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PI Bala’s death is a tragedy

by P Ramakrishnan

Private investigator P Balasubramaniam’s death is a national tragedy for truth and justice.

By his death, truth and justice are left hanging in a limbo – for he possessed explosive information and stunning evidence to establish who were responsible for Altantuya Shaariibuu’s death.

Bravely and valiantly, he had provided a sworn Statutory Declaration dated 1 July 2008 detailing very meticulously in chronological order all that had taken place resulting in the murder of Altantuya.

All those implicated and directly accused of involvement in this foul deed that shattered the Mongolian beauty into smithereens have failed to refute his allegations; they dared not even sue him.

Thinking Malaysians are left wondering if there was no shred of dignity in those implicated to defend themselves in a court of law. They have done nothing to establish their innocence or dispel justified suspicions cast upon their character. Continue reading “PI Bala’s death is a tragedy”

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Who Knows What the Truth is These Days?

By Kee Thuan Chye
Yahoo Newsroom
Mon, Mar 11, 2013

How do you decide what is truth and what is falsehood as the build-up to Malaysia’s 13th general election hots up? So many bizarre twists and turns have emerged in recent days that Malaysians must be in a state of shock and awe.

First, businessman Deepak Jaikishan openly alleged that Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor were involved in forcing private investigator P. Balasubramaniam to make a second statutory declaration to contradict his first, which had implicated Najib in the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Then Bala returned from exile earlier this year to affirm that he stood by his first statutory declaration, reinforcing the revelations made by Deepak about how the second declaration came about.

The latest twist is Azlan Mohd Lazim’s announcement that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is innocent of the charge of having sodomised Azlan’s son, Saiful, and that Anwar is the victim of a political conspiracy. Taking everyone by surprise, including apparently Saiful as well, the father attests that his son was “used by several unscrupulous individuals”, including a special officer of Najib’s, to tarnish Anwar’s image. Continue reading “Who Knows What the Truth is These Days?”

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26-Day Countdown to 13GE – Federal Government Deficits and Debts

Unlike many developing countries, Malaysia had until the last 15 years, avoided deficit funding and the accumulation of high levels of external and internal debt that culminated in debt crises of the type that afflicted Argentina, Mexico and many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Federal Government followed prudent policies and followed fiscal policies that were viewed favorably. Both Foreign Direct Investment flows and the domestic private sector contributed to growth.

Thus, through the early 1970s and the decade of the 1980s small deficits were recorded, indeed in the early 1990s small surpluses were recorded. The size of the public debt was largely stable and did not exceed RM 100 billion.

However, the 1997 East Asia crisis, triggered by contagion effects of the crisis in Thailand, led to a radical change in fiscal policy. The Federal Government embarked on a pump priming effort to revive the economy.

Many large scale projects were mounted; many heavily indebted crony corporations were bailed out. The public sector surplus of RM 6.6 billion recorded in 1997 evaporated and became a deficit of RM 5 billion in 1998.

Since 1998, despite the recovery, the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government has continued to run deficits ever increasing deficits which peaked under the Prime Ministership of Datuk Seri Najib to RM 47 billion. Continue reading “26-Day Countdown to 13GE – Federal Government Deficits and Debts”

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The most probable date for long-awaited Parliament dissolution is Monday, March 25 although it could be later or even earlier

The most probable date for the long-awaited dissolution of the 12th Parliament is Monday, March 25 although it could be earlier in the next ten days or even later.

The automatic dissolution of the Negri Sembilan State Assembly on midnight on 26th March 2013 should under ordinary circumstances be the last cut-off date for the dissolution of Parliament, but these are not ordinary times, and Parliament can be dissolved earlier in the next 10 days or even later, exhausting another 32 days to lead up to the unprecedented automatic dissolution of Parliament on midnight April 27, 2013.

It is precisely because these are not ordinary times that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has put the country for nearly four long years on an election mode ever since he became the sixth Prime Minister on April 3, 2009, spending more time campaigning to get an elected mandate of his own instead of uniting and inspiring Malaysians with an overarching vision and governing the country efficiently and professionally, with integrity and full commitment to democracy, human rights and the environment.

If we are in ordinary times, the 13th general elections would have been held already and Malaysians would have known whether Najib has finally his own mandate to be the Prime Minister of Malaysia or whether Malaysia has got a new Pakatan Rakyat federal government in Putrajaya with a new Prime Minister in the person of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Continue reading “The most probable date for long-awaited Parliament dissolution is Monday, March 25 although it could be later or even earlier”

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‘Najib’s economic figures are fictional’

By Ong Kian Ming | 4:56PM Mar 14, 2013
Malaysiakini

COMMENT Yesterday, March 13, 2013, national news agency Bernama quoted Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak as saying:

“We have been able to buck the external global economic trend. In the last quarter, we achieved 6.4 percent growth, which indicates the resilience of the national economy.

“When we talk about benefits to the people from 2009 to 2011, our gross national income (GNI) per capita has grown from US$6,670 to US$9,970, roughly about 49 percent. There is no country in the world that has achieved this kind of result.”

Najib said this in the ‘Conversation with the PM’ programme aired by Media Prima group’s TV3 on Tuesday night (March 12).

Where did our prime minister-cum-finance minister get these figures from? I suspect that it’s from none other than Idris Jala (left), the chief executive officer of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), which comes under the PM’s Department.
Continue reading “‘Najib’s economic figures are fictional’”

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Is Malaysia pioneering a new-fangled “trial by police reports” in the latest twist of injustice and selective prosecution under Malaysia’s “rule by law”?

The charging of Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Vice President and MP for Batu, Chua Tian Chang for sedition for allegedly linking Umno to the Sulu-Police shoot-outs in Lahad Datu in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today is most regrettable and deplorable, for two reasons:

Firstly, it would appear that the Federal Government of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is not prepared to provide the lead and set the example to unite and rally all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion and political affiliation as one patriotic Malaysian people to face up to the challenges posed by the Sulu terrorists to protect unequivocally our national sovereignty and the right to security of the people of Sabah and the security forces.

Is this the reason why the Cabinet in two consecutive meetings yesterday and the previous Wednesday refused to act on the proposal for the convening of a special session of Parliament on a six-point proposal (1) to give full support to the security forces to take all necessary measures to protect the national sovereignty and security; (2) pay tribute and honour to the nine fallen heroes from the police and armed forces in the shoot-outs in Lahad Datu and Semporna; (3) set up a special foundation to look after the welfare of the families of the fallen heroes and ensure the life-long education up to university level for their children at government expense; (4) condemn the atrocities committed against the fallen heroes by Sulu terrorists; (5) urge the immediate halt of the annual “cession payment” of RM5,300 to the self-proclaimed heir of Sulu Sultanate and (6) to call on the Philippines Government to drop all claims to Sabah.

Secondly, the prosecution of Tian Chua is setting a most dangerous precedent for the grave and gross miscarriage of justice in present-day Malaysia for at least two reasons: Continue reading “Is Malaysia pioneering a new-fangled “trial by police reports” in the latest twist of injustice and selective prosecution under Malaysia’s “rule by law”?”

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28-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib’s “Alice-in-Wonderland Statistics in his Transformational Malaysian Economy”

I have received an email from a retired international banker from the Malaysian Diaspora, who describes himself as a “Fact-Finder” monitoring the Malaysian economy, sharing his outrage on what he described as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s “Alice-in-Wonderland Statistics in his Transformational Malaysian Economics” in his hour-long television interview on Tuesday.

I find this email so interesting, perceptive and pertinent that I am reproducing it in full, viz:

” Misuse of Data

The Prime Minister cut a rather sorry figure in his appearance on TV3’s programme entitled ‘Conversation with the PM’ aired on March 12th.

His remarks were a disappointment as he indulged in delivering clichés and ‘feel good’ statements concerning the state of the economy. He missed an opportunity to present a clear a vision of what he stands for. Continue reading “28-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib’s “Alice-in-Wonderland Statistics in his Transformational Malaysian Economy””

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It’s not the economy, stupid

by ONG KIAN MING
MARCH 13, 2013
KiniBiz

A foreign fund manager asked me this question last month – “What exactly are Malaysians unhappy with?” After all, the country grew by 5.6% in 2012 compared to a lethargic 1.2% for Singapore for the same year. Investment, measured by gross fixed capital formation grew by an astounding 25% in 2012 compared to a lacklustre 10.2% in 2011.

As a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP – sum of goods and services produced in a year), investment was approximately 26% in 2012 compared to only 18% in 2009. Foreign direct investment in 2012 reached RM34.8 billion, a significant improvement on the abysmal RM5.0 billion in 2009.

The government seems to have a clear plan of action in putting the country back on track via the Economic and Government Transformation Plans (ETP and GTP). The shopping malls and hotels are bustling in Kuala Lumpur. New buildings and hotels are sprouting up all around the Klang Valley area.

The LRT and MRT projects will address the congestion problems in the Greater KL area and increase property values and development opportunities around their vicinity. Malaysia also had the 2nd and 3rd largest public listing in the world after Facebook via Felda Global Ventures Holding (FGVH) and IHH Healthcare.

Things seem to be looking pretty good for the country. But why is there still talk of the Barisan Nasional losing power in the upcoming general election? Continue reading “It’s not the economy, stupid”

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29-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib doth claim too much, that Malaysia is world’s fastest country in GNI per capita growth which is as believable as his boast to make Malaysia “world’s best democracy”

I do not envy in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s shoes at present as he must continue to put up an external front of supreme confidence that he will not be the last Umno/Barisan Nasional Prime Minister and would even survive a coup d’etat in Umno ala-Abdullah Badawi after the 13GE while internally he must be quaking with gnawing doubts whether he could survive the final countdown for the “life-and-death” test for his political life.

As a result, he doth protest and claim too much.

Yesterday, the TV3 programme “Conversation with the PM” provided another example that the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia “doth claim too much” when he said:

“And when you talk in terms of benefit for the people, within three years, from 2009 to the end of 2011, our GNI (gross national income) per capita, it grew from US$6,670 to US$9,970. That’s roughly a 49 per cent (increase). There is no country in the world that has achieved that kind of result”.

Najib’s claim to be the fastest country in the world for GNI per capita growth in the three years from 2009 to 2011 is as believable as his other claim to transform Malaysia to be the world’s best democracy, when he could not even stand up to national and international scrutiny for the conduct of a free, fair and clean general elections despite his recent signature of the Transparency International-Malaysia’s Election Integrity Pledge. Instead, Najib is branded internationally as a “false democrat”.

Najib made two false claims in one short assertion last night – for Malaysia’s per capita GNI did not increase by 49 per cent in the three years from 2009 to 2011, and Malaysia is definitely not the world’s fastest country in per capita GNI growth in those three years.

The World Bank website shows the true numbers for Malaysia’s GNI per capita for the relevant period, viz: Continue reading “29-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib doth claim too much, that Malaysia is world’s fastest country in GNI per capita growth which is as believable as his boast to make Malaysia “world’s best democracy””

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Najib: More time needed to show results before polls

Malaysiakini-Bernama
11:38PM Mar 12, 2013

Before calling for the next general election, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said he first wanted to show to the people what had actually been achieved through the various initiatives in the country’s transformation agenda.

He said this in the ‘Conversation with the PM’ programme aired over TV3 tonight.

Noting that real changes were taking place since he took office in 2009, he said the government would need more time to ensure that the people felt the positive outcome of the transformation agenda.

“Because, when we plan things, it does take time (to show results), but I’m pleased that the outcome is positive,” he said. Continue reading “Najib: More time needed to show results before polls”

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M’sian caped crusader?

by Mariam Mokhtar
Malaysiakini
Mar 11, 2013

Malays could be the masters of their own destiny, but decades of spoon-feeding, reinforced by an unhealthy belief that they are morally and spiritually superior, has robbed many Malays of the power of critical thought and analysis. It is as if the strain of thinking for oneself, is too great a challenge.

When a Malay criticises the ruling party, he is seen as ‘ungrateful’. He is told that he should be appreciative for all that Umno has done for him – all the opportunities for education and work. It is conveniently forgotten that not all Malays benefit from the New Economic Policy (NEP).

Many middle-class Malay families complain that scholarships or study loans go to the children of well-connected parents. In businesses, and especially in government tenders, the same applies – connections count more than skills or expertise. Many senior politicians and their wives are more commonly known as Mr or Mrs “Ten percent”.

Conversely, Malays have not realised that receiving an education or business opportunity via the affirmative action policies, should not deprive them of a voice. Malays must learn that keeping the government on its toes does not mean that they are unappreciative or disloyal.

Some Malays have a child-like version of the world. In a discussion with a non-Malay, the Malay who cannot present his facts in a logical manner may invariably blurt out, “Go back to where you came from”. It is like the frustrated child who does not get his way and threatens his sibling with, “I’ll tell father what you did”. He does not care about the consequences. He just wants to hurt and get retribution.

When our leaders act in the same manner, this presents a very poor example for the Malays. As an example, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had encouraged the stripping of Ambiga Sreenevasan’s citizenship because she wanted true democracy. Continue reading “M’sian caped crusader?”

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An oath of office

by KJ John
Malaysiakini
Mar 5, 2013

Wikipedia defines an oath of office as:

An oath or affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organisations. Such oaths are often required by the laws of the state, religious body, or other organization before the person may actually exercise the powers of the office or any religious body.

It may be administered at an inauguration, coronation, enthronement, or other ceremony connected with the taking up of office itself, or it may be administered privately. In some cases it may be administered privately and then repeated during a public ceremony.

Some oaths of office are a statement of loyalty to a constitution or other legal text or to a person or other office-holder (e.g., an oath to support the constitution of the state, or of loyalty to the king). Under the laws of a state it may be considered treason or a high crime to betray a sworn oath of office.

Any oath of office is also usually a position of legitimate authority assigned, ascribed, or appointed, upon a qualified person to hold some public office.

Usually, to assume the office there is a ceremonial procedure for the assumption of the formal office and consequent title. Often, before the actual assumption of the new role and responsibility, the incumbent must take the oath of office. The oath is a proper symbolism for officially assuming the new appointment in public. Continue reading “An oath of office”

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BN government has again made history by funding a racist film on May 13 riots, “Tanda Putera”, but screening it like an anti-national underground movie only to selected audience

The UMNO/Barisan Nasional government of Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has chalked up another dubious record – spending RM4.8 million of taxpayers’ money to fund a racist film on May 13 riots, Tanda Putera, but screening it like an anti-national underground movie only to selected audience.

On Feb 18, on Najib’s directive, some 3,000 Felda settlers were treated to a closed-door screening of “Tanda Putera” at the Putra World Trade Centre at a function officiated by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The press was excluded.

Last night, the film was privately shown to a group of 600 students in an “invite-only” screening at Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIA).

The media was banned from the screening. A The Malaysian Insider reporter was turned away from attending the 9pm screening last night, “which appeared to be tightly guarded by security personnel”. Continue reading “BN government has again made history by funding a racist film on May 13 riots, “Tanda Putera”, but screening it like an anti-national underground movie only to selected audience”

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32-Day Countdown to 13GE –Najib should declare whether he going to fully serve out the next 48 days as the longest unelected Prime Minister (4 years and 23 days) until Parliament is automatically dissolved on April 27 or announce the date for Parliament’s dissolution for 13GE

At the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat Government’s fifth anniversary rally at Shah Alam last night, I said that from March 9, Malaysia does not have a legitimate Prime Minister as Datuk Seri Najib Razak for the following reasons:

• he still dare not dissolve Parliament to hold the 13th general elections although he has already become the country’s longest unelected Prime Minister without a mandate of his own.

• he has put the country on an election-mode for four years, deserving an entry into the Guinness Book of Records as there is no other country whose head of government had been on a campaign footing for such a long time. In fact, it can be truly said that Najib’s one and only job since becoming Prime Minister on April 4, 2009 is to campaign to be an elected Prime Minister in the long-awaited 13GE.

• the expiry of the five-year natural life of the 12th Parliament which was elected on 8th March 2008.

Nobody is suggesting that Najib is an unlawful or unconstitutional Prime Minister but his legitimacy as Prime Minister has unquestionably been put in grave doubt – a plight never suffered by the five previous Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein, Tun Mahathir and Tun Abdullah.

Is the legitimacy of the Penang Chief Minister and the Mentri-Mentri Besar of Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan also affected? Continue reading “32-Day Countdown to 13GE –Najib should declare whether he going to fully serve out the next 48 days as the longest unelected Prime Minister (4 years and 23 days) until Parliament is automatically dissolved on April 27 or announce the date for Parliament’s dissolution for 13GE”

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Gift or Nightmare for Najib?

By Kee Thuan Chye
MSN Malaysia
7th March 2013

The ongoing Sabah crisis could turn out to be the gift Prime Minister Najib Razak was hoping for to help his Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition to victory at the impending general election, which he has yet to call, or a ticking bomb instead.

In rejecting the ceasefire proposed by the Sulu Sultan whose followers landed in Lahad Datu more than three weeks ago to reclaim Sabah as their ancestral homeland, Najib has scored much-needed positive points. Already, even his detractors have expressed support for his stand. They now declare that for once, he is saying something “sensible”, that they are agreeing with him “for the first time”.

Some, however, are saying this is “the only right thing” he has done during the whole crisis. Nonetheless, if he manages to pull off a decisive victory over the intruders, votes, especially from fence-sitters, might actually drop to BN.

But Najib has to do it before the general election has to be held, the absolute last date for which is June 28. If the crisis is not resolved before the general election, his ineffectiveness as prime minister would be exposed. He needs to win the conflict decisively, like Margaret Thatcher won the Falklands War in 1982 and went on to resuscitate her flagging popularity at the UK general election the following year. Continue reading “Gift or Nightmare for Najib?”

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33-Day Countdown to 13GE – Will Najib dissolve Parliament on 11th March at 11.11 am?

Two days ago, I was asked whether the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak would dissolve Parliament on 11th March at 11.11 am.

This reminds me of the “Six Ones” forecast two years ago, that Najib could dissolve Parliament on Nov. 11, 2011, which will have “6 1s”, as “11” is Najib’s favourite or even magic number.

But the “Six Ones” of “11.11.11” have come and gone, the years 2011 and 2012 have ended, and beginning today, the 12th Parliament has exceeded its natural life of five years making Najib in the eyes of many Malaysians an ‘illegitimate” Prime Minister, especially as Najib is the longest unelected Prime Minister without a mandate of his own for close to four long years!

Malaysia has made world history and gone into the Guinness Book of Records as a country which has been on general election-mode for close to four years since Najib replaced Tun Abdullah as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia on 3rd April 2009.

But Najib is still afraid to dissolve Parliament to face the electorate although he has only earned for himself a breathing space of another 49 days before the present Parliament is automatically dissolved on April 27 under the Constitution, without the need for the Prime Minister to ask the Yang di Pertuan Agong for a formal dissolution!

Najib has only himself to blame if he is generally regarded as an “illegitimate” Prime Minister who at best should be Caretaker Prime Minister leading a Caretaker Cabinet which should not make any major or substantive decisions whether concerning policy, appointments, contractual obligations or abuse and misuse of the public service, whether personnel, resources and public funds without consultation with the Opposition. Continue reading “33-Day Countdown to 13GE – Will Najib dissolve Parliament on 11th March at 11.11 am?”

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Debunk the Five Big Lies of UMNO/BN 13GE Campaign

Tonight, on the fifth anniversary of the “308 political tsunami” of March 8, 2008, I want to debunk the five Big Lies of the Umno/Barisan Nasional 13th General Elections campaign.

Lie No. 1 – that Malaysia will be bankrupt in five, three or even two years’ time (depending on which Umno/BN leader is telling the lie) if Pakatan Rakyat forms the Federal Government after the 13 GE.

Only a person with a very low IQ will make or believe such a lie.

Have the state governments of Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan which are run by Pakatan Rakyat gone bankrupt after five years in the case of Penang, Selangor and Kedah and for over 22 years in the case of Kelantan?

If Pakatan Rakyat succeeds in the journey to Putrajaya in the 13GE, we want to be the Federal Government not just for one term, but also to be able to continue to get the national mandate to govern Malaysia in the 14th, 15th and future general elections.

The fastest way to end Pakatan Rakyat’s mandate to govern Malaysia is to lead the country to bankruptcy and economic ruin and this is the last thing that a Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya will do.

In fact, a Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya will prove that we can govern Malaysia better than Umno/Barisan Nasional, leading the country to new heights in national unity and harmony, good governance, international competitiveness and economic prosperity. Continue reading “Debunk the Five Big Lies of UMNO/BN 13GE Campaign”

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BN must be destroyed

Dean Johns
Malaysiakini
Mar 6, 2013

I’ve expressed this obvious message in so many ways over the years – in attempts to spice it up with variety – all to no apparent avail thus far, that it strikes me that I should try mindless repetition for a change.

This will be terribly tedious for us all of course, but the possible gain could be well worth our collective pain. Because repetition of the patently, blatantly obvious has worked a treat in the past.

Most famously, as history recalls, for Cato the Elder, who in the years between 175 and 146BC bored his fellow ancient Romans witless by ending his every speech in the senate with the statement that “Carthage must be destroyed”.

Four words that for years rendered Cato a figure of fun. But finally taken seriously and given force by the Roman sword, they proved to be a death sentence to the dreaded Carthage.

Thus my hopes for the similar success of my mantra for the foreseeable future, or at least until Malaysia’s endlessly-awaited 13th general election: BN must be destroyed.

Admittedly, BN is not a foreign threat to Malaysia as Carthage was to Rome. But this criminal coalition is arguably as dangerous to the future of the Malaysia and Malaysians as any external enemy might be.

For more than 50 years, and especially in the past 30, BN has been an insidious, creeping evil attacking and infesting Malaysia by stealth.

Steadily stealing as much of the nation’s land, oil, timber, corporate wealth and hard cash as it can get away with, and simultaneously robbing Malaysians of all possible forms of defence or redress.

BN may not be an invader, but it is certainly an all-pervader. It has systematically colonised and co-opted the civil services at every level from federal to local with its own relatives, cronies, sycophants and place-seekers. Continue reading “BN must be destroyed”