Day: February 22, 2014

I must give credit to the diabolical “cleverness and creativeness” of the UMNO cybertroopers and those committed to incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities, hatred, conflict and tension in recent months to create racial chaos and religious conflagration in coming out with a new accusation against me.

I thought after some 48 years of Malaysian politics, there will be no accusation that had not already been hurled against me and there could be no new accusation against me.

I had been accused of being anti-Malay, anti-Indian, even anti-Chinese of being anti-Chinese Chinese-educated, anti-Chinese English-educated (not yet accused of being anti-Chinese Malay-educated); I have been accused of being anti-Islam, anti-Hindu, anti-Christianity; I have been accused of being a CIA agent, KGB agent, Australian Secret-Service Agent, a Singapore agent even Special Branch agent at home – and anti-nationalist!

I have even been accused of having caused the May 13 riots in 1969 (if so, why have I been allowed to be at large in Parliament and Malaysian politics over four decades) and most disgusting of all, that I have urinated at the flagpole of the then Selangor Mentri Besar’s residence in Kuala Lumpur when in fact I was in Sabah at the time. Continue reading “Is there a high-powered plot to frame me up like Teresa Kok in 2008 so that I could be detained on the ground of being anti-Quran and inciting racial and religious disharmony?”

The Prime Minister and the Barisan Nasional Chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday that the Barisan Nasional (BN) is going into the Kajang by-election as the underdog but pledges to work doubly hard to ensure the best possible outcome.

It will be a fatal mistake for Pakatan Rakyat parties to assume that the Kajang by-election is a walkover with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the candidate.

It is imperative that the Pakatan Rakyat parties of PKR, PAS and DAP speak with one voice and act as one unit not only to secure victory for Anwar in the by-election on March 23, but with a convincing majority greater than the majority won in the 13th general elections on May 5, 2013.

Every vote in the Kajang by-election must be fought and won and not taken for granted. Continue reading “Fatal mistake for Pakatan Rakyat parties to assume that the Kajang by-election is a walkover with Anwar as candidate”

by Lee Shi-Ian
The Malaysian Insider
February 22, 2014

The man behind the teacher pressure group’s planned protest today against the student-based assessment (SBA) has been given a 24-hour notice of transfer to a rural school in Pahang in what is seen as Putrajaya’s clampdown on dissent by civil servants.

Despite the sudden transfer notification, teacher Mohd Nor Izzat Mohd Johari, 29, who is the Suara Guru-Masyarakat Malaysia (SGMM) working group chief, refused to be cowed and said the protest would go ahead as planned.

The group planned to gather at the Bandar Baru Bangi mosque prior to the rally.

Nor Izzat, who has been called “Guru Setahun Jagung” (greenhorn teacher) by the ministry for being a vocal critic of the SBA, said his transfer was proof that the Education Ministry was exercising its powers over him.

He told The Malaysian Insider that his good friend and colleague, Mohd Zulkefli Seman, who teaches at the same school in Jerantut, Pahang, also received a transfer letter yesterday morning.

Nor Izzat said Zulkefli was not a SGMM member, but had accompanied him to meet with Education Minister II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh last year. Continue reading “Putrajaya clamps down on dissent, transfers anti-assessment system teacher”

by P Ramakrishnan
Aliran
21 February 2014

What is important in any hearing is fairness to the accused. But certain judges don’t seem to be very bothered about this principle, says P Ramakrishnan.

The survival of Umno in the forthcoming GE14 is hanging by a thread. By all counts, it may be the end of the road for the party that has dominated Malaysian politics for more than half a century.

Umno is aware of this. And that is why it is desperately trying to put Anwar Ibrahim away to save its skin. A free Anwar will sound the death-knell for Umno.

Politically it may not succeed in its attempt to do away with Anwar because his influence is wide and far-reaching. He is seen by the majority of Malaysians as the only hope of toppling Umno from its power base – which will pave the way for an alternative government.

All the lies that Umno has concocted against Anwar have not made any impact on the people. This approach has been tried since 1998 – to tarnish his reputation and smear his image – but every attempt failed miserably. People have wised up to the tricks and manipulations resorted to by Umno at every opportunity and during elections, but such ploys have had no effect to benefit Umno.

Moreover, the people are aware that Umno is no longer the sole mouth-piece for the Malays. Pas and Keadilan are equally capable of representing the Malays far more effectively when compared to Umno. To add to their headache, the Malays are even turning to the DAP and supporting their candidates. Clearly, it is a losing battle for Umno. Continue reading “Anwar Ibrahim has to be put away; otherwise, Umno is doomed!”

Erna Mahyuni
The Malay Mail Online
February 19, 2014

FEB 19 — Wouldn’t want to be a PKR supporter right now. The “Who gets to be Selangor MB” game is getting pretty old and rather symptomatic of the prevailing malady permeating our country — having the wrong priorities.

Umno’s culture of selfishness and infighting with poison pen letters and hidden knives in the dark is well-documented. But to see the same culture of factionalism and infighting in PKR makes you wonder if the party is just a rebadged Umno. Same crap, same people (stop recruiting ex-Umno people already, Anwar) but just a different party name.

I can’t comment on the merits of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim versus Azmin Ali versus Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim because I frankly do not give a rat’s behind.

What is certain is that it is entirely possible for Pakatan Rakyat to lose Selangor, without even waiting for the next general election. Continue reading “When the Opposition starts serving up déjà vu”

– Koon Yew Yin
The Malaysian Insider
February 20, 2014

MAS has just reported a fourth consecutive quarter of losses with a net loss of RM343 million for this last quarter.

For the full financial year 2013, the net loss amounted to RM1.2 billion, compared with a net loss of RM433 in FY12.

The question is whether this eye-popping loss will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

In the past, there have been incorrigible cheerleaders for the airline, regularly claiming that the company is in recovery mode and will soon return to profitability.

This time, even the most optimistic experts have given up. Continue reading “Time to just let MAS crash”

by Din Merican
February 8, 2014

I am writing this as I contemplate the fate of our country while resting after being involved in a nasty accident last week. I feel very sorry that my wife’s car. Dr Kamsiah’s black beauty is now a total wreck and we are not sure how long the adjusters will assess the loss as a total loss or whether it has to be repaired.

I hope the insurance company and its adjusters would be kind to my wife and I by not prolonging the painful process of making an insurance claim. The positive thing from that accident was that the driver of the other car, a non-Muslim Chinese and I, a Malay Muslim, did not have a quarrel. We resolved matters in the manner that accidents are resolved. We showed care and compassion for each other to ensure that neither of us suffered grievous bodily injury. We were civil despite our different race and religion even in those tense moments. We behaved as how civil people behave. We behaved like we are one people, like true Malaysians.

What was heartening also was that I received an immediate message from my young friend, Lawyer Rosli Dahlan, who heard about the accident although he was away. He was so concerned to make sure that we were not injured and made prayers for me from Makkah. Apparently, he was in Jeddah for a meeting and entered Makkah to perform umrah and made doa’ (prayers) for our safety.

To Rosli, I say thank you. At my ripe age, doa from well wishers are very meaningful. Alhamdulillah, I am safe in one piece although I was pretty jolted when the airbag exploded. I pray to Allah that the driver and passengers of the other vehicle will also recover as I have. Continue reading “Islam At A Crossroad in Malaysia”