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Mahathir’s coronation as eminence grise in Najib premiership

Many Malaysians must have very mixed thoughts about Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s appearance at the Bukit Gantang by-election hustings this morning and in particular at the 90-minute live telecast by TV1 of the entire event.

The first thought is that the Najib premiership has made no real difference with the continued unchecked and blatant abuse of government power and resources for Umno and Barisan Nasional purposes, the shocking lack of integrity in the inability of those in power to make the important distinctions among government, party and self which is the root cause of rampant corruption and abuses of power in a government dominated by Umno hegemony.

How can a government channel, TV1, give a live telecast to what is clearly a by-election campaigning by Umno/Barisan Nasional? TV1 is no different from RTM1, what it was known previously, which I had described as Radio/Television Mahathir in the 22-year Mahathir administration.

However, what must have occurred to many who happened to watch the live telecast was that they were not just watching Mahathir campaigning for Umno/BN in Bukit Gantang by-election after rejoining Umno, but a “coronation” of Mahathir as the eminence grise in the Najib premiership and the formal burial of the Abdullah legacy in Umno and Barisan Nasional! Continue reading “Mahathir’s coronation as eminence grise in Najib premiership”

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Ganabatirau/Kengadharan still “unfree” after ISA release

Although Hindraf leaders V.Ganabatirau and R. Kengadharan have been released from Internal Security Act detention after 15 months 23 days – 46 hours after the new PM’s announcement – and have returned home to their families in Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya respectively, they remain “unfree Malaysians” with the host of draconian and undemocratic restrictions imposed on their ISA release.

Instead of full and unconditional release from ISA, Ganabatirau and Kengadharan remain unfree, exchanging incarceration within the four walls of the Kamunting Detention Centre for an invisible incarceration without walls but equally repressive and undemocratic in depriving them of their fundamental rights as Malaysian citizens and the human rights entrenched in the Malaysian Constitution.

The undemocratic and draconian conditions for the release of the Hindraf duo denied them human rights and fundamental liberties in substance, time and space, depriving them of the citizenship rights to take part in political and public activities, the human rights of freedoms of speech and expression, as well as requiring them to report regularly to the police as if they are big-time criminals.

Ganabatirau is not allowed to leave Shah Alam and Kengadharan to leave Petaling Jaya, and must be home by 7 pm every night, exchanging detention in Kamunting Detention Centre to a larger geographical space of Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya respectively – the mark of unfreedom and continued incarceration! Continue reading “Ganabatirau/Kengadharan still “unfree” after ISA release”

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UMNO’s Incompetent Disciplinary Committee

by M. Bakri Musa

Now that UMNO elections are done with, the raging controversies over its Disciplinary Committee’s decisions will soon be forgotten, until the next election season. It is a sad commentary that the party’s attempt at eradicating corruption succeeded in only creating more problems and aggravating existing ones.

It reflects poorly on members of the Disciplinary Committee, made up supposedly of the party’s distinguished elder statesmen. Its chairman for example, was a former foreign minister. They were given a major task and they bungled it.

Their botched performance reflects a more general theme: the dearth of competence and talent in the party’s upper reaches. That, together with pervasive corruption within the party, is what ails UMNO.

The internal affairs of UMNO would not ordinarily interest me except that the party still represents a major (though fast diminishing) segment of the Malay community, and UMNO leaders are also the leaders of our country. Until this reality is altered by voters, what happens in UMNO should interest all Malaysians. Continue reading “UMNO’s Incompetent Disciplinary Committee”

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Disgraceful 45-hr police “cat-and-mouse game” on Ganabatirau and Kengadharan’s ISA release

As of now, Sunday, 5th April 2009 at 5.10 pm, the two Hindraf leaders V. Ganabatirau and R. Kenghadharan,have still not regained their freedom 45 hours after the new Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had announced in his maiden speech to the nation over television on Friday night at 8 pm that both of them, together with 11 other Internal Security Act detainees, would be “immediately released”.

Also despite the belated assurance by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan yesterday that the ISA detainees will be allowed to leave Kamunting Detention Centre today, saying

“They cannot be released immediately. The documentation process has to be completed first. We will release all of them tomorrow after the documentation process has been completed.”

The families of Ganabatirau and Kengadharan were made to wait for hours under the hot sun yesterday and today and have not been allowed contact to see them. Continue reading “Disgraceful 45-hr police “cat-and-mouse game” on Ganabatirau and Kengadharan’s ISA release”

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Do Mahathir A Favour: Ignore Him

By Tunku Abdul Aziz
in MySinChew

UMNO succeeded brilliantly in putting on a well-orchestrated monologue carnival on the universally fashionable twin-theme of change and reform at their just concluded annual political jamboree. They succeeded in the event of mesmerising themselves into a frenzy. Talking change is easy, but “walking the change” is when the uncommitted falls by the wayside.

By all accounts, UMNO, of all political parties in Malaysia, is a most unlikely candidate for change. It is stuck in a time warp. Its leadership, never known for its ability to focus on critical national issues and respond quickly to the needs of the moment, more often than not, has absolutely no clue where to begin the process.

Blaming the opposition for things that do not go according to plan is well and good, but it would be more helpful and constructive for UMNO to accept and digest a simple fact of life which stipulates that the external pressures acting on you are only as influential as your internal weaknesses. Continue reading “Do Mahathir A Favour: Ignore Him”

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Najib fails “Performance Now” test within first 24 hours – 13 ISA detainees still not free despite “immediate release” last night

I had said at a media conference in Ipoh this morning that the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar and Deputy Home Minister, Datuk Chor Chee Heung, should resign from their Cabinet positions for the three-month suspension of Harakah and Suara Keadilan as one of first decisions of Datuk Seri Najib Razak on being sworn in as the sixth Prime Minister yesterday was to immediately revoke their ban which had entered into its 11th day.

Now, I say that Hamid and Tan Sri Musa Hassan should be sacked as Home Minister and Inspector-General of Police respectively for failing within 24 hours of Najib’s premiership one of the three Najibian thematic slogans – “1Malaysia. People First. Performance Now.”

It is most disgraceful and testimony of gross incompetence and ineptitude that although Najib announced in his maiden address to the nation over television last night that his government had decided “with immediate effect” the release of 13 detainees from ISA detention, none of the 13 could be released today and the earliest they could regain their freedom is tomorrow. Continue reading “Najib fails “Performance Now” test within first 24 hours – 13 ISA detainees still not free despite “immediate release” last night”

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Suspend ISA detention-without-trial powers for 2 years pending “comprehensive review”

Among Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s first decisions as the new Prime Minister yesterday were the immediate removal of the three-month suspension of Harakah and Suara Keadilan, the release of 13 detainees from ISA detention including two Hindraf leaders V. Ganabatirau and R. Kengaharan and the conduct of a comprehensive review of the Internal Security Act.

While these three measures are welcome, they are clearly not adequate and do not indicate that far from signalling a new Dark Age, Najib is ushering in a new era of democracy, freedom, justice and accountability for the country.

This is one of the SMS I received after Najib’s first official address to the nation last night as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia:

“If anything, the release of more than a dozen of ISA detainees announced by the newly sworn-in sixth Prime Minister marked the return of Mahathirism as this was exactly what Mahathir did when he became the Prime Minister.”

The sender of this SMS is very right in more senses than one. Continue reading “Suspend ISA detention-without-trial powers for 2 years pending “comprehensive review””

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Najib’s first test as PM on his “One Malaysian” concept – halt Umno’s irresponsible, destructive by-election campaign labelling majority of PR voters as anti-Sultan

Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been sworn in as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia, fulfilling the most famous political prophecy of RAHMAN on the first six Prime Ministers, although time will tell whether Najib will be the shortest-serving Prime Minister marking the end of the line of UMNO Prime Ministers in the country.

What is incontrovertible is that never before in the nation’s 53-year history has the ascension of a new Prime Minister in Malaysia been surrounded by so many questions, doubts and allegations raising serious questions about his suitability, credibility, integrity and legitimacy as in Najib’s case, not only among Malaysians transcending race, religion, political affiliation or region, but also internationally.

For the past month, Najib’s ascension as the new Prime Minister has been reported extensively in the international press and foreign countries, but there has not been one serious write-up which had not referred to the grave allegations hounding and haunting Najib, in particular the serious allegations about the C4 murder case of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shariibuu and the French submarine mega-defence commission.

These personal dilemmas of Najib have from today become national nightmares as they concern the honour of the highest political office of the land and that of the nation.

Is Najib just going to ignore these serious swirling doubts and allegations about his suitability, credibility, integrity and legitimacy as Prime Minister and soldier on regardless or is he finally going to end his denial and address these issues in a credible manner as by setting up a Royal Commission of Inquiry to put these doubts and allegations to rest, once and for all?

The timing of Najib’s takeover as Prime Minister could not have been worse, coming hours after Malaysia had been placed in the four-nation blacklist of non-cooperative tax havens by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation Development (OECD) for breaching international tax standards – as Najib had taken over the finance ministry since last September.

With the country facing the worst global economic crisis in a century, Malaysia needs a Prime Minister who can rally and mobilise Malaysians as one people to tide through a grave recession looming in the months ahead. Continue reading “Najib’s first test as PM on his “One Malaysian” concept – halt Umno’s irresponsible, destructive by-election campaign labelling majority of PR voters as anti-Sultan”

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Kit Siang: Najib should clear his name first

Malaysiakini
Athi Veeranggan | Apr 2, 09 12:58pm

Never before has a premier designate’s credibility to assume the country’s top job has come under such intense public scrutiny as in the case of Najib Abdul Razak.

Veteran opposition parliamentarian Lim Kit Siang said Najib therefore should first address the unprecedented phenomenon of Malaysians doubting his integrity in taking over the premiership.

“Najib must first come out clean from all the public accusations and allegations against him before assuming the country’s top job.

“He cannot assume the premiership with a tainted character and frail credibility. He must first clear his name,” said Lim in his Bukit Selambau by-election campaign speech at a rally in Sungai Petani last night.

The DAP supremo opined that it would be “morally and politically incorrect” for Najib to become the country’s sixth prime minister tomorrow when the jury was still out on whether the newly-elected Umno president was the ‘right man’ to helm Putrajaya.
Continue reading “Kit Siang: Najib should clear his name first”

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Pak Lah’s “kick at the pack of snapping hyenas around him”

Politics enters turbulent waters as prime minister retires
By Jonathan Manthorpe
Vancouver Sun
March 30, 2009

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is known as a courteous gentleman, ill-fitted for the brutal and violent world of his country’s politics.

But even the tolerant and spiritual Abdullah could not resist a kick at the pack of snapping hyenas around him when he retired last week after nearly six years as everyone’s fall guy.

Unless, he warned, the United Malays National organization (UMNO), the party that has dominated government since independence from Britain in 1957, stops silencing its critics, jailing its opponents and discriminating against minorities, it is on the fast track to political oblivion.

It was a harsh judgement, but a just and alarming one for a country which until recently has been seen as one of the great economic and political success stories of Southeast Asia. Continue reading “Pak Lah’s “kick at the pack of snapping hyenas around him””

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Islam “more repressive….narrow and parochial”

I was struck by one Q & A in Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s final interview as Prime Minister on 31st March 2009, as published by The Star yesterday, viz;

Q: You talked about progress Muslims made in earlier years and how we must emulate their efforts. But we must examine the Islam practised then. It was so free, lots of freedom to research, to think and implement. When you introduced Islam Hadhari, I thought this would bring it back to that era. But under you, Islam has gone to be more repressive. Just look at the lectures given by the ustaz on RTM1, they are so narrow and parochial.

A: It is a big problem – overseas the idea is welcome. Even Indonesia. But here it is all in a mess. Because we are fighting each other politically. Some PAS members do not like the idea. It is a battle that goes on. Changing of the mind. To do anything like that is not easy.

I have given myself that role. When I talk about democracy and freedom of discourse, it is not an easy job to do. But you have to allow people to enjoy it.

When people like it, the freedom, they think it is very nice. But I would have managed it better. I think up to now, nobody can silence the papers anymore. I don’t like the word takut (scared). Takut is not the way. Being reasonable is very important as well as being correct. Scaring does not work.

No denial whatsoever from Abdullah that under his Islam Hadhari, “Islam has gone to be more repressive…so narrow and parochial”. Continue reading “Islam “more repressive….narrow and parochial””

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Everybody knows her name

By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
2.4.09

SUNGAI PETANI, April 2 — Opposition speakers continue to creatively work around the Home Ministry ban on mentioning Altantuya Shaariibuu at their election ceramahs with Lim Kit Siang last night proving that most people were aware of the Mongolian beauty.

The DAP stalwart questioned the suitability of Datuk Seri Najib Razak as prime minister merely by asking the Bukit Selambau crowd “Who? From where?” when bringing up the Umno president’s alleged links to her murder.

The crowd got their answers right on both counts.

Two nights ago when opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim began his triple by-elections campaign here, he showed the breadth of topics he could address in attacking Barisan Nasional by bringing up a different deceased — that of suspected car thief A. Kugan in police custody.

Lim last night highlighted the sheer ludicrity of banning the mention of a name and “that of a non-citizen,” calling it undemocratic.

He said the Altantuya murder, without mentioning her name, coupled with allegations of abuse of power including an RM500 million commission in the government purchase of submarines, raised doubts over Najib’s impending premiership in “35 hours”. Continue reading “Everybody knows her name”

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Zambry is not a very smart man

by Martin Jalleh

BN-appointed menteri besar Zambry Abd Kadir thinks he is very slick and smart. Sadly, he has shown himself to be very shallow and slow.

He had very gleefully posed what M’kini called a “pertinent question” to the Menteri Besar of Perak Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin. He had thought he had delightfully delivered a body blow, damned his rival, and driven him to the ground.

Zambry claimed that Nizar had stated his position as ‘Pasir Panjang assemblyman’ and not as ‘menteri besar’ in his nomination papers filed last Saturday, to contest the Bukit Gantang by-election on April 7.

“All this while, he has been telling the whole world he is the lawful menteri besar. So why didn’t he address himself as the menteri besar in the nomination papers?” exclaimed Zambry, much to the delight of the crowd comprising mainly women and the elderly. (M’kini)

The answer is very simple and it reflects how astute a politician Nizar really is. He has taken into account the politicial realities that he has to contend with — realities that appear more and more grotesque with each passing day in Bukit Gantang. Continue reading “Zambry is not a very smart man”

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Confirmed – no Najib 100-day honeymoon as new PM after “Altantuya ban”

Confirmed – there is going to be no 100-day political honeymoon for Datuk Seri Najib Razak when he takes over as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia.

The outrageous, arbitrary, high-handed and indefensible ban on mention of the C4 murder victim, Mongolian woman Altantuya Shariibuu in the three by-elections of Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai has shattered whatever political honeymoon Najib might have enjoyed as the new Prime Minister – however shortened and truncated from the conventional first 100 days normally extended to all new office holders.

Even before his ascension as the next Prime Minister, Najib is already blamed for quickly transforming the political atmosphere in the country – from a sunny one five years five months ago when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over the premiership, promising an era of openness, greater democracy, accountability and integrity (unfortunately remaining unfulfilled) to an increasingly gloomy and darkening political landscape day-by-day with the impending Najib takeover, coupled with grave concerns about his suitability, integrity and legitimacy as Prime Minister.

At the media conference at the end of the Umno General Assembly where he was elected Umno President uncontested, in response to a press question about concerns that he would crack down on media and civil liberties, Najib said: Continue reading “Confirmed – no Najib 100-day honeymoon as new PM after “Altantuya ban””

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Big Napoleons in MOH

Letters
by mnoria

Big Napoleons in MOH acting like mafia warlords to sabotage the Health Ministry’s official announcements

I hope the Malaysian public have not forgotten the plight of House Officers or young trainee doctors:
1. Forced to work non-stop 36 hours, on-call duty for 24 hours and need to continue with another 12-hour regular, routine duties.

2. Extension of the period of their houseman-ship into two-years from the previous one year only.

The voices of grouses and protests died down totally after:
1. Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai announced that trainee doctors would now get a day off after carrying out their 24-hour on-call duty.

2. Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican announced an automatic promotion to grade UD44 upon completion of their two-year houseman-ship.

Please refer to the following two news reports from the Star newspapers for the details: Continue reading “Big Napoleons in MOH”

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Najib’s swearing-in as PM on Friday – how can when royal consent not yet given for Abdullah’s resignation?

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has confirmed that Cabinet Ministers, Mentris Besar and Chief Ministers have received invitations to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the country’s new Prime Minister at Istana Negara on Friday.

This raises the question whether the royal prerogative of the Yang di Pertuan Agong to appoint the next Prime Minister has been overlooked or disregarded when the King is presented with the fait accompli of the swearing-in ceremony for Najib as the new Prime Minister at Istana Negara on Friday when the royal consent for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s resignation has not been given.

In his winding-up speech at the Umno General Assembly on Saturday, Abdullah announced that he will meet the Yang di Pertuan Agong tomorrow (Thursday), saying:

“God willing, the proper handover ceremony will be arranged once Tuanku has consented to my desire to resign.”

What happens if the Yang di Pertuan Agong does not consent to Abdullah’s desire to resign or needs time to discharge his royal prerogative? Continue reading “Najib’s swearing-in as PM on Friday – how can when royal consent not yet given for Abdullah’s resignation?”

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Malaysia’s future leader hounded by accusations

By Julia Yeow
Deutsche presse-Agentur

31.3.09

‘I am hard-pressed to say this, but for these very reasons, I must say that Najib will surely split us, and in doing so, push us further into the pits,’ Zaid said in a public speech recently.

Kuala Lumpur – Barring divine intervention or an extremely well-hidden plan by his detractors, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak will be named Malaysia’s sixth prime minister in a matter of days.

Outgoing premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is scheduled to resign on Thursday, paving the way for his deputy to be sworn in at a date that has yet to be announced, but that could happen the very same day.

But the timing for Najib couldn’t be worse: he is taking over the leadership of a multi-party government coalition suffering from an all-time low public opinion, and a country already sinking in the fringes of a recession.

And to top it off, Najib’s own battles with controversies and scandals have dogged him and overshadowed what should have been a triumphant appointment. Continue reading “Malaysia’s future leader hounded by accusations”

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Ban “Altantuya” name – Najib crackdown bordering on Najib madness

With Datuk Seri Najib Razak all set to be sworn in as the sixth Prime Minister on Friday, all stops are off for a Najib crackdown – the latest being the ban on a Mongolian name, Altantuya Shariibuu, from public discourse.

When I said yesterday that Najib’s ascension as the next Prime Minister marks an enveloping darkness descending in all fronts of human rights, as hardly a day passes in the past fortnight without a new encroachment and erosion of the fundamental liberties whether freedom of speech, expression, assembly, association or the right to information, I had not expected to be vindicated again within 24 hours.

Sad. Very sad. It would appear as if Malaysia has not become enough of an international laughing stock in recent times chalking up a lengthening list of most shameful episodes, like Continue reading “Ban “Altantuya” name – Najib crackdown bordering on Najib madness”

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Checkmate Barisan National in Perak

by Koon Yew Yin
20th March 2009

Like most ordinary people, I was initially very confused by all the articles and commentaries on the Perak constitutional crisis. Just like reading an interesting book, I was anxious to know what the ending would be. There is one important difference though. Unlike a book, the ending of this crisis – for better or for worse – will affect my life and the lives of ordinary rakyat of Perak, as well as all Malaysians, given the ramifications that the outcome will have on the constitutional process of political power and governance.

In recent weeks I have become increasingly concerned with the twists and turns in this modern version of the Perak wayang kulit which – as with some of the stories found in its traditional form – contains strong moral and ethical elements. These recent developments include the infamous act of demolition of the “Democracy Plaque” put up by the rain tree and the recent action taken by the Federal Government to charge Karpal Singh under the ISA for saying that the Perak Sultan can be sued.

All these events seem to indicate that the Barisan Nasional Government has prevailed in its attempt to oust the Pakatan Rakyat state government from power. Reading the official media accounts and analysis one can certainly be forgiven for thinking this. I, too, similarly was of this view until I attended the talk given by former Appellant Judge Dato N.H. Chan at the Perak Bar Council on 19th March 09. The title of his talk was ‘ How to Judge a Judge’. To get the maximum benefit from the lecture, I read up Justice Chan’s two articles, namely ‘The tussle between the Sultan and the Mentri Besar in Perak’ and ‘The Arrogance of a Novice Judge’. Continue reading “Checkmate Barisan National in Perak”

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Does Najib want to turn Malaysia into a criminal state?

Umno/BN leaders in Perak are mortally afraid of the Democracy Tree under which the Perak State Assembly convened on March 3, 2008 although the Perak Speaker and the overwhelming majority of the Perak Assembly members were locked out of the Perak State Assembly in the State Secretariat building by an illegal and usurper Mentri Besar and State Executive Council.

Umno/BN leaders in Perak are mortally afraid of the Democracy Tree plaque commemorating the historic occasion where the spirit for democracy in Perak refuse to be quashed by arbitrary, high-handed and illegal exercise of “usurper” executive power.

Umno/BN leaders in Perak are now mortally afraid of information technology and the DVD on the Democracy Tree which recorded for posterity the events leading to the historic Perak State Assembly under the Ipoh Raintree!

This was why DAP Perak State Assemblyman for Tebing Tinggi Ong Boon Piow was arrested by the police for allegedly violating the Film Censorship Act 2002 in not getting approval and a B certificate from the Film Censorship Board before “manufacturing, circulating, distributing, displaying” the Democracy Tree DVD.

This is a draconian law which must be repealed. It provides for a mandatory minimum fine of RM5,000 and up to RM30,000, three years’ jail or both, for any conviction under the Act. In other words, an MP or State Assembly member found guilty under this charge would automatically be disqualified as an elected representative in view of the mandatory minimum fine of RM5,000 – as a fine of RM2,000 and above in a criminal charge is sufficient to cause such disqualification. Continue reading “Does Najib want to turn Malaysia into a criminal state?”