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Will the PSC on electoral reforms be stillborn with another Najib flip flop

In just four days, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has done a full flip-flop, reneging on his implicit undertaking on Monday night that the next general elections would not be held until the Parliamentary Select Committee on electoral reforms has reached a national consensus on electoral reforms.

Let me quote from Bernama on Najib’s announcement on Monday night:

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced Monday, Aug 15 the setting up of a parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms to put to rest any suspicion that there is manipulation by the government in the country’s electoral process. Continue reading “Will the PSC on electoral reforms be stillborn with another Najib flip flop”

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Malaysia Looks West for Investments

By MATTHEW SALTMARSH
The New York Times
August 16, 2011

LONDON — With Europe’s economy mired in a debt crisis, governments in the region have been looking east for a helping hand, tapping the likes of China and Japan to buy their bonds and step up investments.

But at least one Asian country — Malaysia — still sees value in turning the opposite way, to enhance opportunities for its more assertive multinationals as well as bolstering investments from the West.

The Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak, led a large official delegation last month to Britain via Turkmenistan, to capitalize on his country’s strong economy and investment inflows and assuage concerns about political agitation in the multicultural Southeast Asian country. Continue reading “Malaysia Looks West for Investments”

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Without iron-clad assurances of meaningful electoral reforms in time for 13GE, a PSC is neither useful nor acceptable

In less than 24 hours, the country appears to be back to square one on electoral reforms despite the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s announcement of a parliamentary select committee.

Firstly, the swift contradiction by the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin that there is any real problem with the electoral system and that only some minor tweaks are required.

In one swift blow, Muhyiddin has vindicated the wariness, doubts and reservations in the responses to Najib’s announcement of a parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms whether it is a sincere and genuine effort to address electoral flaws and defects to ensure free, fair and clean elections or merely a diversionary tactic and stone-walling operation.

Secondly, the time-line spelt out by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Nazri Aziz making clear that the parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms could well be an academic exercise if Parliament is dissolved before it could complete its report and its recommendations accepted and implemented as part of the electoral laws of the land. Continue reading “Without iron-clad assurances of meaningful electoral reforms in time for 13GE, a PSC is neither useful nor acceptable”

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Electoral Reform a Must Before Next General Election

By Kee Thuan Chye | 17 August 2011
Malaysian Digest

PRIME Minister Najib Razak is suddenly so generous in calling for electoral reform. He has even called for the establishment of a parliamentary select committee (PSC) to look into this. While it is still premature to say whether this will ensure effective participation by the Opposition in the process, it is nonetheless a radical change from his previous stubborn position against Bersih 2.0’s demands for free and fair elections.

As with much of Malaysian politics, there is probably more to all this than what appears on the surface. Najib must have been comforted by some assurance of electoral victory – and possibly a landslide one – before he would allow himself to accede to an initiative begun by Bersih 2.0. Otherwise, he would be seen to be weak by his own party, Umno, which no doubt would have players in the wings with knives behind their backs.

One hopes this assurance of certain victory does not involve giving illegal immigrants the right to vote. In light of Wanita PKR’s revelation that it has evidence of illegal immigrants taking an oath to vote for BN, this is disturbing.
Continue reading “Electoral Reform a Must Before Next General Election”

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The myopic Malaysian

Mariam Mokhtar | Aug 15, 11
Malaysiakini

If we are not happy with our car, we fix it or change to a better model. If we are dissatisfied with our clothing, we change tailors or buy another dress. If the restaurant food which is served is rubbish, we demand a refund or send it back to the kitchen. Some of us are even prepared to marry another woman if the current one(s) are unsatisfactory. So why not political parties?

Various people have urged Prime minister Najib Abdul Razak to resign but some people are hesitant because they fear that Najib’s deputy, Muhyiddin Yassin would take over.

To think that Muhyiddin (right) is the only choice means that Malaysians are still in a coma, or are too lazy to exercise their grey cells, or perhaps cannot see beyond their noses. Have these myopic Malaysians forgotten that Malaysia does have an opposition? And that they have a choice?
Continue reading “The myopic Malaysian”

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Mainstreaming the lunatic fringe?

— Mustafa K Anuar
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 14, 2011

AUGUST 14 — In the recent past, middle-ground Malaysia has borne witness to a series of disturbing public expressions by certain groups and individuals that border on ethnic slurring, slander and rabid racism.

And many a time, these public expressions have without exception insulted the intelligence of the average Malaysians, irrespective of ethnic and religious backgrounds.

What’s equally disturbing is that such articulation has caused hurt, pain and even outrage among the people who have been subjected to these irrational outbursts from the lunatic fringe. ‘Lunatic fringe’ here refers to the fanatical, extremist or irrational members of society who seem to be on the rise lately. Perkasa and other groups of similar disposition come to mind immediately. Continue reading “Mainstreaming the lunatic fringe?”

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Goldman Sachs cuts Malaysia’s GDP forecast

By Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 08, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — Malaysia’s exposure to global markets, especially in Europe and the United States, as well as its budget deficit, is likely to hamper economic growth until next year, with international investment bank Goldman Sachs downgrading today its GDP forecast for the country.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Barisan Nasional (BN) government is expected to face more pressure on the economic front after Goldman Sachs downgraded Malaysia’s GDP forecast for this year and the next.

Goldman Sachs’s downgrade was sparked by concerns that the tightening US budget will limit export growth in Asia over the next 12 months.

The investment bank revised its forecast for the national economy to five per cent from 5.4 per cent for this full year and similarly cut next year’s GDP growth projection to 5.2 per cent from 5.6 per cent previously. Continue reading “Goldman Sachs cuts Malaysia’s GDP forecast”

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A morning session with the Oracle of Syed Putera (Part 2)

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 07, 2011

AUG 7 — I am repeatedly asked about the identity of the Oracle. I shall have to decline the request to reveal his identity. The identity of the oracle is not important. It should remain anonymous for as long as it can be. Then I will be able to share information which is spoken candidly and in full candour.

I had a good laugh when someone suggested that the Oracle is Sanusi Junid. That someone commented I was lucky to be an intimate acquaintance of the illustrious Sanusi. That is not possible. Sanusi, as many of us know, has just survived a quite serious heart attack. The Oracle recounted the day Daim Zainuddin receiving a text message a few weeks ago informing him that Sanusi was critically ill.

Happily, he is doing well now. We wish him a speedy recovery. He is an estimable combatant and a worthy opponent. The Oracle told me, he and Daim rushed over to the hospital to see how Sanusi was faring. I am happy to be told by the Oracle that Sanusi is Sanusi, weakened but indomitable in his unrelenting criticisms on how Najib Razak is handling this country. Continue reading “A morning session with the Oracle of Syed Putera (Part 2)”

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A morning session with The Oracle of Syed Putera

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
August 06, 2011

AUGUST 6 — Once again, I have the pleasure to share with readers, the current thoughts of the Oracle of Syed Putra.

To refresh the minds of readers, the Oracle is the alter ego of Tun Daim Zainudin. You can almost say what the Oracle says is what Tun Daim thinks. It seems now, whatever Tun Daim says is carefully analyzed. And Tun Daim is a dangerous seer. In 2008, he predicted the loss of BN in 5 states. The UMNO generals were up in arms. They vilified him, describing him with all sorts of disrespectful terms. Daim is a pensioner. Daim is out of touch. Daim is irrelevant. When the results came, what Daim predicted was generally true. So how does Daim see the future?

According to the Oracle, it’s a grim future for Umno and BN. the country has no leadership. Announcements were made continuously without understanding what were said. The PM reads the budget in parliament but when it comes to Q&A, Nor Yaakob does the answering. Some people prepare the text and PM who has no time to understand the context, will just read it. Continue reading “A morning session with The Oracle of Syed Putera”

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Bungling Najib making opposition stronger

Syed Jaymal Zahiid | August 5, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

A former minister says the crackdown on the Bersih 2.0 rally had made the NGO into a giant and strengthened the opposition.

SERI KEMBANGAN: Former minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s poor handling of the Bersih 2.0 rally had made the polls watchdog a potent force and strengthened public support for the opposition.

Kadir, a former tourism minister during the time of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said Najib could have easily minimised the Bersih threat if he had engaged the NGO instead of resorting to force, which, he added, had boosted the group.

“The government had built it up to become a big giant,” he told FMT in a recent interview at his office here, agreeing with the opinions of various party leaders who believed it would have been better to engage the polls watchdog in discussions than resorting to repressive measures.

“I would have allowed the procession right from the beginning… then there will be no noise at all… Bersih would have had only two days of publicity,” said the Umno veteran who described Bersih’s demands for electoral reforms as valid. Continue reading “Bungling Najib making opposition stronger”

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Does MIC Deserve Three Ministers?

By Kee Thuan Chye
Malaysian Digest
04 Aug 2011

PRIME Minister Najib Razak is being cavalier with taxpayers’ money in making MIC president G. Palanivel a full minister. His promotion from deputy minister will incur increases in Palanivel’s salary, perks, claims and pension – and the rakyat will be paying for them. Is it justifiable?

The MIC has only four Members of Parliament, but it now has a line-up of three ministers and two deputy ministers. How is that proportionate?

If T. Murugiah had not lost his senatorship last April and thereby his deputy minister position, there would be three MIC deputy ministers now. Continue reading “Does MIC Deserve Three Ministers?”

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BBC suspends FBC shows, CNN denies paid for Najib interview

By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 04, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — US-based broadcaster CNN has denied it was paid to interview Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak but questions remain about the role played by its anchor John Defterios after the latter’s FBC Media programme World Business was axed yesterday by rival network CNBC.

The spotlight is on the relationship between FBC Media — the British publicity firm led by media giant Alan Friedman with Defterios (picture) still listed as its group president — and broadcasters like CNBC, CNN and the BBC.

As a result of the allegations, BBC has also said it will suspend programmes produced by FBC Media and investigate the company. Continue reading “BBC suspends FBC shows, CNN denies paid for Najib interview”

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Christian cleric condemns Jais raid on PJ church

By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 04, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — In an immediate reaction, Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) secretary-general Rev Hermen Shastri hit out at Selangor’s Islamic religious authorities for “storming” a Petaling Jaya church last night on questionable grounds.

The Malaysian Insider reported earlier this morning that some 30 policemen and enforcement officers from the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) had barged unannounced and without a warrant into a multiracial dinner at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) here last night over an unspecified complaint.

But Shastri said he understands the raid was linked to attempts to preach to Malay Muslims about Christianity.

“Apparently there was a police report by Jais on proselytising to Malays,” he told The Malaysian Insider when contacted. Continue reading “Christian cleric condemns Jais raid on PJ church”

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CNBC drops flagship show over paid Malaysian interviews

By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 04, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — International news broadcaster CNBC has confirmed cancelling its flagship show World Business as allegations of impropriety surface linking the programme to FBC Media, a British firm apparently paid millions of ringgit by Putrajaya and Sarawak to shine their images globally.

The satellite news channel said it has also started investigating FBC Media’s business practices, in what is seen as a bid to remove itself from being tainted by any possible scandal that could smear it like the phone-hacking allegations that ended the 168-year-old News of The World last month.

“In response to your question below, you are correct in that we have withdrawn World Business in the light of serious questions raised last week and we have initiated an examination of FBC and its business practices,” Charlotte Westgate, CNBC’s vice-president of marketing and communications, told The Malaysian Insider in an email last night. Continue reading “CNBC drops flagship show over paid Malaysian interviews”

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Ex-Umno MPs want Najib out

Muda Mohd. Noor | August 3, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

Penawar, an organisation comprising ex-Umno parliamentarians headed by a Mahathir man, has expressed lack of confidence in the PM’s leadership.

PETALING JAYA: Speculation has been rife that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s position in Umno is under threat.

Party insiders have long claimed that the daggers are out, alleging that while in public, support is expressed for the president, behind closed doors his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin with the blessings of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is making his move.

The prime minister’s grip on power slipped further following the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9 while the controversies surrounding his wife Rosmah Mansor are also taking a toll.

Now, an organisation representing former Umno members of Parliament has voiced its lack of confidence in Najib’s leadership and wants him to step down. Continue reading “Ex-Umno MPs want Najib out”

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End of the rope for Najib

— Douglas Tan
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 02, 2011

AUG 2 — Over the past few months, we have all seen the steep decline of our Prime Minister. From calling on youth to “defend Putrajaya” as though the nation is expecting an invasion to being unable to back up his own 1 Malaysia policy when asked by a student at a recent Malaysian Student Leader’s Summit.

It truly seems that Najib is unable to do anything right at the moment. First he outright attacks the Opposition parties claiming that they would destroy this nation and that Barisan Nasional is the shining light to guide the nation forward. To ask the youth to help defend Putrajaya against the Opposition is nothing short of pretentious, as though UMNO/BN has the divine right to govern this country infinitum.

This was quickly followed by Bersih 2.0, where he exposed himself as a lame duck leader. Instead of assuming a non-partisan role and showing true leadership, he aligned himself more as Umno president than the Prime Minister of Malaysia by demonising the coalition as an “illegal organisation” and stooping so low to the extent of roping in mosque ceramah’s to spread their propaganda of the so-called “perhimpunan haram”. Continue reading “End of the rope for Najib”

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Drop the charges against the PSM6 – as if Police/Najib administration have not made enough spectacle of themselves in disastrous mishandling of the 709 Bersih 2.0 rally and EO6 detention

The Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) Six, including the MP for Sungai Siput Dr. Michael Jeyakumar, who were released on Friday after 27 days of detention under the obsolete 1969 Emergency Ordinance after a week’s remand under the Penal Code for “waging war against the Agong”, have been informed that they will be charged in Butterworth tomorrow with “possessing subversive material”.

The Attorney-General, Tan Sri Gani Patail should drop the charges against the PSM6.

They must release that the public reaction is whether the Police and the Najib administration have not made enough spectacles of themselves both nationally and internationally in their gross and disastrous mishandling of the 709 Bersih 2.0 rally and the EO6 detention. Continue reading “Drop the charges against the PSM6 – as if Police/Najib administration have not made enough spectacle of themselves in disastrous mishandling of the 709 Bersih 2.0 rally and EO6 detention”

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‘Diamlah’ wake-up call for Najib

Oon Yeoh | Jul 28, 11 2:31pm
Malaysiakini

I read with amusement that news portals were not included in the media consultative council, mooted to be jointly-headed by Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

Instead of having Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider and Free Malaysia Today – all very popular news sites – as representatives of new media, the government proposal included Blog House, a bloggers’ association.

This is not surprising as the government still obviously thinks of new media as consisting of blogs. Continue reading “‘Diamlah’ wake-up call for Najib”

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13th General Elections may be held as early as October/November and all Malaysians must grasp the possibility for the first time in nation’s history for change of government in Putrajaya

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had said that UMNO must reform or it would be reformed.

From recent events, it is crystal clear that Umno and Barisan Nasional are incapable of reform and must be reformed by the people effecting a change of federal government from Barisan Nasional to Pakatan Rakyat in the next general elections.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister announced the MIC President G. Palanivel as his second Indian Cabinet Minister implementing his notorious philosophy spelt out in the Sibu by-election of “Gua tolong lu, lu tolong gua” – when the duty of any responsible government must be to serve all needy Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or political beliefs.

It is this cynical philosophy where essential public services are treated as a barter trade between the government and the people which is the root cause of the host of abuses of power and corruption afflicting the country destroying our national unity and international competitiveness.
Continue reading “13th General Elections may be held as early as October/November and all Malaysians must grasp the possibility for the first time in nation’s history for change of government in Putrajaya”

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Jangan temberanglah, Najib

by Lucius Goon
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 31, 2011

JULY 31 — I have watched from afar how the prime minister and his administration have squirmed and twisted and justified their handling of Bersih 2.0 and shown their reluctance to discuss meaningful electoral reform.

Very little has surprised me about an administration that is bereft of principle and function on the basis of spin and half-truths. It is quite obvious that the government believed that it could kill off Bersih by tough action and threats of intimidation.

When this did not happen, Najib tried a different tack: that the government was reasonable but Bersih was bent on causing havoc on the streets. His administration also spread the word that if the electoral system was skewed, there is no way the Opposition could have snared five states.

Today, while speaking to student leaders, Najib added to the spin, saying that if the government really controlled the Election Commission, it could have easily won Kelantan in 2004 where a few seats were lost by a few votes. Continue reading “Jangan temberanglah, Najib”