (despite its being an unlawful publication as it shows neither the printer or publisher as required by law) so as to continue to mount defamatory attacks against DAP and DAP leaders should expect mega defamation suits to be instituted against them.

But the more pertinent question is why the Registrar of Societies (RoS) Director-General is acting against the DAP in invalidating the DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections and directing CEC re-elections solely on the lies and falsehoods in the booklet by the fictitious “Father Augustus Chen”?

Has the government of Malaysia, after 56 years and 13 general elections, degenerated into a governance by deception, lies and falsehoods? Continue reading “RoS should not act arbitrarily but should give reasons why not satisfied with DAP CEC elections as DAP is prepared to have public inquiry to rebut all lies and false allegations”

Leven Woon | August 10, 2013
Free Malaysia Today

Johor Bahru DAP division secretary Alan Tang today claimed that someone forged his identity on a new Facebook account and uploaded a Hari Raya greeting with an image of a roasted pork head.

PETALING JAYA: Johor Bahru DAP division secretary Alan Tang today vehemently denied posting a Hari Raya greeting that featured a roast pork dish on social network site Facebook, claiming that his identity had been forged.

The image showing a roasted pork head sandwiched between the Malay traditional snack lemang (glutinous rice) and ketupat (dumpling) surfaced on the first day of Hari Raya and quickly earned the ire of the Muslim community.

Tang, when contacted, told FMT that he could not “have been so dumb to produce such a greeting”.

“I’m the one always advising my friends and comrades against touching on issues pertaining to race, religion and royalty, and it is even more impossible for me to do it myself,” said the 28-year-old Tang.

A print screen of Tang’s facebook account with the greeting was circulated on several pro-BN websites, but a search on Tang’s account found no such posting. Continue reading “I did not post the raya greeting, says DAP man”

By Kee Thuan Chye
Yahoo! News
August 8, 2013

DO and RE: Selamat Hari Raya, Mi.

MI: And the same to you both.

DO: How has it been?

MI: I think this Raya is not like many other Rayas of the past.

RE: I know what you mean. I feel the same.

MI: Sorry to bring this up on this festive occasion, but things are looking bad.

DO: We must try and look on the bright side, no?

MI: Hard to ignore the bad. My son’s university fees have to be paid soon. You know he’s in the U.S. And the ringgit is getting more and more weak against the U.S. dollar. It’s like after GE13, the ringgit just lost control.

RE: It’s also depressing the Fitch Ratings revised Malaysia’s outlook to negative. The Government has been spending too much and not getting enough revenue. Our credit fundamentals are weak. Continue reading “Have a Safe Hari Raya”

Saifuddin Abdullah
‘Second Sphere’
Opinion
fz.com
August 8, 2013

THIS Aug 13 marks the 100th day of the completion of GE13. Even though to some politicians, analysts and pundits, the debate on its result will carry on, perhaps endlessly, but to most people, it is time to move on.

This is the time where, we the people, no matter how diverse our views and standpoints are, and regardless which part of the house we are seated in, make the best out of what has come out of GE13.

We can, though admittedly it is not going to be easy, if we are genuinely passionate about making Malaysia a better nation.

This is an opportunity to engage ourselves around public issues (not politics) that are fundamental (not because they are viral) in ways that generate a coherent and shared voice of ours, infusing the democratic process with common sense and guiding intelligent decision making.

We must continue the new conversation that has started prior to GE13, with the aim of discussing what needs to be taken into account in order for us to produce long-term inclusive benefits.

This process should include new approaches in doing things, for example, more consultation, participation and deliberation, and should move beyond partisanship.

Tom Atlee calls this process “institutionalising the power of public wisdom in our government”. I call it “New Politics”. Continue reading “100 days after GE13: Moving on with public wisdom”