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Anwar acquittal boosts Malaysia’s opposition

By Dr Ooi Kee Beng | 9 January 2012
Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore
BBC News

To the great surprise of many of his followers, Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was found not guilty of the sodomy charge brought against him by a former aide.

High Court judge Zabidin Mohamad Diah declared him innocent early on Monday morning, while huge crowds gathered outside the building in support of the former deputy prime minister. The DNA samples presented by the prosecution to prove Mr Anwar’s guilt, he decided, were compromised.

The unexpected verdict may not prove that the judiciary is free of the executive, but it does show that the executive is not all-powerful.

This is also the second time Mr Anwar has been acquitted on such a charge. After being sacked as the country’s second most powerful person by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed back in September 1998, he was jailed for misuse of power for six years. Just when a consecutive nine-year jail sentence for sodomy was to be served, the Federal Court overturned the decision in 2004.
Continue reading “Anwar acquittal boosts Malaysia’s opposition”

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Anwar’s acquittal and the 901 rally

By Kee Thuan Chye | Jan 9, 2012
Malaysiakini

Anwar Ibrahim is free! Many people did not expect he would be acquitted by the High Court judge presiding over his Sodomy II trial.

In fact, the situation looked dire for Anwar when the judge ruled in May that Anwar’s alleged victim, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, was a truthful and credible witness.

But now the judge feels that Saiful’s testimony is not enough to convict Anwar (left) because it is uncorroborated. More important to the judge is his uncertainty about the integrity of the DNA samples, and that is his main reason for acquitting Anwar.

Does this mean that the episode is over? No. The government can still appeal. And who knows what the outcome of the appeal might be?

I would say, however, that the government should not appeal. This would drag the case on and on again, and it’s already drained such a lot of resources – the rakyat’s money, the rakyat’s emotions – and tarnished the country’s image.
Continue reading “Anwar’s acquittal and the 901 rally”

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Anwar Ibrahim Acquitted of Sodomy Charges

By John Berthelsen | 9 JANUARY 2012
asiasentinel

Now what?

As thousands of supporters cheered outside the court, Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was found not guilty of sodomy charges by High Court Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah, who said “the court cannot be 100 percent certain that DNA was not contaminated.”

Under Malaysia’s system of justice, the prosecution is allowed to appeal a not-guilty verdict. Prior to the ruling, some observers in Kuala Lumpur suggested the government would do just that, which would keep Anwar tied up in legal matters for as long as another year through an expected election. Under a scenario described to Asia Sentinel several weeks ago, the government, knowing a guilty verdict would make Anwar a martyr, would opt to have the judge rule him not guilty and appeal.

“The prosecution has a month to decide whether to appeal,” said a Kuala Lumpur-based lawyer. “They have to examine the decision and attempt to discover if they have grounds for an appeal. But this is Malaysian politics. You have to look at the scenario. From a legal and jurisprudential point of view, there were too many inconsistencies to warrant a conviction. But from a political point of view, anything can happen.”
Continue reading “Anwar Ibrahim Acquitted of Sodomy Charges”

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Winners and losers

— The Malaysian Insider
Jan 09, 2012

JAN 9 — This was a verdict out of the left field. There was jubilation in the ranks of the opposition and the recrimination has already started in Umno and Perkasa.

In this politically polarised nation, The Malaysian Insider polls who can walk away from this case considered a winner and who will slink away as a loser.

Winners:

1) Anwar Ibrahim

The whole machinery of the government and ruling coalition was trained on this one man for three years. He and his family were vilified daily.

A less of a fighter would have crumbled in the face of these ferocious and nasty attacks (remember the snide comments by Messrs Najib and others at the Umno assembly) but Anwar fought back, giving as good as he received.

Today, he is still standing and possibly re-energised by this ordeal.

2) Karpal Singh and the team of defence lawyers

The veteran DAP lawyer is sometimes more bombast than anything else but he expertly navigated through the second sodomy trial, in the process shredding Saiful’s testimony, casting serious doubts on evidence and on the manner the case was handled and on the competency of the government’s Chemistry Department. Continue reading “Winners and losers”

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Kalau dunia nak kiamat pun, janganlah kita jadi pembawa dalilnya

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 06, 2012

6 JAN — Dalam kegawatan politik yang sedang dihadapi rakyat kini, banyak perkara yang dapat kita pelajari dan ianya melambangkan sikap dan nilai pemikiran masing-masing yang bermain dalam politik ini. Berbahas dalam politik tidak ada etikanya di sini. Kalau di negara maju mereka berbincang dan berbahas menggunakan isu yang sedang hangat diperkatakan ramai.

Tetapi di sini mereka berbincang tentang budi dan membalas budi walaupun yang berbudi itu sekarang sedang melencong jauh dari apa yang sepatutnya mereka lakukan dan perjuangkan. Kalau telah mendapat subsidi gigi palsu dari jabatan kesihatan mereka tidak boleh lagi menegur kerajaan yang korap itu dan wajib menyokong pimpinan yang melakukan korapsi itu.

Jika kita telah mendapat pinjaman untuk anak kita belajar ke luar negara, kita di minta jangan mempersoalkan apa-apa yang tidak baik yang dilakukan oleh kerajaan dan pimpinan. Rakyat di kurung pemikiran mereka semata-mata telah mendapat gigi palsu percuma dan pinjaman dan pembiayaan pelajaran anak-anak kita. Apabila termakan sedikit wang rakyat yang bukan pun wang BN atau pun Umno, rakyat mesti duduk diam dan memerhatikan sahaja segala kerja rasuah dan salahguna kuasa oleh pihak yang memimpin.

Budaya ini telah dibentuk oleh Umno sejak bertahun-tahun dahulu dan ini membuatkan orang Melayu tidak boleh berfikir jauh sedikit dari pemikiran mereka yang melakukan tekanan ini. Continue reading “Kalau dunia nak kiamat pun, janganlah kita jadi pembawa dalilnya”

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Umno: Pelindung atau pemusnah?

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 06, 2012

6 JAN — Berita mengenai kami berdua masuk DAP mencetuskan reaksi yang di duga dari penentang kami dalam dunia blog. Yang boleh di duga ialah isi serangan. Serangan peribadi dan personal. Memperlekehkan perwatakan. Orang2 kecewa. Di bayar oleh DAP. Agaknya, ini cara Umno menggalakkan orang lompat? Bayar sana sini. Yang saya tahu itu dia cara Najib Razak operates — pays his way through.

Dan seumpamanya. Jika benar, maka tidak perlu Umno dan penyokong rasa cemas dan gusar. Mudahlah mengalahkan mereka berdua.

Kalau Aspan bertanding di Seremban, semua menteri berasal dari Nogori Sembilan akan hentam dia. Teruklah dia kena belasah. Saya pula, mana lah terdaya menentang Ng Yen Yen di Raub — dia ada billboard yang berharga RM1.9 juta, ada website yang bernilai jutaan ringgit juga. Dia menteri. Dia boleh buat hebohan yang rapi lagi mantap. Lainlah kalau saya bertanding di Triang. Tapi Leong Ngah Ngah has done a sterling job. Biar dia disana.

Dua orang tua (Muhyiddin, Najib Razak dan ramai lagi pimpinan Umno lebih tua dan ganyut) tidak menjadikan kudis pada Umno. Aspan pula tidak hensem walaupun ada menteri Umno kita pandang macam-macam. Umno gagah dan perkasa walaupun pemimpinnya dari yang tertinggi ke yang tidak tinggi semua korap dan rasuah. Bukan saya yang kata, Dr Mahathir yang kata. Bukan saya kata, tapi Shahrizat yang kata. If I go down, the other clowns go down with me. Mana pemimpin Umno yang tidak ada masaalah tanya Shahrizat? Continue reading “Umno: Pelindung atau pemusnah?”

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Hutang Umno pada budi orang Melayu

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 03, 2012

3 JAN — Dalam masa seminggu ini saya di hujani soalan adakah benar saya dan saudara Aspan Alias akan memasuki DAP? Cuba baca berita yang mula2 di keluarkan oleh The Malaysian Insider. Disana di nyatakan bahawa tiada keputusan yang di capai. Ertinya, karya TMI itu bersifat spekulatif. Demikian juga rencana yang di keluarkan oleh Free Malaysia Today. Artikel itu juga bersifat spekulatif dan menimbulkan lebih banyak persoalan dari memberi jawapan.

Tidakkah terfikir oleh sesiapa bahawa jika kami berdua cederung menyokong DAP atau parti lawan Umno, sikap tersebut ialah kerana di dorongi oleh kepercayaan dan prinsip2 tertentu? Kita tidak boleh konsisten jika hanya di dorong oleh rasa frust, dendam dan sebagainya. Sikap konsisten hanya datang dari asas yang lebih stabil dan kekal- seperti di pacu oleh keyakinan dan kepercayaan kepada prinsip2.

Sebagai contoh, kami berdua merasakan Umno sudah bertukar watak menjadi suatu Frankenstein yang tidak lagi boleh di kawal. Ia menjadi wadah untuk mencuri harta benda rakyat, membelakangkan political decency, memanipulasi rule of law, dan paling dasyat sekali melupakan budi orang Melayu kepada Umno. Continue reading “Hutang Umno pada budi orang Melayu”

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Pertembungan di antara Umno dengan rakyat bertambah serius

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 03, 2012

3 JAN — Sejak berita yang dilapurkan oleh The Malaysian Insider dan Utusan dan beberapa blogger yang pro Umno beberapa hari yang lepas, blog saya telah dibanjiri dengan pelawat yang ramai dan kebanyakkannya memberikan sokongan kepada saya jika saya menyertai DAP.

Media perdana Utusan dan blogger Umno telah menulis dengan panjang lebar dan membuat kritikan keras terhadap saya. Tetapi yang menggalakan ialah sokongan dari orang-orang biasa ini sangat menggalakan dan ianya benar-benar membuka minda ramai orang Melayu yang sebenarnya menyertai DAP itu bukannya satu jenayah dan juga tidak “unpatriotic”.

Tidak ada parti akan dibenarkan untuk ditubuhkan jika parti-parti itu tidak memperjuangkan kebaikan untuk negara dan rakyatnya. Apa yang asas kepada segala-galanya dalam penubuhan parti itu ialah Bab Asas dan Tujuan dalam Perlembagaan sesebuah parti itu. Kalau di selidik secara teliti semua parti yang terdaftar dengan halal di negara ini bertujuan yang tidak lari dari kandungan dan peruntukan dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

Semuanya mempunyai matlamat menyatukan rakyat berbilang kaum dan agama di negara kita ini. Apa yang membezakan dari satu parti dengan parti yang lain ialah samada pimpinan sesebuah parti itu benar-benar mengikuti apa yang diperuntukan di dalam Bab Asas Dan Tujuan yang terkandung di dalam parti-parti itu. Baik atau tidak sesuatu parti itu bergantung samada pimpinan parti itu benar-benar mengikut lunas-lunas yang telah di tulis dalam Perlembagaan parti itu.

BN pada asasnya bukannya tidak baik, tetapi semangat yang ada di dalam BN itu tidak di sempurnakan dengan betul sehinggakan rakyat tidak lagi berselera dengan komponen itu. Continue reading “Pertembungan di antara Umno dengan rakyat bertambah serius”

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Umno fears loss of monopoly

By Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | January 3, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

Some folks in my hometown Pekan are now calling me Dato’ DAP. Its quite amusing and comical.

The most common question to me is why DAP? Weren’t they the ones who started May 13?

The thrust of that reminder is to remind us – fellow blogger Aspan Alian and me -of their commonly-held belief that DAP started the May 13, 1969 incident.

Well since they want to know, what if I said Tun (Abdul) Razak allowed it to happen because the ensuing troubles would give him an excuse to kick out (then Prime Minister) Tunku Abdul Rahman?

The point is, there was no single contributor to the May 13 incident.

But I would place some blame on Tun Razak who as Home Minister allowed things to degenerate. He allowed it so that a proclamation of emergency could be made.
Continue reading “Umno fears loss of monopoly”

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Siapa yang pengkhianat? Introspeksi betul-betul

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 02, 2012

2 JAN — Isu saya yang dispekulasikan akan menyertai DAP membuatkan pihak tertentu marah-marah dan yang marah-marah itu seorang dua memang saya kenali. Saya tidak bercadang untuk menjawab dan melayani mereka ini kerana seperti yang saya katakan mereka ini masih bercabang kencingnya dan belum lagi kenal yang mana satu tangan kanan untuk menyuap nasi dan yang mana satu tangan kiri untuk beristinja’.

Bagi pihak yang mengkritik saya ini, mereka tidak ada isu untuk membahaskan apa yang telah saya perkatakan selama ini: tentang apa yang terlalu kurang dalam Umno. Mereka ini belum pun pandai menyebut nama Umno itu tetapi bercakap mempertahankan Umno itu seolah-olah mereka telah lama mengenali Umno dan perjuangannya.

Saya ini kononnya bangkrap politik dan telah menjadi barang “reject”. Kalaulah betul apa yang dikatakan terhadap diri saya itu saya hairan kenapa isu ini diperbesarkan sedangkan saya ini adalah barang “reject” dan bangkrap politik.

Saya ingin menyatakan dengan terang dan jelas. Yang telah bangkrap ialah Umno dan yang sedang di “reject” ialah Umno dan keseluruhan sekutunya. Mereka yang kononnya pejuang ini harus berfikir bukankah Umno hanya tinggal 56 kerusi sahaja di Semenanjung dan 13 kerusi sahaja di Sabah. Jumlahnya hanya 69 semuanya. Umno telah kalah dalam banyak kerusi dan akan kalah banyak lagi dalam pilihanraya yang akan datang ini.

Siapa yang kena “reject” ini? Kalau Umno kena “reject” tentulah ada sebabnya. Orang seperti saya bukan suka-suka hendak “reject” Umno tetapi oleh kerana keadaan yang membuatkan Umno itu terpaksa di “reject”. Saya perhatikan pemimpin-pemimpin Umno dan penyokong-penyokongnya yang membela membabi buta ini hanya mahu mendengar apa yang mereka hendak dengar sahaja. Continue reading “Siapa yang pengkhianat? Introspeksi betul-betul”

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Malays should not fear the DAP

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 02, 2012

JAN 2 — I am not going to respond to the xenophobic responses around news that Aspan Alias and Sakmongkol are about to join the DAP. No explanation will be able to change preconceived biases. So why bother? So we are about to join or have joined the DAP.

The DAP is a democratic party committed to the rule of law, good governance and good government. It abhors corruption and abuse of political office. To me those are attractive propositions. Umno, on the other hand, has turned its back on these. It harps only on one primal worry of Malays — when Umno is threatened it shares the threat with Malays at large. So a threat to Umno is translated mindlessly into a threat to Malays as a whole. Nothing can be farther from the truth. That is how Umno has approached politics in Malaysia basically — make its fears public, make the gains private for selected Malays within Umno.

I have only one message to that; those salad days and that halcyon period are over.

Umno is trapped by its own successes. Indeed its supporters and leaders assume ownership of the wrong things and end up digging in to support the wrong choices.

My answer is, if we do indeed change our political vehicle that is what we are actually doing. Don’t read our move as blasphemous or treasonable. The DAP is more relevant and functional in achieving a more democratic and abuse-free society. As a Muslim, we are changing wadah not aqidah.

So, I thought it would be more substantive to answer my critics by writing an article, why shouldn’t Malays embrace DAP politics? That’s the only way to dominate and conquer your fears.

How has DAP politics been inimical to the general political health of this country? Can any DAP Chinese leader be a PM when it’s contesting only at most 50-55 seats? Can any DAP non Malay leader harbour the dream of becoming a PM in a country dominated by Malays? Has the DAP threatened the institution of the Malay Rulers? The DAP has never done that or will not be mad to countenance such rebellious idea, but Umno, on the other hand, has insulted the Malay Rulers way back in the 1998 constitutional crisis. Can we reasonably accept the allegation that the DAP is instrumental in claims that Malays are being converted into Christians when most DAP members are themselves not Christians? We have to do better than that to take Malays as imbeciles. Only Umno seems to do that. Continue reading “Malays should not fear the DAP”

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Merdeka sudah, tapi jiwa masih terjajah

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 30, 2011

30 DIS — Rakyat sedang menghadapi terlalu banyak masalah yang berat akibat kelakuan dan sikap pemimpin kerajaan kita yang tidak mempunyai disiplin kepimpinan serta pemikiran. Sebagaimana yang telah selalu saya katakan masalah yang kita hadapi ini berpunca dari masalah kepimpinan negara.

Sekarang ini kepimpinan negara sedang menghadapi krisis keyakinan yang paling getir dalam sejarah kemerdekaan negara. Krisis ini sudah lama menular tetapi kerajaan dan parti yang memerintah masih boleh menyangkutkan kesinambungan kuasa yang dipegangnya melalui saki-baki sokongan dan kuasa yang masih berada di tangan mereka.

Umno tidak lagi mempunyai kepimpinan yang jitu kerana akhir-akhir ini krisis keyakinan ini ditokok dan ditambah oleh isu-isu baru, kesemuanya berkait dengan salah guna kuasa dan rasuah. Tidak ada pertembungan di antara dua atau lebih dalam Umno berkaitan dengan perjuangan. Semuanya kena-mengena dengan wang ringgit dan laba harta yang tidak berkesudahan.

Selepas isu NFC dengan Shahrizat Jalil, timbul pula isu Awang Adek dan sebelum itu isu menteri yang menjaga agama yang tidak amanah menggunakan wang zakat untuk membayar kos guaman peribadinya. Shahrizat pula menambah lagi dengan berkata tidak ada pemimpin dalam Kabinet atau parti yang tidak bermasalah. Ini semua berlaku dalam beberapa minggu ini dan jika hendak diluruti sejarah satu dekat yang lalu timbul pula wang rakyat dan negara telah dilarikan keluar negara sebanyak RM1 trillion.

Sekarang ini kita tidak lagi menyebut jumlah yang berbillion. Kini kita menyebut jumlah kecurian yang berjumlah trillion-trillion ringgit. Masyaallah, rupa-rupanya negara kita negara kaya sehinggakan dalam tempoh sepuluh tahun sahaja sebanyak RM1 trillion telah dibawa lari ke luar negara oleh mereka yang tidak bertanggungjawab kepada negara. Continue reading “Merdeka sudah, tapi jiwa masih terjajah”

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Berdayakah Najib dan kepimpinan Umno mengenepikan Shahrizat?

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 28, 2011

28 DIS — Isu Shahrizat Jalil dan NFCnya masih tidak terlerai dan tidak ada apa-apa keputusan. Ia tidak akan terlerai dalam masa yang singkat ini kerana yang terlibat ialah seorang Menteri Kabinet kerajaan persekutuan. Di Malaysia seorang menteri itu bukan senang hendak diketepikan kerana menteri itu merupakan orang yang sangat besar dalam masyarakat kita terutamanya orang kita Melayu ini.

Etika kepimpinan kita sangat rendah dan moral kepimpinan memang tiada. Lima tahun dahulu seorang ahli Kabinet Britain, Blankett ,telah hilang jawatannya semata-mata kerana beliau telah mempercepatkan proses permohonan teman wanitanya untuk mendapatkan permit kerja untuk “maid”nya. Beliau telah dikatakan telah menggunakan kuasanya sebagai menteri bertanggungjawab kepada permit pekerjaan mempercepatkan pemohonan teman wanitanya yang memerlukan permit kerja untuk “maid”nya itu.

Apabila diketahui umum, maka beliau telah meletakkan jawatan kerana beliau telah bertindak secara tidak beretika dalam meluluskan permohonan permit itu. Itu sahaja sebabnya. Begitulah tingginya etika kepimpinan di negara itu.

Sebaliknya di negara kita perkara-perkara yang tidak beretika itu berlaku tanpa hadnya dan jika semuanya mengambil tindakan ke atas mereka yang melakukan kerja-kerja yang tidak beretika itu hari ini, tidak ada seorang pun yang kekal dalam Kerajaan Persekutuan pada hari ini.

Kes NFC dengan Shahrizat tidak langsung menjadi apa-apa kepada Shahrizat. Tetapi sebaliknya beliau masih berada di dalam Kabinet sehingga hari ini, malah beliau telah menyatakan bukan beliau sahaja yang bermasalah dalam Umno, semua menteri-menteri lain pun juga bermasalah. Continue reading “Berdayakah Najib dan kepimpinan Umno mengenepikan Shahrizat?”

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MACC should interrogate Shahrizat about the corruption scandals affecting all UMNO leaders

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) turnabout, announcing that it is investigating allegations surrounding the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) despite previously saying it would not probe the matter, signifies two things:

• The political heat of the RM300 million cattlegate/cow-condo scandal, involving the Wanita Umno leader and Minister for Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil is becoming unbearable for the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak; that her days are numbered and it will be a surprise if she could politically survive into the new year although it is only nine days away;

• A big “black eye” to end the third year of operation of the MACC, plunging public confidence in the independence, integrity and professionalism of the MACC to an unplumbed low, after the earlier series of “black eyes” like the MACC deaths of Teoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed; MACC used as political pawns to persecute Pakatan Rakyat leaders/activists like Teoh Beng Hock, Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and former Perak Pakatan Rakyat Speaker V Sivakumar; abysmal failure to check “grand corruption” highlighted by Malaysia’s worst Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index 2011 ranking of No. 60 and score of 4.3 in the past 17 years.

The MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Abu Kassim Mohamed should resign for the disgraceful cop-out of MACC of no investigation into the RM300 million cattlegate/cow-condo scandal, and the about-face six weeks later, ostensibly after getting the “green light” from the political masters who found the escalating “heat” from the scandal increasingly unbearable and intolerable, especially with the coming general elections around the corner. Continue reading “MACC should interrogate Shahrizat about the corruption scandals affecting all UMNO leaders”

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In about face, MACC now says probing NFC

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 22, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) announced today it is investigating allegations surrounding the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC), despite previously saying it would not probe the matter.

The MACC earlier referred the case to the police, who are now conducting an investigation into possible criminal breach of trust.

But in a statement today, the commission revealed that a special team headed by MACC investigations director Datuk Haji Mustafar Ali has been formed to investigate claims of misappropriation of NFC funds.

“The commission would like to stress that the collection of evidence and testimony has begun since the issue was reported in the Auditor-General’s 2010 report and appropriate action has already been taken on issues raised (in the report),” it said, without detailing the commission’s actions so far.

The statement confirmed the receipt of the latest report concerning the NFC, but said the commission could not divulge any details of the on-going investigation. Continue reading “In about face, MACC now says probing NFC”

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So, this is Malay leadership

By Farah Fahmy | December 20, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

DEC 20 — If our politicians are to be believed, the Malays are under threat these days. Our religion, culture and power are steadily under attack from all and sundry. Everyone has it in for us, from Christians to the Chinese. We are even warned about a so-called “Malaysian Spring” being orchestrated by “anasir-anasir Barat” (and quite possibly, the Jews, who of course, have always had it in for us).

“We won’t surrender an inch,” said the Melayu champion-in-chief (who also finds the time to be our prime minister) during a speech to Pekida recently. Malays, we were told, will never be oppressed in our own land so long as Umno is in power.

Well, glory be. I’m sure there are many others who can sleep more soundly at night knowing that there are so many out there making sure we Malays are not stripped of our position and power in our land.

But … hang on a minute.
Continue reading “So, this is Malay leadership”

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Feeding on people’s fear

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | December 18, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

The recent Umno general assembly proved one fact, which is that the party survives ‘by fabricating lies and manufacturing stories’.
COMMENT
Let me ask you this question. How does Umno sustain itself? You get the answer if you analyzed what just went on in the recent Umno general assembly.

Umno gets on by making Malays believe that they are being besieged, attacked, assaulted and victimized. That’s how Umno can survive. How does it do that?

By fabricating lies and manufacturing stories. The Chinese are going to eat you up. The Chinese are going to Christianize you. They are going to wipe out the sultans, ban use of Bahasa Malaysia, and abolish Jawi and so forth.

You feed on people’s irrational fear. You want to maintain stupid and mute people.

Can you sustain whole people like that – turning people into xenophobes? I say this is a recipe for destroying Malays, not cultivating them to become self-confident people. Continue reading “Feeding on people’s fear”

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Umno’s missed opportunity

Awang Abdillah | December 17, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

Issues of national concern were not discussed at the recent Umno general assembly. Delegates also failed to call on Najib to step down for Umno to rise again.

COMMENT

Frankly, the recent Umno general assembly was the best venue and probably the last chance for Umno leaders to show their sincerity in addressing party and national concerns.

Instead of adopting the Mahathir doctrine or rather its despotic policy, Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should have discussed with the party leaders on how best to tackle the party and national problems.

Disgruntled members should have urged Najib to step down as one of the solutions for Umno to rise again. Personal leadership, party strength and national issues and problems are all inter-related.

Glaringly missing at the Umno general assembly were discussions on issues of national concerns. Continue reading “Umno’s missed opportunity”

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Putrajaya having a cow, but Shahrizat saved?

— Gomen Man
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 16, 2011

DEC 16 — Umno has decided to save Shahrizat Jalil and paint her husband as the main actor behind the scandal of the year, the National Feedlot Corporation aka the government’s transformation programme (cows to condo).

Leading her defence is the man who helmed the Agriculture Ministry when the NFC project was promoted, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, best known as a defendant in the Stamford Hills controversy (please Google and read up). His main argument is that why single out the minister when she had no role to play in the NFC.

I suppose that sounds fair except that we still don’t why Muhyiddin and his ministry officials approved this project to greenhorns. If the opposition does some digging, it will realise that as early as two years ago government officials felt that NFC was doomed.

Also, as the disclosures by the opposition show, Shahrizat’s expenses were paid by funds from NFC and that her husband and children were paid silly money every month. They also set up some restaurants and the beef from the NFC made its way there. Continue reading “Putrajaya having a cow, but Shahrizat saved?”

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Najib’s split personality

Mariam Mokhtar
Free Malaysia Today
December 16, 2011

Najib plays different tunes for political purposes but in the process, it is causing a rift in Umno.

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At the Selangor Taoist solidarity dinner on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak recalled Tunku Abdul Rahman’s long-term vision and praised him for being “far-sighted in administering a complex nation such as Malaysia”. His remarks were at odds with the opening speech at the 62nd Umno general assembly, a fortnight ago.

The solidarity dinner saw Najib urging Malaysians to emphasise the similarities in their respective religions, for a stronger and more united Malaysia. He espoused universal qualities like courtesy, filial piety, trustworthiness and diligence as shared values.

“If we can emphasise on the common values, then we will have similarities between us. We can develop good citizens regardless whether they are Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Taoists… what is important is being good citizens who love the nation, are loyal to the country, respect the law and other religions.”

At the Umno party conference, Najib was playing a different tune. He told delegates that if Umno were to lose power, the Malays and their religion would be threatened.

Using the favoured “3R” strategy of race, religion and royalty to win over the dwindling Malay support, he warned: “Who will preserve the sanctity of Islam? Who will protect the Malays and its agenda and who will protect the rulers?” Continue reading “Najib’s split personality”