Month: September 2015

A Shukur Harun
The Malaysian Insider
15 September 2015

Pelancaran rasmi parti politik baharu bernuansa Islam – Parti Amanah Negara atau singkatnya Amanah – esok, 16 September, mempunyai makna penting dan tersendiri bukan saja dalam sejarah politik tanah air, tetapi juga apa yang dinamakan politik Islam.

Parti Amanah ini sedang dalam proses untuk didaftarkan.

Selepas menekuni dari dekat kemunculan parti baharu ini, saya menyimpulkan beberapa hal. Continue reading “‘Amanah’ mendukung gagasan politik Islam”

Malaysia Day 2015 Message by DAP Parliamentary Leader and MP for Gelang Patah Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on 15th September 2015:

Nobody would have expected that Malaysia Day 2015 would turn out to be the most critical Malaysia Day in the nation’s history, with Malaysia at the crossroads – whether for Sabahans, Sarawakians or Malayans.

In recent years, there is growing alienation and disaffection among the people in Sabah and Sarawak causing even calls for secession from Malaysia to be raised because of over half-a-century of neglect and underdevelopment of Sabah and Sarawak.

But is there full and unreserved support for the idea, concept and vision of Malaysia by the people in Peninsular Malaysia?

May be not, from the insistence of those who want to hold a “Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu” rally in Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 16, although this highly-charged and provocative racist rally threatens not only racial peace and social harmony of the country, but undermines the very idea, integrity and vision of a Malaysian nation.

But the organisers of the Red Shirts Sept. 16 “Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu” are the modern-day hijackers, which is why the former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad was spot-on when he rubbished the notion that the red shirts rallying tomorrow are defending the Malays or that Bersih 4 was racist. Continue reading “Call on all Malaysians to make a personal reaffirmation on Malaysia Day 2015 that they are not just Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans or Orang Asli but most important of all, they are Malaysians!”

Yesterday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced the reactivation of ValueCap with a fund size of RM20 billion, which will be used to invest in selected stocks on Bursa Malaysia.

An injection of RM 20 billion may prop up the market briefly. The Chinese tried this approach with limited success.

Malaysia may find that this is a futile step that will prop up prices of GLCs and UMNO linked companies briefly. However, these steps will not result in lifting the GDP growth rate, enhancing investment, creating jobs, propping up employment or checking inflation.

It is a palliative step with no likely impact on the economic prospects or correcting the economic fundamentals.

Indeed, there may be a backlash effect – artificially propped-up share prices may induce share investors, both local and foreign, to cash in and take the proceeds out of the country, thus adding to the capital flight that is being experienced. Continue reading “Call for true national government with a strong technocratic background to address current economic crisis”

Is the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council last night the death knell for Barisan Nasional?

After the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced that Barisan Nasional component parties have “agreed to disagree” on the September 16 Red-Shirts “Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu” rally in Kuala Lumpur after Umno’s BN partners voiced their objection to it at the meeting.

He said: “There are many who have voiced their concern over the rally, and as BN chairman I respect their opinions.

“The component parties had voiced out many opinions and we had decided to agree to disagree on it.”

Najib cannot be more wrong. As BN Chairman, he should not just respect the opinions of the leaders of the other political parties in Barisan Nasional, he must comply with their views unless there is a consensus decision by all the BN coalition parties supporting a Red-Shirts “Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu” rally in KL tomorrow.

What has happened to the much-vaunted consensus principle of Barisan Nasional which had been hailed as the key to BN’s success? Continue reading “Death knell for Barisan Nasional?”

– Koon Yew Yin
The Malaysian Insider
14 September 2015

As we Malaysians celebrate our National Day on September 16, 2015, there is much we can be thankful for.

Sure, there is also much to be gloomy about. But let me as a senior citizen Malaysian try to put it into some perspective for the younger generation.

Firstly, we have endured as an independent nation for more than five decades.

At the time of Merdeka in 1957, there were many pessimists who felt that we could not progress without the British; and that the country would break apart quite quickly.

In fact, I remember those days very well as I was just starting on my own career journey as a young engineer. Continue reading “Thoughts on National Day”

By John Berthelsen
Asia Sentinel
September 14, 2015

Najib says this should do It

Rising economic and political problems could render Najib’s moves ineffective

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s announcement that a revived government equity investment firm intends to pour RM20 billion (US$4.6 billion) into shoring up the country’s stock market may face serious headwinds in a flagging economy.

“Malaysia’s market is much thinner than China’s so RM20 billion could make quite a bit of difference. On a fundamental basis the ringgit is grossly oversold and probably Malaysian equities are too,” said a Hong Kong-based financial analyst who covers Malaysia. “The problem is that fundamentals fly out of the window when there is growing concern about the probity of the political elite and the direction of policy. Malaysia has to resolve the 1MDB debacle before the market and the currency can stabilize and recover. That was supposed to happen in January and we are still waiting, which reflects entirely the poor economic and political management of the country.” Continue reading “Malaysia Acts to Save its Markets from Crisis”

The first thought that came to me when I saw the Kota Baru UMNO Division video on Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan and me was whether UMNO, through its Kota Baru division, is spearheading an inter-cultural and inter-religious “fusion” with Kota Baru Division enacting the Toaist rites of effigy-burning and setting up of an altar, complete with joss sticks and fruit offerings.

The second thought was the actual role of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in this video episode as his former political secretary and Kota Baru UMNO division chief, Fatmi Che Salleh, was the key character in this “inter-cultural and inter-religious fusion”.

Probably I should feel flattered as the UMNO leaders and propagandists are attributing to me super-human powers, not only able to lead UMNO through Kota Baru UMNO Division leaders to spearhead an inter-religious “fusion” with Kota Baru UMNO leaders participating actively in the last day of the Month of the Hungry Ghosts, but also to “mastermind” the Bersih 4 overnight rally on August 29 and 30 although I had nothing to do with it. Continue reading “Is UMNO through its Kota Baru division, spearheading an inter-cultural and inter-religious fusion, with Kota Baru division enacting Taoist rites of effigy-burning and setting up of an altar, complete with joss sticks and fruit offerings”

If the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, could set the example of walking the talk, Malaysia will be more united, successful and win greater respect and credibility in the international arena.

The latest example of Najib not walking the talk can be found in his prepared speech for the 32nd Chinese Cultural Festival in Kuantan on Saturday night, which the Prime Minister did not deem it important enough to personally attend.

In his prepared speech, Najib rightly said that the multi-racial population of Malaysia is not an obstacle but a source of strength for the country. Continue reading “If Najib could set the example of walking the talk, Malaysia will be more united, successful and win greater respect and credibility in the international arena”

Strangely enough, many UMNO leaders are celebrating Singapore PAP’s general election results last Friday on 11th September 2015 as if the UMNO/Barisan Nasional would be able to replicate Singapore PAP’s rebound and resounding general election victory in the 14th General Election in 26 – 32 months’ time.

In Singapore PAP’s resounding victory, the Singapore ruling party scored 69.9% of the popular vote, up from the record low of 60.1% in the previous general election, and won 83 of 89 parliamentary seats.

It came within a hair’s breadth of taking five more seats in one hotly contested district where a recount was held.

Last Friday’s mandate is Lee Hsien Loong’s strongest since 2001.

What of Malaysia?
Continue reading “UMNO leaders should not count chicken before they are hatched expecting UMNO/BN to replicate Singapore PAP’s rebound and resounding election victory in 14GE in Malaysia”

Andrew Harding, NUS
East Asia Forum
11 September 2015

As it tussles with multiple crises of political legitimacy and governance, Malaysia has reached a decisive point in its more than half-century history as an independent nation. What started as a shocking but not exceptional scandal has turned into a political crisis of unprecedented proportions. This was underlined by the Bersih 4 protests on 29–30 August in Kuala Lumpur, attended by an estimated 250,000 yellow-T-shirted Malaysians.

First, it was discovered that a development agency, 1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), set up by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in 2009, was in debt to the tune of RM42 billion (US$9.6 billion). Where, it was asked, did this vast sum of money go? What mismanagement or corrupt practices led to such a meltdown?

Then it was reported that the sum of RM2.6 billion (US$700 million) had shown up in Najib’s personal bank account. It has been admitted— in instalments —that this money was indeed placed in that account, but it is claimed to have been ‘donated’ from Middle Eastern sources as recognition of Malaysia’s role in fighting ISIS and maintaining Sunni Islam. Given the timing (just before Malaysia’s general election in 2013) and Najib’s claim that the funds were used for party political purposes, the money was clearly intended and used to ensure victory for the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, led by Najib’s UMNO (United Malays National Organisation) party.

Najib claims that nothing about this was illegal, given the current lack of statutory control over campaign spending, maintaining that he held the funds in trust for his party. But since BN won the election with a clear minority of votes, yet a majority of the seats in parliament, the legitimacy of the result was already in serious question even before the donation scandal came to light.

It gets worse. Najib’s response to attempts to get to the bottom of these matters has raised further questions about accountability and governance in Malaysia under BN rule. At first he was reluctant to give any explanation. Ultimately, denials followed by evasive answers raised many further questions. Continue reading “Malaysia’s troubles just beginning”

By Ghazala Irshad
Huffington Post
09/11/2015

PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia — The irony that leaders of the country hosting an international gathering against corruption are themselves embroiled in an embezzlement scandal provided unprecedented drama for 30 million Malaysians and a rare live case study for more than 1,000 anti-corruption conference delegates who visited Malaysia last week from around the world.

Leaked documents implicating Prime Minister Najib Razak in the embezzlement of $700 million from a state development fund prompted protesters nationwide to don yellow and call for his resignation, ahead of the 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) last week.

The scandal was the proverbial elephant in the room on the opening day of the IACC hosted by Malaysia on September 2. Then Jose Ugaz, president of global corruption watchdog group Transparency International, boldly addressed it head-on.

In a fiery speech introducing the new keynote speaker, the Malaysian minister of governance and integrity — who replaced Razak at the last minute — Ugaz clearly outlined all of Razak’s ethical violations and demanded specific answers from an independent probe.

“There are unanswered questions about the $700 million that made its way into the Prime Minister’s personal bank account,” Ugaz said, as the conference hall thundered with applause and cheers.

“In recent weeks we have seen the attorney general who was critical of the government suddenly replaced, the [state development fund] task force suspended, investigators at the Anti-Corruption Commission arrested or transferred, and newspapers suspended for reporting on the matter,” Ugaz continued.

“These are not the actions of a government that is fighting corruption. Malaysia is facing a corruption crisis.” Continue reading “Malaysia Hosts Anti-Corruption Conference as Government Faces Its Own Corruption Scandal”

By Mong Palatino
The Diplomat
September 11, 2015

Another troubling sign that the ‘race card’ is being exploited in the country’s politics.

More than 250 licensed non-government organizations in Malaysia are planning to mobilize 30,000 people on September 16 to protect and promote Maruah Melayu (Malay dignity). The event also aims to show support for the beleaguered leadership of Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is being implicated in a corruption scandal.

The event was clearly organized to counter the Bersih (which means ‘clean’ in Malay) protest last August 29 and 30, which gathered more than 100,000 people in Kuala Lumpur. Some leaders of the Malay Pride Rally have ridiculed Bersih as a Chinese conspiracy. To prevent the Chinese protesters from undermining the government, they urged their fellow Malays to join the September 16 gathering and to wear red in order to oppose the yellow color of Bersih.

This framing of the issue is rejected by many who insist that it is a distortion of the real politics of Bersih. While it is true that Chinese protesters were present during the Bersih protest, they were joined by Malays and other citizens who believe that Najib must resign and that a clean election is needed to promote good governance in the country. Last month’s Bersih, and the three previous Bersih protests, didn’t pit the Chinese versus the Malays, although some allies of the government wanted the public to believe that racial sentiments are undermining the country’s stability.

From the beginning, the issue was about corruption and abuse of power by the ruling coalition, which has been in power since the 1950s, yet leaders of the Malay Pride Rally continue to speak about Chinese machinations. Continue reading “Malay Pride Rally Stokes Race Politics in Malaysia”

M. Bakri Musa
www.bakrimusa.com
Sept. 7, 2015

[After last weekend’s mass protest against the nation’s entrenched corrupt and incompetent leadership, I reflect on a moment in our colonial history. If Merdeka has any meaning it is this – our freedom to express our views. We have to remind ourselves and our leaders of this, and often, lest it be forgotten. As we celebrate the nation’s 58th anniversary of independence, I salute those brave Malaysians of Bersih 4. May you succeed! Your courage humbles and inspires me.]

The Europeans entered the Malay world a few centuries after the arrival of Islam. First were the Portuguese in 1509, followed by the Dutch and finally the British.

Unlike those early Muslims, the Europeans came not to trade, at least initially, but as explorers during their Age of Discovery. Only when they saw the abundance of the rich natural resources of the land did they go beyond mere exploring.

With their primordial form of capitalism of the heartless and exploitative variety so well captured in Dickens’ many novels, it did not take long for their greed to manifest itself and be all-consuming. Like all capitalists, they were obsessed with domination, and that quickly expanded beyond mere trading. Colonial aspirations soon followed.

Preoccupied with commerce, those ancient Portuguese were not interested in converting the natives though that was the penchant with old-world Catholics. Yes, there were priests hauled along to bless their mission, if nothing else. Consumed as they were with profits they could not be bothered with the salvation of the heathens. Either that or those Europeans were aware of the fate of the crusaders and knew better than to try and convert the already Muslim natives. Continue reading “European Intrusions Into The Malay World”

– Tommy Thomas
The Malaysian Insider
8 September 2015

The prime minister reportedly said his administration cannot be toppled by “street demonstrations” because it would be against the Federal Constitution.

Whatever the intentions of the organisers and participants of Bersih 4, the rally could not force Datuk Seri Najib Razak to step down as prime minister from a constitutional and political perspective.

People power, however strong and widespread, cannot overthrow a government under the Westminster style of parliamentary democracy which we have adopted nearly six decades ago. Continue reading “Unconstitutional for speaker to deny no-confidence motion”

The Prime Minister cum Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Najib is expected to announce tomorrow measures to strengthen the economy as falling commodity prices and the ringgit currency plumbs near 18-year lows.

I call on Najib to include in his announcement tomorrow the following three measures to address the economic crisis:

Firstly, to suspend the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as it is choking domestic consumption apart from increasing the cost of doing business in difficult economic times;

Secondly, to embark on a regime of government economic austerity, starting with halving the number of 10 Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department to five. Continue reading “Three measures which Najib should announce tomorrow to address economic crisis”

The tale of two T-shirts, two rallies and two Malaysia Day highlight the gravity of the prolonged crisis of confidence which plague Malaysia and why Malaysians must think beyond race, religion, region or even politics to Save Malaysia.

Two T-shirts

There is firstly the yellow Bersih 4 T-shirt, with the five objectives of:

*Free and Fair Elections.

*A Transparent Government.

*The Right to Demonstrate.

*Strengthening the Parliamentary Democracy System.

*Saving the Economy of Malaysia.

Then there is the red T-shirt screaming the slogan “Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu”, with the explicit threat of communal confrontation and if the message was not clear enough, there was also also the vivid imagery of a communal “bloodbath”. Continue reading “Tale of two T-shirts, two rallies and two Malaysia Day highlight the gravity of the prolonged crisis of confidence which plague Malaysia why Malaysians must think beyond race, religion, region or even politics to Save Malaysia”

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak today played the role of a victim and complained that the revival of the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder is part of a foreign plot to topple him, similar to the toppling of Iraq’s Saddam Hussein.

He pointed out that Saddam was ousted by the United States based on false claims that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.

He said:

“Now look at Iraq today. They had no proof and yet they invaded the country.

“Now the Americans have regretted their actions and the Bush name can no longer be accepted.”

Najib is doing himself no service by likening himself to Saddam Hussein, as if claiming that he was being victimised in the same way that Bush Senior had victimised Saddam.

Is Najib suggesting that he is being victimised by Obama or his predecessor as US President, Bush Junior?

May be Najib should clarify and explain what he is trying to say. Continue reading “Najib must live with the reality that for the rest of his life, he will be haunted and hounded by the Altantunya Shaariibuu murder case so long as there is no full investigation to ferret out the motive and mastermind of the heinous killing”

Many must be asking whether the Red-Shirt “Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu” rally in Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 16 is finally a pro-Najib and anti-Mahathir rally in the latest round of power tussle in UMNO?

This thought must have struck many after one of the promoters of the “Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu” rally challenged the former Prime Minister to join the rally on Sept. 16 if “he is Malay enough”!

Putting aside Mahathir’s unrelenting criticisms of Najib , his call for Najib to step down as Prime Minister, even his asking Opposition MPs to support a no-confidence motion against Najib in Parliament but to keep the UMNO/BN government in power, a racially-charged and ostensible “Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu” rally but which is finally a pro-Najib anti-Mahathir gathering, is a real eye-opener.

This is really astonishing and utterly unbelievable – are the masterminds and promoters of the “Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu” rally really suggesting that Mahathir, as President of UMNO and Prime Minister of Malaysia for 22 years, had betrayed the Malays for over two decades to the extent that “maruah Melayu” are today facing unprecedented crisis?

If not, are they blaming Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib, the fifth and sixth Prime Ministers after Mahathir, for the “downfall” of “maruah Melayu”? Continue reading “Is the “Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu” rally in KL on Sept. 16 finally a pro-Najib anti-Mahathir rally in the latest round of power tussle in UMNO?”

September 16, 2015 will be a double test for the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, firstly as to how committed he is to the Malaysia idea; and secondly, whether he would show leadership and not allow the country to be held to ransom by irresponsible elements who want to provoke racial tensions and temperatures in the country by holding a racist “Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu” rally in Kuala Lumpur.

Although the Prime Minister has an appointment with the Chief Ministers of Sabah and Sarawak at Padang Merdeka in Kota Kinabalu on Malaysia Day to sign the commemorative Malaysia Day document to re-enact the formation of Malaysia 52 years ago, this is meaningless PR “public relations” gimmick unless it is accompanied by substantive announcements by Najib on the concrete measures Putrajaya will take to end the half-century of neglect and underdevelopment of Sabah and Sarawak – like increase of oil royalties to Sabah and Sarawak and the granting of autonomy on education and other jurisdictions to the two states!

The other test for Najib on Malaysia Day is whether he would allow the country to be held to ransom by irresponsible elements who want to provoke racial tensions and temperatures in the country by holding a racist “Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu” rally in Kuala Lumpur. Continue reading “September 16 will be a double test for Najib ,as to how committed he is to the Malaysia idea and whether he would allow the country to be held to ransom by irresponsible elements who want to hold a racist “Kebangkitan Maruah Melayu” rally in KL”

Congratulations for the launching of the Johor Parti Amanah Negara tonight are in order, for we are witnesses to history in the making.

The launch of Johor Parti Amanah tonight is a historic first step for Johor to be the engine head of the second phase of political change in Malaysia leading from the south to create an united and democratic Malaysia with good governance and socio-economic justice for all.

Just eight years ago, nobody would dare to think or dream that political change in Malaysia or Johor was possible.

In fact, the UMNO/BN leaders were so cocky and arrogant about the “untouchability” and “invincibility” of Johor as their “fixed deposit state” that their 2008 General Election campaign theme was to make Johor a “zero-Opposition” state.

The 12th and 13th General Elections in 2008 and 2013 have completely changed the picture and rewritten the electoral and political arithmetic in Johor and Malaysia, and the question is not “whether” but “when” the UMNO/BN coalition government will fall in Nusajaya and Putrajaya. Continue reading “DAP, PKR and Parti Amanah leaders must get down to brass tacks to formulate and implement “Win Johor to win Putrajaya” blueprint as 14GE is only 48-56 months away”