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Harassment of pro-democracy activists in Malaysia reveals a worrying undercurrent of racism

Economist
Jul 14th 2012 | KUALA LUMPUR
Politics in Malaysia
The racial question

THE house of Ambiga Sreenevasan in a leafy neighbourhood of Kuala Lumpur looks ordinary enough. Getting into it, though, betrays a different reality. A security guard greets visitors, who are then scrutinised by newly installed surveillance cameras. A bodyguard hovers somewhere inside the house.

The precautions are revealing. Ms Ambiga has become the target of what she describes as “relentless attacks”, including death threats. They have thrust a middle-class lawyer (she is a former president of the Malaysian Bar Council) into the centre of politics in the run-up to what could be a pivotal general election. Continue reading “Harassment of pro-democracy activists in Malaysia reveals a worrying undercurrent of racism”

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Janji dimungkiri, Mahathirisme hidup lagi

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 12, 2012

12 JULAI — Dr Mahathir yang masih tidak boleh melupakan seronok jadi PM selama 22 tahun menyatakan masa depan Malaysia musnah jika Pakatan menang. Dia sebenarnya rindukan Mahathirisme. Najib di anggap kurang cerdik melaksanakan doktrin Mahathirism. Sebab itu Mahathir sedang asah parang hendak sembelih leher Najib di bantu oleh Muhyidin al lelongi dan Mukriz a/l Mahathir.

Sebelum masa itu tiba, perkara yang serupa dislogankan oleh PM Najib. Mengenai slogan-slogan rakyat dah lali dengan jerit sana sini Najib. Ketika meraikan ahli Umno yang di angkut dan dibayar berhimpun di stadium Bukit Jalil, dia kata nak istihar pilihanraya dia tetap takut. Di Melaka dia kata Umno akan menang 14-0, saya kata, kalau demikian, semalam sudah Najib istihar PRU. Najib tahu perpaduan orang Umno akan kurang 30 peratus pada hari dia menamakan calun. Jadi bagaimana hendak bertarung dalam gelanggang, apabila diluar pun sudah kelam kabut.

Orang Umno dah letih menunggu bila PRU akan di adakan. Kepada orang Umno, PRU ialah Hari Raya. Sebab masa itu, duit datang mencurah curah. Motorsikal dan kereta Myvi sudah di pesan tapi duit belum turun. Orang Umno gelisah. Hendakkan PRU di cepatkan. Mereka tahu kalau Umno kalah, orang Melayu tetap akan terbela bahkan di jagai dengan lebih baik dari yang Umno mampu. Continue reading “Janji dimungkiri, Mahathirisme hidup lagi”

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Rebellious divisions holding Najib back

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | July 11, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

Is Najib Tun Razak, who has been groomed since young to lead the country, facing a coup in Umno?

COMMENT

Why is Prime Minister and Umno president Najib Tun Razak procrastinating in naming an election date?

After all, he’s enjoying a good personal rating, and good reports from the ground. Not forgetting Umno is now flush with cash.

The real reason he delays and delays, and huffs and puffs is that he fears a looming revolt within Umno.

The incumbents are insisting they are winnable. Would anyone dare replace warlord Tajudin Rahman (Pasir Salak), for example?

Najib is facing potential revolts in all divisions. Continue reading “Rebellious divisions holding Najib back”

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Utusan Malaysia confirmed it is “lies-paper” when it front-paged the lie that DAP would contest 90 parliamentary seats to dominate PR and appoint the Prime Minister in 13GE

Utusan Malaysia today confirmed that it is a “lies-paper” and not a newspaper when it plumbed a new depth of dishonest and unethical journalism by front-paging the lie that DAP would contest 90 parliamentary seats to dominate Pakatan Rakyat and appoint the Prime Minister in the 13th general election.

The Utusan report that DAP would be contesting 90 out of 222 (i.e. 40.5%) parliamentary seats in the next general election, with PAS and PKR contesting in 66 seats each, is the latest in an irresponsible, malicious and anti-national campaign by UMNO propagandists and spinmasters to stoke racial suspicion and distrust that the Malays will lose political power if UMNO is defeated and the Barisan Nasional replaced by Pakatan Rakyat in the 13th general election.

Last week, I had debunked former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s scare tactics when he warned that the Chinese voters are the kingmakers for the 13th general election on the ground that the Malays are divided among three “small” parties and that the Chinese voters will decide who forms the government after the general election. Continue reading “Utusan Malaysia confirmed it is “lies-paper” when it front-paged the lie that DAP would contest 90 parliamentary seats to dominate PR and appoint the Prime Minister in 13GE”

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Choice is yours – let us change so we can have liberty and live with dignity

(Prepared closing remarks by DAP Secretary-General/Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at the debate with MCA President Datuk Dr. Chua Soi Lek on “DAP & MCA: Whose Policies Benefit the Country More?” at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre on Sunday, July 8, 2012)

Since Merdeka, two million Malaysians have migrated overseas because they do not see a future for themselves and for Malaysia. It is time that we don’t live in our past that is filled with hatred and fear. We should look to the future filled with hope and harmony between all Malaysians.

 To put the past behind us, we must stop the politics of race and religion.

 To put the past behind us, we must end corruption.

 To put the past behind us, we must abolish the suppression, oppression, repression of our basic human rights and freedoms.

 To put the past behind us, we must demand good governance and performance from our ministers. Continue reading “Choice is yours – let us change so we can have liberty and live with dignity”

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Playing along with Macom Bhd

Mariam Mokhtar
Malaysiakini
Jul 2, 2012

Every Malaysian has, in their daily activities, had dealings with Macom Bhd., the company which flourished under the tenure of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Even foreign investors have been involved in transactions with Macom. Just in case you’re not aware, Macom stands for ‘Makan Commission’.

At some point in the past, our integrity was compromised. Umno and to a large extent, Mahathir, were responsible. Umno Baru was created to keep the Malays ignorant and stupid (Melayu di perbodohkan), as Mahathir might say.

It is a story which has been told repeatedly. The Malays, under Mahathir, became rich beyond their wildest dreams. In one generation, the Malays and their values were compromised. The non-Malays are not blameless, especially the ones who played along with Macom.

The people who control Macom don’t want things to change. The Malay who prefers to keep quiet and not rock the boat, is preferable to one who makes his government and leaders accountable for their every action. Continue reading “Playing along with Macom Bhd”

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If you want to break anything, give the job to Umno

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 06, 2012

6 JULAI — Terlalu banyak spekulasi tentang pilihanraya umum yang telah tertangguh sebegitu lama. Najib akhirnya merupakan satu-satunya PM dalam sejarah negara yang tidak memanggil pilihanraya untuk mendapatkan mandat dan ‘endorsement’ tentang kepimpinannya. Sekali gus Najib merupakan seorang PM yang paling lemah dalam sejarah negara merdeka kita.

Selemah-lemah Pak Lah, beliau berani memanggil pilihanraya dalam tempoh lima bulan untuk mendapatkan ‘endorsement’ rakyat dan beliau telah mendapat meraih 90% sokongan dalam Dewan Legislatif semasa pilihanraya yang ke11 yang lalu. Peratusan itu hampir sama dengan pilihanraya 1955 dalam mana Perikatan hanya kalah satu kerusi di Pulau Pinang yang ditandingi oleh Sulaiman Palestin.

Mandat yang ada pada hari ini merupakan mandat Pak Lah. Baik buruknya Pak Lah mempunyai kredibiliti yang lebih baik dari Najib sekarang ini. Pak Lah seorang yang berani memanggil pilihanraya walau pun beliau dalam ‘tidur’. Setidak-tidaknya Pak Lah dapat mempertahankan kuasa BN walaupun kehilangan kemenangan tradisi 2/3 di Dewan Parlimen. Continue reading “If you want to break anything, give the job to Umno”

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Chief of the rentier class and his economic transformation

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 05, 2012

JULY 5 — In practical sense, the term rent-seeking or rent-seeker or rentier classs, refers to the activity by some people in capturing offices of state and using the power of the state to capture economic benefits.

So, the rentier class consists of the people making use of their official and political positions to capture economic benefits. They get these benefits not by actually providing or actually producing a service or product, but by virtue of holding a political or bureaucratic position.

So what? So the above arrangement leads to disparities in income not due to natural abilities or difference in character. Such arrangement becomes objectionable and unconscionable when the disparities in income do not arise because of abilities or character.

The lazybones and laggards get ahead of the industrious and those more clever because they have found a way to cut corners by earning state positions. And so because of the positions they hold, in the offices of state, political positions and being proximate to the corridors of power allow them to get ahead of others.

Generally speaking, that is why some people are very critical of the New Economic Policy because it allows and perpetrates such “economic arrangements”. Those who get ahead are those having political and bureaucratic powers and their cronies and fronts. Continue reading “Chief of the rentier class and his economic transformation”

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Rebahnya BN kerana salah sendiri, bukannya kesalahan orang

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 02, 2012

2 JULAI — Insiden yang mengasari Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang di Telok Bahang semalam membuktikan yang Barisan Nasional amat sengsara apabila kalah di dalam pilihanraya 20008 yang mengakibatkan BN jatuh tersembam di Pulau Pinang dalam PRU yang lalu.

Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat yang di ketuai oleh DAP itu telah melakukan yang terbaik dan telah pun membuktikan yang sesebuah kerajaan itu boleh ditadbir dengan baik jika pimpinannya telus, jujur, dan sebenarnya rasuah boleh dielakkan.

Jika Pulau Pinang kini mempunyai pentadbiran yang hampir sama dengan prestasi BN, tentulah BN mempunyai peluang untuk kembali berkuasa di Pulau Pinang selepas pilihanraya yang akan datang.

Tetapi Lim Guan Eng dan barisan pimpinan kerajaan Pulau Pinang telah menunjukkan perbezaan ketara dengan membuktikan yang PR memang lebih berkemampuan untuk mentadbir dari BN yang telah menguasai Pulau Pinang dari 2008 dahulu.

Justeru kata-kata pemimpin-pemimpin BN yang mengatakan mereka (BN) akan mengambilalih Pulau Pinang di dalam PRU 13 ini hanyalah merupakan kenyataan untuk menyedapkan hati sendiri dan tindakan psikoloji sahaja. Keputusan PRU 13 sebenarnya sudah ditentukan. Pulau Pinang akan tetap berada ditangan PR, malahan lebih kuat lagi selepas PRU itu nanti. Continue reading “Rebahnya BN kerana salah sendiri, bukannya kesalahan orang”

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Kingmakers in GE13 are not the Chinese voters but all Malaysian voters, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans to unite and bring about peaceful transition of federal power to end corruption, cronyism and abuses of power

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is up to his past mischief yesterday when he played the race card to create racial suspicion, mistrust and fear in his effort to save UMNO and Barisan Nasional from being voted out of Federal power in the 13th general election and replaced by Pakatan Rakyat.

Saying that the Chinese voters are the kingmakers for the 13th general election, Mahathir said the Chinese voters will decide who forms the government after the general election as the Malays are divided among three parties.

He claimed that “the Malay majority has split itself into three and become the minority” and the opposition PKR, PAS as well as UMNO have “to cede to Chinese demands”.

As a result, “these three small Malay parties need the support of the Chinese in order to win the elections”.

He said: “Whichever party gets the support of the Chinese will win the elections.

“The fact is today all three Malay parties are trying to butter the Chinese electorate. So they become racial and cater to racial demands.”

What Mahathir said yesterday must rank as among his most irresponsible and mischievous statements, making nonsense of his Vision 2020 and concept of Bangsa Malaysia which envisioned Malaysians “ethnically and territorially integrated, living in harmony and full and fair partnership” by 2020. Continue reading “Kingmakers in GE13 are not the Chinese voters but all Malaysian voters, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans to unite and bring about peaceful transition of federal power to end corruption, cronyism and abuses of power”

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Ambiga ‘ayam tambatan’ kepada transformasi pilihanraya negara

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 28, 2012

28 JUN — Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, Pengerusi bersama Bersih 3.0, sudah menjadi seorang yang paling popular dan beliau sudah pasti menjadi seorang yang “of consequence” dalam politik negara kini. Ambiga bukan seorang ahli politik dan beliau tidak bercadang dan terfikir untuk berkecimpung dalam arena yang beliau tidak pandai untuk turut serta.

Beliau merupakan ketua kepada sebuah NGO yang inginkan pilihanraya diadakan dan dilaksanakan secara bersih. Sebagai warganegara yang bertanggungjawab, beliau bersama rakan-rakan beliau dan disokong oleh majoriti rakyat yang inginkan satu pilihanraya bersih, secara tidak langsung beliau merupakan seorang yang paling berpengaruh dalam negara kita.

Perjuangan beliau di dalam NGO Bersih itu mendapat pengiktirafan antarabangsa dan beliau telah mendapat beberapa anugerah di atas peranan beliau dalam membina sebuah masyarakat yang “civil”. Beliau mendapat penghormatan untuk bertemu dengan Presiden Obama dari Amerika Syarikat yang tidak mudah di perolehi oleh ramai pemimpin negara kita. Dr Mahathir sendiri terpaksa menggunakan “lobbyist” ternama dan terpaksa membayar ber”million” ringgit untuk bertemu dengan Presiden Amerika Syarikat suatu ketika dahulu.

Tetapi oleh kerana Ambiga adalah rakyat Malaysia dan ditadbir oleh Umno Baru pula, Ambiga menjadi sasaran dan kecaman dari pihak pemerintah negara kerana di Malaysia ini, sesiapa yang tidak sehaluan dengan tindakan kerajaan, berpotensi untuk dihina dan dinesta. Yang terakhir sekali, seorang ahli Legislatif Umno Baru, Mohamad Aziz, telah meminta Ambiga digantung kerana bertindak mengadakan perhimpunan Bersih 3.0 pada 28 hb April yang lalu. Continue reading “Ambiga ‘ayam tambatan’ kepada transformasi pilihanraya negara”

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The Malay middle ground: Pakatan has most to gain

— Liew Chin Tong
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 27, 2012

JUNE 27 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is writing Barisan Nasional’s political obituary by focusing on micro electoral targets while refusing to confront macro policy matters.

The window to call election before the month of Ramadan has come and gone. The next possible window, which starts from September, is small and very much constrained by the Hari Raya Haji celebration on October 26, Deepavali festival on November 14, and the subsequent annual year-end floods.

Having sounded the war drums for at least two years since 2010 and making it very loud since late last year, Najib was visibly scared to pull the trigger at last, to the chagrin of many Umno leaders who want to get over it and done with.

As Najib calibrates his perfect moments, which I believe have long gone and will never return again, the nation was left in a lurch with numerous policy paralyses, flip-flops, and stalemates. Continue reading “The Malay middle ground: Pakatan has most to gain”

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Kita gantung pembunuh, bukan gantung yang berbeza pendapat!

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 28, 2012

28 JUN — Kita gantung yang membunuh Altantuya. Kita gantung pengedar dadah. Kita gantung yang menjual kad pengenalan. Kita gantung yang menjual rahsia tentera laut. Kita gantung yang menjual kerakyatan. Kita tak gantung orang yang berbeza pendapat dan pandangan. Hanya untuk sekali sahaja — pemimpin Umno gunalah otak kamu.

Pemimpin-pemimpin United Munafik National Organisation(Umno) bersikap macam burung ostrich yang menyorokkan kepala dalam lubang tanah. Dia ingat kalau dia tak nampak musuh pemangsa, maka musuh pemangsa atau binatang lain tidak nampak akan dia. Hendak kita ketawakan dan kritik mereka, kita serba salah, maklum sahajalah, mereka berotak burung. Kita jadi pandir jika melayan puak Umno. Tak setuju tarik kerakyatan! Tak setuju kita gantung. Tak setuju kita jel! Inilah kualiti pemimpin Umno. Hendakkah kita amanahkah negara kepada orang bermutu rendah dan selekeh otak macam ini?

Dr Mahathir sendiri yang kata memang pemimpin Umno yang sekarang ini orang-orang bodoh dan half-past six. Yang cerdik sudah masuk PAS, yang bijak sudah masuk PKR dan yang pandai dah masuk DAP. Yang tolol dan bahlul dan mengeluarkan bahan yang patut keluar dari dubur, di keluarkan ikut lubang mulut sahaja yang tinggal dalam Umno. Sebab itu Dr Mahathir kata, Umno sudah busuk sampai ke usus. Kalau kita hendak selamat, maka kita amanahkan negara kepada Pakatan Rakyat. Bukan saya cakap, Dr Mahathir yang suruh.

Mahukah kita amanahkan pentadbiran negara kepada barisan pemimpin yang tolol lagi bahlul, perasuah dan pembuli? Bagaimana negara hendak maju dalam tangan orang Umno yang tolol wa bahlul? Rosak dan punah negara kita. Continue reading “Kita gantung pembunuh, bukan gantung yang berbeza pendapat!”

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What Malaysians want in 13GE is not a revolution but a normal democracy where peaceful transition of power at national level is accepted by Najib, UMNO and all stakeholders

Yesterday, former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad questioned the “clamour by some quarters to push for a revolution to topple the government when the latter was already giving a lot of priority to the people’s interests”.

In a forum entitled “Discussions with a statesman – The commitment of graduates will be a catalyst for national progress” at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Mahathir said there was no necessity for Malaysians to act outside of the law to topple the government as Malaysia had a democratic system that was much better than many countries affected by the “Arab Spring”.

Mahathir is in his classic and irresponsible self spouting perverse illogic, deliberately and mischievously couching the present phase of the democratic battle in Malaysia in misleading and tendentious context by invoking the images of bloodshed, chaos, violence and riots by referring to “a push for a revolution to topple the government”.

Only very recently, there was the monstrous lies about the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28 as a “coup attempt by the Opposition to topple the government” when hundreds of thousands of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, class, region, age or gender gathered peacefully in a common national cause for a clean election for a clean Malaysia, armed at most with salt and water mineral bottles to defend themselves against irresponsible police firing of tear gas and chemically-laced water cannons.

But whether on April 28 or in the run-up to the next general election, there is no “push for a revolution” in Malaysia. Continue reading “What Malaysians want in 13GE is not a revolution but a normal democracy where peaceful transition of power at national level is accepted by Najib, UMNO and all stakeholders”

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Ali Hamsa! Lepaskan jawatan KSN, tanding atas tiket BN!

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 24, 2012

24 JUN — Baru sehari dua menjadi Ketua Setiausaha Negara (KSN) Dr Ali Hamsa sudah bercakap politik, sedangkan beliau adalah ketua kepada 1.4 juta perkhidmat awam yang sepatutnya tidak menyebelahi mana-mana pihak dan bekerjasama dengan sesiapa atau mana-mana parti yang dipilih rakyat.

Kakitangan kerajaan merupakan pelaksana kepada apa-apa dasar yang telah digubal oleh sesiapa yang memerintah yang diberikan mandat oleh rakyat.

Ali menyeru kepada semua kakitangan kerajaan supaya memberikan sokongan kepada kerajaan yang ada pada hari ini dan jangan mendengar janji-janji kosong dari pihak pembangkang. Walaupun beliau berasa berterima kasih kepada kerajaan kerana dijadikan KSN manggantikan KSN yang lama ia tidak bermakna Ali boleh menafikan hasrat rakyat yang ramai yang merupakan empunya kepada negara ini.

Penjawat awam itu pun kepunyaan rakyat dan dibayar gaji mereka oleh rakyat termasuk gaji Ali itu sendiri. Penjawat awam seperti Ali ini nampaknya mesti melalui kursus sivik yang asas untuk memahami apakah jenis negara dan sistem yang ada yang beliau akan tadbir ini. Continue reading “Ali Hamsa! Lepaskan jawatan KSN, tanding atas tiket BN!”

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Mahathir’s remarks cause for concern

— Lim Sue Goan
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 22, 2012

JUNE 22 — Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has made many shocking statements after leaving office. In January 2010, he claimed that the 9/11 terrorist attacks were staged by the US government.

In a recent speech, he openly criticised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s liberalisation policy. He said that the government was too soft in handling the Bersih rally and warned that too much freedom risked stirring an ethnic hornet’s nest. He later implied that he was not impressed by the government’s gesture to revive a Chinese independent school in Kuantan, believing that the vernacular school system has divided the country.

We should not overly discuss Mahathir’s remarks since he is no longer in office. However, it is worrying that his remarks might trigger the nerves of the party’s hawks and conservatives, resulting in more obstacles to the work of reviving the Chinese independent school in Kuantan. Continue reading “Mahathir’s remarks cause for concern”

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Takut-takut Mohamad bermimpi di siang hari

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 12, 2012

12 JUN — Saya telah dihubungi oleh beberapa pemimpin Umno Baru di Negeri Sembilan dan meminta saya membuka Free Malaysia Today kerana ada berita hangat yang akan saya temui. Bila saya bertanya apa beritanya dia menjawab, “Baco lah bang. Ado coghito Mad Hasan nak botanding di Paroi. Nak tumpaskan PAS terus bang” katanya.

Setelah sampai ke rumah saya pun membelek-belek apa kah benar cerita yang di katakan oleh AJK Bahagian Umno itu. Benar, ada berita tentang kecenderungan MB Negeri Sembilan untuk bertanding di DUN Paroi untuk menentang YB Taufek yang kini ahli Legislatif Negeri Sembilan mewakili DUN Paroi itu.

Sebenarnya saya percaya apa yang di tulis oleh FMT itu. Kalau berita itu datangnya dari Utusan, kita terpaksa berfikir panjang untuk mempastikan berita itu benar atau pun tidak Ini adalah kerana akhbar milik Umno itu belum lagi berjaya menulis berita-berita yang benar.

Akhbar milik Umno itu tidak “professional” dan tugasnya hanyalah untuk memecah belahkan pihak-pihak yang hendak bersatu. Akhbar itu tidak sedar yang semua rakyat kini mahu bersatu, tetapi diluar Umno dan BN. Continue reading “Takut-takut Mohamad bermimpi di siang hari”

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The big PTPTN blunder

— Stephen Ng
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 10, 2012

JUNE 10 — I have been following the news about the PTPTN, and had previously written about it as well.

The latest development by the minister of higher education, Khaled Nordin, is one of the worst of Umno’s political games.

From the shared script with Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, the victims were apparently the students and their parents.

This ploy did not take into consideration the younger generation of Malaysians who cannot afford the higher education under the present Barisan Nasional regime.

To play on their sentiments is something that most Malaysians will not forgive.

Sometimes, silence is golden. In this case, it only became worse when Khaled Nordin had the cheek to say that the freeze on PTPTN loans to Selangor-owned tertiary education institutions “was sparked by the Selangor government’s failure to find a permanent solution for providing free education.” Continue reading “The big PTPTN blunder”

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Kereta tua selalu rosak, elok kita tukar kereta baru

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 08, 2012

8 JUN — Saya akan bertolak ke Utara untuk memenuhi jemputan berceramah malam ini dan besok. Sebelum saya berangkat ke sana saya perturunkan sedikit komen tentang pengumuman TS Muhy dua hari yang lepas.

Tan Sri Muhy berkata berkemungkinan beberapa pemberian dalam bentuk tunai kepada rakyat akan dilakukan sebelum pilihanraya ini untuk menampung kos barangan yang tinggi dan meringankan beban rakyat yang miskin. Kemiskinan memangnya menjadi umpan untuk BN dan Umno Baru untuk berkuasa dan kemiskinan rakyat inilah yang membuatkan rakyat yang sentiasa berharap kepada kerajaan. Khabarnya lagi RM10 billion akan dibelanjakan untuk BR1M kali ini.

Tidak lama lagi akan kita saksikan rakyat beratur lagi untuk mendapatkan bantuan itu, yang akan dibahagi-bahagikan oleh pemimpin-pemimpin Umno Baru di setiap pelusuk negara kita. Entah mana Umno Baru mandapatkan wang sebesar ini tidak pula diketahui. Jika wang ini datangnya dari kantung rakyat (wang rakyat), wang itu sepatutnya dibahagi-bahagikan oleh penjawat awam dan dalam konteks ini ia sepatutnya diberikan oleh pegawai-pegawai daerah, bukannya oleh ahli-ahli politik. Continue reading “Kereta tua selalu rosak, elok kita tukar kereta baru”

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PTPTN/Unisel farce – half-past6 Cabinet, half-past6 DPM/Education Minister, half-past6 Higher Education Minister

The lifting of the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loan freeze for Universiti Selangor (Unisel) and Selangor International Islamic University College (Kuis) students is most welcome as it is downright wrong, immoral and criminal and should never have been imposed in the first place by a government which claims to live by the slogan of “People First, Performance Now”!

The question however is whether the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Higher Education Minister, Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin would have the decency to apologise for such bullying and criminal breach of trust (cbt) tactics as they had publicly endorsed the unethical, vindictive and vengeful PTPTN freeze of loans to Unisel and Kuis students.

This is a pertinent question as it is only yesterday that the Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim launched his Ministry’s 1Malaysia moral guide extolling 21 moral values such as patience, discipline, respect, meritocracy, cleanliness, integrity, humility, courtesy, and loyalty.

Or is Rais’ 1Malaysia moral guide as stillborn as other 1Malaysia gimmicry, or are the Barisan Nasional Ministers and leaders to be exempt from these 21 moral values as they are only meant for the common Malaysian populace? Continue reading “PTPTN/Unisel farce – half-past6 Cabinet, half-past6 DPM/Education Minister, half-past6 Higher Education Minister”