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Gerakan leaders – take a stand against Umno’s racist politics in the Permatang Pauh by-election and not wait until October

Both the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Gerakan acting President Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon were greatly embarrassed yesterday when they were asked questions about the call by the Gerakan Wanita chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe that Gerakan quit the Barisan Nasional.

Speaking at the Perak Gerakan annual delegates conference in Ipoh, Tan, who is also Deputy Information Minister, said the party should pull out from the BN due to Umno’s unabated and unabashed racial politics that had hurt the sentiments of non-Malays and non-Muslims.

She whacked Umno for continuing to play racial politics and not learning from the harsh lessons meted out by voters in the recent March general election.

Another Gerakan leader, national vice chairman and Perak Gerakan chief Datuk Chan Ko Youn is quoted in the media as saying that 80% of the Gerakan delegates in Perak supported Gerakan’s pull-out from the BN.

Both Tan and Chan are right and Koh wrong – as Umno has clearly not learnt the lessons of the March 8 “political tsunami”, when Malaysian voters transcended their racial, religious and even political differences to vote as one Malaysian people for unity, freedom, justice and democracy in Malaysia. Continue reading “Gerakan leaders – take a stand against Umno’s racist politics in the Permatang Pauh by-election and not wait until October”

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Will the Sodomy II charge against Anwar be withdrawn if he swears on the Quran?

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday that it was up to Anwar Ibrahm to swear on the Quran and clear his name.

Will the criminal charge of Sodomy II against Anwar under Section 377B under the Penal Code for consensual sodomy be withdrawn if Anwar swears on the Quran?

If not, what is the point or purpose of Abdullah making such a statement, except to underline his bias and prejudice against Anwar?

Abdullah reiterated that “Saiful was a victim in the issue”.

In one fell swoop, he Prime Minister has again become judge, prosecutor and accuser all in one. If Abdullah is convinced that Saiful is the “victim” in the sodomy charge against Anwar, even before the date for hearing has been fixed, who can expect a fair trial for Anwar? Continue reading “Will the Sodomy II charge against Anwar be withdrawn if he swears on the Quran?”

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Last Chance To Save Malaysia

by M. Bakri Musa

Before last March 2008 elections, I urged Kepala Batas voters to perform a great national service by booting out Prime Minister Abdullah. That would have triggered a seismic shift in UMNO’s leadership. With its ban on contesting top posts effectively circumvented, the party would get to preview other potential candidates.

If Kepala Batas voters were to shy away from exercising that historic opportunity, I suggested that Malaysians could still teach Abdullah a lesson by substantially reducing his coalition’s victory. That would also trigger a challenge to his leadership, and we would have the same effect as with the first scenario.

Alas, Malaysians did teach Abdullah a hard lesson, but not hard enough. Besides, being a slow learner, Abdullah did not get the message. Now voters in Permatang Pauh, practically next door, will get a chance to deal Abdullah a third and final knock-out blow, one he would surely get.

This upcoming by-election will be more than just electing the area’s representative to Parliament. Permatang Pauh voters will get the unique opportunity to decide on behalf of entire Malaysia on who will lead our nation. It is as much an opportunity to vote for Anwar Ibrahim as it is against Abdullah Badawi, and to vote for Malaysia’s future – on whether she would progress to join the developed world or continue its present path to join the likes of Zimbabwe. Continue reading “Last Chance To Save Malaysia”

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PP by-election – focus of Malaysia and the world

The Permatang Pauh by-election has become the focus of the whole country and the world because it is not a contest between Anwar Ibrahim and Ariff Shah. It is not just a by-election about who should represent Permatang Pauh.

It is a battle for the future of Malaysia – of 27 million Malaysians and future generations.

The 58,459 voters of Permatang Pauh have a historic mission to perform and three things to accomplish on polling day on August 26: Continue reading “PP by-election – focus of Malaysia and the world”

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Permatang Pauh by-election – Anwar will win hands down if decided by Nomination turnout

If the Permatang Pauh by-election is decided by the Nomination Day turnout this morning, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Anwar Ibrahim would win hands down.

Never before in any by-election nomination in Malaysian electoral history has the Barisan Nasional been so-outnumbered and overwhelmed, whether in terms of supporters; publicity materials whether flags, buntings or banners; or sheer enthusiasm, morale and spirit of the supporters.

In the sea of humanity at the Nomination Centre this morning, Anwar’s supporters from the three Pakatan Rakyat parties of PKR, DAP and PAS simply drowned out the Barisan Nasional supporters from Umno, MCA, Gerakan and MIC, led by a very subdued Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself, Umno Youth leader Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and his deputy Khairy Jamaluddin.

There are those who estimate that the crowd was as big as 100,000 or more, with the Pakatan Rakyat supporters exceeding the Barisan Nasional supporters by a ratio of from 1:7 to 1:10. Continue reading “Permatang Pauh by-election – Anwar will win hands down if decided by Nomination turnout”

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Oil policy – change it to encourage economic growth

by Dr. Chen Man Hin

The present oil policy to set gasoline and diesel prices at international market prices has caused a sharp decline of the economy causing hardships to the people.

This is the current policy adopted in developed economies which do not advocate subsidised oil for the people. Their experts contend that subsidised oil would distort the market, and people would not be encouraged to conserve the use of oil. In the end there would be a disastrous impact on the economy and on the environment.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also Minister of Finance slavishly followed the concept practised in developed countries. It has proved to be disastrous for Malaysia.

Because of the high pump prices of gasoline and diesel, the economy has slowed down considerably. The wheels of industry are not humming, and more people are laid off. Continue reading “Oil policy – change it to encourage economic growth”

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Another case of misreporting?

Nasharuddin berkata dasar perjuangan PAS yang berpaksikan Islam menuntut dakwah diterapkan kepada semua yang masih belum memahami apa itu Islam yang sebenar.

“Kalau kita boleh bersekutu dengan DAP yang menentang Islam dari dulu sampai sekarang dan dengan PKR, mengapa kita tidak boleh dekati Umno?

This is from a Bernama report on the speech by the Deputy PAS President Nasharudin Mat Isa at the opening of the PAS Youth annual assembly in Ipoh yesterday.

DAP opposed to Islam from the past to the present? Not true. Never. We have Muslims in DAP and could not be anti-Islam. We are for all religions for the good, virtuous and noble values they teach human beings to cultivate and cherish.

What DAP is opposed to is for any breach of the Merdeka social contract that Malaysia was founded be a multi-racial, multi-religious, democratic and secular nation with Islam as the official religion but not an Islamic state. Continue reading “Another case of misreporting?”

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Permatang Pauh by-election – censure BN’s 6 months of zero legislative reform

I have received the initial notification of the parliamentary business for the 41-day budget meeting beginning on Monday, August 18, which will break for six weeks after the 2009 budget presentation by the Prime Minister-cum-Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Friday, August 29 for the fasting month and Hari Raya holidays, resuming on Oct. 12 for 32 sittings till December 11, 2008.

It is a great disappointment, for it is evident that there will be no reformist bill for Parliament in August, whether for the establishment of

(i) the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), the most important of the 125 recommendations of the Royal Police Commission more than three years ago in May 2005 to create an efficient, incorruptible, professional world-class police service to keep crime low, fight corruption and uphold human rights;

(ii) the Judicial Appointments Commission as the first step to restore national and international confidence in the independence, impartiality, integrity and quality of the judiciary after two decades of “judicial darkness” and being the laughing-stock of the world; and

(iii) the Malaysian Commission on Anti-Corruption (MCAC) to eradicate the rampant corruption in the country which has seen Malaysia’s ranking in the annual Transparency International Corruption Perception Index sliding relentlessly from No. 23 in 1995 to No. 37 in 2003 and No. 43 in 2007 and to spearhead a “zero tolerance for corruption” campaign to place Malaysia among the world’s 20 least corrupt nations. Continue reading “Permatang Pauh by-election – censure BN’s 6 months of zero legislative reform”

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Detain Bar Council forum protestors under ISA – Gunasekaren denies

Today’s Star “PKR leaders want Zul to explain” carried the following report with regard to the continuing fallout from the storming and disruption of the Bar Council forum on “Conversion to Islam” by demonstrators in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday:

In SEREMBAN, state DAP deputy chief and Senawang assemblyman P. Gunasekaren said he wants the police to charge the demonstrators.

He said the police should have arrested them rather than allow them to enter the Bar Council office, which was private property.

“It is sad that the police allowed them to dictate terms. The demonstrators should be arrested and detained under the Internal Security Act for stoking racial sentiments,” he said.

I have checked with Gunasekaren and he has denied that he had made the remark about the ISA detention attributed to him. Continue reading “Detain Bar Council forum protestors under ISA – Gunasekaren denies”

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Brand new era for Universiti Teknologi MARA?

BY Azly Rahman

We must congratulate the present leadership of Selangor for suggesting that Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) be open to non-Bumiputeras; a good suggestion indeed and UiTM students and alumni should in fact be proud that such a statement of hope and reconciliation is made public.

More than merely ten percent should be allocated for Malaysians of other ethnic groups. This is indeed and excellent way to begin restructuring our public universities so that they can become truly global and embrace multiculturalism as a pillar of intellectual pride.

This will be in tune with the spirit of the The Beijing 2008 Olympics in which there will be competition amongst the races. Way too long the Malay students in UiTM have been unfairly denied the opportunity to collaborate and cooperate with their peers from other ethnic groups in the learning process. They have been shackled in a place wherein the only ideology they know is one of “Ketuanan Melayu”; a concept that is a contradiction to what a university must aspire to become. The 3-4 years of their wonderful college experience should provide them the skills to work in a multicultural environment.
Continue reading “Brand new era for Universiti Teknologi MARA?”

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Abdullah proven ACA not an independent creature and why top UMNO leaders need not fear

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has proven that he and top UMNO leaders have nothing to fear from the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) as it is not an independent creature but totally beholden to the wishes of the Prime Minister’s Department.

This is the conclusion to be drawn from the summary manner Abdullah dismissed the accusation that he and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak had abused their power to hold onto the top two posts in the coming Umno polls.

He claimed that the Umno power-transition plan was decided by the party’s supreme council and announced to members.

He said: “It was not as if Najib and I quietly conspired. It was an important decision by the supreme council, and announced to members so that they would understand.”

Abdullah has missed the point altogether. Continue reading “Abdullah proven ACA not an independent creature and why top UMNO leaders need not fear”

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2nd Abdullah premiership – is it to be even worse than 22-year Mahathir administraiton?

To many concerned Malaysians, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, has shown his true colours yesterday – he is not that open, liberal and tolerant after all.

He laid down two edicts for his second administration:

• No open forums or dialogues on religious or racial issues as they can undermine peace and stability – no more discussion on matters of religion or race that had already been enshrined in the Federal Constitution; and

• No objection to the use of Internal Security Act and Sedition Act against those who organize such forums like the Bar Council – up to the Home Ministry to act against the Bar Council.

Is it any wonder that Malaysians react to such edicts with the premonition that the second Abdullah premiership could be even worse than the previous 22-year Mahathir administration? Continue reading “2nd Abdullah premiership – is it to be even worse than 22-year Mahathir administraiton?”

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Hishammuddin should explain why Education Ministry condoning the racist and unprintable slurs of a history teacher

The New Straits Times today carried the following report:

Racial abuse teacher gets ‘a better deal’

By : V. Shankar Ganesh

BANTING: It obviously pays to hurl racial abuse at students, going by what happened to the teacher who did so at a school here.

The 35-year-old history teacher from SM Telok Panglima Garang was not only transferred to a smart school but to one located nearer her house.

To add insult to injury, no disciplinary action was taken against her.

It is understood that her letter of transfer stated that she was being transferred due to concerns for her security and not because she had committed an offence. Continue reading “Hishammuddin should explain why Education Ministry condoning the racist and unprintable slurs of a history teacher”

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The future of our interfaith dialogue

by Azly Rahman

Must engaging in dialogue on religion be painful? Must it be greeted with hostility? Or is it a moot question—that the answer lies in what we failed to have done through our education system, decades ago?

I have faith that we will one day be ready to appreciate interfaith dialogue. On this note, I too believe that we will one day appreciate philosophical discussions and scientific debates. My experience conducting interfaith dialogue every semester in the American classroom setting gives me the assurance that we will be ready. It would be good to one day know that our corridors of academia are filled with passionate discussions on the self, the universe, God, and fate of humanity.

The core of each religious foundation is there for us to explore and to learn from. We need to escape from being trapped in the particular and liberate ourselves into explorers of the universal. Of course this will take time given the nature of class and caste system we are in; developments that have impacted upon our consciousness. But evolve we must, if we are to see a progressive country emerging out of these ruins of communal politics, immorality of modern capitalism, and persistent religious misunderstandings. Ignorance is the greatest enemy of knowledge, as the sage Socrates once said. Continue reading “The future of our interfaith dialogue”

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PAC Chairman Azmi should step down in MRR2 flyover cracks inquiry – conflict of interest

The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid should stand down in the PAC inquiry into the new Middle Ring Road (MRR)2 flyover cracks as the decision-making on the repairs of the RM238 million MRR2 by the previous Cabinet in 2006, of which he was a member, should also be the subject of current PAC investigations as well.

Azmi had announced after the PAC meeting this morning that the PAC will visit the defective MRR2 flyover in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow morning, two weeks after clumps of concrete and carbon fibre panels fell from the highway pillar into the path of the oncoming cars below.

It is not only most invidious, improper but also a clear and flagrant conflict-of-interest for Azmi to now preside over an investigation into the two-year RM70 million repairs of the six-year RM238 MRR2, including an examination of the rationale and justification for the final Cabinet decision on its repairs when he was a member of that Cabinet – as the whole repair decision-making process at various stages of decision-making, including at the Cabinet level, raises many disturbing questions about their propriety and wisdom. Continue reading “PAC Chairman Azmi should step down in MRR2 flyover cracks inquiry – conflict of interest”

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Storming of Bar Council forum – Had Umno plotted for the extreme reaction?

Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday that the Bar Council’s persistence in going ahead with a forum on conversion to Islam has triggered extreme reaction from certain quarters, which in turn would threaten the country’s harmony.

He added that he had expected the extreme reaction to occur as the council ignored advice to call off the forum.

Is this an admission that UMNO had plotted for the extreme reaction to the Bar Council forum on religious conversions in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday – including the deplorable and disgraceful police conduct in submitting to the ultimatum by demonstrators threatening to storm into the Bar Council auditorium to disrupt the forum if the half-day forum was not ended by 10 am?

This must be the first time in the history of the Malaysian police force where it had openly and publicly submitted to the threats of demonstrators to commit an offence, i.e. to storm into a private property to disrupt a lawful meeting!

Can the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan and the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar defend and justify the shocking failure of the police to uphold law and order on Saturday? Continue reading “Storming of Bar Council forum – Had Umno plotted for the extreme reaction?”

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No, this ‘Babi’ will Not ‘Balik Cina’

By Farish A. Noor

I have just read the reports on the internet about the goings-on that led to the disruption and early closure of the public forum organised by the Bar Council on Conversion in Malaysia over the weekend. Apart from the other rather offensive remarks that were featured in the various reports that I read, I also chanced upon a rather curious revelation: Apparently during the commotion caused when some of the so-called ‘defenders of the faith’ had entered the room where the forum was being held, there were calls for a certain ‘Babi’ to ‘Balik Cina’.

Now I have checked and double-checked all the photos that are available on the internet and have seen no image that corresponds to the ‘Babi’ in question. Therefore for the sake of academic consistency and objectivity, I am compelled to ask the Bar Council this: Was there a pig in the auditorium where the forum was held? And if so, how could the Bar Council invite a pig to attend a forum that was open primarily for Malaysian citizens (who are overwhelmingly human, as identity papers and passports have not been issued to pigs or any other non-human species as far as I know)

Furthermore I need to ask how the demonstrators knew that the pig (if one was present) was of Chinese origin? Did it carry a Chinese passport, and if so, why was it in KL when the Olympic games were being held in Beijing and the world’s attention was focused there?

(*ed. I can only assume that this was a rather anti-social pig from China who had come to Malaysia to avoid the throngs of tourists who have overtaken Beijing, which would be a sensible thing that I would have done myself, so I confess to having sympathy with this mysterious invisible pig.) Continue reading “No, this ‘Babi’ will Not ‘Balik Cina’”

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Permatang Pauh by-election watch – three intriguing snippets

Today is no different from the past 11 days – the media awash with news about the August 26 Permatang Pauh by-election battle royale since Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail’s resignation as Member of Parliament on July 31 to pave the way for Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s return to Parliament after the lapse of a decade.

There were three intriguing snippets today.

1. UMNO Youth leader Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s statement that it will be a moral victory for UMNO if the Umno candidate in the Permatang Pauh by-election can keep the deposit! He was commenting on a Parti Keadilan Rakyat boast to make the Umno candidate lose his deposit in the by-election, when attending the Spell-It-Right National Challenge in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. (Sin Chew)

2. Report that Hishammuddin and his Deputy UMNO Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin may be declared “persona non grata” and banned from campaigning in the Permatang Pauh by-election so as not to drive away Chinese votes – the former because of his previous three “keris-wielding” episodes and the latter for his previous allegation that “Malays in Penang have been marginalized”. (Kwong Wah Yit Poh)

3. Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir said in a forum on current challenges faced by the Malay community in Kuala Terengganu that he would rather migrate if Anwar topples the Barisan Nasional and becomes Prime Minister.

Mahathir was confident that Anwar will not become Prime Minister by September 16 although he was sure the Pakatan Rakyat leader and Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser would be victorious in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election this Aug 26. (Mingguan Malaysia)

Continue reading “Permatang Pauh by-election watch – three intriguing snippets”

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Anwar’s Sodomy II – Is Malaysia banking on support of Myanmar/Zimbabwe/Sudan in UN?

The Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim is taking his idea of internationalizing the Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II charge by organizing a series of information sessions by the Foreign Ministry overseas “to give a true picture so there will be no misconceptions that can hurt Malaysia’s image” one step further.

Yesterday, he announced raising the issue to the United Nations level through a letter to the UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon to explain Malaysia’s view on what it sees as American interference in the Anwar Sodomy II charge.

Is Rais banking on the support of rogue states like Myanmar, Zimbabwe and Sudan by taking the Anwar Sodomy II issue to the United Nations?

Instead of accusing the United States of violating international law and “meddling in Malaysia’s international affairs”, Rais should lead the charge in the Cabinet on Wednesday to demand the dropping of the Sodomy II charge against Anwar especially as a recent opinion survey has shown that only 11% of the respondents believe in the Sodomy II allegation made against Anwar. Continue reading “Anwar’s Sodomy II – Is Malaysia banking on support of Myanmar/Zimbabwe/Sudan in UN?”

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Blackout in Sarawak – Why?

Star Online
Blackout in Sarawak
By STEPHEN THEN

MIRI: A state-wide power cut in Sarawak on Saturday evening saw the blackout affect more than two million people over a distance of 1,000km from Kuching to Miri.

Cities and towns in the state were plunged into total darkness causing massive chaos as everybody was caught by surprise.

The power failure started in Kuching at about 6.30pm Saturday and rapidly spread northward to Sibu then to Miri by 7.30pm.

Deputy chief minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam when contacted by The Star confirmed that it was a blackout that seemed to have affected the main power grid. Continue reading “Blackout in Sarawak – Why?”