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Is there any Minister concerned enough about the escalating rhetoric of race and religion to propose in Cabinet tomorrow a “Say No to Racism” nation-wide campaign

The common response to my suggestion yesterday that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should propose to the Cabinet meeting tomorrow a nation-wide “Say No to Racism” campaign headed by him to give flesh to his 1Malaysia slogan and policy as well as his “Zero tolerance for Racism” declaration is one of skepticism and cynicism that Najib would do any such thing.

I admit that recent developments do not indicate that Najib is capable of rising to the occasion to prove that he is Prime Minister for all Malaysians and the future of Malaysia instead of being a prisoner of Umno politics and the past.

These developments include:

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Is Najib prepared to put his 1Malaysia policy to the test by leading a nation-wide “Say No to Racism” campaign starting with errant Umno leaders, government officials and Utusan Malaysia?

Although the Director-General of Education Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom has issued a circular dated August 26 to all school principals and teachers warning of action to be taken for racist remarks in schools, the absence of action against the two school principals in Johore and Kedah who had made racist remarks stands out like a sore thumb.

More than three weeks have passed and both principals had not yet been referred to the police, let alone the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

This is totally at variance with the “Zero tolerance for racism” belatedly made by the Prime Minister two weeks after the deplorable incidents involving the two school principals.

The Prime Minister should realize that the escalation of the rhetoric of race and religion makes a total mockery of his 1Malaysia slogan, one reason why there is so little national enthusiasm for the Natioal Month theme of “1Malaysia – Transforming the Nation”.
Continue reading “Is Najib prepared to put his 1Malaysia policy to the test by leading a nation-wide “Say No to Racism” campaign starting with errant Umno leaders, government officials and Utusan Malaysia?”

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Ersatz moderation will not suffice, PM

By G. Krishnan

Surely any right-minded Malaysian will find it impossible to disagree with the prime minister that we cannot allow racism to destroy us. And surely all of us who cherish the virtues of moderation must find ourselves whole-heartedly agreeing with the prime minister that we cannot allow extreme attitudes on racial and religious issues to compromise national unity.

As such, it is precisely for these reasons, Mr. Prime Minister that moderates such as myself continue to remain perplexed and puzzled about the glaring discrepancy that continues to persist between the messages you espouse and the reality that persists in the manner your government conducts itself.

I must admit, I was struck by your re-affirmation of the principles of the Rukun Negara; something that merely one month ago, I noted in one of my articles should be given far greater prominence in our national culture, especially in place of the religious one-upmanship.

To be precise, I stated that,
Continue reading “Ersatz moderation will not suffice, PM”

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Mahathir is the major obstacle to Najib’s 1Malaysia and National Transformation Agenda

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad blogged on the 53rd National Day eve that “today the races are more divided than ever”.

The implications of Mahathir’s statement merits attention.

Here we have the country’s longest-serving Prime Minister in fact telling the current Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak that despite this year’s Merdeka Month theme: “1Malaysia: Transforming the Nation” and the latter’s 1Malaysia policy and National Transformation Programme for 18 months since assuming the highest office in the land in April last year, national unity and inter-racial relations had never been so bad at present as compared to any time in the 22 years Mahathir had been Prime Minister from 1981 – 2003.

Would Najib agree to this Mahathir assessment as the present Prime Minister was during those 22 years of Mahathir premiership either Pahang Mentri Besar or a Cabinet Minister, starting as Minister for Youth and Sports before being appointed to Education and later Defence portfolios – while in Umno, occupying the posts of Umno Youth Leader (especially during the Operation Lalang years) and Umno National Vice President from 1995-2003?
Continue reading “Mahathir is the major obstacle to Najib’s 1Malaysia and National Transformation Agenda”

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Quo Vadis Malaysia 18 months after Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan?

This year’s Merdeka Month celebrations with the theme “1Malaysia transforms the nation” should give all Malaysians a new sense of pride and worth of being a Malaysian.

Instead, the cacophony of the racist rhetoric had never been more raucous, discordant and divisive in the first year of any previous Prime Minister in the nation’s 53-year history – reducing Najib’s 1Malaysia policy and slogan into tatters.

The 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap launched by the Prime Minister in January this year declared that “the goal of 1Malaysia is to make Malaysia more vibrant, more productive and more competitive – and ultimately a greater nation: a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second and where the principles of 1Malaysia are woven into the economic, political and social fabric of society.”

This goal of 1Malaysia was rendered hollow and meaningless when the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin declared that he is Malay first and Malaysian second, and no Cabinet Minister dared to contradict him!
Continue reading “Quo Vadis Malaysia 18 months after Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan?”

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Talk Like A PM, Walk And Act Like Umno

by Richard Loh

I have no intention to blog these few days because I thought that I can enjoy the Merdeka celebration but it is not to be so.

The past weeks clearly show that the PM is no longer in control of running the country. The PM is wearing too many hats. The PM is wearing too many hats that he turns out to be the most ugly looking person.

One hat he wore represented him as the Prime Minister that can only talk with all kinds of slogan and rhetoric that contain no solid substance as it will be all blown away once he changes his hat.

Trying to balance his act, he will immediately change to his Umno President hat to walk and act like Umno, forgetting what he had said when he was wearing the PM’s hat. Continue reading “Talk Like A PM, Walk And Act Like Umno”

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National Day on August 31 is deadline for Najib to prove he is serious about “zero tolerance” for racism in the country, particularly by public servants

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should have received public feedback that his declaration yesterday of a “zero tolerance” towards racism and pledge to take immediate action against those found to have made racial slurs had been received with great cynicism countrywide as another Najibism which is good for soundbites and publicity but never to be taken seriously – that it would be forgotten once delivered.

In fact, public cynicism about Najib’s political will and leadership after 16 month as Prime Minister in his various policy pronouncements because of the large gulf between proclamation and action has culminated in Merdeka month celebrations this year with the theme “1Malaysia transforms the nation” highlighting the failures of Najib’s 1Malaysia rather than celebrating the new Prime Minister’s signature nation-building programme.

The question now is whether Najib can inspire confidence in time for National Day on Tuesday, August 31st in his “zero tolerance” policy for racism by taking firm and decisive action in the next 60 hours against racists who had created inter-racial misunderstandings and tensions in the past weeks?
Continue reading “National Day on August 31 is deadline for Najib to prove he is serious about “zero tolerance” for racism in the country, particularly by public servants”

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Najib should walk the talk of a zero-tolerance policy for racism and religious incitement starting with Utusan Malaysia with zero-tolerance for delay in taking action

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has finally broken his silence, declaring a “zero tolerance” policy towards racism and pledging immediate action against those found to have made racial slurs.

It is welcome although belated – provided it is not an empty declaration. Najib’s belated declaration raised the question whether he means what he says for two reasons:

Firstly, it has taken him two long weeks to make his first public statement since the deplorable incident at the launch of the Merdeka celebrations of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, Kulai, where the school principal Hajah Siti Inshah binti Mansor said: “Pelajar-pelajar Cina tidak diperlukan dan boleh balik ke China ataupun Sekolah Foon Yew. Bagi pelajar India, tali sembahyang yang diikat di pergelangan tangan dan leher pelajar nampak seakan anjing dan hanya anjing akan mengikat seperti itu.”

In my statement on Tuesday 17th August, I had asked the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to put the issue on top of the Cabinet meeting the next day for two reasons: Continue reading “Najib should walk the talk of a zero-tolerance policy for racism and religious incitement starting with Utusan Malaysia with zero-tolerance for delay in taking action”

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Where has our leadership gone?

By Sakmongkol AK47

Sometime in 2007, Lee Iacocca, wrote a book titled ‘Where Have All The Leaders Gone?. In light of what is happening, I find the subject matter of the book, becoming more relevant by each passing day. We should now begin asking the same question- where have all our leaders gone?

In the early part of the book, Iacocca asks a question which we Malaysians should also be asking- where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder at what’s going on.

The level of corruption goes unabated. Ezam Mat Nor says he has got boxes and boxes of hard evidence against Rafidah Aziz and Mat Nor Yaakob and a slew of UMNO leaders. Why doesn’t he turn them over to the government? Rais Yatim should be arrested for concealing material that can help the government bust the 18 high profile corruption cases that he once loudly announced. Was that his pompous piety and righteousness that were on display? Where are the evidence? RTM itself should be investigated as to why only one company seems to monopolize all the advertising rights?
Continue reading “Where has our leadership gone?”

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When will Najib and his Ministers wake up and realize that the twin crisis of human talents and investments confronting the country are more than a matter of economics?

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed is quoted in today’s press as saying that Talent Corporation has been tasked with attracting at least half of the 750,000 Malaysian professionals working overseas to come home as part of its efforts to draw the best brains in the world to Malaysia.

Speaking at the launching of the Public-Private Partnership’s website www.3pu.gov.my, he said seeking out the Malaysian diaspora for the top brains was necessary as the Government aimed to hit the target of RM115 billion per year in local and foreign investments to turn the country into a developed nation by 2020.

It is shocking that Nor Mohamed could come out with such an unrealistic and “tall order” not only because of the dismal failure of previous government “brain gain” policies but in the light of recent events when the unchecked escalation of the rhetoric of race and religion would have the effect of giving a major push to greater brain-drain from the country instead of pulling back talents from the Malaysian diaspora to return to serve the country.

It is time that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his Ministers wake up and realize that the twin crisis of human talents and investments confronting the country are more than a matter of economics.
Continue reading “When will Najib and his Ministers wake up and realize that the twin crisis of human talents and investments confronting the country are more than a matter of economics?”

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Acronym soup swamps Malaysia reform drive

Reuters
Global News Journal
Aug 25, 2010

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak says he has embarked on a series of radical economic reforms. In reality it feels as if he has unleashed a barrage of incomprehensible acronyms on the unsuspecting public of this Southeast Asian nation.

The charge for economic reform is being led by the snappily named PEMANDU. As well as being the Malay word for “driver” it stands for the government’s Performance Management and Delivery Unit.

PEMANDU is in charge of formulating and implementing NKRAs (National Key Result Areas), MKRAs (Ministerial Key Result Areas) and getting “Big Results Fast”, according to its website, although it singularly failed to win political backing for a radical revamp of Malaysia’s costly subsidy regime. Continue reading “Acronym soup swamps Malaysia reform drive”

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Has Mahathir crossed the Rubicon to declare war on Najib, 1Malaysia and NEM?

Shock, outrage and consternation are understatements of the reactions to the latest outbursts by former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad when he denounced the proponents of meritocracy as “racists too” and warned the Malay community that they risk losing political control of the country if they remain disunited.
 
It is not just the spectacle of the former longest-serving Prime Minister of Malaysia adding oil to the cauldron of the politics of race and religion  but the repudiation of the Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia which he had proclaimed two decades ago.
 
In 1990, beginning his second decade as Prime Minister, Mahathir spelt out Vision 2020 to achieve in 30 years a fully developed Malaysian nation made up of one “Bangsa Malaysia” with a sense of common and shared destiny,  distinguished by the pursuit of excellence, fully aware of all its potentials, psychologically subservient to none, and respected by the peoples of other nations.
Continue reading “Has Mahathir crossed the Rubicon to declare war on Najib, 1Malaysia and NEM?”

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Last Cabinet meeting before National Day on August 31…

Tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting is the last before National Day on August 31 and its greatest challenge is to demonstrate it has the “political will and leadership to break the logjam of resistance by vested interest groups” to kickstart and stay the course of the NEM (New Economic Model) transformation process.

There can be no more useful thing for the Cabinet Ministers to do tomorrow than to revisit the New Economic Model unveiled by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak on March 30 and the dire warnings that Malaysia is “on a burning platform” and that “the status quo is not an option” as it will only put Malaysia at risk of being overtaken by other countries, just as we had overtaken others in the past.

The Cabinet should in particular revisit the frank and brutal admission by the NEM of the crucial and critical role of “unwavering political will and leadership” to break the logjam of resistance by vested interest groups and short-sighted factions and to “stay the course” when resistance is encountered.
Continue reading “Last Cabinet meeting before National Day on August 31…”

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There is a sickness in the country which is total mockery and negation of Najib’s 1Malaysia policy

With eight days to go before the National Day proper on August 31 and 24 days before Malaysia Day on Sept. 16, Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region should be celebrating a new sense of pride and unity as Malaysians after 18 months of the 1Malaysia slogan and policy proclaimed by Datuk Seri Najib Razak after he became the sixth Prime Minister in April last year.

But every 24 hours is demonstrating the opposite.

There is a sickness in the country as illustrated by several headlines in a matter of a few hours by online media Malaysian Insider yesterday, viz:

  • “Perkasa, MPM want Soi Lek arrested under ISA”

  • “Pakatan wants to ‘destroy’ constitutional monarchy, claim Malay groups” (a lie)

  • “Ibrahim Ali follows Tee, tells those who disagree to get out”

  • “Malay groups want vernacular schools abolished”

Continue reading “There is a sickness in the country which is total mockery and negation of Najib’s 1Malaysia policy”

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Forget about Talent Corporation and other transformation initiatives of NEM and TMP if Najib cannot stop extremist forces exploiting race and religion from rearing their ugly heads

This should be a special and unique month not only in the 53-year nation-building of Malaysia but the 18-month premiership of Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the theme of the Merdeka month celebrations from August 1 to September 16 is “1Malaysia Transforming the Nation” – first time after Najib’s full-year premiership and less than six months after the unveiling of the transformative NEM.

Messages and the spirit of Malaysian unity and inter-racial and inter-religious goodwill, harmony and solidarity should be pervading all nooks and corners of the country and infusing Malaysians with what they are saying are doing in these six weeks to put into practice and action the 1Malaysia slogan which Najib had proclaimed since becoming Prime Minister in April last year.

But the opposite had been the case as never had Malaysia been so divided, discordant and un1Malaysia in the past two decades, with persistent, irresponsible and inflammatory incitement of the politics of race and religion in recent months to stoke racial and religious animosity and hatred in plural Malaysia, going against the very grain of what 1Malaysia stands for.

Even the schools and the young generation of Malaysians are not spared, as illustrated by the cases of the racist outbursts against school children, one in the south in Kulai and the other in the north in Sungai Petani, demonstrating utter contempt and intolerance of 1Malaysia and our ethnic, religious and cultural diversity which are the country’s richest assets by school principals who should be the “role models” and standard-bearers of Najib’s 1Malaysia! Continue reading “Forget about Talent Corporation and other transformation initiatives of NEM and TMP if Najib cannot stop extremist forces exploiting race and religion from rearing their ugly heads”

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Utusan Malaysia’s front-page headline is the most irresponsible act in history of Malaysian journalism

The Utusan Malaysia’s front-page headline today “Nama Guan Eng ganti Agong – Disebut dalam doa khutbah Jumaat: Umno Pulau Pinang bantah” is the most irresponsible act in the history of Malaysian journalism – utterly baseless, a mischievous and dangerous incitement to religious hatred, tension and discord in plural Malaysia and goes against all the principles and values espoused by 1Malaysia.

The first Merdeka month celebrations themed “1Malaysia Transforming the Nation” should celebrate Malaysia’s unity in diversity of ethnicity, religions, cultures and beliefs, the concepts of inclusiveness, social justice and the 1Malaysia principles of culture of excellence, integrity, wisdom, humility, loyalty and the twin commitments of People First, Performance Now.

But we have the opposite as illustrated by Utusan Malaysia’s front-page headline of falsehood and dangerous incitement to religious hatred, discord and tension.
Continue reading “Utusan Malaysia’s front-page headline is the most irresponsible act in history of Malaysian journalism”

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DAP supports Anwar’s call for proof of allegation of the existence of an alternate constitution to replace the current one to erase special rights of the Malays and the position of Islam as the official religion

DAP supports the call by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for proof of the allegation of the existence of an alternate constitution to replace the current one to erase special rights of the Malays and the position of Islam as the official religion.

This allegation by the Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria is a very serious and inflammable one and should not be made without proof.

This allegation has already been the basis of a very alarmist front-page Utusan Malaysia headline “Elak perang besar” on Tuesday and an incendiary article entitled “Benar, ‘perang besar’ boleh berlaku di Malaysia” yesterday.

DAP leaders had never heard or known of such an alternate constitution.

Any such an alleged alternative constitution could not have emanated from Pakatan Rakyat as the component parties of PKR, PAS and DAP had reaffirmed commitment to the fundamental principles of the Malaysian Constitution in a common platform last December.
Continue reading “DAP supports Anwar’s call for proof of allegation of the existence of an alternate constitution to replace the current one to erase special rights of the Malays and the position of Islam as the official religion”

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Is NEM a pipe dream?

Breaking Views
The Malaysian Insider
August 15, 2010

AUG 15 — Tun Abdul Razak Hussein could never have imagined that his brainchild, the New Economic Policy (NEP), would ever split the country.

That it has 40 years after coming into being. Meant to eradicate poverty among all Malaysians and uplift the Bumiputeras who were economically backward then, it is now seen as the sacrosanct right of every Malay.

Especially the corporate ones who fear losing their tranche of Approved Permits (APs), shares and government contracts.

The NEP’s great defender today is Datuk Ibrahim Ali, the diminutive Perkasa chief with lofty ambitions of keeping privileges as Malay rights. With him, to a certain extent, is Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who argues the policy is needed until the Malays reach their targets. Continue reading “Is NEM a pipe dream?”

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Najib should give his personal attention to stamp out the unhealthy and disturbing trend towards very ugly, intolerant and vicious politicking illustrated by M16 bullet threat to Tony Pua

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should give his personal attention to stamp out the unhealthy and disturbing trend towards very ugly, intolerant and vicious politicking illustrated by the M16 bullet threat to DAP National Publicity Secretary and MP for Petaling Jaya Utara Tony Pua yesterday.

Pua received a live 5.56mm bullet used in M-16s with a threatening note posted from Tangkak, Johor mailed to his service centre in Damansara Utama yesterday.

The note threatened: “Tony Pua Kiam Wee. You are so brave? What do you want now? You better watch out.

“We know about your family, your house, your office, your car.”

Pua believes that the threat was probably related to his recent proposal to the Selangor government to slash Bumiputera discounts for luxury homes and commercial property in the state to improve competitiveness and restore investor confidence while retaining the seven per cent discounts enjoyed by Malays and other Bumiputeras for homes below RM500,000.
Continue reading “Najib should give his personal attention to stamp out the unhealthy and disturbing trend towards very ugly, intolerant and vicious politicking illustrated by M16 bullet threat to Tony Pua”

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Denying Anwar Natural Justice

By Dr Chen Man Hin

IT IS NATURAL JUSTICE FOR ANWAR IBRAHIM TO HAVE ACCESS TO ALL EVIDENCE IN SODOMY 2 TRIAL

Denial of clinical evidence from Anwar Ibrahim to defend himself to face a charge of sodomy is a denial of natural justice for Anwar. Before this, he was also denied of evidence several times on previous occasions in the course of the trial.

In any trial, any one charged with a crime, surely has a right to ask his accuser (the prosecution) to produce the evidence. To deny the accused of the so called charge is surely a denial of natural justice for the accused.

This is substantiated by a clause in the INTERNATIONAL COVENANT IN CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS passed by the United Nations, ‘which guarantees the accused the right to have adequate time and facilities to the preparation of defence. Article 14 (3) (6) of the Covenant guarantees that legal representation of the defendant should have access to all relevant material and evidence.’
Continue reading “Denying Anwar Natural Justice”