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What stories will Najib leave behind?

By Eric Loo
Malaysiakini
May 13, 2015

I don’t know how she died, but I remember how she lived her life. I still feel her cheery presence from her Facebook posts and emails, the last one I received a month ago. It’s surreal. Which got me thinking. What stories will we leave behind after we’re gone? Then, I thought about our prime minister. What public memories will he leave when he passes on, from the values he lives by to the political decisions he has made since 2009?

In the documentary ‘A Leader’s Legacy: Tun Abdul Razak’, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak says of his father: “I have a sense of pride knowing my father passed away in the service of the nation. There can be no other service greater than that.” Indeed.

Najib proudly presented his reformist agenda when he succeeded Abdullah Badawi in 2009. To the United Nations in 2010, Najib projected a globalist moderate persona. His realpolitik at home, however, shows a Janus-faced figure, Machiavellian even, in reaching his political ends, amoral they may seem in the public eye.

These keywords hence come to mind when I think of Najib’s administration: Altantuya, Scorpene submarines, Abdul Razak Baginda, government executive jets, Rosmah Mansor’s lavish lifestyle, 1MDB debts, and other scandals listed in the Sinar Project.

Wealth accumulation from mega business deals through political connections has hence ranked Malaysia third in The Economist’s Crony Capitalism Index 2014 after Hong Kong and Russia. Continue reading “What stories will Najib leave behind?”

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Transkrip Ucapan Lim Kit Siang semasa Ceramah Perdana di Padang Perdana pada 10 Mei 2015

Terima kasih MC YB Baihaki dan YDP PAS Kota Bharu, YB Cikgu Rahim, Timbalan Presiden PAS YB saudara Mat Sabu, S/U Agung PKR YB Rafizi, YB Zuraida dan pemimpin- pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat, saudara- saudara dan saudari, selamat malam salam sejahtera dan salam ubah.

Dalam dua tiga hari ini apa menjadi tajuk berita besar, dua tiga hari ini, skandal 1MDB dan masalah skandal penjualan tanah di KL kepada Lembaga Tabung Haji bukan? Itu tajuk berita besar dan selepas itu pun ada lagi satu dua tajuk besar.

Hari ini nampaknya ada satu blog yang ditulis oleh Zaid Ibrahim, bekas Menteri. Dia kata daripada Jepun dia dapat maklumat bahawa ada satu perjumpaan sulit di Milan. Kenapa di Milan? Siapa ada di Milan? Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin sekarang berada di Milan Itali. Dia ikut Zaid Ibrahim, dia dapat maklumat bahawa ada satu mesyuarat sulit Tan Sri Muhyiddin dengan Tengku Razali mengenai kemungkinan untuk menjatuhkan Najib sebagai Perdana Menteri.

Benar tak benar dia kata pun tak tahu. Dia tak tahu, saya pun tak tahu lah. Tapi apa yang kita tahu ialah Perdana Menteri kita di Tawau Sabah hari ini malam ini. Dan dia sudah mula berperang dengan Tun Dr Mahathir. Dan dia cabar Dr Mahathir bahawa jangan kacau dia, dia rela lawan balik. Mungkin esok apabila dia jumpa dengan Ketua Bahagian Umno akan perkembangan yang berikut.

Tetapi dengan perkembangan- perkembangan semacam ini, bolehkah kita tumbang Umno dan BN di masa depan? Bolehkah? Mungkinkah? Kali yang pertama dalam sejarah Malaysia 58 tahun. Kali yang pertama kita lihat kemungkinan bahawa kita boleh tumbang Umno dan BN. Dan ini kita boleh lihat daripada keputusan PRU13 di mana parti- parti Pakatan Rakyat, PAS, PKR dan DAP. Kita memperolehi majoriti pengundi- pengundi sungguhpun kita kalah daripada segi kerusi parlimen oleh kerana persempadanan kawasan- kawasan pilihanraya tidak adil dan tidak demokratik.

Dan bukan sahaja di masan depan, kalau kita ikut trend ini, mungkin kita boleh sampai ke Putrajaya. Tetapi ada tujuh negeri pun mungkin boleh jatuh. Betul? Kedah boleh jatuh? Terengganu boleh jatuh, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka dan satu negeri sampai PRU2013 dilihat sebagai satu negeri tak mungkin parti- parti pembangkang untuk pecah.

Johor, Johor sekarang sudah dekat, kita boleh pun memerintah di Johor mengikut keputusan PRU13. Betul? Tetapi prasyarat ialah bahawa Pakatan Rakyat kekal. Bolehkah Pakatan Rakyat kekal? Teruskan. Kalau saya ditanya saya pun tak tahulah. Sama ada Pakatan Rakyat boleh kekal atau tak boleh kekal. Lagi satu bulan akan menentukan masa depan sama ada rakyat Malaysia boleh tukar tumbang Umno dan BN dalam PRU yang akan datang. Continue reading “Transkrip Ucapan Lim Kit Siang semasa Ceramah Perdana di Padang Perdana pada 10 Mei 2015”

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We thought we could tweet our way to a socialist paradise. The election changed that

Suzanne Moore
Guardian
11 May 2015

As the Labour bubble burst amid a volley of disbelieving posts on election night the echo-chamber limitations of Twitter and Facebook became all too clear

One of the biggest shocks of this election is the realisation that you can’t get a socialist paradise on Earth by tweeting. Or even by putting up really angry statuses on Facebook. Who knew? Actually, as people who do this kind of thing all follow each other, it seems that many of them still don’t realise. In the echo chambers some of us inhabit online, everyone not only votes Labour but crows about it in 140 characters.

I love social media and think it is brilliant in all kinds of ways for connecting us, but its limitations have been clearly shown in this election. Declaring one’s allegiances is fine if you understand who you are declaring them to. No one really does. Hope soon changed on election night into disbelieving, angry tweets. Is there an emoji for howling? All of this happened in self-selecting universes.

We all of us inhabit bubbles, and in the current postmortem at least we can see more clearly what some of those bubbles are. Continue reading “We thought we could tweet our way to a socialist paradise. The election changed that”

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Merdekakan Minda Melayu (Liberate The Malay Mind)

M. Bakri Musa
12.5.2015

Malays need to have minda merdeka (free or liberated mind). We do not need another Melayu Baru (New Malay), Glokal Malay (contraction for global and local), Ketuanan Melayu (Malay hegemony), revolusi mental (mental revolution), and other tired slogans. Those would all be for naught if our collective minds remained trapped with their distorted views of the past and present. Facing the future with a closed mind is not the way either, at least not with any hope for success.

The famed Indonesian writer Pramoedya Ananta Toer published his highly-acclaimed Buru Quartet novels soon after his release from Pulau Buru prison. When asked during a book tour in America how he was able to craft such a wonderful work of art while being imprisoned under the most inhumane conditions, Pramoedya replied, “I create freedom for myself!”

This is what a free mind can do. Your body may be imprisoned and confined to total darkness for 24 hours a day save for a ray of light peeking through the keyhole, as Pramoedya was, but no one could imprison your free mind. Under such cruel circumstances a mind that is not free could easily disintegrate, going wild and berserk, which justifies the continued isolation and inhumane treatment. Continue reading “Merdekakan Minda Melayu (Liberate The Malay Mind)”

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Right and proper thing for Najib to do is to seek a vote of confidence when Parliament reconvenes on Monday

(Scroll down for BM version of this statement / Terjemahan BM di bawah)

The right and proper thing for Datuk Seri Najib Razak to do is to seek a vote of confidence as Prime Minister when Parliament reconvenes on Monday.

Although there is no precedent of a “no confidence” motion in Malaysian Parliament in the past 56 years, there is a precedent for a “vote of confidence” motion on the Prime Minister, which was moved in the Dewan Rakyat on January 27, 1976, by then Dato Hussein Onn when he became Malaysia’s third Prime Minister after the death of his predecessor, Tun Razak. Continue reading “Right and proper thing for Najib to do is to seek a vote of confidence when Parliament reconvenes on Monday”

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The Umno-BN battle royal

– Koon Yew Yin
The Malaysian Insider
12 May 2015

A titanic power struggle is currently taking place in the country. In one corner of the ring is former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his mainly Umno supporters who have decided to kick the Prime Minister out of power for a variety of reasons, including the 1MDB fiasco and for personal wrong doings and unresolved scandals of which the Altantuya one tops the list.

In the other corner stands Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak with the Umno and Barisan Nasional establishment behind him. Continue reading “The Umno-BN battle royal”

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“Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to topple UMNO/BN as Federal Government and seven State Governments in Terengganu, Kedah, Perak, Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor may be lost if Pakatan Rakyat cannot even survive next month

The biggest news headlines in the past two days have been the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal and its latest edition, the RM188 million 1MDB-Lembaga Tabung Haji (LTH) bailout with LTH paying 1MDB for 1.56 acres of Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) land at RM2,773 per square foot, which is 43 times more than 1MDB had acquired from the Federal Government four years ago at less than RM64 per square foot.

Events are unfolding at rapid pace in UMNO over the ability of Datuk Seri Najib Razak to survive as Malaysia’s sixth Prime Minister and UMNO President.

Just before coming on stage, for instance, I read on the Internet of the blog by former Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim about a top secret meeting in Milan between Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and several UMNO bigwigs to discuss his possible takeover as Prime Minister, but Zaid admitted that this information was unverified and he did not know how reliable was his source.

But what is certain is that Najib has declared war on former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir who had asked Najib to resign as Prime Minister on the ground that UMNO/BN will lose the next polls under Najib, as the Prime Minister had for the first time made a fighting speech in Tawau in Sabah vis-à-vis Mahathir’s attacks on him.

All this raises the question, whether UMNO/BN could be toppled in the next 14th General Elections. Continue reading ““Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to topple UMNO/BN as Federal Government and seven State Governments in Terengganu, Kedah, Perak, Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor may be lost if Pakatan Rakyat cannot even survive next month”

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Najib Government is even more shambolic than the Abdullah Government, not only the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing, but Cabinet Ministers and DPM in the dark as to what the PM is doing

The Najib Government is even more shambolic than its predecessor, the Abdullah Government, not only the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing, but Cabinet Ministers and the DPM in the dark as to what the PM is doing.

It has resulted in the Sabah Speaker and Sabah UMNO Deputy Liaison Chief , Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak virtually demanding for the resignation of the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and three Cabinet Ministers, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Khairy Jamaluddin for “trying to save their own necks” on the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal and the latest 1MDB-LTH bailout fiasco by breaching the principle of collective Ministerial responsibility, “making statements as if they are outsiders and not part of the Cabinet”. Continue reading “Najib Government is even more shambolic than the Abdullah Government, not only the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing, but Cabinet Ministers and DPM in the dark as to what the PM is doing”

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Najib should explain his role in the 1MDB-Tabung Haji fiasco, in particular whether he had approved or directed LTH in the 1MDB land sale

The Lembaga Tabung Haji (LTH) Chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahman has announced that following advice from the Prime Minister, the plot of prime land in the Kuala Lumpur city centre which LTH purchased from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) is to be sold to the highest of three bidders within the next two weeks.

This has however not ended the storm over the scandal and stigma of criminal breach of trust of pilgrim funds to bailout 1MDB, which is acquiring increasing gale force with rising chorus for the resignation of the Chairman and the four top executives of LTH, the termination of the 1MDB-LTH land deal and the refund of the payment made by LTH, and even for the resignation of the Prime Minister himself.

The Prime Minister cannot continue with his policy of elegant silence while giving private and meaningless assurances that “he will not protect those involved” if there was any wrongdoing.

Even his cousin-UMNO Vice President, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein had broken ranks and joined Deputy UMNO President, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and UMNO Vice President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal to express concerns about the government’s credibility as to suggest an international, independent auditing firm to examine 1MDB accounts – which tantamounts to a vote of no confidence in Najib’s initiative in early March asking the Auditor-General to audit the 1MDB accounts. Continue reading “Najib should explain his role in the 1MDB-Tabung Haji fiasco, in particular whether he had approved or directed LTH in the 1MDB land sale”

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Permatang Pauh win shows M’sia ready for more women leaders

by Syerleena Abdul Rashid
Free Malaysia Today
May 9, 2015

COMMENT

The voters of Permatang Pauh have spoken. They have chosen dignity over conceit, honesty over corruption, coherence over illogic.

By now, Malaysians from all walks of life have heard of PKR President Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s victory in the Permatang Pauh by-election. She won with a majority of 8,841 votes and defeated Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Suhaimi Sabudin. Her victory symbolises the yearning Malaysians have for much needed political reforms, ending tyrannical regimes, upholding social justice and above all, restoring democracy.

However for the women of this country, her triumphant return into Parliament symbolises a newfound hope that Malaysians are more than ready to discard traditionalist views and are keen on accepting women in leadership roles. Wan Azizah, herself, acknowledged how essential women’s roles are in supporting socio-political reform movements, “Women’s political, social and economic rights are an integral and inseparable part of their human rights”. Continue reading “Permatang Pauh win shows M’sia ready for more women leaders”

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Adenan must prove himself on intentions

by Joe Fernandez
CPI
08 May 2015

Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem in London on Tuesday and the day after, continuing his style since taking over from his predecessor and ex-brother-in-law Taib Mahmud, continues to say all the right things. They continue to be music to the ears of the environmentalists, other activists, the Orang Asal and even the Opposition.

In fact, he has even taken the wind out of the sails of the Opposition, being in the forefront with them, indeed away from the stand taken for so long by his ruling Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).

In giving the benefit of the doubt to Adenan, although he’s a product of the very party and system under attack, we can best say that he may have realised belatedly that it cannot be business as usual in Sarawak for his administration. However, recognizing the need for change and being committed to that change are two different things.

We know all the usual cliches about actions speaking louder than words and the proof of the pudding being in the eating. Continue reading “Adenan must prove himself on intentions”

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Can Najib untangle the 1MDB-Tabung Haji bailout in the next 48 hours or will there be a political explosion when Najib meets the UMNO division leaders on Monday

Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s position as Prime Minister and UMNO President has never been so fragile and precarious as now, and the question uppermost in many minds is whether Najib can untangle the 1MDB-Tabung Haji bailout in the next 48 hours or whether there will be a political explosion when Najib meets the UMNO division leaders on Monday.

Najib’s desperation over the RM42 billion 1MDB scandal as to approve a raid of Tabung Haji funds has created an unprecedented political spectacle of the current Prime Minister being sandwiched under attack by former Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir and the current Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Mahathir is demanding that the bailout in the land deal between Lembaga Tabung Haji (LTH) and 1MDB be called off immediately while Muhyiddin warned from Milan that the 1MDB scandal may explode on UMNO.

Muhyiddin admitted that the debt-ridden 1MDB was the biggest factor that led to Barisan Nasional’s (BN) loss in the Permatang Pauh by-election as he was not even able to explain the scandal when campaigning because, “I don’t even know what to say”. Continue reading “Can Najib untangle the 1MDB-Tabung Haji bailout in the next 48 hours or will there be a political explosion when Najib meets the UMNO division leaders on Monday”

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Azizah’s solid and impressive win in Permatang Pauh by-election paves the way for her to be re-elected as Parliamentary Opposition Leader

Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s solid and impressive win in the Permatang Pauh by-election paves the way for her to be re-elected as Parliamentary Opposition Leader.

UMNO/Barisan Nasional leaders had belaboured under the mirage that the Permatang Pauh by-election was a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to wrest back the seat which for the past 17 years had been the command-and-communications centre for political change and the concept of Ketuanan Rakyat.

Despite UMNO Vice President Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi’s promise of “shock and awe” at the beginning of the by-election, the UMNO/Barisan Nasional campaign, which was one of the dirtiest and dishonest in Malaysian election history exploiting and abusing the social media with lies and falsehoods, fizzled out and did not even materially improve on UMNO/BN’s share of the total votes cast.

UMNO/BN had the Election Commission to be grateful and thank, for if the polling had been held on a weekend, allowing more voters from outstation to return to vote, and the voter turnout had reached 80% and not just 74% recorded yesterday, Azizah would have no problem securing a bigger majority than the 11,721-vote majority won by Anwar Ibrahim in the 2013 general election (when voter turnout was as high as 88.2%). Continue reading “Azizah’s solid and impressive win in Permatang Pauh by-election paves the way for her to be re-elected as Parliamentary Opposition Leader”

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Is the 11th Malaysia Plan irrelevant?

Rama Ramanathan
The Malaysian Insider
7 May 2015

John F. Kennedy’s 1961 vision of putting a man on the moon energised the United States to “catch up to and overtake” the Soviet Union in technological prowess. The Soviets humiliated the US by being the first to put a human in space. Kennedy’s vision spurred the US into action to achieve technological domination.

Tun Abdul Razak’s 1971 vision, in the New Economic Policy similarly energised Malaysia. Razak wanted to eliminate poverty and to eliminate the association of occupation (and income) with race. Razak’s vision spurred the nation to recognise and reverse the effects of race-based choices with inequality-reducing choices.

The NEP reduced the income inequality between the Malay and Chinese communities. It succeeded so well that at the end of the NEP in 1991, the government decided to stop reporting figures for the Malay community. The data was hidden because the government lacked political will to end handouts which increased income inequality.

To avoid making the hard political choice of ending benevolence to rich Malays the government combined “other Bumiputera” with Malays and reported only figures for Bumiputera, Chinese, Indians and Others in national reports. Energising vision gave way to superficial vision. Continue reading “Is the 11th Malaysia Plan irrelevant?”

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Is criticising Putrajaya more serious crime than kiddie porn, ask student activists

by Diyana Ibrahim
The Malaysian Insider
6 May 2015

Majlis Amanah Rakyat’s (Mara) decision to give a “second chance” to child porn convict Nur Fitri Azmeer Nordin gives the impression that sexual crimes are less serious than criticising Putrajaya, said two student activists.

The duo, who had disciplinary action taken against them by their respective universities, said students who disagreed with the government faced suspension or expulsion from their institutions of higher learning.

Adam Adli Abdul Halim said Mara’s proposal was unfair because the same opportunity was not given to undergraduates fighting for their rights and vocal in defending democracy. Continue reading “Is criticising Putrajaya more serious crime than kiddie porn, ask student activists”

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In the face of Islamic State successes, al-Qaida adapts, grows stronger

BY LEE KEATH AND MAGGIE MICHAEL
Associated Press
May 4, 2015

CAIRO — When al-Qaida overran the Yemeni port city of Mukalla last month, the group’s commanders immediately struck a deal to share power with the area’s tribesmen. No jihadi banners were raised. Al-Qaida even issued a statement denying rumors that it had banned music at parties or men wearing shorts.

A local tribal council now administers the city.

The approach was a stark contrast to al-Qaida’s rival, the Islamic State group, notorious for its savagery. And that was precisely the point.

In a competition with the Islamic State group for recruits and prestige across the Middle East, al-Qaida has sought to distinguish itself from its rival’s bloodthirstiness, taking an approach that in jihadi circles would be considered pragmatic. It is building alliances with local players, even old enemies, to seize new territory. Its leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, has told his followers to avoid IS-style brutalities against civilians in order to build support among local populations.

The strategy has paid off, winning new gains for al-Qaida. In Yemen, it even stands to emerge as the real winner as Saudi Arabia leads an Arab air campaign targeting the terror network’s rival, the Iranian-backed Shiite rebels known as Houthis who have taken over much of the country. Continue reading “In the face of Islamic State successes, al-Qaida adapts, grows stronger”