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Is DAP all that matters to MCA?

By Jimmy Wong | The Malaysian Insider

Oct 21 — Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek must be a short-sighted politician for saying that MCA is ready and united to battle DAP in the coming general elections.

Is that all this MCA president thinks about? Beating DAP, not representing all Malaysians in a government.

Is the MCA just focussing on the Chinese vote and not other voters, in its “Battle Without Fear” campaign to keep DAP from becoming part of any government?

What about other races? Actually, what happened to MCA’s soul-searching after the Chinese rejected it in the 2008 elections? Have they forgotten that they wanted to be more inclusive, more Malaysian?

If this is how low MCA has sunk, from a party that protected Chinese interests but also represented Malayans wanting independence, then the party should just close shop. Continue reading “Is DAP all that matters to MCA?”

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The Dayak tea party

by June Rubis
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 10, 2012

SEPT 10 ― It must have been a beautiful day for an outdoor tea party in West Kalimantan. It is the early 1980s when Borneo’s forests are still comparatively lush although the forests would have to struggle to survive an onslaught of slash-&-burn for commercial rubber plantations and wide-scale logging.

In the meantime, all is serene along the banks of the Kapuas River where the Javanese and Sumatran wives of managers of a rubber plantation wait for their guests to arrive.

The guests were the wives of local Dayak tribesmen, who upon arrival, gathered up all the food, and left, leaving their shocked hostesses in their wake.

The managers dismissed this as part of the “strange and difficult culture” of the Dayaks, while ignoring the fact that this behaviour was aberrant in Dayak culture and thus was a political statement of conflicting economic and political interests.

The Dayaks of the area were facing the loss of their forests and subsequently source of food, due to the appropriation of traditional lands for the rubber plantation. There were reports that the Dayaks were unhappy with the compensation received.

An eye for an eye, albeit a small victory of appropriating the plantation’s food, in protest of unfair appropriation of their native lands, one might say. Continue reading “The Dayak tea party”

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Egypt: The 12 million losers!

By Ali Ibrahim
Al Arabiya News
27 June 2012

Simply following the comments of activists and observers on social networking websites during the press conference held by the head of Egypt’s electoral commission, Farouk Sultan, who was forced by law to issue a lengthy legal preamble before the election result was announced, was fun in itself. These activists, in their nervous state, posted various comments claiming that Sultan’s narrative or use of certain words meant that Shafiq would be declared the winner, only to return later to post other comments claiming that the indications now suggested that Mursi would be declared victorious! Some comments accused the head of the electoral commission of being sadistic, because he did not immediately announce the election result but instead left everyone on the edge of their seats as he reviewed the work of the electoral commission and the difficult conditions it operated under.

Despite a flood of conspiracy theories, claims of voter fraud, and talk about secret understandings being reached behind closed doors, no one was sure of the name of the winning candidate until Farouk Sultan announced that Mohammed Mursi had won ahead of Ahmed Shafiq. Hence a new chapter in post-25 January Egypt has begun, and the challenges of this stage are no less difficult than the previous transitional period, which lasted for around 16 months and was full of turmoil.

There was a winner and a loser, each with a large support base who voted for them, and neither can cancel the other out. The end result was decided by a difference of less than 3 percent, or about 900 thousand votes out of a total of roughly 26 million according to the commission’s figures, including more than 800 thousand invalid votes. In the end, everyone must accept the outcome of the ballot box even if the difference is so small. Continue reading “Egypt: The 12 million losers!”

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Hari ini dalam sejarah Umno

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
May 11, 2012

11 MEI — Hari ini, pada tahun 1946, Umno ditubuhkan dengan presiden pertamanya Datuk Onn Jaafar untuk menyatukan semua persatuan-persatuan dan pertubuhan yang mempunyai matlamat yang satu, iaitu untuk mencapai matlamat yang satu, iaitu untuk menyambung usaha-usaha pejuang kemerdekaan sebelumnya. Parti Umno wujud diatas penyatuan pertubuhan-pertubuhan yang bercambah semasa itu dan penubuhan Umno ini merupakan lonjakkan kepada kekuatan rakyat Malaya khususnya orang Melayu untuk membuat persediaan bagi mencapai kemerdekaan negara dari pentadbiran penjajahan Inggeris.

Di rengkaskan sejarah, Umno wujud diatas kesedaran yang negara tidak lagi dapat menahan keinginan untuk menerima penjajahan Inggeris dan kesedaran untuk bersatu ini dirasakan lebih mendesak apabila Inggeris cuba untuk mewujudkan negara “unitary” di Semenanjung Malaya ini dan di tadbir oleh Malayan Union (MU) dengan pusat pentadbirannya di Kuala Lumpur.

Dengan penubuhan Umno itu, maka cita-cita Inggeris untuk menjadikan negara ini sebagai negara “unitary” telah dapat dipatahkan dan digantikan dengan sebuah negara Persekutuan dengan Perjanjian Persekutuan pada 2hb Februari 1948 yang lalu. Maka penubuhan negara Persekutuan ini adalah hasil dari kerja keras dan perjuangan Umno bersama dengan Raja-Raja Melayu yang telah berunding tidak berhenti-henti dengan pihak British sehingga wujudnya sebuah negara Persekutuan.

Maka negeri-negeri yang masing-masing mempunyai pentadbiran mereka sendiri dibawah naungan Raja-Raja mereka telah bersatu dibawah satu negara Persekutuan yang dinamakan Persekutuan Tanah Melayu. Kesemua negeri-negeri Bersekutu dan tidak Bersekutu telah bersatu dibawah satu Persekutuan dan negeri-negri ini di sertai sekali oleh dua buah negeri Straits Settlement, Melaka dan P. Pinang, untuk bersama dalam negara Persekutuan yang baru diwujudkan itu. Continue reading “Hari ini dalam sejarah Umno”

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Ugliest day in media history of Malaysia

— Lim Mun Fah
The Malaysian Insider
May 04, 2012

MAY 4 — The United Nations General Assembly declared May 3 as World Press Freedom Day in 1991 to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right of freedom of expression.

On this day over the past 19 years, the world’s members of the media had reaffirmed the basic principles of the freedom of the press, expressed their determination in defending the freedom of the press, and even paid the highest respect and remembrance to those who have lost their lives in harness.

In Malaysia, we must use the opportunity to reflect and repeatedly ask ourselves: do we enjoy the freedom of press?

Unfortunately, pressmen were violently treated during the recent Bersih 3.0 rally. Some of them were assaulted and injured, some of them had their cameras snatched and some of them had their photos deleted. That day is undoubtedly the darkest and ugliest day in the media history of Malaysia! Continue reading “Ugliest day in media history of Malaysia”

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Media law amended amid opposition uproar for its repeal

By Clara Chooi

The Malaysian Insider
Apr 20, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — Parliament approved in a harried fashion early this morning a critical legislative amendment governing media freedom, agreeing to strip Putrajaya of its absolute powers over publishing licences and scrapping the need for annual renewal of the permits.

The Printing Presses and Publications (Amendment) Bill 2012 was approved by the Lower House at 2.15am even after federal opposition lawmakers raged against the inconvenient hour and short time given to debate the law.

Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor), who took the floor first to open the policy stage debate, thundered to the Dewan Rakyat that the amendments were merely “baby steps” towards greater media freedom.

The septuagenarian, speaking off-the-cuff with his hands locked behind his back, was in top form as he kicked off his speech by accusing the Barisan Nasional (BN) government of being insincere in its promises to reform crucial policies.

“The Bill, that it has to be debated in such a short time, shows that the government is not interested in political transformation. And it was done without consultation… all this talk of transformation is just political mimicry,” he said.

The experienced Lim, who has seen through the harsher days of Malaysia’s restrictive media laws, said that the PPPA amendments fell short of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s pledges for media freedom.

“The PPPA in its entirety should be repealed! Abolish PPPA! And newspapers should be free to publish without a need for government permit. Continue reading “Media law amended amid opposition uproar for its repeal”

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Suhakam joins call for review of ISA replacement law

By Anisah Shukry
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 16, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — The newly-proposed security law to replace the Internal Security Act (ISA) must be reviewed to ensure it is in line with human rights principles, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) said today.

Suhakam highlighted that the Bill did not provide for judicial oversight in the extension of the detention period for up to 28 days, and expressed concerns over how it gave police the power to deny detainees immediate access to legal representation.

It added that the power to intercept communications under Clause 4(6) should be exercised through a court order rather than by the police, as it could “infringe personal liberty and the right to privacy”.

“The provisions in the Bill as well as the amendments to the other relevant laws must strike a balance between national security and fundamental liberties and human rights,” Suhakam Chairman Tan Sri Hasmy Agam said in a statement today.

“The Commission looks forward to further and continuing engagements with the government agencies… to ensure that obsolete and irrelevant laws are abolished and replaced by laws that are consistent with universally accepted human rights principles,” he added. Continue reading “Suhakam joins call for review of ISA replacement law”

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The foreigners can go fly kites

— Syed Feisol
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 12, 2012

APRIL 12 – We are on our own. This is what Malaysians who want to save this country from the corrupt regime of the Barisan Nasional have to realise.

Not too long ago, former Aussie PM Kevin Rudd praised Malaysia as a robust democracy. Can you imagine calling Malaysia a robust democracy? But the people in Canberra will do anything for business or some strategic interests, including sacrificing so-called sacred principles of democracy.

Today, the British PM lauded Najib Razak for the cosmetic surgery on the ISA, he probably wants Malaysia to go ahead and purchase the Typhoon jets.

This is my message to Opposition politicians, non-governmental organisation and Malaysians for change: screw the foreigners. Continue reading “The foreigners can go fly kites”

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Najib’s apology for BN’s mistakes – a test of Najib’s authority and leadership as Prime Minister and UMNO President

“Najib apologies for BN’s past mistakes” (3/3/12)

“PM”s apology shows humility, says Muhyiddin” (4/3/12)

“Umno info chief: BN needs mandate to fix its mistakes” (4/3/12)

These three Malaysiakini headlines in 24 hours raise a thousand questions – whether the Prime Minister is genuine and sincere in extending an apology for Barisan Nasional’s past mistakes, what exactly are the mistakes Najib is apologising for but most poignant of all, Najib’s authority and leadership as Prime Minister and UMNO President. Continue reading “Najib’s apology for BN’s mistakes – a test of Najib’s authority and leadership as Prime Minister and UMNO President”

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The system stinks – Dare Najib set up a judicial tribunal to investigate into serious allegations by former CCID director that AG had abused his powers?

The system stinks. For the first time in more than a decade, there are now serious allegations of gross abuse of power against one of the highest officers of the land – the Attorney General – by another high-ranking officer.

Dare the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak get the Cabinet to set up a judicial tribunal to investigate into the serious allegations by the former Commercial Crimes Investigation Department Chief Datuk Ramli Yusuf that the Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail had abused his constitutional powers to ensure that there is justice and fair play in the land?

The serious allegations made by Ramli are not new to informed and knowledgeable Malaysians as they have been in the public domain for quite some time, but this is the first time that it has been made specifically by Ramli in public against Gani, which warrants serious and instant attention and action by Najib if the Prime Minister is sincere and serious in wanting to carry out a government and national transformation in the country where abuses of power and corruption are regarded as anathema under his administration. Continue reading “The system stinks – Dare Najib set up a judicial tribunal to investigate into serious allegations by former CCID director that AG had abused his powers?”

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Political violence threatens elections in Malaysia

— Bersih 2.0
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 29, 2012

FEB 29 — Bersih 2.0 urges Prime Minister Najib Razak to immediately stop the serial political violence inflicted on opposition politicians and civil society activists by thugs reportedly related to Umno and Perkasa, while police often just looked on and no one has been charged so far.

Bersih 2.0 warns that such impunity on political violence, if it continues, leaves no room for clean elections in Malaysia. If political activisms are met with physical assaults even before elections, could the safety of opposition leaders and campaigners be guaranteed come the next election?

Bersih 2.0 wants Najib to order an immediate investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the two latest incidents of political assault on February 26. Continue reading “Political violence threatens elections in Malaysia”

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Another cock-and-bull story from Mahathir

Kee Thuan Chye | Feb 25, 2012
Malaysiakini

COMMENT

Dr Mahathir Mohamad should talk straight or just shut up.

Whenever he rebuts allegations of wrongdoing during his tenure as prime minister, he appears to sound not only defensive but deceptive as well.

Now he says the government’s bailout of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) in 2000, during his premiership, was “not the worst”. What does that mean? Is he saying that the bailout was all right simply because it was not the worst?

If he is still of sound mind and can understand this, let me say it is not all right. So what if it was not the worst act of using public funds? It was nonetheless committed. Should only the worst be held accountable?

That bailout cost Malaysians RM1.8 billion. And the government paid for the MAS shares at more than double their market price. Why was this so?

Well, Mahathir has become famous for blaming others; this time, he points to the Finance Ministry – for recommending the purchase at such a price. Has he forgotten he was the country’s chief executive officer then, and that it wouldn’t have gone through without his say-so, no matter which ministry or individual recommended it? Continue reading “Another cock-and-bull story from Mahathir”

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Is Greece facing disorderly default?

By Barry Neild and Irene Chapple, CNN
Feb 10, 2012

Greece is in negotiations over its latest bailout deal, but needs to meet harsh new terms
The country is implementing austerity measures but faces protests and deteriorating finances
The default of a eurozone member is politically and economically charged

London (CNN) — Will Greece default?

Greece is negotiating to repay some creditors less than what it owes in order to avoid a disorderly default. If Greece is unable to repay its bills at all on the day they fall due, this would trigger a sudden default which would send shockwaves through the market. Greece faces its next large bond redemption, of €14.5 billion, in March, and is in negotiations over its latest bailout deal as the deadline to this payment approaches.

However, it needs to meet harsh new terms laid out by Europe’s leaders. Jean-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg and head of the Eurogroup, has said three elements must be nailed down in order for the country to access the funds.

The sweeping reform package agreed to by Greece and the so-called troika, made up of the European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund, must be approved by parliament this weekend.

Secondly, Greece’s political leaders must pledge that they will continue to implement the measures after elections in April. Finally, Greece must also find a further €325 million in “structural expenditure” cuts for 2012.

Greece has been implementing harsh austerity measures to try to balance its books, but has faced protests on the streets, and finances that are worse than expected. Its economy is deteriorating, and it cannot raise money with investors due to the high premiums they demand — leaving it dependent on the bailout funds. Continue reading “Is Greece facing disorderly default?”

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Civil service as Umno’s fixed deposit or game buster

— Dr. Lim Teck Ghee
CPI
9th December 2011

Commentary

The new civil service remuneration scheme recently announced by the government provides civil servants pay rises of between seven and 13 per cent. Coming just before the elections expected soon, it is clearly intended to influence the outcome of the elections. Umno leaders see members of the civil service not only as their fixed deposit but also as the key game changer in the elections.

Will the generous pay rise make a difference in voting patterns of civil servants in the country? At first glance, it appears a politically astute move given the disproportionate weight of civil servants in the voting population and the high voting rate that has been associated with this segment of voters.

If we add up the 1.2 million civil servants and family members and assume that there is an average of three to four voters per civil servant household, this provides a total of between four to five million voters out of the 12 million registered voters. The fact that over 80 per cent of civil servants are Malays means that whichever party can win over the Malay civil service vote will take over the reins of political power in the country.

Will this group of voters fall for what appears to be an extra large carrot being dangled in front of them? Already the mainstream papers are carrying the mandatory follow up reports of how appreciative the teachers, police and other government staff are with this government recognition of their contribution to the country’s development and progress through the new salary scheme. This, together with the earlier sustained bashing of DAP Tony Pua’s suggestion that the number of civil servants be reduced, appears to have given a decisive edge in the battle for civil service votes to Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN). Continue reading “Civil service as Umno’s fixed deposit or game buster”

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TI CPI 2011 on Malaysia’s worst-ever 60th ranking and lowest-ever 4.3 score in 17 years cannot continue to be “the elephant in the room”

It is most shocking and outrageous that up to now, neither the Prime Minister,
Datuk Seri Najib Razak nor the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has responded to the worst international report card for Malaysia in the 32-month Najib premiership.

This worst international report card for Malaysia was delivered on the same day that Najib made his “do-or-die” UMNO Presidential Address last Thursday, but for the entire UMNO General Assembly, the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2011 was the “elephant in the room” with all the UMNO leaders and delegates putting up a great pretence that it never existed.

In fact, not a single UMNO leader or delegate at the UMNO General Assembly breathed a word of concern about corruption in general or TI CPI 2011 in particular – apart from giving “blank cheque” support to Wanita UMNO leader and Minister for Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil in her embroilment in the RM300 million “CattleGate Cow Condo” scandal!

Three days after the UMNO General Assembly, the TI CPI 2011 – which was the worst ranking for Malaysia in 17 years since the introduction of the annual ranking, plunging from No.23 placing in 1995 to the worst ever of No. 60, as well as registering the lowest-ever score of 4.3 when Malaysia scored 5.28 in 1995 and 5.32 in 1996 – continued to be “the elephant in the room” for the entire Najib government!

In the past week, Muhyiddin has been both Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, completing the full repertoire of political stances ranging from that of an extremist playing the race card in his speech at the joint opening of Umno Wanita, Youth and Putera general assemblies last Tuesday, perpetrating irresponsible lies, falsehoods and sedition that the DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers to putting on the garb of a moderate extolling multi-racial co-operation in his speech at the 20th anniversary dinner of the Federation of Chinese Associations (Hua Zong) on Sunday night.

But Muhyiddin, like all the UMNO/Barisan Nasional Ministers and leaders, could not see “the elephant in the room” for a whole week – the TI CPI 2011 on the worst ranking and lowest-ever score for Malaysia in 17 years, highlighting the tragic fact that corruption in 32 months under Najib is worse than five years under Tun Abdullah and 22 years under Tun Mahathir!

Malaysia’s TI CPI ranking and score, which ranges between 10 (highly clean) and 0 (highly corrupt), from 1995 to 2011 are as follows:
Continue reading “TI CPI 2011 on Malaysia’s worst-ever 60th ranking and lowest-ever 4.3 score in 17 years cannot continue to be “the elephant in the room””

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Is Muhyiddin best person to “transform” Malaysian proficiency in English, maths and science as to become a global power house?

Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has not inspired or convinced Malaysians in his 31 months as Education Minister that he is the person to “transform” the proficiency of Malaysian students in English, maths and science for Malaysia to become a global power house in these three subjects.

This point has been further driven home for most Malaysians by his recent maladroit flip-flop over the PPSMI issue.

The greatest disservice Muhyiddin has done to Malaysian education and our international competitiveness was his decision on PPSMI, which was given Cabinet approval on 8th July 2009.

My immediate reaction (9th July 2009) was to describe the Cabinet decision on PPSMI “not a New Deal, as proclaimed by some newspaper headlines, but a Raw Deal leaving Malaysia stranded in the march towards global educational quality, excellence and competitiveness and doing a great disservice to millions of students currently in both the primary and secondary schools”. Continue reading “Is Muhyiddin best person to “transform” Malaysian proficiency in English, maths and science as to become a global power house?”

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Happy Deepavali !

Deepavali celebrates the triumph over evil and light over darkness.

With the 13th General Election just around the corner, let all Malaysians join Malaysian Hindus to mark this auspicious occasion with one single-minded wish –

“Let the light of love, justice and moderation triumph over the darkness of hate, extremism and intolerance to build an united, just and prosperous plural Malaysia.”

Recently, Malaysia’s body politic had been poisoned by an outpouring of hate, extremism and intolerance. All moderate Malaysians of good sense and goodwill, regardless of race or creed, must unite to reclaim our country from such hate, extremism and intolerance to build a nation all Malaysians can fully belong and feel proud in having an equal place under the Malaysian sun.

Happy Deepavali to all Malaysians.