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Malaysian human capital outflow

By Michael Lee
May 14, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

MAY 14 — Once, on the way to the airport in the cold dead of night, I had a heated discussion with an acquaintance of my father from the US about having a life outside of Malaysia.

I was in my teens then, fresh from the Malaysian public education system and was a staunch supporter of our government’s policies. The man who initiated the discussion, on the other hand, was a successful overseas Malaysian himself and was going on about the many merits of leaving Malaysia for a better life abroad. He himself had left Malaysia decades ago after getting his degree and has since found success in an auto-parts business he founded.

Throughout the drive, he cherry picked on the rampant corruption and injustices, particularly against non-Bumiputeras, like us, deep set in the Malaysian social, economic and political system.

While I believed most of what he said to be true, it was not something I haven’t heard before.

Again and again, my defence was that Malaysia was young in being independent compared with the US and needed more time to mature before the inequalities and inefficiencies fade away. The conversation ended in, what I believe, a stalemate, with his detailed reasoning unable to pierce the wall that was my youthful optimism. This took place about 18 years ago. Continue reading “Malaysian human capital outflow”

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‘Emotionally mature’ leaders put Najib to shame

by Jeswan Kaur
May 14, 2011 | Free Malaysia Today

COMMENT: ‘Rakyat diutamakan’ or people first tagline parroted by current prime minister Najib Razak is an out and out lie.

If the people are indeed Najib’s priority, he would stop discriminating one race from the other.

The Umno-owned Malay daily, Utusan Malaysia has once again stirred the hornet’s nest through its May 7 article alluding that Christianity would soon oust Islam as the official religion of this country.

Needless to say the report, which Utusan lifted from postings by bloggers, heated up the already tense racial-relationship between Malaysians of different faiths.

And what does Prime Minister Najib do? He continues playing politics, asking the Malays to give their undivided loyalty to Umno so that the party is able to continue its lordship over Malaysia.

That done, he demands a pledge from local leaders of Christianity that they will respect Islam as Malaysia’s official religion.

The leaders were also made to give an undertaking that they will never challenge the provision enshrined in the Federal Constitution. Continue reading “‘Emotionally mature’ leaders put Najib to shame”

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Christian conspiracy: Special branch link suspected

By Aidila Razak
May 14, 11 | MalaysiaKini

DAP-Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi suspects possible coercion of the DAP member, who filed a police report on the alleged ‘Christian conspiracy’ yesterday just after the ministry had said there was “some basis” to the allegations.

Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur today, Ooi said they believe that the man, DAP Bukit Tumba branch committee member Mohamed Razali Abdul Rahman, may have been convinced to do so by his relative who is a special branch police officer who monitors political activities in the Jelutong area.

“We were told Mohamed Razali and this officer are relatives, and that it was this officer who was instrumental in helping Utusan Malaysia get the story. I hope the police can start to look into this angle and make a fair and just investigation into the case.

“We don’t know his motive or intention for filing his police report some five days after we filed our police report denying the allegations made in Utusan,” he said.

Ooi added that Mohamed Razali had accompanied Ooi when the MP lodged his police report on May 8, showing a press photograph of the two together at the station. Continue reading “Christian conspiracy: Special branch link suspected”

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Police quiz 8 pastors over ‘Christian conspiracy’

By Aidila Razak
May 14, 11 | MalaysiaKini

Police have quizzed eight pastors who were present at the gathering in Penang that Utusan Malaysia had alleged to have hatched a so-called ‘conspiracy’ to make Christianity the official religion.

According to Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi, the pastors were called up in the week following his police report on May 8 denying the Malay daily’s claims.

Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur, Ooi who was present at the dinner last weekend where the ‘plot’ was supposedly hatched, said that the police’s questions to the pastors suggests confusion of the authorities over the manner of Christian worship with the taking of a pledge.

“The pastors were commonly asked questions of the same theme,” said Ooi.

“They were asked if there was a conspiracy to install a Christian prime minister and if there was a pledge taken to make Christianity the official religion of the country. They (the pastors) categorically denied this.

“They were also asked if they raised their hands during their prayers, as commonly practiced among Christians, and if they had raised their left or right hand, and how high they raised it,” he said. Continue reading “Police quiz 8 pastors over ‘Christian conspiracy’”

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Church leaders take one step forward, two steps back

By Terence Netto
May 14, 11 | MalaysiaKini

COMMENT “Two steps forward, one step backward’ was a staple of communist strategy where cagey negotiators make two hard-to-meet demands and then retract one to show they are flexible and reasonable.

Christian church leaders who met Prime Minister Najib Razak on Thursday over reports in Utusan Malaysia of an alleged Christian plot to dethrone Islam as the country’s official religion, were inveigled into a reversal of this negotiating strategy: they took two steps backward and as a sop, were conceded one step forward.

‘Backward’ here is not intended as a description of the nature of the two assurances they gave the PM – that they will respect the status of Islam as the official religion and they will continue to cooperate in fostering interreligious harmony in the country.

Instead, the word is used to describe the concessions Church leaders had to make when there was no substantive reason to suspect them of disrespecting Islam’s special status and being only dubiously for interreligious concord.

In return for the two steps backwards, Church leaders, upset over rabble rousing reports in Utusan, had the meager satisfaction of knowing that the Home Ministry had reprimanded the paper’s editor for irresponsible reporting. Ditto, one step forward for the Church leaders. Continue reading “Church leaders take one step forward, two steps back”

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May 13: A Recollection

By Adrian Ng
LoyarBurok
13 May, 2011

Reflections of the incidents of May 13, 42 years ago, and how Malaysia has grown since then.

Mom was 16. They lived at Cheras Batu 2 1/2 squatters, near the legendary field which produced Mokhtar Dahari, and near Cochrane Road School, where DBKL has now built a hall along Jalan Loke Yew. Grandpa decided not to open his stall at Central Market that day. The situation was tense from what was being heard in KL due to the massive win of the Democratic Action Party. Rumours were spreading that the Malays were going to attack the Chinese. Everyone was terrified.

Grandpa and grandma quickly packed up some food, just in case they needed to make a run and gathered everyone. They all sat quietly waiting as far back as possible in the tiny little wooden house, at the back of the kitchen. Grandpa took a radio to the kitchen, to listen to any news on what was happening outside.

No one dared venture outside. Continue reading “May 13: A Recollection”

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Malaysian. Chinese. Totally Foreign.

By Lisa Ng
LoyarBurok

13 May, 2011

Is it racialism that causes Malaysian Chinese to be cliquish? Or is it just bad faith? Let’s explore the reasons why some Malaysian Chinese youth can’t integrate into society and why abolishing vernacular schools may be just a blind shot at solving a growing problem.

Eu Jienn’s story

Chong Eu Jienn is 15. He lives in Kepong, KL. He speaks fluently in Mandarin. If you ever get lost in Kepong and bump into him, please do not ask for directions in English. He will not know how to respond to you. If you switch next to Bahasa Malaysia, he might be able to bring up a broken explanation consisting of recognisable words like “sana” or “depan” but the rest might be in Mandarin so you’d better know a bit of the language yourself if you want to understand what he is telling you.

Eu Jienn is a product of the vernacular schooling system. His parents decided long ago that their children would be educated in a Chinese Independent School. Firstly, China was quickly becoming an important economic power. Secondly, friends with children in National schools were lamenting about the quality of teachers in such schools. Thirdly, Eu Jienn’s parents came from very strict family backgrounds – discipline was top priority for them and Chinese schools were renowned for discipline. Fourthly, Eu Jienn’s parents were DAP supporters. His grandparents were aligned to BN due to the presence of MCA which was felt to represent the Chinese voice in government. But the loyalty ceased as the political landscape shifted with Mahathir, in favour of the Malays. Besides, what was so important about English or Bahasa Malaysia anyway? If Eu Jienn performed well academically, he could get a good job in Singapore or China. Singapore, for one thing, was close enough to stay in touch with their eldest son. Singapore was also kind to the Chinese. And, yes, in Singapore, people spoke Mandarin.

You could hardly blame Eu Jienn’s parents for such a narrow view. For them, vernacular schools were the best bet to ensure a future of better opportunities for their children. They must have known how important English was as it is still the lingua franca of the business and working world. And yet they somehow chose to ignore this point in shaping their son’s future. Continue reading “Malaysian. Chinese. Totally Foreign.”

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Hisham: ‘Some basis’ to Utusan’s report

By S Pathmawathy
May 13, 11 | Malaysiakini

Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein says there is “some basis” to Utusan Malaysia’s report on is a conspiracy to make Christianity the official religion of the country and install a Christian prime minister.

Hishammuddin said this in view of new evidence provided in a police report lodged in Penang today.

It is believed that he was referring to a police report this morning by Mohamed Razali Abdul Rahman, a DAP member, who attended the function mentioned in the report.

Yesterday, the ministry issued Utusan a letter of reprimand over its front page article on May 7 titled ‘Kristian Agama Rasmi?’ (Christianity the official religion?).

The letter was handed to Utusan’s editor-in-chief Aziz Ishak yesterday, when he was called to the Home Ministry to give an exaplanation on the report.

Hishammuddin (right) said Aziz’s explanation was similar to the police report lodged today.

“He (Aziz) was saying that there is some truth to what is reported, and today I was informed that there is a police report (lodged) that there is some basis to (the Utusan report),” Hishammuddin told reporters at the launch of drug rehabilitation centre in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur. Continue reading “Hisham: ‘Some basis’ to Utusan’s report”

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‘Don’t allow for a repeat of May 13′

By Teresa Kok | May 13, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

Today marks the 42nd anniversary of May 13 riots. It stands as a day of infamy, caused in part by misinformation to stoke the flames of discontent among the races being spread among the populace, leading to fear, anger and ultimately to destruction of property and deaths.

To ensure that this day does not repeat itself, the government must send a strong message that those guilty of spreading misinformation which divides multi-racial multi-religious Malaysia must stop or be made to stop.

Thus, I urge the government to take stern action against Utusan Malaysia for spreading its lies and misinformation with its utterly irresponsible and unconscionable reporting of its “Kristian agama rasmi?” frontpage story.
Continue reading “‘Don’t allow for a repeat of May 13′”

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Najib’s Animal Farm

By David Martin
May 13, 2011 | MalaysianInsider

I read George Orwell’s Animal Farm when I was helping my brother out with his university assignment back when I was in secondary school.

The story seemed a bit nonsensical to me back then. Talking animals who revolted against their masters. Pigs taking over as the leaders of the farm. A pig named Napoleon, no less.

Then again, when you grew up in the Mahathir era, the rakyat were more gullible back then weren’t they? With the advent of technology in the 21st century, it’s harder to keep a lid on the truth.

I woke up early this morning to read on The Malaysian Insider that Utusan Malaysia was merely given a warning for publishing unsubstantiated news (read: lies) for its front page headline by the all-powerful Home Ministry.

My mind is cast back to several years back when the oldest newspaper in Sarawak, The Sarawak Tribune had its printing permit taken away merely for publishing a photo of a man looking at the infamous prophet’s cartoon. That was deemed serious enough for a suspension which ultimately led to the demise of the daily.

A couple of years back, the same ministry decided to stir things up a bit by hauling up the Catholic weekly, Herald, for using the word “Allah” in the publication. Their reason was a flimsy one at best, that the word was exclusive to Islam despite its widespread use worldwide by Christians predating even the formation of Malaysia. Continue reading “Najib’s Animal Farm”

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PM-Christian meet confounds more than clarifies

By Terence Netto
May 13, 11 | Malaysiakini

One headline ‘Christian leaders pledge to respect Islam’s status‘ was intimation enough about what went on at yesterday’s meeting between Christian leaders and Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Ostensibly called to sooth ruffled Christian feathers over allegedly inflammatory reports in Utusan Malaysia, the meeting, as some had feared, did not just fail to come to grips with the underlying issue; it confounded it, if Najib’s remarks to the media afterwards were a guide.

The PM said he was encouraged by two undertakings given by the Christian leaders he met: one, that they will respect the status of Islam as the official religion of this country; and two, that they will cooperate in nurturing peace and harmony among the various faiths.

By implication, these undertakings had to be rendered because there have been doubts about the track record of Christians in respect of the two matters.

Two chapters of our very recent history ought to be noted for perspective.

Early last year, when the ‘Allah’ issue was rife, a series of arson attacks on churches occurred without stirring Christians to high dudgeon: they knew agent provocateurs were at work and that an adverse reaction would only aggravate matters. Continue reading “PM-Christian meet confounds more than clarifies”

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It’s tough being Malaysian Chinese

By Tan Shang Neng (loyarburok.com) | May 12, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

As a young Malaysian Chinese, when asked to draw my vision of the year 2020 in our primary school Pendidikan Seni classes, I would draw flying cars, floating buildings, a city of steel and glass, people in jet-fighter styled suits covering arms and legs and a helmet to top, using jetpacks strapped to their backs.

Today, if asked to draw my vision of 2020?

I hope to have trees with leaves still green, less floods, less killing around the world. And, hopefully in the myriad hands I have drawn holding on to each other in the middle in harmonious unity, there will be a pair of hands with the colour that best represents my Chinese skin (another conditioning from primary school: “NO! People cannot be blue because they are nice or green because they are jealous! They must be coloured brown because this guy with songkok is evidently Malay, and this girl in this cheongsam must be yellow because she is evidently Chinese, and this Indian boy must be coloured black!” Boy was my little self so confused.)
Continue reading “It’s tough being Malaysian Chinese”

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Cartoons are no threat to public order, Utusan is

Comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers

‘Cartoons can cause public disorder? Then what do you call the writings by Utusan and the two pro-Umno bloggers?’

‘Terrible accusations’ in Zunar’s cartoon books

Mt KK: Never in any country have I learnt that cartoon books created public disorder or even banned. Indeed, many people, except Malaysiakini fans, may not have heard or read about Zunar’s cartoons. This ban has made it more popular.

My copy of Zunar’s cartoon book has been circulated to more than two dozens people so far. All enjoy the candid illustrations and not one was agitated enough to cause any disorder. They only felt upset at the ways the Home Ministry arbitrarily took actions and/or made partial decision to go after any matter not in favour of Umno leaders.
Continue reading “Cartoons are no threat to public order, Utusan is”

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Skepticism abounds over PM-Christian group meeting

Terence Netto | May 12, 11 7:35am
Malaysiakini

Today’s meeting between representatives of the Council of Churches of Malaysia and Prime Minister Najib Razak that was requested by the PM’s office to lower tensions arising from inflammatory reports in Utusan Malaysia is not likely to resolve anything.

This is the opinion of a frequent past attendee at meetings of Christian groups with Malaysian PMs who asked to remain anonymous.

“We have met him (Najib) and his predecessor and his predecessor’s predecessor often enough,” said the now retired past participant.

“There’s plenty of froth but little of substance achieved at these meetings. It’s good at promoting a ‘feel good’ atmosphere but after you have come away, the same difficulties recur,” he added. Continue reading “Skepticism abounds over PM-Christian group meeting”

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Najib not being fair

by Lucius Goon
The Malaysian Insider
May 11, 2011

MAY 11 — How much more humiliation and many more indignities should non-Muslims/non-Malays have to suffer at the hands of the government?

It seems there is no limit. Remember the cow head protests by Umno supporters in Shah Alam and how Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein placated and even sympathised with them?

Heck, he even blamed the Hindus and the Selangor state government for their temerity in wanting to build a temple near a mosque. Talk about consoling the inciters and lecturing the victims.

And now Najib Razak, the PM of all Malaysians is doing the same. Imagine he supposedly calmed down Muslim leaders in the wake of a false report by Muslim bloggers and a Malay newspaper.

The aggrieved party here are Christians and Malaysians who are sick and tired of the divide and rule by Umno and its sycophants.

And yet, here is the prime minister silent on the insidious role played by his party’s bloggers and Utusan Malaysia. Continue reading “Najib not being fair”

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What this ‘pendatang’ thinks

By Debbie Loh
May 11, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

MAY 11 — Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet briefly with a Singaporean actively involved in the property and construction sector of his country and beyond. After a short discourse of the weather and the odd traffic jams in Singapore, I managed to pose a question, point blank:

“Sir, what do you think of the Iskandar Development Region? Do you think it will turn out to what it is touted to be? A smaller version of Shenzhen?”

To which he answered: “No I don’t think so. We’re not very interested.”

I wasn’t surprised by that statement. The heralding of Iskandar Development Region as a strong and formidable economic region began about four years ago — with the Iskandar Regional Development Authority formalised as a statutory body in 2007.
Continue reading “What this ‘pendatang’ thinks”

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‘Who is running the country?’

FMT Staff
May 10, 2011

A retired colonel from Malaysian Armed Forces is upset that a government policy regarding children of mixed mariages in Sarawak has not been implemented.

KUCHING: A storm is brewing over the non-implementation of a government directive regarding the “Bumiputera” status of children from mixed marriages in Sarawak.

An irate father, Suhirtharatnam Kularatnam, a former retired colonel in the Malaysian Armed Forces, is demanding to know “who is running the country” when government policies are not carried out.

“Why is the government directive acknowledging the children of mixed marriages in Sarawak as Bumiputeras not being implemented? Who is running this country? Is it the prime minister or is there someone else?” he asked.

Suhirtharatnam’s daughter, Teresa Clare, who scored 10As in last year’s Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, was not given a seat in the matriculation programme because she was not considered a “Bumiputera”.

Teresa’s mother Pauline is an Iban and the daughter of former Land and Mineral Resources Minister Francis Umpau. Continue reading “‘Who is running the country?’”

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Umno’s Christian plot to bag Muslim votes’

RK Anand
Free Malaysia Today
May 10, 2011

In an interview with the Vatican Radio, the Herald’s editor Father Lawrence Andrew says the government is stirring up a controversy to revive Muslim support.

KUALA LUMPUR: The allegation of a Christian coup being planned is an attempt by the Umno-led government to stir up controversy to revive Muslim support, said the editor of Catholic weekly, Herald.

Speaking to the Vatican Radio, Father Lawrence Andrew claimed that the government felt that it was losing the popularity it once commanded.

“Because they are losing popularity, they will enjoy some uneasiness that will create confusion – that will create fear – in the people,” he said.

He said the allegation was absurd, pointing out that Christians made up less than 10% of the population. Continue reading “Umno’s Christian plot to bag Muslim votes’”

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Putrajaya permitting Utusan provocation, says Bar Council

By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
May 09, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, May 9 — Malaysian Bar president Lim Chee Wee accused Putrajaya today of giving free rein to Utusan Malaysia to publish and promote what he called lies dressed up as news reports and continuing to stir up religious fear and unrest.

The lawyer joined a growing choir in urging the authorities to get their priorities in order and immediately investigate reporters and editors in the Umno-owned daily for repeatedly pushing provocative religious rhetoric rather than hauling up Christian leaders over unproven claims.

The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM), which represents over 90 per cent of churches nationwide, have also demanded Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak act immediately against Utusan for false reporting and spreading dangerous lies.

“Instead of questioning Utusan Malaysia’s journalistic conduct and ethics, the immediate responses from the ministers in charge of home affairs and communications were to order investigations into the alleged incidents themselves,” Lim said in a statement.

“In this way, the authorities are gullibly assisting those who seek to play up lies and falsehoods in order to artificially create religious conflict,” he added. Continue reading “Putrajaya permitting Utusan provocation, says Bar Council”

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Arrest ‘inflammatory’ liars to maintain credibility, Putrajaya told

By Yow Hong Chieh
May 08, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — Putrajaya must “apprehend” those behind the baseless Utusan Malaysia report of a Christian plot to supplant Islam or risk losing its credibility among the public, an ex-senior civil servant said today.

Former Transport Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said the Malay daily’s “highly irresponsible” and “inflammatory” claims not only bordered on seditious but ran counter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia concept, which stressed national integration and unity.

“Therefore, I now urge the government to take urgent action and apprehend all those responsible for all these extreme statements and hold them wholly accountable for these baseless and sensitive allegations,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

The former Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president warned that if the government did not act swiftly against the perpetrators, it would alienate the public and open itself up to accusations of double standards in administering justice. Continue reading “Arrest ‘inflammatory’ liars to maintain credibility, Putrajaya told”